(Part 3) Best products from r/thinkpad

Found this sub while looking for a new laptop to replace my surface pro 3. I'm a Psychiatry Fellow and spend most of my day typing notes while people speak, so a T series keyboard sounded like a good priority. I also do photography and graphic design on the side, utilizing several Adobe CC products, so 8th Gen processor, upgradeable drive/ram, and color accurate screen were essential. Almost went with X1C6, but ultimately, longevity and value (still just a fellow) were more important than portability and brightness. So in the end, the T480 seemed like the best fit (though I really miss having a touch screen).

Below is my custom config ordered during the Black Friday in July sale, followed by my mods:

Ordered specs:

• 14.0" WQHD (2560 x 1440) 300 nits, IPS anti-glare (non-touch)
  
  
• Intel Core i5-8350U Processor (vPro)
  
  
• 4 GB DDR4 2400MHz ram
  
  
• NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5
  
  
• IR & 720p HD Camera with microphone (mandatory with WQHD screen)
  
  
• Backlit Keyboard - US English (accidentally ordered without, but realized it and adjusted thanks to you guys!)
  
  
• Fingerprint Reader
  
  
• 128 GB 2.5" SATA3 Solid State Drive
  
  
• Smart Card Reader (for literally zero reason, my only regret)
  
  
• 3 cell Li-Ion 24Wh external battery
  
  
• Intel Dual Band 8265 Wireless AC (2 x 2) & Bluetooth 4.1 with vPro
  
  
• Fibocom L850-GL 4G LTE-A cat 9 WWAN
  
  .
  
  Upgrades on arrival:
  
  
• RAM: HyperX Kingston Technology Impact 32GB Kit (2x16GB) 2400MHz CL14 DDR4 SODIMM HX424S14IBK2/32 Link
  
  
• SSD: addlink S70 2TB NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 SSD R/W 3500/3000MB/s Link
  
  
• Lenovo internal m.2 Drive Enclosure (ordered as add-on through Lenovo; necessary to install m.2 SSD)
  
  
• Copper NVMe heatsink with thermal pads Link (ultimately, unnecessary because enclosure came with an attached thermal pad, but doubled up anyway and yes it was a tight fit)
  
  
• Extra battery: 6 Cell 72Wh Battery 61++ Link
  
  
• Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 5.0 card: Intel Wireless-AC 9260, 2230, 2x2 AC+BT, Gigabit, vPro Link
  
  
• Wallpaper
  
  The screen is beautiful, and I'm digging the anti-glare matte, though my SP3 glossy screen made colors pop more. I installed the calibrated color profile from the notebookcheck.com review of the T480s with what I assume was the same WQHD screen. Here are the instructions I used from notebookcheck.
  
  Replacing the internal components was a breeze, though unfortunately, I watched the Lenovo disassembly video that showed front clips being disengaged with spudger, so now I have a front gap. Also broke a battery compartment clip but whatever.
  
  I installed windows fresh using a recovery flash drive made before swapping in the NVMe drive. I'm fully updated through both vantage and windows update, which took a few hours.
  
  Ultimately, I'm ridiculously happy with this build. The keyboard is a DREAM except for the annoying fn button placement (who thought this was a good idea?). I threw in a Logitech MX Master 2S for desk work, but honestly, this trackpoint is a game changer when I'm working on my lap.
  
  Any other mod suggestions??? Questions??? Comments???

I'm using High Sierra on my x220 right now. I flashed the BIOS to get the wifi whitelist and spent less than $10 on the wifi card.

I put 8gb of RAM in it because it performs better and I was trying to address some video artifacts. It might have helped, but I still get video artifacts sometimes (like a line across the screen). It's not that bad, just a little annoying. It isn't a hardware issue, it doesn't happen in Ubuntu.

The battery life is comparable to Ubuntu and it's a new 9-cell, so it's pretty good. CoconutBattery on OSX doesn't seem to report the right number of cycles, though.

