Totally agree with you. I bought a T430 a year or so ago, put an SSD in it, and the 9-cell battery, calibrated the screen, and used it all summer for a 6 month long road trip. I don't think you can break one, or I surely would have. Love the keyboard, the battery life, and the excellent wifi system. They're tough as nails, and run like a charm. Good advice you give!
@@sarabandacaronte9845 Interesting ... And it turns out that a buzzing fan, like an airplane on takeoff, and dangling hinges do not bother you? Or has it been replaced by something else?
Buy what I bought, T530, it cost me around 183USD. It got 2 USB 3.0 ports, Nvidia NV5400M (good for Borderlands 2 level games), 3 storage upgrade option (1 drive bay, 1 MSATA slot, and 1 hdd caddy), Ivy Bridge core i3-i7 that runs cooler than Sandy Bridge generation, also, if you prefer the old keyboard style, you can transplant T420 keyboard into it (I am fine with the current keyboard so I didn't), it also got option for 1080p screen modding. And that's not all, with 1vyrain you can overclock your CPU, and put an Intel 7260 dual band AC card into it. And the best thing of all. You don't need to choose which mod/upgrade you want to do, you can go nuts and do all of them, it got 2 slots for Wireless card, so you don't even have to choose between upgrading your Wifi or storage. Better yet, wanna have better graphics? it got express slot, so you don't even have to sacrifice the PCI express slot used for Wifi.
So true, i got a 2011 Sandy bridge i5 X220 in early 2014 for 200, upgraded to 8gb ram and swapped out the hdd for an ssd, bought a new battery recently, still going strong to this day!
When you talk about prices it only applies to USA, in Europe these prices are x3, in my experience no matter in what condition thinkpad is they don't go below 250 or 300€ unless its a real low spec version. Great instructions either way 🙂
My one off eBay came with a US keyboard. Which is a nightmare for someone drilled with the UK layout. I did replace it once, but the replacement isn't quite right -- not sure whether it's the keyboard or my attempt at changing it. Still, it has its uses as a lightweight server, or a quiet compact workstation when docked and connected to a couple of screens and external mouse and keyboard.
I have the exact same idea about Dell Inspiron 54xx series. You can upgrade them insane. They have 2 Ram slots (up to 64GB accepted, I use it), 2 NVMe slots, which can do RAID 0 (insane performance) or 1 (if one dies, it recovers by replacing the dead one).
Extremely good video, did nearly the same things to my T440p. As CPU i recommend an Intel Core i7-4702MQ CPU @ 2.20GHz because if you go higher, the laptop gets too damn hot (and loud). Even with the i7-4702MQ the Laptop gets loud if you are gaming on this (only light-gaming possible) or doing CPU-intensive tasks. Other Tweaks i made: - 16 GB RAM - 1920x1080 Display - 1 TB SSD - 9-Cell-Battery Because i use my laptop as a Desktop-PC with dock and all, i updated to a T480, because it is way more quiet. Got the variant with Intel Core i7-8550U CPU @ 1.80GHz and the additionally integrated MX-150-GPU for more gaming-performance. i wish you all the best!
This is an older video, but I still agree with you, for daily drivers, Thinkpads are the best. I use Linux Mint on a Thinkpad 11e that I got for $80, I just bought a Thinkpad T470 with an I7, 24 gb and a 256GB MSATA drive for $280 including shipping/tax. A couple of things, the X1 carbon series is lightweight, but the RAM is soldered, so make sure the RAM you buy is enough. Some of the older models, like my T550, don't have HDMI, but do have display port, so you'll need an adapter. If you decide to buy a Chinese replacement battery, buy from a reputable manufacturer, as they vary greatly in quality.
My daily driver is an x220 i5 with 16gb RAM running Manjaro 21 and it does everything I want it to do without complaint. It's built solidly and the keyboard is the best I've ever used. The pebbly texture on the trackpad is my only complaint. Thanks for covering Thinkpads in 2021!
Yeah I recently purchased an x220t. I had experienced that style of keyboard years ago with a company Thinkpad and it never left my mind. The tablet function is well executed and there pen works ALL THE TIME, unlike the finicky pen from my garbage surface pro 3. It's light enough, small enough, powerful enough.
Great video. Im new to thinkpads and recently picked up a T440p (Fully upgraded) and I'm honestly blown away of the value for money these machines offer. Be it they are lite on the gaming side but for working online and regular every day stuff then the T440p is fantastic. I recently had a Alienware m17 a machine that cost me $3k die on me because of bad ram. And it only lasted 2 years.
Nice video - thanks. I love old ThinkPads. At the moment, I have an X260 I use to carry around with me, and a T470p as my main workhorse. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a T430.
@@ChrisD__ I love the T470p - probably still my favorite laptop. Only has a single battery, but it has the "H" series CPU, so it has twice as many cores as the T450s, and it much faster/snappier. I'm a developer who runs Linux, and the T470p still ticks all checkboxes for me: user upgradeable, can change RAM/SSD, has a low-powered dedicated GPU that I can completely power down, the screen is just the right size, the keyboard is great. Unlike the T470, the T470p doesn't come with a Thunderbolt 3 port, but this hasn't been an issue for me. Unlike the T450s, it only has a single battery too (i.e. no internal battery). When I power down the GPU in Linux, I still get around 5 or 6 hours. Whenever I travel or go to conferences, I always take a spare battery. I've been extremely happy with my T470p - does everything I need it to do. If you like, I could create a video or write up a blog about the T470p (with Linux)?
Got my thinkpad in 2018, it's an older 2012 version, been souped up, with SSD 128 GB, and just about 4 GB ram. It does everything I need when I'm away from my desktop. Ebay, cheap.
