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 Or has it been replaced by something else?
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.
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.
Month ago I followed your advice, and it's really good! A T440P (120$) with an IPS display (Bought for 60$), 16gb ram (30$), 240ssd (40$) and an I7 4810Mq (68$) for whooping total of 318$ for a real beast (It also has an Nvidia 940m), really happy with this machine, the keyboard is EXCELENT!
@@Francis_UD Hi! Mine came with it, you should search for deals on a t440p with that GPU because it's soldered, meaning that you would need to change the Motherboard in order to get the g940m.
The secret is to find the ThinkPads that were sold to large companies. These are noticeably tougher and have a lot more replaceable parts. Consumer grade machines are ok, but might not have swappable cpu, memory, or screen.
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!
Used a T440s for two years, then a T440p for two years and then in 2020 I found an insane deal on a P51. Rockin that as my daily driver still. Loving it.
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 🙂
T420 bought second hand beginning of 2015. Now is beginning of 2023. I5 (don't know which generation) 2xssd, 8gb ram. It was on 99% of days, sometimes several days with no turning off. Two time full coffee cup spill on it, turned it off, shower it, let it dry and it worked. Typing this on it while keeping as usual 50-70 open pages in the browser.
I'm a simple man. I see "Thinkpad" in the title, I like and subscribe. In all seriousness, this is a good video. I appreciate the tip about m.2 form factor especially. That's something where I might have made a mistake if you wouldn't have mentioned it. Just bought a t440p off of Ebay and expecting it next week. Really looking forward to all the upgrade potential. Wish they would have just ditched the shittay touchpad entirely and made the keyboard non-"chiclet", but other than that, I'm pretty excited about my purchase.
@@alexf1515 It works pretty good! I'm a little disappointed that I can't seem to get the newest version of Windows to install on it, but it's still my daily driver, and there have not been any problems yet. In fact, I'm typing to you right now on it. I would still recommend it over any new budget laptop of maybe $400 or less.
@@caligulite Thanks for the answer. I'm glad that this cool car still brings you pleasure. I am writing to you from the T430, in which if I change the fan buzzing like an airplane and the hinges that have become a little loose over time, it will be like new. By the way, I have Windows 11, it's simple and it works fine on the new system. Of course, you can also upgrade to it if you disable TPM 2.0 and CPU checks. There is a lot of content on the Internet on this topic. Do it and you won't regret it :)
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).
Ok, someone needs to say this. YES, they are upgradable. But what difference does that make after you have maxed them out? max 16GB RAM, only SATA interface for disks, making SSDs 6-8 times slower than new laptops. Bad battery life. Only 4th generation power hungry CPUs etc. For those $500 you spent on maxing out your old Thinkpad, I bet you can find a used newer laptop that does not have those limitations and run faster and better battery life! Even when switching out the CPU to the fastest 4-core you can fit in it, you still only get about 5000 benchmark score. That's half the speed of my several year old gaming laptop that I bought for $1600 new, which will definitely be less than $500 today. I agree that those old Thinkpads were a pretty good deal a few years back, but certainly not in 2020/2021. Further, those cheap $100-120 pricetags that UA-camrs always talk about only exists in the US. In Europe, you will have to pay closer to 200 EUR for a base-model, which makes it even less interesting.
Used thinkpads sells like hotcakes in my country, indonesia because most people couldnt afford high end laptops. base model laptops in Indonesia is sold around $645 and that is not cheap for people that is mostly paid around $200 per month. Leading to scarcity of those types on used market, causing the prices to go down slower. A used Asus vivobook with 8th gen processor still costs around $322 ThinkPads, on the other hand, is sold around $200 for the i5 8th gen model like L380. That to me is quite a decent prices for what youll gonna get.
@@harisnaufal890 The video talked about old Thinkpads and they are so "good" because they are upgradeable. Why are you even bringing up 8th gen Thinkpads that are not upgradeable? Soldered RAM, CPU etc. The point I was making that even if an old Thinkpad is upgradable, they still max out at 16GB RAM, so what difference does it make if you buy a newer (non-upgradable) laptop that already have 16GB RAM? None. I never talked about new laptops vs old used Thinkpads. I compare old used Thinkpads to newer (later gen) used laptops. There is simply no reason to buy a 4th gen Thinkpad (like from the video) in 2022 just because they are upgradable.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Been using ThinkPads for 20 years. The model you're talking about is excellent, I have the T540. I also use a T520 for writing because I love the keyboard.
