Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 4

Great news! I was able to return my Samsung 950 pro that wasn't working. My new 950 pro arrived in the mail and it worked perfectly and everything booted up properly! Windows 10 search is working too. The only thing not working is the finger print reader.

It is absolutely insane how fast this SSD is. Everything is instant it feels like my computer is a mustang now. So happy!

 

Thank you so much -- that's really helpful! Just one follow-up question: Do the numbers for the SSD correspond to the numbers I'm used to in terms of my current hard drive's storage space? Since I'm using more than 256 GB of storage on my hard drive now, it seems like I have to go up to the 512 GB SSD no matter what...or am I completely misunderstanding that?

 

That is correct. If you have space issues at the moment with 256GB go for the 512GB update. Other option is going for 256GB version in case you can store other personal files in external storage like pendrives USB or in a cheap (no that fast) microSD. You can have a microSD inserted on the back of the Carbon with the cover closed so you can't notice. I went for the 1TB version because I do lot of virtualization and I need a fast and big drive for mi virtual machines.

PCIe NVMe update is really a big thing in terms of speed.

 

OK, I placed my order -- now to wait! Thank you for your help!

 

Any tips/things to remember for installing a 950 Pro on a 4th Gen running Windows 7?

 

I just bought a 64gb USB and used the backup tool build into windows 10. I didn't transfer over my files but it's a new laptop so no big deal. When you put the new SSD in I think it's a good idea to make sure you push it in firmly to make sure it's connecting.

 

I'd like to know the config you ordered, especially if you opted for FHD or QHD screen, and more thoughts once you have the laptop if possible!

S

 

Sure! I went with the FHD screen, because both were going to be better than what I have now, I doubted I'd be able to tell the difference between the two (unlike a lot of others who post here, I know), and everything I read said that the QHD screen would drain the battery faster. Beyond that, I went with almost the top specs for everything else: the i7 processor, the 16GB of RAM (that's why I got the i7), and the 512 SATA SSD. And I spent the $17 to get the on-site service, just in case.

I ended up not buying Office 2016 to install on it; I'm going to try to use my product key to install Office 2011 on the new machine when I get it. Hopefully Windows 10 won't just laugh at me for even trying.

Lenovo thinks it'll be here by the end of the week, so we'll see what happens!

 

Office 2011?

 

I know, I know...it sounds ancient, doesn't it? But my husband has been working in Word 2013, and the Track Changes feature (which we use all the time for our work) is horrible compared to Word 2011. I haven't seen yet how it looks in Word 2016, but figure I won't mess with it until I absolutely have to. It's easy enough to buy and install Office 2016 if and when I need to.

 

Hey @redpencilgirl. Have you got the machine yet?

I got really twitchy and pulled the trigger on i7/16GB/512GB NVMe/FHD and quite happy that I got it all for just under $1600 including the RJ45 adapter and a spare 65W slim charger (excluding tax and shipping).

I should get the laptop shipped around the 5th hopefully as per the website, though the additional charger is already on its way.

 

I got it! I'm setting it up now...trying to take the time for that and meet deadlines on my old computer at the same time. So far so good, though!

 

Hi

Anyone get the 1Tb nvme pcie SSD.?
Can u confirm it's the Samsung SM951 drive?
I'm planning to order if it is.

Thank you

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

Apologies.
It seems. It could either be the SM961 or PM961.

Please could someone confirm.

Thanks

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This is the part number of SM961:
MZVKW1T0HMLH-00000



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@rm501 Please don't multi-post. Editing the same post with the additional information should suffice. @Nyek has got the machine with the 1TB NVMe drive, maybe he can assist.

@redpencilgirl - how are you liking the machine so far? Any niggles? Curious if you went for the standard 512GB SSD or the NVMe? How's the display - that's my biggest worry. Laptop should get delivered today, but it will only be in my hands in another 2 weeks or so, God Willing!

 

I am really sorry to say that someone broke in to my house last week and off course, the X1 Carbon is gone. A part of other laptop, tablet and some cheap electronic devices.

It really hurts

I am waiting for discounts on the X1 if not I will go for the cheaper 13" model and become a peasant.

