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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Display
- Interface
- Connectivity
- Configuration
- Performance
- Additional Features And Software
- Comments
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Aug 08, 2024 02:45 PM
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Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Mar 28, 2025 02:10 PM
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Size14"
Operating SystemWindows 11
Size15.3"
Operating SystemmacOS
Variants
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000GUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Non Touch/i5-1335U/16GB/256GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HMCTO1WWUS1) (Deep Black - FHD/Non Touch/i5-1335U/16GB/256GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM002CUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Non Touch/i5-1335U/16GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000PUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Non Touch/i5-1345U/16GB/256GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000HUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Non Touch/i5-1345U/16GB/256GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM002FUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Non Touch/i7-1365U/32GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM002GUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/ i7-1365U/32GB/1TB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000LUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1355U/16GB/1TB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000JUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1355U/16GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM002DUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1355U/16GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM002EUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/16GB/1TB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000NUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/16GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000KUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/16GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000QUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/16GB/512GB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000MUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/32GB/1TB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000RUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/32GB/1TB)
- ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM000SUS) (Deep Black - FHD/Touch/i7-1365U/32GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD43LL/A) (Midnight - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYU3LL/A) (Midnight - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYV3LL/A) (Midnight - M3/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD23LL/A) (Silver - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYP3LL/A) (Silver - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYQ3LL/A) (Silver - M3/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD13LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYM3LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYN3LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD33LL/A) (Starlight - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYR3LL/A) (Starlight - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYT3LL/A) (Starlight - M3/8GB/512GB)
Our Verdict
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023) and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) are both ultraportable laptops designed for general productivity and everyday use. Except for the port selection, the MacBook is better than the Lenovo for most uses. The MacBook has a sturdier all-aluminum build, a larger and more responsive touchpad, better-sounding speakers, and a much longer battery life. The Lenovo has quite a few more display options, with the top-end 2.8k OLED offering an arguably better viewing experience than the MacBook's IPS panel. However, you'll have to pay more to upgrade the display. Performance-wise, while the MacBook outpaces the Lenovo most times, you can likely get better performance on the ThinkPad if you get the top-end Intel Core i7-1370P processor.
Main Differences forSchool
School
Threshold
School
8.2
8.6
Battery
7.9
9.1
Touchpad
7.6
9.6
Ports
9.0
5.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.0
9.5
Build Quality Photo
Hinge
9.4
9.1
Hinge Photo
Range
180°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
8.6
8.7
Dimensions Photo
Size
14"
15.3"
Thickness
0.8" (2.1 cm)
0.6" (1.4 cm)
Width
12.4" (31.5 cm)
13.4" (34.0 cm)
Depth
8.8" (22.3 cm)
9.3" (23.7 cm)
Volume
90.0 in³ (1,475.1 cm³)
68.8 in³ (1,128.1 cm³)
Weight
2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)
Charger Size
8.7 in³ (142.1 cm³)
4.2 in³ (68.6 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.6 lbs (0.3 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
6.5
3.5
Internals Photo
Ease Of Access
9.0
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
1
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
1920 x 1200
2880 x 1864
Aspect Ratio
16:10
16:10
Pixel Density
161 PPI
226 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
No
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
86%
87%
Refresh Rate
5.9
5.9
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
No
Contrast
8.1
7.5
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
1,861 : 1
1,412 : 1
Brightness
7.5
8.7
Maximum Brightness
342 cd/m²
494 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
3 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Reflections
7.5
9.1
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Matte
Glossy
Total Reflections
4.64%
1.47%
Indirect Reflections
2.67%
0.38%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.97%
1.09%
Black Uniformity
7.0
7.3
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
1.295%
1.103%
Horizontal Viewing Angle
6.3
6.9
Horizontal Viewing Angle Video
Horizontal Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Left
25°
26°
Color Washout From Right
23°
30°
Horizontal Hue Picture
Color Shift From Left
27°
42°
Color Shift From Right
31°
47°
Horizontal Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Left
26°
29°
Brightness Loss From Right
26°
