Lenovo ThinkPad X61 User Review

<!-- Generated by XStandard version 1.7.1.0 on 2007-11-12T00:43:53 -->

Overview and Introduction

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 12.1” ultraportable notebook was released by Lenovo this year as a replacement for the X60.  The X61 provides a nice chipset, processor, and graphics refresh to the X60 with the adoption of Intel’s GM965 Express chipset which features the X3100 integrated graphics adapter.  In addition, optional features such as integrated Wireless WAN connectivity, turbo memory, and fingerprint security enhance the X61’s functionality.

Lenovo ThinkPad X61s on the left, X61 on the right (view large image)

There are a few models in the X61 family, and this review covers the plain vanilla X61 12.1” notebook model.  The X61 family also features a tablet pc convertible notebook and an “ultimate battery life” X61s ThinkPad.  The laptop that being reviewed is equipped as follows:

Specs

• Processor: Intel T7300 Core 2 Duo (2.0Ghz, 800 MHz FSB, 4MB cache)
• Graphics: Intel GMAX3100
• Operating System: Vista Business
• Display: XGA TFT 1024 x 768
• Hard Drive: 120 GB 5400 RPM Hitachi Travelstar
• Memory: 2GB (1GB x 1GB) up to 4 GB max PC5300 (667 MHz)
• Ports: 3 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 Monitor out, modem, Ethernet 10/100/1000, headphone out, microphone in
• Slots: 1 PC Card Slot, 1 media card reader
• Optical Drive: None (ultra base with optical drive is optional)
• Wireless Network Adapter: Intel 3945ABG
• Dimensions: 10.6” x 8.3” x 1.4”
• Weight: 3.1 lbs
• Battery: 4 cell 2600 mAh  (runtime 3.9 hours)
• TPM chip with fingerprint security
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Price as configured $1299.00 (plus $69 for 2 gigs of memory from third party)

Reasons for Buying

I was looking for a full featured laptop that had the power of a desktop in an ultra portable form factor to allow for less strain when traveling; also there was a certain amount of “wow” factor being looked for when considering which unit to get.  Toshiba’s Portege was also considered as well as a Macbook Pro, but the ThinkPad’s classic design, power, and reputation for quality build convinced me to get the X61.

Design &amp; Build

ThinkPad X61 (view large image)

The first thing noticed when opening up the box for the X61 was the absence of the IBM logo, it is now replaced with the ThinkPad X series badge on the outside and inside.  The ThinkPad pointing stick buttons are still missing the red and blue lines present in previous iterations of the X-series.  The X-series has always been designed for people on the go, and sacrifices an optical drive to drop carrying weight.  At 3.1 pounds it meets portability need exceedingly well.  The X61 has an optional ultrabase docking station for when you’re at your desk and need more ports.

Thickness of X61 compared to Blackberry Pearl (view large image)

The case is made of tough and rugged plastic, and presents no flex.  The brushed metal hinges are sturdy and don’t have a cheap feel that other laptops have. 

The X61 has the ThinkPad’s legendary solid keyboard that has a nice response to the fingers; other laptop keyboards can often feel cheap relative to this.  It is of course a bit cramped for those used to a larger desktop keyboard.

Keyboard view of X61s and X61 (view large image)

The X61’s form factor makes it ideal for being a light weight companion in a briefcase, and with its solid construction it feels safe throwing it in with other files and books.  There is a sort of understated grace to the X61.  The ultra thin lid with the tiny, but strong hinges gives a feeling of elegance that run of the mill notebooks don’t have.  The X61 doesn’t feel cheap at all, which in itself is a powerful feature of the notebook.

Upgrades and Optional Features

The number one recommended upgrade would be the addition of more memory beyond the stock 1 GB provided in the base configuration.  Choosing to save I did the memory upgrade after purchasing the unit.  The memory slots are easily accessible underneath the unit.  The X61 takes PC-5300 memory, and will allow up to a maximum of 4 GB of memory although 32-bit OS’s may report lesser amounts due to addressing limitations.

(view large image)

The second obvious upgrade would be either a faster and / or larger hard drive.  In this case the 120 GB offered in the base configuration at 5400 rpm was large enough for my current needs.  I opted not to get the optional “Turbo Memory” for this unit.  Turbo Memory is a first attempt at a hybrid drive like technology for Intel, and tests report minimal increases in battery life and performance.   Some users have reported blue screen of death issues and conflicts due to Turbo Memory – although with the T61 I have that’s equipped with Turbo Memory this problem has not occurred.

