/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(s; t); X200(s; t), T400(s)/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

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Other urls found in this thread:

ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-T420-Core-i7-2-70GHZ-8GB-RAM-320GB-HD-BT-Webcam-1600x900-Win-7-Pro/263674046481?hash=item3d6432a811:g:-UkAAOSwoRBahPC1
geoff.greer.fm/2017/07/16/thinkpad-x62/
m.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X220-Core-i5-2-5Ghz-4GB-500GB-Webcam-Win-10-Pro-12-5-Laptop/352224337344?hash=item520234ddc0:g:IloAAOSwxwRaoYaG
reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/5vaiav/w530_motherboard_into_t530_chassis/
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

>x220 during the summer
i-it's that time of the year again

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i ordered a delta heatsink for my t430. hopefully nomore whiny fan.

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>find a whatever thinkpad
>minimum $250 - $350 in renovations unless you buy it "brand new" at $500, defeating the purpose
>have to wrestle with bullshit linux distro just to perform basic tasks your mom with her W10 can do immediately, without effort
>or have to figure out how to jury rig windows onto a system not made for it, as made evident by total absence of drivers, hardware replacements, etc.
>laptop is now a ticking time bomb as despite your obsession with "reliability" you are dealing with a 7+ year old hunk of plastic, probably older, which means it's due for a random hardware failure
>which means yet another $100 - $200 in repairs, forcing you to invest further
>it isn't even as reliable as its reputation claims, as being so old and devoid of idiot-proof design means eventually you'll fuck up something and probably brick your system
>company that produces it has been a rotting corpse for the better half of a decade with no hope of ever returning
>their successor is a chinese conglomerate who couldnt give two flying fucks to support you

Reminder that this thread is a parody. Do NOT buy one of these expecting a decent system. Even modern laptops that die the moment your warranty runs out are preferable to anything you will see here.

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legit?

ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-T420-Core-i7-2-70GHZ-8GB-RAM-320GB-HD-BT-Webcam-1600x900-Win-7-Pro/263674046481?hash=item3d6432a811:g:-UkAAOSwoRBahPC1

What's the best smaller (X series) ThinkPad with the most square looking screen that can utilise at least 8GB RAM? The X220 is cool but the screen is really rectangular

chode spacebar

X61T is 4:3, but 8GB DDR2 is bullshit and so are CCFL backlights. Just get an X201T, they're about the same price and wholly superior.

Stop using this picture, it's disgusting. I don't come here to see a nigger.

probably but it's too expensive anyways

Just put a x230 heatsink in it senpai.

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And don't even bother with non-tablet X series that far back. The screens were beyond atrocious before the X220.

Looking at x200 or x220, but open to suggestion, got a budget of about 200 dollars. Just need something good enough for regular use.

>pic related is current shitpile

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>mfw winter is coming here in the south and my ThinkPad will keep me warm

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get an x200s :3

will a W530 board fit into a T530 case? and would a T530 keyboard work with a W530?


PLEASE RESPOND

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Looking at similar, want a good mobile linux machine. Why x200 or 220 instead of x230?

Lucky bastard.
We Spring now. Summer is upon us. But I only want to watch gentle snowfall from outside my bedroom window.
Winter here is long enough already (American Upper Midwest) but I desire more. How easy is it to obtain Greenlandic citizenship?

>X61T
Thanks for your advice mate. Now i've just gotta wait for one to become available in Australia lol

it's still going to be slow as shit compared to even low range notebooks today

I don’t really know anything about thinkpads, just heard a lot of good stuff about x200 and x220

Keyboard on the X230 is no good

geoff.greer.fm/2017/07/16/thinkpad-x62/

This dude uses his pretty effectively.

an x220 keyboard fits right into an x240

>X62
that isn't a proper thinkpad. it's an x61 that's had a custom board and screen dropped into it

How does this look for a basic linux box?

m.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X220-Core-i5-2-5Ghz-4GB-500GB-Webcam-Win-10-Pro-12-5-Laptop/352224337344?hash=item520234ddc0:g:IloAAOSwxwRaoYaG

Seems good, change what you need but ~$130 is a great price.

How difficult is it to replace the screen of an x220?

The docking port on my x230 is defective. Can it be replaced or is the whole machine fucked

Where can I get a CCFL inverter for my x201? I want to upgrade to a IPS panel but I need the right inverter.

