Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB)

Our Rating: 85 %

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business

Our Rating: 85 %

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business. Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

ultra-lightweight design

impressive battery life

robust security features

high-resolution display

powerful processor performance

higher price point

limited port variety

no dedicated GPU

average speaker quality

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

excellent pixel sense display

sleek aluminum design

improved quad-core performance

comfortable keyboard feel

good battery life

limited port variety

no dedicated graphics

higher price point

average storage options

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
85 % - Design
83 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
81 % - Design
86 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Product Type Notebook - 180-degree hinge design Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 31.56 cm x 22.25 cm x 1.536 cm 30.8 cm x 22.3 cm x 1.45 cm
Weight 1.12 kg 1.272 kg
Case Material Aluminium (bottom), carbon fibre (top) Aluminum
Colour Deep black weave Platinum | Matte black
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Screen Size (Type) 14" OLED 13.5"
Touchscreen - Yes (10-point multi-touch)
Screen Resolution 2880 x 1800 (2.8K) 2256 x 1504
Pixel Density (ppi) - 201
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 3:2
Image Brightness 400 cd/m² 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 100% DCI-P3 -
Features Anti-glare, anti-reflective, anti-smudge, 170° viewing angle, Eyesafe technology, HDR 500 True Black Vivid Color, Corning Gorilla glass 3, Color Calibrated, sRGB Color Space, PixelSense, Dolby Vision IQ
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
CPU Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) 1235U / 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) 1245U / 1.6 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.4 GHz 4.4 GHz
Number of Cores 10-core 10-core
Cache 12 MB 12 MB
Platform Technology Intel Evo Intel Evo
Features Integrated memory controller Hyper-Threading Technology, Intel Smart Cache
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
RAM 16 GB (provided memory is soldered) 8 GB
RAM Type LPDDR5 SDRAM LPDDR5X SDRAM
Speed 5200 MHz -
Rated Speed 5200 MHz -
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe), Performance 256 GB SSD
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported 3 external monitor(s) -
Video System Features - Functions as Intel UHD graphics (for single-channel memory)
Camera Yes - 1080p Yes - 720p
Camera Features Privacy shutter, IR camera, fixed focus, MIPI, Computer Vision Windows Hello
Sound Two tweeters, two woofers, quad array microphone Stereo speakers, dual far-field studio microphones
Codec Realtek ALC3306 -
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Voice Dolby Atmos
Audio Features - Output: Omnisonic speakers
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Wireless NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1
Wireless Controller Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211 -
Features Dual stream (2x2) -
WWAN
Generation 4G upgradable -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Technology Lithium polymer -
Battery Capacity (Size) 57 Wh 47.4 Wh
Battery Life Up to 24.9 hours Up to 18 hours
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) -
Output 65 Watt -
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, touchpad
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad, air intake key design Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP), Alcantara material palm rest
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Slots 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free) -
Interfaces USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4) (Type C)
SurfaceConnect
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB 3.1
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 Pro - English Windows 11 Pro
Software Included Glance by Mirametrix, Intel Connectivity Performance Suite Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps (30 days trial), Microsoft 365 Apps (requires licence or subscription)
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CB) Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Dockable - Yes
Included Accessories USB-C slim power adapter Power adapter
Integrated Options - Ambient light sensor
Security Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip
Security Slot Type Kensington nano security slot -
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) -
Features Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, NVMe password, USB FIDO (Fast Identity Online) device integration, Firmware Resiliency 3.0 -
Compliant Standards RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified -
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 5 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 8 - 95% -
Manufacturer Warranty Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Limited warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 3 years - on-site
Limited warranty - 1 year
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