Found a good deal and bought not one but two identical specs T480, at a total of 400$. Both are grade A or even A+ and look and feels great. One of them has less than 1000 hours use, the other came with 50-60% battery capacity as expected - both are 8 gigs of ram. So now I'm waiting on delivery of 2*8 gigs of good old china ram and both internal and external batteries, ordered on ebay. It's almost impossible to find original batteries in good shape, so I'm trying my luck in china as well. Will keep an eye out for temps, and might upgrade the heatsink and thermal paste.
I bought the T480 and love it. I use it for story and screenwriting. I've also played around with Ubuntu, and Fedora Linux on this machine, and it ran them flawlessly. I love the anti-glare display as well. I also like the simple basic upgradability that is seldom seen these days in other laptops. It doesn't hurt that the keyboard is water resistant. I've had mine for 11 months and no complaints. If I had to nitpick, I wish that once the backlite keyboard is on, I did not have to turn it on again every time it went into sleep mode. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who needs a reliable, upgradable laptop to get things done.
Hi Steve, do you still use this laptop? Is your atittude towards this machine changed or no? I want to buy this laptop soon, so it will be so helpful if you share some experience after 2 years of using. Many thanks!
@@j.p.9522 I had to replace my company T470's motherboard twice, usb-c port would stop working. Thunderbolt gave me constant problems with the dock. Horrible piece of shit. Business my ass :)
You've literally sold me on this model, bought one today, deciding video - as it is the best video out there. Thanks! Looks like the last fully customizable Thinkpad laptop.
Just an FYI if you are considering this: the WWAN m.2 port will accept a 2242 pci-e NVMe SSD. NGFF will not work. Hard to find, and the biggest so far is only 240GB, but it possible. Keep in mind, it has to be pci-e and 40mm.
I have been watching your videos since last summer because I was trying to learn about my think pad t440s and I have enjoyed your videos and I find that your reviews have helped me to make some smart decisions on my purchases. Thank you for the help
Thank you for this great review. I was torn between few different TP models. But your videos sold me on T480. You've really helped me take right decision.
This and the T480s do have two USB C ports, one is part of that docking port with the other part being dedicated to Ethernet. The one that's also for docking is also the thunderbolt 3 port.
Hi Lisa, and Happy New Years. Well after watching a ton of your video reviews, I've made a decision. I ordered a T480 with I5-825ou processor, Windows 64, FHD IPS Display, UHD Graphics 620, *GB RAM, Backlit keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, 256 SSD, with the 6 cell Battery, for $940.00. Also because of the 2-3 week delivery, I ordered from EBAY, a x250 with the same Specs except the Fingerprint Reader and it came with a Docking Station, for $360.00. So far I'm extremely Happy with my X250, and can't wait for the T480 to get here. the T480 is for Home Base, and X250 is my travel work horse. I'm hoping to start Blogging this year. I also picked up 2 additional 72 WH batteries, and a P52S for my Sophomore in college and 3 X240's for my High School Senior, and my Twin Juniors. The X240's have the new mouse pads, but my Boys are not gonna notice the difference. Thanks for all the help, not a bad Christmas for my Knuckleheads.
I picked up one of these earlier this year refurbished with 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD, a FHD IPS display and a back-lit keyboard for only $600. To top it off it came with 18 months remaining on a 3 year warranty. All I did with it is install a 256GB 2242 SSD into the LTE slot just because I had one lying around. Great machine. It only has the i5-8350U CPU but really, it's spec'd way beyond what I need! It's also nice that it meets the Windows 11 requirements straight up .. not that I'm going there yet with this machine. I need it to work reliably. I'll let Windows 11 ripen a bit before I take the T480 there.
Hi, I am looking for an used T480 with 16GB RAM, GPU MX150, 256 M2 SSD for 600 euros, is it worth buying? I've been using my trusty T61 for over a decade, and I am hoping this T480 could last for a next decade? What about cooling is it good quality? Thanks in advance, cheers!
@@gorangorkoza6666 It does not sound like a terrible price, especially if it is in great condition. The cooling would depend on the CPU, but mine with the i5-8250U has never had an issue. Last a decade? Maybe if you take good care of it and upgrade it as required.
@@Zeroneii3 We are talking about a T480. It does not have separate coolers for the CPU and GPU. They are linked together via a heat pipe. Since the MX150 chip is the same across all CPU options for those models, then the cooling is dependent on the CPU which, for the US market can be i5 or i7 and at various speeds. In all cases, MX150 or not, the effectiveness of the cooling is ultimately dependent on the CPU choice.
I still can’t get past the fact that the Microsoft Surface and the Dell XPS have no HDMI port. That is an absolute travesty. Lenovo remains the GOAT laptop. Heck, even my $500 IdeaPad has a fricking HDMI port. Definitely gonna eventually buy a ThinkPad
Thanks, I think your review is one of the best I've seen in regards to detailing the internals and things that are upgrade-able etc. Good to know that it can't hold an SSD and HDD at the same time because I would have considered trying to install a spare HDD into one we've just purchased (with 256gb SSD).
@@lyndonnawanaojr.2728 there is an M.2 slot that can take either a 2242 NVMe SSD, or LTE card. In addition, as mentioned, the 2.5” hard drive bay can take an adapter that allows you to put in a full length 2280 M.2 NVMe SSD. IIRC the shorter M.2 slot is PCIe 3x2 and the full length M.2 slot runs at PCIe 3x4 speed.
Just received my T480 this afternoon so its been sitting on my desk the past 4 hours downloading windows updates. I just got the basic model, I don't need anything fancy. Mine is showing 11 hours of battery life with both standard batteries. Liking it so far but haven't been able to really do much on it due to the updates LOL.
Same I'm IT as well and when the 16:9 laptop craze hit the markets in late 2009 early 2010s, I thought we would progressed towards 1080 and 1440p ips business grade laptops by 2015. Sadly 1366x768 15.6" TN still exists and I don't think it will go away for the next 10 years.
