old thread died >>51534157
Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).
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 SERIES if you want the Real ThinkPad Experience™
Recommended models:
T420 - 14", normal size
X220 - 12.5", lightweight
----
Retro ThinkPad news:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=118165&sid=0af77786671abcead5c41ec45847322a&start=630#p770582
----
Why ThinkPad? (also applies to other business laptops)
>They’re really cheap when you buy a used one.
>Keyboards feel excellent while typing (yes, even the newer ones).
>Great durability thanks to the inclusion of rollcages and use of glass fiber reinforced plastic for the chassis. The keyboard is splash proof and spilled liquids will drain out.
>Utilitarian design - e.g. indicator LEDs, 7 row keyboard layout on older models.
>Docking solutions that easily turns your laptop into a desktop.
>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for almost every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
>The best trackpoint (that red thing on 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.
----
Used ThinkPad Buyers Guide:
http://ktgee.net/tpg
EPP discount for new ThinkPads (USA only, usually 15%+ off):
http://pastebin.com/TdZByAXS
ThinkWiki - Info on ThinkPads and running GNU/Linux on them:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki
ThinkPad service guides w/ tutorial videos:
https://www.lenovoservicetraining.com/
I found a really cheap t450s with 256 ssd 1080p and i5 5200u, 8gb ram, i have a question, can i replace the keyboard, prosessor, and touchpad?
>13.3 inches 16:10
Does that mean a retro x201 is dead?
Why are ThinkPads so expensive?
Tell me the cheapest ThinkPad I can buy that is not shit.
>>51574476
They aren't expensive at all. You don't buy them new.
How difficult is it to bypass a bios lock? Do I just need to buy a new bios chip and resolder?
>>51574508
Easy as fuck for most models, just shorting 2 pins during boot.
>>51574527
Really? How about a x220t?
Also how easy is it to fuck up?
>>51574561
X series are easiest you don't even have to remove the mobo. Impossible to fuck up, you can just fail a few times until its successful.
Fimd the eeprom then follow this guide:
http://kinggeek.co.uk/tech-notes/item/46-clearing-the-supervisor-password-on-a-lenovo-thinkpad-r61i-at-your-own-risk
>>51574476
get a t420 used on ebay. 8gb i5 for $150
Hey /tpg/. Quick question. I recently acquired a Thinkpad mini-dock for my R60. It boots up and charges my computer when connected, but that's about all it does. I tried testing the usb 2.0 ports, but they didn't want to work. Am I missing something, or is my mini-dock dead?
>>51575662
What do that thing? Aside of adding more ports and that stuffs
>>51575749
Pretty much just adds a shit ton of ports. 4 more usb ports, another VGA port, DVI port, serial port, parallel port, headphones and mic port, and modem and Ethernet port, as well as a ps2 port. Other than that, it just looks pretty with that IBM logo on it.
I have an HP Elitebook 8560p I bought form a friend. While on the HP website I found out it's about 4 years old.
It stopped booting, and after some tinkering my friend reset the CMOS by pulling the battery and got it to come back on. A few minutes later it stopped booting again. Friend says the CMOS battery has gone out. How can I replace it/find a new one? I checked Google and the HP site but they haven't brought me anything useful. (I'm not trying to get rid of a BIOS pass or anything shady like that)
Newfag here, I read the buyer's guide, in the beginning it says to format the Thinkpad, does this mean to factory reset it?
anyone have a t420s?
>Battery life?
>Size
>How does it compare to other models?
>other thoughts?
>buys a think pad
>normie parents be like
"lol wow anon why are you wasting money on such an old dinosaur?"
>they buy ishit
"see anon this is a great laptop"
>"dont tell me what to do with my money pls"
how do i make the hazing stop?
>>51577248
call them retarded
>>51574476
Buy them refurbished and you can get an i5 for cheap cheap cheap desu.
thinkpads are shit desu baka senpai
>>51577322
i upgraded the ram and put an ssd and its pretty much in par with the imac just waiting to find a stronger cpu since all they do with it is watch netflix and youtube, i keep telling them, "you spent over 1k to watch youtube videos and you tell me I'M wasting money?"
>>51577325
>>51577365
I forgot about word-filters. Darn 4chin.
>>51577365
>>51577325
>>51577248
i have a t420 with an i5 2520M what cpu can i use to upgrade it?
People who say you can't play games on Thinkpads are joking themselves. I don't play a lot of games, but my cousin does, and he was down for thanksgiving, so he downloaded some games on a spare laptop I had, a X230. Just Cause 2 plays fine at 45fps, and the laptop stays cool as fuck.
I just bought a Y700, highest spec 15.6" model for $850. It gets here next week. It weighs 5 lbs.
I probably fucked up
>>51577606
>I probably fucked up
yep. Enjoy your $850 brick.
>>51577606
>Y700
>gaming notebook
ugh, god you people...i hope it bust into flames to teach you to stop buying gaymer laptops.
>>51577606
if you want to play old games and emulators ps2 and such, you are ok, if you want to play newer games post ps360 you gonna be really hot
Ordered my first ThinkPad today /g/. An x201 to be precise, paid $100 on ebay but shipping brings the total to $170. Did I do well? Also will it run 2 hu?
>>51578348
Jeezus, where do you live where shipping costs that much?! $100 is a good price for an X201 though, nice job on that. No clue what 2 hu is.
>>51578348
international shiping? why would you buy one today? its going to be a long wait.
2hu the old ones sure, dont know about the new ones
>>51578387
The Netherlands, $45 shipping and $25 import charges. Still considerably cheaper than buying one second hand here, even with shipping.
It's going to arrive between Dec 11 and Dec 22, so it's not that bad.
>>51578408
I mostly play pcb/in/eosd anyways so that's fine.
