Lenovo ThinkPad T420s
Review Summary:
The Lenovo T420s is a lightweight 14-inch business notebook configurable with up to an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia NVS 4200M Optimus graphics.
Pros
- ThinkPad classic looks and build quality
- ThinkPad keyboard
- Light weight for display size
- Full feature set including USB 3.0
Cons
- Uses 7mm storage devices
- Low capacity battery
- Most ports are at the back
- No backlit keyboard option
- Poor display for price range
Lenovo ThinkPad T420s User Full Review
If you're looking for a thin and light 14-inch business notebook, what better person to ask about it than someone who owns several? Keep reading to find out what one of our regular contributors has to say about the ThinkPad T420s.
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I had planned to keep my Dell Latitude E6410 for a while, partly to avoid the migration to a 16:9 display. Maybe it was the arrival of the next generation of hardware or maybe I’m getting too old to enjoy carrying the E6410 with its 9-cell battery, but I started to look around. The Dell E6420 quickly disqualified itself from consideration because it was even heavier than its predecessor. I wanted a 14-inch display with 900 vertical pixels which limited the choices. The Lenovo ThinkPad T420 claimed to be a bit lighter than the Dell, although I never trust manufacturer’s weights, but the ThinkPad T420s would definitely be lighter and worthy of consideration.
I then had to do my homework to figure out the potential drawbacks of the T420s, particularly in terms of the compromises caused by the lower weight and reduced thickness. I decided that it was worth the risk and when a Lenovo Easter 10% off voucher appeared I placed an order.
This review makes references to both the review of the ThinkPad T410s and my review of the Dell E6410.
The specifications of my ThinkPad T420s (model 4171CTO) are:
- Processor: Intel i5-2520M CPU (2.5GHz with TurboBoost to 3.2GHz, 3MB cache)
- Chipset: Intel QM67
- Screen: 14.0" anti-glare 1600 x 900 WXGA+ LED Backlit
- Memory: 1 x 2GB DDR3-1333 PC-10600 RAM (Samsung, 9-9-9-20) (to be upgraded)
- Storage: 7mm thick 320GB 7200rpm HDD (Seagate Momentus Thin)
- Optical Drive: 9.5mm thick SATA (Panasonic UJ8A2 )
- Wireless: Intel 6300 802.11a/g/n (an extra cost option)
- Graphics: Intel HD3000 (an extra cost option)
- UK keyboard
- Lenovo Trackpoint + Synaptics touchpad (77mm x 45mm / 3” x 1¾ ”)
- 34mm ExpressCard slot with SD card reader (an extra cost option)
- Web camera and microphone
- Battery: 44Wh 6-cell + optional 33Wh Ultrabay battery
- Standard 65W PSU
- Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
- Dimensions: 343 x 230 x 24-27mm (excluding feet 2mm to 4mm long) or 13.5" x 9.1" x 0.95-1.05"
- Advertised weight: Lenovo’s T420s datasheet states “3.94 lbs (1.78 kg) with optical drive”
- Actual weight: 1.83kg / 4.03 lbs (with Intel graphics, 6 cell battery, 2.5” HDD and optical drive)
- Travel weight: 2.18kg / 4.8 lbs (with standard 65W PSU and 1m mains cable)
- Weight with main and Ultrabay batteries: 1.94kg / 4.28lbs
 Weight with optical drive and PSU |  Weight with the optical drive and no PSU |
The difference between the measured and advertised weight could be explained by the possible use of a minicard (micro SATA) SSD instead of a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD. Compared with most advertised notebook weights, Lenovo’s weight is plausible.
 A comparison of thicknesses: Top to bottom: Dell Latitude E4300, Toshiba R700, Lenovo ThinkPad T420s and Dell Latitude E6410. The T420s narrows towards the front. |
Build and Design
The T420s has a very similar appearance and layout to its predecessor, the T410s. It is slightly wider with a reduced front-to-back depth in order to better accommodate the wider display. The internal hardware has been upgraded to use Intel’s Sandy Bridge platform , the main storage bay uses the recently introduced 7mm thick 2.5” drives instead of 1.8-inch devices and a USB 3.0 port replaces the USB 2.0 / eSATA combo port. Two notable design features of the T420s are that the battery is at the front (under the right palm rest) and most of the ports are on the back. The keyboard is located as near the screen as possible which provides space for generous palm rests and a large touchpad.
