Super Portable and Fast Ultrabook for Under $350: Thinkpad X1 Carbon 3rd Gen Upgrade Guide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ม.ค. 2020
- Our laptop content typically revolves around cheap bulky enterprise machines and mobile workstations since i'm usually more concerned with performance than I am portability. Today we are going to change things up though by putting together a light and fast ultrabook for under $350. We will be using a 3rd generation Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon as a base and installing a new SSD and battery into it, and we will also replace the aging thermal paste.
HD Images: I'll post them .... eventually
==== video product links ====
ADATA SU800 SSD: amzn.to/2QpazOI
Arctic MX-4 Thermal Compound: amzn.to/35rK67c
50wh Lenovo battery: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-532...
Seller I bought the laptop from: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-532...
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#ultrabook #thinkpad #x1carbon - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
The T420 is absolutely amazing, and this build is too. Great video!
Finally! The video I was expecting to watch! Your take on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Your content is really good. Something about your videos just makes them very calming.
Most likely it is his voice
Yes
Got one of these bad boys at a company hardware sale recently for 40$ without an ssd. It's ridiculously easy to work on, it on;y took me a few mins to put a new one in. Really impressed with the build quality.
Amazing video. I don't think I have ever seen as good as video as this on updating hardware of laptop.
Great content man! You just earned yourself a like and sub! I just recently bought an x240 and made some upgrades by replacing the batterys, installing a 500GB ssd, 8gb of ram, AC Wifi, new thermal paste, and a new bottom cover to replace the cracked one, great pc. Bought all of this to replace my t420 which broke down on me, and I'm not buying a new motherboard before you ask cause it costs more than the actual computer. In fact, I bought that t420 bios locked for under $40. Keep up the great content!
Must be nice living in the US of A where you can get Thinkpads at a bargain. Good luck gettings those deals in Europe.
I will be taking one in two months i just want 350 € for mines its the i7 processor will be in barcelona spain in two months if you want it. I just bought it here to have a portable recording studio, but i have a recording studio in bcn already.
I got a good condition thinkpad x230 today for 50 euros, its possible, just needs patience
@@___echo___ On ebay its impossible for a good specced x230. 200 euro and up.
I found a 6th generation carbon x1 for 300€
Same here in Asia😭
I absolutely love all my thinkpads. My current daily is an X1 gen 6 and it’s phenomenal
No heat issue?
Btw is that still worth around 3 years later? I mean x1 carbon gen6
@@ferryrahmattesa1042 no heat issues at all. its a beast with the quad core i7 and 16gb ram it handles everything i throw at tit. totally gonna last a long time
@@KingASE88 you buy i7 version, okey thanks you
Very excited about this video. I got one of these from a guy off of Facebook for $50 because the m.2 drive was corrupted and he didn't want to bother with it. A quick swap out and I have a fully functioning system.
damn, that's a steal for such pricy machine
I bought one of these guys a couple months ago to be my main machine and its been a wonderful experience. Going in, I knew that upgrade options were nonexistent, but the slimness and cool-factor make up for it. Its certainly much more nicer to look at than a older boxy thinkpad. The keyboard is also pretty nice, it feels pretty much the same as the T470S I got from work. I haven't tested it much with windows, but it runs fedora pretty well. Its some of the best $300 I've ever spent.
If you watch the video you will see how easy upgrades are to install: new batter, new 512g ssd, and your computer will nearly like a new ultrabook.
I bought a 6th Gen X1 Carbon, i7 8650, 16gb, 512gb, QHD Screen for $800. I absolutely love it.
How and where?
damn that machine is a beast mine were thinkpad t460s i5, 8GB, 256gb FHD and absolutely loving it so much power compare to my previous macbook air 2015 install linux and upgrade ram to 20gb (4gb were soldered and 1 space free)
Nice! I am still happily rocking my T430 as my workhorse, while my 16 y/o son uses exclusively his T420. I have a smaller X230 as a spare, but neither of us ever had a single issues with our Thinkpads! I most probably will stick to bulky laptops :D
Still rocking it a year later? :)
Using an x270 but after using a t440p for a while I must agree with you...bulky thinkpads have a certain charm to them. Plus they make for great defense weapons 😂
this couldn't have come at a better time, my mum's looking for a laptop
@Shank Adams He say laptop no bs
i have that machine... its a beast! Bought it off ebay also for a steal.
