Previous thread: >>52804302
Other business laptops are also welcome in /tpg/ (e.g. Dell Latitude/Precision, HP EliteBook/ZBook).
----
If you're looking for purchase advice, READ THE BUYERS GUIDE FIRST. Then post, stating budget and requirements (e.g. size and performance).
Don't buy anything OTHER THAN T, X AND W/P SERIES if you want the Real ThinkPad Experience™
Recommended models:
T420 - 14", normal size
X220 - 12.5", lightweight
----
Why ThinkPad? (also applies to other business laptops)
>They’re really cheap when you buy a used one.
>Keyboards feel excellent while typing (yes, even the newer ones).
>Great durability thanks to the inclusion of rollcages and use of glass fiber reinforced plastic for the chassis. The keyboard is splash proof and spilled liquids will drain out.
>Utilitarian design - e.g. indicator LEDs, 7 row keyboard layout on older models.
>Docking solutions that easily turns your laptop into a desktop.
>Easy to repair, upgrade and maintain thanks to readily available service manuals for almost every model. Spare parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
>The best trackpoint (that red thing on the middle of the keyboard). Great for those who type a lot or hate swiping their fingers all over a touchpad.
>Excellent GNU/Linux & *BSD support.
----
Used ThinkPad Buyers Guide:
http://ktgee.net/tpg
EPP discount for new ThinkPads (USA & Canada only, usually 15%+ off):
http://pastebin.com/wumE7L2f
ThinkWiki - Info on ThinkPads and running GNU/Linux on them:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki
ThinkPad service guides w/ tutorial videos:
https://www.lenovoservicetraining.com/
How do you x220 tablet users make the tablet stop moving around? The rubber nubs are gone on mine and it's messing up my thinkpad.
>>52835715
Make your own rubber nubs or replace the keyboard bezel.
ordered a refurbished T420 for university.
what's the first thing i should do when it arrives and what should i do with my old desktop? linux machine? bitcoins?
just suggest stuff
>>52835744
What size should they be? I don't know how big the rubber nubs are supposed to be,
Is there any finger condom that can trick a wacom stylus only Thinkpad into thinking you're using the pen?
I don't want to use the pen everything I need to flip a page when reading in tablet mode
>>52835784
If you're DIY-ing, just make them fit. Personally I'd just make square ones and crazy-glue them on the keyboard bezel in the right place; cut them out of the sole of a pair of old sneakers with a utility knife - that seems like the right rubber consistency. Maybe somebody can snap a picture of theirs if you want to try making detailed replicas.
>>52835880
Yeah I want to make some modified replicas. Hopefully some kind anon will take some nice pics.
Looks like the new thread started just as I posted. Reposting my question.
Some guy is selling a W520 for 150 euro because "the bios has become corrupt" and "since activating numlock during boot the device has become stuck in an endless boot loop". He says it's fixable but he can't be arsed himself since he got a new laptop from his work anyway.
Can this be easily fixed and is it a good deal?
>>52835834
Your labtops broken.
>>52835834
You can't use your finger?
>>52835913
yeds, I sad on it by miisdage :DDDD
>>52835834
Are you using the x220t? If so you got the different screen that doesn't recognize touch.
My x220T recognizes touch and pen input when I use my stylus and when I put it away it recognizes touch. I read my manga this way.
>>52835926
no, some thinkpads are stylus only
others are both touch and stylus
>>52835955
I just assumed he was on an x230 from the picture. There's not versions of those with stylus only?
>>52835949
I'm using an X200T
I don't have a good picture so I posted that. I'm pretty sure it's stylus only. Does your X220T switch to touch when the pen is in it's slot?
>>52835972
sorry for the confusion, I'm on an X200T but didn't have a good pic of it so I posted that
>>52835989
Well if the digitizer is wacom only and not a resistive panel that you can activate with pressure then I'm assuming a wacom pen is your only recourse.
>>52835975
It's both pen and touch. If the pen is in the slot it's just touch.
>>52835777
Install gentoo
>OP image is from a SL series
>>>/r/thinkpad
>>52836002
I'm retarded. I can't believe this didn't come to me sooner. I can map one of the tablet buttons to do page flips on the application I use to read.
>Well if the digitizer is wacom only and not a resistive panel
I see. Makes sense. Thanks
>>52836025
That's a nice feature
My T420 stock 320GB HD died. I has a sad. Pic related.
>>52835777
>bitcoins
Install funtoo
>>52836025
Actually there's models of the x200 that don't support touch and only support the pen. Earlier ones I think.
>>52836094
He was asking if my x220T supported touch .
>>52836073
I feel for your misfortune, but I kek'd.