The screen brightness is a bit of an issue for me. I can't figure out how to get it to step down as dim as other OSes do. It will go from about 30% brightness to off. I want those steps in there for using it in a dark room.

iMessage is a bit of a pain to get working. I think I got lucky to find a generated serial number that worked but was invalid.

I followed this to do the install and I think this to get iMessage working. But Clover had changed a bit so I don't think that guide is perfect anymore.

Overall I like it. I have a MacBook Pro for work and the gestures on the trackpad are really good. On the ThinkPad the gestures don't always work and honestly I just turn off the trackpad most of the time (PrtSc is the shortcut!) and just use the trackpoint.

It's a fun project, in any case!

I'm the guy who nearly tossed my x201 (2.67 Ghz i7 with turbo boost up to 3.3Ghz, 8gb ram, 256 gb SSD). About 6 months ago it started over-heating to the point of dying every twenty minutes. I had to have one of these monsters attached to the vent whenever I used it. That vacuum fan was a big hassle to carry around and meant I was 1 USB port down. About 3 months ago the internal wifi card stopped working so I bought one of these. Those tiny usb wifi cards suck because the antenna is so small, and that also meant I was another USB port down. Finally, the plastic door to my hard-drive bay cracked so my hard-drive kept slipping out in my back-pack.

I ended up buying thermal paste on amazon (~$10), a new wifi chip on ebay (~$8), a new fan (~$5) and a new hard-drive door (~$6). It took me about 3 hours to take the laptop apart, and another two to put it back together. I re-pasted the CPU, replaced the fan (just to be safe... the old one worked fine), and installed the new wifi card. I had to completely disassemble twice after completely re-assembling it (god that sucked) first because the power-port wasn't aligned with the chassis and plug would not go into the laptop, and second because I didn't run the wifi antenna cables very well. I still need to buy and install a new thermal pad for the GPU - I didn't order one because I didn't expect to find one in there (thought it would be all paste). The current GPU thermal pad is cracked and aging.

Anyway, now my x201 is back together and working like a charm. Wifi signal is great, and it runs nice and cool (~40 degrees idle - it's still breaking in). Ran 20 cycles of IntelBurnTest on "High" and it passed with flying colors. I have all of my USB ports available, battery lasts longer. And the SSD doesn't slip out of the bay all the time. All in all, definitely worth the effort and minimal money! Here she is in all her ThinkPad glory.

Maybe I was unclear. :-)

Option 1:

• Remove your windows ssd. Set aside.
  
  
• Buy another hdd and put into your laptop, and install Linux onto it. Your computer will just boot into Linux.
  
  
• When you need to run Windows, pull the Linux hdd and install the ssd. On my laptop, this swap takes < 2min.
  
  Option 2 (dual boot):
  
  
• Shrink the windows partitions
  
  
• Boot a Linux install media, and create another partition
  
  
• Install Linux to that new partition, configuring grub to dual boot.
  
  
• Restart the computer, pick Win or Linux to boot and you're done.
  
  Option 3 (external drive):
  
  
• Buy an external hdd or flash drive (32GB or 64GB) with USB3 interface.
  
  
• Plug drive into computer.
  
  
• Boot Linux install media, and install to external drive.
  
  
• Reboot, hit F12 for boot menu, choose the USB drive to boot Linux, or the internal drive to boot Windows.
  
  BIOS usually has an function key that will activate a menu of bootable drives. Very quick and easy.
  
  Note: The external USB3 flash drive boot works very well for me. It's a Sandisk 3.0 32GB Extreme Pro. 100MB/sec write, and 200MB/sec read. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KT7DXIU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage Trust me, that is good for what it is. It has been very acceptable in every way.
  
  Here is the fastest flash drive I have ever used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KT7DOSE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
  
  You should explore running a Linux guest in a Windows host, using a virtualization tool, like Virtualbox. It's a true killer technology, and a great tool.
  
