X220: screen frame and heat issue

I received my x220 a couple of days back. So far, quite happy about this great product. But today found two things not so great about it, and it begins to bother me quite a bit.

1. The bottom of the screen frame, instead of staying close to the screen, bulges quite visibly, leaving a crevice of nearly 1 mm in the left part of bottom screen frame.

2. The bottom screen frame feels quite warm. Not sure if it's because of the led lights at the bottom. But aren't led lights supposed to be much less heat-emitting than the old CFL lamp?

Are these two problems common with your X220?

 

Anyone? Please share your insight.

 

Yea, I do notice a gap between the frame and screen.

It's kinda warm here, but I think it's normal though. My X200 is hotter than this.

Are these two problems common with your X220? [/QUOTE]

 

Did a little search in other Thinkpad forums, and it looks like the 'gap' issue is not entirely uncommon, and happens quite randomly. it makes you wonder about lenovo's quality control.

 

Personally, I think Thinkpad QC went down the drain since Lenovo took over. One of the USB ports in my X200 doesn't even properly align to the case.

The only reason why I still stick with Thinkpad because there's no better option for my requirement.

 

The LED backlights still use a few watts. That's enough to produce a little warmth. My best guess would be 3 to 4W at full brightness for your size screen.

John

 

1 is a problem. My first X220 had that as well. They forgot to install the double-sided tape between the bezel and the screen. 2. I don't know how warm it's supposed to be, mine is slightly. I've read that IPS screens sometimes need higher power backlights and I've observed that when the backlight is maximum it does draw quite a lot of power compared to medium brightness.

 

Did you return your first X220 for a replacement on this ground?

 

The main reason I returned the first was because of a ton of backlight bleed; not having the double-sided tape was a secondary reason. I would've probably kept it if that was the only problem since it's such a simple fix. I had two X220's since they didn't properly cancel my first order and ended up receiving both the same day. So it was a simple choice to just return the first and keep the second since I would've returned one anyway.

 

Could you please be a bit more specific about how to have it fixed? Do you need to take the screen apart in order to apply the tape? Or do you call the Lenovo support and have their professional service do it?

 

You can see what's involved in the hardware service manual (page 90). It's really simple, you don't need to take the machine apart or anything. Just fold the screen flat, remove the two screws and remove the bezel. This is something simple enough that it's not even worth sending it in. Just get some double-sided tape from your local store.

http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0a60739_01.pdf

 

Thanks for such detailed information. It still looks kind of tricky for me, especially for those claws that hold the bezel and screen together. I guess I'll just leave it the way it is for now.