CLP 17,520 49%OFF | KingSpec m2 SSD 120GB 240GB nvme ssd m2 pcie m2 SSD 128GB 256GB 512G Disco Duro m2 2242 pcie nvme para ordenador portátil de escritorio a.aliexpress.com/_mrCGoa7 I just bought this one from Aliexpress, I haven't tested it jet cause it is still coming, but in the publication said that it is for this model. I'll comment back when I test it.
Hello Lisa, understand that the ssd speed test shown in the video is based on the configuration without Nvidia MX150. I came across articles that say that the ssd performance in T480 will be capped to 2 PCIe lanes instead of 4 lanes, in units with Nvidia MX150. Does it mean that the ssd max speed would then be halved ? Do you have any info on that ? Thanks :)
Thank you for this review! I was almost purchasing a used T480 until I discovered after seeing your video that it is not possible to have an NVME and SATA drive at the same time. Lenovo's technical specs fooled me because they mention both SATA and NVME but ommit that they are mutually exclusive. I love Lenovo but think I will have to buy an HP Elitebook G4 or G5 instead.
I so agree the upgrade freedom makes all the difference finally !!! So fed up with Apple and I think even Dell is doing the same. I do love it as a nice VM machine drop in centos or fedora for work and I'm done will keep this one in mind. Would have loved more cores like a new AMD CPU
Hi Lisa, can you please do a review of ThinkPad T580? It's a little more different than 480 and 480s, and I wonder if we can have both SSD and HDD together in T580. Thank you.
Only had my i7 8650 with mx150 for a week or so now and it has hit 98 degrees celcius multiple times, this always goes over 90 celcius every time I use it. Lenovo acted as if this was unheard of yet many others are having the same issue.
At Lenovo web site. there's a configuration option for a _second_ SSD. Where does that fit? Within that same traditional hard disk case? Looked like an exclusive-or case. EDIT: so I learnt the second SSD is meant to go to that M.2 2242 slot if no LTE modem is configured. Still a couple of unknowns, (1) if I ordered a traditional hard disk, then later buy my own (M.2 2280) SSD, would that bay case have the necessary PCIe/NVMe connector cable? (2) 11:07 you didn't pull the plastic cover fully, but I supposed the M.2 2242 port is _always there_ ? I see some lines there but they're not gold/yellow, so not sure if the port is outright missing if there wasn't a second SSD ordered?
@@kyungsushi7018 I'm using it in 2024 and it's completely fine in Windows 11. I get 213 points in Speedometer 2.1 with Firefox in Windows 11 on my T480 with Intel Core i7-8550U and 32GB RAM (2x16GB DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM sticks with 2x8R layout, as 2x8R RAM is the fastest at a given frequency). I've been using it when delivering food in a thermal bag. There have been several times when the laptop got extremely wet due to condensation (my bad), and once there was some coke spilled over and the USB-C and Thunderbolt ports were soaked with it, all while the laptop was on. I turned it off, sprayed isopropyl alcohol on the ports when I got home, took the laptop apart and sprayed some more IPA and used a toothbrush to scrub any leftover cola, and it works perfectly without issues. And I also used it when it was freezing outside, the TrackPoint is a life-saver when you're using the laptop with gloves on. It's very robust, and is probably the last ThinkPad to be as robust as the old models such as the T420 and T430, because all other ThinkPads like the T480s and T490 are just bad macbooks compared to T480, due to their soldered RAM, small internal battery, and bad cooling. I expect it to serve me for a long time. I don't want to upgrade from it because it's already very upgradable, and I'll have to wait for at least 3 years until the first cheap T14 Gen5 laptops (which aren't even out yet) hit the used market. I've installed a 72Wh battery, replaced the bland stock screen with a great IGZO low-power panel, and my model also came with an Nvidia MX150. I got my T480 in November 2023 for $330 (prices have come down in my city since). You can also upgrade all T480 models with up to 64GB RAM, because they actually all support that. And I've also undervolted my T480 by downgrading the BIOS to ver. 1.26 and I got -100mV on Core and Cache and -115mV on Intel GPU and iGPU Unslice.
So basically Lenovo want all thinkpads to be ultrabooks like the X series. Even though I want something between the Wxxx series and the TxxxS series, Basically a normal laptop with all the ports and a DVD drive and a socketed CPU.
hi, the same here:) i have t420: ssd and 12gb ram really helped. Battery life is weak, but that might be oold battery. Also: a bit heavy, touchpad/trackpoint are dead, the hinge is also dead (meaning that even these military-grade laptops die easily) But the performance, honestly, is still great.
T420 here. 2nd ssd in place of DVD bay and an msata OS drive. Hi def video editing. Good to go. Would be nice to have a lighter machine, but I highly doubt I could get away with the robust backpack habits I have with the T420
great stuff! i've had this computer for a few months now, running Linux (Ubuntu 18.04), no problems at all running Linux on this machine. one thing i'd like to mention though is that, after a while the keyboard can hurt your fingers.... when you push down a key, there isn't much "spring" left, but it's "rock hard" at the bottom..... so i'll probs be plugging in keyboard for when i can :/ otherwise, highly recommend..... it's a great laptop.
What? First time I've ever heard anything bad about a ThinkPad-keyboard. Each and every one I used was (/is) incredibly good, both the old and the new design. Best keyboards available on laptops by far. Maybe you got a lemon?
Found best buy has these for 250. My lady needs something. I forgot the ThinkPad was a workhorse. For what she's doing with it I think the otherwise basic out-of-the-box setup will do nicely for her. I got a Legion 5 for myself - probably way more laptop than I actually need but why not.
Hey there Lisa! I’ve decided to go for the Thinkpad T480 mainly for productivity and navigation use, some movies maybe, 0 gaming.... But I was still wondering which screen I should get, the 1080p non touch one or the WQHD one? I’m worried about its impact on battery life... Love your videos :))
This is probably my favourite TP at the moment - that upgradeability with 32GB ram and the quad core procs, and the wqhd is plenty good enough. And not too heavy. I'd probably cart a 480 around far more than this 2yo P50 - still excellent performance and going strong, just wrong side of 5lb.
