[solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

xf · 2012-09-13 10:17:18

Hi,

since I am using Linux (about 10 Years) I had ever nVidia or Intel graphic cards. So I don't have any experience on AMD/ATI cards. In the early october I need a new Notebook and I think the Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD-Version) will fit all of my requirements. I want to stay exclusive at crunchbang/debian linux for that mashine because I use it on my old Asus eeepc for a long time and I am very satisfied with this decision.

Details: http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/tabook.pdf

In short:

AMD Accelerated Processor E2-1800 (2 cores, 1.70GHz, 1MB L2 cache),
integrated AMD Radeon HD 7340 Graphics
AMD A68M FCH Chipset
HD Audio, Realtek ALC3202
UEFI option (it is disabled by default and I don't need it because I only use linux systems)

Does anybody know problems with this hardware and crunchbang/debian or linux in general?

Thanks in advanced,
xf

Last edited by xf (2012-09-17 13:02:52)

tmillic · 2012-09-13 15:45:32

I have an X120e, which is the predecessor to that one. At first, I would not have recommended it for Linux users. Since then, kernel changes and other packages provide better support. I still have a few very minor quirks, such as there is no sound in applications other than Skype if Skype is open (possibly not hardware related) and to use the dual-monitor setup without reconfiguring everytime I go from using a 2nd monitor to using just the netbook, or vice-versa, the netbook needs to be on the left. The battery life is very good, and I added a menu entry to turn the trackpad on and off after finding that I use the red dot mostly and accidentally touch the trackpad or bottom buttons occasionally. Conky shows the CPU/GPU temperature with a line added. I've taken this all over the US, out into deserts and high plains, Qatar, Ecuador, Singapore, India, U.K., Germany, Austria and deep into the Amazon basin for extended trips. It's holding up fine and not flashy enough to attract unwanted attention. The original keyboard was replaced early on. The up arrow key stopped working. Lenovo sent a new keyboard for free. It was an easy replacement with no problems since.

xf · 2012-09-13 16:26:12

tmillic, thank you very much for sharing your impressions with the x120e! I looked in the datasheet and yeah, the x131e comes only with newer hardware components but with the same component-composition.

Your problem with skype seems to be a software problem, but thank you for this information. That you can control the trackpad and read the temparture is very good to know.

But now, I am very envious of your travels through the world. :-)

Last edited by xf (2012-09-13 16:28:10)

el_koraco · 2012-09-13 16:31:14

Yeah, the single most important thing in a laptop is the amount of heat it generates. An Intel CPU-GPU combo will always be 10-30 degrees Celsius cooler than an AMD one. I'm seriuos, this isn't just personal experience, take a look at reviews for every single laptop with an AMD card (discrete, hybrid, whatever).

Thinkpads are the best laptops out there, just do yourself a favor and avoid AMD like the plague.

Last edited by el_koraco (2012-09-13 16:32:00)

xf · 2012-09-13 18:39:40

el_koraco wrote:

An Intel CPU-GPU combo will always be 10-30 degrees Celsius cooler than an AMD one.

el_koraco, thanks for your experience. After using a search engine for about 10 minutes, I can not find heat problem reports for that cpu (AMD E2-1800). Do you have some sources for me? This would be very nice.

On the other hand, the intel i3 version of that netbook costs about 150€ (~195 US $) more than the amd version. Phew... :-(

Last edited by xf (2012-09-13 18:42:28)

Unia · 2012-09-13 18:42:43

xf wrote:

el_koraco wrote:
An Intel CPU-GPU combo will always be 10-30 degrees Celsius cooler than an AMD one.
el_koraco, thanks for your experience. After using a search engine for about 10 minutes, I can not find heat problem reports for that cpu (AMD E2-1800). Do you have some sources for me? This would be very cool.
On the other hand, the intel i3 version of that netbook costs about 150€ (~195 US $) more than the amd version. Phew... :-(

It's not per sé a 'issue', AMDs are just generally hotter than Intels. I can only agree with what el_k said.

EDIT: They do work, just a little hotter. Drivers for the graphicscard work too, just a small issue here n there (esp. during installation, but for me they've been working quite good the last months.)

Still, my next laptop will be Intel all the way.

Last edited by Unia (2012-09-13 18:43:36)

Digit · 2012-09-13 19:03:11

though not quite the same model line, i have a lenovo x60t thinkpad.

intel graphics, and ecconomic model intel cpu.

sometimes it pains me that my graphics power on this is so weak. but then i hear about the nightmare temps the higher performance stuff can cause, and compare to how hot it already gets, and i feel comforted by my decision to get this model.

i've squeezed over 11 hours of battery life outta it! wouldnt be doing the same with the higher spec graphics and performance cpu.