>>52835911
Eh not really. BIOS locks are usually not worth it.
>>52836073
Just buy the SSD it deserves.
I purchased an X60 a little over a week ago, and it came in the mail a few days ago. I paid $113 for it, including shipping and taxes.
When I got it I installed Libreboot, and I'm running Debian w/ Xfce. Pic related is my desktop. I'm not a freetard by any means, I just happen to like Debian and I wanted to install Libreboot.
Great laptop.
>>52836063
This
>>52836063
no u
I did the FHD mod on the T420s tonight.
>>52836427
Bunsenlabs?
>>52836254
x60 is kawaii as fuck, Mr. Brannon
>>52836427
Nice. How are you liking it so far? Any major problems during installation? Guts pictures?
>>52836427
>>52836427
neat
wish there was something like this for an x220
>>52836427
Damn, that's cool. Nice dist, by the way. ;)
>>52836598
think its #!++
>>52836653
There is, but it was pulled off by a Korean dude and some solder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wza3mWvZDno
What should I do with my x220, /g/?
>>52836598
>>52836704
It's #!++
I bought the laptop for this mod, but I installed this it to get off the foreign language windows install and back to something familiar.
>>52836652
The instructions supplied were pretty shitty, my gf speaks Chinese and even she thought the captions on pictures online were mostly unhelpful.
Even so, I won't pretend it's the most difficult mod, finding a decent panel is the hardest part, so if you're interested get one while you can.
>>52836427
Still waiting to buy my kit, it's taking so long ;_;
thinking about getting a T530 p (hybrid graphics) anyone know anything about it or used it
>>52837019
install more RAM, SSD, IPS screen, and a linux distro of your choice
>>52837026
based #!++
>>52837179
wallpaper?
>>52836427
I know Crunchbang was all about the community, but it's slowly dying. Now they're seriously trying to revive it? How are they still trying to grab attention?
And what's wrong with being part of the Debian community in general? I know they've had to deal with some shit recently, but honestly, I think they are part of the best Linux community out there next to Gentoo or Arch, and Linux Mint. Most Ubuntu users are genuanely retarded, but... You know. There's people on IRC or Linux Forums who can also be okay to chat with too, I guess.
Nobody has to use a fork of a distro that will probably just go away again...
>>52837210
for more: http://www.simonstalenhag.se/
Just bought a t420 after shopping around on Ebay for bit. I'm pretty much going to be using it to teach myself how to use linux systems and coding.
I'm honestly shocked how cheap it was for the specs it has.
>>52837248
much appreciated
>>52837066
I wonder if I should give up and just get a 1440p monitor instead.
>>52837267
yeah they are cheap because businesses resell them at a loss to get new hardware get an ssd with the money you saved
>>52837306
I probably will once I have more cash to spend. I also might upgrade the ram, but I'm not even sure if it's necessary.
Also is it worth getting a dock? It's mostly going to sit on my desk next to my desktop.
>>52835661
Looking for a t'pad that will run gnome3 and some games, which one should i buy.? nothing overpriced pls
>>52837349
docks usually go for $50 if you see one for $30 or less go for it
>>52837358
the ones in the op
>>52837179
I still find it funny that people still use scrot.
>>52836254
>Clayton Brannon
>not a freetard
Is this a good deal for my T420 $38?Free shipping
NEW! 8GB DDR3-1333 PC3-10600 SODIMM Memory for Lenovo ThinkPad T420
>>52837464
Why? when I used linux I did scrot or xfce screenshot
Why would I open some gimp shit to take a screen?
>>52837464
Why the hell would you crank up GIMP (which I uninstalled btw) just for that?
Hey guys I need a laptop for college and I was thinking the T450, but I heard T420+ models are awful. Am I being memed or should I look elsewhere?
>>52839111
T420 would be a good choice. It's what I just got and I love it.
I got a 1600x900 nvdia version
>>52838841
$40 usd?? fucking jump at that dude
>>52839111
T450s if you want a new one. Try to get a model with 3-year onsite warranty(god-tier service).
Otherwise, T420 or T430 if you can get a good price.
>>52839145
You trolling or serious? anyway. I will probably get regardless. Free shipping and new. why not.
I thought I recalled some people in here saying ram was cheaper
>>52839165
It used to be cheaper, but then some tsunami went and wrecked the third-world shithole where everybody makes RAM and prices shot up. $40 for 8GB is about as low as I've seen it since then. It's not likely to get cheaper either, since DDR4 is here now. Stockpile while you can before the prices start climbing up towards where DDR2 is now.
So are there any other upgrades you can make to a t420 besides stuff like ram and hard drive?
