/tpg/ - ThinkPad General

Previous thread: IRC: #/tpg/ on irc.rizon.net

Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).
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If you're looking for purchase advice, READ THE BUYERS GUIDE FIRST. Then post, stating budget and requirements (e.g. size and performance).
Don't buy anything OTHER THAN T, X AND W/P SERIES if you want the Real ThinkPad Experience™

Recommended models:
T420 - 14", normal size
X220 - 12.5", ultraportable
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Why ThinkPad? (also applies to other business laptops)
>Used machines are plentiful and cheap.
>Excellent keyboards - tactile feel and quiet.
>Great durability: chassis uses a magnesium rollcage for structural integrity, with high quality plastic body panels.
>Utilitarian design: e.g. indicator LEDs, 7 row keyboard layout on older models.
>Docking stations that easily turns your laptop into a desktop.
>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
>The best trackpoint (that red thing in the middle of the keyboard). Great for those who type a lot or hate swiping their fingers all over a touchpad.
>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support.
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Used ThinkPad buyers guide:
ktgee.net/tpg

xsauc buyers guide:
dankpads.com

EPP discount for new ThinkPads (USA & Canada only, usually 15%+ off):
pastebin.com/JVwVGVTW

Helpful links and resources (Wiki, lookup tools and wallpapers):
pastebin.com/DYjEnVq1

Other urls found in this thread:

linrunner.de/en/tlp/docs/tlp-configuration.html#chargethresholds
twitter.com/SFWRedditGifs

Reposting my comment from the last thread before we got moved here :)

Is anything in the current ThinkPad lineup worth buying? I'm looking specifically at the T460, T560, or X260.

Would be used primarily for working from home (Excel, Adobe, online databases etc.) and possibly some light gaming (Skyrim, TF2, WoW etc.)

None of those laptops have a decent GPU.

Ah, so it would be better relegated to work purposes only then I suppose?

Well, you can game on them, but only the older titles ... Torchlight 2 etc.

i have a t430s coming in soon

whats the best way to preserve battery?
can i remove the battery and plug in with the ac/charger while im home and mobility is not a use?
where can i get a good replacement battery (just in case)?

set charge thresholds (tlp in linux, lenovo settings in windows)

don't go below 20%

Is it worth to upgrade the panel on my T430 from 1366x768 to 1600x900 non ips? Is it worth 50€?

googling now but not 100% sure what you mean by this

using ubuntu 16.04 btw

linrunner.de/en/tlp/docs/tlp-configuration.html#chargethresholds

Yes, the quality stays shit but the higher resolution is worth it.

Or you could join me and keep waiting forever for RMSmajestic's FHD mod.

install tlp and set the charge threshold to 50% low and 80% max

Anyone here program on a 12.5" screen? Is it bearable as I'm thinking of getting an x250

Glorious.

Is it ever worth getting a 1366x768 top instead of holding out for a 1600x900, like let's say its a refurbished t420 for 100 quid or so, low specs but p. good condition but 1366x768 would it be worth?

1366x768 is unusable
Pay extra to get 1600x900

Add the price of the 1600x900 screen and the HD+ cable to the 1366x768 t420 price and then compare it with a 1600x900 t420.

Which guide for mounting the old keyboard did you follow?

Tyvm lads all advice that was taken onboard

The one that doesn't involve replacing the palmrest.
Also a note: T420 palmrest is NOT compatible with T430. There is only one way to mount this keyboard.

soooo ... cutting the pins or whatever?

Sanding off couple of rubs.

good morning fellow thinkgents. time to make the backlights!

Is $24 for 4G RAM for my T430 a good deal?

major normie here

are lenovo shittier models good enough for my parents? all they do is browse fb and watch youtube. i cant afford thinkpads (yeah, third world country)

what kind of so-dimm is used in T430? is it the 204pin?

Reposting from previous thread.
For about 2500$ which one should I chose?

In my local store for about that price I can find:

1) W541 i7-4810MQ / 8GB ram DDR3 1600 / 256SSD / 7Pro64 / Intel HD Graphics 4600

2) P50 i7-6820HQ /8GB ram DDR4 2133 / 256SSD / 7Pro64 / NVIDIA Quadro M2000M

3) X1 Carbon 4 i7-6600U / 16GB / 512SSD / 7Pro64 / Intel HD Graphics 520

4) T460s i7-6600U / 12GB DDR4 2133 / 256SSD / 7Pro64 / Intel HD Graphics 520

5) T560 i7-6600U / 16GB DDR3 1600 / 512SSD / Win10P / Intel HD Graphics 520

Last time I had to buy a notebook was 6 years ago... My knowledge is limited.
All 5 listed above are similar in price, W541 being the most expensive while having only 8GB ram, are other parameters so much better?

