/tpg/ - ThinkPad General

Old Thread: If you're looking for purchase advice, state your budget and requirements (e.g. size and performance).
Don't buy anything OTHER THAN IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad T, X, and W/P Series if you want the Real Business Experience™

>>Other business laptops are welcome in /tpg/ (Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).

Recommended freedom models:
>>T60, X60; X200, T400/500
Recommended modern models:
>>X220 - 12", 768p, cheap and light
>>T420 - 14", 900p, widely available, socketed CPU, Ivy Bridge installable w/ Coreboot
>>W520 - 15", 1080p, Desktop Replacement, 32GB RAM on quadcore models, USB 3.0
>>T440p/540p - Last Thinkpads with socketed processors, easily replaceable trackpad.
>>P-Series - 15' and 17', up to 4k displays, 64gb of RAM, Xeon processors.

Why ThinkPad?
>>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 (most models), upgrade & maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for every model, spare parts easy & cheap to obtain
>>The best TrackPoint, great for those who type a lot or hate swiping their fingers all over a touchpad
>>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support


>>Used laptop guides by xsauc:
dankpads.com
>>ThinkWiki - Info on ThinkPads & running GNU/Linux on them:
thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki
>>ThinkPad service guides w/ tutorial videos:
lenovoservicetraining.com/
>>EPP discount for new ThinkPads:
pastebin.com/JVwVGVTW (embed)
>>BIOS logo booru:
biosimage.booru.org/

Other urls found in this thread:

download.lenovo.com/eol/
allegro.pl/laptop-lenovo-thinkpad-x201-i5-8gb-320-gb-hdd-gwar-i7161778136.html
iccfl.com/product_info.php?products_id=11860
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

Guys I just realised my X230 has a 2-core 4-thread i5. Is a hyperthreaded i5 normal? I thought that was reserved for i7s

Reposting muh question.

Im gonna buy a T540p i5-4300m (i like big laptops) / 256GB SSD, is it good for using Visual Studio 2017, Arduino IDE, some virtualization and light gaming (world of warships, simcity 4)? Can i install a 2nd M.2 SSD in it?

Libreboot X220 when?

it's normal

>tfw no more W700ds
why live

According to forums, you can, but I can't find a tutorial. I just bought one of those too.

Guys please help me out I can't decide if I should get a used Dell Latitude E5420 or a T420

Main use: programming and watching anime

I plan on popping in an ssd aswell in the future

Please help!

get whatever you want

>tfw no fanless netbooks

>SimCity 4
I see you are a man of culture

get a thinkpad. you can upgrade as needed and if a part ever breaks you can easily replace it.

Has anyone here ever had any decent thrift store finds?
Shipping in leafland means no dirt cheap thinkpads online

They're evenly matched, you should probably buy the ThinkPad.

Don't go for E5xxx models. Get an E6420 instead.

Uh T420 benefits from mSATA, E6420 does not, though it feels like a more durable machine, just uglier.

I'd say go to 3 to 5 stores every two weeks. It just depends on the Thrift Store on what they think is a 'good price' for old laptops. Some people still think their HP Pentium 4 machines are worth $250.

X1 Carbon gen 3 for $400 worth it?

Always used desktops
Should I buy the x280? I can get 15% off via student discount here in the uk
Or am I better chasing a used model?

I honestly wish I were you user. Also
>Some people still think their HP Pentium 4 machines are worth $250
This shit is so fucking true, fucking retards...

Since this page moved I suggest adding it to the sticky. Thinkpad HMMs make the difference between breaking shit you don't need to break and a proper repair/upgrade.

download.lenovo.com/eol/

No. No x280, get t480. The x280 battery is not removable without removing the bottom cover. Only get the Kaby Lake U quads.

how fucked up is it?

'kay, i'll add it.

>Always used desktops

The patrician choice. Get any old Pad for trivial shit and put your money into desktop, displays and peripherals. Also a comfy chair.

at 1440p and 16gb RAM sure

here in bongland the t480 doesn't appear to be available

yeah I've always liked only desktops but for uni it's starting to be a hindrance on myself.
I was going to cheap out but some of my work does involve VMs for security testing and they won't run great on an older one
Already dropped loads on my desktop so got a fair bit to spend for the laptop
i just don't want to waste money is all

Not for another week, same for burgerland.

Unless you are a fanatic about keyboards a recent machine will be fine for mobile use. If buying new get fastest CPU and max the RAM, same as you would on anything else.

Ensure CPU has the extensions you need for VMs.

opinions on the s531 ?

Piece of shit, don't bother with it.

Thanks for the input lads
I'll research more before I make a decision

it's in grade A

C-can I be a ThinkPad, user-kun?

get it, seems about a good price
d-do you, hum, have a d-dick?

x260 meant to arrive today, almost 4pm and still nothing
Fuckin pajeet couriers, not even once

Are new thinkpads really that bad? Thinking about picking up a t480 or a X1 tablet 3rd gen. I used to have a t460 but the screen broke off due to the metal hinges not being well secured to the rest of the plastic, has the build quality improved in recent T series models?