>>52838841
Gskill F3-1600C9S-8GRSL 8gb $32 pizzadough over at newegg
>>52839359
don't I need 1333 for t420?
sorta /tp/ cause it's a business machine but
what PPC OS should I load onto my 20 dollar 550 mhz Powerbook G4 with 1 GB RAM? I was looking at MORPHOS but they want yuro bucks for a license. Just want to use it as a browsing/chinese comic machine.
>>52839370
if your other ram stick is 1333, the 1600 one will downclock to match.
>>52839400
I was probably going to take out my other. I have to check it out. I guess I haven't looked hardware wise yet. I was going to settle with just 1 new 8gb stick. That would work ?
>>52839400
I guess my main question is. Would 1 1600 stick work fine on my T420? Or does it not go beyond 1333. If so I'll buy that shit because I have always been a fan of gskill
>>52839424
Still works but single channel will slow down the gpu if it's integrated.
>>52839478
I have a 1 Gb nvdia in it. So that would be good correct? I got the 1600x900 model with nvdia
>>52839491
System RAM won't affect graphics performance with a dedicated card. You'll be fine with one RAM module.
Recently copped this X220 for 300€, in amazing condition, with i7, IPS screen, 128GB SSD and 9-cell battery. Came with 4 gigs of ram, and I already ordered another 4GB stick.
This is probably my favorite laptop I've had, just wanted to brag about my recent tech purchase.
>>52839477
your t420 will make it run at 1333 unless your bios is 1.42? and under and you have a quadcore i7
>>52839547
i5 2.5 and if it does. I don't care much. it'sstill good ram at good price regardless.
>>52839535
cool though so. I'll probably snag that then,
Whats the best way to clean up your ThinkPad, especially the screen? I tried Iso alcohol but it doesn't seem to do as good a job as it does on other computers and monitors.
>>52839685
I always clean my screens with vinegar. may hate. but works fine for me. vinegar does everything
>>52839700
>vinegar
whaaaaaaat?
>>52839685
3 parts distilled water, one part iso alcohol on a microfiber cloth works for me.
>>52839770
Not that guy, but it works. Also really good at cleaning your balls.
>>52839685
Alcohol is a no-no for the screen. I use it occasionally and sparingly on the palmrest and lid.
>>52839700
I've always just used a little water and an old t-shirt but I may have to try vinegar. It's still mild enough not to hurt it and may do a better job.
>>52839788
yeah. i am the vinegar person. also works great on a diaper. they do everything well. i have a daughter so I have tested a lot of that shit lol. no torlling
>>52839540
>Google Chrome
>iTunes
>Spotify
What a waste
>>52839770
Not him but vinegar is fantastic for cleaning. Great for table/counter tops. I've used it for my keyboard before too but nothing beyond that really.
>>52839788
If I used it once will the anti-glare coating be fucked?
>>52839816
ok
So will "G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3L 1600 (PC3L 12800) Laptop Memory Model F3-1600C9S-8GRSL" work on my T420?
>>52839898
I don't think so. I just wouldn't do it again.
>>52839830
iTunes cuz of iPhone
What's wrong with streaming services, and Spotify and AM are the only ones available where i'm at.
Chrome is a bit of an AIDS, but I dislike FF,and other meme browsers doesn't have extensions i need/am used to.
>>52840117
What exactly about FF do you not like?
>>52839910
Yes.
>>52840229
tbqh I can't quite remember, I installed it like half a year ago and remember being frustrated by it
brb, downloading firefox
What's the cheapest T series I could get with a 1080p panel?
>>52840726
T510
>>52840732
Sorry should've said T4xx
>>52840746
Nvm I can look that up myself. Excuse me
Anyone know where can I get *20 series keyboard key caps (without a rubber dome) cheaply? On ebay it's like 3 bucks a peace, and I need 5-10 keys replaced.
I'm a eurofag btw.
>>52839685
>>52839788
>>52839879
>>52839773
>>52839700
>too poor for windex
>>52841060
>Windex on LCD screens
Stop
>>52841060
>using ammonia-based cleaners on laptop screens
please don't reproduce
>>52840726
T5xx series. Best price to performance will be the t520
>>52840746
No you were right
>>52841060
>>52839685
Bad idea
>>52837179
tfw archey will never be updated and you have to fix RAM stats yourself so they're not negative numbers
tfw #!++ devs don't know (neither do I, tbf) how to put in their own Distributor ID and you bullshit in your distro logo
FOSS pls
Does anyone have a link to an X201 custom BIOS 1.40 with the wireless adapter whitelist removed?
