Thinkpads Forum

I just bought a used T60 from eBay, which was described as having been fitted with a T61 screen (the 1400x1050 resolution). As this is an upgrade I have done on my current T43 myself I wasn't worried about this. However, having now recieved the laptop I notice the right hand side of the lid, when closed, sticks out from the frame that the keyboard sits in by perhaps 2-3mm on the right side and 1mm on the left side.

Having a quick search around here I understand the two lids might be slightly different. Is this the case or are they interchangable?

The screen itself and the lid being flush are mutually exclusive. Braddah what I mean is if the lid is not flush it has nothing to do with getting a new display in the lid. On my T61 the right side is more flush than the left side. Americans dont use the metric system do dont know what you mean by mm as its not an everyday measure. The flush state of your lid and one side being more so than the other has to do with the positioning of the latch. On the T61 its on the right side so more flush. Im sure mine could be adjusted etc. but dont bother. It is obvious though the right side is more flush than the left. I think you should not think of the TP as a Mercedes (ie fabrique aux Germany) with perfect fit and finish but something more like a pre-Ford American high quality Jaguar (ie simply made in England) where it looks nice asthetically and performs to spec better than most but has fit and finish issues.

Sorry, I should've realised... 3mm is just a shade under 1/8".

I guess I'm just used to the old IBM build quality by now, which was pretty much perfect. Is this really to be expected with Lenovo models or is something amiss?

I don't have a 4:3 T61 here to compare, but I would expect the fit not to be perfect. The T61 added a magnesium frame around the panel, so the lid is different. The T61 LCD seems less likely to crack

Thanks. So you wouldn't expect the fit to be perfect due to the screen coming from a different model, or as grandmasterkhan mentioned that it's just lenovo build quality?

pcdj wrote:However, having now recieved the laptop I notice the right hand side of the lid, when closed, sticks out from the frame that the keyboard sits in by perhaps 2-3mm on the right side and 1mm on the left side.

This is exactly how I would describe my 14" T60, and this is with an original T60 lid and screen.

The lid itself is ever so slightly wider than the base, so naturally, it cannot be flush. I imagine it is designed this way to enhance the "clamshell" effect which is supposed to add to the structural rigidity and to minimize the penetration of dust and other unwanted particles between the lid and the base when the laptop is closed.

How symmetrically it sits on the base likely depends on how it was assembled, because there is some freedom in the positioning of the hinges and the screen between the hinges. In all honesty, when it comes to a difference of a millimeter or two, it is almost impossible to align perfectly, and definitely is not something I advise to be obsessed about.

That's good news and helpful information, thanks!