Lenovo X220 Upgrade (Fast Budget Laptop)

[@hedraun9289]

If you have an X220 and are frustrated, this upgrade is perfect. I am using mine for just web surfing and watching videos but it was terribly slow. The upgrade to RAM and the SSD is for sure fresh install of Windows is the best option. It now powers down fast and does tasks better than it ever did. It was better than buying a new laptop when I just use it for purchases and surfing. I only spent under a 100 dollars. Maybe less if you get good sales. 40 for the SSD, and 50 or 60 for the Ram.

[@Tp681]

Just changed the Thermal paste on my x220. Thanks for the great tutorial!

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Anytime 👍

[@avhvsmatej]

any difference?

[@ezio934]

Just got myself a thinkpad x220. This video is a goldmine for doing literally any kind of cleaning/maintaining. The only thing that I just can't do is install a fresh copy of Microsoft blob on my beloved thinkpad.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Thankyou 👍

[@abrahamibrahimovic2866]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech I Was thinking the same, too. Very helpful video. Followed the instructions. Without the video, I would not have forgotten about thermal paste and how to do that. I just got a X220 from eBay in top condition for a great price. Even though I own to ThinkPads myself (a x270 und a P50) plus I use a maxed out new T14 for work (backend/full-stack web-dev), and so I really don't need the X220. I could not resist. I just like the form factor, the retro feel and the excellent keyboard. Furthermore, I also went with the 500gb mx400 SSD and maxed it to 16gb of ram and even got USB 3 ports via express card. Very usable laptop. I installed a Windows 95 sticker, installed the newest Ubuntu and used "Chicago 95 " to make it look like Windows 95. Used it last week on a train ride, next to some 20-year-old college students with new M1 MacBooks. They gave me looks like I am trying to prank them :)

[@zerodegrekelvin2]

I know we are 2021, great video and explanation to dismantle the X220, I saw one on sale at $100CAD and try to see how easy to upgrade everything! Thank you!

[@myketuna]

Extremely useful video! Thanks for uploading this. I think I like your disassembly and upgrade video is the best out of the ones I've seen. Good shot of everything and nice explanations. Will be using it when my parts come in for my X220.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Thankyou for your kind words 👍

[@Valseil]

I m on my way to be a thinkpad reseller. Thank you for your video good sire 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@mikesmith2315]

Wow amazing video thankyou

[@chadangelo9835]

Good video best i've seen thus far on the x220 model which i would agree is a great laptop i do have some years now was thinking of such an upgrade diy.. Thanks for the tips.

[@mbigras]

Can you enable embeding your videos? It's useful for tools like Notion that let me take notes about your video

[@youknownothing3766]

How about the IPS screen upgrade too

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

That is definitely something that is in the works for the next small upgrade 👌

[@danzacjones]

Where you said "remove the wifi and bluetooth cards" isn't that where an extra SSD goes? In my x220 that was a tiny SSD :)

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Depending on the configuration it can either be an M-Sata SSD or a Mobile cellular modem. Mine came configured with the cellular modem which I could swap to an SSD 👍

[@mabr2039]

02:54 whats is call for holder express card? its a dummy express card?

[@ariathyf144]

Great and soothing tutorial big thanks and thumbs up (specially after the shout out to the keyboard). By any chance do you have such a disassembly clip for a x230T. ( Got one on ebay for 69euros and wish to replace the thermal paste ) edit: your featured RAM is VERY expensive btw making this a mismatch for the title.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi unfortunately I don't have a disassembly guide for a x230t, as far as I am aware it's very similar to the x230 so someone might have have made a good guide on that if you can't find a x230t guide. For the Ram I used it was a collaboration with Crucial memory so that's what they sent across for the video. This guide will work with most Ram and SSD manufacturers just make sure to check your frequency of the Ram because Lenovo only supports up to a certain amount on its laptops.

[@MrBmxtattoo]

Wow, crucial SSD's are fantastic!! This definitely helped with my decision!! Great video, easy to follow!! I really like your channel background picture! 👌📹

[@olafweyer859]

I usually look through reviews of the latest X Lenovo and then go down to earlier models to see if they are sufficient and i always end up at the Lenovo x220, because no sepcs can make up for that mechanical keyboard. Sorry Lenovo.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way 👌👌

[@RHTORAS]

Amazing video! Greetings from Greece... Well i bought new a lenovo think desktop back in 2009 with celeron and 2 gigs of ram. If i buy this thinkpad and do the same upgrades will it be a better option to browse the inter faster and use it for my daily tasks? I also want to edit pictures via inkscape and gimp alongside with web browsing. As i see it can be a lot better. I want to ask your opinion since i am new to Linux and basically now i understand computing better than previous years. Also the upgrade tricks seem cool to me but i wonder if these can be applied to lenovo x220 t with touchscreen. Thanks mate!