 

If you are in the States it's your lucky day. Corporate Perks/Barnes and Noble Gold have the base X1 Carbon for 38% off, and other models are 33% off.
http://slickdeals.net/f/8968799-38-off-lenovo-thinkpad-x-t-series-675

I am still holding out for the 5th generation though!

 

Based in London/UK

 

I'm really sorry to hear that, hope you get a replacement soon and they catch the thieves.

Holy moly, a week late to the party. Could have saved a further $200 with that. There are standard discounts on the website now that still makes my config about 50$ cheaper than what I got it for! Oh well, I still can't wait to get my hands on it!

 

@Nyek I am so sorry! That's terrible! I really hope you're able to replace it.

@sheFs So far it's going well, for the most part! The screen is great for me, though I may not be the best person to ask, as it's such an upgrade from what I was using before that I might not notice whatever it is that was bothering all those other posters about it. I'm loving the keyboard, and the near weightlessness, and the battery life...oh, the battery life...(but I hate to gush too much in front of poor Nyek... )

The only problem I'm having is with Adobe Acrobat Pro -- I was able to install my (legal) copy of it onto this machine, but I can't configure it so it works for me. I've done a little bit of Googling and think that it's a Windows 10 issue and not a screen resolution issue, though it sure looks like the latter, as the toolbars and comment boxes are either giant or tiny (and that's not just in view -- it sticks to the documents I send, so that won't work for my clients). So for now I'm working in Word on the ThinkPad and in Adobe on my old Asus (thankfully, 99% of my work is in Word), and when I have time, I'll see what I can figure out.

 

I am actually able to configure the base model to look just like the higher-end model, and still retain the 38% discount. So the $1382.88 model (i7-6600U, 16GB RAM, 512MB SSD, WQHD screen, MSRP $2064.00) can be had for only $1279.68. So even the upgrades are 38% off.

 

Anyone know if the WIGig supports 4K?

Want to drive an external 4K monitor when at home in my office.

Cheers


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I pulled the trigger yesterday as well. X1C 4th, i7-6600U, WQHD, 16GB, 1TB PCIe-NVMe, WWAN. It is a really good deal.

Also, I have concern with screen lottery, it would take too much effort to wait and return the laptop if it is not what we like to see. So this morning I contacted Lenovo, and happily was told that my order has LG screen and 1TB NVMe SSD is Samsung SM961.

 

Is it possible to set an ATA (BIOS) password on the HDD if the SSD isn't one of the OPAL 2.0 drives? (i.e. on a 512GB or 1TB?)

 

Sorry to hear that. Hope u had insurance?

Does anyone know if a unit that is factory fitted with a SATA SSD, can be replaced with a PCIe-NVMe drive?

Thank you

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

Sure. Did that with mine, ordered the 192Gb SATA drive and installed a Samsung 950Pro NVMe instead.

 

Hello Everyone! I've dcided to pull the trigger on the 4Gen, yet I've come to a point where I have to decide between these two configurations - there is no option for custom configuration, so these are the pre-configured models i have choose from:

8Gb, FHD, 192 Gb SSD, i7 6500U

and

16 Gb, QHD, 500 Gb SSd, i7 6600U, 4G (no infos whether the SSD is SATA3 or PCIe)

The notebook would be for office work (WORD, PDF viewing, browsing, etc), I'd often work with two windows open (one for WORD and one for PDF viewing/Windows explorer) at the same time.

Since there would be no room for upgrades after the purchase (like changing the SSD), I'd like to ask Your opinion.

Would the QHD screens's resolution make the fonts/icons to small/tiny to edit in WORD and view PDF/Windows explorer/Web browser?

The screen lottery does not bother me, still, I'm concerned the higher resolution would make working impossible.

Does scaling work well on Windows 10? Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

 

If you like to use the laptop for 3 years, I would say go for the 16GB/QHD. For the newer version of windows app, text can scale and WQHD only makes font sharper and nicer, comparing to FHD.

If the comparison is between 1600x900 vs. WQHD, there is reason to pick 1600x900 because this resolution can display legacy app on 100% scale nicely. But for FHD, the DPI is just too high to stay at 100%. Once you scale the screen to more than 100%, i.e. 120%. The legacy app will be blurry anyway.

