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After upgrading the display, CPU, disk, RAM, fan, battery it's a bit click-baity to say you've gone back to a 2012 ThinkPad - but interesting read non the less.

After upgrading the display, CPU, disk, RAM, fan, battery it's a bit click-baity to say you've gone back to a 2012 ThinkPad - but interesting read non the less. What surprised me the most is that Lenovo ships something as annoying as a loud fan (easily replaceable even for a home tinkerer). Of course they save a few pennies per laptop; but no laptop can ever be good if it's noisy. That was one of the main reasons why I bought an X301 ThinkPad many years ago, even when it fanned like crazy it was very quiet. But the clever design of the original ThinkPad's was starting to fade already then; the X301 actually had it's speakers on top. So you could spill liquid on it, unless you happened to spill it on top of one of your top mounted speakers of course. I've also gone through a few ThinkPad's over the years, and ever since they stopped being IBM; they seem to loose more and more of the "premium feel" for every generation. Especially the keyboard is way better on my old T40 then on the one I use right now (T14).

knaik94 5y ago
Thinkpad sold that model with 16gbs as an upgrade while buying the laptop at the time. SSDs needing to be upgraded has also been recommended since that time. And the processor update was simply maxing out the processor upgrade from that generation. It was available on the workstation version of the thinkpad in the same generation. The i7-3820QM release date is 04/23/2012. A new SSD doesn't mean current gen speeds, the internal and the caddy are still limited to sata 3 speeds. It's a very 2012 machine, a very nice 2012 machine.
- bjarneh 5y ago
  True; I just feel that most titles are a bit exaggerated these days to sound more sensational then they really are. If I were to write a book, I'd gladly use an old ThinkPad due to the nice keyboard. But I hope I don't write a blog like this if I do: "Why I went back to my 2003 ThinkPad" :-)
xxs 5y ago
"upgrading the display, CPU, disk, RAM, fan, battery it's a bit click-baity to say you've gone back to a 2012 ThinkPad - but interesting read non the less." That's the good part - it's possible, and it's serviceable. My spouse uses a 10y (almost 11y) laptop, it has pretty much everything changed & upgraded. CPU, RAM, keyboard, CD->SSD, HDD->SSD, battery, fan, wifi 801.1 b/g -> ac+bluetooth. The discrete GPU is not replaceable, of course.
- bjarneh 5y ago
  > That's the good part - it's possible, and it's serviceable. Agreed. The way things are constructed now (cell phones are of course 10 times worse), where everything is glued in place in order to break if anyone tries to replace them are terrible. The tinker tutorials on youtube seem to be more about which temperature different glue melts at, and which temperature the parts glued get destroyed at; then anything else. My next laptop will probably be a https://frame.work https://frame.work laptop for that very reason.
- tfandango 5y ago
  Might just be the current supply chain woes but I have a relatively recent X1 Yoga (Gen 1) and the fan went out. Had to buy a Chinese one on ebay to replace it since Lenovo did not have the part anymore. I kind of expected it to be easy to acquire an official part but they told me to look on ebay. The Chinese one works fine though.
  - bjarneh 5y ago
    That's nuts. Is that the official policy? Here in Norway, a laptop would have a 5 year "reklamasjon" (not 100% sure what that translates to in English). Perhaps "forced warranty" would be my best translation. It basically means that the product is expected to last for at least 5 years, and if it doesn't - the seller has to fix it, or give you your money back. Some products have a 2 year "reklamasjon" while others have 5; it's sometimes a bit surprising which products get 2 and 5 years. Cellphones have 5 for instance, which seems strange given their (ab)use. Companies cannot opt out of this.
