Previous thread: >>52106347
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/P SERIES if you want the Real ThinkPad Experience™
Recommended models:
T420 - 14", normal size
X220 - 12.5", lightweight
----
No news.
----
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 & Canada only, usually 15%+ off):
http://pastebin.com/wumE7L2f
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/
Can a T420 be replaced with i7-3520M? If so, will it (be able to) use its integrated HD Intel Graphics 4000?
I just discovered my Thinkpad has a SIM slot behind the battery
What carriers would this work with? Will it work with 3G (this thing is pre LTE without a doubt)
/g/ I want to fall for the thinkpad meme
What´s the best I can do with around $300~$600
hopefully a good screen and will be using not to heavy engineering programs
>>52124098
Yes, with BIOS mod.
>>52124126
What 3g modem do you have installed?
>>52124217
read the op
I have a couple of questions...
I see that you guys mention Dells and HPs in this thread, but has anyone had any experience with used Fujitsus ("business" class, of course)?
Also, is $130 a good deal for a near-mint condition T500? I don'd know if its been modified or repaired... (C2D 2.4, 4 gigs ram, 160GB 7200rpm
>>52124295
I honestly haven't the slightest idea where to check for it. Never had a 3G modem on a computer before.
In BIOS, it references WiMax. Under Hardware, it just has my disk drive, computer, and the USB dongle for my mouse.
I don't see anything referencing a modem under device manager either
>>52124295
Did a little more research
Apparently all T420 have the SIM slot but not every one came with the correct radios. So, I'd have to use up my mini PCI for it, which is where I currently have my mSATA SSD. So yeah, don't wanna do that. Also, my cell phone can provide tether, so no need for it.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
>>52124325
>Fujitsu
Not even close.
T500 seems overpriced.
Yo, using a T520, just formatted and reinstalled windows 7 on it. Should I do a battery gauge reset or is it pointless?
how do you tell if something's a scam or not? i see an "excellent condition" t430 on gumtree selling for £99. why
>>52124546
Dang it...
Needless to say, I'm new here, and the OP links and your magnificent faggotry now have me convinced that used Thinkpads are a good choice.
If I want to run Windoze 7 (don't ask...) on a Thinkpad, what year of release (an onwards) should I be looking at?
I know I'm going to invest in more memory and an SSD, but how much does would a 1.8 dualcore bottleneck me? (asking generally, not related to the T500)
I need multitasking, so 10-12 tabs open, Scrivener with massive projects (it can be surprisingly demanding on laptops), and probably some old games every once in a while (HoMM3, Fallout 1/2, Diablo 2 coop, maaaaybe RTCWolfenstein coop...)
>>52124862
I know nothing about Scrivener, and its official site doesn't say anything about how demanding it can be.
Could you specify how "surprisingly demanding" it is ? Does it need a lot of RAM ? CPU power ? Does it need a good GPU for hardware acceleration ? Does it just need an SSD ?
>>52124728
Nice
I'm looking to get a T520 as well.
How much did it cost you? And where did you get yours?
>>52124775
stolen, needs a quick sale
>>52124728
>>52125270
Currently looking at either a T520 or W520. How you like it so far?
>>52124862
I'd get a T520 for a T420 rather than a 500. Just an opinion
I have a T420. So far, hasn't chugged at all and has been handling everything I've thrown at it like a champ. Not to say I've thrown everything including the kitchen sink at it. Just something to think about
Got mine for $220 w/ a 9 cell battery, 120GB mSATA SSD, and 6GB of RAM included in the package.
>>52124988
I guess it's not demanding on its own but I use it for handling larger writing projects and when I have 30+K words written and a couple of 30 MB pdfs open, AND I need to browse the internet with 10+ tabs open, than Win 7 starts juggling the memory a bit, which (as a process) uses both CPU and HDD resources (I guess).
Also, I usually have Skype on for chat and video calls, and Comodo firewall so those also take up some resources.
Now, if I had more than my current 4GB of memory, that would take some load off the CPU. that's my uneducated guess.
I guess I cant even phrase my question properly:
Lets say I have 16 gigs of 1600mhz RAM and an SSD... so those two are at peak performance;
What kind of tasks would my computer be BAD at if I had a weak processor (eg 2.0 Ghz C2D) ?
>>52125270
270€ (shipping included) in spain, from some guy in ebay
kinda expensive but I was giving up on finding good stuff in my country
>>52125294
It's really good aesthetics and external-hardware-wise, but I'm only now actually using it with a fresh install, so I can't say anything about performance yet
screen is alright, but it's kind of dark even at max settings, not dark enough to cause eye strain but compared to my other laptop it's obvious
ask if you have any particular questions besides that
>>52125404
Hmm the only real concern I have is the screen quality :-/
I have a T420s at the moment and I love the design, feel, performance, etc. but the screen is horrible and I have some money at the moment so thinking of buying a T/W520 as I heard the screens were much better on those.
>>52125280
yeah... they want cash. won't do paypal. no traces. i wouldn't care but computrace is too risky.
>>52125464
afaik there's a way to install a better screen on t420s, probably cheaper than a whole new computer
screen seems really good to me considering it's a laptop, but I can't give you anything beyond that because I don't own any other quality laptops
>>52125464
You can upgrade the screen to IPS 1920x1080 on your T420s.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Replacing_T430_screen_with_a_better_one
>>52125495
>>52125501
yes i an upgrade the screen but at the moment finding a reliable place to buy the eDP board is tricky and expensive.
Yeah I heard it was a very good screen for a laptop. Not quite IPS quality but a top level TN.
>>52125464
T520 owner here with a 1600x900 screen. It's decent.
Not great, but usable. Colours are okay, viewing angles are bad, but not so bad that it's annoying during normal use.
The 1920x1080 one is supposedly much better.
>>52125501
This is NOT an easy matter. I'm not talking "lol normie can't a plug a monitor" easy, access to special chinese components not worth the hassle.
