I picked up a used X220 for $95 at a ham radio flea market. It had the I5 processor, 8gb of ram and a 320gb HD. I replaced the HD with a 250gb SATA SSD, and added an 80gb mSATA SSD. I set up the mSATA drive as the boot volume, and I'm using the SATA drive as my /home partition in an install of Linux Mint. The computer boots like a bat out of hell, it's FAST! I only wish that the screen resolution was better than the 720p-ish, but Lenovo never offered full HD on the X220. The screen is a TN, but it's not as bad as many report. I do have to adjust the viewing angle for best results, but I can live with it.
Damn, so foolproof! In the Netherlands we say "kort maar krachtig", which would roughly translate to "short but strong". I think that fits this video best.
Thanks for the quick, clear instructions. At first I was a little confused because the mSata connection in my X220t was already busy. The previously unused UMTS card has now been replaced with a 256GB SSD. Great
Very nice video! Very short, but also very informational! I really like how you went straight to the point and expertly guided your viewers on what to do. It's a breath of fresh air from those other videos that are 90% advertisement for themselves. Keep it up!
Your voice is changing. Ah, puberty. Nice video btw. It's well done. It would be nice if other "how to" youtubers were as objective as you are. In less than five minutes you explained everything.
+Gabriel Couto I just wish there were other tutorial channels that spent at least as long telling you how do do the thing as they do telling you to subscribe.
Need opinion, I am watching this video in 2021 and have x220 from 2016. I upgraded it with Kingston SSD 256GB Hard drive and installed windows7 on it. Now I want to install Ubuntu for some work. Is this viable to upgrade it with mSATA 256 GB or 128 GB and install Linux OS in that? your response is highly appreciable
Very good short video!! managed to settle mins in minutes, thanks!! Able to use m2 SSD + mSata adapter, Mine the (1st notebook) works like a charm!! but my brother's notebook (same X220) run well for 2 days then suddenly stopped and when booted up it shows only the old HDD today my friend brought over his X220, tried to do the same trick, but this time the m2 SSD cannot detected at all any clue? all using the same mSata adapter, same brand m2 SSD 2242, same RAM, same Thinkpad model
Nice vid. The only thing I would add is to take a couple of minutes to clean out the cooling fan fins while you have it open. Not saying that yours needed it, but heck, why waste a perfectly good opportunity to take care of that little task.
Yes. I'm not sure if the X220 was available from the factory with an SSD there, but most do not have one installed, so it's usually empty. You can check if there's already a drive in the slot by checking how many drives your computer says it has. If it has two (not counting USB drives, CD drive in docking station, network drives, etc.), then the slot is used. If it has one, the slot is probably empty, but to be sure you should turn the computer off, remove the Phillips screw on the right of the laptop's bottom (battery facing away from you), pull the drive sled out, and see if there is a drive in it. If there is a drive in the sled and your computer reports having only one drive, then the slot is empty. If the sled is empty but your computer still reports having a drive, then the slot is taken up by a drive.
On the base model yes, although Lenovo did give you the option to have an WWAN card installed in this slot on the more expensive models of this laptop. Thankfully, they also made this slot compatible with an mSATA SSD.
Yes, just make sure that when you copy your operating system you do so correctly (make sure the new drive gets the bootloader, is set as active, etc). There are programs designed specifically to help you clone the drive and do that.
Cumbersome? That's weird to hear, because I found the X220 to be one of the easiest to open among my collection. You just need one size of a screwdriver, and there are only two types of screws in the entire laptop. Well, maybe three if you count the ones keeping the LCD in place in the lid, but other than that... I swapped the bottom casing, DC jack and palmrest just a few days ago, and the entire laptop was taken apart and put back together in less than an hour.
computer1up I worked with a variety of different lenovos at a warehouse facility and whenever someone tries to install ram or wwan cards, the bottom bezel ends up cracking if not done carefully. Most of the time when I was working on Lenovos its usually either a thin one piece bottom bezel or a L- shaped panel underneath the units. Either that or everyone seems to purchase those particular models though them.
True, but I've had other laptops that were waayy more difficult to get open. Or just required a lot more work. But then again, being careful when opening up any kind of laptop is a must anyway. Hehe
I picked up a used X220 for $95 at a ham radio flea market. It had the I5 processor, 8gb of ram and a 320gb HD. I replaced the HD with a 250gb SATA SSD, and added an 80gb mSATA SSD. I set up the mSATA drive as the boot volume, and I'm using the SATA drive as my /home partition in an install of Linux Mint. The computer boots like a bat out of hell, it's FAST! I only wish that the screen resolution was better than the 720p-ish, but Lenovo never offered full HD on the X220. The screen is a TN, but it's not as bad as many report. I do have to adjust the viewing angle for best results, but I can live with it.
There is mod kit that allows you to install a 1080p screen
That is what a video based tutorial is supposed to be. Clear instructions. Thank you
Damn, so foolproof! In the Netherlands we say "kort maar krachtig", which would roughly translate to "short but strong". I think that fits this video best.
Thanks for the quick, clear instructions. At first I was a little confused because the mSata connection in my X220t was already busy. The previously unused UMTS card has now been replaced with a 256GB SSD. Great
Very nice video! Very short, but also very informational! I really like how you went straight to the point and expertly guided your viewers on what to do. It's a breath of fresh air from those other videos that are 90% advertisement for themselves. Keep it up!