... and it'd likely have burned out, or gotten thrown out a window in rage after repeatedly shutting down from over-heating.

but then, maybe it's fine for your use case. maybe you dont need it on 24/7, being pushed hard most of the day, and it'd never get a chance to overheat for the brief stints it'd be on... idk.

just throwing in my 2c.

ps, crunchbang has worked perfectly on it since 9.04. tablet et all.

Last edited by Digit (2012-09-13 19:04:21)

beadmaze · 2012-09-13 20:19:08

exactly what el_k said: "avoid AMD like the plague"!

I'm owning a so called thinkpad egde 13" (the cheapest "thinkpads") with AMD & ATI for 2 years now and it gets pretty hot. And when i say hot i do not mean "warm" or something.
The fan is ok when idle, but when there's heavy load you cannot ignore it (the fan).

Thinkpads are not designed for AMDs and vice versa.
So do yourself a favour and spend that little extra money on an Intel Thinkpad.

EDIT: The battery on my model lasted for 2 hours [!] when it was new. Now, after 2 years not really using the battery, I a happy camper when it's on for an hour...

Last edited by beadmaze (2012-09-13 20:21:51)

el_koraco · 2012-09-13 20:33:52

xf wrote:

On the other hand, the intel i3 version of that netbook costs about 150€ (~195 US $) more than the amd version. Phew... :-(

Spend the 150 euro, you will not regret it. There's a reason AMD's junk Fusion line is so dirt cheap - it's junk.

xf · 2012-09-14 18:47:36

Hi all, and thank your for your answers. I will reconsider my choice. Do you think the price of the x131e Intel version is alright? It seems very expensive for that piece of (okay, very good) hardware.

My business notebook is a Thinkpad T420s and I realy love the thinkpad series. But if you have ideas of an alternate laptop than the 131e, I am encouraged to hear. smile

What I need:

everyday use (internet inclusive flash, office, some high definition movies)
11 to 13 inch display, non-glare is important
long time battery ( >6 hours for writing and internet use without flash)
a not to small keyboard (10 inch eeepc keyboards are to small for me)
1 usb3 port
1 hdmi or displayport
a robust chassis (all time in my laptop backpack)

No need:

top-new gaming
big displays
optical devices
pre-installed software

My budget is about 400 to 500€.

Cheers,
xf

(Sorry, my english isn't very good... languages are not my strengh.)

Last edited by xf (2012-09-14 18:50:06)

Unia · 2012-09-14 18:57:30

^ http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/316687/a … l#tab:info

I've been looking at that, but my laptop still runs good for now and it's a bit too expensive to have "on the side"

xf · 2012-09-14 19:18:57

Unia wrote:

^ http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/316687/a … l#tab:info

Hi Unia, thanks for sharing this laptop. I like the Asus design too! Unfortunately this one have a glossy display. I can't use it outdoor and in very bright rooms. :-(

Cheers,
xf

junkie · 2012-09-14 19:30:21

I have an x120e AMD. I've had it for a while now and like tmillic said, was a pain until backports and Waldorf. I use to get 4 1/2 hours of battery life but has dwindled to 2 1/2 (and I use mostly CLI applications in a Tiler). I've even undervolted it but the damn thing just runs so hot. Also important to note I went cheap with only 2 gigs of memory for around $350

Go with the Intel. These laptops are great for their portability and I love mine.

el_koraco · 2012-09-15 00:32:43

xf wrote:

Hi all, and thank your for your answers. I will reconsider my choice. Do you think the price of the x131e Intel version is alright?

Yes, yes, yes. Besides, you have a TP, and you're wondering whether another one is worth it? Please.

xf · 2012-09-15 05:38:31

el_koraco wrote:

Yes, yes, yes. Besides, you have a TP, and you're wondering whether another one is worth it? Please.

Hi el_koraco. I have not asked "lenovo, is this cheap?". I asked at the comparison of the amd and the intel model. The only difference of this two models are the chipsets.

And yes, after all these commentaries my decision is very clear. I wil stick by Intel.