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.
It's 2022 and i don't give a FUCK if some people don't use discs anymore. Those people can gladly buy the current line of cheap laptops if they want. But when i buy a Laptop i expect it to have at least an optical drive, when every other important IO hardware has been rationed away, only leaving us with USB, HDMI and that's it. When i slap a ultrabay Blu-ray drive into this laptop, i can play & burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and don't have to rely on keeping all that stuff as rips on another USB drive. Makes me a lot more flexible and optical Media is far from dead. Especially when you're away from highspeed internet connections. And yes, those 9 cell batteries cost a fortune but are absolutely worth getting because that's the benefit of laptops over Desktops. If the power goes off your laptop at least keeps running for a while and you have enough time to properly unplug USB storages and shut down the laptop without risking hardware damage. Yes, even the i5 in these things is still fast enough for most daily tasks.You can always slap in tons of RAM and SSDs if you really need it. The i5 also has the benefit over the i7 that it doesn't run too hot. Because with an i7 you sure get a speed boost at the cost of heat development. Something to keep in mind, especially when your Thinkpad comes with a dedicated GPU instead of Intel graphics.
@@collapsingruins Yeah the fact that "Modern" systems reduce performance on older hardware is imho deliberate sabotage. Just as it does on Smartphones that get deliberately slower and performing worse, the more you update and the higher the OS version is. SO they force you to "Upgrade" your phone to a newer model and they keep you buying new hardware that you actually don't need, if the software would be actually optimized.
@@RodFleming-World Yeah I just got a T420 as well, and that big screen is great, but it sure is a big beast - it's really best suited as a desktop. It makes you go back to the X220 and realise just how brilliant it is - they really got it right - great size, incredible keyboard, I7 processor - and you can repair / replace every part of it!
@@mcd3379 Hi basically that's what I do, I leave the 15 inchers here and travel with the 220. Very good arrangement. Nice to meet another Thinkpad fan!
My T530 was free. It started with an i5 3230m, 4GB RAM, and a 320 GB HDD. It now has a 128 GB SSD boot disk,i7 CPU 750 GB storage disk 16 GB RAM and a 128 GB SD card just for my GTA 5 install.
Nice work. This video came up in my suggested as I commented on a T430 video the other day. Great to learn about the T440. I've avoided that series due to the horrible trackpad. Didn't realize that could be swapped out. Glad to see how easy it is to access the internals over my T430. I've done all the upgrades to my T430 even a 1440p screen with a T420 keyboard and quad core processor in 2022. Why? It's kind of like driving a vintage car at this stage for me and I quite enjoy the Thinkpad line. Bought the GF a E14 for about the cost of my T430 upgrades which she loves and it's sleek. Thankfully it still has a little of the Thinkpad DNA. Great video. Thanks for sharing
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.
@@safirfoot4606 I think you’ll be held back. I’ve edited photos on it ok but a GPU enabled one would be better, try snag a W series or something, they’d do much better. An X270 etc would be better if you must have an X series By the way I’ve run Corel PSP X6 and X9 with no issue, multiple layers and complex stuff chugs a little
I hope you read this. You can clean up the tops using a damp magic eraser and buffing it dry. Looks like new in most cases. I paid $35 for my W530 and a college surplus store and just had to buy an SSD, I already had the charger.
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
Software synthesisers and workstations to run them are probably my most expensive habit. Thinkpads are probably the second most expensive. They're addictive. I'm typing this on a T470s as I watch the 2023 Superbowl. I have two T450s, two L440s, a T440p, four T420s (two run Kubuntu or Xunbuntu, two with broken screens that act as lightweight Linux servers) and a T410 running Kubuntu, an X250 and two X201s (one with a dying fan I can't be bothered to fix, and one I've lent to a friend). Like I say, an addictive habit.
This is great. I’m in dire need of a laptop since the one I have is so slow, and always “Windows Updating” . Then , I came across cheap older MacBooks, then I found out that they stop updating after X-amount of years, so I was like this (2017) model will have at least 2 more years of usability. And I believed it, since my iPad (old) no longer is able to download apps because I need the new version of the apple software, and my fully functional iPad doesn’t support the software.... I was like, WTF! So I will get a modifiable think pad.