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi there, the upgrades that were done on the X220 should be the same for the X220t. I would still check on the lenovo forums to see if someone has done the 16GB Ram upgrade on the X220t because its not officially supported on the X220. A fully upgraded X220 like this one will be more than fine for what you want to do I even do light video editing on mine when I'm out of the office. 👍

[@RHTORAS]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech oh thanks that was informative. I also do some light video editing on 1-2 min videos. If i find a better price on the x220 then I will buy this instead of the t version which is more expensive. As I see it is a laptop that handle things in today's standards. These upgrades can make it superb. Thanks for the info and the video and do more in the future.

[@MetaAnomaly]

I’ve done all the procedure but my wifi card is no more recognized by the system , it wont show up in pci ports

[@xterm_g4747]

Currently have a laptop that cannot be upgraded and that sucks so thinking about getting one of these

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I would definitely recommend one of these if you want a compact and capable machine. If your not worried about the keyboard typing experience the newer x230/x240 will give you alot more modern features like USB 3 and more power efficient CPUs 👍

[@josueduran6881]

What does installing windows on a new ssd entail? And could I use my product key for windows 10 from another computer?

[@kuntalbiswas6147]

Usually in new laptops the windows license is paired to the BIOS, and even if you replace the stock HDD with SSD, your Windows will activate automatically when you go online. For older laptops, you can 'clone' your old HDD to your new SSD. And of course, you can also use a product key from a different computer.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

The best way to make sure your windows licence is paired to your device is by signing in to a Microsoft account on the pc. This will save the information of the computer and will automatically save the key linked to that computer.

[@josueduran6881]

Ok, makes sense. Thanks.

[@ralfinhoralf1126]

Hello, your video was very good. Please wonder if my Notebook Model Samsung / NP300E4C-AD2BR / Intel Core i7-3610QM / 8GB RAM Kingston 99U5469-041.A00LFDDR3-1600 (800 MHz) / North Bridge: Intel Ivy Bridge-MB IMC / South Bridge: Intel Panther Point HM75. Supports Crucial 16GB DDR3L-1600 SODIMM 16X1? Sorry my bad english

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I recommend using Crucial's website they have a handy compatibility checker 👍 uk.crucial.com/

[@ralfinhoralf1126]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech 8GB ç.ç Intel Core i7-3610QM in Intel Site support 32GB =S

[@primaryacc128]

Can you give me another link for the SSD card it doesn’t seem to pop up for me

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi there this is link for the UK if you need another let me know. uk.crucial.com/ssd/mx500/ct500mx500ssd1

[@j.p.9522]

I've begun the disassembly, but the screen is absolutely not coming off. It does not seem as simple as just removing the two screws on the back. What do I need to do to remove this screen without using too much force?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi there. Just to be sure you have taken all the screws out of the bottom there are 2 screws holding the hinges in place from the bottom.

[@j.p.9522]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech YES! Thank you!!!

[@j.p.9522]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech Did you remove the rubbery thermal pad on the heatsink when you repasted your X220?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I only repasted the CPU I kept the thermal pad on there because my one was in good condition

[@l3ulky298]

May I ask what is that cooling fan you have? Have you ever replaced it? I have an original part 04W0435 made by Delta Electronics, but it makes very frustrating whining noise and I'm currently looking for a replacement. How is yours behaving? What part number is it? Thanks in advance! ;-)

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi there I am using the original cooler and it suffers from the same issue that yours does. I don't think replacing it will help it, the cooling system in the X220 is just adequate so to get better temperatures the fan must spin faster due to the the heatsink being so small. 👍👍

[@l3ulky298]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech Thanks for your reply. I have recently tested a couple of cooling fans from x230 model that are compatible with x220 (04W6922 made by Toshiba and 04W6923 made by AVC). The 04W6922 made by Toshiba is already much quieter than 04W0435. There is no whining noise etc. However, it seems to have problems with bearings that begin to make rattling noise after a while. Maybe that was only my bad luck. I had 2 of them and both had similar problem, but with different intensity. I have now installed 04W6923 (AVC) in my x220 and it is fantastic! Laptop is almost silent and whining noise is gone!

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Ohh of course I completely forgot that the X230 is a very similar layout and they will be compatible. I feel that improving thermals should always be done with a bigger heatsink. Unfortunately the X220 is a compact design and that was the way it was designed.

