Lenovo's recently released ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 is a midweight notebook that uses Intel's Panther Lake processors—processors that are generally seen as a return to form for Intel after several years in the wilderness of unmet expectations. This particular system is the first production Panther Lake notebook that ISC has tested.
A case redesign with iterative changes
In addition to using the Panther Lake processor, this 11th-generation Lenovo high-end 2-in-1 has a redesigned case. Lenovo continues to iterate on the placement of the optional pen—the new location for 2026 is a recess in the bottom cover that holds the Lenovo Slim Pen 2 securely with magnets. The recess is symmetrical, so the capacitively-powered pen can face in either direction.
The 11th-generation X1 2-in-1 is about 6% lighter than last year's version, despite having an incrementally larger battery. The four 14-inch display choices (all multi-touch) remain the same—three very similar 500-nit WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200/162 ppi) IPS displays and a "2.8K" (2,880 x 1,800/243 ppi) OLED offering.
Compared to the previous generation, the 11th-generation X1 2-in-1 removes one USB Type-A port and adds one Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C port in its place. The new standard ports list includes one always-on USB Type-A port, three Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and one 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo jack. WiFi is now standardized on Intel's BE211 WiFi 7/802.11be and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless adaptor.
Testing
A ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 was tested against expectations for previous Windows-based Midweight 2-in-1 notebooks in use at the University. The particular system tested includes an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor with an 8-core CPU and a 4-core GPU, 32 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and Windows 11 25H2. The multi-touch IPS WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200/162 ppi) display is rated at 500 nits. Other options included a haptic touchpad and the Slim Pen 2.
Installed and tested third-party software includes Box Drive, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Slack, Webex, Zoom, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. Systems management and security software tested includes BigFix, CrowdStrike, CrashPlan, and GlobalProtect. Further information on ISC's testing rubric is on the Notebook Evaluation Process page.
The general quality of the X1 2-in-1's 14-inch display remains above average, even in 2026. With its 5-megapixel camera, the X1 2-in-1 is effective for video conferencing, and its two speakers deliver decent sound for a notebook.
Overall, the X1 2-in-1's performance is good for most common tasks. The Windows Experience Index score was 8.5, with that value driven by the Disk Score and the Graphics Score. Battery life is once again improved over the last few Intel generations: ISC's standard video-based battery rundown test yielded 9 hours and 43 minutes. Other testing ranged from a high of twelve hours in light office use to a low of between five and six hours in heavy multitasking use.
Recommendations and purchasing advice
Panther Lake systems like the 11th-generation ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 have been released in an environment where client hardware costs are rising sharply, so the specifics of system configuration warrant close attention.
Though there is a wide range of Panther Lake processors (Intel offers 14 SKUs), Lenovo only offers four choices for the X1 2-in-1 in the United States. As such, ISC suggests the Core Ultra 5 without VPro as the default, since there is only about a 7% performance difference for an approximate 13% higher purchase price for the top-of-the-line Core Ultra 7 with VPro.
ISC believes the WUXGA IPS displays will serve most X1 2-in-1 users well. The "2.8K" OLED is extremely attractive, but it comes with a cost increase and a 15% to 30% drag on battery life.
ISC sees the 11th-generation ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 as a significant but not spectacular upgrade from last year's version, which retains Lenovo's class leadership for 2-in-1s. When properly configured, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 is approved for general University use under the Midweight section of the Notebook Purchasing Guide.
Published on 6/15/2026