The T420s has a very similar appearance and layout to its predecessor, the T410s. It is slightly wider with a reduced front-to-back depth in order to better accommodate the wider display. The internal hardware has been upgraded to use Intel’s Sandy Bridge platform , the main storage bay uses the recently introduced 7mm thick 2.5” drives instead of 1.8-inch devices and a USB 3.0 port replaces the USB 2.0 / eSATA combo port. Two notable design features of the T420s are that the battery is at the front (under the right palm rest) and most of the ports are on the back. The keyboard is located as near the screen as possible which provides space for generous palm rests and a large touchpad.
The T420s comes in what appears to be black or dark grey matte paint depending on the lighting, with a few hints of colour (red trackpoint stick and highlights on trackpoint buttons plus blue ThinkVantage and enter keys) to provide a little contrast. There are no shiny surfaces to show every fingerprint.
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The main hard disk / SSD sits in a cage with rubber runners that provide both shock and vibration isolation. This is a different arrangement to on the Dell E6410 where the HDD is fixed directly into the chassis. Below is a photo of the HDD / SSD caddy with rubber runners.
The T420s is slightly wider than the Dell E6410 but has less front-to-back depth. When placed side-by-side with the Dell E6410 the difference in thickness is not very noticeable. One reason for this is that the T420s has longer feet that raise it above the table but don’t affect the travel thickness.
 Bottom of T420s with RAM cover open, HDD cover off and battery out |  Close up of RAM, WiFi card and slot for WWAN card or mSATA device |
I haven’t tried removing the base of the T420s. It doesn’t have the convenient one piece removable base of the Dell. There is a cover for the memory, WiFi and WWAN or mSATA while the main storage device comes out at one side.
Ports and Features
The T420s has almost the same selection of ports as the T410s.The only significant change is that the eSATA/USB combo port has been changed to a USB 3.0 port. I would have preferred to have been given both the eSATA and USB 3.0 options. Thus the total port count is two USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 ports, a VGA port, a LAN port, a DisplayPort socket, a 34mm ExpreessCard socket (with an optional SD card adaptor) and a docking station connector on the base. One of the USB ports can be used for charging portable devices when the computer is off. For me, the port layout is a major step backwards compared to the Dell E6410 which had most of the ports on the sides. Putting the USB ports on the back is an inconvenience, particularly when it is necessary to look into the socket to see which one is blue (USB 3.0) and which one is yellow (can be used for charging).
The T420s has almost the same selection of ports as the T410s.The only significant change is that the eSATA/USB combo port has been changed to a USB 3.0 port. I would have preferred to have been given both the eSATA and USB 3.0 options. Thus the total port count is two USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 ports, a VGA port, a LAN port, a DisplayPort socket, a 34mm ExpreessCard socket (with an optional SD card adaptor) and a docking station connector on the base. One of the USB ports can be used for charging portable devices when the computer is off. For me, the port layout is a major step backwards compared to the Dell E6410 which had most of the ports on the sides. Putting the USB ports on the back is an inconvenience, particularly when it is necessary to look into the socket to see which one is blue (USB 3.0) and which one is yellow (can be used for charging).
Front: Just the display release catch
Back: AC adaptor socket, LAN port, USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 port (with charging option), DisplayPort, VGA port and fan exhaust. Also, hidden in the battery compartment is a SIM card slot for the optional WWAN module.
Left side: Fan air intake, USB 2.0 port, headphone / microphone combo audio port, optional SD card reader in 34mm ExpressCard slot, cover for storage bay
Right side: Hardware wireless switch; optical drive in UltraBay (optional battery and adaptor available for storage device)and securityslit.
