Review and Specs Lenovo ThinkPad X220

ReviewLenovo ThinkPad X220 

 Lenovo's newest 12-inch business notebook, the ThinkPad X220, offers the latest Intel Sandy Bridge processors, a high-quality IPS display, and battery life that is so incredible you've got to see it to believe it. Keep reading to find out more about what is sure to be a very popular business laptop.

Our review unit of the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 features the following specifications:

• Intel Core i5-2520M dual-core processor (2.5GHz, 3MB cache, 3.2GHz Turbo frequency)
• Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
• 12.5-inch Premium HD (1366 x 768) LED Backlit Display (IPS)
• Intel Integrated HD Graphics
• 4GB DDR3 (1333MHz)
• 320GB Hitachi Travelstar hard drive (Z7K320)
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (Taylor Peak) 2x2 AGN wireless card
• Intel 82579LM Gigabit Ethernet
• 720p High Definition webcam
• Fingerprint reader
• 6-cell battery (63Wh) and optional slice battery (65Wh)
• Dimensions: 12 (L) x 8.2 (W) x 0.5-1.5 (H) inches with 6-cell battery
• Weight:
  • 3.5 pounds with 6-cell battery
  • 4.875 pounds with 6-cell battery and optional external battery slice

Design & Build
Lenovo recently announced their latest ThinkPad line of business notebooks, but they had one more surprise in store: the ThinkPad X220. If you've never heard of the "ThinkPad" brand name then I'm glad you finally left that cave you've been living in since the mid 1990s. ThinkPads have long been regarded as some of the best business laptops thanks to a trusted combination of cutting-edge performance, solid build quality, excellent keyboards, precision TrackPoints (that red dot in the middle of the keyboard) and fantastic warranty support. The previous generation of 12-inch Thinkpads, the ThinkPad X201, was widely regarded as the best 12-inch business notebook on the market. Can the X220 do even better?

At first glance, the exterior of the ThinkPad X220 has only a few minor changes from the X201. The location of several ports has been shuffled around, but you've still got the same tried and true boxy design combined with durable magnesium alloy and plastic construction covered in matte black rubberized paint. Lenovo continues to provide essentially a full-size keyboard on a 12-inch ultraportable notebook, but that larger keyboard comes at the expense of space for the palm rests. Although typing is very comfortable on the X220, your wrists don't have abundant space with your fingers in the traditional typing position.
Regardless of the compact design, the X220 continues Lenovo's trend of "business rugged" laptops. This ThinkPad is Milspec tested (physical shock, thermal shock, altitude, dust, vibration, humidity, heat and cold) for proven durability. Translation: mobile professionals don't need to treat this laptop with kid gloves. Toss the X220 in your car or let the flight attendant jam it into an overhead compartment. The X220 will take the beating and keep working.


The majority of Lenovo's business clients order their notebooks pre-configured exactly the way they want them. However, Lenovo still makes it reasonably easy for those customers who want to upgrade the X220 on their own. The hard drive is easily replaced by removing the single screw on the side access panel. As far as RAM is concerned, there are two slots located under the main access plate on the bottom of the notebook. Our review unit came with a single 4GB memory module installed, so it would be quite easy to upgrade to the maximum 8GB memory capacity by installing a second 4GB stick of RAM.
Ports and Features
The ThinkPad X220 has what can only be described as the most robust port layout we've seen on any current-gneration 12-inch notebook. You get two standard USB 2.0 ports and your choice of either one "always on" USB 2.0 port (for charging USB devices when the notebook is powered off) or one USB 3.0 port for high-speed data transfers. The X220 also comes with a VGA port, Display Port connection, Gigabit Ethernet and a SDHC card reader. Oh, and the engineers at Lenovo also managed to squeeze in a full size 54mm ExpressCard slot for accessories and port expansion. If that isn't enough ports, there is a docking station connection on the bottom of the notebook so you can turn this 12-inch laptop into a desktop replacement.




Speakers and Screen
The 12.5-inch screen on our review unit of the ThinkPad X220 is an optional IPS panel with LED backlighting. The screen features the same 1366 x 768 resolution as the standard display, but the IPS panel provides greater screen brightness, more contrast and wider viewing angles. Our lab test results show this screen has a 743:1 contrast ratio and a peak brightness of 263 nit. Horizontal and vertical viewing angles are quite simply superb; we barely noticed any color distortion even out to extreme viewing angles.
Speaker quality is average as the maximum volume output is loud enough to fill a large meeting room with clear sound. The audio performance is good enough for a basic video conference or webcast, but there is a little distortion at the maximum volume setting and bass output is almost nonexistent. As with most modern ultraportable notebooks, the speakers are located on the bottom front edge of the X220. This means sound is directed down and away from you rather than up toward your ears. If you use the X220 like a "laptop", then the sound is often muffled against your clothing or your legs.

Keyboard and Touchpad
Keyboard on the new ThinkPad X220 features a few subtle changes from the previous generation of X200/X201 series keyboards. The X220 delivers everything we have come to expect from the typing experience on a ThinkPad. The main key sizes are still 100% of normal and Lenovo hasn't switched to the Chiclet-style keyboards on the X220 yet. The typing surface has excellent support with barely any flex under heavy pressure. The tactile feel from each key is great with soft clicks emitting very little noise when fully pressed. You can type for hours at a time without much discomfort.

The classic red TrackPoint and buttonless touchpad are Synaptics models that provide an excellent sensitivity and responsiveness as you move your cursor in various applications. The new buttonless touchpad provides a 45 percent larger surface area than the touchpad on previous generation of X Series notebooks.
If you've read other reviews here on NotebookReview.com, then you know most touchpads with integrated buttons have problems. Specifically, if you rest one of your fingers or thumbs on a touchpad button while you move the cursor with another finger, it's possible that the touchpad will interpret the two fingers on the touchpad surface as a two-finger gesture or quickly move the cursor between the two fingers when you lift one finger off the touchpad surface.
This is still an issue with the touchpad on the X220, but the diver that Lenovo uses result in fewer "jumping cursor" problems than what we've seen on many other buttonless touchpads.
Performance and Benchmarks
Part of the headline news with the release of the ThinkPad X220 is the use of the latest Intel "Sandy Bridge" processors. Our review unit came equipped with the Intel Core i5-2520M dual-core processor. This CPU has a standard clock speed of 2.5GHz and quickly steps up to a 3.2GHz turbo frequency whenever the notebook is performing a difficult task or running a complex application.
The new integrated graphics in the Intel Sandy Bridge platform are a noticeable step up from the previous generation of Intel integrated graphics. The X220 delivered some impressive benchmark numbers in 3DMark06 but real-world gaming tests were a combination of hit and miss since many games still won't run on Intel graphics.
Of course, most businesses don't care about the ThinkPad X220's ability to play Crysis. In fact, the only thing that most potential buyers of the X220 are likely to care about is whether the notebook can handle HD video playback, video editing, and demanding Photoshop work. Can the X220 do those things? In a word, yes.
The 320GB Hitachi Travelstar Z7K320 hard drive in our review sample is extremely speedy and is quick enough for average tasks. Lenovo also offers a number of optional solid state drives (SSDs) ranging in capacities of 4GB to 160GB.

Price as: $1,299.00 (starting at $979.00)