ThinkPad X220 (i/T) Owners Thread

They're sold everywhere - Amazon, Newegg - for around $50. Apparently some work better than others, so check user reviews.

 

Finally seem to have my X220 set up properly. Ordered June 21, delivered July 6.
Specs:
4286CT CONFIGURED SYSTEM

$715.27 $715.27
0A69633 SBB INTEL CORE I5-2410M PROC
27R1799 VBB PC DOS LICENSE
39T7676 SBB DOS 2000 FLYER - NO
0A69642 SBB 12.5PRMHDLDBCLTDPYMBBBRDAN
45M4569 VBB 2GBPC3-10600DDR3 1333SODMM
45M4839 SBB KEYBOARDUS ENGLISH
0A69643 SBB FINGERPRINT READER
0A69657 SBB CAMERA, HD 720P
0A69650 SBB 250GB HRDDSK DRV,5400RPM
0A68287 SBB NO MSSDRIVE
0A69646 SBB TP BATTERY 29+(6CELL)
41W1787 SBB CPK NORTH AMERICA
0A68261 SBB BLUETOOTH 3.0
0A68255 SBB IC ADVN 6205 2X2AGN
44C7950 SBB INT WRLSSWDAREANTWRK UPGR
0A69659 SBB LANGUAGE PACK US ENGLISH
for $783.22 total. Added the same 128GB Samsung SSD ($165) that Lenovo uses and 8GB HyperX1866 for ($132) for a total of $1080.22. Not a bad deal, especially with the premium IPS panel.
I am using all Lenovo drivers except for the graphics. Lenovo graphics driver would always give me a blue screen everytime I tried installing. Finally tried the latest Intel version and no problem. My WEI total score is 6.4. (detailed in sig) My only problem is my fingerprint scanner won't work as software says I don't have one, but device manager says otherwise. From what I have read, it seems to be because I am using UEFI bios. (1.17) All hot keys, etc seem to be functioning properly.

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▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀ "The balance of neurotransmitters seemed just about perfect." MPJ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀

X220/I5 -2510/8GB Kingston HyperX/Samsung 128GB SSD MZ-7PA128HMCD/Windows 7 Home Premium/WEI 6.4 - Processor 6.9, Memory 7.5, Graphics 6.4, Gaming Graphics 6.4, Hard Disk 7.6

 

Was going to say the same thing. And you would only need to keep in the expresscard for as long as you were connecting your peripheral, be it an external drive or whatever.

Also bear in mind that USB on the i7 model is via a third-party chipset rather than native to the mobo (as I believe are all notebooks with intel chipsets). This *might* mean it doesn't perform as well as it could with all peripherals in terms of pure speed and USB 3.0 compatibility . But don't quote me on that.

 

Actually the speed of it is unique in that it's wired up well on the X220 and was one of the major reasons I got it - it runs at super speed / 4.8gbit. The Expresscard is wired the same way too so that's a good thing.

I'm not happy that I'm having trouble with the audio/mic jack on the laptop. I want to be able to plug a mic and headphone into it, so I need to break the connections out. I'm using the stock conexant audio drivers also.

Here's an image of the audio cables I've found:
http://i.imgur.com/gkpDU.jpg

1) White one is an iPod TTY Cable
2) Small black one is a 3.5mm TRRS to 2.5mm combo adaptor
3) Red is a adaptor for the cable on the right, from headset buddy. That can plug into 2 as well.

All of those cables have the same problem where the headset has a lot of noise and the microphone is barely working. Not fun I'd love to be able to record audio using this laptop, preferably without a usb dongle :/

 

Just placed my order a couple of days ago!

Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.3GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)
Operating system ThinkPad PC DOS License
Operating system language PC DOS 2000 License
Display type 12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 2x2 Antenna
Total memory 2 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)
Keyboard Keyboard US English
Fingerprint reader No Fingerprint Reader
Camera 720p HD Camera
Hard drive 250 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Micro Hard Drive No Micro Solid State Drive
Battery ThinkPad Battery 29++ (9 cell)


I will probably add another 2gb of ram.(yes I know it doesn't come with windows)

The price was $730 after taxes

I'm guessing it will be 2-3 weeks before it arrived? The estimated ship date is August 1st and I really hope that's not correct.


What bag's are you guys using for the x220?

I'm going to need a bag that can hold my x220 + large and heavy text books.

