/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, specs lookup tools and wallpapers):
pastebin.com/DYjEnVq1

Other urls found in this thread:

microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

>he doesn't game on his ThinkPad

cheapest thinkpad I can get that can power a 4k monitor?

I'm not too familiar with the nvidia specs and capabilities

brb reinstalling that game

i do, but its a T42 so im limited to old games that can run on 32mb of vram

Asked in the last thread with no answer:

Will the P50 be updated soon? I want quadcore, new, and better than HD, and the T470P looks like trash.

Announcement in February, availability sometime later

Just picked up a t60 with dock at the thrift store for $17. Did I do well?

My x220 got busted up a little. Most things are ok, but gaming is impossible now. Should i reinstall win 7?

i'd say so, looks like its in great physical condition from the picture

It also came with 4gb of memory from the previous owner. My power cord comes January 2nd.

got a t430 for $160
good or bad
looking like really good to me

I have an x220 on the way and also IBM stickers to replace the Lenovo ones. Anyone who's done this swap got any advice on getting the old ones off without fucking up the case? Thanks!

Which of the newer thinkpads is most /tpg/ approved?
I've got an x60 right now that I'm generally a fan of, main things I would like improved are the processor and battery life. Looking on the Lenovo site it seems like a lot have meme keyboards and from what I've heard on here they're moving to worse build quality?
Is there anything recent with the classic keyboards, well built cases, rectangular shape (no rounded corners), matte screen, etc.? I basically just want an x60 but faster/longer lasting.

I don't think you're going to find anything like you're looking for, but I honestly think that Sup Forums hating the new Thinkpads is just in relation to the old ones, not in relation to other current laptops. I'm personally pretty pumped for the T470, but I would have preferred a x270 that had a TB3 port (unlike the T470 and co, it seems to just be standard usb type-c on 3.1 or something)

...

latitudes have garbage specs

How objectively good is the i7 in a X220T ThinkPad? I need something to give me basic Photoshop support and decent battery life so I can watch Netflix on the go.

My x220 with i5 and 8gb ram handles Photoshop fine and gimp even better. Win7/Arch dualboot

>garbage specs

some latitudes have garbage specs for sure, but they will cost a few hundred less than a thinkpad with identical garbage specs

[CITATION NEEDED]

You probably won't get a noticeable difference. i7 isn't much faster than i5.

fun for waving your dick vs 6200u though

How can I tell the difference between the X220's that have an IPS screen, and those that don't?

What do you guys use your thinkpads for? I might start using mine for manga and other books as well as web browsing.

>I basically just want an x60 but faster/longer lasting.
replace your motherboard with an X62.

i use my x201t for drawing, light gaming (stuff like insurgency, gmod, and other oldish games), browsing, etc. it's been my daily driver for some years now.

Looking to get an X series ThinkPad
I /really/ like the X220 but I would also like a higher resolution than 1366x768.
Are there any displays of a higher resolution that works with the X220?
Ideally 1920x1080 but even 1600x900 will suffice.

STFU

Friendly.
I'm asking a simple enough question.

/tpg/, I was pretty sold on T520 but I'm starting to consider T420(s) or X220. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Budget is around 200€ (without the upgrades), could be expanded but eh.
What I'd use it for is back-end web development (XAMPP/Valet/Homestead + some editor) and watching movies on a train/bus (mostly in browser).
Given I'm using win at home and mac at work, I want to put some linux distro on it.

Cheers upfront.

I'm afraid not. With the X series, you're stuck with 1366x768 since the x200 era until I think the x240 would be the first to offer FHD? If not x240, then x250.

I use 1366x768 on the x220, and really with a 12 inch screen that's sort of ideal. If you want more though, you'll have to either buy a newer (and more expensive) Thinkpad, or move up to the T-Series, where the T420/30 have a 1600x900 option.

