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Thread: Thinkpad X220

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    Default Thinkpad X220

    EDIT: Bought this one for £100 /inc postage! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LENOVO-THI...AAAOSwwE5WbgSc

    The Restoration Project!


    I'll post pictures tomorrow. Or I might move it to the blog page I made It's a sick little laptop.

    Original stuff down below:

    Hi guys,

    I was looking at buying a Thinkpad X220 in the next week or two and wondered - does anyone know where to get a refurbished one cheaply? (I've looked on eBay/Gumtree and they're alright, but I might be waiting a while to get a decent bargain). Preferrably, I'd get one from the UK/Europe. Got a budget of around £150-250.

    As things go, I'm so psyched to get one! I've been looking over the past few months and I don't think you can beat the quality of the older thinkpads, especially with the price/power ratio. The specs I'd be going for are:

    CPU: Either i5 2540m 2.6GHz or i7 2640m 2.8GHz (2nd gen, dual core but quad hyperthreading. As powerful as haswell/skylake as it's 35watts compared to the latest 15/17watt ones).

    GPU: Standard Intel HD4000 integrated graphics, but I might build myself an eGPU at some point for portability. I'm fed up of lugging my PC Tower on the tube to Uni lol.

    Screen: 12.5" IPS 1366x768 £50

    (Or one with the TN Panel, and I'd replace it with an IPS screen myself. Not worried about the resolution, on a 12.5" laptop it's fine and I'd take a 720p IPS over a 1080p LCD anyday! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzP3rFZXSgE)

    EDIT: This one - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LG-LP125WH...oAAOSwf-VWX3E1

    RAM: 16GB DDR3L 1833MHz £70

    EDIT: - Can go from 1333MHz to 1833MHz with a bios mod.

    This one:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crucial-16...oAAOSweW5VbW-b

    SSD: 250GB £65

    EDIT: This one - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-85...4AAOSwd0BVyc1K

    HDD: 1TB £40

    EDIT: Something like this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-1T...AAAOSw~gRVwSxE

    Can also run another 2 msata HDDs instead! :P

    Battery: Either 6-cell or 9-cell, I'd get a 9-cell anyway and then run a slice battery (another 6-cell again, so ~15-20hrs battery life)

    9-Cell genuine £40
    EDIT : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9-Cell-Gen...QAAOSwVFlUBYLq

    6-Cell slice £~40
    EDIT: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Slice-Batt...kAAOSwbdpWaqaq

    Wifi : Was going to flash coreboot so I can replace the wifi adapter with a wireless 802.11ac card.

    EDIT - Intel 7265AC, £20
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Intel-7265...AAAOSwwbdWH-2O

    So, I think with just the IPS screen it should be around £250/380USD, with everything else it should be around ~£525/800USD.

    Not to mention, the godtier keyboard and general indestructibility. The X220 is considered the last proper IBM Thinkpad, before Lenovo had their way with things... I can't wait!
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    #slack4admin2016
    <slacky> I will build a wall
    <slacky> I will ban reflection and OGL hooking until we know what the hell is going on

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    Quote Originally Posted by Harrier View Post
    Haha, you know I was actually thinking about getting one of those, but I feel like an x220 will have more longevity. I've now got a problem though, I've found a nice looking x230 for £250 (3.3Ghz, with a 240GB SSD!) and I'm rather torn as which to get :P
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    Haha, you know I was actually thinking about getting one of those, but I feel like an x220 will have more longevity. I've now got a problem though, I've found a nice looking x230 for £250 (3.3Ghz, with a 240GB SSD!) and I'm rather torn as which to get :P
    Personally, I think that's a pretty sweet deal for the x230.

    I'm on a similar boat, but instead of lugging my PC to uni, I just go home take care of my work there. Commutes are annoying, but I couldn't imagine lugging a tower on public transportation.

    Can't comment for your shipping costs, but how's this?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hyperion View Post
    Personally, I think that's a pretty sweet deal for the x230.

    I'm on a similar boat, but instead of lugging my PC to uni, I just go home take care of my work there. Commutes are annoying, but I couldn't imagine lugging a tower on public transportation.