>>51577676
I've had a T420 for years now, and I travel somewhat often for work. Depending on how long a trial lasts, I can be in a hotel room for weeks, and the shitty screen, inability to smoothly stream full HD stuff, and no graphics card becomes tiring.
Having a better computer may just cause me to sit in my hotel room instead of going out wherever I am, but sometimes where I am sucks.
Also I sometimes need to edit Avid files to present in the trial. Generally I call the home office and have them do it, and upload it for me but perhaps I will be able to do it on site.
But I won't hold my breath for it to actually work.
>>51578742
did you ever upgrade it? haha
>>51578742
not him but the only real problem about the gaming laptops is the battery life
i live outside US and i can buy a T420 for 250usd or an T450s for 480, what do you all think?
>>51578817
also i see an x220 for 250 with a lenovo bag
>>51577523
When people say you can't play games on a thinkpad, they're not referring to its ability to RUN a game.
They're talking about the fact that Thinkpad screens, in terms of resolution, color reproduction and clarity, aren't nearly good enough to game adequately.
They're talking about the fact that even GIVEN the usual resolution of most Thinkpads, 45 fps is fucking laughable. I expect 60 FPS.
I love thinkpads, i think they're great for work and travel, but gaming? Don't kid yourself.
>>51578817
Where the fuck are you seeing a T450s for $480?! hop on that deal if it is in good condition.
>>51578771
All I ever did was add an SSD, and replace the battery. >>51578772
Yeah, looked up a review and, while playing a demanding game, the battery lasted 2.5 hours, which is pretty awful. It will more than double if I'm not stressing it.
If I don't like it, I have three weeks to return it. Would perhaps a W series with a few options be more appropiate? I don't really mind the cost.
>>51578927
is it much better deal then t420 or x220? it seems to be in good condition, but the seller hasnt anwsered any question, so i dont know
>>51579021
if you don plan to strees the battery and you only going to heavy work on an apartment i think you could be ok with the gaming laptop, those have better spects then W series and are roughly the same weight anyway.
>>51579034
Yeah, that is a great deal. what are the specs? They sell new for $900+ for the base config.
>>51579094
it might be stolen or a fraud, there are some people trying to do that shit over here, it has i5 5200u 8gb ram 256gb ssd and 1080p i dont know if any of this is true since he claims that it is 15.6 inches
>>51579135
If it is legit, go for it. The T450s is 14.1" though, so that is a red flag.
>>51579070
I'm hoping that it will be able to run Avid. It has 16gb RAM, 6th gen i7 and a 980m with 4gb VRAM. Which may be enough for basic editing of smaller projects. If it cant run Avid, I may return it and buy a W series.
>>51579218
I know, but if it cant then the W series will have better build quality battery life etc.
So if it cant run Avid, I value the advantages of the W series over being able to play video games at max settings.
>>51579266
you´re right, but seriously i don´t think there is something you can not throw at those specs
this is kind of a stupid question but I have a E500 and I lost the charger, is the 0B47459 the right replacement?
thanks /g/uys
Why does costco only sell 2 ideapads. This is fucking bullshit.
>>51579505
Check microcenter
>>51579537
I only thought costco because I'm a member and they usually have decent deals.
Got an SL400 laying around, what do?
What distro do I put on a spare r51? Don't wanna use XP. Has a Pentium M 1,7 Gigglehertz and 512MB RAM.
TFW you bought a thinkpad because of EDC threads
>>51580096
>sl
bin it
>>51580187
openbsd :^)
>>51580608
EDC is cancer, but ThinkPads are great.
Charging/sleep indicator on top of X220 isn't working, any ideas on how to solve?
>>51581304
Does not light up at all, or it is just not displaying the correct information?
The data cables for those are know not break.
>>51581406
Doesn't light up at all
>>51577248
badass dude
>>51578348
Not aware of how jewished you got on shipping because US, but that's a good price for sure
Not limiting myself just to a ThinkPad, what is the best sandy/invy era laptop I can stick an i7 QM part in, has a backlit keyboard and can support a 1080p screen?
I'm looking at the Dell Latitude E6320 (minus the 1080p screen bit), some kind of HP Elitebook or a ThinkPad T430.
>>51581826
T or W530 would be a better bet. The T420 and T430 might be able to use a quadcore, but the cooling really wasn't designed for it. They also don't have 1080p screens while the 15" models do.
>>51578847
>>51577523
>Not using eGPU
As long as it has the right port and a good CPU, any laptop can become a gaming machine.
>>51582935
I was thinking the same thing.
Although I can live without 1080p, I need a quad core.
I'm looking at the Elitebook 8460p, and putting a 2720QM in it.
>>51573720
I just purchase 4 Latitude E6410s and 1 E6510 for $300 in like-new condition. These machines are great, the keyboard is not nearly as good, but I actually prefer the tracknipple on the Dells over the ones on the newer ThinkPads. The trackpad and battery and battery are meh, but the screens and price are much better than that of the ThinkPads. 8/8 would recommend.
>>51584495
Just realized my pants are ripped, and they have been that way all day. Oops.
>>51583564
whats your egpu setup
Just got my t550 what flavor Linux should I put on it? I was thinking arch or Debian.
I'm trying to use the trackpoint as an N64 analog stick in mupen64plus. I got it to work by setting mouse control to "true" in the ini, but it has an annoying tendency to get stuck in the corners. It is very difficult to balance the stick straight up, so mario ends up running serpentines when I'm trying to run straight.
Does anyone have advice on how I can turn this square mapping into more of a circular one? I'm running Lubuntu 14.04 on a T60, if that matters.
