Got a new deal from Lenovo — ThinkPad E480 for $1085 delivered. Same spec as previous deal in March:
- Intel Core i7-8550U Processor
- 14.0" FHD IPS
- 8GB DDR4 SODIMM
- 256GB SSD
- AMD Radeon RX 550 2GB
Lots of discussions on this product from previous deals. Lenovo just won best laptop brand from Laptop Magazine, although it's probably due to X1 Carbon and T-series than budget E-series.
As of customisation option, unfortunately you cannot downgrade to i5-8250U (which is fast enough + generates less heat). Backlit keyboard is $50 extra, Fingerprint reader another $22 and 3 years on-site + premier support has been discounted to $189 extra (from $284.90). Don't bother upgrading memory or SSD as you can find them cheaper elsewhere, and ThinkPads are relatively easy to service (teardown video — actually looks more troublesome than a T-series). It has 2x SODIMM slots and has both M.2 and 2.5" drive bay.
I think you mean 2.5" drive bay?
Do they offer anything like this with a 1060 or 1050 gpu?