/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:

ebay.com.au/itm/232252301228
youtu.be/sncnKB54c4g
sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/networking-modules/
amazon.co.uk/Extended-Notebook-Battery-Replacement-Thinkpad/dp/B01LZB6RX0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488366951&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo t420 battery
twitter.com/SFWRedditVideos

Should I max out the ram on my x200?
I'm doing pretty well with just 2GB and 4GB swap on my SSD.
I've even tried to trigger swap thrashing and I had like 40 chrome tabs open to make it happen.
I never do that.

Since the old thread is probalby dying:

Reposting from last thread

What makes you think software projects need lots of hardware specs unless your software actually requires those specs, like a video game?

To cut down on compile time, use a build system like make and rebuild only the object files with changes and relink instead of completely rebuilding your executable from scratch.

If you're actually at the point where compiles take several minutes, you will have a compile farm for this purpose.

Try compiling CLANG in debug mode with less than 16 gb of RAM. It will fail during linking. Honestly it will only work with 16 if you're really lucky.

Seriously, go try it.

COMPILE FARM

I AM EMPLOYED THROUGH SCHOOL SO THIS I'D RATHER NOT USE THE COMPILE FARM

Thinkpad 13 2017 USA launch imminent

I recently replaced my X220 TN screen with the IPS panel. It would be a shame if the old panel went to waste though. Maybe I'm gonna do some DIY stuff with it. Does anyone know which controller I need for the screen?

Buying an X220 but noticed the battery manufacturer is Sanyo, heard there was a huge recall for these? Safe to buy? Saw that Lenovo offered to replace these for free but I doubt I can do that as it's used

w530 with i7 3720qm should suffice, it supports up to 32gb of ram and the 3720qm is barely any slower than the 6700hq in modern quad core laptops

I haven't used anything but Sanyo batteries since I got my T400 5 years ago. Never experienced any problems.

You have ZERO (0) reason to not own a W510

Well, what if i told you that ""W510"" you like so much was -73.12$ more expensive per GHz than the T510 you seem to have problems with.

Would you STILL prefer the 510 over the 510?

>implying a 15" laptop doesn't make you look like a sperglord

T/W510 was the last perfect ThinkPad. T/W520 was good but the screen got too small from then onward

510, 520, and 530 all have the same screens you dingus

Sorry to break it to you but there's no justification for a laptop to be larger than 12".
That's pretty much the size at which you can get a full size keyboard. Some will manage to put a full size
keyboard on an 11". That's even better. Everything larger is retarded and should be replaced by a desktop.

13*

>scrape off screw sticker
>it flies 5000 miles away

Why the fuck is it so expensive?

Nope. As long as you get a full size keyboard it can't be small enough. I wish they were still doing the butterfly keyboard. That could bring size down to 9" possibly.

Just put a piece of black tape over.

yep, sorry to break it to you, but 13" is actually the largest size you can get. Some will manage to put a full size
keyboard on an 12". That's even better. Everything larger is retarded and should be replaced by a desktop.

Should I buy a x220 or a x230? It's my first thinkpad so I have 0 experience with the 7 row keyboard. Would x220 be good for anime and weebshit games(shmups,melty blood,VNs)?

Actually, you're wrong. See this? This is an X201s. It's 12" but it's 16:10 so it's narrower than a 12" 16:9 laptop.
If you were to crop the vertical space on this machine to make the screen 11" with a 16:9 aspect ratio you'd still have the full size keyboard.
Nobody is doing it but it is possible and if there was a laptop with Thinkpad build quality, an 11" screen and a full size keyboard.

x230 is much better for real usage. The chiclet keyboard really isn't bad at all. I personally like them. Make sure you get an IPS screen

I've been a 7 row advocate until I tried a new 6 row keyboard on my new X230 last week. It's great. Not nearly half as bad as some people want to
make it look like. The build quality is even better. The X220 keyboard gives in quite a lot when you press the volume buttons, the X230 keyboard
doesn't. Also the X230 isn't that much more expensive while its performance is far ahead of the X220.

Forgot image

Who the hell calls that to be a "full-size keyboard"?