    - tfandango 5y ago
      I think this laptop is likely over 5 years old, though I'd expect to be able to order 10 year old parts on thinkpads, but perhaps that is not cost effective since most companies would replace machines before that. In the US I believe it came with 1 or 2 years warranty against defect. I had purchased an additional 2 year warranty for a total of 4 years. I had the battery and cover replaced when it cracked but in the end I decided it was a waste if I could get my hands on the parts since these are easy enough to repair.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
dotancohen 5y ago
I've got a dozen ergonomic and mechanical keyboards. The feel of the keyboard is very important to me, just like a good fountain pen. So when my employer was giving to me a new Thinkpad I was excited. Thinkpad was the only laptop whose keyboard I could stand. This T-14 has a keyboard as horrible as any Asus. It looks exactly like the standard Thinkpad keyboard, but the key travel, the bottoming-out, the spring pressure, are all horrible. Even just rubbing the finger over the plastic it feels half as thick as the previous models, you don't even need to press a key to feel the difference.
- bjarneh 5y ago
  The corner cutting seems to have started the moment IBM sold ThinkPad to Lenovo. The fact that ThinkPad used to sell laptop keyboards for desktop use, says it all: http://www.notebookreview.com/picture/?f=48072 http://www.notebookreview.com/picture/?f=48072 It didn't take more than a couple of years before Lenovo discontinued this gem either; in favor of a cheaper alternative (in terms of production cost).
  - tristor 5y ago
    Everyone knew this was going to happen as soon as the sale was announced. Say what you want about IBM, for decades it was a company run by and for engineers, which meant that things like quality and tolerances were important product requirements, and they sold it to an entity essentially created to do acquisitions of IBM IP based out of China so it could be manufactured more cheaply. Lenovo did exactly what every expected, and it's honestly a miracle that modern Thinkpads are as good as they are, because they still stand neck and neck with Dell, where by all expectations they should be scraping the barrel.
    - bjarneh 5y ago
      > Everyone knew this was going to happen as soon as the sale was announced. At least I feared this would happen; sad to see how it all went downhill. To be honest I think the brand still sells products based on that feeling you got when you bought a ThinkPad 15-20 years ago. It was so sturdy, so nice to type on; everything just felt so solid. That is certainly why I've stayed loyal to that brand.
karteum 5y ago
> After upgrading the display, CPU, disk, RAM, fan, battery it's a bit click-baity to say you've gone back to a 2012 ThinkPad Well, I think the main point is : regardless of how better some modern components are (e.g. screen resolution, CPU energy efficiency with 10nm process, etc), the build quality, keyboard comfort, repairability and amounts of I/O are critical aspects that have dramatically regressed in the recent years. (Not even mentioning the Intel ME and Boot Guard that prevent flashing Coreboot). Besides, it also shows that a 10 years old CPU/GPU is still perfectly usable (and since we only have one planet, it would be desirable to extend the lifetime of our devices... (upgrading the RAM/SSD/Wi-Fi has an environmental impact, but far less than changing a whole machine !)).
imran0 5y ago
It should be noted that he didn't upgrade the parts to their 2020 equivalent or something, they are all original components. He could have bought it from Lenovo or order from ebay.

