I love ThinkPads. I love the understated, no-nonsense style of the laptops, I love the keyboards (obviously), I love how durable they are. I don’t love the TrackPoint nubs, and that’s why I don’t get invited to the conventions. But otherwise, they’re awesome. And one of their best features is their repair and upgrade options. But don’t take my word for it: iFixit just gave the newest one a perfect repair score.
The laptop in question is the ThinkPad T-series, the workhorse of the line for decades. The latest 14-inch and 16-inch laptops (given the utilitarian monikers T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5, respectively) were made with even more of an eye to repairability than usual, incorporating iFixit’s own consulting in their designs.
iFixit, if you’re not aware, sells repair tools and parts from a variety of brands, as well as lobbying and advocating for consumer right to repair causes. Oh, and they make a really great screwdriver. iFixit’s write-up on the ThinkPad T14 and T16, therefore, isn’t completely objective.
But it’s worth noting that despite having a business relationship with Lenovo, the company’s products don’t get a free pass. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 3, for example, has an iFixit repairability score of 7/10, less than some models of the Surface Pro tablet. The 4th-gen version of the T14 got a nearly perfect 9/10 after Lenovo pushed it toward more repairability, something the company highlighted earlier this year at CES.
What makes the newest T-series laptops so good in this regard? iFixit highlights an easily-swapped battery (no tools required), keyboard, and screen; standard upgradeable parts; and modular parts like the cooling fans and USB-C ports. These can be upgraded with only a screwdriver and some tweezers, for example.
The T-series gets some particularly notable memory, using the new LPCAMM2 standard. This angular alternative to standard RAM can not only hit higher speeds at lower power draws, it takes up far less volume than regular SO-DIMM modules while still being user-replaceable. That won’t help you find or afford any of it, but at least the hardware design is moving in the right direction.
The new ThinkPad T14 and T16 laptops are scheduled to be released in April, starting at around the $1,500 mark.