>>52125525
>>52125593
What about RMSMajestic? He delivers to West, is it really a hassle? I wouldn't know.
>>52125623
none in stock afaik
How do you disable Computrace and Intel AT? How do you reset the BIOS password?
>>52125483
Will they answer whether or not computrace is enabled? If it isn't, then sure, why the fuck not?
I got x220 and x121e for 300 good boy points on eBay auctions. Any idea what to do with x121e ?
>>52126006
>x121e
Sell it
>>52125966
asking now and yeah i just realized it's easy to do if bios password is known. just wondering if it isn't known how to reset it.
>>52126097
It came with i3 and 4gb ram. Is there any point to upgrade it to 8 GB and ssd ?
>>52126098
One way is to use the hash to generate a code for bypass
>>52126159
i3? You could use it as a somewhat lightweight toy. If you really want to keep it, you should. I'd use the lighter of the 2 to sling around. And whichever of the 2 is worth less, use that one to house school materials or whatever that you wouldn't be too mad about if it got stolen from you.
>>52126389
I guess I get 8gb into x220 then and have it for home use. Also a 9cell for the x121e and just have it for trips and such Does anybody know if I can put 2 HDD into x220 like in t420 ?
Wow /g/ still keep pushing this chinkpad meme?
I fell for it once, but never again.
>t61p
>weight a ton and a half
>power brick was litteraly like a brick
>battery last one hour max
>screen had very low brightness
>restpalms plastic cracks after some months
>hinges became lose
into the trash it went
>>52125966
If it is enabled should it not be bought? I can't tell if it can actually be permanently disabled once enabled because:
>"ts almost impossible to remove the on-BIOS Computrace stub in a safe way. I’m sure what the Computrace guys told you was that they can remove the *software installed on the hard drive* and not the BIOS stub."
To get rid of the BIOS stub you have to not just disable the CMOS flag but modify the BIOS which isn't possible if signed. What does "permanently disable" ("can't re-enable") actually do?
>>52126920
Literally what it says on the tin
Permanently disabled is permanently disabled
any recommendations for a decent wired travel mouse to go with my x230?
>>52127557
your IBM (tm) TrackPoint (tm)
>>52128113
Except that isn't an IBM machine. It is Lenovo. So that joke is fucked
Was thinking of getting an X200 for when I am working in the lab. How much should I look to pay for one?
>get t420
>install msata ssd
>install mint on ssd
>computer won't boot it
it just sits on a black screen
I am able to boot a live version of mint though, and the computer recognizes that the ssd is there, and that it has mint installed on it, but it will not boot.
guy with cheap t500 reporting in. im still waiting for mine.
>>52128608
That's gahnoo plus loonecks for you
>>52122440
I used an EXP GDC. Instructions said not to hot-plug the thing. I hot-plugged it absent-mindedly. The card and the GDC itself died. I didn't want to spend another $200 rebuilding it so I sold off the power supply, which was still working, to try and recoup some costs.
I remember reading about an aftermarket company that was working on a modern (Sandy Bridge or newer) logic board that would be a drop in replacement for the venerable T40/T60 series.
Does anyone else remember this? Did they ever release a working product?
>>52128758
Here's what I could find, can't be arsed to see if they ever made anything though.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=110787
Got an Elitebook 2760p and spare battery arriving in the next week or so; I paid $250 for them. I'd like to thank /tpg/ for their help.
>>52129390
It's your money, not ours.
Don't congratulate us.
>>52128113
I would rather take an axe to my face than to game with the trackpoint
I just want a good cheap little portable mouse for on the go
>>52129390
of all the generals on /g/ I find /tpg/ to be the least helpful and most anal retentive
>>52129921
I got enough help in choosing between different options here
>>52129893
I do casual games like terraria with the nip, even done some pretty quick boss fights with it, it's all about handling it and personal preference
>>52129921
cool story brah
Why do used ThinkPads smell of sweaty balls?
There's this nerd at my school with a ThinkPad. I don't think he even realized how awful it smells.
>>52129971
I could see that to some degree, but something about RTS makes the nipple seem unappealing. also I play dota 2 with some friends on occasion and in that game it goes without saying I'd just be food
Hi /tpg/, I've been looking at a couple of thinkpads in Aus, being an Australian. There aren't quite as many to choose from as in the US, so I was wondering if you could give me some advice.
The one I particularly have my eye on is this one, the X220:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X220-Intel-i5-2-30-2-90GHz-12-5-screen-4GB-RAM-320-GB-HD-/201491015248?hash=item2ee9cce650:g:NpwAAOSwZ1lWc4LA
This looks like a pretty strong deal to me, given that the Australian Dollar is quite a bit weaker than the US and so the price will be inflated compared to what you could buy it for in the US. I will, of course, need to ask the seller if the computer boots to BIOS. I have my eye on a few others, but I'd like to ask you first.
I'm primarily interested in something smaller, which is why I was looking at an X series, but I'm not that fussed. I really want to use it as a durable Linux machine that I can use to experiment with the OS. A little bit of power is always appreciated, but again, I don't expect it to be as beastly as my desktop. Any advice? I can give links to the other thinkpads I've been looking at too, if you want.
>>52126707
>he fell for the meme
we got one, boys
>>52130035
Yes RTS is suicidal with trackpoint. FPS is doable as long as it isn't too much about getting headshots. Favorite is joystick games like freespace. also pic
>>52128551
I paid $34 shipped at auction for one in nice condition, got another one with a heavily scuffed outer lid for $25. Both had the 2.4 Ghz processor, 4gb RAM, no HDD, no battery, no power adapter. The $35 one did not have a winblows COA while the $25 came with a barely readable kekdows 7 key.
I would estimate $40-50 for ones in similar condition if you're looking to buy it now.
I added a $30 SSD, $45 new OEM 9-cell, $10 adapter to the $35 one so I'm at $120 right now.
