ThinkPad X1 Carbon: which generation to buy refurbished

Buy a Gen 8 or a Gen 9 with 16 GB of RAM. Both run Windows 11, and the RAM is soldered, so you cannot add more later. Buy a Gen 7 if your budget is tight. The cheapest ThinkPad X1 of any kind (Carbon, Yoga or Nano) costs from US$154 (8 GB), seen 19 September 2026.

The generations side by side

The X1 Carbon is Lenovo's 14-inch business laptop. Lenovo gives each yearly model a new generation number. Most refurbished offers are Gen 6 to Gen 9. Gen 10 and Gen 11 are newer and rarer. Each link below opens the Model page for that generation, with its own offers and prices in your Market.

The site also tracks the older Gen 4 and Gen 5. Few shops sell them, so this guide starts at Gen 6.

Live numbers: every ThinkPad X1, then every ThinkPad

This site files every X1 laptop under one model name, X1. So the first number below covers every ThinkPad X1 together: the Carbon, the Yoga and the Nano, of every generation. It is not the count for one Carbon generation. For that, open the generation's Model page in the table above.

• In your Market, refurbished ThinkPad X1 laptops of every kind are sold across 4 shops, seen 11 October 2026.
• The cheapest ThinkPad of any model costs from US$154 (8 GB), seen 19 September 2026. This is the floor of the whole ThinkPad line. The ThinkPad table lists every offer from the cheapest up.

RAM: what you buy is what you keep

Every X1 Carbon from Gen 6 to Gen 11 has its RAM soldered to the board, with no slot. The Gen 6 sheet states "8GB or 16GB / 2133MHz LPDDR3 / soldered to systemboard, no sockets". The Gen 8 sheet states "Memory soldered to systemboard, no slots, dual-channel". The later sheets say the same in each size they list, for example "32GB soldered memory, not upgradable" on the Gen 9.

So choose the RAM when you choose the offer. For most buyers that means 16 GB. Buy 32 GB only on a Gen 9 or later, because Gen 6 to Gen 8 stop at 16 GB. The 16 GB table lists every offer with 16 GB or more.

Gen 6 (2018)

• Processor. Lenovo's Gen 6 sheet lists a 7th generation i5-7300U and 8th generation i5 and i7 processors. Notebookcheck tested the i5-8350U and found it "provides around 40% better performance than its dual-core predecessor, the Core i5-7300U."
• RAM. 8 or 16 GB LPDDR3, soldered. 16 GB is the maximum.
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:9. Full HD (1920x1080), WQHD (2560x1440), or HDR WQHD with Dolby Vision. Touch is an option on Full HD only.
• Ports. Two USB-A, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 1.4b, an Ethernet extension connector and a microSD card reader.
• Windows 11. Only with an 8th generation processor. Microsoft's list names "8th Generation Core i5 Processors", and no 7th generation Core processor. Read the processor name before you buy. An i5-8250U or i5-8350U is 8th generation. An i5-7300U is 7th generation.
• Year. Notebookcheck reviewed it as the 2018 model.

Gen 7 (2019)

• Processor. Lenovo lists "8th / 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 / i7 Processor", with a note: "10th Generation Intel Core Processors are NOT available in EMEA." So a Gen 7 first sold in Europe has an 8th generation processor, such as the i5-8265U or i7-8565U.
• RAM. 8 or 16 GB LPDDR3, soldered, no slots. 16 GB is the maximum.
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:9. Full HD, with touch and Privacy Guard options, WQHD, or UHD (3840x2160).
• Ports. Two USB-A, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 1.4b and an Ethernet extension connector. It has no card reader.
• Windows 11. Yes. Every Gen 7 processor is 8th generation or newer.
• Year. Notebookcheck's Gen 9 review calls it the 2019 Gen 7.

Gen 8 (2020)

• Processor. 10th generation Intel Core i5 and i7, such as the i5-10210U and i7-10510U.
• RAM. 8 or 16 GB LPDDR3, soldered. 16 GB is the maximum.
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:9. Full HD, WQHD or UHD. Lenovo notes that WQHD was not sold in EMEA.
• Ports. The same as the Gen 7: two USB-A, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 1.4b and an Ethernet extension connector.
• Windows 11. Yes.
• Year. Notebookcheck's review is headed "In review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G8 2020."

The Gen 8 is a small step from the Gen 7: a newer processor in the same body. See Gen 7 vs Gen 8.

