Soldered USB-C ports are a step backwards for the laptop industry
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- čas přidán 21. 09. 2022
- Do you remember when most laptop manufacturer's soldered their charging ports? And how much of a hassle it was to replace them? Then we started seeing modular charging ports, it was great! Welp, looks like we're sliding back to bullshit. Today I'm using the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 1 as an example of why this current switch from modular charging ports to soldered USB-C ports is a huge step backwards for the laptop industry. USB-C is fantastic, but it's prone to damage. It should be easily replaceable when that happens. But in 2022 Lenovo, like every other manufacturer switching to USB-C, only cares about profitability, not repairability. Long live IBM-Lenovo.
- Komedie
to be fair- making the USB C charging port modular wouldn't be THAT hard. The HP Spectre X360 does this - and has been doing for the past 3 years - so it's possible.
Incredibly surprised HP is somehow taking a right step
@@tech8652the 840 g1 was really repairable, didn't even need a screwdriver to get to the ram slot, took 8 screws to remove the 2.5 in hdd though, and the cpu was soldered.
I like that I can use the Steam Deck charger rather than the bulky Lenovo one I got from work. I hate those giant laptop bricks. I can use one charger for my phone, my laptop, my handheld game consoles, and more. I'd hate to go back to the old ways of multiple bulky chargers.
@@flamestoyershadowkill6400in laptops nowadays, you won’t find a PGA or LGA CPU or GPU in a laptop. It’s just a way to compromise performance and slim profiles over repairability.
"...I'm in a fucking Subway, cut me some slack..." Dead XD
Agree, old ThinkPad rule. I use t420 and it just won't die. Only new laptop worth considering is framework.
Bingo, the framework is the only logical option for those of us that want repairability over everything else. That T420blazeit will outlive us all.
USB-C is the best thing in the world.
That's why the EU adapted it.
On the otherhand. It should have a replaceble connector.
The EU did what it did in order to not to generate so much ewaste. But politicians don't always think rationally.
USB Type C is just a connector that hosts a confusing mess of different protocols. We will eventually get there, but we’re way off the mark for it being the “best thing in the world”.
@@StolenJoker84 I mean, there are pretty good cables out there that use USB C.
Anker personally I have no complaints about, I have their 3 metre/9 foot red cable 100w cable. Works like a boss, you could get a USB C 3.1 Gen to actually do everything.
It charges my phone (Pretty well actually) , it can transfer data (I personally don't use it much as I don't have many USB C slots on PC) and can transfer video output (I never used this feature) I mean I mainly got it for the length but it has been a dream ngl.
Besides my situation, yes I find that you should do some research about the cable before purchasing. I have once gotten 2 cables from a no name brand that has those LED power indicators, that can get very hot and fry your hands if you aren't careful.
@@Moshimulations Yes, there are good quality cables out there, regardless of the connector. That doesn’t change what I said about USB Type C, though.
@@StolenJoker84 Ye you are right.
Generally though, it is significantly better than having several different barrel AC chargers, as you cannot use them to charge without trying to find out which one is the right size.
With USB C, you could charge everything with it and aren't limited to the random dimensions that everyone uses.
Theoretically you could use a non USB PD charger to charge things, sure it isn't the most efficient thing but it is possible though really goddamn slowly.
As someone trained in 3D animation I learned real quick to be thrifty like this. I sold the first pc I upgraded to my boyfriend and he still uses it to game without issue. It's 13 years old and runs windows 10. Also still using my adobe suite cs6 before they went to subscription, never feel like it's missing anything really.
I’ve worked at a place that gave out thinkpads to employees, had a lot of them with dead USB-C ports and some of them smelled like burning.
The later models of the square charger were also soldered, see the 260/370/x380. Sadly.
:(
@@SalemTechsperts Yep. I work for a high school that until recently, bought entirely from Lenovo. They screwed us badly with some issues the L13 Yoga Gen 1 had, so we switched to Dell. But yeah, The S1 Yoga and Yoga 12 were also soldered on now that I think about it. That being said, they were absolute tanks. I rarely if ever had issues with those ports going bad/being damaged. USB-C on the other hand... Our L13 and X13 laptops have one of them going bad OFTEN.
