Looking for the Lenovo folks

[AntiHypocrite]

After much "discussion" with the Mrs about getting a laptop PC of our own - she has gotten very used to the one she got from work - I'm thinking about looking for a good Lenovo laptop that can be upgraded.

If any of the Lenovo people on the Laptop board could steer me toward an "upgradeable" machine with good bare bones - like a nice display and keyboard, for example - I'd appreciate some models numbers to read up on. In other words, if you were looking for a nice Lenovo laptop - that can be user upgraded - which machine would you be looking for?

By the way, the machine will not be used for gaming. It will be used, for the most part, as a media mangament platform, so certain ports, like a LAN port and an HDMI port, are fairly critical.

Thank you kindly for your time.

 

[mikeymikec]

Do you want to try and define what is "nice" in your opinion?

I can't think of a single laptop keyboard in say the last 5 years that I had any issue with. I think I'd have to go back to about 2012 to find laptop keyboards that weren't great in my opinion (e.g. lacking a reasonable level of tactile feel so one can feel where the keys are for touch-typing).

Is a "nice" screen a certain resolution or type of screen (e.g. TN/IPS/VA)? After encountering an IPS screen on a laptop recently, I suspect that Lenovo's V15 G2 series are all TN unless a particular variant states otherwise.

In terms of upgrade-ability I'd expect to find a certain amount of RAM soldered to the board but for there to also be a single memory module slot. In my experience, the Lenovo models I've been selling to customers have always had upgrade-able storage.

I found this by googling 'Lenovo V15 G2 datasheet':

https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/Lenovo/Lenovo_V15_G2_ALC/Lenovo_V15_G2_ALC_Spec.pdf

 

[AntiHypocrite]

I'm a MacBook Pro (MBP) owner, so, other than the Mrs' "work" PC laptops, I have had zero contact with them since circa 2010. I'm no hardware brand name warrior, but the anti-glare and retina displays, keyboards and the track pads I've been using, since I built my last PC tower, have been much "nicer" than anything from back in my PC days.

My reading is telling me that Lenovo is a reputable brand name that can still be worked on. I also uderstand that certain models have displays that are comparable to the retina display that came with the MBP that I'm presently typing on. As the machine we'll put our hard-earned into will not be our primary computer, I really don't see the sense in buying a new machine, so I'm not after the latest and greatest ... just something that can be used on a LAN and can also be easily moved from place to place.

Anyway, I was hoping to find Lenovo laptop users who can direct me toward a machine with a good reputation - the display being a key factor.

EDIT: I wrote this post before using the link provided. I'm clearly no expert on modern PCs, but my past experience with AMD processors wasn't positive, so I'm sorry that I didn't mention an Intel CPU as an important factor in this regard.

 

[tcsenter]

Is this for the laptop we have been discussing via PM? You expressed interest in using the Thinkpads from Lenovo. If you wanted to buy used/refurb Thinkpad with 6th Gen Sky Lake processor to run your older Windows 7 applications, that would be models T460 (14 in) or T560 (15 in).

 

[burninatortech4]

Lenovo L14's Gen 2/3 (AMD 5000/6000 series) have user replaceable SSD's,Wi-Fi, and DRAM. My L14 Gen 2 also has a WLAN slot that can take certain SSD's (so 2 total for the machine). HDMI and DP over USB-C + Ethernet.

 

[igor_kavinski]

This is a lovely laptop: https://www.insight.com/en_US/shop/...en-5-Pro-6650U---16-GB-RAM---256-GB-SSD---US/

Specs sheet: https://psref.lenovo.com/Detail/ThinkPad_Z13_Gen_1?M=21D2001SUS

Let me explain the specs:

CPU is AMD Ryzen 6650U. Very nice CPU paired with LPDDR5. Both are super optimized for lower power consumption which gives you excellent battery life.

16GB RAM is more than enough for normal use. Ditto for 256GB SSD.

Now the display. Gosh, just look at what's being offered. IPS means excellent viewing angles, 400 nits means very bright screen and 100% sRGB color gamut means you get vivid, intense and beautiful looking images.

