Thinkpad T420 + T420s Owner's Thread

Thanks ThinkRob.

Is the coupon only the 5% one until 20th? I thought it it was 10% at least?

 

Yes, I have exactly the same problem.

 

Well, I hate to do this on a brand new machine, but anyway, I removed the keyboard, and bingo some wires where not laying in the "canal" where they should be, and were lying on the edge of it instead, so they made a bulge underneath the keyboard. I put them back in the "canal", and taped them up correctly and everything seems fine for now.

 

I decided to bite the bullet and ordered the T420 after being made aware of the 10% Easter coupon for the Lenovo UK shop (EASTERSALE2011 - thanks Seagalkick). I decided to go for the T420i base unit and upgrade as I go. I ordered the following specs:

ThinkPad T420 - 3 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty

Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.30GHz, 3MB L3)
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Operating system language: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 US English
Display type: 14.0 HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
System graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Total memory: 2 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
Keyboard: Keyboard UK English
Hard drive: 250 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Optical device: DVD recordable multiburner
System expansion slots: Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader
Battery: 9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++
Power cord: Country Pack EU Generic (WWAN enabled) with Line cord & 90W AC adapter
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)
Integrated mobile broadband: Integrated Wireless Wide Area Network upgradable
Language pack: Language Pack UK English

I already got a 8GB DDR3 kit and Intel 510 120GB SSD lying around for the system so I didn't need to perk those up. Despite being in the UK I ordered the EU adaptor pack with the 90w adaptor as it costs nothing from the base UK 65w price. It's just a matter of swapping the plugs really since they're only about £1.50 for the UK plug cable from a local electrical store instead of paying £50+ for the 90w adaptor separately from Lenovo.

Interestingly in the name of science (well ok not really) I ordered a Digizon 12.5mm hard drive caddy instead of Lenovo's 9.5mm offering. It's currently being shipped at the time of writing but I let you know if it's worth getting or not.

In the end the system costed me £853.08 inc. 20% VAT and the 10% discount. If you're a Quidco account holder you can get another 6% off via cashback so that makes 16% off which is unheard of in this region! Strangely I yet to receive the email from Lenovo about my order, I may have to ring them up to confirm if i'm getting too paranoid.

 

That sucks that the configuration line did this. Glad you figured out their mistake and corrected though.

 

Practically the same configuration as I wanted to order.. However, Lenovo UK doesn't ship to the Netherlands it seems, no option to enter a non-UK address when ordering..

Seriously fed up with all this international protectiveness, UK is a member of the EU and so is the Netherlands, so what's the problem?

EDIT: Same goes for the Lenovo DE site, shipping in Germany only.. EU, open borders, well.. not for Lenovo

 

Can anyone with T420 do some gaming test, I believe the HD 3000 is on par with the geforce 310/320m in performance and I just want to see native resolution performance of HL2/CS Source, WoW or SCII.

Any of those games above will do since notebookcheck is reporting playability of those games at native res at high settings and med on SCII but I still want to confirm it from a real owner (non biased) perspective.

Thanks

 

Yaahh, I was not really impressed, but hey, everybody can make a mistake, and I'm pretty sure that the person who assembled the machine, just misplaced the tape on the wires, but it seems that there a more T420's out there with the same problem.

 

T420 arrived today and was interested in the above posts, so when I first turned on the system, I was expecting this grainy screen. Nope...The screen is just perfect for me looking directing in front, no grainy screen at all.

No smudge marks on the screen either, which was noticed by a couple of members when the system is closed then opened again as a direct result of the keyboard not being flush.

 

So T420 and T420s use different screens?

 

There's 2 different HD+ screen panels available for the T420, which one you end up with however can be a bit of a lottery.

 

according to digital kitchen scale:

with DVD: 3 lbs 14 oz (3.875)
w/o DVD: 3 lbs 10 ozs (3.625)

So the Lenovo numbers of 3.94 and 3.68 seem right on the money. (My scale is perhaps off a little.)

by comparison, x200t with 9 cell was 4 lbs 2 ounces.

 

Does anyone know about putting blu- ray in t420?

 

Just put in an order tonight, and estimated ship date is reported as 5/10. Ouch.

 

A good review of t420s. The biggest problem is still battery life: 2 hours 40 minutes when playing a movie at brightness 10.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420s - mini review - Keith Combs' Blahg - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

Anybody knows how long the 6 cell on t420 can last in this situation?

