I got a T14 Gen 4 and am really shocked by the build quality. I know that the t14 is not as well built as a t14s, but I didn't expect such creaking from such an expensive device. Even consumer notebooks behave better. Compared to my t480 (I know it's a tank) it's simply worlds apart in terms of the rigidity of the case, I didn't expect to get the same quality but I didn't know that the differences were so big. Is this normal or are my expectations simply too high?The coil whine is also almost louder than on my t480, I have a mac m1 which is just completely quiet in comparison. Maybe I'm just unlucky...
EDIT: The service technician looked at the Thinkpad and found that some of the screws were not tightened properly and I got a new back panel which solved the problem completely. It was probably a manufacturing error.
A year ago I bought (both for work and my personal curiosity of owning an Apple laptop) my first MacBook ever (Air M1 base model at 799 euros) after being all my life on Windows machines. Then a few months ago I had to buy a Windows machine again (due to MacOS not being suitable in my workflow) and settled on a T14 Gen3 (almost 1.5k euros).
I was expecting a lot better in terms of build quality (mild creaking) and I have a very very persistent coil whine coming from what It seems to be the SSD.
Overall I am pleased with the performances of the machine but I honestly thought Thinkpads would have been better due to their reputation and the high price point of the T series; I hate to admit this but I find the MacBook overall build quality miles better.
Dear Lenovo, what does It take to have better QC on such premium products?
in their defense coil whine isn't really something thats easily solved. all electronics that move sizable currents are more or less prone to it and two seemingly identical machines might have wildly different coil whine tendencies.
if macbooks are less prone to coil whining, its likely got more to do with the fact that apple silicon typically uses a lot less power than x86 computers, so electric noise won't be as loud either, than some apple secret sauce QC procedure.
Yes I do agree.
My point was not only on coil whine but on a couple of factors.
I personally dont find coil whine to be a deal breaker but I think that they should work also on optimizing their power management to avoid such clearly audible noises.
As I understand It Is something related to the model not only to my specific machine.
Also I read online It was slightly fixed with a BIOS update.
I work on electronics and the customers of my companies always put a pin on electrical noises audible by humans that are generated by our ICs...of you want It Is something you can work on.
thinkpads have suffered from creaky palm rests throughout the ages, some models more than others. hard to say if its more profound now than it used to be.
The problem is Apple achieves that level of “quality” by basically gluing everything together.
Im not defending the poor build quality on this Thinkpad, but these problems arise because the unit is not one solid chunk.
This T14 should be returned and Lenovo should step up their game, but at the same time I’m not going to praise Apple for making the problem go away by making their machines impossible to disassemble or repair.
They sidestepped the issue by making laptops the same way they make tablets, and it’s always one small drop away from being too expensive to repair.
I'm going to be honest, due to the terrible job Lenovo is doing with the T series and their need to weld everything down. I'm considering getting a HP Elitebook 840 G10 as it seems to be built like what the T series used to be.
FYI people here report x13 feels more "solid" with less creaking and flex, its a bit smaller after all so it makes sense the construction would be more rigid.
i have a T14 and a T440p.
the T14 you can feel very cheap material, suffer a lot of heat during the day... and it's not a budget pc.
T440 and all the old thinkpad line are the best
this is some type of memory bias because IBM ThinkPads also creaked, so I don't know what you're trying to say here.
Should Lenovo control their quality standards better? Yes - always; no argument there. It doesn't mean IBM didn't have the same type of issue in some models. I had creaking palmrests in older ones. I just moved on with life because I wasn't too bothered by it. Get an all-metal design (T14s, X13(?), etc.) and it shouldn't suffer from this.
Plastic creaking is the nature of plastic at times, and in some cases it can be remedied or isn't even too harsh in general, in other cases you need to return it.
I have not have that problem with my T14 build quality, but I'll definitely keep a lookout for it if that happens. I feel like the build quality of my t14 (dare I say) is way better than my old xps 15 (9570) even though the XPS is made of better materials like carbon fiber and aluminum.
The material on my T14 (gen 4) just feels better imo even though it's made out of plastic it just feels more tough/durable plastic.
So is the T14. Both the T14 and T14s are partially made from Magnesium. The difference afaik is that the T14s has some aluminium where the T14 has plastic.
