X230(t) Owner's Thread

The B&N deal had me interested, but couldn't get it to work or change options and it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

Found a new-in-box x230 on the outlet for $750 and it was pretty much configured exactly what I wanted once I looked up some stuff to be sure:

Code:

0A66673	04W3462	FRU for LGD 12.5"HD IPS panel for Dasher	(IPS mandatory, of course)
0B36143	04W3137	FRU CS12 B/L KBD US English Sunrex		(B/L = backlit?)
0B46388	03X6561	FRU-Lenovo 4GB PC3-12800 DDR3-1600MHz		(have another to hit 8)
0B67237	04T4477	 Dasher2-Comet2 DVD Win7PROx64 SP1 US		(already have technet but this is what I plan to install anyways)
0B67644	04W6690	Dasher-2 FRU Planar i5-3360M NV Y-AMT/Y-	(remote kvm = yay, most of the deals have been 3210 which doesn't do vpro)
0B67709	04W6921	Dasher-2 FRU Dasher-2 FAN Delta for Inte	
42T1203	42T1204	FRU 320GB HDD Tray-SATA7 C320AF Seagate		(don't care, already have a SSD I like and its going in right away)
45N1018	45N1019	FRU SANYO Dasher 4cell / 2.0Ah			(Plugged in at home, only use 1-2 hours while mobile so smallest and lightest is ideal)
60Y3232	60Y3233	WRLSS ADPT FRU 6300 WLAN			(don't want a webcam, in fact can't have one for some work spots)
60Y3302	60Y3303	FRU Broadcom Hygie BRCM 20702 BT 4.0
92P1156	42T5282	AC ADAPTER 65 WATT 2 PIN FRU	

Not sure what "Dasher" on everything means but whatever. I think it has a fingerprint reader too, not that I'll use it.

The only thing that would be an upgrade is one step up to the 3520 but its 100mhz and cheapskates can't be too picky.

The stars seemed to align at this price and I've been in shopping mode all week so /sold

 

Today, I did a fresh install of Windows 7 (UEFI mode) on my new X230, as it came without operating system. Everything went well until I wanted to install the touchpad drivers. When I try to install them, they say that they cannot find a Synaptics touchpad (it is enabled in BIOS). I am currently at a loss what to do. Is this a hardware defect or can I solve this on my own?

 

you downloaded them from lenovo website?

 

I agree with you, this is one of the worst trackpads I had to deal with.
Even the Asus EEE 1215B that I had for two weeks has a much better trackpad..
Solution: trackpoint and logitech mx705

 

Yes, I first tried the Lenovo System Update. But that didn't even offer Touchpad drivers. Then, I downloaded the current Ultranav drivers from the Lenovo site (from the X230 driver matrix). I also tried installing ubuntu to see if it was a Windows problem. But the same on this operating system - no touchpad (or unidentified hardware) was detected.
I assume that either the touchpad was not properly connected to the board or that it is completely dead.

 

Has anyone ever disassembled the x230? Wondering if the CPU is replaceable or soldered onto the motherboard?

Thanks.

 

It's soldered.

 

Wow the quality of thinkpad has gone down hill now. Both of mine x60 and t61 are still kicking while my recently bought x230 back in Oct is dead already. Look like the charger connector is not properly soldered in because after a couple of weeks using it, it's no longer pick up any charge and the computer just doesn't turn on at all.

 

Too bad.. I was planning to upgrade to an i7 in the future.

Thanks for the reply + rep.

--

 

So it doesn't even work?
Maybe it is not connected.
If you are a DIY guy, just download the manual and try to re-seat the trackpad cable (it is pretty easy).
If you aren't that type of guys just send it to warranty.

 

Hey everyone, I recently received my X230 and really like it. The screen is very nice, the keyboard feels great and the size makes this laptop very easy to use anywhere. One thing I am curious about is the screen. I ordered the Premium IPS screen and it is great. When I move my head a few inches in either direction horizontally, the brightness of the screen seems to change a bit. When I move quite a bit further to the left or right, the screen loses some brightness but the text is easily readable and the icons all stay the same color. I am just wondering if this sounds like a normal IPS screen.

Once again, the screen is fantastic but I'm just curious about it. I've never had an IPS screen before.

 

I would assume that is an affect of how an IPS works. (Mine does it as well.)

 

Thanks, the viewing angles are the best I've seen on any computer screen.

 

I just bought a X230 and I have a Crucial M4 512 SSD. Sadly it is the 9.5 mm variant.

But has anyone managed to fit a 9.5 mm drive inside the X230? I know the X230 takes slim 7 mm drives, but I am thinking 2.5 isn't that much, maybe there is a way to squeeze it in.

Does anyone have any feedback on that ?

 

All you need is a really big hammer.....

