/tpg/ - ThinkPad General

Previous thread: 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 (check lcd), X60(s/t); X200(s/t. -s requires soldering), T400(s)/500; W500.

Modern models:
>X220/X230 - 12", 768p, cheap and light
>T420/T430 - 14", 900p, socketed CPU, quadcore-compatible
>T520/T530, W520/W530 - 15", 1080p, quadcore; USB 3.0, 32GB RAM in W-series
>T440s/T450s - best price/performance ultraportable
>T440p/T540p/W540/1 - last models with socketed processors

Upgraded models:
>X210 - X200/X201, i5 8250U quadcore
>X62 - X61, i5 5250U
>T70 - T60, i7 7700HQ
High-res IPS displays, USB 3.0, M.2 x4, mini-DP
forum.51nb.com/forum.php?mod=forumdisplay&fid=117


Why ThinkPad?
>Used machines are plentiful and cheap
>Excellent keyboards - tactile feel and quiet
>Great durability: magnesium rollcage for structural integrity, high quality plastic body panels
>Utilitarian design: 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 TrackPoint™, great for those who type a lot or hate niggers swiping their fingers all over a touchpad
>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support

Helpful links:
>Buyers guide:
dankpads.com/tpg/
>thinkpad-tech-tree.txt - a plaintext map of ThinkPad history:
github.com/Monkeyfume/thinkpad-tech-tree/blob/master/thinkpad-tech-tree.txt
>ThinkWiki - info on ThinkPads & running GNU/Linux on them:
thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki
>BIOS logo booru:
biosimage.booru.org

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lol

I'd like to install an 802.11ac WLAN card in my X200. This card isn't in the whitelist. Do I need to flash Libreboot to remove the whitelist, or is there a better way?

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is

What's the cheapest chinkpad I can watch high bitrate 1080p hevc without stutter.
Also, is there a list for what thinkpads have or not have the whitelist?
I don't want to buy any computer that artificially restricts my hardware choices.

Is my mobo dead according to webm? When I tool the ram from slots it beeped a code for missing ram. Also tried to boot it whit another working ram and it didn't work. Do I need to replace mbo or is there a hope?

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Based and redpilled

>420

Pls halp I just want to know do I need to spend on new mobo?

Well I just picked up an A485 off of ebay for $515 including shipping. It has the Ryzen 5 2500u, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It was new, open box -- the guy got it for Christmas from a family member but he had already bought a T480s and didn't need it. He opened it up to record the serial number off of it so he could post the correct specs on the ebay listing and to check it for functionality, battery test shows zero cycles on the batteries.

I'll be using it for business purposes (running some scoping / drafting software for insurance companies along with the general email and office stuff) and will probably upgrade the ram to 32GB and put at least a 500GB SSD in it. What is Jow Forums's preferred RAM manufacturer these days? Also, is there anything else that I need to swap out / upgrade on this laptop? I think I remember reading something about swapping out the wireless chip that comes with the laptop to an Intel wireless chip but maybe that was the e485 instead...

Well, if you're sure that your battery / AC power supply is good then yeah, I'd say you have a bad MOBO.

Luckily you can get another one on ebay for like $20, maybe even find one that has a better CPU than the one you have now.

libreboot or gtfo

Do you already have the card in question or could you just buy a different one that is on the whitelist instead?

what's a good HD backup software? need to upgrade my HD to an ssd but I don't want to go through the trouble of using a shity free one only to find out it doesn't work

>new thermal paste
>37C idle
>60C max
feels good to be a gangsta

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Hey Jow Forumsoys
I'm getting an X200t for drawing. What distro has best support for the feature.
Thx in advance

>Luckily you can get another one on ebay for like $20, maybe even find one that has a better CPU than the one you have now.
It's T420, why should someone sell mobo with CPU already in socket for this price?

For RAM, don't bother with anything above 2400MHz, for it will run only at 2400MHz max due to AMD limitations. Aim for tighter latency timings however.

Since it's the 256GB SSD version, I presume the main drive is NVMe. Therefore, you do not have the cable to connect SATA devices to the laptop. Your 500GB SSD must be an NVMe one. The slot(and also the WWAN one) runs at X2 speed so no point getting the fastest either. Similarly, if the laptop came with a SATA drive, then you cannot insert a NVMe SSD in there unless you sacrifice the WWAN port.

For the WiFi card, plonk a 9260 in there. The Realtek 2x2 is better than the 1x1 in the E485, but still sucks as compared to an Intel NIC.

>be me
>just got a T440 with an i7 just to put Arch on
>after arch install not going to have a DE just i3gaps as a WM
>basedandredpilled.mpeg

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot that the T420 had a socketed MOBO.

Thank you for the advice. I'll just wait for the laptop to come in and then open it up and see what I can put in there I guess.