I ordered 16GB/WQHD/1TB myself.

 

@zsi: Piggybacking on your answer to kiskapu's question here. Do you think the FHD screen could be the reason I'm having so much trouble using Adobe Acrobat on my new X1 Carbon? I got the FHD screen because I thought I didn't need the QHD (and I was prioritizing battery life over screen resolution), but judging by the inability so far of Adobe to resolve the problem, it seems to be a DPI issue. (I can go into more detail if anyone is an expert on this, but that's the general version!)

 

Cool. Thank you. I pulled trigger and purchased today.
Do u know where I can find instructions or a guide to replace the SSD?

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@zsi: Thnak You for clarifying things. I've decided to go with the higher speced config.

@redpencilgirl: Battery life is (was) also an important matter to me thats's why I opted for the FHD, nontheless to avoid the scree lottery. My first option was to go with FHD and spec it up to 16GB RAM, amybe later upgrade with a NVMe SSD. Pity the question is to get the FHD or to get the higher specs but with the screen lottery and no idea whether the 512 SSD would be a SATA3 or an NVMw one.

 

@redpencilgirl: it is possible. but it also depends what problem you are referring to. There are at least 3 places to adjust font size/scale for different issue. Can you post the screenshot (entire screen, not just the application window) where the problem is?

 

I think it's actually easier to explain than it is to show (in part because I'd have to find a PDF to use as a model that's not proprietary content for one of my clients, and that might take a while!). After two hours on chat with Adobe support, it all came down to "Scale for screen resolution," which at "Auto-detect" or 200% makes toolbars and comment boxes (and type within them) giant and practically unusable -- they take up most of the screen real estate, too. Of course, setting it at 100% did the opposite -- tiny toolbars I could probably live with, but the comment boxes were tiny, and the type was so small it was practically unreadable (and translated that way to the client, too; I did a test run by sending a file to my husband's computer).

There is a setting called "System," but it comes with a warning: "Acrobat will run at your system DPI. Icons will be distorted if your system DPI is unsupported by Acrobat." And what do you know? The toolbars and comment boxes are exactly the right size...but the icons are distorted, and the type is the right size in SOME of the boxes...and enormous in others.

Incidentally, throughout all this the program thought all the type was exactly the same size...

Anyway, long answer to a short question. I've found one solution online that involves doing a registry edit to allow scale at 150%; I might try that. (Should be easier than getting Adobe to call me; the tech promised me someone would, but so far no dice on that.) But I'm still curious to know if the QHD screen would have avoided this problem altogether...and if at this late date (a month after my purchase) it's worth thinking about upgrading?

 

@redpencilgirl: It happens while a Windows app contains both legacy control and newer control. I can give it try after I get my x1c delivered. Due to 1TB SSD availability problem, the waiting time is around 3 weeks :-(.

About upgrading, the trend is clearly towards to higher DPI. It may takes a bit time but eventually apps on high resolution screen will be fine. For now, as FHD has problem already, you have nothing to lose by upgrading to WQHD. If I were you, I will talk to Lenovo support and try to get screen upgraded without paying penalty (i.e. return the current one and buy a new one with WQHD) before it is too late.

 

@zsi: Thanks for the advice. I'm going to call Lenovo support this week about it. I paid the extra for onsite support -- not sure if this counts as that kind of issue, but if I can get a human being to come look at it, I think that would be the best way to make the decision. If the screen is fine otherwise (and if the QHD screen is also going to have problems with legacy apps), I'd rather keep it in the interest of saving money and battery life.

I'll report back!

 

The area of my laptop at the front left corner (as in closest to my body when typing and to the left) sort of isn't fully secure even with the screw tightened to the max. I can squeeze it and it makes a small noise and flexes in. When I type I notice it too.

Any way to fix this? Maybe I did some damage when I removed the shell of the laptop to switch out the SSD.

