How is Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme battery life?

ThinkPad X1
ThinkPad X1 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme

How is Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme battery life?

Best answer: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a stated battery life of around 15 hours, which depends entirely on the configuration you select at purchase, along with how you use the notebook. Kitting the notebook out with all the best available options can bring that figure down to as little as six hours. Dell's XPS 15 may be a better option with a larger battery pack.Better battery life: Dell XPS 15 (7590) (From $1,080 at Dell)Lenovo's beastly laptop: ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) (From $1,476 at Lenovo)

Lenovo X1 Extreme has a capable power plant

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is aptly named for the sheer amount of power you can configure when purchasing one from Lenovo. Not only can you include a 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9850H processor, but also an NVIDIA GTX 1650 (4GB GDDR5) GPU, up to 64GB of RAM, and even a 4K HDR400 touchscreen with VR support. When properly equipped, it's a powerhouse.

A fear for potential owners is what the battery life is like. Surely adding all this advanced tech will have a negative impact? That's correct, especially if you opt for a faster, more power-hungry processor and a 4K display. Out the box, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a posted battery life of around 14 hours with the four-cell 80Wh pack.

You likely won't hit 14 hours even with the base model of the X1 Extreme unless you truly stretch out the battery by only running an app or two at a time. You'll likely see around 6-7 hours of use on a single charge, but that depends on not only how you use the laptop, but whether you have the 4K display, discrete GPU, Intel Core i7 processor, and up to 64GB of RAM.

Go with the Full HD display for better battery life

The 4K display is truly gorgeous on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. Color reproduction and overall brightness and quality is stunning, but also incredibly draining on the battery. Should battery life be the highest priority for you in a notebook, you'll want to consider the Full HD matte display.

But even then you may struggle to sail past 10 hours of uptime, which leaves us to recommend another notebook for better longevity. Dell's XPS 15 has outstanding battery life, thanks in part to the larger 97Wh pack. It can also be configured to match (and supercede) the performance of the X1 Extreme, and even starts at a cheaper price for the entry model.

If you're still set on Lenovo, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme supports Type-C charging if you have a battery pack at hand.

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Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.