Trick is - goverment is paying so I can overpay for even slight quality increase. Anything I don't spend is wasted.

I'll be using it for programming, mostly embedded (yea I know) C and C++, but hey I won't refuse some good vidya, however, durabilty > all for me.

Please help guys.

p50

Cause I installed Ubuntu on it before and fucked up the windows bootloader and had to reinstall it. I'd rather just have the 2 on separate drives.

get second handed boi

This way you can get a way a lot cheaper

What the fuck nigger.
You don't reinstall windows after fucking up the bootloader. You either install bootloader manually via linux or via windows installation disk

I have an x60 I just through a turbo on and a new body kit

After I've seen it live through falling down a flight of stairs (together with clumsy owner), I gotta vouch for Carbon.

ok

I know, but a windows live usb wasn't able to fix the bootloader for whatever reason. It detected the win10 installation but wasn't able to fix it.

I also fucked up by trying linux at the worst possible time; I was doing an internship in a different city and there were no other windows pcs I could use to make a live usb and I had to submit my report in a weeks time. All that shit stacked up and I decided to reinstall windows. Thankfully, most of my media was saved on the HDD, so at least I didn't lose that.

Is there a way to clean a T420's fan without removing the heatsink from the CPU ?

I would if it was my money. I can't buy second handed using business dotation funds. I'd also have lots of time if I was paying myself, but I have to spend money fast and precise..

It looks rather squishy, doesn't look like typical, square, hammered bussiness machine to me.

my charger broke for it. Battery doesnt hold a charge. Runs fast and still good shape. running xubuntu on it just to web surf.

I cant wait til I can afford to get it running again. so poor though.

using my raspberry pi 3 right now!!!

I'd pick the P50.

I think you might be able to blow off the dust if you have a powerful blower by removing the keyboard. The fan is visible from there.

THIS

It can TAKE DAMAGE, but doesnt feel like the quality durable machine WHILE IN USE!

my brother ended his last marriage over the x1 carbon or t420 debate.

>It looks rather squishy,
Well, it doesn't have the mass to beat hobo with like the older types did, but apparently it does have the same durability still. something about construction material and technology.

Spray wd40 in a bowl and add a few tablespoons of WARM WATER to the wd40 to dillute and not damage the computer.

Take a rag and dip in this solution

Take the rag and wipe down keyboard.

Press f4 on the fan startup and overclocking menu

Remove heatsink

Take the wd40 spray fan

Take the rag and wipe down again

Put fat back

done

Im an aero eng. studente needing a laptop for cad works. Is the yoga p40 worth its price, or i can get something better? Also the 8Gb ram pisses me of, is upgreadable to 16?

upgradeable using custom bios 4.30 by alexa taylor

my yoga p41x has 32gb of ram running debian linux and kali linux and ubuntu and fedora

Two ways.

Instead of filing down the nubs, I just cut the slots in the T420 palmrest taller with an exacto knife.

Easier and safer, I think

>my brother ended his last marriage over the x1 carbon or t420 debate.
Where do I find a wife this passionate about laptops??

they sell aftermarket body kits dude ur a straight up idiot and a fool

I have all dell boards and components in my t60, people see it and think IBM, its really so custom running dell under the hood. I shit on people for assuming its IBM. Such a sleeper ya know.

>tfw no regular-ass non-yoga P40

Take the T460 because of the battery life

DO NOT GET THOSE WITH DISCRETE GPU
It will not improve the reliability because the more components you get, the more likely you will have a broken component

She looks more like a man than he does. 260 pounds short hair. Shes cool but so gross.

I'm not neglecting it's quality. I'm just shifting towards what said.

Anyway, I'll appreciate all advices as last time when I considered buying a thinkpad I was looking for some 300$ 2 year old machines...