[@luisfernando55]

@@l3ulky298 the avc it's working without problems ? Thanks

[@l3ulky298]

@@luisfernando55 Yep, it works perfectly fine. The best fan for x220/x230 in my opinion.

[@aditneh1]

@3:30 did you had 2 wifi card?whats its use for?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

One is a Wifi card the other is for cellular internet. You can put a Simcard in the back below the battery.

[@aditneh1]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech thank you, i planning to upgrade my i7 2640m to quad core but when i check my processors was bga

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Yeah unfortunately the X series are normally BGA CPUs. If you want to look at one you can easily swap out the T430 is a great laptop 👌

[@KARANBIR10]

can i add graphic card to this laptop for playing good games i have 8 gigs of ram

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Not really it would bottleneck a lot if you use a external GPU. This laptop is a great office and photo editing pc but not very good at playing anything but basic games.

[@KARANBIR10]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech thank you very much

[@amineebob2009]

I have one i5 and it had one module of 4gb ram can I add an other one of 8gb for exemple and where can I found it pls ?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I'm not sure if you are asking where to buy the stick of Ram or where the other SoDimm slot is can you clarify?

[@eugenevorster7461]

Hi, thanks for a awesome video! I need some advise, I replaced my Lenovo flex 10 with a neat X220, i7 2.7 2620m 8g mem(×1), 120ssd. Awesome little machine. Problem: It can only read a USB or SD slot once, and one at a time after reboot, have reinstalled USB drivers, shut down power management, but code 38 appears in device manager. Is this a windows 10 problem? (PS: I checked my m2 slot after seeing your video, but mine has a Ericson Bluetooth card fitted there and Intel Wi-Fi next to it😢)

[@sophiachevrier7355]

thanks for this useful video Big Pixel! i wanna do the ram upgrade but the crucial ram is quite costly. there is on amazon for the umbeatable price of 50S :( DDR3 Ram 16GB, Rasalas 16GB DDR3 Kit (2x8GB) PC3-12800 DDR3 1600 2Rx8 PC3 12800S DDR3 16GB 1.35V 204-Pin CL11 Dual Rank Ram Memory for Laptop by Rasalas) would that work as well? would still be worth the upgrade?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I can't see any reason why it shouldn't work, head over to the Lenovo forums they are very good for people doing these upgrades you might find someone that has used that RAM in their own laptops already. You won't see a remarked difference between brands so I would definitely go for it.

[@sophiachevrier7355]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech thanks man!

[@2122333232tuce]

Thanks 🙏

[@awarnman6481]

Install windows 11 and some keys are working funny now any help

[@Versingetorix49]

Hi, in first time congrats for you video, I have the same laptop, but don't has a grafic card, I can buy all this components by upgrade, Can you help me with this?

[@mayurchavan619]

Does it show on screen after right click on This PC, that it's upto 16gb of Ram, if this works will solve my big problem

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

It does show up in control panel under system and if you open task manager 👍

[@CubanLegend561]

how much lower were your temps after the new thermal paste?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Not much lower to be perfectly honest. The cooling system on the X220 is just adequate, a better designed cooling system would yield better results.

[@CubanLegend561]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech thanks!

[@jasonl4237]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech How long does the thermal paste last? I intend to buy a used X220, I wonder if I could just use it for next 10 years without changing the thermal paste? Afraid it gets faulty when changing the thermal paste. Thanks.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

You could use the X220 without changing the thermal paste, I just recommend changing it if you do the upgrade because the system will be already be open saving you time in the long run 👍

[@axtonsadventures2524]

jus got one of these, what cpu, bios u running, id like to see if i can run 1600

[@j.p.9522]

You can run 1866mhz if you download the mcdonnelltech 1.46 modified BIOS.

[@evgeniasparuxov6521]

Hello, Which BIOS version supports 16 gb ram for sure? Thanks!

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi there I was using the bios version 1.21

[@evgeniasparuxov6521]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech Will 16 gb ram memory(two stics of 8ram) work fine with the last version of the BIOS 1.46 ?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I used two 8GB sticks with the 1.21 bios update so I'm sure it will work. Generally it's the chipset that dictates how much Ram is compatible. Unless it's unstable and they have locked it out in the bios.

