Thinkpad T420 Owner's Thread

Finally got my refund from the ebay seller and should have my new T420 today via Fedex. I basically got the same model with discrete graphics but opted for a I5 processor to save a few bucks. The I7 I had was overkill to be honest.

I have a memory question though. The one I ordered has a single 4GB stick of memory. I went ahead and ordered another 4GB Corsair stick with the same memory speed from amazon: Amazon.com: Corsair 4 GB DDR3 Laptop Memory CMSO4GX3M1A1333C9: Electronics

That will work correct? It is the same speed as the one included (DDR3-1333 mhz, PC10600) in the laptop. I just wanted to be sure. I started thinking after I ordered it that I should have just replaced the original 4GB included so that the brand matched (and just bought two 4GB sticks from Corsair instead of one). It should run at the same speed correct? Does brand name matter?

Sorry if this is a dumb quesiton but it has been a while since I upgraded ram at all in a pc (usually just came with the amount of ram I wanted).

Thanks in advance!

 

Strange, I have the same SSD as you mohdfaris but Lenovo ship my T420 with the standard 9.5mm hard drive fitment and rubber paddings. If somehow they given you fittings for a 7mm drive I would give Lenovo a call to see if they're willing to send you the correct part.

 

That RAM should be fine. The BIOS / chipset just looks at the timing data not a the name on the label. (All the RAM comes out of the same few foundaries.)

John

 

Good to know. I might be in the same boat of upgrading my 4GB ram. Is there an advantage to upgrading to 8GB? Are the speed improvements significant?

 

Awesome. I was kind of worried as one of my coworkers stated I needed to get the same brand for both sticks. I had already ordered the one 4GB stick (should have it today) so I kind of got worried. I figured though if the laptop already came with one 4GB stick, that the most logical thing to do was purchase an extra one. It seemed kind of dumb to just toss the one included so that I could have two 4GB sticks of the same brand.

 

I think there is a bump if you are running Windows 64 bit. My last T420 that I had to send back came stock with 8gb of memory.

 

I'm using those RAM sticks by Corsair in my T420 and I don't have any issues with them. In general as long the speed and timings matches what's required by the system then it should be fine regardless of brand.

I don't think you going to see much of a speed boost coming from 4GB to 8GB, but it depends on the workload you do. It definitely gives a bit more breathing space when you do intensive computing work such as Virtual Machines for example.

 

Good to know. Are both of your sticks Corsair brand? Just curious. I will have one lenovo factory 4GB stick and one 4GB Corsair (for a total of 8GB).

 

Did you mean you have both rubber rails for 9.5 mm and 7.0 mm HDD? Because my T420 is shipped with 7.0mm HDD. That's why I have rubber rails for 7.0mm HDD. Is your T420 shipped with 9.5 mm or 7.0mm HDD?

 

Yes both are Corsair sticks in my system (I actually bought the 8GB kit and just removed the stock 2GB RAM). Your combination should work fine, I used mixed branded RAMs in one system with no problems.

My T420 came with the standard 9.5mm hard drive fitment with matching rubber padding. I know you can get different rubber rails but the smaller one is usually reserved for the T420s. It would be strange if you ended up with the smaller fitment, I try to take a picture of my hard drive once I get back home from the office.

 

Check your memory usage in Task Manager. I upgraded my E6410 to 8GB because a GIS program I used occasionally ran out of memory at 4GB. However, (i) 4GB modules tend to have slightly slower timings than 2GB modules (twice as many cells to access through the same interface); and (ii) Windows will use the extra RAM as cache and this means that the time to hibernate the computer (which I use all the time) is substantially increased. I'm planning to try 6GB as a compromise.

That might have been an issue more than 5 years ago, but not now. I'm currently running with 2GB Samsung (came with the computer) plus 2GB Crucial.

John

 

Thanks John. That makes me feel better about it and I am glad I didn't spend an extra $45 on another 4GB stick .

 

OK I just took some pictures of my T420 9.5mm hard drive fittings and it is identical to that of my T61 in terms of size and dimensions. Mohdfaris does your hard drive fittings look similar to the pictures below?

 

Hi Hearst,

thanks for the pictures.

Here you can see the intel 510 ssd doesn't fit with the rubber rails



Here you can see the 7.0 mm HDD is properly fitted with the rubber rails


You can see here one of the rubber rails I've got with my T420. As you see, there are rectangular holes on bottom side of the rubber rails. I think, the purpose of that holes is to adjust the height of SATA connector of 7.0mm HDD, so that it can properly connected to the connector of primary HD bay (which is designed for 9.5 mm HDD).



So, when I use this rubber rails with 9.5mm HDD or SSD, the SSD doesn't fit the hard disk slot anymore as the rubber rails add about 2-3 mm thickness to the 9.5mm SSD.

