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    T430s Display/Wifi Card Upgradeability

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by GPWags, Jun 16, 2012.

  1. GPWags

    GPWags Newbie

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    Hi all, I am leaving for college in August and have decided on picking up the ThinkPad T430s for a reliable/portable/psuedo-gaming (via Thunderbolt eGPU) laptop to last me ~2-3 years. However, it would appear that the same lousy display that was used in the T420s is being reused in the T430s and since I would like to do some moderate gaming I am looking into replacing the 1600x900 screen with a superior 14" screen of equal resolution. So what do you guys think? Would replacing the screen be at all possible or am I overlooking something that would keep me from doing this?

    Also, I am interested in replacing the basic wifi card with a 3x3 Atheros solution but have heard that the Lenovo BIOS must be modded to remove the whitelist on WLAN alternatives. The Atheros card should fit and there are already 3 antennas in the T430s but I am unfamiliar with BIOS modding apart from modding GPU BIOS'. Are there any modded BIOS out there that I can simply flash instead of tinkering with it myself?
     
    GPWags, Jun 16, 2012
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  2. GPWags

    GPWags Newbie

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    No one has tried replacing these parts in their own T420, T420s, or other ThinkPad models? I've been thinking that maybe the upcoming X1 Carbon display would make a good screen replacement.
     
    GPWags, Jun 17, 2012
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  3. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    There's some indication that the 1600x900 screen used on the X1 Carbon is "better."

    Certain users will try to retrofit the X1C display panel (given that they find the source) into the T430s. Although the resolutions are the same at 1600x900, it is difficult, without explicit technical specifications, to ascertain that their physical dimensions (height, width, depth; beyond the viewable area itself) and electrical connectors are the same. Also, the mechanical lid designs of the two products (T430s and X1C) may not be internally identical, requiring the user to made minor custom modifications here and there.

    In brief, it's all speculation at this point.

    The 3x3 Intel Centrino 6300 Ultimate-N is not good enough?
     
    Kaso, Jun 17, 2012
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  4. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    There's nothing wrong with a 3x3 6300, I've never had a dropped connection in my Alienware. My X220 tablet also has a 2x2 6205, again never had a drop, almost always max bars even if the router is far away.
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Jun 17, 2012
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  5. __-_-_-__

    __-_-_-__ God

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    upgrading a wifi card is easy as penutes. the most difficult part would be to disassemble if you need to add more antenas. but basically it's plug and play and everything will work properly.

    as for the screen it depends. unfortunately notebook screens have proprietary interfaces.
     
    __-_-_-__, Jun 17, 2012
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