x120e Owner's Thread

An update to this folks. I managed to get my money back from the person who was running the website. I managed to trace him via some help from his neighbours. So all is well.

I've also taken up Zacate's recommendation on RAM and I'm glad to inform you that I have ZERO issues with this RAM. I'm running 8 gigs with no problems at all. Loving the laptop even more now. Its really snappy. Thanks all.

 

oops I spoke to soon. I'm having a problem with the memory. The laptop crashes and resets after it comes back from sleep (lid shut down).

I'm using 2 X 4 GIG CORSAIR CM3X8GSD KIT 1066.

Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

 

I'm getting the flickering lines on the right hand of the screen that many people got when the x120e first came out. I never got it before because I never used power manager, but I recently added it after studying the benefits of not letting the battery full charge. Is there a quick fix or are people just living with it? I looked at the Lenovo forums and it seems there is no official fix.

 

I just installed a Kingston V+100 96GB SSD into my x120e. It seems a little bit snappier, but the real bottleneck is definitely the CPU. Anyway, with my SSD installed, tpfancontrol is now always reporting a temp of 78C with xc3 beneath the temperature. Does anyone know why this is happening?

 

Just got the Intel 6205N card in the mail. It looks legit, and I'll install it with the non-whitelist bios as soon as the x120e comes.

 

Can you link me to the non-whitelist bios?

 

I am getting the flickering lines in the upper right hand corner of my screen as well...and sometimes even the left hand side. I wonder what is causing this?

 

I'm having no joy with after market RAM - im getting stability issues. If someone has an original Lenovo 2 GB that they wish to sell PM me thanks.

 

Your Corsair memory might be defective. Run some memory diagnostics programs such as memtest86+ to test for errors. Contact Corsair for RMA if necessary.

 

Hiya the memory is fine I ran the diagnostics, took like an hour and 50 mins with the memtest application. I've contacted the company I bought from for a return. However it has transpired that it may not be the memory and its the ATI graphics card with SP1 on Windows 7 Ultimate.

 

I just installed the intel 6205 and flashed with the whitelist-removed bios. The card works and connects fine now, however, I seem to have lost windows activation. It appears that this bios may not have an SLIC 2.1 table. I don't know how that's even possible, considering this computer came with Win7 pro. I'm trying to figure out what to do, but I'm hitting walls everywhere. Has anyone experienced this situation yet and know what to do about it?

EDIT: Nevermind, I figured it out.

 

Just for future reference, Microsoft is really good with redoing activations via the phone. Just give em a ring!

 

New issue: The notebook seems to freeze and become unresponsive upon unplugging the power cord within a few seconds. The only thing I could do is power down and restart while it is plugged in. Has anyone experienced this issue?

Edit: I think it's the Intel card. It works fine when the laptop is plugged in, but soon after I unplug it from the wall, the entire system freezes, and is completely unresponsive. I tried disabling the wireless card and unplugging the laptop, and it ran fine. I bought a legit 6205, so I'm really confused about what exactly is causing the problem. I tried upgrading the drivers, but still experience the same problems. Fine when plugged in, all hell breaks loose when I try to go portable. Could it be a power management issue?

 

I ordered the x120e (E-350) the other day along with a 256gb samsung SSD.

Both should be here tomorrow, I'm stoked.

Glad to see so much information has already been shared about this unit.

 

Why do Lenovo and HP have to put restrictions on wifi cards upgrade is beyond my comprehension. And on top of that they put a SINGLE BAND wifi card in their laptops, so we are effed if we have a dual band router and they bite us in the rear if we change the wifi cards.!!!

 

No clue, bro. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't ship the laptop with a half-assed wireless card as the only option. I tried using it, but got terrible performance and performed the bios mod and installed the 6205. I don't know what's going on, because the card works perfectly when the laptop is plugged in, but the laptop freezes and crashes within seconds of unplugging it. I'd love to figure out what's up so that I can actually use the x120e the way I intended to.

Also, I constantly look at the battery to see this message: xx% available (plugged in, not charging) Could it be a power management issue with the laptop? I really hope you guys can help me with this.

