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T510 Why so many refurbished on market

T400/T410/T420 and T500/T510/T520 Series
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keithsketchley
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T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#1 Post by keithsketchley » Sat Dec 08, 2018 2:57 pm

Nearing the end of 2018 there still are many refurbished T510s in stores and on the Internet.

OS offered range from Windows 7 Pro through Windows 10 Pro.

Seems to be an old design by now - why so many on the market?

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#2 Post by MikalE » Sun Dec 09, 2018 12:11 am

I would guess because it was the first generation of Lenovo laptops with the i series of Intel processors. Businesses bought them up and leased them like wildfire. I have two myself and they are generally cheap on fleabay.

I bought one with an i5 processor and another came standard with an i7 processor. Both were off-lease refurbs.
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#3 Post by TonyJZX » Sun Dec 09, 2018 6:13 am

I consulted at many businesses that kept even T61s T400s as test bench machines and the like...

Many businesses didnt even buy desktops any more... older laptops worked fine as desktops with an lcd kbd mouse.

However even so, a 1st gen machine is basically worthless.

I think 3 or 4yrs ago I bought a pair of 410s, one nvidia and one intel as shells, sans hdd but complete, no charger for under $30 usd.

They are functionally too old for most businesses now.

Look at it like this... currently we're 8th gen.

3rd and 4th gen are still workable machines with good speed versus power use.

2nd gen tips it too much to power consumption with even people here complaining about T420 performance.

1st gen is a relic. Sorry but it is... they were ok like 4yrs ago running Win7 but these days... T400s even worse.

I feel like the 410 510s are basically laptops that need to be DTRs ie. the batteries arent great even when new so at best they are chained to a wall with mouse kbd etc.

Even now I feel like 2nd gen machines sans USB3 are getting to the point that they are well under $100 ie. junk status. Go to Dell or HP and you see stuff like Dell 6420 and that gen under $50.

Lack of usb3 sucks.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#4 Post by Saucey » Sun Dec 09, 2018 6:50 am

Yeah, there was over 700 T420 ThinkPads that were sold on eBay.

Perhaps the Intel Meltdown & Spectre made companies retire their older computers when they found out it'll tank their performance if they update their systems.
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#5 Post by keithsketchley » Mon Dec 31, 2018 3:24 pm

Indeed, old computers can be used as test mules, provided they are not connected to Internet and access is restricted (because much AV SW does not run on older os).

One fool bureaucracy was claiming that engineering departments had two PCs per employee. Well of course the departments said, there are lab mules and the extra computer many SW engineers had to run special SW. Though even then the suspicion was that people had not told financial people when a computer was scrapped.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#6 Post by keithsketchley » Mon Dec 31, 2018 3:25 pm

T430s are showing up in similar deals (refurbished, Windows 10, one year warranty – one store sold some for C$239.)

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#7 Post by HamBoy » Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:18 am

Can someone please tell me how to find an Operating Manual for a T510?

Thank You. Hamboy

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#8 Post by dr_st » Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:10 pm

Hi HamBoy,

What do you mean by 'operating manual'? If it is the hardware maintenance manual that you seek, check the "HMM" link at the top of the forum.
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#9 Post by Dragunov » Sun Jun 02, 2019 6:12 pm

TonyJZX wrote:
Sun Dec 09, 2018 6:13 am
I consulted at many businesses that kept even T61s T400s as test bench machines and the like...

Many businesses didnt even buy desktops any more... older laptops worked fine as desktops with an lcd kbd mouse.

However even so, a 1st gen machine is basically worthless.

I think 3 or 4yrs ago I bought a pair of 410s, one nvidia and one intel as shells, sans hdd but complete, no charger for under $30 usd.

They are functionally too old for most businesses now.

Look at it like this... currently we're 8th gen.

3rd and 4th gen are still workable machines with good speed versus power use.

2nd gen tips it too much to power consumption with even people here complaining about T420 performance.

1st gen is a relic. Sorry but it is... they were ok like 4yrs ago running Win7 but these days... T400s even worse.

I feel like the 410 510s are basically laptops that need to be DTRs ie. the batteries arent great even when new so at best they are chained to a wall with mouse kbd etc.

Even now I feel like 2nd gen machines sans USB3 are getting to the point that they are well under $100 ie. junk status. Go to Dell or HP and you see stuff like Dell 6420 and that gen under $50.

Lack of usb3 sucks.
This is very true. However, both the T400, and Tx10 series, are still great for doing school work, general computing, and with discreet graphics, pretty good for older games. They will still both run Office 2013, are upgradable to 8gb/RAM, can use an SSD, and the processors are upgradable. They have pretty decent Wi-Fi capabilities. Don't like Win 10? BOTH will run Win7/Win8.1, and Linux...... So, why not.

Set up properly, BOTH are fast enough for day to day Ops. Even for an impatient person.

Want to play the latest "A" games, or run the latest video editing software? Get a gaming machine, or a graphics workstation.
Want to just "Git 'er Done?" T400, and the Tx10 series will work fine.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#10 Post by TonyJZX » Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:28 am

I question that.