Or you can look this over: http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/583998-9-5mm-hdd-t420s-x1-x220.html

Carefully grinding down the tabs should allow a 9.5mm drive to fit. This will void your warranty so take that into consideration.

 

Thanks. I see the link is for the older X220, does the same thing apply for the X230 ? I don't have the X230 in my hand so I can't check. Thanks.

 

I've also use a 95mm SSD in my x230t (Samsung 470 128GB).
What I've done: I dismounted one side of the chassis of the SSD.

 

The 230 chassis is basically identical to the 220 chassis save for the keyboard, so the same sort of warranty-voiding grinding should be applicable as well.

Depending on how your SSD is made, removing the lid of the SSD, as mentioned, is also a fair solution (better to void the SSD warranty than the machine warranty in terms of cost).

 

Any active deals on barne noble??

 

Actually, the B&N discount isn't bad right now. Base 230 vanilla is at $600 and base 230t is at $800. The coupon code is still "cybermonday", so I presume these prices will go away soon, though.

 

New owner incoming.

Can anyone recommend a travel power adapter that's compatible with the X230? I need 110V AC two-prong, 230V AC three-prong (UK), and 15V DC from a cigarette lighter socket. Ideally with draw < 75W to avoid tripping flight power limits.

 

get the Lenovo travel adapter, it has all those features (but you would need to buy the adapter head).

 

Finally bit the bullet and got one:

Processor - Intel Core i5-3320M on MB
Operating system - Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Total memory - 4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
Hard drive - 320GB HDD 7200rpm
Battery - 6cell, ThinkPad Battery X67+
Bluetooth - Bluetooth 4.0 w/ antenna
WiFi wireless LAN adapters - Intel Centrino WL-N 2200
AC Adapter and Power Cord - 65W AC Adpt US (2pin)
Camera - X230T 720p HD Camera
Fingerprint - X230T Fingerprint Reader
Keyboard Language - KYB US English
System Unit X230T 12.5HD Multi WW 2x2
Expected Ship Date: 12/02/2012

Total was just over $1100 + shipping + taxes

Hopefully this computer comes in with no defects or anything. I need this computer for college and basically saved up everything for it. I plan on using it for as long as possible. At least 5 years.

This will work out if I enjoy using this laptop, I mean, my current laptop I have owned for over 5 years. But it's just been getting clunkier and clunkier in school from all the wear. I thought it was finally time for an upgrade, so I decided to go with a rotatable screen, so that I can watch movies/tutorials while lying down on bed just like holding a book.

I have with 16gb of ram that I use as a server computer with Win 2012 server datacenter installed on it, which cost about $5000 btw, but the only problem with that is, it's not portable. It sucks having to go back to one place over and over again. I really want to do math outdoors, but I could never have done that before. My current laptop has about 1 hour of battery life, and carrying around a big notebook outside just doesn't sound like fun.

But with this thing. Wow. I can imagine myself going to a picnic table and just doing math problems on this thing for hours on end. Maybe even throw in programming in the mix. Wowowow! This thing sounds like it's soooo fun to use. I can probably do my web design jobs on there and get my money's worth back for this laptop. Probably make some apps in the app store / windows 8 store, get some extra income from there too! Wowowow. I really CANNOT wait for this thing to arrive now!

The possibilities were endless with my 5 year old laptop, and 16gb server desktop, but with this thing... It's like my current desktop + laptop combo has infinite possibilities just like there are infinite number of numbers from 1 to 2. But with this thing, this X230 Tablet by Lenovo, it's like having infinite possibilities from 1 to 3!!! I never used Intel before, used AMD all my life because it was so cheap. Now this is my first time ever owning an Intel laptop, and hopefully it exceeds my expectations of it.

I can't wait for this baby to arrive!

 

I'd like to give an update on my X230 with the non-working touchpad:
After I got the ok from the shop, I opened the keyboard myself and found that the touchpad cable wasn't attached! I attached it correctly, plugged in the power and started the laptop - there were only beeping sounds. So, apparently someone found out that the touchpad wasn't working and deliberately detached it... Well, I could send the laptop back and today, my new one arrived with a working touchpad.

But with the new laptop I noticed the following: When pressing down the Up-Arrow key on the top-right or top-left (not top-middle, though) the keypress is not registered. Similarly for the Return key, when I press down on the lower-right, it is not registered. I didn't have this behaviour with my first unit but maybe I simply didn't notice it. So, has anybody else made the same experience with their X230 unit (or another Thinkpad with the new chiclet-style keyboard)?

 

I didn't notice anything unusual about my T430 keyboard, but I didn't use it much.

Try swapping the keyboard from the bad unit you are sending back?

 

Lenovo solution center doesn't show warranty information anymore after update to V2. Has somebody the same problem?

