Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Review Discussion

Lenovo's newest 12-inch business notebook, the ThinkPad X220, offers the latest Intel Sandy Bridge processors, a high-quality IPS display, and battery life that is so incredible you've got to see it to believe it. Keep reading to find out more about what is sure to be a very popular business laptop.

Read the full content of this Article: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Review

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You had me at the IPS display.

Amazing battery life, great keyboard, and the excellent Z7K320 drive (which is single platter) . . . where do I sign?

 

I would be all over this laptop if it was at least 14" with at least 1680x1050 screen resolution... at 12.5" and only 1366x768, I just can't use Adobe products and have all those palettes eating up the entire screen. Still, to see another IPS panel in a laptop is always a good sign. Hopefully it starts a trend that makes IPS a bit more available in other laptops.

 

An amazing ultraportable - if I had the money, this would've been my next computer. Glad that IPS is finally making more of an inroads into more mainstream computers--perhaps the X240 will be my next laptop a few years later

Great review as always, Jerry.

One minor typo:

 

I may have to get this depending on what HP does with the 2540 update(prefer my optical drive built in). Then again once the IPS screened tablet comes to the outlet store I may have to really bite. Hmmm.

Kind of a shame usb 3.0 is an option only in the high spec models.

 

Wow. This is the first Thinkpad I'm excited about since the z61t. The only two nitpicks I would make is the thick bezel around the screen. Its almost like it would have been perfect for a 16:10 screen instead of a 16:9

The second is the weight. A sub 3 lb machine would be very nice indeed. Maybe we'll see a x220s?

 

@Jerry,
Can you tell us a bit more about the latchless design? Does it work well? Does it keep the lid in place? Magnets? Opinions?

 

So true!

 

so if it's 8.75 hours for the 6 cell, it'll be about 13 hours with 9 cell, and 22 hours with 9 cell and slice. Pretty nice that Lenovo's estimate isn't too far off.

 

This is stunning! Could even put i7 into it!?!

Didn't expect them to pull it off. Unlike their usual incremental updates, they've even timed the reviews release and announcement close together, for a change - if anything, the battery really seems driven to show off the capability R&D department.

Just nitpicking, notice once you attach the slice, the bottom is almost flat. Wish they could streamline the laptop itself too. That's not likely to happen, having to support so many docking options, they're pretty much stuck with it, so as to say.

Speaking of review samples, they are mostly 35W dual-core systems. As oppose to the even higher end i7. It's understandable, despite the small difference in numbering, the latter does draw 10-20W more on load - which could really eat into the battery friendly image.

That said, this system looks very awesome!

 

Im quite suspicious regarding build quality - no information about screen protection and ripples on LCD when pressed on back of the screen? That has been tested in previous ThinkPad reviews, but not in this one.

Another question - hows the fan noise when on high load - is it as terrible as on T410 with its high pitched noise or is it like in older ThinkPads low frequency noise?
Is the noise on the high end of frequencies or on the lower spectrum?

And lack of latches is suspicious too, how about pictures of holding laptop upside down?

 

When's this coming out? This week or next week or perhaps longer?

 

Just a suggestion, but it would be really helpful if you also added the Wh for the batteries to the reviews. Just providing the cell size can be misleading for the uninformed.

 

That information is listed in the specs at the beginning of the review.

 

The screen lid is held in place via tension alone, but it's the right balance of tension in our review sample. If you hold the notebook vertically with the top edge of the screen pointed up the screen doesn't swing open.

If you hold the X220 upside down and grasp the bottom edge of the chassis the screen lid will open roughly 1-2mm

If you hold the X220 upside down, grasp the bottom edge of the chassis and shake the living daylights out of the notebook it will swing open.

So, if you throw it across the room as hard as you can there is a possibility that the screen would swing open upon impact.

That's one of the negatives of a going with a latchless design. Of course, some people will also argue that a latchless design is beneficial because you can open the notebook with one hand while multitasking during travel. I frequently have to pull out a notebook with one hand and hold a smartphone in the other hand when I'm talking with a coworker while traveling.

You can make extremely faint ripples on the screen if you open the screen, hold it in place with one hand, and press with all your might using your free hand. Given how much force is required to make the slightest ripple I wouldn't be too concerned about the screen protection.

