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Guide updated November 2019.
This Buyers Guide covers ThinkPads new enough to fully support Windows 10 with all updates - with models available from $50 on up!
Used ThinkPads are cheap because they are business-grade computers - and business-grade equipment is purchased new typically every 3-4 years. This is fantastic for the smart or thrifty, as software requirements haven't changed much since mid 2011. Even better, business-grade PC's tend to last far longer, and function far more consistently than consumer or even 'prosumer'-grade technology.
This is a freely offered guide on technology that I, and many others, consider to be the best of the best. That said, your mileage may vary - I can't promise how much you will like it. :)
If you’re patient, you can get one for even less!
Finding a good deal really comes down to understanding eBay sorting.
Basically,
And now you have a ThinkPad xx70 or older for under $250 USD!
That's really all there is to it. It's really hard to go wrong with those steps, as eBay almost always sides with the buyer in disputes. Even if it doesn't make sense. I should know. I'm both a seller and a buyer.
I've purchased several ThinkPads this way with no unresolvable issues.
You're going to find the best deals on units from refurbisher/recycling companies that do not include the HDD/SSD/OS. That's not a problem at all. SSD's are affordable and easy to install, and Windows 10 Pro downloaded from Microsoft's site will activate itself on any hardware xx40+ automatically, and on any earlier model with the included 7/8 key on the sticker post install.
Alternatively - use Linux. It is 100% viable as a mainstream OS now since everything is done in the browser anyway, Steam support even for Windows games is great, and Linux is typically more stable and consistent than Windows.
Pop!_OS or Linux Mint Cinnamon is the way to go for beginners, Solus if you're looking for rolling release, and Arch if you're looking for nerd cred+lack of free time in addition to rolling release.
Format: (letter)(number 1)(number 2)(number 3)(second letter)
There are other formats, but this is the most common within the modern structure.
T - Thin-ish. Medium/standard sized laptop. 14" and 15" variants available.
X - Ultraportable. Same thickness as the T series, but with a smaller screen (12" or 13') and less expansion options in favor of weight and a Yoga (2-1, touchscreen) option.
W- The old workstation line, discontinued in 2015 in favor of the P series. Thicker and heavier than the other classes - but you gain workstation-class graphics and CPU power.
P - Same as the W, but given that they are newer, they are relatively light and thin.
X1 - Flagship mainstream ThinkPad line. They tend to be comparable to the MacBook Airs in weight and thickness.
X1 Extreme - Compared to the other X1's, the Extreme is much more comparable to the MacBook Pro in terms of weight and power. The Extreme in particular is a near perfect blend of weight, power, and durability for the traveling worker/prosumer/gamer. Battery life pays a bit for that power tradeoff. The ThinkPad P1 is the same design, but with a Xeon and Quadro rather than an i9 and GTX. The X1 Extreme is the only ThinkPad that can be considered a 'Gaming ThinkPad' - unless you consider the PCMIA/ThunderBolt options (that can be paired with external GPUs) as well.
Please use the subreddit if you want to ask questions about ThinkPads, but please read this guide carefully before asking questions, or use the subreddit search feature. No one likes to answer something that has already been answered.
Need to find the best software to run on your new ThinkPad? I've compiled a Free Resource Directory here.
Have a higher budget and want a new or factory refurb ThinkPad straight from Lenovo?
Here's two community-made tools to help you find what you're looking for on Lenovo's website more easily.
Affordable Workstation: W540, W541
Yoga: P40 Yoga
Mobile Power: T440p / T495 / X1 Extreme / P1
Ultrabook: Any X series X230+, X1 Carbons 3rd gen and up.
Privacy: All xx30 generation ThinkPads compatible with 1vyrain.
Before the ThinkPad Buyer's Guide, I was making the Free Software Directory.
Any T or X series, as long as you don't care about gaming.
If you want 'gaming', T440p, W540, W541.
However, the newer ThinkPads are often just about as cheap as those ones are during those sales.
Note: the older you go, the more trash the battery life will be.
xx30 generation models are the oldest ones that really seem to hold up at good speed with modern browsers and media, but my bar is kinda high.If you don’t know what size you want, just go for this series.
T series models with an ’s’ suffix (eg. T410s) means they’re slimmer than the regular T series laptops but unlike the X series, they have worse battery life compared to the regular T laptops. They also usually cost more than a regular T series.
T series models with a ‘p’ suffix (eg. T61p) means they’re more powerful than the regular Tseries and some come with stronger dedicated GPUs. These are similar to the W series.