>>52841968
I would also like this
I would really enjoy having an AC wireless card in my x201 to get not shit wifi speeds
>>52841039
Get a new keyboard man
>>52839910
Take your shit to /sqt/.
>>52841968
Any specific reason why you're looking for 1.40? Looks like there exists a x201 no-whitelist BIOS:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=98022
>>52839540
Good Deal!
Now go and install an OS worthy of this laptop!
>>52839540
make sure it has only 1 4 gig stick in there
a lot of the time sellers will stick 2 lower capacity sticks and save the better single higher cap sticks
help, not sure what happened but te nipple and the touchpad stopped working, I restarted windows 10 but nada.
>>52842895
tpmiddle
looking for an expresscard function for my x230. Considering either a ATSC tuner (there's one model that appears to have decent Linux support) or a USB 3.0 card.
I know a lot of you x220/x230 folks use USB3 cards and there are a million of them out there. Any particular brands you know for sure work with linux? 2 port models seem common, but there's a 3-port model I'm looking at now:
http://www.amazon.com/Sienoc-Express-Adapter-Chipset-5-0Gbps/dp/B00F875HK8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1454831939&sr=8-5&keywords=expresscard+usb+3.0+54mm
>>52839111
I have a T450s and it's great for portable work. If it's going to be your only computer for a couple of years, I'd rather get the T460p or something, for that extra processing power. Or something else entirely, because those are quite expensive and I'm not so sure that the price is warranted.
So I just pulled the trigger on an X200s with 3GB RAM, legit windows 7, and a core2duo L9300 for 110 europoors. Going to my parents (reason why I was looking for one with Win7).
Crazy how it cheaper to get the machines from the UK (instead of buying it in Holland where I live).
Was really lucky on my own X230 though.
Bought a T420 this week.
T420 i7-2640M/8GB/320GB/DVDRW/14"HD+/W7P CMAR WLAN/BT/CAM/NVIDIA NVS
4200M/ML
I've put in my 256gb ssd, and bought a dockingstation. Works pretty good.
>>52844684
>>52844684
How much?
I have thinkpad x200 and want to swap mainboard to x200s or x201, what does /g/ recommend ? It is my secondary portable laptop to carry around all the time. Battery time and durability are my most needs.
Looking to get a new laptop for Uni, I am selling my desktop in order to finance this laptop, It needs to be powerful enough to run two extra monitors, one at 3440x1440 and one a 1080p, I would like to have 15+ hours battery life and a decent processor as programming and compiling is becoming more and more frequent.
I do not need decent graphics, as gaming will mean an external GPU, it also needs to be able to dock, I was thinking a x250, or a W550s. any other recommendations, the better tha battery life and as long as its usable on its own screen the better. Just need the capabilities specified above.
>>52845839
You can switch the mb of 200 and 201 or 200 and 201s. So if you have x200 and need little extra processing power, go for x201 MB. But unless you get a good deal, buying an x201 would be cheaper than just the mb
>>52846142
Wait for x260 to be released. You either get x250 cheaper or get better laptop if x260 turns out to be good.
Please don't ask us whether 12" or 15" better fits your preference
Can I just throw any Chink battery in an x200s. Or is it bios protected like the x230?
>>52847316
I believe it's not, but I'm confident a quick search in your favoured search engine will let you know for sure.
>>52847401
Cant really find anything. But Im guessing its no prob.
I joined the Thinkpad master race! Not off to a great start because I ordered a T420 with 1600x900 screen and they sent me a 1366x768. Putting that to one side for a minute I have a couple of questions, can someone advise me on:
I want to do a clean install of Windows, shouldnt there be a sticker with the product key somewhere?
Also its idling at 50c, does that sound right or will I need to reapply thermal paste?
Damn this is a nice keyboard!
>>52848223
>I want to do a clean install of Windows, shouldnt there be a sticker with the product key somewhere?
behind the battery
>Also its idling at 50c, does that sound right or will I need to reapply thermal paste?
id compress air it first
How useful has a docking station been for those who have one?
Considering for my T420
What is the most powerful Thinkpad for gaming that absolutely falls under a T, an X or a W/P model?
I'm trying to convince my friend to not get a Y and instead get the Real ThinkPad Experience™
>>52848265
Thanks dude, Ill check out behind the battery.
Anything else someone should do with a new (used) Thinkpad? Ive checked the Bios are unlocked. Is it a particular type of SSD I need to buy to use as the primary drive?
