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Lenovo ThinkPad E485 (AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe) $957.61 Delivered @ Lenovo

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Lenovo ThinkPad E485 (AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe) $957.61 Delivered @ LenovoAffiliate
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LDogsrule on 03/09/2018 - 20:35 lenovo.com (5621 clicks)
Last edited 03/09/2018 - 20:59 by 1 other user
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Hi all, first post, please be gentle.

After searching Ozbargain, I believe this to be the best deal for this particular model, beating these deals by between $45-$100 depending on configuration:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/394258
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/392977

Alternatively, wind back to 8GB of ram to bring price down to $845.10, and/or drop down to 128GB SSD and $755.10. Remember to activate coupon AMD10 on final checkout page after customisation to get stated prices.

Note - when selecting memory configuration, its best to choose 2X 4GB or 2X 8GB modules instead of single 8 or 16GB module, (price is identical) as apparently the GPU performance on the 2500u suffers when paired with single channel memory config.

Seems to be a pretty good deal to me (I bought one), but feedback/suggestions/rebuttals welcome of course.

Computing 14inch Computer Laptop Lenovo

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closed Comments

  • ChickenAdobo on 03/09/2018 - 20:40
    +2

    It a pretty decent specs for the money.

    • Dogsrule on 03/09/2018 - 20:48
      +2

      It sure is mate, I can't find anything else like it for the money, plus the 2500u can do light/medium gaming unlike the equivalent Core i5/7. 16GB of RAM should future-proof it to some extent as well

      • newbiesh on 03/09/2018 - 22:33

        Hey man thanks I just needed a thinkpad was thinking of carbon or t series.
        Whats the cpu? Compared to Intel? I5?

      • magic8ballgag on 04/09/2018 - 10:40

        plus the 2500u can do light/medium gaming

        'Medium' gaming would be a stretch on a laptop-class CPU.

        • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 11:58

          Yeah true, kinda depends on your definition of medium. Will handle most eSports titles on medium with decent fps and some AAA titles on low settings/resolution. Probably better to get dedicated GPU for more serious gaming

      • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 04/09/2018 - 20:48
        +1

        Should be right running with lower ram counts if you're in a tight (ish) budget right now. ThinkPad upgrade-ability seems pretty great, in the sense that you can change the RAM, SSD and HDD pretty easily that is.

  • awkwardmon on 03/09/2018 - 20:59

    Interesting! thinking of getting one, any ideas if the GPU is great on this?

    • Dogsrule on 03/09/2018 - 21:01

      Hey mate, check this out: https://www.techspot.com/review/1545-amd-ryzen-5-2500u/page7…

      Not the same laptop, but the same chip. Seems good for light to medium gaming.

    • Ostrk on 03/09/2018 - 21:24
      -3

      AMD laptop chips tend to have a worse CPU but a better GPU than their intel counterparts.

      • zrmx on 03/09/2018 - 22:13
        +9

        Not so much any more for the current generation (ie Ryzen) =)

      • Ryballs on 03/09/2018 - 22:47
        +9

        *used to

        Now its around the same CPU performance with much better gfx performance: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/amd-ryzen-mobile-vs-intel…

        • Jorkus on 04/09/2018 - 08:34
          +4

          People really need to throw out all of their preconceived notions on Intel vs AMD prior to the Ryzen launch in Feb17. A lot has changed in that time.

        • Jackson on 06/09/2018 - 21:41
          +3

          @Jorkus: what about my notions of back when the K7 Athlon smoked the pentium 3!

    • zrmx on 03/09/2018 - 22:15
      +1

      This review looked at GPU performance using Fortnite , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwObtlHEwbs (AMD Ryzen 5 2500U vs Intel Core i5-8250U)
      Like mentioned above, not the same laptop, but the same 2500U chip at 15W configuration.

    • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 04/09/2018 - 20:49

      TMK the r5 2500u is a slightly worse i5 8250(?), but with a vastly superior iGPU

  • ChatGPT on 03/09/2018 - 21:08

    Whats the difference between E480 and E485 models? Did a quick google search and couldn't really find a difference (aside from specs).

    • blighst on 03/09/2018 - 21:09
      +2

      Isn't it AMD vs Intel CPU?

