Which ThinkPad to Purchase?

I will be starting graduate school this coming August (Public Administration) and I am looking at picking up a ThinkPad to get me through school. My main uses will be web surfing, email, and Microsoft Office so nothing too intensive. If I have time (very seriously doubt it) I'd like to be able to do light gaming (SWTOR and I'm not picky about FPS). I know I want to get a ThinkPad but I am a little lost on which one to get. The four I have narrowed it down to would be the base X1 Carbon, T430 (with upgrades to an i5, 8GB of ram and the dGPU), T430s (same specs as the 430), and the new T431s.

The T431s ranks lowest on the totem pole partially because it is untested and the two "reviews" I read online made it look like it isn't up to par with the other three. In my limited computer expertise I believe that any of the machines will do exactly what I need them to do just fine. Is it worth it to splurge on the X1 Carbon or would it be smarter to go for the tried and true T430 series? Also, are the Lenovo refurbished laptops pretty reliable? I saw a maxed out X1 (i7 and 256 gb SSD) for about the same price as a new base model that piqued my interest (although I can't upgrade the warranty from what I see).

Any advice?

 

For your needs, almost any of the Thinkpads you mention will do. The DGPU in the T430 will give you some extra gaming power. The T430s is far sleeker and lighter than the stock T430. Both of them have full powered CPUs, replaceable batteries and can be upgraded with larger SSD drives and RAM. I think that gives them a real edge over the X1C. Of course, the X1C has a lot of curb appeal. Battery duration is an issue if I recall.

I have had a good experience with refur'bed units from the Lenovo Outlet. Yes, I think the 1 year warranty issued on Outlet units is the max. One annoying thing is the amount of time it takes to ship your unit from the outlet. They're in no hurry once you place your order.

 

I've bought a few refurbed notebooks from the outlet and they looked new to me. For a student who wants to take their notebook everywhere, I would think the X230 might be worth a look. It's durable, light, offers long battery life with the nine-cell battery, great keyboard and scree if you opt for the IPS, and can do dual drives with the mSATA SSD and hard drive.

 

I can only add to the great advice given by Bronsky and ZaZ above. If portability is higher on your priority list, pick an X230 with "Premium" screen. If a larger screen has higher priority, pick a T430 with HD+ 1600x900 resolution. Most Accenture and KPMG "consultants" I know carry T430's on a daily basis.

You need the lowest i5 CPU with integrated HD 4000 graphics. You don't need NVIDIA discrete graphics. 2 x 4GB RAM are good enough. Also, if you're comfortable doing so, add a mSATA SSD to your purchase to make it the boot/OS/programs drive, used together with the stock HDD as storage drive, and your notebook speed will please you immensely.

I'd rather save money on a "bread-and-butter" notebook and use the savings on worthy upgrades.