Debian is solid as ever, if you don't need super up-to-date packages, but you need a stable base of operations choose that. If you want fresh, fast moving packages, a minimal system, and a large user repository, choose arch. If you are new to GNU/Linux choose Xubuntu, if you want to be a real hero, choose slack.
>>51585974
>>51585182
oops slippery fingers
>>51573720
is thinkpad the way to go for a laptop with the best keyboard? I'm 110% autistic regarding keyboards so if the keyboard sucks shit then I won't use it.
I need a laptop with a keyboard that I'll actually use because I'm getting tired of lugging around a TKL mx red keyboard
>>51586050
It has a pretty good keyboard yeah for an X20 series and under
>>51583564
plz respond I am also interested in this>>51584763
>>51586050
Yes. Get an old one, as old as you can tolerate and get for a good price. My T60 keyboard feels absolutely amazing to type on. My X220 is okay too, but it has halved travel time on the top row and feels less solid due to the lack of the steel backplate that the T60 has. The newer generations apparently still feel good, but lelnovo fucked up the layout and changed to chiclet keys because they want the macbook audience.
The one negative thing I'll say about Thinkpad keyboards is the n-key rollover. It's very easy to trip and makes an obnoxiously loud sound whenever you do. Use headphones at your own risk.
>>51573720
Planning in getting an X201 tablet laptop (since I do not currently own a laptop) because I've had several inconvenient incidents where a laptop would have been handy.
I really only need it for basic office shit and internet browing, but it also seems like a fun way to get into digital art at its price.
Is this a bad decision?
>>51586338
i've got an x201, only complaint is it likes to get close to overheating when I watch streams
>>51586423
How do you watch streams? mpv + youtube-dl + OpenWith (firefox addon) is really the only things you need to stream without using Javashit
>>51577509
i7 2760qm
and I think with a bios mod you can install a 3rd gen i7 so then it would be a 3840qm
>>51586673
I use livestreamer + mpv
>>51577606
nigga the 15" rMBP is 4.5 pounds, I think you can handle 5 pounds
>>51586338
Not bad. I don't know if the 201 has the same digitizer calibration as the 220 (it's a bit inaccurate around the edges) but for the price you pay it's pretty sweet and being able to draw on the screen is definitely cool. I set up a cheapo cintiq-like thing with a USB keyboard and a shoebox.
>>51586695
I've never used livestreamer, I'm pretty sure you don't need it w/ mpv anymore to watch streams.
T420 users: how hard is to walk around with a T420 on backpack in daily basis?
>>51586864
Not hard, it's about notebook-sized and about as heavy as a small textbook.
>>51586883
>about as heavy as a small textbook
Can confirm, it's carryable, but you'll definitely feel the weight (as if you're carrying a math book)
>>51586864
Is your spine made of sugarglass? No
If yes, consider a macbook and HRT
>>51586883
>>51586925
Ty for the replies.
I'm going to buy one this week.
How good is the 11E-G2 11.6"?
It has an AMD A4-6210 Quad-Core, 120GB Solid State Drive, 4GB DDR3, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, Win10Pro
How does it compare to a x220 in light gaming performance and battery life? It's on sale for $200 and I'm quite partial to its design.
http://slickdeals.net/f/8324859-lenovo-thinkpad-11e-g2-11-6-ultraportable-business-notebook-199-99-5-s-h-woot
Yay or nay? If you don't care about thinkpad features like nice keyboard and the red nipple thing, how does this compare to a second hand X220?
This looks sleeker, comes with an SSD already and won't have to deal with the gamble of buying second hand (and those gross-ass shiny keys I hate so much)
Help?
>>51577248
shoot up your school, most parents stop bothering you then
>>51589007
worse in every regard, including the keyboard
>>51573720
Ive just got my 'new' X61.
can i upgrade ram? it has 4gb right now, but rumor has it that 8gb can work.
>>51589750
Yeah, if you can get two 4GB DDR2 sticks without breaking the bank. Good luck.
>>51588766
>>51589007
It's garbage m8. Just get an X220 and replace the keyboard if you're that autistic about it.
How does the NVS 4200m in the T420 compare to Intel HD 4000? I don't currently have a functional Ivy Bridge laptop to compare to, but the 3100m in my T510 has already proven to me that benchmarks aren't exactly trustworthy as it ran circles around the supposedly superior HD 3000 in my X220 at higher resolutions and settings. I know HD 4000 was a big step up though, so has anyone ever compared the two side by side?
Thinking of getting a T420 and wondering if it's worth trying to find a dGPU model or if I should just go without it and drop in my currently homeless 3230m once the BIOS mod is a bit further along.
dell e5410 or e6510?
1440x900 vs 1920x1080
14.1" vs 15.6"
5h batt vs 3h batt
i5 520M vs i5 560M
iGPU vs NVS 3100M
Tinny vs medium speakers
Portable vs features
http://www.woot.com/offers/lenovo-thinkpad-11-6-quad-core-notebook-30
Should i get this? Been wanting a cheap notebook for some time, is now the time to pull the trigger?
What are the TRRS standards of the 3.5 audio jack on the thinkpads?
T440S a good choice?
>>51590324
I can run CSGO on my t420 with NVS 70-150FPS runs pretty good but gets kinda warm, 60-85C
i have a x61 with no battery and i want to upgrade bios to coreboot.
should i risk it?
Buying used is not an option and i can't spend more than 200 bucks.
Is the 11E-G2 new for 200 bucks a good option?
Besides the trackpad, why shouldn't i get it?
>>51592526
That laptop is shit.
Why is buying used not an option?
>>51592670
I don't live in the USA and buying used here is more expensive then a new one in USA.
Buying an used one off ebay isn't an option because i can't check if it is in good condition when it arrives because i can only pick it up in january or so.
Is there anything better, new, for 200 bucks?