I would recommend a $45 name brand SSD if you're going to put experiment data or anything irreplaceable on it, mine's just a shitpost station so I don't really care. You can save some money if you opt for a HDD or a chinkshit 6-cell instead.
You can probably find fully working, ready to go models for $60-$120, but there will probably be sacrifices i.e. the laptop will probably still have the original slow HDD, practically-killed battery, frayed, temperamental charger as these laptops started shipping in 2008.
Release canidate for Thinkpad Retro. What do you think?
>>52130373
I have one of those and it sucks, absolutely horrible to use IMO.
I have one of these, absolutely tiny but still workable for GIMP etc:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Extensible-USB-Wired-Optical-Gaming-Mouse-Mice-For-PC-Laptop-Computer-Top-/351612318943
and several of these, which are close to full size and satisfy my not-picky half-life etc needs:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-3D-Optical-Wire-Mouse-Mice-for-PC-Laptop-Notebook-/171781726346
For wireless mice:
These are dogshit, do not buy any that look like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-2-4GHz-Cordless-Optical-Mouse-Adjustable-DIP-For-Laptop-Pink-/121538237833
These are pretty nice and have a bit of extra heft to them, also the side buttons and the 'sensitivity' button (switches between high, medium, low sensitivity) is nice: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-4GHz-Wireless-Cordless-Optical-Mouse-Mice-USB-Receiver-for-PC-Laptop-MGCA-/331741449190
and the flatness makes these great for travel mice, although the same flatness makes them a little less comfortable to hold: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Slim-USB-Wireless-2-4G-Mouse-Optical-Mice-for-Computer-PC-SCW-/221907981598
>>52130557
>>52130557
Is that 2 MS Surfaces put together? That's pretty neat if it doesn't shit itself. Thought I doubt it can very comfy to type on.
>>52130272
Pls respond
OH YEAH baby! OH YEAH baby! OH YEAH baby! OH YEAH baby!
Are these okay and which one is better
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/POWERFUL-Windows-7-Lenovo-Thinkpad-T430-Laptop-Core-i5-3320M-2-6GHz-320GB-16GB/201399968018?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&_trksid=p5197.c100068.m2280&_trkparms=ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140211130857%26meid%3D0ab288989779456aa321fb9c9a61a8fa%26pid%3D100068%26clkid%3D2238319540399771435&_qi=RTM2063723
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEAP-FAST-Lenovo-ThinkPad-T420-i5-2520-2-5Ghz-8GB-1TB-Win-7-Laptop-Webcam-/201348514763?hash=item2ee14e83cb:g:IaoAAOSwEppUNnmU
>>52130701
It's actually a legit device.
Acer ICONIA 6120
Reminds me of Psycho-Pass laptops.
I have a HP 8540w with a dying GPU and i have a 780ti i'd like to use with it but i don't how to connect the internal PCI express slot to a normal desktop PCI Express. I don't care about portability.
Already have a power supply.
Any suggestions?
>>52130272
Missing trackpoint, and definitely not worth it if the screen isn't IPS.
The ktgee link in the OP has a section on what to look for when buying used.
>>52130712
THAT FILE NAME
HOLY SHIT IT ACTUALLY WORKED
>>52131404
I have one with the song synced to the gif as well, but I can't upload it here because 4chan doesn't support sound-enabled webms. I like it a lot, though.
>>52131422
it does on /gif/
drop it there for me?
>>52131452
>>52131422
better yet, drop is on
>>>/wsg/
>>52131469
>>52131452
It's also 4.3 mb, file limit is 4.
>>52131483
Fuck. Thanks anyways. Shit would have been funny
>>52131492
Not sure I'm allowed to post this link, but I uploaded it on another imageboard here:
http://********ch.net/webm/res/6953.html
Count the *s
>>52123955
If you spend $250 on a t430 you'll spend another $200 on the screen upgrade plus whatever else you'll normally buy, like a new battery and SSD if you don't already have one.
For the t440p literally you can get one for around $500 usd and all you need to replace is a $40 touchpad
>>52126707
They use the t61p on the ISS
You bought a 6.5lbs laptop without researching it. Of course you got memed. You literally spent money on a meme recommendation
Now if you started figuring out what kind of laptop specs work for you then got whatever thinkpad fit the bill, you'd be fitting in with us less retarded folk
Anyone else loving their t420? Keyboard is kinda sloppy on mine. I'm gonna probably get a new one soon.
>>52125623
Chinese guys he got it from don't have stock when I pm'd them, and they'd let me know if they're back
>>52131603
That's pretty great! And don't worry about domain links, it won't let you post if it thinks it's spam.
>>52131603
>webm/res/6953.html
That bird just makes this shit so perfect! I fucking love it!
Thank you Anon!
>>52131923
No worries, I was fairly sure they just tried to avoid you linking to that site from here.
Incidentally, any advice on my potential Thinkpad acquisition?
>>52126707
T60p/T61p are predecessors to the W series thus they're heavy. The power brick is also compatible with other 60/61 series, *00/X201 series. The battery is also likely 7 years old so how do you expect it to hold a charge more than 1-2 hours tops?
My 15.1" T61p running mint is pretty based for watching 720p videos and streams with god tier resolution
>>52131997
X220 isn't a bad machine. AUD$220 is not a bad price at all, considering I just paid USD$220 for my T420. Now, the specs leave just a tad to be desired. I'd also recommend contacting the seller to get confirmation that Computrace is disabled. I'd permanently disable it if possible.
Consider this: a X220 is still over $200 USD in that condition. And you're effectively paying USD$160
>>52132130
Yeah, it looked pretty good to me too. I think the seller is just some random person, though. If they don't know how to check for Computrace, how will I tell them to check for it? Is it just some program installed on a windows machine? Will it be obvious if it's there?
>>52132234
It's in the BIOS. Worst case scenario, it's enabled, you resell it at a profit by simply not mentioning it's enabled.