😂 Yeah I felt a bit pissed off too with Apple for the same reasons as you’ve described so yeah I’m going down the same route as you as well as getting into the Linux world trying to lessen my reliance on Windows and Apple. I have already picked up a Steam Deck running SteamOS, which helps me to get more comfortable with Linux. I have been using an ASUS ultra book 2017) running Win10 and it wasn’t bad for office related productivity tasks but can’t run even old games on it.
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.
I picked up a t440p a couple months ago from eBay for $120. It had an ssd and 9 cell battery already, but I got an m.2 ssd, and another 2.5" 1tb ssd with caddy to go in the DVD slot. Upgraded the ram to 16gb, and upgraded the screen to an ips 1080p panel. I also swapped the i5 for an i7-4702mq. All together, it cost me around $300! I'm really liking this thing. I have linux mint on the ssd it came with, I store files and games on the 1 Tb ssd, and I distro hop on the m.2 ssd. It's great fun, and the old laptop is plenty fast... even in 2022. The only thing I may still do to it is add a backlit keyboard, but the stock keyboard feels so nice I hate to change it. Cheers
Well... those ThinkPads cost over a thousand dollars when they were brand new. They are cheap because they are old, so it's kind of unfair in a way to compare them to new laptops that are that cheap. But your overall message is correct, if you don't have a lot of money for a new laptop, buy an older model used off of a site like Ebay. Just thought I would clarify this, and I'm glad to see more people talk about used laptops instead of the brand new ones that come out every single year.
His recommendations go for Lenovo (business line) laptops, not for old laptops in general. These Lenovo are great because of the original IBM legacy way of doing things. Nice video, go for more. Cheers, M
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 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.
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.
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 like buying the supercheap laptops with missing or broken hardrives or ram because those are usually the things you want to upgrade or replace anyway
Interesting video. I like the Thinkpad people. Saw a random guy with one this summer on a ferry and there is some intelligence around it. Locally, I've seen electricians on some jobs with Thinkpads. I bought my first used one, October 2017, in a shop because it was cheap and noticed the quality. It started some interest on eBay items to play with. My most interesting Thinkpad repair project was an X60 Tablet with all sorts of missing items and functions which I took care of.
indeed, it was like they're made for Linux, despite not originally intended to be ... aside from machines that are actually made for Linux like System76's laptops and desktops
Bough a t440p has i7 16ram 1tb ssd as well as 2 additional 250gb ssds . They are giving the original optical drive back too if I wanted to swap out one of the ssd with it. Also comes with 2 of the 9 cell batteries as well as the original 6 cell. Got it for about 200 . My 4 kids practically destroyed my last laptop so I'm going to older and sturdy now not to mention plenty of storage and ram for my embroidery editing and digitizing software
maybe two years ago this was a great idea. But by the time you do all these upgrades to get a 4th gen i7 you could have almost bought a new 11th gen i5 or a Ryzen 7
I got a X220 with Ubuntu 20.04, great conditions (except for the battery, but who cares), I use it for data analysis and programming.. never had a keyboard better than that one, and I got a mechanical one for the desktop.. here in europe the prices are ABSURD, only because rich children ask papi to buy them the latest overpriced powerhouse
Got an i7 powered X220T, that thing loves to drink the battery lol. Funnily enough i bought it off ebay in the "for parts" category cheap (had a broken keyboard and worn out fan), but it was advertised as a low spec i5 with 4gig of ram, took me by suprise when i got it booted up and it had the highest spec cpu possible and 8gigs instead. Currently running Mint on it as my daily driver
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 🤷🏼♂️
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.
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.
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?
The T60 is an IBM Lenovo when IBM was making them for Lenovo best of the best. T61 even better more mods. Best Value Express card will do with usb 3. Battery replaced with a clone. Great description Great Job. Ram slots there are 2 in the front under keyboard which is more convenient not a pain in the ass. Anon DK Q.
I used to think about older laptops yet once the Intel 5,7,and 9 CPUs came out,those old ones are relics. I had an I7 and now have an advanced AMD based laptop which will DESTROY any of those IBMs. Why would I spend $200 and another$200-400 when $600 can get me something that can handle all regular tasks..??
Still using my R51e from 2005 everyday, RAM is upgraded to 2GB and CPU to a Pentium M740 1.7Ghz, battery replaced twice, the rest is original. Cleaned the heatsink and repasted CPU + GPU. Tried to install Windows 8 on it but the installer can't detect the 60GB HDD, so I installed Ubuntu 18.04, it runs a little slow but it's really running.
