The Refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad T540p is a 15.6-inch Full HD business laptop built around Intel's 4th-generation Core i5-4300M processor—a dual-core, four-thread chip running at 2.6 GHz with turbo to 3.3 GHz, capable of handling everyday office tasks at a budget-friendly price point. With 8GB DDR3 RAM and a 500GB hard drive, this professionally restored machine offers generous storage capacity for documents, files, and applications. The stand-out specification in this configuration is the 1920×1080 Full HD display—sharp, matte, and antiglare—which is a genuine upgrade over the 768p screens found on many laptops in this price range and makes reading, spreadsheet work, and video calls noticeably more comfortable. This unit is supplied with no operating system pre-installed, which means you will need to source and install your own OS before use.

Important: This laptop ships with no operating system installed. You will need to purchase and install Windows (or another OS) separately before the machine is ready to use. Please factor this into your purchase decision. See the OS section below for more detail.

Ideal For

This reconditioned ThinkPad suits technically confident buyers who are comfortable installing their own operating system and want a large-screen, Full HD business laptop at a very low entry price. It's well suited to secondary or backup use, light home office tasks such as document editing and web browsing, or as a dedicated offline machine. The full-size keyboard with number pad and TrackPoint pointing stick make it a comfortable typing machine for data entry or spreadsheet-heavy work. Buyers looking for a plug-in desktop replacement who don't need portability will get the most from this configuration.

Key Features & Benefits

• 1920×1080 Full HD display (15.6-inch, antiglare): The genuine highlight of this configuration—a sharp, matte panel that reduces reflections and makes text, spreadsheets, and video content significantly more readable than standard HD (768p) screens found on many budget laptops
• Intel Core i5-4300M (4th Gen Haswell, dual-core): Turbos to 3.3 GHz with Hyper-Threading providing four virtual cores, which means word processing, email, and light web browsing run without major lag—though the ageing architecture will feel slower than current-generation chips under heavier workloads
• 8GB DDR3 SODIMM RAM: Enough headroom for everyday multitasking including browser tabs, documents, and communication tools running simultaneously
• 500GB hard drive: Generous storage capacity for files, documents, and applications—though the spinning drive is the primary performance bottleneck in this configuration (see performance note below)
• DVD/RW optical drive: Useful for installing software from disc, accessing archived physical media, or burning files—a feature that has largely disappeared from modern laptops
• ThinkPad UltraNav (TrackPoint + touchpad): The iconic red TrackPoint nub allows precise cursor control without lifting your hands from the keyboard—a practical advantage for data entry and fast navigation
• Fingerprint reader: Hardware-level biometric login support once an OS is installed
• MIL-STD-810G rated: Tested for temperature extremes, shock, vibration, and pressure—built to handle daily commuting and business travel more reliably than consumer-grade hardware
• Full port selection: 3× USB 3.0, 1× USB 2.0 (always-on charging), Mini DisplayPort, VGA, RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, SD card reader, and headphone/mic combo—broad compatibility with existing peripherals and displays without adapters
• 720p HD webcam: Ready for video calls once an OS and software are installed

Common Questions

What does "no operating system" mean, and what do I need to do?

This laptop has been data-wiped as part of our secure refurbishment process and ships with a blank drive—no Windows, no Linux, nothing pre-installed. Before you can use it, you will need to install an operating system yourself. The most straightforward option is purchasing a Windows 10 Pro licence (available from Microsoft and authorised resellers) and installing from a USB drive. Windows 11 is not officially supported on 4th-generation Intel processors due to TPM 2.0 requirements, so Windows 10 is the practical choice—though be aware Microsoft's security support for Windows 10 ended in October 2025. Linux distributions such as Ubuntu are a free alternative if you're comfortable with that environment and don't require Windows software. If you are not confident installing an OS yourself, this listing may not be the right fit.

How slow is the hard drive, and should I upgrade to an SSD?

The 500GB spinning hard drive is the single most significant performance limitation in this configuration. On a traditional HDD, boot times typically run 60–90 seconds, and applications take noticeably longer to open than on a modern SSD. For light, occasional use this is manageable—but for daily productivity work, upgrading to a 2.5-inch SATA SSD is strongly recommended. A 240–500GB SATA SSD costs between $40–$90 and can be swapped in without specialist tools, transforming boot times to under 20 seconds and dramatically improving application responsiveness. This is the single most effective upgrade you can make to this machine.

Can it handle video calls and everyday office tasks?

Yes, within its limitations. The i5-4300M with 8GB RAM handles video conferencing, document editing, email, and moderate browser use adequately. The bottleneck you'll notice is the hard drive slowing application launches and OS operations, not the processor. Once an OS is installed and the machine is up and running, day-to-day performance is workable for light office use—especially if the drive is upgraded to an SSD.