It is. It's the exact same that they use on the larger models. They don't compromise on anything with this compared to their 15" models.

>They don't compromise on anything
Where's the number panel?

A numblock isn't necessarily part of a full size keyboard. On a laptop it's not only unnecessary but also a major drawback in ergonomics. A numpad forces the whole keyboard to be offset. On a laptop it's crucial to have a centered keyboard. You don't see a lot of laptops with numpads for that reason. The ones that have it like the current 15" T series Thinkpads are often criticized for it.

Anyone have the x220 tablet? I might buy one off a mate just to keep track of my websites

A full sized laptop keyboard is defined as follows:

>all alphabet keys a desktop keyboard would have
>numeric top row
>12 function keys on top
>function keys like return, backspace, ctrl and so on present
>size of keycaps somewhere close to desktop sized keyeboards. (you can argue at which point keycaps are large enough to make it count as full sized but it's somewhere around 10mm squared for all alphanumeric keycaps.

ebay.com.au/itm/232252301228
Is it worth? I only really need it for word processing

You can't really go wrong with it especially if you're buying it from a friend because that way you can inspect it before you buy and see if there's anything wrong with it.

It's where it belongs: on a desktop keyboard. A number pad does not belong on a laptop. Lenovo have made current 15 inch Thinkpads unuseable with their shit number pad.

price check
t530
Core i7 3720qm
8gb of ram
250gb 850 evo ssd
b156w01 v.4 1080p screen
great condition
battery has less than 70 cycles

My toaster is on fire.

New thermal paste needed?

I bought a x230 for 200usd seller refurbished did I do good?

how can a dual core run this hot?

And if they were to remove some plastic and fill those bezels out properly, it could fit a 13" display. Wow !

It's beyond me. Maybe because I don't have the A/C going in my house and the temperature outside is like 25C outside right now...

>A full sized laptop keyboard is defined as follows:

I'm not saying number panel is necessary for a laptop, but I'm saying that calling a keyboard without one a "full-size" is weird, to say the least.
The vast majority of sources imply either a desktop or a desktop-sized keyboard by saying "full-sized".

Or give me an actual source on that because I can't find one.

1. Would there be any thermal difference between all these processors? The TDP says 35W on all of them, but surely the lower end chips without SMT and lower clocks would run cooler right?

2. Does Ivy Bridge run any cooler than Sandy Bridge?

I have a quad core in my t530 (keep in mind the HSF i have in there isnt even designed for quad cores only dual cores as its the non nvidia version) and under prime load it only hits 93 degrees and its still clocked at 3.3/3.4ghz. Something isn't right

Not with the technology available when that laptop was made. They needed a lot of space in there for the excellent WiFi antennas and metal reinforcement.

Still hot as balls, and it is sitting on a glass desk, plugged in, only YouTube and a few Chrome tabs, nothing else.

I'm not sure if the fan is broken or what.
TPFanControl has the fan spinning, and I hear it whining under the spin of the fan, but I don't FEEL all that much air being blown out.

I may need to replace the fan.

yeah it sounds to me there is something defective with the cooler. My 45watt 3720qm with that sort of load would be lucky to go past 55 degrees.

These both take up less space than you might think, even back then. The only things taking up a significant amount of space are the hinges and inverter at the bottom, and webcam at the top. The bezels could easily be reduced by a lot towards the sides while keeping wifi antennas and metal reinforcement.

IT'S SO HOT THAT THE FUCKING TPFANCONTROL IS REFUSING TO GIVE ME DIRECT CONTROL

You can put a quad heatsink into a T530 that was originally a dual, right?

if its that hot with youtube and a few tabs open what would happen if you ran prime?

i'm not sure, people say you can some people say you cant. But the intel only heatsink does fine cooling the 45 watt cpu anyway so im not going to bother.

Is that a switchable graphics model?
Those fuckers run really hot because a faulty driver will make both graphics cards run at the same time and heat up the whole computer.

I don't understand what just happened...
At all...


Are you fucking kidding me???
How the fuck does someone fuck up a computer that badly?

Which driver should I switch to, then?

Still hot, but not on fire anymore.