    Can't comment for your shipping costs, but how's this?
    Hmm, I'm pretty undecided haha. I prefer the oldschool keyboard on the x220, and the 3.3GHz I'm pretty sure is turbo boost.
    The way I see it, the only thing that the x230 does better is having a HD4000 iGPU instead of a HD3000 (something like 20% better) and slightly more power efficient -- but I'd probably trade that for the keyboard -- I can't deal with a chiclet keyboard after I had the mechanical one on an X201 I think.

    Oh, I don't actually take it to the university! It's just where I lived around the uni was 4hrs away from where my parents' house is, so I got lots of weird looks travelling around london with a PC tower, 22" screen, suitcase, a couple of duffel bags and a rucksack to and fro

    Ah, sadly that listing has ended, but it looks pretty good. Being in the UK means that I'd have to pay a fair bit in import charges though, and I don't really feel like I need the i7, having an SSD and running linux makes it much faster anyways!

    EDIT: Yep, the x230 processor is 2.6GHz/3.3GHz Turbo, the x220 is 2.6GHz/3.3GHz Turbo. I think both are the best i5s of the 2nd/3rd gen. Looking at the specs, they're very similar but the 3rd gen is slightly better.

    This is the x230: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Thi...wtbpBjkfCWhl3Q

    And this is the x220: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Thi...0AAOSwv-NWbYEV

    I'm tempted to get the x220 because it looks to be in much better condition, and with the money saved I'd be able to buy the IPS screen straight away! (EDIT: Plus, apparently the x220's have better build quality)
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    Hmm, I'm pretty undecided haha. I prefer the oldschool keyboard on the x220, and the 3.3GHz I'm pretty sure is turbo boost.
    The way I see it, the only thing that the x230 does better is having a HD4000 iGPU instead of a HD3000 (something like 20% better) and slightly more power efficient -- but I'd probably trade that for the keyboard -- I can't deal with a chiclet keyboard after I had the mechanical one on an X201 I think.

    Oh, I don't actually take it to the university! It's just where I lived around the uni was 4hrs away from where my parents' house is, so I got lots of weird looks travelling around london with a PC tower, 22" screen, suitcase, a couple of duffel bags and a rucksack to and fro

    Ah, sadly that listing has ended, but it looks pretty good. Being in the UK means that I'd have to pay a fair bit in import charges though, and I don't really feel like I need the i7, having an SSD and running linux makes it much faster anyways!

    EDIT: Yep, the x230 processor is 2.6GHz/3.3GHz Turbo, the x220 is 2.6GHz/3.3GHz Turbo. I think both are the best i5s of the 2nd/3rd gen. Looking at the specs, they're very similar but the 3rd gen is slightly better.

    This is the x230: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Thi...wtbpBjkfCWhl3Q

    And this is the x220: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Thi...0AAOSwv-NWbYEV

    I'm tempted to get the x220 because it looks to be in much better condition, and with the money saved I'd be able to buy the IPS screen straight away! (EDIT: Plus, apparently the x220's have better build quality)
    I imagined you'd have been lugging it to a rez/apartment or somewhere, but just transporting all that in general, oy. Sounds like a terrible hassle, props for putting up with that.

    I've read that the chiclets on the x230 still feel pretty good compared to regular keyboards on other laptops, mainly the form over function ones. People can adjust from one to the other easily, but one issue is the 6 vs 7 rows of keys, which boils down to how much you use the function keys.

    Ooh, and I don't think that x220 has a SSD included, whereas the x230 has it listed. Might wanna include that into your calculations, if you haven't already.

    I feel it's come down to 3rd gen vs 2nd gen processor and build quality. If you'd need that extra processing power, or feel you'd ever need it, spring for the x230. If not, snag that x220 and watch it last forever.

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    Eh, nothing can stop a student wanting to play dark souls

    Going for the x220 aa I really liked the keyboard on my x201. Cheers)
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Hey buddy; I have multiple laptop; i am currently on a thinkpad x220! scored this bad boy for $50 AUD.

    Be aware the tracking pad on these things are a nightmare! the in built wireless card (intel) is a bit temperamental. With performance dtstically reduced when it becomes warmer.