I'll pick one up in 10 or 15 years when they're $50 or so on Ebay or Letgo. :) I'm currently using a B50-45 (would like to upgrade the RAM but it's a bit expensive at this point) and an old but kickass T61. I'm not sure even The Hulk could break that thing.
The IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad T-Series laptops are great, I've had several over the past few years that I have updated and resold, they're great machines especially for those on the go where they may get bumped around a bit. I just sold my T430 about a week ago it was another ebay purchase that I did and upgraded the RAM and installed an SSD and sent it back out into the world, it was in excellent condition, whoever had it probably just sat it on a desk at home or in the office and that's where it sat, you couldn't tell it had been used, even the track pad was in excellent condition with no wear marks. I have a Dell E6420 XFR fully rugged laptop that if people whine about weight I'll hand that to them to carry LOL, that thing weighs 12 pounds...my old Dell Inspiron 8200 with both batteries installed weighs about 12 pounds as well HAHA!!! This new T480 is a lightweight compared to even the T440p and my T430. I'm wondering if I'll miss not having a DVD-RW drive though.
6 more years to go I briefly used one in my high school days 5 years ago for about a month and I remember really liking it I decided to buy one as a birthday gift to myself for today yesterday eBay t480 $300
Could you show the report/screenshot of hwinfo 64, where you saw that the thunderbolt port was x4? Since in my research among others I found that there were 2 pci slots (which were not ssd or ethernet) "free". Of which one was x2 and the other was x4 (on the model without gpu). On the models with gpu this x4 slot is used for the gpu connection, which leaves the x2 slot for the thunderbolt 3 controller. Could you clarify this for me?
Great video Lisa. Question: I am reading that i can install m.2 memory in the WWLAN, provided i do not have a WAN card. Some say that this is in addition to the 2.5 in bay for HDD or ssd. There seems to be much confusion about this. Also, consider Lenovo's ThinkPad T480 Platform Specifications - www.pro-com.org/media/pdf/5f/6f/58/ThinkPad_T480_Technisches_Datenblatt.pdf. Thoughts?
You can. However, it has to be a pci-e 2242 NVMe SSD, NGFF will not work. VERY hard to find. Toshiba makes a 240GB card that is known to work. dongknows.com/toshiba-rc100-nvme-ssd-review/
IMPORTANT: The Thunderbolt 3.0 port only has 2 pcie lanes and you can use a 2.5" hdd/ssd with another m.2 nvme!!!(not sata) 2242 ssd instead of the WWAN module. Otherwise great review, thanks. Sources: www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/823nwl/does_the_thinkpad_t480_or_t580_have_x4_lane_tb3/ forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T/Thinkpad-T480-M2-2242-SSD/m-p/4005486#M123483
Can you please do a review on the new Yoga 730 which comes with a GTX 1050? I'll be in college in a few months and need a laptop with a good keyboard and a dedicated GPU or which supports an EGPU. Which would you personally recommend? Thanks!
A little tech insight. In that 4g slot is possible to install a mSata SSD. It won't be as fast as Nvme but it's way better than a hard drive and they can be found very cheap on ebay or amazon
Hmm, interesting, I wondered if that was possible, I didn't get the 4G card in mine, have no need for it and you are then limited to what network you can use anyhow, I can use my phone as a wi-fi hotspot so getting that 4G card is pointless. I may try that mSata SSD idea in the future. Thank you for the tip.
Heard that Lenovo will bring back keyboard without numpad to the next gen 15-inch laptops. Hope that's true and it would be great if they offer the classic keyboard as well.
I hope they don't it or at least give a choice to the users. The numeric keypad is a must for those who use a lot of spreadsheet data entry/ navigation. If one doesn't want a Numpad, they always have the choice of going of the T400 Series
Just want to warn everyone about the cut down pcie connection on the ssd ,they reserved x4 for it ,but the 2,5 inch cage, that holds the ssd limits it to x2 :S Also the ssds below 512GB capacity are from Lenovo and SanDisk instead of the 512 Samsung which is way faster!
Hi Octo, so you mean if we opt for a 512 or 1tb ssd option with this 480 , the m.2 hard drive will be limited to 2 lane pcie? which is half the speed of 4 lane like the 480s?
It seems Lisa's model has full x4 lanes for her SSD as shown by the crystaldisk scores at 4:11. I've heard that this is because her model does not have the MX150. Once you get the MX150, it's as if the lanes are divided between the GPU and SSD. When you look at the notebookcheck T480 review that does have the MX150, you find that their SSD speeds are significantly reduced. One might have to decide whether raw SSD speeds or having a dedicated GPU is more important to them.
Every model comes with the UHD 620, but the MX150 is optional. If you opt to not get the MX150, then you should have the full 4 lanes. But honestly I wouldn't worry about it. In the real world, you will not notice any speed differences unless you transfer large files often. If you want the MX150, it is worth getting
Typing from it... I got 24Wh + 72Wh batteries. After 1.5 years, it shows it will work 2h with 60% battery level. Not-not too much... I almost don't use battery, batteries on 80% level max, charging only between 70-80. So, almost no stress for batteries, but I guess, Windows 10 is not best thing for batteries.
Please change the display Lenovo. X1 Carbon's FHD 300Nits panel is very good for use. but T series's FHD 250Nits panel is absolutely HORRIBLE. Or make a CTO options to use X1 carbon's display on Lenovo T Series.
When you do the smack--down between the T480, T480s, and the Carbon X1 6th gen, I'd be curious to know if the frequency of the cooling fan coming on is more frequent in one or the other; if the cooling fan is less loud in one or the other; if the richness of sound is superior on one of the 3; if they all get as hot. One non-pro reviewer suggested the X1 never gets hot when charging but becomes very hot when charging. Curios to know if true. Also be curious to know if the color gamut is somehow better on the Carbon X1 matte screen than the matte screens on the T480s. Or is color gamut the same on the matte screens on all 3. Do all 3 have the speakers facing down? Is the key travel very different between the 3? I find the Carbon X1 the sexiest of the 3 but concerned about all those things: temperature, frequency of cooling fan coming on, and sound quality maybe being less than the other 2 in the smack-down. By the way, do we know if there is a recommended resolution for word.