It's a thing to find stolen laptops.
>>52132248
Ah, so I should get him to send me a photograph of the bios? I think there's a button you can hold to make Thinkpads boot to BIOS, isn't there? Or is that just on newer models?
>>52132280
It's a little more complicated than that. Blue Thinkvantage button to go to BIOS. Then, go to security tab, then the computrace one. I think those were the steps. Too lazy to reboot my machine, and I don't have another one to check it with
>>52132299
Righteo, that's close enough I think, and I can always just search it anyway if the seller doesn't know how. Thanks a bunch anon, enjoy the bird webm.
>>52132327
Seriously, that was brilliant. Just make sure that it's disabled. Have him select permanent disabled if possible so that it isn't fucked up before you get it. Once it's enabled, there is no fixing that.
>>52129921
>I asked /sqt/-tier shit and didn't read the sticky
>then I got mad because /tpg/ wouldn't spoonfeed information directly to me
>I should go back to reddit
should i purchase a 30$ generic x220 9cell or a 75$ genuine from lenovo x220 9cell? and what are the disadvantages of the generic one?
>>52132821
also this is the 9cell i am looking at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/94Wh-8-4Ah-Genuine-9-Cell-44-Battery-For-Lenovo-ThinkPad-X230-X230i-X220-X220i-/131558010725?hash=item1ea177ef65:g:oFAAAMXQuCdTfhcT
is it actually genuine or a chinese with genuine img?
>>52125746
in the bios
if computrace is on and active you can't disable it unless you call them.
How can I fix the latch on my X200 tablet? The switchy bit keeps pooping out and doesn't hold in place.
So I bought into the Thinkpad meme and picked up an old T30 I came across at Goodwill. Battery as expected doesn't last for long, so I ordered an aftermarket replacement.
It doesn't fit. Rather, it almost fits, but doesn't seat in the compartment quite right, the latch on the compartment doesn't catch the battery. So it's pretty much being held in place by friction.
I went back & forth with the seller, eventually theorized that little tabs & protrusions on the replacement battery is a little bit off, and trimming them down might do the trick. They actually gave me permission to do that without voiding any possibility of returns. It didn't work, so they sent me a second battery in hopes maybe something was wrong with the first. Second battery doesn't fit either.
So now I have two replacement batteries, and neither fit. One possibility I considered is cracking open the original battery's case and swapping the internals. I'm assuming the shape of things inside should be the same, or not require too much modification.
I don't know who she is.
Possibility? Crazy talk? Don't really have much choice if I want to use it unplugged, and I doubt I can get OEM replacements.
intel 9.x display drivers for the x220 blur the display in win7, even with an IPS panel text looks like it's smeared in vaseline. rolling back to 8.x fixes it.
anybody else noticed this?
>>52133572
Can't you just recell the old battery? This shouldn't be too hard, see https://jaforeck.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/t40-recelling/
Use the Panasonic NCR18650B for this to get the most capacity out of your old battery.
>>52134108
And try to get the batteries with soldering tabs as soldering a li-ion directly is not a good idea
ThinkPad Guide update is coming up.
The section with reasons to get a ThinkPad is getting real old and needs to be updated.
What's /tpg/'s favourite ThinkPad features and why?
Why should one still buy a ThinkPad instead of a Walmart $250 piece of shit?
>>52133987
9.17 here, not a problem, but it shifted brightness control levels
>>52134187
My favorite features:
-Trackpoint
-Easily repairable and cheap parts
-Built like a tank compared to modern ultrabooks
On newer thinkpads:
-backlit keyboard on selected models
-plenty of ports compared to most ultrabooks/laptops with docks that can be bought/found for cheap
-very good battery life (my X230 easily does 10 hours).
What I dislike about the newer models:
-RAM support (8GB max with X240 and higher)
-Undervolted CPU's, then again the integrated graphics are pretty nice to make up for it
-trackpad on the X240 is shit tier (thankfully they fixed it on the X250
Also yes I prefer the smaller models (X) because of their size and portability.
For me the X230 is perfect. It is cheap, sturdy (although the front bezel is notorious for corner breaks, but only 20 dollar max to replace). It's fast and has great battery life. It was a very nice upgrade from my T410 in pretty much each and every way.
The X240 looks nice but has a terrible trackpad and a 8GB memory limit. I'm not sure on the X250 since I havent been able to use it yet. (was able to use the X240 in a UsedProducts shop).
>>52134187
I think it's perfect as it is.
Though it's worth adding Expresscard as a selling point for eGPU folks.
>>52134187
It's worth putting small Wikipedia-style captions under each picture, so people know for instance which model they're looking at.
>>52134544
really? have a t410, and was gonna get an x-something, was looking at x200 for libreboot, but could probably get a x230 too. see one on cl for 350.
Been toying around to see how capable this old thing is but.. How old / lightweight would games have to be if I want to run them on a T60? I don't believe this thing has any kind of graphics capability in it. Am I SOL in that regard?
>>52134187
>trackpoint
>customization and replacement parts
>sturdy construction
>>52134108
That's pretty much what I have in mind, didn't know it was a thing. Only I'm transplanting the hopefully identical contents of the aftermarket battery to the OEM battery shell.
Guise, I'm losing my higest bidder rank on a x200.
Before I bid again, can you redpill me on the difference between a c2d and intel core i 1st gen? Is the gap THAT huge?
Also, I play by the rules of the used thinkpad guide for the maximum price I would put in the bid.
Does it include the price of the battery + HDD bay + charger or does it assumes that we already have them at home / will buy them separatly without counting them in the budget price?
When was it actualised?
>>52135381
How much do you intend to pay for an X200?
Consider the fact it's already a 7 year old machine.
>>52134187
Digitizer. It's what I love most about mine. You can do so much with the ActivePen. Like digital art. Can't do that on most other laptops, and the thinkpad digitizer is pressure sensitive and pretty fucking good.