What's the WiFi situation?

This unit supports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz band). It does not include 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) or 5 GHz band support. In practical terms this means wireless speeds top out at around 150 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, which is sufficient for standard office use, video calls, and web browsing—but will feel slower than a modern 5 GHz connection on a busy network. Wired Gigabit Ethernet is available and recommended for stable, high-speed connections.

Technical Specifications

At a Glance

• Type: 15.6-inch business laptop with full-size keyboard, numeric keypad, TrackPoint, fingerprint reader, and DVD/RW drive
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4300M — 2 cores / 4 threads, 2.6 GHz base / 3.3 GHz turbo, 3 MB cache (4th Gen Haswell, vPro)
• Memory: 8GB DDR3 SODIMM
• Storage: 500GB SATA HDD — generous capacity, but noticeably slower than SSD; upgrade recommended for daily use
• Optical Drive: DVD/RW — reads and writes CDs and DVDs
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 × 1080), antiglare LED-backlit — sharp and comfortable for extended productivity use
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4600 (integrated)
• Operating System: None — no OS installed. Buyer must source and install separately
• Webcam: Yes — 720p HD integrated camera
• Wireless: Intel 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz, no 5 GHz / no AC)
• Networking: 1 Gb Gigabit Ethernet
• Bluetooth: Yes — Bluetooth 4.0
• Security: Fingerprint reader, TPM security chip
• Ports: 3× USB 3.0 (1 always-on), 1× USB 2.0, Mini DisplayPort, VGA, RJ-45 Ethernet, SD card reader, combo headphone/mic jack
• Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion
• Colour: Black
• Dimensions: 374.5 × 249 × 26.6 mm
• Weight: Approximately 2.5 kg
• Durability: MIL-STD-810G tested
• Best use: Light office tasks, email, web browsing, document editing, desktop replacement (plugged in), secondary or backup machine
• Not recommended for: Users who cannot install their own OS, heavy multitasking, gaming, video editing, or environments requiring a currently supported OS without additional configuration

Performance & Real-World Use

The ThinkPad T540p occupies the budget end of Reboot IT's laptop range—and its pricing reflects that honestly. The Full HD display is a genuine strength: at 1920×1080, it delivers noticeably sharper text and more screen real estate than the 768p panels on comparably priced alternatives, which makes it well-suited to document work and reading-heavy tasks. The i5-4300M and 8GB RAM combination handles light multitasking adequately once an OS is up and running.

The hard drive is the machine's most significant limitation. In our February 2026 testing, HDD-equipped units took 60–90 seconds to reach the desktop from a cold boot, and application launch times were noticeably sluggish compared to SSD-equipped machines. For occasional or light use this is liveable; for daily productivity work, a SATA SSD upgrade ($40–$90) transforms the experience and is the single most impactful improvement available. The T540p's 2.5-inch drive bay makes this a straightforward swap. The ThinkPad keyboard—with its signature key travel and well-defined pressure point—remains a highlight and is more comfortable for extended typing than most laptops at this price point.

Operating System

This laptop ships with no operating system installed. The 4th-generation Core i5-4300M does not officially meet Microsoft's TPM 2.0 hardware requirement for Windows 11. Windows 10 Pro is the most practical option, though Microsoft's security support for Windows 10 ended in October 2025. Free Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Linux Mint) are a supported alternative for buyers comfortable with that environment. OS installation requires a USB drive (8GB or larger) and access to a licensed OS image or free Linux distribution. If you are not confident performing this step, this listing may not be suitable for your needs.

Cosmetic Condition Guide

Each refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad T540p is graded on cosmetic appearance. Excellent units show minimal wear with clear key lettering and no significant scratches. Good units may have visible scratches, light scuffing, or keyboard shine from regular use. Fair units display heavier cosmetic wear—possible paint chips or dents—though all grades are fully functional and tested to the same standard. Check the product listing for the grade assigned to this unit, and see our full cosmetic condition guide for detailed criteria.

Verified Reboot Refurb Quality Assurance

Every Lenovo ThinkPad T540p goes through Reboot IT's comprehensive refurbishment process before reaching you. This includes secure data wiping, full hardware diagnostics, and component-level testing across processor, memory, storage, display, ports, keyboard, trackpad, fingerprint reader, optical drive, and wireless connectivity—a 40+ point inspection that includes stress testing under load. Only units that clear every checkpoint are approved for sale.

Warranty & Support

3-month warranty provided by Reboot IT. This unit is an older-generation device and carries our 3-month warranty in accordance with Reboot IT's warranty policy for aged hardware. All functional components are covered for the warranty period.

This refurbished ThinkPad T540p suits technically confident buyers who want a full HD large-screen business laptop at a low entry price and are comfortable setting it up themselves—backed by Reboot IT's refurbishment expertise and 3-month warranty.