Your voice is changing. Ah, puberty. Nice video btw. It's well done.
It would be nice if other "how to" youtubers were as objective as you are. In less than five minutes you explained everything.
+Gabriel Couto I just wish there were other tutorial channels that spent at least as long telling you how do do the thing as they do telling you to subscribe.
Need opinion, I am watching this video in 2021 and have x220 from 2016. I upgraded it with Kingston SSD 256GB Hard drive and installed windows7 on it. Now I want to install Ubuntu for some work. Is this viable to upgrade it with mSATA 256 GB or 128 GB and install Linux OS in that? your response is highly appreciable
Terrific tutorial. Followed everything step by step perfectly until I realized I bought a 2.5 inch SATA ssd and not an MSATA (DERRR!)
What’s with the red and blue wire? What do they do? And does the ssd card have to be connected with any of those wires?
Thanks, easy to follow.
I buy an m.2 SSD for this portatil thinking is compatible
Very good short video!! managed to settle mins in minutes, thanks!! Able to use m2 SSD + mSata adapter,
Mine the (1st notebook) works like a charm!!
but my brother's notebook (same X220) run well for 2 days then suddenly stopped and when booted up it shows only the old HDD
today my friend brought over his X220, tried to do the same trick, but this time the m2 SSD cannot detected at all
any clue? all using the same mSata adapter, same brand m2 SSD 2242, same RAM, same Thinkpad model
thanks for making this video, sure make it easy removing the keyboard
Nice vid. The only thing I would add is to take a couple of minutes to clean out the cooling fan fins while you have it open. Not saying that yours needed it, but heck, why waste a perfectly good opportunity to take care of that little task.
Question!
Can I do it on a T420, removing the 3G module?
yes
Your video helped me so much. Thank you!
Great video. Is that drive bay normally empty?
Yes. I'm not sure if the X220 was available from the factory with an SSD there, but most do not have one installed, so it's usually empty. You can check if there's already a drive in the slot by checking how many drives your computer says it has. If it has two (not counting USB drives, CD drive in docking station, network drives, etc.), then the slot is used. If it has one, the slot is probably empty, but to be sure you should turn the computer off, remove the Phillips screw on the right of the laptop's bottom (battery facing away from you), pull the drive sled out, and see if there is a drive in it. If there is a drive in the sled and your computer reports having only one drive, then the slot is empty. If the sled is empty but your computer still reports having a drive, then the slot is taken up by a drive.
On the base model yes, although Lenovo did give you the option to have an WWAN card installed in this slot on the more expensive models of this laptop.
Thankfully, they also made this slot compatible with an mSATA SSD.
Is that a m.2 2242 ssd? I though the screw hole is not on the side but at mid of the that side
It's not M.2 at all. It's mSATA.
whats the newest osx this can run?
So remind me again what is an mSATA module good for if I already have an SSD in the drive bay? More storage I guess.
mSATA SSD as a system/boot drive + gigantic HDD in the 2.5" bay for storage
I have an X270 with dual drives, yet I feel compelled to buy an X220 for the keyboard and upgrade it as well.
#ThinkPadMasterRace
M. Muzammil Shaikh would have been nice if a backlit keyboard was an option
If you move Windows to msata ssd and pull out the main hard drive Lenovo x220 will work?
I want to be only msata ssd 500Gb.
Yes, just make sure that when you copy your operating system you do so correctly (make sure the new drive gets the bootloader, is set as active, etc). There are programs designed specifically to help you clone the drive and do that.
well, ten months and your voice is coming along nicely. I would advise you to normalise the volume of your videos. I winced when the opening played.
+Mohamad Nazry Bin Noordin Hmm, intro volume is the same as normal here but maybe the voiceover was quiet. Will look into it.
Thx for the video.... BUT DO YOU HAVE TO TALK A MILLION MPH?!?!?
Very thorough tutorial on some of the most cumbersome laptops made from china! Good job!
Cumbersome? That's weird to hear, because I found the X220 to be one of the easiest to open among my collection. You just need one size of a screwdriver, and there are only two types of screws in the entire laptop. Well, maybe three if you count the ones keeping the LCD in place in the lid, but other than that... I swapped the bottom casing, DC jack and palmrest just a few days ago, and the entire laptop was taken apart and put back together in less than an hour.
computer1up I worked with a variety of different lenovos at a warehouse facility and whenever someone tries to install ram or wwan cards, the bottom bezel ends up cracking if not done carefully. Most of the time when I was working on Lenovos its usually either a thin one piece bottom bezel or a L- shaped panel underneath the units. Either that or everyone seems to purchase those particular models though them.
True, but I've had other laptops that were waayy more difficult to get open. Or just required a lot more work. But then again, being careful when opening up any kind of laptop is a must anyway. Hehe
computer1up Of course, although probably the most mess ups occurred when it was on urgent orders.
I like your accent!
Get rid off all mechanical HHD and just stick a 1tb SSD in the side slot! so much easier!
That's certainly an option, but this allows you to have two drives, which is useful to a lot of people.
@@Dodoid True but for me a 1TB ssd is optimal i just like to keep it simple! Cheers
@@NathanChisholm041 Yeah, outright swapping the drive is a totally legit option. Having two just lets you pack even more storage into the machine.
@@Dodoid I was considering doing that but i though 1tb should do but i like the idea off the OS on one drive and media and games on the other.
Do more videos on dumpster dive computers
this kid needs to finish his puberty