The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 2-in-1 stands out as a versatile and powerful laptop, delivering an exceptional user experience. Equipped with an advanced P-series processor and offering various display options, this convertible laptop caters to both professionals and creative artists. In this comprehensive review, we’ll explore its design, performance, features, and overall user experience, providing an overview of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 2-in-1 Notebook.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 provides extensive customization options, allowing users to adjust the laptop’s specifications to their specific needs. It supports up to 32GB of high-speed LPDDR5 RAM and offers lightning-fast PCIe Gen 4 SSDs for efficient storage performance. With Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, users can enjoy seamless wireless connectivity, and there’s even an option for 5G capability, ensuring uninterrupted internet access while on the move.
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Table of Contents
Design and Build Quality
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 showcases a strong yet elegant design, crafted with an all-metal body featuring a solid aluminum chassis. Its striking storm gray color not only adds a touch of sophistication but also sets it apart from the standard black color of its counterparts. With a MIL-STD-810H rating, this laptop proves its durability by withstanding challenging conditions without compromising on performance. Remarkably lightweight at just around 1.38 kilograms, it’s highly portable, perfect for users on the move.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 provides a well-thought-out array of ports, including two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports that support data transfer, charging, and display output. You’ll also find a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, an HDMI 2.0 B port, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone/microphone combo jack. Notably, it includes The Silo, a dedicated slot for the pen, ensuring you never misplace it. While the absence of an SD card reader might be a drawback for some users, the overall selection of ports meets most essential connectivity needs.
Upgradeability Options
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 can be configured with a substantial 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, operating at a rapid 5200 megahertz speed in dual-channel mode. Although the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, it still offers flexibility for users who may require more memory as they can upgrade it. Additionally, the laptop supports user-replaceable PCIe Gen 4 SSDs, enabling future storage upgrades and adjustments based on individual needs. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo card is soldered onto the motherboard and isn’t user-upgradable.
Display and Audio Quality
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 |
| Brightness | 402 nits |
| Black Levels | 0.25 |
| White Point | 6600K |
| Contrast | 1160:1 |
| Delta E | 1.21 |
| Color Gamut | 100% sRGB, 80% AdobeRGB, 82% P3, 75% NTSC. |
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 provides users with a choice of three display options. First, there’s the UHD Plus OLED option, which offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and excellent color accuracy—making it a great pick for multimedia and graphics work. On the other hand, the Full HD Plus IPS display features an anti-reflective and anti-smudge coating, making it a touch screen with low power consumption. It boasts a brightness rating of 400 nits and accurate color representation, making it a reliable choice for content creators. Notably, the Full HD Plus IPS option also excels in terms of battery life due to its lower resolution, making it ideal for users who prioritize extended usage on a single charge.
It boasts a quad-speaker setup, featuring two tweeters and two woofers, which together deliver impressive volume and a well-balanced audio experience. The addition of woofers brings depth and richness to the sound output, significantly enhancing overall audio quality. These quad-speaker arrangement ensures an enjoyable audio experience, making it a great choice for activities like watching multimedia content, entertainment, and casual music listening.
Webcam and Fingerprint Scanner
The laptop’s front-facing camera, boasting 1080p resolution, delivers high-quality video, and it’s complemented by a quad-array microphone system for satisfactory audio performance. A standout feature is the webcam’s shutter switch, allowing users to physically cover the camera when it’s not in use, enhancing security and privacy. Furthermore, the power button also serves as a fingerprint scanner, offering users a convenient and secure way to log in. This combination of features makes the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 an excellent choice for users who prioritize strong security features along with efficient functionality.
Keyboard and Touchpad
It’s robust hinges make it easy to open the lid with just one finger, a convenient feature that’s not always available on all convertible laptops. The ThinkPad keyboard lives up to its well-known reputation, offering a satisfying tactile feel and ample key travel, ensuring comfort during long typing sessions. This backlit keyboard is spill-resistant, enhancing the device’s durability. The touchpad is highly responsive and supports various gestures, providing smooth and intuitive navigation. Additionally, for users who prefer it, there are physical mouse buttons that complement the distinctive ThinkPad trackpoint, adding to the laptop’s versatility when it comes to input methods.
The Modes and Pen
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7, being a two-in-one convertible laptop, offers versatile usage thanks to its different modes. The tent mode is perfect for media consumption, like watching videos or following recipes in the kitchen. The stand mode is ideal for presentations and more media consumption. Meanwhile, the tablet mode is particularly handy when using the included pen. This pen, which charges while it’s stored within the laptop, is excellent for tasks like note-taking, sketching, and artwork. Its convenient storage ensures that users won’t misplace it, making it a valuable tool for precision and creativity.
