ThinkPad X220 (i/T) Owners Thread

Do you guys know how to improve the booting time of the x220? I have the tablet version and my booting time is far away from what they advertise as Lenovo RapidBoot.
Does anyone know how to check if rapidboot technology is active in my machine?

Thanks.

 

Hey guys, just in case, would this 90W work?
Lenovo - 90W AC Adapter for Select Lenovo Laptops - 45J7717
Cheapest one made by Lenovo I could find.

I'm dealing with some unrelated computer issues on my desktop now, but I'll be back with a screenshot later. Frankly, having a desktop for serious computing, I don't think this throttling issue is terribly relevant to me, but I believe it's important to be thorough.

 

what's your current boot time? on a standard hard disk, you're probably looking at 35-50 seconds. if you upgrade to a ssd, you boot times will be reduced to 20-35 seconds.

 

Right now I think is around 60 - 70 secs (standard 7200 rpm hd). My guess is that it has to do with a lot of processes and services (lenovo-related and not) automatically loaded at startup. I can see that RapidBoot is installed but I can't find its settings page to see if it is really enabled or not.
Any idea?

 

Dang, my boot time is 32 seconds (from power button to usable desktop) with a 320 7200... that is also using the fingerprint reader.

Also, the fingerprint reader is the only lenovo software I have installed, on a clean install. At my idle desktop right after booting, I have 38 processes running... if that matters.

Quite happy with this boot time. I'm guessing it would be a little faster without the fingerprint reader. That thing seems to lag it up when loading the login screen.

 

how much memory do you have, 4gb? even with the stock win7 image, boot up should be less than 60 seconds. does the x220 tablet version have extra software installed which causes some delays in the startup time?

 

I have 8 gb. I guess the preinstalled software is the same as the non-tablet version. I still don't know about this rapidboot that it's supposed to reduce the boot time. Anyone knows more about it?

 

Lenovo Support - RapidBoot for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) - ThinkPad

 

the preinstall should have rapidboot already. go to your add/remove programs and it should show rapidboot.

 

X220, i7, 8GB RAM, 300GB SSD, IPS, Intel 6205 2x2 WiFi, Bluetooth, webcam, fingerprint reader, 9 cell, 3-yr Depot warrant, Win 7 Ultimate

 

I cancelled my order for an x220 (i7 version) because of the 'Throttling' issue.

But I am wondering whether I can avoid the problem by simply ordering an i5 version instead. Is it true that the i5 version of the x220 is not affected by the throttling or noise issue?

I am not convinced that the updated BIOS (1.16) solves the problem because it appears to reduce the fan noise by accepting higher CPU temperatures (which may cause long term problems). It doesn't seem to change the fact that on some machines the fan revs at a frequency of 2.2 kHz when running above 2000 RPM.

 

Call whichever store or online retailre you ordered from and ask for an RMA refund, if you want one. I did with Lenovo UK, and they gave me the RMA refund number (I haven't pulled the trigger yet...!). Good chance they'll give you a refund given the plethora of issues you have (or feel you have).

Petrov.

 

Are there instructions or photos available for dissecting the x220? i want to replace the intel centrino 1000 wifi card with a spare intel centrino 6300 i have, as well as apply new thermal paste to the cpu.

edit: nevermind. found out there are service videos on lenovo's website for the x220. very sweet!

 

Thanks for all your help everyone. I am happy to say that I am one of the rare Mac folks to switch to Windows... and I am VERY happy to have done so. I don't find either one superior to the other. They are just different but I am comfortable using either OS.

As for the X220, I could not be happier. After some initial hiccups primarily because I am new to the Windows world, everything has "just worked". I am still finding my way around the machine and OS but after getting my Adobe apps installed, all is running perfectly. I have not noticed ANY fan noise at all, no matter what I have been doing. I guess since I have the i5, it should not be an issue but thought I would confirm that.

Waiting for my displayport/HDMI adapter to come and then I am set. Does anyone have experience using the wireless display with the X220? I am considering that. Thanks again!

 

Yeah, I had a Mac a few years ago. While I liked it as something different, I didn't find it particularly better or worse than Windows or Linux. Yes, the X220 is the real deal.

 

I want to try out the vanilla synpatics drivers for the trackpad; anyone know where I can download them?

Nevermind: I downloaded the drivers from synaptic's site, but it doesn't allow what I want, two and three finger tap.

Two finger scrolling is somewhat smoother with the synpatics drivers, and it adds the synaptics gesture engine called "Scrybe", which is invoked by a three finger tap.

However, in FF, two finger scrolling changes the mouse cursor to the annoying "you are scrolling" icon in Firefox. Using the Lenovo driver, that mouse cursor shows up when two-finger scrolling everywhere EXCEPT in Firefox.