>>52135841
I choose a budget of 100$ for a functional laptop (only thing I am indiferrent is whether I have to provided the hard-drive myself so I don't include it in the budget).
I have a "powerful" laptop I take to my lab 'n' stuff but I'd like a smaller laptop for when I go in a trip or just hang around.
I have a T530 and when it's off mains power it's slow as shit, especially when on the internet. Websites take forever to load, especially 4chan for some reason. Changing the power setting in Windows 7 does nothing. It acts the same on powers saver, balanced, and high performance. Only by actually plugging it in does the performance improve. Are there some other power settings I'm not aware of?
It has an i7-3630QM and 8GB of RAM so it's not an issue of specs. My browser is Firefox and I did a clean install of Windows after I got it so there shouldn't be any Lenovo bloat on here.
>>52135962
Change your energy settings you retard.
>>52135979
>Changing the power setting in Windows 7 does nothing. It acts the same on powers saver, balanced, and high performance
I'm sorry, whose the retard?
>>52135999
Maybe you should change the individual settings inside each power mode?
>>52135950
Get an X201, hell even X220 was hitting ~$100 in some cases.
$100 on a X200 is simply not worth it.
>>52136011
Such as?
I'm on high performance right now and wireless adapter settings for battery are set to max performance and the max CPU states for battery is set to 100%. I can't think of anything else that could possible be a cause of the bad performance.
>>52136071
http://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t530/downloads/DS101347
and
http://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t530/downloads/DS014924
>>52136065
You don't count the price of charger+hdd bay+battery (+ram in some cases)
>>52136100
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thinkpad-X201-3680-D79-2-4Ghz-Core-i5-M520-250GB-HDD-4GB-Win-7-Pro-/131552564065
this was the top result for x201, it has everything + docking station for 95 bucks
>>52136126
That's a nice one. But there are still 4days of bidding and I guese the final price will be far above the current one.
If it was the final price I could get it for, I'd buy it without hesitation.
>>52136126
>>52136165
Ayy, I'm not lucid enough. So it's settled for 95$?
>>52136175
yeah it's buy it now
>>52136188
It just says "Tested Working", no precision on whether the bios is locked or about computertrace.
>>52136213
message the seller and ask then
>>52136246
I'll ask.
If 100$ is the price for a x201 with all the accessories, what would then be the top recommendable price for a x200(and its accessories)?
>tfw when your "used" ThinkPad actually came like new
Hi all won my first thinkpad its a W520, its gonna take a few weeks to arrive as its coming from the states.
In the meantime any glaring issues I need to fix as soon as it arrives such as reapplying the thermal paste or replacing the keyboard?
>>52136349
Replace keyboard and/or trackpad if they looked like shit in the pictures, same goes for the rest of the case.
Run a stress test once you get it, replace thermal paste/clean heatsinks if you get bad temps.
Also get a genuine 9-cell if it doesn't come with one.
Anyone have any experience cleaning *20 series keyboards, more specifically the trackpoint buttons ?
I just spilled a bit of coffee on my thinkpad, most of it just got on the wrist rest, but it seems a little bit got into the left trackpoint button. It still works as it's supposed to, no issues registering clicks, but it feels mushy and doesn't sound right. At least it doesn't stick, and I don't think it's going to since I don't use sugar in my coffee.
Anyone got a relatively simple way to clean under these buttons ?
Or would the only solution be to buy a new keyboard ?
Does anyone have a good W7 (I know, but I need it for class) theme that doesn't clash with the black aesthetics?
Seriously, classic looks like shit. I want performance and battery over looking good, but a simple color change would be cool.
>he doesn't use an X220/30 Tablet
I got a x1 carbon about 6 months ago. For someone always on the road , this thing is great. Really looking into the new fall 2015 version with 16gb ram
I recently got a hp elitebook 8540w, with the quad i7 ,8gb ram and ati firepro 5800 for $220 off eBay. Upgraded to a 250ssd and threw a 2tb HD in the expansion slot.
Works wonderfully, if any of you out there want to "game" get this instead of a ThinkPad.
Plays most modern games at 900p, med effects around 30-40fps!
>>52137749
I wonder how hot it gets
>firepro
>>52137749
>Works wonderfully, if any of you out there want to "game" get this instead of a ThinkPad.
More like just get a laptop with a decent dGPU. W520 works fine for gaymen with its Quadro GPU, same can be said about other W series. They might be hard to find for 220 dollaridoos, though.
>>52137297
pls respond
I knew asking for windows advice on /g/ would be a bad idea
Hey g,
i'm in the process of buying a t420s today. I don't know much about the differences between the regular and the S models except it is slimer. I'm paying CAD 240$ (USD 170$) for it with a 128gb SSD in it. I want to make a good buy and have it for a long time. What can you tell me about the S model ?
>>52137838
After about an hour or gaming, the CPU and gpu(share the same heat sink) get to 77-79c. Well within there thermal margin. I do tend to throw a cooling matt under for shits and giggles.
>>52138147
>I do tend to throw a cooling matt under for shits and giggles.
>>52138128
less battery life soldered in cpu
has usb 3.0
On the upside, the X220t has been behaving since last wednesday after I took it apart and put it back together. The only evidence of anything sticking out being the loose frame screws which were still in place. Heh
>>52138128
Expect half the battery life, a slimmer profile and slightly less plastic (the base of the T4x0s is Mg alloy). No you can't improve the battery life markedly without getting a slice which makes the whole thing quite a bit chunkier, moreso than a 9 cell on a regular T420
>>52138196
Doesnt plan to change the cpu and will probably always use it plugged in. And is the price good ?
thanks for answers.
>>52135296
I'd advise you to return both aftermarket batteries because they will probably not have 18650s of the same capacity as the panasonic I mentioned, let alone of similar quality.
