T440s Owner´s Thread

Mine just arrived! Pretty much full spec (i7/12gb/512gb SSD/FHD Touch). This display is fantastic! No spotlight, I didn't notice any bleed on startup (although I wasn't in a dark room). I haven't checked what display it is but I'm super happy. Windows 8.1 is installing and once that's done I'll check which one it is. My only complaint is an iffy backspace key. The matte coating is also not ideal on a touch screen and drags on the finger a bit. I'm just glad the display isn't a lemon

Edit:

I GOT THE AUO . My order shipped on December 31. Maybe all AUO displays were reserved for the touch models?

 

I deleted everything and started from the scratches.
I didn't want to do this at the beginning because it's not my computer, but everything is okay now. I got no problems at the end.

Cheers guys!

 

Has anyone experienced issues with the Ultra Dock (40A20090US)? When I turn on my speakers before docking (or after undocking) my T440s, I get a lot of speaker buzz at a non-negligible level.

 

Well, if that would have been the case then no one would have been getting it replaced it with AUO Panels. I ordered from lenovo US website directly. I was initially not bothered about the screen but after looking at the videos posted on this site I checked if I have those issues and also checked my system registry and found that it is an AUO Panel. I have a FHD Multi-touch though. Can't say about the non-touch versions.

 

Thanks for Clarifying

 

Unlikely, I got an AUO on a non-touch on 31 December. Maybe there are reserved for NZer's though.

 

So far not a peep from Lenovo this week about my replacement AUO panel. Looks like another week without a resolution. I'll be calling them tomorrow to see what is going on. Getting close to when the 30 day return policy will expire.

 

Nothing from my local service provider either. When I called them on Monday they said lenovo had elevated their request twice, but still no answer yet. I think at this point we can dub this fiasco "screengate".

 

I received my T440s the other day and found it was the LG screen and it was not good. I've been a ThinkPad user since the T42 days and this is such a disappointment. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give the display a 4.5, the trackpad a 5.2 and the keyboard a 7. When I called Lenovo support regarding the display issue they would not even discuss it. They told me if I didn't like it to return it. I returned it yesterday. What a shame to have such issues on a business class notebook. I really don't know what to buy at this point. The only notebook with the specs and screen I want is the 14" Alienware but it is too thick and heavy. The Dells are junk and usually have overheating issues. Samsungs are nice but not very upgradeable. Maybe I'll have a look at the specs on the new X1 Carbon (2nd generation) that was just announced. The customize version/option is still "coming soon". I hope the display is a good one. We'll see . . .

 

Now that I have used the T440s for about a week, I am noticing a possible manufacturing defect. I want to hear from folks who are using the non-touch version. I think the clearance between the screen and the keyboard (when the laptop is closed) is not enough and I am starting to see keyboard imprints on the screen. I have not travelled extensively with this machine so cant say that it has been exposed to too much pressure. I will try to post a picture later.

Could you folks look at your screen carefully, especially with a black background and observe if there are any keyboard imprints on the screen?

 

So, after fighting with tech support for the last two days to get the LG panel on my T440s replaced with the AUO panel, as they claimed they could not see or duplicate the issues that I gave them, I just got an email today that stated my repair is going to be delayed because one or more parts needed to repair the laptop are back-ordered.

I don't know if that part is the AUO panel itself, a supporting part like the bezel, a completely different part that is not going to fix the problem, or what. However, if it is the panel, then they outright lied to me when I first called support to set up the repair, when I specifically asked them about the stock of the AUO panel and they told me that there were plenty of AUO panels in stock. Actually I asked them again “Are you sure?”, the second time giving them the exact part number, at which time they checked their computer system for that exact part number (or pretended they did) and still told me that there was plenty in stock. Like I am surprised at this after following this forum and having several people mention that it was out of stock.

In any event, hopefully it will be fixed and it doesn't take ridiculously long. If it is not, my only other option is to just return the laptop, as I can't waste any more time on this.

