Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)

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

Our Rating: 85 %

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) and Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF). 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 (21CC) Review

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

lightweight and portable

robust build quality

excellent keyboard feel

impressive battery life

high-resolution display

higher price point

limited graphics power

no HDMI port

fewer USB ports

Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust metal design

crisp full HD display

backlit keyboard feature

adequate processing power

reasonable price point

average battery life

limited graphics performance

heavier than competitors

no USB-C port

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) and Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
85 % - Design
87 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
75 % - Design
72 % - Display
72 % - Performance
73 % - Connectivity
65 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 31.56 cm x 22.25 cm x 1.536 cm 37.8 cm x 26 cm x 2.2 cm
Weight 1.12 kg 2.2 kg
Case Material Aluminium (bottom), carbon fibre (top) Metal
Colour Deep black paint Golden
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Screen Size (Type) 14" - IPS 15.6" - IPS
Touchscreen Yes (10-point multi-touch) -
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 16:9
Image Brightness 400 cd/m² 250 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 100% sRGB -
Features Anti-glare, on-cell touch technology, 170° viewing angle, Low Power, Eyesafe technology Anti-glare
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
CPU Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) 1270P / 2.2 GHz Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 8550U / 1.8 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.8 GHz 4 GHz
Number of Cores 12-core Quad-Core
Cache 18 MB 8 MB
Features Integrated memory controller Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
RAM 16 GB (provided memory is soldered) 8 GB (1 x 4 GB + 4 GB (soldered))
Max RAM Supported - 16 GB
RAM Type LPDDR5 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed 5200 MHz 2133 MHz
Rated Speed 6400 MHz 2400 MHz
Form Factor - SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty - 1
Empty Slots - 0
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption - Samsung 2 TB HDD SATA 6Gb/s / 5400 rpm
Optical Drive - DVD±RW
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Xe Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX150 / Intel UHD Graphics 620
Max Monitors Supported 3 external monitor(s) -
Video Memory - 4 GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Camera Yes - 1080p Yes - 720p
Resolution - 1 Megapixel
Camera Features Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus Fixed focus
Sound Two tweeters, two woofers, quad array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3306 -
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Voice High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio
Audio Features 360° far-field microphones Output: Harman audio technology
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Wireless Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Wireless Controller Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211 M.2 Card
Network Interface - Gigabit Ethernet
Features - Single stream (1x1)
WWAN
Generation 4G -
Technology LTE -
Controller FIBOCOM L860-GL - M.2 Card -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Technology 4-cell lithium polymer 2-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 57 Wh 35 Wh
Battery Life Up to 24.9 hours Up to 6 hours
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt, 5 / 9 / 15 / 20 V 65 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, touchpad
Numeric Keypad - Yes
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad, air intake key design -
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
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
USB-C 3.0
2 x USB 3.0
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader - 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card)
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 Pro Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition - English
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (21CC) Lenovo IdeaPad 520-15IKB (81BF)
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter Power adapter
Security Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Kensington nano security slot Kensington mini security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) 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, certificate based BIOS authentication Administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password
Compliant Standards RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified RoHS
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold -
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 5 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 8 - 95% -
Manufacturer Warranty - Limited warranty - 1 year - pick-up and return
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