x120e Owner's Thread

Yea, at this point it sounds like a hardware problem.

Opening up the machine shouldn't void the warranty -- they do provide disassembly instructions, and there's no warranty void stickers anywhere on the machine, so you should be fine, though I've never had to test it myself.

 

Hey MidnightSun,

quick question about this- What do you have your x120e outputting to? If I do hdmi out with this machine to a 1920x1080 tv or monitor and play a blu-ray mkv rip, will it get the job done well? You said it stresses it more than the T500-- is that noticeable in the video playback or just strictly from the system spec performance at the time, eg higher CPU load, etc?

I read in your review that there wasn't any trouble doing this but I'm curious if it was even slightly different in terms of playback.

Thanks.

 

I installed all the latest updates thinkvantage had, including one for synaptics. The mouse is better but I lost two finger scrolling. Or maybe I can't find the option on mouse settings to turn it on. Anyone know what I can do?


Also, I downloaded a 720p dvd quality movie online and tried to watch it on my tv via hdmi and there was frames being dropped left and right to the point that it was unwatchable. Any fixes for this?

 

What video player were you using? Does it use hardware acceleration? What video format was the file? Are you using MPC-HC as suggested earlier in the thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/561751-x120e-owners-thread-41.html#post7382988 ?

I just tried a video on my HDMI monitor, and it works fine using MPC-HC.

 

I used vlc player.

I'll try media player classic, thanks

 

Hey folks,

How do I test if the wecam is working? It does show up in the device manager and say the drivers are up to date, but when I go to a "test your webcam" page like Flash Webcam Free online tools to use with Flash and webcams - Hello Webcam all I get is an empty box.

cheers,

kilolima

 

I am having the same problem. So far, all I have for troubleshooting is that I've tried Skyping 2 friends, and for one friend it worked great with video (even was able to do conference call), but with the other friend it crashed just like you describe when the video starts. The friend where the crashing occurs is using a Mac, so I don't know if it's a problem with Skype and Macs that caused the crashing.

My install is a default Lenovo build with drivers up to date using the latest from Windows Update and Lenovo System Updater. Fn+F6 works like a charm, and the video preview in Skype options works wonderfully.

Otherwise, I love this laptop.

 

Interesting! The other person in this case was using an iPhone 4....

 

I tested outputting to a Samsung 1080p TV once, with an .avi file using Shark007's W7 Codec Pack in Windows Media Player--it worked well, although overall system stress is noticeably higher, and the temperatures did increase much more than on my T500.

It did, however, work with no issues--videos are smooth. YouTube 1080p videos are also smooth, and seem to stress the computer out more than an .avi file. So overall, you won't notice any quality differences, but the computer is under heavier load, as expected.

 

I'm having issues updating the AMD Graphics Device from the System update tool. See the pic attached. I've tried to download and install this update several times, but system update says I do not have the current version. Its not installing properly. Is there a direct download from Lenovo's webpage?

 

Guys with the skype issues:

Are your on-board mics working? I still only get a constant buzz from the test calls. I've been too lazy to call lenovo (but I will soon). SO what has the experience been so far, since I haven't tested enough to even get skype to crash on me, ha. I just think I have a dead mic....

 

mine passes the skype echo test just fine.

 

Indeed there is: Lenovo Support - AMD Graphic and USB Filter Device Software for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) - ThinkPad X120e

It works for me in Skype and with the Windows sound recorder app.

 

Hello!

Could somebody cofirm that x120e is processor-upgradable? Don't want to wait another few months for e-450 so it would be nice to get one now and then upgrade the processor later(if they will have same socket of course...)

And is there any other hardware difference between two models(i think Faideelah saying that there's no but asking ust in case...)

Thanks a lot!!

 

Faideelah meant that he upgraded the E-240 to E-350 CPU on Lenovo's website, not when he received it. The APU is not upgradable, so you're stuck with whatever you order it with. Other than the APU, though, there are no other hardware differences between an E-240 and E-350 Thinkpad X120e.

 

oh, i see...
was already planning to get one with e-240 plus mini-itx with e-350 and swap processors, would cost me the same ammount, haha))

thanks

 

Oh how I wish I had received it already. Another chat with Lenovo's bright customer service reps(/sarcasm) tells me that my ship date is actually 4/28 and not 5/04 (what it says on my order status). Meanwhile, I ordered 4 GB ram from newegg for it. It'll probably get here before the x120e even though I picked super egg saver shipping.

 

Just got my x120e. Seems good so far; no dead pixels. First thing I did was swap the FN and CTRL keys on the left side.