Hi Lisa Thank you for your excellent reviews. What do you think of the display 14.0" WQHD (2560x1440), IPS, Anti-Glare, 300nits. I don't want a reflective display and I work in mostly in an office. Many thanks
Apparently the MX150 for the T480 is the faster variant unlike what the T480S gets. Would the 17 8650 with MX150 and 32GB ram be half decent for Premiere Pro and Blender? Durability, lifespan, and reliability are what I want most in a laptop. This would be my studies. My last MSI 2PE Dominator Pro pretty much died a month after the 2yr warranty ended, GPU is dead and and now it shuts off at the 30min mark.
The disk benchmark results (4:11) are the same as the ones in your T480S review. As much as I've read, the T480 has a cut-down PCIe X2 bus and the throughput will likely suffer a lot
Yeah, they were hefty but man, weren't the old 7xx series solid? I wish I'd kept one. I've still got a Transnote, 701C, and 600 around here, though. Only other old tech I keep around is a Sony Picturebook.
Lisa, I've had one heck of a time trying to find measurements or even visuals of the T480 with each of the 3 battery options. Any advice? Lenovo's spec sheet doesn't even provide the difference in dimensions! My question is pretty simple, will a large battery make the t480 too bulky for my backpack. The lack of information has delayed my order :P
If the extra capacity battery is too bulky for your backpack you need a new backpack, these laptops are far from being thick even with the extra capacity battery which only adds probably a 1/2 inch to the bottom of the casing, if that don't fit your backpack buy a new backpack, most backpacks will handle a 14" to 15" laptop with ease and occasionally you'll find one that will hold a 17" laptop but I don't think I'd pack a 17" laptop around that much LOL.
Re-uploaded because our video editor forgot to include the battery section in the first video.
MobileTechReview Pls review the samsung notebook 7 spin 13.3 2018
MobileTechReview can you suggest a good gaming laptop under 2000 dollars with a cd drive,please reply
This vs thinkpad 25 year anniversary edition please!!!
MobileTechReview Can you please review HP spectre x360 8th gen 2018? Ty
"(HDD) This is what the IT dept buys you when they hate you"-hahahaha Lisa is the best =)
Just bought one of these completely refurbished on ebay for 280$. Still a great machine in 2024.
For me it heats up really fast.
Me to
Did the same one week ago. Don’t have any regrets 😊
Found a good deal and bought not one but two identical specs T480, at a total of 400$. Both are grade A or even A+ and look and feels great. One of them has less than 1000 hours use, the other came with 50-60% battery capacity as expected - both are 8 gigs of ram. So now I'm waiting on delivery of 2*8 gigs of good old china ram and both internal and external batteries, ordered on ebay. It's almost impossible to find original batteries in good shape, so I'm trying my luck in china as well. Will keep an eye out for temps, and might upgrade the heatsink and thermal paste.
I love this presenter, talks quickly enough to get the information out in a timely manner, but very understandable. Plus she has a great energy too!
Odorous Smegma Yes, Lisa.
I thought the same thing too.
I couldn’t agree more
Yeah she’s very knowledgeable.
And, for me, she seems to ALWAYS answer every question I have.
I bought the T480 and love it. I use it for story and screenwriting. I've also played around with Ubuntu, and Fedora Linux on this machine, and it ran them flawlessly. I love the anti-glare display as well. I also like the simple basic upgradability that is seldom seen these days in other laptops. It doesn't hurt that the keyboard is water resistant. I've had mine for 11 months and no complaints. If I had to nitpick, I wish that once the backlite keyboard is on, I did not have to turn it on again every time it went into sleep mode. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who needs a reliable, upgradable laptop to get things done.
Hi Steve, do you still use this laptop? Is your atittude towards this machine changed or no? I want to buy this laptop soon, so it will be so helpful if you share some experience after 2 years of using.
Many thanks!
@@diepaigel the upgradability is a problem. You can't mix hdd or ssd. A lot of laptops offer dual storages. Acer Swift
Just bought a used one! I can’t wait to use it!
@@diepaigelI’m interested in purchasing one too but seeing this video was made 5 years ago I’m wondering if it’s really a good choice
Hi Steve, how's it been after 3 years?
I decided this to be my first Thinkpad. I'm utterly amazed, I cannot believe how awesome it is. (:
Please never stop making these videos Lisa. You've always been super helpful when I needed to research a phone, tablet, and laptop. :)
was looking into buying this as a daily drive and was so excited to see the GOAT of laptop reviews had reviewed it.
The T series died after this. Just look at the T490, wedge design, removed removable battery, utterly atrocious.
T480 was the last gasp of the true Thinkpads.
@@j.p.9522 I had to replace my company T470's motherboard twice, usb-c port would stop working. Thunderbolt gave me constant problems with the dock. Horrible piece of shit. Business my ass :)
T460 was the latest real ThinkPad.
@@bahorized Didn't they release a patch to fix that?
Well good to know since this is the one I'm looking at
now this is the last real thinkpad we all grew to love and that's just sad
What
@@Chorweiler normie
You've literally sold me on this model, bought one today, deciding video - as it is the best video out there. Thanks! Looks like the last fully customizable Thinkpad laptop.
@Mike Mckay Yeah you're right, the roll cage is gone :(
@M D Yeah, I noticed there's a race to the bottom with laptops nowadays - or maybe with everything
Just an FYI if you are considering this: the WWAN m.2 port will accept a 2242 pci-e NVMe SSD. NGFF will not work. Hard to find, and the biggest so far is only 240GB, but it possible. Keep in mind, it has to be pci-e and 40mm.
This is the one I got. I ordered a T480s.
Supplier’s mistake.
But a happy one.
I’m enjoying it.
Now this ones worth the money, tough, expandable, simply high quality goodness. It's got the Chutzpah Lisa!
Agreed. Ticks all the boxes I can think of.
Wtf is a chutzpah ?
@@RK1FX Yiddish for audacity/power/boldness
@@XAUCADTrader never heard of it
@@RK1FX It's an Ashkenazi Jewish term that's made it into mainstream, kinda...
