T430s owners'/would-be owners' thread.

They have the same number of pixels, but the T430s is actually smaller (6.86 inch v.s. 7.05 inch)

You can do a visual comparison here: Visual TV Size Comparison : Display Wars.

 

I have been looking for some for couple of days now. one issue is the adapter or cables don't support audio unless mini DP has thunderbolt, however this restriction applies to macbooks, couldn't find any other posts regarding non macbook machine using mini dp to HDMI adapter with audio support.

second issue is all these adapters are DP 1.1 spec based which supports upto 1920x1200 resolution. my monitor is 2048x1152 and im sure people have 2560x.... res monitors so i suggest if you're not concerned about being capped at resolutions of upto above restriction use hdmi one otherwise use mini dp to DVI adapter.

 

Anyone know where I can go try out a T430 or T430s in person? I'm from around the Washington DC area.

I feel like I've yet to set a true ThinkPad in a store. I only come across IdeaPads at Best Buy.

 

I've watched some reviews about the fan, they dont see the fan as a problem. If you aint really trying to hear it you wont.

Hope this isnt a real issue since i plan taking this to the university.

 

You will hear it in a quiet room loud and clear. In normal environment, you probably wouldn't notice it though. There are tools like the TFControl that regulate the fan speed if that becomes an issue. I still wish it has a lower base fan speed though.

 

I just got my t430s with a 4-in-1 card reader but I don't know if there's a express card slot Is the slot for the sd card the same for the express card ?

 

Yeah true true will see in few days, good if it's gets a problem that have atleast have an option for it.

The t430s got shipped 4th so i will find out soon.

 

I know it's a SD card slot on the left side on the t430s atleast.

 

The SD Card reader is a express card. So to use an express card, pop out the SD card reader. It's actually quite clever. It's a small express card reader though (34?).

 

Lenovo irritates me. I live on the west coast, and my T430s just got shipped from Anchorage to Kentucky (2,000 miles in the wrong direction if you're not good with geography) and is held in customs "until released". It now says "exception" and has no estimated delivery date. This same exact thing happened with my last thinkpad, and they forgot to include customs paperwork. I had to call and get it all sorted out, really annoying mess.

 

Card reader occupies the express card slot. You can remove it by pushing it inward and it will pop out. Spring is quite strong.

You can see the picture on page 75 of the T430s hardware manual.

http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0b48538.pdf

 

Regarding the waypoints, FEDEX and UPS have hubs in the middle of the country.

 

I understand that, but shipments to here don't take that route normally. The tracking has turned yellow and says "exception".

 

Looks like this is nothing new, here's one from a while back - http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/140533-if-your-package-stuck-louisville-ky.html

Here's my latest update -

Clearance Completed
Louisville, KY, United States 07/06/2012 3:14 P.M. This shipment is warehoused until it is released by Clearing Agency. / Released by Clearing Agency. Now in-transit for delivery.

Sounds like mine made it through ok ..

 

Just got monoprice PID 5311 mini DP to HDMI adapter and tested successfully for both video AND audio. glad to know no thunderbolt required (as required on macbooks) for audio via mini DP. my t430s is i5-3320

the resolution i tested is 2048x1152 so the adapter is not limited to 1920x1200 either.

 

Where did you get it from?

 

For only $5.70 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Mini DisplayPort | Thunderbolt® to HDMI® Adapter w/ Audio Support | Mini DisplayPort to HDMI / DVI / VGA Adapters

 

Oh I see. I tried to push it but was scared to break it ha ha. Thank you for the information !

 

I called UPS to double check and they confirmed my shipping address. It got released and now says it has departed Anchorage...? So apparently it was never in Louisville (or it magically teleported back), and it's back on schedule now.

 

anybody who hasnt purchased SSD for t430s, it might be worth while waiting for corsair neutron SSDs. 4th gen and new SSD controller (good thing after sandforce crashes). all neutron SSDs will be 7mm

 

Weird problem. While on battery, there's no on screen indicator when adjusting brightness. Anybody else have this?

 

The UPS system will make up waypoints based on what it is supposed to do, not the actual route and actual location of your package. This has happened to me on a couple of occasions. I forgot about that until you mentioned it again.

They tend to keep that secret close to the vest.

 

Mine should be in my home town tomorrow.. Can't wait for delivery...

 

Aaaand, once it said the Kentucky customs stuff was wrapped up, it departed Anchorage and flew to Kuntucky...then back to Oregon right away. So I guess it did end up going, just after it cleared customs.

 

Has anyone encountered this?

When I push the UltraNav down hard, it will actually slow down the cursor
This is not happening in other three directions, only downward.
Seem like the "B" is somehow blocking its position?

 

You should be able to change that setting after installing the synaptic drivers so that it doesn't do that

 

I've got a question regarding the fingerprint reader.
On a youtube video I saw some time ago that someone used the fingerprint reader to boot his T430s running Windows 7.
When I try the same, the notebooks boots but it only gets to the logon screen. I then have to use the fingerprint reader again or enter my password.

Does anyone know how to change it, so that you can use the fingerprint reader to start the notebook and get to the desktop without using the reader twice?

 

Check fingerprint reader settings in control panel. Under Authentication tab there is check box to 'Enable single sign-on capability'. That one will enable computer to boot when you swipe and also it will log you into the Windows.

 

If you prefer black adapter to go with your new computer you can get this one.

Mini DisplayPort DP to HDMI 1.4 Adapter with Audio support 3D for ATI Black | eBay
​

I ordered it but it did not arrive yet.