I need laptop as my main computer. I'm uni student but I'd like to play some games on it too ;_:
Is buying used thinkpad t420 or t430 good idea or I should go for something new? My budget is low, like 500$ tops ;_;
Plus I'm from Poland so prices here are different then in USA
>>51592670
>>51592891
And besides that, i just want a cheap laptop to use for basic stuff. I was considering a 95 bucks chromebook but it went OOS.
I already have a PC powerful enough for any gaming or other heavy needs.
>>51590351
I just got a e6510, and I am loving it. It is a little hot, but otherwise it is really nice. The screen is really nice, and for the price it is really hard to beat.
>>51592949
http://allegro.pl/lenovo-t520-core-i7-1920x1080-8gb-128-ssd-i5671514348.html
masz kurwa niedojebie pierdolony
How do keyboards differ between T models?
>>51590869
Anyone?
I'm having difficulties finding a pair of headphones because of this.
>>51573720
i just bought an used x240 with win7 and ssd. how bad did i fuck up? do i have to install win8.1 as soon as i get it? or should i try linux/...? the problem is: i tried linux mate but i failed already when i wanted to install the most recent version of qgis
>>51593354
If it's e-series it's not a real thinkpad. Only t,x and w.
>>51594960
It's not a Thinkpad my friend :^)
When do you guys a battery should be replaced? When do you replace it? My 6-cell X220 battery is currently at 77% health and the time I get unplugged is alright.
>inb4 when you want to
>>51596633
A word.
Think.
>>51590324
I've heard it doesn't matter much, but since I've heard that repeated so many times, I'm actually going to go do an FPS comparison.
Trying to get x220, anything to look out for? is i7 model necessary? pretty much only want to use it for 4chan and coding my car. i7 model seems to have worse battery life, is the bump in speed worth the reduced battery life?
>>51596954
I've got the x220 with an i5-2540M and I think it's enough for those things. I use this for browsing and school stuff. The i7 versions have a USB3 port though if you need one for some reason.
>>51577509
bad idea, upgrading the CPU means upgrading the load, in other words the CPU will get hotter and the PC will shut down to prevent damage. if you go for it anyways try to find a good thermal paste and don't use the laptop for too long, can we >>51586683 know what the deference of performance between the two of these would be? i hardly see it being worth it.
What do you expect to be the recommanded Thinkpad model to purchase one year from now?
>>51597549
Perhaps the XX30 series? Was the XX10 popular last year?
>>51597549
T420 with BIOS mod+ ivy bridge CPU.
>>51597601
this meme only works for light users, i7s get way too hot t420s were not meant to use those extra cores.
>>51597601
>BIOS mod
What is that?
>>51597601
is there a bios mod for the x220t?
ivy bridge should give longer battery life, right?
where can I read about stuff like this?
Is this a good deal /g/? I have an old brojen Lenovo laptop that barely holds a charge, is it possible to just buy a barebones t420 and transfer my hardrive and ram?
X220 or x230 and why?
What's the difference in the keyboard in terms of usability and comfort?
Are th power and features of the X230 worth it over the X220?
>>51598346
$190 for 4GB / i5 isn't that good. Perhaps the 500GB drive bumps the value up just a bit but you can do better. I got an 8GB / i5 for $142 last week.
What's the current best distro for a T23 that originally shipped with XP?
The newest Debian releases don't natively support the integrated graphics anymore, so it's forced to a weak resolution.
>>51594960
God you are fucking retarded, it is a Dell Latitude, not a ThinkPad. It is definitely on par if not above the ThinkPad build quality, plus they come default with good screens, and have a good trackpoint+trackpont buttons. After a few days using them, I only have a few complaints.
1. They get hot. I have cleaned them out, and they still idle around 45c, and spew out a lot of heat.
2. The batter is really not all that great, I have gotten around 4 or 5 hours on an old batter with my E6410, which is good, but not great.
3. The audio card sucks shit.
Bought my X200 for $109 off ebay a year ago. Thanks to Black Friday, I was able to upgrade the RAM and put an SSD in it all for $80. Not a bad little laptop for $189.
>>51598840
>good trackpoint+trackpont buttons
Shame the one on my Precision sucks balls.
>>51598874
The trackpad is no good, but the trackpoint is nice and stiff, and the buttons are pleasing and have a nice give to them. In Windows, I had an issue with the trackpoint acceleration, but after a Debian install, it works great.
Hey family, what exactly is the Real ThinkPad Experience™?
>>51599215
Imagine sucking a dirty nigger cock, thats what it is like.
>>51599215
> good keyboard
> good build quality
> good Thinklight
> good blackness
> bad smells
>>51599248
I thought it was supposed to be a good thing?
>>51598566
Thank you. What about a x201 i5 M520 with 4GB and a 250hdd for $100? I'm just looking for laptop for day2day browsing with some casual pre2k gaming.
>>51599378
>http://ktgee.net/tpg
According to the guide, that could be a good deal.
>>51574391
Processor will need mobo swap
I think the keyboard will be part of the palmrest or at least sellers on eBay sell it as a whole kit
TouchPad should be replaceable.
>>51575662
The ports should work without problems, but I never used an R60 on it.
>>51576438
>google 8560p cmos battery
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/151083427746?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82
But thats kinda expensive, idk, HP a shit if it don't boot with a dead CMOS, I think there might be another issue.
>>51579070
Probably a dumbass selling it, bought it with school money and they like their mac/gaming PC
>>51598840
>>51596429
You have been tricked ;-)
Who is more upgradable: x220 or T420?
>>51579483
>edge
I've never seen one but is it a rectangle or round charger?
if its round, 65 or 90W will do.
They make square to round converters as well...