I have been watching your videos since last summer because I was trying to learn about my think pad t440s and I have enjoyed your videos and I find that your reviews have helped me to make some smart decisions on my purchases. Thank you for the help
Thank you for this great review. I was torn between few different TP models. But your videos sold me on T480. You've really helped me take right decision.
I picked this up for $618 on Cyber Monday, an excellent machine. Love it
I use this laptop for work and it is really good. The quality touch and feel of it is awesome. It's blazing fast too with the i7.
I'm going to buy one second-hand because of this review, thanks!
me too , maybe t490
Lisa dear lady, you are still the best reviewer on RUclips. A big hug from this crazy Englishman.
This and the T480s do have two USB C ports, one is part of that docking port with the other part being dedicated to Ethernet. The one that's also for docking is also the thunderbolt 3 port.
The T-480 is great machine. 2 USB C, 2 USB A, SD reader, smart card reader, Thunderbolt, HDMI, full ethernet port...
This is my first laptop without a multimedia drive, we shall see how that goes LOL.
Hi Lisa, and Happy New Years. Well after watching a ton of your video reviews, I've made a decision. I ordered a T480 with I5-825ou processor, Windows 64, FHD IPS Display, UHD Graphics 620, *GB RAM, Backlit keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, 256 SSD, with the 6 cell Battery, for $940.00. Also because of the 2-3 week delivery, I ordered from EBAY, a x250 with the same Specs except the Fingerprint Reader and it came with a Docking Station, for $360.00. So far I'm extremely Happy with my X250, and can't wait for the T480 to get here. the T480 is for Home Base, and X250 is my travel work horse. I'm hoping to start Blogging this year. I also picked up 2 additional 72 WH batteries, and a P52S for my Sophomore in college and 3 X240's for my High School Senior, and my Twin Juniors. The X240's have the new mouse pads, but my Boys are not gonna notice the difference. Thanks for all the help, not a bad Christmas for my Knuckleheads.
I love your sing-songy way of talking. Great reviews and information as usual. Thanks!
*Thanks MTR for this very thorough, clear & helpful review...I appreciate your time & effort producing/uploading it to help us all out :)*
omg I had these in school, everytime the teacher whipped these out it was like christmas
I picked up one of these earlier this year refurbished with 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD, a FHD IPS display and a back-lit keyboard for only $600. To top it off it came with 18 months remaining on a 3 year warranty. All I did with it is install a 256GB 2242 SSD into the LTE slot just because I had one lying around. Great machine. It only has the i5-8350U CPU but really, it's spec'd way beyond what I need! It's also nice that it meets the Windows 11 requirements straight up .. not that I'm going there yet with this machine. I need it to work reliably. I'll let Windows 11 ripen a bit before I take the T480 there.
Hi, I am looking for an used T480 with 16GB RAM, GPU MX150, 256 M2 SSD for 600 euros, is it worth buying? I've been using my trusty T61 for over a decade, and I am hoping this T480 could last for a next decade? What about cooling is it good quality? Thanks in advance, cheers!
@@gorangorkoza6666 It does not sound like a terrible price, especially if it is in great condition. The cooling would depend on the CPU, but mine with the i5-8250U has never had an issue. Last a decade? Maybe if you take good care of it and upgrade it as required.
@@uni-byte the better cooler is on the mx150 models, it's not dependant on the cpu
@@Zeroneii3 We are talking about a T480. It does not have separate coolers for the CPU and GPU. They are linked together via a heat pipe. Since the MX150 chip is the same across all CPU options for those models, then the cooling is dependent on the CPU which, for the US market can be i5 or i7 and at various speeds. In all cases, MX150 or not, the effectiveness of the cooling is ultimately dependent on the CPU choice.
@@uni-byte I think there might have been a misunderstanding
You are the only one youtuber who reviews Thinkpads
Unlike the Macbook Pro this is a real pro machine, build like a tank and with proper support.
WOW THANK YOU QUEEN FOR THE RE-UPLOAD
I still can’t get past the fact that the Microsoft Surface and the Dell XPS have no HDMI port. That is an absolute travesty. Lenovo remains the GOAT laptop. Heck, even my $500 IdeaPad has a fricking HDMI port. Definitely gonna eventually buy a ThinkPad
When I got my T460, I got it with the 500GB HDD, and bought a SATA SSD off Amazon. Much cheaper.
Thanks, I think your review is one of the best I've seen in regards to detailing the internals and things that are upgrade-able etc. Good to know that it can't hold an SSD and HDD at the same time because I would have considered trying to install a spare HDD into one we've just purchased (with 256gb SSD).
I think she made a mistake on that one. You can actually install another m.2 2242 PCEi NVMe on the slot which she said is for 4G LTE sim
11:05
@@johnv3851 do you need an adapter to install another M.2 on the 4g port?
@@lyndonnawanaojr.2728 there is an M.2 slot that can take either a 2242 NVMe SSD, or LTE card. In addition, as mentioned, the 2.5” hard drive bay can take an adapter that allows you to put in a full length 2280 M.2 NVMe SSD.
IIRC the shorter M.2 slot is PCIe 3x2 and the full length M.2 slot runs at PCIe 3x4 speed.
My t430s still great since 2012.
Great review! I'm looking forward watching the smackdown!
Thinkpad is built like a tank. My T400 still works fine. I put SSD and upgrade the RAM, still serves me well for work
Just received my T480 this afternoon so its been sitting on my desk the past 4 hours downloading windows updates. I just got the basic model, I don't need anything fancy. Mine is showing 11 hours of battery life with both standard batteries.
Liking it so far but haven't been able to really do much on it due to the updates LOL.
Hello, do you have any heat issue in your machine. ?
Dead Blast It runs very cool for me
You always make good reviews. Quick, clear and without trying to be funny like many other bullshit reviewers do. Thanks!
Pretty darn good presentation and review. Impressed.
Finally. Been waiting couple of years for this laptop
I'm in IT. I would hate to present to a user a 1366 x 768 screen in this day and age.