Optical Drive and UltraBay
The optical drive is a super-slim 9.5mm (3/8”) thick unit with an SATA connector. I received a Panasonic UJ8A2. It has the full set of DVD burning facilities including burning both +R and -R double-layer discs. The optical drive is one of three options for the UltraBay, the others being a 3 cell battery and a 2.5-inch storage device caddy. (I can confirm that the older caddy P/N 26R9247 and the older battery P/N 43R8890 both work with the T420s and may be easier to source than the newer parts).
The optical drive is a super-slim 9.5mm (3/8”) thick unit with an SATA connector. I received a Panasonic UJ8A2. It has the full set of DVD burning facilities including burning both +R and -R double-layer discs. The optical drive is one of three options for the UltraBay, the others being a 3 cell battery and a 2.5-inch storage device caddy. (I can confirm that the older caddy P/N 26R9247 and the older battery P/N 43R8890 both work with the T420s and may be easier to source than the newer parts).
My one grievance about the UltraBay is the fiddly release mechanism. Perhaps it's a deliberate design to encourage users to shut down their computer, but trying to lift up the side of the computer and operate the release mechanism with the computer running is a test of manual dexterity.
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ThinkPads are renowned for their good keyboards and the T420s is no exception. The T420s keyboard appears to have the same 7 row layout as its predecessor. It has an extra-large Enter key while the Escape and Delete buttons are double height. The BIOS is Lenovo allows you to swap the function and control keys through software (Lenovo are one of the few notebook manufacturers to have the Fn key in the corner). However, there is no provision to physically swap the keys which are different sizes. The keyboard also offers page forward and page back keys for stepping between web pages (unfortunately this functionality does not work with PDF files).
Above the keyboard are physical volume controls and both speaker and microphone mute buttons. There is also a blue ThinkVantage button. The speakers are on each side of the keyboard. Lenovo have yet to adopt backlit keyboards and provide their ThinkLight (a small LED in the top display bezel which shines towards the keyboard). It doesn’t provide very uniform illumination but its better than nothing.
The T420s uses Lenovo’s UltraNav solution which comprises both the TrackPoint stick and a touchpad. The touchpad is a medium-sized 77mm x 45mm Lenovo branded Synaptics touchpad which supports various multi-touch gestures. The touchpad has a textured surface and is flush with the palmrest. However, the touchpad buttons are relatively small and on the front edge of the chassis.
The TrackPoint is very smooth to operate. I've had a tendency to use it with the middle button for scrolling down pages which I find easier to use than the scrolling on the touchpad. There are only three status indicator lights above the keyboard which are: Wireless on, Bluetooth on; and hard disk activity. The CapsLock key includes its own status light.
Webcam and Microphone
Lenovo’s T420s datasheet describes the webcam as 720p with low light sensitivity. By default, it is set to work at 640 x 480 resolution which is sufficient for webcam video, but the maximum resolution is 1280 x 720. The relatively thin display doesn’t provide much space, but it’s good enough for normal business usage. Pressing Fn+F6 opens the communications settings software which can adjust various features such as zoom and face tracking. The T420s has two microphones located on the top display bezel (and hence, remote from machine noise) and there is an option to suppress keyboard noise.
Lenovo’s T420s datasheet describes the webcam as 720p with low light sensitivity. By default, it is set to work at 640 x 480 resolution which is sufficient for webcam video, but the maximum resolution is 1280 x 720. The relatively thin display doesn’t provide much space, but it’s good enough for normal business usage. Pressing Fn+F6 opens the communications settings software which can adjust various features such as zoom and face tracking. The T420s has two microphones located on the top display bezel (and hence, remote from machine noise) and there is an option to suppress keyboard noise.
