Lenovo X1 Carbon Owner's Thread

Hi,

I've got a Lenovo X1 Carbon with Win7 64bit. Updated all the drivers etc and DisplayLink drivers for the USB3 docking station. I'm having a really odd issue with Chrome that seems to only happen when displaying to my dual 24" monitors via the dock. After a few minutes of Chrome usage, it hangs going to a new website. It eventually loads the page after 30+sec but sometimes comes back with the page did not response: kill or wait. If I stop Chrome and restart it's fast again for several minutes. If disable my external monitors and only use the X1's LCD screen, it's never slow. Anyone else seeing this issue?

 

Sounds nearly identical to Lenovo t430S Slow response to ALL operations - Lenovo Community

Might want to respond to that thread and give Lenovo some information.

 

This is exactly my experience. It sounds weird to say it's there but you're not bothered by it, but that's exactly how I feel. It's just not an issue for me -- I'm actually loving the screen so far.

 

Thanks, but my issue only affects Google Chrome for some reason. Everything else is fine including IE and Firefox.

 

I have been using the X1 for three weeks now and my overall impression is that it is a very good ultrabook. It fits my needs and office requirements.

However, I do have some issues like:

1. When I plug my USB Hub, Lan and external monitor (via the USB 3 port), it hangs on boot up. I then have to disconnect everything, boot it up and then reconnect when the computer has started up already.

2. I am monitoring my RAM usage using Advanced System Care 6 Pro. I noticed that when I am running Google Chrome, the RAM usage jacks up to 80% or more after a considerable time of usage. But when I exit Google, the RAM usage goes back down to a manageable 40-50%. Is this a problem with Google Chrome or the X1 hardware?

3. My mouse and keyboard are connected via the USB hub and i occasionally experience losing their functions. Then, it reconnects and I can use the mouse and keyboard again. Is it a problem with the USB hub or the X1 hardware.

 

Not having seen the source code for Chrome, I am guessing the browser is grabbing a bunch of RAM to use for caching images and other data getting pulled in from the internet. You should only concern yourself if the RAM is never freed or grows continually (indicating a memory leak).

The hub issues seem obvious to me. If you don't see issues when directly connected to the machine, it's the hub.

 

Do you by any chance have legacy boot + UEFI boot enabled with priority on legacy boot? Then the issue might be that your laptop is trying to boot from your USB 3.0 port. In my case changing to UEFI boot-only solved the issue
Sent from my RM-821_eu_netherlands_315 using Board Express

 

Finally got my i7/8GB/256GB/WWAN X1C yesterday. Wiped it and installed Win8 and finally have it configured to where I think it will be workable.

Overall, I'm impressed, but I had to place a warranty call already as the down cursor key is crooked and looks like it's going to pop off. Not good quality control for a 2k machine.

Also, not too happy that a couple of my go-to Thinkvantage tools aren't available for Win8 (Power Manager - I loved setting the charging threshold, and Access Connections - clunky but I liked how it let me manage the radios).

 

I just ordered a i7 / 8GB / 256GB configuration with Windows 8 to replace my T410s. Hopefully I don't have to put a warranty call in like you when I receive it!

As to the Power Manager - I believe you can install the Windows 7 version. I know I have the Power Manager in my T410s that I upgraded to Windows 8.

 

Since I did a clean install of Win8, the Win7 Power Manager isn't working, but I did find a thread on how to set the battery thresholds in Win8 via the registry and that's pretty much all I needed.

I've figured out the connection management in Win8, and it isn't that bad.

I should get the replacement keyboard by mid-week and hopefully all of the keys are in great order.

 

I just changed to a D-Link USB 2 hub and the boot up problem is still there.

 

As mentioned earlier, did you check the BIOS to make sure the machine isn't trying to boot from the USB? Have you looked the boot order?

 

As another point of reference, my W510 won't boot with anything plugged into the USB 3.0 ports either. Is your hub plugged into a USB 3.0 port?

 

My boot bios settings are:

UEFI/Legacy Boot [Both]
- UEFI/Legacy Boot Priority {Legacy First}

Should I be changing anything here?

 

Only my external monitor is plugged into the USB 3 port on boot up.

The rest (LAN, mouse and keyboard) are plugged into the USB 2 hub which in turn is plugged into the USB 2 port on the left side of the X1

Tried to restart with everything plugged in and still, nothing but a blank screen.

Had to unplug all connections, do a hard restart and then it is back to normal and I replug all once I my wallpaper is displayed

I never have this problem with my old HDX, soon-to-be old M11X and the just disposed Asus U32

 

Try booting with everything plugged in except the monitor on the USB 3.0 port.

 

-> If your harddrive is formatted UEFI then yes, change boot to UEFI-only
-> If your harddrive is formatted Legacy then go to section boot order in other section and move harddrive to top position
Sent from my RM-821_eu_netherlands_315 using Board Express

 

Good call. Thanks!

I restarted my X1 with the USB hub plugged and the USB 3 port unplugged.

It booted up normally. I just reconnected the USB 3 when I saw the wallpaper.