Not him but I'm seeing T420 motherboards w/o cpu for 10-20 bucks,
>2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2520M
for 20 bucks itself
that user isn't that far off, I only looked at ~10 results for each and I only searched the one cpu, idk shit about T series

Bios might be bricked

that'll be a unique machine
>systemd
>cringeandbluepilled.wav

>buy a t430 with a few scratches because it was the only one in my area
>cheaper listing for a t420 in mint condition pops up the next day
FUCKFUCKFUCK

user are you running void?

I already have the card in question, it's an Azurewave AW-CE123H. I also don't think there would be any 802.11ac card on the X200's whitelist since it came out in 2008 and AC WiFi came out in 2013.

Probably ubuntu

yes

I also think so. Is there any way to unbricked it?

Thinkpads are like Chuck Taylor's, a few scratches give it character.

So, T500 only supports ram speeds up to 1066MHz?

>present day
>present time
>still not using Copland OS Enterprise

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imagine

Hey congrats, bud. :) I got a T430 as well right after Christmas. It was $90 without a hard drive and with shipping it came to $114. I threw in a spare SSD, installed Linux, and now I'm waiting on a classic keyboard to arrive. In a paycheck or two I'll probably throw a 2 set of ddr3 8gb ram. It's nice because as far as I can tell there's no wear on the laptop at all, and it already vastly out performs my old HP laptop, so I feel like I got a great deal on it.

How do you like the keyboard? I've only been using it for about a month and I'm already sick of the island style.

>Don't buy anything OTHER THAN IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad T, X, and W/P Series
this line was was brought to you by Intel's marketing department

Well, the AMD models are just T models with AMD instead of Intel.

would a x220t be a good choice to work out math problems as a "scratch paper"

Nah, the E series are lower build quality than the A/T/X series laptops.

Yes the general that dumps on newer thinkpads and buys everything used is sponsored by Incel

>It's nice because as far as I can tell there's no wear on the laptop at all
Lucky.

>How do you like the keyboard?
It's not bad... for a chiclet. I'm more concerned with the shitty layout, so I'm going to get a classic keyboard eventually. They're so expensive around here that it might be more cost efficient to just get a whole T420.

Hi guys, I've been looking at T430s lately, and have been considering buying one and upgrading the cpu to a quad-core. Is there a list with the compatible cpus?

>T430s
Did you mistype? T430s have soldered CPUs.

Wrote it in plural, meant the T430.

Is the T430's screen that bad? Thinkwiki mentions it is. I'll only be using the T430 for learning Linux and learning web dev so a great screen isn't really necessary.

Used W541 arriving in the mail today. What programs can I use to verify all the hardware components are OK? I know about speccy

make sure they're turned on in the bios first

Just got a x230 with 8gb ram and a 240gb SSD. Only problem is the battery, where would be the best place to buy a 9 cell? I'm in the Netherlands so I can use amazon.de and ebay.

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Ebay, there is a british seller selling genuine 9 cell batteries for like ~50 eur

Windows 10

>genuine 9 cell batteries for like ~50 eur
Where is the catch

does disabling hardware like the FP reader or mic in BIOS make your battery last longer?

I think components like those are only powered when in use so disabling them in BIOS wouldn't make much difference battery-wise. Reducing your screen brightness 1 tick would make a lot more difference.

>mfw I bought a 9-cell a couple of years back for 100€ because I "needed" it quick for a trip and haven't used it at all other than making sure it has a proper storing charge

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It's the worst screen I've seen on a laptop.

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>he doesn't carry around a fat fucking stack of batteries like stallman
DYEL

I don't carry it around at all, only use it plugged in at work to shitpost on.. Well I did, now I only use my T420 for that.. Whenever I travel I drink way too much to be able to use a laptop when I get back to the hotel anyway. Local beer > autism.

As far as I can tell no catch. Been using it for about a week and it works just fine

I hate when people shit on TN panels for just this issue. They have other faults that are far more relevant.
>the screen sucks because it's not great for the extremely acute/obtuse angled 3/4ths view that I adopt for typical computing :^)
Saying the colors suck shit or it's not bright enough for you or something is far better criticism than mentioning viewing angle when you're going to have it in the central position all the time anyway.

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You mean the one with 116 sold already?

Yeah

It's an important matter for laptop screens because you're much closer to the screen than you would be with a regular monitor.
>pic
That's comparing relatively modern TN against IPS. If you've ever seen the aboslute trash that is T4xx TN panels irl, you'd scream. You can basically see the screen desaturate towards the edges even when you're viewing it from a dead-on perpendicular angle.

>That's comparing relatively modern TN against IPS. If you've ever seen the aboslute trash that is T4xx TN panels irl, you'd scream.
lmfao what do you think the 2nd pic is?

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Thanks bruh

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Ordered a T450s for $200. It's in "Grade A" condition. comes with 8gb of RAM and a 320gb HDD and a 800px screen.

