PamfildsBox

What are ThinkPads, you may ask?

"ThinkPad is a line of business-oriented laptop computers and tablets, the early models of which were designed, developed and marketed by International Business Machines (IBM) starting in 1992. IBM sold its PC business, including laptops to Lenovo in 2005, and since 2007, all new ThinkPad models have been branded Lenovo instead." ~Wikipedia

How did I start taking an interest in ThinkPads?

A few months ago, I was looking to buy a laptop. I wasn't looking for something expensive or very powerful, just something to get normal tasks done (school projects, browsing the internet, and some light gaming). While I was searching, I stumbled upon this video from a YouTuber called Sebi's Random Tech. I started watching the video, and it wasn't just a cheap laptop that could get the basics done; it also had many features that laptops nowadays don't have anymore, like: ports, MANY PORTS; swappable batteries (you can buy three or four batteries, and when one runs out, you just swap it); upgradeability (cpu, ram, HDD, display, etc.).

For the following weeks, I looked on r/thinkpad on Reddit, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and other local websites and stores for good deals. In the end, I had choose between a ThinkPad T520 (60$) and a T61 (40$), but I bought them both 85$. Not the best deal out there, but a good price nonetheless. Still better than paying 300~400 dollars for a brand new laptop, especially if you are in high school or college and are planning to eat in the next few months.

I haven't really used the T61 too much. I'm waiting to switch the battery so I can use it without being constantly connected to the charger. It currently runs Windwows XP. I'm not really sure what will I do with it; keep Windows XP an turn it into a more retro machine or install Linux on it and use it as a daily driver? Anyways, let's move on the the one I actually used, the ThinkPad T520.

So, how was the experience with the T520?

When I first opened the box it came in, I found the laptop, the charger and a Display Port to HDMI adapter (the laptop doesn't have an HDMI port). While inspecting the laptop, I realized that it had some fine signs of wear, but nothing to really complain about giving that this is a 12 years old laptop. I booted the laptop up and I saw that it had Windows 10 installed. It might be able to run Windows 10, but you probably won't have a very good experience, so I decided to switch to Linux. Haven't really used Linux too much before, only to run a home server, so it was quite a new and exciting experience for me.
With the battery it came with, I can use it without charging it for around an hour and a half. I will probably need to replace the old battery with a new one in the future.
In terms of video quality, we have a TN panel with a resolution of 1600x900. One of the more premium displays from that time period. It's quite nice, even for today's standards. (Full HD YouTube steams)
One recommendation I have: Please swap the hard drive with an SSD. There is no reason to use a hard drive anymore, since SSD's have gotten so much cheaper.

My linux experience on a ThinkPad

At first, I installed Linux Mint. I thought that I should use the easiest Linux distro for beginners so I could get used to the Linux environment. I used it like this for a while, but I wanted something more, something more challenging, so I installed Arch (I use Arch, btw).

I installed Arch both the traditional way and with EndeavourOS. I highly recommend EndeavourOS makes things much simpler and easier for users that want to get into Arch. One of the first things you should install after setting up Arch is a desktop manager. If you use EndeavourOS, you can choose one from the USB installer. Another useful program is Timeshift, you can make backups of your system in case you screw something up. Timeshift allows you to go back to the last stable backup you made. One last program I think you will need is LibreOffice is a free and open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. This program is available on Linux, MacOS, and Windows.
[BONUS] Install FastFetch to take cool screenshots to post on Reddit. :)

Gaming on a ThinkPad T520.

You can run games like Portal 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Half Life, and Team Fortress 2 pretty easily. If you try to run more demanding games, like Rocket League or Fortnite, you will have to turn the quality all the way down, and even then, games will run very poorly or not at all. In conclusion, don't try to run Elden Ring on this laptop if you don't want to burn your house down. :)

In conclusion, this is a great laptop for everyday tasks, and if you pair it with Linux and an SSD, you won't face any performance problems anytime soon.

My ThinkPad T520