Lenovo ThinkPad T420i Review

The Lenovo ThinkPad T420i 14-inch screen laptop is a budget version of the ThinkPad T420 business laptop.   Don’t think that “budget” in any way equates to inferior though, the only difference between the T420i and the fully fledged T420 is the fact the T420i comes with a budget friendly Intel Core i3-2310m processor, which actually has more than adequate performance for most business software needs.   Outside of that  the T420i has the same high quality build, legendary ThinkPad keyboard, and port selection that you get with the T420.   This review of the ThinkPad T420i will focus on the strength of the laptop as a work and not so much on performance and benchmark numbers, though rest assured with the inclusion of the latest Intel Sandy Bridge processor technology it’s no slouch in the performance department. Before getting started let’s go over the specs of the ThinkPad T420i under review which was configured and purchased from Lenovo.com:

• Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M (2.10 GHz, dual core, 3MB cache)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Premium 64-bit
• Screen: 14.0” HD+ (1600 x 900) LED backlit display
• Graphics: Intel Integrated HD Graphics 3000
• Memory:  2GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz
• Storage: 250GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
• Battery: 6-cell Lithium Ion
• Wireless: Intel Wireless N1000 (802.11 b/g/n)
• Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 2.0/eSATA combo, 4-in-1 media card reader, Display Port, 34mm Express Card slot, Ethernet port (LAN)
• Battery Life: 6 hours
• Weight: 4.8lbs
• Dimensions: 13.4-inches x 9.05-inches x 1.18 – 1.20 inches
• Optical Drive: Multi Burner DVD/CD

ThinkPad T420i Buying Experience and Packaging

I purchased the ThinkPad T420i direct from Lenovo.com and because my configuration was basic, except for the screen which I upgraded to the HD+ 1600 x 900 resolution, the price was very good.  The final price after a 10% off coupon available at the time was $782.10 before taxes.  A pretty amazing price for such a high quality laptop, upgrades such as a faster processor would have quickly boosted the price, but frankly I don’t see why the average business user would need to spend more for a faster processor. The purchase experience from Lenovo.com was smooth, after placing the order I got an acknowledgement email and then several days later a notification the laptop had shipped.  The email notifications were pretty bare and didn’t actually contain any mention of what I had bought, but you could click a link to see your order summary that did.   The actual delivery and packaging was flawless, the box that arrived was nicely taped and not covered with so many packaging stickers you’d think it had just toured the world with multiple stops (I got that with a recent HP purchase).  The ThinkPad T420 was snugly secured inside along with the 6-cell battery, power cord and getting started package, warranty guide and other documentation.  Below you can see everything you get in the box and then the process of piecing the laptop together so it’s ready to use:

ThinkPad T420i Design

The cosmetic design of the ThinkPad hasn’t changed a whole lot since the line was introduced almost two decades ago – it’s black and boxy.  That’s fine by me, black suits are timeless with their looks so why not a black laptop.  Now, there have of course been changes in terms of dimensions and features to the T-series over time.  The T420i is thinner than past T-series laptops thanks to new technologies that provide for ever smaller components and therefore less thickness necessary to house the “guts”.  To the chagrin of many, the T420i is also much wider than past ThinkPads due to the advent of wide-HD resolution screens.

Internally there are a lot of changes of course, but externally the ThinkPad T420i looks the part of a professional business laptop and from 30-feet away you probably couldn’t distinguish it from the ThinkPad T23 made 10-years ago.

Out of the box you of course get the requisite Windows 7, Intel and Lenovo Experience stickers on the lower left side of the laptop.  These are easily peeled off and once removed you have a clean all black finish on the left palm rest and then ThinkPad logo on the right palm rest.  The metal hinges provide an appealing industrial and rugged look while also serving to give a durable feel to the lid opening and closing experience.

The blue Enter button is somewhat of an iconic feature found on most ThinkPads, it’s nice to have as it makes that often used key really stand out, though this is probably more useful for the hunt and peck typists who have to look to find keys.

The TouchPad is large and nicely textured, I found it easy to use but since I’m a trackpoint fan myself I used that method to push the cursor around the screen.  For those unfamiliar, the red nub in the middle of the keyboard you see is the trackpoint stick and probably the most iconic design touch the ThinkPad has.  It’s not a ThinkPad unless it’s black with a red nub in the middle!  Notice the red stripes on the mouse buttons as well, again this is a nice design touch that makes finding the buttons a little easier than if they were all black.