  

I don't have that charger, but the first thing that I noticed was that the prongs were fixed. I carry my T480 in a rugged slipcase, and that would not fit well in the outer pocket. While there's nothing wrong with that charger and the few reviews it has are positive, you can get a better charger for a little bit more money.

I use RavPower's 45W USB C charger (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9WMW6N/) with a Volta XL cable (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MCBH5GW/). The charger has a nice matte finish, not a glossy finish like it looks in the pictures. The Volta XL cables aren't perfect, but they're the best magnetic USB C PD cable's I've found.

If the size isn't a problem, RavPower also has a 61W charger that has a USB A port in addition to the USB C PD port: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLR7T1M/. They also make a 45W cube charger if the you don't like the design of the above 45W unit (blocks outlets next to it): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TC53ZYD/

Note that you'll need a USB C PD cable since none of these chargers have a cable included. Anker's Powerline II USB C PD cable supports up to 60W PD: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071WNXY1R.

However, for the T490, in benefit of having USB-C charging port, you could utilize an external battery pack to charge up the laptop on the go.

There are an assortment of battery packs out there with high capacity and high output to be able to charge the T490 multiple times over. As well as if needed, can charge during use. While the battery packs may not be able to create net-positive charging, it will extend the laptop usage time at least twice over. Especially if you arent utilizing the dedicated graphics.

Here is a couple battery banks you could look at:

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075Q5VLGK?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAXet
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BD98CM?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAXer
  
  Here is a video Linus did about a battery pack used on a Razer Stealth Pro while gaming. (You will experience FAR better battery performance in comparison):
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXNeoXnU7iM
  
  In my opinion, I prefer to have a sleek and slim laptop, with the OPTION to have extended battery life with a battery pack. Lenovo did have the neat design to have an internal battery, and a swappable battery slot so you could swap on the fly, but that required that you had to charge each battery IN the laptop seperately for each battery you have. Here, you can charge it outside, and use if for multiple different devices when needed! A win win in my books!

That's an excellent point, and I apologize for calling your previous comment "nonsense".

The last couple of Windows 10 releases have added some really nice high-DPI support including mixed-DPI monitors, however it takes some work by application developers to add the per-monitor DPI awareness to their apps.

But there is an easy solution: if you use a second monitor alongside your ThinkPad display, get one with similar DPI. Then you can set both displays to the same DPI and avoid any mixed-DPI issues.

24" 4K (UHD) monitors are a sweet spot: the DPI is close enough that you can use the same scaling as a high-DPI ThinkPad display, and they are practical to use in portrait mode alongside the laptop display with a suitable pivot stand or monitor arm. I have a ViewSonic 24" 4K/UHD mounted on an AmazonBasics (Ergotron) arm. Portrait mode is a great setup if you ever have to read long documents, PDF files, and the like.

At the moment, Amazon has the LG 24UD58-B 24-inch 4K for $247 right now. (It's usually been more like $300-325.) I haven't used that specific monitor, but it's the same size and resolution as my ViewSonic.

I've been really happy with the combination of a high DPI ThinkPad or MacBook and a high DPI portrait mode monitor alongside it.

About a year ago I actually found a new OEM lenovo 6 cell on Amazon for $50. It was manufactured in 2016 or 2017. Not sure if these can still be found but this will probably be as good as a knockoff 9 cell. I would suggest looking for something like this if you can get it for a good price: https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Battery-0a36306-Factory-Packaging/dp/B0085MPHGM/

The issue is that the chinese 18650 cells are usually 800mah no matter what it says on the packaging. For reference most LG or Samsung cells used in laptops are 1800-3000mah.

I haven't been able to find any good 9 cells under $100 but if anyone finds one I'd be interested.

You have a couple options. You can definitely get an external enclosure like this one for $30-50 on a site like Amazon and then do a direct clone from one SSD to the other. What I did was to create an image of the SSD onto an external hard drive and then restore it to the new SSD and adjust the partition to take advantage of the expanded space.

