Skip to content
Nungeum

Tech head-to-head

Lenovo ThinkPad T480vsLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

Two Lenovo models that average 7.8 and 8.2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 takes Design, 9.0 to 6.8.

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

Lenovo

7.8

Two batteries, two memory slots, and a keyboard people still seek out, on an aging 8th-gen chip.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

Lenovo

8.2

A 16:10 screen and a carbon-fiber lid near 2.5 pounds, with memory soldered for life.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Design, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 ahead 9.0 to 6.8. They come closest on Durability, 8.4 to 7.8. Left of center is Lenovo ThinkPad T480, right is Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Lenovo ThinkPad T480 versus Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Lenovo ThinkPad T480 run left from the axis labels, bars for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 run right. Lenovo ThinkPad T480: Performance 6.8, Value 8.9, Durability 8.4, Ease of use 7.9, Design 6.8. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9: Performance 8.0, Value 7.6, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 8.6, Design 9.0.Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (left)Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (right)PerformanceLenovo ThinkPad T480 — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 — Performance 8.0 out of 108.0ValueLenovo ThinkPad T480 — Value 8.9 out of 108.9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 — Value 7.6 out of 107.6DurabilityLenovo ThinkPad T480 — Durability 8.4 out of 108.4Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Ease of useLenovo ThinkPad T480 — Ease of use 7.9 out of 107.9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 — Ease of use 8.6 out of 108.6DesignLenovo ThinkPad T480 — Design 6.8 out of 106.8Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 — Design 9.0 out of 109.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Lenovo ThinkPad T480

Leads on Value and Durability.

  • You want a laptop you can fix, upgrade, and swap batteries on yourself
  • The work is writing, browsing, and terminals rather than heavy compute
  • You want a large removable battery for long days away from outlets

Take the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

Leads on Performance, Ease of use and Design.

  • You carry the laptop daily and want the lightest ThinkPad here
  • Writing and reading on a taller 16:10 screen is most of your work

What each one gets wrong

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

  • The listing has the 1366×768 screen and you are not willing to replace it
  • You want a machine that feels current alongside a 2021 Ryzen laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

  • The listing is an 8GB unit, because the memory can never be upgraded
  • You need Ethernet without carrying a dongle

Specs, side by side

SpecLenovo ThinkPad T480Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Processor8th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 (quad-core U-series)11th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7
MemoryTwo SO-DIMM slots8GB, 16GB, or 32GB soldered LPDDR4x
Display14-inch, 1366×768 or 1920×108014-inch 16:10, 1920×1200 on most units
BatteryInternal 24Wh plus removable rear battery (24Wh or 72Wh)57Wh
StorageM.2 NVMe slot—
PortsThunderbolt 3, USB-C, 2× USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet2× Thunderbolt 4, 2× USB-A, HDMI, headphone jack

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Both are Lenovo. Which one do I want?
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 leads on Performance, Ease of use and Design. If Value and Durability matter more to you, take the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 instead. Lenovo ThinkPad T480 averages 7.8 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 averages 8.2, over the 5 axes Tech is scored on.
Where do the two Lenovo models actually differ?
Design is the widest gap, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 ahead 9.0 to 6.8. Every axis lands somewhere different, so the profile shapes differ as much as the totals.
Which one ranks higher in "Off-lease ThinkPads: which generation is still worth it"?
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 sits at #2 in "Off-lease ThinkPads: which generation is still worth it", Lenovo ThinkPad T480 at #4.