Gen 9 (2021)

• Processor. 11th generation Intel Core i5 and i7, such as the i5-1135G7 and i7-1165G7.
• RAM. 8, 16 or 32 GB LPDDR4x, soldered. 32 GB is the maximum.
• Screen. 14 inches, now 16:10. WUXGA (1920x1200), with touch options, or WQUXGA (3840x2400).
• Ports. Two USB-A, HDMI 2.0 and "2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4® 40Gbps (support data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 1.4a)". The Ethernet extension connector is gone. Lenovo lists a USB-C to Ethernet adapter instead.
• Windows 11. Yes. Lenovo's sheet lists Windows 11 among its operating systems.
• Year. 2021. Notebookcheck writes: "With this in mind, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is one of the biggest updates of the series."

See Gen 8 vs Gen 9 for the full specs side by side.

Gen 10 (2022)

• Processor. Lenovo lists "12th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 / i7 Processor", in U and P versions.
• RAM. 8, 16 or 32 GB LPDDR5, soldered. 32 GB is the maximum. Lenovo notes that 8 GB was not sold in EMEA.
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:10. WUXGA, 2.8K OLED (2880x1800), or WQUXGA. Lenovo also lists a 2.2K screen, not sold in EMEA.
• Ports. Two USB-A, two Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1. Notebookcheck confirms: "There are no changes to the ports: the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2022 offers Thunderbolt 4 as well as legacy ports like USB A and HDMI, despite the compact chassis."
• Windows 11. Yes. Lenovo's sheet lists Windows 11 among its operating systems.
• Year. 2022.

Gen 11 (2023)

• Processor. Lenovo lists "13th Generation Intel® U or P Series Core i5 / i7 Processor".
• RAM. 16, 32 or 64 GB LPDDR5 or LPDDR5x, soldered. 64 GB is the maximum. Notebookcheck notes: "The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 is the first model of this line with up to 64 GB of RAM."
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:10. WUXGA, 2.2K (2240x1400) or 2.8K OLED. The 3840x2400 option of the Gen 10 is gone.
• Ports. The same as the Gen 10: two USB-A, two Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1.
• Windows 11. Yes. Lenovo's sheet lists Windows 11 among its operating systems.
• Year. 2023.

The Gen 10 and Gen 11 share a body and ports. See Gen 10 vs Gen 11.

Which generation for your budget

• Tight budget: Gen 7 with 16 GB. It is the oldest generation that runs Windows 11 in every configuration. It has the same body and ports as the Gen 8.
• Best value: Gen 9 with 16 GB. It is one of the biggest steps in the line: a 16:10 screen, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.0 and faster RAM. A Gen 8 is the choice if it costs clearly less than a Gen 9 in your Market. Compare the two Model pages before you buy.
• More RAM: Gen 10 or Gen 11. Buy one only if you need 32 GB, 64 GB or the OLED screen. Few shops sell them refurbished, so check the Model pages for current offers.
• Avoid: any 8 GB offer, and a Gen 6 with a 7th generation processor. The RAM is soldered, so 8 GB stays 8 GB. A Gen 6 with an i5-7300U is not on Microsoft's Windows 11 list.

For other generation pairs, see Gen 6 vs Gen 7, Gen 9 vs Gen 10, or browse the comparison pages. For a cheaper ThinkPad with upgradable RAM, see ThinkPad T480 vs T490 vs T14 Gen 1.

Questions people ask

Which ThinkPad X1 Carbon generation should I buy refurbished?

A Gen 8 or a Gen 9 with 16 GB of RAM, for most buyers. Both run Windows 11. The Gen 9 has a 16:10 screen and Thunderbolt 4. On a tight budget, a Gen 7 with 16 GB also runs Windows 11.

Which X1 Carbon generations run Windows 11?

Gen 7 to Gen 11 in every configuration. A Gen 6 runs it only with an 8th generation processor, because Microsoft's list starts at the 8th generation. Every Gen 6 to Gen 11 has TPM 2.0, which Windows 11 also needs.

Can I upgrade the RAM in a ThinkPad X1 Carbon?

No. From Gen 6 to Gen 11, Lenovo solders the RAM to the board and fits no slot. Buy the RAM you need on the day you buy the laptop.

What is the difference between the X1 Carbon Gen 8 and Gen 9?

The Gen 9 has an 11th generation processor instead of a 10th, a 16:10 screen instead of 16:9, Thunderbolt 4 instead of Thunderbolt 3, and up to 32 GB of RAM instead of 16 GB. It drops the Ethernet extension connector.