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Ebay/aliexpress/etc. Just check the part number and search for it.
You also need a CCFL cable.

HMM mentions two inverter cards. FRU 42W8010 & 42W8009. The HMM doesn't mention which one is which and I was able to find 42w8010 on aliexpress but it says LCD. HMM also mentions nothing about a CCFL cable.

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Avatar posting is against the rules newfag.

> it says LCD
Of course it's LCD panel, there is nothing wrong. Both cards acceptable.
Cable part number is 44C9909.

Thank you!

I like to interject for a moment.

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Help me buy a desktop. I program in .net (I have a few existing applications I maintain) and have been programming in Scala for work and I want to start my own side projects with Scala.

Help me with a desktop Jow Forums. I just know how to code. I don't follow the hardware.

>Desktop
Wrong thread mate. Go to instead.

iMac Pro

Just bought a T440p, can the keyboard and trackpad be changed out to ones that aren't shit?

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>It's not a laptop. It's a Thinkpad.

What did xhe mean by this?

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Only the trackpad to the one from the *50 series. Synaptics is recommended.

I'm a Windows-fag, so it'll just drop in and work without too many headaches?

You need to find the specific drivers.

Ye, that's what I mean.

I'll use it a bit more before I decide to trash it though. I have a L470 at work and though it has the same dogshit disaster keyboard layout the track point buttons are fine. The physical act of typing on the keyboard though is still pretty decent in my opinion.

My mate asked me to post this here (we're both buying ThinkPads). I think he should look at the T42?
>4:3 display ratio
>Long lasting battery
>isn't anemic compared to modern laptops

reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/5vaiav/w530_motherboard_into_t530_chassis/

yes, yes

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>T42
Forget about browsing modern websites on that thing, get it if you don't need more than text based websites and email.

I ordered a refurbished grade A T510. I wanted something cheap and durable enough for lots of traveling and school. It was $300 leaf bux and I'm hoping to get my moneys worth.

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Does anybody know what specific model of fingerprint scanner the T420s has?

personal experience only, but my w520 has been a really excellent dev machine. still happy I chose it over getting another macbook. keyboard feels good, it's fast, big screen, and the battery lasts for a good while.

I've had it for a year, no issues once I got it reliably booting into ubuntu. Keyboard + battery + SSD was about 150$, maybe 200$. Total cost was about 600$. Lots cheaper than another macbook, plus I legitimately like the laptop. It feels cozy.

You paid way too much.

>he bought a T510

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Any suggestions?

The most modern thinkpad with 4:3 display is the X61

If I got a W500, would it be worth getting the 30 > 20 for the slight performance boost in benchmarks? I know it isn't going to be a gaming monster or anything, but I'd like to play some basic stuff occasionally like Binding of Isaac, but otherwise basic home use & university stuff.
Would be in use off charge for about ~7 hours lightly, probably less than that since that's how many hours I'd be at uni each day. Typically there are sockets in the class, so battery isn't a huge concern.
I'd be doing some light VM work on them, so that's why I was wanting a W > T series.
Are these laptops usually loud?

>Will I need the absolute maximum possible performance to play binding of isaac
what do you think

The W series is actually pretty heavy though, I tried using one as a work laptop for a while and it's not something I'd recommend.
Noise isn't noticeable unless you're doing something really intensive.

Thank you for reccomending thinkpads. I'm in a psych ward because I'm craaaaaaazy and this dual battery means I'm set for a while. Wish I had the slice though.

I'm looking for any advice about using Qubes OS on a T60. Thanks!

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I bought both recently. I kept the W520, took it apart to clean it and replace the thermal paste. It's very quiet, and never goes above 75°C running P95.

I passed the W530 to a friend, but didn't do any cleaning, and it was rather noisier, at idle the cpu wouldn't go under 50°C, and the fan would ramp up quite often.

If you're aiming for 7hrs of untethered use, you'll need a 9C battery, and that'll make for a heavy laptop overall.

Would I be stupid to buy an x131e as a portable Web browsing and music listening machine?
I know the performance is probably really bad but wouldn't a cpu that anemic give much more battery life than an x230 or something?

NEW X230 WHAT DISTRO DO I RUN

win 10 icelandic version, and use cortana

install it and use it, what's hard with that?

jesus christ this image featured a thinkpad?

t500
yay or nay?

helloo frens

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>T510
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
>$300 leaf bux
Cringe.

