Thinkpad T420 Owner's Thread

Now I recall it, it happened to me too when I registered (it redirected to the regular store or something, do not remember). Now that you are registered, try enter the site again (make sure you use correct link) and log in.

 

sometimes after i wake the laptop, the brightness adjustment stops working. Any reason why?

 

got site to work but ecoupon doesnt give me discount

also used JULY4TH and still no discount

 

Yeah, unfortunately it seems like the coupon deal ended. JULY4TH does not apply to those PC-DOS laptops.

 

Could someone please post pictures of the T420 next to some "real life" objects (ie. a cup of tea, or a keyboard, a DIN A4 paper, a MacBook Pro 13" etc.) for illustration purposes? I have no way to get my hands on one to see how big it actually is Thanks a lot...

 

Hope these images help...

Spoiler

T420 vs. Blu Ray Disc Box


T420 vs. iPhone 3GS


T420 vs. Azusa Nendoroid!?


T420 flat vs. 2 Euro Coin

 

Just from curiosity, did anyone of you managed to install nvidia drivers on any release of linux successfully? I did it yesterday, but I couldn't start Xorg after even with the integrated graphics. I had to re-install the whole system.

 

Thanks a lot!!! PS3, check. Iphone, check. Anime fan, check!

 

"Save and additional 10% on the Lenovo ThinkPad T420, T520, & W520 during Lenovo's 4th of July Sale! Excludes DOS models & L420, L520, X1, X220 Tablet, & X120e"

darn

anyone know of any another discount codes or if it would be best for me to wait a few days for another one to pop up?

 

What SSD did you guys end up installing? Thanks.

 

I chose the Intel 510 120GB SSD in mine. Under normal operation it runs pretty well, there's no need to do some tweaking unlike some Crucial and OCZ SATA III drives as they can stall without it. So far it has been pretty reliable in my experience. *touchwood*

However Random 4k's are not stellar on the Intel 510 (its lower than the older Intel X25-M drive on my T61) plus there's an annoying issue of a minor delay while doing a warm reboot. Its something to do with the Active Protection System under the BIOS, this affects all current ThinkPads with the Intel 510 SSD from what i'm aware of.

 

didnt know the 420 supported the 510 drives, now I have another decision to make

 

is the 9 cell massive?

 

ThinkPad T420 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty
Edit
Estimated ship date: 7/20/11**
$1,581.00
$909.50

$1,581.00
$909.50


Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.30GHz, 3MB L3)1
ThinkPad PC DOS License12
14.0 HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
2 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)8
UltraNav with TrackPoint & touchpad
320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD Recordable5
9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++60
Bluetooth 3.0
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 100010
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable65
4177: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7





suggestions? replacing hd with a ssd I have and the ram with 8gb I have.

 

check the pics in the quoted post here.

 

It's a single row of cells, extending about an inch out the back. It weighs about 5 ounces more than the 6 cell. So I wouldn't call it massive by any stretch.

 

Hi All,

I just want to ask your opinion about how to chose between two T420.
Our company bought two same T402 laptop. Right now I have both with me, and I surprised that they not identical.
Config differences:

1. T420 components:
-AUO B140RW02 HD+ display
-HITACHI HTS723232A7A364 320G, 7200RPM HDD
-Micron 16JSF51264HZ-1G4D1 4GB RAM
-LGC 42T4911 60.6Wh 6cell battery
-keyboard pressure a little bit softer, louder

2. T420
-LG LP140WD2-TLB1 HD+ display
-Seagate ST9320423AS 320G, 7200RPM HDD
-Samsung M471B5273DH0-CH9 4GB RAM
-SANYO 42T4791 63.7Wh 6cell battery
-keyboard pressure a little bit harder

What I noticed that the AUO display has worst colour quality and the brightness is slightly lower then the LG one. However I can see the LG display more "grind". Also the surface difference is feelable.

The seaget HDD is louder, but didn't tested the performance.

In a few hours of usage I noticed that the AUO display version use slightly higher power to run. Maybe that caused by Win7, but in overall 1W higher compared to the other one.


I'm thinking to swap some component, and make a better laptop which I will use.

What do you think of the different components? What would you chose?

I read somewhere that if change the display driver to original Intel one the display looks much better. Can someone confirm it?

Thanks

 

many thanks for this! I do need VMs, so it will have a positive effect for me. I also do tons of OCR, which eats all the CPU on offer. However, your account does make me to rethink whether a 520 with quad might be a better option. The thing is, i know i will not carry 520 around, while i will lug 420 around. Perhaps a 520 + a 12inch laptop is the only sensible solution. I was hoping that 420 quad might finally remove the need for two (or more) laptops.

 

I don't see a camera in your list, don't you need one?
And I would also opt in for a better wireless card, the price difference is not big, and if you ever gona use it in places with weak signal or in crowded places (9 cell battery suggests that you might) it will help. Not that 1000 is bad, it is a good card, but 6205 or 6300 are better.

 

If I were to remove ALL thinkvantage stuff I installed from the beginning and drivers, what should I do?

I want just to install the drivers via Device Manager like Hearst.