Screen and Speakers
Prior to me receiving my T420s there had been discussion, much of it negative, about the quality of the T420 / T420s display. I was therefore relieved that my display was adequately bright and had good contrast. It proved to be made by LG-Philips (HWiNFO32 reports it as LP140WD2-TLB1 and the Lenovo parts lookup says it is part 93P5689 LGD). The maximum brightness is noticeably darker than on the Dell E6410, but I normally used that screen at about ¾ brightness because at full brightness, it started to wash out with reduced contrast. The T420s’ display is just about bright enough for working outside while the minimum brightness is very dark and unsuitable for normal use.
Prior to me receiving my T420s there had been discussion, much of it negative, about the quality of the T420 / T420s display. I was therefore relieved that my display was adequately bright and had good contrast. It proved to be made by LG-Philips (HWiNFO32 reports it as LP140WD2-TLB1 and the Lenovo parts lookup says it is part 93P5689 LGD). The maximum brightness is noticeably darker than on the Dell E6410, but I normally used that screen at about ¾ brightness because at full brightness, it started to wash out with reduced contrast. The T420s’ display is just about bright enough for working outside while the minimum brightness is very dark and unsuitable for normal use.
The difference in the screen shape and area compared to the 14.1-inch display in my Dell E6410 are very noticeable. The 16:9 aspect ratio is not business-friendly, but we seem to be lumbered by the display manufacturers’ quest for economies. While I have a screen that still displays 900 vertical pixels, they are about 8% smaller in height on the new screen.
Comparison of display sizes: 16:10 14.1” on left and 16:9 14” on right
The other issue with the display is the noticeable graininess or ‘griddiness’ wherein gridlines can be seen. These are very noticeable close up and are also visible with grey text or grey backgrounds. I’ve spent significant time trying to tune the overall display both using the Windows 7 Calibrate and ClearType Tuner tools and making adjustments within the Intel graphics driver (reducing gamma to 0.9 mad a noticeable difference) and have achieved a satisfactory outcome. However, Lenovo should be making such tweaks at the BIOS or graphics driver level instead of leaving customers to optimise their displays. A notebook in this price range should come with a good quality display.
 Lenovo T420s |  Dell E6410 |  Toshiba R700 |
The close-up photos below make a detailed comparison between my T420s’ screen with (i) the Dell E6410 (1440 x 900 matte) and (ii) the Toshiba R700 (1366 x 768 matte). Click on the images to see the detail.
Viewing angles for the display are typical with reasonable horizontal angles but more limited vertical angles. Viewed from above, the image washes out and there is excessive contrast and colour inversion when viewed from below. This is the same as on my Dell E6410. I find that the optimum viewing angle for normal usage is when the display is pushed back a little from the straight on position.
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The T420s’ speakers are mounted each side of the keyboard. They are noticeably louder than the speakers in the Dell E6410 (perhaps a benefit of the wider chassis giving some more space) and have a relatively better bass response. There also seems to be a better stereo effect. Listening to music through these speakers is a more pleasant experience than on the Dell E6410.
Performance and Benchmarks
How does the performance of my T420s compare with the Dell E6410? On paper, the CPU speed is similar. The Core i5-2520M CPU has a nominal maximum speed of 2.5GHz with TurboBoost allowing up to 3.2GHz under certain conditions. The CPU can not only run two threads per core, but the integration of the memory controller and GPU within the CPU die has enabled faster memory access and graphics performance. All the benchmarks have been run using 2 x 2GB RAM and some benchmarks have been run with both the supplied 320GB 7200rpm HDD and an Intel 320 SSD in order to see the impact of the SSD on results.
How does the performance of my T420s compare with the Dell E6410? On paper, the CPU speed is similar. The Core i5-2520M CPU has a nominal maximum speed of 2.5GHz with TurboBoost allowing up to 3.2GHz under certain conditions. The CPU can not only run two threads per core, but the integration of the memory controller and GPU within the CPU die has enabled faster memory access and graphics performance. All the benchmarks have been run using 2 x 2GB RAM and some benchmarks have been run with both the supplied 320GB 7200rpm HDD and an Intel 320 SSD in order to see the impact of the SSD on results.