T series models with an 'i’ suffix (eg. T420i) are basically the same as the Regular T series but with lower specs. Avoid the ones with Celerons, they’re too slow. i3 models are serviceable.
An aftermarket Quad Core i7 CPU will work in a T420, but they do not come as standard on any T420.
T520 prices vary depending on the configuration, the lower end price is listed here, but you may spend a bit more if the screen, CPU and GPU are excellent.
Notice:
The T440/T440s doesn’t have physical TrackPoint buttons, which might be a no-go for ThinkPad fans, but if you’re okay with Touchpads, then they’re... okayish? You can transplant the T450 TrackPad into the T440. Make sure you get the Synaptics model trackpad if you use Windows. Here's how to do it for the T440s.
T61 models with Nvidia GPUs are known to have higher than normal failure rates, avoid. Nvidia T61s made after 08/08 are safe but they are very rare.
If you are an unlucky owner of these older Nvidia T61 laptops, try to make it run as cool as possible by keeping the fans clean and using fresh thermal paste, this would extend its useful life quite a lot. Also, avoid sellers selling reballed/reflowed T61s with the older Nvidia GPU, they’ll most likely die within months if not weeks.
Expected specs: 2-4GB RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Expected specs: 2 - 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
14" inch screens.
Expected specs: 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
15.6" inch screens.
Expected specs: 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Portable and great battery life.
X series with an ’s’ suffix (eg. X200s) means they’re slimmer than the normal X series and use Low Voltage CPUs compared to Full Voltage. This means they’re even more portable and last longer on battery at the expense of CPU power.
Notice:
The X240 doesn’t have physical TrackPoint buttons, which might be a no-go for TrackPoint fans, but if you’re okay with Touchpads, then they’re...okayish? Here's my guide on replacing that trackpad with the far better one from the next generation. Make sure you get one that is Synaptics-branded (ask the seller) if you use Windows. Here's where I got mine.
X series models with an 'i’ suffix (eg. X220i) are basically the same as the Regular X series but with lower specs such as being equipped with Celerons, Pentiums and i3 CPU options. Avoid the ones with Celerons and Pentiums - stick with i3 as the minimum configuration for a reasonable experience.
Expected specs: 2GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Expected specs: 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Expected specs: 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Expected specs: 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
X300 (13.3" Core 2 Duo G2)
X301 (13.3" Core 2 Duo G3)
A bit bigger than the X series. It has pen input thanks to a 256-level pressure sensitivity Wacom Digitizer and some models have finger multi-touch as well. And it twists! How cool is that?
X series Tablet models with an 'i’ suffix (eg. X220i Tablet) are basically the same as the Regular X series Tablets but with lower specs. Avoid the ones with Celerons, they’re far too slow.
There are some X60/X61 Tablet models that have a 1400x1050 display. They usually cost a lot more than a regular one, so if you see one selling for cheap, don’t pass up on that deal! Unfortunately the High resolution versions of the X61 Tablet also suffers from a very ugly bubble problem where the glue leaks out and creates bubbles inside the display as it ages. The X60 Tablet Hi Resolution display doesn’t have this problem.
X series Tablets; X41t, X60t, X61t, X200t and most X201t models use Low Voltage Intel CPUs. X220t, X230t and very few X201t models use Full Voltage Intel CPUs.
BE ADVISED - SOME OF THESE MODELS HAVE OPTIONS FOR TOUCH WITH FINGERS *OR* PEN EXCLUSIVELY.
Lenovo has jumped around on which of their ThinkPad product lines should have the Yoga functionality/branding, so I won't get into it. Instead, use DuckDuckGo/Google, and use the general eBay guide at the top of the page.
Expected specs: 2GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Expected specs: 4GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
Expected specs: 2GB + RAM, an HDD or SSD of any size.
X60 Tablet/X61 Tablet 1400x1050 - ~$170, $280
If you lift (heavy weights) or just like a desktop replacement, look no further than the W Series.
W-series prices vary greatly depending on the configuration, the lower end prices are listed here, but you may spend almost double if the screen, CPU and GPU are excellent.
Like the MacBook Air size, but want something even lighter - yet more powerful? AND more durable? You found it.
X1 Carbon models are, in my opinion, the best and most featureful thin-and-light computers available.
Notice:
The X1 Carbon G2 doesn’t have physical TrackPoint buttons, which might be a no-go for TrackPoint fans, but if you’re okay with Touchpads, then they’re...okayish? It also has an odd keyboard layout and a TouchBar top row. Yes, it was released years before the MacBook TouchBar.
Like tablets and touchscreens, but still want durability and power?