knaik94 5y ago

Thinkpad sold that model with 16gbs as an upgrade while buying the laptop at the time. SSDs needing to be upgraded has also been recommended since that time. And the processor update was simply maxing out the processor upgrade from that generation. It was available on the workstation version of the thinkpad in the same generation. The i7-3820QM release date is 04/23/2012. A new SSD doesn't mean current gen speeds, the internal and the caddy are still limited to sata 3 speeds. It's a very 2012 machine, a very nice 2012 machine.

bjarneh 5y ago
True; I just feel that most titles are a bit exaggerated these days to sound more sensational then they really are. If I were to write a book, I'd gladly use an old ThinkPad due to the nice keyboard. But I hope I don't write a blog like this if I do: "Why I went back to my 2003 ThinkPad" :-)

xxs 5y ago

"upgrading the display, CPU, disk, RAM, fan, battery it's a bit click-baity to say you've gone back to a 2012 ThinkPad - but interesting read non the less." That's the good part - it's possible, and it's serviceable. My spouse uses a 10y (almost 11y) laptop, it has pretty much everything changed & upgraded. CPU, RAM, keyboard, CD->SSD, HDD->SSD, battery, fan, wifi 801.1 b/g -> ac+bluetooth. The discrete GPU is not replaceable, of course.

bjarneh 5y ago
> That's the good part - it's possible, and it's serviceable. Agreed. The way things are constructed now (cell phones are of course 10 times worse), where everything is glued in place in order to break if anyone tries to replace them are terrible. The tinker tutorials on youtube seem to be more about which temperature different glue melts at, and which temperature the parts glued get destroyed at; then anything else. My next laptop will probably be a https://frame.work https://frame.work laptop for that very reason.
tfandango 5y ago
Might just be the current supply chain woes but I have a relatively recent X1 Yoga (Gen 1) and the fan went out. Had to buy a Chinese one on ebay to replace it since Lenovo did not have the part anymore. I kind of expected it to be easy to acquire an official part but they told me to look on ebay. The Chinese one works fine though.
- bjarneh 5y ago
  That's nuts. Is that the official policy? Here in Norway, a laptop would have a 5 year "reklamasjon" (not 100% sure what that translates to in English). Perhaps "forced warranty" would be my best translation. It basically means that the product is expected to last for at least 5 years, and if it doesn't - the seller has to fix it, or give you your money back. Some products have a 2 year "reklamasjon" while others have 5; it's sometimes a bit surprising which products get 2 and 5 years. Cellphones have 5 for instance, which seems strange given their (ab)use. Companies cannot opt out of this.
  - tfandango 5y ago
    I think this laptop is likely over 5 years old, though I'd expect to be able to order 10 year old parts on thinkpads, but perhaps that is not cost effective since most companies would replace machines before that. In the US I believe it came with 1 or 2 years warranty against defect. I had purchased an additional 2 year warranty for a total of 4 years. I had the battery and cover replaced when it cracked but in the end I decided it was a waste if I could get my hands on the parts since these are easy enough to repair.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

dotancohen 5y ago

I've got a dozen ergonomic and mechanical keyboards. The feel of the keyboard is very important to me, just like a good fountain pen. So when my employer was giving to me a new Thinkpad I was excited. Thinkpad was the only laptop whose keyboard I could stand. This T-14 has a keyboard as horrible as any Asus. It looks exactly like the standard Thinkpad keyboard, but the key travel, the bottoming-out, the spring pressure, are all horrible. Even just rubbing the finger over the plastic it feels half as thick as the previous models, you don't even need to press a key to feel the difference.

bjarneh 5y ago
The corner cutting seems to have started the moment IBM sold ThinkPad to Lenovo. The fact that ThinkPad used to sell laptop keyboards for desktop use, says it all: http://www.notebookreview.com/picture/?f=48072 http://www.notebookreview.com/picture/?f=48072 It didn't take more than a couple of years before Lenovo discontinued this gem either; in favor of a cheaper alternative (in terms of production cost).
- tristor 5y ago
  Everyone knew this was going to happen as soon as the sale was announced. Say what you want about IBM, for decades it was a company run by and for engineers, which meant that things like quality and tolerances were important product requirements, and they sold it to an entity essentially created to do acquisitions of IBM IP based out of China so it could be manufactured more cheaply. Lenovo did exactly what every expected, and it's honestly a miracle that modern Thinkpads are as good as they are, because they still stand neck and neck with Dell, where by all expectations they should be scraping the barrel.
  - bjarneh 5y ago
    > Everyone knew this was going to happen as soon as the sale was announced. At least I feared this would happen; sad to see how it all went downhill. To be honest I think the brand still sells products based on that feeling you got when you bought a ThinkPad 15-20 years ago. It was so sturdy, so nice to type on; everything just felt so solid. That is certainly why I've stayed loyal to that brand.

karteum 5y ago

> After upgrading the display, CPU, disk, RAM, fan, battery it's a bit click-baity to say you've gone back to a 2012 ThinkPad Well, I think the main point is : regardless of how better some modern components are (e.g. screen resolution, CPU energy efficiency with 10nm process, etc), the build quality, keyboard comfort, repairability and amounts of I/O are critical aspects that have dramatically regressed in the recent years. (Not even mentioning the Intel ME and Boot Guard that prevent flashing Coreboot). Besides, it also shows that a 10 years old CPU/GPU is still perfectly usable (and since we only have one planet, it would be desirable to extend the lifetime of our devices... (upgrading the RAM/SSD/Wi-Fi has an environmental impact, but far less than changing a whole machine !)).

imran0 5y ago

It should be noted that he didn't upgrade the parts to their 2020 equivalent or something, they are all original components. He could have bought it from Lenovo or order from ebay.