Mixing and matching X220 and X230 parts... Anyone with any experience on it?

[Speedboy]

I've been shopping around for a light laptop to use for commuting (my 3.2KG T520 + 0.5KG power brick is a bit much to carry around all day) and I managed to get a beat up, but fully functional X220 for £70. The keyboard is in practically perfect condition, which I'm really happy with, currently has an i5-2520M, 4GB RAM and a 500GB HDD.

I've already ordered a 9-cell battery, and an SSD to replace the mech drive, bringing my total cost up to about £115, but there's a few other little issues I'd like to fix. For one, there's a little crack in the bottom housing that I'd like to fix. I was originally just going to buy a new bottom housing, but then I had the dumb idea to buy an X230 motherboard and bottom housing (which is pretty cheap on ebay), and swap it in to this thing, with its glorious 7-row keyboard. If I use the bottom housing and motherboard from the X230, but the keyboard and palmrest from the X220, that should work, based on all the info I can find. Does anyone have any evidence to the contrary?

The other little issue is the screen. It's an IPS panel, but it has a few pretty distracting bright spots, as well as mild image retention/ghosting issues, but I'm still deciding whether or not I can live with that. A FHD screen mod seems very tempting, but I'm unsure if I could fit it in my budget (trying to keep the overall cost under £200) and I'd be unsure about where to source a panel for that in the UK (if anyone knows a place that doesn't charge a fortune, I'd be very grateful).

Any advice or tips to help make this Frankensteined machine a reality would be really helpful

[Tasurinchi]

If I use the bottom housing and motherboard from the X230, but the keyboard and palmrest from the X220, that should work, based on all the info I can find.

Yes it will work, but you need to mod the BIOS to get the 7row KB working fine, more info in this thread: click me!

A FHD screen mod seems very tempting, but I'm unsure if I could fit it in my budget (trying to keep the overall cost under £200) and I'd be unsure about where to source a panel for that in the UK (if anyone knows a place that doesn't charge a fortune, I'd be very grateful).

Keep in mind that this mod requires soldering work. Regarding panel, eBay UK is a good source, but I don't recall the prices for the FHD panels, I bought one from a well known Chinese seller a while ago for another mod and it cost me about €70 if I remember correctly.

[TheForgottenKing]

Swapped X230t motherboard into X220t, needed a new cable for the lid hardware (fingerprint sensor, mic, lights, etc) and had to flash EC but everything works well.

[WarhawkCZ]

I have a "x225" frankenpad as a daily runner. It is originally x220 but I put there x230 MoBo. I needed to flash the EC controller in order to make the keyboard working. I had had x230 battery anyway therefore I am not now sure if the non-original EC FW whitelists the x220 battery for x230 or not.

I have a bunch of pictures which I took during the process. I want to put them on my web but have not had a chance to do this yet.

[axur-delmeria]

I have a "x225" frankenpad as a daily runner. It is originally x220 but I put there x230 MoBo.
I have a bunch of pictures which I took during the process. I want to put them on my web but have not had a chance to do this yet.

Is the X220 heatsink compatible with the X230 board?

I have two extra X220's, one with a random shutdown issue, while the other has a broken LAN port and a malfuntioning headphone jack.
I found a local seller of X230 boards for a decent price, but heatsinks are not included.

[WarhawkCZ]

Hmm, my x230 board came with a heatsink but as far as I remember they are identical.

[RealBlackStuff]

The Toshiba fan has only 3 wires in a 4-wire plug.
The Delta fan has 4 wires.

[radostzohany]

If I use the bottom housing and motherboard from the X230, but the keyboard and palmrest from the X220, that should work, based on all the info I can find.

Yes it will work, but you need to mod the BIOS to get the 7row KB working fine, more info in this thread: click me!

A FHD screen mod seems very tempting, but I'm unsure if I could fit it in my budget (trying to keep the overall cost under £200) and I'd be unsure about where to source a panel for that in the UK (if anyone knows a place that doesn't charge a fortune, I'd be very grateful).

Keep in mind that this mod requires soldering work. Regarding panel, eBay UK is a good source, but I don't recall the prices for the FHD panels, I bought one from a well known Chinese seller a while ago for another mod and it cost me about €70 if I remember correctly.

does every fhd mod requires soldering and that little 55 usd board?

