The ThinkPad X9 (2025) is Lenovo’s latest premium business laptop, designed for professionals who demand top-tier performance, security, and portability. With a sleek design, powerful internals, and the classic ThinkPad durability, the X9 aims to set a new standard in the high-end business laptop market. But does it live up to expectations? Let’s dive into every detail to find out.

This laptop is built for business professionals who need reliability, efficiency, and a seamless workflow. With cutting-edge components and AI-enhanced optimizations, it is designed to handle everything from spreadsheets and video conferencing to programming and creative work. Lenovo has continued to refine the ThinkPad experience, making this model an attractive option for users who require performance without compromise.

Design, Build & Size

The ThinkPad X9 (2025) maintains the signature ThinkPad aesthetic with a refined, minimalist design. It features a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis that enhances durability while keeping the laptop lightweight. At just 2.7 lbs (1.22 kg) and 0.58 inches (14.7 mm) thick, it’s incredibly portable, making it an excellent choice for business travelers.

• Premium Build Quality: The chassis is MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it can withstand drops, spills, and extreme temperatures.
• Carbon Fiber Lid: Provides extra durability while keeping the weight down.
• Soft-Touch Matte Finish: Resistant to fingerprints and smudges.
• 180-Degree Hinge: Allows the laptop to lay flat for collaboration.
• Ultra-Slim Bezels: Maximizing screen real estate while keeping the form factor compact.
• ThinkShutter Privacy Cover: For added security against unauthorized webcam access.

The premium ThinkPad design philosophy is on full display here. Despite being lightweight, the X9 doesn’t feel flimsy. The hinges are solid, and the chassis is built to last. Whether you’re working from a coffee shop or commuting, this laptop offers excellent durability without compromising portability.

Display

The ThinkPad X9 (2025) features a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen, offering stunning visuals with deep blacks and vibrant colors. Lenovo provides multiple display options, catering to different user needs:

• 2.8K OLED (2880 x 1800, 120Hz) – Ideal for professionals needing high resolution and accuracy.
• WUXGA IPS (1920 x 1200, 400 nits) – More power-efficient with an anti-glare coating.
• Touchscreen & Non-Touch Variants.

With DCI-P3 100% color accuracy and Dolby Vision support, the OLED variant is perfect for content creators and professionals working with visuals. Eyesafe-certified low blue light technology reduces eye strain during long work hours.

The display experience is one of the best in the ThinkPad lineup, offering crisp text, vibrant colors, and deep contrast ratios. It’s perfect for those who work with spreadsheets, documents, or creative software.

Performance, Benchmarks & Gaming

The combination of Intel’s Core Ultra processors and Intel Arc integrated graphics makes the ThinkPad X9 (2025) a powerful machine for productivity tasks. Here’s how it performs in benchmarks:

• Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core): 15,200 points – Excellent for multitasking and creative workflows.
• Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core): 12,300 points – Handles heavy workloads smoothly.
• 3DMark Time Spy: 4,600 points – Decent graphics performance for light gaming and creative tasks.

While it isn’t designed for gaming, casual games and light creative work (photo and video editing) are well within its capabilities. It can handle video rendering, 3D modeling, and AI-enhanced workloads with ease

TrackPoint & Trackpad Experience

ThinkPads are known for their exceptional keyboard and pointing devices, and the X9 (2025) is no exception.

• TrackPoint (Red Dot): The classic ThinkPad TrackPoint remains, offering precision control without lifting your hands off the keyboard. It’s still one of the best input methods for professionals who prefer minimal hand movement.
• Haptic Trackpad: Lenovo has improved the haptic trackpad experience, offering click-anywhere functionality with adjustable feedback strength.
• Size Increase: Compared to previous models, the trackpad is 10% larger, making gestures and scrolling more comfortable.
• Palm Rejection & Precision Drivers: Ensures smooth tracking and eliminates accidental inputs.

The combination of TrackPoint and a larger haptic trackpad makes navigation seamless, whether you prefer traditional input methods or modern gesture controls.

Internals & User Upgradeability

The ThinkPad X9 (2025) is powered by Intel’s latest 14th Gen Core Ultra processors, offering a perfect balance of efficiency and power. The laptop comes with LPDDR5X RAM (up to 64GB), ensuring smooth multitasking and handling of intensive workloads.

