What specs should I get?

Hi,

I'm going to buy an X220, just wondering what specs should I get. I will use my computer for word processing, making powerpoints, watching videos and web browsing. I like to multitask a lot, like opening 20 tabs on firefox while running a few pdf files open. I don't game.

Based on such a description, would an i3-2310m do the job, or would i need the i5/i7? Would 4gb ram be advisable over 2gb? If I get an SSD with the i3, how fast would my computer be able to boot?

Also, may I know if the wireless network card and bluetooth are upgradable aftert getting the main machine or not?

Thanks!

 

the i3 would those things quite well, and 4 gigs of ram should be considered as the standard.

You can get a SSD aftermarket, as they tend to be cheaper.

The speed of the bootup depends on how many programs you have during startup and the type of hdd you have.

It is probably cheaper to get the bluetooth and wireless card when you initially order the laptop.

 

If you buy w/ Barnes & Nobles Gold, Discover Card (~10% cashback),and a 10% coupon code, the X220 would be cheaper than anything seen before. I highly don't recommend that you don't get the i7 (major issue of CPU throttling) and 720p camera option comes only w/ 2x2 antenna. A SSD has limited right cycles, so I would recommend that you don't get a aftermarket SSD for cheap. You won't be able to change the wireless card because the BIOS is set to "No-1802" error when the factory wi-fi card is not connected.

 

Thanks guys for the advice! I didn't know about the B&N + discover card + coupon deal, seems very tempting!

Actually I've had a very bad experience installing an SSD on my old thinkpad since they require recovery disks and somehow even after I installed it (OCZ vertex 80gb) it still booted pretty slowly (1 min) but that was about a year ago.

Btw, what's the difference between the WiMax 6250 and the Centrino 6205 cards? Which should I get? I don't use mobile broadband but I use wifi a lot within campus (I'm a student).

Also, I heard that I can put in an mSATA SSD within the X220 right? But the lenovo.com doesn't seem to have that option?

 

Wimax just gives you an option to WiMax service (pay monthly, etc) and the mSATA kills your WWAN (the place where the WWAN is located is where the mSATA goes).

 

Wireless Network cards are upgradable after getting the machine, however the BIOS is locked so unless you hack it (don't know if you're comfortable with that) you'll have to buy a wireless card straight from Lenovo for it to work.

If you choose to hack the bios, you can also instead of getting the 6205, you could get the 6230 (not to be confused with the 6250 wimax card). The 6230 is essentially the 6205 but with built in bluetooth as well.

If you choose not to hack your bios, I would advise getting the bluetooth with the system. For one, the bluetooth LED indicator wont be on your screen bezel if you add it in aftermarket, and two, your only real alternatives for aftermarket bluetooth are USB dongles, which take up a usb slot, or you could purchase the USB internal addon module, but if you're to do that then might as well buy it to begin with.

 

My intel 310 40GB boots to desktop in ~12 seconds, Legacy BIOS mode

 

Nice double negative

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice. I just got an X220 with the following specs off a seller on ebay since I need it urgently. It will be with me by Monday. Lenovo said the fastest they could build and ship an X220 to me was a month. Jokes..

Lenovo X220 ($719, no tax)
i3-2310M
Win 7 HP 64 bit
2Gb ram
12.5'' Premium HD IPS screen
250Gb 5400 rpm HD
9 Cell
No bluetooth, camera, fingerprint reader, etc.
Basic network card.

I think I'll upgrade it when it arrives. Here are my plans:

1. Take out the 2gb ram and put it in my old thinkpad (which has 2 already, making it 4gb in total)

2. Get a 4gb ram to put into my x220. is this a good choice? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148344

3. Upgrade the network card and bluetooth. How much would it cost to get a 6230 card from lenovo? I couldn't find it on their website. And is it difficult to hack their bios?

4. I read something that the new i3 would support wireless displays and I thought it might be a good idea to get a monitor to hook up with my X220. Can someone recommend me a good 22-24 inch matte monitor compatible with this feature? As said previously I'll mainly use the monitor for work and maybe occassionally movies. I don't game. From what I understand the wireless connection is established through the wireless network and not bluetooth is that right?

5. Can someone also recommend me an SSD because I haven't looked at the SSD market for long? What model would be at the sweet spot for price now? My priority is to have my x220 boot up asap.

Thanks!

 

oh by the way, and can someone educate me on the mSATA SSDs? are they worth it and where can i get it since there seems to be relatively little information on the net..

 

mSATA SSD's are a fairly new product. They are SATA drives in a MiniPCIe form-factor. Their biggest advantage is that you can put one in a laptop without dropping the hard drive. (So you can have the speed of a SSD, and the storage space of a HDD.)

Worth it is always a question, but if you aren't using WWAN in the X220, one will give you some extra, fast, storage with no downside, other than the cost.

There's a thread on this board on 'Where to get Intel 310 80GB', it'll have ideas for where to get what's probably the safest bet for SSD's right now. Renice also has a model that people trying, as well as a couple of others.

One common use is to install your OS on it, as well as any programs, and leave the HDD for data. You'll get fast boots and application starts, and cheap storage for your docs.

One thing to be careful of if you are looking around: There are also miniPCIe SSDs. They won't work in the X220. (That I know of.) Even some stores confuse the two, so be careful of what you get.

And a last thing: mSATA, at this point, is limited to SATA II speeds. The regular SATA port in the X220 is a SATA III port, so with a good full-size SSD, it would be faster, if only slightly. (Hard drives don't even max out a SATA II port.) How much you'll notice that level of difference at the moment is an open question.