As it stands currently in 2023 the X201 is one of the few older Thinkpads to not only still have a decent amount of them in circulation but also have ones you can get at a reasonable price. And that to me is just fantastic. Coupled with the fact that it's one of the last thinkpads you can get without a touchpad for some retro computing excellence.
Managed to pick up an X201 on eBay for just $30 including shipping. Just missing a battery, sold "for parts". After throwing in a brand new 6 cell and a free 240GB SSD from Micro Center it's running great. But yeah, the built in TN panels sucks so bad. If I wasn't saving my money for a T480 I would get the AFFS screen.
Thanks for a good video. It seems some of the older Thinkpads of this type ... the x200s and the t400s are actually better deals than some of the new stuff seen in the stores. I started with computers when the Commodore 64 came out and sort of lost interest in the late 1990s. Now that I am retired, this might be a good hobby.
I'd like to recognize you on your beginnings. My dad came home with a Timex/Sinclair 1000 one evening when I was about 12. I learned BASIC with that little dude, and sold it for what dad paid for it, $60, about a year later to a schoolmate. Thinking back, knowing that guy, he probably broke it the next day. Used that money and summer job money to buy my first self-bought computer, a Commodore 64. I'll never forget how awesomely it tromped all of the other home computers (Atari 2600, TI-99, Radio Shack TRS-80, etc.) in graphics and music. You may or may not be aware of the recent resurgence in C-64 popularity. Wish I still had mine for sentimental reasons.
Nice job! I considered doing this mod, but due to the cost of the Boe Hydis panel, I didn't bother, and 1280x800 just doesn't cut it anymore. Instead, I spent $5 for a used colour calibrator, which helped enough for what I was doing. It's a misconception that TN panels have bad colour. I have one of the W520 models that have a TN panel, but is 95% sRGB. Viewing angles are still poor, but the panel actually looks quite good. The IPS panels that come with the X220/X230 are something like 65% sRGB. I don't know how people can wear out the keys so they're all shiny. I've used my keyboard for over ten years, and there are only two shiny spots on the spacebar.
The W520's panels are high gamut displays, so even poorly calibrated ones look a lot better than some of the TNs found on other models. In general the higher-resolution panels on 15-inch ThinkPads have always looked a bit better than the ones on 14/12 inch models. And I can agree with you on the colors of a 15" FHD panel vs, say the X220's panel. Having held a IPS X230 and a FHD T530 next to each other, the T530 clearly had better colors.
@@SebisRandomTech isn't that incredible? The x201 far as I know is the LAST thinkpad to carry that retro design that's similar to the ibm models. AND ITS 16:10. and you could just get a palmrest without the touchpad and with some upgrades and a high config it could easily be the fastest and newest "retro" thinkpad ever. And being the last to not have a touchpad on some models is a huge draw for people.
Hi Sebi, great video!!! I have a X201s, which has a 1440 x 900 panel; I love the resolution but the display itself is a horrible one (poor angles, colours etc). Which panel would you recommend? Is there anything which is IPS and has the same 1400 x 900 resolution? Thanks a lot!!
As far as I know there is no IPS/AFFS panel for this machine that also has the higher resolution. With the recent X210/2100 mods people are putting in better displays, but those require the more modern components of a X210/2100 mod.
@@SebisRandomTech Good to hear! Was there anything special to consider (e.g., shielding some pins etc.) since the palmrest you upgraded your X201 with did not have any touchpad on it? I am wondering whether there exists the possibility of a similar modification to the X230? To me, the touchpad on the X230 is not usable, and in addition, looks quite ugly (in my opinion)...
@@hpp6116 Sadly there is no such mod for the X230. For my X201 I did not have to shield any pins, as these laptops were available straight from Lenovo without the touchpad as a configurable option.
Got an x201t recently with no ram/drive/batt and a bad AC jack on the cheap Threw in a charged battery, a 2Gb stick and a hard drive I had lying around, runs windows 11 alright (if a bit slow, but 8Gb and an SSD should fix that)
@Pnylyck Jvanof This charger has worked perfectly for the last 7 years in my other laptop, no frays or visible stress on the cable. Meanwhile the jack on the laptop is literally missing plastic, and I need to charge the battery using either my other laptop or the docking station.
Thank you for the video with such good information. I have a question. What should I search for the replaced panel? HV121WX4-120 right? And is there any additional cable for panel replacement?