    • theHMASfriendship on 03/09/2018 - 23:08

      Intel version vs AMD version

      • idonotknowwhy on 03/09/2018 - 23:23

        Or Intel + Nvidia vs AMD + AMD

        • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 04/09/2018 - 20:50

          Think the dGPU on the E models is actually AMD, the 550 if I'm not wrong.

  • fiend on 03/09/2018 - 21:34

    Anyone a ram guru? is this single channel or dual?

    • awkwardmon on 03/09/2018 - 21:39
      +1

      You can either get a single channel or dual, it's in the customise option

      • fiend on 03/09/2018 - 22:00
        +5

        so 8GB(4+4) DDR4 2400MHz SODIMM = dual channel? like 2 4gig sticks?

        • zrmx on 03/09/2018 - 22:11
          +1

          Yes.

        • fiend on 03/09/2018 - 22:43

          @zrmx: thanks guys!

  • vishalpandi97 on 03/09/2018 - 21:53
    +12

    If anyones purchasing dont forget the 4% cashrewards as well. Approx 38 bucks your getting back too. Seems like a good deal.

  • paulaus on 03/09/2018 - 21:54

    Backlit keyboard ?????

    • anawth on 04/09/2018 - 10:12

      Good question. I've got a ThinkPad and it's the bane of my existence. Also the ctrl key is one key further in than any other keyboard in the world and it messes with me daily

      • magic8ballgag on 04/09/2018 - 10:42
        +2

        Also the ctrl key is one key further in than any other keyboard in the world and it messes with me daily

        There is a BIOS setting which changes the CTRL and FN keys around.

    • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 04/09/2018 - 20:51

      Don't think the 485/585 have the option for a backlit keyboard.

      If you wanted to shell out a bit more, the 480/580 have the option I believe. It's under the "keyboard - english" option. Seems a bit steep at $50 though.

  • zrmx on 03/09/2018 - 22:10
    +3

    Even better price than the last AMD10 deal! =D

    Great post OP =)

    For those wanting the 15.6" E585, https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-edge/…, $98.90 more.

    • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 07:32
      +1

      Thanks mate!

  • WhyAmICommenting on 03/09/2018 - 22:12
    +4

    First post awesome, cheers OP!

    • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 07:33
      +1

      Cheers!

  • SexySloth on 03/09/2018 - 22:16

    Would it be possible to upgrade the SSD? If so would it be wise to just get the 128gb SSD and then buy say a 500GB SSD to install myself?

    • zrmx on 03/09/2018 - 22:20
      +5

      The Thinkpad E485 and E585 models have an unoccupied internal 2.5" SATA port for storage expansion.

      The SSD it comes with occupies the M.2 slot, so you can either upgrade via the M.2 slot, or just simply add a 2.5" drive for storage expansion.

      See this comment for a youtube how-to for internal components access.

  • andycandy on 03/09/2018 - 22:39

    What's the delivery timing? I need to send to overseas in 2 weeks. Will it reach by then?

  • Recessiontime on 03/09/2018 - 22:42
    -2

    For a laptop those are okay specs. I think the monitor is too small for me. 16gb ram might be overkill unless you do heavier work on it. 4gbx2 would be sufficient

    • WhyAmICommenting on 04/09/2018 - 12:30

      True, for most users 16GB isn't necessary

  • Phoebus on 03/09/2018 - 22:48

    Pity hdmi2 is still so rare in laptops

  • dosada on 03/09/2018 - 23:17
    +1

    For $845.10 you can get the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, 8GB single dimm, 128 Nvme SSD. Add another 8GB ram on your own and a 1TB hdd and you have a great little machine for just around a grand.

    • dr_ rusko on 03/09/2018 - 23:43
      +1

      i searched to compare the 5 vs the 7 and it did not seem like it was worth the extra 100 bucks??

      http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-7-2700U-vs-AM…

      • EspadaV8 on 03/09/2018 - 23:56

        The Ryzen 7 also comes with Vega 10 instead of Vega 8 (although I have no idea how much better they are)

      • zrmx on 04/09/2018 - 00:10

        For the 15W configuration, the performance difference is probably noticeable, although maybe not by much in real life.