>>51580096
See how many times you opening and closing the lid before the hinges snap
Seriously the worst ThinkPad I've ever worked on, its complete garbage.
>>51580187
Mint, Zorin or CrunchBang
>>51581826
I know for a fact you can't get FHD displays on past 14" ThinkPads without modding.
Dunno about the E6320/30 but the E6430 has a slightly lighter frame and seemingly better speakers (dual speakers for each side) than the E6420.
>>51584495
Very nice deal, one thing I liked about Latitudes are that they could come with backlit keyboards.
Build quality on the E6410 are great, and look nice.
>>51585875
Given that the trackpoint will often move/become erractic if you rest your finger on it, I don't know if thats a good emulator for the N61 button.
>>51586050
I'd recommend the X201, last of the classic 7 row keyboards, though you'd might want to mod the Fn/Ctrl keys.
W701 is much powerful but extrememly hueg, it does have the 7 row but the keyboard feel on my W700 shows there is some lack of structural support... it was definately not cool
User of a X200t with Windows 7 here.
What driver shall I use to actually have my eraser act as eraser?
The configuration tool lets me set up two buttons on the pen, but the actual pen only has one button.
>>51599378
Again, looking at the guide, it sounds like a good deal.
Is the keyboard on a W520 good enough to make me miss on a T430 for the same price?
3rd generation processor vs 2nd generation shouldn't be too much of a difference except for energy saving but the T430 comes with a SSD.
>>51599954
t420 because the x series has soldered cpus
So I've joined the W520 meme and now I'm trying to find a way to get all my files off my Y510p. In the past I would have just used Windows Easy Transfer but this does not seem to work from Win 8.1 to Win 7. What is /g/'s preferred method for transferring files between computers? I want to preserve the datestamps.
>>51599990
You have a W700? Pics?
Desperately need help. The lid sensor on my X220 is buggered. It keeps turning the screen off as it thinks I am constantly closing and opening the laptop. I've turned off sleep and any settings to stop the laptop from doing anything when the lid is closed, yet it still continues
Using win 8.1 , laptop is unusable
Besides the ThinkLight, it's possible to add a backlight keyboard in a T420?
>>51586864
>no lift, limp wrist faggot reporting
It shouldn't be that bad, much better then lugging a 15" T60 for 3 walking miles in one day.
X61s felt like nothing however.
>>51588766
I barely was able to play league of legends on it, it had some Celeron processor, but I think it played slightly better than my X1 Carbon 3, that being said, my X61T played it better (and hotter), X300 lolingly died, T430 2.5GHz w/ integrated graphics played it flawlessly.
>>51590351
The difference would be plastic thicker body vs thinner metal one.
>>51590883
Given you can get an IPS FHD display and trackpad swap, yeah its worth getting.
>>51592526
>buying used not an option
>want a good laptop for under 200
...you should just buy a chromebook then
The users of /tpg/ are fine with buying used, repairing/modding or buying new at max price
>>51594296
T410/20 and T510/20 should have same keyboards, it just depends on the frame of the laptop, I havent tried any T/W510 or above so I don't know how the keyboard feel is (like if there is any keyboard flex)
T400/500 can be retrofitted with T6x/Z6x/R6x keyboards, T/W540 have numberpads unlike T440.
>>51598449
Please?
>>51600449
FTP. Install Filezilla Server on one and Filezilla on the other. Also make sure to setup proper ports and such on your router. Linus has a good YT video for setup. I would also recommend setting up asymmetric encryption with it.
>>51597705
I don't think you have to use a quadcore i7 with the BIOS mod. HD 4000 and faster RAM are nice longevity upgrades even if you just use a hyperthreaded dualcore.
The base of the right hinge on my x220 is loose and wobbles 2-3mm. Any repairs or fixes I can do?
>>51597601
Has any one on /g/ have one running yet?
>>51598282
I don't think there will be one, because it will require a mobo swap, and the thing that sucks is that X230 has port placement differences so motherboard swaps don't work I believe.
>>51598346
A bit on the pricey side but it looks legit at least.
>>51598449
I'd pick the X230, keyboard feel is great and I don't mind the layout but you'd need to use OEM batteries as they are chipped to reject third party.
>>51599215
Probably pressing the ThinkVantage button to open up IBMs software suite in XP era machines.
>>51599378
Very nice deal IMO.
>>51600099
I swear that it was working on my X61T running Win7 years back in Photoshop CS, but recently I wasn't able to get it work, hell I'll have to see if it works under Ubuntu Studio on the W700ds.
>>51600215
The CPU, GPU and screen options of the W520 makes it more desirable IMO.
>>51600470
I really don't have much photos of it, there's another dude who has a W70x who really uses it.
Here's my collection at the end of 2013, I fell for the meme thats is hoarding/addiction nao
>https://imgur.com/a/fgFgW#0
>>51601148
Just a new hinge unless the frame is damaged
Has anyone had issues with the audio on their W520? I've noticed my speakers are cutting in and out, but the external jack works fine. This sort of leads me to believe that it's a hardware fault somewhere.
>>51601195
Thank you for the answer.
The oem batteries will hurt my wallet though. Isn't it possible to open then and keep the chip while replacing the cells?
>>51576885
Install a fresh copy of your favorite OS
How to make sure every gimmick is working under Linux? Such as HDAPS (Hard Drive Active Protection System) that shuts down your HDD if sensor detects laptop is falling?
>>51601298
Sadly, no, recelling batteries of T6x and above are not easy, once the chip is removed it dies and presumes your cells are dead, so it won't work.
I bought an OEM refurb'd T60 battery for $30 shipped off of Newegg's ebay store.
was legit, you might be better off buying a used low cycle battery but yeah, shit sucks.
>>51601533
How does the chip die? Ir has a connection that is broken when you open the battery case?
