2026-11-08 08:06 UTC
Replies (18)
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@chgxvjh@hexbear.net 2026-11-08 08:19
I still don’t fully understand newer model numbers but I think I’d get a thinkpad x13, but there are other recent models as . There is additionally a generation number to look out for and the specs of course. But yeah it’s way more difficult now to tell at one glance how old a device is based on the model number or search for model numbers.
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@hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 2026-11-08 08:45
I usually just go to one of the local laptop refurbishing shops and have a look at what’s in stock: https://www.afbshop.de/gebrauchte-notebooks/lenovo-thinkpads/ Last time I went to buy a new Thinkpad, I came home with a Dell 7390 😂
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@PetteriPano@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 08:55
The T480 is only 8 years old
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@bruzzard@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 09:07
Best resource when I was researching. Should help you too. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad
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@zecg@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 09:10
My choice is any gen T14 as long as it’s Ryzen graphics (for hassle-free Linux drivers).
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@gila@hexbear.net 2026-11-08 09:13
In my experience it’s just the shell and I/O, fingerprint reader etc that vary, if you need usb-c or HDMI out or whatever then look for the model numbers that have them, otherwise just buy based on specs you need, they’re 95% the same
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@gooeyglob@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 09:28
Sadly more and more modern thinkpads come with soldered RAM, which IMO is a deal breaker. Work gave me an X Carbon Gen 13 to use, which was indeed both shockingly fast and lightweight, but had soldered RAM and a mobo failure in the first 3 months, so I kept looking for a personal device. Ended up with a Thinkpad E14 Gen 7 with a Ryzen 7, SODIMM ram and built like a tank. Also much cheaper than the X1. It’s heavy, but I’m also not worried about it getting thrown around in my bag.
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@theshatterstone54@feddit.uk 2026-11-08 12:52
What helped me on laptop searching was that I went on cpubenchmark.net and used a CPU I’ve known and used, as a benchmark and then compared the CPUs of some laptops within my budget to know what is and isnt worth it. As you said, the RAM and SSD can be upgraded later so its really mainly the CPU you should be concerned with in terms of core specs. Dont forget to look at charging and battery life too! And remember to check repairability especially with more modern thinkpads as some models come with soldered RAM. I learned that the hard way with my current thinkpad that Im writing this on.
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@nsns@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 13:03
Personally I like the T90 a lot. Mine has an IPS screen, usbc, a really comfy keyboard and is not too heavy. I got it on Amazon for 280€ish before the RAMapocalypse. A thing you may want to be aware of is that thinkpad models might have different configurations. That is, the screen or RAM amount, or internal components might differ between instances of the same model, so it’s good to keep an eye on the specifics of each offer. As a general rule I would look at the different thinkpad series (the letter before the model number) and then at the different models (newer is usually better, but some changes like the keyboard have been controversial).
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@emergencyfood@sh.itjust.works 2026-11-08 13:09
The first number is usually a letter. Typically E, L, T or X. E series are often not very sturdy. The other three are fine. L generally has slightly lower specs and lacks some features. T are thick with a bunch of ports and good specs. X are thinner and lighter. Z are high-end machines with AMD CPUs. After that you have either a three digit number (e.g. 480) or something like ‘14 Gen 2’. The numbered ones usually have an extra memory card slot, while the Gen ones usually don’t. Touchscreen is an option on most models, so you can’t say that from the model number.
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@shiroininja@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 15:12
I really really like my 2019 X1 Carbon I got from a business auction on eBay for a little over $250 a few years back. Perfect for productivity and light gaming pre 2019 titles. Mostly morrowind, Skyrim and oblivion. It’s got an i7 and runs vms well.