I'm having a real tough time with the lack of driver support for Nvidia Optimus in Linux. Should I just cave and buy an x220/x230 and get it over with?

repaste

I have 2 displays connected to T400. One is using VGA and the other DVI. I cannot use them both and the thinkpad screen at once (xrandr: cannot find crtc for output). When I use only the external screens they show flickering visual artifacts. Is my docking station/dGPU broken or is this normal?

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at the moment I have a HP Elitebook Folio 9470m, but my IT guy says I can trade it out for a HP 8470P if I want. Should I do it?

Sounds like a linux issue. I'd try on windows and see if the problem persists.

How's the 1080p anime playback for a T430? Seems like I won't be able to make a PC this year so I'll have to make do with a second hand T430. I'll mostly use it surf Jow Forums and watch Anime maybe play some VN/emulators.

>charging port is wobbly
FUCK

How bad is it doc? I have a soldering iron and a screwdriver

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I have no problem playing 1080p w/ VLC.

My thinkpad x201 tablet is giving me troubles. The trackpad keeps randomly jumping the cursor around when I initially touch it.

what's the point of buying old shitpads in 2018?
Why not cheap consumer tier dell? You're all going to replace your laptops withing 1-2 years anyway, so don't start with the muh reliability argument.

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> You're all going to replace your laptops withing 1-2 years anyway
Precisely not

Using a W541 now with windows10. The fan controller was beyond retarded before upgrading the the latest build. Its been a great machine for CAD and 3d work, even with the 9cell it fits in my laptop bag or backpack. For portability I have my phone...
Any complaint about a laptops weight can be easily solved by lifting some weights. Modern man is soft.

>You're all going to replace your laptops withing 1-2 years anyway
I've had my current laptop for 8 years

I'm mostly thinking of MPV/MadVR playback though since those are more CPU intensive. Are you using the i5-3320M version or have you upgraded to i7-3720QM? Also can you run Dolphin/PCSX2 on it satisfactorily?

sandy bridge/ivy starts to die after 6 years of service, you know that right?
Lelnovo muh reliability is a meme. Old x61 models were built to last long, but not the modern trash.

>mpv/madvr
Depending on settings and filters used you could put down even 1080 ti to its knees, so it really depends on what are your expectations. Assuming "normal" playback, 2nd/3rd gen cpus will have no issues with 1080p files.

Can someone recommend a 14" laptop with at least 1920x1080 and scissor switch keys (or something other than the chiclet / modern flat stuff?

I have an i5-3360M and haven't tried running dolphin but it should be able to handle it. The HD4000 iGPU is decent.

Which model?. In most ThinkPads its a plug and play replacement.

in old ones (1st gen CORE and up) these are easily replaceable too.

I'm not sure I have an x230 with a 3210M for work and that one chugs on Neptune. Also most of the one's I saw have i5-3230M on them so I'm not sure how that affects playing games.

Well maybe the default settings would work. At least I know that I can playback 1080p 10bit movies

X230

Worth noting that everything still works perfectly. I want to be proactive to avoid being stuck with an unchangeable laptop, but is there any risk of housefire (or damage to other components) if I delay? Or is it just elegantly going to stop accepting power one day

what do you mean by "wobbly"?
Maybe it's the case that broke? After all it keep this connector in place.

Quite possible. Basically the yellow port wiggles around relative to the case, and for instance after plugging the cable in you can wobble it about a good bit.

It's been a while since I opened up the case and I didn't look at how it's actually held in place.

you can just glue it permanently to the case.

But should I? Is it gonna get worse?

I'm lazy and it still works. If that's how it's gonna stay then I'm completely fine. My main worry is that it could damage something else, and/or become serious

If the connector from outside is made of metal it can short something nearby when it's moving around. You should at least open it up and make sure.

What kind of ThinkPad would she use?

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prolly an x1carbon
old models too thicc

Personally, I wouldn't procrastinate on a failing DC jack which is, odds on, your issue. The potential for causing additional grief (os issues, h/w problems) is high, but risk of catastrophe on the level of house fire is probably not so.
>Is it gonna get worse?
If your situation involves failed solder joints, why yes. As that user said, it behooves you to take it apart and get verification sooner rather than later.
>something something proactive something
git gud nao user

do I need to know how to solder if I want to libreboot an X200? Or is that only if you don't use that clip thing?