 

So folks aren't having lots of luck adding in a secondary wifi card?

 

I tried this again this morning a few times with the same results:

Fn-F5 > Turn off only wireless card + Unplug = Works fine
Wireless card is on while laptop is plugged in = Works fine

Unplug while wireless card is on = Hard lock within 30 seconds

I want to put the blame squarely on the card, but it works well while the system is plugged in, so I don't believe that the intel card is 100% at fault. However, as soon as I unplug the machine, I get a hard lock and funny battery behavior (plugged in, not charging) whenever I hard reset the computer.

I would imagine that, somehow, the 6200/6205N won't play nice with the x120e's power management, which could be the cause of the lockups, or that the non-whitelisted firmware is somehow messing with ACPI in some form. I can't really tell at this point, unless others jump in to help. I attempted to use the stock realtek adapter, but it was nearly impossible to maintain a connection at school, which really sucks.

However, I'm not going down without a fight, so I will figure out how to fix this issue some way or another.

 

Has anyone tried the 6300 Ultimate card?

 

I got one, same issue, I'm stuck with the stock card for now. Thankfully I got decent wifi coverage at school, which is where I'm usually using it.

 

Well this sucks.

I think I came across a thread on the lenovo forums where the driver engineering team has caught wind of this and are working on it.

 

Do you have any links?

 

Regardless of the problems I've been experiencing with the intel wireless card, I'm liking this device, now that I've got a clean install of Windows and all my software. The keyboard is an absolute dream to type on, probably the best keyboard I've ever used on a laptop. The trackpoint is the best I've experienced in any machine as well, and has become my default pointing device.

When it comes to implementation, IBM/Lenovo seems to actually know what they are doing, as the trackpoint doesn't become uncomfortable after a few minutes use, unlike my Precision M4500 which I use for heavy duty work.

 

I'm just so disappointed with not being able to find answers. I had to reinstall the stock 1x1 card and deal with the constant disconnects and poor range. I guess it's either that or the hard lockups. I wish I could find some solution because I would benefit greatly from the intel card that I have right next to me.

 

Don't despair!!! I have a Linksys-Cisco E3000 dual band router and 2 single band intel 1000 laptops in my sig. I am sure there will be a solution in the near future.

Why they put single band wifi card with no option to upgrade in the ordering process is beyond my comprehension.

 

Well my x120e, samung 470 256gb ssd, and corsair 2x4GB of memory showed up yesterday! I installed most of my software including Win7 Ultimate 64 and loving it. This thing is great, no issues yet outside of the much slower than SSD rated transfer speeds.

 

I'm going to do another test:

I am going to see if it's the particular wireless chipset that is causing problems with the Fusion hardware, because all of these issues seem to be with power management. It seems that the x120e works well with the Realtek-based 1x1 stock card and the Broadcom-based 2x2 card that Lenovo doesn't even offer anymore.

I just ordered an Atheros AR9280-based a/b/g/n 2x2 mini card, as I feel that Atheros cards are at the level of Intel cards in terms of support and performance. I read the datasheet for the chipset and it appears to support similar power-management features that to that of the Lenovo 1x1 and the 2x2 card, so I am hoping for some good results. Once I get the card in the mail and install it, I will post results.

Also, I think it would be a pretty good idea if a thread is started where we can list the third-party wireless/3g cards and their chipsets, and whether they work well with the x120e. I wouldn't mind starting it if it wouldn't cause any problems.

 

Is that a SATA III drive? If so, it will only run at SATA II speeds due to the chipset and what not.

 

For what it's worth, I've been using a Lenovo FRU'd Intel 5100 card in my X120e for months, and it's been flawless. Wifi coverage is awesome. It's only 2 antenna though.

 

I have a 6300N, flashed with no-whitelist BIOS. Shows in device manager but freezes. Read instructions saying freezes were normal. Tried every which way but couldn't get it to work.

 

Anyone got their old standard 2 GB RAM for sale? Let me know thanks.

 

I do.

Please PM me for more details.

 

Hi you dont seem to have PM set up. Can you PM me please thanks.