And it's TN.
some TN are actually nice btw
This is the lowest spec option, on the website you can customise and pay a little extra to get the 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS,Anti-Glare,250 nit
Same I'm IT as well and when the 16:9 laptop craze hit the markets in late 2009 early 2010s, I thought we would progressed towards 1080 and 1440p ips business grade laptops by 2015. Sadly 1366x768 15.6" TN still exists and I don't think it will go away for the next 10 years.
NegativeEffect = iSheep
With all due respect. You can have HDD and SSD at the same time. The slot you said for 4G LTE is actually for a M.2 SSD 2242 NVme.
now, where would you find a M.2 ssd that small.
@@MegaTALHAA i have a colleague in China he bought it online for me. I believe it was on JD.Com.
@@MegaTALHAA it does exist, it's 42mm.
CLP 17,520 49%OFF | KingSpec m2 SSD 120GB 240GB nvme ssd m2 pcie m2 SSD 128GB 256GB 512G Disco Duro m2 2242 pcie nvme para ordenador portátil de escritorio
a.aliexpress.com/_mrCGoa7 I just bought this one from Aliexpress, I haven't tested it jet cause it is still coming, but in the publication said that it is for this model. I'll comment back when I test it.
@@juanmartinezparedes6541 did it work
Hello Lisa, understand that the ssd speed test shown in the video is based on the configuration without Nvidia MX150. I came across articles that say that the ssd performance in T480 will be capped to 2 PCIe lanes instead of 4 lanes, in units with Nvidia MX150. Does it mean that the ssd max speed would then be halved ? Do you have any info on that ? Thanks :)
Thks as usual excellent pertinent reviews never boring :) Good job Lisa...
Why did you quit doing Thinkpad reviews on RUclips? :(
This chanel only about Thinkpad's
And i love Thinkpad
And i love thi chanel!
))
Thank you for this review! I was almost purchasing a used T480 until I discovered after seeing your video that it is not possible to have an NVME and SATA drive at the same time. Lenovo's technical specs fooled me because they mention both SATA and NVME but ommit that they are mutually exclusive. I love Lenovo but think I will have to buy an HP Elitebook G4 or G5 instead.
Is this laptob good for low gaming
The LTE socket will take an SSD and you can still put a HDD in the 2.5" drive bay.
I so agree the upgrade freedom makes all the difference finally !!! So fed up with Apple and I think even Dell is doing the same. I do love it as a nice VM machine drop in centos or fedora for work and I'm done will keep this one in mind. Would have loved more cores like a new AMD CPU
Best laptop reviewer out there. Nothing but the facts and I enjoy that thank you.
Hi Lisa, can you please do a review of ThinkPad T580? It's a little more different than 480 and 480s, and I wonder if we can have both SSD and HDD together in T580. Thank you.
Why? It's the same computer just bigger.
@@lambertj.2892 Maybe if they do a user comparison as the 580 has the offset keyboard that may become annoying if used when traveling
Only had my i7 8650 with mx150 for a week or so now and it has hit 98 degrees celcius multiple times, this always goes over 90 celcius every time I use it. Lenovo acted as if this was unheard of yet many others are having the same issue.
This is the review I've been waiting for! Has anyone seen display metrics for the WQHD model?
Lisa you are the best tech reviewer in all of RUclips!!!
You're the best Lisa! Have a great weekend everyone!
At Lenovo web site. there's a configuration option for a _second_ SSD. Where does that fit? Within that same traditional hard disk case? Looked like an exclusive-or case.
EDIT: so I learnt the second SSD is meant to go to that M.2 2242 slot if no LTE modem is configured.
Still a couple of unknowns,
(1) if I ordered a traditional hard disk, then later buy my own (M.2 2280) SSD, would that bay case have the necessary PCIe/NVMe connector cable?
(2) 11:07 you didn't pull the plastic cover fully, but I supposed the M.2 2242 port is _always there_ ? I see some lines there but they're not gold/yellow, so not sure if the port is outright missing if there wasn't a second SSD ordered?
Just bought a used T480. Last Thinkpad I have is T420 and that thing was a tank. Hoping this will be too.
how is it
Any updates after a year?
@@kyungsushi7018 I'm using it in 2024 and it's completely fine in Windows 11. I get 213 points in Speedometer 2.1 with Firefox in Windows 11 on my T480 with Intel Core i7-8550U and 32GB RAM (2x16GB DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM sticks with 2x8R layout, as 2x8R RAM is the fastest at a given frequency).
I've been using it when delivering food in a thermal bag. There have been several times when the laptop got extremely wet due to condensation (my bad), and once there was some coke spilled over and the USB-C and Thunderbolt ports were soaked with it, all while the laptop was on. I turned it off, sprayed isopropyl alcohol on the ports when I got home, took the laptop apart and sprayed some more IPA and used a toothbrush to scrub any leftover cola, and it works perfectly without issues. And I also used it when it was freezing outside, the TrackPoint is a life-saver when you're using the laptop with gloves on.
It's very robust, and is probably the last ThinkPad to be as robust as the old models such as the T420 and T430, because all other ThinkPads like the T480s and T490 are just bad macbooks compared to T480, due to their soldered RAM, small internal battery, and bad cooling.
I expect it to serve me for a long time. I don't want to upgrade from it because it's already very upgradable, and I'll have to wait for at least 3 years until the first cheap T14 Gen5 laptops (which aren't even out yet) hit the used market. I've installed a 72Wh battery, replaced the bland stock screen with a great IGZO low-power panel, and my model also came with an Nvidia MX150. I got my T480 in November 2023 for $330 (prices have come down in my city since). You can also upgrade all T480 models with up to 64GB RAM, because they actually all support that. And I've also undervolted my T480 by downgrading the BIOS to ver. 1.26 and I got -100mV on Core and Cache and -115mV on Intel GPU and iGPU Unslice.
So basically Lenovo want all thinkpads to be ultrabooks like the X series. Even though I want something between the Wxxx series and the TxxxS series, Basically a normal laptop with all the ports and a DVD drive and a socketed CPU.
Nice but ill stick with my T520 from 2011 that is still going strong! Oh and an SSD did help it ;)
hi, the same here:) i have t420: ssd and 12gb ram really helped.