[Tasurinchi]

Yes...

[Fusion]

I have a nice bottom chassis if you need, shoot me a pm.

[sponka]

I am interested in battery -- where did you ordered? Refurbished, compatible or original?

Bests,
b.

[WarhawkCZ]

Sponka - sometimes you can find a great deal at amazon.de or ebay.de . I bought x230 battery for about 30 eur. It is always a challenge but I can return it back for free with amazon prime.
I prefer old stock genuine battery over a new Chinese clone.

PS: Does Sponka mean a paperclip?

[skx]

Are the screens swappable between x220 and x230?

[dr_st]

Are the screens swappable between x220 and x230?

Yes, in fact the same exact panels were used in them (although naturally most X220 had earlier batches/revisions , and most X230 had later revisions).

[skx]

Are the screens swappable between x220 and x230?

Yes, in fact the same exact panels were used in them (although naturally most X220 had earlier batches/revisions , and most X230 had later revisions).

Amazing, my x220 has a dead pixelized screen and the x230 perfect one. Will swap the x230 screen into my x220 and buy a IPS screen for my x230. Amazing news, thanks!

I am right now overseas for 2 months. Any advise where I can buy the best IPS screen for my x230 from a trusted seller? I also would like to buy a genuine x220 6cell battery, any advise where to buy and how to tell if its genuine or knockoff quality? I am EU based when I am back from my overseas assignment in 2 months. Thanks

[sponka]

@WarhawkCZ - can be paperclip, too, but generally just clip

I found that notebooksbilliger.de still sell some x220/x230 compatible batteries + amazon.de have same model, prices are more or less the same (40+ EUR)
Probably will buy from Amazon as I can't buy as physical person from notebooksbilliger. Shame, they were my no.1 choice :/

[WarhawkCZ]

Last time I found listing on amazon.de with a genuine x230 battery.
Also check amazon.com. Sometimes, some old stock pop ups. In my experience old stock genuine battery is a better choice over non-genuine Chinese knock off. But both works.

[WarhawkCZ]

---- I have a bunch of pictures which I took during the process. I want to put them on my web but have not had a chance to do this yet....

I finally managed to upload a short story about my x225 frankenpad. I hope it is ok to link it here.

http://panacek.net/post/frankenpad_x225/

[axur-delmeria]

I finally managed to upload a short story about my x225 frankenpad. I hope it is ok to link it here.

http://panacek.net/post/frankenpad_x225/

Thanks for the writeup. Do you have a pic of the hole around the miniDP port?

[WarhawkCZ]

I finally managed to upload a short story about my x225 frankenpad. I hope it is ok to link it here.

http://panacek.net/post/frankenpad_x225/

Thanks for the writeup. Do you have a pic of the hole around the miniDP port?

Thanks! I'll take a picture of it and upload it there when I am back from work.

[dr_st]

Another thumbs up for the write-up. Concise, illustrated and has everything one needs.

[Thinkpad4by3]

Another thumbs up for the write-up. Concise, illustrated and has everything one needs.

And plenty of high-res pictures, one of the advantages of making it 3rd party.

@WarHawkCZ: You get a good ol' thumbs up

[WarhawkCZ]

I finally managed to upload a short story about my x225 frankenpad. I hope it is ok to link it here.

http://panacek.net/post/frankenpad_x225/

Thanks for the writeup. Do you have a pic of the hole around the miniDP port?

I've just uploaded two more pictures of the miniDP to the web. Please check them there.

Thank you all for your thumbs up. I am happy that you like it and the effort was not a waste of time.

[axur-delmeria]

I've just uploaded two more pictures of the miniDP to the web. Please check them there.

Thank you all for your thumbs up. I am happy that you like it and the effort was not a waste of time.

Many thanks! The hole is not as big as I thought it would be.
It's definitely not a waste of time! I'm considering this modification on one of my X220's as it has a random shutdown issue. Documenting your experience has been truly helpful.

[skx]

Other question, is the think light swappable between T420 and X220? I have a T420 with Thinklight which I would move to my X220. Thanks

[as.nielo]

what about installing no button trackpoint from x240 to x220? I wish X220 had bigger touchpad


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[Tasurinchi]

what about installing no button trackpoint from x240 to x220? I wish X220 had bigger touchpad

No way... Totally different size and connector and mechanism...