Do not worry about AMD. The AMD you had problem with is no more. The AMD of today is a market leader. Just look at the following:



AMD is more valuable than Intel and it doesn't even own any fabs.

Buy this laptop with complete confidence.

 

[Jimminy]

I'm a MacBook Pro (MBP) owner, so, other than the Mrs' "work" PC laptops, I have had zero contact with them since circa 2010. I'm no hardware brand name warrior, but the anti-glare and retina displays, keyboards and the track pads I've been using, since I built my last PC tower, have been much "nicer" than anything from back in my PC days.

My reading is telling me that Lenovo is a reputable brand name that can still be worked on. I also uderstand that certain models have displays that are comparable to the retina display that came with the MBP that I'm presently typing on. As the machine we'll put our hard-earned into will not be our primary computer, I really don't see the sense in buying a new machine, so I'm not after the latest and greatest ... just something that can be used on a LAN and can also be easily moved from place to place.

Anyway, I was hoping to find Lenovo laptop users who can direct me toward a machine with a good reputation - the display being a key factor.

EDIT: I wrote this post before using the link provided. I'm clearly no expert on modern PCs, but my past experience with AMD processors wasn't positive, so I'm sorry that I didn't mention an Intel CPU as an important factor in this regard.

C'mon man, she's your wife. If you love her, get her a mac like you have (or better), not some cheap ass lenovo, dell, or HP crap.

She deserves it, plus you'll be better equipped to help her. You know all the apple i stuff, but you'd be lost with a regular PC, either amd, or intel.

Be a good husband and do the right thing!

 

[igor_kavinski]

get her a mac like you have

A Mac is hell for anyone used to the Windows way of doing things. Heck, even switching to Linux isn't as bad as a Mac. It's nothing short of a rude awakening. It might be easier for someone that only double clicks icons and uses applications and nothing else. All troubleshooting skills, if any, go out the window when some problem rears its head on a Mac. You go back to being a newbie, learning stuff from scratch.

 

[mikeymikec]

I've never ordered a laptop with a screen res over 1080p so I can't provide more advice than I already have.

C'mon man, she's your wife. If you love her, get her a mac like you have (or better), not some cheap ass lenovo, dell, or HP crap.

She deserves it, plus you'll be better equipped to help her. You know all the apple i stuff, but you'd be lost with a regular PC, either amd, or intel.

Be a good husband and do the right thing!

Yikes dude, read the thread rather than posting this Jehovah's Witness shtick.

 

[Jimminy]

A Mac is hell for anyone used to the Windows way of doing things. Heck, even switching to Linux isn't as bad as a Mac. It's nothing short of a rude awakening. It might be easier for someone that only double clicks icons and uses applications and nothing else. All troubleshooting skills, if any, go out the window when some problem rears its head on a Mac. You go back to being a newbie, learning stuff from scratch.

Are they really that bad? I never used one (too damn expensive for me). I thought they were supposed to be a notch up from everything else.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Are they really that bad?

The M1 Mac is certainly pretty fast and very energy efficient. But the OS is the problem. I failed in a programming bootcamp coz they refused to use anything but Macs. 95% of my time was wasted trying to get used to the different way of doing things but I never got the hang of it. Mac OS is just quirky as heck for us Windows types.

 

[AntiHypocrite]

Well, after reading these posts, the verdict's in: the Mrs hates Macs and I can't even get her to go near one. 😂

I can still recall spending more hours than I care to admit to - waaay back in my PC building days - working out why this driver or that driver wasn't working properly ... and, nothing personal AMD fans, but when I tried my first AMD CPU in a new PC build: fuhgettabouit! Sure, I eventually got that CPU to "talk to" the chipset, but that was clearly the worst PC build I ever worked on ... and don't even get me going on what would happen to Win 95 and (later) Win XP once you connected either one to the interwebs!