As a side note, when I submitted the original support request I was given a url link via email which was supposed to allow me to keep track of the repair of the laptop. The email stated "You can check the status of the repair at anytime by visiting us at http://www-03.ibm.com/support/ezserv/home.jsp?<machine information deleted>........". The link took me to the IBM EasyServ Information Center, where it filled in the laptop's information automatically in the various fields, but when I hit the Submit button I got a message that stated "The service call was not found". I checked the numbers that it entered in the fields and the serial number was missing a character, big surprise, but after I fixed that it still didn't work. That was over a week ago and it still doesn't work. Gotta love it.

As another side note, I discovered after being given an email address from tech support, that the repair is being done at a Flextronics repair center.

This has been an exhausting process to say the least. For the Love of God I hope I don't have any of the many other problems I see creeping up about this laptop as I don't want to go through Lenovo's "like pulling teeth" support process all over again.

Clearly, I would stay away from this laptop until you can be absolutely sure what you will be getting. This is my first Lenovo purchase, and it has become clearly apparent that this is not the "non-Chinese" IBM of yesterday.

This is also my concern. I don't want to be stuck with this thing if everything goes to hell going forward.

 

Finally got my machine but I'm debating how much to upgrade the memory by. 8GB ($45) or 12GB ($75), that is the question. The big thing that's drawing me back is if the machine will even be able to use all 12GB as it doesn't have the fastest CPU, which makes running very intensive tasks very difficult and reserved for my desktop.

 

It will. Even if you don't run applications that consume that much memory it will still be used by OS's file system cache, which can noticeably speed up the system. Another aspect is that even for "casual" programs with updates everything tends in the long run to consume more and more memory, and the more RAM you have in your machine the further you will postpone that point where system feels too sluggish. So unless you expect RAM price to drop I'd say go for as much RAM as you can afford.

 

This is why I didn't send mine in even though they sent me a box. Still trying to work through my local service provider, but don't know how long it will take. I think I'm resigned to keeping this laptop even if I can't get the screen replaced through warranty right now. Maybe when their supply chain has caught up again in a couple of months I will try it again, or I might replace it myself later down the line. I just can't find anything else out there that's a better fit for my needs at this time, and there are some features of the T440s that I really like. The experience with Lenovo itself was really quite poor though. Definitely will make me pause before considering any future purchases from them.

 

Not sure what difference it would make going to a local repair depot (If that is what you mean by "local service provider") to repair the laptop rather than Lenovo's main repair facility, unless they were more eager to get the money for the repairs and not argue with you, rather than caring about what it is going to cost Lenovo. In fact, I would think that Lenovo's main repair facility would be better equipped to do repairs. Of course that is all conjecture. Certainly I see where a lot of people had horrible results with the on-site repairs of their T440s. I too think it is a nice machine otherwise, and matches what I was looking for, although I only had it for one day before I sent it out to get fixed, so I really didn't have much time to evaluate it yet. It would really be nice if the repair facility would do a courtesy multi-point inspection after they are done to see if there are other problems, like at the car dealer. When I used to fix TV's, besides the initial complaint being repaired, we always did a through overall check and calibration, thorough cleaning inside and out, etc., before we returned them to customers. But no one cares any more.

 

I don't know the exact relationship of the local service provider to Lenovo, but they appear to be independent. They did tell me that for warranty purposes they count as a depot, so no additional charges. They don't stock most parts, so they're trying request the AUO by FRU. If Lenovo sends it, then I can be sure of which panel I will get. Unlike in your case, I couldn't get Lenovo to promise that I'd get the AUO if I sent it to the depot. Also, I can inspect the machine when I pick it up, and if something doesn't look right, I can ask them to fix it. Should in theory be faster than having to get another box and sending it away again if something's not done right the first time.

 

The HMM states "Ensure that a new LCD front sheet bezel is used. Install a new LCD front sheet bezel whenever the old one is removed." so hopefully they are waiting for a new bezel.

 

Got this laptop for my wife. Threw in a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. This thing is blazing fast. I tried to install Windows 8.1 from ISO on a bootable USB stick using the "Windows 7 USB Download" program (which does work for 8.1, according to MS), I couldn't get the USB stick to boot. Finally, I installed 8.1 via the USB stick in Windows. It installed just fine, then I went about the process of updating drivers.

