T430 Owner's Thread

Right, but my question is, why is Windows giving me the option to do this?

Is there a picture of one somewhere that shows what it's supposed to look like? I can try to remove the keyboard and reseat it, but OMG it is a PAIN to remove the keyboard on this model. Is there any kind of secret?

 

It might be considered "normal" because the UltraBay SATA port is treated as an "external port," hence it can be "safely removed" by the user. Yeah, one can argue that Windows 7 should be smarter in this regard.

There is a registry mod that specifically tells Windows 7 that such and such ports are to be "treated as internal." Once the mod is saved and the system restarted, the drive (be it a boot drive or a storage drive) in the UltraBay no longer shows up on the list of "safely remove" devices.

(Strictly speaking, the "ThinkPad UltraBay HDD adapter" feature is a hack.)

Unfortunately, most pictures found on the web are either doctored or taken at an angle and do not show the gap. BTW, I notice that such a gap is more pronounced than the keyboard-palmrest gap in the previous generations of ThinkPad.

 

Below are two pictures of where my keyboard meets the palmrest.

A little history, though. I bought a 16GB RAM upgrade the same day I ordered the laptop. When I got it, I looked at the service manual and removed the keyboard. Removing the keyboard was a pain in the rear, it took me 30 minutes to wiggle it out and I still don't know if there's an easier way but I followed the service manual. If I have to remove the keyboard again to reseat it, any tips?

What do you think:

 

This gap you see is by design, and nothing to worry about.

 

Thank you.

 

Sure hope it's not a 2mm gap...mine's less than 1 mm...by your photos though it seems fine.
And yeah, I have the option to remove my active drive too...if, when using standby you get the error where when you wake up it pops up saying the Ultrabay drive can't be removed, install the Intel RST I have linked a few pages back.

For the keyboard, it shouldn't be that hard, I replaced my keyboard (was faulty, had a new one sent to me) in less than five minutes.
IIRC, remove the hatch at the back, take out the two screws holding the keyboard.
Turn it to the front, use a plastic (preferably) spudger type thing to wiggle between the palmrest and the keyboard, pushing it towards the screen.
It should just slide out...

 

The gap allows for expansion due to excessive heat. Heard that somewhere.

 

Probably a dumb question, and not one to "initiate" myself to a forum with, but... I have just today received my T430. Very excited to get it up and running, but have one question. I also bought a Docking Station that came with a 170W (20v / 8.5 A) powerbrick. The laptop comes with 90v / 4.5 A. Do I need to get rid of the 170w brick, or is it safe to run the docking station with it? I know I can't plug it directly in to the laptop due to the existence of a couple of tabs on the connector, but the 90W will plug in to the docking station.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

There's never any harm using a higher wattage power brick, so long as the Voltage rating and polarity match. In your case, your T430 normally uses a 90W (if you have the NVS5400M), but I assume they gave a 170W with the dock so the dock has enough power as well. It should be fine running the docking station with the 170W, it would actually be fine even with the laptop, if the connector fits.

 

I use a 90W adapter with my T430 + dock.

As mentioned, though, it shouldn't matter.

In fact might even be better to use the 170W with the dock, so you can carry the other one when you need it instead.

 

Yeah, I did buy an extra 90W supply when I bought the laptop, so I have two. Plus the docking station's 170w supply. In reading the owner's manual, it says, "User the power supply shipped with your computer" when discussing the 170w docking station. I am sure there would be no harm, but there is also a small voice in the back of my head that says, "Go ahead, dummy..." and the decidedly more redneck version that says, "hey, y'all, watch this!"

So, for now, I'm using the extra 90w supply and trying to figure out what to do with the 170w. May try to sell it and buy an extra - extra 90w supply.

 

Honestly just use the 170W with the dock...at least that way you know all the extra peripherals won't overload the 90W (as unlikely as that may be). 170W is just the max power that the adapter can provide...doesn't mean it gives that much if you don't require it. Using a more powerful adapter doesn't make a difference, using a less powerful adapter can cause your laptop to throttle if it can't get enough juice. In addition, seeing as the 170W came with your dock, if you use it and it actually causes issues, Lenovo would be responsible.

 

Any one buying accesories in hongkong ? I recently bought the caddy but couldnt receive it because of a address issue... Any good things to buy in hongkong for my t430?

 

Could anyone recommend a sleeve for the T430 that fits the 9 cell battery as well? I have been looking at measurements for sleeves, and generally find that the 14" sleeves are too small (they would fit the 6cell but not the 9cell) and 15" sleeves leave too much space empty. What sleeves (if any) have you T430 owner's been using?

 

I bought both the caddy and weight saver frame from HK, it took me almost three weeks to receive them but other than that no problems at all. I don't think accessories in China are always cheaper than here, unless you go for the bottom of the barrel ones but then they won't last and sometimes may damage your Thinkpad, totally not worth it.