I picked up (2) Lenovo Thinkpad T520 from eBay. 1 was $40.00 and the 2nd was $25.00 They both look in great condition, came with AC + Battery, HDD + Memory. They both work perfectly and just needed a OS installed. These are awesome laptops, highly recommend.
I full support this video! I got a barebones (aka empty) ThinkPad T440p, and I did almost all of the upgrades,, including the CPU (screen upgrade is my last step), and it runs better than a 3 year old laptop I just repaired for a friend.
@@BYMasterMM Yep. But I kept forgetting to disable the Windows update feature so my drivers were being updated and knocking my trackpad out of use. I reinstalled the drivers using the mod instructions I found online and everything is back to normal.
@@RCfromtheNYC I didn't seem to have those issues, maybe it was because I manually disabled updates, although it didn't matter too much because I started using Linux more and more over Windows
@@aaxylotl I stuck with Windows since it runs very fast with an SSD upgrade. I just kept forgetting to go through the final process of disabling the driver updates. And I also run the TailsOS Linux distro off of a USB drive when I travel, and have had zero hardware problems.
@@plaane $350 total. You be surprised how many CPUs and memory boards can be found sold loose in thrift shops. Got my CPU and two 16gb sticks for $60 total.
I just picked up a Thinkpad T14 with a i7-1260p for $400 off facebook marketplace. Threw 1TB drive + 32GB of ram into it for $140. This laptop will probably be in use for the next 5-10 years.
Man, I can't agree more, I have my old Dell E6530, with i7-3630QM 4x8 cores, Full HD display, 16GB RAM, Two WIFI cards and nVidia 5200M. The keyboard is better than any new laptop I ever had in my hands, and I had a few.
2 weeks ago - I got a T61 donated for free. with the original Docking srtation which is wonderful Love it everyday. Great machine want to see you in 10 years with your amazing experiences...
Great video 1 recommendation change your captions they're extremely hard to read. And the middle of the screen may not be the best location that brown table makes a good backdrop 🤷🏼♂️
Though a cautionary tale. Buying a refurb Thinkpad is like buying a used Merc rather than a new Ford Focus. It will have wear and tear, and may have issues and gripes. I once recommended them to non-tech-savvy friends. One of them got one which struggled to connect to their wifi, had a broken USB port and had issues with the camera (so Zoom was unreliable for them). Eventually they bought a new consumer laptop and I got the Thinkpad, which I must admit I'm happy with. But if you are remotely tech-savvy, and e.g. happy changing RAM chips and SSDs and diagnosing/fixing issues, Thinkpads are great. And if you're able to fix them, spares can be sourced online, unlike for a consumer-grade laptop.
laptops are way easier to fix than cars that coming from a tech savvy car guy would rather replace a SSD or ram than change my transmission or troubleshoot a misfiring cylinder
IBM Thinkpads used to be the best made. Quality when down hill have the sell-off to Lenovo, but they are still better than many other manufacturers' products.
I gotta say...you are SPOT ON! Laptops, computers and all other electronic equipment made today is flat out crap. Not because the technology is at fault, the manufacturing process is at fault big time. Modern laptops and computers are made so cheaply with cheap materials. You just take a look at the laptops and computers of the 80s and 90s! Take a look at the Lenovo t430 laptop, now that was a robust, well put together laptop, and it was upgradeable.
good video but I have a suggestion, I think with it would be worth it to re-record a 1 minute section to change something you said instead of text on the screen correcting yourself, gives it more of a professional vibe you know?
I've read several comments by, uh, laptop experts, who are looking down on this project. Well...there's a couple aspects to this that not everybody gets. Psychologically, people get a kick out of finding a "good deal". The potential of finding that buried treasure, the one that with only a few small upgrades, can offer several years of quality use, is irresistible to a lot of people. Think thrift stores. You're probably never going to find the best stuff there...but there's the possibility that you MIGHT. That (and being broke) is why people keep going there. It's like hitting the slots. And there are some groups that a laptop like this, even though not top tier in many areas, is still perfect for their needs. Namely, writers. Like me. One of the best keyboards ever in a machine that can offer all the document/research storage I could need, a great display once upgraded...it's the ideal writing machine. Writing doesn't require top-tier specs. Video creators will turn up their noses, but then, contrary to what everyone seems to think, there are other ways to create than with video. Another aspect is the appeal of the payment plan. The guy who can't afford a $500 or more laptop today might be able to swing $100-$200 now, and a few more bucks per upgrade as the situation proceeds. A lot of people spend more than they need to, but then people are foolish. Finally, there's the personal satisfaction of saving a quality, functional device from the junk bin. In this day and age do I even have to explain that? Nah. Conspicuous consumption is so before the whole world turned into one big miserable burning turd. Figuratively speaking, of course. I think.
I've heard on the i7 models of the T420/X220 they had USB 3.0 as an option or as standard with the i7. I've also seen from lenovo ads of the W701ds that it came with USB 3.0
In 2018, intel i5/i7 processor performance jumped up 40%, now in 2022, those T480/T580 have come off warranty and are more widely available used ($350 on ebay), so that was my target upgrading today. Plus you get nvme and thunderbolt 3 but no cheap press-in docks (the thunderbolt 3 docks are expensive). Not super budget but a lot more value for your money IMHO.
I can play Neverwinter online on my laptop a Toshiba 15.6 i5 3337/ GeForce GT740 2GB@ 1366x768 @mid high setting all day long with great graphics......March 2023.