Whichever route you take, Clonezilla is the tool I used and it works great for either creating a disk image or copying between drives directly.

Hi

I recommend not buying the 72Wh on Amazon. That particular model has not worked with the T480 for me. However, buying the 72Wh from Lenovo's spare parts website works fine and is only $80. link

Unfortunately, it seems these batteries are out of stock. I'm not sure where to get a working 72Wh battery.

The working battery that I have is a 61++ made by LG Chem from Lenovo's replacement parts site. The non-working battery is a 61++ made by Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. from Amazon (link). Both are real, genuine Lenovo batteries. They use a few different companies for batteries. I haven't been able to find out why the second battery won't work. It's detected as a battery in Windows and Linux, but all values (capacity, charge state, etc.) are unable to be read and the battery won't do anything. I've tried to find out how to debug ACPI, but I haven't found much.

I even got a replacement for the non-working battery, but it was the same manufacturer and still didn't work. I took apart the first one and all the cells were good, all the circuitry looked good as well.

I would echo luc1zh on this one. 66% isn't a bad capacity at this point - it would put you in the region of a brand new 6-cell. While you could buy a new 9-cell, that's going to be quite expensive and they seem to be quite rare.

Having been looking for a new 9-cell for my X220 since basically the day I got it 2 years ago, personally I believe it's too expensive to bother with. Tends to be £80 plus on eBay, and the official Lenovo is £69 on Amazon.

However, that's for official Lenovo batteries. The general wisdom is to go with the official batteries, but there are plenty of aftermarket batteries available. It's a bit of crapshoot; there's a huge price differential (I've just bought an aftermarket 9-cell for ~£15, for example) and you have to ask yourself - why is that the case? Is it because they're cutting corners on quality? The answer to that is likely, yes, they are - which could mean anything from: battery doesn't have the stated capacity, the capacity declines very quickly or even they've compromised on safety and the battery will blow up in your face - literally.

I guess what I'm saying is, you've got 3 options:

1. Do nothing, keep that battery, save money
   
2. Go to Amazon, buy a 9-cell there, direct from Amazon - should be genuine - like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-0A36307-Lithium-Ion-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B0085MPIG6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485958876&sr=8-2&keywords=thinkpad+x220+9+cell
   
3. Go to eBay or Amazon, find an aftermarket 9-cell, check any reviews or feedback and buy it for (much) cheaper than Lenovo, taking the risk that it's crap, dangerous, or both.

It doesn't matter, in PSREF all 20BW boards are with vPro and 20BX only some of them are, but this is a security feature used by some business companies.Mine was i5 20BX and now I have i7 and everything works fine. If you choose to swab board don't forget to buy some Thermal compound for repasting CPU. I did a test and I bought Innovation Cooling LLC IC Graphite Thermal Pad, very easy to use and it's working great.

I have a Tom Bihn Plot bagthat I use as my laptop bag, but like to have a neoprene or padded sleeve inside that I put my laptop in. After a good bit of research and trying a few sleeves (several of which didn't fit and were returned) I ended up with this Case Logic sleeve. It fits the T480s perfectly and the sleeve/laptop just fits in the Pilot carry-on bag.

No don't worry, you gave me some useful info. (I used to think that the WiFi issue was something wrong with Linux, but now I know that it's an actual hardware problem)

From what I hear, there is nothing wrong with your computer, just with the wireless chip. I have a Thinkpad Edge myself, and it's fine for me.

Next time you should probably buy a Thinkpad T series used on eBay if you want to save a buck. It sounds crazy, but yes, they are that reliable.

Since I can't find the chip that works with your computer, just go the easy way and use this dongle for $11:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

I just want the best card I can get, but I'm having some problems figuring out which one that would be ...

Someone suggested this USB adapter which would let me stay clear of BIOS tinkering. Seems like a good solution to me?