@apojoga I’ve looked around and seen some other useable panels pop up, I also know if you get an X210 board (modern processor and specs that fit in the X201 body) there are some much higher resolution panels that will work. But since I am satisfied with 1280x800 on a 12” laptop and don’t have the extra cash to blow on a bunch of parts, I haven’t bothered.
My T430 still has its TN panel, but it also needs a new keyboard (it's not broken just came so slimey it didn't have the antimicrobr stuff on it now) don't know what to get first. The TN panels are terrible
I recently saw some converter kits pop up on eBay for putting a FHD IPS panel in the T420/T430. But I don’t feel like dropping $70-80 for a small converter board plus $50-70 for a panel.
is this the screen part number? HV121WX4-110 I've got the x201 not sure if I need inverter but bought one anyway, just cant find the screen domestically. Do I need to go China?
Do you have the part numbers so that I can order and try this mod on my x201? Awesome video. The other option I have is to try to get a X220, would you recommend I do that instead? Thank you!
The X220 or the X230 (with the classic keyboard swap) would probably be a better option at this point. Performance is much better, they're more power efficient, and there's a mod available to fit a FHD IPS panel in. Alternatively if you had a lot of money to blow and the right connections you could get an unofficial X210 which is a project where modern internals and a modern display are fitted into the X201 chassis. The AFFS panel I put in this X201 looks quite nice, but 4 years later investing money in machines this old doesn't make nearly as much sense anymore.
@@SebisRandomTech Oh, is the X201 not really usable today? I'm thinking of getting one because it has the 16:10 screen. I'd use it for word processing and browsing the internet, and some youtube.
@@PiceaSitchensis For that use case it should be fine, my point is that for the same price you can get an X220 or 230 and those will be far more usable in the forseeable future. I know the aspect ratio is a downside, but for me the more modern processors are a worthwhile tradeoff.
Are the two white leads coming from the right hand hinge area on the assembled 200 display an extension of the wireless antenna? i.e. black on the 201 screen but white on the 200 screen?
Battery life is a tad worse because of the CCFL backlight. You could potentially modify the panel to use LEDs instead but that’s a pretty involved modification.
hey Sebi I'm having some trouble with my x201, and the issue is that the machine consumes battery power when turned off. I have determined that it is not an os issue since the computer does this in any case of power up(it can just be visiting the bios). How ever, by simply removing the main battery, keeping it disconnected for a few seconds and re attaching it makes the drain go away. Do you know why this could be ? Is it motherboard related (something not turning off) or is it just a faulty battery. The battery does not lose charge outside of the computer. Otherwise the machine is flawless.
You could use a thermal imaging camera to find the component that does not shut off. The energy from the battery must go somewhere and therefore should be seen as heat. You can get a cheap SeekThermal Android microUSB camera for about $30. Or a special kind of nail polish could be used instead which changes color at a certain temperature. See th-cam.com/video/R4C3Lh71yFQ/w-d-xo.html for more info.
hi Sebi , i have few question regarding the X200 thinkpad . i do ave one needs to repace the battery so can fit X220 battery to X200 or is that totally diferent ? also can you pls send me reference number for X200 display. thanks
Hi Sebi, love your video! Today, I replaced the TN panel of my x230 with a LCD panel. But during system (win 10) booting time, many white horizontal lines appear on the new screen then disappear after booting. Do you know why this happen?
No, it doesn't. Neither in the BIOS setup or in the Ubuntu subsystem can the problem be solved. I have tried to change the refresh rate into 50p Hz, to reconnect the cable and upgrade the bios to the latest one, but didn't work. Now I go back to the TN panel. I will be very grateful if you can post a link where I can buy a new IPS panel.
Sounds like a damaged or defective screen/cable. If the issue doesn’t happen with the old screen then you know it isn’t the cable. In the description of my “ThinkPad X230 IPS upgrade” video there’s a link to buy a new one.
Hi sebi, I know I’m quit elate in the video but is it possible to replace the lenovo x201 lcd with lenovo x201 tablet lcd? Long story short, I bought the wrong one and cannot get a refund
If you're extremely careful you might be able to extract the panel from the tablet housing and fit it into the normal X201, but there's still a chance it may not work.