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@osbo9991@lemmy.world 2026-11-08 21:34
I picked mine by referring to the Wikipedia articles for the “good” Thinkpad series (T, P series mainly). Here’s the one for T series: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_T_series Under “Lenovo branded models” is a giant table of all the variants of each model (CPU, display, etc). It also tells you whether the RAM is socketed or soldered, and whether they have external batteries. To gauge performance I just look up the CPU for the model I considered on a CPU benchmark site. Take those with a grain of salt, but they are good for generalizing performance. I ultimately settled for a Thinkpad T580 (instead of the smaller T480), since I like large 15" laptops, I liked the port layout, and I liked the hot swap dual battery system (also available on T480, T570, T470, and other earlier models). It also has socketed ram and USB C charging. Performance isn’t great for most gaming, but it is very good for browsing and office work.
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@solrize@lemmy.ml 2026-11-08 21:46
I almost bought a Yoga with 16GB ram and a very fast AMD processor on black friday sale at bestbuy for $500 a couple years ago. A friend talked me out of it because the 16GB ram was soldered in and not expandable. Similar machine is around $1000 now. Yeah get something sort of recent. Depending what you’re doing 16GB ram is more than plenty. 8GB is ok, 4GB is marginal. My 2011(?)-vintage T510 is ok for most of my purposes, but youtube has been migrating to cpu-hungry codecs so videos these days bog down the cpu and look janky. Maybe I can change some settings to fix that. I do like the idea of a yoga-style tablet for use as an e-reader.
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@radio_free_asgarthr@lemmy.ml 2026-11-08 23:27
Posting from a T series, I think that getting a T series would work out well after installing an appropriate distro on it.
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@XiJinpingStanAccount@lemmy.ml 2026-11-09 00:55
I know you asked about thinkpads but I think you should consider a Latitude 7400. The non 2 in 1 model. It’s got 1 m.2 slot, 2 Sodimm slots, and the back panel comes off in one piece and is easy to get at everything. The downside is the keyboard is hard to replace. It’s one of those built in ones. I run Debian on it and lock the CPU to 2.5Ghz and below and keep cooling pads in it and its passive. never runs the fan. Has amazing battery life and linux support. (shipped with ubuntu as an option). They’re cheap too. The build quality is really good. It has the barrel charging port, usb c/thunderbolt port, hdmi, 2 USB A, headphone jack, micro usb reader, sim card slot, smart card reader for ports. Plus the trackpad actually has buttons which I like. I don’t like the tapping that’s become common now. The webcam has a physical shutter you can slide over it too. Overall a nice little laptop once you tweak it a bit.
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@pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-11-09 06:10
I recommend the T series and the X series. P series too but they’re just really chunky. I can personally vouch for x1 carbons and the t14
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@yuman@programming.dev 2026-11-09 07:31
t480 - dual RAM slots, dual batteries t480s/t490s/t14s - soldered ram t490/t14 - one bank soldered, one slot free this is the list, nothing else, no Yogas, no Carbons. stay away from AMD models until the 5000-series, all earlier ones are a nuisance to run. feel free to get busted units - broken screen, bad keyboard, as working on those is easy, there are detailed hardware maintenance manuals available, for free. soldered RAM used be eww; nowadays with the prices, it’s neat to get basically free RAM, provided it’s at least 16 GB on-board. whichever you get will be plenty fine for the stated use cases. make sure you get a good battery, as getting those is expensive (boot off a live USB and upower -b) remember, the goal isn’t to get “a thinkpad”. the goal is to get extraordinary value, in this case a discarded corpo workhorse that’s still got plenty life in it, at a bargain price. if you’re in an area where the stated models are plentiful and cheap, grab one. if they’re overpriced, look for value elsewhere. e.g. Dell Latitude 74xx and HP Elitebook 840 are in the same ballpark.
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@somebody_to_love@lemmy.today 2026-11-10 08:03
Many people will recommend the T480, that’s fine but but don’t overpay for it. I am in the market for a new second hand laptop and I found this site very informative. thinkpad-t480.carrd.co Where I live, T14s are the same price as T480s, and they are much faster and accept AMD cpus. I think I’ll end up going for a T14 or L14 which already has 16GB of ram installed. Don’t get a laptop with 8GB as the price of ram is insane and the upgrade will not be worth it.