Why do they always make them stick out. This is only 45w but much better design.

https://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Delivery-Ultra-Compact-Compatible-Nintendo/dp/B07H9WMW6N?th=1

I have this one and it's a great travel charger
https://www.themu.co.uk/products/mu-one-international

I got this one from Amazon, because I needed to have one that would tripleboot Mac/windows/peppermint Linux:

DW1510 AGN BCM94322 Half Dual-band N Pci-e Wirless WLAN Card 802.11a/g/n 2.4G & 5G for Laptops & Netbooks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP52BNI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SNPZCbD9WP3B2

It works fine, and it only cost $12, but I think there are even faster and better ones available.

I think you probably should first update your bios to allow non-whitelisted cards before you buy anything though.


Edit: if MacOs compatibility is key, here is some info on three possible cards. Like I said, I picked the cheapest, and it works, but it is not super-fast: http://x220.mcdonnelltech.com/

I just picked up this one for my x220 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085MPIG6/

Replaced my old original 6 cell and after an initial calibration the difference is amazing.

Ninja Edit: Ordered from the "Blue Donuts" seller fulfilled by Amazon.

I'm using this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y5N3YCD/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 on my X1C5 on the USBC/Thunderbolt port and it works perfectly. It is limited though in that it does not do multiple monitors it only does one. But for my use case Monitor, Keyboard, mouse and power it was perfect. Oh yes it supplies power to your laptop and I just plug my normal power supply into the doc which then feeds the laptop.

Forgot to add I have plugged it in and out while power is on with out issues with Linux. Sorry I have not tried windows so not sure if it will work under windows.

That video is very useful. Thank you!

So will this fit on the T480s: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-SODIMM-1x16GB-Systems/dp/B077S17RPZ/ ? It says compatible with i7 7th Gen. The one I ordered has an 8th Gen i7 processor.

Also, I'll look into the dual channel mode thing. But does that mean I won't get gains in a 8GB + 16GB setup and am better off sticking with 2 x 8GB ?

Assuming you want future 4k60hz support...

With USB-C, the ideal video out is DisplayPort Alternate Mode -> DPP to HDMI adapter.

Everything else is going to be over the USB bus and up to the OS to support, and a requirement for 20v power delivery at at least 2.5 amps

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Compatible/dp/B06Y5N3YCD something like this, plus an hdmi adapter.

If you only need 1080p/4k30hz, there's a ton of generic breakout boxes.

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-USB-Multiport-Adapter-Ethernet/dp/B071S1XTVR/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522689187&sr=1-11&keywords=usb-c+hdmi+gigabit

Ok, ok awesome then. I'll get this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Multiport-DisplayPort-Ethernet/dp/B06Y5N3YCD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

What's your price level?

Honestly, the best value-to-price one is just the amazonbasics case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD8AFFW

According to this you can replace the thermal paste and still be within warranty. It's actually really easy to replace, thinkpads are wonderful for this kind of stuff. There is a service manual that tells you how. I first replaced my thermal paste with thermal graphite IC which is super easy to install and just needs cut to size but on windows the thermals were still really bad and I replaced it with some normal thermal paste but still it was hot (I should have taken measurements and benchmarks for each step though to get an idea of how well each worked). On windows you need to do turn use intel xtu to undervolt and change clock speed to get decent temps. I still think mine is moderately defective because it gets really hot if I try to run it at 3 ghz and when I get back home to Korea I'm planning on using my onsite warranty and getting the heatsink replaced. The battery life was also horrendous and generally just like 4 hours but I think if the heatsink is replaced maybe it would be better. On linux it works well, it's pretty cool and battery life is decent when I lower clock rate.

I just got the Amazon basics 14" laptop sleeve (wasn't too worried about the Thinkpad, just wanna keep the dust away so I didn't get anything fancy). Fits quite nicely and for the price, the quality's quite good too.