Now that I know the problem, any solutions to this or do I just have to accept it and live with it?

 

Thanks for the tip but how do I know how my hard drive was formatted?

Also, it appears that the boot up problem is with the USB 3 port and not the bios boot settings

 

Lenovo hasn't bothered to fix the bug in the past three generations of ThinkPads. Maybe it will get some attention with the premier ultrabook on the market.

 

If you work with the factory preloaded OS or never bothered selecting UEFI yourself prior to installing windows, then it's Legacy. -> change boot order to HDD first could help in that case
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

In my case, everything is factory preloaded, lock stock, OS and HDD

At any rate, it appears that the problem is the USB 3 port and not the HDD

But thanks a lot for the suggestions. It is greatly appreciated

 

True the issue lies with the USB dock, but depending on th HDD format, the resolution actually differs. In your case, your HDD is formatted Legacy, so the workaround of limiting boot to UEFI-only will not help you. It did help me, but that;s because I reformatted my drive and did the Windows install in UEFI ....

In your case, as far as I can tell, the Legacy boot option remains the neccessary boot fashion. Therefore, in order to prevent the X1 from trying to boot from the USB dock, the solution would lie in moving your HDD to the top in your boot order. Whether or not you take all the rest out of the boot list seems irrelevant at that point, but you might also want to give that a try. I would suggest however that you simply try moving your HDD to the first place in your boot order.

 

Looks like I spoke too soon.

I booted up the X1 this morning from shutdown with the USB 2 plugged in and all I got was a black blank screen with a white blinking cursor

Had to do a hard restart again but this time with the USB 2 unplugged

Very irritating problem for such a pricey machine

 

Hi, I just received and set up my new X1 Carbon and everything seems to be working fine, but I get an annoying screen resolution problem when I connect my older (5+ yrs) external Dell LCD monitor to it using the Mini Video / VGA connector. When I do this, the up/down resolution on my laptop screen get messed up and I have to scroll up/down about the height of a desktop icon to see everything. One of the optional updates I installed was actually a driver for the external monitor, but it didn't seem to fix anything. If I restart or disable and re-enable the extended desk top everything works fine for a few minutes, but it eventually gets screwed up.

Has anyone else had this issue of do you have any suggestions outside of upgrading my 2nd monitor?

Thanks

 

I am using a 5 year old Samsung SyncMaster E2020 external monitor and so far I have no issues

 

Are you using a mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter? Which one?

I have the Startech adapter at Mini DisplayPort VGA - Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter Converter | StarTech.com

It has worked great with every machine I've used it with. I bought mine on amazon.com I think.

 

Any opinions on this issue (gap between screen and bezel on bottom left corner):

http://tweakers.net/ext/f/Ehf0Fkm86Fm4AyIAEUcbWTxw/full.jpg
http://tweakers.net/ext/f/XQXjc2oezn3dYAIOEyUJSXQF/full.jpg
http://tweakers.net/ext/f/EgvhxmfJwJ7gOAnOl2DRc6nj/full.jpg

This is a new replacement x1 carbon received 2 days ago as a replacement for my current x1 carbon.
First laptop had the same issue.

I'm trying to get this issue resolved since end of november...
Started with http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Serie...e-lcd-bezel-warranty-denied/m-p/904909#M43707
First Lenovo denied warranty, then got an onsite engineer who couldn't fix the problem so I had to sent the laptop to lenovo.
Took them 1 week to replace the screen but problem remained.
Again got an engineer onsite who escalated the problem since he couldn't fix the problem.
On 10 December they approved a complete machine replacement, but took them some time to get a new laptop.
Received the new laptop 2 days ago, but same issue... (model 34602SG)

Today I got 3 options from lenovo :
1. We will repair this machine within a week.
2. We will replace it within 2 months (unfortunately the X1 will be
available only later on)
3. We will refund you the price of the machine according to invoice.

I don't think option 1 will help since last time the engineer couldn't fix the issue.
And option 2 (a new unit) maybe i'll get a laptop with the same issue ?

 

What does it say to Lenovo if you don't take Option 3?

 

I would get a refund. I had an issue with mine they worked on for 2 months trying to fix. Multiple service calls and support calls and the problem was never resolved. Finally got an agent who told me I should have requested a refund from the start. So that's what I did.

 

Hi,

I've been searching the thread but didn't find this. I plan to make a clean Windows 8 Pro install on my Carbon. Which Lenovo drivers are responsible for the function keys and on screen display?

 

That would be the Hotkey driver.

 

Hi,
I will soon have a X1 Carbon after few months reading about it, but it will be delivered without OS (a special student deal with a nice discount). I plan to buy somewhere a Windows 8 and install it and add the Lenovo things I will need.

Just wanted to ask if there is something that will be missing by doing so instead of getting an original Windows 8 version from Lenovo.
I remind in the past (on my old W500) Lenovo told me that installing Windows 7 by myself will not give me all the tools of the Lenovo Enhanced Experience that was available only on the preloaded Windows 7 laptops.

