Thinkpad T420s Owners' Thread

I'll make the decision easy for you. The Intel Series 510 will not go in the T420s. The bay is 7mm. The Intel Series 510 case is a rigid aluminum 9.5mm case and can't be modified like the X-25M or Series 320 by removing a plastic spacer. It doesn't have one.

I tried to put the Series 510 PCB board in a X-25M case. No dice. I'm not sure if you could use a Series 320 case. I'll eventually test that.

 

Be warned: You might be able to squeeze a 9.5mm drive in to the bay if you don't use the rails but it may never come out again.

John

 

I would highly advise AGAINST this. If you look carefully inside the bay, it isn't sealed and covered very effectively. You might damage other parts of the machine. The Intel Series 510 will not go into the T420s bay.

Stick with 7mm drives.

 

Thanks Thors and John's for your advices. I definitely would not want to force the 9mm SSD into the 7mm slot. I have, however, found the following paragraph from a google search which seems to suggest a way to get the 510 installed in T420S. It is of course a more brutal (but reversible) way. I am not sure if that really work or if the performance gain (if any) would justify the effort and cost of dosing so.

QUOTE:
I ended up getting the new T420s delivered finally last week and then the Intel 510 250GB SSD arrived the following day. The SSD (retail package) came with a tool to duplicate the factory drive to the new 510, which is Acronis but labeled for Intel. I had ordered the HDD drive adapter for the DVD drive slot, so I moved the original HDD drive from the system to the side tray and put the 510 in the main slot, though I think there was a USB cable supplied too (I wrapped that all back up so I forget now). In order to fit the 510 into the main slot, I unscrewed the case and removed the top portion of the case- the SSD had no sort of warranty sticker or anything around the sides or screws to inhibit doing this. I left the SSD card inside the bottom of the case, and then I screwed the shim that comes from the original HDD onto that remaining portion of the SSD case, and I used it as sort of a replacement top- the shim has one of those anti-static films in it which is now presses up against the drive card. I then put the rubber side rails back on over this 'enclosure'. Altogether, it all came together very well, it felt pretty solid... it really didn't feel loose or insecure. I slid it back into the slot for the main drive and duplicated the drive with the imaging software, and there is no sort of play there, it fits well.

I'm very satisfied with the fit, and the performance of the drive is great. Thanks to all for the info provided in the post.
UNQUOTE

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures? Are we that desperate? If you have time and money to spare, by all means waste them, but...

First the eye candies, now the bit candies... 2GHz quad-core hyperthreading CPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB SATA 6Gbps SSD, and most people still do the same tasks: typing a few words and clicking a few links.

 

I think the shim referenced in the quote is the wrapper that is normally used around Lenovo ThinkPad hard drives.

I believe the difference here is that my T420s has the smartcard reader which is part of the primary drive bay and precludes the use of that procedure.

If you don't have the smartcard reader, you probably have another 2mm to work with that I don't. Unfortunately for me.

I probably need to chat with Intel to see if they have a solution. After all the problem is just the enclosure.

 

I'm having an issue where my laptop kicks me to the windows 7 login screen after a few minutes, even while I'm using it. It's not going to sleep, because I this happens before the set 15 minutes. I think it only happens when I'm on battery, so I assume it's some power setting. Does anyone have any ideas?

I've attached some png's of the power settings I'm on.

edit: I noticed I did have "lock workstation when lid closed" checked under global power > events > advanced. Maybe I was closing the lid w/o realizing it...

 

Thanks again for all the information and advices. I have just ordered a 320 160GB SSD, 4GB Kingston RAM and a displayport to HDMI cable. Now I am waiting everything to come on Friday

The next thing on my shopping list is an USB 3.0 hard disk enclosure. So far, I have difficulty finding one that is having consistently good user reviews ...

 

I have two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 enclosures. I just purchased the Filemate. See Wintec Industries - Storage - Hard Drive Enclosures - 2.5 inch - 3.0 USB - Product Summary. I purchased it because I needed another case and I was looking for one that didn't need power from two USB ports. So far it seems to be working well enough. I threw a Hitachi 320GB 7200rpm drive in it to see how it does. I'll try one of my 500GB drives next.

I've been using the SIIG case since they came out months and months ago. It's never let me down. See Hi-Speed USB to SATA 2.5" Enclosure - Drive Enclosures - Hard Drive Storage - Controllers/Storage - IT Products

 

I bought this enclosure because I can use the cable without the enclosure. Performance is OK - I measured about 170MB/s with an SSD.

