Lenovo ThinkPad 12.5" X250, Core i5-5300U, 8GB, 500GB SSD

The ThinkPad X250 is a compact, refurbished laptop that's fine for basic office work and typing. Its compact size ranks in the 96th percentile, but the CPU and graphics are old and weak. Only worth it if you need a cheap, portable Windows 10 Pro machine and don't expect much performance.

The i5-5300U handles everyday tasks like email, documents, and light web browsing without much drama. The 500GB SSD helps a lot here, making boot times and app launches feel snappier than the old spinning drives this machine originally shipped with. But the 8GB of RAM is a real ceiling, and the integrated graphics are a weak spot. Don't expect to edit video, run heavy spreadsheets with a dozen tabs open, or do anything beyond casual use. The storage capacity is also on the smaller side for 2025, landing in the 29th percentile.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus, this thing looks like a fossil. Those machines are in a completely different universe for performance, display quality, and port selection. Even the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition runs circles around it for everyday use. The only real advantage the X250 has is price and the classic ThinkPad build. If you're comparing it to other refurbished business laptops from the same era, it's fine. Against anything modern, it's not a contest.

There's no listed price in USD, but the CAD listing sits around 1,023 Canadian dollars. For a refurbished machine this old, that's a tough sell unless you specifically need a small ThinkPad with Windows 10 Pro. You can find newer refurbished laptops with better CPUs and more RAM for similar money. The value here depends entirely on how cheap you can find it and how badly you want that ThinkPad keyboard.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X250 is a refurbished workhorse from a different era. You're getting an Intel Core i5-5300U, 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB SSD in a compact 12.5-inch frame. It runs Windows 10 Pro, which is fine for basic office work and web browsing.

But let's be real. This thing is old. The CPU sits in the 21st percentile and the integrated graphics are barely above the bottom of the barrel. It's not a modern laptop, and it doesn't pretend to be. It's a cheap, portable typing machine for people who need a second computer or a basic travel companion.

Skip this if you need to run anything beyond basic office apps. If you want to edit photos, play games, or keep 20 browser tabs open without slowdowns, this machine will frustrate you. Also skip it if you need modern ports like USB-C or HDMI, because the port selection here is one of the worst we've seen.

Buy this if you need a cheap, compact laptop for writing, email, and light web browsing. It's a decent travel companion or a secondary machine for basic tasks. The keyboard is comfortable and the SSD keeps things from feeling completely ancient. But if you need to run anything demanding, or you want a laptop that won't feel slow in a year, look elsewhere.