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    Revamping T420

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by Nailjohnj, Sep 19, 2015.

  1. Nailjohnj

    Nailjohnj Notebook Enthusiast

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    I bought my T420 a little over 4 years ago and it is now starting to fail on me (starting to get the blue screen of death from time to time and the hard drive seems like it is beginning to fail). I am trying to figure out whether I should invest the money to get the t420 working right or just buy a new computer. I love the form of the t420 and I heard that Lenovo changed the keyboard (my favorite part), so my preference is to keep this computer, but not if it doesn't make sense financially.

    The t420 is an i5, 8 gb ram, 500 gb hdd, and the 9 cell battery. The battery is dying, so I definitely need to get a new one (looks to be about $55-65). I am thinking about getting an msata SSD, a SSD main drive, and a boost in RAM. I have only a limited knowledge of tech stuff, so recommendations on where I should go from here would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks!
     
    Nailjohnj, Sep 19, 2015
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  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    To me how much you use keyboard shortcuts is probably the key as to whether you'll like the newer ThinkPad keyboards. From a typing perspective, it's very good, being firm with good key depth, but if you're a shortcut user, given that they've been moved and removed, the new one will probably never make you happy.

    Given that you're going to spend a couple hundred bucks on upgrades, I'd vote for a new machine, but that's me. Keep in mind the newer machines offer much better screen options, which adds value to the equation.
     
    ZaZ, Sep 19, 2015
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  3. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    My train of thoughts, in somewhat reverse order when compared to your post...

    1) I'd leave the RAM upgrade for last, and only take that route if you really need it. 8GB is plenty for a lot - although not all - stuff nowadays.

    2) mSATA is an easy upgrade on a T420. My pick out of the currently available drives would likely be Micron M600.

    3) If you're going to be using the 2.5" SSD as a boot drive and leave the mSATA for storage - which would be my preference if you've already decided to spend money on two SSDs - SanDisk Extreme Pro would be my recommendation.

    4) As for the battery, make sure to get a genuine Lenovo one and not a third-party generic. Yes, the originals are more costly, but usually worth every cent, at least in my experience.

    Happy upgrading.
     
    ajkula66, Sep 19, 2015
    #3