ThinkPad on a Budget: The X Series 

also

Get an SSD and will be even better :D

It's a great machine. Don't know why I didn't buy one sooner.

@@victormontivero1998 listen to Victor get an ssd AND that small, dont know how its called, short m2 RAM like drive which is on right hand side of the trackpad.

@@fyi_it I think you are talking about the nvme ssd

@@shuwan4games X220 came out before NVMe went mainstream, it's mSATA your looking for. I think. I don't know much about X220.

Levski Levov Me tooo

Respect because OpenBSD and Thinkpad

I currently have a W700 and a T440p. The latter may not be considered a "W" series model but it has similar expandability and performance to the W540 from the same generation. I may try to find a few more W/P series ThinkPads before devoting a whole video on them.

I'm on an i7 x220 too. Woo! Not a windows fan though, so running good old Debian.

I have used my T430 for editing all of these videos, and while I now have a quad-core i7 in mine, for a long time it had the standard Core i5 3320M, which is the same processor found in the X230. It could edit 1080p60 video with no problem, and with an i7 it just works even better!

I got a near mint X230 back in March and got it upgraded to 8 GB of RAM for the sweet dual channel performance boost and is a great little machine that's running Linux. Now all it needs is a SSD, but in the meantime I found a fairly well preserved X61s for $66 shipped and had to order it. It will need some love, cleaning and new thermal compound, but will make a great machine to put in my workshop or girlfriend's flat.

My X220 is still purring along with the same specs and outlasted my TP Yoga 14 which had multiple problems. It's been dual-boot Linux/Win7 for about 6 years now and is my travel laptop and back-up. Looks like it will be for the foreseeable future. Still a better keyboard than all of the modern chiclet types. And, the X220 is crazy fast for its age and size - boots to Windows7 in 14 seconds.

They say it's good for hackintosh

I have t420 and I feel the same its just to big.. im loking for x220 or x230

X230 with an X220 keyboard/palmrest and a 120 GB SSD has been my daily driver for about a year and a half now. Used a T430 for some time before that. Both solid machines!

Had a X230 for 8 years heavy use, Hdd gave out

They're certainly great machines! I'm typing this from my X230. I'm currently working on a follow-up video about the best used ThinkPads to buy in 2019, and the X series will definitely have a starring role!

i actually tried buying a x220 as my first thinkpad off of ebay i had to get a refund cause the package was never shipped

are you still using the 220 in 2023? i just got a 201 and it works pretty well

You could always put an X220 keyboard in to fix your complaints about the function row! :P I agree that there were some design flaws in the X220/230 chassis, however I’m willing to overlook that since they are in almost every other way an improvement over the older X200/201.

I agree with you on that, also the backlit keyboards have a glossier texture than the non-backlit ones, so I prefer the non-backlit keyboards.

Glossy means it would also attract grime and stuff from the fingers no? How's the non-backlit feel? Heard it feels like fine sandpaper, better traction. Might as well get myself an X220 keyboard if I could let go of the backlighting and use Thinklight instead.

I prefer the ThinkLight, sure it doesn't "look pretty" like the backlit keyboard does but it is certainly a lot more practical, and I wish Lenovo hadn't removed it on the newer ThinkPads. The non-backlit keyboards definitely feel better, and I do remember hearing that the glossy finish does attract more finger crap.

I prefer both depending on the situation. if I wanted to illuminate the keys subtly in dark without flooding anything else I'd use the backlight. If I wanted to illuminate anything else above the keyboard, like papers and other things besides the laptop, I'd use the Thinklight. I'm happy with X230 because it has both of them. I'm also saddened that Lenovo removed the Thinklight on later Thinkpads...and yeah, I did hear about the glossy keyboards somewhere in Louis Rossman's rants, something about his preference of non-backlit keyboards to backlit ones because of that. But trust me, it will be harder to type because Thinklight is gone, and there are no alternative ways of illuminating the keys from above except for sticking USB LED above the keyboard, making a poor man's Thinklight. EDIT: My personal experience with the backlit keyboard though? You're trading off cleanliness for backlighting. A lot of finger oils and fingerprints here and there on mine and sometimes I get to wipe them with 70% alcohol...it just looks, eugh.

I know the screen size is larger, but the T480 still has most of what was removed from the X280. If you have good eyesight you could turn off scaling with the 1080p screen. Also I refuse to pay $35 for a passive Ethernet dongle, when USB 3 Ethernet adapters go for $15.