For the SSD, it's a no-brainer. You're far better off buying your own. Even with the BLACKFRIDAY10 coupon, the slot 1 upgrade is $319, the slot 2 addition is $527; a 970 EVO 1TB is $228, and you are guaranteed the best consumer-grade SSD on the market right now instead of playing the lottery.

For RAM, though, it's not as simple.

16 GB x2 of PC4-21300 SODIMM is $254.

The 32 GB x1 and 16 GB x2 upgrades are both $223 with the coupon.

The cheapest, however, is the 16 GB x1 upgrade at $74.41 with the coupon, plus another 16 GB x1 at $125, for a total of around $200.

Of course, if you get the 8 GB and replace it, 8 GB is worth around $60 new. However, I've never thought of the used RAM market as very strong, so I think you'd be lucky to get $20-30 right now. Alternatively, you could keep it for later.

I'm not sure how this works with Perks instead of the current coupon because I'm lazy, but "get the cheapest and just buy your own upgrades" is not always the least expensive route.

You only get 2 drive bays in a T480 (assuming that it is the same as the T470). You get one 2.5 inch SATA Express bay, that is PCIe Capable (might be 2X or 4X, I'm not sure). And you get one 2242 M.2 slot that is mutually exclusive with WWAN (no cell service if you put a drive here). The WWAN slot is also PCIe 2X capable, and there is one NVMe drive out there.

You can use something like this to convert that 2.5" drive to Two m.2 slots.

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Adapter-Converter-Support-25S22M2NGFFR/dp/B018AOZ9QM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519865090&sr=1-1&keywords=2.5+inch+to+m.2+adaptor


The cheapest m.2 SSD is also 2 TB. So you could buy two of these for $1000, and then put something in the 2244 slot.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CXvbt6/western-digital-blue-2tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-wds200t2b0b


I think this is the largest 2242 M.2 drive, at 512 GB.

https://www.amazon.com/Transcend-512GB-MTS400-Solid-TS512GMTS400/dp/B016W1PP5K

So with those 3 you could get to 4.5 TB of NAND flash, which is just a little short of your goal.


Otherwise, you are stuck at 2 TB HDDs. Those are all that are offered in the 7mm 2.5 inch variety. Offering you a max of 2.5 TB total.

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-2-5-Inch-Internal-ST2000LM015/dp/B01LX13P71?th=1

Your other option is to buy a P51 or P52, which has room for up to 4 drives. One 2.5" SATA III slot. One combo, 2.5" SATA III or 2 2280 M.2 dirves, and one 2242 M.2 drive.

Any DDR4 SODIMM module should work. Just note that anything higher than 2400 MHz will be bottlenecked and underclocked to match that speed IIRC. This one seems to be pretty good.

I just did the upgrade using an Intel SSD 660p 2TB drive. It's working great!

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-ssd-660p-qlc-nvme,5719.html

​

I used this enclosure and Macrium Reflect Free: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MNFH1PX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

When cloning, I had to tinker with the partition order in Macrium Reflect so that I could extend my Windows drive to use the full disk. (The recovery partition was preventing me initially from extending the drive but I got around that.)

I use one of these.

A friend of mine has this sleeve, My X220 with a 9cell fit with some wiggle room.

Honestly I can't help you there; I also open a lot of Chrome tabs + remote desktops and I'm already taxed on my 2018 MBP 15" 16gb.

The price for 16gb on Lenovo is +$152, and 32gb is +$455; the 32gb is $303 more from the 16gb configuration. You might as well just get the 8gb and buy the 32gb sticks on Amazon for ~$130.

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-16GBx2-PC4-21300-SODIMM-260-Pin/dp/B071H38422/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=32gb+sodimm+2666&qid=1569436009&s=electronics&sr=1-2

Ah cool thanks. What RAM did you buy? Been ages since I've messed about with stuff like this, trying to see on Lenovo which RAM module I need. Just an 8GB one will suit me, I think. Will this one work?