 

I would have done so - or at least verified if really behaved differently - but here, we are required to send in the laptop first before, we are sent a new one.


And one additional point:
I just realized that the click functionality of my new X230 is not working. The touch area works, tap to click works, but actual clicks are not registered. Right now I am pretty much fed up with Lenovo...

 

Hey guys, I have a question about my Thinkpad. If I want to upgrade to an SSD and I use the recovery discs, will it install the same exact factory image the computer came with? I want to do this but I'm afraid it might not be exactly like it came.

The other option is to clone the HD to the SSD. The only issue I see with that is that it may not clone everything, such as the recovery partition. Other than that, cloning would be faster and probably a bit easier. So what do you guys think?

Appreciate any response.

 

I mean, vote with your money right? If they aren't giving you satisfactory service, return the laptop and buy from another brand. It's always a crapshot with service, though.

 

Yes.

You can ask a software tool such as Acronis to clone all partitions -- System_DRV, Windows_OS, Lenovo_Recovery_Partition.

Side notes: (1) If you have created the recovery discs, why worry about the recovery partition? (2) Once you have set up your applications and settings to your liking (say, you buy a SSD after using the notebook with the stock HDD for a month), it is much more convenient to clone.

 

Can you just clone the Windows partition leaving aside the Recovery partition ?

 

(duplicate)

 

Yes, you always can. Don't forget the System_DRV partition, though.

 

Thank you for the tip. My X230 is in the mail but I plan on putting an SSD as soon as I turn it on.

Just to recap, the proper sequence would be:
1. Create the recovery disks. Can you make an image and dump it on a hard drive ?
2. Clone just the System_DRV + Windows Partitions with Acronis.

Is there anything else that needs to be done ?

 

Right. You can always use Acronis to dump the whole thing as a single file. (Please read this.)

Right. Just curious: Where do you plan to put the SSD while cloning? SATA-USB adapter?

If you plan to reuse the stock HDD elsewhere, use Windows "Disk Management" and delete the 3 partitions, merge all unallocated spaces into one partition, and do a quick Format of that new partition.

Side note: Did you know that you could put an mSATA SSD in the WWAN slot as your boot/OS/programs drive while retaining the stock HDD in the main bay for file storage?

 

Sort of. I have an older 3.5" SATA HDD enclosure that I opened up and use it as needed. It doesn't look pretty and it is only USB2, but it does the job.

I know about the mSATA, too bad it is only SATA 3GB. But I have a Crucial M4 512 SSD that I have to mod from 9.5 to 7 mm and I plan on using that for now. However, the mSATA + HDD sounds good, but only when higher capacity hard drives become available, 1 TB + 256 GB mSATA would be sweet.

 

Well, after deciding for so long that this would be the most appropriate laptop for my current needs (docking, portability, ports, ips, upgradability, ...) and having had good experience with Lenovo, well IBM, before (my T42 lasted 7 years after similar inital woes), I am hesistant to switch horses. Anyways, I opened up the laptop and did a bit of fiddling around and now after closing it, the touchpad works correctly.

And now that I am setting up the X230 from scratch, I encountered some questions, I hope that someone here might be able to answer:

- When installing drivers through Lenovo System Update, I noticed that after installing WiFi drivers, the option to install WiDi drivers disappeard (and they were not insalled alongside). Now, I am a bit uncertain if any other drivers disappeared in this way and if I have missed something.

- As far as I understand, Intel Management Engine (IME) and Intel Advanced Management Technolgy (AMT) are only really needed in a corporate environment. Should I still install the respective drivers? I read that they would only make the system slower (but I don't know whether this just baseless talk).
In this respect: I noticed, when I checked WiDi drivers in System Update (when they were still visible), the software also checked Intel AMT (with IME and SOL) for installing. But as far as I know, these two aren't in anyway related?

- Should a private user disable any of the corporate focused features of the Thinkpad in the BIOS (i.e. AMT, iAT, ...)?

- The Windows performance index only shows a 4.9 for the processor (i5-3320). In all online tests I always see values slightly above 7. Are there any brakes I still have to open? The laptop is plugged in and all drivers from the Lenovo Software Update and Windows are installed.

- Can I only control the camera with Fn-F6 if I have installed the ThinkVantage Communication Utility? Isn't there a small dedicated tool/driver for this? I'd like to without that big tool as it caused more problems than benefit in my last laptop, and Windows can handle communication connections quite well without.

- Does the black (formerly blue) button has any function? Installing the hotkey driver at least didn't bring it to live.

- The touchpad isn't really stellar in Windows. That was to be expected. Surprsingly it worked much better in ubuntu. So I was wondering whether there are some third-party drivers for Windows that are as good as the ubuntu drivers. Especially concerning the middle button of the trackpoint: In ubuntu you can use it as middle mouse button and for scrolling with the trackpoint at the same time. In Windows you seem to get one or the other behaviour.