 

@redpencilgirl and @kiskapu: there is minimal difference in battery life between the FHD and QHD screens. This isn't a Dell XPS13. I wouldn't let that deter you from swapping for QHD if you are able to, good luck trying to convince Lenovo support though, not sure if it'll work.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X1-Carbon-20FB-005XUS-Notebook-Review.164475.0.html

The nice thing about onsite support is that the techs can order specific parts...be sure to give him/her the FRU for the LG QHD screen if you can. Also you will need to make sure they swap the LCD cable. The FHD one won't work with the QHD screen and vice versa. I view PDFs for work as well and really appreciate the extra pixel density when zooming in. It makes text so much crisper. My uses differ from yours it sounds like, sorry I can't give more insight. Hopefully the issue resolves itself either way.

@bittercactus: the base can be tricky to slide back into place, maybe remove the screws and try again?

@rm501: check out my post #72 where I described what I did to replace the SSD.

 

I wouldn't necessarily call that an apples to apples comparison since the FHD setup has an NVMe SSD which could be consuming more power than the other setup. Yes, the CPUs are different too.

For me personally, even after 6 years, I struggle on my 1440 x 900 X301 that I just opted for the FHD to not have too much of a "resolution shock" For me it will be zero gaming and quite limited video / movies. The FHD just made sense, I decided to use the minimal savings to justify the upgrade to 512GB NVMe SSD. I'm yet to receive the laptop, so hope my opinions don't change later

Shefiu

 

Since there is no dedicated thread for the X1 Yoga I post my findings here. I have The Lenovo X1 Yoga with the OLED screen. The OLED screen is very nice but I have discovered a weird artifact that I haven't seen before on any other display. On low brightness screen there is a distinctive lag of red (you see the red shadow and it could be that the other components lag instead).

How to test this:
Use some graphics program, MS paint will do but you can use whatever graphics program you want.
Create a full size image of dark grey, RGB value of 30 for each channel.
Create a large black box.
Now select the black box and drag it around on the dark grey background.
You will see a "red shadow" after the black box when you drag the box.

I don't understand this behaviour. OLED displays are supposed to be way faster than LCD displays so the question is what this really is. This artifacts really affects dark games and movies as it will be very noticeable. This red shadow almost look like the movie becomes a 3D movie (the old type with red/blue filter glasses) in dark settings.

Can anyone confirm this if you see the same? Can anybody explain this?

Also on low very low brightness (just take the grey image of RGB value 30) you will notice that the image is not uniform but you will see a variance for each pixel on low intensities. This is however expected and follows many other OLED screen I had before. LCDs do not suffer from this as the brightness can be controlled better on low intensities.

It will also be interesting to see how this display ages. Since OLED displays are quite new for laptops it will really be a new endurance test for me at least.

 

This is a dedicated thread for the X1 Yoga, but it's on another forum...
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/threads/thinkpad-x1-yoga-2016.68750/page-37

 

Hi Guys, after a month waiting, my X1C finally arrived last night.

Configuration: 2016 X1 Carbon Gen4, i7-6600U/WQHD/16G/1TB NVME/4GLTE/Win10Pro.

A few impressions:

* The WQHD display is gorgeous. matte screen, model LP140QH1-SPF2, made by LG. No PWM issue found (camera test/swing finger test). No dead pixel found.
* The integrated graphic, HD520 is pretty decent, comparable to my old T430's nvidia.
* Hinge is strong, no screen wobbling when I type on desk.
* The 1TB NVMe SSD is Samsung MZSLW1T0, I believe it is PM961. Read 2801MB/s, Write 1172MB/s. Ran through large file test, no dead block.
* The keyboard is comfortable
* The speaker handles voice well, very loud. But bass is next to zero. Set dolby audio setting to "music" helps a bit but still not comparable to macbook or even iPhone.
* The power adapter is 65w
* Fingerprint reader is very nice
* Camera is OK.
* Pre-installed office365 is a battery hog, uninstall it.
* play 1080p youtube on WiFi 802.11ac, brightness 3 stops from the top. battery Level 94%, the battery indicators shows 6hr 40min. good enough.
* The laptop feels so light, much lighter than MBP13.
* Scale to 200%, handles both newer app and legacy app no problem. I haven't found any issue on adobe reader.

The only problem I found is that arrow down key makes loud noise. When I press the key (just a little bit slow), in the middle of key travel, the key makes a clicking sound, just like a balloon blows. I tested every key on the keyboard and none has this issue except the arrow down. I will keep eyes on it. If it does not disappear in a few days, I will contact manufacturer.

