T430s owners'/would-be owners' thread.

Heh, I wouldn't be able to comment on the T430s trackpad as I disabled it in the BIOS right away.

There's really no point in using a trackpad when you have a ThinkPad trackpoint, even when you have a MBP-sized trackpad.

 

Thanks to all, especially to aaadams There is a problem, I had many years T500 and I was lucky, now is on Lenovo market is so many choices ... I am profesional photographer, but quaility of screen not priority. About 50% jobs I am doing on laptop screen (presentation, searching in database, admins many sites etc.) so I dont know If X230 is enough or I is better choice T430(s). I have to write next to pros and cons for me and I will decided.

I am afraid about integrated card on X230 and low resolution, on T430s I am afraid about low battery and "problems" with nvidia and a little if isnt version "s" is bad about built quality( slim version are mostly a little fragily).

My last question is about nvidia and HD graphics. Is HD graphics enough for photoshop/after effects/old games(5% time for play WoW especialy)? How Optimus working? When, for example, am I typing work just HD yes? So battery life will be save as if I have just HD4000?

Thanks, and forgive me my crappy eng

 

HD 4000 is quite capable. I use HD 3000/4000 for Adobe CS5 work without problems. No comment on games.

 

I didn't realize yours was preconfigured, mine is a CTO.

No apology necessary for your English, I applaud your trying. I have worked with many who are learning English over the years sometimes it was there 3rd, 4th or even 5th language. I will never complain about that.

I can only relay what I've read in reviews as my unit hasn't arrived yet. However, it appears from reading extensive reviews that the NVidia is only marginally better than the Intel 4000. I only bought the NVidia because it was cheaper and provided a "little" extra performance. I'm no sure if it will be certified by Autodesk or not but I run Inventor quite a bit and the NVS cards usually are certified. I never play any games, so I can't help there personally, though reviews say that older games perform well on the Intel/NVidia cards. Battery life is major for some, I am rarely away from power for more than 4 - 6 hours or so. I bought the T430s with an ultrabay battery to use with mine in extreme cases. For you, if battery life is a priority then the T430 may be the best option. It gets remarkable battery life from that 9-cell... I recently read about a gentleman who runs mSATA SSD alone in his T430 and reported a weight of ~4.4 lbs.

 

FYI,

You might want to keep an eye on the T430s BSOD thread at Re: T430s-2352 Blue Screen and Stop Code 101 Issue - Page 4 - Lenovo Community

Sounds ominous.

 

After being made aware by nrbelex, I commented that I couldn't believe I missed this issue. I am happy that it has been acknowledged, and that they are working "urgently" on a fix.

 

Oddly enough, sleep is starting to work properly for me again. I did get a BSOD the first couple of days I had the T430s, but that problem has resolved itself on its own.

 

I highly doubt even the X1 can match Macbook's trackpad, both in terms of hardware and software. Got to give Apple for a fantastic job on the touchpad and gesture support.

 

It certainly can in hardware; both have the same surface material (glass), and both are done by the same company (Synaptics.)

Software is -- as I understand it (I don't use Windows) -- the real difference between the two.

 

If you have not yet seen the update:

 

Hello again,

I have a question on users of T430s. How long could you stay on battery( with ultrabay)? Is different between version with optimus and just HD graphic? I mean on office work and internet surfing... How optimus works, when dedicated graphics is offline? Same as If you have just HD4000?

 

I ordered my T430s on August 16th and my estimated delivery date has been pushed back 5 or 6 times now to Sept 23. I called Lenovo 3 weeks ago and they told me it was going to be shipped on that day.

Are they always like this? Is there anything I can do? Will I never receive my laptop if I don't bug them about it?!

 

T430s ordered 31 August with original delivery date of 10 September.
Changed several times.

Today received:

{quote}
Dear Vermonster,

Order Number: XXXXXXXXXX


Thank you for your recent of Lenovo's T430s.
Unfortunately, your order has been delayed due to a part constraint. We have received all parts and are at this time working to get all orders out as soon as possible. Currently all orders are shipping between now and the week of September 24th.

We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your time and patience in this matter.

Please feel free to contact Lenovo with any questions or concerns at [email protected].


Thanks Again For Your Patience,

Lenovo Customer Service

{endquote}

 

If it's related to this thread be glad that it was delayed to implement the fix. Re: T430s-2352 Blue Screen and Stop Code 101 Issue - Page 4 - Lenovo Community

 

3 years after the purchase of T400s, I’m ready to step up to T430s and need your help!!!