Performance, Benchmarks and Gaming
| Platforms | Scores |
|---|---|
| PCMARK 10 | 5,652 |
| GEEKBENCH 5 (Single-Core) | 1,517 |
| GEEKBENCH 5 (Multi-Core) | 8,545 |
| CINEBENCH R20 | 3,022 |
| CINEBENCH R15 | 1,245 cb | 103 FPS |
| CINEBENCH R23 | Single-Core 1,501, Multi-Core 7,712 |
| 3DMARK Time Spy | 1,757 |
| 3DMARK Fire Strike | 4,546 |
One of the standout features of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is its use of the P series processor, where P stands for performance. This processor packs a punch with its 12 cores, consisting of 8 efficiency cores and 4 high-performance cores. In everyday use, it delivers commendable performance for tasks such as using Microsoft Office, managing emails, and web browsing. The integrated Iris XE Graphics also provide decent graphics performance. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this laptop isn’t designed for intensive tasks like 4K video editing or playing high-end AAA gaming titles.
| Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 (Core i7-1260P) | 9,164 |
| Asus ZenBook 14 OLED (3402) (Core i5-1240P) | 8,748 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 (Core i7-1260P) | 7,712 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (Core i7-1260P) | 7,482 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) | 5,671 |
When you’re tackling demanding and sustained tasks, you might notice thermal throttling, a mechanism that prevents the laptop from getting too hot. This helps keep the laptop at moderate temperatures, ensuring smooth operation without overheating. If you’re someone who needs to handle graphics-intensive tasks, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 offers the flexibility of connecting an external GPU through its two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
| Games | Low (1080P) | High (1080P) |
|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 | 88FPS | 20 FPS |
| F1 2021 | 101 FPS | 36 FPS |
| Dota 2 REBORN | 113 FPS | 64 FPS |
| X-Plane 11.11 | 50 FPS | 36 FPS |
| GTA V | 98 FPS | 23 FPS |
While the integrated Iris XE Graphics isn’t intended for serious gaming, it can manage older game titles at lower settings, delivering playable frame rates. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that this laptop isn’t primarily designed for gaming.
Surface Temps and Fan Noise
When handling demanding tasks, like heavy workloads, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 might undergo thermal throttling, a mechanism that lowers clock speeds to control temperatures during intense operations. However, for everyday use, users won’t notice any significant drop in performance. The laptop maintains moderate surface temperatures, with just a few areas getting warm. The cooling system effectively manages fan noise, keeping it at approximately 39 decibels during intense workloads. If you run the laptop in optimized or power efficiency mode, the fans activate less frequently, resulting in a quieter experience during prolonged usage.
Battery Life
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is equipped with a 57 watt-hour battery, providing an impressive battery life. In continuous web surfing tests over Wi-Fi at 115 nits of brightness, the laptop lasts just under nine hours, making it great for extended usage sessions. In real-world mixed usage scenarios, users can anticipate a battery life ranging from six to seven hours, depending on the specific tasks. The laptop includes a 65-watt USB-C power adapter for efficient charging, taking approximately 90 minutes to fully charge the device.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 4K OLED Display Option
- PCIe GEn 4 SSD Support
- LPDDR5 RAM
- Good Port Selection
- Upgradeable SSD
- ThinkPad Keyboard
- Dolby Atmos Quad Speakers
- Optional 5G
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 has numerous positive aspects that make it an excellent choice for business professionals and creative users. Its gorgeous display options, fast performance, and durable build are some of its strong points. Additionally, the laptop’s keyboard, touchpad, and trackpoint offer a satisfying input experience, while the convertible design and included pen enhance productivity and creativity.
Cons
- A Bit Expensive
- Fans Kick in Under Heavy Load
However, it’s can become expensive, although Lenovo has made significant price cuts since its initial release. The fans may kick in under heavy loads, and thermal throttling may occur due to the laptop’s thin and lightweight design, which is a trade-off for its portability.
Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 stands out as an exceptional business convertible laptop that excels in multiple aspects. Its impressive performance, stunning display choices, and adaptable design make it a dependable companion for professionals and artists in need of a robust and flexible device. Although it might encounter some thermal challenges during heavy workloads, its overall performance and portability outweigh these minor drawbacks. If you’re in the market for a premium convertible laptop that seamlessly balances productivity and creativity, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 should be at the forefront of your consideration.
The 2022 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is a rock-solid and trustworthy device. In this iteration of the X1 Yoga, it delivers on all fronts. As a business convertible laptop, it checks all the right boxes and offers a compelling package of features and performance. If you're in the market for a dependable and versatile business convertible, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 deserves a top spot on your list of considerations.
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Design9
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Display9
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Audio9
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Hardware10
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Keyboard10
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TouchPad/TrackPoint10
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Performance9
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Thermals / Fan Noise8
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Battery8
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Ports9
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Webcam / Mics9
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Price Point7