 

Anyone know how to remove the HDD if the black tab has been ripped. I installed the HDD awhile ago and remember pushing it in kind of tight. Everything works fine, but I may have wedged it (though I don't see how - there isn't much room in there).

 

^^ Did you install the original HDD, or a new one? If it's a 9mm drive it'll be extremely tough, but if it's the original or another 7mm drive you shouldn't have any issue getting it out using a needle nose plier.

 

Nevermind, found the answer.

 

Does anyone know where I can buy the palm rest keyboard bezel. I have the the T430 with fingerprint reader and blue tooth. I have looked everywhere and I can't seem to find one.

 

Hi again,

A few quick questions.
How do you make keyboard backlight allways on. I want it to stay on after restart, resuming from sleep, allways.
How to make Fn key allways pressed? there is setting that makes fn key pressed until i press any other key.
I really don't use F1-F12 keys, i just want to use fn keys

 

Just wanted an opinion on this. Due to some errors from Lenovo I was able to buy a T430 with an i7 3520m, nvs 5400m, with HD+ screen, 4 gb ram, 500gb 7200 rpm drive for $511 after tax. Is this a good deal or am I paying too much?

 

Hi guys,

I've owned my T430 for several months now. I actually love it. But one thing has me concerned. I'm noticing a "smoothing" effect on the spacebar and the touchpad. I know this is a normal thing with laptops where the plastic smooths out over time, but the fact that this is happening when my laptop is only about 4 months old has me very concerned. Is this normal? I've never experienced the smoothing effect on any of my past machines even after a year.

 

Consider it "normal." The ThinkPad keys tend to get "shiny" more quickly these days. The "e" key and the spacebar are the worst, at least in my case.

 

Excellent price. Base model even when on sale is usually around $650 CAD (at least in Canada from the EPP site).

Happening on mine as well, probably normal. I've seen this on other laptops as well, just wear and tear...honestly I don't mind. Not like I'm planning on selling my laptop anyway, and it doesn't affect functionality.

 

Is the T420 just as bad? I have a T420 as well, but it is used primarily on a docking station. I prefer the keyboard on the T430, I love the feel of it. But if it wears out this fast, I may use the T420 full-time if it will last better.

I agree that it doesn't affect functionality, and it's just cosmetic. But what I have a problem with is the fact that I've not even had this laptop six months. I would expect better from something I paid $1300 for, consumer-level laptops purchased at Walmart don't even wear out this fast!

Thanks for the replies.

 

My x220 tablet has the same keyboard as the T420, and it's just as bad... or rather in my experience they are all just as bad. I personally haven't seen any increase in the rate of wear; everything just starts to shine after half a year or so. I too wish they'd just stop texturing the keys in the first place so we wouldn't have this issue...

 

Just a quick question regarding the T430 keyboard. If a T430 does not have the backlit keyboard, can you order a backlit keyboard and install it into it and it will work, or are they incompatible unless the unit originally came with the backlit keyboard?

 

Yes and yes.

 

Keyboard is a wear and tear item. $50, 5 minutes, two-three screws, and it's new.

 

My E430 came from the factory with a 16gb msata in addition to the max allowable 8GB of RAM.
It's my understanding that the factory installed 16gb msata functions as "cache". ( not sure exactly how it works)

I have a 64GB Crucial M4 msata drive that I used for my operating system on my last E420 sitting unused in a closet because I gave the E420 to my mother. I bought the msata because I wanted the fastest boot speeds possible and to increase the overall performance of the E420.


Should I leave my E430 with the 16gb msata it came with from the factory?
Or, should I remove the 16GB, and replace it withl my 64GB Crucail M4 msata, and install the OS and programs on the 64GB msata ???

If I replace the msata, will the process be "plug and play" like it was on my E420, or will I have to make changes since I am removing the 16gb sata drive ???

Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, it'll work, although eBay prices aren't that great. Selling for way more than the $30 add-on it was during the purchase customization.

Easy install too. Had to replace mine once because the original was slightly defective (T key). They sent me a new one, and a few minutes was all it took to install.

If 64GB is enough for you for an OS drive, then go for it. You'd have to reinstall the OS, as well as change the boot order in the BIOS, but it shouldn't be any problem. Although if the E430 is the same as the T430, then the mSATA port actually only has SATA2, rather than SATA3 as with the main HDD bay and the optical drive bay.

 

But the touchpad/palmrest isn't so easy. The touchpad is showing wear too.

And even if the keyboard was the only problem, I still stand behind the fact that the keyboard of a sub-$300 machine at Walmart shouldn't be outlasting a keyboard purchased on a $1300 system. I've seen consumer-level machines older than four years with no signs of wear.