The fan in our review sample definitely generates weak low-frequency noise rather than the high-pitched whir or whine of some fans/electronics.

I just gave some more details about the latchless design above. I'll post a couple of photos later this morning.

EDIT: I just uploaded two photos here. One is a picture of the X220 held vertically (screen hinges down) to show that the screen doesn't swing open in this position. I attached the slice battery to show that the optional slice battery actually swings open from the front slightly in this position because the latching mechanism is toward the rear of the notebook and there is no latch to hold the front. This likely won't be an issue for most people but it's worth mentioning.

The second photo shows the X220 (with slice) being held upside down. Notice that the screen lid barely drops. Again, if I vigorously shake the notebook the screen will swing completely open.

 

Um, don't forget to look at the road once and a while.

Hooray for Lenovo for bringing back IPS screens back to ThinkPads. This just makes the best ultraportable on the market even better.

 

That would be some rather extreme use of a ThinkPad.

I guess the regular small latches that hold the lid closed that are currently in use could tear off on such an impact. They seem to be rather flimsy plastic.

 

I never said "while driving."

Seriously, I often find myself in coffee shops, outside meeting rooms, etc. when I have to answer my cell phone and then pull up some information on my PC. I personally prefer latchless screens for that reason, but I understand the added protection that comes from having screen latches.

 

Beautiful machine...

 

Nice review......

btw, I have an X301 and can easily open the lid with one hand. I noticed that the latch switch will remain in the open position until the lid is opened.

 

In the review, it states: "but real-world gaming tests were a combination of hit and miss since many games still won't run on Intel graphics"

Do you have any data available on which games were tested and which ones worked vs. which ones didn't?

 

Lenovo is back on form with the X220, especially where the screen quality is concerned. Too long Lenovo had been churning out systems with mediocre screens so it's refreshing to see them bringing back the IPS option on a non-tablet ThinkPad again.

I actually may consider this one over the T420, there's not a lot to dislike about this machine at all!

 

Any news about an x220t (or whatever the numbering actually is).
I am looking for a tablet that is actually a computer as well.

I love my T400.

 

The X220t was officially announced yesterday as well, and will be available beginning in April, I believe. I haven't seen official pictures for the X220t yet, though. The X220t will have two display options, both with a glass overlay and rated at 300 nits. The multitouch version will have a normal glass overlay, while the pen-only version will have a Gorilla Glass overlay.

 

Thanks!
Lets see what are the user reviews regarding the latchless design!
Not that my gf's 12" TravelMate ever had some problems with having latchless lid So this might not be the miss for Lenovo's X220.

 

Nice review. THis machine looks good. I'd like to hear what the build quality is like, especially compared to the X201.

Is it possible (if you still have the unit and an X201 lying around) to take a picture of the X220 next to the X201 and compare size differences?

 

8 hrs on the 6 cell!!! 18 hours with the slice!!! O_O

 

Can a X220 reviewer attach a US$171 GTX460 DIY ViDock and let us know how it performs? Could even update the How to Upgrade Your Notebook Graphics Card Using DIY ViDOCK article with this setup instead.

The combination of pci-e 2.0 (5GT/s) ports and Optimus capability, plus very fast CPU should give some crazy fast gaming performance.

I'd happily connect up my GTX460-1GB DIY ViDock to a Lenovo X220 if I had one to play with

 

This will be one tough act to follow for HP
Any word on how much the IPS screen option is? So according to the "price as tested"... for $1299 you get core i5, 4gb, 320gb, 6 cell AND battery slice AND IPS screen option??? If so, that's an amazing deal

 

Under $200.

 

Is the i7 worth it over the i5? Are the graphics any better?

 

This really puts the X201 and X201T out of its misery.

IPS Option
SB with much better integrated graphics
Insane battery life
Excellent pricing

Even on close out/refurb/used the X201/X201t gets blasted. I was this --><-- close to getting one. SO glad I held off.

 

The X201t is still certainly an option if you want a tablet. Plus on the X220(t), you're giving some vertical real estate, which has higher value. You could argue the X201 with the AFFS mod offers better value because it can be had for less.

 

How many speakers does the X220 have, 1 or 2?