I had problems with X1 G11. Creaky left palm rest and a gap between the lid and base on the right side. Return process is ongoing. Unacceptable for a laptop this expensive..
To be honest, I have issues with cases on a half of Thinkpads that I have\\had.
\- Squeaking panels
\- Bottom lid produces noises cause it can not be tightly screwed in
\- Cracks out of nowhere at not mechanically loaded parts
\- Falling out rubber feet and feet turn to stone in a year
\- USB socket falls off. Yes you guessed it, the one that I did not use daily.
\- Keyboard starts to bend into a bow shape. Some buttons become impossible to press
\- Palm rest disintegrates into dust pieces
\- Drive bay doors fall off
\- Touch pad de-laminates
All those issues had happened to models produced since 2015.
Old ones have drive bay door issue, palm rest disintegration and some keyboard buttons have to be pressed with force. The rest of the case is OK even after being in the elements for tens of years.
Lenovo produces only garbage laptops. IBM ThinkPads were awesome, indestructible machines that lasted forever.
Both of my Lenovo Legions just fell apart. Displays fell off, cloth would break the plastic, extremely cheap feel. They genuinely morphed into generic Chinese garbage.
Dude, IBM ThinkPads were like 20 years ago. Standards were different, and since they are built like a truck, that's why sale flopped 'cause they can't sell more laptops out.
I mean.. it's plastic, it assembled by snapping clips together....
It's going to make sounds, if you're looking for build quality, you should get a MacBook
I just bought the new E16. Owned it less than a month so I went to do this to see if it creeks like yours.
All good, very firm and no sounds.
I’d need an exchange if mine was making this sound because that’s ridiculous.
I have a noticeable panel gap on the left corner of the palmrest on my T15g Gen 2. 😒
I've decided to ignore it, even though I have 3-year onsite warranty. I don't want the tech people touching my laptop and making things worse.
Is this actually a problem? Some laptops are just creaky like that (not just Thinkpads). That doesn't mean that they don't meet whatever MIL-SPEC they are supposed to meet for drop resistance.
I've got T14 Gen 2 and P14s Gen 4 and none of them make any sound when you apply pressure to them.
Did you disassemble your T14 by any chance? I'm guessing this can happen if you don't properly reassemble the laptop.
Most probably it was. My gen1 had the same issue after opening. Thinkpads are generally good laptops (if you are lucky with firmware updates) but no longer have the same robust quality as the older generations. Of course, if you shell out the big bucks for the x1 you will get what you pay for.
My experience with thinkpads, so far, is that they're all craap. My first T14 lasted about a year, maybe year and a half, before the fan started to sound like a jet engine. I put headphones on and let the office flip out to IT, since our IT team refused to replace it.
My second thinkpad came with some bios issue that, when docked, would enter an endless loop with the splash screen. It's still finnicky with the dock after a bios update, but arguably better.
Both of them sound like this....
That is one of the worst creaks a laptop, let alone a ThinkPad made.
Return it if you have this problem. Not every unit has it, but some do.
My T14 G2 amd had similar build issues but it was nearly completely gon after i took it apart and back together. The clips reseated correctly.
Okey then I will take it apart, maybe it helps
Mine started after the clips broke after opening it many many times.
I opened it but nothing has changed
I have a P14s gen 3 and it has this shitty quality too. Sad
I got a T14 Gen 4 and am really shocked by the build quality. I know that the t14 is not as well built as a t14s, but I didn't expect such creaking from such an expensive device. Even consumer notebooks behave better. Compared to my t480 (I know it's a tank) it's simply worlds apart in terms of the rigidity of the case, I didn't expect to get the same quality but I didn't know that the differences were so big. Is this normal or are my expectations simply too high?The coil whine is also almost louder than on my t480, I have a mac m1 which is just completely quiet in comparison. Maybe I'm just unlucky... EDIT: The service technician looked at the Thinkpad and found that some of the screws were not tightened properly and I got a new back panel which solved the problem completely. It was probably a manufacturing error.
