So, I’m making this post because I’m currently torn between 3 options:
- Upgrade my current T450 with 16GB of DDR3 and a 256GB (or maybe 512GB) NVME which has an i5-5300u and 1080p display
- Get a T14(s) G1 with an AMD CPU (for about 400 euros or so)
- Save up for a long time to buy a Framework laptop
The role of the laptop would be to do some software dev tasks and some light gaming (think ULTRAKILL, Minecraft and KSP, so really not anything that can’t run on a good enough iGPU). Battery isn’t much of a priority, since I’ll use it plugged in most of the time, but it is preferred for when I do need it, nevertheless I don’t wish to sacrifice CPU performance for it like what my T450 does when it crawls to 800MHz to extend its battery life from 4 hours to 5 hours (it has a dual 3-cell setup, both batteries at about 75% health). While I can save up a lot for a Framework or even a T14 Gen 5/6, I’d rather not because I just don’t find it worth it for the price, and because It’d wear down my patience. Another large priority is durability, I am insanely clumsy. For example, one time I dropped my T450 at the very edge of a table so that it hit my foot and broke its old 1366x768 panel (good riddance, that resolution was atrocious). From what I can remember, most ThinkPads are in some way MIL-STD certified (80G or 80H depending on the model IIRC), starting with (unfortunately for my T450) the T460. I’d also like at least an FHD or higher display, but everything I’ve listed passes that. The only real benefit here for a Framework is the “eternal laptop” concept where I don’t have to replace the laptop itself, ever, because I can just upgrade the parts in a Thesseus’ ship kind of way, like some desktop users do, or just straight up replace them if they break but parts are scarce here in Greece, especially for Frameworks, so I’d have to get them shipped from their website which is not ideal, particularly because there’s a physical store less than a couple minutes of walking which could easily replace e.g. a T14’s display. If there are any other ThinkPad options (available in Greece!) at about the price of the T14, then I’d be glad to hear them.
To conclude, here are my priorities, grouped from highest priority to lowest priority:
- Available in Greece, preferrably at a physical store
- CPU Performance, Durability
- Resolution, Repairability
- Battery life
When it comes to decisions like this, I usually make a list with my options, create some categories (e.g. durability, longevity, performance, …), rate each option for each category and then divide each option’s points by its price to see its value. If they’re fairly similar, I would take the time I’d need to save up for them into account.
In general, I would always want to go for A) upgrading what I already have or B) getting something used for the sake of sustainability.
You could look at some more used ThinkPad options like a T470 or a T480. They can often be found for cheap refurbished on eBay. I would also take a look at online benchmarks to see what fits your requirements. In my experience, that works better than looking at spec sheets.
A T480 is about 500 euros, just as much as a T14, but with a worse CPU.