X220 BIOS whitelist backwards compatiblity?

[jhh]

I just ordered a new X220, and wasn't paying attention when I configured the wireless part of it... yeah, I'm stuck with that worthless Realtek card now. Lenovo says my laptop is already in manufacturing, and I have to cancel the order and start over to change it. Can I use the Intel 3945 or Atheros (I think) cards out of an older Thinkpad (T60p or T61), or are these too old?

[alhaz]

I just ordered a new X220, and wasn't paying attention when I configured the wireless part of it... yeah, I'm stuck with that worthless Realtek card now. Lenovo says my laptop is already in manufacturing, and I have to cancel the order and start over to change it. Can I use the Intel 3945 or Atheros (I think) cards out of an older Thinkpad (T60p or T61), or are these too old?

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=97467

Just flash to this bios and everything will work

[bill bolton]

Can I use the Intel 3945 or Atheros (I think) cards out of an older Thinkpad (T60p or T61), or are these too old?

The only way you could do that is run a non-standard BIOS. I suggest you think quite carefully about whether it is worth the risks involved versus the cost of a card that is supported by the X220.

Also, while the T6x era cards will function in an X220 with a modified BIOS, WiFi technology has advanced quite a bit since T6x days and a contemporary cards will generally give you significantly better overall WiFi performance

Cheers,

Bill B.