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    Thinkpad x20x (s/t/i) Owners Thread

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by ddensity, Mar 11, 2010.

  1. oct

    oct Notebook Evangelist

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    Thank you ZaZ. Permanent low or on demand mode?
     
  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I make my own power plan in Power Manager with the CPU set to the lowest both on battery and AC as most things I do don't need more. I can always chose max performance or balanced in Power Manager if the need arises.
     
  3. oct

    oct Notebook Evangelist

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    The only time I noticed a decent difference between CPU set on low vs. on demand was when viewing images 2-3MB each. On low setting it will take some time to load next time, which is a bit frustrating.

    PS: This was on my gf's T510 with a i5 540M
     
  4. nirslsk

    nirslsk Notebook Geek

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    Has anyone else noticed hot air being expelled right under the spacebar?

    Edit: I've noticed the hot air between the spacebar/top mouse buttons is much more noticeable when the active cooling is on and fan control in power settings is set to maximum performance. The laptop actually feels cooler and even SpeedFan is reporting a drop of two degrees celsius from 49 to 47 in "Temp1", whatever it signifies, when set to passive cooling and fan control to 'balanced' or 'reduce noise dynamically'.
     
  5. oct

    oct Notebook Evangelist

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    Does anyone know if a T61 keyboard is compatible with x200?

    As far I know it's compatible with T400 and T500, but I'm not sure about x200. Looks like it has red paint on mouse buttons. Does this make it different? Or it's just for looks?

    I have one lying around which I bought just in case for my T61, and never had a chance to replace it... original one still works like new.

    Thanks.
     
  6. LegendaryKA8

    LegendaryKA8 Nutty ThinkPad Guy

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    It's not compatible. Same size, but completely different connector and supporting hardware.
     
  7. oct

    oct Notebook Evangelist

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    Too bad... I guess I'll have to wait till T61's will fail :)

    Thank you!
     
  8. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    Huh? X200 and X201 use the same part for 9-cell battery: 43R9255.

    On the X201 ordering page, click "Accessories" tab, then click "ThinkPad Battery 47++ (9cell)" option to pop up description:

    ThinkPad Battery 47++ (9cell)

    Stay unplugged longer with the help of a spare or replacement ThinkPad system battery. Get more the twice the capacity of the 4 cell system battery (select models) or carry an extra to extend your unplugged computing time Its compatible design allows it to be in the system when the system is connected to ThinkPad X200 UltraBase.

    Features & Benefits:

    Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) technology
    Nine-cell, rechargeable system battery, 10.8 V, 7.8 Ah
    Standard system battery specifications
    Over-discharge protection​

    General
    Model name 43R9255
    Description ThinkPad Battery 47++ (9cell)​

    Am I missing something?
     
  9. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    What is the part number of the "new" 9-cell battery for X201, if there is indeed such a thing?
     
  10. MAA83

    MAA83 Notebook Evangelist

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    I assumed that they are all 94wh when purchased new by now (for T/X). However I was under the impression that the old 84wh battery for the X200 fit the X201 and vice versa. Perhaps I'm incorrect.

    Here are some FRU's for 9 cells for the X201, you can find out the wh for them.

    42T4649 (Sanyo)
    42T4650 (Panasonic)
    42T4694 (Sanyo, but $10 more expensive than the other Sanyo)

    There's supposed to be a 42T4695 that was a 9 cell? Not sure...

    42T4696 (Panasonic, but about $25 more expensive than the other Panasonic)
    42T4823 (Sayno w/ a 3yr warranty)
    42T4825 ???

    EDIT: Look here

    http://hp-vs-lenovo.com/lenovo-x201s-94wh-battery-arrived/

    from September 5th. part number 43R9255. 10.8V 8.1Ah = 87.48 wH however. That's the same part number that you found, but he lists it as 8.1Ah instead of 7.8Ah, which is a claimed increase of 3.24wH.

    EDIT AGAIN:

    When notebookcheck did their review of the X201... they had a 94wh Battery. They also have a picture of it. The picture shows that it's 10.8V 8.7Ah = 93.96wH! And in the picture they have.... a FRU... 42T4696... so the 9 cell is the expensive Panasonic battery I listed above which is now in bold.