Lenovo also offers WWAN connectivity for both Cingular and Verizon.  Other users have reported that these units perform well, but might generate excess heat when not in use.  Since I don’t have a wireless plan with either Cingular or Verizon I chose not to purchase this feature.  I have successfully paired a BlackBerry 8830 from Sprint as a WWAN connection which offers acceptable performance when necessary. 

The optional Bluetooth module performed flawlessly in Vista, and I had no problem pairing a headset to the X61.

The X61’s optional fingerprint security reader does an admirable job of enabling fingerprint based security identification and password management.  Enrollment was easy, and logging in and enabling the password manager is both fast and accurate.  There were very few errors with the scanner once you got used to the speed necessary to avoid an error swipe.

The one item I wish I had upgraded to was the 8 cell battery.  For such an ultraportable it seemed odd to ship the unit with only a 4 cell battery.  The battery when inserted into the unit over time began to give a little, and made it seem a bit cheap; perhaps the only non premium feel in the design of the unit.

The X6 ultrabase offers an optical drive, and docking station like functionality – I chose not to purchase this item as I have several portable USB drives around; although for those who wish to have a desktop experience at work with full keyboard, mouse, monitor, and optical drive this would seem to be a must have add-on.

The final piece is the warranty – unlike the T61 my X61 came with a base 1 year warranty.  I spent the money and upgraded to the 3 year NBD onsite warranty.  For such a premium product the one year warranty felt a bit cheap.

Screen

If there is an Achilles heel to the X61 it has to be the screen.  Compared to the T61 the screen on the X61 is just plain disappointing.  The contrast and viewing angle in comparison to the T-series is just dismal.  Although most users will be quite close to the screen for viewing, this is not the unit to get if a lot of collaboration without the use of an external monitor is required.  The X61 under review does not suffer from any backlight or dead pixel issues.

Sound

The sound on the X61 is not great – it isn’t horrible, but it often sounds quiet. When trying  to use this as a portable DVD player the sound was too quiet  to hear without being in an absolutely dead silent room.  A great add-on would be noise cancellation headphones to really make the sound experience quite a bit more enjoyable with the unit.

Ports

The X61 has the standard array of 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 firewire, and a media card reader.  The media card reader came in handy for ReadyBoost, but the other ports are plain vanilla.  One port missing many users seem to need is an S-video out port.  I also wonder when DVI ports will begin replacing the VGA ports found on today’s units.

Left Side

Left side view of X61 on top of X61s (view large image)

Right side view of X61 on top of X61s (view large image)

Processor and Performance

In terms of performance the X61 really shines with the Intel Santa Rosa chipset. The 4MB cache 2.0 GHz T7300 Intel processor gives full desktop performance in an ultraportable notebook.  How much of a difference is this really?  Well, Office 2007 applications probably won’t see a huge difference given that they run just so fast, but math intensive applications like stats packages, video encoding, etc. should see a significant boost.   We were happy to report that the X61 handled everything we threw at it with ease.  The X3100 integrated graphics are a big step up from the last iteration.

Benchmarks

There are two X61’s in my household, both with the same baseline configuration, but they differ in that the stock one has 2 GB’s of memory, and the other unit has 3 GB’s of memory plus 2 GB’s of ReadyBoost memory.  There are also two T61’s in my household, including one with the same processor, chipset, and graphics adapter as the X61’s.  I was surprised to see the X61 with identical specs as the T61 underperform its cousin by so much on the PCMark05 and 3DMark05 tests.  This is not to say it isn’t a fast machine, but I would have expected it to match the performance of its T-series cousin.

