Lenovo drinks all of Intel’s Core Ultra CoolAid
Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition: 30-second review
With Intel’s 200 series chips now widely available, a whole new generation of business laptops has been hatched using them, with this being one of the Lenovo examples.
With a title as extended as the Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition Laptop, the makers pushed all the boats out to cram this machine full of all the things that might sway corporate purchasers in its direction.
The processor can be up to a 200 series Core Ultra 7 class, and it has a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display and a 4K 8MP webcam. Integral Thunderbolt 4 ports, easy internal accessibility for upgrades, with both top and bottom covers made from 50% recycled aluminium, make this a practical and robust design.
And, if you use it, this is a Copilot+ PC for those embracing Microsoft’s version of AI.
For those considering purchasing this equipment, the slightly lower price than other brand competitors might be slightly offset by the necessity for a docking station. However, most Core Ultra 200 series laptops appear to need one.
Overall, Lenovo did a reasonable job delivering a high-quality option with plenty of bells and whistles at a palatable price. The only caveat is that compared to some of the AMD Ryzen machines currently appearing, this platform isn’t the quickest solution.
The Intel 200 series has its limitations, but the build quality of this machine and its competitive price make it highly likely to be included in our round-up of the best business laptops.Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From $1240/£1250
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Direct from Lenovo
The model that Lenovo sent for review uses an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which has 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, costing around $1700 / £1700.
Taking the Core Ultra 7 268V processor option adds another £200.
An entry-level option using the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V CPU with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 1920 x 1200 resolution display starts at £1,250 inclusive of VAT.
American prices start at $1,239 for the base model and rise to $1,989 for the review level system. The top option using the same 268V CPU costs $2,149.
When you consider that the Dell Pro 14 Premium I recently reviewed costs $2661.50 for a machine with the Core Ultra 7 268V CPU, then the X9-14 looks like something of a bargain, being at least $500 cheaper for a machine with a better display and webcam.
Acer has the Swift 16 design that utilises the same architecture, is even cheaper, and has a larger battery, but we’ve yet to see that hardware to see how it compares in person.
Overall, what Lenovo is asking for the X9-14 seems reasonable, and the prices I’ve quoted are only retail numbers, not the cost to corporations who might buy in bulk.
Value: 4 / 5Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition: SpecsLenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition: Design
Solidly built
Minimalist aesthetics
Only three ports
Sometimes, marketing people in big companies come up with things that I’m sure sounded epic in the boardroom and yet remarkably dumb when it arrived in the real world.
I mention this because when you power this machine on, it declares that the “Lenovo Aura Edition was imagined with Intel”. Really, Intel has ‘imagination’?
Well, that’s a revelation that I didn’t have on my bingo phrases card for 2025.
Passing over the mutual appreciation society run exclusively between Intel and Lenovo, the ThinkPad X9-14 Gen 1 struts some immaculate lines and a cool-to-the-touch aluminium skin.
Where laptops are often ignored, the engineers of this one made the underside impressive with a rippled surface, and it has two air vents that measure roughly 4cm square on each side for pulling cooling air in. It looks like the vent is side to side, but when the underside is removed, it reveals that most holes in this section are an aesthetic detail and aren’t a means to pass air through.
Air is vented through a wider slot hidden by the screen hinge when the machine is closed, hopefully keeping it from being uncomfortable for those using it on a lap.
There are two slots, one on each side nearer the front, directing sound out of the case, leaving the whole working area to the keyboard and trackpad.
Evidently, the red rubber mouse alternative has finally bit the dust for this ThinkPad, and instead, Lenovo has a haptic trackpad that I found much easier to use. The keyboard could have been bigger, leaving a gap left and right, but the spacing of the keys is good for avoiding accidental keystroke overlaps.
In the top right corner of the keyboard is the fingerprint reader, which is about 1.2cm square, with at least 1cm square being the sensor area. For those who don’t like those, the 4K webcam is Windows Hello compatible, enabling it to recognise you visually.
