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Sam Rolfe
2026-07-09 15:58:53 +10:00
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# ThinkPad Recommendations for NixOS + Coding
## Top Two Picks
### 1. Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 (AMD) — **Best Overall** ⭐
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Release** | 2020 (6 years old) |
| **CPU** | AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U (6c/12t) or Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U (8c/16t) |
| **RAM** | 8GB soldered + 1x SODIMM slot (max ~40GB) |
| **Storage** | 1x M.2 NVMe |
| **GPU** | Radeon RX Vega 6/7/8 (great for Wayland/Niri) |
| **Price (AUD)** | ~00–00 |
| **Secure Boot** | Easily disabled in BIOS — no lock-in |
### 2. Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — **Budget / Max-Upgrade Pick** 💰
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Release** | 2018 (8 years old) |
| **CPU** | Intel 8th Gen i5-8250U (4c/8t) or i7-8650U (4c/8t) |
| **RAM** | **2x SODIMM slots** — fully upgradable to 64GB |
| **Storage** | 1x M.2 NVMe + 2.5" SATA bay |
| **Battery** | Dual hot-swappable (internal + external) |
| **GPU** | Intel UHD 620 (fine for Niri) |
| **Price (AUD)** | ~00–50 |
---
## Generation Differences (T14 series)
| Gen | Year | AMD CPU | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 | 2020 | Ryzen 4000 (Zen 2) | First T14 — 8GB soldered + 1 slot |
| Gen 2 | 2021 | Ryzen 5000 (Zen 3) | Same chassis, CPU bump |
| Gen 3 | 2022 | Ryzen 6000 (Zen 3+) | **USB4**, DDR5, better iGPU |
| Gen 4 | 2023 | Ryzen 7040 (Zen 4) | Newer CPU, minor refresh |
| Gen 5 | 2024 | Ryzen 8040 (Zen 4) | Latest |
> **Note:** Gen 1 AMD was the last affordable sweet spot. Gen 3+ get pricey second-hand. The T480 is older but uniquely has 2x SODIMM slots — all T14 models have soldered RAM.
---
## Why Ryzen over Intel for This?
|| **AMD Ryzen (T14 G1)** | **Intel (T14 G1)** |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-core perf | **~60-80% faster** (6-8 cores) | 4-core, struggles with compilation |
| iGPU (Wayland/Niri) | **Radeon Vega** — excellent driver, smooth compositing | Intel UHD — works but weaker |
| Battery life | **Better** — Ryzen 4000 efficient | Worse on 10th gen Intel |
| Thunderbolt | ❌ No (but USB-C DP works fine) | ✅ Yes (Intel version only) |
| Price second-hand | **Cheaper than Intel version** (less demand) | Often priced higher |
The Ryzen 4000 series was a **generational leap** — AMD jumped from 4 cores to 6-8 cores while Intel was still on 4 cores with 10th gen. For coding (compilation, VMs, NixOS builds), the extra cores make a huge difference.
---
## Secure Boot / Lock-in Note
The "signed" problem you hit was Secure Boot. Both the T480 and T14 let you disable it trivially:
1. F1 at boot → Security → Secure Boot → **Disabled**
2. Boot NixOS installer
No signed drivers, no Pluton chip, no Microsoft gatekeeping.
---
## Bottom Line
| If you want... | Get this |
|---|---|
| Best performance for coding | **T14 Gen 1 AMD Ryzen 7** (~00-650 AUD) |
| Cheapest entry + max upgradeability | **T480 i5** (~00-400 AUD) + upgrade RAM/storage later |
**Search eBay AU:** "ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 AMD Ryzen" or "ThinkPad T480"