Anyone have a T460p? What has been your experience with it?

[skm67]

Hi Everyone,

Do any of you have a T460p? If so, what has been your experience with it? I've got an old T60p and its showing its age so I think it is finally time to get a new ThinkPad and have been looking at the T460p. I just checked my records and I bought my T60p almost exactly ten years ago! It has been an amazing machine and was my first laptop and first ThinkPad. However, it is starting to have issues - CD/DVD drive not working any more, wifi not working, slowness, freezing, crashing...

Please tell me what you like and dislike about the T460p. If you would not recommend the T460p, what other laptop would you recommend?

Thanks!

S

[bba1973]

I've had my T460p for about a week and a half now. Overall, it's the best laptop I've ever had or used so far.

Here's some specs of mine:

Intel Core i7 6820HQ CPU
Nvidia GeForce 940MX GPU
32 GB RAM (upgraded by me, HyperX brand)
960 GB Crucial M500 SATA III 2.5" SSD (upgraded by me)
1080/FHD screen
Smart Card reader
Windows 10 Pro


My uses:

Mostly web browsing, YouTube, running VMware VMs, CCTV monitoring, light gaming (emulation). At my desk, I have the Ultra Dock with 2 1080/FHD monitors. It's usually hooked up to an AC adapter, so I haven't done any true battery life tests with it. I wanted a ThinkPad that could be my laptop and my desktop/workstation. 1080 is all the resolution I need for now.


The good:

Very fast. I have a custom desktop with 32 GB of RAM and an AMD FX-8350 CPU and the T460p feels slightly faster. TPFanControl is installed and the CPU is usually in the high 40's for web browsing, high 70's under somewhat heavy loads and mid 80's if it's really under load (multiple VMware VMs running). I have not run any benchmarks on it, but the dual heatpipe cooler works very well. The IPS screen is very nice. I've only noticed a tiny bit of PWM flicker on the lowest brightness setting. The keyboard feels about the same as my X220's did, but it's a slight adjustment. The fingerprint reader is very nice. Although I don't do any "real" gaming, the T460p emulates Sega Dreamcast games perfectly and PS2 games fairly well. This truly is the laptop I was after as it has handled everything I have thrown at it.


The bad:

Although the keyboard feels great, I really miss having dedicated volume buttons and the back/forward buttons near the directional arrows. The trackpad is a bit too large for my liking, but it's not that bad. For whatever reason, it's faster to do a shutdown and power on than a reboot (it's like the laptop does 2 reboots before it goes into Windows, I have a power on and hard disk password set). It's more difficult than it should be to get to the RAM and HDD on a ThinkPad (1 piece bottom cover has to be pried off instead of having access panels, would be very annoying in a corporate IT setting). There is no ThinkLight and the backlit keyboard doesn't really do much for me. The screen has a bit of light bleed around the top and side edges on an all-black page. I much prefer the X220 9 cell battery's "handle" rather than the T460's battery raising the rear of the case.


Other thoughts:

Overall, I love my T460p. After coming from an X220, I'm trying to readjust to the larger size. Most of my complaints are minor and I think the reboot issue could be solved with a future BIOS update. If you install Windows 10 from scratch, be sure to run your driver installations as administrator. Not doing so caused me to lose my touchpad tap to click settings at each reboot.

It's the first time I've purchased a brand new ThinkPad and I'm glad I did. Don't let a couple of negative reviews scare you away from it. Get the i7 and you've got a real powerhouse in your hands. If Lenovo combined these specs with their 'retro" features, it would be even better.

[Dodge DeBoulet]

I have a fairly similar build to bba1973's (i7-6820HQ w/nVidia 940MX). I ordered the WQHD display though, but with the least expensive memory and hard drive configuration.

I upgraded to 32GB of Crucial RAM and a 2TB Samsung 850 Pro.

My positive experiences mirror his, and the few negatives he's listed aren't really problematic for me. Although I prefer the legacy keyboard layout, I find the T460p's to be very fast and easy to type on. Coming from a t420, I find the clickpad to be a huge improvement; the larger size and smoother surface makes a big difference.

Installing the US International keyboard in Windows 10 solved the only real issue I had, which was easy access to accented characters. I'm sort of wishing I'd done that with the T420, since it's actually easier with the international keyboard than turning on the T420's NumLock and typing the Alt-XXXX sequences on the overlaid numeric keypad.