Here are the results of the X61, the results were the same for both the stock X61 configuration (2GB memory and no Turbo Boost Memory) and enhanced (3GB of memory with Turbo Boost Memory):

Windows Experience Index

HDTune for X61

(view large image)

 

PCMark05 System Results

Strangely the overall system results for the X61 showed that the configuration with less overall memory performed better -- go figure:

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100, 2GB Memory)	3,648 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100, 3GB Memory, 2GB Turbo Memory)	3,592 PCMarks
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	3,987 PCMarks
Lenovo T60 Widescreen (2.0GHz Intel T7200, ATI X1400 128MB)	4,189 PCMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	4,234 PCMarks
Fujitsu N6410 (1.66GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	3,487 PCMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60, Nvidia Go 7800GTX)	5,597 PCMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400, Nvidia Go 7400)	3,646 PCMarks

 

Battery Life

Battery life with the 4 cell battery has not been great with real world tests being between 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours 22 minutes depending on the power setting; the X61’s power manager is great at selecting which profile to use to lengthen battery life.  A curious problem involves the use of the machine when it is hibernating.  Power seems to be draining even when it is supposed to be completely off.  After putting the X61 into hibernate mode overnight we’d wake to find that the battery had been almost completely drained.  I’m still investigating this issue, but in the meantime I just leave the unit plugged in.  I still regret not getting the 8 cell battery instead of the 4 cell battery from the beginning.

Hibernation consistently seems be a problem.  I’ll hibernate the machine with it plugged in, and get a warning message when resuming in the morning saying the battery is extremely low do you want to continue.  After selecting  “yes”  the unit boots – Vista opens with a low battery, and a couple of minutes later it shows a 100 percent charge; very odd.

Heat and Noise

The unit really doesn’t generate a lot of heat or noise for that matter.  Unlike other notebooks I’ve had the X61 is incredibly quiet and cool.  It is nice to work hours on end without the noise of the fan going on and off.

Wireless

The X61 under review has the older 3945abg card, and the performance seems to be better than the newer Intel card in the T61 I have, at least in terms of finding new connections.

Software

This is the one area I believe most manufacturers could work on.  The X61 is loaded with tons of “free offers” (bloatware).  While many espouse a clean install – I simply uninstalled the offending apps, and am happy with the performance of the unit.  The one piece of software the X61 does not ship with is Recovery Disks instead one needs to burn their own, or pay a fee to get them shipped to you. 

Conclusion

The ThinkPad X61 is an excellent ultraportable worth the premium charged for its light weight, and ultra strong build.  I’d recommend upgrading to 2 GB of memory, the 8 cell battery, and perhaps the X6 ultrabase.  These additional costs should be factored in your purchasing decision.  The processor and chipset refreshes insure that the user will be able to handle any office applications with ease.

Pros

• Full desktop performance in an ultraportable form factor
• Elegant design coupled with excellent rugged construction
• ThinkPad’s legendary keyboard
• Availability of optional features such as Turbo Memory, WWAN connectivity, and Ultrabase

Cons

• Screen is inherently difficult to view at different angles
• Sounds is a bit low
• Battery tends to give a little over time, and hibernation software not 100 percent perfect
• System comes full of bloatware

 

Nice review. I really liked the X61s I got to review over the summer.

 

Can you provide some more specifics about your unit? In particular, what brand screen that you had? or what were you doing during the battery life test?

It is a great review, dont get me wrong, but I would like to see some more detail about the unit, granted almost all the new Lenovo '61 s have been reviewed multiple times.

 

Screen will have to wait until morning as I am in bed, but battery was max battery on power manager with normal work think "Office apps." No I didn't have battery stretch configured, but I've never really liked that feature. Thanks for the compliment. I'll get the screen info in the AM.

 

Thanks for the review Philfna.

I see the pictures from the NBR X61 review have been re-used. It would have been nice to see a comparison of i.e. your T61 and X61 for a better assessment of size. Maybe you could upload your own pictures to NBR?

There seems to be something slightly wrong with your setup, or maybe there were some applications interferring with your benchmark testing.

First of all the Graphics part of Windows Experience Index should be 3.4, not 3.2. This is what the majority of X61 users get, including myself and those I have tested at retail stores. Some even managed a 3.5 score.

Secondly, your HD Tune result doesn't seem on par with what it should. I have the exact same hard drive in my X61 and the results are quite a bit better. You seem to get some significant spikes about 3/4 into the test affecting the transfer rate, and your access time is quite high. I consistently get about 30 MB/sec average transfer rate and about 16.5 ms access time.

In any event, just a heads up as it doesn't seem to run optimally.

 

The most likely reason for a drop in performance using 3gb of Ram is that it will no longer be using Dual-Bank technology which is often overlooked these days.