Looking into a basic system with:

Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 4000 with Intel Core i5-3320M Processor
4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
Keyboard Backlit - US English
No Camera Mic
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable
Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader
6 Cell Lithium Battery T81+
90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN

On-line config comes up to $1089. I called Lenovo sales rep, and the best discount they can give me is 14%, down to $936. Is there a way I can get a better discount? Any coupons or through another website to get a better price? Or perhaps any upcoming “holiday” discounts/sales?

Furthermore, I’m planning to add Samsung 830 256GB 2.5” SATA III (7mm). Found it on Amazon with SATA/USB kit and Norton Ghost for $232. I assume it should fit into T430s without a problem, right? Are there any concerns with this SSD?

Also, I’m planning to add another 4GB DDR3. At the current moment don’t have a need for more than 8GB of RAM. I know we need PC3-12800 (1600MHz) modules. Not sure which one to get better, Crucial or Corsair Vengeance? Both about $24 each, any preferences/suggestions?

And last but not least, I also need to get 2nd HDD caddy to throw in my old 500GB drive. For now will use my older WD Scorpio black, although its SATA II. But nevertheless, can you please recommend a link for HDD caddy for T430s? I have seen some cheaper at ebay and more expensive from on-line stores. Not sure which one to get.

Thanks!

 

$936 is a very good price. Samsung 830 is an excellent SSD and will fit the main bay. Either RAM stick is good. This is a suggestion for 430s UltraBay caddy adapter.

You should be aware of the problem that has been reported regarding 430s (check earlier posts in this thread). Lenovo is working on a fix, and many recent shipment delays are attributed to this problem. Be prepared for your own shipping delay.

 

Thanks Kaso! I was hoping to squeeze out 20% discount, so if anybody has any suggestions, I would like to hear it. Also, kind of surprised that discount doesn't apply to extended warranty (planning to get 4yr on-site for $231).

Yeah, unfortunately I'm aware of that issue, and that also explains why after my on-line config the estimated suggested ship date was for the first week of October. As long as they find/fix the problem, I can wait. Actually, my wife's T60 mobo starting to kick the bucket, so she will inherit my T400s and I can enjoy T430s; so time is ticking lol!

 

Hi, is this problem T430s-2352 Blue Screen and Stop Code 101 Issue only this model T430S-2352? My laptop model is the 2356 which I ordered, I hope that the other models do not have this problem.

 

Not sure if its related to a specific model, but while placing an order today Lenovo rep acknowledged it directly as "Intel chipset issue" with a possible resolution within next few days. A few days ago while configuring system on-line the expected shipping date was early in October, while today that suggested day moved to September 26th with possibility to pull it up. Hopefully its a good sign, but who knows. Lenovo rep also mentioned this is a global issue with other laptop vendors using the same chipset, so we are all in the same boat...

Looking forward to my T430s! Still love my T400s, and gave up on keeping my breath on/if they ever going to offer IPS screen option for their Slim models. So even if screen in T430s going to be a little bit better than in T400s, I will be happy. Also sounds like battery in T430s should last twice as long as T400s (from day one running at full power setting and mid brightness it was always close to 1:30hr).

 

I used the mastercard marketplace when I bought mine, I think it may have been as much as 20-25% off. It was even better than a student discount.

 

Wow, 20%-25% off would have been awesome, but I already placed an order early today. Came out to $900 with a config I listed before (HD+, ultimate wifi, 4-1 card reader, backlit kbd). SSD and DDR3 will be another $250 upgrade. BTW, now the shipping date is listed at 9/23. I assume its a shipping date when its assembled at their factory, so will be another week or so going through customs, etc.?

... btw, just checked MC marketplace and no Lenovo offers available. I was about to cancel my order and go with MC marketplace, but can't find anything in there. Is there a specific link you can recommend?

 

I have had an ongoing ordeal with Lenovo since ordering a T430s on August 25th. Yesterday, I wrote a description of my experience in the comments to the T430s review, but after reading this thread, relaying my experience would add value to this thread as well.

The gist is that my order has been delayed four times since ordering, and combined with reading about the BSOD and motherboard problems which are reportedly unresolved, have repeatedly tried to cancel my order. I have learned it is extremely difficult to cancel or return an order to lenovo, even in the face of a month delay and reports of defective motherboards.

