Thinkpad T420 Owner's Thread

As wkearney99 said, check the Hardware ID properties and Location Information in the Device Manager. I'm going to stab a guess the missing driver being the ThinkPad PM Device looking from the list, maybe you could provide us the information and we can help out looking from our Device Manager.

If all else fails you could use System Update to find the missing driver for you. As for the Power Manager thresholds I believe it still works even when you turn the machine off and let it charge.

 

Hello, I purchased a ThinkPad T420 yesterday for college and am now waiting for it to come. Though I'm excited for it I still get buyers regret about the upgrades. This is how I configured it:

Spoiler

0A68270 SBB 2NDG ICI3-2310M IHD G200
27R1799 VBB PC DOS LICENSE
39T7676 SBB DOS 2000 FLYER - NO
0A68251 ** SBB 14.0HD (1366 X 768) LED
0A68248 SBB INTEL HD GRAPHICS 3000
45M4569 VBB 2GBPC3-10600DDR3 1333SODMM
45M4839 SBB KEYBOARDUS ENGLISH
0A68288 SBB 720P HD CAMERA I MCR
0A68282 SBB 320GB HDD7200RPM
0A68292 SBB EXPRESS CRSLT4IN1CR
45M4815 SBB 6CELLLI-ION BATTERY
39T6442 SBB COUNTRY PACK NORTH AMERICA
0A68261 SBB BLUETOOTH 3.0
0A68264 SBB IEEE 1394A PORT
45M3439 SBB INTELCENTRINOWIRELESSN1000
44C7950 SBB INT WRLSSWDAREANTWRK UPGR
0A68293 SBB LPUS ENGLISH

Woes:
1. Should have I got the 1600x900 display? It's something I can't upgrade myself so I'm thinking I might call and change my order for this one...

2. i3 should be fine for everything college can throw at me, correct? I'm not a gamer and the most intense thing I do is PhotoShop and at that casually, nothing big.

3. No harm in getting 90W supply over 65W? It stays cooler and is only a bit bigger. Afterall, it goes on the ground as is so won't be too much trouble.

What do you folks think?

Thanks.

(I'll be installing OS and upgrading RAM to 8gb)

Edit: Oh and has anyone called up Lenovo and asked for a change to order after making it? Any problems with that?

 

Having a HD+ (1600x900) screen isn't mandatory but it does help doing productivity work such as graphic designing and multiple documents as you can fit more on the screen and do less scrolling. The only drawback is that it does look dense or smaller in the standard DPI setting though you can adjust this in Windows.

Core i3 would be sufficient for what you do, I still do Photoshop design with a Core 2 Duo so I doubt the Core i3 would struggle with those tasks.

If you have a choice of getting 65w or 90w then I get the 90w power brick. It certainly charges the battery more quicker than the 65w (though convenience does come at the expense of more heat for the battery) and from what I observed, it doesn't seem to throttle my system down when using the 90w AC alone with no battery inserted.

 

Found out it was that Intel AMT. I had forgotten that I had uninstalled it.

I have another possible issue. Is the battery icon on the back of the lid supposed to be on when charging and off when not? I feel like something has gone wrong because sometimes the light is on when its not charging and off when it is.

Sometimes (I don't know if it's all the time, I don't look back there usually) when the light is on and its charging, the battery icon blinks every 5 seconds or so. Is this normal?

 

I don't know if you're a entering freshmen but as a student entering his senior year I would highly advise the 1600x900. The biggest reason is the benefit of being able to comfortably place Word, Powerpoint, etc windows side by side to make life a lot easier. No constant window switching.

 

I heartily second this notion. It really does provide a lot more viewing area without requiring you to carry a monstrous slab of a machine. Some of the 15" and larger machines are great, until you have to lug them around all day. The added size and weight really becomes a hassle. Especially if you're just sitting on the floor with it in your lap, or at a small coffee shop table.

You can certainly get by with the i3, but a 9-cell battery is highly recommended. And the 90w for the faster charging. But you might also want to consider the docking station. That can be had with a 90, 135 and 170w power supply. You could get away with carrying a smaller one for just powering the unit, and do the recharging overnight in the docking station. Or get an aftermarket slim 90w supply. I've had great luck over the years with some iGo brand supplies (8+ years on one of them and it's still going strong, it's lasted through 3 machines!)

 

Yes, it's worth it to upgrade. 1366x768 is a low resolution for anything bigger than 13.3 inches. Ideally it's meant for 12.5" laptops and smaller.

If you can, call in and have Lenovo cancel your order so you can get the screen upgrade. It really makes the most difference out of any of the upgrades. Do it quickly before it's too late!