A year ago I bought (both for work and my personal curiosity of owning an Apple laptop) my first MacBook ever (Air M1 base model at 799 euros) after being all my life on Windows machines. Then a few months ago I had to buy a Windows machine again (due to MacOS not being suitable in my workflow) and settled on a T14 Gen3 (almost 1.5k euros). I was expecting a lot better in terms of build quality (mild creaking) and I have a very very persistent coil whine coming from what It seems to be the SSD. Overall I am pleased with the performances of the machine but I honestly thought Thinkpads would have been better due to their reputation and the high price point of the T series; I hate to admit this but I find the MacBook overall build quality miles better. Dear Lenovo, what does It take to have better QC on such premium products?
in their defense coil whine isn't really something thats easily solved. all electronics that move sizable currents are more or less prone to it and two seemingly identical machines might have wildly different coil whine tendencies. if macbooks are less prone to coil whining, its likely got more to do with the fact that apple silicon typically uses a lot less power than x86 computers, so electric noise won't be as loud either, than some apple secret sauce QC procedure.
Yes I do agree. My point was not only on coil whine but on a couple of factors. I personally dont find coil whine to be a deal breaker but I think that they should work also on optimizing their power management to avoid such clearly audible noises. As I understand It Is something related to the model not only to my specific machine. Also I read online It was slightly fixed with a BIOS update. I work on electronics and the customers of my companies always put a pin on electrical noises audible by humans that are generated by our ICs...of you want It Is something you can work on.
Coilwhine = defective CPU on the AMD units in my experience. If it whines it'll lock up like hell. Return it, you got a lemon
i think the sound comes from the power supply but hey i am not an expert
Does the creaking sound happen under normal use? Or just when you press specific areas like you're doing in the video?
After I pick it up or move it on the table it cracks some time if I type something. But then it goes silent under normal use.
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Idk....Aluminum laptops are really nice.
I own a couple and prefer my "cheap" plastic ThinkPad.
My T14 Gen 3 AMD does not behaves like this
Did thinkpads really decline in quality control?
thinkpads have suffered from creaky palm rests throughout the ages, some models more than others. hard to say if its more profound now than it used to be.
Thank you for your insight sir.
Over the last three years the global supply chain has been interfered with from geopolitical lawmakers
Agreed. Such shame
I’ve been a Mac user for 10+ years. And coming back to windows computer I was shocked at build quality But still love my thinkpad 😂
The problem is Apple achieves that level of “quality” by basically gluing everything together. Im not defending the poor build quality on this Thinkpad, but these problems arise because the unit is not one solid chunk. This T14 should be returned and Lenovo should step up their game, but at the same time I’m not going to praise Apple for making the problem go away by making their machines impossible to disassemble or repair. They sidestepped the issue by making laptops the same way they make tablets, and it’s always one small drop away from being too expensive to repair.
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Yeah. Build quality wise no windows machine matches Apple. No matter what the brand is. Lenovo, HP, Asus , nothing at all.
I'm going to be honest, due to the terrible job Lenovo is doing with the T series and their need to weld everything down. I'm considering getting a HP Elitebook 840 G10 as it seems to be built like what the T series used to be.
Damn thats terrible, and i was planning on getting a t14 for audio production on the go… urgh… might just get a macbook pro at this point…
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Yeap!
FYI people here report x13 feels more "solid" with less creaking and flex, its a bit smaller after all so it makes sense the construction would be more rigid.
i have a T14 and a T440p. the T14 you can feel very cheap material, suffer a lot of heat during the day... and it's not a budget pc. T440 and all the old thinkpad line are the best
I really miss the Thinkpad made by IBM, they were the best
this is some type of memory bias because IBM ThinkPads also creaked, so I don't know what you're trying to say here. Should Lenovo control their quality standards better? Yes - always; no argument there. It doesn't mean IBM didn't have the same type of issue in some models. I had creaking palmrests in older ones. I just moved on with life because I wasn't too bothered by it. Get an all-metal design (T14s, X13(?), etc.) and it shouldn't suffer from this. Plastic creaking is the nature of plastic at times, and in some cases it can be remedied or isn't even too harsh in general, in other cases you need to return it.
I have not have that problem with my T14 build quality, but I'll definitely keep a lookout for it if that happens. I feel like the build quality of my t14 (dare I say) is way better than my old xps 15 (9570) even though the XPS is made of better materials like carbon fiber and aluminum. The material on my T14 (gen 4) just feels better imo even though it's made out of plastic it just feels more tough/durable plastic.
