/tpg/ - ThinkPad General

Previous 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).

Libreboot-compatible models:
>T60, X60; X200, T400/500; W500.
Modern models:
>X220/X230 - 12", 768p, cheap and light
>T420/T430 - 14", 900p, widely available, socketed CPU, both Coreboot-compatible (Ivy Bridge CPU support on T420); Old keyboard swap on *30 series
>T520/530; W520/530 - 15", 1080p, DTR, 32GB RAM on quadcore models, USB 3.0
>T440p/540p; W540/1 - Last Thinkpads with socketed processors, easily replaceable trackpad (W541 doesn't need trackpad replacement)
>P-Series - 15'' + 17'', 4K display, up to 64GB of RAM, Xeon CPU option. Expensive.

Why ThinkPad?
>Used machines are plentiful and cheap
>Excellent keyboards - tactile feel and quiet
>Great durability: 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

>Hardware Maintenance Manuals (HMM's) and Windows drivers for legacy devices:
download.lenovo.com/eol
>Used laptop guides by xsauc:
dankpads.com
>ThinkWiki - Info on ThinkPads & running GNU/Linux on them:
thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki
>BIOS logo booru:
biosimage.booru.org/

Attached: IMG_3921.jpg (4272x2848, 3.75M)

Other urls found in this thread:

channelnews.com.au/lenovo-is-close-to-being-axed-from-stock-exchange/
aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&SearchText=x201 palmrest
m.newegg.com/products/N82E16834331858
twitter.com/AnonBabble

I want to buy a t420s and I found one that supposedly has 2 video cards. Is this good? It's an intel and an nvidia.

A few more questions:
Also does the t420s have an expresscard slot where I can connect an egpu?
What's the most battery life I can get on it?
Is the t420 bulky enough for the slim version to be worth it?

It just has an integrated graphics processor alongside a dedicated one, yeah they're OK. Of course it means if you want video output through the HDMI you're forced to use proprietary software, but it also guarantees a larger resolution display.

1. Yes
2. I don't own one but I'd say for a 14" laptop, maybe 4-6 hours on a brand new battery and good power management?
3. Fuck so, the "S" in T420s stands for "shittier"

for me it's the x201i

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Avoid dGPU like a plague. You don't need it, it's shit and pursuing it (especially on those models) is asking for troubles.
Yes, eGPU is possible.
It's difficult to say. Best scenario, 8 hours.
T420 and T430 are not bulky for me, the thin meme is a meme.

Should I replace my X200 motherboard with an X201 one? Is the performance increase worth it?

"X200s" or "X200"s? Not really the best deal, you can get X200's for under $100 easily, especially if they're X200s'.

For $400 USD I just bought a lot of five X200 thinkpads " in working condition", all with the 2.4 Ghz chip.

Did I get a good deal? What am I in for?

My bad, I meant $400, not $500

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at this rate i'm going to have to filter posts with "for me it's ... " in it

what do you think of this?

channelnews.com.au/lenovo-is-close-to-being-axed-from-stock-exchange/

you got a very good deal
send me one user

I can put a third gen cpu on a t420, right?

Thoughts on the ProBook 470?
G1

Does Jow Forums use a ssd caddy or use the optical drive?

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lenovo is not IBM they made many mistakes. For me, the last good ThinkPad is a T440p. Anything newer is garbage. Their only plan is to slowly adapt to what Apple is doing in the post-Jobs era, and this is a blunder^2.
I'm already evaluating some European clevo reseller; Santech, Tuxed and Entroware are all top notch. I'd recommend anyone in Europe to buy from them if an Haswell isn't enough (protip: it's enough)
Caddy in T420 and T430, M.2 in two T440p (so I spared the Ultrabay). I never use the optical drive anyway, I've an external adapter "just in case".
$80/thinkpad is the scrub value of a T430. So, "it depends".

T420 user here.
I use the optical drive, an M.SATA SSD for the SSD meme and a HDD

It's hard to say. It's happened to them before, but honestly I think it's mostly that Lenovo as a company is a mess. They put a ton of money into smartphones at a time when smartphone sales were essentially flat (and are now actually starting to decrease if Apple's suppliers are to be believed) and really failed to concentrate on the quality of their core laptop business. I know the IT department where I work (where we have a very large contract with Lenovo) absolutely hates the T470 because they see it as unreliable in a business environment. In fact, they've started switching over to HP and I think they plan to fully switch once the contract with Lenovo expires.

Really, Lenovo isn't a company that should even be on an index. Personally, I'm hoping that Lenovo loses the Thinkpad brand at some point and sells it to a company who is actually going to use it to innovate.