Battery life is weak, but that might be oold battery.
Also: a bit heavy, touchpad/trackpoint are dead, the hinge is also dead
(meaning that even these military-grade laptops die easily)
But the performance, honestly, is still great.
I am using my T520 as well, for streaming purpose at home only, and some light work with word editing.
nearly the same on my end. Not the powerhosue it once was..but she still has a spring in her step!
T420 here. 2nd ssd in place of DVD bay and an msata OS drive. Hi def video editing. Good to go. Would be nice to have a lighter machine, but I highly doubt I could get away with the robust backpack habits I have with the T420
solid machine.
Which is better the
T14 G1
T480
P50
Looking for something to play games and video editing
great stuff! i've had this computer for a few months now, running Linux (Ubuntu 18.04), no problems at all running Linux on this machine. one thing i'd like to mention though is that, after a while the keyboard can hurt your fingers.... when you push down a key, there isn't much "spring" left, but it's "rock hard" at the bottom..... so i'll probs be plugging in keyboard for when i can :/ otherwise, highly recommend..... it's a great laptop.
What? First time I've ever heard anything bad about a ThinkPad-keyboard. Each and every one I used was (/is) incredibly good, both the old and the new design. Best keyboards available on laptops by far. Maybe you got a lemon?
can you review the lenovo t490 please?
Found best buy has these for 250. My lady needs something. I forgot the ThinkPad was a workhorse. For what she's doing with it I think the otherwise basic out-of-the-box setup will do nicely for her. I got a Legion 5 for myself - probably way more laptop than I actually need but why not.
Best review better than most channels
I want to add two external monitors to my Thinkpad T480 laptop for larger spreadsheets or multi-apps, only 1 hdmi port.
Hey there Lisa! I’ve decided to go for the Thinkpad T480 mainly for productivity and navigation use, some movies maybe, 0 gaming.... But I was still wondering which screen I should get, the 1080p non touch one or the WQHD one? I’m worried about its impact on battery life...
Love your videos :))
hows your 480 working out?
This is probably my favourite TP at the moment - that upgradeability with 32GB ram and the quad core procs, and the wqhd is plenty good enough. And not too heavy. I'd probably cart a 480 around far more than this 2yo P50 - still excellent performance and going strong, just wrong side of 5lb.
I'll pick one up in 10 or 15 years when they're $50 or so on Ebay or Letgo. :) I'm currently using a B50-45 (would like to upgrade the RAM but it's a bit expensive at this point) and an old but kickass T61. I'm not sure even The Hulk could break that thing.
T61! You may have to see chiropractor lugging that thing around!
It's like Mjölnir. Only the most worthy can lift it. :D
The IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad T-Series laptops are great, I've had several over the past few years that I have updated and resold, they're great machines especially for those on the go where they may get bumped around a bit. I just sold my T430 about a week ago it was another ebay purchase that I did and upgraded the RAM and installed an SSD and sent it back out into the world, it was in excellent condition, whoever had it probably just sat it on a desk at home or in the office and that's where it sat, you couldn't tell it had been used, even the track pad was in excellent condition with no wear marks.
I have a Dell E6420 XFR fully rugged laptop that if people whine about weight I'll hand that to them to carry LOL, that thing weighs 12 pounds...my old Dell Inspiron 8200 with both batteries installed weighs about 12 pounds as well HAHA!!!
This new T480 is a lightweight compared to even the T440p and my T430. I'm wondering if I'll miss not having a DVD-RW drive though.
6 more years to go
I briefly used one in my high school days 5 years ago for about a month and I remember really liking it
I decided to buy one as a birthday gift to myself for today yesterday
eBay t480 $300
3 months in, my T480 is a blast!
Bro how are you managing with such low display?
Thank you for another excellent review.
4:40 No integrated Chutzpah!? Darn!
Almost ideal business machine. Quite cheap considering the spec and can be upgraded to the wahoo.
Could you show the report/screenshot of hwinfo 64, where you saw that the thunderbolt port was x4? Since in my research among others I found that there were 2 pci slots (which were not ssd or ethernet) "free". Of which one was x2 and the other was x4 (on the model without gpu). On the models with gpu this x4 slot is used for the gpu connection, which leaves the x2 slot for the thunderbolt 3 controller. Could you clarify this for me?
Cas per same question! Is it 4 lanes thunderbolt?
Excellent quality reviews. Thank you.
Great review, especially the vPro cpu upgrade!
Great video Lisa. Question: I am reading that i can install m.2 memory in the WWLAN, provided i do not have a WAN card. Some say that this is in addition to the 2.5 in bay for HDD or ssd. There seems to be much confusion about this. Also, consider Lenovo's ThinkPad T480 Platform Specifications - www.pro-com.org/media/pdf/5f/6f/58/ThinkPad_T480_Technisches_Datenblatt.pdf. Thoughts?
You can. However, it has to be a pci-e 2242 NVMe SSD, NGFF will not work. VERY hard to find. Toshiba makes a 240GB card that is known to work.
dongknows.com/toshiba-rc100-nvme-ssd-review/
IMPORTANT: The Thunderbolt 3.0 port only has 2 pcie lanes and you can use a 2.5" hdd/ssd with another m.2 nvme!!!(not sata) 2242 ssd instead of the WWAN module.
Otherwise great review, thanks.
Sources:
www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/823nwl/does_the_thinkpad_t480_or_t580_have_x4_lane_tb3/
forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T/Thinkpad-T480-M2-2242-SSD/m-p/4005486#M123483
Thanks for pointing out that HDD version does not allow easy installation of an M.2 drive: an extra card is needed!
Can you please do a review on the new Yoga 730 which comes with a GTX 1050? I'll be in college in a few months and need a laptop with a good keyboard and a dedicated GPU or which supports an EGPU. Which would you personally recommend?
Thanks!
My dream notebook!
Is the 8th generation i5 a kabylake? I purchased the 4gig hdd model. Opinions please... Great video.
