Thinkpads Forum

hello,
I’m looking for advise
I’m planning to change my good old X301 and can’t decide between X1 and T420s (both would be loaded 160GB SSD, 8GB RAM etc…). I work 10hours a day on computer so need a good machine, price not an issue, I usually do web, email, word, excel, have lot of windows open. i don’t need CD or DVD, if I go for T would replace it anyway with extra 80GB.

What is important for me is weight, battery life, and MOST important running cool and quite (cool and quite above all)
Which system would you recommend? I had almost all X series for the last 10 years and only ones had T for couple of month, so don’t have much experience with T’s
X301 was perfect for me but since it’s discontinued I have to move to something else

Thanks a lot for advise
Alec

This should help you decide - LCD size & resolution;

X301 - 13.3" - 1440 x 900 - WXGA+

X1 - 13.3" - 1366 x 768 - HD
T420s - 14.0" - 1600 x 900 - HD+

underclocker wrote:This should help you decide - LCD size & resolution;

X301 - 13.3" - 1440 x 900 - WXGA+

X1 - 13.3" - 1366 x 768 - HD
T420s - 14.0" - 1600 x 900 - HD+

thanks!
but what about noise and heat? i assume not much info on X1 but how about T420s compare to X301, same heat/ noise level or more
i remember i had x60s (loved it) and changed it to x61, it was so hot on right palmrest and so noisy i changed it back after a couple of days

thanks!

The x61 is only hot on the palmrest because of the wlan card. You can set in windows the wlan sending power to "low", then the palmrest is cool.

You can almost set all x series to be absolutely quite by using a ssd and installing the program tpfancontrol. No x series have a dedicate gpu, so they are generally cooler.

The T420 is a bit heavier than the x1, but has a slightly larger display.

alexap wrote: but what about noise and heat? i assume not much info on X1 but how about T420s compare to X301, same heat/ noise level or more

thanks!

Both X1 and T420s runs Intel Core i5-2520M which has 35W TDP envelop, much higher than the 10W TDP in C2D in X301. Granted the TDP counts GPU and memory controller in Sandy Bridge i5, X1 and T420s should run a little hotter and noisier than X301 even under normal or light use conditions.

It will come down to fan and airflow designs respectively for X1 and T420s in terms of which one being noiser. If you go for optimus option on T420s, that will be definitely run much hotter and noisier than X1 and X301.

If you work in a quiet room, you may also notice the hard drive noise in X1 and T420s since X301 comes with a SSD.

FWIW, last week I assisted a client with a T420s purchase. We went for the top of the line, but non-Optimus model, with the i5 2.6GHz cpu (model 4171-53U). The 128GB SSD wasn't large enough so we popped in the 300GB Intel 320 SSD.

This machine runs incredibly fast and quiet. We avoided the Optimus model due ot the possible heat/noise issues, lower battery life and 90w AC adapter requirement - all other models come with the 65w AC adapter.

Also, the T420s looks and feels like the T410s and T400s. Nice design, but probably not as rugged as a T60, that's for sure. Of course it is 1 lb. less.

We skipped the X220 and X1 due to the pathetic LCD resolution of 1366 x 768 (HD, but the same 768 as in XGA!) The client was coming from a 5 year old 14" T43p with the SXGA+ 1400 x 1050 LCD. He's happy so far! That Pentium M 780m 2.26GHz T43p ran hot and loud for five years. The mobo was replaced at least 3 times, thanks to the upgraded 5 year warranty.

Part of this thread was split off, since the topic shifted to installing an Intel 320 series SSD in a T420s, see new thread here --> http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=97011

I chosen for that T420s despite the fact that I've found the X1 interesting. My personal reasons for voting for that T420s tend to be:

(1) Display resolution is much better
(Two) The T420s is really a "known devil"
(3) The ability to use dock
(4) Battery life (or maybe not -- perhaps I'm confusing this with another thing)
(5) User-replaceability of parts is actually better/ easier
(Six) I prefer non-chicklet key boards, however somtimes I wonder if I am being unncessarily one-sided relating to this simply because I have never used chicklet keyboards for extended periods of time.

General, personally I'd prefer a 13" ThinkPad that the X1 is -- although not precisely what I'd in mind. I found that the next best is the X201 sequence, that is things i have presently. I don't know things i might perform the next time I purchase a ThinkPad since i have am not enamoured by the "new" res around the X220.

Cyrus wrote:(1) Display resolution is much better

The difference between HD and HD+ is so small, it nets about three extra lines on a typical internet page, it's hardly worth mentioning. The better screen quality offered on the X220 is a much more tangible benefit in my opinion.