Ah that really sucks.
I can live with a 1366x768 display if I have to. Not particularly ideal for programming however.
I just adore the keyboards on the X220, can't stand the chiclet keys on later models.

well Sup Forums i did it i picked up a t430 for $140 today. i5 3320m, 8gb ram, 160gb ssd, 1600x900 nvs 5400m, backlit keyboard

fuck year

there are mods available to get a higher res panel in there, but the custom boards aren't cheap, have a waiting list, and involve a fair amount of soldering. the average /tpg/ shitposter probably won't be putting the work in.

and really, the x220 is still just a nice, inexpensive, 6 year old laptop. don't make a money pit out of it. get an ips for porn on the go, then plug it into a monitor at home

Good find for the price.

Yeah, that's why I mentioned how even with the x230 you'd be screwed though. If the x230 had a FHD panel, you could replace its keyboard with the x220's, but alas they're more or less the exact same machines, just with the next gen cpu and new keyboard.

>friendly reminder that the T430 actually has the better keyboard and the T420 keyboard is a meme.

Thanks for the responses.
Guess I'll just have to grab an IPS panel and live with that.
Should be fine for GNU/Linux stuff I guess. I'll leave my heavier development for my desktop.

Any recommended docks for the 220?

aside from fingerprint software, is anything else on lenovo's website worth a fuck?

I guess I will look into those. Saw a few models for 175€. Will dig deeper for 8GB RAM models and slap some SSD + said IPS on it.

While at the topic of SSDs, any recommendations? 128GB should be enough imo.

power manager

Highest resolution X series?

same but without ssd : /

probably gonna have one of those garbage 320 GB hdd that every thinkpad listing has for some reason.

honestly? i use it as a shitty htpc on a docking station hooked up to my tv.

should point out it's a t430

also fun story

>early December before break
>in college's library
>working on shit on my t430
>already slightly older than most students
>have a decently kept beard
>wear khakis
>wear polo shirt
>have generic black coat hanging off chair
>everybody assumes i'm faculty
>other students ask me for help with shit
>explain i'm not a teacher or aid or anything
>they leave calling me a faggot
>kill myself in the library
>drink beer

x201t checking in with the 1280x800 display, desu at 12.5 inches, 800p is good enough. Any higher and things would be smaller, I already zoom in on most web pages due to how tiny everything is.

Insurgency? On a x201t? Geez, I should try that out with mine and see if it will blow up..

you even got the dock too, very good find.

I've got the x260 and it's pretty sweet.

woah

why should I buy a thinkpad over a chromebook when thinkpad's still have that added cost of coming with windows? Just looking for something to browse internet and do basic things for college.

Happy new year!

Anybody with T420 running windows 8.1 on it?
How's the driver support? What's your experience with it?
I have mSata SSD mPCI ExpressCard, and was thinking of installing Win8.1 on it for some "games" and other windows specific applications.
And to bypass airport security.

>Anybody with T420 running windows 8.1 on it?
>How's the driver support? What's your experience with it?

It's fine. I had to download some drivers from the win7 section, but they still work fine.
I just can't set the battery threshold, and 1 or 2 fn buttons don't work.

So do we get Thinkpad retro now

>I had to download some drivers from the win7 section
What drivers?
>fn buttons don't work
Does the Think light and Brightness control work?
Thanks for replying.

>What drivers?
I don't really remember, sorry, that was some optional shit.

>Does the Think light and Brightness control work?
Sure.
Well, I was kinda in the wrong here, I don't have working the ones on F3, F5, F6, F8 and on space. Maybe it can be fixed, I didn't really bother.

Oh.
I'm not using those in the first place, and all have software control anyway.
Will 4 GB of RAM and i5 2520m and iGPU be enough to run Win8.1 smooth enough?

If you work with memory-hungry software, or if you like to keep your browser with 150 tabs, you should consider memory upgrade. Otherwise, you'll be fine.

Most thing I imagine I might use is PS, the rest is just VNs.
And there is pagefile.