The finish on the ThinkPad T420i case lid is nice and easy to grip, it’s a slightly rubberized feel that prevents slipping from the hands.  No shiny and glossy lid here, it’s a 100% matte finish that helps to reduce the amount of greasy fingerprints that show up, though you will still get that to a degree. The build quality of the ThinkPad T420i is one of the most important features, it features a magnesium alloy internal chassis to hold everything together and protect the internal components.  The outer case is made of a rigid plastic and the underside is made of a glass reinforced plastic to provide extra protection there.  The keyboard is spill proof so that if you spill a liquid it is carried safely out of the bottom of the laptop.  The hinges are very stiff and, as you can see by the pictures, thick and rugged so there is no worry of the screen getting wobbly and flopping closed.  A latch on the lid keeps the lid securely closed.  Overall this is one of the better built laptops for the under $1,000 price range and designed to stand the rigors of business travel, commuting and general abuse we dish out to our laptops in an 8 hour (or more) work day.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420i Weight and Size

A laptop intended for portability and ease of carrying needs to be easy to slip into a bag and not weigh you down too much.  The ThinkPad T420i weighs in at 4.8lbs without the power adapter, when you add in the weight of the power adapter it’s about 5.5lbs total carry weight.  Considering the battery life for the T420i comes close to almost six hours (see battery life section later on) you could forgo the adapter if it’s as much as a half-day meeting you’re off to, but if it’s travel then the adapter will need to go with you and so consider the total weight.  Once you get over 5lbs you might feel the weight a bit, especially if you’re carrying a bunch of documents as well, for this reason travel warriors might consider the lighter and smaller ThinkPad X220.

The ThinkPad T420i is definitely not the thinnest laptop out there at about 1.20 inches thickness from front to back, but it’s still thin enough to easily slip into any backpack or messenger style bag.  The width is quite wide at 13.4-inches, this is to accommodate the new and wider 16:9 aspect ratio screen (previously it was 16:10 on the T-series).  Laptops now use the same screen technology and resolutions as the TV in your living room, so their overall shape is a much wider rectangle than they used to be.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420i Performance

When configuring the T420i I purposely went for the lowest end components to keep the price down and because I knew that for my needs, which doesn’t involve any gaming or use of other 3D applications, the basic selections would be just fine.  The Intel Core i3-2310m processor this laptop is equipped with is the entry level processor for Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processor family (the second generation of “Core i” processors).  The Core i3-2310m clocks in at 2.0GHz of clock speed and is dual core.  Within the T420i configuration you can get up to an Intel Core i5-2410m, step up to the T420 and you can get up to an Intel Core i7-2620m 2.70GHz processor as a $190 upgrade feature.  I only configured 2GB of RAM in the T420 due to the fact Lenovo was overcharging for an upgrade to 4GB at the time, they wanted +$80.   Instead I purchased another 2GB from NewEgg.com for around $25 to bring the total to 4GB.  I went with the standard 250GB 5400RPM hard drive instead of splurging on the very expensive upgrade to an SSD (+$400).  Having an SSD would certainly help performance but can only be justified for those with money to spare (burn?) and a penchant for wanting fast boot times and file loads that an SSD is so good at. I use a laptop for writing, web development, multimedia (YouTube, DVDs etc.), Skype and a few other utilities.   My usage pattern is fairly standard and similar to many other business or home users, my most egregious use of resources is having several browser tabs open at the same time which can tend to eat up memory.  The T420i as configured had no issues performing fast under all usage conditions.  HD video on YouTube played back flawlessly and opening programs was always snappy.  Even if you have some graphics intensive applications the integrated Intel 3000 HD graphics are quite capable, much better than Intel integrated graphics of a couple of years ago, you can get away with doing some light gaming using the Integrated graphics without problem. All that said, if you know your usage demands will be more than mine you have the ability to make some nice component upgrades and have a very fast T420 configuration – you’ll just have to fork over the money for upgrades!

For those that prefer some raw numbers, I ran a couple of benchmarks to get scores.  Please note, these benchmarks were run with only 2GB of memory on board and the PCMark score in particular would likely jump to 4,000 or so with the benefit of an extra 2GB of RAM:

PCMark Vantage Version 1.0.2.0

Windows Experience Index

ThinkPad T420i Battery Life

Battery life is probably one of the most important features to any business user that has to actually go places with their laptop.  If you’re like me and get hives watching the battery meter tick down to 0% as you sit stranded doing work far from any power outlet you can appreciate a long lasting battery.  I’m happy to report that the T420 offers a very comfortable battery life of 5-hours under normal usage and screen at 2/3 brightness, and if you’re a road warrior that doesn’t mind dimming the screen way down and doing work then you can easily top 6-hours.  I pulled the plug and dimmed the brightness to level 5 of 15, left wireless on and let the computer idle and after 6 hours and 2 minutes it went into hibernation when battery life was worn down to 5%.  If five hours of sustained battery isn’t enough for you, there’s a couple of options to get longer battery life.  You can upgrade to a larger 9-cell battery that should give you around 7.5 hours of battery life, or remove the optical drive and use a 3-cell bay battery in place of it for another couple of hours of battery life.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420i Keyboard

