Microsoft Surface Pro 8 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Microsoft Surface Pro 8

In depth comparison and review of Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Product Type Tablet - no keyboard Ultrabook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 28.7 cm x 20.8 cm x 0.93 cm 33.1 cm x 22.65 cm x 1.772 cm
Weight 891 g 1.305 kg
Case Material Signature anodised aluminium Glass-fibre reinforced plastic, carbon fibre reinforced plastic, magnesium-aluminum alloy
Colour Platinum Black
DISPLAY Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Screen Size (Type) 13" 14"
Touchscreen Yes (10-point multi-touch) -
LCD Backlight Technology - LED backlight
Screen Resolution 2880 x 1920 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Pixel Density (ppi) 267 -
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. 120 Hz -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 3:2 16:9
Windows Ink Capability Yes -
Features Dolby Vision, PixelSense Flow, GPU ink acceleration, 60 Hz refresh rate (default) Anti-glare
PROCESSOR Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
CPU Intel Core i3 (11th Gen) 1115G4 Intel Core i5 (5th Gen) 5300U / 2.3 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.1 GHz 2.9 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Dual-Core
Cache 6 MB 3 MB
64-bit Computing - Yes
Features - Hyper-Threading Technology, integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
MEMORY Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
RAM 8 GB 4 GB (provided memory is soldered)
RAM Type LPDDR4X SDRAM DDR3L SDRAM
Speed - 1600 MHz / PC3L-12800
Rated Speed - 1600 MHz
STORAGE Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 128 GB SSD 128 GB SSD
AUDIO & VIDEO Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics Intel HD Graphics 5500
Camera Yes - 4K (rear), 1080p (front) Yes - 720p
Resolution 10 Megapixel (rear), 5 Megapixel (front) -
Camera Features Rear camera auto focus, Windows Hello Gesture input support
Sound Stereo speakers, two microphones Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec - Realtek ALC3232
Compliant Standards Dolby Atmos High Definition Audio
COMMUNICATIONS Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Network Interface - Gigabit Ethernet
WWAN
Generation - WWAN upgradable
BATTERY Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Technology - Lithium Ion
Battery Life Up to 16 hours -
AC ADAPTER Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Input - AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 65 Watt
INPUT Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Type - Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features - Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, buttonless touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Interfaces 2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4) (Type C)
SurfaceConnect
Headphone output
Dock
USB 3.0
Mini DisplayPort
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN (on supplied cable)
OneLink connector
Lenovo Ethernet extension connector
USB 3.0 (Always On)
SOFTWARE Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 Pro Windows 10 Pro (Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR))
Software Included Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps (30 days trial), Microsoft 365 Apps (requires licence or subscription) -
MISCELLANEOUS Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)
Dockable Yes Yes
Included Accessories Power adapter Power adapter
Integrated Options Accelerometer, magnetometer, gyro sensor, ambient colour sensor -
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip
Security Slot Type - Kensington security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection - Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features Volume control, built-in kickstand Administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password, RapidCharge, reset switch, 1 USB 3.0 (Always On), ThinkEngine, MIL-STD-810G tested
Compliant Standards - ISO 9001, ISO 14001, RoHS, ISO 27001
ENERGY STAR Certified - Yes
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 1 year Limited warranty - 2 years - pick-up and return
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