I purchased 2 docking stations with the notebook and have experienced occasional issues with displayport-connected displays being recognized upon docking. Nothing too aggravating so far, though; even if I have to reboot the process takes so little time that it's really not an inconvenience.

[skm67]

Hi BBA1973 and Dodge, Thanks for replying!

Sounds like you both use your ThinkPads similarly to me. I have a dock for my T60p and drive three external monitors. I run my business on my ThinkPad and have my email on one monitor, browser on another and my accounting system on the third. I have an old desktop that is faster than my T60p but have rarely ever used it as I prefer to have everything all on one device - my ThinkPad.

Can three external monitors be connected to the T460p and dock? Some of the things I've read make me wonder if that will be possible. I had to insert a video card into my current dock to be able to connect three monitors, but that doesn't look like an option with the new docks.

The negatives mentioned don't bother me much except for the battery sticking out the bottom. I may have to go with the smallest battery on the T460p as I much prefer having the extended battery sticking out the back rather than the bottom (which would increase the thickness).

I gave up gaming on my computer years ago and now use my PlayStation for that. How were you able to run Sega or PlayStation games on your T460p?

I don't understand this push for ever higher resolutions on small monitors, especially phones. I love high resolutions on my TV but I'm good with 1080p on my computer. Besides my current 20 inch external monitors only go up to 1600 x 1200 so any more than that is unnecessary. I just need the discrete graphics chip to be able to drive the three external monitors smoothly.

So just rebooting solves the issue with the monitors being recognized?

Thanks again!

S

[bba1973]

I'm using my T460p with the 90 watt Ultra dock. Currently, I use 2 external monitors and leave the laptop closed. Both external monitors are connected via DisplayPort. If I open the laptop screen, I can only use the laptop screen and 1 external monitor. Unfortunately, the BIOS/UEFI does not have an "advanced graphics" option like the W540.

With the ultra dock, I can only get 3 monitor working in the following scenario: 1 DisplayPort, 1 DisplayPort or DVI or HDMI, 1 VGA. For whatever reason, one of the DisplayPorts, the DVI, and the HDMI connectors are passthroughs to one connection. The laptop screen itself must be connected to this in some regard.

I do not have any monitors that support DisplayPort daisy chaining at home. I may have to try this at work one day with my T460p. That may be another way to get 3 external monitors working on digital output.

For gaming, I just emulate older consoles. Just Google emulators for the desired systems and have at it. Setting the emulator programs to use the Nvidia GPU helps, but the Intel graphics are no slouch.

[skm67]

Hi BBA1973,

Thanks for the reply!

Sounds like three external monitors are possible then, just not all digital.

What is in the advanced graphics option on the W540?

[bba1973]

It could be possible, but I think the only way would be with DisplayPort daisy chaining. That requires newer monitors with that capability, but I don't have a chance to try that out for now.

That option for the W540 allows it to use both the integrated graphics and the Nvidia GPU at the same time and allow for 5 or 6 external monitors at once. I don't know how well it works though.

Another option would be to buy the ThinkPad USB 3.0 dock. It has 2 DVI ports. In theory, you could add a few of these docks to your T460p and have several external monitors.

[skm67]

I haven't heard much good about usb docks, the video tends to be slow...

Too bad they don't have a W model any more.

Thanks again!

[Ibthink]

W-Series was replaced by the P-Series (P50, P70).

[bba1973]

Yes, the video performance on the USB 3.0 docks isn't the greatest. It's more intended for adding extra monitors for an office environment (ex. users who don't know how to resize program windows and have to have a desk full of monitors). More of a "quick 'n dirty" workplace solution than a home office or gaming rig solution. Those docks also require their own power supply, need to be rebooted from time to time, don't play nice at startup, etc.

You may want to check out Lenovo's dock compatibility matrix. It hasn't been updated for the xx60 models but may be helpful for setup and number of display limitations.

[pianowizard]

It's more intended for adding extra monitors for an office environment

You mean, like my office setup? http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52525

(ex. users who don't know how to resize program windows and have to have a desk full of monitors).

OMG, I had no idea that windows could be resized! I thought I needed one monitor per window, which is why I bought three monitors for my office computer so I could see three windows at once!

