If you thought you couldn't get more extreme than the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, think again. Lenovo is launching the second generation of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme laptop and it's packed full of new goodies, including an optional 4K OLED display as well as a 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and a GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU.
Lenovo plans on launching its latest Extreme laptop sometime in July 2019 and it will start at $1,499, which is a cheaper starting price than the previous model.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 Price and Specs:
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | ThinkPad X1 Extreme |
| Starting Price | $1,499 |
| Display | 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080: HDR (500 nits) or non-HDR (300 nits) 4K: OLED HDR (500 nits) or non-OLED HDR (500 nits) |
| CPU | 9th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series |
| RAM | Up to 64GB |
| Graphics | GTX 1650 Max-Q |
| Storage | Up to 4TB SSD |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3, two USB 3.1, HDMI, SD Card Reader, Smart Card Reader, 3.5mm headphone jack, Kensington lock slot, Lenovo Ethernet port |
| Size | 14.2 x 9.67 x 0.72 inches |
| Weight | 3.76 pounds |
All we know so far is that you can configure the X1 Extreme with up to a 9th Gen Core i9 H-series CPU, a GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU with 4GB of VRAM, 64GB of RAM and a 4TB PCIe SSD.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 sports the same black, business-like design as its predecessor, so if you're a fan of the classic ThinkPad look, it's not going away anytime soon. It's also basically the same size and weight, at 3.76 pounds and 14.2 x 9.67 x 0.72 inches.
This generation will also feature the same ports as the last one, with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, an optional Smart Card reader, a Kensington lock, a headphone/mic jack and Lenovo's propriety Ethernet port.
The most exciting feature is the X1 Extreme's 15.6-inch 4K OLED HDR touchscreen display, which looked ridiculously vivid albeit somewhat saturated in person. However, there are a few other options, like a non-OLED 4K HDR version (500 nits) as well as a 1920 x 1080 HDR panel (500 nits) and a non-HDR 1920 x 1080 (300 nits) panel.
When we tested the keyboard in person, the keys had deep travel and felt pretty clicky, remaining consistent with Lenovo's last X1 Extreme. This system is also military-durable and has the same security features as well, including a Match-on-Chip fingerprint reader, an optional Smart Card reader, an IR camera with a privacy shutter, a dTPM 2.0 encryption chip and Intel vPro for remote management.
In regards to audio, Lenovo is boasting that the X1 Extreme has a Dolby Atmos Speaker System. We thought that its predecessor's speakers were average, so we're hoping this is delivers that much needed oomph.
Lenovo rates the latest X1 Extreme for 14 hours of battery life, which is wild, especially for a system with a discrete GPU. Also, the previous generation only lasted 6 hours and 7 minutes in our tests. If Lenovo's rating holds up on our test, we'll be incredibly impressed.
We're excited to get Lenovo's latest Extreme machine through our lab and see how it performs under pressure, so stay tuned for the full review and benchmarks of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2.
