HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Which business laptop reigns supreme?

Finding a business laptop to suit your work isn't an easy task, and if you're looking to purchase in bulk for the sake of your employees, it can be even more challenging to find the right machine.

I recently tested the HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI and fell in love with its excellent design, bolstered by long-lasting battery life, a phenomenal speaker system, and superb webcam. It might even make it on our list of best business laptops.

But let us pit brands against one another and take a similarly priced, recently launched business laptop like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition and see how it does when compared to the EliteBook. Which reigns supreme, HP or Lenovo?

HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Pricing and Configuration

Both the EliteBook and ThinkPad are business laptops, which means their price points are on the steeper side.

The EliteBook X G1a 14 model we reviewed costs $2,199 at HP and features an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 processor, AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 IPS display at a 60Hz refresh rate.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is available for $1,961 at Newegg and is built with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch, 2880 x 1800 OLED display at a 120Hz refresh rate.

The ThinkPad is quite a bit cheaper for a significantly better display, although the EliteBook's processor is superior and it features larger SSD storage. Regardless, the ThinkPad is still a far better value proposition.

Winner: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13

HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Design

The EliteBook X G1a effortlessly fulfills its classification as a business laptop thanks to a gorgeous aluminum chassis with a bright silver finish. It's robust in every avenue, with firm hinges and a deck that doesn't warp under pressure. Weighing 3.2 pounds and measuring 12.29 x 8.45 x 0.36~0.52 inches, it's wonderfully light and thin.

However, it's nowhere near as light as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13, which comes in at 2.13 pounds and measures 12.3 x 8.5 x 0.56-inches. Yes, it's a whole pound lighter than the EliteBook. Otherwise, its shell is made out of a mixture of recycled carbon fiber and magnesium.

Beyond material, consider if you're into ThinkPad signatures like the iconic trackpoint at the center of the keyboard (the little red dot that controls the cursor) and its clickpad, which offers three buttons above the trackpad. These unique design elements are common amongst ThinkPad products, but they're not for everyone.

Both laptops have their advantages in design. The ThinkPad is lighter, but it's not as sturdy as the EliteBook.

Winner: Draw

HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Battery life

Long lasting battery life is vitally important, although it doesn't exist without context. It's important to consider the power of the machine itself, as stronger hardware will require more from the battery.

On the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the EliteBook X G1a lasted 12 hours and 34 minutes before running out of juice. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon came in over an hour shorter, at 11 hours and 29 minutes.

Keep in mind that the ThinkPad is built with a 2880 x 1800 OLED panel at 120Hz refresh rate, which results in a huge drain on battery life, especially compared to the EliteBook's 1920 x 1200p IPS display at 60Hz. On the other hand, the EliteBook's AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 processor is significantly faster than the ThinkPad's Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU.

You're getting far more power with longer battery life in the EliteBook, so the winner here is clear.

Winner: HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI

HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Display

The other categories thus far have been a bit complicated in terms of which laptop comes out victorious, but in terms of display, it's no contest.

The ThinkPad we tested is built with a 14-inch, 2,880 x 1,800-pixel resolution OLED display at a 120Hz refresh rate. Not only is 2.8K gloriously crisp but OLED delivers a whole new level of vividness, with deeper blacks for greater immersion. It yielded an average of 379 nits of brightness and managed a DCI-P3 color coverage of 82%.

The EliteBook is nowhere near as impressive with its 14-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution IPS panel at a 60Hz refresh rate. It hit 367 nits of brightness and covered 72% of the DCI-P3 spectrum. Pretty basic on all fronts, and upgrading to a 2.8K OLED display brings the price of the laptop up to $2,749, which is $550 more than the model we reviewed.

The ThinkPad surpasses the EliteBook in resolution, panel type, brightness, and color depth.

Winner: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13

HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: Performance and heat

Packed with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 processor, 1TB of SSD storage, and 32GB of RAM, the EliteBook X G1a delivers superb performance expected of a high-end AMD chip. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon doesn't do quite as well, built with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.

In our Geekbench 6 tests, the EliteBook managed a phenomenal score of 14,719. And in the HandBrake test, which involves converting a 4K video to 1080p, it accomplished the task in a swift 3 minutes and 21 seconds. The ThinkPad doesn't do anywhere near as excellently in either test, as its Geekbench 6 score of 11,131 and HandBrake conversion speed of 7 minutes and 36 seconds lag a good bit behind.

However, the ThinkPad's 512GB SSD is far quicker, with a transfer rate of 1,944 megabytes per second. The EliteBook, with its 1TB SSD, is a good bit slower at 1,229 MBps.

Both laptops remained pretty cool throughout our testing, with the ThinkPad coming in at 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the EliteBook is a bit warmer at 96 degrees, it felt pretty cool throughout my use.

Overall, the ThinkPad pulls ahead with its SSD, but superior performance in the EliteBook's processor makes it clear who takes home the prize.

Winner: HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI

Overall winner

In this battle of business laptops, the HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 put up a great fight, achieving their victories in different categories.

It's hard to deny that the ThinkPad is a better value proposition, featuring a 2.8K OLED display without breaking $2,000 in price is pretty impressive. It's also far lighter and boasts a faster SSD.

As for the EliteBook, its sturdy aluminum chassis feels excellent in the palm, while its AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro processor delivers performance that far exceeds the ThinkBook. Beyond that, it pulls ahead with a little over an hour longer in battery life.

Overall, we'd recommend the EliteBook to most users thanks to its greater processing power and longer battery life, but if you want to save a bit of cash and prefer crisp OLED displays, the ThinkPad is best for you.

Winner: HP EliteBook X G1a 14 AI