After six years on a t60, I took the plunge for a new T430s with the i7 processor and integrated graphics. I ordered on 8/24/12 and the ship date was listed only five days later, 8/29. After the ordering system changed the delivery date and delayed my order three different times, now up to approx. 1 month delay, I suspected something was wrong. A search of this forum and the lenovo user forum revealed that university IT departments have reported widespread blue screen and motherboard problems and lenovo has not identified a fix as of yet, which is apparently also why no new machines have been shipped. Of course nobody at Lenovo sent me any mention of this HUGE issue that would render my new machine a $1600 brick.

From what I've read here, Lenovo has essentially admitted the t430s is defective and can't fix it, and with my $1600 investment in limbo, I have tried to cancel the order now three times over the phone. The first time I got through in a few minutes by not choosing the "cancel" option in the phone tree, and the CSR assured me the order was cancelled. The next day I called to confirm the cancellation and selected the "cancel" option on the phone tree, but was unable to get through after a 45 minute wait. The day after that, I called to confirm since the order status hadn't changed, selected the "cancel order" option again, and was put on hold for nearly an hour-- but I refused to give up. I finally was put in touch with E., who declared the order had never been canceled. Next, I was told that I shouldn't cancel because they were working on a fix. I repeated I wanted to cancel. After that, I was told that I could get 5% off my order if I didn't cancel. I repeated my request. After that, I was told that he could issue a "request to cancel" but it would take 3 to 5 business days, then I was told that he couldn't guarantee that the order would cancel. I said that was not acceptable. Each time I protested and asked that the confirmation be confirmed by email. E. dithered and delayed and protested that "I didn't believe him!" but he finally agreed to send me a confirmation of the cancelation request. He didn't. He just sent me a two-line message, not of the request, but that the request had been sent.

We shall see if the third cancellation attempt worked. The order system actually *moved up* my ship date by a week today, after I attempted to cancel, something I have seen repeated in other comments on this thread. I am supposed to get a confirmation in 3-5 biz days of my cancellation, but that date now falls within the shipment window. Apparently, Lenovo is going to respond to my cancellation by shipping the machine before the cancellation is finalized! Seriously, nobody spending $1600 on a new machine should have to deal with these tricks and games. Please beware the next time you order from lenovo. Also, please read the user agreement carefully on returns and restocking fees (only for unopened products, with 15% fee, and only allowed 21 days from invoice date, so if the order is delayed a month...?!) before you buy.

Just for fun, I compared this policy with Apple... wow, what a difference! For others who tried to cancel like I did, I would love to hear if any were successful before Lenovo actually shipped the machine.

 

I have successfully cancelled machines. The latest was my X1 Carbon order. There is a step I use that seems to guarantee a cancel is processed. The magic step is that I don't hangup with the customer service rep until they send me an email which states I called in and requested the cancel. To be specific, I don't hang up until that email is received.

This seems to guarantee they will actually put the cancel through because I now have their name and an official record of the request to lenovo. They will always state there is no guarantee the cancel will work because systems can still ship 24-48 hours after the request was made.

The key here is that you have solid documentation for the credit card company if you need to resort to a charge back. It's never come to that for me.

The email requirement seems to add just enough rigor to the process to make sure they know you mean business. They will also tell you that if it does ship, there are a couple of other options they can take. They can attempt to re-route the shipment or if it makes it all the way to your address, they will just have you send it back. Do not open the box and everything will eventually work itself out.

Patience is key.

 

Trust me, it will not get cancelled. I wanted to change my configuration, the lady actually suggested me to cancel and order another one. So I cancelled, cancelled again, cancelled the third time. Every time I was promised an email within 48 hours, none ever came. Finally they said they couldn't cancel it since it was already shipped and I needed to go through the return process since I shouldn't refuse delivery.

I ended up selling the machine on Kijiji for a $150 profit. Not the best experience since people there haggle hard and back out agreed deals, but still a lot easier than Lenovo services.

Lenovo is great for business machines (where you only have to deal with your own IT department) and cheap laptops (T430s at $700 is a better buy than most best buy stocks). Don't expect Apple level services (not that Apple employees are more knowledgeable, they just have the margin to be generous).

