Lenovo ThinkPad T520i Intel Core i3-2310M

The Intel Core i3 runs like a charm in collaboration with the T520i's Intel HD graphics 3000 and the 500 GB hard drive that whirls around at 7200 rpm. No complaints when it comes to speed with the exception of application startup. It's been my experience to hold off on multiple application launches all at once on ThinkPads. They tend to take twice as long to startup when this occurs.

ThinkPads get a high value mark among laptop users for its resistance to change, but it'd be nice to have seen Lenovo take this ThinkPad model into the chiclet keyboard stage that so many other laptop models are being produced with. Laptop keyboards that are difficult to clean overtime can cause buildup of particles that can seriously damage vital components. It'd be nice to no longer have to worry about that with the traditionally and sometimes notoriously compressed ThinkPad keyboard.

But big gold stars continue to go to Lenovo's technical support service. Year after year, the company gets praised for its devotion to providing customers with intelligent support members who help instead of hinder. When trial testing Lenovo tech support capability for the T520i, I found no exception to the industry expectation.

Lenvo lists the ThinkPad T520i at $750.00 right now, which is an extreme bargain considering the original listing price of nearly double that. I wouldn't say the T520i would be worth $1400.00, but it's certainly worth more than it's current market price.

Considering the ThinkPad is meant to look like a relic while behaving state-of-the-art, the design hang ups are no reason to avoid this laptop. Few laptops have done the job for as long as the ThinkPad, and the T520i is no exception.
source: LAPTOPGRAM