I Agree completely i have A T60 which i made into a Frankenstein 500 gb ssd in modified pocket a 1tbt hdd a blutooth fingerprint scanner working in windows 10 pro and on my hdd have linux mint installed plus CPU upgraded to the most powerful it takes and ddr 3gigs plus wrapped panel in carbon. Haha best laptop Ever.🐶
These are nice if you don't have more than 350$, however if you have more money, a much more recent Thinkpad or even a new laptop will have much better value and you will need it, if you want to be productive as a developer for example. I am the owner of a T42, X220T, X380 Yoga, M1 MacBook Pro, and have used quite a few other business laptops in the last few years, and I gotta say most modern laptops don't actually suck and are quite pleasant and above anything else performant to use. If you can effort newer, and you don't just do web browsing, I would go for a recent laptop like the Framework Laptop, a good business laptop or an Apple Silicone MacBook.
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
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.
Outstanding video. My story bout 3 or 4 years ago I was looking fora laptop to get out from the Mac. I still own a 14 Macbook Air but my more loved laptop is a T430S running pop!OS. I do love thus think pad and it runs flawlessly. I especially like the Thinklight because its kind of quirky. Id love to buy and older X1 carbon just to experience a think pad a bit more modern. I wont be getting rid of my beloved Thinkpad 430S in 2021.
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.
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?
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 $370 x270
They're not the best
@@sabiti5428 How you getting on with the laptop. I’m in the market for the same laptop.
@@Maximus20778 for normal work good for compuational work very undervelming
My one off eBay came with a US keyboard. Which is a nightmare for someone drilled with the UK layout. I did replace it once, but the replacement isn't quite right -- not sure whether it's the keyboard or my attempt at changing it. Still, it has its uses as a lightweight server, or a quiet compact workstation when docked and connected to a couple of screens and external mouse and keyboard.
Buy what I bought, T530, it cost me around 183USD. It got 2 USB 3.0 ports, Nvidia NV5400M (good for Borderlands 2 level games), 3 storage upgrade option (1 drive bay, 1 MSATA slot, and 1 hdd caddy), Ivy Bridge core i3-i7 that runs cooler than Sandy Bridge generation, also, if you prefer the old keyboard style, you can transplant T420 keyboard into it (I am fine with the current keyboard so I didn't), it also got option for 1080p screen modding. And that's not all, with 1vyrain you can overclock your CPU, and put an Intel 7260 dual band AC card into it. And the best thing of all. You don't need to choose which mod/upgrade you want to do, you can go nuts and do all of them, it got 2 slots for Wireless card, so you don't even have to choose between upgrading your Wifi or storage. Better yet, wanna have better graphics? it got express slot, so you don't even have to sacrifice the PCI express slot used for Wifi.
Month ago I followed your advice, and it's really good! A T440P (120$) with an IPS display (Bought for 60$), 16gb ram (30$), 240ssd (40$) and an I7 4810Mq (68$) for whooping total of 318$ for a real beast (It also has an Nvidia 940m), really happy with this machine, the keyboard is EXCELENT!
which ips screen did you get?
Awesome man. Just wondering, how did you manage to upgrade the graphics card to Nvidia 940m?
@@Francis_UD Hi! Mine came with it, you should search for deals on a t440p with that GPU because it's soldered, meaning that you would need to change the Motherboard in order to get the g940m.
@@hellsing0999999999 you sure its a t440p/ 940m? afaik in those models the gpu option if it wasnt just onboard, was the gt730m
@@skurys you are 100% right, I have that model which is really helpful for streaming at 4k
The secret is to find the ThinkPads that were sold to large companies. These are noticeably tougher and have a lot more replaceable parts. Consumer grade machines are ok, but might not have swappable cpu, memory, or screen.
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!
Used a T440s for two years, then a T440p for two years and then in 2020 I found an insane deal on a P51. Rockin that as my daily driver still. Loving it.
Should I get P50 or T440p ? I need a strong machine for day to day office work, little editing etc.
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 🙂
T420 bought second hand beginning of 2015. Now is beginning of 2023. I5 (don't know which generation) 2xssd, 8gb ram. It was on 99% of days, sometimes several days with no turning off. Two time full coffee cup spill on it, turned it off, shower it, let it dry and it worked. Typing this on it while keeping as usual 50-70 open pages in the browser.
I'm a simple man. I see "Thinkpad" in the title, I like and subscribe.