>Rubber bumper
>Made of adamantium
>Only issue: Hinge fails after nearly a decade of use

Not a bad laptop.

Are Thinkcentres just as good as Thinkpads quality and durability wise?

Is there a guide to the X1 Carbon series?
Not sure what to get.

Avoid 2nd gen, and get one with 8gb RAM

Be honest, did I over react?

I was in class (college student) the other day and we were discussing computers and stuff. I ended up getting into an argument over the quality of computers, with me stating that Thinkpads were some of the toughest laptops and the other student saying that Macs were the toughest.

I stood up and dropped my Thinkpad (T470) from chest height (roughly 5'5, 1.6509 Meters for literally everyone else in the world) and let it fall to the ground. The class went silent as I proceeded to pick it back up and show the class that there was not a scratch on it, and the system worked perfectly. (I also did this with my phone, an S8), then challenged the Mac fanboy to do the same with his Pro and IphoneX.

Following the demonstration and challenge he refused as he "would not risk it." And shortly after the professor arrived.

Now I admit I may have overreacted... But... Yeah I got no excuse.

This is you.

This is you.

Proving your point with an irrefutable demonstration is hardly an overreaction
MacFag got BFTO'd

You did good user

hey guys how many times do i have to bash my head before i'm retarded enough to overpay for old thinkpads like you guys?

>t. Sent from my iPhone

should I get an x230 with an IPS screen or one without it and the screen seperately?

...

the IPS screens aren't that great, and the TN ones aren't that bad. IMO it shouldn't be a deal breaker and it's not worth the $60 or whatever to upgrade it.

I had a 1366x768 T420 and that was bad, then an IPS X220 which had image retention issues, which also carried onto X230 IPS screens, and now I've ended up with an X230 TN that I've stuck with for the past couple years. I've also used good IPS monitors. I have an Asus PB278Q sitting in front of me right now.

But I've never understood the sperging in these threads about them.

How big is the T440P compared to the X230?
I was thinking about getting an X230 and selling my T440P because I built a PC and I just need something thin and comfy

Or should I go for something like an X1 Carbon if I'm looking for something smaller?

What is the oldest Thinkpad with an HDMI port?

I like the Thinkcentre mini-tower cases: the door is easy to remove and airflow seems decent. And the M58 (built in 2009) and M92 (2013?) that I gave to relatives haven't had any failures.
But the Lite-on PSUs they ship with aren't particularly powerful. Their capacitors aren't Japanese either, if you care about that.
You should also do research before trying to upgrade your Thinkcentre graphics card, since cards newer than the Thinkcentre bios may not be recognized.
Overall I feel that used Thinkcentres are somewhat better than HPs or Optiplexes in terms of quality, but if your use case involves gaming, look elsewhere.

And then the whole bus clapped.

i7 X230 is just a couple hundred MHz and 1MiB L3 cache more over the i5 models. And bragging rights of course.

Not like on X220 where you get USB3 only on the i7.

Why must you remind us of this fact :^(

Get the X270. It's the last of the line for X-series where you can actually upgrade or service stuff.
>easily removable battery
>upgradable ram (1slot/channel only)
>SATA slot
>M.2 slot

PWNED that really showed them. No macfag would do that since their stuff would just fall apart. I probably wouldn't dare to do it with my ThinkPad either though.

I didn't get the X230 for it's screen. That's why I have docking station at home and at office and external screens.

>ThinkPad
>HDMI
I don't think any of the real ThinkPads ever had one. E models might have one though.

alright
i guess I'll get the TN panel, and if it's alot worse than my w520's screen then I'll order the IPS screen

I help picking a laptop for university. I want it to be able to run visual studio and compile C scripts, matlab, microsoft office and store my text books. I don't plan on using for anything else if that helps.
I appreciate any help or advice given.

What's wrong with 2nd gen?

where do you guys find

my x200 as a home server, running almost 24/7 except power outage.

-ftp server with proftpd
-pi hole
-access point via usb wifi dongle with tools create_ap

I use an app called mercari. I got an x220 for 124 with i7, 8gb ram, and 160gb ssd. Its mint too

I just picked up a T440p and feel a bit disappointed after comparing it to my old T510 and my father's T430. No Thinklight, no mute and volume buttons, worse speaker location, meme no-buttons touchpad.
Some of those issues are fixable with upgrades (backlit keyboard, T450 touchpad). And I like the ability to install to a 1080p screen without changing the display cable or buying a $90 converter chip. But overall I admit that the T430 is a superior machine.

when that tranny decides to kill itself

Why proftpd

My X230 TN would have different colours at the top and bottom of the display due to the viewing angle difference. Since for me it's meant to be usable in places like a train or my bed, it was basically unusable.