 

I can't do anything currently as my privileges are still limited due to me being a newbie. I will get back to you with more details once I get promoted.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sit...-send-private-messages-create-signatures.html

 

Quick question. Are most people after a new wifi card for better speed or better connection reliability?
The only reason I ask is because I thought it was a reliability thing though the last few days with my x120e has seemed problem free when it came to sustained connectivity with my router.

It's SATAII only (which is why I bought it). Only getting about 130mb read and 50mb write. Definitely not on par though I know others are having similar issues. Hopefully it's just a driver problem.
Both the BIOS and firmware are up to date.

 

I'm going for connection reliability, 5Ghz capability, and linux support. I know that the Realtek card is supported in linux, but I've read many posts about reliability problems as well. I'm going to see how the Atheros card does when it comes in the mail. Hopefully, all goes well. Also, I attend school in a third-world country, so anything other than the best wireless hardware is going to be a problem.

 

We've got a new BIOS out!

http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/8fuj06us.exe

I gotta modify to use it with my 6200N... But go ahead guys..

 

And what's with having two different support pages now? Some links go to the old one and some to to the new page. The new driver page also has like 4000 files on it and is really confusing. And it doesn't have my exact model. It has the 0596, but does not have the even more specific CTO part. Aggravating.

 

If you have any success in modding it with an SLIC 2.1 table, could you send me a copy?

 

I've just ordered an x120e. Its an almost perfect match
for what I need, and I've been looking a long time.
The only worry I have is heat and fan noise. I am most
of the time in the tropics in places with no A/C. So the room
temperature is often around 32-35C. I plan on unvervolting it
and need it to run quiet. But I'm wondering if my ambient
temp is around 33C should I expect this laptop to always
be hot and noisy?


thanks

 

You'll be fine. I use the x120e in an area with similar climate with absolutely no problems. Yes, the fan is on a lot, but it's not nearly as annoying and loud as people on this board claim. The processor doesn't run that hot either, and you most likely won't feel it at all, as I haven't.

 

I noticed the top lid of my x120e has a crease/bump right in the middle of it. You can actually feel it. Obviously doesn't affect the function of the laptop but I was curious if anyone else has it.

You can actually see it in this pic from laptopmag.com

 

All Thinkpads from the T61 generation and later have a slightly arching lid, to increase the amount of weight the lid can support before damage to the LCD is sustained.

 

Ah, thanks for enlightening me!

Btw, I went through your undervolting thread tonight and the mod worked perfectly. Thanks for all the help!

 

An update on my third-party wireless situation:

I ordered an Atheros AR9382-based card online, as well as an AR9280-based card from ebay for like $10. They both came in the mail today, and I went to work to test both, and they both work flawlessly.

They work when the system is plugged in, as well as unplugged. The system will sleep and hibernate, and resume without problems, and it's much faster and reliable than the stock 1x1 card. I can finally connect to all of my school's APs at 130Mbps, rather than spotty signal at, at most, 65Mbps.

 

Did you need the hacked bios whitelist removal to use the Atheros card? I need a dual band 5 and 2.4 GHz wifi card, any recommendation of sellers? link? There are so many fake wifi cards on ebay, particularly with intel based chip.

Thanks again for posting your results.

 

Yes, a hacked firmware is required, and as far as ebay, there are legit sellers offering AR5280-based cards that work extremely well. mk_enterprises has a ton of them for around $12.00 with fast shipping, and those cards are legit, as they are working pulls.

I'm not sure what the deal is with all the intel fakes, but the one i ordered some time ago, as well as the ones others ordered, do not work well with the x120e, so I'd stay away from those for a while.

 

G0dammit:

Lenovo launches 11.6-inch ThinkPad x121e for Europe, the Japanese market -- Engadget

On the bright side, while it looks nicer at first glance, once you actually LOOK at it, it seems to be uglier than the 120.

 

The X121e doesn't really look like a thinkpad anymore now that they did away with the trademark boxy shape...

 

Hi everyone, I just got this netbook but refurbished for $293.40 ($322 included tax to CA) is it a good price? Most reviews I have read about this netbook are good, but is there any downside that I need to be aware of?
Thanks!