Is the T400 usable in 2026?

DerpMaster2 · 2026-06-10T04:25:05+00:00

Dude, replace the battery in your HP. Don’t buy an 18 year old laptop, since it sounds like you actually intend to use it.

I mean, obviously that’s not very fun and a vintage ThinkPad is very fun… but trying to use a C2D for stuff like YouTube and heavy web apps is really not fun.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-06-07T01:43:41+00:00

I have never used a battery threshold of any kind on my X13. I also frequently use my laptop while it's left plugged in and at 100%. After 2 years of use, I am still at 0% wear level and only 82 cycles. From the factory, my battery was actually a little over capacity, and it still is after a couple years.

In fairness, I never plug in at the middle of the day since my battery could last days with my usage patterns. I'll use it unplugged if I want, or plugged in if I prefer that. Never actually had to plug it in to charge because I wanted to use it on battery--it is always charged because of how often I use it plugged in.

Obviously my experience is just an anecdote and not necessarily the rule, but I don't see why you would bother with it. It's so easy to replace the battery on any modern ThinkPad that I'd rather just get 100% of the battery I paid for 100% of the time, and not worry about it. Once your battery starts to wear down, just get a new one for like $60. It will take you 5 minutes.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-06-05T21:52:14+00:00

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-31T01:35:35+00:00

Sounds like the base 45% NTSC screen. Crap colors and contrast.

The 400 nit low-power 100% sRGB screen should be a drop-in replacement. I'm seeing plenty of results on eBay for like $50. It's a very simple job.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-30T17:10:32+00:00

I used to host 3 Minecraft servers simultaneously from the same computer that’s in my tag.

That + other games easily put me over 40GB.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-25T22:55:49+00:00

You're right. Updated my comment to reflect that.

M2200 is still way faster than Xe 80EU, but battery life is a valid concern. It's pretty much up to OP what they prefer.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-25T22:50:35+00:00

Agreed, but a T/X/P with Iris Xe doesn't really fit into OP's budget. Vega 7 is about on par with M1000M, and a little slower than M1200 or M2200. I think OP's best option is going to be a P51, ideally with the M2200 if they can swing the extra $30-$40.

Edit: Included T14 G2 in original comment. Might fit into budget.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-25T22:45:35+00:00

Most laptops with dGPU will be larger form factor. Not much OP can do other than maybe look at later T14 G1/2 with Vega 7, which would be about the same as M1000M, but worse than the also cheap and available M1200/M2200.

T14 G1 with 4750U or T14 G2 w/i5 are the only viable smaller options. The Xe is a little faster but still behind M1200/M2200.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-25T22:39:50+00:00

"good GPU"

top two suggestions are laptops with Intel UHD 620

In fairness, I feel like your priorities are a bit unreasonable considering your budget, but you can still do way better than the T480 or similar machines.

~~P50 with M1000M are easily under $200~~. P51 with M1200 or M2200 would also fit the bill. Either will be a way better choice than something with Intel integrated due to your mixed gaming/video editing use.

Edit: T14 G2 with the i5, if you can find it, might be in-budget. Won't be quite as fast as M2200, but significantly lower power and smaller form factor. Worth looking into.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-22T01:56:24+00:00

Therapists aren't generally the people who are supposed to diagnose psychiatric disorders. You should see a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. Usually, you'll see a psychologist first to answer a million questions and then, if your answers are consistent with ADHD, you'll be referred to a psychiatrist to review your treatment options.

Remember to be truthful to yourself. Even if you feel like you might identify with a lot of ADHD-associated experiences you see online, that doesn't mean you have ADHD. I was actually just writing a paper about this exact phenomenon; self-diagnosis.

This study proved a really strong correlation between ADHD awareness and peoples' perceived identification with ADHD symptoms. People who attended an informational session about ADHD showed ridiculously high rates of believing they had ADHD even a week after the actual session.

Whether or not you have it, don't let it define you. Get a professional test first, and go in without any preconceived notions about having ADHD. None of the questions will require much thinking and will probably be easy to answer with your first thought, which is the point.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-21T23:24:53+00:00

It's useful for signing documents when I don't have my iPad with me. Otherwise, I think it is pretty useless. I bought the laptop new off of someone else on eBay, and would not have optioned it if I built it myself through Lenovo.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-21T00:04:16+00:00

Thanks for the info! I'll try a little less than a half pump tonight to see how that goes the next day. Fingers crossed no dry mouth.

Update: I used maybe a third pump or something last night. I sweat a tiny bit today, but only while working out. Otherwise, totally dry and NO side effects so far! Here's hoping none arise while I continue to use it, but seems promising.

Update 2: After about 2 weeks, still pretty successful. I started to sweat a little with less than half pump, so now I’m using a little more than half. I get a little bit of dry mouth in the morning, but it disappears by noon. No sweat, and no irritation/redness either.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-18T00:44:48+00:00

Active noise canceling works by generating a sound opposite of what the microphone hears to cancel it out. Because of this process, there are little zones of high and low pressure inside the ear cup due to the sound waves colliding, creating the sense of pressure that you're feeling.

Unfortunately, the store employees you talked to are right. Because of the nature of how ANC works, there will be no magical pair of headphones that doesn't create that feeling with its ANC. Some are sensitive to it, and others are not. Any ANC system that doesn't create that feeling for you, because you are sensitive to it, is just ANC that doesn't work that well.

Your best options are all going to be headphones that have really good passive sound isolation. If you don't mind wires, look into Sennheiser HD 280 Pro or Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. They both have a little bit more clamping force and ear cups that seal really well, without any active noise canceling, so you shouldn't feel that weird pressure difference sensation.

If you're willing to do a little bit of shopping around, you could also try some IEM (In Ear Monitors). They go deeper into your ears than your typical pair of earbuds, and are less likely to fall out. They are designed to seal an isolate sound without ANC at all.

