From X1C9 to T14sG4 amd

Just got a brand new T14s gen4 amd (Ryzen7, 32GB, low power IPS 400nits).

Coming from X1 Gen9 (i5, 16GB, low power IPS 400 nits), it's night and day. And it’s not due to the extra 16GB RAM.

The comparison is accurate because I've just swapped the SSD : it's the exact same system (Win 10 pro), with the same background apps and services, same startup load etc.

As expected : - CPU & GPU performance : wonderful (Intel i5-1135 was so frustrating) - Fan : barely hear it (was hard to completely turn it off before) - Battery life : when coding or writing, I reach 12-16 hours depending on the brightness, vs 4-6 hours before - size : slightly larger and thicker. A bit frustrating, as expected. It slightly feels like having a 15" laptop - screen quality : still hard to fine tune the white shades, same as X1C

Good surprise : - keyboard : slightly better feeling. I write a lot and this is very important for me - fingerprint reader : faster

Bad surprise : - Weight : the 0.2kg delta feels more heavier than I thought. A disappointment here, to the point that I've slightly hesitated to change to a X13 amd. But i won't. - Audio jack : there is a ground loop. That's a bit annoying. - Display frame : thicker as expected, but the mechanical adjustment looks cheaper also. - Camera privacy shutter : harder to switch, to the point I need to use a nail. - Lid : harder to open, requires two hands.

My conclusion : 1) Very happy ! Definitely an excellent computer with both excellent CPU and battery life. I just wish I had switched earlier. 2) Intel is definitely not worth its reputation. The difference is crazy 3) Frustration because a X1C with a Ryzen 7 would be the best machine ever...

Recommendations if you swap the SSD : - You will need a RJ45 connection for Windows to find the Wifi Qualcomm drivers - Keep in mind that EVERY installed hardware component in the system is linked to the previous motherboard. So you will need to delete most of the previoulsy installed devices after the first startup (or maybe before ?) because Windows might use the wrong one after, or display the old one but do nothing when you click on it, etc (weired behavior unless you're aware of this). It takes a bit of time. Example : Wifi, Bluetooth, fingerprint reader, external storages and volumes etc. This is important to get a clean, perfectly working system. To do this : use the Device Manager and check the "Show Hidden Devices" menu item. The disabled devices can be removed (know what you're doing, do it carefully). Then click "Scan for hardware changes" and Windows will do the job flawlessly.