There's no real advantage of having a T420 with 1366x768 over an X220 with 1366x768, in your configuration. In fact, the X220 is better if you select the "Premium" IPS display, because the quality will be much better than anything else with a similar-size screen.

 

I agree with everyone else about the screen upgrade. Make sure you get the order cancelled and reorder with the 1600x900 display!

 

Regarding Ultrabay SATA HDD caddies, will this unofficial caddie fit flush with the T420?

2nd Hard Drive Bay Caddy SATA Lenovo Thinkpad R400 R500 on eBay (end time 07-Jul-11 14:01:54 BST)

 

Just be aware that calling it back will undoubtedly delay the delivery. I called my 420 back to have the processor downgraded back to the i5 and to have w7pro put on it. Delayed the delivery by another week.

 

Yes, but better to get a better computer a week later than to get a not-as-good one a week earlier.

 

1366x768 HD screen works great for me, so it is not a must. Just depends on what you do. I do have a question, at the top of the screen were the web cam is. I can push it in, it is not securely in place. Just wanted to know if its just my computer or is everyone's like that. Thanks

 

it works just as a 10.1" 1024x600 netbook screen would work, but the 1600x900 works much better especially for multi-tasking, Photoshop, and general usage.

 

I ordered T420 on Tuesday and I'm expecting a delivery on Monday, so I'll join your community soon. I'm reading this thread every day and I've already read all the reviews, that I've found on the Internet in English, German and Czech. I hope, that I won't be disappointed. This is going to be my first ThinkPad. I'm so looking forward to finally have it.

 

I just saw it come up in the System Update:

Is ThinkVantage Active Protection System useful? I have a standard hdd inside my T420i and not an SSD.

 

I am buying a Lenovo t420. I need some advice on which specifications to get.

Specifically:

1) Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M Processor (2.10GHz, 3MB L3) is included; or for an extra $50 I can get a Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.30GHz, 3MB L3)

2) RAM- 4G in Dimm or 6G in 2 Dimm. The 6 is an extra $80 dollars. If I buy the 4 does that mean there is only one RAM slot and I can never upgrade it to more?

If you have any other advice in config please post it. Thanks!!

 

I say go for the i5. The graphics core is a bit faster with the i5, and the turbo boost is very nice for those times when clock frequency is more important than number of cores.

Go with the 4G one DIMM, that means that they will install 4GB in one Dimm slot that is not user accessible. Then, the other slot is free for you to put a $40 4GB chip in. The double RAM is nice because it not only allows you to not his your RAM ceiling quickly, but also because it works in DDR mode, which means much faster accessing for serial memory tasks. Since your graphics depends on the system RAM, ensuring that it's the fastest possible helps not only your applications, but games and graphics intensive processes.

 

Unless your usage involves video editing, rendering, conversion of large files, time-consuming calculations, or lots of other CPU intensive tasks, the i3 should be fine. The i5 is about 28% faster than the i3 because the i3 has no Turbo Boost feature, so it may be worth it, but it's definitely not one of the important upgrades.

For general usage, 4GB is what you'll want.
But order it with 2GB 1DIMM, then buy an extra 2GB DIMM on newegg.com to upgrade to 4GB. Search "2GB DDR3 1333 laptop." The RAM is fairly easy to install, just open up a single-screw panel on the bottom of the computer.
This way, you'll save $60, because upgrading to 4GB on the config page is $80 while buying the upgrade kit costs $20.

Oh, yeah, make sure you get the 1600x900 display upgrade. That makes the most difference out of any of the upgrades, because a higher resolution lets you fit more onscreen at once. Prioritize it before other upgrades. The stock screen resolution, 1366x768, is ideal for 12.5" laptops and 13.3" laptops, but it's a bit on the low side for a 14" laptop.


There's also a coupon code LOGICBUY10 that saves 10% if you're buying from the USA.

 

Installed an 128GB msata mydigitalSSD on my T420 and using it as my windows 7 os drive. Seems to be working fine so far. Speeds still much faster than any HDD i had. Anyone else have this brand of SSD installed on their T420?

 

I'd like to suggest something to a moderator on here. It's a small change and this suggestion should probably go in the shipping thread BUT I can't find it for some reason. Very tired, my mind's not working as it should. My suggestion is in the "before you buy" sticky, maybe put something more specific in the shipping section. Unusual situations aside, the vast majority of shipping times people have given on here based on personal experience have been extremely similar. It seems that, again barring unusual circumstances, the laptop is shipped 4 days after ordering and arrives another 3-5 days after that. The main reason I suggest this is that people like to time the arrival of their laptop and the charge on their credit card. If I'm not mistaken, lenovo charges the card once they ship the system. Often times it's helpful to know just when this will be. "Probably four days after the order" isn't great, but it's better than "Sometime in the next two and a half weeks". Also, just for the reassurance of people ordering, it's nice to know that lenovo grossly overestimates in many cases. I've seen cases of people placing their order then cancelling it after seeing a shipping time that would probably have been way too generous.

