Does Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme have a USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port?

Best answer: Yes, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) includes two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports with 4x lanes of PCIe each and up to 40Gbps transfer rates. They both offer Power Delivery up to 100W and DisplayPort Alt mode for 4K external monitor support.Versatile Ultrabook: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (From $1,641 at Lenovo)

What's so special about Thunderbolt 3 ports?

Thanks to having 4x lanes of PCIe, the Thunderbolt 3 ports on the ThinkPad X1 Extreme are quite versatile. If you're interested in connecting external displays to your laptop for a workstation feel, you get dual 4K monitor support at 60Hz refresh rate from the Thunderbolt 3 ports alongside 4K at 60Hz support from the HDMI 2.0 port. Lenovo documentation can be a bit confusing when it says four independent displays, as that number includes the actual display of the laptop with three external monitors.

The Thunderbolt 3 ports can also be used to connect to a high-performance laptop docking station, like the CalDigit TS3 Plus, which we favorably reviewed. If you find your X1 Extreme doesn't have quite enough ports, this is a great accessory for added functionality and it will even keep your laptop charged while it's in use.

If you'd like to add more storage to your X1 Extreme, you might also want to check out an external solid-state drive that offers excellent read and write speeds when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port. You'll generally pay more for the newer technology, but you'll wait around a lot less for transfers to finish.

The NVIDIA GTX 1650 dedicated graphics card (GPU) in the X1 Extreme adds a significant amount of power compared to integrated graphics, but it might still not quite be up to the task at hand. In that case, you can add an external GPU to the mix thanks to Thunderbolt 3 for extra performance for gaming or other specialized tasks.

What other ports does the ThinkPad X1 Extreme include?

Alongside dual Thunderbolt 3 and a single HDMI 2.0, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme includes two USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1) ports, an SD card reader, an RJ45 Ethernet extension adapter port, a Kensington lock slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an optional Smart Card reader for Enterprise buys.

Even without a docking station, you're getting a ton of connectivity here, and you should have no issues connecting your usual array of everyday accessories that boost productivity.

Versatile Ultrabook

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2)

A powerful laptop for power users

Alongside a generous collection of ports, including two Thunderbolt 3, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme has multiple display options, powerful hardware including a dedicated GPU, and a comfortable keyboard and touchpad.

Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.