The sheer number of good things about thinkpads seems endless (Also, I have both the 440P and 440S. Outstanding units, both of them). The whole whitelist thing is a giant pain in the arse, but let's be honest, Lenovo isn't the only one to do this kind of thing. But the laptops themselves are outstanding. Here's HOW outstanding: They're so focused on durability that even stuff like the power socket is pigtailed and connected to the board with wires. Why is that important? Because users really really love to curl up with a plugged in laptop and bump the power connector/plug over and over and over again. If they solder the connector to the mainboard, it's only a matter of time until it breaks the pads off the board and refuses to charge unless "I hold it like this". If I had a nickel for every one I've had to resolder and reinforce over the years, I'd be a lucky guy. You pretty much can't find a modern laptop that doesn't have stuff soldered to the main board like that.
These are mostly good value but now with 1080p laptops with quad cores and 16gb of RAM being $350ish new (namely the gateway 14.1 with a 3450u) it's kinda meehhh. I wouldn't consider spending anywhere near $500 on one considering I'm typing this on a $580 Acer Swift 3 with a 1440p display and an 1165g7 but they are cool machines. Take a good look around before you buy - there are a lot of laptops and most people aren't looking at last year's high end Acer, for example, on ebay.
Still using my R51e from 2005 everyday, RAM is upgraded to 2GB and CPU to a Pentium M740 1.7Ghz, battery replaced twice, the rest is original. Cleaned the heatsink and repasted CPU + GPU. Tried to install Windows 8 on it but the installer can't detect the 60GB HDD, so I installed Ubuntu 18.04, it runs a little slow but it's really running.
Personally i recommend the asus n56jk-cn051h. It can be upgraded in a lot of way: wireless card (5ghz ac; (it's also possible to use the wireless card slot for a msata ssd half size), ram up to 32gb (16x2), cpu (from 4710hq to 5950hq, both are i7 4 core 8 threads), of course it's possible to replace the sata3 he'd with an ssd.. it already has a full hd ips rgb-led screen and removable battery. Also the touchpad is better than the ThinkPad one, and with elementary os6 the gestures are just amazing. The only downside is the keyboard that isn't good as the ThinkPad one. I read somewhere that it's also possible to upgrade the gpu with an gtx860 (or gtx960 I don't remember) but it's too difficult for me (it's required an hot air gun..). Anyway it's one of the best asus laptop ever made
I'm not too big on ASUS laptops outside of their gaming branded ones, but that does sound pretty decently specced I'm more concerned about durability and reliability, which the ThinkPads covers those areas pretty nicely, plus the trackpoint which I (ALWAYS) use over the touchpad, also isn't the CPU in that ASUS soldered?, You'd have to somehow solder on a spare 5950HQ, which I'm fairly certain won't come cheap at all, and will be a very extensive process, including testing, and if it so happens that the chip doesn't work, then it's pretty much a lot of time and money wasted, (same can be said with GPU, and they also won't be cheap either) Max RAM claim is also somewhat dubious as well with a 4710HQ, but with the 5950HQ (as Broadwell is the first gen to support 1x16GB DDR3), it sounds more plausible, although those 1x16GB sticks are hard to come by and are expensive as well... The storage options for the T440p include not only the main 2.5" bay, but also the optical drive as well, replaced with a caddy for a second 2.5" SSD or large capacity HDD, and a M.2 2242 SATA SSD in the WWAN slot Battery as well for the T440p, you have a choice of 6 cell stock battery, or the chad 9 cell 94WHr battery, but having a removeable battery is already not too bad, so good on ASUS for providing that option
If you want one for upgradeability, especially CPU, so you can go to a quad core, go T440p, T430, or T420 (with coreboot, so you can upgrade to Ivy Bridge) You can really only do RAM, SSD and display (up to 1080p IPS) in the T460, and T470, but for me, the CPU performance is also a strong factor for me in choosing a long lasting daily driver, and especially for multitasking, which ULV CPUs (aside from 8th gen and newer), can't achieve as well for me Don't get me wrong though, dual core ULVs CPUs offer decent performance and is probably enough for the average consumer, but if you actually want your laptop to last 5 years, especially with Intel and AMD pumping out more and more 4 core, 6 core and 8 core ULV CPUs, you'd definitely need the best for your old ThinkPad
agree with all you say, Thinkpad quality of built is way above anything else including Macs in my opinion. Sturdy, reliable, upgradable, fantastic keyboard but the only side is a terrible display... no fun watching a movie on a laptop with a dim display lower than 250 nits
I bought a second hand Thinkpad and it lasted 3 years, probably 5 years old overall, but it could have lasted longer if only I turned it off after use. My fault why it died.
It's too bad that nobody makes laptops in a t440p type form factor anymore. Maybe it's just nostalgia since my first laptop was an hp probook 6570b but I just love all the ports, the repairability, and I dont care if the dvd drive makes the laptop thick. Also, am I the only one that prefers trackpads on laptops like these? I always thought that the nubs were too jerky.
I wish the Dell I have was like what you got there. The Dell Precision M6500 i7 is a COW! ...it is a LAPTOP and it is upgradeable but it is not worth it because it is bigger and heavier than ANY laptop out there and from what I have seen you do you just outupgraded that Dell... and your Lenovo is still PORTABLE...which the Dell really is not. The Dell is rugged, true but for traveling it needs its own suitcase with wheels!. And the Dell power unit? My goodness what a BRICK!
Isopropyl Alcohol aka Rubbing alcohol. It's a good disinfectant, people use it on computers because bit evaporates very quickly, especially in high concentrations. Just be careful to let it evaporate properly because it absolutely eats through paint, dyes, glue, stuck on grime etc because it's a solvent. I accidentally completely wrecked a keyboard with it recently.