Just my two cents. If you don't want to put it in lest you incur the wrath of people it doesn't apply to, I understand. I just know that I spent a lot of time trying to figure out just how long it would take for my laptop to ship/arrive.
On a much more exciting note, my new t420 is homeward bound as I type this. Soon I will actually belong in this thread!

 

*post deleted*

 

I should be receiving one in probably a week's time; at that point, I will be making a comparison between it and Intel's "Soda Creek" 310 80GB mSATA SSD.

I will probably post it in the SSD sub-forum under Laptop Upgrades, but create a post in the Lenovo forums linking to it.

 

I'm nearly ready to pull the trigger on a T420. Before I do, I'm hoping you fine people can take a look at my configuration and plans.

T420
-Intel Core i5-2520M Processor (2.50GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) with Intel Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.2GHz
-upgrading to 14.0" HD+ LED backlight Anti-Glare (1600 x 900), with Wireless WAN Antenna
-2 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 (1 DIMM), but will replace with 8GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM) from 3rd party vendor (not sure which brand)
-upgrading to FingerPrint reader
-upgrading to 720p HD camera
-320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, but will replace with Intel 320 SSD 160GB from 3rd party vendor (is there any specific model # I need to look out for?)
-upgrading to 9 Cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery
-upgrading to Broadcom Bluetooth 3.0 with antenna
-upgrading to Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
-upgrading to 3Yr Onsite Warranty + 3Yr ThinkPad Protection
-considering getting ThinkPad Battery 55++ (9 Cell)

Am I doing anything boneheaded? Should I be getting the 4GB of RAM and then ordering the second 4GB from the 3rd party vendor? Will I regret not getting a Smartcard reader? Am I missing anything? I assume I'm pretty much out of luck with my warranty if anything goes wrong with my SSD. If only they offered the 320 series.

 

I don't see much wrong with your configuration nates, some may argue that the fingerprint reader isn't really all that to be and would be a waste if you don't use it in the end. I personally didn't have one in mine because I seldom use it on my previous systems.

Don't get confused with Smart Card readers being memory card readers (SD/XD/MS etc). Smart Card readers are usually in businesses and large enterprises authenticating user to access certain software but for most users you're probably unlikely to encounter this.

As for the RAM you can just check the cost difference to see if its worth upgrading to 4GB then add your own 4GB RAM stick afterwards. If it work out more expensive than buying your own 2x 4GB sticks then you can just opt for the 2GB option.

Going for a third party SSD is not a risk investment, you're usually covered with a 3 year warranty from the SSD manufacturer should it fail. So you should be able to buy your preferred SSD with confidence (and save some money in the process compared to buying direct from Lenovo).

 

There's a thread claiming that the 720p camera will take up the 3rd antenna space thus interfere with the 6300 wifi adapter . (It will still work, but not taking the full advantage of its 3 antennas.)

Can anybody confirm this?

 

If I'm not mistaken, lenovo only lets you choose wireless set-ups with two antennas when you've chosen the webcam in your configuration. I think the people in this thread are talking about upgrading the wireless card on their own and placing the third antenna in a non-traditional place (like under the palm rest). Lenovo only puts in two antennas if you get the webcam.

Edit: others are saying this doesn't apply to the t420. So now I'm not sure

 

No, this is not true in the case of the T420. As per Lenovo reps, you will get all three antennas working with the Intel 6300 even if you opt for the cam.

 

Glad to hear that, did you get this information yourself from the Lenovo reps? And What about T420s?

Thx!

Edward

 

I think the antenna issue only happen to X220 model or smaller model

 

You are correct.

 

Thanks for the assurances! About the RAM, I recall reading that it's usually better if the two pieces "match." Is this true? And if so, is the improvement really that significant?

 

Is there a way to edit the touchpad settings on windows? The scrolling is so much better on Linux. I shouldn't be like that.

 

Screen resolution upgraded

Just wanted to share the same deal I got with the community in case there are any prospective buyers lurking around in the thread.

http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrar...workflow:item.detail?GroupID=37&Code=T420_DOS

and don't forget the USX10T0623 code.

No OS though, luckily for me my college is giving away Win7.

 

What is this random "Click Click Beep" sound on T420 that will just come on randomly when idle on desktop or surfing or whatever?