Having said all these and despite the disappointing screen, my T430s suits my needs much better than the 2011 Macbook Air 13. My wife spent more than $1500 on it and now we fight for the T430s. I really should have kept the other T430s.

 

I had no problems canceling my original order. I did it via the web-chat, and was told the same 3-5 days/may not happen before it's shipped, but I got the confirmation that is was canceled two days later. I have since put in another order, and am currently waiting waiting waiting.

I have been using apple ever since OS X came out, and this order is the first time I am moving away from their products. While ordering a machine from them is a much smoother process, and overall their customer service is far superior to Lenovo's, they do have some issues too, and can be very frustrating to deal with. What caused me to order the Lenovo is I needed a quality laptop that I could upgrade over time, as I generally hold on to and abuse my systems (currently on the 3rd battery in a late 2006 MacBook). IMO only Apple and Lenovo really make quality laptops, and I was not willing to spend that much money on an appliance, which seems to be all Apple is offering these days. It's unfortunate that no one currently offers quality upgradable hardware AND quality customer service, but ultimately I will choose to deal with the lack of customer service in order to get a better machine. JMO.

 

Other than price, what are Macs/Apple issues in your opinion? Remember that MacBook Pro (non-retina) are also upgradable (hard drive and RAM can be upgraded like the ThinkPad).

 

Price is not an issue in my mind, as I am willing to pay if the technology will last for a long time (again, I am still using a mid-2006 macbook which I have upgraded considerably).
In terms of the non-retina, it already feels out of date. Compared to the retina, there is the obvious difference of the screen, but it also maxes out at 8GB ram, vs the 16GB in the retina. I do not really feel like apple is really behind continuing to support that line. Further, from my understanding, it also does not have a removable battery, so any replacement will have to be done by apple.
All other offerings have all components soldered and are not user serviceable at all.

 

1. Not just because there is a new 'different' model of it, it is now out-of date. They are just two different things and the non-retina display was a gorgeous best display yesterday.

2. Do you need more than 8GB of RAM? If you do then, I will agree with you.

3. It does not matter if it is removable or not as long as it is reliable and you have to pay for it anyway. I do not mind having the fun of seeing the Apple genius at the Apple Store once a every year or couple of years while you see and play with other gadgets there.

 

1. That would be true if not for the memory disparity as well. The combination of the two are what bother me. Having said that, limiting the number of permutations could very well be what allows them to provide such a better use experience when ordering systems.

2. Today, no. Six years from now, probably. I know six years ago I never thought I would need 4GB, which I now do, and I can remember a time when 1GB was unheard of... but let's not make me feel too old...

3. Personally, I do not want to give up any control over my machine, and I do not want to be dependent on anyone, or worse yet on my location, to get something as trivial as a battery changed. Further, Apple has stopped supporting items I continue to use numerous times, and I do not want to be forced into buying a new laptop just because they won't change the battery on my otherwise functional machine. In terms of reliability, their batteries are estimated to get something like 1K charges, which will last me about 2 years. That is inline with my experiences too. I would rather not have to go to an apple store or ship my laptop out every two years (in my area, the genius bar is an miserable and stressful experience).

 

This is good advice, however I did succeed in getting the CSR to send me an email, but the email only said that he sent a request, it was not the cancellation request itself. And there is still no cancellation on the order page. I am glad that the credit card company will be able to use the email-- at least it serves some purpose

Thanks for the idea. I still have no confirmation, and this is three business days later, so I will try webchat today and see if that works.

 

Funny, I see nothing there now. This was back in early June, and I think they "revamped" the marketplace in July.

Here's my post back then. Saved me $400, which I think was 20%.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/668678-t430s-owners-would-owners-thread-3.html#post8587887

 

Sadly this did not work. I just tried webchat and the person on the other end (India) wrote she could not even see the order after it had been submitted and I had to call Post Order Team or something like that (which, of course, is closed.) This, despite choosing the webchat option to "modify an existing order." Since the option is available on the webchat but not available with the actual person you're chatting with, it sounds like the staff don't know their own webchat program-- and that they definitely cannot cancel an order. Maybe the system has changed, but that is the current situation.

This is my fourth attempt to cancel and the order is still listed as active... looking forward to chargeback fun with the credit card co!

 

Selling your brand new machine on some site where people "back out of agreed deals" is still better then Lenovo CS-- a pretty good reflecton of Lenovo customer service.

