Which (under $400) USED Lenovo model to buy for optimal value ?

[GoodEnough]

Again, if you can buy a brand new laptop for $350, which used Lenovo laptop can you buy for $350-$400 that will give you a lot more bang for the buck? Put you in a different caliber of laptop, for about the same money as entry-level consumer laptop. If this is even possible...

 

[WackyDan]

You can buy many used ThinkPads that will easily best the $350 retail store/big box chain crap....

It really depends on if you are willing to accept a Laptop that is one or two generations behind in technology. For that you will still be getting dual core, and Mil Spec semi rugged (ThinkPad)...You will find many ThinkPads for sale over at Thinkpads.com forums. Many reputable sellers there.

 

[gsaldivar]

Anything new in that price range is going to be an entry-level "disposable" laptop. I would aim for something with a modern architecture, Intel i3-based etc. Even that might be a stretch for sub-$400, but I would avoid stuff that is already behind the curve such as Celeron, or Intel's "Dual-Pentium"... Trying to find a superior used laptop would be a luck of the draw rather than a calculated purchase. You might get lucky at an auction or something and score T400 series for that price, but it's just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

 

[996GT2]

Again, if you can buy a brand new laptop for $350, which used Lenovo laptop can you buy for $350-$400 that will give you a lot more bang for the buck? Put you in a different caliber of laptop, for about the same money as entry-level consumer laptop. If this is even possible...

You can easily find a T61 for under $400, maybe even a T400.

Look for something with at least a 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo. Penryn Core 2 Duos (The 35W TDP T8xxx, T9xxx and the later, 25W TDP P8xxx, P9xxx) are preferable to the older 7xxx series because they are more power efficient and give better battery life. RAM doesn't matter; you can easily upgrade to 4GB yourself for $30-40. Hard drive also doesn't matter; you can upgrade to a 500GB, 7200 RPM drive for $50 ish, or put in an SSD if your budget allows.

As far as graphics go, if you don't play games then integrated graphics are fine. If you want something more powerful look for a unit with a discrete NVidia or ATI graphics chipset.

Also important...look for something with the 1440x900 LCD (if you are getting a 14"); it's preferable to the lower-res 1280x800 screen. If you are getting a 15" Thinkpad ook for something with at least 1680x1050 resolution, preferably 1920x1200 if you can find it.

 

[masterxfob]

+1 for the t400 with a 1440x900 lcd. there are plenty to be had on ebay within your budget.

 

[tehach]

Concur on the T400 screen resolution recommendation. The lower resolution screen becomes tiresome quickly.

T400 < $400 on eBay is doable if you're johnny-on-the-spot.

 

[GoodEnough]

I think I want to sell my Gateway (which works perfectly fine) and get a Lenovo. I just want a cooler band name for snob appeal. If it's got a clickier keyboard, that's even better. Should I just get an entry level Lenovo, or buy a used one that is a better model? Is T400 still the one to get? I want to be running on Win7.

I think I can get $250 for my GTW and roll that into an under $400 Lenovo.