I only have one thing to say, I have a Lenovo T430 That I love and have owned it for 5 years, and would not purchase a new laptop as you are dead right the new laptops are crap.
lol, Lenovo is a Chinese company, all parts are made in China. If you order online from Lenovo website, they are sent from China. Basically, you should purchase parts from lenovo websites and not imitation of lenovo parts like on ebay.
You'll only be getting soldered ULV CPUs with half the multithreaded performance and lower singlethreaded with both of those machines and besides, its way more fun to upgrade a machine from scratch ;)
@@BYMasterMM no, the t460p have the 6700hq 4 cores. Exactly the same performance as the 4700mq. But with better graphics, better screen, better battery and lighter.
@@JR-uy2nd For some reason the one I was looking at said it had a 6200U in it, my bad The T460p and T470p are either rare to come across or are very expensive when they are available from where I live, (like 950 USD or so for the lowest priced one on eBay), so a T440p is always the better option for me, especially if I can get one cheaper than 150-200 during this global pandemic Plus I always find working on laptops to be fun, moreso when it's to improve performance by adding upgrades to it, you do you though I will say the rest of your points are valid though, the T460p (and probably T470p too) is lighter than the T440p by about 200-300 grams, and it does have better battery life and iGPU performance, but other than those, I'd willing to live with those compromises in mind as the value per dollar of a T440p's still better imo, but that depends on where one lives and what the local market prices for the machines are P.S: The T440p can accept ANY eDP 30 pin screen from newer ThinkPads, as long as they have the top bottom screw mount brackets for them, either from factory or custom installed onto them. That includes the T490/T490s' screens (best one being the NE140FHM-N61) and up to the newest ThinkPads that come with IGZO low power panels as well (best one being the matte N140HCG-GQ2 or glossy HCG-GR2)
I use a cracked WinBook XL2 with Windows 2000 to run old software that won't work on new PCs. Can you recommend a ThinkPad with an XL2 compatible architecture to use instead? Thank you!
o(Australian dollars nce again I bought a older Thinkpad , W540 workstation , I threw in 16 Gig ram, a BlueRay RW drive and a 500 Gig HD , all up cost (Au) $565.00 , beat that.
This video was super helpful. What is your opinion on this? I need a machine that can process adobe creative suite and handle two programs open at once “This W540 workstation checks all the boxes. Quad-Core i7 processor, 2TB or storage, 32GB of RAM, Full HD res screen. Pantone color accuracy, docking station and good working battery. Corp Off-lease this laptop is in excellent condition and is ready for a new home. “ Intel 4900MQ 2.8GHZ Processor 32GB RAM 1TB SSD boot drive 1TB storage drive Wide 15.6” 1920x1080 FHD screen NVIDIA Quadro k1100M Web Cam Back-lit keyboard Pantone color correction Laptop has been fully checked over and has all fresh software, all new for a new user. Comes with laptop, Docking station and TWO chargers.
Totally agree with you. I bought a T430 a year or so ago, put an SSD in it, and the 9-cell battery, calibrated the screen, and used it all summer for a 6 month long road trip. I don't think you can break one, or I surely would have. Love the keyboard, the battery life, and the excellent wifi system. They're tough as nails, and run like a charm. Good advice you give!
the t430 model is a beast, a real work computer, I prefer it to any other brand, if you upgrade, ram and ssd ,you have a laptop until 2050
@@sarabandacaronte9845 thats why im bidding on a t430 right now :D
@@sarabandacaronte9845 Can I upgrade Gpu on it?
@@sarabandacaronte9845 2050))
@@sarabandacaronte9845 Interesting ... And it turns out that a buzzing fan, like an airplane on takeoff, and dangling hinges do not bother you? Or has it been replaced by something else?
Buy what I bought, T530, it cost me around 183USD. It got 2 USB 3.0 ports, Nvidia NV5400M (good for Borderlands 2 level games), 3 storage upgrade option (1 drive bay, 1 MSATA slot, and 1 hdd caddy), Ivy Bridge core i3-i7 that runs cooler than Sandy Bridge generation, also, if you prefer the old keyboard style, you can transplant T420 keyboard into it (I am fine with the current keyboard so I didn't), it also got option for 1080p screen modding. And that's not all, with 1vyrain you can overclock your CPU, and put an Intel 7260 dual band AC card into it. And the best thing of all. You don't need to choose which mod/upgrade you want to do, you can go nuts and do all of them, it got 2 slots for Wireless card, so you don't even have to choose between upgrading your Wifi or storage. Better yet, wanna have better graphics? it got express slot, so you don't even have to sacrifice the PCI express slot used for Wifi.
So true, i got a 2011 Sandy bridge i5 X220 in early 2014 for 200, upgraded to 8gb ram and swapped out the hdd for an ssd, bought a new battery recently, still going strong to this day!
When you talk about prices it only applies to USA, in Europe these prices are x3, in my experience no matter in what condition thinkpad is they don't go below 250 or 300€ unless its a real low spec version. Great instructions either way 🙂
If only they made laptops today like that! The T440p is so great, I can't have enough of it!
I've been drawn to ThinkPads for a decade. I finally need to go mobile and bought a $370 x270
They're not the best
@@sabiti5428 How you getting on with the laptop. I’m in the market for the same laptop.
@@Maximus20778 for normal work good for compuational work very undervelming
My one off eBay came with a US keyboard. Which is a nightmare for someone drilled with the UK layout. I did replace it once, but the replacement isn't quite right -- not sure whether it's the keyboard or my attempt at changing it. Still, it has its uses as a lightweight server, or a quiet compact workstation when docked and connected to a couple of screens and external mouse and keyboard.
