The ThinkPad R Series is a line of budget to mid-range laptop computers released as a successor to the ThinkPad 300 Series and ThinkPad A Series originally developed by IBM from 2001 until 2005 when they sold their consumer PC division to Lenovo in 2005. It was then developed by Lenovo from 2005 to 2010 when it was discontinued in favor of having multiple different models for the different market segments that the R series originally occupied.
IBM originally released the Thinkpad R Series (Starting with the R30) as the mid-range mainstream model of the ThinkPad brand. It was conceived as a laptop "for the business executive working on a budget - a road warrior with an office network whose out-of-office work rarely goes beyond running PowerPoint shows or demonstrating spreadsheets". A laptop created as the T series but lower end, the R series computers had IBM make sacrifices in materials and construction (notably the lack of a magnesium midframe and rubberized metal lid) which higher end models of ThinkPad like the T series had. This, along with lower performance configurations when compared to the T series allowed the R series to become the lower end regular laptop model of the ThinkPad line.
Despite having a cheaper build when compared to the higher end T series of its time, it still received favorable reviews. In a review on the ThinkPad R40, CNET gave the laptop a score of 8.2, writing in their summary statement that "Good performance, along with great design and battery life, make the ThinkPad R40 a trusted friend for the traveler and the desk jockey". Starting from the R50, it became completely based on the T series (instead of just looking similar) with the same concessions as before. Though the R series did include a FireWire port which was not brought to the T series until the ThinkPad T61.
In 2010, the R Series was discontinued in favor of the L, SL, and the E series of Thinkpads.
In 2017, it was brought back and continued as a more premium version of the ThinkPad E Series, in China only, with premium features already optioned such as aluminium lids and finger print readers.
Battery configuration
| Main |
M(x) |
Main hot-swappable
(max.cells) |
Secondary |
U |
Ultrabay removable |
|---|
| u |
Ultrabay unremovable |
| M(x) |
Main removable
(max.cells) |
m(x) |
internal
(max.cells)
"PowerBridge" |
| m(x) |
Main internal
(max.cells) |
S |
Slice battery |
Laptop color codes |
|
Processor
Socketed desktop processor
Socketed mobile processor
Soldered high power processor
Soldered standard power processor
Soldered low power processor
Soldered ultra low power processor
Weight
| 0.9 kg (2.0 lb) |
Up to 0.91 kg |
| 1.0 kg (2.2 lb) |
0.92–1.0 kg |
| 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) |
1.01–1.1 kg |
| 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) |
1.11–1.2 kg |
| 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) |
1.21–1.3 kg |
| 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) |
1.31–1.4 kg |
| 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) |
1.41–1.5 kg |
| 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) |
1.51–1.6 kg |
| 1.7 kg (3.7 lb) |
1.61–1.7 kg |
| 1.8 kg (4.0 lb) |
1.71–1.81 kg |
| 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) |
1.81–1.91 kg |
| 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) |
1.91–2.03 kg |
| 2.1 kg (4.6 lb) |
2.04–2.14 kg |
| 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) |
2.15–2.4 kg |
| 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) |
2.41–2.75 kg |
| 2.8 kg (6.2 lb) |
2.76–3.05 kg |
| 3.1 kg (6.8 lb) |
3.06–3.42 kg |
| 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) |
3.43–3.99 kg |
| 4.0 kg (8.8 lb) |
4.0–4.99 kg |
| 5.5 kg (12 lb) |
5.0–6.49 kg |
| 7.2 kg (16 lb) |
6.5–7.99 kg |
| 9.1 kg (20 lb) |
8.0–9.99 kg |
| 10.7 kg (24 lb) |
10–11.99 kg |
| 12.7 kg (28 lb) |
12–14.49 kg |
| 14.5 kg (32 lb) |
14.5–17.99 kg |
| 18.1 kg (40 lb) |
18–20.99 kg |
| 21.7 kg (48 lb) |
21–23.99 kg |
| 24 kg (53 lb) |
24–28.99 kg |
| 29.5 kg (65 lb) |
29 kg and above |
|
Screen resolution
4K or higher
1440p+ (WQHD,QXGA)
1080p+ (Full HD,UXGA)
Better than 768p (SXGA,SXGA+)
600p+ (SVGA,HD,XGA,HD+)
Up to 600p (VGA)
Graphics
Dual standard socket graphics option
Dual proprietary socket graphics option