Muh thinkpad:
Model: T440P
Display: Shit TN pannel
Processor: inteli 5-4200M
RAM: 2x 4GB Samsung
Storage: 256GB My digital(they use toshiba chips) SSD, 500GB hdd
Here is what I am planning on upgrading:
- 1080P IPS
-Backlit keyboard
-swap the disk drive for an ultrabay battery
-bigger battery
-network card w/ duel bamd and AC support.
Also, anyone have any experience with any of these accessories?
-Privacy filter
amzn.com/B002RL8J8U
-90w car charger
http://amzn.com/B00HCM6H9W
>>52848339
>get IPS panel
>ruin viewing angles with a privacy filter
top kek
>>52848223
>Not off to a great start because I ordered a T420
Getting the one model with a less than subpar screen regardless of resolution was your first mistake.
>I want to do a clean install of Windows, shouldnt there be a sticker with the product key somewhere?
Check under the battery.
>Also its idling at 50c, does that sound right or will I need to reapply thermal paste?
Thinking your idle temperatures matter is your second mistake. Stress test that thing, then come back and complain when it reaches 100C.
>>52848385
My x200s reaches @ 75c (might peak at 80) at full load. Is it a problem?
>>52848448
No.
>>52848360
i would only use it when i am on the go, or in public. I trade BTC for cash sometimes.
>>52848385
Is there a good free utility to stress the cpu / gpu for me to check temps, or should I just install a game?
>>52835661
Bought a t420. Is it normal that the air coming out of the fan smells a bit like pee?
>>52848665
Assuming Windows, AIDA64 for CPU, one of the Unigine benchmarks for GPU.
>>52848385
>Getting the one model with a less than subpar screen regardless of resolution was your first mistake.
Not that guy, but fuck I'm glad I read this before my order shipped. It's never mentioned in the buyer guide that the screen is shitty.
>>52848282
None of them.
>>52848907
That's because people want to like their fancy new computers so much that everyone who fell for the T420 meme just looks past the fact that even its 1600x900 screen has a contrast ratio of... ~150:1. Yep.
Anyone who has looked at T420 and T520's 1600x900 models side by side will tell you that the T420's screen is only good for throwing in the trash. This goes for just about any model compared to the T420 as well, but T520 is the one that can be most directly compared to it.
>>52848983
Well I suppose it's my fault for taking the buyer guide at face value and not doing my own research as well. Well I got my money back from ebay now so I guess I'll shop around a bit more. Maybe look into the x series instead.
>>52848281
For me it's useful, because I still have a bigger screen and mouse and keyboard.
Plus my docking has 6x usb on the back and dvi, where I connect my monitor too.
This is my setup >>52844698
>>52849148
Cool! One thing that concerns me is the fact that the fan on my t420 looks like it would be covered up by the eject button. Do you think that would pose a problem?
Any serious website to recommend ? Someone already bought a used laptop on Amazon?
>>52849046
X series is a good choice if you want a lightweight machine, though you have to deal with low resolutions on the older models. IPS panels are at least available there though, so you get a good screen apart from that.
If you want a normal sized laptop, grab one of the 15.6" models. At this size, the T series get the same screens as their equivalent W series, which are quite good. Depending on the generation, IPS may not be available at all, but the TN panels here are more along the lines of what you would expect from a decent TN monitor, with the 1920x1080 option specifically being close to IPS quality.
>>52849148
How much did the T420 cost you?
>>52849046
I had a T420, bought a x201 because lightweight.
screens are not that bad, assuming you sit right infront of your laptop there is literally nothing to worry about.
>>52848281
It's nice, this is my setup at this :work: thing: >>52842582
Makes it less inconvenient to hook my laptop up to the monitor, keyboard, charger, and LAN when I get there, and less inconvenient to remove it when I leave.
>>52849283
>viewing angles are everything
>assuming you're viewing your screen at a perfect 90% angle it's all good
>what the fuck is decent colour reproduction
>>52848783
Thanks for the advice, those look perfect
>>52849353
never had any problems really, i only use it for working + i'm in ssh terminals all day so it's no big of a deal.
For some reason after turning on my X220, the touchpad and nipple do not work on windows 10, it shows it's working when I log in , but after that the mouse just dissapears
>>52849353
>90%
90 degree* fuck
>>52849188
You can't see it but there are venting holes in the side, who got to the back, to let the hot air out. So it's not fulle blocked.
>>52849281
It was pretty expensive for what I've seen here. €400
>>52849281
But I bought from a supplier we do business with at our company. And they deliver good stuff. And they gave me 1 year warranty.
So what's my best best for around $400? Was looking at T series since it's replacing the desktop in my bedroom that I sold recently.
T440 seems nice, but are the keyboards sill good? They look way different from the older models.