Everything at this price range is so good I have no idea what to chose. So far looks like P50 has the most votes.

ur an idiot and a straight fool

I have an x60 that I have plans to upgrade and make more powerful than anything u own u fucking nerd loser

not an argument :^)

oh so you think you can shit talk and get away with it hombre? U know im clocking an extra Ghz on ur ASS always BITCH step aside

I advised a P50 above but what says makes sense. Don't buy what you dont need. Gaming on laptops not built for it isn't advisable, except for old, non-demanding games.

Or just get a gaming laptop for that price.

Retard.
This is 2016, problem with discrete gpus desoldering themselves was happening like 10 years ago.
Also get P50. Don't listen to these fools.

I fukked ur mom

Thats what im saying hes a straight idiot Im about to throw hands to this nigga thinking he can argue that

I find the flipping book meme actually useful if i want to shitposter on my bed

Good point
But I do hope that I'm wrong and history won't repeat its self

But why would he even need dGPU if he is only programming and not doing any 3d modeling or video editing?

Nah I just mentioned gaming as a silly excuse for spending so much on notebook while using it mostly for avr programming... HOWEVER, my gf likes to edit some videos for her articles from time to time so that is something that can be actually usefull here.
At this point I have a boner for thinkpad so I won't change that.

>Don't but what you dont need.
That's exactly the point of spending dotation money.. Together with notebook I'll buy printer, monitors, tablets, smartphone, ebook reader, drives, keyboard, chair, desk and many other more and less usefull stuff, but this notebook is the only thing I'll really use so I want to do it good with your help guys.

DO YOU THINK HE DOESNT HAVE ANY KIDS OR FAMILY OR WIFZES THAT WANT TO PLAY GAMES OR WATCH VIDEOS ON HIS LAPTOP YOU ARE A COMPLETE AND UDDER FOOL NIGGA STOP SPEAKING IM ABOUT TO RAIN THUNDA DOWN UR ASSCOCK

Gaymuring. OP clearly stated he wants to gaym from time to time

isn't Intel's iGPU 520 enough?

On a second thought, that P50 might be a good solution because you can get 64gb ram on that and probably another drive in that drivebay

P50 can be expanded with newer CPU (Xeon), more RAM (up to 64GB ECC, only model supporting ECC btw)
It's just the best option from all of these

Wait a minute
There is two M.2 ssd slot and 2,5" drive slot?
You can change the cpu? It isn't soldered?
Holy fuck, this might be it boys

Ease pf future upgrade options is a huge positive in that case. I don't tend to buy new stuff every year.
Good point.

I'm posting from my bed using the raspi 3 hooked up to my 50 inch wall mounted samsung led tv

No, it's not.
Also intel 520 is shit. Only desktop iGPUs are remotely usable.

Some of the other anons have made good points about dGPUs not being shit anymore. I was only advising against it because my inspiron died after a GPU fault and it was my first laptop. Now I'm on my 3rd which is a t430 and 2nd was a t420, so I don't have much experience with dGPUs. Bang for buck, P50 seems the best, no doubt. If you keep an eye on the temperatures during heavy loads, you should be fine.

The ThinkPad meme is really a good one.

>printer, monitors, tablets, smartphone, ebook reader, drives, keyboard, chair, desk
The hell kinda job is it?

I tried one and it didn't fit right, leaving a seam and a sharp edge on the front.

It also means you don't have to spend more money.

Drop your false superiority attitude.

I'm calling bullshit. How do you get ports to line up?

Pics or it didn't happen.

according to wikipedia
you can get about 500 GFLOPS out of Intel's 520

Ur a nerd loser I'll ddos and doxx your ass hombre

Don't get me wrong Yogas are cool, it just makes it more expensive

Ur a bigger idiot I'm in bed right now I just posted a picture from my bed u idiot. When I get up in a few minutes I'll take pics

I'm gonna vape for a few minutes first damnit u idiot nerd loser

Did that, I'll see if that helps with the noise and temps.
Also, which thermal paste should I get for it ? I'll have to do a full clean up eventually

cleaning a thinkpad with WD40? What the fuck?

>The hell kinda job is it?
I'm just changing my work mode from a company employee to a company contractor.
By starting my own business I can apply for startup dotation (around 5000$). The "only" requirement is 40 pages long business plan and explanation of all expenditures.
I can include all this stuff as necessary while running a software development company, it's just a matter of interpretation.


Anyway while we decided that P50 is the way to go guys, I see I can make simple configuration changes to it.
I can't go with Xeon as that would totally exceed my limit.
But for the same price I can swap i7-6820 with i7-6700 in favor of 512SSD (instead of 256) and 64GB rams (instead of 8).