While I agree that I'd rather have a lower resolution great screen than a poor quality higher resolution screen, I don't feel that 132 extra lines or a 17% increase from HD to HD+ in vertical resolution is insignificant. Adding three lines of text matters when so few are displayed, as with HD.

The T420s (and T410s and T400s) LCDs that I've seen have been average or better, so the extra lines are welcome, IMHO.

This is why the loss of SXGA+ is so disheartening. Back in the day when you went from XGA to SXGA+, you got a very nice increase in vertical resolution. Now, going from HD to HD+, all the extra space is on the side.

AFAIK..X1 batterys are NOT REMOVABLE ( well not easily) as they are BUILT IN ie like iPhone batterys .... and for me the USA models X1 = a rip off- since it dont come with IPS panels as the japan models (usa gets a GORILLA GLASS!)...

I did play around with X1 @ time of release , but decided wasnt ;value for money;
for me/us

Hope this helps

Cheers

Do you have a website where there is a configuration for a x1 with ips? This is interesting.

@ausmike the Japanese X1 model have IPS LCD?

Same Place I got my X121.. with i5 + SSD

are you sure the X1 you saw had IPS LCD?

nAHH , mus be dreaming matey....
>> lol > BTW ,, what ya doing reading this @ working , get back 2 work mode
or Santa wont stop @ ya house soon !

Cheers

I am considering either one of these. Can the X1 support it's own monitor plus two external monitors without an additional graphics card/adapter? How is the X1 keyboard to type on compared to the T420s?

Will my Mini Dock Plus that I use with my T410s also work with a T420s and allow the use of the simultaneous use of the internal monitor plus two external monitors without an extra graphics card/adapter?

famman wrote:I am considering either one of these. Can the X1 support it's own monitor plus two external monitors without an additional graphics card/adapter? How is the X1 keyboard to type on compared to the T420s?

Will my Mini Dock Plus that I use with my T410s also work with a T420s and allow the use of the simultaneous use of the internal monitor plus two external monitors without an extra graphics card/adapter?

Dual Monitor needs Nvidia Quadro NVS, the X1's Intel Chip cannot do multi external monitors.
That's why the NVS costs more money. Even though graphically speaking its exactly the same as an Intel GPU, but the NVS is a dual monitor card.

What dock you use is irrelevant as the powering of dual monitors is done on the GPU level.
No Nvidia card, no dual monitors.

Which nVidia card allows dual external monitors + internal monitor?

I ended up getting the T420s with the Nvidia 4200 and the latest minidock. It runs two external monitors plus the internal monitor.

All the Nvidia cards can do dual monitor in the Thinkpad line.
That's the difference between integrated gpu and descrete.
The higher end Quadro cards like the 1000 and 2000m can handle dual Quad resolution displays at 2.5k resolution, the lower end NVS can handle dual 1080p.

Kaze22 wrote:All the Nvidia cards can do dual monitor in the Thinkpad line.
That's the difference between integrated gpu and descrete.

Perhaps only in the latest generation(s). Because it surely was not the case earlier (e.g., T/R61 series).

I could have sworn I ran dual displays off my old T61 with Quadro NVS.
It was a long time ago, 3 years to be exact.

R61 and T61 with Nvidia can support dual external LCD with the advanced mini dock (the internal LCD must be closed).

Personally, i wouldn't get the T420s or the X1, but rather a X220.

Kaze22 wrote:I could have sworn I ran dual displays off my old T61 with Quadro NVS.

Yes, dual displays (any GPU, including integrated can do that).

The question is about triple displays (dual external + laptop LCD).

lead_org wrote:R61 and T61 with Nvidia can support dual external LCD with the advanced mini dock (the internal LCD must be closed).

Personally, i wouldn't get the T420s or the X1, but rather a X220.

Exactly, thats what I used to have.
I never tried opening the lid and seeing if the laptop display would run under dual externals, though.
I don't see why anyone would even want to do that since it would make a very awkward setup.

From my experience the Intel GPUs do not allow for Dual External displays.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

Kaze22 wrote:From my experience the Intel GPUs do not allow for Dual External displays.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're wrong.

You're right.

Wow, I thought that the Optimus GPU was supposed to *save* you power and battery life when you don't need it?

underclocker wrote:...We avoided the Optimus model due ot the possible heat/noise issues, lower battery life and 90w AC adapter requirement - all other models come with the 65w AC adapter...