>that feel when battery reset shows that your recently bought thinkpad has waaay more battery capacity than it reported
I only visit these threads for the trap.
There was this guy who posted a solution for the 100% GPU drain when watching videos on X220 on Linux.
Where is he?
>>52138493
dunno anon probably sleeping :)
Been a while since I've been here on /g/
Picked up a new X200t today to replace my old one, with a broken screen.
Managed to find an "incomplete" body (no HDD, no RAM, no Pen) on ebay.
Just gonna swap in my Ram, HDD, Pen, etc. from my old one to the new one.
Also found a docking station for it for 25 bucks w/ a CD drive... so I grabbed that as well.
Pretty excited to get it and slap linux on it and get to writing some python!
Hey, is ssd better than hdd? Like there's a laptop that costs 300 with 500gb hdd 6gb ram and another laptop that's 315 with 128gb ssd and 8GB ram. Both have core i7 2nd gen, and 2.70 ghz. Are these alright specs for the price? Should I get the 300 laptop or the 315? Do you think I could do some casual gaming with it ( minecraft, undertale, etc just common low res games )?
Is a Elitebook 2570p (i5-3360M, 8gb ram, and 180gb ssd) with docking station a good deal for $220?
>>52134969
The T410 is a very good machine too but it is quite power inefficiënt. It might have a better keyboard than the X230 depending on what you like (travel time is about the same but the chicklets on the X230 are somewhat harder to press). Honestly the T410 was a bit too big for me, I already have a desktop for when I need a bigger screen and the keyboard on the smaller thinkpads is the same size (which is important to me).
How did I do lads?
>>52139356
What did you pay for it?
(Pic: X230)
>>52139400
>forgot pic
>>52138878
my full set-up
>>52135025
If you have the dedicated graphics, it's a pretty decent machine for late-90s/early-00s vidya. If you're stuck with intel, you're basically fugged. Can probably emulate old vidya, but wouldn't try anything 3D beyond like Quake 2.
>>52138128
Did you even read the Used ThinkPad Buyers Guide?
>T series models with an ’s’ suffix (eg. T410s) means they’re slimmer than the regular T series laptops but unlike the X series, they have worse battery life compared to the regular T laptops. They also usually cost more than a regular T series.
>>52137297
P l e a s e
r e s p o n d
>>52139400
$300
why would I use a heavy, cloggy and overall uncomfortable to use thinkpad over a sleek notebook?
>>52139549
>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.
>>52139559
Most of these apply to other devices, though
>>52139572
Such as? Del and HP enterprise lines are out of your answer, as they're talked about in here.
>>52139586
The HP pavillon line.
>>52139605
>They’re really cheap when you buy a used one.
Yes because they're shit
>Keyboards feel excellent while typing (yes, even the newer ones).
Nope
>Great durability thanks to the inclusion of rollcages and use of glass fiber reinforced plastic for the chassis.
Nope
>The keyboard is splash proof and spilled liquids will drain out.
Nope
>Utilitarian design - e.g. indicator LEDs, 7 row keyboard layout on older models.
Nope
>Docking solutions that easily turns your laptop into a desktop.
Nope
>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for almost every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
Nope
>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.
Nope
>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support.
Some models
Now begone with your bait. You've already had two (you)'s, after all.
>>52139646
serious question
why is it so gratifying to see that (you)
I'd like to learn the psychology behind that shit.
>>52139646
But Anon, 4 of those are subjective taste.
>>52139658
It's just like le upboats in leddit, some people crave attention (good or bad it doesn't matter) for some reason.
It's the same thing that makes neckbeards make desktop threads to show off, speccy threads or even /tpg/ posts showing off their thinkpads.
>>52139658
Because its refreshing to see attention coming to you with no normal social activity at all.
>>52139658
I'd like to learn the psychology behind being a tripfag
>>52139669
>But Anon, 4 of those are subjective taste.
It's funny, it's almost like some people prefer different things.
If you don't like utilitarian design, trackpoints, the keyboards, or linux, then don't buy a Thinkpad. simple as that
>>52139700
But I like those things.
My point is , that other laptops have those features.
>>52139356
>1366x768
It's shit senpai
Whats your dream thinkpad lads?
Mine is a T430 with dedicated graphic card, Quadcore, T420 keyboard, the QHD-kit that is on Taobao at the moment (or at least the 1080p one) and an ultrabay battery (IF THEY FKING MADE A COMPATIBLE ONE)
Why cant they make such a device today?
>>52139829
one that isn't shit
>>52139792
It's not. The trick is to newer experience anything higher. Same with IPS panels, I never used one so the shitty TN on X220 is fine for me
Where can I find a nice IPS for the x230?
>>52139829
>W520
>Modern dGPU
>16:10 4k IPS display for glorified 1920x1200
>Quadcore i7
>16GB+ RAM
>NVMe SSD
>>52139880
1366x768 is objectively shit, and no one should have to use it in 2016-1 day
>>52139843
edgy
>>52139913
>Forgot 9-cell + slice battery
>>52139527
I don't know. I paid 225 europoors for my X230 but it was in bad shape (had to order a new bezel and top lid).
>>52139829
>X240
>X230 keyboard
>X250 trackpad
>16:10 IPS 1920x1200
>quad i5 + latest dGPU
>16GB ram
>dual SSD, one in mini pci-e
>9 cell battery
>great quality audio
>>52129921
Bitch, people get mad that they can't find a laptop that can play games from 2010 thats under 14" and under $200 with an SSD.
>>52130557
Thats maybe retarded.
>>52132877
might be legit
message them about the 2 year warranty.
>>52136347
Love that
>>52138413
She's gone -_-
>>52139829
13 inch
16:10
1200p
IPS
latest specs
X220 keyboard
Lots of status leds
Thinklight
IBM logo
No windows key
>>52139605
>pavillion line
>good
I owned a DV6130ed and I can confirm that it was utter trash.
