The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition has made its debut in China. This laptop is among the first in the world to come with a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, which promises faster data transfer speeds. To put it in perspective, a PCIe Gen 5 SSD can provide about twice the performance of a PCIe 4.0 SSD due to the new interface's higher data transfer rate of 3,938 MB/s per lane compared to the 1,969 MB/s of its predecessor.
The Need for Cooling Solutions
Despite the benefits of the faster data transfer, there are challenges that come with it. Specifically, PCIe 5.0 SSDs need effective cooling to maintain their enhanced performance, and Lenovo seems to have tackled this with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura. The laptop is equipped with a Gen 5 SSD that includes a dedicated heatsink, reducing the likelihood of thermal throttling. For instance, the 1 TB PNY CS3150 XLR8 Gen 5 SSD is currently priced at $152.99 on Amazon.
Impressive Storage Capabilities
The SSD that comes in the 2025 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura is said to be the SK hynix PCB01, launched back in March. Featuring the Alistar ACNT093 controller, the 2 TB version of this SSD boasts a sequential read speed of up to 14,000 MB/s and a write speed that reaches up to 12,000 MB/s.
In addition, Lenovo is also providing the 2025 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura with a 1 TB storage option, which appears to utilize the same Gen 5 SSD. Beyond the high-speed storage, the laptop is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, a capable mid-range processor from the Lunar Lake series.
Additional Features and Pricing
Among other noteworthy features of the laptop are its OLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a 57 Wh battery, 32 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a magnesium alloy chassis, and a variety of ports. The starting price is set at CNY 15,999, which is approximately $2,200. Lenovo has already rolled it out to the global market, and it made its first appearance at IFA 2024.