Does anyone know how to increase the amount of RAM allocated to the GPU? I think it has 384mb allocated right now. I would like to increase that amount to 512 or 768. Didn't see any options in the BIOS to do it.

 

I am running into a problem on my x120e. Currently I had a use a external mouse from time to time. For some reason the computer seem to always wants reset the scrolling rate to 1. I set to 4, but every time I reboot the reset x120e reset itself to 1. Does anybody else have this problem?

 

Pretty sure you can't do it yourself. But there was a BIOS update that upped the GPU RAM to I believe 768

 

I believe it's not manually customizable either in BIOS or Windows. With the latest firmware, the set amount is 384MB, which is plenty--beyond that, you would see little to no difference, as the bandwidth and performance of the shaders would be limiting you, not the amount of graphics RAM.

Nope, it was upped from 64MB to 384MB in BIOS 1.08 (and again in 1.11?). You can verify this by right-clicking on Computer > Properties. You'll see that out of the total amount of installed RAM, a smaller amount is "usable," meaning it is not reserved by the GPU: for me, I have 4.00GB installed, 3.60GB usable, which aligns with the 384MB figure.

 

Great news! I just checked my order status on the IBM website because they update quicker(believe it or not) and it says my x120e is now SHIPPED. I haven't gotten the shipping confirmation yet, but I already got the tracking number from the IBM site.

Scheduled delivery is 4/28. That's the same as my first estimated shipping date. Awesome!

 

The new touchpad driver corrects this issue - I just updated mine today:

Lenovo Support - UltraNav driver for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Vista (32-bit, 64-bit) and XP (32-bit, 64-bit) - ThinkPad

 

I've got them all installed, but so far I've mostly used AutoCAD on this thing. I also ran Revit a few times and it seemed to run well enough, but I didn't bother rendering anything since my main machine does that. The rest of the programs I've only tested to see if they run, so for now I haven't done any intensive testing to see how well they handle under pressure.

 

Thanks, I will try it out later today.

 

Anyone have any suggestions for a case that'll fit the laptop+6 cell and charger? I would prefer something <$20 and easy to slip in and out of a backpack.

 

Hopefully will be receiving my X120e in the new days (default config + bluetooth module).

I noticed there's been a lot of mention of bios updates and trackpad updates etc. As there are 40+ pages in this thread to trawl through - would someone be able to summarise what kind of updates etc I have to install once I receive it?

Thank you all kindly

 

Has anyone run Counter-Strike Source with the x120e? How was it at native res and what was the avg fps?

 

i use tpfancontrol to control the fan speed, and my configuration is:

Level=48 0
Level=58 1
... ...

so when the temperature rises to 58°, the fan starts working, and when the temperature cools to 48°, the fan stops spinning

is this config suitable? is allowing the processor to heat to 58° frequently dangerous?

i'm in mainland China and someone told me that their fan won't spin until the temperature rises to 60°, so for most of the time, the fan stays silent. that is so different from my x120e, i got this baby laptop from a friend in US, and for the BIOS defaults, the fan seems never stop working. different regions, different fans???

how you guys' fans work? @what degrees of temperature will it start spinning, and when stop???

 

The fan on my x120e are running 24-7. I was using the tpfancontrol for a while, but the random fan turning on and off bother more than the sound of the fan.

 

I purchased the Case Logic LNEO-12 12.1-Inch Neoprene Netbook Sleeve. Amazon currently has it for $15.33 plus shipping.

The main pocket fits the X120 with 6 cell perfectly. It doesn't slide around inside, but it isn't so tight either that the zippers rub the edge of the machine. The AC fits in the side pocket just fine. It does bulge a little, but not terribly so.

What I like is that it has handles for standalone use, but it's small enough to fit right inside a bag or briefcase.

One word of warning, the thing smells like death when you first receive it. I'm not sure if other manufacturers wash their neoprene beforehand or what, but I had to let this one "air out" for a couple days before keeping it close by. It's just fine now though.

 

Thanks, I'll definitely look into that.

 

Just thought I'd let people know that the E-350 x120e is available for ~$386 (depending on tax) if you go through http://www.lenovo.com/visa and use coupon LENOVOVIP

 

I'm curious as to what others typically get for CPU temp.

After the system has been running for a while in TPFanControl (core readings addressed at 0x78 or 0x7a) I generally get a low of ~60C through to 65C at ~30% processing and up to 75C with a heavy load and 3D. These at an ambient air temp of around 18C

 

That roughly matches the temps I get. Most of the time when I'm just surfing the internet, it stays in the low 50s.