In all seriousness, this is a good video. I appreciate the tip about m.2 form factor especially. That's something where I might have made a mistake if you wouldn't have mentioned it. Just bought a t440p off of Ebay and expecting it next week. Really looking forward to all the upgrade potential.
Wish they would have just ditched the shittay touchpad entirely and made the keyboard non-"chiclet", but other than that, I'm pretty excited about my purchase.
Hello. How is it at work today?
@@alexf1515 It works pretty good! I'm a little disappointed that I can't seem to get the newest version of Windows to install on it, but it's still my daily driver, and there have not been any problems yet. In fact, I'm typing to you right now on it.
I would still recommend it over any new budget laptop of maybe $400 or less.
@@caligulite Thanks for the answer. I'm glad that this cool car still brings you pleasure. I am writing to you from the T430, in which if I change the fan buzzing like an airplane and the hinges that have become a little loose over time, it will be like new. By the way, I have Windows 11, it's simple and it works fine on the new system. Of course, you can also upgrade to it if you disable TPM 2.0 and CPU checks. There is a lot of content on the Internet on this topic. Do it and you won't regret it :)
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).
Ok, someone needs to say this. YES, they are upgradable. But what difference does that make after you have maxed them out? max 16GB RAM, only SATA interface for disks, making SSDs 6-8 times slower than new laptops. Bad battery life. Only 4th generation power hungry CPUs etc. For those $500 you spent on maxing out your old Thinkpad, I bet you can find a used newer laptop that does not have those limitations and run faster and better battery life! Even when switching out the CPU to the fastest 4-core you can fit in it, you still only get about 5000 benchmark score. That's half the speed of my several year old gaming laptop that I bought for $1600 new, which will definitely be less than $500 today. I agree that those old Thinkpads were a pretty good deal a few years back, but certainly not in 2020/2021. Further, those cheap $100-120 pricetags that UA-camrs always talk about only exists in the US. In Europe, you will have to pay closer to 200 EUR for a base-model, which makes it even less interesting.
Couldn't agree more
What's 'europe'? Is that a new theme park somewhere?
Used thinkpads sells like hotcakes in my country, indonesia because most people couldnt afford high end laptops. base model laptops in Indonesia is sold around $645 and that is not cheap for people that is mostly paid around $200 per month. Leading to scarcity of those types on used market, causing the prices to go down slower. A used Asus vivobook with 8th gen processor still costs around $322
ThinkPads, on the other hand, is sold around $200 for the i5 8th gen model like L380. That to me is quite a decent prices for what youll gonna get.
"buying older thinkpad is better than buying a newer celeron"
@@harisnaufal890 The video talked about old Thinkpads and they are so "good" because they are upgradeable. Why are you even bringing up 8th gen Thinkpads that are not upgradeable? Soldered RAM, CPU etc. The point I was making that even if an old Thinkpad is upgradable, they still max out at 16GB RAM, so what difference does it make if you buy a newer (non-upgradable) laptop that already have 16GB RAM? None. I never talked about new laptops vs old used Thinkpads. I compare old used Thinkpads to newer (later gen) used laptops. There is simply no reason to buy a 4th gen Thinkpad (like from the video) in 2022 just because they are upgradable.
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.
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.
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?
About a year or so ago I got a Thinkpad E520 from a neighbor, invested fixing it up over the time i've been using it. Pretty nice laptop.
love it dude - looking forward to watching more!
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
Nice video thanks! I have an old ThinkPad from 1999 - win 95 etc. Still running like a champ 🏆!
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.
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?
My t420 still my daily use. Upgrade an SSD and 2x4 ram. Runs good.
Been using ThinkPads for 20 years. The model you're talking about is excellent, I have the T540. I also use a T520 for writing because I love the keyboard.
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)?
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.
It's 2022 and i don't give a FUCK if some people don't use discs anymore. Those people can gladly buy the current line of cheap laptops if they want. But when i buy a Laptop i expect it to have at least an optical drive, when every other important IO hardware has been rationed away, only leaving us with USB, HDMI and that's it. When i slap a ultrabay Blu-ray drive into this laptop, i can play & burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and don't have to rely on keeping all that stuff as rips on another USB drive. Makes me a lot more flexible and optical Media is far from dead. Especially when you're away from highspeed internet connections. And yes, those 9 cell batteries cost a fortune but are absolutely worth getting because that's the benefit of laptops over Desktops. If the power goes off your laptop at least keeps running for a while and you have enough time to properly unplug USB storages and shut down the laptop without risking hardware damage. Yes, even the i5 in these things is still fast enough for most daily tasks.You can always slap in tons of RAM and SSDs if you really need it. The i5 also has the benefit over the i7 that it doesn't run too hot. Because with an i7 you sure get a speed boost at the cost of heat development. Something to keep in mind, especially when your Thinkpad comes with a dedicated GPU instead of Intel graphics.
