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Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

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Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#161

Post by 0xbadcafebee »

vbezhenar wrote: post #76
tombert wrote: post #51

I have the ThinkPad p16s AMD gen 2. What it lacks in name it makes up for with being the most headache-free computer I have ever had (including a Macbook). Everything works pretty well out of the box, it never really overheats, Linux support required basically no effort with NixOS, the keyboard feels pretty nice, the screen is bright and easy to read, and fortunately I bought it when RAM prices weren't insane so I go…

I own T14s Gen4 Intel and Linux support is perfect, even fingerprint reader works. Zero complaints. I'm mostly using it in clamshell mode connected via USB-C to display with backwards charging, it all just works! I'm also using secureboot with my keys, I cleared all MS keys and it didn't brick the laptop. My only grievance is a bit buggy firmware. When I turn laptop on or reboot, speakers will randomly be muted (not…

T14s Gen4 AMD user here w/secureboot enabled. Just used fwupd to upgrade BIOS two days ago, because I didn't realize the BIOS boot-order lock was preventing it. Rebooted, changed setting, rebooted, upgraded firmware automatically, rebooted, changed setting back. Yes it took 30 minutes, but I don't expect I'll need to do it again.

While most of the hardware works, hibernate doesn't, which annoys me. Fingerprint scanner also only works randomly at login, Linux issue I assume. Machine was crashing once a week (logs suggest it was AMDGPU related), but not since the firmware update, so fingers crossed that's fixed. In retrospect I wish I got the L14, didn't realize I would need more RAM at the time.

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#163

Post by nine_k »

thrtythreeforty wrote: post #133
nine_k wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had al of these. The CPU is the weakest component here, and only T480 supports 32 GB RAM. (Typing this from a T14 gen 1.)

I've got a T480s that has 40GB of RAM (32GB SODIMM + 8GiB soldered). Works fine. Is the T480 different?

T480 has 2 RAM slots and S has soldered RAM and 1 slot.

OTOH unofficially T480 (not S) can work with two 32 GB SODIMMs. I did not try that.

(I wish the AMD-based thinkpads supported ECC RAM. Ryzen 7 mobile CPUs technically allow for that.)

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#165

Post by trinsic2 »

orev wrote: post #110
Terr_ wrote: post #2

> LPCAMM2 memory that’s fast, efficient, and easily serviced [0] Today I Learned about LPCAMM2, which is refreshing, seeing soldered-on memory always felt like some kind of slide into disposable barbarism. [0] https://www.ifixit.com/News/95078/lpcamm2-memory-is-finally-...

When CAMM was announced, they (Dell) mentioned that one of the reasons for soldered RAM was due to electrical tolerances not being met anymore with regular DIMMs at the speeds they were reaching. CAMM was designed to avoid this, and ensures that each trace has the same length so there aren’t timing issues. I’m no expert but it sounds plausible to me. From a manufacturing perspective, it makes sense that they’d want m…

Yeah I read about that too. Makes sense as faster cpus demand faster responses from ram and the timing has to be right. I think it came up with a gamers nexus video on the steam machine.

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#166

Post by Teknomadix »

tombert wrote: post #51

I have the ThinkPad p16s AMD gen 2. What it lacks in name it makes up for with being the most headache-free computer I have ever had (including a Macbook). Everything works pretty well out of the box, it never really overheats, Linux support required basically no effort with NixOS, the keyboard feels pretty nice, the screen is bright and easy to read, and fortunately I bought it when RAM prices weren't insane so I go…

Second that. Both AMD p16 and p14 are amazing NixOS machines.

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#167

Post by trinsic2 »

alabhyajindal wrote: post #4

Nice very cool. Unfortunately, the blog post looks like it's been generated by an LLM. > Going from a high score to the highest score isn’t usually about making minor tweaks. It requires fighting for every small, boring, consequential decision—the ones that determine whether a repair isn’t merely possible or practical, but within easy reach.

Ifixit, the same guys that gave the new Macmini 8/10 for repairability? They're totally biased to mainstream products IMHO especially Mac products.

Then they give this Laptop a 10/10. One look at the internals and without a shadow of doubt it's not as as repairable friendly as framework laptop.

Not sure what they are smoking.

Yea someone else said it but bios updates on certain models can be hit or miss. But definitely better than dell or hp. I'd take Asus over Lenovo any day for bios though.

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#168

Post by cookiengineer »

userbinator wrote: post #88
cookiengineer wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

^ this comment is more relevant than people might think. HP regularly deploys broken BIOS updates and literally bricks your laptops. Happened in 2023 I think 7 times that year, and one time even right in the next week. Our IT got so fed up and ditched any HP laptops because of it.

Never update your BIOS unless you have a specific bug that needs fixed. I remember a Thinkpad BIOS update ended up destroying both undervolting and overclocking, and required a "chip-clip" programmer to revert.

People don't have a choice to update their BIOS, as updates like this are automatically installed, by both Windows and the underlying Intel ME tools.

(And I'm trying to avoid talking about microcode updates, which is a whole other story of fuckups)

Regarding Thinkpad BIOS: I have a Raspberry Pi Zero and a self soldered RP2040 programmer [1] in my travel kit for a reason. When travelling, a lot of the Cellebrite rootkits rely on an OEM BIOS, so they typically reflash your BIOS in the "we gonna check your laptop" phase.

[1] would totally recommend serprog, it's awesome: https://codeberg.org/Riku_V/pico-serprog

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#169

Post by nirava »

huddert wrote: post #143
tombert wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never had an issue with 60hz. 30hz is unusable but 60hz has always been good enough for me; the Sega Genesis and SNES had 60hz and that's always been good enough for me.

[flagged]

Even 50hz is fine. I'd go so far as to say, barring any medical or sensitivity issue, if any person prioritizes a 120hz screen they are a victim to habit or marketing.

It adds zero value to the experience, and you're just looking for things to be annoyed by / brag about.

Modern displays are already cutting edge. They have improved in every way that's meaningful in the last 35 years. Refresh rate is just not meaningful enough. "35 year old performance" it most certainly is not. You just seem hellbent on using this arbitrary (to most people) benchmark as a filter.

FYI, I run my 17 pro almost exclusively on power saving mode to cap frame rates because the battery life extending by 30 mins is more infinitely more valuable than frame rate over 50. I've capped my fancy monitor's frame rate to 60 so it matches my macbook air. And it's all fine in this world, nothing here is "one notch above unusable".

Re: Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability

#170

Post by userbinator »

wtallis wrote: post #105
userbinator wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never update your BIOS unless you have a specific bug that needs fixed. I remember a Thinkpad BIOS update ended up destroying both undervolting and overclocking, and required a "chip-clip" programmer to revert.

That advice doesn't hold up very well when in recent years we've had multiple instances of a BIOS update being necessary to deal with the problem of "the CPU gets fed too high a voltage and dies prematurely". That's happened to both Intel and AMD desktop CPUs. It's a real problem that BIOS updates for consumer systems never come with a meaningful changelog, so evaluating whether a particular update is a good idea or…

That advice holds up very well when taken along with "don't buy the very first major release".
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