 

Damn

I have a small microphone around somewhere. Will test it out as soon as I find it. I take it you've played around with FN+F6 and also the smart audio settings?


Does your integral microphone work okay with skype?

 

Nothing I've read leads me to believe that the jack on the side is anything but a headphone jack. If you want an external mic, I suggest a USB headset.

 

From the X220 datasheet:

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/ww/pdf/x220_datasheet.pdf

 

@SuperRoach
Have you tried adjusting the settings in Control Panel > SmartAudio and Control Panel > Sound ? Are you sure your headset itself doesn't have a problem? Have you tried your setup at another location and/or on battery only?

 

firstly thanks for the replies guys

Like GomJabbar mentioned yeah - it has an extra ring in theory to allow for this kind of stuff. Another laptop which does the same thing is the sony vaio z series - same thing, but they call theirs a "combo jack"

I had no idea about fn + f6 existing, I'll have a look at that now. As a sidenote, for quick pictures that webcam option in that panel looks great!

I have been doing most of this stuff on power, I'll give on battery a go while I'm doing some testing tonight.
I am suprised more people havn't tried to use it?

In terms of how im using it - I'm not plugging an headset in there. At least, I don't have one of those headsets I could try. I am plugging in a normal set of headphones into the headphone input, and a proper microphone (mixed and output from a mixing board) is going into the microphone input. I definately know the sources work well because other normal laptops are working ok with the sources... but I'd love to have it work on the x220.

Failing all of this, I guess I might consider if their is a cheap expresscard type option, so I can skip the latency problems you'll get from a usb soundcard.

 

What is Thinkvantage Utilities Musashi?

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/ww/pdf/x220_datasheet.pdf (page 4)

 

Update regarding the sound input - I have it working! Thanks for the thoughts GomJabber, the problem was located in the smart audio panel. In the "speaker" tab, there is a choice between classic and multistream, which is mentioned to be using the speakers for differing output against the headphones.

However, it also mixes the internal mic with the external mic, boo!

Putting it on classic functions perfectly, one happy camper

 

The x220 is 25% off right now in Canada with the RedFlagDeals promo.

Which upgrades would you recommend to get and which ones would you do yourself?

 

I'm 90% sure I'm gonna be purchasing now one too, not sure when Lenovo is going to do another deal like this so I don't want to pass it up. Here's what I'm configuring:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2520M Processor (Other i5s aren't worth the money, and I don't need the power of the i7 (throttling issues as well with the i7))
Display: Went with the Premium HD (Everyone says it's worth it)
RAM: 2GB (Gonna install another 2GB stick myself, I'm not paying Lenovo an extra $80 for 4GB...)
Fingerprint reader: Debating whether I really should get one or not still
Camera: 720p HD
Hard drive: 250GB
Battery: 9 Cell
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN

 

Exactly same configuration as mine. Intel mSATA or 7mm SSD will be icing on the cake.

 

If I want really fast boot times will I have to go the 7mm SSD route?

 

I'm debating between 9 cell or 6 cell battery.
1. What is the laptop's weight difference between the two?
2. The height is the same on both, the only difference is that one sticks out more than the other. Is this correct?

3. Also, if you want to get the 720p HD camera, you need to get the the 2x2 antenna. Is this correct?

4. Is it worth it to upgrade to the 320gb 7200rpm hard drive for $70?

 

1. Don't know, maybe 1 pound? But it's 50% more power.

2. Yes.

3. Yes, the 3x3 takes too much space to include the camera.

4. If you don't think you'll be upgrading to SSD, I'd opt for the 7200rpm.

 

There is a option I have been reading about that I really like:
If you have a unit without the WWan card, you could install a Msata SSD (an example of one is here) in its place, install you OS on that drive and config your system so that it is the boot drive; thus having the speed of a SSD for faster windows boot times, as well as any other programs you have on that drive, and keep the original HD in its place and use it simply for storage.

Personally I love the fact that you can have such a small Laptop and still have two decent size hard drives in it; really don't like having to plug & un-plug a spare drive.

Have a Magical Day!

 

What is a WWan card? Is that a card that goes in the system's expansion slot like the Gemplus 54mm ExpressCard Smart Card Reader?

 

No, it plugs into the mini PCI-E slot on the motherboard. It allows for connectivity to a cellular network, should you have such a plan.

 

Your computer will have the option to use one, but they are not included by default. If you do not specifically add it, you'll have that slot available for an mSATA drive.