>hinges made of cardboard
>glossy shitty housing and screen, terrible to use in the sun
>Nvidia 8400m that gets hotter than the sun and causes failure
>trying to replace something means taking apart the thing and plastic clips breaking/snapping everywhere (even with special plastic tools).
I repair laptops and it is not the only Pavilion I have had the misfortune of repairing/using. The only consumer grade laptops that are okay quality were Sony Vaio's when Sony still made them.
Elitebooks are fine machines but the pavilion line is absolute dogshit.
>>52139510
>using windows
>wants to makes windows look good
>disregarding linux on the fucking thinkpad thread.
>asking a question not related to thinkpad on /tpg/
>bumping his question twice
>using windows
Alright, I'll try to be nice and say you. Wrong thread cretin. try /sqt/ or ask the ricers of desktop threads.
If you're not retarded so much that you cannot use irc, go on #rice. I know there are people on this channel who are using windows.
Now, go away kiddo.
>>52140060
not wanting to go off topic because of that fag,
but I am currently trying to repair an old pavillon dv 5 eg.
everything works fine, just the audio doesn't seem to work because the multimedia touchbutton bullshit is separated from the mobo.
>>52140263
Is it just the speakers that don't work or the jacks as well? Audio should work without the touch buttons (unless it is constantly try to mute or something because of a broken ribbon cable/button).
Could be a driver problem too.
>>52140410
>unless it is constantly try to mute or something
That's exactly the problem.
Drivers and BIOS are up-to-date.
The jack don't work either.
>>52140485
A sloppy fix would be to just disconnect the touch button ribbon. You could try ebay for a used touchpanel, just make sure it's the right part number (HP usually uses the same buttons/keyboard/covers in multiple series).
>>52140674
>A sloppy fix would be to just disconnect the touch button ribbon
It already is.
It appeared to have been cut throught with a scissors. I will try to find a touch panel on ebay too.
>>52123942
I am going to liberate my x200. I have everything I need except the raspberry pi.
$100 X220 has arrived. Here's my report:
>exterior physical condition: excellent, better than my own X220 that I paid $209 for
>screen: TN, some minor damage on the left and right sides, doesn't wipe off. Probably the worst part of the deal. If I were buying this for myself that'd be the first thing I replace.
Might bring this up to the seller actually, since the listing said the LCD was in good condition when this is clearly damaged.
>battery: 9cell Sanyo, pretty heavily used. 400+ cycles, ~75% capacity. Par for the course, I've gotten worse.
>keyboard: feels like the shitty manufacturer, keyboard is relatively unused (keys aren't shiny much) but still feels mushier than usual
>trackpoint/trackpad: both practically unused, no complaints
>thinklight: werks
>Computrace/BIOS password/etc: all clear
For $100, it's just about what I'd expect. The physical condition is remarkable for the price, although it's most likely not the same for all units. Hopefully the same is true of the screen condition and the other anons that are buying this as their first Thinkpad don't get disappointed.
>>52140711
It could be making contact because it is cut through (hence the muting). If you disconnect the cable (or whats left of it) and it still tries to mute everything then something on the mobo might be fried and a new touchpanel would probably not even work.
>>52140894
Is the actual TN damaged or just the bezel? The bezels of the X220/X230 are notorious for breaking in the corners. Cheap to fix though (can be a shitty job if you need to replace the back lid as well).
>>52140177
I'm installing both windows and linux you retard, but linux is so easy to rice I don't need to ask for help about that.
And how the fuck is it not related to thinkpad? I'm asking if there's a thinkpad theme people here use that matches the aesthetics of the laptop.
>>52140940
It's the actual screen. There's little vertical scratches on the left and right sides of the screen.
>>52140795
For what purpose.
>>52140902
If that doesn't work, I can salvage it and sellthe parts or buy a 6 dollar hdmi sound adapter.
I just tested hdmi,works fine
>>52140985
Ow shit that sucks. You could replace it for a god tier IPS panel though.
>>52140993
So that I can have a laptop running only free software. Also, Libreboot makes boot times faster and removes the wifi card whitelist.
https://github.com/bibanon/Coreboot-ThinkPads/wiki/X200-X201-Hardware-Flashing-with-Raspeberry-Pi
>>52141012
I'm thinking what I'm going to do is pick up an IPS for my own X220 and put the good (not scratched to shit, anyway) TN from that in this one. This one's for a buddy, and while I like the dude enough to buy him a laptop and ship it to him halfway across the world, I'm not throwing an IPS screen in there too.
>>52141002
Yeah that because HDMI doesn't actually use the sound card directly, it uses your graphics card and passes the audio digitally through the HDMI. So you are basically bypassing your soundcard by doing this.
>>52141074
It sounds like shit, too
>>52141054
>So that I can have a laptop running only free software.
For what purpose.
>Also, Libreboot makes boot times faster and removes the wifi card whitelist.
That's nice.
>>52141104
I like having the four freedoms with as much of my software as possible. I believe that if you do not own the software, then you can not truly own the hardware.
Also it is a fun project to do over winter break.
Does anyone have a link to Oleh's modded bios for the T420?
All of the links on his forum post are dead or deleted and he's banned from the forum.
pic somewhat related
Is it normal for the gauge battery reset to stop at 0% battery and just...kind of chill there?
The computer didn't turn off or anything which I've heard happens sometimes. Clicking on the 0% tells me power manager has crashed, but both the battery maintenance window and the display stay visible, clicking it again causes the same. The Battery Maintenance Window works fine, but I don't wanna stop the process if it's normal.
The windows battery display tells me "0% available (plugged in, charging)"
Help?
>>52141429
Oh yeah, and it stayed at 7% for like three hours before starting to drop again, which is the only thing keeping me from panicking.
Recommended inexpensive laptops for university and school?
Interested in a Lenovo machine, but read a lot of shit about the Spyware they pre-install. 3 or so instances just recently. What do /tpg/? How malicious is the spyware?