34°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
27°
30°
Gamma Shift From Right
28°
29°
Vertical Viewing Angle
6.2
6.9
Vertical Viewing Angle Video
Vertical Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Below
22°
26°
Color Washout From Above
24°
28°
Vertical Hue Picture
Color Shift From Below
25°
42°
Color Shift From Above
32°
44°
Vertical Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Below
25°
29°
Brightness Loss From Above
28°
30°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
22°
37°
Gamma Shift From Above
25°
36°
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
5.9
9.9
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
4.93
1.47
Avg. Gamma
2.19
2.24
Avg. Color dE
3.54
0.98
Avg. Color Temperature
6,428.4 K
6,742.3 K
Color Gamut
8.7
9.4
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
99.64%
99.93%
sRGB uv
98.68%
99.72%
Adobe RGB xy
82.08%
87.43%
Adobe RGB uv
90.87%
92.34%
Gamut HDR
DCI P3 xy
82.97%
99.05%
DCI P3 uv
85.63%
98.72%
Rec. 2020 xy
59.76%
71.83%
Rec. 2020 uv
63.22%
73.49%
Flicker
10
9.0
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
Yes
No
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
0%
100%
Interface
Keyboard
8.6
8.0
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
8.5
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
69 gf
62 gf
Actuation Force
35 gf
40 gf
Pre-Travel
1.24 mm
0.80 mm
Total Travel
1.64 mm
0.91 mm
Touchpad
7.6
9.6
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
8.0
9.5
Size
9.7 in² (62.7 cm²)
21.4 in² (138.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
3
No
Speakers
8.9
8.9
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
82 dB SPL
81 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.2 dB
5.9 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
0.8
2.2
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
236 Hz
155 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
17 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
1.6 dB
2.3 dB
Webcam & Microphone
9.6
8.7
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.5
9.0
Resolution
1080p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
Yes
No
Face Unlock
Yes
No
Connectivity
Ports
9.0
5.0
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
2
0
USB-C Ports
2
2
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 3
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
2.0
No
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
No
No
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
No
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
Yes
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.3
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Intel
Apple
Model
Core i7-1365U
M3
Core Count
10
8
Thread Count
12
8
GPU
Brand
Intel
Apple
Model
Iris Xe Graphics
M3
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
32 GB
8 GB
Modules
8 (Soldered)
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5
LP-DDR5
Speed
6,000 MHz
6,400 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
512 GB
256 GB
Usable Capacity
445 GB
214 GB
Drive 1
Western Digital PC SN810 SDCQNRY-512G-1201
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
8.6
9.4
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
1,843 points
2,322 points
CPU Multi-Thread
6,113 points
10,501 points
GPU Compute
18,667 points
33,403 points
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
8.9
9.7
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
1,609 points
1,892 points
Multi-Thread
5,936 points
9,179 points
Blender (3D Rendering)
5.9
8.7
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
7.7 min
4.0 min
GPU Render Time
N/A
1.6 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A
N/A
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
5.5
7.4
Basemark Image
Overall Score
20,024
44,950
Storage Drive Performance
9.5
9.2
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
1,078.4 MB/s
2,738.0 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
4,380.9 MB/s
2,834.7 MB/s
Random Write Speed
104.7 MB/s
41.1 MB/s
Random Read Speed
66.0 MB/s
62.5 MB/s
Battery
7.9
9.1
Capacity
56 Wh
67 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
9.8 hrs
12.7 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
6.1 hrs
12.0 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
2.5 hrs
3.5 hrs
Charge Time
1.9 hrs
2.8 hrs
Borderlands 3
1.7
3.1
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
11 fps
20 fps
1% Low
5 fps
7 fps
0.1% Low
3 fps
4 fps
1% Low Delta
88 ms
89 ms
0.1% Low Delta
273 ms
230 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
21 fps
37 fps
Civilization VI
4.2
5.6
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
19 fps
41 fps
1% Low
14 fps
26 fps
0.1% Low
13 fps
17 fps
1% Low Delta
21 ms
14 ms
0.1% Low Delta
26 ms
33 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
65 fps
93 fps
Avg. Turn Time
8.48 s
10.24 s
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
5.5
CS:GO graph
Avg. FPS
57 fps
1% Low
26 fps
0.1% Low
21 fps
1% Low Delta
21 ms
0.1% Low Delta
29 ms
Avg. FPS On Low
90 fps
Counter-Strike 2
0.0
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
N/A
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
2.9
4.3
Avg. FPS
18 fps
32 fps
1% Low
12 fps
15 fps
0.1% Low
7 fps
8 fps
1% Low Delta
26 ms
36 ms
0.1% Low Delta
90 ms
90 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
27 fps
44 fps
Thermals And Noise
8.1
8.1
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
35 °C (96 °F)
27 °C (81 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
37 °C (99 °F)
50 °C (121 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
44.0 dBA
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Performance Over Time
8.9
7.1
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
72 °C
90 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
4% loss
6% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
66 °C
90 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
3% loss
12% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Windows 11
macOS
Additional Software
Yes
None
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen
No
No
Secondary Display
No
No
Biometrics
Face Recognition and Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint Sensor
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
Comments
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024): Main Discussion
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