I have the exact same idea about Dell Inspiron 54xx series. You can upgrade them insane. They have 2 Ram slots (up to 64GB accepted, I use it), 2 NVMe slots, which can do RAID 0 (insane performance) or 1 (if one dies, it recovers by replacing the dead one).
Extremely good video, did nearly the same things to my T440p.
As CPU i recommend an Intel Core i7-4702MQ CPU @ 2.20GHz because if you go higher, the laptop gets too damn hot (and loud).
Even with the i7-4702MQ the Laptop gets loud if you are gaming on this (only light-gaming possible) or doing CPU-intensive tasks.
Other Tweaks i made:
- 16 GB RAM
- 1920x1080 Display
- 1 TB SSD
- 9-Cell-Battery
Because i use my laptop as a Desktop-PC with dock and all, i updated to a T480, because it is way more quiet. Got the variant with Intel Core i7-8550U CPU @ 1.80GHz and the additionally integrated MX-150-GPU for more gaming-performance.
i wish you all the best!
You have a T440P and update to T440? and got i7-8550U on it? how´s so?
@@JJRamirezP thanks, meant T480.
which ips screen did you get?
This is an older video, but I still agree with you, for daily drivers, Thinkpads are the best. I use Linux Mint on a Thinkpad 11e that I got for $80, I just bought a Thinkpad T470 with an I7, 24 gb and a 256GB MSATA drive for $280 including shipping/tax. A couple of things, the X1 carbon series is lightweight, but the RAM is soldered, so make sure the RAM you buy is enough. Some of the older models, like my T550, don't have HDMI, but do have display port, so you'll need an adapter. If you decide to buy a Chinese replacement battery, buy from a reputable manufacturer, as they vary greatly in quality.
Just got one cheap, get a new batter and maybe throw some more ram in there and I genuinely think I'm good for the next decade or so
My daily driver is an x220 i5 with 16gb RAM running Manjaro 21 and it does everything I want it to do without complaint. It's built solidly and the keyboard is the best I've ever used. The pebbly texture on the trackpad is my only complaint. Thanks for covering Thinkpads in 2021!
Mine was x220 predecessor, the x230 runs good on these days
Yeah I recently purchased an x220t. I had experienced that style of keyboard years ago with a company Thinkpad and it never left my mind.
The tablet function is well executed and there pen works ALL THE TIME, unlike the finicky pen from my garbage surface pro 3.
It's light enough, small enough, powerful enough.
My t420 still my daily use. Upgrade an SSD and 2x4 ram. Runs good.
Great video. Im new to thinkpads and recently picked up a T440p (Fully upgraded) and I'm honestly blown away of the value for money these machines offer.
Be it they are lite on the gaming side but for working online and regular every day stuff then the T440p is fantastic.
I recently had a Alienware m17 a machine that cost me $3k die on me because of bad ram. And it only lasted 2 years.
Why didn’t you just change the ram?
This kid needs his own TV show.
love it dude - looking forward to watching more!
Nice video - thanks. I love old ThinkPads. At the moment, I have an X260 I use to carry around with me, and a T470p as my main workhorse. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a T430.
What do you think of the T470p I'm thinking of picking one up to replace my wrecked T450S? Hoping to reuse a lot of the parts and accessories.
@@ChrisD__ I love the T470p - probably still my favorite laptop. Only has a single battery, but it has the "H" series CPU, so it has twice as many cores as the T450s, and it much faster/snappier. I'm a developer who runs Linux, and the T470p still ticks all checkboxes for me: user upgradeable, can change RAM/SSD, has a low-powered dedicated GPU that I can completely power down, the screen is just the right size, the keyboard is great. Unlike the T470, the T470p doesn't come with a Thunderbolt 3 port, but this hasn't been an issue for me. Unlike the T450s, it only has a single battery too (i.e. no internal battery). When I power down the GPU in Linux, I still get around 5 or 6 hours. Whenever I travel or go to conferences, I always take a spare battery. I've been extremely happy with my T470p - does everything I need it to do.
If you like, I could create a video or write up a blog about the T470p (with Linux)?
Just bought a t480s for 400 GBP. Fucking amazing machine.
And it is quad core
@@popokatapetl6995 it is indeed
With or without MX150?
Got my thinkpad in 2018, it's an older 2012 version, been souped up, with SSD 128 GB, and just about 4 GB ram. It does everything I need when I'm away from my desktop. Ebay, cheap.
I picked up (2) Lenovo Thinkpad T520 from eBay. 1 was $40.00 and the 2nd was $25.00 They both look in great condition, came with AC + Battery, HDD + Memory. They both work perfectly and just needed a OS installed. These are awesome laptops, highly recommend.
Your reviews are awesome! I will tune in again after shopping for a good used ThinkPad!
I full support this video! I got a barebones (aka empty) ThinkPad T440p, and I did almost all of the upgrades,, including the CPU (screen upgrade is my last step), and it runs better than a 3 year old laptop I just repaired for a friend.
Including T450 trackpad as well? ;)
@@BYMasterMM Yep. But I kept forgetting to disable the Windows update feature so my drivers were being updated and knocking my trackpad out of use. I reinstalled the drivers using the mod instructions I found online and everything is back to normal.
@@RCfromtheNYC I didn't seem to have those issues, maybe it was because I manually disabled updates, although it didn't matter too much because I started using Linux more and more over Windows
@@aaxylotl I stuck with Windows since it runs very fast with an SSD upgrade. I just kept forgetting to go through the final process of disabling the driver updates. And I also run the TailsOS Linux distro off of a USB drive when I travel, and have had zero hardware problems.