>>52846485
But as i can see mainboards prices are about 1/5 of the whole laptop
>>52849422
Nvm fixed it.
>>52848783
>>52849376
So my motherboard and cpu shoot to 95 ish degrees once the FPU test starts. CPU throttling kicks in runns between 12 to 30% with occasional spikes to 50%. From googling around I can tell this is bad and my CPU is over-heating.
Would a more experienced user accept this performance in stress tests and try to fix it eg by reapplying thermal paste, or give up and return it for a refund? Should a used thinkpad be expected to perform well in a CPU stress test?
>>52837179
I like your gui anon. Find a way to have your active app icons smaller on your panel and it'll look even better.
>>52849535
if you get a t430, you can replace the chiclet kb with an old t420 one.
But you can't do that for t440, fwiw.
>>52849901
Okay well maybe I'll just get an older model and use the extra money for an SSD. I don't need top of the line, but I want something with at least a 1600x900 display.
>>52849535
I have a 440p and I like the keyboard.. I have not used the older ones though..
Is a T400 good enough if all I'm going to do on it is program and sometimes browse the web? Or should I get a T420?
>>52837464
it's nice
>ssh into laptop on the other side of the room
>export DISPLAY=:0
>scrot blah.png
>rsync blah.png desktop;~/
it's nice for getting screenshots of computers I'm not in front of
>>52839540
Glad you're enjoying it.
>>52848281
Very useful. I've got an HTPC setup with my T420 docking station hooked up to my TV
>>52848282
ThinkPads aren't really for gaming. They come with workstation GPUs instead of consumer GPUs. Also, I wouldn't really get a laptop for gaming in general. My T420 with nvs 4200m runs modded minecraft fairly well but if gaming was my #1 concern I don't know if I'd buy a ThinkPad.
If he doesn't need portability you could always go for an eGPU setup.
which one?
This is for the x220 btw
>>52851538
Disable the touchpad in BIOS.
>>52851581
Do you really get used to the nipple?
>>52851603
I can't say if you will, but I did on the first day of using it.
x220 here
Removed my platter HDD and installed an mSATA. I don't need the extra storage from the full HDD bay, I just use my thinkpad at school for notes and occasionally wasting time. Anything fun I can do with the HDD bay or the expansion port?
looking at getting a thinkpad or something similar to one. are there any ones with 1080p ips panels?
>>52851581
Why BIOS when I can do it in the DE settings?
>>52851603
You do, and clicking when on the nipple is a lot more comfortable then clicking on the pad or from it.
my t420's keyboard looks like shit
i guess replacing a bunch of scratched and ugly buttons is not an option
i'm thinking about printing stickers but im not sure if they will wear off or not
any recommendations regarding the material?
or maybe there something else that i can do?
Can anyone with an x220 tablet tell me what kind of screw holds down the pen sensor switch? I bought one off of eBay that turned out to be scrapped for parts, and its missing various screws and such.
The hardware manual says its an "M1.6 x 3 + 4.2A", and between the 1.6 and the 4.2A, I'm not sure what screw that ends up being.
Also, is there some cover over the switch, or is it simply bare? I can't seem to find a FRU for it in the manual.
>>52837464
>not using the CLI whenever possible
fucking plebs man
>>52849811
Did it say refurbished or not?
>>52852562
Replace the keyboard.
>>52852409
my nipple doesn't click.
>>52852594
>cover over the switch
There are two cables that go under a little tiny cover next to the switch. I too apart my x220T few days ago
I'd like to connect my T420 to an AV receiver via digital audio-only interconnection. Is buying some cheap USB soundcard with S/PDIF output a sane option?
>>52852143
not really, you can get an expresscard to USB 3.0 adapter but it won't run at full USB 3.0 speeds, also they can be kinda buggy, I have one but never use it. My HDD bay is also empty because mSATA SSD.
>>52852353
new ones yeah
>>52853092
What msata you get?
>>52852983
Ugh, the guy sent missing multiple parts, that being one of them.
Should I bother keeping it or return the whole thing and buy one in better condition?
I got this one for about $202
I may be able to snag a Thinkpad for free that is said to be broken.
As soon as it turns on there seems to be a "flash" and nothing else.
What could that be, and would it be useful for spare parts?
>>52853069
I think the dock might have an S/PDIF connector
>>52853143
>useful for spare parts
probably, these things are pretty easy to take apart and repair
>>52853143
try it with an external monitor? if there's 2 sticks of ram try each one on their own
if there's a battery try it without it
if there's a hard drive try removing it
remove everything that isn't required to see the boot menu
troubleshooting 101
>>52853168
It's expensive as fuck
>>52852594
it look like dis
>>52853123
840 EVO
>>52853195
I'd do that but the person giving it away seems to be technically challenged so I don't want to drive and waste my time for a completely broken TP.