[bba1973]

You mean, like my office setup? http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52525

Yes, those USB 3.0 docks are great for dealing with a variety of different hardware. All you need is a USB 3.0 port and the proper driver installed. They work quite well in that regard.

OMG, I had no idea that windows could be resized! I thought I needed one monitor per window, which is why I bought three monitors for my office computer so I could see three windows at once!

That's how most of my coworkers think as well. The Aero Snap feature in Windows 7 and higher will do half of the work for you too.

[pianowizard]

That's how most of my coworkers think as well. The Aero Snap feature in Windows 7 and higher will do half of the work for you too.

What a pity, my joke was wasted. You thought I was serious? Didn't you see that the center monitor had two windows on it, so clearly I knew about resizing windows? I don't believe people exist who don't know windows can be resized. Possibly 20 years ago, but not in 2016.

I bought a 3840x2160 monitor and two 2560x1440 ones to see many more than three windows at once. I have six windows in view right now, and often way more than that. With a mid to large desktop computer, one can easily drive up to a couple dozen monitors. At one point this particular HP minitower was hooked up to seven monitors.

[skm67]

LOL

Thanks everyone!

[bba1973]

What a pity, my joke was wasted. You thought I was serious? Didn't you see that the center monitor had two windows on it, so clearly I knew about resizing windows? I don't believe people exist who don't know windows can be resized. Possibly 20 years ago, but not in 2016.

No, I knew you joking around. Anyone who likes ThinkPads enough to join a forum like this is most likely a power user.

But I was serious about most of my coworkers not knowing how to resize windows. They are usually women in their late 50's and up who can barely see a 20" 1600x1200 display 6 inches away from their face and they're too vain to get glasses.

[skm67]

LOL, sounds like my sister!

[surya kumar]

At 3.8 pounds (4.2 with high-capacity battery) and 13.4 x 9.2 x 0.83 inches, the ThinkPad T460 isn't the thinnest or the lightest 14-inch business laptop. But it is compact enough to carry everywhere or balance on your lap. Lenovo's laptop uses its girth to make room for a removable battery, which provides it with a huge advantage over competitors, particularly if you opt for the 6-cell unit.
With its Intel Core i5-6300U CPU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD, our review configuration of the ThinkPad T460 was more than capable of intense multitasking and serious productivity work. Even when I had 12 Chrome tabs open and an offline 1080p video playing in another window, the system showed no signs of lag.

Admin note:: If you are going to pull quotes from a 3-month old published review (i.e, these are not your own words), you should explicitly state so.

ref: http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptop ... nkpad-t460

[pianowizard]

But I was serious about most of my coworkers not knowing how to resize windows. They are usually women in their late 50's and up who can barely see a 20" 1600x1200 display 6 inches away from their face and they're too vain to get glasses.

Sounds like my secretary in her 60s. She does wear glasses but still needs to reduce her two 19" 1280x1024 monitors to 1024x768 so things look bigger. With only 1024x768 on each screen, she has no choice but to maximize the window. Of course she knows how to resize a window, but that's simply not an option. I bet it's the same for your coworkers. They know about resizing, but have no choice.

At 3.8 pounds (4.2 with high-capacity battery) and 13.4 x 9.2 x 0.83 inches, the ThinkPad T460 isn't the thinnest or the lightest 14-inch business laptop. But it is compact enough to carry everywhere or balance on your lap. Lenovo's laptop uses its girth to make room for a removable battery, which provides it with a huge advantage over competitors

Dell, HP and Lenovo/IBM have been making comparable business-class laptops for over a decade. There have been not many laptop models with "a huge advantage over competitors", as long as you compare apples to apples, oranges to oranges. The T460's counterparts at Dell and HP are the Latitude 14 5000 series and the EliteBook 745 G3. They all weigh 3.4 - 3.9 pounds and have removable batteries. Sure there are some differences among the three brands, e.g. Thinkpads tend to have the best keyboard and trackpoint though the lousiest screens, Latitudes tend to cost a bit less which usually means the use of somewhat cheaper material, and EliteBooks tend to use the most premium and solid material. But to a great extent, the three brands have comparable products with fairly similar features and weights. There are exceptions of course, e.g. for a long while only Dell and HP had business-class 17-inchers, and back in the mid 2000s only Thinkpads had IPS screens, but such exceptions are quite rare.

