Can you upgrade the RAM in Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon?

What can I upgrade with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon?

While you, unfortunately, can't upgrade the RAM in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon due to the fact it's soldered on, you are able to upgrade the laptop's SSD storage up to 2TB. For this, you won't need much more than a screwdriver and a blunt-edged object, although there are some other things you can use to make the process smoother. Make sure to check out our full guide on upgrading the X1 Carbon SSD so that you know exactly what to do and what to look for under the hood of the device.

Why the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is worth buying

While the lack of RAM upgradeability is unfortunate, there are still plenty of reasons to pick yourself up a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. New to the latest Gen 9 version is a 14-inch 16:10 display available with FHD+ or UHD+ resolutions. With up to 500 nits brightness and HDR 400 support, you're getting a great look. New 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs boost performance, and battery life is still excellent. 4G LTE and 5G connectivity are now options, and there's an IR camera for facial recognition, among other security measures.

In terms of physical design, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a winner as well, as it's incredibly thin and light, which makes it easy to carry around with you. On top of that, it also has two USB 3.2 ports and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which give you a ton of flexibility for connecting peripheral accessories and devices.

What if you want upgradeable RAM?

If your heart is set on being able to upgrade your RAM, you'll want to look towards the Dell XPS 15. It's one of the more modular laptops on the market, and can be configured with a wide range of different hardware. It can be less or more powerful and expensive than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon depending on what specs you opt for, and you can upgrade the RAM up to a whopping 64GB if you really want to (although that would be overkill).

Ultimately, the Dell XPS 15 is going to be your best bet if the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has either too little or too much power for what you're looking for, and instead would prefer to get a laptop that you can specifically customize to suit your needs. The fact you can upgrade the RAM also has the potential to save you some money in the long run, as buying RAM yourself and adding it to a device is cheaper than simply configuring the laptop from the get-go.