/g/ T420 reporting in
I've tried Lenovo's audio drivers but still can't get my microphone to work on Windows 10 (yeah, yeah..)
I have to Skype from my phone which is really stupid after an hour-long session.
Does anyone else have this problem? What drivers fixed it for you?
>>51601585
Conexant, right? Disables the internal microphone when you plug in headphones? Fucking infuriating, took me forever to figure it out on Windows 7.
You have to go into SmartAudio in the control panel, go to the Audio Director page and change it to Multi-Stream. Then set the Internal Microphone to the default device and it should work. I don't know if this is how it's done for Windows 10 but I imagine not that much has changed.
It's time to upgrade the old t520. I hope a new keyboard with a working thinklight key, 8 gigs of ram and a terabyte drive are enough to keep it from feeling sluggish.
I'm torn between whether to get the tig or an msata ssd first. I have a serious space problem right now because of hipster music files that the average ssd isn't going to fix, but really want that placebo speed boost.
>>51601195
why would x220t's require a mobo swap, but not t420's?
>>51601726
Yeah, anon, fucking Conextant. Tried different versions (for Win 8/8.1, for T430, T440, etc.) and it still wouldn't work.
Thanks for the heads up, I'm digging my way through the Control panel weeds, hopefully I'll get it to work. Much appreciated!
>>51601821
X series has soldered CPUs, non-s T series doesn't. Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge processors use the same socket, so all you need is a BIOS mod to make it work.
>>51602041
oh, I see
that sucks
>>51589750
8gb (4GBx2) is going to cost you as much as the whole computer. If you aren't poor and legit need the RAM, go for it. Otherwise, if you're not actually bottlenecking on RAM, leave it with 4GB.
what does /g/ think of this: t450s for $641
i5-5200U
Win 10(gonna replace with debian)
1080p ips screen
4GB ddr3l, gonna buy another stick seperatly so i don't have to pay their price for it
500GB hdd, gonna replace it with my 256GB ssd i already have.
Gonna sell my y40-70 for hopefully 650-700 and break even
>>51601283
It's a design defect with the W520. Lelnovo, in their infinite wisdom, routed the speaker cable over top of the heatsink, and it's kinked in a few areas. Because they didn't provide any sort of heat shielding at all, the rubber surrounding the speaker cables will melt, causing them to short out.
I has this problem with my W520 after running a LONG stream of CAD applications last year, causing the computer to heat up. I took off the keyboard and the palmrest and located the speaker cables. You need to find where they are kinked and then put a TINY amount of electrical tape around them in order to insulate the sound wire.
It's a real shame because the rest of the laptop is so good, but as always there's one Lenovo fuckup hiding somewhere. For those looking to buy a W520, I would suggest you familiarize yourself with this and be prepared to carry out this repair. The meme can only go so far.
>>51602412
Here, for ease of reference, see pic related for where my wire kink was. If you zoom in, you can see the tape that my tool is pointing to. Sorry I can't give a better view but this is the best I can get from my shitty phone camera.
About to get a T430. Am I gonna regret it?
>>51602647
If you don't mind the chiclet keyboard then no
>>51597064
Right on thanks for the reply. Does this seem like a good idea or is it too sketchy? Whats the proper level of sketchy to shoot for?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thinkpad-X220-Laptop-i7-2620M-CPU-2-70GHz-4-GB-RAM-NO-HDD-/161901897862?hash=item25b21ae886:g:dl4AAOSwnH1WWmHv
is the t420s good? I heard it has shit battery life even with the ultrabay battery which makes it kind of a deal breaker,
>>51577064
>battery life
seriously bad, up to 2 hours for my 85% capacity battery with just light work
>size
Great, like all t series. It's not noticeably smaller than non s models in my opinion so you should be able to deal with the slightly thicker t420
>thoughts
don't get it, get a t420 with the 9 cell battery. Basically the same thing with 2.5x-ish more life
>>51603052
always wanted a t420s, t420 is too thick for me. but the battery life is such a turn off, might just invest in a t440s with trackpad swap desu
hows the trackpad on the 450(s)? I would mainly use the trackpoint instead of the trackpad, but still worried.
how well does the x220t handle heat?
I've been using an Acer Aspire 7741z for a few years now and that shit overheats very easily
I think I found a good deal
>Thinkpad T420
>Core i5 2.50Ghz
>8GB ram
>500GB HDD
>Good Battery
>$227
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231768984120
What do you guys think?
>>51603806
It's fine as long as there is space for circulation
>>51604184
It's not a good deal. I got the same with a 320GB drive, a 9 cell and a 6 cell battery for $145.
>>51603781
>I would
The first thing anyone with sense does is turn the trackpad off so you don't hit it with your gut when you use it on your lap. Buttons and all.
>>51604705
may be a little hard to believe, but I don't have a gut. does this>>51602336 seem like a good deal?
>>51604437
fuck, now that's a good deal.
>>51586178
>>51584763
Don't have one yet. I'm going to college next year, probably going to get a macbook pro (or w520 if I'm feeling like looking autistic) and hook it up to a Nvidia pascal card.
Do some research, eGPU set-ups can be found easily on the cyberspace if you're a fast web-surfer like me :^)
>>51605393
new cards (HBM, etc) need bandwidth so will be murdered by expresscard's measly 3.2 Gbit/s
current cards are your best bet
don't buy a new card in the future for an eGPU setup
It's worth it to upgrade from Intel® Core™ i5-540M (Dual-core, 2.53GHz, 3MB L3) to Intel® Core™ i7-620M (Dual-core, 2.66GHz, 4MB L3) in a Thinkpad T410?
>>51605551
>expresscard has sucky bandwidth
Thanks for the heads up, guess I'm going to get a memebook pro or something with thunderbolt.