@@plaane $350 total. You be surprised how many CPUs and memory boards can be found sold loose in thrift shops. Got my CPU and two 16gb sticks for $60 total.
I've bought a new laptop once in my life, 15 years ago. I've never done that mistake again ever since.
Buy a thinkpad t440 or latitude 5450. Think pads are the best, but dell latitudes are sometimes not too far behind. Both have great parts support.
I would like to buy hinges for that, the old one too tired. Great machines.
I just picked up a Thinkpad T14 with a i7-1260p for $400 off facebook marketplace. Threw 1TB drive + 32GB of ram into it for $140. This laptop will probably be in use for the next 5-10 years.
Man, I can't agree more, I have my old Dell E6530, with i7-3630QM 4x8 cores, Full HD display, 16GB RAM, Two WIFI cards and nVidia 5200M.
The keyboard is better than any new laptop I ever had in my hands, and I had a few.
bro your underated, good sense of humour
2 weeks ago - I got a T61 donated for free.
with the original Docking srtation
which is wonderful
Love it everyday.
Great machine
want to see you in 10 years with your amazing experiences...
I've had a Lenovo x220 for 8 or 10 years? It's my "field" laptop. It rolls around my car and I use it on service calls. It has never failed me.
Yes, a little bit more durable and "stable" than x230. sadly dont have usb 3.0. and of course excelent keyboard.
just got a t530, and a t540p and a w541 in the works if I luck out
Great video 1 recommendation change your captions they're extremely hard to read.
And the middle of the screen may not be the best location that brown table makes a good backdrop 🤷🏼♂️
Though a cautionary tale. Buying a refurb Thinkpad is like buying a used Merc rather than a new Ford Focus. It will have wear and tear, and may have issues and gripes. I once recommended them to non-tech-savvy friends. One of them got one which struggled to connect to their wifi, had a broken USB port and had issues with the camera (so Zoom was unreliable for them). Eventually they bought a new consumer laptop and I got the Thinkpad, which I must admit I'm happy with. But if you are remotely tech-savvy, and e.g. happy changing RAM chips and SSDs and diagnosing/fixing issues, Thinkpads are great. And if you're able to fix them, spares can be sourced online, unlike for a consumer-grade laptop.
laptops are way easier to fix than cars
that coming from a tech savvy car guy
would rather replace a SSD or ram than change my transmission or troubleshoot a misfiring cylinder
Thank you, that was both informative and fun to watch. Keep them coming!
Love your delivery, you should keep it up
IBM Thinkpads used to be the best made. Quality when down hill have the sell-off to Lenovo, but they are still better than many other manufacturers' products.
Great ideas, Sardonik. Like your candid conversation dude!
I want to buy a new laptops but all the good ones are Expensive. Think Google is listening because the Thinkpad t440p showed up on my feed.
I gotta say...you are SPOT ON! Laptops, computers and all other electronic equipment made today is flat out crap. Not because the technology is at fault, the manufacturing process is at fault big time. Modern laptops and computers are made so cheaply with cheap materials. You just take a look at the laptops and computers of the 80s and 90s! Take a look at the Lenovo t430 laptop, now that was a robust, well put together laptop, and it was upgradeable.
good video but I have a suggestion, I think with it would be worth it to re-record a 1 minute section to change something you said instead of text on the screen correcting yourself, gives it more of a professional vibe you know?
I've read several comments by, uh, laptop experts, who are looking down on this project.
Well...there's a couple aspects to this that not everybody gets. Psychologically, people get a kick out of finding a "good deal". The potential of finding that buried treasure, the one that with only a few small upgrades, can offer several years of quality use, is irresistible to a lot of people. Think thrift stores. You're probably never going to find the best stuff there...but there's the possibility that you MIGHT. That (and being broke) is why people keep going there. It's like hitting the slots.
And there are some groups that a laptop like this, even though not top tier in many areas, is still perfect for their needs. Namely, writers. Like me. One of the best keyboards ever in a machine that can offer all the document/research storage I could need, a great display once upgraded...it's the ideal writing machine. Writing doesn't require top-tier specs. Video creators will turn up their noses, but then, contrary to what everyone seems to think, there are other ways to create than with video.
Another aspect is the appeal of the payment plan. The guy who can't afford a $500 or more laptop today might be able to swing $100-$200 now, and a few more bucks per upgrade as the situation proceeds. A lot of people spend more than they need to, but then people are foolish.
Finally, there's the personal satisfaction of saving a quality, functional device from the junk bin. In this day and age do I even have to explain that? Nah. Conspicuous consumption is so before the whole world turned into one big miserable burning turd. Figuratively speaking, of course. I think.
I've heard on the i7 models of the T420/X220 they had USB 3.0 as an option or as standard with the i7. I've also seen from lenovo ads of the W701ds that it came with USB 3.0
In 2018, intel i5/i7 processor performance jumped up 40%, now in 2022, those T480/T580 have come off warranty and are more widely available used ($350 on ebay), so that was my target upgrading today. Plus you get nvme and thunderbolt 3 but no cheap press-in docks (the thunderbolt 3 docks are expensive). Not super budget but a lot more value for your money IMHO.
I have a T429. Put 16 G of ran and an i7 qaudcore processor and win. 10pro. Works great!
If only they made that, thinner, lighter, and with AMD Ryzen. Bascially, an upgradable T14
I can play Neverwinter online on my laptop a Toshiba 15.6 i5 3337/ GeForce GT740 2GB@ 1366x768 @mid high setting all day long with great graphics......March 2023.