The legendary keyboard is the main reason a lot of people will only buy a ThinkPad laptop.  The ThinkPad T420i keyboard is of course the same as it ever was on former ThinkPads, each key feels individual with just the right amount of travel and feedback.  The texture of the keys is great, the finish is matte and prevents fingers from slipping and hides dirt well.  The keyboard is very firm and no sag can be found.  Honestly, everything is pretty much perfect about the keyboard, my only wish is that there were an option for a backlit keyboard as I really love the ability to easily read key lettering in dark rooms.  The included “ThinkLight”, a light in the top of the lid that can be turned on to illuminate the keyboard, but does not do an adequate job of illuminating the entire keyboard area.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420i TouchPad and TrackPoint

You have two options for moving the cursor around the screen built into the T420i, either touchpad or trackpoint.  I favor the trackpoint as it prevents the need of having to lift your hands from the keyboard to move the cursor to another location.  The trackpoint has a red rubber cover on it for easy grip and the sensitivity can be adjusted using built-in software.  For those more used to a touchpad you will find the one included on the T420 is easy to use due to its textured surface and decent size.  It’s not as good as say the huge Apple MacBook Pro touchpad, but that uses an integrated mouse button approach while Lenovo always favors having obvious and dedicated buttons, which I prefer.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Screen

One nice thing about the ThinkPad T420 is that you have a couple of screen resolution options.  I really like being able to fit as much on my screen as I can by having a high-resolution so I went for the 1600 x 900 upgrade instead of the 1366 x 768 standard resolution, it means smaller text and icons but my eyes are still young enough to tolerate that.  So the high resolution is appreciated, but outside of that the screen itself is fairly standard in the world of laptops.  The brightness is very good, it’s more than bright enough at the highest setting to use in any type of indoor setting.  It is not bright enough to use outdoors in the sun, you need a specialized (and expensive) laptop to do that.  If you look at the screen straight on the colors are vivid and true, but adjusting the vertical angle of the screen away from perpendicular to your eyes will mean the colors start to invert and simply not look right.  A demonstration of the viewing angles can be seen in the below pictures.

ThinkPad T420 default wallpaper	Viewing straight on
Screen tilted back view	Screen tilted forward view

Overall what you see above with the cute Koala bear getting distorted at different angles is typical of any laptop that does not have an IPS screen.  The ThinkPad X220 actually offers an IPS screen if you really dig being able to view a screen from any angle and seeing the same colors.  The Apple iPad is another example of a consumer device (that’s invading many businesses) that has an IPS screen.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420i ports

The number of ports offered on the T420i is excellent, the only thing missing is an HDMI port, instead you get a DisplayPort as that’s more standard in business devices than the more consumer oriented HDMI port.  Here’s a run down of the ports you get and where they are located:

ThinkPad T420i left side: VGA monitor out port, Gigabit Ethernet LAN port, DisplayPort, USB 2.0 port

ThinkPad T420i right side: headphone/microphone port, ExpressCard 34mm slot, 4-in-1 media card reader, USB 2.0/eSata combo port

ThinkPad T420i back: IEEE-1394 (FireWire) port, USB 2.0 port always-on powered port (vertically aligned), power jack

ThinkPad T420i front side: No ports here, just the screen latch

Some people may also be disappointed not to have the latest USB 3.0 included, but to be honest, since you have eSata as a way to quickly move data to external devices the need for USB 3.0 is reduced.  I’m sure we’ll see USB 3.0 in the ThinkPad T430, or whatever they call the succeeding laptop to the T420.

ThinkPad T420i Speakers and Audio

The speakers for the T420i are located on either side of the keyboard.  They serve just fine for watching DVD movies and streaming audio, though as you’d expect the bass isn’t all that great.  There’s a headphone jack on the right side toward the front and I recommend plugging in a set of decent headphones to get the best audio experience.  If you travel by air you probably already have a pair of noise cancelling headphones that can be put to good use here.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420i Conclusion

The ThinkPad T420i is a great option for any business user or simply someone looking for a high quality laptop.  It has the battery life, usability and build quality it takes to simply get work done.   It’s great to be able to get a budget level version of the T420 that can fit the needs of many and only set your back around $800.  For the same price as a much more expensive laptop you still get the same build and design quality.  I like the fact the option for a higher resolution screen is present, for those of us that find we can do work more efficiently using two windows open at once on the screen you will appreciate the 1600 x 900 resolution screen.  Overall a thumbs up on buying the T420 that is a worthy successor to the previous ThinkPad T410 and improves on an already great line of laptops.

Where to Buy:The ThinkPad T420 and T420i can be configured and purchased at Lenovo.com:

• Lenovo ThinkPad T420i purchase page at Lenovo.com