But some research hints at a problem that can be solved by replacing the CMOS battery, so that would be a steal.
>>52853320
really? I got my T60p dock and T420 dock for free so I never looked into it
>>52853348
Well that doesn't look standard at all.
I got a partial refund from the seller and spent that on an as-is lower half, hopefully between the two I have all the parts I need
I'm sure some of you may know this, but if you bought a Thinkpad second hand and the trackpad is all worn, it is just a sticker and it can be removed and replaced.
I had just discovered this so I thought I'd share.
>>52854020
depends on the thinkpad, some are stickers and some are not
Removed the sticker on my T420, but my X220t is definitely not a sticker.
>>52852382
don't know if it actually gets turned off unless you do it in BIOS
If I want to dual boot linux and windows 10 how many GB would you say I need in an msata?
>>52854275
well vanilla W10 is under 12gb, most Linux are under 6gb
I would say go for 120gb for general usage, anime, movies, pictures, music, software, backups, etc whatever, 120gb is plenty
>>52854372
Can I not use the msata just for the OS, and use the harddrive I alreagy have for my anime and stuff?
>>52854407
sure but what's the fun in having an ssd if you're not going to use it for anything else
I recently bought a t420 at a very good price and have since upgraded the RAM and installed an SSD for fast booting.
I have been looking into getting a 9-cell battery and a docking station for it.
Is it worth it to drop more money for a genuine 9-cell or will any Chinese battery do the trick?
I've noticed that most people selling docking station making it clear that the dock has no keys. Is this a dealbreaker?
Started using the fingerprint reader on my X200 recently and it's surprisingly convenient.
>>52854421
I just want it to be faster in boot up times and loading programs, I don't see why I would need to put anime in an ssd , sounds like a waste of space for what? Loading my anime 1 second faster?
>>52852751
It did not... So refurbished should work but used may overheat, is that the rule of thumb?
>>52854461
if it overheats, replace thermal paste and ur good again.
>>52854461
replace thermal paste and clean fan, that's what you do with any used or refurbished laptop
>>52854423
>I've noticed that most people selling docking station making it clear that the dock has no keys. Is this a dealbreaker?
It depends if you want the docking station to secure your laptop so Tyrone can't run off with it.
The keys aren't required for the dock to function, they're just there so you can put something like a Kensington lock on the dock, and then lock your laptop into the dock.
>>52854423
chinese batteries can be hit and miss, but generally you could buy 3 for the price of 1 genuine...
also you can check if your battery is up for recall, which means Lenovo will send you a free good one
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/hf004122
The docks have a lock on them and key to go with it. If it is locked and the key is missing, then it is unusable. If it's unlocked then it's forever unlocked because you have no key to lock it.
>>52854457
Depending on the SSD, HDD's are typically more power hungry and they are also noisy and cause vibrations. This is why I don't have an HDD in my laptop anymore and will never have on in my laptop (ideally) again.
>>52854275
I wouldn't buy anything smaller than a 64GB. You could get by with that if you don't have large storage needs and don't need to install a lot of big programs. You want to leave a little breathing room for swap/hibernation space too. The price difference between that and a 120GB is probably not going to be much though.
>>52854490
>>52854504
At the risk of sounding like a giant pussy, it looks pretty complicated to replace the paste, a lot of dismantling!
>>52854855
I was the same as you, but see if there is a video of how to replace a part and they usually have a video step by step. That's how I applied paste on the cpu of my X220. Don't worry about it anon, you can do it.
>>52854855
>babby's first screwdriver
son, i am disappoint
Any BIOS optimisations worth doing in a x220? Thinking of disabling legacy BIOS support as I'll use gpt, already made sure ahci is on. Disabled the fingerprint scanner and Bluetooth. Disabled computrace and AT. Anything else? I have the advanced menu by the way.
>>52854963
enable fingerprint scanner
enable virtualization if that's important to you
>>52854855
The T420 is one of the easier Thinkpads to repaste. It's certainly nowhere near as bad as X series repasting where you typically have to disassemble the entire machine. Get the Hardware Maintenance Manual off Lenovo's site, follow it to the letter, and go slow and you'll do just fine.
I own a t61p,
would a x201 be a decent upgrade?
I got a refurbished T420 about a week ago. It's pretty nice. I installed Linux Mint on it, and am trying to get used to linux and the command line. So far so good. I appreciate how many resources are out there for ubuntu/linux mint and it's a lot easier than I anticipated.