Even apple have modular USB c ports ! , I couldn't imagine saying the word modular and apple in the same sentence
I switched from X220 to X390 recently and tbh, USB-C charging is my favorite thing about it. Opens up a whole new world of compact 3rd party adapters instead of the usual Thinkpad cinderblock chargers, plus I can use the same charger for my phone as well.
It really should have been on it's own separate board with a little flex connecting it to the mainboard though. The port already feels pretty loose on mine.
It's definitely not as robust and solid as the X220 either.
I was thinking of getting a Framework but the value of a $150 ebay thinkpad still can't be beat, even if they're not as solid as they're used to be.
USB4 signal integrity requirements dictate that the connector be soldered to the MB. Its that way with all brands. Only non-Thunderbolt USBC ports can be modular. Similar to soldered RAM, non-modularity is the price of higher performance.
uhm, so how has Apple kept the USB-C ports modular on every single MacBook that has it?
Shout-out to my old ThinkPad X200 for outliving my Lenovo Z50-75. Now if only my x200 can take more than 4GB RAM...
Those X200's were a marvel of engineering.
I had an X200. It was a solid machine and very lightweight
The reason why Lenovo said the RAM limit for the X200 was 4GB, was because singular SODIMM modules only went up to 2 GB back in 2008.
I have a 2018 T580, and it’s my DAILY driver. Still have yet to buy a docking station for it.
I have a T520 and I LOVE it, nothing like what they produce today.
same here! although, i'm gonna upgrade to a W520 soon... that NVS 4200M just isn't enough for even roblox >.>
This is the first time I've seen an American repairman on CZcams. I totally agree with you about the power input. Even the other inputs and outputs should be interchangeable.
watching this because i have run into this problem for the 2nd time and my Lenovo warrenty has expired. extremely frustrating
gonna have to learn how to microsolder the component myself
*The greatest technician that's ever lived*
Thank god my Cyborg A13V gaming laptop uses a regular charger!
Mum says to watch the pro fanity you naughty boy
Hi, unpopular opinion and probably due to my small experience with Lenovos in particular, but the only time I had to fix the Lenovo charging ports was the old square ones. I could however fix them literally with some hot glue and plastic bits. I have one of the newer ThinkPad X1 Yogas because I needed a 2 in 1 for studies abroad, and I can feel the ports getting wobbly... and I knew full well what I was signing into (I always check the serviceability before purchase), it's just that there was no real alternative.
Anyway, the ultimate gigabased charging port of all time is just a round DC jack. I have a 13-year old Nokia with it's original out-of-the-box charger, and only now the charger cable is starting to fail... The only real problem is it's not as interchangeable with USB-C, so there's more of a risk of running out of supply.
Also, USB-Cs are obligatory these days because of European Union legislation. And I think it is pretty beneficial especially in the smartphone world, because - who had to deal with the fucking microUSB port for charging, knows my pain.
Dell has replaceable USB-c daughterboards.
What's the newest ThinkPad that you do recommend?
Wanna know how doesnt solder their USB-C ports to the board of their laptops? Apple, of all companies they make it on any easy to replace flex cable. But you know everyone wants to talk about how bad Apple is without even acknowledging the terrible practices other companies employ to make it hard to repair your device.
thank fuck my ideapad still has the circular changer with a beafy cable so i don't have to use the backup usb-c on it.
I also thank fuck for that 😂
Can't wait for someone to come up with "Lenovo DONOTTHINKpad" for the new models...
Thank god this video explains flaws about USB-C and why power ports are better and more reliable! This is why I buy hardware that uses a reliable power port that isn’t powered by USB.
I used to have a thinkpad p1 gen 2 (bought it new for 3k usd new). The thing was useless. It was constantly overheating with the most simple tasks. Called their customer support, they where trying to do everything to not need to do the service eventhough i had next business day. They where absolutely useless. Ended up selling it while still under warranty to someone for next to nothing so i just didnt need to deal with it anymore.
ok for real though, is it cheaper to add type c pre soldered on the pcb design and send it over to the factory? they order it like millions right
Soldering is no big deal for a good technician. My cousin does it all the time! Because he is the greatest technician that ever lived!