I had the same experience on a lesser scale adding a 1gb memory module to two 512meg modules in a pc that was running in DualBank mode then slowed especially in games, the only performance increase was using things like photoship that loaded more into memory.

hope this helps

 

That is not quite correct. It will still be running Dual Channel mode even if it is 1GB+2GB. The modules do not have to be the same, although it will be slightly faster if they are. However, the performance increase/decrease is not even close to what you describe. In case you are going from i.e. 2GB RAM (1GB+1GB) to 3GB (2GB+1GB) we are talking about a difference of maybe 3-5% in real life performance. Not really noticeable. As soon as you need more than 2GB RAM then the real difference comes into the picture.

See my post about this subject here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2562230&postcount=11

Also see this guide:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=167472

The benchmark results I posted previously, were based on my current X61 which has 3GB RAM in dual channel mode (asymmetric).

 

Is this a typo? Did you mean 2GB ReadyBoost, or 1GB Intel Turbo Memory? If you had 2GB of Intel Turbo Memory, as mentioned in the PCMark05 benchmark table, what kind was it (Lenovo is only offering 1GB at this time)? If you used a 2GB USB memory stick for ReadyBoost, what kind was it? Thanks!

 

There is no such thing as 2GB Intel Turbo Memory. The biggest module available at this date is 1GB, regardless of the notebook manufacturer.

I think philfna is simply referring to Readyboost enabled using an USB memory stick, SD card, etc. You can use up to a maximum of 4GB for Vista's Readyboost feature. He wrote the following in the review:

"The media card reader came in handy for ReadyBoost"

So he must be referring to the SD card reader.

Intel Turbo Memory can be used for both the Readydrive feature as well as Readyboost, but again I don't think he was referring to this.

 

To clear this up:

My X61
2 GB's of memory (1x1 GB sticks)
No readyboost

My wife's
3 GB's of memory (1 GB x 2 GB sticks)
2 GB's of ReadyBoost with an SD card inserted

No Turbo Memory on either. I only opted for Turbo Memory on the T61's we got.

To address the performance issue -- I was surprised, and I'll be frank I have run the test 4 times -- HD Tune varies, and I did get better performance with wife's machine, but the Windows Benchmark has NOT gotten any better. Not sure (I am all patched up according to Thinkvantage) -- I know the X61's at work are getting 3.4's but they are a different Build then these units. I will experiment today, and see what I can get going. I did send my pictures, but I suck as a photographer so they chose to use their own; which is TOTALLY understandable given my limited ability of camera usage. If you still want them I'll upload what I did have. I should also add that the X61 performance was disappointing on the benchmarks, but it doesn't seem slow. Power manager is on MAX performance. Not sure why the performance was sub par on the benchmark.

Phil

 

Thanks Phil.

Could you clarify what you mean by "different build". Mine is a model 7673-A23. What is yours?

As for the pictures, no worries. I am glad I was not exposed to your awful pictures, if you really are that bad with a camera . As you know I have a X61 myself and I have several notebooks to compare the size with.

I was thinking of readers who have not yet experienced/seen the X61. But I'll take the liberty and link to this post where I put up the video clips (made by Technologyguide) of the X61:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=186807

 

Not having a whole lot of luck figuring out screen manufacturer. I have looked in device manager, and PC Wizard...must be missing something need my coffee.

 

Jabba Jabba I have a 7675 4KU. Probably a lesser model in some way I am guessing...it was an off the shelf reseller model.

Phil

Although they appear identical, but is yours built for Asia?

 

I don't know if it was built for Asia specifically, but I did buy it in Asia.

I don't think you have a lesser model. Yours seem to have exactly the same specs as mine, down to the hard drive.

I was looking at the Tabook (systems reference for ThinkPads) and I couldn't find a difference, other than that yours come stock with the 4-cell enhanced battery whereas the 7673 is only sold with the 8-cell. The only other differences I could find was that the 7675 is a USTopSeller model with 1 year warranty, where as the 7673 comes with a 3-year international warranty. But again I find it hard to believe that there should be differences in hardware build.

 

I too find it hard to believe there is that much different. In fact I suspect it is a software issue. Perhaps I will do a clean install, and see what the benchmarks say then? I need to find the time -- too many machines too little time.