I didn't know about the Lenovo Update and Drivers. That was part of the ThinkVantage Update package. I had already installed that after all my drivers, but apparently, it would have installed all of them for me. That's awesome.

I was curious about NFC. Lenovo says this has NFC, but I installed the 8.1 driver for it and nothing new popped up in Device Manager. Does anyone have NFC on this laptop? I didn't see an option to add it during the initial config. Thanks!

 

You need to disable secure boot in the BIOS and enable the machine to boot from legacy as well as UEFI devices (something in those lines) in the startup tab within the BIOS. I had the same issue as you and doing this let me boot from the USB drive and do a clean install of Windows 8.1 on my freshly installed SSD.

 

Son of a.... Thank you for the info. I completely forgot about Secure Boot even though I've read about it hundreds of times. It just takes that _one_ time to experience the issue before you remember. I'm wondering now if I can rebuild wife's laptop. Seeing that C:\Windows.old really bothers me.

 

I have the 4200U processor so I sort of agree with you. I was using 8.2 GB and my processor usage was WAY up there. But that was one time and I could never have reached that unless I had 12GB. Max it out. Be secure. Usually I am at 6.5 GB.

 

Well, the AUO screen arrived today surprisingly. I triple checked, and the FRU numbers all match up. I will be attempting the replacement later this evening. I still never got any emails from lenovo about the shipping status or anything, even though I was told by support that I would be kept up to date on its status.

 

Are you really going to rebuild the whole system just to get rid of that file? It is so easy to do. Here are the steps: 1. Go to control panel 2. Go to System and Security 3. Go to free up disk space and press OK 5. press clean up system file and press OK 6. Make sure previous windows is checked and then proceed to deleting it. 7. congratulate yourself that the file disappeared and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

 

For thoroughness? Yes I would. Actually, more for anal-retentiveness. But I guess since it's not _my_ laptop, it's ok to follow your steps Thanks for the advice!

 

Ok, I just replaced the LG screen with the AUO. It wasn't an easy process mostly due to the bracket surrounding the LCD panel. It has the same type of clips that are on the bottom of the case and requires a lot of careful prying to remove. I was careful with the "bezel" (cheap sticker) and it seems to have survived the swap out ok and is centered acceptably. My initial impressions of the AUO:

- Much better viewing angle. A world of difference really. That glaring spotlight is completely gone.
- Text seems a bit crisper.
- Colors are on the yellow side. It was really distracting at first and I had to adjust the color levels in the Intel graphics adapter section. Reducing green and red an equal amount cuts down on the yellow. In order to truly fix it i'd have to have one of those expensive screen calibrators though. I don't know if I got a bad panel or if this amount of yellow is normal. It's concerning. If only there was a way to get the colors of the LG screen and the viewing angles + crispness of the AUO.

 

Most screen either have a warm white or a cool white. You will get use to it unless you are using multiple monitors and they are the opposite.

 

Hey, is anyone else having problems with their wireless connection? The symptoms being that Windows claims you're connected to the network, but without the ability to access the internet, which may resolve itself, or be resolved by disconnecting and reconnecting from the router. No solutions have yet been proposed, but if you're having the same problem it might be helpful to add to this thread:
T440s, major WiFi and Bluetooth instability - Lenovo Community

 

Yea I am adjusting to it or else it just needed some time to "burn in," since it looks better now than it did at first.

 

Found a potential fix if your keyboard is slightly misaligned. There are 2 notches below each Ctrl key, and you can pull the frame around the keyboard back into place. My backspace/enter/shift/arrow keys were all misaligned and pulling the frame back in to place fixed it. Now all my keys are perfect

 

I've been hit by the poor quality stick. Received the replacement machine a few days ago. Unfortunately it is plagued by problems.This one also had the LG screen, but since my original screen was replaced with the AUO it wasn't as big a deal since I swapped them.

