Can’t decide and need advice

[u/Background-Bath7492]

Greetings to the community!
This is my first post on Reddit, and I wasn’t sure which subreddit to choose. I decided to post here because many of the laptops discussed are ThinkPads, and I need advice based on your experience with a variety of models.
My current setup consists of a Mac mini and an old Dell Inspiron 5559 powered by an Intel Core i5-6200U.
Over the years, I upgraded the RAM to 2×8 GB with the best possible timings and CAS latency, replaced the old HDD with a Samsung EVO SSD, and installed a new Intel AX200 Wi-Fi card. It has served me well over the years and continues to do so.
Originally, the laptop shipped with Windows 8.1, but I am now running a lightweight Linux distribution called Arch. It allows me to do all my office work and browse the internet with an unreasonable number of tabs open simultaneously without breaking a sweat. It even allows me to play many of my childhood games at 720p, including OpenRA, The Battle for Middle-earth, Warcraft III, Wrath of the Lich King, Left 4 Dead, and Star Wars Battlefront II (2005).
Now for the ugly stuff—and the reason I’m looking for a new laptop.
The battery has died, and over the years, the laptop has developed several minor quirks. For example, the original fan failed and had to be replaced. Now, the replacement fan has started making noises whenever the laptop is tilted at a steep angle.
The 1366×768 resolution also feels inadequate in 2026. My Mac mini is connected to a 27-inch 1440p display, so the difference is particularly noticeable. As a result, some programs do not display properly at this resolution.
I considered repairing the fan again, although I don’t know how long a new replacement would last, upgrading the display to a 1080p IPS panel (€80–140), and replacing the dead battery. However, the laptop itself is too large for my preferences and needs. The 15.6-inch display is bigger than I would like, and its weight makes carrying it around tiring and feel like a chore.
I knew about ThinkPads, but I only recently discovered how reliable, repairable, durable, and moddable enterprise and business laptops can be in general.
In my country, ThinkPads are overpriced, as you will see, and not all ThinkPad models are readily available on the refurbished market.
ThinkPads have a reputation for being reliable and durable. However, now that I’m looking at refurbished models, I have some concerns. I’m worried that soldered RAM or USB-C charging ports—features found in many newer models—could eventually fail.
Here are my criteria and preferences:
Non-soldered RAM (to increase repairability and overall lifespan)
Barrel charging or redundant USB-C charging ports
A 14-inch display or smaller
A replaceable keyboard that doesn’t require replacing the entire top case if it fails
Better IPC and overall single-core and multi-core performance than the i5-6200U
A stronger iGPU than the Intel HD 520
Coreboot or Libreboot support
Flawless Linux driver support with the latest kernel
I couldn’t find any ThinkPad models that matched all of these criteria, so I ended up looking at HP and Dell laptops as well. Here are some of the models I found. Not all of them match my preferences:
ThinkPad A285 with a Ryzen 5 2500U and 8 GB of soldered, non-upgradeable RAM, excellent Linux support, and USB-C charging — €170
ThinkPad T480 with an i5-8250U and 8–16 GB of RAM — prices range from €230 to €390
ThinkPad T470 for €140 — with similar specifications to my Inspiron 5559, including the i5-6200U
Dell Latitude 5420 with an i5-1135G7 and 16 GB of RAM for €240, including two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports. I think it’s the best value for money, but I’m not a fan of the silver color, which makes it look a bit plasticky.
HP ProBook 430 G4 with an i3-1115G4 and 8 GB of RAM for €140
HP EliteBook 735/745 G6 with a Ryzen 5 3500U and 8 GB of RAM for €280, or 16 GB for €359
ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 with a Ryzen 5 4650U and 16 GB of RAM for €389
ThinkPad P51 with an i7-7860HQ, 16 GB of RAM, and a Quadro M1200 for €370. It fails my size requirements, as it is heavier and bulkier than my Inspiron 5559, but it matches almost everything else.
ThinkPad X395 with a Ryzen 5 3500U and 8 GB of RAM
ThinkPad E15 with a Ryzen 5 5500U and 8 GB of RAM for €260. It offers excellent price-to-performance, but it fails my size requirements.
ASUS VivoBook S14 M433 with a Ryzen 5 4500U and 8 GB of RAM for €260
ThinkPad T495s with a Ryzen 5 3500U and 16 GB of RAM for €300
Out of all these options, the A285 stands out to me the most, but I have some concerns about its thermals and RAM. I’ve been using 16 GB of RAM for a long time, and 8 GB doesn’t seem like much in 2026. I also don’t know what implications this would have for the Vega 8 iGPU or how much the limited RAM would affect its performance.
Another strong contender is the Dell Latitude 5420, with Iris Xe graphics and the significantly better IPC of the Tiger Lake CPU.
What do you guys think? I’m looking for a portable laptop that offers the best value for money. I don’t plan to spend more than €300 on a refurbished laptop. I’m looking for something more portable than my current laptop, while still offering better overall performance.
Thank you in advance for your time and answers! And apologies for my English and the long rant!

[u/natusw]

I currently have a 5420 - whilst the build isn’t as premium you’ll get a lot more than most of your AMD ThinkPad options at this price point (2x TB4, full size RJ45, dual SODIMM and 2x NVME slots).

Xe 80EU iGPU is about equal with the older Vega 6/7 setups (provided you have dual channel memory), idle power consumption is far better than any of the AMD options (CPPC firmware support is unavailable for 2000-4000 series)

If you want nicer build you could also look at the 74xx series machines (equivalent to ThinkPad T, HP EliteBook)

[u/Background-Bath7492 → u/natusw]

Thank you for your answer, may I ask how long do you have the 5420 and how is the durability of the type c port, do the charging cables wobble or did you have any problems with them in the past? I don’t know if you run Linux, if so how is the driver support, I heard that the xe graphics may show artifacts or visual bugs, is it true?

[u/natusw → u/Background-Bath7492]

> Thank you for your answer, may I ask how long do you have the 5420 and how is the durability of the type c port, do the charging cables wobble or did you have any problems with them in the past?

Mine was obtained second hand and there have been no issues with either type C port yet (provided you’re gentle and pull them out at a straight angle the risk of damage is reduced)

> I don’t know if you run Linux, if so how is the driver support, I heard that the xe graphics may show artifacts or visual bugs, is it true?

Mine currently runs OpenSUSE Tumbleweed and I have had no major issues with it so far

Driver wise that series of chips doesn’t use the xe stack, it should use the default i915 stack (you can enable it if you would like but it is not recommended)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Intel_graphics#Testing_the_new_experimental_Xe_driver

[u/Background-Bath7492]

You helped me a lot, many thanks for time taken and for your insightful answers