 

What's the life of the 6 cell battery in the T420 under similar conditions? How much weight and battery life does the 9 cell add?

 

fwiw, a T420s with i5-2540, Intel 160GB SSD, 2GB ram, and intel graphics reports windows experience index of:
proc: 7.1
mem: 5.5
graphics: 4.6
gaming: 6.1
HDD: 7.8

 

Hoping I get a good screen. Looks to me like the processor is the weak point, no surprise.

 

how do you know which screen you get?

 

Well, after debating for a while between the T420, T420s, and X220 I ended up deciding on a T420s. Hopefully I get the 'good' screen...

Estimated ship date is 5/12

 

Has any T420/420S owner figured out to switch the control and FN key? Also, what drivers/software would you guys recommend uninstalling or not installing during clean install?

I think it may be best to make a sticky for current and future T420 owners to answer these kinds of questions!

 

Fn + Ctrl switch should be in the BIOS, poke around the setting to see where it is located.

 

Sooo...I've got a ship date of May 12th. Is it normal for them to ship it earlier than the estimated ship date?

 

I got my t420 delivered before the estimated ship date.

 

I ordered mine on the 15th April, just got a shipping confirmation today to say it may arrive 3-6 business days which means 28th April at the latest. I wouldn't say it be unusual for them to ship out early, the rep told me at the time of order that it may take 1-2 weeks to complete my system let alone ship out, now less than a week later its ready to be shipped which i'm pleased about!

 

So I take it that compared to the T420, the T420s is half a pound lighter, comes with a better processor, and comes with USB 3.0.

I read somewhere here that the weight is mostly due to the fact that the T420 uses more carbon composites? Is it also a lot thicker?

Hoping it's not much heavier than my E14.

 

T420s comes with better processor? No. CTO options show the same Intel processors for both.

​

I guess Lenovo was looking hard for a "lighter" processor to save a few ounces, but couldn't find one.

 

The T420s has, I believe, a soldered CPU so it saves the weight of the socket (although I suspect the real reason for the soldering job is to avoid the extra thickness).

John

 

Hey guys.. looking forward to my first ever Thinkpad!! Really excited - I configured the T420 with the lowest available i3. Does anyone have a link for the chipset capabilities? I was wondering what processors this board can handle. Thanks..

 

So can anyone confirm the weight of the T420s with Ultrabay Battery installed? Want to compare that to weight of standard T420 with 6 Cell battery and Optical drive. Which I understand is 4.31 pounds?

If I were to get the T420s it would have to have the Ultrabay batter in it, but if the weights the same as the T420 then I don't see the point in the cost premium for myself.

Also if my math is right, the T420 with 6 Cell but a travel bezel would be close to 4 pounds exactly then correct?

 

I haven't seen any user weights. There is some discussion of weight in this thread.

Based on the weights in the TAbook and assuming that Lenovo's weights are on the same basis (probably with empty media bay), the difference between the T420 (with 6 cell battery) and the T420s is (1.96 - 1.67 kg) = 0.29kg or, in American units, (4.32 - 3.68) = 0.64 lbs. The unknowns are (a) whether Lenovo's weights are on a consistent basis and (b) exactly what is included in that weight. Normally, any manufacturer uses the lightest working hardware configuration and users' configurations will usually heaver (hence "from" in the advertised weights).

John

 

Ordered T420 April 21. Ordered the full load, including Slice (why not). Estimated ship date May 9 for notebook; May 13 for slice.

Wow, as I typed this, received this email message:

Thank you for choosing Lenovo!



All or part of your order has shipped. In some instances your order may be

shipped from more than one location, which will result in multiple

notifications.

 

^^^

Hmm. Clicked on status link in email and nothing has changed; still original ship estimates.

 

Now link shows these items shipped today; two days after order:

LENOVO POWER HUB WITH US LINE
THINKPAD BATTERY 27++
THINKPAD 14W SLEEVE CASE

Still indicates notebook won't ship until May 9.