I don't understand, why my T420 is shipped with 7.0 mm HDD. 7.0mm HDD is more expensive than 9.5mm HDD right? I got lucky I guess

 

To add to Hearst's post, I swapped my hard drive first thing in my T420. putting my WD Scorpio Black 500GB in place of the base 250GB Scorpio Blue. The rubber drive mounts were the same as my T400, which was identical to my T61 as well.

That third photo is the interesting one, mohdfaris. I haven't seen that setup before.

 

It certainly doesn't look right, I believe someone at the factory may have given you the wrong hard drive fitting. I would give Lenovo a call about the issue, hopefully they will send you the right one in light of this.

 

I think Lenovo did nothing wrong here. They put rubber rails that properly fit with a 7.0mm HDD, which is the original hd. If Lenovo put rubber rails that doesn't fit the HDD, then it is an issue.

Maybe I can request rubber rails for 9.5mm HDD.

regards

Faris

 

The Dell actually comes out to be just about the same price as the ThinkPad, after the coupons for both are applied.

The options I want to configure the ThinkPad with is:-
- i5-2520M CPU
- 4 GiB RAM
- 1600x900 Screen
- Webcam
- Intel Wireless (which is free)

 

Maybe use this deal? Lenovo Thinkpad T420 Laptop - i5 2410 / 14" HD+ (1600x900) / 4GB RAM / 320 GB 7200rpm - $688 - Slickdeals.net

 

+rep.

 

Hmmm I think you're right as I checked the parts and the hard drive FRU matches to the parts database. I guess you're unlucky getting the smaller rubber rails on your system, its bad enough having a screen panel lottery but having different hard drive rails is quite something. I'm hoping Lenovo will be lenient and send you the larger rubber rails for your SSD.

That is a very good find, the system is well specced up for the price. I have this CPU on my T420 and copes with my Virtual Machines really well. I guess that settles the deal for you lupusarcanus!

 

I'm surprised there isn't much talk about this! I guess Lenovo marketing research did well not to offer it as an option . Anyways, how is that machine running after a few days? How are the temps under load? Did you have to make any modifications in BIOS settings or anything or was it simply droppin in the new CPU and everything worked great?

 

With this deal, I can get the exact configuration I wanted and still have about $150 left over. I've pretty much decided on getting a ThinkPad at this point. Just have to wait a day or two before I buy it (financial issue).

I'm very excited now.

 

Glad to be of help!

omg omg I got a tracking update saying that my new T420 is in the contiguous USA! Before it was in Hong Kong, then Alaska, and now in Kentucky. Surprising where a laptop can go in three days.

 

I saw a link somewhere to Lenovo's hard drive caddy but cannot find it...would someone please pass it along? And, are you positive Lenovo's doesn't fit as well as the 3rd party one you bought? I'm surprised Lenovo didn't get it right!

 

This is Sprtnbsblplya's review of the latest official Ultrabay caddy ( Ultrabay Slim ThinkPad Serial Hard Drive Bay Adapter III) fitted inside the ThinkPad T420.

 

Awesome, thanks man. I'm bummed b/c I get employee pricing through my company but that deal ended yesterday! I also so in one of these forums that there's ~8% discount code but I cannot find it anymore. Any ideas folks?

 

So how bad is the display on the T420? I really didn't spend much time with my first T420 because I had to send it back (literally 10 minutes). I was waiting for my new T420 to arrive today and started reading the thread regarding the screen issues. It started to scare me to be honest and made me wish I would have looked at the original one I had more than just a few minutes. I can easily return the one I receive today but then what? I guess I could go to the T520 but will it better screen wise? Would it be the exact same unless I opted for the expensive FHD upgrade?

I have a 3 year old R61 right now (1200X800) and have had no issues with the screen at all. Sure it doesn't have the greatest viewing angles and the black levels are not that great but it does the job. I decided on a thinkpad again because of the reliability of the R61. Is the T420 screen (I will have the 1600X900 HD+ screen) worse than the R61? This will be a desktop replacement and I doubt I will be playing games on it. I got the dedicated graphics but I have consoles for gaming.

Any thoughts? I doubt I would have noticed an issue with the screen but once you start reading a thread, sometimes it goes to your head . Thanks in advance.

 

This has been discussed a number of times, but if you've had a previous ThinkPad (e.g., T400, T61 or earlier), you'll probably like the T420 screen, as it's actually a considerable improvement. It's brighter than both of my previous ThinkPads and has better contrast. It's not an artist's display, and it could still be better than it is (viewing angle is average, contrast could still be higher), but I personally don't see it as bad as some say, and I think a portion of the people saying it haven't owned a T420 either. I like mine, and I use it several hours a day.