I was looking for a cheap laptop for schoolwork and watching stuff in my spare time and found a refurbished T440 Thinkpad on Ebay with 8GB RAM and 240GB SSD. Would you recommend it?
Sebi's Random Tech Budget of around £350, needed for schoolwork using Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, etc. Will probably be using a couple of these at once. Watching stuff on TH-cam in spare time. Unlikely to be used for gaming but if it is it'll be nothing too intense.
Seems a tad bit high for those specs, unless the seller upgraded the display to a 1080p IPS display. See if you can talk the price down a bit, but if not it isn’t a bad deal if the laptop is in good shape.
As it stands currently in 2023 the X201 is one of the few older Thinkpads to not only still have a decent amount of them in circulation but also have ones you can get at a reasonable price. And that to me is just fantastic. Coupled with the fact that it's one of the last thinkpads you can get without a touchpad for some retro computing excellence.
Amazing guide. Just wanna say this was a great resource. I was able to successfully upgrade my x201 screen. Thanks again.
Managed to pick up an X201 on eBay for just $30 including shipping. Just missing a battery, sold "for parts". After throwing in a brand new 6 cell and a free 240GB SSD from Micro Center it's running great. But yeah, the built in TN panels sucks so bad. If I wasn't saving my money for a T480 I would get the AFFS screen.
Thanks for a good video. It seems some of the older Thinkpads of this type ... the x200s and the t400s are actually better deals than some of the new stuff seen in the stores. I started with computers when the Commodore 64 came out and sort of lost interest in the late 1990s. Now that I am retired, this might be a good hobby.
I'd like to recognize you on your beginnings. My dad came home with a Timex/Sinclair 1000 one evening when I was about 12. I learned BASIC with that little dude, and sold it for what dad paid for it, $60, about a year later to a schoolmate. Thinking back, knowing that guy, he probably broke it the next day.
Used that money and summer job money to buy my first self-bought computer, a Commodore 64. I'll never forget how awesomely it tromped all of the other home computers (Atari 2600, TI-99, Radio Shack TRS-80, etc.) in graphics and music.
You may or may not be aware of the recent resurgence in C-64 popularity. Wish I still had mine for sentimental reasons.
Nice job! I considered doing this mod, but due to the cost of the Boe Hydis panel, I didn't bother, and 1280x800 just doesn't cut it anymore. Instead, I spent $5 for a used colour calibrator, which helped enough for what I was doing.
It's a misconception that TN panels have bad colour. I have one of the W520 models that have a TN panel, but is 95% sRGB. Viewing angles are still poor, but the panel actually looks quite good. The IPS panels that come with the X220/X230 are something like 65% sRGB.
I don't know how people can wear out the keys so they're all shiny. I've used my keyboard for over ten years, and there are only two shiny spots on the spacebar.
The W520's panels are high gamut displays, so even poorly calibrated ones look a lot better than some of the TNs found on other models. In general the higher-resolution panels on 15-inch ThinkPads have always looked a bit better than the ones on 14/12 inch models. And I can agree with you on the colors of a 15" FHD panel vs, say the X220's panel. Having held a IPS X230 and a FHD T530 next to each other, the T530 clearly had better colors.
I'll have to pop that same screen in my x200. Although I am trying to figure out how to use it with LED bulbs
Hmm. Do you think the x201 could be viable for light tasks like internet browsing and word processing on linux? Just wondering.
It should be more than good enough for those uses.
@@SebisRandomTech isn't that incredible? The x201 far as I know is the LAST thinkpad to carry that retro design that's similar to the ibm models. AND ITS 16:10. and you could just get a palmrest without the touchpad and with some upgrades and a high config it could easily be the fastest and newest "retro" thinkpad ever. And being the last to not have a touchpad on some models is a huge draw for people.
@@alastorlol502 Plus there was a 51NB motherboard for it (not sure if it's still available) that allowed you to put in much newer hardware.
@Pnylyck Jvanof lol yeah I figured
Where is the link to the display you got?
Hey, I replaced screen in my x240 from HD TNT to FHD IPS. It's very nice.
I did a video where I did the same thing. It does look beautiful. Good work!
Interesting. I had the X240 at Hands! Usable tool...
Hi Sebi, great video!!! I have a X201s, which has a 1440 x 900 panel; I love the resolution but the display itself is a horrible one (poor angles, colours etc). Which panel would you recommend? Is there anything which is IPS and has the same 1400 x 900 resolution? Thanks a lot!!