 

I just wonder if I am the only one who has a problem with the x120e touchpad. I found the trackpoint relatively easy to use except the lack of the click to enter/select function. But the touchpad scrolling and other functions like tapping at the 4 corners very iffy, i.e. not very consistent or repeatable.

I use a Logitech MX-1000 at my HP so I am not sure but the HP touchpad as I recall is much better in controlling the various functions.

My x120e is my portable so I really don't want to use a mouse with it. My question is did anybody else notice this or is it just me. Are all Lenovo laptops touchpad function this way or I just have a defective one.

I noticed that the UltraNav and touchpad software are both provided by Synaptics.

 

There are many setting you have to change to make the trackpad work perfectly. The most important one is uncheck "enable gesture filtering" under "Gesture filtering" in the trackpad setting. It will make scrolling more effective. Another thing is decrease the palm detection sensitivity.

 

Sorry for the long-delayed response. I discovered that the bag I have squeezes the laptop a bit when I have other things such as notebooks and calculators in it as well for class. Guess I'll have to be a bit more careful about how I pack things since there seems to be NO room at all between the keyboard and the screen.

I ended up getting a 2 GB stick, but I've still got some issues (at the end of this post).

Thanks, I missed that post originally. Media Player Classic plays things smoothly! Yay!

Re-installing the touchpad drivers solved my issues permanently, so I guess it was a one-time issue with Windows Update. I don't know who the hell though gesture filtering should be ON by default, but clearly they didn't do much two-finger scrolling beforehand, lol.

-------

So, now I've got two more questions. I bought a 2 Gb Crucial stick of RAM (DDR3, PC3 8500) and after popping it in, Windows booted to the login screen, but when I attempted to log in, I got a BSOD. I booted into the BIOS and it did indeed see all 4 Gb. Rebooted and now it seems fine. Does anyone know if this is a result of the page file needing to be "reset" or something else?

Additionally, while Windows also sees 4 Gb, it still only says 1.6 Gb useable... what am I missing? I feel like an idiot because I used to build computers for people but it's been a while now, and I'm not able to remember any of the tricks for this sort of stuff, lol. Here's a screenshot of the memory allocation. Seems 2.5 Gb is reserved for hardware use!

 

Nevermind. Tried running JUST the Crucial stick and it wouldn't even POST. Just went BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP!

...which is Lenovo code for "YOUR DIMMS IS TEH FAILZ!"

 

Does Lenovo have a price adjusting policy? Yesterday, there was a 15% coupon that stacked with the student discount. I made everything the same as the one I ordered and it came out to be $45 cheaper than the one I ordered 2 weeks ago.

I saved a quote of it. Would Lenovo refund me the difference if I called them?

 

Never hurts to call. If they say yes, let me know, I wouldn't mind trying to get in on that deal my self

 

FYI...with the latest update of Skype I'm no longer experiencing this problem. Can't guarantee that the person on the other end didn't update too, but it's fixed either way.

 

Much appreciated. Helps a lot.

 

I'll call them tomorrow since they JUST closed =\ I talked to a sales rep online and they said that they don't price match coupons which is weird. I have read that people have gotten price matched even with coupons and such.

 

Does anyone know if Lenovo will release an x120e with the new AMD Llano APU in the next month or so?

 

Well my skype is up to date. I ran an update on the computer and now I can get incoming video but it claims the camera is in use when it comes time for using the webcam. I connected my old USB webcan and had no issues. I guess I'm still searching.

 

I highly doubt it. Llano A8-3510MX is supposed to need 45W TDP, as opposed to the current 18W of the Zacate E350. That's a huge increase in power draw and would significantly cut battery life. The other Llano chips that have been specced out require even more juice.

More likely, they'll wait until late Q2 or Q3 and release a model with the Zacate E-450, which adds slightly increased base clocks for the CPU/GPU, support for 1333MHz memory, and a turbo boost ability. At the same power consumption.

It's the turbo boost, aka turbo core, that has me interested. My wife has a current X120e and it's totally wonderful for her needs, but I notice the OS lags a bit once you have more than 3 or 4 substantial programs going. If the CPU could increase its clock during those heavier moments, it'd make all the difference in the world to the "smoothness" of the overall experience.

 

Took this picture of my X120e with my old 240Z the other day I received it...



Anyone think the X120e is a worthy successor to the 200-series/S-series?

 

I'm so tempted to get this, I just need that one thing that pushes me over the edge

 

too bad you missed the latest coupon. at under 400 bucks this thing is amazing value for money...although with the same coupon another guy on the forum managed to get the X220 for 715 including tax