In another note to T420 owners, I just noticed that Lenovo has dropped the 250GB 5400rpm hard drive as an option; the 320GB 7200rpm drive is now the minimum.

 

Did you see this deal?

John

 

Thanks for the response. That is good to know and I figured I was blowing it out of proportion. I suppose if you are coming form a macbook pro or similar laptop with a better screen, the T420 might be a downgrade (screen wise). I have only known thinkpads for the past few years so for me I doubt it will matter.

The only other option I was considering was a 15" macbook pro. I love their screens and the unibody design but they are so expensive. The base 15" would be $750 more with applecare (3 year warranty) compared to the T420 with a 3 year warranty that I purchased. That's quite a bit more but something I have thought about doing. I have heard quite a few apple users only going to a pc if it is a thinkpad and vice versa. They both seem to have their own niche of followers.

 

If you buy a Macbook Pro, buy certified refurbished from Apple. Same warranty as new, same option to purchase AppleCare, and the money you save will probably cover the cost of AppleCare. Speaking as a former Apple Certified Tech, I wouldn't buy a Macbook Pro without AppleCare.

Personally, I can't do without a Trackpoint, and I'm not a a huge fan of the Macbook Pro's trackpad, but that's a personal preference.

 

I would definitely purchase applecare. I wanted a matte screen and noticed apple.com has last years 2010 15" model with the antiglare high resolution option for a good price (I guess for apple standards, lol). I normally don't buy refurbished products as they usually are beat up or scratched. I have heard really good things about apple's refurbished products though.


What has been your experience with the apple refurbished products? Any issues? Also, would a 2010 model be okay or should I just cough up the money and go for one of the 2011 models? The 2011 model would cost me about $300 more with applecare when it's all said and done (compared to the refurb with applecare option). I doubt I would use the power of the 2011 model but thought I would ask.

I also didn't mean to derail this lenovo thread so I apologize in advance. I most likely will just deal with the T420 screen as I don't really think it will be an issue. The cost difference even for a refurb apple is still a good deal more which is another negative for me. I have never owned a mac but have heard great things about them if you can swallow the cost initially.

Plus it's really hard for me to imagine owning anything other than a thinkpad .

 

Apple refurb products are indistinguishable from new. It's a big deal to them that everything be nice and shiny --it's part of the Apple Experience™. I've not seen issues with their refurb products, much like I haven't with Dell's Business Outlet either.

Buy the model you want based on the technology you want. Older isn't bad, but newer may get you a bit better battery life (Sandy Bridge = more advanced than Arrandale core CPUs), and will get you the Thunderbolt port if you go that route (for what it's worth).

Finally, the T420 is a great notebook. I'm of the opinion that that nice shiny aluminum scratches and scuffs with time, and that a ThinkPad doesn't have that issue, plus I like my Trackpoint, ThinkPad keyboard, and saving money over a Macbook Pro. Plus, while I have no problem using Mac OS X, I tend to like Windows 7 better than Snow Leopard. Finally, I think that the new mSATA slot in the ThinkPads (and Dell Latitude E-series for that matter) is one of the coolest features I've seen in quite awhile, and I like the fact that I can easily open a ThinkPad to change things around if I need to.

I hope I've answered at least as many questions as I've generated there.

 

I've not had a Thinkpad since the T40p series. Can you explain what you can do with the mSATA port that you mention? Where is this located? I've heard of SATA so I'm assuming you can add on hard drives? Do you need special equipment for this? My laptop is in the mail and I am definitely going to take it apart and explore every nook and cranny

 

Thanks LoneWolf. You hit on plenty of good points but also reminded me why I also love the thinkpad line. My T420 just arrived so I am going to get it set up and report back.

I love the look of the macbook pro's but I honestly need a laptop that can take a beating, have juice spilled on it, take a drop, etc. and keep on working. That unfortunately is not something that the macbook pro's can do for the most part. That is honestly what sold me on another thinkpad. All of the things above that I mentioned have happened to my old R61. Sure the fan is loud and it is definitely on it's last leg but I got my $900 worth out of it after 3 years of reliable use.

 

I own a refurbished Macbook white 2008 model and it still works flawlessly. I didn't even purchase apple care.

Are you comfortable working with Mac OS, because I find Mac OS is a bit difficult to do work effectively. Although MBP is a beautiful machine, it doesn't have many ports compared to a Thinkpad and you may have to bring adapter and port extensions etc.

But remember, the battery life on MBP when using Windows is very poor compared to OSX.

 

It's not a mSATA port per se, its actually just a standard mini PCI express slot which is located underneath the system but its flexible in a way that you can add devices such as WWAN cards or mSATA SSDs. I would recommend having a read of the Hardware Maintenance Manual for the location of this slot, the link for the manual is stickied on the first post.