 

Anyone else have any issues with cosmetic defects on the top of their T420? I sent back the first one because of excessive dust/dirt (found out later through this thread that it is a common thing). I had a huge scratch on the top lid that actually went through the rubber coating. I got my replacemnt this week and got around to opening it last night. I noticed the plastic bag had a few indentations in it like it had bumped in the factory or maybe put into the box a little rough. Sure enough, I have quite a few marks/scratches on the top cover many exactly where the indentations where from the bag. I am not OCD as I have kept plenty of stuff new with minor cosmetic issues but this is beyond that. For $1400, I believe it should be flawless or at least close to it. My wife thought it was strange also especially after the first one. This morning I noticed my fan has a buzzing sound to it that seems to rear it's head every few minutes or so and then stops. It almost sounds like my old R61 that this one is replacing. It definitely was factory sealed so I don't know what's going on at the lenovo factory. My friends T420 is flawless so this is very strange. I know nothing will be perfect and I would be willing to accept a few marks but I have never had this problem with previous lenovo products that I have owned. I got my wife's x130e from buy.com a few weeks ago and it was also flawless. Oh well, I sent an email to the seller so we shall see what happens.

 

My T420 is flawless.
Fan is dead silent, even when playing Portal 2.

 

Thanks for the reply. I felt kind of bad asking the seller to swap it again but it shouldn't have these issues. I guess if the next one has a few nicks, I will just deal with it. I either have bad luck or lenovo's QC wasn't on the job with the ones I got. I expect to hear the fan at times but when buzzing is involved, I know that's not normal.

I know one thing, I am just going to ignore the lid when I get it, lol. I will look but not to well .

 

^^^ I feel bad that you have to make compromises after spending $1400 on the T420. It must not show any cosmetic blemishes, to start. It's not unreasonable for you to expect it to be flawless, as you wrote. If I were you, I would talk to the seller again. (And the seller would have to talk to Lenovo.)

With all due kindness to sprtnbsblplya, a defiant/confident declaration by a single owner regarding a single notebook doesn't refute the lack of consistent QA by Lenovo.

 

So. Can you guys recommend a low-priced yet nice sleeve for the T420?

 

TAbook is not very accurate. The weight of t420s is listed here:
Lenovo Thinkpad T420s review

The bay battery is about .5lbs. So a t420s with 6cell+bay battery should be about 3.7+0.5=4.2lbs. A t420 with 6cell is a little over 4.8lbs.

 

O_O

I'm assuming this excludes the charging adapter. My Envy 14 is listed as being 5.25lbs. Not sure if it includes the adapter either. If my T420 is at worst the same as the E14 in terms of weight, I'm stoked.

 

Yes, it excludes the brick, but the adapter is very light too.

 

Discussions of shipping date and status are not very interesting. Please create a shipping info thread to carry on the fascinating discussion of shipping dates and status.

This thread is for info of interest to current owners of T420 and T420s.

Along those lines:

from discussion here: T420 sound card problem causing Skype crash - Page 3 - Lenovo Community

d/l new driver here: Lenovo Support - Conexant Audio Software for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), XP (32-bit) - ThinkPad T420, T420i, T420s, T420si, T520, T520i, W520, X220, X220i, X220 Tablet, X220i Tablet

 

I read through the whole thread. There are two HD+ panels that Lenovo uses for the T420. Do we know which lcd panel has the grainy screen? Does the grainy screen makes the text looks blurry?

Ken

 

adding 8GB ram:

memory: from 5.5 to 7.5
graphics: from 4.6 to 5.9
gaming: from 6.1 to 6.3

 

Anyone notice any CPU whine with their T420? My friend brought his over tonight and I noticed a little bit of it. At first I thought it was his fan or hard drive but when you put your ear towards the middle of keyboard or listen in a quite room, you can hear the whine. I assume that is what it is as it has a kind of buzzing/electrical sound. I listened to mine and it also has it to a certain degree. I have read old threads about this and how there is no real fix. I also read how some people had it while others didn't. Is this worth a swap or are the chances of getting one without this slim to none? It isn't a deal breaker (at least for now but I can see where it might get annoying) as my current R61 has had a buzzing fan forever.

I am more speaking for my friend as I am still in limbo with mine. My friends is perfect otherwise except for the D key sticking somewhat. We took it off and then snapped it back in which seemed to help. I think the rubber nub underneath just needs to be broken in because it really doesn't stick at all. It just hesitates for a second and makes a slightly different noise than the other keys (which is to be expected from my experience with laptop keyboards). I let him know if he went looking for problems, he was bound to find them .

He also just got the 14" lenovo sleeve for it. It fits it well with the extended battery but I am surprised it isn't snug. I figured since the dimensions increased on the T420 (at least I thought they did), that it would fit a little tighter. He has a good inch (maybe a little more) at the top but the sides are nice and snug. Of course he just bought it to protect it from the kids when he isn't home. He probably won't be transporting it much. Plus it doesn't move very much in the sleeve which is good (but there is a little give).