I have Thinkpad L470 7 years old and new Dell Latitude. 7 years old Lenovo even now after so long has better battery then new Dell. And Dell is using USB-C charging port.
i have x13 gen1 (intel version) and it didnt melt yet :)
USB Type C are hyped up by tech youtubers, influencers, AND Apple, so that's why manufacturers put it for everything even if they don't do it properly
I love USB-C, I just hate making it non-modular when it's serving an important purpose like this.
what is the advantage of proprietary power cable over USB C?
@@Webexplrit was modular (for Lenovo's at least
@@WebexplrAllows for higher power draw
@@Webexplrthey can be more robust.
0:04, I want to die. 😂
i changed gpu on my xps m1530 with a freaking iron
You don't understand, those screws were eating their profits, bruh.
Your shop is located in a Subway?
yup
I’m pretty sure HP have done modular USB-C. You’d think other companies would follow suit but every company is going the way of Apple and locking down the devices so they get to charge more for repair work.
The IDontThinkpad.
Agreed but its not only thinkpads its the idealpads or should i call them shitpads they last 9 months until they can't even handle its own bios and it would barely boot into windows
I’m more concerned with the comment about a 1cm bezel thickness. That would look stupid to have an almost half inch thick border around the the LCD.
your mistaking width with thickness
'Stink pads" hate em
Are there any new laptops that you recommend based on repairability?
I don’t think anything will ever surpass the repairability of the Framework laptop. I would love to get one to test its durability, but I have no need.
Its Planned obsolesence ....
T440p for life
With the updated trackpad, of course!
@@SalemTechsperts and the cooler mod
I also heard USB C charging chips could overheat like crazy, causing them to be cooked thus, killing the entire motherboard. I think this happened to my bros Razer Blade. Is this true?
Not the chips, the port itself yes. With the amount of power going through it all it takes is the port being stretched, a weak connection forming, or a bad cable and you get higher resistance and that makes a ton of heat. But it's not really a USB C problem, even Nvidia GPUs were burning up and melting because of the same reason. It's also what causes home electrical fires and is why you should replace loose or wobbly plug receptacles as soon as possible.
USB c port is super thing, just it should be replaceable
If you go USB-C why make it non modular? Genuinely that causes a lot more issues down the line and ive seen this design quite a few times go horribly wrong. Sometimes i quite literally have to tear my machines or controllers to bare parts just to clean one thing or fix one thing. Hell i did it just yesterday just to clean off a joycon properly and asses the motherboard damage (to even get to it yoh gotta take almost the entire joycon apart. Its worse if you need to replsce the joystick because you gotta take the whole thing apart to even get to the joystick.
Barbra always with the milkshakes! She needs to chill.
Get a fucking grip Barb!
Bahhhb! 😂
lmao is homie really doing laptop repairs in a subway
Yeah, we have two Lenovo laptops at work and they are unreliable POS compared to the Dells we use. After those, we just use Dells.
i would like to ask to, the greatest technician that ever lived, if the X280 is also in the "shit thinkpad" category.
Oh I can tell you why Lenovo replaced those ports.
*MUNEH* *PLAN* *TAHITI*
Why you always drag Barbra into it 😂
bro even on newer apple laptops the USB C ports are modular.
man lenovo's consumer division laptops are the worst especially the old ones the g50 z50 whatever the hell series of laptops somebody in my neighborhood still uses a g50 several missing keys so many vertical lines on the display no battery power button is busted it's gonna snap at the hinges soon i hope he gets rid of that thing xuz it's also slow a Pentium cpu from 2014 as well with only 4gb of ram and a hard drive
Gaming laptops are a far better options now and have been for over a decade. Upgradable, repairable and performant. Especially the clevo's which had 4 ram slots + 4 drive slots since 2014, along with options for upgradable desktop cpu's, swappable batteries, etc.
And their cooling systems are able to handle high amounts of workloads.
