Choosing between T460 and X1 Carbon

I can choose between T460 and X1 carbon for my next work laptop.

I can't change the configuration, so they are as follows

T460: i5-6300U, 8GB memory (32GB max), 512GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 520,14.0" FHD (1920x1080), anti-glare, 16:9 aspect ratio, HDMI, Ethernet, 3 x USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort

X1 Carbon: i5-6300U, 8GB (8GB max), 256GB SSD, 14" 1920 x 1080 LED back-lit screen, no DVD drive, integrated 8 cell internal rapid-charge battery, 3 x USB3 ports, mini-display port, and HDMI, microSD

My old computer is a W520 with 1920x1200 screen, i7 processor and dedicated graphic card. It's mostly used a thin client with some office software. Although I do play some games (e.g. Company of Heroes) on it.

I like the lightweight of the X1 Carbon, both seems to have IPS screens, shame neither has higher resolution. Any options on which one I should choose?

I can also pick a Macbook Pro 13 or 15 inch with Retina display, but the 15inch seems to be pretty heavy and the 13 inch has a smaller screen. They do have much higher resolution though and the 15 inch one comes with i7 and 16GB or memory. Games aside, either of them can be the better choice?

Thanks.

 

The X1 Carbon can hold 16GB RAM max. Perhaps one thing to consider is that the X1 has a lower TDP rating and hence will be a little slower under heavy load, even though the CPU is the same. For me the resolution would be good, because you can use it quite comfortably without scaling (I currently use 12,5" with FHD, which is pretty small).

I think both machines are great. I would personally take the X1, put purely because I like the idea of having the thinnest model available.

 

The 15" MacBook Pro is lighter than your W520.

Do you travel a lot? How much battery life do you need? Do you connect to external monitors? Is the software your are required to run Windows only?

You business requirements should drive the answer, not gaming or comparing features. Those four machines are pretty different. Keep in mind you can run Windows on the Macs in a variety of ways.

 

You can't go wrong with either the X1C or T460. The T460 will give you much better battery life and the ethernet port can be useful too. Can always get a USB dongle for ethernet if you choose the X1C. Need to decide whether you prefer lighter weight or a little heavier but better battery life. The IPS displays will be the same.

Second issue is SSD speed. The T460 only gives you SATA 3 whereas the X1C can be upgraded to PCI-E 3.0 x4 NVMe. Not sure how intense your use will be, but the PCI-E 3.0 SSDs in the X1C are MUCH faster than SATA 3.

As for the MacBooks, Apple uses PCI-E SSDs currently (3.0 x4 I am pretty sure), the new MBP to be released in June will probably be the same.

The resolution on the MBP is much higher than FHD and running 1440 x 900 on the 13" MBP is I think the sweet spot because it gives you decent real estate for 13" and the OS X scaling is fantastic- it looks insanely crisp and smooth. If you use "best for retina" scaling on the 13" MBP it is only 1280 x 800 and way too little space to work with. If you go with a 15" MBP the scaled resolution of 1920 x 1200 is perfect in my opinion. A nice perk of the MBP is the 16:10 aspect ratio which I like over 16:9. A negative of the MBP is the screens are reflective regardless of the finish that Apple uses to prevent glare. I used to own a 2015 MBP retina and now own the X1C, the matte / anti-glare LCD on the X1C (and T460) is really nice. Battery life is also fantastic in the MBP.

Also if you are using the MacBook for work and in a Windows environment, you will have to use Boot Camp. It works very well, but there still could be odd issues that may come up from it. Also if you plan on keeping the MBP for several years, keep in mind Boot Camp stopped supporting Windows 7 awhile ago. I think Windows 10 will be the standard for quite some time and don't see Apple giving up on supporting it for several years, but keep that in mind.

You really can't go wrong with either X1C/T460 or MBP. If you decide to go with the MBP you really should wait a month because they are about to be updated and possibly re-designed. At that point you could also score a 2015 MBP at nice discount once the new ones come out.

Hope that gives you some more insight.

 

The Full HD IPS screen of the X1 Carbon 4th Gen is much better than the Full HD IPS screen of the T460.

 

I'd go with the X1 Carbon since you're not paying for it, same RAM, little less storage space, but nice and thin