Reposting in new thread

W540 or X250? need an uni laptop

W540 seems big but I drive to uni so it's not an issue
X250 has good battery life which is a plus

Just snip off your fan

>www.apple.com
>www.reddit.com/r/apple

You know, a ThinkPad fan is located some distance from the CPU and uses copper pipes for heat transfer, right? Could using a watercooling loop instead improve temperatures?

Not exactly fanless, but as long as we're talking about inane cooling methods...

I mean by theory,
Best case you'll end up at room temp
But to make something like that to work you'd need to do extensive case mods
Also what I said could work
Most people already keep they're fans completely off with thinkfan and tpfancontrol

>Thinkpad X230
>i5-3320M 2,6GHz
>4GB Ram
>320GB HDD

170€ with shipping (about 210 dollars). Is this a good buy?

>But to make something like that to work you'd need to do extensive case mods
Would you though? Couldn't you fit the water pipes exactly where the copper pipes are now, and cram the radiator around the fan (presumably where the current copper heatsink is now)?

decent price, definitely good buy. i bought mine 3 months later around $234

I'm think of going the Asus route though. They had the reservoir and pump and what not outside the laptop and just a heatsink (and fan but you could do without it ) inside the laptop and connected it with quick disconnect fittings
That's probably the only reasonable way you could do it

You could just get a display port to HDMI adapter

*ago

Going to buy a T400. Does anyone know if the drive caddy from X200 will be compatible with it?

Bios flash is needed for another layout of keyboard ?

A FHD display (nontouch) for x240 without ghosting issue?
Someone with direct experience plz.

T450 would be a good balance between the two

comfy!!!

I don't think so if you're using a keyboard from the same model

I think you did over react but you were right.
I'm seriously salty right now, I used to have a t440 that I sold when I got a MBP and the fucking macbook dropped yesterday from like half a meter height and bent on the bottom.
It works fine and doesn't stand out but permanent damage like that pisses me off, my thinkpad was dropped from the bed 2-3 times and there was no visible damage on it.

/blog

What do you think? It's at $88.
allegro.pl/laptop-lenovo-thinkpad-x201-i5-8gb-320-gb-hdd-gwar-i7161778136.html

Guys Lenovo X220 for 198.20$

i7, 8gb of ram, and I have a spare SSD. I want to hackintosh and will buy the network card.

How long will this shit last me for, and how comfy will I be? Thanks lads.

I found a T500 at work that's in really rough shape and is probably only good for parts. Would there be anything worth harvesting off of it? I currently have a T420.

Sounds like a decent price for i7. I got an i7 IPS for that much but it had only 4GB ram, I had to hunt around for a while for that deal, and it had a wobbly screen bezel.

Thanks, how is the speed? Anything it can't handle well?

Mostly looking at programming, videos and school work.

3D acceleration is nearly nonexistent. I used vanilla minecraft as an ad-hoc benchmark, and X220 goes to around 100*C and struggles if you try to increase the render distance, X230 stays comfy around 65*C and can render 12+ chunks away thanks to the intel graphics thingy actually doing something.
This probably also applies to desktop environments - Windows 10 struggles on the X220, but is actually usable on the X230. You might have trouble running KDE on an X220 (I run XFCE on everything though so I can't speak from experience).

Really javascript heavy pages will also take a few seconds to fully render in.

Beyond that, I don't see any problems. LibreOffice and Eclipse are quite usable, although they really suffer from the lack of screen space. Things like shitposting on Sup Forums, watching youtube videos (or movies on mpv), programming is all stuff I do regularly and have zero complaints about.

Finally a good OS for my T60p

Android? Do you have a touchscreen?

Is the cooling of the X220 really that bad?
t. W520 owner

How is T60? That 4:3 display is tempting me, but it would be even slower than my X201s. Not that I need extreme computing power on my laptop. How is the battery life though?

So i bought the T60 and found an Sharp UXGA 15" panel to fit it in.
EDID data on LCD is not compatible but that should be an easy "hack".
I've heard about that CCFL to LED conversions but no actual reviews,
are those LED conversion kits from xCCFL and iCCFL good or chinese shit?
I can't find any other reasonably priced kits but don't want to buy general purpose ones.

iccfl.com/product_info.php?products_id=11860

which tp would suit me best Sup Forums?

Checking in.

If you're into traps then a macbook pro

Don't you see the mouse pointer?
Seriously though, it's surprising that it werks this well

My original battery has 15% of it's capacity, which equals about 20 min of running time. Power management is much worse than on newer laptops.
The whole system is just too slow for anything that's not light web browsing or watching videos though. If you want to run linux then be aware that the graphics driver seems a bit bugged
Another problem is that the screens seem to break, mine shows broken lines when I move the lid in certain positions
The only really good things about it are the screen, the overall build quality and ergonomics. One step higher than newer models like the t520

T420 should do the trick
Is that you user?