Problem is if you've experienced modern machinery going back to a T410 or a T400 even with an SSD requires some patience on Win7 or Win10.

On Unix yeah.

Win7 and Win10 are bogging down older hardware I feel.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#11 Post by w0qj » Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:35 am

We have a souped up T410 (maxed out to 8 GB RAM, large 2.5" SATA SSD) as our daily driver, and it runs very well!
Our T410 (and by extension T510) is just fine for daily office work use:

1. Daily office type work (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint), YouTube use, browser/internet use.

2. This was done using Win7 Pro 64-bit until very recently, and our T410 runs very well.

3. We have also updated T410 to Win10 Pro 64-bit now, and under the same workload, also works very well.

4. For medium/low workloads, I personally prefer to work with T410 for its 16:10 LCD screen, for its classic 7-row keyboard layout, and for its classic keys (non-island type).

5. T410 can also run 3D mmorpg games such as Star Trek Online (medium quality) and League of Legends just fine, should we wish to use this unit for such a purpose!

In summary, T410 (and by extension T510) is just fine for daily office work use!
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#12 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:03 pm

w0qj wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:35 am
4. For medium/low workloads, I personally prefer to work with T410 for its 16:10 LCD screen, for its classic 7-row keyboard layout, and for its classic keys (non-island type).
Note T510 has a 16:9 LCD....
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#13 Post by w0qj » Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:34 pm

OK, I stand corrected (again) ;)

T510 has 16:9 LCD
T410 has 16:10 LCD
Thinkpad4by3 wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:03 pm
Note T510 has a 16:9 LCD....
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#14 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:39 pm

w0qj wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:34 pm
OK, I stand corrected (again) ;)

T510 has 16:9 LCD
T410 has 16:10 LCD
Hehe, the first time I opened up a T510 I found , I'm like that looks too wide. I go to Thinkwiki and like, no that can't be right. The xx01/xx10 series was all 16:10. Must be a sticker swap. Took a few PSREF sheets to get it into my head that it was actually a 16:9 screen.

Also the keyboard was broken and no OS loaded so I couldn't see if it was a 1080p panel(and yes I checked the bottom, it was labeled CTO). :(
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#15 Post by olddog » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:17 pm

I use Linux on my older machines. Much lighter and quicker than Windows, and much less virus-prone.

Also, LibreOffice works well on Linux now, so for general computing Linux offers a better, faster, and safer experience than Windows.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#16 Post by T410 » Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:36 pm

Whoaa, I was surprised to open this thread and find out that my beloved refurbed T410 might be junk! I bought it 3 years ago and it has been stellar! I use it for general web surfing, business, word processing, youtube...I run Linux Mint and have a W7 partition for using ArcGis, which isn't exactly a resource lightweight. It is showing some wear though...there's a chip on the corner where I dropped it on concrete and asphalt a couple times...would have destroyed a lesser laptop.

I have been thinking about upgrading it lately, to....another refurbished T410 or 420. I've never been happier with a laptop and could easily go another 3 years on one of these.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#17 Post by wujstefan » Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:54 am

T410 wrote:
Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:36 pm
Whoaa, I was surprised to open this thread and find out that my beloved refurbed T410 might be junk!
Where's the idea from? It's definitely not junk at any point :) It's just... cheap nowadays.
T410 wrote:
Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:36 pm
I have been thinking about upgrading it lately, to....another refurbished T410 or 420. I've never been happier with a laptop and could easily go another 3 years on one of these.
I'd recommend T430. Very similar prive vs. still standing up to task system. Moddable to FHD IPS. Moddable to "classic" keyboard. Way better battery life and system temperatures. There is even one on the forums' marketplace already modded.
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#18 Post by T410 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 2:50 pm

wujstefan wrote:
Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:54 am


Where's the idea from? It's definitely not junk at any point :) It's just... cheap nowadays.
From post #3, which said " I feel like 2nd gen machines sans USB3 are getting to the point that they are well under $100 ie. junk status." :P
I'd recommend T430. Very similar prive vs. still standing up to task system. Moddable to FHD IPS. Moddable to "classic" keyboard. Way better battery life and system temperatures. There is even one on the forums' marketplace already modded.
I hope you are right, because I just ordered a refurbed T430.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#19 Post by Dragunov » Fri Jul 19, 2019 7:36 pm

There's nothing wrong with any of these computers IF:

They do what you need them to do, in a reasonably efficient manner.
They're well maintained.
You like them. NO computer that you like, and is still useful to you, is "junk".

I have a T400 P8800/128gb SSD/ 8gb RAM, and a 1440x900 display. Do I use it every day? Well, I DID for maybe six years, but not now, as I have a W540.

COULD I still use it as a "DD"? You betcha'! If It was all I had, it would work fine for most of what I do, except for some gaming, and my 3D studio. I have an older version of AutoCaD on it, and it runs pretty good. Not ideal, but sufficiently.

Same thing with the T420 I passed down to my daughter. Runs just fine, and with the nVidia graphics, and I7-2640 processor, it even plays older games pretty well. Actually, my daughter really likes it. I offered her one of my W540's, and she turned it down. She said her T420 is just fine.