[@TuMundoAndroideMania]

Yes you can put it 16 ram

[@zenIsfr]

How i Upgrade my own Lenovo Laptop *Ill Just get a new One.*

[@livingitup247]

You can also upgrade wifi to 5g card

[@derd3]

Is it feasible to replace the cpu?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Unfortunately it's soldered to the motherboard. If your looking at swapping CPUs out on a Lenovo Laptop the T series are better for that 👍

[@escapetherace1943]

cpu doesn't matter, i5220m is 3.2gh on turboboost and the best is an i72640m which can go to 3.5 not really enough performance from 4 threads to really matter, and despite the same advertised TDP wattage the i5's take less on idle.

[@superredraider]

wait this can handle 16GB of ram? the manufacturer said 8GB max

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I can confirm it does and it is all available. I spotted that as well on Lenovo's website.

[@superredraider]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech i take it we are still stuck with the 1333 mhz limit right?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

@@superredraider actually the ram is running at 1600mhz

[@superredraider]

The Big Pixel very nice I’m asking because I’d like to upgrade my new one and don’t know the limits beyond the manufacturers specs sheet

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

@@superredraider Definitely worth upgrading to 16GB of RAM for Chrome 😂. Also get a 9 Cell battery upgrade totally worth it.

[@ChadDrakeTech]

No MSata SSD?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Not this time it was an option but I chose to go with a standard SATA drive in the end. If I do an update of this video with another Lenovo ThinkPad I will probably go down that route 👍

[@mous3y490]

whaa ur heatsink is all copper. did u change yours out for the x230 hestsink?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Not as far as I'm aware that's how I got it when I bought it from the online retailer 👍

[@enjangsetiawan7851]

Will DDR3L work on this machine?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

DDR3L is a dual voltage capable memory SoDIMM, which supports operation at both 1.5V and 1.35V so it should work but I would check out the Lenovo forums to see if someone else has done the upgrade with SoDIMM DDR3L ram.

[@NVofus]

Can I buy a similarly upgraded (just like the one you've renovated and rejuvenated in this video) from you directly, or could you sell me one that you could upgrade to this spec? Thanks, in advance. 👍

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

For the cost of doing it your self it's a very easy upgrade. All you need to know is how to disassemble the laptop and be able to plug some things in. If you are looking to spend money on something I would get something more modern with similar specs I would not be able to build something and ship it for cheaper 👍

[@oldboy965]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech what will be your alternative laptop for this?

[@NVofus]

Very good, informative, video. Well done. 👍

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Thank you positive feedback is very welcomed

[@khazriwind2259]

Hello. This laptop works with SSD M.2 NVME?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Unfortunately not NVME M.2 drives are far too new for this laptop

[@khazriwind2259]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech Thanks

[@CC-tp6gr]

If I was to get this laptop, and upgrade the ram, could it handle games like call of duty modern warfare (the new one) ?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

No this laptop only uses Integrated Graphics on the CPU not some something that would run the new COD. You want to find a laptop with Discrete graphics like a gaming laptop 👍

[@j.p.9522]

It might be possible by using the Expresscard slot to run an external GPU. But if you're looking for a laptop that will run COD right out of the box, there are better and more cost-effective options than an X220.

[@oldboy965]

@@j.p.9522 for example?

[@Kimpa508]

Can I play league of legends?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

I'm sure it would play League Of Legends but the laptop hasn't got a huge amount of graphics performance due to having integrated graphics. I would recommend something different.

[@lgamer5133]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech an external graphics card?

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

You could use it with an external solution but I would get something with a dedicated GPU and keep the X220 as a portable laptop 👌

[@lgamer5133]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech you can still upgrade the integrated graphics of the cpu so you can play games even smoother and set it to 16gb instead of 8gb when playing and insert an m.2 or mSATA ssd for more perfomance so that you can keep your cd rom in your laptop. Intel core i7 will be better.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Are we taking about the X220 because it doesn't have a CD drive ?

[@ianreid1434]

I was gonna get one of these off craigslist, but then the guy told me that he already sold it when I got there. After arranging a time and a place ... asshole.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Damn I hate that when that happens 😕

[@ianreid1434]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech Just curious any thoughts on the t420? I saw a good deal on it.

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

The T420 is a good system they have the older style of keyboard that is a fan favourite. The other option is the T430 with the newer island style keyboard and slightly newer specs 👍

[@SketchKids]

can u give another uk link for the ram i doesnt work for me

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

Hi there I have updated the links on the video now thank you for letting me know :)

[@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech]

uk.crucial.com/compatible-upgrade-for/lenovo/thinkpad-x220 This is the link for the Ram list

[@SketchKids]

@@TheBigPixelHomeOfTech thank you your probably one of the onky youtuners that ive qatched that actually responds with a year

[@analyticalphilo]

does any 2.5 ssd work?