 

I don't know if this is asked previously so sorry if it indeed have been asked before...

Did anyone tried putting in a 3612QM inside an T430s? If anyone did put it, what is your experience with it?

 

You can't. CPU is soldered.

 

Well, booting the system and using Windows are two separate things.

Windows allows multiple users on a computer, and each user is required to log in with a password. In this case, the Windows log-in procedure is supplemented with the fingerprint verification option.

If you consider booting the system by fingerprint verification is secure enough, and if you are the only Windows user (which is perhaps a common situation, especially on notebooks), you can explicitly disable the Windows log-in screen (no password typing, no fingerprint swiping, nothing) and let Windows go straight to your desktop.

Run netplwiz, highlight your userid and uncheck the "Users must enter a user name and password" option.

 

Does anyone have an issue with the volume contol +/- buttons? When watching youtube or other flash videos, the buttons sometimes stop working and you need to switch windows to get them to work.

Any ideas?

 

I encounter that as well, sometimes with Fn + brightness change doesn't work. I think its because software is having trouble switching between 32 and 64 bit mode

 

I have the same issue and not sure what to do about it. Hope someone has a solution for it.

 

Want final verdict from someone from buying T430s

My main concern with T430s is playing with MS Visual Studio, .NET, wcf, SQL SERVER like family. Is there any impact due to bad screen?

 

That is not specific to the T430s. I sometimes had that on my T420s and X220 also. That's a Thinkvantage issue that (hopefully) will be ironed out in a future version of the on screen display utility.

 

T430s arriving tomorrow. This will be my third thinkpad, T60 > T400 > T430s. I will update with my impressions!

 

We expect no less.

 

Not necessarily. You can configure multiple users *and* fingerprint power-on *and* single sign-on all to function together. The Thinkpad at boot simply identifies the correct user and boots all the way past Windows Login with every single user that is configured that way. When my wife boots up my laptop by a finger swipe, it will boot into her user account, not into mine.

And biometric authentication has come a long way since the early days. The first fingerprint readers had a high "false-positives" rate what mean that sometimes somebody else's fingerprint would work. With todays fingerprint readers I am quite comfortable from a security perspective.

 

thanks for the info. now I'm sure I won't get the T430s. gigabyte U2442 ftw.

 

If you want quad-core power, get yourself a W530. The 430s cooling mechanism and heat dissipation design is limited and will not allow for higher specced (quad-core) CPUs. The body simply is too slim and tightly designed for that. There is no room in there for a more efficient cooling mechanism (unless you want a seriously noisy laptop).

PS As with GPUs, there are guidelines for CPUS as to the minimum notebook size in which they are allowed by the manufacturer (and therefore guaranteed)

 

what I really want is thunderbolt. that and the ability to upgrade the cpu. I would also like an average gpu with optimus or enduro. but I don't even ask that much.
I really couldn't care less about other things.

PS as gpu size and bla bla is just BS. manufacturers can do whatever they want. there's clevos with 11" and a more powerfull gpu then the best T430s. as well as there are smaller then 14" notebooks with upgradable cpu's. so size is just an excuse sorry.

 

That's why they are guidelines, not regulations. I myself have had mini-laptops that held big(ger) CPUs and I can tell you that they invariably turned out either too hot to leave lying in your lap or simply turn out really irritating fan noise levels

As far as the TB addition is concerned you do have a point. Even though there aren't too many TB peripherals out there yet, it is a really promising interface. Mind you, with external disk use I must say that both my T430s and my Macbook Air deliver higher read/write performance on USB 3.0, albeit only by a small margin.

 

thunderbolt for egpu. nothing more. there's no other reason why to want to have it today. unless you have a several thousand dollars SSD NAS or a video editing card that costs more then a car. there's no other products that can take advantage of such a higher bandwith. usb3.0 is more enough, for now.
also comparasions with apples are meaningless to me.

 

Thank you!
I had a look at the fingerprinter reader settings, but it seems that my version only offers to delete the registered fingerprints or register new fingerprints.
Or am I looking at the wrong place?

 

This is how I got there:

Open Control panel
Select Lenovo - Fingerprint Reader
Authenticate with swipe or enter password
Select Settings on top of the screen
Select Authentication tab
Click on Enable single sign-on capability checkbox​

 

FINALLY got my T430s! UPS is slow - delivers at 6pm here. Booting it up for the first time right now, then I'll swap out the HDD for an SSD and add RAM. My initial impression is good. Noticeably thinner and lighter than my T400, and seems to be a good solid build quality. I will update later.

 

Sorry to change the topic too much but I'm most likely going to place my order for either a T430 or 430s (I'm not sure which one to get!) because of the nice coupons they've got going on through Barnes and Noble. Since I saw some business partners, does anyone know if I would be able to stack a friends and family IBM discount with the student discount? If not, which should I go for?

 

Wow - what a difference between the t430s and the t61.

First off:
The screen isn't all THAT bad. if you are using this for work and as an individual watching movies its fine. No screen door effect. Wondering why they did not just put a 15.6" screen on it though - the area around the screen would allow it.
Second:
My lord is this thing ever light. Granted - i have never had a "thin and light" type laptop before but compaired to an IBM T61 - this is an epic upgrade.
Third:
Buy aftermarket ram.

And finally - fast - I have a i72600 desktop - and this is not far off.

I am happy with my purchase (as a business user)

Edit: Can someone PLEASE link me directly to an ultrabay that works with the t430s?