Wprime (32M) processor comparison results (lower times mean better performance):
PCMark05 is a relatively old benchmark which measures overall performance. I am including it here because it enables comparison with some tests on older notebooks. On this benchmark the T420s lies ahead of my other computers while the Intel 320SSD gives a further major boost to performance.
PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):
PCMark Vantage is a newer and more thorough benchmark that tests a range of typical usage patterns. The T420s with a HDD represents a modest improvement on the T410s (which had a slower 1.8-inch HDD) but addition of the Intel SSD provids a major performance boost.
3DMark06 is used to measure 3D graphics gaming performance. I have included the results here to show how the performance of the Intel integrated GPU has improved over the past few years. According to this benchmark the Intel HD graphics in my T420s is substantially faster than the Nvidia GPU in the T410s. It’s time to check if my Flight Simulator will run smoothly using integrated graphics!
3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):
The Cinebench benchmark provides a useful measure of graphics rendering and OpenGL performance. It can be seen that the T420s represents a significant improvement over the E6410, particularly with the OpenGL benchmark. The 64 bit version of this software also shows a significant improvement in speed relative to the 32 bit version running on the same hardware.
Cinebench 10 results for graphics rendering and OpenGL performance (higher is better):
The supplied hard disk is a 7200rpm 320GB Seagate Momentus Thin. This uses only one platter. This is the first time I have measured a transfer rate of over 100MB/s on a 2.5-inch HDD.
The supplied hard disk is a 7200rpm 320GB Seagate Momentus Thin. This uses only one platter. This is the first time I have measured a transfer rate of over 100MB/s on a 2.5-inch HDD.
CrystalDiskMark and HD Tune storage drive performance results:
Heat and Noise
The cooling system of the T420s should be capable of dissipating the heat from the version equipped with a dedicated GPU. Keeping a Core i5 processor with Intel integrated graphics cool should therefore not be a challenge. However, given the noise created by the fan in response to sustained full CPU load, together with a maximum CPU temperature of around 90°C there, does not appear to leave much thermal headroom. The cooling fan appears to have three speeds: A quiet 2,000rpm, a slightly audible 4,000rpm and a noisy 4,700rpm. The thermal rules in the BIOS leave scope for improvement: Once the fan is running, then it is reluctant to stop; even with the computer on idle and a CPU temperature of 45°C. On one occasion, it continued to run at the maximum speed until I shut down the computer.
The cooling system of the T420s should be capable of dissipating the heat from the version equipped with a dedicated GPU. Keeping a Core i5 processor with Intel integrated graphics cool should therefore not be a challenge. However, given the noise created by the fan in response to sustained full CPU load, together with a maximum CPU temperature of around 90°C there, does not appear to leave much thermal headroom. The cooling fan appears to have three speeds: A quiet 2,000rpm, a slightly audible 4,000rpm and a noisy 4,700rpm. The thermal rules in the BIOS leave scope for improvement: Once the fan is running, then it is reluctant to stop; even with the computer on idle and a CPU temperature of 45°C. On one occasion, it continued to run at the maximum speed until I shut down the computer.
If users wish to avoid this much fan noise, then they can use Lenovo’s Power Manager opt to sacrifice performance in favour of a quieter life. Power Manager provides a visual indication of the effect of changes in the power settings.
Under heavy stress of benchmarking the system, the case temperatures were a maximum of 90°F on the keyboard-side and slightly hotter on the bottom with a peak of 102°F near the CPU fan. This is getting warm, but the location means that user contact is unlikely even if the computer is being used on a lap.
Maximum temperatures (°F) during benchmarking:
Battery and Power Consumption
Purchasers can order either a 65W or a 90W PSU. My measurements at the mains socket indicate that 65W is sufficient for a T420s with the Intel graphics and I prefer the smaller power supply for reduced baggage.
Purchasers can order either a 65W or a 90W PSU. My measurements at the mains socket indicate that 65W is sufficient for a T420s with the Intel graphics and I prefer the smaller power supply for reduced baggage.