I have the same spec as mentioned above (without the fingerprint reader). I put in 8gb of RAM and a 80gb Intel 310 mSATA drive. It's amazingly fast now, highly recommended. The BIOS fix for the mSATA problem should be out very soon, I'd think, so I wouldn't worry about possibly getting one with the bug.

 

Did you install the 80gb drive as the OS drive, along with a second drive for your files. Is that why it is so fast (along with the 8gb of RAM)?

 

IMO, the fingerprint reader is a novelty. The swipe to power is a neat trick, but in terms of 3rd party application implementation (IE, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) it's still far behind from what the ideal could be.

The only upgrades you should be considering is the CPU, display, and WiFi card as these upgrades are much more difficult and costly to do yourself. The webcam and Bluetooth fall under this category, but will depend of whether the user will need these features.

For the CPU selection, the i3 is generally a good selection for most users. The i5 will add Turbo boost which increases CPU speed temporarily for high demand applications. The i7 option with give you USB 3.0. There are other features inherent to each chip (i.e. virtualization) but these technologies are moot to most.

Avoid upgrades in memory and hard drive. These options are severely overpriced. For the price of 4gb memory upgrade through Lenovo, you can purchase 8gb easily, and sell the old memory to offset the cost. Same for the hard drive.

 

I see you have a 320GB 7200rpm HD + 32GB mSATA SSD. Is your 32GB mSATA SSD installed into the mini PCI-E slot on the motherboard?
If so, do you have to do a clean install after installing the mSATA SSD?

 

Yeah, the 80gb drive has the OS and the program files. All my data is on the normal hard drive. The comp was plenty fast with just the 4gb it came with, but for an extra $35, why not max it out. The ram helps gaming too so it's all good for me.

 

Yes the SSD is installed in the mini pci-e slot. I got the computer with a DOS license, so I had to do a clean install regardless.

If you have a preload of Windows 7, you would have to do another install of it on the mSATA SSD to take advantage of it as a boot/system drive. You can do a clean install using a Windows 7 image (what I did), there are threads around here which details how to do a clean installation of Windows 7.

 

From the 'tabook' the weights of the complete notebook are:

4 cell - 1.35kg
6 cell - 1.50kg
9 cell - 1.67kg

Hope this helps.

S

 

How long does it take all of you to reconnect to wlan when you come out of standby? My machine seems to be taking an unusually long time, 10+ sec. With everything other thinkpad I've had in the past they would be reconnected by the time I logged in. The other issue out of standby is that the mouse is unresponsive for a good 5sec.

 

My X220 reconnects to my WLAN in less than 5secs. Mouse is responsive once out of standby too.

 

Has anyone found a 54mm Express card SDHC/Xd reader that allows the SDHC card to be flush so that you can leave it in all the time?

Most reviewers say the Express card is flush but the SDHC card sticks out.

 

My x220 is about to ship from Shanghai - awaiting UPS pick up.

 

1. Is it worth to upgrade the processor from i5 2520 to i5 2540 for $50? Are there any significant improvments on the 2540 over the 2520?

2. Does the x220 with the 9v battery fit well into the ThinkPad 12w Case sleeve? Is this a good sleeve or would you recommend another?

3. Is the ThinkPad Series 3 UltraBase usefull enough to justify the $200 price tag?

 

1. Not worth it. It's just a slightly higher cpu clock.

2. I don't know if I recall this correctly, but I believe someone said that there was enough room for a 9 cell.

3. Depends on how often you will depend on it.

 

1. Definitely not worth it. Save the money for more visible upgrades like an mSATA SSD.

2. The sleeve offered by Lenovo is loose, even with a 9-cell. I would recommend looking in the x220 case thread. I have ordered the top loading one from eBay.

3. Ultrabase is useful of you plan on using it as a desktop replacement. You can connect all your peripherals like a monitor, usb drives, keyboard, etc. to the base. Slap on the X220 and it basically becomes a desktop, remove the x220 and it becomes an ultra-portable.

 

I recently bought a X220 and I want to know if my expresscard is version 1.0 or 2.0. How can I check that??

I want to know, cause I want to buy a USB 3.0 expresscard and I want to do eGPU.

Thanks!

 

The expresscard slot is pcie 2.0 x1.