If I get ahold of a few ThinkPad tablets I will gladly do a video on them, however as of now I do not have any of the ThinkPad tablets and since they are basically just touch screen versions of the standard X series, I feel it is a little redundant to dedicate a whole video to it.

In Pakistan these tablets are dirt cheap, X201T is available for less than 80$, while X220T for less than 100$ (less than the price of apple stylus 'Apple Pencil' alone), I bought X220 reluctantly, but once I got the machine and used it for a while, one get to know why these things were more expensive than normal variants when sold new, they are little bit bigger from power button on-wards on both the lower part (which extends further half an inch compared to screen) as well as the lower bezel on screen, which looks a bit odd but all of that is for reason, these parts are over-engineered for that single hinge mechanism in the middle, its tight enough that there is no chance of accidental screen swiveling and one needs two hands to open the machine. If you get hold of at-least couple of variants like X201T (which has lower powered processor compared to X201) to X220T/X230T which use normal processors, these were sold with windows 7 which was not touch screen optimized, but with presence of windows 10 there is better utility of these tablet machines now (with renewed interest from Samsung and Apple in Stylus computing, behave like they have reinvented the wheel) compared to when they were sold new that's why old/existing reviews are bit outdated from usage perspective, anyhow if you do get hold of them, these machines have good 15~20 minutes worth of video material compared to normal variants. I have subscribed you, keep up the good work.

I certainly do!

Absolutely!

Yes!

I wish Lenovo would listen to its install base.

Considering the current trend, no. I don't think 90% of the world agrees with you, which is just sad. I love serviceable and upgradeable laptops, but the world doesn't care about that.

They are very solid laptops. Typing from one now!

I got my girlfriend an X220t for Christmas last year and she said it's her favorite laptop that she's ever used. She likes doing digital art, so the touchscreen on the x220t was a big plus for her.

got one today, still amazing but with linux

How long last your battery?

@@diegomillan2806 with 9 cell battery, it will last for 5 hours, the 6 cell is 3 hours.

Maybe I should have specified that this is only about the 12" ThinkPads. I also never talk about the X1 series.

thats dumb. you can sell it for a million and buy another one for $200, and keep the rest $999,800

@@pinkipromise u can earn a lot from theses units

They nearly use the same generation cpu with the x series having a sandybridge while the other has an ivybridge. Would say it depends on what you plan to use it for.

I was not aware that 16 GB DDR3 sticks even existed. And sadly that seems to be the truth, since the X240 the 12” laptop has been pretty much dead for serious use.

The thing that really killed them IMHO are the Ultrabooks. Back in the days of the X201 or X220, those were the only systems that really were portable, so people put up with the smaller screens. But nowadays, even some 15" systems are very thin & light. Truth is, most people prefer bigger screens than 12", even if the laptop is slightly bigger. There are things like the the XPS 13 now, which has a 13.3" screen in a smaller chassis - or the X1 Carbon with 14" and very slim bezels. So these systems lost their mainstream audience. With the X240 to X270, Lenovo had like a hybrid between a classical Subnotebook and an Ultrabook, but it seems with the X280, they have decided to make it into a cheaper X1 Carbon alternative.

@@ithinkabout4369 I prefer a 12" screen over a bigger laptop.

@@timgooding9464 But why, if you can have a 13 inch screen with the same size? Too much wasted space on the classic 12 inch models.

I didn’t mind the smaller keyboard, but the hot Wi-Fi card was always an annoyance when I used the X61.

Pretty much, especially since they’re as thin and light as the old X series laptops were.

@@SebisRandomTech The only "issue" with them is that they are not as portable as the X ones. 14" screen is better for general usage, but if you carry your laptop on your bag all the time, use it in plane/train, opening it at a café etc., those 2" (with extra bezels of course) surprisingly matter. I went from X230 (7row keyboard) to T470 and yeah, I feel the difference. It's just different. I borrowed EliteBook x360 for a few days and wow - I literally fell in love again to with it partly for it's size. T-series are OK but generally aim to different market... But yeah, their thickness and weight now basically equal to old X series.

Yes, the T450s is better than an X250

Depends on what things you value. The X250 has better battery life, is thinner and lighter, and has a few better screen options without modifications (FHD 1080p displays). The X230 has a better keyboard, better port selection/expandability, and stronger performance at the expense of some battery life. It only has 720p screens, but can be upgraded to a 1080p display with a mod if the user desires.