 

I'm thinking of buying the T420 or X220 in the next couple of weeks. I'm going to be using it mainly for school and travel. I do game occasionally, but I have a desktop that will run most of that. Now, should I go for the T420 or X220? The main difference I see between them is the IPS screen and screen size.

I am coming from an x120e(not powerful enough for me) and an ASUS G51JX-X2(too bulky and heavy).

 

You're quite fortunate that you're able to choose between two different T420's. Swapping the panels are quite difficult so its best to leave it and work your way up. The colors on the AUO panel does feel washed out as I have it on my T420. I personally would choose the LG panel out of the two, plus you can calibrate it to make it more satisfactory with the help of other LG panel users.

As for the rest of the components you can easily transfer them over whichever one you choose. Personally I would take the Hitachi drive (but make sure it has the 9.5mm rubber rails for hassle free HDD upgrade), LGC battery (Sanyo batteries are a bit iffy) and whichever keyboard you feel is the nicest to type on. The RAMs shouldn't matter really, just as long they work!

It depends how intensive your workload will be on the CPU, if your OCR software will constantly ramp up the CPU all the time then I would probably suggest looking at the T520 instead since its chassis are designed to cope with such processor. Who knows you probably be surprised how mobile the T520 is, I still carry my 15.4" R61e around so I imagine the T520 to be slightly lighter and thinner than my R61e. Plus there's the bonus of the T520 having much better screens than the T420 too.

Hmmm while you can uninstall the Thinkvantage apps it probably leave some traces in the registry that could potentially cause some issues. Personally I like start afresh with a clean install, install the drivers manually without additional software wherever possible via the Device Manager and then choose the Thinkvantage apps you need on top.

If mobility is key then I probably would say the X220, however if you want a slightly bigger resolution without sacrificing mobility then the T420s could be worth a look. The T420 is not a heavy machine by all means but if you're constantly moving around all the time then your shoulders would probably appreciate having a few kilos less weight to carry around.

 

I have the hdd caddy, and I know that I can have PM shut off the dvdrom after 30 sec of inactivity, but how can I do that with a hdd instead? Do I always have to right click and safely remove?

 

I selected the camera idk why it didnt come up in the summary, maybe I misclicked.

6205 or 6300?

also I read that 2520 vs 2540 wasn't much of a difference, can the same be said for 2510 vs 2520?

 

Regarding 6205 vs 6300 it is well discussed in this thread.

2520 an 2540 only slightly differ in clock speed. 2520 has some special features that 2410 (you probably meant 2410 instead of 2510) lacks in addition to a small speed bump. Namely it supports VT-d ( Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O), Intel Trusted Execution Technology, new AES instruction set (AES-NI, used for encryption) and Intel vPro Technology. Whether you need any of those or not is up to you.

 

yeah thats what I meant to write. I read that wireless post several times and still have not been able to make a decision. I guess I'll probably just buy the better one since the price difference isn't all that great.

 

ThinkPad T420 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty
Edit
Estimated ship date: 7/20/11**
$1,716.00
$1,024.25

$1,716.00
$1,024.25


Intel Core i5-2520M Processor (2.50GHz, 3MB L3)1
ThinkPad PC DOS License12
14.0 HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
2 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)8
UltraNav with TrackPoint & touchpad
500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD Recordable5
9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++60
Bluetooth 3.0
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)10
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable65
4177: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7

 

for some reason the camera still doesnt show up in the summary, oh well.

decided to go with the larger hd for only a 34 dollar difference and buy a caddy and use it for storing music and videos and then just swap in the dvd drive when I need to use it(which is extremely rare).

going to buy an intel 320 160gb ssd and 8 gb of ram and then just sell the stock ram on ebay for like 10 bucks.

 

Thanks,
I updated the graphics drivers to the INTEL one, and right now for me the AUO is better. I can't see differences in the LG one between the INTEL and Lenovo drivers, but the AUO is better with INTEL driver.
The LG has bigger "gridness".

It's a little bit disappointed that Lenovo has different quality build versions. The laptop with the "softer" keyboard is also louder to type in it. I can feel that the keys moving a little bit, while in the other machine they harder, but not moving. Has much quality feeling. In the other hand, in the harder one the volume control buttons(with mute,mic disable) they just crap. You have to push them quite hard to get some results.

Until this I used an ACER 4810T which quality is better then these Lenovo's.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.

 

I have decided to go with the T420 over to X220 simply because I don't think a 12.5" screen would be enough when I go home during breaks(college).

I would use it mainly for class & videos, probably some light gaming(Heroes of Newerth & WoW) mixed in there. Would the i5-2520 be better than the 2410 for me? I'm thinking about going the 2410 since it doesn't seem like I would need much processing power.

Are there any coupons for the DOS version T420 that I can use? A lower price is always better. With a 2410, 1600x900 screen, 9 cell battery, 720p camera, and 6205 wireless card, it comes out to be alittle under 800. I would prefer spending 750ish, but it's not a deal killer.

I also read that there was a DisplayPort and no HDMI. How much would a DisplayPort -> HDMI adapter cost?

 

One more difference is the DVD burner.
- Optiarc AD-7710H
- HLDS GT33N

Which is more reliable?