Standard socket graphics option
Proprietary socket graphics option
Soldered performance graphics option
Soldered midrange graphics option
Soldered mainstream graphics option
Soldered entry graphics option
Integrated entry graphics
Integrated basic graphics
|
Laptop storage combinations (excluding WWAN slot)
| Level |
PCIe 4.0 x4 |
PCIe 3.0 x4 |
PCIe 3.0 x2 |
M.2 SATA |
mSATA |
1.8" SATA |
2.5" SATA |
1.8" IDE |
2.5" IDE |
|---|
|
2019
Not yet
(laptops) |
2013 |
2013 |
2013 |
2009 |
2003 |
2003 |
1991 |
1988 |
|
3 |
|
2 |
|
|
4 |
|
| 3 |
|
1 |
|
| 2 |
|
2 |
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| 3 |
|
2 |
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3 |
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| 2 |
|
1 |
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| 4 |
|
| 3 |
|
1 |
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| 2 |
|
2 |
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|
2 |
|
| 1 |
|
1 |
|
| 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 1 |
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
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4 |
|
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1 |
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1 |
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
1 |
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2 |
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|
3 |
|
|
1 |
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|
1 |
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2 |
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|
1 |
|
|
1 |
Laptop memory
| Amount |
LPDDR5X |
LPDDR5 |
DDR5 |
LPDDR4X |
LPDDR4 |
DDR4 |
LPDDR3 |
DDR4 |
DDR3L |
DDR3 |
DDR2 |
DDR |
SDR |
EDO |
FPM |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
dual channel |
|
< dual channel |
dual channel |
< dual channel |
dual channel |
< dual channel |
dual channel |
< dual channel |
|
|
|
|
2022
(laptops) |
2019
(laptops) |
2020
|
2017 |
2014 |
2014 |
2012 |
2014 |
2010 |
2007 |
2003 |
1998 |
1993 |
1993 |
1987 |
| max memory = 512 GB |
N/A |
N/A |
512 GB |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| max memory = 256 GB |
N/A |
|
256 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| max memory = 128 GB |
128 GB |
|
128 GB |
N/A |
N/A |
128 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| 64 GB ≤ max memory < 128 GB |
|
64 GB |
|
N/A |
N/A |
64 GB |
N/A |
64 GB (2 slots) |
64 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| 32 GB ≤ max memory < 64 GB |
|
|
|
32 GB |
32 GB |
32 GB |
N/A |
|
32 GB |
32 GB (2 slots) |
32 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| 16 GB ≤ max memory < 32 GB |
|
|
|
|
|
16 GB |
16 GB |
|
16 GB |
|
16 GB |
16 GB (2 slots) |
16 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| 8 GB ≤ max memory < 16 GB |
|
|
|
|
|
8 GB |
|
|
8 GB |
|
8 GB |
|
8 GB |
8 GB (2 slots) |
8 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| 4 GB ≤ max memory < 8 GB |
|
|
|
|
|
4 GB |
|
|
4 GB |
|
4 GB |
|
4 GB |
|
4 GB |
4 GB (4 slots) |
4 GB (4 slots) |
N/A |
| 2 GB ≤ max memory < 4 GB |
|
|
|
|
|
2 GB (8 chips) |
|
|
2 GB |
|
2 GB |
|
2 GB |
|
|
2 GB |
2 GB |
N/A |
| 1 GB ≤ max memory < 2 GB |
|
|
1 GB (1 chip) |
dual channel min |
dual channel min |
N/A |
|
single channel min |
1 GB |
|
1 GB |
|
1 GB |
|
|
|
|
1 GB (4 slots) |
| 512 MB ≤ max memory < 1 GB |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
single channel min |
single channel min |
N/A |
dual channel min |
half channel min |
512 MB (8 chips) |
|
512 MB (8 chips) |
|
512 MB |
|
|
|
|
512 MB |
| 256 MB ≤ max memory < 512 MB |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
256 MB (1 chip) |
256 MB (1 chip) |
N/A |
single channel min |
256 MB (1 chip) |
N/A |
single channel min |
N/A |
single channel min |
256 MB |
|
|
|
|
|
| 128 MB ≤ max memory < 256 MB |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
128 MB (1 chip) |
N/A |
N/A |
half channel min |
N/A |
half channel min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 64 MB ≤ max memory < 128 MB |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
64 MB (1 chip) |
N/A |
64 MB (1 chip) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| max memory < 64 MB |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|