>I use the optical drive
for what? do you really use it on the go? your optical drive usage is enough to justify SATA II speeds on M.2?

Where can I get a cheapo replacement palmrest for my x201? No fingerprint sensor nor touchpad.

So, my brother is about to enter college and I want to get him an X230. What are some things I should watch out for when shopping for one?

>realized the thinkpad I bought has a dgpu
What do I do to make sure it doesn't just shit itself one day?

aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&SearchText=x201 palmrest

Gonna have pricing for X1 Carbons by tomorrow.
Also putting shit on a spreadsheet then posting it on dankpads.

coreboot first

repaste it?
Which ThinkPad is it? There aren't GPU issues like there was with the T61, other than running it hot all the time, you should be fine.

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What's the big concern about dGPUs everyone seems to have? I just ordered a W540 with one because it had all of the other specs I wanted.

W540, like the other user who replied tk you.

so, on a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult is flashing coreboot on a T420? is an ivy bridge quad going to be a huge jump over the 2640m I have now?

any real difference between the x220 and t420 other than size?

thoughts on x200? light codding, have a desktop for actual shit

Get a 2170p.
I had one, loved it.

hdd caddy in the t420 can be used to store condoms if you're a nonvirgin

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x201 with 1.06 ghz i5 better?

Oh, there shouldn't be any issues with the GPU.
Usually there is other bullshit that happens to thinkpads in general when they die, not GPU.

iirc, the W540 is a pretty safe system, other than the clickpad annoyance & upgrading to 3K takes some parts hunting.
P70/P50 had issues with the motherboard, due to being a relatively new design by Lenovo IMO.

X220 can have IPS displays, soldiered CPUs & some can be tablets.
T420 have socketed CPUs, 720p/900p displays (M14x screen upgrade ftw), & can have a dGPU.

X201 for some extra oom & touchpad. Otherwise ppl use both for what you're getting it for.

I use the optical drive bc muh backups on DVD's.

My T420 it's always at home (docked). I have an X61 that's the one I carry with me.

Up to you but personally a bigger fan of the elitebooks.

Get a Lenovo if the clit really matters to you though

What's up with that RAZR?

What thinkpad is recommended for strictly school work(programming) and side projects I work on in my free time?

T60

T420

Ryzen T or X series thinkpad when? I'd love to have a thinkpad with a trackpoint and a decent GPU.

I've got a x201, put 8 gigs of DDR3 RAM in it and a 500GB SSD. It works fine but I find myself using my first generation X1 Carbon more often just because the screen on the X1 is much better than the screen on the x201.

post pape or the doll gets it

>W series with a gorillion cores and a GPU that's not all kinds of gimped.

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Just got my X200 in the mail and it came with Trisquel and libreboot. Unfortunately, I can't enable WiFi connectivity even though I have a compatible chipset.
It appears that the computer is permanently stuck on airplane mode. Every time I try to switch it off and go back to the same menu, it's back on.
Anyone know how to fix this?

When IBM buys back the brand from Lenovo.

;_;

That's my phone.

Check wireless switch on the side.

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I got a T510 for free by lifting it off some pleb, figure I'll put anime on it and shitpost some more.

Max price I should pay for a X200 in good conditions with 2.53GHz, 2GB RAM and 80GB HDD?

Still don't know if the 2.53 processor is a C2D P8700 or C2D T9400. Will libreboot it myself.

x220

I think he's refering to the green strips on the side of the RAZR.

Looks like an extended battery and cover.

Does the t430s (slim) have an expresscard slot?

Nevermind. Where is it though? Is it there when you remove the 4 in 1 sd card reader? I didnt know you could remove it.

Can I use the hdd caddy adapter in a t430s?

My gift to this board. Not that you deserve it.

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>Budget
$600 max
>Need
At least 16GB of RAM for virtual machines
At least 500GB of storage space
>Want
A quad core processor
The ability to play gaymes like Skyrim and Fallout 4
Upgradeable RAM
Additional storage slots

Please help me senpai

t470 refurbished. old thinkpads have terrible screens and are more of a hobby than a work station.

All that at that price? You need to check eBay man. Just do a search for 7700HQ and sort by price. Not really a /tpg/ question.

eBay! Thanks. I know, I'm retarded.

Heres an image of the switch on my x201 beside the network card i purchased because I didnt know what was wrong with my computer. The switch only shows the green portion when it's working. Otherwise i just see black plastic.

Attached: IMG_20180425_234139.jpg (4608x3456, 2.49M)

>tablet model
try very gently pushing it towards off, not actuating the switch but just a little nudge
my x201t has the exact same problem and that's what works for me

t520 with eGPU. maybe a gtx 770, used. idk. ask someone here who knows.