A little tech insight. In that 4g slot is possible to install a mSata SSD. It won't be as fast as Nvme but it's way better than a hard drive and they can be found very cheap on ebay or amazon
Hmm, interesting, I wondered if that was possible, I didn't get the 4G card in mine, have no need for it and you are then limited to what network you can use anyhow, I can use my phone as a wi-fi hotspot so getting that 4G card is pointless. I may try that mSata SSD idea in the future. Thank you for the tip.
When you will review the new T490 and T490s?
Hi Lisa great video! One question, what do you think I should go for? This or the xps13?
Heard that Lenovo will bring back keyboard without numpad to the next gen 15-inch laptops. Hope that's true and it would be great if they offer the classic keyboard as well.
I hope they don't it or at least give a choice to the users. The numeric keypad is a must for those who use a lot of spreadsheet data entry/ navigation. If one doesn't want a Numpad, they always have the choice of going of the T400 Series
Just want to warn everyone about the cut down pcie connection on the ssd ,they reserved x4 for it ,but the 2,5 inch cage, that holds the ssd limits it to x2 :S Also the ssds below 512GB capacity are from Lenovo and SanDisk instead of the 512 Samsung which is way faster!
Hi Octo, so you mean if we opt for a 512 or 1tb ssd option with this 480 , the m.2 hard drive will be limited to 2 lane pcie? which is half the speed of 4 lane like the 480s?
It seems Lisa's model has full x4 lanes for her SSD as shown by the crystaldisk scores at 4:11. I've heard that this is because her model does not have the MX150. Once you get the MX150, it's as if the lanes are divided between the GPU and SSD. When you look at the notebookcheck T480 review that does have the MX150, you find that their SSD speeds are significantly reduced. One might have to decide whether raw SSD speeds or having a dedicated GPU is more important to them.
@@SRImperio so if I pick the model with only a Intel UHD 620, it won't limit my ssd like it does with the Nvidia and I'll get a full 4 lanes?
Every model comes with the UHD 620, but the MX150 is optional. If you opt to not get the MX150, then you should have the full 4 lanes. But honestly I wouldn't worry about it. In the real world, you will not notice any speed differences unless you transfer large files often. If you want the MX150, it is worth getting
How about the thunderbolt 3? Is it a four lane pcie? Thanks.
Lisa can you please review a thinkpad 25? I know it's not knew but I really enjoy your reviews because you cover everything. Thank you.
She already did: ruclips.net/video/4CgoI76_cfg/видео.html
You can swap the Fn key with Ctrl from the keyboard manager. You're welcome.
Typing from it... I got 24Wh + 72Wh batteries. After 1.5 years, it shows it will work 2h with 60% battery level.
Not-not too much...
I almost don't use battery, batteries on 80% level max, charging only between 70-80.
So, almost no stress for batteries, but I guess, Windows 10 is not best thing for batteries.
hi lisa. in your smackdown please consider comparing fan noise. thank you!
Please change the display Lenovo.
X1 Carbon's FHD 300Nits panel is very good for use. but T series's FHD 250Nits panel is absolutely HORRIBLE. Or make a CTO options to use X1 carbon's display on Lenovo T Series.
They are going for like $200-400 now in 2023
When you do the smack--down between the T480, T480s, and the Carbon X1 6th gen, I'd be curious to know if the frequency of the cooling fan coming on is more frequent in one or the other; if the cooling fan is less loud in one or the other; if the richness of sound is superior on one of the 3; if they all get as hot. One non-pro reviewer suggested the X1 never gets hot when charging but becomes very hot when charging. Curios to know if true. Also be curious to know if the color gamut is somehow better on the Carbon X1 matte screen than the matte screens on the T480s. Or is color gamut the same on the matte screens on all 3. Do all 3 have the speakers facing down? Is the key travel very different between the 3? I find the Carbon X1 the sexiest of the 3 but concerned about all those things: temperature, frequency of cooling fan coming on, and sound quality maybe being less than the other 2 in the smack-down. By the way, do we know if there is a recommended resolution for word.
"the x1 never gets hots when charging but becomes very hot when charging"??
So which resolution was tested with this model?
HD or FullHD?
Very helpfull video's, thanks!
Hi Lisa Thank you for your excellent reviews. What do you think of the display 14.0" WQHD (2560x1440), IPS, Anti-Glare, 300nits. I don't want a reflective display and I work in mostly in an office. Many thanks
Apparently the MX150 for the T480 is the faster variant unlike what the T480S gets.
Would the 17 8650 with MX150 and 32GB ram be half decent for Premiere Pro and Blender?
Durability, lifespan, and reliability are what I want most in a laptop. This would be my studies.
My last MSI 2PE Dominator Pro pretty much died a month after the 2yr warranty ended, GPU is dead and and now it shuts off at the 30min mark.
Are you going to review the ThinkPad P71 at some point?
The disk benchmark results (4:11) are the same as the ones in your T480S review. As much as I've read, the T480 has a cut-down PCIe X2 bus and the throughput will likely suffer a lot
Great review! Thank you. Could you please also review the Dell Latitude 7490?
Hah im glad these dont weigh like 40 pounds anymore..i used to call my 770x a tankpad
Yeah, they were hefty but man, weren't the old 7xx series solid? I wish I'd kept one. I've still got a Transnote, 701C, and 600 around here, though. Only other old tech I keep around is a Sony Picturebook.
Hahahaha... TANKPAD! I love that! You just found me a pet name for my good old T61 :)
Called my T400 a Thiccpad. Still works really well after almost 10 years.
Lisa, when are you gonna do a review of the Thinkpad P43S???
Lisa, I've had one heck of a time trying to find measurements or even visuals of the T480 with each of the 3 battery options. Any advice? Lenovo's spec sheet doesn't even provide the difference in dimensions! My question is pretty simple, will a large battery make the t480 too bulky for my backpack. The lack of information has delayed my order :P
If the extra capacity battery is too bulky for your backpack you need a new backpack, these laptops are far from being thick even with the extra capacity battery which only adds probably a 1/2 inch to the bottom of the casing, if that don't fit your backpack buy a new backpack, most backpacks will handle a 14" to 15" laptop with ease and occasionally you'll find one that will hold a 17" laptop but I don't think I'd pack a 17" laptop around that much LOL.