[rkawakami]

At 3.8 pounds (4.2 with high-capacity battery) and 13.4 x 9.2 x 0.83 inches, the ThinkPad T460 isn't the thinnest or the lightest 14-inch business laptop. But it is compact enough to carry everywhere or balance on your lap. Lenovo's laptop uses its girth to make room for a removable battery, which provides it with a huge advantage over competitors

Note that post quoted a couple of lines from a review published March 2016 on laptopmag.com.

[skm67]

also, that review was for the T460 not the T460p

[bba1973]

Sounds like my secretary in her 60s. She does wear glasses but still needs to reduce her two 19" 1280x1024 monitors to 1024x768 so things look bigger. With only 1024x768 on each screen, she has no choice but to maximize the window. Of course she knows how to resize a window, but that's simply not an option. I bet it's the same for your coworkers. They know about resizing, but have no choice.

True, that's not much screen real estate to work with. At a previous job, there were two people who had a single 19" 1024x768 monitor that was resized to 800x600. No idea how either of them had enough screen real estate to get anything done.

To tie back in with the thread topic, I keep my 1080 screen on my T460p at 100% scaling. A bit small, but I do enjoy the real estate and don't have to change any settings when docked.

[rkawakami]

also, that review was for the T460 not the T460p

Good point. I missed that when searching for the "ThinkPad T460 isn't the thinnest or the lightest" text as I sped-read through the Google results. I thought that post looked a little fishy due to the wording of some statements. Sorry to get OT; we now return you to our program already in progress...

[skm67]

I was recently able to confirm with Lenovo that the T460p is able to drive three external monitors. Their response was that with the ultra dock, it is able to drive a max of three monitors in any combination, either two external monitors and the laptop's display or three external monitors.

Now I just wish I could get a PCIe NVMe drive in it, none of their configurators include this as an option, even though their PSREF sheet says it is available on some.

[skm67]

i got my new t460p! I'll report back after I have had some time with it.

[skm67]

This T460p is awesome!

I got the core i7-6280hq, 500gb ssd, 32gb ram

Very responsive!

Very quiet! The fan doesn't seem to be on most of the time.

The trackpad is great! I used to always use the trackpoint on my t60p but i find myself using the trackpad more on the t460p.

The keyboard is not as great as the the keyboard on the t60p but it is still pretty good.

I don't like that the battery sticks out of the bottom. I tried to order the smallest battery but they said that it wasn't available. I could order it separately but what's the point of of having two batteries. But the battery is great and lasts forever!

I am able to connect three external monitors though each is using a different interface, two are digital and one is analog.

I am very happy with my purchase!

[JNavas]

As compared to my T420s (excellent except for the mediocre display panel), I'm generally not a fan of snap together cases and island keyboards, but I'm pretty impressed by the T460p.

Pros:

• Intel i7-6820HQ performance is excellent, not significantly impaired by the lower temperature limit, even on severe workloads (e.g., video encoding).
• NVIDIA 940MX graphics performance is very good.
• WQHD display panel is outstanding, better than any other notebook panel I've ever seen.
• Keyboard is pretty good all things considered.
• Remarkably thin, small and light for so much performance (with 3 cell battery).
• Remarkably quiet, even under severe workload.
• Very good fingerprint reader.

Cons:

• 72Wh battery bulge is annoying, but I don't care much about battery life, so replaced it with slim 3 cell battery.
• Standard 135W power adapter is clunky, but it works fine on my slim Targus 90W adapter.
• No USB Type-C port(s). [What were they thinking?!]
• I prefer ThinkLight to keyboard backlighting.
• Lack of dedicated function buttons and proper indicator lights.

On balance, the pros far outweigh the cons (for me at least). I don't know of another 14" machine that measures up.

[skm67]

I agree

[Jay A whY]

I just received my T460p today... Anyone else experiencing back light screen bleeding?.. I only have it on the bottom right area of the screen, very minimal..

http://i63.tinypic.com/2a5myip/9

http://i66.tinypic.com/2ij3dxs.jpg

[JNavas]

I just received my T460p today... Anyone else experiencing back light screen bleeding?.. I only have it on the bottom right area of the screen, very minimal..

I had no bleeding on my Full HD (1920x1080) panel.