Lack of USB 3.0? Well, yes. However, there IS a PCI Express slot, and I have a PCI Express card with USB 3.0, and a driver disk. Maybe I should try it in the next T420 I happen across. The T420 also has an mSATA slot. :thumbs-UP:

Believe it or not, the T400/T500/T420, are all still quite usable today, and in quite a demand. Especially in more "Rural" areas, and smaller towns in America. I've sold MANY to local businesses, and local people, who need a reliable laptop, but don't have a lot of money. I imagine the T410/T510, would be just as welcomed. Right now, my most requested refurbs are the T420s, and T430s. They are VERY popular around here. I haven't had a SINGLE complaint on any of the T400/T500, and T420 ThinkPads that I've sold. :)

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#20 Post by thinkpadcollection » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:16 pm

Tx10 is no faster than Tx00 it replaced. Battery runtime is no better either. Processors is i core first generation for this reason but best fit is XP or light use windows 7. And I find that windows 10 is little a problem on these. SATA II still. SSD is usually SATA III.

Best value is actually Tx3x. Otherwise if one insists on good keyboard, Tx20. Upgrade to high end i5 or i7-2640m and SSD, 16GB easier wider compatiblity memory even using DDR3-1600 as 1333.

Tx50 is getting there in value but I have departed Thinkpad and Dell for choice of HP notebooks these days when I'm ready to purchase, usually HP 850 G2 or other different model if I wanted a socketed CPU and take 4 core CPU instead of 2.

I had T500 before and knows one user who currently owns my former T500 for years (just got serviced for new power jack and heatsink cleaning few days ago). and I had two T410 as well, but sold one to coworker.

To one who going to attend college or university, usually either newer Macbook, I was asked about this finding older cheaper macbook to recommand right models, I said no, get newer one due to OS version support is broken on older Macbooks as one of reasons) or newer Windows 10 notebooks is required. From what I heard this worked out as I predicted.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#21 Post by KentT » Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:50 pm

Until late this afternoon, a ThinkPad T 410 with Core i5 first generation was my main laptop. But running the latest Linux Mint Cinnamon 9.2. And did so just fine with 6 GB RAM. I am typing this post using the same operating system on a T 420 I just bought on eBay (sans battery and AC Charger, using the ones from my T410 for now). Paid $71 for this superb machine (I also upgraded the RAM from 2GB to 4GB and plan on upgrading to 8GB RAM, it has a Core i5 second generation at 2.5 Ghz). It is durable, well built, inexpensive used, and runs *Nixes very well and fast. And easily repaired and maintained. It's just fine for me, and a bit of an upgrade. And the T410 I will still use as a secondary machine. It still serves my needs. I will max out the RAM in both machines, and install SSD and keep them alive.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#22 Post by jwjensen356 » Fri Sep 20, 2019 1:18 am

dr_st wrote:
Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:10 pm
Hi HamBoy,

What do you mean by 'operating manual'? If it is the hardware maintenance manual that you seek, check the "HMM" link at the top of the forum.
I Googled for my recent X1 Cobra Gen 3 and searched for the Hardware Maintenance Manual (see the HMM reference above). Since printed! But I also found the equivalent of the operations manual and printed that. Google is your friend, use him.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#23 Post by KentT » Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:05 pm

Another thing which affects ThinkPad T510 used value, and makes them common. The T510 has sound issues on Linux Mint, and other Ubuntu based distros. T 410 and T 420 make superb machines for most *Nixes.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#24 Post by T410 » Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:31 pm

I don't like my T430. It has been flakey. :( I want my 410 back. And excuse my ignorance but what are *nixes?

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#25 Post by shawross » Sat Nov 02, 2019 5:38 am

I think that Nix comes from the term Unix and it generally means a Linux distro now. Correct me if I am wrong here.

It is true that Thinkpads go well with Linux but I have had good experience lately with a Dell and an old Lanparty AMD CPU desktop with Mint.
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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#26 Post by T410 » Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:15 pm

KentT wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:50 pm
Until late this afternoon, a ThinkPad T 410 with Core i5 first generation was my main laptop. But running the latest Linux Mint Cinnamon 9.2.
I presume you mean 19.2

9.2 would be anything but "the latest". :lol:

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#27 Post by KentT » Fri Nov 08, 2019 6:43 pm

Yes, a typo. My T 420 is now running 19.2 Tina. And very well.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#28 Post by keithsketchley » Wed Dec 18, 2019 8:41 pm

London Drugs chain in western Canada is still flogging T410, $280 with Windows 10 Home.

BC Surplus (British Columbia government) has various T and x models, no HDD, coa/licence on them is Windows 7Pro. $250. or less.

My concern with them is getting IBM features if the model was never delivered with Windows 10. Bad experience with x41 upgrading from XP Pro to 7Pro, cannot have large cursor. But the x41's limited graphics chip is not supported properly by Intel/Microsoft.

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Re: T510 Why so many refurbished on market

#29 Post by muser99 » Fri Dec 20, 2019 3:51 am

The T410 works with Windows 10 without any issues!
Daily driver since 2011: T410, i7-640M (formerly i5-520M), 8GB RAM, EVO 860, 1440x900, Windows 10.

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