>>52141680
You can just install a fresh copy of Windows 7 on Thinkpads, they don't come with rootkits or anything.
>>52141704
>they don't come with rootkits or anything.
[citation needed]
>>52142054
Stop being so fucking paranoid.
>>52141680
Thinkpads were never affected. They're a completely separate division from Lelnovo's consumer lines.
>>52142054
I literally scanned my PC with a rootkit finder(GMER) and found nothing, it was a T520 though
>>52142649
The *20 series was long before the whole rootkit thing came up. 2014 models and newer only iirc
>>52140795
Good luck flashing with rpi
>>52141429
>>52141475
It was normal, for future reference.
>>52144106
Thanks. My pi was supposed to arrive on Saturday, and I have had all of the other parts since Sunday. USPS says that they are processing an exception on the package. I have my x200 all dismantled and wired up ready to be flashed.
https://www.frontierpc.com/computers/laptops/notebooks/ultrabook/lenovo/thinkpad-t450s/20bx003tus-ultrabook-1031437717.html
would anyone recommend this? Does it come with a M.2 slot?
>>52144424
I'm not sure that it's worth its weight in syrup.
>>52142456
Could've sworn the most recent one inclufded Thinkpads
Which is a distro worth of being installed on my thinkpad t420?
>>52144424
>Read the fucking OP
>Hint: there's a discount
My T420 gets some stuttering when playing shit like Mount and Blade and Counter Strike. No stuttering on offline games.
I've updated drivers to no avail, should I changed my NIC?
T420 with i5-2520M 2.50ghz, 8GB ram, SSD 128GB, 320 euros
should i buy it?
Dumb question
Where the hell is the second RAM slot on the T420? I found the first one when pulled my mSATA SSD, but I haven't the slightest clue where the second one is
>mismatched RAM from seller, would like to get matching RAM sticks
>>52146626
Underneath the keyboard m8
>>52146701
Wait... So I have to pull my keyboard to get matching RAM? Fuck me that sounds like a pain... T420 is max 16GB of RAM correct?
>>52146715
>thinkpads are easy to service
what a meme
>>52146715
Yes and yes.
There's actually a pretty quick and simple video tutorial if you do a YouTube search. I haven't changed the RAM myself but that's how I know about it.
>>52139829
>X-series design, X220 keyboard
>X250 trackpad
>3200x2000 12.5" IGZO IPS panel
>quad core Skylake i5/i7 with Iris Pro iGPU
>16GB DDR4 RAM
>1TB M.2. Samsung SSD
>three USB C ports, two USB 3 ports, miniDP
>Removable 9-cell, 84+Wh battery, optional slice
>good audio quality
>latest wireless specs
>no camera or mic
and in a perfect world
>libreboot without Intel ME firmware or Intel microcode, no blobs for any hardware
>>52146728
They are, except if you want to service the motherboard itself.
>>52146759
>3200x2000 12.5" IGZO IPS panel
enjoy your shitty scaling
>quad core Skylake i5/i7 with Iris Pro iGPU
and house fire
>>52146761
>toolless back panel
>access to pretty much everything
>>52146755
Found the video. I feel like a dickhead after having seen the video. Simple as shit.
2 screws and a little pushing and out comes the keyboard. Now I'm debating whether I want to install WWAN or just stick with mSATA SSD...
>>52146778
How is 1600x1000 with strict doubling "shitty"?
And I thought the Skylake Iris Pros weren't housefires unlike the previous generation? Am I wrong?
>>52146798
Yeah RAM is the last job I'll have to do with mine, but I personally don't think I'll need more than the 8gb I currently have. I bought it with the i7 and SSD. Swapped the optical drive for an HDD caddy. So I'm pretty comfy at the moment. Very cheap all together.
>>52146914
Currently I'm on 120GB mSATA, nothing in hard drive slot, 6GB mismatched RAM, and an optical drive paired with an i5 2520 and the dGPU. 6-cell battery with 55% of original charge capacity and 9-cell battery with at least 90% of original capacity on standby. Got it as is for $220. But damn I want more capacity...
>>52146847
having the hardware is one thing
having software not break on you because it can't handle scaling is another
>>52146983
I'm new to Thinkpads and glad I fell for the meme. Its just a shame about the screen because I do definitely notice the difference when I jump from my Asus to the T420. But that's something I can put up with.
>>52146995
Eh, that's fair. Linux HiDPI support has been improving though.
>>52147143
also forgot to mention, quad cores = 45W tdp
so you'll have a hot running machine with shit battery life
New computer came in - currently visiting my fiancee's family so its waiting for me at my parent's house. Paid $130 for it.
Planned upgrades:
- IPS screen
- 128 SSD
- 9-cell battery
- Another 4GB of RAM (for free from my pops)
Total comes to around $250 or so for a really clean x220.
Which distro do you guys suggest? I started with Ubuntu, moved to Mint, but I'm tempted to try something new.
>>52147120
I'm new to Thinkpads too, but I already knew I wanted one.
Working with my dad, we had a Thinkpad T430. I got it for his company specifically because it was to be mounted inside of a car and be bounced around all day running license plate recognition software. The damned thing is still going strong 2 years later.
That made me decide to get one for myself. I got myself this T420 last month, and got an Elitebook 2760p Tablet for the fiancee (her choice, she likes HP even though I found an X220 tablet for the same price)
I am now addicted and don't want consumer grade laptops anymore. I love the keyboards on the T420 and T430 and the general "throw me at a wall, you know you can't break me" feel of the machine
On a somewhat related note, we also have a Panasonic Toughbook for employee use at my dad's company. It runs like shit because of it's age, but I'll be damned the day someone manages to kill it.
>>52147169
I'd suggest Ubuntu MATE
Used it as my rescue distro when I blew up my Win7 install during a failed ricing attempt earlier today. Really good DE
>GNOME 2 feels