In short, the Mrs and I are 180-degrees apart when it comes to our computers ... but, speaking for myself, I've never missed not seeing those dreaded blue screens of death that our old PCs were so happy to give us. In short, I'm hoping and praying that Windows has gotten their [expletive omitted] together!

 

[igor_kavinski]

In short, I'm hoping and praying that Windows has gotten their [expletive omitted] together!

Windows 10 is fine. Windows 11, not so much coz it's trying to mimic the Mac in some ways.

 

[Starjack]

Windows 10 is fine. Windows 11, not so much coz it's trying to mimic the Mac in some ways.

I think the latest update of Windows 11 will push the taskbar items back to the left with the shorter search bar, as how it is up to Windows 10.

 

[shaggy77]

Personally, I avoid Lenovo now. 2 Laptops at home. 1 at work.

Work issued unit. Display failed. Speakers failed. Speakers failed again. All within 1 year of issue.

Home. My kid's 2020 model. Bought Christmas 2020. She was not a fan of the chrome book. They went into full remote learning that year. Camera failed within a year. Main board failed. Fairly higher end side of things. However the RAM is soldered on board. So no upgrades. It was only 8 Gigs which is now getting bogged down with her school work tasks and all the stuff she needs to run for her projects. Now the hinges are failing with really not heavy use. She usually uses the laptop with a USB C docking device. KB/M combo with a 27 inch monitor connected up.

My wife and I's laptop. Another Lenovo. Bought in March of 2022. Hinges failed within 6 months of ownership. Spider cracked the screen. Lenovo's response. Not our problem. The hinge mount on the displayed failed spectacularly. At the time I was not a happy camper. I spent around $1,000 bucks for the laptop and i was told not their problem. I promptly told them they lost me as a customer. Also the RAM was non upgradeable at 16 GB. Soldered on. It seems Lenovo is very big on the RAM on board set up.

On the other hand, never had any issues with HP Probooks. I had one as a field unit at my former employer. They were easy to upgrade with more memory or storage space. Generally built better. Sturdy construction for a large brand. They had HP Care packs on it until at least 2024. The one I had was a 10th Gen Intel i7 with 16GB of RAM and 1TB drive. My company was going to upgrade the RAM to 32 GB since they got a kit in for another laptop but didn't use it. But I was leaving them. So they might have moved it along to the next tech.

Right now. soldered on RAM is more popular with many laptops. I am sure storage is shortly going to follow. (Apple esque model) However, many of these laptops also seem to be slow in the storage department. I came across several laptops the PCI-e bus is capped not allowing the SSD to run at full speed. I have had a couple in which the lesser powered drive was swapped out. A better user experience was had. Even the laptops in the $500-1000 range seem to be like this. The higher end models above 1,000 seem to be a bit better but then you are spending closer to Apple type money which makes you start looking at a Mac Book Pro or something of that nature.

Right now I am looking at replacing my daughter's laptop. My wife and I are looking at Mac Books so she can finish out high school and hopefully college. I am looking at PCs as well if they are more upgradable in the RAM and Storage when you can find the models that have that feature. I figure I can get 2 laptops for the price of one with the PC direction. So if there is a need for different requirements in college.

Good luck in your search.

 

[tcsenter]

I definitely have no more trust in Lenovo consumer lines than any other. My well-cared for G series (G500/G50) died prematurely at about three years with relatively low usage hours. My brother had nothing but trouble with this Yoga 2 Pro from circa 2014/2015. After 1st repair in warranty, on 2nd failure six months later they refused to give him new one even though he purchased the Lenovo extra protection package for like $50. Said it "didn't qualify".

But still have confidence in their business lines; e.g. ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkStation,

 

[shaggy77]

Just a quick follow up to my previous post on September 1st.

Well the hinges failed on my daughter's laptop. Of course right before school is ramping up. They had already been back but on modified schedules so little to no homework. I looked around. Found a Dell on sale at best Buy of all places. Ironically the last place I bought a laptop for my daughter several years back. However, it seemed to speced out fairly nicely for the price.