        The real benefits/value will be most noticeable in the 25W configurations (likely machines 15" and above).

        • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 07:37
          +1

          Yeah I watched a side by side gaming comparison of the 2500u and 2700u and the framerates were basically identical. As you say, in 15w config the 2700u throttles back to the same performance as the 2500u due to the limited thermal envelope

        • worthy1 on 04/09/2018 - 09:33

          I currently have a i5 6200u and it just doesn't cut it for graphic design (illustrator/photoshop). Will the Ryzen 5 be enough or should I look at the 7? will do the odd video edit to, also will go the 15"

        • ChickenAdobo on 04/09/2018 - 10:39
          +1

          @worthy1:

          It will be much better than your current i5 6200U

        • worthy1 on 04/09/2018 - 23:05

          @ChickenAdobo:
          Been a hard one to work out. Im keen on a touch screen and my current laptops backlit keyboard comes in handy. Leaning towards the Dell 15 7000 now. This would be great if it had those 2 options. the 7000 is $1,199 with the Dell 20% off and you get another 3% cashrewards.

  • EspadaV8 on 04/09/2018 - 00:01
    +1

    It's a shame the A485 or the A285 aren't out yet (and don't seem to have any release date set). The E-series just doesn't look as nice (although the price is tempting).

  • samlor on 04/09/2018 - 08:31
    +1

    Tempting but reviews suggest screen brightness is not the highest. Can anyone please confirm? For use on public transport.

  • Wiser on 04/09/2018 - 09:03
    +1

    Come on Amex bring in a casback offer

  • luked42 on 04/09/2018 - 09:23
    +1

    The last laptop I owned from lenovo was a Thinkpad which felt pretty flimsy and wasn't a huge fan of the keyboard layout.

    Does this laptop feel more solid (mainly around the hinge) and has anything changed with the keyboard over the past 4 years?

    • magic8ballgag on 04/09/2018 - 10:44
      +2

      Does this laptop feel more solid (mainly around the hinge) and has anything changed with the keyboard over the past 4 years?

      Lenovo are well-known for their keyboard layout, so I doubt it has changed much, if not at all.

    • Yuri Lowell on 04/09/2018 - 14:27

      It's the E series so I wouldn't expect much. With that said I've been using an E570 for a year and a half and it has had no issues with the build design.

  • VehemenceThePhoenix on 04/09/2018 - 09:25
    +2

    EBates has 8% cashback at the moment:
    https://www.ebates.com/lenovo.com?query=lenovo

    • rayz on 04/09/2018 - 14:04

      Does ebates work in Australia? First time hearing about it and they even have $10 sign-up and $25 refer a friend bonus which could potentially stack…

      • VehemenceThePhoenix on 04/09/2018 - 14:46

        I have used it and received cashbacks. No idea if it will work with this, but when I did a quick test the lenovo website redirected to the AU website and said I would get a cashback of $X.xx at the end of checkout (after it offered to try coupons and none were valid).

  • DreadPirateRoberts on 04/09/2018 - 09:28
    +20

    As someone who bought one of these from the last deal, I'll offer some insights:

    • 2700u processor is fast and powerful. So many cores
    • no backlight on the keyboard
    • you will really only get 3-4 hours of battery time
    • generally quite good build quality
    • screen is bright enough (not super bright) but has the huge bottom bezel that just seems like a waste
    • m.2 drive and spare spot for 2.5". Takes about 5min to swap one in
    • good selection of ports
    • charger is only 45W so can be a little slow

    The biggest concern, however, has been the keyboard. It is an absolute joy to type on physically but there is a problem with the embedded controller that will jumble characters up. It's okay if you type slow… but once I start typing to my full speed hten someitmes it'll muck up like htis sentence. There's a fix for it in the beta BIOS 1.28 that should be coming out soon.

    Linux is also a PITA to get running :/

    Overall, I am quite happy with the laptop and it is a good deal for the price. Just be aware that there are teething issues that should sort themselves out in the next couple of months.

    • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 09:47
      +4

      Thanks for the review mate, very helpful

    • Ultima86 on 04/09/2018 - 11:28

      Interesting, for comparison.
      I have the E480 with no GPU.
      Come with a 60W fast charger
      Battery life has been 6-10 hours depending on how I’m using it.
      Machine generally runs 24/7 as a HTPC / Torrent / Server & Will run for 12+ hours if the display is off.
      I got the backlit keyboard and am happy with it.
      I haven’t had overheating or fan noise issues, though I use TP fan control.

      Bonus, using the USB C gen 2 port, I use a dongle for HDMI 2. Can confirm with intel CPU this machine outputs 2160P @ 60Hz, not 30Hz like your restricted to with HDMI 1.x

      Overall I would recommend highly for the price point, though can’t comment on the AMD configuration.

      • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 12:10

        Very interesting, thanks for that. I have a feeling the AMD configuration will have poorer battery life than the Intel. All reviews seem to confirm significantly higher load power consumption

    • janxspirit on 04/09/2018 - 15:26

      Thanks for the info! What in particular made Linux difficult to install?

      • DreadPirateRoberts on 04/09/2018 - 15:33

        There's some missing table in the BIOS so getting things to boot was awful. That and kernel 4.15 was really the only thing that worked with the latest Ryzen but even that was barely… graphics were absolute garbage.

        This blog post specifies how to get Linux booted and this guy on Github compiles latest kernel with graphics drivers. Everything is a lot smoother on 4.18

    • dqtl74 on 04/09/2018 - 21:02

      I thought the typing thing was just me. For example, whenever I type .com at full speed it 9 times out of 10 it will spell cmo.

    • fatbunn on 14/09/2018 - 01:18

      idk if this helps

  • Skramit on 04/09/2018 - 09:37
    +3

    8GB of RAM is plenty to be honest.

    • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 10:11
      +1

      I thought the same… Then wondered how much the GPU requires to do its thing the best..? Couldn't really find much.

      • Skramit on 04/09/2018 - 10:28
        +2

        If you're buying this laptop for proper gaming, you're doing it wrong. :P

        • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 10:35
          +1

          Nope, but I want to be able to game a little bit if I want.

        • chrysm on 04/09/2018 - 14:06

          @fiend: I purchased the E585 in the previous deal, I needed it primarily for work, and it does the job nicely, including light Photoshop work. I'm no technology aficionado (so can't comment on specs and what not), but I have been playing Unreal Tournament Alpha & Tomb Raider (2013) all very comfortably on medium to high settings, downloading Overwatch as we speak, fingers and toes. I've got no complaints re. the keyboard and build, feels solid to me. The only draw backs, battery life is as stated, you will only get 3 - 4 hours, and smudge marks galore, they are unavoidable due to the finish.

        • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 18:18

          @chrysm:
          Mate, let me know how OW runs that's all I really want to play on it! I tried steam link to run it but with my already crappy ping it makes it even worse.

          Just want to be able to chill in The lounge room with the missus and play the odd QP or something there.

        • chrysm on 05/09/2018 - 09:49

          @fiend: It runs perfectly fine, 1920x1080 w/ High Graphics. Was averaging 45 - 65 FPS. Definitely a decent machine for the price.

      • pseudobacon on 04/09/2018 - 17:09

        Its not the amount. Its the number of channels. See this review.

        Secondly, the system runs in single-channel mode, which restricts GPU performance. We would typically advise adding a second RAM module to enable dual-channel mode, but the RAM is soldered so the system is stuck in single-channel mode.

        The Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9 shows what the Radeon RX Vega 10 can do when running in dual-channel mode. The Swift 3 scores between 39% and 67% higher than our test device depending on the benchmark. This improved benchmark performance corresponds with a noticeable improvement in graphics performance in daily use too.

        • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 18:25

          So as long as there's 2x 4 gig sticks, it wont be a bottleneck? Whereas 1x8 gig stick will be a big bottleneck?…

        • Dogsrule on 04/09/2018 - 18:43
          +1

          That may be true for the laptop in the review you linked (Lenovo IdeaPad 720s) but this one runs in dual channel config as per manufacturer specifications: https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/ThinkPad/ThinkPad%2…

  • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 10:42

    Detailed specs on lenovos site in case anyone was wondering… https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/ThinkPad/ThinkPad%2…

  • zrmx on 04/09/2018 - 14:25
    +3

    Considering the current Computer Alliance eBay sales, for those wanting 16GB Ram configuration, if you've got eBay Plus (just register a new acc lol), you'll be able to save $29.81 by buying a 1x8GB SODIMM RAM stick ($95.20 after PCSAVE eBay code, https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/173331042529) and adding it in yourself.