    Turns out pretty good that the 94wh is a quality Panasonic and not another brand. Explains why it's more expensive as well. I wouldn't pay an extra 25 bucks for 10wh though personally. That's more or less an hour light usage. And as a percentage of total unplugged usage time already available to the X201, it isn't much of an increase. However for a T4x0s I would pay $9,000 for 10wh. Solved!
     
  11. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    @MAA83: Thank you!
     
  12. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    Panasonic battery rocks.... Sanyo battery (although Sanyo is owned by Panasonic) quality is not the best, so will work dependably some will fail just after 1 year warranty with minimal charge cycles.
     
  13. flynn337

    flynn337 Notebook Consultant

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    Still loving my X200s (received Dec 2009) - it's running strong and still receives praise from all the other [mostly Dell] biz laptop users around me.

    Does the X201 family have a better power:weight (4-cell) ratio? (power being overall perf).

    The only issue I've seen is that the Fn-Home/End brightness hotkey will stop working after some standby scenarios. I blame this on my Intel driver (8.15.10.1855).
     
  14. unreal25

    unreal25 Capt. Obvious

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    Interesting, I had the brightness issue on both m11x and m17x too. Maybe it's somekind of a bug in Windows?
     
  15. Jayayess1190

    Jayayess1190 Waiting on Intel Cannonlake

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  16. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Those are the tablets. The 520um is a configurable option for the tablets on Lenovos website.
     
  17. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

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    can anybody please tell me if it's possible to add later options such as the webcam, bluetooth, touchpad and how much it would cost?

    I might have found a good deal but I am considering to add these options later on.

    Also what is the weight difference between the 4-cell and 6-cell battery?

    I know with the camera you get the 2x2 antenna instead of the 3x3, is that a big difference in term of reception?

    thanks
     
  18. Jayayess1190

    Jayayess1190 Waiting on Intel Cannonlake

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    I know. When the X201 first came out I don't remember it offering UM series processors. Now the Tablet has the option for both UM and LM's.
     
  19. fatpolomanjr

    fatpolomanjr Notebook Consultant

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    Sorry to detract from others' questions (I don't have answers...just more questions):

    I've noticed many X200/X201's online mention WWAN upgradeable. How so? What kind of WWAN card will work?

    Also, is there a blacklist/whitelist in the BIOS made for any 3rd party hardware other than WLAN/WWAN cards?

    EDIT: Google'd and found answers to my first question. The standard card is Gobi 2000 I think. Searching for the other answer.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 7, 2015
  20. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    i haven't seen a hacked bios for the X20x laptop.
     
  21. erik

    erik modifier

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    no, the whitelist only covers daughter cards such as WLAN/WWAN, WUSB, cameras, bluetooth modules, fingerprint readers, etc.   you're free to install third-party memory, hard drives, USB devices, etc.

    even though this wasn't what fatpolomanjr was asking for, search "zender BIOS X200" and you'll find plenty of people using his no-1802/1804/1805 modded BIOS.

    here's a thread from late 2008: http://forum.notebookreview.com/len...can-use-f3507g-43y6479-wwan-patched-bios.html
     
  22. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    that is good, so i can effectively use a 6300 wireless card in the X200.
     
  23. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

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    can anybody please tell me if it's possible to add later options such as the webcam, bluetooth, touchpad and how much it would cost?

    I might have found a good deal but I am considering to add these options later on.

    Also what is the weight difference between the 4-cell and 6-cell battery?

    I know with the camera you get the 2x2 antenna instead of the 3x3, is that a big difference in term of reception?
     
  24. fatpolomanjr

    fatpolomanjr Notebook Consultant

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    ^^
    I was looking online for info about the bluetooth upgrade, and came across this. Apparently you can find Bluetooth modules at ebay, but they are meant for X200, so I'm unsure if it would work for X201 (more than likely it would, though).


    Ah, yes that is what I needed to know. Thank you. I've been perusing zender's thread too but couldn't really get a definitive answer as to what, exactly, is black/whitelisted. Seems as though I'll need a new BIOS for the 6200 I was saving for the 1830T I'm selling.
     
  25. menos

    menos Notebook Evangelist NBR Reviewer

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    I had the same problem yesterday with my colleague's T61p. Restart helped.
    Interestingly, the whole screen was dim but the cursor was bright.

    You were right. The display was replaced.
     