John

 

Thanks again for the advices. I ended up ordering the Wintec enclosure because while I like the e-mini enclosure which looks stylish and robust, I cannot find a local supply of that in US. And for the SIIG, all the enclosures shown in the their website are USB 2.0.

It was a bit surprising to me that while the Wintec enclosure is not listed in newegg or tigerdirect (which are both shown as Wintec's retailler in the their website), it is available in Warmart instead. I was also surprised to find out its price to be only $12, which is just half the price of the Vantec NexStar enclosure that I have been considering.

What's remaining in my shopping list are:

1) A Keyboard - currently considering the Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard with Back lighting
2) A Wireless Mouse - currently considering the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX

The Logitech Keyboard and Mouse looks good but pricey. Too bad that I missed their promotion rebate earlier this month. I am considering also to get a new 24" monitor. Only that a good monitor with full height adjustment (because it has to rest on the easy reach mount) are quite pricey too ...

In the meantime, the mini-dock series 3 and the easy reach mount have arrived. Both look really great with absolutely solid build. I love it.

 

Just ordered my T420s.

Now I need to hunt down the largest capacity max 7mm height SATA with best speed.

Is there anything significantly faster than Intel 320 SSD out there?

OCZ Vertex 3 / Agility 3
OWC Mergury Extreme 6g
Intel 510

Are all 9mm or more.

Found Crucial m4 SSD which is no slouch, although not in the Vertex 3 category:

http://www.storagereview.com/crucial_m4_ssd_review_256gb

It can be installed both in 7mm and 9mm slots by removing the plastic spacer.

 

Work through this thread which reveals how some SSDs can be put on a diet. Be aware, however, of some issues with SATA 3 SSDs appearing to lock up and you may need to tinker with settings.

John

 

Thanks a bunch for that link. Somehow had missed it.

Yes, there still seems to be issues with many drives, even with Crucial m4 on various laptops, even with the Intel RST LPM registry fix applied:

Problem with boot on SSD crucial M4 256Go on ASUS ... - Crucial Community

Ah well

 

Considering SSD is still in an early developing phrase that technology is going to improve and cost could be dropping significantly in a year or two when SSD become more popular, my strategy is to buy just the right amount of capacity that could meet my needs in the near terms and add a second one in a year or two by the time that additional space would really be needed.

 

how are you guys setting or calibrating the color profiles on your display? Everything is too blue on mine.

 

does t420 use express card 1.0 or 2.0?

 

I use a color calibration sensor. There are several brands and products on the market. Most of them are rather pricey.

 

Might that be the LG panel? (HWiNFO32 will reveal). In theory, Windows 7's Calibrate tool should help you adjust the display but it didn't play ball for me. So I went to the Graphics Properties (right click on desktop) which opened the Intel Graphics control panel. There I reduced gamma to 0.9 for all bands and reduced the saturation on the blue band. It looks a lot better but this process is subjective.

John

 

With my T420S arriving this evening, based on the advices I read in this forum, following is my plan to get it setup:

1. Download lastest BIOS, Intel ChipSet Firmware, Intel Graphic Driver, Intel Intel Wireless Driver, ThinkVantage, Intel SSD Firmware and ToolBox, and TPFanControl into USB Driver - DONE
2. Charge T420S to full battery level, while looking for 4 M2x3 screws from my old Thinkpads for later installation of SSD.
3. Boot up and Create Recovery Discs (1CD + 3DVD, maybe two copies)
4. Check BIOS version (with MSInfo32). Update BIOS with the latest one (5/19) if needed.
5. Check Intel Chipset Firmware (what is the easiest way?). Update with the latest one (5/16) if needed.
6. Add 4GB RAM. Check if detected by Windows
7. Replace HardDrive with SSD
8. Check SSD Firmware (with Intel bootable CD). Update if not being the latest one (1/26) – I guess I can skip this step as the Intel 320 SSD should be pretty new and the latest firmware is dated 1/26 ?
9. Clean Install Windows 7 Ultimate in SSD
10. Install Windows drivers from USB
11. Update Windows 7 to SP1 plus other updates
12. Update Lenova drivers with ThinkVantage
13. Setup TPFanControl and Power Manager
14. Tune display
15. Check Mini Dock and Displayport to HDMI cable
16. Test RAM with memtest86+
17. Install harddisk in USB3.0 enclosure when it arrive

My questions are:
1) Have I missed anything or if the steps are correct?
2) Should I turn-off Hibernation for the SSD? If so, I would miss the convenience of returning to where I were with Hibernation.
3) With 8GB RAM, should I install RAMDrive to help the SSD?

 

I'm trying to reinstall windows for a clean install but I dont see the windows product key anywhere on the laptop. Is there a way to get the code?