Does the 430s really work only with original batteries ?
I saw some non-lenovo batteries on amazon with some people claiming they get 6 hours, and some people say they just don't work. Where can one find original batteries 2nd hand with like a little wear ? ebay ?

Who /comfy/ here?

Those chinese mods seem interesting user

What's some good RAM for a t420?

DDR3 is good. Be sure to use SODIMM modules.

Viewing angle, colors, the IPS won't be absolute shit.

I don't really want to spend any money for the IPS replacement, but the TN panel is incredibly bad.

Who /notsuffocatingmylaptop/ here?

>SODIMM
Why?

worth buy the t61?

My T420 with 2520M throttles in Team Fortress 2.
It is pumping up the temperature until it hits 90, and then JUST. Is it normal?

iGPU?

What a game.. The nostalgia.

user, can you make a RA2 one?
So we can spread the love of thinkpads?

Yes.

Then it's expected, try lowering the graphic settings.
Does it shutdown? are you running other CPU intensive tasks?OS?

I have been looking for a laptop and/or preferebly a 2-in-1.

Was torn between a carbon x1 tablet, dell xps, surface pro 4.. But now I just looked at this, for 849 is it worth grabbing? How are the m5 processors?

hello Sup Forumsack

No, it does not shut down, just unplayable, since it's lowering the frequency to 800 MHz every 30 seconds.
OS is win8.1, no applications besides steam.

>win8.1
That's could be part of the problem then.
I've never had good experience with win8 in general.
But you might get better performance if you lower the graphics for the game.

I have it on my desktop for years, no problems.
I already changed my thermal interface twice, no changes.
I can disable turbo boost, but I prefer if someone with T420 and 2520M tries Team Fortress 2 and told me that not only me is having throttling.

I meant win8 on T420.
I have T420 with Nvidia GPU, but I never had issues with games throttling.

my dell 5570's build quality is shit, I wreck one in a year. Lucky that I work for a multinational, so local helpdesk just replaces the hardware whenever. Protip: dont hold dells by the panel, like a thinkpad

Have you heard of the Full HD Display replacement for the X220/X230?

What's the best place to get a new thinkpad in Canuckistan?
I want a T series with a passmark processor rated at about 4000.
I really, really, really want a warranty.

Not sure if this question belongs here, but recently I bought a T460p and it came with an OEM BIOS key for Windows 7.

I tried installing Windows 10 but it would just take the OEM Windows 7 key from the BIOS and KMSpico couldn't activate it because "this key is already being used in another computer".

What else can I do?

Okay, it seems that I had in BIOS Config - Power - Adaptive Thermal Management in «Balanced», not «Maximize Performance».
Now it is on 92-93 degrees in Team Fortress 2 without throttling, it's enjoyment to play. (But temps that high are still bothering me)

>using windows authentication
get windows loader

Install g[spoiler]...Linux Mint[/spoiler] on it.

Does Windows Loader work on Windows 10? I want to get rid of this old Lenovo-bloated Windows 7 install.

Actually, I already installed Gentoo on it. Windows 10 is for Autodesk software and muh gaymes.

Yeah. Upgrading a laptop from 2011 is not worth the cost to me. I think it's about $50 for the little adapter board, then another $100 for the screen. I only spent $165 for my thinkpad in the first place.

I believe TJmax is usually around 95C. That cannot be good for the processor.

Oh, I must have misread then. I thought screen+adapter costs around 50 dollars.

microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade
>upgrade to win 10
>use the settings menu to reset your installation, which is the same thing as fresh install.

Shit I thought the free upgrade period was over

If W7 was installed through W10 downgrade rights then you should be able to upgrade back to W10

Since it's a T460p, new, that's how it should have been done.

That's exactly my situation, yeah. Thank you kidn user.

The LED light on my optic drive in my T420 is blinking even when there's no CD/DVD.
Is it dying?

>92-93
Celsius?