This is fucking weird, guys.
Like, really weird

Just disable one of the cards in the BIOS, it should cool it down.
Also, make sure the fans actually work.
Open it up and clean the dust out.
Also, if the fan assembly is easy to remove, reapply thermal paste.

I would get an X230 over an X220, only reason you would want the X220 is because it's cheaper. The X230 keyboard can be swapped for a classic keyboard in the future if you end up not liking chiclet keys.

wtf.....

I like using Optimus.
Would probably be fine running purely on discrete graphics, though.

The fan seems to spin, I'm just not sure it is doing anything to help.

Not much dust inside last time I took it apart.

Thermal paste ordered, should be here on the 7th. Arctic Silver

I'd also go for an X230 but anyone who's intereste should know that swapping the keyboard for an older one requires modification to the connector and BIOS flash to make everything work properly. This also means that after you've installed a legacy keyboard you'd have to flash the BIOS again to be able to use the new chiclet keyboard.

I actually made a vid on that exact thing, it's actually a pretty easy process
youtu.be/sncnKB54c4g

I got a x220, stock except for an IPS panel. I wanna get to upgrading it and have the money, what's the first big upgrade I should make? Any good articles or reddit threads about upgrades?

pic semi related, my current wallpaper

I just mentioned it because it seems like a lot of people don't know this. There's a lot that can go wrong with that but if you're willing to take the risk of bricking your laptop that's fine

Unless you run VM or game, chances are you will never exceed 2GB of ram. So spend your resources on something more important.

Switching to dGPU helped a bit. But the damned thing is still hot at 75C

GPU is at 83C

It needs new paste. And possibly a new fucking fan assembly.

any t420 user here ? I have some questions.

Then change it. It's like 30 minutes of work max.

Yea or nay?

>>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.

Question, does this also mean TP is the most *serviceable* when it comes to the amount of time and effort used to take these things apart? Name brand consumer grade laptops do have pretty decent service manuals and fairly obtainable parts, but the reason why I hate working with those is that it's a bitch and a half to get to the guts of the thing - i.e. when you have to replace a keyboard that's gone bad or your trackpad. Tons of tiny ass screws you have to make sure to properly inventory as you tear it down.

Most consumer-grade laptops require you to tear apart almost the entire fucking thing to get to its guts. I've read some enterprise-grade laptops are very easy to take apart and fix compared to their consumer versions (in terms of time spent). Is this true?

the heatsink is probably clogged. You need to take it apart and clean thoroughly.

Have a T420 and thinking about an upgrade, maybe to an X2 something... Any ideas seeing as I'm a student.

specs ? do you like t420 ?

>X2
Do you mean an X2xx? In that case there's a lot of laptops to choose from. I guess you don't want an X220 because it's basically the exact same thing as your T420, only without a dGPU option. You could go for an X230. The 30 series is the newest one I can recomment anyways. With the 40 series they got rid of the dedicated volume buttons and build quality dropped extremely.

I'm looking for better specs and a better display resolution.

Overall I like the T420, its just slightly too big, battery life too low, and the screen resolution not good enough (when coding)

I want to buy one of them. do you recommend it ?

The T420 is pretty good as an entry into Thinkpads, plus I got mine for £120

You could stick to your T420

>too big
yeah you can't really help that

>battery life too low
new batteries don't cost a fortune. you won't get better battery life on an X series

>screen resolution not good enough
I guess you got the 768p screens. there are higher resolution displays for the T420. 1600x900. you could swap it.


If you still want an X series with a higher resolution you'd have to look for the X240 or newer because the 40 series was
the first one to feature higher resolutions than 768p on 12" models. I can't recommend those because of the terrible build
quality though. Also the 40 series lacks trackpoint buttons if that's a priority. The 50 series is slightly better. Or you might
want an X1 Carbon. These are available with 1080p displays, they're thin and light and battery life is pretty solid. The
downside is that the battery can not be easily replaced. You got to open the whole thing up for that.

In conclusion:
>X250 or X260 if you want T series features but in a small and light laptop with a 12" screen.
>X1 Carbon if you want slightly better build quality and an even lighter laptop with a 14" screen.

