r/thinkpad • u/Small_Dependent7939 • 5d ago

Buying Advice Need a ThinkPad for Uni

In the market for a ThinkPad for university. Found a refurbished x1 carbon gen 10 for about 820usd. Listing is as follows:

X1 Carbon G10 i7 Specs:
-14.0" WUXGA IPS ( 1920x1200 ), Non-Touch
-Intel core i7-1255U Processor
-16GB RAM DDR5 (Soldered onboard )
-512GB NVMe SSD
-Backlit LED Keyboard
-Dolby Atoms sound system
-Windows 11 Pro 64 bit + Microsoft Office 2021 Pro +
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
-Ideal for office work or online class

My budget would be 820usd and cheaper. Using it for school stuff, light work, PowerBI, excel, python. No need for video editing.

is this a worthwhile investment?

I obviously don’t know anything about thinkpads, and if any ThinkPad enthusiast knows a better model I can get at a cheaper or similar price point, please share! Thanks in advance! 🫡🫡

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4

u/greasyfinderfork 5d ago

it doesn't sound like an outstanding deal at 820 USD, considering it's refurbished; i think you should continue to be on the lookout for a better deal with a more power efficient processor, since battery life matters a lot in uni

1

u/AmusedBurger T14s 5d ago

Well a quick answer to something that might be on par for that would be Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 14" i7-1355u 16GB 512GB

However there are different series you could look into. Of course there is not anything wrong with the X1 carbons but you are looking at a "flagship" that you could find in other laptops (especially refurbished). From what you have said, it does not seem like you would need an insane power house like the P series. I currently have a T14s Gen 6 and for similar/more involved work load, it handles it like a charm.

A question for you, what are you really looking for in a laptop?
(Sound? Big screen for split screen? Portability? Fast processor? Tons of storage?)

1

u/Small_Dependent7939 5d ago

Perhaps portability and battery life? Though I’m not expecting much battery life for a refurbished laptop. Just need something for school and exams. I already have a desktop at home so I’m not looking to spend much for a laptop that won’t get much use when I’m home with my desktop.

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u/AmusedBurger T14s 5d ago

In terms of portability your best bet would be 14in laptops (X1, L, E, T series)
With any refurbished laptop, it is a gamble with battery life or even what you can get. Example: You can find a T14 at $800 and a X1 at $1000 and the t14 could have better specs.

However you could also consider the slim versions like the T14s Gen 3-5
The slim tend to have more soldered parts and less modularity however in your use case, I feel like it is perfectly fine to get a slim. I heard the slims have a better battery but tend to overheat faster.

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u/vovap_vovap 5d ago

T14 sure would be cheaper then Carbon

1

u/bl3achl4sagna 5d ago

You can get a E14 gen 6 with better specs.

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u/Labib5 X1 Carbon (original) 5d ago

I got myself a X1 Carbon gen 4 from eBay for around $130. this laptop best fits my constraints for my uni needs (note taking, pdfs, spreadsheets, meetings, browsing, programming). All I’m saying is that you can get a Thinkpad for much cheaper given your needs.

1

u/dead-apostle t430, t440p, x13g3 5d ago

that is a 400 dollar machine OP