The T420s has a standard 6-cell battery rated at 44Whr. This is only about 2/3rds of the capacity of the 6-cell batteries used in many notebooks. The small cells presumably reflect a desire to minimise weight and thickness. The main battery can be supplemented by using a second UltraBay battery to add about 70% to the overall capacity.
If an UltraBay battery is present, then the computer will deplete that first. The user could then swap the battery for another one. However, when charging the batteries the computer will recharge the main battery first.
Battery Life
The Arrandale CPUs represented a step forwards in performance and a step backwards in power efficiency. Intel have rectified the latter with the new CPUs (the cynic in me believes that the incremental improvements are part of a marketing strategy). The i5-2520M CPU will run at only 800MHz under light load which helps reduce the idle power consumption.
The Arrandale CPUs represented a step forwards in performance and a step backwards in power efficiency. Intel have rectified the latter with the new CPUs (the cynic in me believes that the incremental improvements are part of a marketing strategy). The i5-2520M CPU will run at only 800MHz under light load which helps reduce the idle power consumption.
Battery run time depends on the usage conditions and display brightness. Under light usage (such as working on a Word document with other programs closed) with the display at half brightness (anything lower is getting very dim) my T420s has a power drain of 7.5W to 8W. Under moderate usage (such as a web browser with many tabs open) the power drain is 10W to 12W. What do these numbers mean? Divide the battery capacity by the power drain and you get the potential run time. That means about 5 hours, perhaps a bit more, with light usage and 3 to 4 hours of moderate usage using the main battery only, and 5 to 8 hours with an UltraBay battery to help out.
Lenovo’s Power Manager appears to have some optimism since, with both batteries on board it has forecast 10 hours. However, I haven’t had the patience to prove it right. Instead, I have bought a second UltraBay battery (a previous generation one which is slightly lower capacity but easier to find) for the occasions when I’m short of mains power.
Conclusion
Lenovo have achieved the objective of a thinner, lighter version of the T420. However, it comes with two noticeable compromises: A lower capacity battery; and a smaller cooling system which is barely up to the task. The 16:9 aspect ratio display is another less satisfactory feature. I’m getting used to it, but my reaction to turning my Dell E6410 on is the delight of looking at the bigger display. The quality of the display also leaves something to be desired and it appears that Lenovo could have done more to optimise settings to get the best from the available panels. However, to quote an old English proverb: “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
Lenovo have achieved the objective of a thinner, lighter version of the T420. However, it comes with two noticeable compromises: A lower capacity battery; and a smaller cooling system which is barely up to the task. The 16:9 aspect ratio display is another less satisfactory feature. I’m getting used to it, but my reaction to turning my Dell E6410 on is the delight of looking at the bigger display. The quality of the display also leaves something to be desired and it appears that Lenovo could have done more to optimise settings to get the best from the available panels. However, to quote an old English proverb: “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
So, am I happy with my purchase? Overall, yes. I’ll get used to the clattery keyboard because it is otherwise pleasant to use. I’ll rarely be needing sustained CPU usage that makes the fan scream (and I can turn on some music to drown the keyboard and noise). And now I’ve managed to tweak the display settings, it looks OK until I look at another, better screen. Finally, I was wanting less weight and in that area the T420s meets the requirements although the UltraBay battery starts to erode the weight margin. This is the first time I’ve bought a Thinkpad. It’s too early to predict if I will repeat the experience but I have invested in the 3 year on-site warranty in case I encounter any problems.
Pros:
- Light weight for display size
- ThinkPad classic looks and build quality
- ThinkPad keyboard
- Full feature set including USB 3.0
- Good pointing device options
Cons:
- Poor quality display for price range
- Low capacity battery
- Most ports are at the back
- Uses 7mm storage devices with capacity limit
Individual Ratings: *
Software & Support
Upgrade Capabilities
Usability
Design
Performance
Features
Price/Value Rating
* Ratings averaged to produce final score
Software & Support
Upgrade Capabilities
Usability
Design
Performance
Features
Price/Value Rating
* Ratings averaged to produce final score
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