What I want: two-finger scrolling without the mouse icon, and two- and three-finger tap (not click, which works but isn't what I want)


WOO-HOO!!. Using the synaptics drivers, OR THE LENOVO DRIVERS, setting the Windows Registry value
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Synaptics\SynTP\TouchPadPS2\2FingerTapAction to 2 allows two-finger tap!!!
Note this requires logging out and logging back in.

Setting the corresponding 3FingerTapAction to 4 does NOT allow three finger tap; this may be because I did not change the 3FingerTapPlugInActionID and 3FingerTapPlugInID values.

Update: Three-finger tap works if 3FingerTapPlugInActionID is changed to 5 (with the Synaptics driers, it's 32 hex/50 decimal).

Values for NFingerTapAction: 0 = not used, 1 = left click, 2 = right click, 4 = middle click, 8 = back button, other values unknown.

I edit: HAVE tested this using the Lenovo drivers.

Still looking for a way to get rid of the mouse cursor icons while scrolling.


So currently, I have two-finger tap (and click) as right mouse, three-finger tap as "back", three-finger flick left as back and three-finger flick right as forward (the last two are the default actions as set up in the UltraNav GUI, if three-finger flick is enabled). I've switched back to the Lenovo drivers, as they don't show the scrolling mouse icon in Firefox. (They do show it n other apps.)

The practical effect of this is that I never have to press to physically click on the pad.

 

According to the Intel SSA Toolbox, the 160GB Intel SSD that comes as an option with the x220 has the model number INTEL SSDSA2M160G2LE.

That means it is a 2nd generation X-25M.

 

Thank you very much for this information. I was also looking for this. I would not buy an integrated SSD from Lenovo (or any PC manufacturer). Chances are that you get overpriced and outdated hardware. Just for SSD it's so important to get the latest generation, given that SSD performance is still greatly improving. The X-25M is still a reasonably "good" and reliable SSD, nothing wrong with it. But the Lenovo price is too high, and the successor model is faster.

 

I can also confirm on the x220t it comes with a 2nd Gen X-25M 160gb SSD.
For me the upgrade was a little bit more than $300.00 and it's about the same as purchasing by itself. I did not want the extra HD nor the hassle of cloning/clean install. All i had to do was turn it on and I am good to go! Lovin' it so far!

 

Thanks Weed (and Imf). I was afraid of that. Disappointing that they would use the X-25M as it's basically outdated and being phased out in favor of the new 320. Intel just increased the warranty on the new 320 to 5 years, plus it's supposedly 30% faster with better feature set. It's also cheaper, so I'm surprised that Lenovo is using the x-25M. Maybe they have a lot of stock to deplete or they got a good clearance sale deal from Intel.

 

its LMF btw but anyways...ya... i agree with you on that. I just wanted to make sure they weren't gen1 intels. Gen2 gets you trim alongside the better performance and the 320's are even better than the gen2's. I guess if I ever wanted to upgrade I could throw the x-25 I have in my x220t into my x120e.
But in anycase, the x-25 seems fine for me atm.

 

With my X220 docked, running on AC with Display Port out to external monitor, why is the screen doing a slight dim every now and then?

Also, is anyone using the Intel Management and Security service?

 

I don't think the Intel 320 has some of the problems the SB chipset and SATA 3 SSDs have had so it may be fine, but I am perfectly happy to receive the X-25M.

I don't think you can say it is not as good as the 320. A more stable controller and larger media is not all bad.

If you want real speed get a Vertex 3 and deal with the problems.

AS SSD benchmarks on a factory load X25M in the X220 would be welcomed.

Perry

 

i could run one if i get linked the proper tools

 

I agree that the X-25M is solid...and the Lenovo factory price with discount is fairly close to the street price, so still a pretty good deal without all the fuss and potential headaches of DIY. They may eventually switch to 320s as the X-25 stock is depleted. Word is that Intel has G4 SSDs scheduled for release fall '11.

 

In my user pofile's appdata (C:\Users\MYUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming), I have a JomCap.dll, which is supposedly something to do with Intel Indentity Protection technology.

But it seems a weird place for a dll. anyone else have this dll, there?

 

Windows 8 on an X220T (from Thisismynext):

 

It's not about the X-25M versus the 320. The 320 itself is also outdated already, it's a SATA II SSD. It does not take advantage of the chipset's capability. The point here here is that Lenovo is selling the latest and greatest CPU and chipset generation together with a previous-previous generation SSD that is not produced anymore for quite a long time. The X-25M is still a good SSD, but I think Lenovo could do better.