That being said, my battery life is shit, like 2-3 hours. Is that normal? Coming from my Surface Pro 3, it's too short, and it dies during class a lot of the time. How are those 9-cell batteries on Amazon? Or do you guys have any recommendations?
Should I go for a Lenovo branded one, or can I get a generic one? I've read that some thinkpads will flat out reject non-lenovo batteries.
>>52855268
check the actual condition of the battery first, there's several linux battery tools that show this
T420 with 9-cell in good condition and moderate power settings can get 9 hours of battery life.
It may just be your power settings, because linux. Would recommend trying Windows 7 + Lenovo's Power Manager too.
and see >>52854584
>>52854906
>>52854915
>>52854999
Well, I'll give it a go.is it easy to mess it up and destroy the thinkpad? Any tips,tricks or standard precautions? Looking at a YouTube video, taking the keyboard off looks like the fiddliest bit
>>52855485
Go find Lenovo's HMM (hardware maintenance manual) for the T420, it'll show you step by step how to take it apart, with pictures.
>>52855565
I don't see it anywhere.
>>52855485
removing the keyboard is the least fiddliest bit
I'm a student going into CE. What model of T or X series should I go for? Disregard budget for now.
Are T420 with 900p screens more rare? I'm having trouble finding some one ebay. The only ones I am see are priced near $300
>>52855587
look harder
>>52855769
Never mind found some decent priced ones.
Should I get a msata 64GB SSD and keep the current 160GB HDD on my x220? Or save up and get a larger 120GB 2.5" SSD and ditch the HDD altogether?
>>52856587
Do you store any shit on there? I took out the dvd drive on my 420 to put in an HDD caddy so I can store music and anime that I want to watch on the go.
>>52856587
yeah get 120gb or 250gb ssd
they're getting kinda cheap now imo, last time I bought an ssd was like over a year ago and 120gb's were going for $90~, now 250gb is that much
>>52856727
Not that guy but can you recommend a maker that isn't shit? I always hear people shit talk anything not made by samsung.
>>52856929
crucial
intel
>>52836073
>error screen uses emoticons
holy shit, i did not know this, i actually had a giggle m8
>>52857338
We need a technological Hitler to save us from this anthropomorphism of fucking OSs, never mind all its damn spying. Microsoft should be gassed.
>>52835777
Buy an ssd and a new battery
>>52856929
Intel, reliable and fast, but expensive. Crucial is more budget friendly, also reliable. Samsung has best all around and most popular. They all have good warranties.
Kingstons are supposed to be good too but were sketchy in the past, also have good warranty.
>>52835661
is the e460 really that much worse than the t450 series? can get one with ips FHD and upgrade ram and ssd for less than 900 AUD, whereas getting a t450/s would cost roughly twice as much
So, x220 vs x220 touch
What are the differences between the two? I mostly want the x220 for its battery life, but a tablet feature would be pretty interesting as well. That said, I don't know how useful it would be without Windows.
Is there anything the x220 has that the x220 touch doesn't?
>>52858281
another option is the x250 but not sure how a fhd screen would look on the 12.5" screen, anyone got useful side by side images of x2xx with t4xx?
Planning to upgrade RAM on my x220. How much mphz can it take and would there even be any difference?
>>52858284
non-tablet is smaller and a little lighter and it can get the 9-cell battery. X220t can only get 6-cell battery.
>>52858332
Depends on the CPU, look it up on Intel's site. I believe the max for most of them is 1333 MHz, it can take faster and it will just automatically underclock it.
RAM speeds make 0 difference to anything.
>>52848508
or you could just not do that in public like a non retarded person
>>52836073
heh funny. i just bought my first thinkpad also a T420. came with a wd blue 320
I took it out right away though and put in an ssd. if you wanna buy it cheap i'll sell you.
>>52854372
win 10 needs 20 gigs to function after updates and drivers.
and most linux distros are just under 10 gigs installed (usually more if you include a swap partition)
>>52856587
60 gigs is only good enough for just windows and a few programs.
120 is enough for light users, but I still wouldn't want to be limited to that
imo save up $20 more and get a 250 gig drive
>>52854275
yeah I use a 120. dont hav emuch 1 game and music pics etc. with windows 10. I have like 70Gb free. more than enough for me.you should be fine
>>52850375
Yes, T400 is good enough. I am using it right now and couldn't be happier. Got it at goodwill for 30$
>>52858923
my W10 Enterprise VM only uses 10GB, fully updated and what not
>>52858983
that's probably due to the compression
my win 10 install on my laptop is using like 15 or 16 gigs fully installed
>>52858468
But can the x220t take the slice battery?