I should have bought it in Asia. Jabba I just wanted to add my thanks to you for being so helpful -- part of the reason I volunteered to review was people like ou.

Phil

 

you should be getting at LEAST 2 hours battery life. What are your power settings? Did you configure all the advanced options? (turn on usb suspect, turn off indexing, etc...)

Also, Im getting an index rating of 3.5 with Vista (2 gigs ram, t7300).

 

I have not set the stretch features yet.

 

Why do you find "Windows Experience Index" to be useful? It's not even an average of all the ratings, only the lowest subscore is used.

 

I don't find it all that useful -- it is simply another data point to be considered.

 

Here are some pictures after I reran the Windows Experience Score -- quite a big difference. I was never prompted to run it again. I just did it because of the sub par score.





HD Tune was just as dismal as the first tests though:

 

Here are the images Jabba requested I redid on my lunch hour.

Forgive me since I admittedly suck at photos.

 

Great you scan see where I spilled lunch!

 

Just a heads up Phil: Your WEI score and HD TUne pictures don't show properly. I had to go to flickr.com to see them.

As for the performance of your hard drive:
Have you checked in Device Manager if "Enable write caching on the disk" for some strange reason should be disabled?

While you're there, you might as well activate the "Enable advanced performance" feature. Although, I don't get any performance increase when it is enabled - real life or in benchmarks. But it makes me feel better .

 

I fixed the pictures by moving them to another hosting provider. I think they are fixed now. I turned it on my T61, but I forgot about it on my X61 -- since I am always plugged in no risk of loss due to power outage. Good call.

For those who aren't following it is important to make this change under the Device Manager properties of the hard drive rather than just right clicking on the hard drive as you won't be able to change any of the policies from there.

I have included a screen shot. thanks again Jabba.

Phil

 

Excellent review, thanks! I linked my window's experience index from my X61. I'm guessing I got a better score because of the rams. The X61 is the ultimate portable powerhouse but, I miss my X60s so much. Mainly because of the better battery life and faster boot speeds with XP (see sig).

 

Thanks for the kind words. I think that the X61 is a great ultraportable notebook.

 

The hibernation issue is also present in x61t's w/ vista
One simple way to get around the problem is by taking out the battery and putting it back in after the hibernation.

 

Nice speedtest btw ... I'll have to try your solution.

 

I have always had an interest in the X61s, very nice little machines with a rugged build. If I still decide to go the portable route for my next machine and assuming Lenovo keeps the same QC or make it better, the X61s or its successors will definitely be on my list.

 

If you have ?? let me know.

 

why no widescreen? anyone know?

 

12.1 inch is a small form factor I am not sure how it would look. I have yet to see a 12 inch widescreen. Would be interested in seeing how that look.

 

There are actually quite a few Phil.

For example Lenovo's own V200:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3767

Another example would be the Toshiba R500:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3861

Asus F9S:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4083

There are also quite a few 11.1 inch widescreen notebooks out there. Amongst some of the more well known brands, Sony and Asus comes to mind. There are even 10.6" widescreens out there. Okay, I'll stop now

 

In general Lenovo has been fairly slow to adopt widescreens to their lineup. Just like they only just started introducing glossy screens - and only to the R-series.

The widescreen form factor makes the notebook physically a bit wider - which could also be one reason. This might be extra relevant when it comes to an ultraportable like the X-series, which they have done a great job in keeping as small as possible.

Another reason could be that the standard form factor is deemed better suited for many office/business applications. And when the screen is as small as it is on the X61, this comes even more in to play.

At the end of the day these are only speculations. However, as ThinkPads are traditionally not made for the mainstream crowd, but rather the business users, I'm sure they thus primarily base their design decisions on this segment's needs. But maybe times are changing a bit.

Time will tell if a widescreen X-series will be introduced, as quite a few people seem to request for that. The question is whether those are amongst the group of business users or mainstream users.

 

As was stated previously, there are a number of 12.1" widescreen notebooks currently available. The 12.1" Dell XPS M1210 which has been out for a while now is one of them.

 

Hi,

very interesting Review, thanks a lot for your effort! One point that was not very clear to me was how the X61 compares to your hardware-identical T61 - you didn't mention the T61 in the Benchmark scores. You you please post this data here as well?

Thanks a lot in advance!