Do you think its a better option?

>my brother ended his last marriage over the x1 carbon or t420 debate.

I do think that was an good plan

Because you have two M.2 ssd slots, you can add more memory later. Or use that 2.5" slot to add a HDD for more cheap storage

So you opt for leaving it with i7-6820?

Both my parents are using cheapest lenovo laptops, it just werks. Make sure you have enough RAM, though.

Yeah because it is such a small difference
If you go and check the ark pages for each of those cpu, you can find little to nothing difference

tl;dr too small of difference, hard to say anything about it

it still has nothing to do with gaymur experience

Ok but for that small diference I can go
6820 | 8Gb ram | 256 SSD
or
6700 | 64Gb ram | 512 ssd (or 256SSD + 1TB HDD)

If difference of cpus is negligible then it looks like second option is more viable isn't it?

I know I'm funny

totally new to thinkpads but i need a good one, mainly for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator... i usually open hundreds of RAW Files to process them...
and sometimes i play LoL too....

found a t530 2nd hand
>i5 -3210M 2.50GHz
>NVIDIA NVS 5400M
>300gb HDD
>4Gb ddr3
>windows 7
Price : 200€

Also how many " hours left " should a decent Battery show when it's like 99% ?

5400m is 1 or 2gb?

sorry it doesnt show...but i will msg the seller and ask

dude
You can totally play with that amount of GFLOPS, but you have to settle with older titles

But of course I do understand your concerns
Dauym I didn't that M2000 can get up to 1812.5 of GFLOPS. That is quite near or a bit lower to GTX 1050 Ti (1981GFLOPS)
t.Intel 4400 totally fine with S.T.AL.K.E.R: Lost alpha

I think the cpu is already top notch so you don't have to worry about it
I mean i7-6700 gets 675cb in cinebench R15 while my i7-3770k gets about 777, so its quite near

That storage looks pretty good , because 256gb for os and other software and rest of bigger files to the HDD, is quite golden desu

Look what I found at the thrift store.
Had to give it a shower, scrub off the chalk and cut some frayed edges. In the end it cleaned up pretty well, and the air cushions are still fully intact.

>$10
>IBM

iam guessing it's 1GB ?
so is this a good purchase ?

yes
although it could be 2gb

Is a T420 for $110 and one hour battery capacity a good deal? No other information is given in the listing.

That price is pretty good, but you need more info. Make sure its not banged up or anything too.

Is a thinkpad good for an accounting major?

Dunno. What do you mostly use? If its like word processing/excel shit, yeah. ThinkPad keyboards are top notch.

so a while back I got my hands on an X60 thinkpad for free. It has a centrino core duo generation CPU, win7, rotatable screen, a stylus with the right click button, a fingerprint reader, a docking base, external pci card slot, all those goodies and such. I played around with it for a while before the fan went bad and it wouldnt boot. So I ordered a new fan and swapped it out. Unfourtunatly, the person lied when they said the fan fit both X60 AND X61 models. Anyway, I plan on getting the correct fan, but I really am starting to like the idea of having all these do-dads in my laptop, but I already have a really nice inspiron and a top of the line thinkpad is not in my budget. What I want to know is if there has been anything they have made that might be avaliable for cheap, but still able to run reasonably well after recompiling the OS and stuff. It would have to have a stylus capable screen, not just for fingers. I despise touch-screens. I dont like greasing up my machines. A stylus is great though, especially if it has the little right click button like pic related.

Also, do built-in finger print readers generally have any support on linux mint or other distros?

TLDR: Is there a modern version of the thinkpad X60 available? I dont want top of the line, just better than core duo era speed. any recommendations?

>I think the cpu is already top notch so you don't have to worry about it
>I mean i7-6700 gets 675cb in cinebench R15 while my i7-3770k gets about 777, so its quite near
>That storage looks pretty good , because 256gb for os and other software and rest of bigger files to the HDD, is quite golden desu

Yeah I'm checking the benchmarks now. I will not realise the difference between CPU's but for sure I will enjoy more storage. Plus max ram already and I can change to xeon somewhere in the future.

Thanks you mate, and all other anons that joined the discussion.

I'll come back when everything works out. (It can take month or two because of beaurocracy, even if I have to deliver entire specification tommorow)