 

And the first video showing Windows 8 new GUI: YouTube - ‪Building "Windows 8" - Video #1‬‏

 

Hi, I am debating whether to get a X220 w/9 Cell or a X220T w/6 cell

Two questions:
1. How is the battery life of a X220T w/6cell (I know Lenovo says 9 hrs, but what are you guys getting)
2. Also how is the multitouch (not gorilla glass) screen on the X220T against sunlight?
Jesse B Andersen: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Tablet - Infinity Glass Screen Glare
This guy says its pretty bad at anti-glaring so I don't know how well it will do in university with some classrooms' lighting and using it outdoors

 

Well I received my X220 today and have just started fiddling with it!

Super happy with build quality and everything. Have not noticed any unusual fan noise, no wobble in my battery (9-cell), and haven't noticed anything else that shouldn't be happening.

Might be doing a short review in the future.

 

The only thing I really dislike about my X220 is the layout of the ports.

In particular, the way the power adapter juts out the back of the machine. Is there any L-shaped adapter I can buy, to make it more flush?

 

Anyone have any issues with the standard Thinkpad B/G/N wireless? Is it worth purchasing the upgraded Centrino Ultimate N? Is there a huge speed difference or ability to find wireless networks? Does anyone have numbers to share?

 

Most people on the forum seem to opt for the intel wireless. It seems to be quite a bit faster than the crappy lenovo standard and it is a fairly cheap upgrade.

 

Just got my X220 an hour ago, haven't gotten to turning it on yet but some initial impressions:

-WOW it is light.
-very very solid, lid flexes a bit more than my dad's T410 but that's an acceptable compromise for the reduction in weight.
-the 9 cell battery is actually quite...small? and unobtrusive. Shame I got one that wiggles a little on one side, guess I'll stick a piece of tape in there to remedy that a little.
-love the matte finish on the screen, so sick of stupid glossy displays
-the keyboard feels great, the legends are true! the keys feel a lot like my desktop keyboard which has scissor action but they don't wiggle like my keyboard. can't wait to type on it
-who said thinkpads were ugly? this is freakin beautiful
-the size is perfect, I'm really happy I went for an ultraportable
-I love the material and finish on the outside, feels really nice in your hands
-dang the power adapter is tiny.

EDIT: okay fiddled a little, here are my thoughts:
Wow the power button is pretty. The screen is great (TN, not even IPS). Touchpad is rather abysmal, but I am training myself to use the trackpoint instead, which is taking a little getting used to seeing how last time I used one was when I was 7...on my dad's IBM Thinkpad The touchpad isn't responding to multitouch gestures, but I suppose my hands will always be on the keyboard so it doesn't matter. To the touchpad's credit, it's sensitive and doesn't go crazy like some other trackpads I've used.

The hard drive is AMAZINGLY quiet. This isn't something many people notice, but the clicking sounds are very hard to hear. That said there is that slightly louder than usual whine because it's 7200rpm not 5400rpm. My fan hasn't kicked in yet somehow, so I don't know how that will be. The screen is very bright on max. The Thinklight is incredibly nifty

More later.

EDIT 2: Okay the fan kicked in, the noise is acceptable. It has the high pitch due to the high rpm it operates at, but they kept the noise under control. I like the way the vents are designed, keeps it nice and cool. I like how the battery meter adjusts very quickly. The computer is reasonably snappy, but I think the hard drive will have to be replaced with an SSD somewhere down the road. I think I'll turn out a very happy X220 owner I have never seen this kind of quality at this price.

EDIT 3: I've forgiven the touchpad for its woes, as it seems to be fine functionally. However the bumpy surface just screams unrefined, I wish they didn't do that Also the sensitivity isn't well calibrated out of the factory.

 

Hey all,

Anybody in this thread actually know about the docking options for the x220 Tablet?

The online specs sheet lists the ultrabase series 3 as the only compatible docking option for the x220 tablet, however the series 3 ultrabase is compatible with the x220 (non-tablet), and those are compatible with the minidock.

Long story short, is the x220 tablet compatible with the Mini Dock Plus?

Lenovo Support - Docks, Port Replicator, Ultrabase - Reference Guide

Lastly, has anyone confirmed whitelisting of WLAN cards on the x220 series? I want to put in a Killer 1102 N card in mine... http://www.bigfootnetworks.com/killer-wireless-n-1102/

 

I'll be bowing out with my own testing and whatnot for now. My x220 (i7) RMA/refund pickup is tomorrow. I'll continue to lurk and contribute as a prior-owner, as I'm keen to see the throttling issue, in particular, be resolved. I just don't want to bear the risk that it's not resolved given it has a real impact on my day-to-day usage.

If Lenovo can come up with a fix for the throttling issue on the i7, I'll repurchase an i7 version (I really want the power and USB 3.0) asap as I think it has the potential to be a peerless laptop in the current market.

Thanks,
Petrov.