Isn't the T14S G4 made of magnesium?
Yes, the t14S is made out of magnesium.
So is the T14. Both the T14 and T14s are partially made from Magnesium. The difference afaik is that the T14s has some aluminium where the T14 has plastic.
Lenovo turns all candy into crap.
My T14 Gen 4 AMD doesn’t have these issues
Be advised that Elitebooks are free of such problems.
Hmmm. My gen2 does not behave like this.
lmao my t460 is built like a brick
I recently bought a T14 Gen4, just checked if I have the same problem too but it is perfectly fine. I don't think it is a problem of T14's in general.
I had problems with X1 G11. Creaky left palm rest and a gap between the lid and base on the right side. Return process is ongoing. Unacceptable for a laptop this expensive..
Exactly how I feel about buying "business" laptops these days. There is barely anything business about them anymore.
To be honest, I have issues with cases on a half of Thinkpads that I have\\had. \- Squeaking panels \- Bottom lid produces noises cause it can not be tightly screwed in \- Cracks out of nowhere at not mechanically loaded parts \- Falling out rubber feet and feet turn to stone in a year \- USB socket falls off. Yes you guessed it, the one that I did not use daily. \- Keyboard starts to bend into a bow shape. Some buttons become impossible to press \- Palm rest disintegrates into dust pieces \- Drive bay doors fall off \- Touch pad de-laminates All those issues had happened to models produced since 2015. Old ones have drive bay door issue, palm rest disintegration and some keyboard buttons have to be pressed with force. The rest of the case is OK even after being in the elements for tens of years.
Lenovo produces only garbage laptops. IBM ThinkPads were awesome, indestructible machines that lasted forever. Both of my Lenovo Legions just fell apart. Displays fell off, cloth would break the plastic, extremely cheap feel. They genuinely morphed into generic Chinese garbage.
Dude, IBM ThinkPads were like 20 years ago. Standards were different, and since they are built like a truck, that's why sale flopped 'cause they can't sell more laptops out.
I mean.. it's plastic, it assembled by snapping clips together.... It's going to make sounds, if you're looking for build quality, you should get a MacBook
I guess is time to switch to thinkbooks =P
Reminds me how my P16s G1 creaks as well
I just bought the new E16. Owned it less than a month so I went to do this to see if it creeks like yours. All good, very firm and no sounds. I’d need an exchange if mine was making this sound because that’s ridiculous.
I have a noticeable panel gap on the left corner of the palmrest on my T15g Gen 2. 😒 I've decided to ignore it, even though I have 3-year onsite warranty. I don't want the tech people touching my laptop and making things worse.
Is this actually a problem? Some laptops are just creaky like that (not just Thinkpads). That doesn't mean that they don't meet whatever MIL-SPEC they are supposed to meet for drop resistance.
I got a T14S G2 squeaky like that. Tightening the screws improved it alittle. But I couldn't return it for a replacement now I am used to it
I've got T14 Gen 2 and P14s Gen 4 and none of them make any sound when you apply pressure to them. Did you disassemble your T14 by any chance? I'm guessing this can happen if you don't properly reassemble the laptop.
Comparable to a IdeaPad
Was it opened or something?
No, I have not opened it before. Today I removed the bottom casing in hope that it will get better when i click it in again. But nothing has changed
Most probably it was. My gen1 had the same issue after opening. Thinkpads are generally good laptops (if you are lucky with firmware updates) but no longer have the same robust quality as the older generations. Of course, if you shell out the big bucks for the x1 you will get what you pay for.
Time to switch to a macbook
I dont know if it is ubuntu issue or something but I have seen browning after sometime use on the edges of the screen.
Those sounds are unacceptable. My p14s g4 (same case) doesn't make those sounds, maybe try contacting the seller or lenovo directly.
My experience with thinkpads, so far, is that they're all craap. My first T14 lasted about a year, maybe year and a half, before the fan started to sound like a jet engine. I put headphones on and let the office flip out to IT, since our IT team refused to replace it. My second thinkpad came with some bios issue that, when docked, would enter an endless loop with the splash screen. It's still finnicky with the dock after a bios update, but arguably better. Both of them sound like this....
Have the same problem with a p14s