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Returning this from a previous deal because it has an annoying coil whine issue when charging which gets worse when the SSD is being used a lot (reads/writes). Very strange. Mediocre battery life.
Build quality is subpar for a "Thinkpad". Not sure why this is so popular since this isn't the P, T or X series. I wonder if this deal is getting shilled or people are clueless about the significant differences in build quality and materials between the different models.
The laptop I got was fine otherwise. It seemed practically brand new. 3 battery cycles.
edit:
This one isn't sold by Lenovo like the previous deal so I can't say if it will show up looking as well refurbished as my unit did.
Last edited by justye October 12, 2024 at 08:08 AM.
fwiw bought from same seller last Dec a certified refurbished Thinkpad T14s G3. item arrived as described with 1yr Lenovo warranty and 2yr eBay Allstate warranty. the stock battery had issues and I had to send it in for service in July, everything went smoothly and paid for by Lenovo since it was still covered under their 1yr, just took awhile
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Oct 12, 2024
Oct 12, 2024 5:11 AM
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fwiw bought from same seller last Dec a certified refurbished Thinkpad T14s G3. item arrived as described with 1yr Lenovo warranty and 2yr eBay Allstate warranty. the stock battery had issues and I had to send it in for service in July, everything went smoothly and paid for by Lenovo since it was still covered under their 1yr, just took awhile
What battery issue(s) did you have? I'm only getting 5hrs of battery life wifi web browsing when notebookcheck review was getting 10hrs. I was going to return it.
I think with the L series you're sacrificing aesthetics (thicker), weight, and build materials. If I'm buying refurbished I'm already saving tons of money, then I'd rather go with T series, EliteBooks and Latitude 7xxx's.
What battery issue(s) did you have? I'm only getting 5hrs of battery life wifi web browsing when notebookcheck review was getting 10hrs. I was going to return it.
Same problem. ~5 hours of battery life. The notebookcheck review has the larger 57 Wh battery, while these have the 42Whr. Who knows if these were "reconditioned" in some way. You will definitely have much worse battery life.
By any chance, do you notice a noise near the USB C charging port when you charge the laptop? You might have to put your ear near it.
I agree with the other person. This L series is not really a true Thinkpad. It offers a slightly better build quality (mostly thicker plastic) vs a cheapie HP Pavilion, but it flexes a lot if you push against the palm rest or keyboard areas. I think this is getting hyped up on SlickDeals because people are not aware of the differences in the series and think it's a highly durable Thinkpad for $300.
Funny that people are downvoting me but not explaining why this is such a great laptop and a great deal. It's over 1 years old and is the budget low quality line of Thinkpads. Either the eBay seller is trying to shill this or the previous suckers of this deal don't want to accept they got a "Thinkpad", not a Thinkpad. Go order a T series Thinkpad and come back and explain to me how this is comparable. Most new computers (not refurbished) in the $350-$400 range have similar hardware, and some have more modern CPUs with better benchmark scores, so then how is this a great deal for a laptop with subpar battery life, QC issue (coil whine in my case), mediocre screen, and not much better build quality.
By the way go download Crystal Disk Mark. Test the SSD speeds while charging and while on battery.
Last edited by justye October 12, 2024 at 09:39 AM.
Same problem. ~5 hours of battery life. The notebookcheck review has the larger 57 Wh battery, while these have the 42Whr. Who knows if these were "reconditioned" in some way. You will definitely have much worse battery life.
By any chance, do you notice a noise near the USB C charging port when you charge the laptop? You might have to put your ear near it.
I agree with the other person. This L series is not really a true Thinkpad. It offers a slightly better build quality (mostly thicker plastic) vs a cheapie HP Pavilion, but it flexes a lot if you push against the palm rest or keyboard areas. I think this is getting hyped up on SlickDeals because people are not aware of the differences in the series and think it's a highly durable Thinkpad for $300.
Thanks for confirming. I've got till the 19th to return and will do so next week. I don't experience any coil whine. As far as build quality, they first thing I think when I pick it up is -it feels like a toy. It's not good or bad build quality, just doesn't feel professional/thinkpad.
If the battery life wasn't ass (at least 8hrs), I'd keep it. This battery life is the same as my 17 gaming laptop...
And that's pathetic.
The one good thing I can say about it, the usb-c charger is surprisingly compact. That's about it.