One last thing: You might want to consider that even 768p means around 120PPI on a 12" screen. That means text will
be pretty small. If you want to go for a higher resolution you would be forced to upscale everything which would result
in the same amount of screen real estate you would get from a higher resolution, the only advantage being better image
quality. Basically a high resolution 12" screen wouldn't really help you displaying more lines of text.

I live in turkey and electronics are very expensive here but i found a t420 around 700 turkish liras (155 pound) which is nice and cheap in here.

Makes sense, I guess I'll invest in an SSD and a new battery.

Is it best to buy a new battery of Aliexpress if there are none on ebay UK?

> upscale
Bullshit. 1080p without scaling is just fine for my 12" 1st gen Helix. It might be an issue on touch-only devices, but thanks Wacom.
As for Helix itself, I do not recommend it. Way too many critical issues that are apparently common for the series, from driver compatibility (windows update and lenovo update tool both push sound driver versions that do not work at all) to build quality so bad internal battery comes off with slight shaking.

I also guess the spec jump from Sandy to Ivy isn't great enough

Thats okay, what are the specs like?

I got an X230 and I can tell you at 768p Windows fonts are pretty small. If the resolution was higher it wouldn't be readable. From a normal working distance.

From my experience is correct.
If you got a desktop with the screen 1m away from you, you pretty much can't go beyond 100ppi without scaling. 24" 1080p equals around
90ppi. That's perfect for readability without UI scaling.
On a laptop you're typically closer to the screen so 120ppi is kinda OK. In that case the small text is a sacrifice you have to make for a
minimum of screen real estate.

they say i5 Intel cpu second gen. 8gb ram ddr3 320 gb hdd ans intel gpu. i will change hdd with ssd if i buy it but what do you think ? Is it garbage or is it ok for beginning ?

I want to replace my x60t screen with one that'll allow me to read clearly outdoors with minimal glare. Right now at full brightness i can hardly see anything at all. I was thinking maybe an E-ink or Pixel Qi screen would be perfect but I can't find anything in a 12.1" display. Even if one did exist, would the installation just be plug n play so to speak? I know a lot of people like to go for the Boe-Hydis screens. How do those perform outdoors in direct sunlight?

>these
Seriously, I'm under the impression that high resoltuion screens in a small form factor are one way of enforcing Windows 10.

Why does my mouse cursor often freeze for 5 seconds after I do a two-finger scroll on the touchpad?

t520 btw, with whatever lenovo mouse suite/driver windows 10 automatically installed

your trackpad should be disabled in the bios and you should be using the trackpoint

Buying an x220, and want to get a WWAN card for it, will this one be good? sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/networking-modules/

Looking at a fairly decent condition T420 for £130.

Specs are i5, 4gb, 320gb, 1600x900. Keyboard and trackpad look barely used. The only issue is the dvd release is broken (pic related).

Is this easy to fix and in general is this a good deal Sup Forums?

What's a good replacement battery for *20 series?

Looking at this:

amazon.co.uk/Extended-Notebook-Battery-Replacement-Thinkpad/dp/B01LZB6RX0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488366951&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo t420 battery

Any known reliable sellers out there?

> £130
> 1600x900
I think you may find a non-broken one for the same price if you look at the ebay completed listings.

Been looking for a while, haven't seen many decent ones at this price. Got any links?

>just ordered an x60s for 70 euros
fuck you americans and your cheap prices

that said, I could do better, I just really want an x60/x60s/x60t to put libreboot on.
and at least I get a 1 year warranty for the hardware, so I can trust that it is not going to be broken or in very rough shape

For those of you who read a lot of technical articles / books on PDF and don't want to print 1000s of pages, what do you recommend?
I was thinking about getting a used X1 Yoga with the OLED screen.
Way overkill for reading tons of PDFs, but at least I can do some light work on it.
Other options? I was thinking about something with an (AM)OLED screen for the long (around 8) hours that I often spend reading on a display.
The newly announced Samsung Galaxy Book 12 is also an option, but it is going to be a tad expensive.
Open to suggestions.

15" is the minimum required for a usable full-sized keyboard.