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I got this PC not-power-ON from an Arabic guy, and the computer is restored now to a near perfect state that it's capable of doing some work on. The Intel Core i5-6300U equipped in the Thinkpad x260 is actually pretty powerful, with a passmark CPU Mark score of 4470. A computer with a score of 1000-2000 is enough for more simple tasks on a windows 7 machine, so x260 with a 4470 score is a workhorse waiting to be unleashed.

The Intel HD Graphics 520 is part of the Intel Core i5-6300U CPU chip, but the GPU is actually not heatsinked, yet it still manages to deliver a 3D score of 653 and 2D score of 625. It's capable of playing some less demanding games, as this computer is not designed for gaming. Intel HD Graphics 520 is actually pretty great, but for the x260, the GPU die is not connected to the tiny heatsink, so the output power is limited. Typical 3D score range for the Intel HD Graphics 520 is from 867-1071.

List of problems that this laptop has:
1 - not powering on
2 - no HDD, hard drive cable is damaged a little
3 - bloated external battery

There is a huge list of problems that this computer has that it's probably impossible for a typical person to be able to fix. 1, the power button doesn't work. The cause is a bad cable between the power button and the logic board. Replacing the cable should solve this issue. Instead of hunting for this cable, I did some measurement on the board, and soldered a pair of wires from the power button to the logic button. Problem 1 solved, the laptop is able to be switched on. 2, Replacing the hard drive is easy, but the connector is damaged a little. A little soldering and hot glue resolved that elegantly. 3, The external battery can be replaced easily. You just go buy another battery, but instead of doing that, I gutted 3 cells and fixed it. 4, installing Windows 7 on a computer without a USB 2.0 is hard. Bootable USB flash installation will not work; USB CD-ROM drive will not work. Here the USB 3.0 driver is patched in the boot.wim file and installation is done a few clicks away. 5, configuring and updating windows 7 that is no longer supported would be mission impossible for most people, but it's a walk in the park for me. Technically the computer has not been fully configured yet.

Thinkpad x260 is a well designed and made machine. It may not be the best thinkpad, but it provides everything a professional would need. No complaints, but few suggestions, in case the designer from Lenovo sees it.

Things that can be made better:
1, Most of the functional keys don't work, and the track-pad enable and disable button is absolutely a must for professional writers/coders.

2, Fn and sound key lock are a nice touch. This function should be kept. Keyboard backlight is not important at all, since a professional doesn't need to look at the keyboard to type.

3, 1 RAM slot is acceptable for a small computer of this size, but there should be a M.2 SSD slot in addition to a SATA header for a SATA hard drive. The ability to have 1 M.2 and 1 2.5" hard drive is useful. The case for the 2.5” HD is badly designed which provides little to no shock absorption. This is compensated by the sponge on the back of the cover. Sponge is not good for heat dissipation, and heat kills the hard drive. Overall a cheap and poor 2.5” case design.

4, The power button should never share the same connector with another interface. There should be 2 smt pads for soldering a power button to.

5, The computer should have 2 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0. A USB 2.0 is important for various things including the installation of windows.

6, the dock connector should be eliminated for a tiny laptop like this. The saved PCB space can be used for other things.

7, 2 batteries approach is nice. Especially with an external one that can be replaced easily.

8, The 180 degree LCD hinge is perfect, but the plastic-to-metal connection is not well reinforced, meaning over time, it could break.

9, 2 speakers placed next to the USB connectors is a smart design. Heatsink is too small, and the small fan can't not be fully disassembled. Otherwise, the logic board is created perfectly, and the full size SD card reader is a very nice touch.

10, A lot of the middle frame metal can be trimmed to reduce the weight of the laptop. This laptop is heavy for its size. The fiber reinforced plastic case is strong and nice, but the rubber coating is not. A simple contextualized surface is better. Less grip, but more clean, especially in the long term because the rubbery coating will degrade over time and it's sticky, leaky and dirty.

11, The tamper proof/protection design is not known to most people, but it's a very nice feature for more professional use.

12, The keyboard replacement can be made easier with a better design. It's impossible for an average user to replace this type of keyboard, where everything needs to be striped. Overall this is a well designed machine that can be relatively easily maintained.