A minor thing, but thank you for including the price of upgrades in your stated price tag! I have been seen videos lately from other channels that will say something like "great laptop for under 200 dollars." Then they do upgrades that completely blow past that budget.
yeah that's something I noticed with a lot of other videos
"here's this $200 ThinkPad! It only needs a $40 SSD, a $60 battery, $40 of RAM upgrades and an $80 screen!"
Just got a thicc 13R3 OLED off ebay , love love love it.
DELL even let me renew the warranty.
i'm literally on the exact same X1C right now, also upgraded with a better SSD :D battery has ~300 charging cycles / 97% health and lasts me around 6 hrs.
Good choice on the whisky!
Excellent video
Good job YT for recommending this :)
I'm still running my X1 gen one. I did have to upgrade the SSD, but that was it.
Thanks for this video! I recently stumbled upon the used Thinkpad X1 market here on our country as I've used newer Thinkpad L480s on our office, and I liked their design and especially that keyboard. And this layout is very helpful when I've opened it up to clean it.
I just bought a used X1 Carbon Gen3 with Core i5 / 8GB / 240GB with the WQHD touchscreen for equivalent of USD 300+ and I am content with my purchase. Although I have a few compromises like a beat-up lid with cracks near the hinge (hopefully not a deep one), an okay screen with a few micro-white dots, and a non-working fingerprint scanner (is yours working? still figuring out if its a hardware or software issue yet), and a still-not-activated copy of Windows and Microsoft Office.
I have yet to work on getting the thermal paste and battery changed once the COVID lockdown on our country is lifted. And possible use this until it dies so I can save up on a new one - hopefully a Thinkpad again if the quality impresses me. Cheers!
Did same as you. Bought a used T480s with low specs for little money. Upgraded to top notch mem and SSD, and now I have a great portable laptop for 500 USD (brand new, it would cost around 1300 USD or more). Love Lenovos. Easy to service/upgrade, and simply the best keyboards in the planet.
Talk about timing.. I recently purchased a 3rd Gen X1 Carbon off Ebay for $114... Added a 512 Gig SSD and had a dead battery.. I was just getting ready for installing it and this video appeared.. Well Done!! and it worked the 1st time did it too..
Nice, I have gotten 2 scrap laptops from Discount Electronics. And mine is HP HDX-16 1140US and Dell Latitude E6410. Both are in working condition and the HP laptop is one of the best laptop of 2009.
I have 3 more days and I'll receive my Gen 3 Thinkpad...but, I need it for what it does so I'm going to install Linux and/or BSD. Wonderful vid sir, and nice to see someone else wants to try the Thinkpad greatness.
I have my dads old x1 carbon 1gen and it works pretty good. I just changed the battery for a new one and its pretty ok.
I became a massive ThinkPad fan because of this channel. I resently began my quest in the linux world and wondered if you would make videos about your favorite distros and why. Just a thought. Thanks
"Just one small drop of thermal compound..."
**Proceeds to add a drop almost as big as the die.**
That is a small amount. As you said, what you see there is the die itself, it has no Integrated Heat Spreader, so you using a little bit more for laptops is completely fine. Idk why people obsess so much about this topic.
it's a good job that isn't LIQUID metal LOL
He used 3 times as much as you need, laptop probably runs hotter now.
@@Shiniiee because it seems to be an internet joke
@@Shiniiee Too much thermal paste will act as an insulator and make it hotter, you only need enough to fill in the tiny imperfections between the die and cpu cooler, if they were both nice and level (like what "lapping" attempts to do) then you don't need thermal paste. this is way too much thermal paste.