 

Two stereo speakers, on the front bottom edge.

 

I have to admit I'm very impressed, especially with a USB 3.0 slot option. I'm kind of surprised they got rid of the eSata plug though. Also I was expecting slightly higher 3dmark06 numbers (coming from Anandtech's test), but that's still very impressive. I wonder how the core i7's would do.
Over all a nice looking machine.

 

You could argue it, but the X220 (and 220T) are just better and without the need of voiding your warranty with the mod.

Some vertical real estate versus, well, every other category being better from power to battery life to native IPS support.

 

Sadly that option is only for the i7 models, non-tablet models.

 

You don't need to void the warranty on the X201t to get IPS and the X201 can be had very inexpensively. About the only thing that can't be replaced for less than the cost of the warranty is the board. Chances the board will go are pretty slim, though not zero. I guess it depends on how much risk you're willing to take on.

 

Except for the price, which can be a deal breaker for some. But that's the price to pay for wanting the newest tech.

Honestly, all these new 16:9 screens are annoying when coding, or well doing anything that requires vertical real estate. Which happens when you're oh... actually trying to do some work instead of playing games and watching videos.

 

This is a 2.5" 7mm ....????? Hmmm ...
X220 can not accept the standard SSD 2.5" 9.5mm ?
Please tell me I'm wrong.

 

9.5mm 2.5" SSDs could be deshelled to fit into a 7mm tall bay. They may only be 2-5mm thick internally. However 9.5mm 2.5" HDDs cannot be shoehorned into a 7mm tall cavity.

Could a reviewer please see if a standard 2.5" 9.5mm HDD can fit into the X220's 2.5" drive bay?

 

nando, does this x220 have express card 2.0 for DIY vidock?

 

The X220's Series 6 I/O chipset has pci-e 2.0 (5GT/s) ports on it. Only problem is whether Lenovo have complied to pci-e 2.0 electromagnetic spec between the I/O chip and the expresscard slot, including the expresscard slot itself.

Lenovo's doco doesn't say anything other than Expresscard. So best way to know for sure if it can transmit 5GT/s signals is for someone to try it. The other hurdle is hwtools, the maker of the PE4L/PE4H, have done their own pci-e 2.0 testing with a desktop system and have not been able to transmit 5GT/s signals using their mini HDMI cables, even with short 15cm lengths. My last discussion some weeks ago suggesting they were going to test other cables to make one that can transmit those signals.

There is one SB Acer DIY ViDock owner I know who has independently obtained a higher grade mini HDMI cable with which to test a GTX460 and a HD6970. Hoping to get those results out as soon as the testing has been done. Should be in the next week or so.

 

This laptop definitely looks nice, and I have added it to my mental list of ones to consider upgrading to in the near future. But there are definitely things I wish Lenovo had done differently:

-Screen latch: as pointed out above, if controlled by a single switch, it can easily be manipulated with one hand

-USB 3 as an option on all versions, and not having to choose between USB 3 OR an always-on port; multiple USB 3 ports would be nice, too

-An optical drive: I understand it adds some, though very little, bulk and weight, but I consider it worth it, and would like an option with one (including BD option), perhaps a 13.3" screen model (also with higher resolution), as it should be doable while still keeping around 4lbs

-Quick access/instant-on for quick internet browsing or music playing

-Switchable graphics; as a side note, it would be nice if laptops started having video in so the output from a ViDock could be routed back in to the laptop, negating the need for an external monitor, though I wonder if a USB tv card, while not as ideal a solution, could work for this

-Backlit keyboard, or at least the option of a lighter colored one so it's easier to see the keys in the dark

-Speakers either above the keyboard or on the front of the monitor bezel, so the sound is actually directed toward the user, not into their lap

-Depending on the verdict of whether or not a normal 2.5" drive can be used, that could be a definite deal breaker for me

-Possibly a wider palm rest, not sure how (un)comfortable the X220's would be

On another note, does anybody know how performance and, especially, battery life are affected with an i7 versus an i5?

And finally, forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is meant by buttonless touchpad? I tried looking it up online and couldn't find anything actually explaining what that is. It looks to me like there are 2 or 3 buttons above the touchpad.