  26. nirslsk

    nirslsk Notebook Geek

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    I have the same problem with my x201i: after coming out of hibernation or sleep sometimes the brightness can't be changed, not using the function keys or the power settings. I googled the problem today for laptops in general and found a solution that worked the one time I tried it: closing and opening the lid while the laptop was on restored the brightness controls.
     
  27. mil2

    mil2 Notebook Consultant

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    I have added a webcam and bluetooth to my x201. You can find the components on ebay. The webcams go for about US$50, BT modules for $30.

    As to the touchpad, my laptop had one when I bought it so I have no first hand experience installing one, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. See, however, this thread.

    The 4-cell is 0.206kg and the 6-cell is 0.330kg. So the difference is 0.124kg/4.37oz.

    I did indeed have to remove the third (MIMO) antenna in order to install the webcam. I can't tell you anything about the reception because my x201 came with Intel 1000, which doesn't use the third antenna.
     
  28. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

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    thanks man! rep to you!

    can someone just tell me the actual weight of the x201 with a 4 or 6 cell battery?
     
  29. infzy

    infzy Notebook Geek

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    hello amiga fan :)

    I was going to suggest: HP 2540p vs Lenovo X201 which had some detailed weight comparison (that convinced me not to get the HP 2540p that I was considering)... but it seems he's only comparing against the X201s not the 201. And the 201s is no longer available so now I'd also like actual specs of the 201.
     
  30. mil2

    mil2 Notebook Consultant

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    According to this, it's 1.34kg/2.89lbs with a 4 cell and 1.47kg/3.18lbs with a 6 cell.

    Hey, I'm also an old Amiga fan :)

    It's not strictly accurate to say that 201s is no longer available, at least in the US. True, you can't configure one on the Lenovo website, but you can still get a preconfigured system from a retailer. See e.g. this link from J&R. You could possibly even save some money by not paying the sales tax, and you don't need to wait for it to be built in China and shipped to you from there.
     
  31. infzy

    infzy Notebook Geek

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    hmm, fair enough. Appreciate your input.

    Actually it seems that Sony Canada randomly started offering better deal than even in the US :eek: I can get a 13.1" Vaio Z with a 1600x900 screen (!!) for $1300 CDN. That comes with two 64GB RAID'd SSD's. Pretty much blews away all ultraportable competition here IMO.... as much as I hate sony :(

    and their Canadian site has some more configurations than even in the U.S.!! take that Lenovo and HP, who don't offer customizations to canada! :D
     
  32. g125

    g125 Newbie

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    hi all,
    I'm having some glitches with the touchpad. A lot of times when I try to pinch-zoom on the touchpad, it will "hang up" my touchpad and keyboard. I can't move the cursor with the touchpad anymore, and pressing keys on the kb will activate special functions. After some testing around I think what happens is that ultranav or synaptics incorrectly recognizes my pinchzoom gesture and instead activates something else that produces the effect of holding down the ctrl key. The problem is I can't find a way to de-activate it so I have to log off Windows and log in again which is a huge pain. I tried fn+F8 to disable touchpad and it won't work. I went to the ultranav/synaptics option in control panel and couldn't find any actions or gestures that would activate holding down the ctrl key.

    Anyone can help me with this?

    edit: okay, it seems that I can activate this "glitch mode" if I tap on the touchpad haphazardly...it just happens randomly. I can deactivate it and get my keyboard back working normally by press cltr+alt+del, but then the touchpad still won't move the cursor. Also I can't go into the Mouse Option in Control Panel anymore. I googled around and it doesn't seem like a thinkpad issue per se. I disabled all sticky keys and what not. So yeah, my computer just thinks I'm pressing the ctrl key and it's really really annoying
     
  33. visiom88

    visiom88 Notebook Evangelist

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    I had exactly the same problem when I first got mine. It was easily solved by reinstalling the Ultranav drivers and utility. Hope it works for you as well!
     
  34. Seks

    Seks Notebook Geek

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    Probably dumb questions.

    I have a Lenovo X200 (type 7454). My NBD Warranty is about to expire and after talkign to Lenovo, I couldn't justify spending $ to extend the NBD warranty. I've decided to put the $ towards purchasing an X201.

    1. When I bought the X200, I also bought an extra 65W power adapter and the ultrabase. I just want to confirm that both can be used with the X201?

    2. Can DDR3-1333 memory be used in an X201? From time to time, during sales, I'd see the memory for 4GB modules 1066 and 1333 somewhat similar. I plan to max out the X201 to 8GB.