Little trick I learned regarding the screen - I put small, think sticky rubber feet (around 1mm) on the corners and it helped reduce the imprinting. It did leave a gap for dust to get in if you're chucking into a bag, but I used a slipcase to protect it anyway. Very nice video btw.
I have that screen situation also and was looking for a way to fix it once it's happened. But your idea to keep it from happening, or maybe from getting worse, is worth considering. I still wish there were a way to "refresh" the surface of the screen, but the things I've tried actually made it worse. I guess it's a non-glare coating that there's really no way to un-blemish.
Tip: You can peel off the plasic screen layer to expose real glass underneath. It is nicer to the finger and you will get rid of the keyboard marks. Did this to an T450s touch and Thinkpad Yoga s1. The difference is remarkable!
Yes, I've done it to my laptop aswell. Good tip mate, thank you.
Got this 2 months ago. It is really good
Just bought this model cheap on ebay hope it holds up to expectations
I use a Onelink dock with mine and its just one cable. It's pretty great.
Got to say by far my favorite laptop by far has been my Elitebook 8560w - excellent in every respect.
Having said that being an artist I just bought a 3rd gen X1 Yoga... sadly A LOT more money than I wanted to pay.
I have gen 5 one. Amazing laptop.
I love my X1 Carbon 3rd Gen. Have been using it continuously since 2016. By now the battery no longer has much capacity and I am so happy to come across the video!!! In addition to replacing the battery, I also want to increase the SSD from 512 GB to 1 TB. Regarding the SSD I would appreciate recommendations on a decent and affordable 1 TB SSD. Great video, thank you!
I’m partial to HPs elitebook series and have revived a few over the years, I got a 9480 in really bad shape last year for $40 with an i7. I got another one that was dead and make a great functioning laptop out of them. The 9480 has an SD card slot and docking station slot :P.
I bought a second gen ThinkPad Yoga S1 for 130 pounds; pen, 1080ips, i5 5300u, 8 gigs if ram, and an SSD! Bought a more comfortable pen and made a holder for it by pinching elastic fabric between the back plate. The 2in1ness and pen is seriously awesome.
Great vid as always. How is the car running?
Just ignore any negative comments about MX-4. It is actually one of the better choices for a laptop, especially when factoring in price. Some people are just idiots and don't know what they are talking about.
Now that I think about it, back in the day I used to use Artic Silver 5 for my laptop builds. That might have been the paste people were complaining about, I can't recall entirely though.
@@AAComputersandTechnology AS5 is highly outdated and hasn't been a recommended TIM since the mid 2000's, and it was overhyped back then. It has a complicated two week curing process and needs to be replaced yearly. It wouldn't surprise me one bit to have people posting negative comments on using it.
I think to watch 1 min max but end to watch full video, thanks.
This guy's my hero!
1 tech tip a day
Keeps the macs away
no my wallet does
watching from 2019 macbook pro lol
Thanks TH-cam algorithm that reads my mind! I've been thinking about getting an x1
That little bit of extra length is for allowing installation without damaging and stressing those connections believe it or not. A little counter intuitive but if the battery moves around (dropped etc...) it avoids tension and possibly broken/weakened or shorted connections .
I really like my X1 carbon
I loved my X1 carbon 3rd gen, but it had some serious problem with power after some time. Probably something on motherboard went down and I coudn't track it. Last month I found it in the closed and was amazed, how slim and light it is, even in comparison with nowadays standards.
I got myself a thinkpad e14 gen 2 with ryzen 4500u. Running good .Love the keyboard . Its not backlit though . Got it for around 630$ .
I would recomend non-touch version, as in this video you can see oily matrix of keyboard on display, non touch versions have more space between display and keyboard
I have a 3rd gen X1C with touch screen and never had keyboard marks on the screen
Great video
I got a 3rd gen x1 carbon from a friend for free. Only needed to have Windows installed so I got the factory image from Lenovo as they host the digital download
Thanks for the vid. Was a used pcie an option considered?