@@collapsingruins Yeah the fact that "Modern" systems reduce performance on older hardware is imho deliberate sabotage. Just as it does on Smartphones that get deliberately slower and performing worse, the more you update and the higher the OS version is. SO they force you to "Upgrade" your phone to a newer model and they keep you buying new hardware that you actually don't need, if the software would be actually optimized.
Great video. Old Thinkpads are great - and yes those old school non-island keyboards are the best. The X220s are also excellent.
Best travel lappie ever.
@@RodFleming-World Yeah I just got a T420 as well, and that big screen is great, but it sure is a big beast - it's really best suited as a desktop. It makes you go back to the X220 and realise just how brilliant it is - they really got it right - great size, incredible keyboard, I7 processor - and you can repair / replace every part of it!
@@mcd3379 Hi basically that's what I do, I leave the 15 inchers here and travel with the 220. Very good arrangement. Nice to meet another Thinkpad fan!
My T530 was free. It started with an i5 3230m, 4GB RAM, and a 320 GB HDD. It now has a 128 GB SSD boot disk,i7 CPU 750 GB storage disk 16 GB RAM and a 128 GB SD card just for my GTA 5 install.
mSata = Sata2 only keep in mind
Your reviews are awesome! I will tune in again after shopping for a good used ThinkPad!
Nice work. This video came up in my suggested as I commented on a T430 video the other day. Great to learn about the T440. I've avoided that series due to the horrible trackpad. Didn't realize that could be swapped out. Glad to see how easy it is to access the internals over my T430.
I've done all the upgrades to my T430 even a 1440p screen with a T420 keyboard and quad core processor in 2022. Why? It's kind of like driving a vintage car at this stage for me and I quite enjoy the Thinkpad line. Bought the GF a E14 for about the cost of my T430 upgrades which she loves and it's sleek. Thankfully it still has a little of the Thinkpad DNA. Great video. Thanks for sharing
I would replace "Thinkpads" with any of the other brand's high-end models - EliteBook, Latitude, etc. Each one coming with some pros and cons.
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 used to envy people that had Thinkpad. Now I have one for work and it's amazing. Unfortunately, I can't afford one of my own right now.
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 couldn't agree with you any more. I have a ThinkPad T550 (16gb ram,i7, SSD) and that machine is amazing. I'm running a dual boot setup on it.
I have a ThinkPad X250, it's fantastic, apart from the hinge, it's shittilly designed. I picked 3 out a bin and boom, one good machine!!
What about X260. Is there any significant upgrade using x260 over x250?
what do u think about x250 i5 5th ? can it run easly illustrator and Photoshop ???
@@safirfoot4606 I think you’ll be held back. I’ve edited photos on it ok but a GPU enabled one would be better, try snag a W series or something, they’d do much better. An X270 etc would be better if you must have an X series
By the way I’ve run Corel PSP X6 and X9 with no issue, multiple layers and complex stuff chugs a little
@@woodant1981 thanks a lot appreciate that
I've bought a new laptop once in my life, 15 years ago. I've never done that mistake again ever since.
I hope you read this. You can clean up the tops using a damp magic eraser and buffing it dry. Looks like new in most cases. I paid $35 for my W530 and a college surplus store and just had to buy an SSD, I already had the charger.
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
Software synthesisers and workstations to run them are probably my most expensive habit. Thinkpads are probably the second most expensive. They're addictive. I'm typing this on a T470s as I watch the 2023 Superbowl. I have two T450s, two L440s, a T440p, four T420s (two run Kubuntu or Xunbuntu, two with broken screens that act as lightweight Linux servers) and a T410 running Kubuntu, an X250 and two X201s (one with a dying fan I can't be bothered to fix, and one I've lent to a friend). Like I say, an addictive habit.
This is great. I’m in dire need of a laptop since the one I have is so slow, and always “Windows Updating” . Then , I came across cheap older MacBooks, then I found out that they stop updating after X-amount of years, so I was like this (2017) model will have at least 2 more years of usability. And I believed it, since my iPad (old) no longer is able to download apps because I need the new version of the apple software, and my fully functional iPad doesn’t support the software.... I was like, WTF!