Crucial CT8G4SFS824A 8 GB (DDR4, 2400 MT/s, PC4-19200, SRx8, SODIMM, 260-Pin) Memory https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BIWKP58/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KrLZAbAWKK8AD

I'd recommend this one from StarTech. It supports TRIM while neither Ableconn nor JMicron (see JMS562 overview) doesn't say anything about TRIM.

Does it come with one 8GB stick installed or 2x4GB? I would like to upgrade it to 16GB by adding one stick like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BIWKP58

Nothing fancy, just two of these arms on the same pole. Works just fine. And thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MIBN16O

The X230 is tricky; it's the first ThinkPad in the series to use digital battery authentication. That means, while a X220 battery fits hardware-wise, the software is incompatible and when you install a X220 battery Windows reports it as "not charging", thus, all X220 4-cells are incompatible.

The correct 4-cell battery for the X230 is Lenovo FRU 45N1019, and it indeed is $130 on Amazon.

But, there is a good reason why it's expensive. The battery must be made with a custom lithium-ion cell shape because of the limited battery thickness; standard 18650 cells are too big for the package.

If you get the more popular 44+ 6-cell LG Chem battery that has 18650 cells, Lenovo FRU 45N1025, its around $48 on Amazon.

It's not much bigger than the 4-cell physically. Here is a picture of the 6-cell.

I am sure I'm referring to something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018AOZ9QM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1ECQT5C0KY6S5&coliid=ICN2H4M41390H&psc=1

Yes to raid, the T440p does not support hardware raid, but I could software raid them. You cannot software raid the SSD where you have your OS. That said, I agree with the lack of Raid 0 value unless you are a video editor. If I were, I would have kept my large W540 and made a RAM drive instead. Can a PCIe SSD (future proof) work in a drive? Not speed wise, but is it compatible with this the Northstar

Although I haven't personally used one, since I don't own a X1, I have heard nothing but good things about the X1 Ultra Sleeve. Leather, magnetic flap, and lightweight, perfect for a X1. You can get it for $42 on with corporate perks with the code NJ*CORP

http://shop.lenovo.com/perksoffer/us/en/itemdetails/4X40K41705/460/C23BDB05D2A846C4A08BACF64DCDA715#overview

However if you want something cheaper, the amazon 14" sleeve should suffice, although there might be too much wiggle room.

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-NC1303153-14-Inch-Laptop-Sleeve/dp/B00CD8AFFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464325055&sr=8-1&keywords=x1+carbon+sleeve

However any slim 14" (or a really loose 13.3" sleeve), should suffice.

Pay the extra and get the real thing. I got this original Lenovo one and it's excellent.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0085MPIG6

This card works fantastic! Amazon.com link

I followed a guide on http://x220.mcdonnelltech.com/ to make my hackintosh. It solved any problems I had.

Yeah, no dual channel is a bummer. But it's more of a bummer having only 8gb of ram imo :)

This is the one I purchased and it works great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077S17RPZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (I got the 2400Mhz version)

Is that just for the E495? Im picking up a X395 and looking to get a good power bank.

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I dont know if wirecutter is still reputable (bought out a while ago), but they reccomend these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BD98CM?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAXer

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0156HCJQO?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAXes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075Q5VLGK?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAXet

And I know Anker is reputable, so was also looking at this:

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-Delivery-Charger-Portable/dp/B01MZ61PRW/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2MGFMR5ODL9KT&keywords=power+delivery+power+bank&qid=1566445596&refinements=p_89%3AAnker&rnid=2528832011&s=gateway&sprefix=power+del%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-4

Mine was shipped with a DDR4-2400 8GB SO-DIMM by Samsung. I got a similarly specced Crucial (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BIWKP58/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to work dual-channel with it and all is good.

I got these Corsair RAM modules. I agree with you on the "overpriced OEM" part. I chose to buy the laptop with the stock 8GB and then upgrade both the RAM and the SSD myself. Lot cheaper that way.