    I have a toshiba Portege z930 - this thing has been around the world twice; literally... thrown at people/walls etc. the only problem with these are the battery and keyboard.. i would suggest to anyone if they need something for longevity.

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    Quote Originally Posted by AFools View Post
    Hey buddy; I have multiple laptop; i am currently on a thinkpad x220! scored this bad boy for $50 AUD.

    Be aware the tracking pad on these things are a nightmare! the in built wireless card (intel) is a bit temperamental. With performance dtstically reduced when it becomes warmer.

    I have a toshiba Portege z930 - this thing has been around the world twice; literally... thrown at people/walls etc. the only problem with these are the battery and keyboard.. i would suggest to anyone if they need something for longevity.
    Ah, I'm not worried about the trackpad as I'd only use the clit mouse lol. I know some wireless cards are a bit temperamental but it wouldn't be a problem as I'd flash a custom BIOS/coreboot to remove the whitelist. I might even put an ac wireless card in.

    From what I've gathered, it runs a little less hot than the x201 (2nd gen instead of 1st gen) so I don't think I really mind - with the 9cell battery it's elevated anyway. Have you tried cleaning the fans out/applying thermal paste? Plus, it might run a little hotter on windows as I know on linux TLP works really well!
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Anyways, I was going to get it today (my parents were going to lend me £100) but they say they won't get anything without a warranty. Fair enough, but I know this things are pretty indestructible, plus you can replace all the parts anyway. Just going to have to wait for payday on Monday (I really, really hope this one doesn't get bought lol).
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Finally snagged one! I'm going to refurb it myself. Cheers guys!

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LENOVO-THI...AAAOSwwE5WbgSc
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    [IMG]https://eserioblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/borat.jpg[/I MG]

    Finally snagged one! I'm going to refurb it myself. Cheers guys!

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LENOVO-THI...AAAOSwwE5WbgSc
    Nice! You're making me want to upgrade even though I don't need to yet.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWxi View Post
    Nice! You're making me want to upgrade even though I don't need to yet.
    Eh, I'll post pictures as I restore it!

    (replace the palmrest, replace screen bezel, upgrade screen, ram, ssd and then a new 9-cell battery and the 6-cell slice battery, plus an AC wireless card and I think I'll be done
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    EDIT: 1 SSD? or 1 SSD and 2 mSata SSDs? (overkill)
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    EDIT: 1 SSD? or 1 SSD and 2 mSata SSDs? (overkill)
    I have 1 SSD for OS/Programs, and 1 HDD for storage. Both 120GB. Once I clear off the hdd (it still has the old OS and everything, haven't wiped it yet) it will have more than enough space. The SSD is also mostly empty, might put arch or something on it too.

    For file storage of music/videos/etc I don't think there's any reason to use an SSD.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWxi View Post
    I have 1 SSD for OS/Programs, and 1 HDD for storage. Both 120GB. Once I clear off the hdd (it still has the old OS and everything, haven't wiped it yet) it will have more than enough space. The SSD is also mostly empty, might put arch or something on it too.

    For file storage of music/videos/etc I don't think there's any reason to use an SSD.
    Yeah, i was thinking about grabbing a 1TB HDD, and 2 mSata SDDs. I just meant that an x220 has space for them!
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    So my x220 finally arrived today, I'd just like to say thank you to @Hyperion, @AFools and @BMWxi for the advice they gave me. Cheers dudes!

    Currently got my phone booting linux onto my pc but I'll take a picture at some point and update as I restore it

    @Harrier, where is that money you owe me? (jk of course )
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    I myself have fallen in love with the One Plus Two - https://oneplus.net/2

    Running Kali Linux - https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-nethunter/

    This is a great OS for anybody interested in hacking / penetration testing. I'm no sure if you are aware?

    I'm glad your laptop arrived! i'm still in front of my x220 as we speak =p

    ****

    Edit.

    The LENOVO CARBON **DROOLS**

    <------------------>



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    Quote Originally Posted by AFools View Post
    I myself have fallen in love with the One Plus Two - https://oneplus.net/2

    Running Kali Linux - https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-nethunter/

    This is great system anybody interested in hacking / penetration testing. I'm no sure if you are aware?