And if you think this soldered port problem is bad, wait till you see the customer ripoff's chip makers pull on laptops.
Another none fan of Lenovo. Let's goooo
I blindly bought myself a C+ grade $80 ebay thinkpad without knowing jack shit about the model/year. Modular yellow plug 🤘 shes been a tank, shat on the performance that my '11 MacBook pro that was petering out after years of me trying to duct tape and paperclip that fucker together. Shes been rocking mint (xe or whatever the ultralight distro is called) and solely runs the automation and inventory on my coffee roaster 👍
2:28 Youre supposed to Think when youre fixing it sir.
Who the hell thought soldered ports was a good idea?
lenovo 🙄 i wonder if ThinkPads nowadays would be better if IBM never sold the brand off to Lenovo
@@suki_shii or if IBM never screwed up to begin with and lost the home PC arms race
This is why I quit considering Lenovo for laptops
I call this planned obsolescence.
This is on purpose, the old connector standards were simpler to deal with and replace in case of failure or damage, these current models are following this ridiculous trend.
I don't know for sure, but definitely for these reasons, I don't care about Lenovo, they are currently regressing, and other companies have a tendency to copy this.
It's a total shame and disrespect, besides the fact that USB Type C is a nightmare to carry out repairs or replacements, a lot of work.
And remember boys, if you wanna learn to make your girl happy, get one of these thinkpads with the red dot in the middle. that'll train your fingers right up! thank me later.
I like the edupps (idubbz) autistic quotation XDDD
In the EU the USB C ports will be mandatory. That's probably why they did it
i don't think the port being USB C is the problem, the problem is the implementation, not making it so that it's easy to repair/replace, but the idea of having a single kind of port for charging anything is pretty logical to me
Why you hating on USB C? It's the people who are making it non swappable.
Who's hating on USB-C? The title quite literally states "Soldered USB-C"
@@SalemTechsperts others in the comments
Usb typa c is melting beacouse of thunderbolt softeare, just update it and it shouldnt be melting anymore
Lenovooo you're not ASUS
welcome to apple world.every damn laptop now copies apple for the wrong reason.
😂😂😂😂
dude u so funny af ... shut up 🤣💔
😁
Apple is the worst thing that has happened to mankind
Being mad that you need to solder to fix computers is like being mad that you need a wrench to fix cars. Why not learn to solder at home?
Because much like how mechanics don't want to have to resort to welding but instead prefer wrenches and bolts. Technicians don't want to have to resort to soldering but instead prefer screwdrivers and screws
@strob5657 they aren't a technician then, any idiot can use a screwdriver and plug components in. The whole idea of being a technician is you have skills that most people dont
@@Hadzz95 technicians are so much beyond just the simple ability to solder. Just because he's mad about it doesn't mean he doesn't know how to solder, take Rossman for example. A technician's worth is in his troubleshooting experience and access to parts!! People are mad about it from an unexperienced end-user perspective
@strob5657 no idea what Rossman is. But every component you ever install will be pcb with solder. Not saying you have to be the best solderer, a usb port is not even close microsoldering. Take a couple weeks and learn a skill
@@Hadzz95I have significant experience with micro soldering. Also have dealt with the same exact issue in this video with my own Lenovo. 30 minutes and was fixed. I’d still, whole heartedly recommend that usb ports be swappable without having to dig out my hot air station please :)
my first usb c thinkpad was wasted because of the usb c charger and now my second one is failing.. that's why I kept on saying the EU enforcing usb c on laptops was the worst choice ever! It is no good for laptops, it is too small and fragile! We need some kind of USB D that would be like usb C but the size of USB A and pin compatible with USB C. Also.. the shell has already cracked in like 8 places... WTF... I've been using thinkpads for like past 20 years and now I'm pretty much forced to keep on buying them because there is zero competition but the quality is no longer there... They are well aware of the fact that people will be forced to buy thinkpads regardless of the poor quality and high prices because they are the last brand still making trackpoint laptops and no trackpoint is a deal breaker for any serious profesional use...
Did no one notice the orange on the shelf