-One defective battery latch that doesn't secure the battery.
-Electrical whine from the motherboard when unplugged.
-Down arrow key doesn't always register.
-LG screen has a giant white splotch in the bottom right corner.
-Lid cover makes a noise when even slight pressure is applied. When I had the screen out, everything looked in order in there, so I'm not sure what's causing it.

Like previous Thinkpad's, there seem to be different keyboard suppliers and there's never been such a dramatic difference between two. The 0X0101 feels very hollow and make quite a bit of noise. The 01X0139 is a lot tighter and much more solid. The key are also much more securely mounted. It does feel like it has marginally less travel though.

Don't know which FRU hinge the replacement has, but they are ungodly strong. I like this.

PS: the day the replacement arrived, the original machine stopped powering on. If it hadn't died like this I would've kept it. If the replacement didn't have make electrical noise, I would've kept it too as a new base cover (for the bad battery latch), keyboard would've been easy fixes. And at this point I can replace the lid/screen pretty quickly too.

Onwards to T440s #3.

 

I returned my last T440s due to serious screen defect. Shipped back 2nd day and didn't even look carefully.

However, the other aspects of T440s is so appealing that I'd give it a second shot.

I got the 3+3 cell before. I saw that 3+6 cell had a ~1 cm/0.5 in bump. The bump did not cover the back completely. I wonder if lap use of the 6 cell version would be uncomfortable due to this(or the edge cutting into your leg)? Could any owner do a test? Thanks!

 

@vinuneuro,
If you really are good in assembling/disassembling of the T440s, why not just try and "make one perfect out of two imperfect"?

 

I use the 6 cell on my lap. The feet on the battery do dig in depending on how you're sitting. I've found the best way to sit is with the battery between my legs so this doesn't happen. If you want the extra battery life it's definitely a worth it trade off (IMHO).

 

Thanks! That's very insightful.

T440s has always been my favorite 2013 new thinkpads but I'm leaning towards getting a L440 now as the 1080p display: 1. need scaling. 2.bleeding is an issue. 3.performance is a little bit low imho. The speed is just as fast as my 2 year old T420.

 

@limoooooooo


Can you please comment on the typing experience with the 6-cell battery? Specifically, I want to know if you have the T440s on a desk and are using the 6-cell does it change the dynamics of typing because the laptop is now elevated? Would you care to take some pictures with the 6-cell?

Thanks in advance!

Ducati_6

 

I have the 6 cell. The elevation does not effect typing at all. It actually very nice. And the battery life is amazing. The average seems to be about 13.5 hours. I would buy it again with extended battery no questions. No pictures available. There are videos on youtube of it. Just get it.

 

The need for scaling depends on your eyes. I'm using it at 100% and like it. It took quite a readjustment from the 22" 1080p display I'm used to, but after a couple of days everything else seems comically large

I'm used to having a slanted keyboard so it's actually more comfortable in some ways (at least for me). The elevation isn't really noticeable in normal use at a desk, you could even forget it's there unless you look at it side on. On the other hand, if you're used to a perfectly flat typing experience I guess you may not like it. Maybe sit your laptop current up on something to simulate the angle and see what you think?

I'll try get some photos later too!

 

Yep. I was planning on getting the 3 cell at some point but I don't know if I'll actually bother, I'm really happy with how it is now.

 

Wow, 13.5 hours sound incredible.

I wonder what percentage of user does not have the bleeding/yellowish tint thing on their 1080p screens. It's one major appeal to get this not-that-thin and not-that-light, expensive laptop.

 

The motherboard in the original one is dead. The motherboard in the replacement one is making electrical buzzing noise. That's the hang up.

I will be swapping the lid and AUO screen from the original one since there's a good chance the third machine may also come with an LG. Lenovo says they will give me 5% for my trouble. To be honest I would've even paid a couple hundred more to have not had to deal with this waste of time.

Regarding the other poster's concern about the battery. I thought the 6-cell would be too large so I also ordered an extra 3-cell. It got sent back because the 6-cell is really not too big at all.