Same problem. ~5 hours of battery life. The notebookcheck review has the larger 57 Wh battery, while these have the 42Whr. Who knows if these were "reconditioned" in some way. You will definitely have much worse battery life.
By any chance, do you notice a noise near the USB C charging port when you charge the laptop? You might have to put your ear near it.
I agree with the other person. This L series is not really a true Thinkpad. It offers a slightly better build quality (mostly thicker plastic) vs a cheapie HP Pavilion, but it flexes a lot if you push against the palm rest or keyboard areas. I think this is getting hyped up on SlickDeals because people are not aware of the differences in the series and think it's a highly durable Thinkpad for $300.
I had interest initially, but you unsold me. Thank you.
Is this the best deal for a sub $300 laptop listed on SD as of now? Debating whether to get one or wait until black Friday
It really depends on your needs.
If you buy the same laptop off Amazon ( or Walmart with holiday returns) , you get about 90 days to send it back. You don't get the 8% discount though.
The screen resolution is pretty low compared to what I'm used to, so it doesn't look like a good fit for me.
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https://slickdeals.net/f/17776191-lenovo-thinkpad-l14-g3-refurb-14-fhd-ips-touch-ryzen-5-pro-5675u-16gb-ram-512gb-300-free-shipping?attrsr
Hence, despite the eBay listing stating it an HD display, that is incorrect and this actually comes with an FHD Touch IPS Display, as confirmed from numerous members who purchased it previously.
Build quality is subpar for a "Thinkpad". Not sure why this is so popular since this isn't the P, T or X series. I wonder if this deal is getting shilled or people are clueless about the significant differences in build quality and materials between the different models.
The laptop I got was fine otherwise. It seemed practically brand new. 3 battery cycles.
edit:
This one isn't sold by Lenovo like the previous deal so I can't say if it will show up looking as well refurbished as my unit did.
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By any chance, do you notice a noise near the USB C charging port when you charge the laptop? You might have to put your ear near it.
I agree with the other person. This L series is not really a true Thinkpad. It offers a slightly better build quality (mostly thicker plastic) vs a cheapie HP Pavilion, but it flexes a lot if you push against the palm rest or keyboard areas. I think this is getting hyped up on SlickDeals because people are not aware of the differences in the series and think it's a highly durable Thinkpad for $300.
Funny that people are downvoting me but not explaining why this is such a great laptop and a great deal. It's over 1 years old and is the budget low quality line of Thinkpads. Either the eBay seller is trying to shill this or the previous suckers of this deal don't want to accept they got a "Thinkpad", not a Thinkpad. Go order a T series Thinkpad and come back and explain to me how this is comparable. Most new computers (not refurbished) in the $350-$400 range have similar hardware, and some have more modern CPUs with better benchmark scores, so then how is this a great deal for a laptop with subpar battery life, QC issue (coil whine in my case), mediocre screen, and not much better build quality.
By the way go download Crystal Disk Mark. Test the SSD speeds while charging and while on battery.
By any chance, do you notice a noise near the USB C charging port when you charge the laptop? You might have to put your ear near it.
I agree with the other person. This L series is not really a true Thinkpad. It offers a slightly better build quality (mostly thicker plastic) vs a cheapie HP Pavilion, but it flexes a lot if you push against the palm rest or keyboard areas. I think this is getting hyped up on SlickDeals because people are not aware of the differences in the series and think it's a highly durable Thinkpad for $300.
If the battery life wasn't ass (at least 8hrs), I'd keep it. This battery life is the same as my 17 gaming laptop...
And that's pathetic.
The one good thing I can say about it, the usb-c charger is surprisingly compact. That's about it.
By any chance, do you notice a noise near the USB C charging port when you charge the laptop? You might have to put your ear near it.
I agree with the other person. This L series is not really a true Thinkpad. It offers a slightly better build quality (mostly thicker plastic) vs a cheapie HP Pavilion, but it flexes a lot if you push against the palm rest or keyboard areas. I think this is getting hyped up on SlickDeals because people are not aware of the differences in the series and think it's a highly durable Thinkpad for $300.
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If you buy the same laptop off Amazon ( or Walmart with holiday returns) , you get about 90 days to send it back. You don't get the 8% discount though.
The screen resolution is pretty low compared to what I'm used to, so it doesn't look like a good fit for me.