I actually own a Lenovo X1 Carbon 3rd Gen. It's super light even by today's standards (1.27 kg for a 14“!). Also, it still works flawlessly.
Francesco Varrato count me in man
I subscribed to your channel after the 30 second intro. I'm so sick of the ultralight, ultra-thin hysteria, and all those 'chiclet' keyboards, that I stopped buying laptops a few years ago, until manufacturers come to their senses!
Just bought this one refurbished from a company for $400. Gotta say, the keyboard is very very good, and the screen is nice. I have the i7-5500 and no touch screen, but the only negative is that I miss usb C on it. But then again, bluetooth works fine so yeah. Great laptop
Just a remark... the screws on the heatsink are numbered. The numbers are supposed to show the order in which they should be tightened, untightening happens in reverse order.
Best video out there yet. Titled video laptop under $350, the laptop and upgraded components actually fit the budget description. All these other videos are just bait
Kudos!!
I would guess that the plastic on the heatsink is there to make applying the thermal paste easier. Put the paste on, take something flat like a credit card and scrape across to give a coating of paste as thick as the plastic.
However, I would recommend removing the plastic strip afterwards!
The pressure on the battery wires is common and normal. You can just push them down off to the side and they will be fine.
Used this iPads are awesome at the moment lenovo p50 are at a decent price 800 for a max space unit with 64gb of ram I think used thinkpad are killer value and I did buy that laptop
"... and a greater invasion of privacy" 🤣
Just sold my 1600$ high performance ultrabook, as it's totally overkill for me, and I can't really play newer games on it. I'm just finishing up grad-school, and will spend my last 3 months writing. Getting my X1 Carbon 3rd gen today! The rest of the money I spent on a killer desktop gaming computer!
Btw, great video man!
how did it work out?
Great video. If you would like to take this upgrade-an-X1 concept even farther, would you consider upgrading a gen 1 machine by replacing the keyboard and touchpad? If so, I would gladly offer my gen1 X1 for the effort.
you can peel off the protecting film on the screen since I notice some marks on it, caused by the keyboard. Peel it off and you'll have a nice glass screen with sharper image and more vibrant color, only downside is the glare of a glossy screen
Good one !
awesome!
Pls do a review and upgrade on Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 4 and 5. Thanks.
Love my Motile (Tongfang) Ultrabook I got from Walmart for $299 with a 3500U(4c/8t), Vega 8 Graphics, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and 1080p IPS Display - The only downside is the single channel RAM but it wasn't a deal breaker
Good video.
Can you do more videos on pcs like this? One's that are a little dated but are still a great value.
6:53 At first I thought it had installed a 2TB SSD or something like that 😂
Can you do the same for ThinkPad with USB C thunderbolt laptop. Great vid.
i was litterally just about to get this exact laptop lol
I'll probably get the non Touch version and replace the tn panel with a new ips display
did you do it? i switched to this laptop from t420 cus the screen was shit, but i realized on this laptop is the screen weak as well, just less visible pixels...is it worthy to upgrade to the wqhd2560x1440 ips screen? someone let me know
update: changed the screen to FHD IPS glossy, totally worth it
Honestly, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme (or it's twin, the P1) isn't too bad for a laptop that falls into the thin-and-light category. I've been using an X1 Extreme Gen 2 as my daily since September and it's probably the best laptop I've ever had. It's not too heavy, but plenty powerful and with the GTX 1650 Max-Q, I can even play the odd game every now and then (usually Final Fantasy XIV or Forza Horizon 4).
Great video. Can you do a video on the thinkpad x1 yoga. Im a math teacher and I use the digital pen it has.
Thanks
The only gripe I have with Lenovo is the keyboard and buttons marking the screen. Nubs are mandatory lol. The only other laptop brand I'd buy is the Panasonic tough book. I always turn the screw backwards until I hear a click before tightening it up.