@@SebisRandomTech thanks a lot mate for the detailed advice. I m not concerned much with screen as my work is simply php Python programming , neither a gamer nor a video lover. I think I should be happy with a i7 x230 which you said in one of your video can outperform a ultra processor of higher gen i5. you cleared my confusion and will go with older 3rd 4th gen CPU with x230 or a t 440 p . Can you also suggest me where to grab a nice deal, I mean where you get cheap machines from.

@@neerajbg Living in the United States, it's easy for me to get used machines for very cheap from eBay and Craigslist, and sometimes have luck at local thrift stores or flea markets. Depending on where you live and what your definition of "cheap" is, your luck may vary.

@@neerajbg eBay.

@@SebisRandomTech thanks brother, you are so kind having helping hand, unfortunately eBay takes a lot for shipping to India. But yes I m in love with thinkpads. I do have a L 440 with i7 4800 mq as my workstation. I m looking for another one and will go with x230. Thanks a lot mate.

X230.

I don't have much experience with Dells, however I can tell you both ThinkPads you mentioned will be very durable. Both have upgradeable RAM and storage, but while the X230 has an i7 option, it is soldered to the motherboard. In addition it is only a dual core processor. The T430 uses a socketed CPU that can be upgraded, for example in mine I replaced the original Core i5 3320M with a core i7 3612QM (a quad core processor).

I've made a few videos about this topic, and am looking into making a new, updated video giving my full list of recommendations. If you are looking into getting a brand new laptop, the T480 (with FHD screen, *not* the 1366x768 option which is stock) will be an excellent choice. It has a lot of the upgradeability that you could want. The Intel HD graphics that are built in can handle some light gaming, and if you want a little more oomph then you can get the Nvidia MX-150 graphics card with it. When it comes to used or older machines, there's a whole world of recommendations. In my opinion, if you value portability and excellent battery life, the T440/440s and T450/450s are good options and are becoming fairly cheap. If you want power and more expandability, the T420, T430, and T440p are excellent machines, with the necessary upgrades. The X220 and X230 are also great laptops, I am editing a video about the X230 as we speak.

Thanks for your feedback, I'm leaning now at getting a older T430 I just found locally thats refurbished. Has the I5 3320M, 4G RAM and a 320G SATAIII for $240 CAD. Might go check it out today, and then upgrade to what I need. I like the idea of it being cheaper and I can tinker with it(not an expert, but I have dabbled a little bit over my lifetime).

I'd like to disagree seeing how I am typing this from my X230!

@@SebisRandomTech but you have to restrict yourself to single sentence ;)

@@pattoman5568 *X230 with the classic keyboard* Happy now?

Agree. I can't stand my x230 because of the short vertical screen size and flat cursor buttons. Instead I continue to use my x61 and recently discovered how great the x201 is after buying one. The x201 came with a HDD but is so zippy that I haven't even felt the need to migrate to a ssd. Amazingly I feel the x201 performs better than my x230. Love it so much that I am buying a second one.

Mobile processors are faster and have more thermal headroom but use more power. The ultrabook processors use less power and are more energy efficient at the expense of speed.

They’re a supplement not a replacement for an ultrabook. Sometimes you want to carry something smaller around and a 12-13 inch ultraportable is easier to stow away than a 14-15 inch ultrabook.

I may have a video on some of the Performance (T60p, T440p, W540, etc) in the works. Life has a way of delaying projects though.

Thanks. I subscribed to your channel & look forward to seeing it. As well as any other Lenovo related videos you do. I see the W541 as the end of an era. I would love to have a P51 but can't justify the cost to performance over my $320 classic.

Well the X230 can at least accept the classic keyboard easily, and the X240 can accept the X250's touchpad, so there are ways to get rid of the bad aspects of those machines' designs. But I still think the older ThinkPads were designed better (even as I type this comment from a newer one!)

There’s a BIOS setting to turn on the always-on port when the laptop is off or unplugged. The biggest benefit of the replaceable batteries is being able to swap them out on the go if you’re away from an outlet.

Just replace the fan when it dies! They’re easy to find and cheap on eBay or Amazon and not too hard to replace.