 

Hi again!

I have practical question that is applicable to both the T420s and T420 (and probably any similar ThinkPad with Sandy Bridge graphics):

I know that the Nvidia optimus discrete graphics can handle up to three external monitors simultaneously (plus the internal monitor). According to the tabook, the Intel Sandy Bridge HD3000 graphics can handle two monitors simultaneously. However, Lenovo makes no mention about multi-monitor setups with the HD3000, only with Optimus.

My question is: Is it possible to use two external monitors (using the docking station) with the HD3000 by temporarily disabling the internal monitor? The chip seems to support it, however, does the implementation support it?

This may be a great advice for me (or anyone else in the same situation) to choose between with or without Optimus option. Any testing results or experience is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

//TT

 

Should be under the battery.

 

Also you can open up PowerShell ISE (type powershell ise in the start menu search). Paste the following in the document and then click play:

Code:

function Get-WindowsKey {
    ## function to retrieve the Windows Product Key from any PC
    ## by Jakob Bindslet ([email protected])
    param ($targets = ".")
    $hklm = 2147483650
    $regPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion"
    $regValue = "DigitalProductId"
    Foreach ($target in $targets) {
        $productKey = $null
        $win32os = $null
        $wmi = [WMIClass]"\\$target\root\default:stdRegProv"
        $data = $wmi.GetBinaryValue($hklm,$regPath,$regValue)
        $binArray = ($data.uValue)[52..66]
        $charsArray = "B","C","D","F","G","H","J","K","M","P","Q","R","T","V","W","X","Y","2","3","4","6","7","8","9"
        ## decrypt base24 encoded binary data
        For ($i = 24; $i -ge 0; $i--) {
            $k = 0
            For ($j = 14; $j -ge 0; $j--) {
                $k = $k * 256 -bxor $binArray[$j]
                $binArray[$j] = [math]::truncate($k / 24)
                $k = $k % 24
            }
            $productKey = $charsArray[$k] + $productKey
            If (($i % 5 -eq 0) -and ($i -ne 0)) {
                $productKey = "-" + $productKey
            }
        }
        $win32os = Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem -computer $target
        $obj = New-Object Object
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty Computer -value $target
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty Caption -value $win32os.Caption
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty CSDVersion -value $win32os.CSDVersion
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty OSArch -value $win32os.OSArchitecture
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty BuildNumber -value $win32os.BuildNumber
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty RegisteredTo -value $win32os.RegisteredUser
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty ProductID -value $win32os.SerialNumber
        $obj | Add-Member Noteproperty ProductKey -value $productkey
        $obj
    }
}

Get-WindowsKey

Source: JBs Powershell: Retrieveing the Windows Product Key

 

The benefit of a logitech wireless keyboard and mouse is that they can use the same small USB receiver.

I prefer bluetooth though as the USB receivers can damage the USB ports of they're caught on your backpack/bag.

 

Right. But after using a wireless keyboard for years, I don't really think there is that much of a need for keyboard to go wireless. I hardly moved the keyboard around and that's why I think I can accept a wired keyboard as long as the keyboard is good.

The advantage of using bluetooth mouse is that it won't take up an USB port. In my case, this is not a key concern because I will be using the mouse only when the notebook is docked and therefore, I can keep the USB receiver staying in the dock. In terms of performance, RF mouse seems to work better to me in terms of power consumption and responsitivity. Also, there are more RF mouses available to select than bluetooth mouses.

 

Thanks for the response but I found the product key sticker underneath the battery!

 

Thanks alot!

 

I was looking into replacing my dvd drive with a 2nd hard drive caddy. I found this from searching.. Anyone use this before??

2nd hard drive Adapter Bay for LENOVO Thinkpad T420 - $44.99 : digizon

 

Hi mate, I'm using this one and have absolutely no problem. Fits perfectly, insert HDD into caddy, insert caddy into T420s, HDD detected instantly.

Ultrabay SATA 2nd Hdd Lenovo ThinkPad T410s T510 DV13 | eBay

Its listed for the T410s but I have no trouble getting it to work perfectly with my T420s.

 

And anyway, if you'd want to spend 40 odd bucks on the caddy, you might as well get the official Lenovo part here,

Lenovo - Laptop and desktop - Storage 43N3412 (US)

 

I would like to use a Bluetooth mouse to free up one USB port. However, after a quick test with my Logitech BT mouse I encountered lost connections and quickly reverted to USB.

