Hello all

So I'm thinking of getting a ThinkPad, my first. My research lead me to believe that ThinkPads are best for remote work and daily use. (I work in research and data analysis)

I'm thinking of a P Series laptop. Mostly better they are they only ones I saw without integrated graphics.

P16v Intel Gen 2

P14s AMD Gen 4

P16v AMD Mobile Workstation

P16s AMD Gen 2

P16v Intel Gen 1

P1 Intel Gen 6 (not a typo)

P14s Intel Gen 4

P16 Intel Gen 2

P16s Intel Gen 2

I'm LOST. What are the differences?

Also there's a P16v AMD Gen 1 and 16p Gen 4 (not a typo) on sale

Thanks!

Edit: Are the newer gens worth the price increase or should I mainly be worried about specs? Is the 16v or 16s or regular 16 very different from each other? Also, what's up with P1 and 16p?

Hi,

According to Wikipedia:

"P series are the most advanced ThinkPad products offered by Lenovo"

So I was chasing P, as I wanted to buy one with only Ryzen processor. My target: 14", 2021+ model (gen2+), I need workhorse good performing laptop. I would love 15" or 16" but to me latest versions are screwed regarding ergonomy --> touchpad on very left side. Rather than making a bit wider casing, they decided to make keyboard on the edges, so the result is not much space to rest left hand on casing, so I've picked 14".

Then I realized the fact that most of my targeted "P" has RAM soldered. I'm not looking for troubles, soldered CPU is bad enough. I do prefer RAM in slots so I can do cheap eco repairs in case of problems rather than scrapping whole board.

So I was scratching my head why in top P series RAM is soldered like in cheap junk rather than in slots?

So I went on T page:

"The T series is officially the flagship ThinkPad product, offering high-performance computers aimed at businesses and professionals." But found RAM soldered as well.

Okay, so I assume in here P as a top top, while T as a flagship, okay, both RAM soldered.

So I gave up and started to read about budget stuff, L series:

"L series has an added focus on economy and value, they are the entry-level range for enterprise use, and are also used by students." To me it sounds like really budget entry level cheap lower quality laptop, but hold no: surprisingly 2021 "L" model (gen2) with 2 RAM slots, while "higher" T and P same year models has soldered RAM.

Does it means: ignore series as they have no clue what they're doing really regarding marking series logically?

Or I'm just the biggest nerd in here and no one else is paying attention if RAM is soldered on board or in slot?

EDIT:

SORTED! SOUNDS LIKE BRILLIANT COMMUNITY IN HERE!

Thank you for brilliant info!

I just bought L14 gen2 for now (Ryzen gen5 5650U with good single thread performance, socketed RAM), as really needed to upgrade to carry on with my day-to-day work more efficient way, but by majority notes sounds like T14 / P14s is best bet for RAM socketed version with good Ryzen CPU and nice options while keeping good ergonomic thing (centered touchpad), in second hand market currently.

Definitely I'll watch listings/marketplaces and upgrade my L14 when I spot T14 / P14s one in good condition. Then it will be just matter of swapping SSD between, especially I'll run Debian. I don't need to worry now if it will be next week, month or in few months time because for now L14 in here, well, not delivered yet but on the way. Thank you all :-D

I thought that the number after P stood for the screen size. I have a P15v, but I keep seeing around P52 and stuff. What does it all mean?

I'm looking to upgrade my T450s to something with quite a bit more power. My old Thinkpad is fine, but I'm looking for something closer to a workstation.

I've been looking at used full spec P15gen1 machines which can be had for around USD600.

Any input on whether those are any good? Are there any known issues with P-Series?

I guess price wise a regular T14 gen2 or gen3 would be an option too, but having a QuadroT2000 does sound enticing. lol

Hi everyone, I wanted a new budget-friendly laptop (Preferably less than $1000) that would be good for video editing and programming (Web Development and Cybersecurity related). I have a PC at home to edit and program but If I ever need to go out, having a laptop where I can work on my projects would be nice as well. Yes, I have limited options but having something is better than nothing. I asked someone else and they recommended that I purchase a secondhand/refurbished Thinkpad P-series laptop (like a P50 or better).

Something like this: https://www.newegg.com/gray-lenovo-p50-mainstream/p/1TS-000E-15NR8

Thanks for helping!

Cost isn’t an issue, I get a pretty fat discount through work. What’s recommended?

Just broke my old Acer, ready to join the ThinkPad cult. I need a laptop for engineering university, so somewhat powerful to run FEM simulations and CAD but not overkill, but also a usable battery life >= 3hrs. Currently debating between P14, P16, T14, T16. Please give me your brutally honest recommendation, and be specific with the series and gen.

Hello everyone,

I'm in the market for a new laptop and after doing some research, I've narrowed down my options to the Lenovo Thinkpad P series and Thinkpad T series. However, as a newbie to the Thinkpad lineup, I'm seeking some guidance and recommendations from the community.

My primary requirements for the laptop are durability and a high-quality keyboard, should have at least 15 inch screen I don't like small screens. I'm looking for a sturdy and well-built laptop that can withstand the test of time and handle my day-to-day usage without any issues and should have a very good cooling system. A comfortable and reliable keyboard is also crucial for my work and typing experience.

While I don't play highly demanding games, I do enjoy some casual gaming from time to time. It would be great if the laptop can handle these games smoothly, even if it's not a dedicated gaming machine. A Gpu would be nice though.

Additionally, I'll be using virtual box for my Linux practice. So, I'm also interested in a laptop that can handle virtualization tasks efficiently.