Specs include:
Intel i7-1355u CPu
16 GB DDR5-4800 On board
1TB Gen 4x4 NVME drive
14 inch touchscreen 1900x1200 res

The unit is pretty speedy. Pretty much handles her basic school work without an issue unlike her previous Lenovo. It seemed it chugged on basic tasks. Even with fresh OS installs and numerous diagnostic scans. It was probably due to inferior components lower speed components. However, I got the new laptop set up. Ran some benchmarks. Definitely an improvement over the old one right out of the box. Data transfer was a breeze with modern ports. Turned the new laptop of over to her. She customized to her tastes. Made sure everything worked. She said thanks. She can actually use it. My daughter tells me she likes the front camera since it is a 1080 camera. Her band videos are nicer and cleaner. Her school work is easier since she can have multiple tabs open for different classes or research for projects.

During this time, my wife and i looked really hard at Mac Books. We were very close on purchasing one for her. One of my biggest concerns was getting most of remaining years of HS done plus getting all of college. Asking for essentially 7 to 9 years I felt was going to be a tall task for any laptop. I know Macs seem to have a reputable service life but the current generation of MBP with Apple's CPU, I feel the jury is still out on long term service life. The oldest ones I think are 2 years old at this point. I know the lack of RAM and storage upgradability can be a major road block. I didn't know if I should pay a king's ransom for 32 GB over 16GB. Storage was less of an issue since external drives could easily overcome additional needs. Even getting a TB4 external drive enclosure and grabbing a Gen 4x4 drive is still cheaper than its equivalent on board options. However, the user aka my daughter liked the idea she could be integrate her other apple devices with the mac book. Al her programs were available on Mac OS as well. She liked how the Mac OS felt as well. However, she also understood my position about long term. She told my wife and I she too would want her mac book to last longer than her other laptops and it would be nice to have the same computer for several years instead of a couple. Smart kid.

Good Luck out there.

 

[Torn Mind]

Lenovo and hinge failure is simply part and parcel, even up to their Thinkpad line. They are an overrated manufacturer living off IBM's rep and the fact that consumer laptops suck in general. Something lasting 7 years and having a dead stable mobo compared to 3 years of volatile crap like Acer comes off as OMG awesome. Thinkpad's cannot be used beyond their intended use case to provide suit-wearers something they need(bursty work loads on the go, maybe in a courtroom, plane, hotel, office) and other "office people" who use them as pure portable business/clerical machines. My sister pushed that machine hard with The Sims....helping it expose it's heat dissipation weakness. It still is usable but it's done as a laptop. Now it's a "uncloseable portable thing".

My sister's T430 is still alive functionally, but it's left hinge is toast(likely literally next to the heatsink). Now, the non-OEM SSD(by crappy 3rd party reseller) might also have been compromised partially by heat. There's plenty of heat from the CPU and GPU, which might have compromised the SSD silicon and likely helped the hinge fail. Installed the GPU drivers always causes system crashes, thus, if that drive is used, there is no choice but to uninstall and run on iGPU only. I used archive.org to nab a Win7 recovery install in Polish(lol) and the GPU drivers work fine on the new BX500 with the Win7 recovery disk.

Also, the Thinkpad BIOS in the T430 is...malleable. A bad USB stick(Team Group sucks) and the resulting prematurely terminated Win 8.1 installed somehow wiped out the key shortcuts to BIOS. I had to install a new BIOS version to restore F1/F2/F12, but my ENTER key to interrupt startup is still lost and the Thinkvantage button is still useless. What a trap for "tweakers". Who in the hell makes BIOS keyboard presses "overwritable"? Lenovo.

 

[Torn Mind]

A Mac is hell for anyone used to the Windows way of doing things. Heck, even switching to Linux isn't as bad as a Mac. It's nothing short of a rude awakening. It might be easier for someone that only double clicks icons and uses applications and nothing else. All troubleshooting skills, if any, go out the window when some problem rears its head on a Mac. You go back to being a newbie, learning stuff from scratch.

No.