Really excited for it desu. Anyone with a T450s replace the screen yet?

No problem, enjoy your X230. Comfiest thinkpad IMO

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Mein negro

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no catch but it's pretty expensive desu

>tfw upgrading my x230 to t450s for office work but already miss my x230
this boss got me a job in the first place. I'll use it as my traveling laptop at least

I have a T60p that I want to repurpose. I have an SSD to put in.
I'd like for it to be usable for a 12-year-old. Anybody have suggestions?
>gentoo is acceptable answer if it includes wm suggestion

>Other business laptops are welcome in /tpg/ (Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook)
got a Latitude 5591 for my new job, and let me tell you, this thing isn't comparable at all even to my shitty thinkpad e450 (from my previous job, don't ask).
- typing on the keyboard feels rubbery and feedback on the keys is like nonexistent
- touch pad has a terrible surface and bad reaction time after typing
- track point is actually somewhat ok, still worse than the red clit mouse
- the mouse buttons for the track point only register clicks if you force them down on the outside edge, and are too small
- no scroll wheel emulation with the middle mouse button
- fan is very loud and turns on quickly (but we run several electron desktop apps, so it's probably our fault)
2/10 wouldn't business with

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max out RAM and run something light, simple, and fairly well supported like Xubuntu.

I mixed up Xubuntu and Kubuntu once, now my PC is running super slow. Will probably go with linux mint next time desu

Xubuntu or Win10 LTSC.

I haven't used KDE in probably 8 years or more, last I'd heard it had gotten considerably more optimized and lightweight in recent years though.

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I scrounged up 2 2gb DDR2 sticks, but apparently the T60p chipset (945GM) can only see 3gb.

I'm fine with either Xubuntu or Win10, but I'm not paying for Win10. I'll try installing it and will see if it fails out without a product key. All the alternative ways of authenticating Win10 give me the heebies. Any Jow Forums recommended solutions?

Flash externally.

>but I'm not paying for Win10
Nobody should pay for windows aside from enterprises and i said LTSC, you can't even buy LTSC as a consumer anyway iirc

Eh, I bought a couple of keys from some seller on ebay for my gaymen desktop and my work / travel chinkpad, they were like $5 a piece and both of them still work over a year later.

Also, I run Arch with LXQt on my 1st gen X1 Carbon laptop that only has ~3.6GB of RAM on it (4GB installed total but the iGPU has a little under 400MB allocated to it so the OS can only use what's left over). It works fine for browsing the web, streaming and downloading videos, basic office stuff, etc. Xfce is about as lightweight as LXQt I think so it should work fine with only 3GB of RAM too.

uwu

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owo

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I am deciding between buying old ass t440s with i7-4th gen. or going for a new t480 with i5-8th gen, mostly the same specs. So far I am doing web dev and next year I am going to the uni study Informatics (at least I hope). Is it worth to buy a new model, which's only upgrade is thunderbolt plus new processor, or should I save 600 bucks and go with t440s?
P.S.: I was also looking for last year's Dell's Latitude, but I have heard it tends to go noisy and under some performance it heats up.

Save the cash.

thanks

would a x220t be a good choice to work out math problems as a "scratch paper"

Thanks for your help Jow Forumsuise.

get a cheap i5 t440s, don't fall for the jew i7 markup since both are weak dual core ULV shits and the difference between them is marginal

I haven't used the tablet models myself but just going off the size of my own x series, wouldn't you prefer a "normal" smaller/lighter tablet for that? I had a note 10.1 during uni and always ended up using pencil and paper for math and physics anyway.

i guess but 16:9 tablets are shit if you want to use a pen so i wouldn't bother

Flanally realized my G40 was too hot than it should be and went in to replace the more than a decade old thermal paste. I believe this connector is what powers the backlight. I tried to remove it as gently as humanly possible but it fuckin snapped out. I just soldered it back in place and BURGLE AVERTED (but for how long?). Anyone else have problems with older ThinkPads being brittle? My T23 fucking yeeted everywhere after I dropped it from about 5 feet and it had to be scrapped.

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>dropping your systems
>yanking out their connectors

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>yanking
Nigga I said "gently"

And shit happens

i fucking hate the eu.
i had to pay 450 euroshekels for a grade a (but it really is fucking mint condition) 450s, 1080p, 8gb, 256gb ssd.
very comfy, cant advise you on the replacement tho

It does not happen to me, and my first portable system was a fucking luggable running CPM.
Take care of your shit better.

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dont buy old models they have shit battery, you want something that can last through a few lectures

>old models have shit battery
why is this guy here every fuckin day with this nonsense

That's sick af but fuck you doodoo butthole ass niggy I had a muscle spasm
Other than that instance I've never dropped anything valuable except these testicles aHA you have been had

Stop having muscle spasms.
Fucking genetic delinquents, I swear to fuck.

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