Getting a used thinkpad around $600, any ideas?

Considering the new Thinkpads are very expensive and have poor reviews, as well as the fact that I am on a budget, I thought it would be a good idea to buy a used thinkpad. I am going to be a CSE major so I am going to dual boot Linux Mint and Windows.

With a $600 budget and a need for a 1600x900 display (or better) should I be looking at the t430s, t420s, or something else? Performance isn't an issue since I don't play anything besides league of legends occasionally. I just need a decent display and at least 5-6 hours of battery life (I can buy a disk drive battery if necessary).

Any recommendations on what to start looking for?

 

I'd take the forum reports with a grain of salt. People tend to be a bit overly dramatic when posting complaints and they're greatly outnumbered by users happy with their machines, who don't post everything's OK. All in all it tends to skew things in a negative direction. I would think the T440p with the IPS LCD would be a nice bonus, though out of your budget.

If you're looking an older ThinkPad with a decent screen, the X1 Carbon might be worth a look. It offers the best 14" ThinkPad screen until the T440p IPS and your performance needs are modest. $600 might be a bit low, though you may get lucky in the outlet or eBay if you can be persistent.

Between the T420 and T430, probably the biggest difference is the keyboard - traditional vs chiclet. I liked both. The difference between Sandy and Ivy Birdge is marginal at best. The T430 does offer USB across the board. None of the screens in either rises above average quality wise.

 

I'll second a T420s or T430s as a decent choice... if those are somehow out of your budget, a regular T430 or T420 will definitely be within it. If you want a higher resolution screen you could also consider a FHD T520 or T530.