Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Gen 1 2025, Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB, 1TB SSD, Black

The ThinkPad X9 14 Gen 1 pairs a stunning 2880x1800 OLED touchscreen with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in a 1.27kg aluminum body. It's a premium productivity machine with solid CPU performance and Copilot+ AI features, but gaming is a non-starter at 22.8/100. Pricing ranges from USD 1,530 to USD 1,950 in the US, so shop around and don't overpay. If you want a gorgeous Windows ultraportable for work or school, this is a strong pick, just don't expect to game on it.

The Core Ultra 7 258V is an 8-core chip running at 2.2GHz, and it lands at the 64th percentile for CPUs in our database. That's solid, middle of the pack stuff. It won't blow the doors off a MacBook Pro M4 Pro, but it handles everyday productivity, browser tabs, Office apps, and light photo editing without breaking a sweat. The NPU is rated for up to 48 TOPS, which is the AI performance number Lenovo loves to quote. In practice, that means Copilot features and local AI tasks run smoothly without hammering the main CPU cores.

The Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics sit at the 66th percentile for GPUs. That's about average for a thin and light, and it's fine for casual games, video streaming, and light creative work. But the gaming score of 22.8 out of 100 tells the real story. This is not a gaming laptop, and anyone expecting to run modern AAA titles at decent settings will be disappointed. The 32GB of RAM is a standout though, landing at the 92nd percentile. That's more than enough for heavy multitasking, virtual machines, and keeping a hundred Chrome tabs open without the system crawling. The 1TB SSD is also strong, sitting at the 80th percentile for storage.

The obvious comparison is the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro. Apple's machine has a significantly faster processor, better battery life, and a smoother 120Hz display. But it's also heavier, more expensive, and locked into macOS. If you need Windows and want something featherlight with an OLED touchscreen, the ThinkPad X9 14 makes a strong case. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is another direct rival. It's similarly thin and light, has a great display, and runs the same Copilot+ features. The Surface tends to have better battery life, but the ThinkPad counters with more RAM at this price and that gorgeous OLED panel.

For anyone tempted by the gaming scores on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or the HP OMEN Transcend 14, those are completely different animals. The Zephyrus G14 brings a dedicated GPU and a high refresh rate display, making it a far better choice if you want to game on the side. The OMEN Transcend 14 is also OLED and thin, but it packs more graphical punch. The trade-off is weight, battery life under load, and a less businesslike aesthetic. The ThinkPad X9 14 is for people who want a premium productivity machine first and don't care about frame rates.

Pricing on this thing is all over the place. In the US, you'll see it listed anywhere from USD 1,530 to USD 1,950 across four listings. That's a USD 420 spread for what appears to be the same core configuration, so shopping around matters. Newegg has the best deal at the lower end of that range, and honestly, paying anything close to USD 1,950 for this laptop is a mistake when the same hardware is available for hundreds less. In Europe, the spread is even wilder, EUR 2,447 to EUR 3,700 depending on the country and retailer. That's a EUR 1,253 gap, which is frankly absurd.

For what you get, the USD 1,530 price point feels reasonable. You're getting a top-tier OLED display, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a genuinely premium build. But once you creep toward USD 1,800 or beyond, the value proposition gets shaky. The MacBook Pro M4 Pro starts to look tempting at that point, and it brings a much faster CPU and better battery life. If you're in Europe, definitely shop around. The difference between the low and high end of that EUR range could buy you a decent monitor or a weekend trip.

The ThinkPad X9 14 Gen 1 is Lenovo trying something a little different. It's still got the ThinkPad DNA, the trackpoint is gone though, and the whole thing is thinner and more modern than the classic black box your IT department used to hand out. This is the Aura Edition, which means Lenovo and Intel cooked up some software tricks together, including a Shield Mode that blurs your screen if someone's peeking over your shoulder at the coffee shop. It's aimed squarely at business folks and students who want a premium Windows machine that doesn't look like it was designed in 2012.

Under the hood you get an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The star of the show is that 14-inch 2880x1800 OLED touchscreen, which sits in the 95th percentile for laptop displays in our database. That's the absolute best right now. It covers 100% of DCI-P3, hits 400 nits, and makes everything from spreadsheets to Netflix look fantastic. The 60Hz refresh rate is a bit of a bummer if you're used to smoother scrolling, but for a business machine it's fine.

At 1.27kg, this thing is genuinely light. The compact score lands at 87th percentile, which means it's one of the better ultraportables out there. The 55Wh battery is on the smaller side though, and that's worth keeping in mind if you're away from outlets all day. The whole package runs Windows 11 Pro and carries the Copilot+ badge, so Microsoft's AI features are baked in. It's a laptop that wants to be your daily driver for work, school, and everything in between, as long as gaming isn't on the menu.

Gamers should absolutely skip this. The 22.8 out of 100 gaming score is one of the weakest we've seen for a laptop at this price point. The integrated Arc 140V graphics simply can't keep up with modern titles, and the 60Hz display means even if you could push frames, you wouldn't see them. If you want a thin laptop that can still game, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or HP OMEN Transcend 14 are much better fits, though they'll cost more and weigh a bit more.

Also skip this if you're a ThinkPad traditionalist who can't live without the trackpoint. Lenovo removed it on the X9, and the keyboard layout has been updated too. It's still a good keyboard, but it's not the classic ThinkPad feel. And if you need all-day battery life without hunting for outlets, the 55Wh cell paired with that OLED panel is a concern. The Surface Laptop 7th Edition or a MacBook Air will outlast it in real-world use.

If you're a business user or student who wants a stunning OLED display, a featherlight chassis, and enough RAM to handle anything short of video editing or gaming, the ThinkPad X9 14 Gen 1 is a great pick. The screen alone is worth the price of admission for anyone who stares at text and spreadsheets all day. The 32GB of RAM means this thing will stay relevant for years, and the 1TB SSD gives you room to breathe. Just make sure you're paying closer to USD 1,530 than USD 1,950.

For anyone who wants to game even a little bit, look elsewhere. The gaming score of 22.8 out of 100 is not a fluke. The integrated Arc 140V graphics are fine for Solitaire and light indie titles, but anything more demanding will chug. And if battery life is your top priority, the 55Wh cell is a concern. You'll likely need to charge before the end of a full workday. In that case, the Surface Laptop 7th Edition or a MacBook Air might serve you better.