 

I wonder what is the percentage of users having issues with the screen, I mean, how bad can LG be? Maybe some users are too picky?
Anyway, I just re-ordered the t440s this time with proper wifi card, hope to get it soon and that all works well.

 

It's not some users are too picky.

When you see a brighter patch in white background, very yellowish tone when put side by side with another screen, or seeing bleeding in a bright room, you know there's something wrong.

The manufacturers are not ready for this new panel.

 

This is exactly what I thought before I actually saw the LG myself. My screen does not have even brightness, and just moving it out of the "sweet spot" by 1 or 2 degrees will cause part of the screen to become much darker. If you tilt it away from the sweet spot by 5 degrees, the entire screen becomes dark and nearly unreadable. But even when it's bright, the coating on its surface looks very grainy. I never thought they can still make a screen this bad in the year 2014. Lenovo should be deeply ashamed for releasing something so bad. I don't think it's just a problem with a few units either, because I don't recall hearing anyone with an LG panel say they're happy with it.

The rest of the laptop is actually quite nice, so I'm keeping mine, but I will get the screen replaced even if I have to buy one from Amazon and do it myself. Still hoping to get it replaced through warranty at this point though.

 

Yup the rest of the laptop is nice except for the spotlight on the LG screen. Other than that no bleed or anything.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

Extract same thing happened to my T440s several days ago. I asked Lenovo for a replacement.

 

Man, I really dodged a bullet by buying mine early. I'm completely happy with mine. Kind of sucks though because we were going to buy another one for my lab but I may tell my professor to wait a bit while these issues get sorted out, or maybe go for a T440p or *shudder* MBA.

 

T440p has the same problem, but if 1600x900 screen is acceptable he could go that one.

For the screen, I ordered an L440 yesterday. It's not that expensive compared to T440s so I might take a look at T460s or something two years later.

 

Every screen has variation. Some people get worse problems than others with the same panel. I think some other people then read the reports, and it causes them to be more bothered by the minor issues that every screen has. I would suggest that before you get too worked up by any issue like viewing angles, graininess, light bleed, uniformity, or color temperature, that you go to a Best Buy, take a look at the screens on a bunch of other laptops from competing manufacturers and use that as a reference for how bad the problems are on your panel.

I have had both the AUO and the LG. Both of those individual panels had issues.

-The AUO had vertical lines that were visible when displaying solid red, green, or blue colors.
-The AUO had a stuck red pixel in the center of the screen.

-The LG had a grainy look when displaying whites.
-The LG had half of the spotlight issue (there was a dark band that would appear when tilting the panel away from me, but not when tilting toward me.

-Both panels had light bleed, but it was a little worse on the AUO (I think this issue really comes down to construction rather than an anything specific to either panel).
-Both panels had viewing angle issues. As I mentioned, the LG had part of the spotlight issue, but when viewing from more extreme angles, the AUO was worse.

Of the two screens, the LG was definitely better. The partial spotlight effect on the LG was annoying, but not as annoying as the vertical lines and stuck pixel on the AUO. I ended up RMA'ing the AUO because of the screen problems and the LG because it had some unrelated power supply problems. I probably would have kept the LG if it didn't have problems elsewhere in the system.

I think what you should take away is that even though issues with the AUO seem to be less common, at least based on what you hear on forums, it is possible to get a good LG and a bad AUO. If you happen to have an above-average LG screen, you shouldn't assume that replacing it with an AUO will always make it better.

 

This is why I am so picky about laptops in general, I've learned what machines to out right avoid and the plastic junk they make now days should be treated as it were radioactive. The last thing anyone needs is a cracked screen or a screen to break off (seen that happen with newer laptops) and board failures are very common. I greatly dislike the lack of any real quality of modern laptops, it doesn't matter how fast it is if it breaks often.

 

I don't know. The spotlight effect is pretty annoying IMO - it essentially makes it a TN screen when tilting it away from me. That's unacceptable for an IPS panel.

I too have no viewing angle issues when it's tilted toward me, but who the hell actually cares about a screen tilted towards them? There are many more instances where you'd want to lay the laptop flat than nearly closed.