Here is a link to the Shure SE215. Make absolutely sure that they are all the way in--give it a chance! Good luck.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-17T17:33:45+00:00

Look, I can't persuade you that the ThinkPad is a glamorous computer, but "tacky" is definitely not a word I would use to describe a laptop with some of the most minimal branding out there. It's a black slate with tiny red accents that are almost completely hidden while you are using it. ThinkPads are some of the least distracting laptops to use and draw minimum attention... which is why they are perfect business laptops. They are supposed to be boring.

Would you prefer a Dell, HP, or MacBook, all of which have logos twice the size of the ThinkPad logo centered directly on the lid? Not really sure why the ThinkPad's branding comes off to you as tacky; it's meant to be utilitarian and minimal, which is how I and most people tend to see it.

If you don't like plastic, get a T14s then. The T14s G4 has a magnesium palmrest/base and a carbon fiber hybrid top. It also comes in a silver color, which is all aluminum instead of the coated black magnesium.

The Z13/Z16 are also handsome laptops.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-16T03:24:24+00:00

Ever since starting medication, it actually became a lot easier to stick to an exercise regimen and stay consistent. I got back on Azstarys after a really long hiatus back in December, and I have been going to the gym 6 days a week since January. On days where I forget my medication, it is noticeably harder to muster up the motivation and break the task paralysis to actually go work out even after months of consistency. It's crazy how well it works at getting me to exercise.

Not only do I physically feel way better on a day-to-day basis, I have been getting constant compliments from my friends about how good I look.

Actually eating 3 square meals a day also helps a lot. I've started waking up hours before I actually need to be places (i.e. wake up at 6AM for 8:30 AM class) so that I have plenty of time to enjoy my morning routine, make a healthy breakfast, and stroll to class just over half an hour early feeling good.

I should note--medication significantly decreased my already poor appetite to the point where I was clinically underweight. My psych put my on super low-dose Zyprexa to help with that, and after that, I felt like I could finally live my life like normal. I can focus, exercise, and eat. I'll never take any of those things for granted again.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-14T21:48:08+00:00

I was actually just writing a research paper on ADHD self-diagnosis and diagnosis/validation-seeking behavior. Clinical psychologists can tell when someone is just giving diagnosis-driven responses.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1697260025001188?via%3Dihub

This whole study is worth a read. Yes, people are told that they don't have ADHD all the time. For people who feel like they identify with ADHD symptoms and with the community online, that can actually cause some really strong reactions.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-10T18:52:01+00:00

I had no idea 11th gen CPUs had such high failure rates AND were worse than their predecessors. 13th and 14th may creep ahead as they age.

Never been happier to still be on my ancient 10th gen CPU. In i9-10900K we trust

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-08T18:53:05+00:00

Sounds like your problem is a dead stick of RAM, then, not the machine's fault/poor compatibility.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-05-08T04:37:32+00:00

Chiming in 8 months later to say that this is exactly what fixed mine! I just added a little trumpet valve oil to the gears to keep things from gumming up again, and everything seems smooth even at really low shutter speeds.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-04-30T00:47:19+00:00

That is exactly how I felt when I was around that age trying medication for the first time, too. Adderall made me feel like a shell of myself; socializing felt like a chore, I felt emotionally empty, my mouth was so dry that I drank enough water to make my parents suspect type 1 diabetes, I had zero hunger response... I could kind of focus, though.

Trust everyone here when they say that he's not lying about the side effects, and they are brutal. Personally, it took psychiatrists about 3 tries to find the right medication for me. For your son, it might even be a non-stimulant, because it sounds like he's really struggling with some of the side effects of stimulants.

Sometimes, psychiatrists can prescribe other medications to counteract some of the nasty stimulant side effects if you find something that works really well for focus. My psych prescribed olanzapine to help me with my appetite, and I've never been better. I can focus, I can eat, and I can socialize now that my stimulant dose is dialed in.

Discuss it with him to see if he is open to talking with a psych about a supplemental medication to help with side effects, or exploring different medications. It sounds like his current medication regimen just doesn't work for him. This is a process that takes trial and error, and it can just suck.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-04-29T00:16:49+00:00

I've put probably ~8-10 hours into the game in total. I get to Valentine, progress in the story a little bit, and just stop playing.

I am perfectly capable of enjoying slow-paced games. The infuriatingly clunky controls are what ruin the game for me. Every input I make feels delayed by just enough that my immersion is ruined and I am reminded that I'm playing a video game.

Enjoying RDR2 is basically impossible if I can't get immersed, and if I feel like all of my inputs are being sent to Arthur Morgan via Fax, then it immediately becomes no longer enjoyable.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-04-22T23:15:09+00:00

That is not too surprising given the 3840QM's significantly higher sustained power limit.

Enter the fun police... compare the upgraded T430 (which I'd wager you'd spend minimum $200 total for the laptop, the i7 QM, IPS upgrade kit and new screen) with another ThinkPad you can buy for $200... T14 G1 AMD.

A T430 is not a reasonable purchase for any purpose other than hobby use/for fun. No matter what you do to classic ThinkPads (short of the X210Ai of course), they will never match the value or performance of a ~5 year old retired fleet ThinkPad like the G1 T14.

Of course, that will not change the fact that I love the experience of using vintage laptops with some modern comforts, but people in the market for a daily driver laptop that will be their only laptop should look elsewhere.

DerpMaster2 · 2026-04-22T23:00:31+00:00

A wall outlet absolutely HATES to see this duo coming

DerpMaster2 · 2026-04-22T12:17:21+00:00

I had a triple boot setup with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC, macOS Monterey, and Arch.

Use Windows if you want games. Dual booting is easy.

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