Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) vs ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
VS
44Performance62.7
41.6Display38.4
71Battery44
76.6Portability91.8
1 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition)6 spec wins — ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
InnoReviews verdict
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition wins this laptop face-off, 57.7 to 55.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+19) and portability (+15). Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition)
- Stronger display score: 42 vs 38
- Stronger battery score: 71 vs 44
- 20% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 500 nits
- Lower launch price: $1,400 vs $1,999
Reasons to pick the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
- Stronger performance score: 63 vs 44
- Stronger portability score: 92 vs 77
- 100% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 16 GB
- 100% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 512 GB
- 27% lower weight: 0.98 kg vs 1.34 kg
Display
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 13.8 ″ | 14 ″+1% |
| Panel type | HDR PixelSense LCD (touchscreen) | OLED |
| Resolution | 2304x1536 | 2880 x 1800 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 600 nits+20% | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 |
| Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno | Intel Arc Graphics |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5x | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 512 GB | 1,024 GB+100% |
| Storage type | Gen 4 SSD (removable, M.2 2230) | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Battery
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 54 Wh | 58 Wh+7% |
| Web browsing endurance | 16 h | — |
| Charging | 65 W | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.34 kg | 0.98 kg+27% |
| Thickness | 17.5 mm | 14.3 mm+18% |
| Material | Aluminum (100% recycled) | Carbon fiber and magnesium alloy |
Connectivity
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x USB-C/USB4, USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone jack, Surface Connect | 3x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo audio jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p Full HD (Windows Studio Effects) | 5MP webcam with vHDR and Computer Vision, privacy shutter (10MP wide-FOV camera optional on some configs) |
| Biometrics | Facial recognition (Windows Hello) | Fingerprint reader, Windows Hello facial recognition |
Software
| Spec | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (8th Edition) | ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home (Arm) | Windows 11 Pro |
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