 

With the mSATA port, you can put SSD or WWAN card. The mSATA port is located beside the ram slot. As far as I know only Intel 310 SSD used mSATA connector. If you put SSD in this port, you can add 2nd HDD or SSD in the primary HD bay. Plus if you buy an HD ULtra Bay, you can add a 3rd HDD. You don't certainly need extra equipment, just a phillips screwdriver.

 

I honestly don't have much experience with OSX. I use my friends macbook pro (2010) from time to time at work and I am comfortable with it but again that is just every once in awhile. I am primarily a windows person. I work in IT (network side) so I wanted something to replace my aging R61 but also be a little smaller to be portable. I was originally going to go full OSX but a few people I know at work with macs stated that they eventually needed windows and boot camp for that matter. It kind of defeats the purpose (at least for me) if I still have to use windows on a machine that costs quite a bit more than a thinkpad.

I know that I really like OSX in the limited amount of time I have used it. I also think Windows 7 is really good and honestly does everything I need. I have never been able to pull the trigger on a mac mainly because of the price. It's really hard to justify the price difference no matter how pretty or functional it is. Maybe I feel that way because I never took the plunge though. Most of the people at work that have a mac stated that yes the sticker shock was hard to overcome but that they quickly forgot about it after using one for awhile.

 

Hmm, it's the reverse in my experience! The soft rubbery finish on the ThinkPad is not that durable. The corners get worn off first. The lid collects more and more grease (along with scratches), and when you try to wipe the grease marks off with a damp cloth, tiny shiny specks begin to show. That has been my observations on many models over the years.

 

Hi. I am going to buy a new laptop next week. I am torn between t420 and hp 8460p (I also consider x220 but I think it'll be too small ). Which should I choose? Which has better screen? Is t420 good choice for html editor and writing?

Excuse me for my English...

 

I agree about the corner wear. But as far as grease? I've only had that issue when participating in a Pringles-based computing environment.

I actually never wipe the lid with a damp cloth -- I usually just use a dry dust rag, and it works fine.

Also, the coating varies tremendously amongst the various generations of ThinkPad. My X40s have all had fairly wear-prone cover. My T410's held up far better. The 600s I've seen have done well with the exception of the corners. My T420 feels far less rubbery than previous generations, but has held up quite well so far, save the corners. The coating pretty clearly varies in composition and thickness from generation to generation.

 

Does anyone regularly clean the keyboard to remove the oil that naturally builds up from typing (sans pringles)? If so, with what kind of cleaning agent?

 

I'll be honest here: if it's just writing and text editing, any laptop made within the last five years will be more than powerful enough.

Your requirements are low enough that you should shop for a laptop on the basis of build quality, after-sales support, design, reliability, and (last of all) price.

 

I don't use any agent. I just wipe the keyboard down with a cloth rag every day or two. The easiest way to solve the problem is not to let it start in the first place.

 

I use a can of compressed air to gently get out any dust. I use a slightly damp cloth (water only) for everything else. Some cleaning agents are hard on plastics, or can remove the antireflective coating from LCD panels, so I avoid them.

 

Is it safe to use alcohol-free wipes? I get these from work: Amazon.com: Read/Right Products - Screen Kleen Wipes, Alcohol Free, Tub Dispenser, 50/Tub - Sold as 1 EA - Alcohol-free wipes in tub dispenser are safe for use on laptops, monitors and PDAs. Each wipe removes dirt, grease and fingerprints from surfac

 

It should be, if they're correctly described; I'm guessing they are formulated so as not to harm screens from the way they advertise the product.

You could always go to the company's website and find out what they have to say, but from what I read, they are probably fine.

 

So far so good. No issues, and battery life is good. I updated the BIOS to the latest version before putting in the CPU, just in case. No other tweaks; just dropped it in, and it worked fine. In fact, there are very, very few options for anything in the BIOS; maybe I'm just used to enthusiast class or workstation desktop motherboards.

You know, I haven't measured the CPU temp at load, yet. Will do so momentarily with Portal 2 and update this post. EDIT: RealTemp reported a max of mid-90's (for 3 of the 4 cores), but I'm guessing that's right before the fan sped up. Right after quitting the game, it was around 70 C, which should be OK and is probably closer to the stabilized load temperature. The fan was never at its full speed when playing the game, I think.

Speaking of the BIOS, did anyone get the BIOS settings utility (in Windows) to work? Mine does not seem to launch. Another issue I have is that Bluetooth doesn't work... Perhaps I'll go through the Clean Windows Install guide that's earlier in the thread and see what I could have done "wrong" after I put in my SSD. EDIT: Bluetooth fixed!