T430s owners'/would-be owners' thread.

Who keep making up BS like that? Actually, for Windows 8, the key is embedded and you can use any valid Windows 8 media to install. It's really pretty trivial to do an install now. The key stays with the machine and you don't have to worry about the sticker getting scratched or faded.

As for your comment on the modern desktop, it's really no big deal. I like the ability to use the apps there if needed, but switch to legacy apps or back with a single button push. Now you have a reason to use that button with the Windows logo.

 

I bought the $15 upgrade with a $15 backup dvd online. The receipt has the conventional 25 digit code for clean installs. Not sure where the info you are giving came from...

 

For further clarification, the embedded key I was referring to is installed by Lenovo using the Windows 8 OEM licensing tools. This of course assumes the machine was ordered with Windows 8 to start with.

 

I'm planning to burn the discs as soon as the laptop arrives but if the key is in the BIOS, I think I would prefer a fresh install instead of a clone/recovery because I read somewhere that sector by sector imaging of a platter drive on to an SSD does not allow Windows to use the SSD efficiently.

Wait, are you saying I need to pay $30 extra to be able to re-install Win 8 with the same license ?

 

Absolutely not. If you bought Windows 8 or Windows 7 with the machine, all you need to re-install is the installation media. This is easy to get. MSDN and TechNet subscribers can download the .ISO and burn a DVD or create a USB stick with the store.microsoft.com utility.

The Windows 7 key is typically on a certificate under the battery. The Windows 8 key is embedded in the BIOS and will be read by Windows 8 setup.

 

The concern about HDD/SSD "misalignment" when cloning is unfounded. There are tools that are developed expressly for HDD-SSD transfer.

 

No, not at all... If you have the OEM version of WIn8 on your laptop that is different from my situation. Sorry for the confusion! To expound a bit, I was one of the guys that ordered before Win8 was available but after the promotion for upgrades... Hence my comment. I may not have read back far enough in the thread before posting my last reply. I was about to delete the post and catch up on my reading before going off half cocked again... Again, sorry for the confusion.

 

One more reason against Win8. What if I replace the computer in 2 years? I will have to buy another license. Thats bs.

I prefer a mobile desktop on a mobile device and a computer desktop on a regular computer.

 

5 posts before yours.

 

Seems that OEM copies may indeed be conveyed to end users in that way. However, I can say for those who buy Win 8 as an upgrade... The experience can be much the same as a Windows 7 upgrade. Case in point, after purchasing at the discounted rate, I was given the opportunity to download the Win 8 ISO. (I also bought the OEM DVD during the process to have an actual windows branded disc.../not needed but I wanted an original)

 

Well, nobody put a gun to your head and made you buy anything. It's a choice you get to make. You can buy an Android slate or phone. You can buy an Apple notebook, desktop, slate or phone. You can build your own machine and install linux, free.

There are many choices today and the market is more competitive than ever.

I have a Mac sitting here running OS X, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 and Suse Linux. All choices I made.

If you want to be angry, go for it. Seems like a waste of precious energy considering you can get Windows 8 for $30 or less.

 

You are kidding. If I have a Windows licence and want to buy a computer without pre-installed license, there is almost no choice. Can I buy a T430s without a license? No. Same for Dell Latitudes. But for the customer it would make sense to buy without a license. I have regularly more licenses available than I can use. I have a laptop at work that is running Win7 with site license, but also has an unused license key bought with the machine. Nice for MS, who can sell twice as a result of lack of choice.

And vice versa MS obiviously doesn't like if people keep using their license after upgrading the computer. or buy licenses second hand. At least in Europ it's legal to buy a 2nd hand license or sell a license that I'm no longer using.

A license key burnt into the hardware limits the choice. You call that a choice if I have to buy a new license with each computer, even if the old computer is in the garbage?

$30 for Metro, which I would immediately try to disable? Windows 8 sales are far below expectations and that was predictable. Seems people made their choice: stick with Win7 until MS corrects the biggest mistakes. It's an old rule that every 2nd Windows is a flop.

 

You complaint is in the wrong thread, and the wrong forum. If you want to complain to Lenovo about the operating system choices they provide, please see the official forums at ThinkPad - Lenovo Community and specifically the T series machines at T400 / T500 and newer T series ThinkPad Laptops - Lenovo Community.

I think Dell still sells machines with no license installed. I'm not sure about HP and Lenovo.

Whining about Windows 8 or licensing here is also misplaced. I'm sure Microsoft will be happy to listen to your objections at Home - Microsoft Community.

 

Finally ordered here. Though I was surprised to see the touchpad was listed as a "ships in more than 4 weeks" during configuration. This is the standard touchpad. No options at all. 2 days ago there was no delay. Now there is?