You find that stunning combo in the ThinkPad Yoga line, and I believe this 'best of everything, worst of nothing' approach is going to be the way forward for users that do not need the raw horsepower that demands a workstation machine.
The best of these so far in the used market is the P40 Yoga.
Lenovo has jumped around on which of their ThinkPad product lines should have the Yoga functionality/branding, so I won't get into it.
Instead, use DuckDuckGo/Google, and use the general eBay guide at the top of the page.
Note:
The S1 Yoga has the 'bad' trackpad. It can be replaced with this one.
For stuff like T42, X41 or earlier, don’t bother, unless you’re collecting.
Unless the deal is excellent, avoid:
These are cost-cut versions of ThinkPads which are thicker, are made of lower quality plastics and are less durable. Terrible hinges on the Edge series especially, some Edges have electrical shorting issues.
The only time I've had a ThinkPad break and didn't know why was an R.
eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, your local newspaper, garage/yard sale or flea market.
You may even be able to find newer ThinkPads such as the xx70 models on the Lenovo US Outlet for under $500 if you’re lucky.
Never EVER buy ThinkPads with BIOS locked (Supervisor) passwords, you cannot reset it by taking out the CMOS battery. The Supervisor password is stored on a chip and requires special equipment to extract it or a complete motherboard replacement.
If you do know what you’re doing, there is a $100 tool which can be used to recover the BIOS/Supervisor password from almost any ThinkPad (except some SL models) available at www.ja.axxs.net.
Make sure it can actually access the BIOS. Sellers selling parted out ThinkPads that “Boot to BIOS” are safe. For you collectors out there, if the old ThinkPad cannot advance past the 00161 and 00163 (Dry CMOS battery/No time set) errors, there’s a good chance that the BIOS is locked because the time couldn’t be set.
If your laptop comes with Computrace enabled, there’s a chance that the laptop was stolen, or the previous owner forgot to disable it. You and your ThinkPad can still be tracked and be remotely disabled if Computrace is enabled.
On models with Core i-Series G2 and newer (X220, T420, etc.), you can install a bootable mSATA SSD module (currently up to 1TB) in the empty slot. On older ThinkPads (X201, T410 or older), you cannot install mSATA SSDs, they will not work at all. hwtools.net has a lot of interesting things you can put in a regular WWAN/PCI-E slot such as SD card slots and connectors for external GPUs. In order to use these special PCI-E cards, you will need to remove the Wi-Fi whitelist, which involves flashing a custom BIOS.
It is tempting to cheap out on a battery for your ThinkPad. There are a few things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of getting a generic battery.
So take your pick: a reliable, but costly (over $100) battery or a slightly annoying and shorter lasting battery for $30.
720p sure, very high bitrate 10bit 1080p playback not guaranteed on Core 2 Duo and ULV CPUs. 3rd gen core I series such as present in the T430, X230, etc, have more graphics-capable CPU's.
With an eGPU (provided it's supported by your model) or a dedicated GPU model, your results should be pretty good. Integrated graphics means don't expect much beyond emulators and indie retro stuff. Dolphin can run on Haswell CPU's and up, for instance - within reason.
CoreBoot has been tested to work on the T60, T530, X60, X200, X201, X220 and X230 models.
Make sure you get the Correct size drive otherwise it won’t fit!
T60, T60p, T61, T61p, T400, T500, T410, T420, T510, T520, T530.
X60, X60s, X60 Tablet, X61, X61s, X61 Tablet, X200, X200s, X200 Tablet, X201, X201s, X201 Tablet.
W500, W510, W520, W530.
T420s, T430, T430s, T430u.
X220, X220 Tablet, X230, X230 Tablet.
T400s, T410s.
X300, X301.
This section shows the limitations of each Intel chipset generation used in ThinkPads.
CPU Performance is measured by Geekbench 4, Single Core/Multi Core.
GPU Performance is measured by 3DMark06. (No dedicated graphics benches)
PS: These performance numbers have been obtained from Notebookcheck.net for GPU scores and Geekbench 4 for CPU scores. I did not run these benchmarks myself.
Core 2 Duo Generations 1-3 refer to the Centrino chipset generation, not the CPU generation because some models such as the T61 offer both Merom 65nm and Penryn 45nm CPUs on the same chipset.
These are the current prices in the US.
Prices listed are in $USD
Thanks to ThinkWiki for the ThinkPad pictures.
Please visit www.ThinkWiki.org for more details such as specifications of each ThinkPad.
I would like to thank KTGee.net for creating the original guide, which is now offline. I was able to contact them, and they merely no longer desired to maintain it. I would credit the person themselves - but they stated they wished to remain anonymous.