 

I always install the drivers manually. The most convenient way is to save the C:\SWTOOLS folder to an external drive and refer to it when you walk down the list of unresolved device drivers.

IME and AMT can be ignored (not installed, not used). Same with some Lenovo applications such as Access Connections.

WiDi has nothing to do with AMT. Lenovo software is not always reliable -- don't let it get to you. BTW, if you don't plan to do "wireless display," WiDi can be ignored (not installed, not used).

AMT-related settings can be turned off in the BIOS. BTW, if your CPU supports Virtualization and you do need it, Virtualization-related settings must be turned ON in the BIOS -- they are off, by default.

That's strange. WEI for i5-3320 should be 7.2, usually.

Do you mean the traditionally-labelled "ThinkVantage" button (a bar within a circle)? I never use it, but I suppose it should brings up the ThinkVantange Toolbox.

Switch to Ubuntu. (Some of my ThinkPads run Linux.)

 

I think it makes sense to clone since it is just faster and slightly easier that way. I will also create the recovery media. I will choose the option to clone all the partitions but if that does not go well, then the main partition will be used. As you mentioned, I will have the recovery media. The reason I want to have the recovery partition is that in case the recovery media does not work or is not on hand, it will be there.

I will look for an SSD that comes with cloning software. Thanks a lot for the help.

 

Hey everyone, I have a question about cleaning the X230. The laptop and the screen often gets dust particles on it, so what is a good method for cleaning? I know it should be obvious but I just want to be sure. Today, I bought a microfiber cloth and just wiped the screen and the laptop with it dry. Is this the right way to do it? Appreciate any advice

 

I would use a brush to clean the dust.

 

The brush seems a bit abrasive but may make sense. What about the screen? I was wondering if using a dry microfiber cloth will have any affect on it. Would making the cloth wet be any better? LOL Maybe I am overthinking this way too much. Thanks.

 

If the option disappeared, then you should should have chosen to install it alongside instead. It could be a glitch, or WiDi was automatically installed alongside. If you want to update manually, go here: Drivers and software - ThinkPad X230
scroll down to display, and download the intel wireless display driver.

I don't think it would harm the system at all if you installed those drivers, it's best to have everything in the system up to date. Besides, what's the harm in installing the drivers?

It really depends on you, if you aren't gonna use those features anyway, then go ahead and disable them in the BIOS. I would, on the other hand, keep them on just in case, it wouldn't do any harm anyway.

There could be a number of reasons
-You could have somehow underclocked your processor in the bios
-It could be your power plan, make sure it's at full performance, make sure it's plugged in, charging, full battery, then retest
-Try uninstalling/reinstalling the intel drivers again if none of the above works

Yeah you can uninstall the ThinkVantage Communication Utility without doing any harm to your computer. If you install software that involves using the camera, or go on a website like ChatRoulette, it should automatically install whether or not TVCU is installed or not.

It's supposed to run the thinkvantage toolbox, but you can change the button to start up any app you want through the registry in: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001

From Ubuntu, look at the list of installed drivers, and jot down the names of the one you think are for the track pad. There should be a windows equivalent of those drivers.

 

Harm? Likely not. Taking time during start-up without serving any actual needs? Certainly.

There are drivers and background applications involved.

 

Yeah it takes up a few milliseconds of startup time, and then again, you can disable it in System Configuration.

 

Yeah, then why care about "bloatware"? Leave them all in, as they do no harm and takes up only a few milliseconds of startup time.

 

Like I said, you can leave the bloatware in, just turn them off in System Configuration in StartUp programs. That way it doesn't delay your computer startup time, and you still have access to them whenever you need them, just in case you need them.

But really it's all up to you. I leave them on and just turn it off in the startup, allowing me open them up if I need to or want to. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do it if I hadn't installed them.

 

My new x230 will not boot from a USB DVD drive even if the boot sequence is set correctly. I also tried
to select DVD drive manually through F12 menu, but the screen just flashed and nothing happened. Got
my laptop last week and it came with Windows 8 and the latest BIOS v2.02. I could boot from the same
drive just fine on my T61. Could any x230 owners here with the latest BIOS check if you also encounter
this issue? Thank you very much.

 

Does the same thing happen in all three USB ports?

 

I tried all 3 USB ports and none of them can boot from the DVD drive. BIOS will ignore the boot sequence and just load windows 8. Booting from boot menu F12 did not work either. When I tried to force boot memtest86+ from the boot menu, the screen just flashed and did nothing. I also tested this on a copy of Win7 pro, and I got " image failed to verify with ACCESS DENIED", every time I choose to boot from the DVD drive.