Subscribed. Keep up the great thinkpad content
The sheer number of good things about thinkpads seems endless (Also, I have both the 440P and 440S. Outstanding units, both of them). The whole whitelist thing is a giant pain in the arse, but let's be honest, Lenovo isn't the only one to do this kind of thing. But the laptops themselves are outstanding. Here's HOW outstanding: They're so focused on durability that even stuff like the power socket is pigtailed and connected to the board with wires. Why is that important? Because users really really love to curl up with a plugged in laptop and bump the power connector/plug over and over and over again. If they solder the connector to the mainboard, it's only a matter of time until it breaks the pads off the board and refuses to charge unless "I hold it like this". If I had a nickel for every one I've had to resolder and reinforce over the years, I'd be a lucky guy. You pretty much can't find a modern laptop that doesn't have stuff soldered to the main board like that.
An honest review of a great computer - thanks!
This video is legendary
Thanks for the great video and your awesome reccomendations!
I got 2010 hp elitebook, it’s practically the same
These are mostly good value but now with 1080p laptops with quad cores and 16gb of RAM being $350ish new (namely the gateway 14.1 with a 3450u) it's kinda meehhh. I wouldn't consider spending anywhere near $500 on one considering I'm typing this on a $580 Acer Swift 3 with a 1440p display and an 1165g7 but they are cool machines. Take a good look around before you buy - there are a lot of laptops and most people aren't looking at last year's high end Acer, for example, on ebay.
Right, they don't want anymore that laptop hardware can be upgraded.
Still using my R51e from 2005 everyday, RAM is upgraded to 2GB and CPU to a Pentium M740 1.7Ghz, battery replaced twice, the rest is original. Cleaned the heatsink and repasted CPU + GPU. Tried to install Windows 8 on it but the installer can't detect the 60GB HDD, so I installed Ubuntu 18.04, it runs a little slow but it's really running.
Totally agreed man!
Basicly the older it is the more upgradeable/cheap it is
>no one uses discs anymore
Actually the first time I've heard someone genuinely say this
very nice info, always loved keeping ageing tech alive
For value its hard to beat an off lease thinkpad with an SSD.
buddy yu are really cool .....................how come are yu so underrated.....
I knew all the stuff in the video but still watched it coz its funny :d
I got an almost new T450s for $200. With 20gb 512gb
Forget laptops, get a laptop!
Personally i recommend the asus n56jk-cn051h. It can be upgraded in a lot of way: wireless card (5ghz ac; (it's also possible to use the wireless card slot for a msata ssd half size), ram up to 32gb (16x2), cpu (from 4710hq to 5950hq, both are i7 4 core 8 threads), of course it's possible to replace the sata3 he'd with an ssd.. it already has a full hd ips rgb-led screen and removable battery. Also the touchpad is better than the ThinkPad one, and with elementary os6 the gestures are just amazing. The only downside is the keyboard that isn't good as the ThinkPad one.
I read somewhere that it's also possible to upgrade the gpu with an gtx860 (or gtx960 I don't remember) but it's too difficult for me (it's required an hot air gun..).
Anyway it's one of the best asus laptop ever made
I'm not too big on ASUS laptops outside of their gaming branded ones, but that does sound pretty decently specced
I'm more concerned about durability and reliability, which the ThinkPads covers those areas pretty nicely, plus the trackpoint which I (ALWAYS) use over the touchpad, also isn't the CPU in that ASUS soldered?, You'd have to somehow solder on a spare 5950HQ, which I'm fairly certain won't come cheap at all, and will be a very extensive process, including testing, and if it so happens that the chip doesn't work, then it's pretty much a lot of time and money wasted, (same can be said with GPU, and they also won't be cheap either)
Max RAM claim is also somewhat dubious as well with a 4710HQ, but with the 5950HQ (as Broadwell is the first gen to support 1x16GB DDR3), it sounds more plausible, although those 1x16GB sticks are hard to come by and are expensive as well...
The storage options for the T440p include not only the main 2.5" bay, but also the optical drive as well, replaced with a caddy for a second 2.5" SSD or large capacity HDD, and a M.2 2242 SATA SSD in the WWAN slot
Battery as well for the T440p, you have a choice of 6 cell stock battery, or the chad 9 cell 94WHr battery, but having a removeable battery is already not too bad, so good on ASUS for providing that option
Funny how you say It's so hard to get to the cpu when I have to disassemble my entire T430s for a total of 1/2 hours.
Thank You
Guys do you think it's worth it to get t460 or t470? I think i might get one over t440 or 420, cuz i want to use it for at least 5 years to come...
If you want one for upgradeability, especially CPU, so you can go to a quad core, go T440p, T430, or T420 (with coreboot, so you can upgrade to Ivy Bridge)
You can really only do RAM, SSD and display (up to 1080p IPS) in the T460, and T470, but for me, the CPU performance is also a strong factor for me in choosing a long lasting daily driver, and especially for multitasking, which ULV CPUs (aside from 8th gen and newer), can't achieve as well for me
Don't get me wrong though, dual core ULVs CPUs offer decent performance and is probably enough for the average consumer, but if you actually want your laptop to last 5 years, especially with Intel and AMD pumping out more and more 4 core, 6 core and 8 core ULV CPUs, you'd definitely need the best for your old ThinkPad
agree with all you say, Thinkpad quality of built is way above anything else including Macs in my opinion. Sturdy, reliable, upgradable, fantastic keyboard but the only side is a terrible display... no fun watching a movie on a laptop with a dim display lower than 250 nits
most HP laptops from 2016 to 2018 are as easy to HP grade as well and you get M.2Nvme
I bought a second hand Thinkpad and it lasted 3 years, probably 5 years old overall, but it could have lasted longer if only I turned it off after use. My fault why it died.