Other than that, this is a really good laptop.

BTW, if you use a lot of legacy apps, such as windows device manager, just set the WQHD (2560*1440) screen scale to 200% *PLUS* disable both Clear Type and "smooth edges of screen fonts" in system properties. The 200% scale makes exact 2:1 mapping to pixels, relevant to 1280*720 resolution, so no blurry on legacy app window.

Scales like 150% or 120%, cannot make exact 2:1 mapping so legacy app screen will blurry, like what you would see on FHD screen.

 

I just ordered a 4th gen X1C to replace my 1st gen X1C, which has served me well for 4 years. The Lenovo web price seems pretty good at the moment ($1548 for the top-end i7-6600 model).

 

Congrats, glad you like the laptop and also got the LG panel. I may have a similar issue on the right Shift key. It makes a clicking sound sometimes when I put pressure on it but don't press it down all the way. When I press on it like I normally do while typing sometimes it makes the noise sometimes it doesn't. I've had my X1C since May I think and it has not gone away. But it also has not gotten any worse. It doesn't bother me. You could end up with a worse keyboard too, Lenovo uses a couple different parts. I went through two other X1C before receiving my current one. The first two had keyboards with clackety / noisier keys. This one has the keyboard that I've grown to love on recent Thinkpads, a bit mushy and quieter keystrokes.

 

Well, I had won the lottery with my new (got it last week) X1 Carbon since it came with the LP140QH1-SPF2 but the LCD shipped with a vertical line of dead pixels.

Today, a tech came to replace the LCD and replaced it with a LP140QH1-SPF1 which looks horrible in comparison. I can't get the screen bright enough. The replacement screen at max brightness is about the same as my original LCD at 80% brightness.

I guess, it's time to try to replace it again and see what happens this time. It's certainly not what I expected to happen on a machine this expensive.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can escalate the issue? I suspect they may shrug it off as it's the same Lenovo part number.

 

Looking at your signature, how many x1 carbon do you own?

 

I've updated the signature. I have 2 at the moment. A brand new 4th Gen and a faithful 1st Gen, which my wife is itching to get once the issues with the new one are sorted.

 

You are a big Thinkpad fan.

My first laptop was T43, then T410. I switched to mbp three years ago, I am trying to return to Thinkpad this year, but really disappointed about the QC...

 

In our household we have had a T43 (gone), T61p (gone), T410s (wife), X1C (1), x250 (son), and now this X1C (4). I have to agree with you that the quality of Lenovo machines lately has been suspect. It's making it very difficult to remain a fan. Two features that have kept me with Lenovo are the built in WWAN and the NBD on-site warranty.

But if Lenovo cannot correct the sub-standard replacement LCD (older/different revision version) on my 1 week old $3k laptop, it will be going back to where it came from and I will start shopping elsewhere.

 

So there are now two LG screen variants with this laptop, fantastic. I would just call them and say that you want the same screen that your laptop shipped with and mention the problems you have with it. Too dim, not uniform, matte coating too heavy, anything that will trigger an onsite appointment. You will likely not get anywhere over the phone though as you said, the part numbers are the same. It'll take an onsite tech to try and order the specific 2nd revision LG display which they may or may not be able to do since the FRU is identical. My LG (SPF1) could be a bit brighter but I'm not complaining after what I went through with my own panel lottery with this laptop. Calibrated it and it's very nice. Whites are white and uniformity is good enough. I think I went through 4 LG screens (SPF1) in all and the prior 3 had a yellow oval in the middle of the screen or were not uniform at all. I'm sure there are "bad" SPF2 screens as well.

Is the screen that bad? If brightness is your only issue you should consider keeping it. Total lottery with this laptop, sadly.

You could always just return it and re-order. But you run the risk of receiving the Panasonic QHD display which is even worse w/ PWM dimming and flicker at any brightness setting below 100%.

Lastly, I think I read your posts on reddit and ThinkPad forum and saw something about backlight bleed. That's not a defect with the screen although it is more sensitive than the Panasonic screens I had. You can loosen the screws just a tad at the bottom of the screen so that there's less pressure on the panel. Problem solved. I know this because I did it.