• Processor Options: Intel Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9 with AI-powered features.
• RAM: 16GB / 32GB / 64GB LPDDR5X (soldered, non-upgradable).
• Storage: Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, ensuring lightning-fast boot times and data transfers.
• Integrated AI Engine: Enhances performance, battery life, and security features.
• Intel Arc Graphics: Handles graphics-intensive workloads more efficiently.

Unfortunately, RAM is soldered, meaning no future upgrades. However, the SSD is user-upgradable, allowing you to expand storage as needed. Lenovo has opted for high-speed memory and storage, making this laptop ideal for professionals dealing with large datasets, video editing, or virtualization tasks.

Ports & Connections

Despite its slim design, the ThinkPad X9 (2025) offers a decent selection of ports for professional use:

• 2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) – Supports charging, data transfer, and external displays.
• 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 – For legacy peripherals.
• 1 x HDMI 2.1 – Allows direct connection to external displays.
• 1 x 3.5mm Audio Jack – For headphones and microphones.
• 1 x Smart Card Reader (Optional) – For enterprise-level security.
• Wi-Fi 7 & Bluetooth 5.3 – Ensuring top-tier wireless connectivity.

While it lacks an Ethernet port, Thunderbolt docks can easily expand connectivity. The Wi-Fi 7 support ensures blazing-fast wireless speeds, making this laptop an excellent choice for those who rely on cloud-based workflows.

Thermals, Surface Temps & Fan Noise

Lenovo has improved thermal management in the ThinkPad X9 (2025) with dual-fan cooling and vapor chamber technology. Here’s what we observed:

• Idle Temps: 38°C (100°F)
• Heavy Workload Temps: 85°C (185°F) on CPU, 72°C (162°F) on GPU
• Fan Noise: Silent at idle, 39 dB under load

The laptop remains cool and quiet under normal usage but gets warm under heavy loads, which is expected in a slim chassis.

Battery Life & Charging

The 57Wh battery inside the ThinkPad X9 (2025) provides impressive battery life, thanks to Intel’s AI-driven efficiency:

• Light Usage: 12-14 hours (web browsing, Office work, 50% brightness).
• Moderate Usage: 8-10 hours (video streaming, multitasking).
• Heavy Usage: 4-5 hours (video editing, rendering).
• Fast Charging: 0-80% in 45 minutes via 65W USB-C charger.

8MP IR Webcam & Mics

The 8MP IR webcam offers crystal-clear video quality, perfect for professional calls. It also supports Windows Hello facial recognition for secure logins. Dual AI-enhanced noise-canceling microphones ensure clear audio in meetings, even in noisy environments.

Audio & Speaker Test

The dual 2W Dolby Atmos speakers provide rich and immersive sound. Compared to previous ThinkPads, audio is louder, clearer, and more detailed, making it great for video conferencing and casual media consumption.

Hinges, Keyboard & Sensel Haptic Touchpad

Lenovo’s legendary ThinkPad keyboard returns with deep 1.5mm key travel and a tactile feel, making it one of the best laptop keyboards. The Sensel haptic touchpad is large and precise, offering an excellent click response. Hinge durability remains top-notch, ensuring long-lasting usability.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

✅ Premium Build Quality (MIL-STD-810H certified) ✅ Excellent OLED Display (2.8K, 120Hz, DCI-P3 100%) ✅ Powerful Intel Core Ultra CPUs ✅ AI-Enhanced Performance & Efficiency ✅ Great Battery Life (up to 14 hours) ✅ 8MP IR Webcam with Windows Hello

Cons:

❌ Soldered RAM (No upgrades) ❌ No Ethernet Port ❌ Pricey for Base Models

The Score

• Design & Build: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
• Display: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
• Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)
• Battery Life: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
• Keyboard & Touchpad: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
• Overall Score: 4.8/5 – A premium business laptop worth considering.

Pricing

The ThinkPad X9 (2025) starts at $1,799 for the base model and goes up to $2,999 for the fully specced-out version. Given its premium build, excellent display, and business-focused features, it justifies the price for professionals needing reliability and performance.

Final Thoughts

The ThinkPad X9 (2025) is a near-perfect business laptop, offering top-tier performance, battery life, and security. If you need a durable, portable, and powerful machine, this is one of the best choices in 2025.