So I will get a modifiable think pad.
😂 Yeah I felt a bit pissed off too with Apple for the same reasons as you’ve described so yeah I’m going down the same route as you as well as getting into the Linux world trying to lessen my reliance on Windows and Apple. I have already picked up a Steam Deck running SteamOS, which helps me to get more comfortable with Linux. I have been using an ASUS ultra book 2017) running Win10 and it wasn’t bad for office related productivity tasks but can’t run even old games on it.
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.
I picked up a t440p a couple months ago from eBay for $120. It had an ssd and 9 cell battery already, but I got an m.2 ssd, and another 2.5" 1tb ssd with caddy to go in the DVD slot. Upgraded the ram to 16gb, and upgraded the screen to an ips 1080p panel. I also swapped the i5 for an i7-4702mq. All together, it cost me around $300! I'm really liking this thing. I have linux mint on the ssd it came with, I store files and games on the 1 Tb ssd, and I distro hop on the m.2 ssd. It's great fun, and the old laptop is plenty fast... even in 2022. The only thing I may still do to it is add a backlit keyboard, but the stock keyboard feels so nice I hate to change it. Cheers
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 bought a t480s for 400 GBP. Fucking amazing machine.
And it is quad core
@@popokatapetl6995 it is indeed
With or without MX150?
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.
T420 is the best sweet spot of cheap and the best parts (keyboard for example ;) ). Happy with my quad core (8 thread) i7-2760QM :)
I would like to buy hinges for that, the old one too tired. Great machines.
i have a gaming pc but i bought a thinkpad e580 and it is really good and it is really good for workflow and can even run some games
I got the notification for this video 20 hours after it was uploaded, this bell system is garbage but still great video dude
Yeah youtube sucks at notifying people about uploads. Thanks for the support
Well... those ThinkPads cost over a thousand dollars when they were brand new. They are cheap because they are old, so it's kind of unfair in a way to compare them to new laptops that are that cheap. But your overall message is correct, if you don't have a lot of money for a new laptop, buy an older model used off of a site like Ebay. Just thought I would clarify this, and I'm glad to see more people talk about used laptops instead of the brand new ones that come out every single year.
those old thinkpads are gold. and those new laptops trying to imitate apple are garbage.
His recommendations go for Lenovo (business line) laptops, not for old laptops in general. These Lenovo are great because of the original IBM legacy way of doing things. Nice video, go for more. Cheers, M
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'll make sure to buy a T-series ThinkPad, this particular series seems to prioritise good Build quality and durability. A ThinkPad T14 infact.
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.
Picked up a T450 , 2015, I5, 8GB, 256GB SSD Lenovo Thinkpad for $101 off ebay today.. that includes shipping and taxes :)
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.
bro your underated, good sense of humour
just got a t530, and a t540p and a w541 in the works if I luck out
Thank you, that was both informative and fun to watch. Keep them coming!
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 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.
This must be the Universal Law for Budget and Laptop Purchase.
I like buying the supercheap laptops with missing or broken hardrives or ram because those are usually the things you want to upgrade or replace anyway
Lol. 😂 the way you go off at it.
I'm getting a Lenovo ThinkPad T430 today. To get or not to get?
I already have one and use it everyday all day
get t440p
I love your personality!
Interesting video. I like the Thinkpad people. Saw a random guy with one this summer on a ferry and there is some intelligence around it.
Locally, I've seen electricians on some jobs with Thinkpads. I bought my first used one, October 2017, in a shop because it was cheap and noticed the quality. It started some interest on eBay items to play with. My most interesting Thinkpad repair project was an X60 Tablet with all sorts of missing items and functions which I took care of.
This kid needs his own TV show.