Thanks for your help!
xf

tmillic · 2012-09-15 06:23:01

I haven't had mine shut down due to overheating. I once accidentally put it in its neoprene bag and into my backpack; still on. When I found it later that day, the pack was warm and the battery had nearly died. That was a stupid mistake of mine. It runs at around 70 C if I have the CPU load at 100% for hours on end, but that's still lower than the maximum temperature recommended by AMD.
The temperature and fan haven't been a problem. I don't hear the fan, but my hearing isn't that great anyway. I did get it with 6GB of RAM, which does get used occasionally, but the battery life is still good. (AMD doesn't make the battery. I'm not sure who does.)

el_koraco · 2012-09-15 08:42:39

xf wrote:

And yes, after all these commentaries my decision is very clear. I wil stick by Intel.

Good choice. Another soul saved from AMD hell!

nofuturist · 2012-10-30 14:08:54

I'm running the latest Waldorf testing image on my x120e, and I'm noticing that it seems battery life has dropped rather significantly, from nearly five hours at full charge to just under four. Are there any tweaks that can be made to increase this? I've only used Linux on desktops or larger, constantly plugged in laptops and unfortunately I'm kind of in the dark about battery life and linux.

dura · 2012-10-30 15:11:53

^

I'm running the latest Waldorf testing image on my x120e, and I'm noticing that it seems battery life has dropped rather significantly, from nearly five hours at full charge to just under four. Are there any tweaks that can be made to increase this? I've only used Linux on desktops or larger, constantly plugged in laptops and unfortunately I'm kind of in the dark about battery life and linux.

See the arch forum- there is a grub i915 mod, but that may not apply to you if you are running AMD. The linux power regression issue is not fixed until kernel 3.4. You need to turn rc6 on in grub.

Check if your machine is amd or intel based. If it is intel based you can use the grub mod. It cut power consumption on my x121e by 70%, with a baseline currently of 4.6w.

Hardran's power savings script should save you some power too (its on this forum).

TLP should also be useful.

And use powertop to toggle 'bad' parameters to 'good'.

Last edited by dura (2012-10-30 15:13:01)

junkie · 2012-10-30 16:09:23

hAh, a lot of people complain about the battery life of this laptop. It's a powerhouse and I remember only getting around 5 hours on 2.6 kernel.

cat /sys/devices/LNXSYSTM:00/device:00/PNP0C0A:00/power_supply/BAT1/uevent

Showed me this:
POWER_SUPPLY_ENERGY_FULL_DESIGN=56160000
POWER_SUPPLY_ENERGY_FULL=26270000

I assume that is all the battery has rather than Linux just reporting a false.
I felt like it was negligence on my part.
I tend to fall asleep at the wheel letting my laptop's battery crash. hmm

A few things:
- Screen Brightness - I drop mine on boot

echo -n 6 > /sys/devices/pci0000\:00/0000\:00\:01.0/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness

- Bluetooth - Compositing - apache - mysql

rcconf is a good program for managing startup services in Debian
I don't get too slap happy with it and only really found an improvement by turning off:
bluetooth, mysql, apache

powertop good program for viewing power consumption
I have teh E-240 processorz and had undesirable effects underclocking, but that was when I only had 2G of ram. Upgraded to 8 since.

I love the Openbox but using DWM sure gives me a lot of push on long commute days.

Here's some x120e specific one-liners I found on powersaving. "shrugs" -- didn't notice much

# Ignore Background Processes
echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/ondemand/ignore_nice_load

# ATI Video card Powersaving
echo dynpm > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_method

# Sata Power Policy
echo min_power > /sys/class/scsi_host/host0/link_power_management_policy

# Soundcard Powersaving
echo 1 > /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save

This laptop runs hot and that's all I've been able to assume/accomplish.

CrunchBang Linux

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#1 2012-09-13 10:17:18

[solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#2 2012-09-13 15:45:32

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#3 2012-09-13 16:26:12

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#4 2012-09-13 16:31:14

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#5 2012-09-13 18:39:40

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#6 2012-09-13 18:42:43

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#7 2012-09-13 19:03:11

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#8 2012-09-13 20:19:08

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#9 2012-09-13 20:33:52

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#10 2012-09-14 18:47:36

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#11 2012-09-14 18:57:30

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#12 2012-09-14 19:18:57

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#13 2012-09-14 19:30:21

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#14 2012-09-15 00:32:43

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#15 2012-09-15 05:38:31

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#16 2012-09-15 06:23:01

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#17 2012-09-15 08:42:39

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#18 2012-10-30 14:08:54

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#19 2012-10-30 15:11:53

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

#20 2012-10-30 16:09:23

Re: [solved] Want to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad x131e (AMD version)

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