 

1. Any reason for cutting the screen latch is just an excuse imho.
2. They used to have an X series that had an optical drive and 13 inch screen, it was called the X300 series. It has been dropped in favor of the T400s series.
3. Instant on would be nice, but not that many people seem to use it.
4. Backlit keyboards would be nice, but what's wrong with the Thinklight? Maybe a backlit keyboard would be bad for keyboard typing quality.
5. I doubt they will support a ViDock back into the internal LCD unless Lenovo decides to release their own ViDock that does just that.
6. I don't like down firing speakers either.
7. The touchpad doesn't have buttons, the Trackpoint still does though.

 

Yeah, I looked at the T400 series, and while decent, I'd rather a somewhat smaller screen and less weight. Also, they apparently don't have USB 3 as an option, nor do they offer BD as one.

I didn't even know about the Thinklight. I'd still prefer a backlit keyboard, but that's at least better than nothing. Still, to truly maximize its usability, the keyboard should optionally come in a lighter color, to be more visible in the low level of light provided by it.

So you're saying the buttons above the touchpad are for the Trackpoint? Couldn't they just as well serve as buttons for the touchpad, too? In which case, while I prefer the buttons to be below the touchpad, at least there are physical buttons for it.

 

Definitely would have to agree with you there. Only having a USB 3.0 port with the i7 is disappointing, to say the least. Although I don't think I've seen any recent consumer laptop with multiple 3.0 ports.

When we're moving further and further away from physical media everyday and more towards services such as Netflix and Steam, optical drives are getting more and more irrelevant every day. Regardless of how often you would use one, trying to cram in an optical drive into such a small 12 inch chassis would force far too many design compromises that would sacrafice features used more often by other people.

I would love this as well, but managing any decent graphics card in such a chassis would probably cause it to start nearing vaio z prices.

I was wondering this myself as well.

By buttonless trackpad they basically mean a clickpad, which is where the touchpad itself is the button (a la Macbook). The buttons are the top are for use with the trackpoint.

 

Understandable, which is why I don't necessarily hold it against them on this model. If you're buying a 12" laptop, you are going for ultraportability. But IMO, a 14" and up begins to get into the range of too large to really consider, as I want a laptop for its portability. That's why I like the 13.3" size, as it's a perfect compromise. I'm disappointed that unlike many other manufacturers, Lenovo has decided to not offer anything in this range. Not only that, but their 14" isn't even an option for me due to lack of USB 3 and no BD option. If they offered a ~13-13.3" model with a BD and switchable graphics option, I would already have my wallet out. The other things I mentioned would be great if added, and I'd be willing to pay more for them, just like I would for an optical drive and switchable graphics, but I'd be willing to forgo them seeing as there aren't really any better options ATM (aside from possibly the new Sony Vaio CA or S laptops, but honestly I'd prefer a Lenovo, and I have yet to see a review on the Sonys.

Then again, my current laptop, a 6 or 7 year old Dell Inspiron 700m, is a 12.1" and weighs a mere 4.1 lbs, yet manages to squeeze in an optical drive and, at the time, a fairly top of the line CPU. I find it interesting that several years later, companies are having such a hard time making something of comparable size, weight, and features. Same with how USB 3 has been a standarized interface for over a year now, and yet most new laptops still don't have any ports for it, and those that do only have one; sometimes, as is the case here, only as an option. It seems to me the manufacturers simply aren't trying very hard, possibly due to low standards/demands of the majority of the customers, who are satisfied with something because it has good specs, instead of considering the fact the specs can/should be much better. /rant

 

Yea the Vaio SA pretty much has everything you're asking for. It's not out yet and the verdict is TBD, though. The upcoming T420s might fit the bill though if you're willing to jump to 14 inches though, as its less than 4 pounds, has usb 3.0, will eventually have switchable graphics, and includes in optical drive (although I don't know about BD), if you prefer Lenovo.

I think the main reason USB 3.0 is having such slow adoption rates is that Intel is essentially screwing them over (probably in order to purport Thunderbolt) by not providing native support for it in their chipset. Manufacturers are forced to add controllers, which come with their own cost and space constraints, leaving them unwilling to adopt. Ivy Bridge is supposed to have native support though, but that's a while off still.