>>51605393
>No Vostok
I'm disappointed, Comrade.
>>51573720
why does /g/ hate the newer thinkpads? is it just the keyboard? the price? if neither is a problem for me, what reasons would I have to not get a newer thinkpad?
>>51605715
Not really, to be honest. They both perform pretty well the same, and you don't even have the advantage of an extra 2 physical cores. The 620M is basically a "fake" i7, you want to get one of the MQ ones. Problem is, the T410's heatsink is insufficient for those.
You would honestly be better off spending your money on an SSD, or if you really need to do CPU-intensive stuff, a new laptop.
>>51605925
They are much harder to service and some of the batteries are not user-removable. The new power port breaks compatibility with old adapters. The xx40 series machines also had an Acer-tier touchpad, although this has since been rectified.
I have a work-issued X240, and aside from the awful trackpad it is really not too bad. I wouldn't spend my money on it, but it should be an admirable performer.
>>51583564
eGPU's are a meme. You'll only get like 70% of the performance of any decent gpu AT BEST and even then you usually have some abomination of a mini pci cable running out from your case which is a pain in the ass to plug in and unplug for portability
unless you get a laptop with thunderbolt 3 which will give you 90% or more performance it isn't worth it, and even then you have basically two options for that now
>dell xps 13
for $1k and an ULV CPU
>wait for thinkpad p50/70
$1.5k and a Xeon, but still expensive and only worth it for the novelty
wait for the p50 to be $500 in 3 years and THEN getting a used laptop for an egpu set up will be worth doing at ALL
>>51605925
Lenovo turned away from what made older thinkpads awesome to compete with the macfaggot crowd. Problem is, macfaggots want macs - they're never going to buy a thinkpad anyway. Even if you're not married to macs, they're only marginally better than other commercial offerings and still at a premium price.
Keyboard layout/chiclets are shit, not as rugged, and LCD panels (every option on several models) were shit. I get the impression they're starting to turn some of that around in the xX50 series. I'm cautiously optimistic about the forthcoming "retro" model.
>>51606049
I've never really understood the eGPU meme. Why not just build a mini-ITX PC? It's luggable and does not take up too much space, and can be stored away easily when not in use. Can't be much more cumbersome than the mess an eGPU entails.
>>51606015
about the battery, is it not removable at all or just not *user* removable? like with the macbook air, where you can't easily swap the battery by just pressing a button outside the case, but it's possible to replace it by opening it up and unscrewing/disconnecting the battery
>>51574476
Google "NewEgg T420 factory refurbished"
>>51606127
Poorfags with one computer that want to make one device do everything. There are a lot of things that don't make sense to me in /tpg/ until I think about it from that perspective.
>just got an x220t
>tfw can't draw
What do you guys use to doodle on thinkpad tablets?
Liking Manga Studio because of that pinch to zoom and rotate finger gestures support.
>>51606311
CLIP studio here. It's basically the download version of Manga Studio.
Used to use SketchBook Pro before they went freemium.
Thanks for reminding me about the corporate perks login info.
>>51606217
I sometimes wonder how poor these people have to be. If you can't afford a $200 Thinkpad and a $500 Mini-ITX/mATX build, maybe you should be focusing less on games and more on things that make you money, or that will help make you money (ie get a job or study).
>>51606049
>novelty
I think its going to be a true workstation, yes the W series is a good spiritual successor to the 'p' line of T series, but the G and W7xx series were the bulk workstations Lenovo would want to go against Dells M4800.
The second screen of the W700ds was a gimmick, it has very poor viewing angles.
Refurbished for 270 cad, good deal?
It's from staples, has anyone had experience with refurbished thinkpads from there?
>>51606311
Clip Studio/Manga Studio is good, I like it for lines and 'painting'. Photoshop, ironically, I like better for doing just flat or simple colors because it's got less smoothing, so you can cover area more quickly. FireAlpaca is also nice, it's free and it's got some neat smoothing tools.
>>51606964
No.
>>51606311
paint tool sai
>>51606554
>If you can't afford/don't want to put money into two computers like me, clearly you're a lazy bum who should work harder already
How disconnected from reality are you? I know there's lazy people out there, but some poor people are hardworking and just want to play a videogame now and then.
Are these good for college? CS major
>>51607017
Not trying to discount you on this, but why?
>>51606554
Idk, some people spend their money differently.
I don't get why people look at the laptop everyone buys as a status icon.
I know plenty of people who own Macs for school that cost more than their cars, or hell not even use a car.
Are they rich? No, not by far, unless seen by some privileged hater.
>>51607351
Eh yeah, people like coding on them, but people code on Latitudes and Elitebooks as well.
>>51607411
I've seen a few Staples ads in the US, they are about 40% more pricey than a used ebay laptop.
Course some of us buy them without a hard drive so we can save more (a lot of buyers have the mentality that if it doesn't have windows they wont work, I did at one time too)
Not the greatest spec'd machine but for reference I sold a T420 w/ 4GB, 128GB SSD, and in excellent/near new condition to some guy for $280 when I bought it for $120 w/o a charger, no OS on the SSD and a dice roll on the battery that was halfway decent.
>>51607225
I spent 3 years as a total poorfag university student. I ate two meals a day because I couldn't afford 3 on a consistent basis, I shared a small apartment with two factory workers (didn't even have student roomies like most of you guys) and until I got my internship in 2012 I had to make do with a T42. Poverty WAS my reality and video games were the last thing on my mind. I don't pass judgement on people, but frankly having been in that situation, I can confidently say that any time you spend on video games/Chinese cartoons is time not spent on improving your skills and/or network so that you don't have to be a poorfag. That's reality. So don't get a fucking eGPU.
