Thinkpads Forum

So I currently own all 3 and trying to decide which one to focus my time with. Specs are below:

T430 - i7-36320QM, 16GB Ram, Dual SSD, DVD-RW, IPS/Converter installed.

W530 - i7-3740QM, 32GB, 3 SSD, Pending 1080P

T480 - i7-8550u, 32GB, 1 SSD, FHD

So pure power wise I believe the W530 leads the pack, with the T480 probably pretty close. W11 is probably the biggest limitations of T430/W530, but I've been heavily leaning towards Linux lately. Bonus for T430/W530 is they support Win XP, which I use for retro gaming, mainly RTS. Obviously the W530 is a beast , but do I love all the options it has, T430 is great and very close to W530, but the screen is so nice at 15.6" then the T480 is a powerhouse - but it just doesn't fill the old school feeling for me. Also for the T480 I am not a fan of the battery setup as sometimes I have use the battery reset button if I drain the batteries, which is never an issue with T430/W530.

So which would you choose at you main laptop in 2025? Background I have a decent desktop and iPad pro. So this laptop mainly gets used for items the iPad cannot do when I'm away from the desktop.

I relate to much of your conundrum and thank you for sharing your concern. For me too, One laptop is too boring for me, so I own multiples of everything. They are not women, you don’t have to marry just one. as you point out, each machine has its own unique character, quirks, and features. Enjoy all of them as time and energy permits.

If it's just sitting on a table: W530.

If you have to carry it around: T480.

TPFanatic wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:59 am

I relate to much of your conundrum and thank you for sharing your concern. For me too, One laptop is too boring for me, so I own multiples of everything. They are not women, you don’t have to marry just one. as you point out, each machine has its own unique character, quirks, and features. Enjoy all of them as time and energy permits.

You are seeing right into my soul !

It's so true, they all have their own character. Now I might need to figure out how to have mirrored desktop environments across all 3.

Also one thing to mention that frustrats me about the T480 is the battery setup. When both the internal and external battery die, often I have to use the reset button for the system to restart again.

Both batteries are new from Lenovo. Anyone else have the same issue?

I vote for the W530: good performance and the ability to use the classic keyboard.