I like used Thinkpads. I bought a T430s off eBay and used it for several years. Recently I got a T570 from work. It had a screen issue, so I bought a new screen. That didn’t fix it so I bought a new mobo, but it has a loose drive connector so won’t boot. Just now I killed it for good by putting an nvme in a sata slot lol.
Anyway, I need another laptop and I don’t want to buy something new. The t570 did everything I needed it to, but I’m concerned about the design/build quality. What Thinkpads are people running these days that aren’t very old but still solid?
Thanks for the recs. I am looking pretty hard at a T580 refurb on eBay right now. I am looking for a bit more modern processor than most of what you have suggested, I think.
@electric_nan Yeah ours are all a bit long in the tooth. Given the kids’ proclivity for destroying equipment though they’re on the cheap stuff :)
Not Thinkpad related, but: my next laptop will almost certainly be an AMD Framework. They’re just so good. _Better_ design and construction than even older ThinkPads, fast, powerful, and with great matte 4:3 screens. My only gripe is the lack of a Trackpoint.
Right on. If I was buying new, I’d be looking at Framework or Tuxedo.
@electric_nan Issue for me is the cost. Frameworks are actually cheap for what they are (compare with a MacBook!) but we could replace our entire family (second-hand, elderly) ThinkPad fleet for the price of one Framework.
Yeah I can’t really justify the coat right now either. If I was more patient, I could just wait until we retire another Thinkpad at work :p
I’m on a T580, great machine, basically a P52. Dual batteries. No TN screens (I think, make sure). I put the discrete graphics card cooler in my (integrated graphics) coz I live in a hot place and some TPN7950 on the CPU, and it never cracks 70C and usually stays silent. Upgraded the SSD to a 2TB nvme, and it’s basically been flawless for 2+ yrs, touch wood.