 

I am pretty set on getting a T420, but I am a bit confused by the spec sheet on the lenovo website. On the pdf spec comparison sheet it says that with the 9 cell battery a T420 will last 9 hours while a T520 with a 9 cell will last 11 hours. Is that correct or a typo? I don't see how the T420 has a shorter battery life than the 520. Thanks for any help.

 

Hmm, I don't know, tabook says following for T420:

and following fot T520:

 

Sorry for quoting my own post, but I have a couple of unanswered questions. I would most likely be ordering a T420 at the end of the week.

 

Hi,

I am planning to buy a new laptop but I am a bit confused right now because of the supposed low quality of the T420 display. I am currently using a Dell d510 laptop which is 5 years old and has a 1024*768 XGA (15") display. Do you think that comparing to this one the T420 wouldn't mean any improvement in display quality? I will be happy if it wouldn't be worse, so I don't have high expectations, but I also would like to use it to watch movies. My other question would be that according to you is it worth to wait until the next year when ivy bridge will came out expecting that the refreshed versions will have not just usb3 but also a better display. I think that I can wait, if you say that it is worth to do so. Thank you in advance for the answers.

 

The specs in my sig gets 8 hours real world usage with the 9 cell.
Screen on 12/15, using office, firefox, itunes, etc.

 

Did anyone install Crucial M4 SSD?

Everything I have read indicates there should not be an issue but want an confirmation before I order from B&H

 

Does anyone know around what area the internet mic is located?

 

Does the T420 have the roll cage in the lid as the the T400?

 

it's near the webcam.

 

I can't say, that display on T420 is really good, but it's enough. I had before gaming MSI laptop with better display, but I've already got use to this display. Now I have less problems with using it outside, because I can finally see something. For work it's ideal with it's brightness settings. I'm also fan of watching movies and it goes fine, but it's better to connect it to a better external monitor.

 

I agree completely with this statement. Remember thinkpads are business computers first and foremost.

 

Okay so I am trying to decide if going SSD is right for me. I should have my new T420 today or tomorrow. I got the stock 320GB hard drive. My question is, can I just create a back up image via the lenovo software and restore it to the SSD? Will it align correctly?

If not, can I use some type of cloning software (which one?) to put the image on the SSD and properly align it. I won't have a Windows 7 disk to do a clean install. I honestly might just keep the 320GB because I really don't have any issues with a mechanical hard drive. I know the SSD's are quicker but will I notice a huge leap speed wise besides the laptop booting 20-30 seconds quicker?

I thought about going with the intel msata drive and hard drive combo but if I go SSD, I am just going to get one (Intel 160GB or possibly Samsung 470 256GB) and ditch the mechanical HD.

 

Yes, the recovery discs will be able to restore the image and align itself on the SSD correctly. I tried this on my OCZ Vertex II drive as a test and it all reported correctly in terms of alignment.

Unfortunately no, it only has the magnesium roll cage for the system board.

Well to complicate matters I have the Panasonic DVD drive with my T420 so I can't really comment! Generally it shouldn't matter which drive, as long you haven't been poking at the lens and use it according to instructions then it shouldn't matter as usually they tend to be mechanically reliable.

I think this is purely down to size, the T520 is larger than the T420 therefore can pack more cells in the battery. So logically its unsurprising for the T520 to have slightly better battery life compared to the T420.

The i5-2410M is a solid processor, runs pretty cool too. Apart from the difference in clock speeds from others it doesn't feature VT-d. Unless you do some intensive VM work you won't need this feature at all. It should be more than adequate for your usage.

They shouldn't be too expensive, check out this post for further details.

As others say, the T420 should be adequate to watch some movies and doing other work. It would be a step up from the CCFL XGA screen of your D510 in terms of brightness, I found my T420 to be much better than the CCFL screen on my 4 year old T61. Though if you're expecting visual eye candy where colour accuracy is paramount then its probably best to invest in an external monitor to hook up along side the T420.

As for the Ivy Bridge, if your D510 is working well and you're not in a hurry then probably you could wait for Ivy Bridge to come out. I wouldn't count on a better displays though unless panel makers decided to make 14" IPS panels (which at the moment is non-existant).

 

Are you planning on getting the 1366x768 or 1600x900? Either way, brightness is going to be a step up, and screen realestate is really going to be a step up if you get 900p (though things will be considerably smaller).

 

edit: wrong thread

 

I just got my T420, and after a few hours of use, I'm loving it. The screen issue is, as many things are, blown out of proportion. I can only see the "grains" if I concentrate on looking for them.

However, unfortunately, an hour or so after using it, two lines of dead pixels appeared on the side of the screen. Looks like I need to go to a service depot and get it looked at

 

Found the following review of T420: review. While Google's translation from Korean to English leaves much to be desired, what's great is that the review has TONS of pictures (and all sorts of benchmarks).

 

edit: wrong thread

 

Will be ordering a T420 very soon.

1. How does the T420 HD+ screen compare to the LG LED WXGA+ screens of the T400? Similar? I had no problems with that screen at all. I loved it.

2. Does the T420 come with a privacy filter? I have a quote saved but no privacy filter is listed.