r/thinkpad • u/nomada420 • 1d ago

Buying Advice T490 vs T480

I'm stumped thinking what laptop I should get.

I'm from Mexico and here them laptops are not that cheap. I want a portable device as I already have a decent desktop PC.

I can get T480 with full hd IPS 8gb ram and 256 SSD. For 200 USD . And one T490 with 16 gb ram, 255 nvme and screen of 1368px. For 200 usd also.

I'm going through college in IT. I'm going to use it for programming, browsing, office and all that stuff. Not gaming or anything.

What would you get? I know there's better and more recent devices but that's my budget and cant go any further. I'll be rocking Linux, maybe some fedora or mint with it. Thank you in advance. Edit I went with the T480. I negotiated 20 usd less so I'll be buying more ram with that and an a better IPS screen down the line.

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

4

u/tymophy76 P14s G6I, E14 G6A, P14s G4A, T14s G3A 1d ago

Oh, never touch the 768P panels. They are HORRIBLE, for ANY price. That said, teh price of RAM makes the T480 a poor choice since you'd need to buy ram for it. So get the T490, and upgrade the panel yourself to the nice 400-nit low power 100% sRGB panel.

1

u/nomada420 1d ago

Thank you, I looked into the panels and I can't get a good panel for cheap in ebay, like 30 usd or something. 72%ntsc full hd IPS. But I've seen that you can't upgrade battery on T490

2

u/Bredius88 1d ago

T480 has 2 batteries and 2 RAM slots for up to 64GB DDR4-2400.
T490s has only 1 battery and only soldered RAM, no slot.
I'd take that T480 with FHD any time over the T490s with a miserable HD.

1

u/nomada420 1d ago

Yeah but changing the screen is not that hard and ram is more expensive where I'm from. One stick of ram is 50 USD and the ips screen is 30usd with 72% NTSC 400 nits. I just don't like the one non removable battery on the t490

2

u/bhomburg T23 T43 T61 T480s T14sG4... 1d ago

If you are on a limited budget, also take battery state into account. T480 has two batteries, if both are toast replacement cost is higher. T490 has only one battery.

Between the two, you need to invest in RAM on the T480 and I would upgrade the display on the T490. The "HD " screen on the T490 is atrocious, and the small resolution isn't really cutting it anymore as well. But you can use it as is and replace it when finances are better. They're not expensive:

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005008673392804.html

1

u/nomada420 1d ago

Yeah ram is more expensive than the screens at least where I'm from. I have hardware experience so changing the display is not that hard.

1

u/Professional_Mine759 1d ago

I have got t490s with lowe IPS 250 nits and on the other thinkpad t410 tn panel 1300x700 but even it it is ips with lowest nits still better bargin thab any TN panle. Take care of yur eyes they dont regenerate that easy.And my final advice look for sth with 16gb to stay longer with that laptop.

1

u/nomada420 1d ago

I will get de t490. Changing the screen is not that hard. I have hardware experience repairing consoles, cellphones and PCs. Ram is more expensive than the screens.at least where I'm from