So this would work, right?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-Single-PC4-19200-SODIMM-260-Pin/dp/B01BIWKP58


Thank you for a quick answer.

Also note

1. Mu One extremely small 45W charger with very nifty international charger heads.
   
2. RAVpower 45w this is the exact same charger without the nifty heads, just a folding US plug.
   
   These are, by far the smallest chargers.
   
   Finally, the new RAVpower 61w is not as small as the Innergie it's still small, adds a USB A and costs a third of that.

>ballistix sport kit), wifi card and installed an additional sata ssd without any problems

thanks

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In case i buy A485 & want to change intel wifi card, just search on amazon / other website & buy on it (does need any FRU number on wifi card), amn't i?

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https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-Ac-9260-2230-Gigabit/dp/B079QJQF4Y

If you're not going to be gaming on it then any 2x4gb or 2x8gb potato sticks should work. If you need iGPU performance then you'll want 2133MHz potato sticks.

In terms of battery I'd only buy direct from Lenovo or from their Amazon page (link to 9 cell). Amazon link for 6 cell battery here. Buying direct from Lenovo ensures you get a genuine battery. You're welcome to buy cheaper batteries from Ebay or other sellers but they likely won't last as long as genuine Lenovo batteries.

Also if you're looking to upgrade the SSD to something modern, Intel's 545s is $180 for 512gb of storage

I just bought one off of amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085MPIG6

It's legit as far as I can tell... all OEM packaging and genuine labeling. Getting 6-8hrs out of it.

yep it's the 9cell for x220
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Accessory-0A36307-Thinkpad-Notebooks/dp/B0085MPIG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1454096750&sr=1-1&keywords=lenovo+battery+44


it does protrude a bit so look up pictures or a video so you know what you're getting. I don't mind it but some people do

Yes, I am sorry did not checked before hand. Only has a U.2 adpater which is not useful. You can however, convert to a USB3.0: https://www.amazon.com/SSK-Aluminum-Enclosure-Adapter-External/dp/B07MNFH1PX/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=nvme+to+sata+adapter&pd_rd_r=30b90928-5930-43f7-8ccc-661275d1b9eb&pd_rd_w=imglN&pd_rd_wg=59ld7&pf_rd_p=40a9039f-51eb-4146-81bc-7c99576627d3&pf_rd_r=164R6CAKH8AR7P6TR64W&qid=1568958944&sr=8-7

Why not just this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01BIWKP58/

Not sure why you're going out of your way to find expensive RAM from a third party seller with no reviews.

Link to the 14inch one

this one

My vote would go towards a new/probably larger battery. https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-0a36307-Extended-Battery-Laptop/dp/B0085MPIG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473364171&sr=8-1&keywords=thinkpad+x220+battery

Search for 8GB DDR4 2400 SODIMM. I would go with Kingston/Crucial. Link

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BIWKP58

So far, the only thing that won't work is wifi. You have to replace the Intel card in the T420 with a compatible one (I used a Dell Wireless 1510 (DW1510), or you can use a USB wifi adapter.

You could buy an external enclosure for that type of SSD, they're fairly cheap: https://smile.amazon.com/SSK-Aluminum-Enclosure-Adapter-External/dp/B07MNFH1PX/

(Just remember to check if your drive is NVMe or PCIe, on such a new machine I'd guess NVMe?)

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Battery-0a36306-Factory-Packaging/dp/B0085MPHGM

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Accessory-0A36307-Thinkpad-Notebooks/dp/B0085MPIG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449894369&sr=8-1&keywords=lenovo+x220+battery

The 9-cell? I just got one here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085MPIG6/

Genuine, new, and also much lower than list.

Just a heads up, your link is broken.

I just ordered my T480 + extra battery and I can’t wait. Just ordered my extra six cell used from a seller off Amazon. Order details: Lenovo 6 Cell 72Wh Battery 61++ (4X50M08812, Retail Packaged) For P51s, T470, T570 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGMPFCD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MV9-Ab12WAKX0)