2023-09-26
The X220 ThinkPad is the best laptop computer ever made and you’re incorrect if you believe otherwise. No laptop computer hardware has actually considering that exceeded the almost ideal construct of the X220. New gadgets continue to get thinner and more delicate. Helpful ports are continuously disposed of for the sake of “style”. Performance is no longer crucial to makers. Repairability is actively gotten rid of to avoid users from really “owing” their hardware.
It’s a mess out there. Thank goodness I still have my older, pre-owned X220.
Specifications
Before I enter the information discussing why this laptop computer is the best of its kind, let’s very first have a look at my maker’s standard requirements:
- CPU: Intel i7-2640M (4) @ 3.500 GHz
- GPU: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor
- Memory: 16GB DDR3
- OS: Arch Linux/ OpenBSD
- Resolution: 1366×768
With that out of the method, I will break down my ideas on the X220 into 5 significant areas: Build quality, readily available ports, the keyboard, battery life, and repairability.
Construct Quality
The X220 (like the majority of Lenovo’s older X/T designs) is constructed like a tank. The inner pieces are sourced from primarily plastic, the gadget is still much better geared up to deal with drops and mishandling compared to that of more delicate gadgets (such as the MacBook Air or Framework). This is made even more excellent because the X220 is in fact made up of lots of smaller sized interconnected pieces (more on this later).
An excellent base test I carry out on a lot of laptop computers is the “corner test”. You get the base corner of a laptop computer in its open state. The objective is to see if the gadget shows any visible offer or bend. In the X220’s case: it feels rock strong. The base stays stiff and bobbing the gadget triggers no motion on the opened screen. I’m mindful that holding a laptop computer in this position is definitely not a regular usage case, however understanding it is constructed all right to do so speaks volumes of its building.
The X220 is likewise not a light-weight laptop computer. This may be considered as an unfavorable for many users, however I really choose it. I typically end up being too careful and wind up “babying” thinner laptop computers out of worry of damage. A small drop from even the tiniest height will badly harm these lighter gadgets. I have no such concerns with my X220.
When it comes to the laptop computer’s screen and resolution: your mileage might differ. I have no problems with the default display screen or the smaller sized element ratio. I discussed how I stopped utilizing an external displayso I may be a little prejudiced.
In general, this laptop computer is a gadget you can take up off your desk, whip into your luggage and be on your method. The rugged style and bulkier weight assistance put my mind at ease – which is something I can’t state for more recent laptop computer constructs.
Ports
I do not believe I require to discuss how important it is to have practical ports on a laptop computer. Requiring to bring around a lot of dongles for ports that must currently be on the gadget simply appears ridiculous.
The X220 comes geared up with:
- 3 USB ports (among those being USB3 on the i7 design)
- DisplayPort
- VGA
- Ethernet
- SD Card Reader
- 3.5 mm Jack
- Ultrabay (SATA)
- Wi-Fi hardware kill-switch
Exceptionally flexible and all set for anything I toss at it!
Keyboard
The timeless ThinkPad keyboards are just that: traditional. I do not believe anybody might refute these keyboards being the golden requirement for laptop computers. It’s good how Lenovo handled to package a lot performance into such a percentage of property. A lot of modern-day laptop computers do not have handy secrets such as Print Screen Home Endand Scroll Lock
They’re likewise an outright happiness to type on. The reality that numerous individuals head out of their method to mod X230 ThinkPad designs with X220 keyboards need to inform you something … Why Lenovo moved far from these keyboards will constantly baffle me. (I understand why they did it – I simply believe it’s foolish).
Did I discuss these traditional keyboards come with the exceptionally beneficial Trackpoint?
Battery Life
Author’s Note: This area is really subjective. The age, quality, and size of the X220’s battery can have a huge influence on criteria. I need to likewise discuss that I run extremely light-weight os and utilize DWM instead of a much heavier desktop environment. Simply something to bear in mind.
The battery life on my own X220 is great. I have a new 9-cell that lasts for approximately 5-6 hours of everyday work. Certainly these numbers do not come close to the extraordinary battery life of Apple’s M1/M2 chip gadgets, however it’s still rather competitive versus other “more recent” laptop computers on the marketplace.
Even if the uptime was lower than 5-6 hours, you have the capability to bring additional batteries with you. The appeal of switching out your laptop computer’s battery without requiring to open the gadget itself is wonderful. Others may grumble about the inconvenience of bring an additional battery in their luggage, however doing so is totally optionalA core part of what makes the X220 so fantastic is user control and option. The X220’s battery is another fantastic example of that.
Repairability
The capability to totally dismantle and change nearly whatever on the X220 needs to be among its greatest benefits over more recent laptop computers. No glue to rip apart. No unique proprietary tools needed. Simply some screws and plastic snaps. If somebody as monkey-brained as me can totally remove down this laptop computer and put it back together once again without concern, then the hardware designers have actually done something!
Most importantly, Lenovo supplies a really comprehensive hardware upkeep manual to assist you through the whole procedure.
My dismantled X220 when I was reapplying the CPU thermal paste:
Perk Round: Price
I didn’t list this in my preliminary area “breakdown” however it’s something to think about. I bought my X220 off eBay for $175 Canadian. While this device featured a HDD rather of an SSD and just 8GB of overall memory, that was still an unbelievable offer. I merely switched out the hard-drive with an SSD I had on hand, in addition to updating the DDR3 memory to its max of 16.
Even if you required to purchase those parts independently you would be hard-pressed to discover such a bargain for a good maker. Not to discuss you would be assisting to avoid more e-waste!
What More Can I Say?
Clearly the title and tone of this post is all in great enjoyable. Attempt not to take things so seriously! I still personally think the X220 is among, if not the best laptop computer worldwide.