As far as I know there is no IPS/AFFS panel for this machine that also has the higher resolution. With the recent X210/2100 mods people are putting in better displays, but those require the more modern components of a X210/2100 mod.
Thanks for sharing your experience! How did actually the palmrest upgrade go?
Went well. Worked fine.
@@SebisRandomTech Good to hear! Was there anything special to consider (e.g., shielding some pins etc.) since the palmrest you upgraded your X201 with did not have any touchpad on it? I am wondering whether there exists the possibility of a similar modification to the X230? To me, the touchpad on the X230 is not usable, and in addition, looks quite ugly (in my opinion)...
@@hpp6116 Sadly there is no such mod for the X230. For my X201 I did not have to shield any pins, as these laptops were available straight from Lenovo without the touchpad as a configurable option.
Got an x201t recently with no ram/drive/batt and a bad AC jack on the cheap
Threw in a charged battery, a 2Gb stick and a hard drive I had lying around, runs windows 11 alright (if a bit slow, but 8Gb and an SSD should fix that)
Just install Linux on it, even Windows 10 is too bloated for dual core CPUs.
@Pnylyck Jvanof What do you mean?
@Pnylyck Jvanof This charger has worked perfectly for the last 7 years in my other laptop, no frays or visible stress on the cable. Meanwhile the jack on the laptop is literally missing plastic, and I need to charge the battery using either my other laptop or the docking station.
Thank you for the video with such good information.
I have a question.
What should I search for the replaced panel? HV121WX4-120 right? And is there any additional cable for panel replacement?
No, it will work with the standard X200 CCFL cable. It will *not* work with the X200/X201 LED display cable.
@@SebisRandomTech So, for X201 what kind of cable we need?
@@Exclusive-Studio You need the X200 CCFL display cable. It's different from the LED display cables used on the X201.
@@SebisRandomTech This is okay? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152997217793
@@SebisRandomTech Could you please confirm if is the right one? I need to order and i need an confirmation, or the right name to look for.
Why not upgrade Bluetooth to 4.0 by the way when you upgrading LCD panel?
I really love my Hi DPI and I'm curious if a higher-resolution panel would work in an X201. There are a LOT of options on panelook.
@apojoga I’ve looked around and seen some other useable panels pop up, I also know if you get an X210 board (modern processor and specs that fit in the X201 body) there are some much higher resolution panels that will work. But since I am satisfied with 1280x800 on a 12” laptop and don’t have the extra cash to blow on a bunch of parts, I haven’t bothered.
My T430 still has its TN panel, but it also needs a new keyboard (it's not broken just came so slimey it didn't have the antimicrobr stuff on it now) don't know what to get first. The TN panels are terrible
I recently saw some converter kits pop up on eBay for putting a FHD IPS panel in the T420/T430. But I don’t feel like dropping $70-80 for a small converter board plus $50-70 for a panel.
does the thinkpad x200's palmrest work with the x201? (its so to remove the useless touchpad imo)
Hi, man? Could please provide the link for the exact panel model for X201 for buying?
Look it up on eBay. I provide the exact part number in the video.
is this the screen part number? HV121WX4-110 I've got the x201 not sure if I need inverter but bought one anyway, just cant find the screen domestically. Do I need to go China?
Nice Model M.
Do you have the part numbers so that I can order and try this mod on my x201? Awesome video. The other option I have is to try to get a X220, would you recommend I do that instead? Thank you!
The X220 or the X230 (with the classic keyboard swap) would probably be a better option at this point. Performance is much better, they're more power efficient, and there's a mod available to fit a FHD IPS panel in. Alternatively if you had a lot of money to blow and the right connections you could get an unofficial X210 which is a project where modern internals and a modern display are fitted into the X201 chassis. The AFFS panel I put in this X201 looks quite nice, but 4 years later investing money in machines this old doesn't make nearly as much sense anymore.
@@SebisRandomTech Oh, is the X201 not really usable today? I'm thinking of getting one because it has the 16:10 screen. I'd use it for word processing and browsing the internet, and some youtube.
@@PiceaSitchensis For that use case it should be fine, my point is that for the same price you can get an X220 or 230 and those will be far more usable in the forseeable future. I know the aspect ratio is a downside, but for me the more modern processors are a worthwhile tradeoff.