I did buy one, right fan wrong pipework then another, right pipework bad fan and the fans themselves on T60s have a bad reputation. But it's still a good machine for writing. I did think of building a briefcase machine with a 17 0r 20 inch display in the lid, the guts of a lappy, a full KB and a FOB trackball (the industrial 2-3 inch ones are cheap and well made). There would be room for a 2-day battery and your sandwiches as well but having retired I now have so little free time I probably won't. Cheers

Sorry to hear you had bad luck with the heatsinks, maybe you could transplant the good fan into the good heatpipe!

Plan is to try adding an external fan and at the same time rebuild the battery to serve as a plug for a larger battery pack - Love the machine, now a big fan of trackpoint (to the point where I opt for that in preference to anything else for complex graphics work). The work world be worth it as the alternative is a 17 or 20 inch machine to get the same readability on screen which is a bit big.

The first wide screen laptops (and computer monitors) had 16x10 screens, the current crop uses 16x9. It's not a scam, just a cost cutting method by making use of surplus TV panel glass. The difference between 16x10 and 16x9 may seem small, but it makes a big difference. Dell still makes computer monitors in the 16x10 format, and I wouldn't buy anything but for the desktop. For 'basic low cost' laptops, the 16x9 is acceptable, but any machine made for the 'road warrior power user' should have a 16x10 glass in there.

They are cheap enough to get them all.

T series?

Typing this reply from mine! :)

@@SebisRandomTech yeap, me too :)

Still using it in 2020

They should have made an X280 with a more classic design and an X280s for those who really want those extra few millimeters shaved off. That way, those who want a smaller screen with more power can get what they want, and those who don't care about extra power or upgradeability can have their thin laptop. They already do that with the T480/T480s and the X1 Carbon for the 14" machines, and for 15" machines you have the T580/P52s for those who want something thinner, and the P51 for power users. I am aware that the X230 would require an extra battery, but the X280 is still a downgrade from the X240-270 in that regard. Most of the people looking for a small and thin laptop aren't going to buy a ThinkPad. Most of those people would probably look in the direction of Apple. That is why I criticize Lenovo for neutering the ThinkPad line to appeal more to Apple users; most of the people who buy MacBooks are never going to buy a ThinkPad, and vice versa. So why compromise the ThinkPad to make a half-assed product that still won't appeal to the target market and also disappoints the existing market?

Sig

Often these machines would come with just one slot occupied so that the other slot is open for a user upgrade. Easily put in another 4 GB stick for 8!

@@SebisRandomTech while browsing around XY Tech website I discovered that a USB-C to ThinkPad barrel adapters are a thing. Now it can join the rest of my portable tech gang.

Still love my X230. Starting to use my FrankenPad T601 now that it's all together, but I still keep the X230 around for times that a thick 15" beast isn't practical.

They aren't a good value for the money. xx40 series ThinkPads (with the exception of the T440p, T540p, and W540/41) are actually less powerful than their xx30 counterparts, and don't give you the same level of expandability and upgradeability as the xx30 line.

@@SebisRandomTech 9 months later: yeah I gotta agree. planning to get a T430 as my next laptop.

@@oinkey Solid choice, I'm glad you could come to a decision.

Just about any ThinkPad would fit those needs!

Did you install Windows yourself or was it installed by the seller?

@@SebisRandomTech It was installed by the seller of the computer. It now gives me two errors on startup.

It’s not bad if you aren’t going to be using it on the go (unless you don’t mind the downgraded keyboard). Another advantage it has is being able to use a 1080p IPS display, an option not available with the T430 and earlier. So in terms of raw CPU power it is definitely better. However if you want the classic design, and/or want the classic keyboard, the T430 is the newest you can have it on through modding. Also, the T440p lacks an ExpressCard slot, something I use for adding FireWire to my T430 and can also be used to add an external GPU. The T540p and W540 do still have the ExpressCard slot though.

I think nowadays the best new ThinkPad that balances portability and upgradeability is the L series, specifically the L14 and L15. The P1/X1 Extreme are also fairly upgradeable for that form factor.

I don’t have any of the T variants of the X series. I should have mentioned them but since they are basically just tablet versions of the non-T models, I felt it wasn’t necessary to mention.

I do. This video was edited and uploaded on a T430.

@@SebisRandomTech which editor did you use? thanks

@@nacholibre1030 Magix Movie Studio, a.k.a Vegas.