    Thanks!
     
  35. Jayayess1190

    Jayayess1190 Waiting on Intel Cannonlake

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    Anything higher than 1066 will be down clocked to 1066.
     
  36. Seks

    Seks Notebook Geek

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    But 1333 does fit in an X201?
     
  37. Sirhcz0r

    Sirhcz0r Notebook Deity

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    Yes, but it will be downclocked to 1066MHz (as already said), but still have the worse timings of 1333MHz RAM (meaning getting 1066MHz RAM will be slightly faster, although it won't be noticeable anyways).
     
  38. fem

    fem Notebook Consultant

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    Yes, both the adapter and the ultrabase can be used with the X201.

    And as the others already told you, the 1333 memory will be automatically downclocked to 1067, so better get 1067 with better timings: avoid CL9 (there are some), go at least for CL7 (the standard here) or even lower, but I am not even sure whether there are 4GB modules with CL5 (Lenovo states they have, but are very expensive, look upwards $400 each). :eek:
     
  39. Seks

    Seks Notebook Geek

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    I am going to buy a good quality screen protector film for the X201. I am assuming the X200 and X201 actual screen dimensions never changed?
     
  40. fem

    fem Notebook Consultant

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    Not even the actual displays have changed between x200 and x201!!! :D You can draw your own conclusions regarding screen size! :rolleyes:

    I would suggest getting a custom-cut screen protector from Photodon.com. They have very nice quality screen protectors (for about $10-15). Get it custom cut to a little larger size than the edges of the LCD itself. Take the bezel off of the screen, and put the screen protector on underneath, so that when the bezel is put back on, you'll get beyond edge-to-edge coverage! As if it’s stock! (source: deviantART’s journal on X201T).

    Beware you’ll pick up a bit of glare with the screen protector, though. :cool:
     
  41. visiom88

    visiom88 Notebook Evangelist

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    I've successfully convinced my girlfriend to get an X201i over MacBook Air. We just ordered it together today. I'm so proud of myself. :)
     
  42. fem

    fem Notebook Consultant

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    That is quite a feat! :p
     
  43. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    Great jobs.
     
  44. infzy

    infzy Notebook Geek

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    and you did this.... the day before Apple updates the MBA line?

    lol, we'll see if you made the right choice in an hour when the update is announced, could be trash or could put the tp to shame. *shrug*
     
  45. fem

    fem Notebook Consultant

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    ok, seriously, comparing the MBA with the X2xx is simply an act of sacrilege! seriously... I'll say no more...
     
  46. visiom88

    visiom88 Notebook Evangelist

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    I was reading about it with her. She read no more as she saw 800MHz frontside bus, 2 USB's, and $1000 price tag. She isn't an ordinary girl, you know? :)
     
  47. fem

    fem Notebook Consultant

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    does she have a sister??? :D
     
  48. visiom88

    visiom88 Notebook Evangelist

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    Haha she does. But they are all married.

    One question: why does it take so long to "safely" eject an USB device on X201? I remember my previous laptops were able to eject any devices such as external HDD or flash drive instantly, but it takes about 10-15 seconds for X201 to detect the device, and then another 10 seconds to eject.
     
  49. fem

    fem Notebook Consultant

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    Bummer! :D

    It shouldn't take so long and it doesn't. Mine (same specs, more or less, as yours but with XP) ejects a 500GB external USB hard-drive (full by 75%) instantly. Same thing for a 1TB drive (full by 50%). Do you have the latest drivers for the USB hubs installed? And are you sure it's not waiting for a program to stop utilizing a file or folder from the drive? A nice utility that works for USB ejecting when you get that annoying message "cannot be ejected because it's being used" (I know this is not your case but still, good to point out) is Unlocker, which also works with folder and files ("cannot be deleted" and such). ;)
     
  50. midknight8008

    midknight8008 Notebook Enthusiast

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    +1 for unlocker, great little program. I would check for updates to your USB host controller driver; ejecting USB devices should be pretty much instantaneous unless a program is still accessing it. If there isn't a newer USB host controller driver, check for a BIOS update, as newer BIOS can have a *dramatic* effect on USB performance. On an Asus motherboard, updating the BIOS nearly doubled my USB throughput; the USB speed was terrible before the update.
     
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