 

Does anyone have a link to an ICC color profile that will get rid of this horrible blue tint on my T430 that I just got? It has Windows8 Pro if that makes a difference in what I can use, although I don't think it does. I like the laptop my this screen is really killing me....

 

@Kenstang.

If no one offers a color profile (ICC) for you then give this little program a try. My X200Tablet with LED screen had a bluish-cast to the screen when I first fired it up. It got rid of the bluish tint and my screen is more pleasing to look at these days.

 

Thank you for the tip. Aside from that, is there any possibility of putting a better quality LCD panel in to replace the stock one? If so, does anyone know of one that I can use?

 

Hello, I'm new to the forums and I have a wonderful machine T430!

But I do have a problem though. My LCD screen has a pressure marks similar to this one. Mines on the left side of the screen and its very very very annoying.

I wonder if I can replace the LCD or would this be under warranty still?
If I would replace it, is the 1600x900 resolution compatible with mine? I have the 1378x766 resolution.

Thank you!

 

You can always ask if it's covered by warranty (assuming you're still within whatever coverage you paid for). It's not a CRU thought, so you might have to send the laptop in.

If you want to replace the LCD, then yes, you can replace it with a higher resolution screen.

 

Okay I haven't brought this up to service center. I'm just afraid that they'll take my laptop and I won't be using any then.

As for the LCD screen, do I need to do a preliminary check? Like the size of the screen, pins, and etc. I don't know how to find any of those on my Thinkpad.

 

I'm thinking of getting a T430 and my main two goals are build quality (no keyboard flex) and good battery life with the 6 cell (at least 4 hours surfing the web). Are there any major unsolved problems with the T430 like there is with the E430 (pulsing/loud fan)?

 

You can go to laptopscreens.com (I've used them in the past) and just enter T430 and they'll give you all the screens that will fit. They have very good prices and good shipping (at least in Canada where I am). Their warehouses are based in Vancouver and somewhere in US.

Build quality won't be an issue. I have absolutely no flex on my keyboard. Battery life, I get on average 5 and a half hours with both an SSD and HDD installed. So if you just have one, you should get even better battery life. As for fan issues, the fan used to be rather loud, spinning up to 3000rpm at a rather low temperature, but a BIOS upgrade has added a lower rpm level so it's not nearly as bad. Personally I use TPFC though, so my fan doesn't even turn on unless I hit ~65 degrees.

 

Great forum you guys have here, have been lurking since I was given the T430 for work earlier in the year. Awesome machine BTW, loving it so far.

Trying to preserve my battery life and I used to remove the battery once it fully charged. Based on a post many pages back, I've set it to stop charging at 90% - does anyone know if it's still necessary to remove it once it reaches this threshold?

Thanks.

 

Shouldn't make a difference. If your machine is set to something like "Charge to 90%, don't start charging unless below 60%," then there isn't even a trickle charge. The only thing that would lower the lifespan of the battery would be heat from the laptop. And honestly, even with a laptop that doesn't have the same charging thresholds feature, Li-ion batteries have a finite lifespan once they leave the factory...there isn't too much you can do to help it, once it reaches it's EOL, it's done. E.g. I've had an Acer where I never took out the battery, and didn't take any care at all with it, and it still lasted 3 years before failing. I've also seen other laptops where the user takes super good care of the battery, and it dies after less than 2 years...

 

I apologize for not reading the whole thread but I browsed around in it and found a guy with the 6 cell battery complaining of only 2.5-3 hours battery life. I couldn't find any resolution to this problem within 3 pages so I was wondering if this is the kind of life I could expect from a T430 with 6 cell battery?

The post I'm referring to is this:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/668971-t430-owners-thread-29.html#post8663110

 

Battery life depends on many things. The biggest battery drainer on any laptop is the screen. The lower the brightness, the better the battery life. I'd probably say 5-6 hours on medium settings with a new battery would be a good estimate.

 

Battery has never been an issue. My 6 cell lasts on average 5 to 5.5 hours on average (this is from a 90% charge and with a HDD + SSD setup) while using WiFi and not paying any particular attention to the screen brightness. If you charge your battery all the way and have only one disk, you should get something even better.

 

I want to reduce weight for my T430.
I don't use the DVD Drive. How much weight would I save if I installed an empty HDD Caddy?

 

Although the UltraBay drive caddy adapter has the advantage of allowing you to install a drive (instead of leaving it empty), you might want to consider this "UltraBay blank travel cover."

 

Thanks, I was looking for this too. I thought it's official name is call Travel Bezel.
If the price is the same, I think it will go with a UltraBay drive caddy adapter.

 

Is there a high quality 1600x900 screen I can order to replace the terrible stock factory screen?

 

https://www.laptopscreen.com/English/model/IBM-Lenovo/THINKPAD T430 2344-6UU/

Resolution is better, but image quality for the screens used for the T430 are all marginal. The 1600x900 screens are at least better than the 1366x768 ones though.