I doubt their better than my laptop, but i guess about a fifth the price if you buy them used.
It's too bad that nobody makes laptops in a t440p type form factor anymore. Maybe it's just nostalgia since my first laptop was an hp probook 6570b but I just love all the ports, the repairability, and I dont care if the dvd drive makes the laptop thick. Also, am I the only one that prefers trackpads on laptops like these? I always thought that the nubs were too jerky.
I wish the Dell I have was like what you got there. The Dell Precision M6500 i7 is a COW! ...it is a LAPTOP and it is upgradeable but it is not worth it because it is bigger and heavier than ANY laptop out there and from what I have seen you do you just outupgraded that Dell... and your Lenovo is still PORTABLE...which the Dell really is not. The Dell is rugged, true but for traveling it needs its own suitcase with wheels!. And the Dell power unit? My goodness what a BRICK!
How long until the T16s are cheap?
Hello, can I remove the whole screen of my W520 Thinkpad and use it like a desktop?
I love my Laptop but the screen and frame are pretty bad.
Great thanks.
The acer enduro is good if u only want durability
Don't Lenovo computers have backdoors installed? how safe are they?
Very safe ! Very !
You can do a fresh install or install linux
It is very useful video for me. Still i love thinkpad laptop
A T420 or T430 maxed out is still cheaper than a new Chromebook.
Jeez, I've got a 9 cell in my T430 and it gets like 2 hours at best
What is that liquid that you kept in the table ? I have seen that in many videos for cleaning laptop..
Isopropyl Alcohol aka Rubbing alcohol. It's a good disinfectant, people use it on computers because bit evaporates very quickly, especially in high concentrations. Just be careful to let it evaporate properly because it absolutely eats through paint, dyes, glue, stuck on grime etc because it's a solvent. I accidentally completely wrecked a keyboard with it recently.
good presentation, useful info, based/10
I only have one thing to say, I have a Lenovo T430 That I love and have owned it for 5 years, and would not purchase a new laptop as you are dead right the new laptops are crap.
Upgrade the ram and throw in a SSD and you have a productivity laptop that will beat any sub $1000 dollar new one.
well, it such a nice video
i learned a lot from it
thanks
lol, Lenovo is a Chinese company, all parts are made in China. If you order online from Lenovo website, they are sent from China. Basically, you should purchase parts from lenovo websites and not imitation of lenovo parts like on ebay.
But for all the things you upgraded the money you spend you could buy a t460p our even maybe a t470p, without need to spend money in upgrades.
You'll only be getting soldered ULV CPUs with half the multithreaded performance and lower singlethreaded with both of those machines
and besides, its way more fun to upgrade a machine from scratch ;)
@@BYMasterMM no, the t460p have the 6700hq 4 cores. Exactly the same performance as the 4700mq. But with better graphics, better screen, better battery and lighter.
@@JR-uy2nd For some reason the one I was looking at said it had a 6200U in it, my bad
The T460p and T470p are either rare to come across or are very expensive when they are available from where I live, (like 950 USD or so for the lowest priced one on eBay), so a T440p is always the better option for me, especially if I can get one cheaper than 150-200 during this global pandemic
Plus I always find working on laptops to be fun, moreso when it's to improve performance by adding upgrades to it, you do you though
I will say the rest of your points are valid though, the T460p (and probably T470p too) is lighter than the T440p by about 200-300 grams, and it does have better battery life and iGPU performance, but other than those, I'd willing to live with those compromises in mind as the value per dollar of a T440p's still better imo, but that depends on where one lives and what the local market prices for the machines are
P.S: The T440p can accept ANY eDP 30 pin screen from newer ThinkPads, as long as they have the top bottom screw mount brackets for them, either from factory or custom installed onto them. That includes the T490/T490s' screens (best one being the NE140FHM-N61) and up to the newest ThinkPads that come with IGZO low power panels as well (best one being the matte N140HCG-GQ2 or glossy HCG-GR2)
i have a gen 3 x1 carbon, how do i upgrade that like the specifics
I use a cracked WinBook XL2 with Windows 2000 to run old software that won't work on new PCs.
Can you recommend a ThinkPad with an XL2 compatible architecture to use instead? Thank you!
"...and it's probably better than *your* laptop."
That's where you're wrong kiddo!
(And, mine's three years older than that!)
Just bought one😮...before I saw this
My school uses thinkpads
o(Australian dollars nce again I bought a older Thinkpad , W540 workstation , I threw in 16 Gig ram, a BlueRay RW drive and a 500 Gig HD , all up cost (Au) $565.00 , beat that.
You are wrong about one thing - they aren't better than my laptop, because I also have a modded old thinkpad collection, so let's call it a draw 😉
X200 ultra base thickpad gang
You talk pretty Intelligently.
Which model is this plz?
Could you help me put one together
Trash garbage. Didn't know I could have both. 🤔
This video was super helpful. What is your opinion on this? I need a machine that can process adobe creative suite and handle two programs open at once
“This W540 workstation checks all the boxes. Quad-Core i7 processor, 2TB or storage, 32GB of RAM, Full HD res screen. Pantone color accuracy, docking station and good working battery. Corp Off-lease this laptop is in excellent condition and is ready for a new home. “
Intel 4900MQ 2.8GHZ Processor
32GB RAM
1TB SSD boot drive
1TB storage drive
Wide 15.6” 1920x1080 FHD screen
NVIDIA Quadro k1100M
Web Cam
Back-lit keyboard
Pantone color correction
Laptop has been fully checked over and has all fresh software, all new for a new user. Comes with laptop, Docking station and TWO chargers.