 

Not necessarily, my 7200 in this machine booted in 32 seconds (button to desktop). However my mSata does it in 20. I personally wouldn't get a SSD to replace the HDD. I'd stick with the mSata + HDD option. Consumes less power too, you'll get better battery life compared to just an SSD. The Intel 310 consumes .175w while active, I don't think any regular size SSD's consume that little power (I may be wrong). You can spin down the HDD so it consumes nothing while not in use. I dropped from 7w (just HDD) to 5.35w (mSata + HDD).

 

The ultrabase the only useful if you need an optical drive or an extra SATA connected HDD. Otherwise, you can get the Mini Dock Series 3 for less than $100 online, which has all the same features except that.

 

There are only 2 things I plan to add to the i5 2520 X220.
1. 2 x 4GB memory.
2. 80gb Intel 310 mSATA drive(the X220 will come with a 320GB 7200rpm HD).

I have looked at the videos from Lenovo on how to change the memory. From what I understand, I just need to take out the 2GB that comes with the machine and add the 2 x 4GB. There is nothing else I have to do, like update drivers for example. Is this correct.

In regards to the 80gb Intel 310 mSATA drive, is there any videos on how to add it to the X220. Also, after it is installed, what are the steps I need to take to finish the process. I want to make sure that I set it up in a way that the system is as fast and as stable as possible.

 

I'd get the one 4GB stick and see how it goes. You can always add more later. Unless you've got a specific need to run memory intensive apps like VMs, perhaps you do, the extra memory is a waste.

 

5.35w at idle is insane- especially for a full powered laptop. IIRC netbooks idle higher than that.

I thought that I had read that x220 user were getting a much bigger speed bump by going the 7mm SSD route as opposed to the pricier but more versatile mSATA SSD. But maybe I am mistaken.

Anyhow, it seems like the 7mm size bumps up prices and install is sometime a challenge. So it does seem like mSATA is the way to go.

 

Correct, there's nothing you need to do when swapping RAM besides physically installing it, which takes all of 2 minutes.

All the information on setting up the SSD+HDD combo is around here on this forum. I did a ton of research before I bought mine and got it all setup nicely. I have like 15 bookmarks to different threads (and pages buried in this thread) with useful information. The best advice I can give you is to do the research yourself. You'll learn a lot more and ask a lot fewer questions (since they've probably all been answered already).

 

I'm probably going to wait for this(if it works well with the x220.) It should blow the Intel 310 out of the water:

RunCore outs T50 6Gb/s mSATA SSD, SandForce speeds included -- Engadget

 

I've been hearing about the x220 throttling whenever someone unplugs it, this doesn't effect all of the x220's right?

 

As far as I know that problem's only for the i7 versions, someone correct me if I'm wrong though.

 

I have spent several hours reading every single post on this thread and any thread about the X220. I didn't bookmark any thread regarding setting up a ssd+HDD because I didn't realize that you could actually put the ssd on the motherboard until some recent posts (I was learning as I went along and didn't understand some of the earlier posts). At the beginning I remember some saying that they were doing a clean install using the factory image, others were setting it up differently. I don't mind going back and searching again, but what I really want to know is which process would make the system the fastest and most stable.

 

Throttling can occur on any model - it's been reported on i5's as well. To avoid the i7 because of it is a fallacy. Apparantly the update due anytime to the bios is supposed to fix that as well as the msata issue.


Also on follow up of my microphone input - I think it may be mono only If I plug a crappy pc mic in, it will work... but if I plug a stereo cable into the mic cable, it won't work unless I hold it partially in... and doing that gives me only a mono signal. Darn, I didn't think of that.

 

I went with a clean install because I am a control freak like that. If you want the most stable, you may want to just use your factory restore discs. It's been confirmed that the restore works correctly on SSD's (no "alignment" issues). If you do a clean install, Lenovo has a step-by-step on what drivers to install in what order. The link is around here somewhere.

The other thing you'll want to do is find info on optimizing windows for SSD use. You want to move your Users folders to your HDD, turn off certain features, etc. There's info on that around here too (it may not be in an x220 thread).

 

I'm utterly confused by the hard drives. So there's a regular 2.5" bay that slides out, which is compatible with all 2.5" laptop drives? Then there's a spot for a 7mm 2.5" drive that fits in the WWAN spot? Or are both 7mm only?

edit: nevermind, figured out that the WWAN spot is only a mSATA drive, and the other drive is 7mm only (or with mods)