What's the best Quad Core CPU for my T420?
> Currently has a C i5 2520m

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m.newegg.com/products/N82E16834331858

After reviewing this thread I’ve decided I want to get this. Is this a decent deal and safe purchase? I’ve never bought refurbished/recertified stuff before.
(I’ll be using the laptop strictly for programming and school work)

m.newegg.com/products/N82E16834331858

That link is broken when I try to click? Reposting

link works just fine

Go for it if you're happy with the specs and price, always taking a risk buying refurbished so check if the dealer is trustworthy


If you want a beefier X220 get the X230 with the i7 and just put on a X220 keyboard on it, along with an ips display, it will cost some more, but then again what else will you waste your money on

Either way, get the ips display, its worth it, cost like 60 bucks on ebay

Alright here are my prices for X1 Carbons.
Model - $Low - Mid // High
X1C - $200 - 296 //390
X1C2 - $240 - 350 // 550
X1C3 - $360 - 550 // 790
X1C4 - $475 - 900 // 1400
X1C5 - $600 - 1170 // 1900 (6th & 7th gen)
X1C5 - $870 - 1350 // 1940 (7th gen only)
X1C6 - $1400 - 1600 // 1850

Will post on dankpads sometime tomorrow. :)

I wish I could get a thinkpad for a good price but I live in fucking Mexico.

Have you checked other business class laptops?

Hello felow beaner!
I'm mexican and get two chinkpads at good price (in Mexico)

What Chinkpad do you want and what are the prices what you see?

I want a t430s. I'm lurking mercadolibre (lel), and there are only about 3 of those, all sold by apparently untrustable sources. 1400x900 screen is a must.
There is one that has everything I want but it's 7500 pesos (fucking expansive) and it's missing a bit on the left corner.

But I've seen plenty for under 5k pesos and even under 3k? Is it the shipping that fucks you over, paisano?

can't you have one delivered to a PO box on the border and you just like reach over?

1600x900*

I could get something much better for that same price if I were in the iunaites. I've checked ebay.
I've found somewhat good deals but I'm autistically searching for something better, and I can't find a good deal for a t430s

pls help

I live on the other side of the country.

Please help me user.
What is a reasonable price for a used X220 with i7?
I'm looking to buy one but I'm unsure whether the seller is ripping me off at 350 USD.

are the 900p samsung displays for T420 that much better?

> Evita las pantallas de 900p

¿Por qué no consigues una T420? Son más accesibles. Las 430 las venden muy caras para ser lo que son, y no valen realmente la pena (No representan un gran aunmento en el rendimiento, vaya)

>7500
Es un robo. He visto que piden eso por Thinkpads T420/T430 con un Ci7, cuando no es más que un Ci5 con, ligeramente, alta velocidad: siguen siendo CPUs de 2 núcleos, 4Threads, pero los venden cómo CPUs de 4 núcleos.

Y no escribo en inglés porque me da hueva traducir lo que estoy pensando y que sé que seguro entenderás ;)

Just cross the border, hurry up before they build the wall.

Yeah, I understand. Since this is an english forum I think it's more fit to speak in english, more polite too.
The t420 are too bulky. That's why I'm getting the slim version. But I may end up just going for a normal t420.

They are never going to build it. You can't stop me from raping and killing your wife, John.

Why not then an T420s? or an X220?
These last ones are more rare on that shitty copy of ebay
> and more expensive than a T420

if money wasn't an issue would you buy the latest x1?

I can't find a good enough deal on a t420s.

And I forgot to mention, there are only like 2 t420s' being sold at the moment.

Which oldest ThickBads can run a 1080p60 video on its graphics card? T430?

i bought recently 500gb hdd i7 4 gigs of ram for $189 excellent condition

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Or, why not go for an L420/L430 one?
They are the cheaper "T series" counterpart. They don't have the magnesium rollcage that the T series ones have, so, they aren't as heavier as the T series ones.

Thanks user! Where did you buy it?

I think I'd just rather go with the t420. I'll lurk arround a bit more and make a purchase later.

I want to hack the gibson, what is the recommended thinkpad for doing so?

T60

Does it support the emoji?

support everything.

How many lolis can it hold?

60.

Thanks, my grandmother is going to love this.

ebay
take into consideration what it comes with i.e. ssd and its storage size, amount of ram, battery ---- also the physical quality.
In all I could see one costing $350 if it had at least 12 gb ram, an ssd >250 gb, good 9 cell battery, and no dents or chinks or scuffs/scratches on the body or screen.