I also got my UltraBay adaptor from ebay, but it came from Malaysia. It's an older model which says "SATA 1.5Gb/s" on the label, but it works OK at 3Gb/s. AFAIK all the UltraBay adaptors are the same height which is why the W520 owners complain about a gap at the top.

John

 

Yeah mate, I had no problem getting my ebay caddy to SATA 3 Gb/s too. Works great for US$13.

 

So, my T420s arrived 7pm and it looks very much like my T400, except that it is 1cm wider and 1 cm shorter. The palm rest is wider and the touch pad is larger than that of T400. Keyboard feels solid. Unlike T400, T420s has no microphone jack. Not an issue to me as audio jacks are available in the Mini Dock. 4 lbs weight acceptable on my hand.

My overall feeling of T420s is good. I have completed step 2 with SSD spacer removed and battery fully charged. After a busy day at work, I will leave the T420s plugged overnight and continue with step 3 tomorrow.

 

It's combined with the headphone socket. However, I've never tried to figure out how the computer knows what is connected. Internal mics on recent notebooks are usually quite good but I have a USB handset that I use with Skype.

John

 

On second thought, this maybe a good place for utilizing the bluetooth. I have a Sennheiser bluetooth headset that has been working well with my phone. Maybe I can try to pair this up with T420s too

 

Hi everybody, I need help.

I just received my T420s i7 + Nvidia model.

I have a problem when I am charging my notebook, the AC power and Battery will auto interchange and the 90w AC adapter will bring some high frequency noise sound in this moment.

Thank you.

 

Sounds like a serious problem. If you have a friend who has an identical Lenovo adapter, borrow it for a few minutes to see if it happens on his adapter. If it doesn't, the problem lies with the adapter. If it does, you seriously need a replacement laptop.

Either way, call up tech support and make a hell lot of a noise because it sounds dangerous.

 

Yes, I can connect up two external monitors from my T420s (with Integrated Graphic Display) through the Mini Dock, one using a displayport to HDMI cable, and the other using a VGA cable. There are two display modes that can be choosen from the Intel Graphics Properties: the Clone Mode where both monitors are showing the same desktop, and the Extended Desktop Mode where the destop is extended from the Primary Monitor over to the Secondary Monitor. In either modes, the T420s display will be disabled.

 

I would love to be able to use my T420s with discrete graphics disabled and still use my external monitor on dvi/displayport, but I can't seem to configure it.

 

Since you have the Nvidia GPU in your T420s how is the graphics performance vs the integrated Intel 3000? I currently have my T420s on order with the NVS 4200m on board but I'm beginning to wonder whether it was worth the upgrade.

 

Thank you very much for that information! You just helped me decide what model to choose (and at the same time filled a gap in the official documentation imo)

//TT

 

Hard to tell, I hardly ever use any very graphic intensive applications..
But the GPU is running hot and makes the CPU get hotter and the fan to be more noisy. If I disable the Nvidia it's 20 degrees celcius colder. (TP Fan control makes it a minor problem).
The integrated one is absolutely more potent than the one in my X201t but how much, I don't know. If only I could get a digital out when using it..

Edit: Setting main graphics processor in the Nvidia Control Panel to integrated graphics seems to have done the trick .

 

Intel 310 80GB:


And its performance:


Even without RapidBoot Extreme (as preinstalled Win came on MBR partition, not GPT one) boot is about 3-4 times faster then with 320GB 7200rpm HDD.

 

Also happy with the UltraBay 42 battery, instead of DVD drive. Notebook is still well below 2kgs and lasts for 7+ hours on light usage (internet, word / onenote typing, etc.).

 

VGA works. Do you have a DVI->VGA adapter? It's a cheap fix.

 

Hi all,
One thing has been bothering me since I got my new T420s (417153U, running Win 7 64bit): whenever I boot the PC, Power Manager has a delay of about 2min in choosing the default power profile (I usually use power source optimized with some customization).
During the first 2min the display is either at full bright (if running on battery) or at min bright (if running on AC).
I have not noticed this behavior on my previous Lenovo/IBM machines.
Have you seen this issue before? Can it be due to some PM settings that I missed?
Thanks!

 

VGA is bad mmkay?

I love the crispness of the digital ports

But setting the global settings in the nvidia control panel to just use integrated graphics keeps the temperature down and the digital ports on

 

I have a Optimus T420s and it runs nice and cool on discrete or Optimus. And when it is in either of those modes you can use DVI and DisplayPort.

Pick your poison.

And for the record, I bet 99 out of 100 people couldn't tell if a LCD panel was being driven by VGA, DVI, or DisplayPort at resolutions below 1920x1200.

 

No, I have not seen that. What version of the power management driver are you running? What version of Power Manager?