 

Matching specs is the important factor. I just added a 2nd 4GB module from G.Skill (deal on Newegg a few weeks ago). Works great. Ran the system diagnostics against the RAM (and the whole system) for a couple of hours with no troubles.

 

Does the UltraNav tab on the Mouse Control panel not provide you enough control over the touchpad? It has a lot of settings you can change to tailor the touchpad to your liking. You can change the speed and whether it 'coasts' the scrolling or not.

This is my first laptop with the two-fingered scrolling option and it's a little tricky to get used to using, but it's handy once you get the hang of it.

 

Hey guys I just joined the party. My T420 is going to arrive next week.

I plan to remove the optical drive to save weight. Is there a blank cover for the bay I can use?

I've seen HDD caddies being mentioned as another solution, some of them seem to be made out of metal though, how heavy are they?

Thanks!

 

I have been using Windows XP for a very long time and, thanks to folks on this Thinkpad forum, I have customized Windows 7 taskbar (in vertical position) to mimic most of XP's behavior with the aid of "7 Taskbar Tweaker" (custom groups, never combine tasks, etc.)

However, as I run 21 or more tasks, I expected the tasks in the vertical taskbar to shrink in size like in Windows XP. However, a scrollbar has been added to the bottom of the taskbar, which makes task management very cumbersome. When the taskbar is horizontal, the scrollbar paradoxically does not appear. I have attached a screenshot to illustrate.



Is there a way to disable the scrollbar in the vertical taskbar (see red rectangle selection)? I'd like the tasks to shrink in size or create multiple columns in the same vertical taskbar space like in Windows XP.

 

I just pulled mine and weighed them. The DVD weighs 6 ounces. An empty drive tray weighs 3 1/8 ounces.

I picked this one from ebay seller ny-compu-tek. It doesn't quite close the gap as tight as the DVD. The right edge of the drive (when looking at it) is a little higher and thinner than the DVD, leaving a slight gap at the bottom of that portion of the faceplate. Not enough to bug me but some might complain.

If I were stuffing the laptop into a bag with other stuff I'd worry about the possibility of crap getting in there. But then the same thing could be said for the USB, SD card and secure card ports too. I'd strongly encourage anyone thinking of putting the laptop into a backpack to seriously consider using a sleeve for it. That way you don't have to worry about stray bits in your bag mucking up the machine.

I think the drive tray could be a little lighter if the guts were removed, but by how much I don't know. Maybe another ounce or so.

I got the tray only because of wanting to be able to carry along another large drive now and then. I already have an Intel 310 80gb SSD and a Seagate 500gb HD. Most of the time I'll just keep the DVD in there.

 

Gotta think this is a general windows question, not one specific to the T420. Might be worth asking in a forum more suited for it.

 

What is this on screen display of an A inside a house shaped arrow point up indicating?

 

Caps Lock?

 

Recently ordered a T420 from Lenovo.

It's been 2 days since I got the UPS tracking number. Almost 3 days since the laptop "shipped." Yet UPS still cannot recognize the tracking number. Wonder whether this is something to be concerned about?

 

Are you manually entering the tracking number? If you go to the directlenovo page of your order, there's a button there that will take you to your tracking info.

If you get the error there, then I would be a little concerned. Possibly an error from UPS.

 

Yeah I used that button. I'll call Lenovo and see what's up.

 

According to my tracking thing, my Thinkpad is in Canada and less than 100km away from me. But now it's the weekend so I'll have to wait till Monday for it to come.

 

I'm in the same boat, and Lenovo told me that the tracking information is incorrect and I can expect an updated email within two business days. I called mid-afternoon on Thursday, so of course I have to wait till Monday to call them back.

I really don't want to have an impending horror story, but so far Lenovo has not been able to sufficiently provide me with a reason why my order has a non-active but valid tracking number...

 

Yesterday I recieved a T420, my first Thinkpad.

Played around with it last night, installed some of my tools, watched a few videos. All very nice.

This morning the Trackpoint and Trackpad are not working. Currently using a USB mouse to move the cursor. Perhaps a reboot would fix the problem but I need to know the underlying cause.

Has anyone else experienced stalling problems with their Trackpoint and Trackpad?

Are there any drivers that I should consider?

 

Have you done the MS and Lenovo software updates yet? If not then run them. And have you tweaked any of the power settings yet? Don't know of any problems but sometimes fiddling with individual power settings raises some issues when coming back out of sleep.

 

Thanks wkearney99. That doesn't sound too heavy. I guess I will get a caddy for the empty ultrabay, useful since I can always upgrade if need be.