@@SebisRandomTech Okay, thank you for your thoughts Sebi.
Are the two white leads coming from the right hand hinge area on the assembled 200 display an extension of the wireless antenna? i.e. black on the 201 screen but white on the 200 screen?
Yes, they are for the wireless antenna. They plug into the WiFi card.
I have been thinking about doing the affs screen mod but I am not sure I'll do it. How does it affect the battery life of the machine?
Battery life is a tad worse because of the CCFL backlight. You could potentially modify the panel to use LEDs instead but that’s a pretty involved modification.
hey Sebi I'm having some trouble with my x201, and the issue is that the machine consumes battery power when turned off. I have determined that it is not an os issue since the computer does this in any case of power up(it can just be visiting the bios). How ever, by simply removing the main battery, keeping it disconnected for a few seconds and re attaching it makes the drain go away. Do you know why this could be ? Is it motherboard related (something not turning off) or is it just a faulty battery. The battery does not lose charge outside of the computer. Otherwise the machine is flawless.
Try with a different battery, and if the problem persists then you may have a faulty motherboard.
@@SebisRandomTech Okay i'll try and report how it goes. Thank you.
You could use a thermal imaging camera to find the component that does not shut off. The energy from the battery must go somewhere and therefore should be seen as heat. You can get a cheap SeekThermal Android microUSB camera for about $30. Or a special kind of nail polish could be used instead which changes color at a certain temperature. See th-cam.com/video/R4C3Lh71yFQ/w-d-xo.html for more info.
hi Sebi , i have few question regarding the X200 thinkpad . i do ave one needs to repace the battery so can fit X220 battery to X200 or is that totally diferent ? also can you pls send me reference number for X200 display. thanks
Nope, the X220 uses different batteries than the X200. X201 batteries should work though.
Hi Sebi, love your video! Today, I replaced the TN panel of my x230 with a LCD panel. But during system (win 10) booting time, many white horizontal lines appear on the new screen then disappear after booting. Do you know why this happen?
Does it look fine when you go into the BIOS setup? Or if you load a different operating system?
No, it doesn't. Neither in the BIOS setup or in the Ubuntu subsystem can the problem be solved. I have tried to change the refresh rate into 50p Hz, to reconnect the cable and upgrade the bios to the latest one, but didn't work. Now I go back to the TN panel. I will be very grateful if you can post a link where I can buy a new IPS panel.
Sounds like a damaged or defective screen/cable. If the issue doesn’t happen with the old screen then you know it isn’t the cable. In the description of my “ThinkPad X230 IPS upgrade” video there’s a link to buy a new one.
Hi sebi, I know I’m quit elate in the video but is it possible to replace the lenovo x201 lcd with lenovo x201 tablet lcd?
Long story short, I bought the wrong one and cannot get a refund
If you're extremely careful you might be able to extract the panel from the tablet housing and fit it into the normal X201, but there's still a chance it may not work.
@@SebisRandomTech thanks. I think I'd rather find the correct one with my meager skills
Leds do dim with age? Don't they?
They can, but nowhere near as badly as CCFL’s do.
Hey it's James
weatherboy1102 do u remember the sonic debug glitch
I was looking for a cheap laptop for schoolwork and watching stuff in my spare time and found a refurbished T440 Thinkpad on Ebay with 8GB RAM and 240GB SSD. Would you recommend it?
Depends on the price and what your needs are.
Sebi's Random Tech Budget of around £350, needed for schoolwork using Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, etc. Will probably be using a couple of these at once. Watching stuff on TH-cam in spare time. Unlikely to be used for gaming but if it is it'll be nothing too intense.
Seems a tad bit high for those specs, unless the seller upgraded the display to a 1080p IPS display. See if you can talk the price down a bit, but if not it isn’t a bad deal if the laptop is in good shape.
Sebi's Random Tech It costs £290, £350 is my budget.
That probably isn’t a bad deal then, especially since it has the SSD.
最好的办法还是替换灯管.
宁愿发黄也不要 LED 的发蓝.那才是最难受的.找不到一个好的LED 灯管,去改造一个 莹光的显示器.
My x200 better because libre
(。ゝ(ェ)・)-☆
Having a Libre laptop is not a big requirement for most people.
@@soupofundeniablewisdom1629 most people are gay