 

Do you happen to know of any other laptop manufacturers that are selling the 320 or newer as a standard option? If Lenovo were still selling stuff years after other manufacturers had moved on to new parts (ahem Apple Airs) that is one thing, but if they are shipping what's standard for the industry then that's another.

I actually like it better than on the side as with my X200T. There were a lot more stresses on the plug and cable when it was on the side.

I would agree, except that I am having trouble with the Centrino 6250 chipset on my home network. It seems that it doesn't play well with my Airport Extreme router - it continually drops connections, times out on things like DNS lookups, and in general is very annoying. None of the other wireless devices on the network exhibit this behavior. And when I take my X220 to another wireless network, it seems to work just fine.

 

Which Display for the X220T is better?

1) Multitouch HD IPS LED

or

2) Outdoor HD IPS LED

What are the key diferences?

 

key differences:

multitouch:

• rather matte
• enables input via touch (=fingers)
• rather "hazy" reflections (check video)
• AVAILABLE

outdoor/gorilla glass:

• glossy, but good anti-reflex coating
• stylus/pen use only, no finger input!
• VERY durable, scratch proof, takes impacts (watch video at 4:25+)
• NOT AVAILABLE

I prefer matte screens over glossy ones but I want to try a tablet convertible now and I can see myself being frustrated by hazy reflections when working on a train with bright lights right next to me etc.
I wanted the outdoor variant but since it's still not available and there are even rumors that it was cancelled, I'm quite unlikely to purchase a x220T now. More looking into the Fujitsu T901.

 

The video from the multitouch display, I think thats an error by the display, isnt it? I dont think thats normal.

Are there any information of Contrast Ratio and Color Amount of both displays to compare them?

 

Hi all

I wonder if you could please help me out with two questions concerning the x220 (that I love btw).

1. Does anyone know of a well fitting sleeve for the x220 (6 cell battery). I have heard of the zeroshock III but I sounds like it is quite bulky to be used in a messenger bag and better suited for the 9 cell battery pack. I don't have any experience with the lenovo sleeve myself but have heard it is supposed to be a bit large as well. Also: If I was living in the US I would not hestitate to buy a SFbag-sleeve (they look extremely cool) but with shipping + duty and import tax, the price is simply too high for "just"a sleeve" (price properly landing around $120).

2. Does anyone know how fast the media card reader can transfer data? I intend to buy a big SD card (32gb) and use it as a secondary storage but I don't know what speed I sould buy. I don't expect harddisk speeds in any case but would like to know how fast a card I should buy to get max speed without wasting money. Currently Sandisk produce 30mb/s read and write speed cards.

Thanks in advance.

idless

 

Well said Chain. I noticed on the Lenovo order website today that the price just went up on the Intel 160GB SSD option AND they've added a warning in red that states "this option may delay your order 4 weeks or more".
Running low on the vintage X-25M stock? Let's hope so.

 

Can someone who has the X220 with the i7 processor and the 6 cell battery tell me how is the battery life? Or does anyone know where to find the info on the expected battery life for the i7 with the 6 cell? Is it the same as the x220 with the i5 2520m?

I currently have the 9 cell and battery life is great but just dont like that the battery sticks out about an inch plus lift the laptop a bit. So thinking in getting the 6 cell if battery life is good enough.

 

Mellospace check the battery life thread, there's a lot of info in there. Typically a bunch of i7 users report about 6-7 (leaning towards 6), with some saying it bumped up a little bit with the latest firmware update.

 

Ok thanks. Thats not bad at all. If I can get over 6hrs that will be fine. Ill read that thread now. Thanks.

 

FYI, my understanding is that the 6-cell also lifts the laptop a bit, it just doesn't stick out the back. If you want flush and flat, you need the 4-cell.

 

6 cell lifts as well. Difference between 6 & 9 is the inch which sticks out. The height remains the same. If you get 4-cell, it will stay completely flush.

IMHO, the height helps keep it a bit more ventilated than sitting flush on the desk.

 

Yes, the 6 cell will do since I want to keep the battery life it offers over the 4 cell and the lift doesnt bother me much like the sticking out an inch part. Thanks guys.

 

Just reporting in that my i7 X220 with the IPS display arrived today (ordered 5/28, estimated shipping date 6/15). So far all is good. No whiny fans. Haven't run OCCT to check for throttling, and probably won't bother since Lenovo has indicated they are working on a fix. Have tested running Guild Wars - and it plays great at Medium Settings - would probably even be fine at High settings. It's not a GPU intensive game, but the processor seems to work just fine, as monitored using Real Temp 3.67.

Initial impressions are very positive. Love the feel of the laptop, and the smaller display compared to a 15" is just fine. Glad I didn't cancel my order.