    Same story with storage upgrade, by getting a SSD from current sales.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/09/2018 - 14:48
    +1

    I've never owned a Lenovo, but I won an X260 12.2" model (i5, 8GB, 256 SSD, SIM card slot) at a golf day recently. Unsure whether to keep it or sell…are they any good?

  • janxspirit on 04/09/2018 - 15:31

    I was using the Carbon X1 a lot for work last year. Are the dimensions drastically noticeable? Unable to find a comparison image/video

  • fatbunn on 04/09/2018 - 17:16
    +3

    Theres also a 10% cashback with cashrewards

  • totalgadget on 04/09/2018 - 17:29

    can we replace the battery ?

    I seen few models can't replace the battery :(

    As they have option to add secondary hdd, is there a slot. I have a laptop hdd and can add for additional storage..

    • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 20:43
      +1

      You can replace battery…. But you need to take the bottom panel off the laptop and unscrew it from the chassis.

  • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 04/09/2018 - 20:46
    +2

    Just bought one of these myself. Based off what I've seen pretty much anywhere else it's a stupid good deal for us.

    Would recommend buying and installing your own HDD for mass storage though, way to expensive on the store. Also heard some bad things about some of the SSDs used, so I went with the 128 gb model, will likely switch it out later for a decent 250 gb one.

    • zrmx on 04/09/2018 - 21:58
      +2

      Especially when there's a Computer Alliance eBay sale =)

      Note the M.2 drive of the E485/E585 only supports NVMe

  • fiend on 04/09/2018 - 21:01

    FYI There is 10% off cashrewards BUT -

    Special Terms
    Important:

    Purchases made with coupon codes not advertised on Cashrewards may result in cashback not being paid.

    So I guess its worth a try?…

    • fiend on 05/09/2018 - 17:49

      My cash back has been logged by cashrewards, let's see if lenovo confirm it on their end.

  • Mozz13 on 04/09/2018 - 21:25
    +1

    Question on invoicing. Will you get the tax invoice when you get your laptop shipped or it is issued on point of sale? Thinking of going away around early Nov so if i get the invoice when the laptop is shipped out then i might make TRS.

    • chossenger on 05/09/2018 - 22:05

      Don't you need to have the item in your carry-on for TRS anyway?

      • Mozz13 on 06/09/2018 - 01:29

        Yeah i do. Asked lenovo through their chat and they said custom config laptop generally built around 1 week time and then add another week or less for shipping. Invoice will be issued when the laptop is shipped so i should make the 60 day for trs. Wohoo!

  • fiend on 05/09/2018 - 10:50
    +3

    Ordered the base model 2500u with 4+4gig ram. Will fit another HDD myself.
    Guess its time to start looking for a USB-C power bank I guess… :P

  • boozler on 05/09/2018 - 11:05
    +1

    Pulled the trigger on the deal plus can also claim the TRS. Thanks OP.

    • Dogsrule on 05/09/2018 - 11:07

      All good, cheers!

  • imeanit on 05/09/2018 - 17:02

    Similar price for https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-edge/…
    8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U Processor (6M Cache, 1.6 GHz, 3.4 GHz max)

    Any comment on which is better?

    • Dogsrule on 05/09/2018 - 17:39
      +3

      Configured with same 16GB ram and 256GB M.2 drive, that unit is $1,064.01 (no AMD10 discount). $106.40 extra for a basically identical CPU, and a GPU that is half as powerful. Doesn't seem great value to me

      • imeanit on 05/09/2018 - 23:22
        +1

        Thanks for explaining :)

        • Dogsrule on 06/09/2018 - 07:17
          +1

          No worries 😀

      • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 06/09/2018 - 12:28
        -1

        Agreed with this. The i5 is pretty much the same CPU, albiet slightly better according to comparison sites, but the iGPU on the ryzen chip is vastly better according to those same sites.

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