Arch Linux on old thinkpads is a feeling like drinking fresh roast coffee in 1955....legs up.
indeed, it was like they're made for Linux, despite not originally intended to be
... aside from machines that are actually made for Linux like System76's laptops and desktops
Bough a t440p has i7 16ram 1tb ssd as well as 2 additional 250gb ssds . They are giving the original optical drive back too if I wanted to swap out one of the ssd with it. Also comes with 2 of the 9 cell batteries as well as the original 6 cell. Got it for about 200 . My 4 kids practically destroyed my last laptop so I'm going to older and sturdy now not to mention plenty of storage and ram for my embroidery editing and digitizing software
Very nicely done. I have way too many Thinkpads - love working on them
maybe two years ago this was a great idea. But by the time you do all these upgrades to get a 4th gen i7 you could have almost bought a new 11th gen i5 or a Ryzen 7
I got a X220 with Ubuntu 20.04, great conditions (except for the battery, but who cares), I use it for data analysis and programming.. never had a keyboard better than that one, and I got a mechanical one for the desktop.. here in europe the prices are ABSURD, only because rich children ask papi to buy them the latest overpriced powerhouse
Got an X220 on Win10 and it runs great. Gotta keep it plugged in cause one of the battery clips have broken so it disconnects
Got an i7 powered X220T, that thing loves to drink the battery lol.
Funnily enough i bought it off ebay in the "for parts" category cheap (had a broken keyboard and worn out fan), but it was advertised as a low spec i5 with 4gig of ram, took me by suprise when i got it booted up and it had the highest spec cpu possible and 8gigs instead.
Currently running Mint on it as my daily driver
Love your delivery, you should keep it up
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 🤷🏼♂️
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.
I have a T429. Put 16 G of ran and an i7 qaudcore processor and win. 10pro. Works great!
The T-series are the best. As a Technician I have repaired a lot. I bought 3 recently at TRADERA for a small sum.
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.
If only they made that, thinner, lighter, and with AMD Ryzen. Bascially, an upgradable T14
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?
The T60 is an IBM Lenovo when IBM was making them for Lenovo best of the best. T61 even better more mods. Best Value Express card will do with usb 3. Battery replaced with a clone. Great description Great Job. Ram slots there are 2 in the front under keyboard which is more convenient not a pain in the ass. Anon DK Q.
X250 and T420. Super mobile and solid workstation. I could rule the world with them xD
I used to think about older laptops yet once the Intel 5,7,and 9 CPUs came out,those old ones are relics. I had an I7 and now have an advanced AMD based laptop which will DESTROY any of those IBMs. Why would I spend $200 and another$200-400 when $600 can get me something that can handle all regular tasks..??
I was under the impression that the T-430 was the last generation with a socketed CPU. I would have probably gotten a T440 instead had I known.
T440p is only 440 series with socketed cpu. T440 and T440s are soldered.
Great ideas, Sardonik. Like your candid conversation dude!
Subscribed. Keep up the great thinkpad content
Still using my R51e from 2005 everyday, RAM is upgraded to 2GB and CPU to a Pentium M740 1.7Ghz, battery replaced twice, the rest is original. Cleaned the heatsink and repasted CPU + GPU. Tried to install Windows 8 on it but the installer can't detect the 60GB HDD, so I installed Ubuntu 18.04, it runs a little slow but it's really running.
I Agree completely i have A T60 which i made into a Frankenstein 500 gb ssd in modified pocket a 1tbt hdd a blutooth fingerprint scanner working in windows 10 pro and on my hdd have linux mint installed plus CPU upgraded to the most powerful it takes and ddr 3gigs plus wrapped panel in carbon. Haha best laptop Ever.🐶
These are nice if you don't have more than 350$, however if you have more money, a much more recent Thinkpad or even a new laptop will have much better value and you will need it, if you want to be productive as a developer for example.
I am the owner of a T42, X220T, X380 Yoga, M1 MacBook Pro, and have used quite a few other business laptops in the last few years, and I gotta say most modern laptops don't actually suck and are quite pleasant and above anything else performant to use.
If you can effort newer, and you don't just do web browsing, I would go for a recent laptop like the Framework Laptop, a good business laptop or an Apple Silicone MacBook.
Using a T500, a T420 and restoring a T400 here - only like the old keyboards
you've got great salesmanship skills
Thank you! Great content - great communication style 😊👍
This video is legendary
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
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.
Outstanding video. My story bout 3 or 4 years ago I was looking fora laptop to get out from the Mac. I still own a 14 Macbook Air but my more loved laptop is a T430S running pop!OS. I do love thus think pad and it runs flawlessly. I especially like the Thinklight because its kind of quirky. Id love to buy and older X1 carbon just to experience a think pad a bit more modern. I wont be getting rid of my beloved Thinkpad 430S in 2021.
Thanks for the great video and your awesome reccomendations!
An honest review of a great computer - thanks!
awesommme....thanks mate...your vedio have a genuine feels to watch which i cant explain
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.