 

Anybody knows if the issue with T430s has been resolved? I placed my order on 9/13, the original ship date was 9/23, and now got updated as shipped on 9/16. I was originally told it won't be shipped until problem is resolved.

 

Actually shipped or estimated? I ordered on 9/6, my ship date was pushed as far out as 10/7, then brought in to 9/13 (on 9/13), and has been increasing by a day every day since (usually on the day after the estimate). It is currently estimated to be 9/16, but when I called, they told me 9/21. I did order with the NVIDIA card, which as of the latest update (9/11), was not yet fixed.

 

It was actually shipped with UPS, although no tracking number provided yet. My config was plain vanilla with Intel HD Graphics 4k (and also HD+, backlit kbd, and ultimate wifi). Interesting that you brought up NVIDIA card because I also could have swear that Intel chipset problem was originally related to discrete video card, and now it has been generalized into T430s issue.

 

I read the linked discussions and the latest update at WFU. I'm still a bit confused, so I hope I can get more clarification here. I read one place mentioned problems are in Optimus based models, which I take it to mean those with Nvidia discreet graphics. But another place said the problem is with the "intel chipset". Can someone confirm which hardware is the source of the problem or which model/config is affected?

My T430s is 2352CTO, i5-3320M with Intel HD 4000 graphics card. I ordered it in early Aug and got it in lat Aug. So it falls in the date range. Does my machine have the potential to have this BSOD problem?

So far in my light usage, everything is running well. But I'll be installing more apps soon as I intend to use it for my work. I do not want to have everything installed and set and then have the problem show up and I have to send it out to fix. My point is, since the fix is found - per WFU's update, shouldn't Lenovo either recall all the affected models or provide details that we can at least diagnose our machines and offer to fix those found to be bad?

 

As far as I can tell, the BSOD issue is limited to Intel Chipsets that feature Optimus. If you have Intel Graphics only then you are probably not affected. Even if you had Optimus, as I understand it you would have a less than 3 in 100 chance of being affected.

 

I've had two 101 BSODs on my i7 + HD4000, though it didn't happen for quite a while now.

 

You may need to contact support for additional information if you are getting the BSODs. This is a hardware issue related to tolerances in the chipset so a hardware change will be required to fix it if it happens to your system. If you haven't done so already track back several posts and read up on the state of the issue to determine if you need to call support...

 

Mark_Lenovo's post from 09-11-2012 02:13 PM on T430s-2352 Blue Screen and Stop Code 101 Issue - Page 4 - Lenovo Community makes it sound like both are affected, but they only have a fix for the intel graphics.

 

Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water...

 

I place an order on 27th Aug.... it has been delayed again and again... even I call them several times... now the esd was Sep.12...and edd was Sep.19... but it has been't shipped yet... when can I got my laptop... so impatient with lenovo...
The delay is so boring... I don't know when it will be shipped...
My order is
Intel Core i7-3520M Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz), 14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit, NVIDIA Optimus Graphics (NVS 5200M, 1GB), Intel® Core™ i7-3520M Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz),8 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz
and by the way, I saw someone said that it had a BSOD problem for this kind of graphics... so nervous...

 

man. I ordered on Aug 23. Still waiting. Just give a call to lenovo, the rep said they are having a graphics card shortage. There could be another two weeks waiting. Damn..

 

When I had called, they blamed it on the wifi card.

 

I'm a girl.... hoho~ I called them at noon, they told me that the esd was Oct.8th.... he said that he didn't sure whether it has a mistake in the system... he would send me an email... but I haven't received until now... I called them just now, the rep told me that it would be shipped during Sep.19th-24th....I asked her twice to make sure the graphic card problem is solved.... and the shipping date won't change again.... I hope that it's true...

 

oh.. sorry about that. I don't think it could be shipped in sep, sigh.. the rep said he could give me the expedite shipping. But i dont trust their words now.

 

Yep... I can't believe either..
I think they just say anything randomly, never in responsibility... But I still keep phoning them.... and maybe there exists a hope in miy mind ... I totally can't bear the delay........

 

The delays are due (I believe) to a bug discovered in the T430 and T430S that is causing BSOD's. It sounds like they have identified the fault and may have a fix but I'm sure they want to hold up shipping any systems that require a hardware fix.

See the thread at Re: T430s-2352 Blue Screen and Stop Code 101 Issue for the last official statement.

 

Lenovo should have a system to update their clients on delivery/ order process status.