Thinkpads Forum

Hello all, i am a new passion resurrecting old thinkpads i find really cheap. I don't know much about it but i know they are best of this breed of lenovo laptops;

Intel Core i5-8350U 1.70GHz (8th Generation)
Memory: 16GB
Storage: 256GB SSD
Screen Size: 14-inch FHD widescreen. 1920 x 1080
Intel HD Graphics 620


QUestions:
1. Is the RAM upgradable to faster ram speed? also on spec sheet it says 32mb MAX but i am sure maybe in those days we didn't have 32mb ram sticks so i can get up to 64mb ram?
2. Did these machines come with a IPS screens? or cost option?
3. Are the processors upgradable?
4. Graphics wise can i upgrade to the NVIDIA GeForce MX150? i assume its better than the intel 620.
5. Is it possible to use Win 11 and all drivers etc will work?

ANy help on my new journey with the T480 (and W540) be great help!

1. Upgradable to 64GB, but faster speed is ignored by the system.
2. AFAIK the FHD are all IPS, but the best replacement would be N140HCG-GN1 from e.g. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003527755435.html
3. No, soldered.
4. Requires a new motherboard with dGPU. It's a weak GPU that runs too hot, I wouldn't do it.
4a. Replace the iGPU fan with a dGPU fan for lower temps, using PTM7950.
5. No comment as I wouldn't even touch it with a 10-foot pole.

Most of your questions can be answered by the T480 platform specifications (PSREF): https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PD ... 0_Spec.PDF

1. DDR4-2400 RAM speed limit is imposed by the 8th gen Intel processor; 7th gen is limited to DDR4-2133

2. The PSREF mentions WVA in the display options; it stands for Wide Viewing Angle, which generally corresponds to IPS. Only the basic 1366x768 screen option isn't listed as WVA.

3. The last Thinkpads with upgradable processors are the T440p, T540p, and W541 way back in 2013-14. Intel doesn't make socketed mobile processors anymore.

4. Already answered by RealBlackStuff. IMO not worth the upgrade.

5. Intel 8th gen is the oldest CPU generation officially supported by Windows 11 (there's an exception for the 7th gen i7-7820HQ because Microsoft used that specific processor in the Surface Studio 2).

Thanks all, great info.

one question... what does it mean that its Upgradable to 64GB, but faster speed is ignored by the system? does it mean it does not utilize the speed/ram? or just that it wont display the speeds and size of RAM in the system information?

mstar wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 29, 2025 7:51 am

one question... what does it mean that its Upgradable to 64GB, but faster speed is ignored by the system? does it mean it does not utilize the speed/ram? or just that it wont display the speeds and size of RAM in the system information?

The 8th gen Core i5/i7 supports DDR4 up to 2400MHz speed. This means even if you install DDR4-3200 (3200MHz), it will still run at 2400MHz.

ok thanks for confirming! Maybe i will try and see if 32Gig RAM is ok for win 11, if not i will swap my 2 sticks for 2x32mb sticks. I wonder if anyone on here have tried it yet on here?

1. Is the RAM upgradable to faster ram speed? also on spec sheet it says 32mb MAX but i am sure maybe in those days we didn't have 32mb ram sticks so i can get up to 64mb ram?
64gb ram max. no faster ram speed tho. Also not megabytes, gigabytes.
2. Did these machines come with a IPS screens? or cost option?
ips screens
3. Are the processors upgradable?
nope
4. Graphics wise can i upgrade to the NVIDIA GeForce MX150? i assume its better than the intel 620.
not worth it. runs hot and often ends up getting worse. if you need gpu get an egpu
5. Is it possible to use Win 11 and all drivers etc will work?
ewww windows 11, but yeah, they all do.

A bit late to the party, don't you think?