Is there something similar with the Carbon and Windows 8?
To all of you that did a clean install: something special missing? I read about issues few months ago because not all the tools where available for Windows 8, but I guess Lenovo more or less finished updating everything.

Thanks for any feedback and I will be soon a member of the X1 Carbon owners family.

 

I don't think you're missing much if you forgo the Lenovo Enhanced Experience. You can download system update and it should install all the software for your X1C. I don't have a Windows 8 ThinkPad, but I've gathered from others here, support for Windows 8 is not as good as Windows 7. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can give you some better information than I can. Windows 7 might be worth considering until the kinks get worked out. Good luck and welcome to NBR.

 

One item to note when doing a clean install of Win8, the Lenovo apps from the app store won't be available (at least for now). This means that you won't have access to a number of Win8 settings control apps such as power management and battery thresholds or access connections. You can do the battery thresholds via a registry setting but for the other stuff you'll be out of luck.

 

Thanks ZaZ, earlier today I was reading the Lenovo forum where people complain about not being able to get all the Lenovo's apps from the Windows Store because of an issue in the store itself (so if not using an OEM Windows 8 from Lenovo it's not possible to install all the apps Lenovo developed.

So I guess I will probably start with Windows 7 and wait few more months before to move to Windows 8.

edit: thanks s0dhi to confirm this issue, so I will wait I guess (and also check if I can get an official Lenovo Windos 8, but last time I asked them for an upgrade from Vista to 7 they replied they don't sell licenses without the laptop...

 

It was a mistake to take the apps to the Windows store and create this problem. Nobody can clean install. Brilliant.

For those that Do.

 

Anybody know what else to look at for CPU frequency settings? My 3667u is stuck at .6ghz (as per task manager) or 800mhz as per realtemp.
CPU-Z makes the touchpad/mouse freeze.

Loading up the system with prime95 only goes to 31%.

Setting minimum state on battery & power to 100% still results in the lowest frequency possible.

I've only noticed this in the last few days, and I haven't uninstalled any Lenovo apps in that time (uninstalled apps before this occurred).

 

Why don't you buy the Mac and install Windows on it and problem solved..

 

Been using my X1C with the USB3 dock for two months now. Work provided some of us X1C's around christmas. I was initially on W7 and kept having an issue with chrome where it would initially be fine but after a few minutes hang loading webpages. Restarting the browser would fix it temporarily. I eventually tracked this down to only happening when using my external displays and the Feb 1st 2013 Displaylink drivers explicitly fixed this. However, yesterday Chrome completely stopped working. I tried reinstalling mutiple times and couldn't get it to work. The browser wouldn't even attempt to try to make network connections verified via wireshark. I ended up nuking the system and installing W8 but now I seem to have pretty sluggish display performance to my external monitors. The mouse lags a bit and everything seems to load quite slowly. Anyone else with the USB3 docking station seeing similar issues with W8?

 

I'm aware these laptops esp the i7 version runs extremely hot at 100% load.
For example at non turbo speeds of 1.9ghz, I'm idling at 55C, load shoots up to 80C easily. The cores also have a 10C difference between them!!!

Is there any possible way to reduce the temperatures such as aftermarket heatsinks/fan setups etc. Reducing proc power is not an option.
I don't use multithreaded apps for the time being, so I'll look to turn off HT via BIOS if possible.

I've noticed letting the vents doesnt seem to make much difference. Suggests to me the current fan cannot move enough heat/air regardless of how loud it tends to be (for a laptop).

 

I read few posts about SSD on previous page saying that SSD currently is not upgradeable since the SSD is not mSata. I am wondering when I can replace the SSD? Nexy year? I am not a X1 Carbon User, but I am still thinking to buy it the SSD is replaceable.

 

You can probably buy a replacement today from the Lenovo Parts people. However, a 256GB gumstick flash drive for the X1 Carbon is probably $500.

 

I see. Wow but 256GB for $500 is still expensive

 

I went for option 2 and received a new x1c today.
But again has the same issue
Looks like all the x1c have the same bezel issue....

I'm thinking about trying a x1c touch and hope it's a different construction.

 

I'm going for a replacement x1ct now.

I also got the following response today from lenovo :

 

Acknowledgment of defects, that is unusual.

That actually shows some promise.

Was that response in email? Who did it come from? No need for names. Just wondering the relative level of the person in the org that sent it.

 

I received this from someone from the Complaints Management Team.
(with some options and I choose to go for the x1ct)

 

I uninstalled a number of the Lenovo apps, including the power manager. I'm not finding any detriment to battery life (or any bizarre processor step behaviour as noted by another poster here). Is the Power app (via Lenovo Settings) really necessary under Windows 8?

Also.. what are you guys doing for hardcase sleeves? I haven't found a decent one yet. The Booq Viper sleeve Macbook 13" is just barely too small inside.

 

I was browsing the Lenovo Outlet and checked on Carbon X1's

There was 1 new 8GB I5 for $964.00 After checking prices it seemed like a pretty good deal. Barnes and Noble account had it like $200 higher.

So I went back to consider buying it and it was gone.

You snooze you lose.

Was that a good deal these days?

When should I look for the next "Sale"