Customer Ratings & Reviews

I upgraded but this computer was the same cost of a netbook. It doesn't have a webcam and came with windows 7 and has a 1st gen i5. It's a great deal but for $30 more I got a thinkpad with a 3rd gen i5, windows 10 and a webcam. I'm unsure about it being refurbished. I will see if it was worth the savings.

Skip to the end for quick pros/cons list. The Lenovo Thinkpad X230 was a serious, heavy-hitter business class laptop announced around December, 2012. Maybe a little earlier. It had an MSRP of about $1,600. Its chief competitors were machines like the HP Probook, the Dell Studio Venue, and the MacBook Pro. Suffice it to say that the Thinkpad was the only machine of its type without a captive audience, that still has legitimate fanboys. They're not wrong. Like most top-shelf machines like this, much of the value is in construction, but some is in exclusivity. Even new-old-stock machines of this type go for over $800. Now, let's talk about the computer. The chassis is mostly constructed from milled magnesium, with a pretty slick textured paint finish. My refurb came with a sort of vinyl applique pasted over the top, presumably to hide any imperfections in the paint. I removed it immediately because I don't so much like the plastic and don't mind a few small nicks in the paint. The result is a machine that weighs very little, despite its remarkable bulk. The i5-3320m processor is definitely a little dated. I couldn't recommend the older X220 computer for this reason; the second-gen machines lack a lot of more modern functions that the third-gen models have. I know that the Thinkpad fanboys lamented the passing of the older keyboard style. These keyboards aren't bad at all, but I kinda see why people had the opinions they had. The size of the laptop is perfect for the keyboard. It really does run edge to edge on the chassis, making it almost identical to a full sized keyboard. Very comfortable to type on, even for someone used to typing on a full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard. The 1366x768 display is a bit on the low resolution side compared to more modern screens, but for its size, it's definitely workable with as small as the screen is. This model comes with a mediocre 350gb mechanical hard drive, but it's more than sufficient for basic use. I've already replaced mine with an inexpensive SSD, and the difference in performance is astounding. The chassis has an mSATA socket, which is perfect for another high-speed compact SSD, multiple USB 3.0 ports and a cool old 54mm ExpressCard slot for use with some interesting hardware. More interesting, the machine supports 16gb of DDR3 1600mHz RAM. GOOD - Incredibly cheap. -Very solid specs. -Considerable expandability. -Highly durable magnesium alloy chassis. -Very modern connection options. -Surprising battery life. -SATA and MSATA internal drive options. -Backlit keyboard AND overhead LED lamp to illuminate the chassis lid. BAD -Probably twice as bulky as a contemporary option. -Low resolution monitor -Older 3rd-generation processor. -Mediocre stock hard drive, other options available for those without the technical skills to upgrade themselves -Refurbisher doesn't update shipping process on the Best Buy website and shipping is a little slow. Prognosis - This machine is an excellent second-string option for those who need a powerhouse machine with some considerable expandability, at the expense of having a considerably bulkier machine with a good bit less battery efficiency, one of these might offer a good option for someone short on cash but willing to throw a little bit more time and effort into the computer than a regular, new-in-box PC. A tremendous value for the money. One star off because I feel refurbished products aren't always the right choice for everyone.

I didn't know a refurbished Laptop = a used laptop. The corners of the laptop were chipped. There's a big scratch on the back of the laptop. The keyboard was NOT set in place correctly. There's a recovery utility, but no system image for recovery. I'm returning this laptop.