X220 IPS screen problem. Does it affect most of the laptops?

Hi,

I am currently interested into buying a X220 with the IPS option for the screen but after reading this thread Faint Ghosting on X220 IPS screen - Page 9 - Lenovo Community I am afraid that the screen I will order will have this problem.

Does all or most of the IPS have this kind of ghosting problem or did it only occurred in a few isolate cases?

Thank you

 

I don't have either of these issues. When buying technology you run into risks of getting a bad product. Simple as that. I bet I could find every problem conceivable about this computer on the internet being talked about, even though rate of incidence is low. I wouldn't think tooo much about it as if you do, then you might as well just never buy a computer ever again. lol

I think the x220 is great and am having no issues so far. But then again my testimonial is just another isolated incident.

If you like what the x220 offers then buy it. If you are too worried than maybe wait for the inevitable x221 or whatever it will be called.

 

i'm not noticing any problems with the ips...i've had it ~2 weeks. i am having problems with the cpu throttling while doing a system stress test and it is plugged in the 65w charger...doesn't seem to happen while running on battery. over all i love this computer...but i still am considering returning it because of the throttling...it depends how tempting the new macbook air is and if it really comes out on the 14th

 

One post does not make for a trend. The problem with relying on forums for research is they often skew the perspective. People with a complaint are usually more vocal, which makes issues seem more prevalent than they are in reality. That's not to say there is no problems either. I've not had any issues with my X220i LCD either.

 

No ghosting or flickering with mine either. The only bad thing with it is the light bleed at the bottom, but just about all but the very best lcd monitors do this to varying extent, laptop or desktop, so nothing out of the ordinary there unfortunately.

 

Completely agree. This forum is useful but dangerous too for the easily swayed.

 

The actual problem that people are reporting is "image retention". Does anyone notice it here?

 

Yes, my x220 IPS has this problem. Although the thread title says "ghosting", it is actually "image persistence" which is the big problem. On my screen, any static image of high contrast (eg a terminal window with white text on black background, taskbar etc) lasting for > 5 min will leave visible trace on screen which last for a few minuite, particularly visible in low room light setting. If the image is static for more than 15 minute, the persistence become very serious and can last for long.

Unfortunately, from reading that thread Lenovo offers no remedy to it and in one post even claim that the engineers said this is the normal behavior, which is BS of course. This is obviously a serious product defect and I am watching that thread to see there will be a replacement solution later.

The partial solution for now is to turn on screensaver within 5 min, or use an external monitor.

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AFAIK, x220 still has 3 main problems after the newest BIOS update: IPS image persistence, pulsing fan noise, and high pitch fan noise which doesn't quiet down after CPU is cooled enough (see http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Serie...constantly-on-revving-up-and-down/td-p/425965 . The fan problem can be solved somewhat with a fan control program ). I have all 3 of these and I suspect they are universal since Lenovo claim that x220 components are of the same batch. But how notable these problems are varies depending on the user's sensory sensitivity and working environment. eg I have sharp sense and works in a quiet environment and these can be fairly annoying. Otherwise x220 is a great laptop, but given these problems I may had opt for another model if I had known them beforehand.

 

I count 8 unresolved issues (+ unspecified number of UEFI-related issues).
Unresolved X220 issues - Lenovo Community

 

I bought two X220s and both had the screen image persistence problem, the fan problem, the light bleed problem the throttling problem. I bought a third and, while I have not detected any of these problems yet, I have decided there are clearly design and/or manufacturing defects at Lenovo and their screen mfr, and who needs it?

I disagree that the info on forums is "dangerous" or not worth heeding. Take it all with perspective and, particularly, try to ascertain both the frequency and credibility of posts about defects. I think it is fair to say that the x220 is an amazing computer for it's ridiculously cheap price (the fact that you can buy a $1,299 list computer for as little as $650 should tell you something about the quality), but it is not yet a "premium" computer as past Thinkpads have been. Remember, Lenovo charges a 15% restocking fee for a return unless you can prove to their satisfaction there is a defect, and they have gone on record saying the most problematic and universally reported problem, the screen "ghosting" or image persistence, is "normal."

Caveat emptor. Again, for $700 or less this is a great computer even with its faults. I would suggest if you go for it now, instead of waiting for improvements, that you go for a comprehensive warranty, including Accidental Damage.

 

Not everyone live in US and has access to online big discount and customization. My x220 with high spec and 3 year warranty cost more than 1500 USD. For such an investment the fact that I got a crappy screen and some trivial but annoying problems like a pulsing fan is really disappointing and put a question mark on Lenovo's business attitude, and make me reserve any recommendation of thinkpad to others unless they take sincere actions to remedy the problems.

I agree it is worthwhile to consult the forums before buying a laptop. The posters may be the loud minority, but at least they are honest (unlike the "review" sites), and there are many more silent people who have similar problems but don't realize it, or don't care enough to invest energy to discuss and solve it, or don't feel the need to speak because others have already discussed enough.