    I'm glad your laptop arrived! i'm still in front of my x220 as we speak =p
    Whoah, that 1+2 looks slick!

    I do know of Kali (On a phone?!), it's a modified version of arch linux right? I'm actually installing void linux on my pc at the moment due to grub on gentoo failing (too much hassle haha). Void looks really promising with runit and XBPS, and it's run by quite a few former NetBSD/OpenBSD devs - rolling release but it's meant to be very stable.

    I'm so psyched to restore it starting from next week (...payday :P), and it's in better condition than the pictures depicted - the crack on the left hand side of the palmrest is a lot smaller than I thought it would be.

    I'm going to replace the trackpad, keyboard, screen bezel and put an IPS screen in to start off with, should set me back ~£100.
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    Whoah, that 1+2 looks slick!

    I do know of Kali (On a phone?!), it's a modified version of arch linux right? I'm actually installing void linux on my pc at the moment due to grub on gentoo failing (too much hassle haha). Void looks really promising with runit and XBPS, and it's run by quite a few former NetBSD/OpenBSD devs - rolling release but it's meant to be very stable.

    I'm so psyched to restore it starting from next week (...payday :P), and it's in better condition than the pictures depicted - the crack on the left hand side of the palmrest is a lot smaller than I thought it would be.

    I'm going to replace the trackpad, keyboard, screen bezel and put an IPS screen in to start off with, should set me back ~£100.
    Kali is Debian-based. Kali Nethunter is their flavor for Nexus tablets and the OnePlus line of smartphones.
    GitLab projects | Simba 1.4 | Find me on IRC or Discord | ScapeRune scripts | Come play bot ScapeRune!

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    Quote Originally Posted by KeepBotting View Post
    Kali is Debian-based. Kali Nethunter is their flavor for Nexus tablets and the OnePlus line of smartphones.
    That's pretty sweet, it might have to be my linux phone then!

    I was thinking of BlackArch. Anyways, I'm going to post the restoration of this sweet, sweet x220 on my blog page)
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    Whoah, that 1+2 looks slick!

    I do know of Kali (On a phone?!), it's a modified version of arch linux right? I'm actually installing void linux on my pc at the moment due to grub on gentoo failing (too much hassle haha). Void looks really promising with runit and XBPS, and it's run by quite a few former NetBSD/OpenBSD devs - rolling release but it's meant to be very stable.

    I'm so psyched to restore it starting from next week (...payday :P), and it's in better condition than the pictures depicted - the crack on the left hand side of the palmrest is a lot smaller than I thought it would be.

    I'm going to replace the trackpad, keyboard, screen bezel and put an IPS screen in to start off with, should set me back ~£100.
    IPS screens are amazing. I have this phone: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_g_e975-4941.php which has a True HD-IPS screen and the viewing angles are amazing. I can hold my phone nearly flat and still read text on the screen. I haven't measured it to get the exact angle but it must be around 170 degrees. Anyway, congrats on the screen, if it's anything like my phone's screen you'll love it.

    Also put a link to your blog or wherever, I want to see those pictures.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWxi View Post
    IPS screens are amazing. I have this phone: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_g_e975-4941.php which has a True HD-IPS screen and the viewing angles are amazing. I can hold my phone nearly flat and still read text on the screen. I haven't measured it to get the exact angle but it must be around 170 degrees. Anyway, congrats on the screen, if it's anything like my phone's screen you'll love it.

    Also put a link to your blog or wherever, I want to see those pictures.
    They're so much better that LCDs Though, I've heard OLEDs are better.

    I haven't set up my website yet because I need to get a VPS/server but here it is for the time being:

    https://villavu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115096

    Can't do pics atm because my phone is running linux onto my pc.
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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    Quote Originally Posted by anth_ View Post
    They're so much better that LCDs Though, I've heard OLEDs are better.

    I haven't set up my website yet because I need to get a VPS/server but here it is for the time being:

    https://villavu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115096

    Can't do pics atm because my phone is running linux onto my pc.
    They are LCDs, but they're IPS LCDs instead of TFT LCDs

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWxi View Post
    They are LCDs, but they're IPS LCDs instead of TFT LCDs
    But the colour. the viewing angles!
    Yer a wizard, 'oopi

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