Considering these factors, I would appreciate any advice or suggestions you may have regarding the Thinkpad P series and Thinkpad T series. Which series do you think would be more suitable for my needs? Are there any specific models within those series that you would recommend?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Got myself a solid budget for a laptop to get me through college. I’m doing civil engineering, so I would need to run structural modelling software, CAD, etc. I want a laptop to run those smoothly and provide a pleasant experience but I know very little about PCs. So I’m thinking of getting a P-series in hopes that it would be a solid investment and I would be able to use it after college as well.

But I’m also worried that I might not actually need the most powerful thing there is. So: Is P-series worth it? Should I look into other brands’ workstations? Do laptops generally hold their resale value?

In my opinion, the best resource available for newbies wanting to understand what Lenovo Thinkpad to get are the 4 articles on Wikipedia covering the Thinkpad "P" series, "T" series, "X1" series, and "X" series. Specifically, the "Models" section of each article.

Background:

I see a lot of noobs on this subreddit asking daily which Thinkpad is best for their situation. In my opinion, the resources on the sidebar of this subreddit are outdated, and it leaves a lot of people looking for a modern machine in the dark, or worse, mislead about the capabilities of machines that are 5-10+ years old.

For example, the linked buyer's guide for n00bs hasn't been updated since 2019. Windows 11 didn't even exist. The top linked Thinkpad Wiki guides haven't been updated in years either.

And while I love classic Thinkpads, and they still work great for Linux, they are getting to be old. Yes, they were more modular and rugged. They had excellent keyboards. Most components were not soldered (something I REALLY wish Lenovo would stop doing). But they are getting OLD.

So there is a serious disconnect between the resources noobs come here to find, and the vast majority of posts in this subreddit, which feature computers much more modern than what they see in the top of the sidebar guides.

None of this is a criticism of the subreddit. I love this place. It is just to point out that while old Thinkpads are great, they are in many cases, not capable of running basic software like Windows 11 or modern video games. And this is a serious limitation for many people.

It also creates the illusion that these computers can just be upgraded to modern performance needs. For example, I see a lot of noobs here thinking they can just upgrade the RAM on an old machine and it will be fine, because "16GB is plenty for me". Not realizing that the AMOUNT of RAM is far different than the SPEED of RAM. A 2012 T430 will have 16 GB of 1600MHz RAM. A 2025 T14 Gen 5 AMD will have up to 128 GB of 5600MHz RAM. Even if both machines only have 16GB of RAM, the 5600MHz RAM will run circles around the 1600MHz RAM.

Same is true with processors. A 2012 T430's 2.8GHz Ivy Bridge processor, is in no way similar to a 2025 T14's 3.30GHz Hawk Point AMD chip. It may only be 0.5GHz difference. But the former has 4 cores with 8GB of L3 Cache. The latter has 8 cores with 16GB of L3 cache. The "GHz" of the processor does not tell you any of this.

The bottom line is, people come here and either get the wrong impression, or, because many of the guides on the sidebar do not reflect modern thinkpads, there is a void of information needing to be filled, resulting in a ton of repetitive posts. And that's where Wikipedia comes into play.

The reason I recommend the Wikipedia guides on the "P" series, "T" series, "X1" series, and "X" series, are because those are the highest quality Thinkpad families, in that order. There are other familes, such as the "E" series (economy series), "L" series (also economy series), and so on. But for most people I see in this sub, they can find what they want in the P, T, or X series articles.

Why do I like these 4 articles so much? It lists exactly every spec about every model, including how fast the RAM is, whether the wifi card is soldered or removable, whether it has one SSD bay or two, what generation processor, and so on. All of it is in control-F searchable format, in one webpage, listed by year.

I'd say at least half of people's questions on this subreddit about a given model, could be answered by just looking at the below Wikipedia articles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_P_series#Models

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_T_series#Lenovo-branded_models

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_X1_series#Models

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_X_series#Lenovo-branded_models

I found an extremely good deal fully maxed out used T14 gen 3 with I7, I intend to keep this device 3-5 years at least.

I read older posts that everyone prefers AMD for obvious reasons, but is it really that bad?

According to reviews, P processors throttle so hard that their performance uplifts basically become useless, in comparison it seems like AMD R5 actually performs better than maxed out I7 at longer than 5 minutes of contunious work.

Is that true?

What's the difference between these two outside of different years generations of cpu?

Work just mailed me my replacement ThinkPad a p15s. My old one was a t560, both have Intel i7 vpro cpus. I'm not getting gyped going to this new laptop right?

I'm in the market for a new laptop. I fell in love with ThinkPads after my T510, almost 11 years ago. I still have it and use it now and then, but it's time for an upgrade.

I'm thinking the P series. I'm not a fan of the new numbering scheme, it's very confusing. P14, P15, and P17 are easy pesey. But then they threw in the P53, P1 Gen 3, P1 Gen 4, P15v, P15s, etc. Now they don't necessarily line up with their respective screen sizes anymore unlike ye olde days. It's damn near impossible navigating Lenovo's overly lavish site with a chat bot bugging me every 5 minutes.

Can someone explain this witchcraft to me? Thanks

My budget is 3200 euros and I live in Belgium. I mainly use it for general use, programming (university) and regular games here and then. Also a good cooling.

What is on my radar? The P16, with 32GB ram, 256GB storage (will buy custom ssd other slot), I7-12800HX and the 8GB VRAM Nvidia GPU.