Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 uses double-sided 'Space Frame' for repairs

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 features a redesigned, double-sided motherboard called a "Space Frame" that aims to improve repairability, ZDNET reported at CES 2026.

The Space Frame packs components on both sides of the board and allows replacement of individual parts — including USB ports, the battery, keyboard, speakers and fans — rather than replacing the entire laptop. ZDNET said the chassis can be opened with standard tools and gives easy access to major components; iFixit awarded the design a 9 out of 10 repairability score.

Externally, the X1 Carbon retains the traditional ThinkPad aesthetic — TrackPoint, black matte keyboard and a haptic trackpad — despite the internal redesign. ZDNET noted the model is refreshed with Intel Core Ultra X7 Series 3 "Panther Lake" processors with integrated Intel Arc graphics, up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM at 9600MT/s, and a 2.8K OLED display rated to 500 nits.

ZDNET framed repairability as a key theme at CES 2026 and said most manufacturers are making incremental commitments to user-repairable elements, while Lenovo's internal redesign represents a larger step on a flagship product. The article's author wrote, "I hope it's the first of many more such designs."

Key Topics

Tech, Lenovo, Space Frame, Intel Arc, Ifixit