Is this normal sometimes? Is it really going to now take that long to ship or does Lenovo often have strange things like this occur?

Timing it to be there over the holidays as I am not frequently in the USA at this moment. Hope it arrives while I'm home....

 

It's probably just a bug on their site.

 

The lack of sales probably has more to do with the fact businesses are now either just starting to move on to Windows 7 or have recently. And that old rule isn't exactly accurate

 

Sure, it's off topic, but I didn't want your statement that "There are many choices today" stay without a correction, because it's simply wrong if there is no option to buy a T430s without Windows. And btw, it was off topic too.

You are so funny.

 

Well, I guess you could always file a complaint with the Justice Department.

In the meantime, enjoy Ubuntu or whatever you seem to prefer.

 

Quick question, anyone know if my T61 ultrabay caddy will fit a t430s? They all look pretty similar, but I don't know if they're actually the same. Would be great if it would work though.

 

With 9.5mm thickness, it should fit. Make sure it supports SATA. You can always get a new one for about $10 (free shipping).

 

No, a T61 caddy shouldn´t work (but maybe fit), since it has a PATA interface (UltraBay Slim), and the T430s requires a caddy with a SATA interface (Serial UltraBay Slim).

 

Thanks for the info, guys. I don't remember the details, and cant find the paper work on the caddy, but the HD in it is SATA, so it looks like it should work.

Edit: Scratch that. T61 caddies on eBay are PATA, but use SATA drives. Oh well.

 

Not strictly. The poster should check: it SATA, it should work.

 

This should change nothing. I have also here an adapter for SATA HDDs from ebay for my old R60. The HDD is SATA, but the connector to the mainboard is still PATA.

 

It may be the case for your particular caddy adapter. Not all T60 UltraBay HDD caddy adapters are PATA.

Get yourself a new UltraBay caddy adapter. Don't be cheap with a new notebook.

 

Of course! Looks like they're actually cheaper now than when I bought mine.

Now I've just gotta find the best deal. Lenovo's got a black friday sale going on, gonna see if I can do even better though.

 

I'm debating ordering my t430s with an additional ultra bay HDD, ultra bay battery, or the optical drive. If I did end up ordering without the optical drive, does anybody know where I can buy the optical drive seperatly?

 

Everything you get directly from Lenovo will be more expensive so keep that in mind.

 

If you intend to have either a second drive or a second battery in the UltraBay, you might want to get a USB portable optical drive (like this one, great price) that is connected and used occasionally.

 

Thanks for he quick replies

I never thought of that, I was going to get a SATA to USB cable so that I could use the ODD as a USB DVD drive. But a USB DVD drive would probably be a better choice since I intend to put all my media on the HDD in the ultra bay.

Good point, another reason to go with a USB DVD drive. Is there anyone who makes a cheaper ultra bay battery? And is the quality of the ebay knockoff ultra bay caddys acceptable?

 

Keep in mind the "chip" in the new ThinkPad battery.

They are not "knockoff." They are quite likely made by the same suppliers. They are more than "acceptable." And inexpensive.

 

What success have you all had connecting your T430s to a TV via HDMI? I know it has a miniDP port, and that there are adapters to convert to HDMI, but based on a thread on Lenovo's forums, there seems to be only mixed success doing that. I considered a U410 which has an HDMI out, but the wifi issues have deterred me.

 

I can connect T430 to HDTV with a converter from monoprice, with both video and audio. T430s probably is not too different

 

my T430s works fine with most recent LCD tv i have tested. I did have some problem with some plasma TV that is more than 4 years old.

 

I know that the msata port is only sata 2 and main bay is sata 3, but it would be nice to put a ssd in the ssd port and leave the hdd in the main bay so that I can keep the ultrabay battery.

My question is how much of a real world difference would I see between putting a ssd in the msata port vs the main bay if both of the ssd's were sata 3?

 

that would depend on the apps you run, how many startup apps you have when boot up the laptop, and how often you access large files from the SSD.

 

Strange, today the video output to a HDTV and an external monitor are very purple, something I haven't seen before. The colors on T430 are fine so it seems that monoprice converter is defective.

 

I run the Furmark (8x anti-aliasing + 1366x768) + Prime95 on my T430s (i7 + Intel 4000), and plotted the temperature of the CPU die.

 

Looking to buy a non-gaming laptop and leaning towards T430. Few questions.

How common is the fan noise problem? Seems to be the biggest concern.

What are the essential customizations? I'm looking at upgrading the display to 1600x900 and the hard drive to SSD. anything else?

 

Clearly it cools the same with the lid open or closed. I always wondered about that.

Interesting X1 Carbon stats, too.

