IBM ThinkPad T42 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

ThinkPad T42 compared with ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
IBMThinkPad T42LenovoThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
Overview
ReleasedMay 2004March 2026
Display
Screen size14.1″14″
Resolution1400 × 10501920 × 1200 (better)
Panel–IPS LCD
Refresh rate–60 Hz
Brightness150 nits500 nits (better)
TouchscreenNoYes
Display typeListed US 2373-3UU has 14.1-inch active-matrix TFT SXGA+ LCD, 150 nits; native refresh and panel subtype unpublished. Other original models offered 14.1-inch XGA, or a separate 15-inch chassisWUXGA IPS, 16:10; in-cell touch (low power) or on-cell touch with ThinkPad Privacy Guard
Colour range–100% sRGB
Screen finish–Anti-glare
Display features–1,500:1 contrast; 85° viewing angles; Eyesafe Certified 2.0; 88.8% screen-to-body ratio; Privacy Guard with Privacy Alert on Privacy Guard models
Performance
ProcessorIntel Pentium M 735Intel Core Ultra 5 325 or Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
CPU cores18 or 16
CPU threads18 or 16
GraphicsATI Mobility Radeon 9600Intel Graphics
AI engine (NPU)–47 TOPS or 50 TOPS
Memory512 MB32 GB (better)
Storage40 GB256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPUListed Pentium M 735 at 1.7 GHz, 400 MHz system bus and 2 MB on-die ECC L2 cache; other original configurations used Pentium M 745 at 1.8 GHzCore Ultra 5 325 with 4 P-cores and 4 LP E-cores (12 MB cache); Core Ultra 7 356H with 4 P-cores, 8 E-cores and 4 LP E-cores (18 MB cache)
GPUListed ATI Mobility Radeon 9600, AGP 4X with 64 MB DDR graphics memory; XGA configurations instead offered Radeon 7500 with 32 MBIntegrated Intel Graphics (up to 40 TOPS), shared memory, DirectX 12 Ultimate
AI engine–Copilot+ PC
Memory typeListed 512 MB PC2700 DDR-333 CL2.5 in one socket; two 200-pin SO-DIMM sockets and 2 GB maker maximumLPDDR5X-8533, soldered (not upgradable), dual-channel; may run at a lower speed due to platform limits
Storage typeListed 40 GB 5400 rpm Enhanced IDE removable hard drive, 9.5 mm high, with Active Protection System; DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo in removable 9.5 mm Ultrabay Slim. Other configurations had DVD-ROM, DVD writer or 80 GB diskOne M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 x4 slot; PCIe 4.0 x4 or PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe SSD up to 2 TB, Opal 2.0
Cooling–Fans; Lenovo quotes up to 20% better heat dissipation and 30 W sustained power
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 4.6 hoursUp to 32.8 hours
Battery capacity–58 Wh
Weight2.3 kg0.977 kg (better)
Thickness31.4 mm14.3 mm (better)
Width × depth311 × 255 mm312.5 × 215.75 mm
Battery life detailSix-cell lithium-ion battery, maker maximum 4.6 hours; optional nine-cell up to 7.5 hours, or nine-cell plus Ultrabay Slim battery up to 9.5 hours. Headline 2.3 kg is SXGA+ model weight including optical drive and battery; XGA models are 2.2 kg. Height spans 26.6–31.4 mm, maximum listed58 Wh Li-ion; MobileMark 30 up to 19.2 hr, JEITA 3.0 up to 18.9 hr video and 38.0 hr idle (Lenovo test with Core Ultra 5 325, 16 GB and WUXGA Privacy Guard touch screen)
ChargerUniversal 72 W AC adapter65 W USB-C (PD 3.0) adapter, including nano and slim GaN versions; offerings vary by country
Fast charging–Rapid Charge to 80% in 1 hour with the 65 W adapter (when off, in standby or hibernating)
Materials–Carbon fibre top cover and aluminium bottom cover (WUXGA models); MIL-STD-810H tested
ColoursBlackBlack; Black FIFA Edition
Connections
Ports2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack3 × Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI, headphone jack
Wi-Fi802.11a/b/g, Atheros AR5001X+ on listed US 2373-3UUWi-Fi 7
BluetoothBluetooth, version unpublished in original PSREF5.4
WebcamNo built-in webcam listed5MP with IR
Operating systemWindowsWindows
Port detailTwo USB 2.0, Gigabit RJ-45, parallel, VGA, 4 Mbps infrared, RJ-11 modem, S-video, separate microphone/headphone jacks; two Type I/II or one Type III CardBus PC Card slots. Docking accessories optional3 × Thunderbolt 4 with USB PD 15–65 W and DisplayPort 2.1; USB-A 5 Gbps (Always On); HDMI 2.1 up to 4K 60 Hz; 3.5 mm headphone/mic combo jack; nano-SIM slot on WWAN models
External displays–Up to three external displays (four including the built-in); Thunderbolt up to 8K 60 Hz, HDMI up to 4K 60 Hz
Keyboard87-key keyboard with Access IBM button, 19 mm pitch and 2.5 mm travel; ThinkLight keyboard illumination6-row, spill-resistant, backlit; 1.5 mm key travel (1.35 mm on Fn row and G/H/B); Copilot key; TrackPoint
TrackpadUltraNav touchpad and TrackPoint with Press-to-Select, scrolling and magnifying glassGlass haptic touchpad (80 × 130 mm) or Mylar 3-button trackpad (80 × 120 mm)
SpeakersStereo 1 W speakers with dedicated volume and mute buttonsStereo 2 W × 2, Dolby Atmos
MicrophonesInternal microphone and separate microphone inputDual-microphone array, 360° far-field
BiometricsIBM Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0, TCG compliant; power-on, supervisor and hard-drive passwords. Original listed May2004 configuration does not include the later fingerprint-reader revisionFingerprint reader in the power button (match-on-chip); IR camera for Windows Hello

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