>mfw W701ds was sold for under $300
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Lenovo-W701ds-Laptop-/131635126528?hash=item1ea610a100%3Ag%3AQ9sAAOSw5ZBWKRpB&nma=true&si=y4FZCU2yB%252FSmgnsOrmCO2UPLCFk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
god
>>51607510
>I know plenty of people who own Macs for school that cost more than their cars
A friend of mine in uni drove a 1998 Mercury Sable he bought out of the scrap yard for $450. My T410 cost me $700 at the time. I could not compete with his frugality.
Just bought a T420.
Pros:
Lighter and slightly more compact than T61.
Significantly faster.
Fewer obsolete ports and more useful ones.
Special keys / trackpad looks better.
Cons:
1" screen bezel below regretfully 16:9 screen.
EFI is a bitch.
Screen looks like the contrast is set too low.
>>51607657
>A friend of mine in uni drove a 1998 Mercury Sable he bought out of the scrap yard for $450.
Wished you could do that here in Ausfailia. If you want to drive on the road, you'd have to spend at least $2500, doesn't matter how shit the box you buy.
>>51607603
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck
>>51606542
You going to upgrade to the nvme ssd?
I bought a t60 ive been using for college. im installing Windows 10 right now.
any other things I can do to customize it tl?
>>51608403
Post specs
>>51608572
http://www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-thinkpad-t60/specs/
>>51608906
I meant the specs of the one you actually bought. There are many T60 configurations ranging from 14" 1024x768 Core Solo with integrated graphics to 15" 1600x1200 IPS Core 2 Duo with dedicated graphics, so depending on what you got I'd have different advice for you.
>mfw a car hit me and now i have horizontal lines on the bottom of my screen.
>>51608925
I have the IPS core duo
Im a noob to thinkpads. Are the slimmer models worth getting for portability? I travel a lot. Should i buy t420 or t420s? Im okay with the extra weight if the t420 is a superior product
>>51609049
Dedicated graphics? Get a T500 fan and install it. The stock T60 fan is mind-bogglingly shit. Loud and useless. With a T500 fan the idle temps on my T60 dropped from ~50c for CPU and ~60c for GPU to a much healthier ~30c and ~40c respectively. It's pretty quiet too, even on the top setting.
>>51609121
I can give you more detailed analysis in a week or so once I receive both my own T420 and the T420s that I ordered for my buddy, but for now I'll just regurgitate the general knowledge I've picked up here and on the wiki. T420 is better in most areas, with longer battery life, better cooling, and a socketed CPU so you can upgrade if you want. T420s is slimmer and lighter obviously, but its biggest advantage comes in the screen, as the T420s doesn't have the shitty 1366x768 option, only 1600x900 and it works better with the IPS mod than the normal T420. However, its CPU is soldered and its SATA bay only fits 7mm drives instead of standard 9.5mm. Overall, unless size and weight are highly important to you (but not so important that an X220 is an option), you're better off going with a T420.
Any cyber Monday deals on refurbished thinkpads?
>>51609776
No.
>>51574507
>>51574780
>>51577325
http://www.benl.ebay.be/sch/i.html?_odkw=thinkpad+t420&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=thinkpad+t420+refurbished&_sacat=0
I live in yuropoor, all T420s are minimum €250
POLL TIME:
What are your idle temps for T420?
Mine are around 37-40°C, and up to 65°C when under moderate load (10+ tabs open, youtube playing, etc).
>>51610359
If I'm just word processing I hover around 40-45°C.
Usual load is Chrome, VLC and Winamp open, get between 50-75°C depending on what surface the laptop is one
Purchase an X230, y/n? 128gig ssd and 8gigs ram, but I don't like the way the keyboard looks, seems like they had abandoned the classic keyboard for this model.
>>51610464
Thanks.
>>51610359
>>51610513
>seems like they had abandoned the classic keyboard for this model
Yep, the *20 series were the last to have the classic keyboard.
Apparently the new chiclet keyboards still feel good to type on, but the layout is objectively retarded.
Other than that they're still good machines, up to you if you can live with the retarded keyboard layout.
>>51610578
Yeah, maybe I could get used to it... it still has the classic trackpad at least, which seems to have been replaced for the 240 for example.
HOW DO I CLEAN THE KEYS OF A THINKPAD EDGE 420 HELP
>>51610647
>EDGE
>>51610664
i stole it from my highschool a year ago if that provides u any solace
but what is wrong with my edge 420?
My brightness fn keys don't work out of the box on arch Linux on my x230. The wiki says its a known firmware issue with some models but it doesn't provide a proper fix for it, just work around. Anyone have any insight
>>51610618
That trackpad was (kinda) brought back in the *50 series.
You can replace the trackpad on *40 series with the *50 series, so those aren't entirely hopeless either. It is an extra 20 dollaridoos or so that you have to factor in if you get a *40 series, though.
>>51610664
>>51610690
this is a serious question/concern fyi
>>51605769
thunderbolt is barely better
current cards don't use much bus bandwidth, so it's ok, but HBM cards will use bus bandwidth so they'lll get murdered
the broke the keycap of my T42 whilst cleaning it out. Feels mildly bad man
>>51610690
>>51610744
It's a cheapo budget machine that is only a "Thinkpad" by name.
Aside from the name, it lacks everything that makes a Thinkpad.
>Bought used T430 earlier this year dirt cheap
>Bought four counterfeit xbox controllers from China
>Hook them bad boys up to the abundance of USB-ports
>Virtually endless arcade game fun with my bros (Broforce, Speedrunners, Towerfall)
Best purchase I've ever made
>>51611214
thank god it was free lol.
what would be a better alternative?
>>51611233
>buying thinkpad for games
>>51611388
Any T, X, or W series.