Anyway any comments/suggestions on the CPU whine would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

My T420 also have a little bit of whine, not much, but you can still sense/hear it if your in a total silent room.

 

Thanks for the response. I turned mine own this morning and I can definitely hear it but it isn't overwhelming. From a normal distance (meaning me sitting at my table working on it), I can hear it a bit along with the fan. It isn't constant and varies as I use the laptop. I think the whoosh of the fan probable helps mask it. Again my friends does the same thing. Now if I put my ear to the keyboard or if I am in a completely silent room and start to listen for it, I can definitely pick it up better.

I feel like you can find a problem with anything if you look hard enough so I will probably just keep it considering my friend's T420 has the same noise but a little louder than mine. Plus it seems like it is very hit and miss and I don't want to keep swapping units in hopes that I get a completely dead silent one(which is probably highly unlikely).

By the way I posted earlier about my second thinkpad arriving with scratches on the lid. Well I used an old trick and was able to remove almost all of the marks. I used an eraser head on a pencil and rubbed gently then wiped it off. It did an amazing job and now it looks great. I assume the scratches were not deep which explains why they just rubbed off.

The fan noise I heard before was just the laptop starting up as it is just a normal whoosh sound when it is idle. It only cranks up louder if I play a game or do something intensive. You can hear it but it isn't overly loud.

I also noticed a little bit of keyboard flex on the left side of the keyboard. Can anyone comment on this? I assume it's normal but thought I would ask. It isn't a deal breaker and the keyboard overall is great.

So short of the the cpu whine (and one key that seems to stick a bit like my friends), it seems like I am in good shape now. I know nothing will be perfect so unless the cpu whine becomes an issue, I think I will just keep this one and call it a day.

If anyone else wants to chime in on the cpu whine, please feel free. I would like to hear everyone's experiences. My friend didn't even notice it at first on his because he is used to hearing audible noise from his pc's or in his work environment. So it sounds like it probably depends on the person and environment. Some people also sensitive hearing more than others.

I will quit rambling now .

 

How long will the battery last just browsing on the internet?

 

One other quick question and this is a big one. I installed Half Life 2 tonight just to test out the discrete graphics option. It loaded great but I immediately noticed a very audible buzzing noise. I am pretty sure it is coming from the graphics card (I assume the nvidia one). It seem like it is the strongest in the top right corner where the usb/sata ports are. When I exit out of Half Life 2, the buzzing stops immediately. It almost sounds like the cpu whine but louder. Anyone else notice this or do I just have really sensitive ears? Again I know nothing will be perfect and I didn't buy this laptop for games but it has me concerned somewhat.

I just tested it and at a normal distance (me sitting at my desk playing the game) and it is hard to hear but the whoosh of the fan helps mask this. If I get close to the keyboard however, it is definitely noticeable and slightly louder than the cpu whine.

Thanks in advance!


UPDATE: After I got off the train at the beginning of Half Life 2, the video card (or processor but pretty sure it was the card) quieted down big time and you could barely hear it even if you put your ear to the keyboard. So all seems good now. I know the fan kicked in big time when the game started running but then also quieted down somewhat (but was still running full speed and louder than being idle) after the game had been running for a few minutes. I guess I need to quit looking for problems but that buzzing scared me at first. I searched a little and found similar comments about the dedicated graphics card buzzing or making audible noise on the T410. so I guess regardless it might be like the cpu whine issue. I called my friend a minute ago and had him try on his T420 (he also has dedicated graphics) and he also noticed an audible buzzing noise when running a game so I guess it's normal.

UPDATE 2: So the buzzing actually doesn't go away completely. It definitely calms down after a few minutes of playing but is still there and quite audible if you lean in toward the laptop (again way more noticeable than the cpu whine I noticed). This doesn't seem to be a fan that is buzzing as I doubt the graphics card even has one.It also definitely stops immediately if you exit out to the desktop or if you change resolutions. When you change resolutions in Half Life 2, the screen goes black to auto adjust and the buzzing goes away immediately but comes back when the game comes back on the screen. If anyone could run a game or Half Life 2 for that matter (and has the discrete graphics), I would really appreciate it. At least that way I can see if this is truly something I just need to live with. Again I will probably play Portal, Amnesia, and maybe a few games of Half Life 2 on laptop. Most of my gaming will still be the PS3.

Thanks again!