 

T430 noise issue is quite prevalent, i borrowed my friend's T430 and the noise from the fan is quite annoying as compared to the other T430x series machine. My T420 thinkpad with intel gpu hardly had any fan noise during normal operation.

@Thors.Hammer, yes i am actually surprised how hot the T430s can get even with the intel 4000, so it shows that the i7 can put out a serious amount of heat when pushed. I imagine if it the machine was an i7 + Nvidia GPU then the temp would remain constantly in the high 90s Celsius or above 100 C for considerably amount of time.

 

Glad I purchased the i5-3320M.

 

Hi,

I just ordered a T430s. I need a blu-ray drive. Is there any reason this one wouldn't work with the T430s?

Amazon.com: Thinkpad Ultrabay 9.5MM Slim Blu-ray Burner II: Explore similar items

I already have blu-ray software on the back-up drive from my 1 year old Vaio that bricked itself last month. Hopefully I will be able to transfer that software to the Lenovo.

Thanks.

 

There is a free software tpFanControl with which you can have control how much fan noise you want.

 

Just pulled the trigger on a new T430s w/ the B&N cyber Monday deal! My X230 never really grew on me and is being sold due to 1) worst touch pad ever, 2) low resolution, 3) I miss the optical drive. The T430s is only slightly heavier and will suit my needs much better. Also very intrigued by the possibility of future thunderbolt e-gpu options. Looks like most of you really enjoy this machine, I enjoyed reading through the posts

1
2352CTO ThinkPad T430s - 1 Year Topseller Express Depot Warranty
Estimated ship date: 12/8/12**
$1,309.00

Processor

Intel Core i7-3520M Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz)
Operating System Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
Operating System Language Windows 7 Professional 64 - English
Display Type 14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
System Graphics Intel HD Graphics 4000 with Intel Core i7-3520M Processor
Total Memory 4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
Keyboard Keyboard Backlit - US English
Pointing Device UltraNav multi-touch touchpad & TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader
Camera 720p HD Camera Mic
Hard Drive 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Ultrabay DVD Recordable
System Expansion Slots Express Card Slot
Battery 6 Cell Lithium Battery T81+
Power Cord 90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
Integrated WiFi Wireless LAN Adapters Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
Integrated Mobile Broadband Mobile Broadband upgradable
Language Pack Publication - US English

45K5985 3YR Onsite Next Business Day + Accidental Damage Protection
$158.73

$158.73


Continue shopping:
Go

Sale price: $1,467.73
[CYBERMONDAY] -$314.16
Free Expedited Shipping and handling $0.00
Estimated tax: $62.18
Estimated total: $1,215.75*

 

Nice, jlp0209! Looks like I should've waited another day. I saved some $270 with the black friday deal, and student discount, but you've got me beat!

Here's what I ordered. Can't wait. Should be here 12/7.


Processor

Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)

Operating System Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)

Operating System Language Windows 7 Professional 64 - English

Display Type 14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready

System Graphics NVIDIA NVS 5200M Graphics with Optimus Technology (1GB DDR3 Memory), Intel Core i5-3320M Processor

Total Memory 8 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)

Keyboard Keyboard Backlit - US English

Pointing Device UltraNav multi-touch touchpad & TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader

Camera 720p HD Camera Mic

Hard Drive 128GB Solid State Drive, SATA3

Ultrabay DVD Recordable

System Expansion Slots Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader & Smart Card Reader

Battery 6 Cell Lithium Battery T81+

Power Cord 90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)

Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna

Integrated WiFi Wireless LAN Adapters Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN

Integrated Mobile Broadband Mobile Broadband upgradable

Language Pack Publication - US English

45K5985 3YR Onsite Next Business Day + Accidental Damage Protection

 

Here are some thermography image of the ThinkPad T430s under full CPU/GPU load (prime95 + furmark). Enjoy

 

Now that's hardware p0rn !!!

 

especially made for you Thor... all those punishing mere mortal with your hammer can be tiring, so this is my offering to my Nordic deity.

 

Hi All,

I made up my mind and ordered the door buster deal for T430s today for $879. This same config was at $1012 after ecoupon "thanksgiving" on 11-Nov-12. Glad I waited for today.
*********************************************************************************
Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)
Windows 8 64
14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
NVIDIA NVS 5200M Graphics with Optimus Technology (1GB DDR3 Memory), Intel Core i5-3320M Processor
8 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (2 DIMM)
UltraNav multi-touch touchpad & TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim w/ SW Royalty for Windows 8
6 Cell Lithium Battery T81+
Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN
Mobile Broadband upgradable
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty
************************************************************************************************
Thank you for all your informative posts in deciding what I want. now on to step 2, upgrading to SSd and other activities to pimp up the laptop.

Thanks,
Jay