Just discovered this channel and hence, this video. Is the P series not the perfect blend of T series and x1 carbons? I bought a p50s on Craigslist for $200. 6th gen i7, ram in slots, 512gb 2.5" ssd, better I/O, docking port, dedicated gpu. Amazon had a deal of the day shortly afterwards and I got a 90w ultradock and charger for $17! The screen isn't great and having 2 batteries is a little strange but it's been an awesome little workhorse
Really missed my X1C 3rd Gen that I got back in May 2022 for around ₱8000 ($140).. It’s a Japanese Model with a 1080p Display.. unfortunately it only lasted for about 4 Months as for unknown reasons it just won’t turn on anymore.. already moved on and got an Acer Nitro 5 last year, but part of me still wanted to have it fixed..
looks like its nice laptop
I don't think I'll ever go back to a dual core i5/i7 laptop or computer in general after having my 4C/8T i7 6820HQ T460p for a little while now. It's so slow in comparison that it's agonizing to go back to, it really is!
What are the screen specs? Is the X1 good to install Mac OS?
Hi. Iam from Portugal. I have one of this model. Can i upgrade de motherboard? For example, replace the i5 8gram, for a i7 16 g ram? If I bought a motherboard sold seperately , the same generation board, it will works? Great video.
Hi I have to ask, as I'm a massive thinkpad fan (sort of a setup related question) but how do you find it with having a desktop and a powerful W541 together? I'm currently using a docked X260, but been considering a P50 or building a desktop. Do you have a preference which you prefer using and why?
Great Video . Please let me know if I can replace my X1 Carbon 3rd Gen Motherboard with i5-5 Gen processor BY another x1 Carbon 3rd Gen Motherboard with i7-5 gen processor ?? basically upgrading processor here. Is it a straight forward replacement? Thanks
Hi Mate, Thanks for the great video. Just got one quick question, are you be able to upgrade the memory for this X1 Gen3 ?
He mentioned it in 2:20 that the RAM is soldered to the board, so unfortunately you can’t upgrade the RAM in this laptop.
Still i am amazed to see bloggers use a cheap wallmart screwdriver and use it as a pointing device inside the delicate lenovo electronics without being correctly grounded,one little static and the X1 is history 😞
T440 P for video editing and Maya 3D work. Would you recommend it?
I have a second-gen Thinkpad X1 Carbon. Where did you find a new battery?
For some reason TH-cam autounsubbed me from your channel :( Anyways, I've posted this video to r/thinkpad. Hope some new people discover your channel today!
Can you replace the RAM? Or is it soldered in? I may have missed where you pointed out the ram in the video.
I love my Lenovo Thinkpad T61 notebook
Yes T61 is a beast! Mine came from the trash and it's still kickin! I just ordered a 4th gen X1 off ebay with my stimmy so I'm psyched to try it out
Technically the 3rd Gen X1 Carbon does have a dedicated docking port - however, it’s combined with the power port so isn’t on the underside. It isn’t USB based, however.
We have sold over 400 t510s Not a problem with any of them.
You may want to go back blank out the tracking ID.
The dock is fantastic. You should try it. single connector for power and USB. supports 4K screen, GbE, USB2.0, USB 3.0 2 physical displays and sound.
and really really cheap
I've been running an X1 Carbon 3rd gen for a couple years now and love it. I was wondering if replacing the thermal paste has given any noticeable improvement?
usually you could drop the temp by 2-5c depending on how old or bad the original thermal paste is.
What game was shown at the end of the video? Thanks!
I actually used mx-4 even in my PS4 and Xbox One.. Thermal performance got improved and never got any issues with it.
Other thermal paste brands were really shitty. Mostly they were really dried out and had to remove. The mx-4 even after 3 years was in really good condition.
That looks like a nice machine, but there's not all that much of a price difference between that old Thinkpad and a 1-2 year old (or even a runout new) ultrabook running an i5-8250u. I'd assume you could get a tidy 8th gen i5 ultrabook for about $500?
How much of the depreciation on a new machine occurs within the first couple of years (or even as soon as the box is opened)? :)