Thinkpad x300

ThinkPad / By

The resources assembled here are intended to help owners get the most out of their ThinkPad X300. Please use the contact form at the bottom of the page to suggest any additions or changes.

 

BIOS

  • Install the Middleton BIOS on the ThinkPad X300 to enable the following:

    • SATA-II (3 Gb/s) drive speeds – the stock ThinkPad X300 BIOS limits the SATA interface to SATA-I (1.5 Gb/s)

    • SLIC 2.1 tables – simplify licensing of Microsoft Windows

    • Whitelist removal – allow installation of a wider variety of internal components such as wireless cards

    • Dual-IDA (Intel Dynamic Acceleration) support – allow both cores of CPU to simultaneously run at higher speeds

    • CTRL-FN key swap (optional)

  • A benchmark comparison of SSD speeds with the stock BIOS and the Middleton BIOS can be viewed here

  • Download the Middleton BIOS here

  • Download the current official BIOS version as well as previous versions from Lenovo here

RAM SUPPORT

WINDOWS 10 INSTALLATION ON THE THINKPAD X300

  1. Create a bootable installation USB from this ISO using Windows 10 Media Creation Tool

  2. Press F12 at startup and select the USB as your boot drive

  3. In Windows setup (for a clean installation):

    • Select “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)”

    • Delete any partitions on your target drive

    • Select the unallocated space as the location to install Windows

  4. The system will automatically restart during the installation process

  5. Complete the Windows guided setup and the system will proceed to the desktop

  6. Wait a few minutes for Windows to finish installing various drivers and updates. You can monitor the progress by going to Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security

  7. The keyboard and touchpad may become unresponsive during driver updates. If this occurs, attach an external USB keyboard and/or mouse until the next restart.

  8. Install and run ThinkVantage System Update to search for the latest Lenovo drivers and utilities

  9. Adjust UltraNav settings as desired in Start Menu > Settings > Devices > Mouse & touchpad > Additional mouse options

​

​

WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL RECOVERY DVDs

  • Images of the three DVD set to recover Windows 7 Professional to your ThinkPad T420s can be downloaded here (alternate source here)

  • Instructions for use of these images are in the included Read Me file

BATTERY

  • Three batteries are available for the ThinkPad X300:

  • Reset the battery gauge by launching Power Manager (click the battery icon), select Advanced > Battery > Battery maintenance > Perform Reset

    • To perform the reset if Power Manager is not installed: fully charge the battery, unplug the AC adapter and let the battery completely discharge, then fully recharge the battery

  • To improve battery life on the X300:

    • Update the BIOS to the most recent version

    • Reduce display brightness and set the display to dim and turn off as soon as possible in Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options

    • Deactivate in the BIOS any ports that you don’t use, especially USB

    • Unplug unneeded USB devices

    • Remove unneeded optical media

    • Use a plain black desktop wallpaper

    • Turn off Bluetooth and WiFi when not needed

    • Turn off visual effects in Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced system settings > Advanced

    • Set computer to hibernate instead of sleep in Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > System Settings

    • See Windows 7/8/10 Adjustments below

source 1 | source 2

DRIVES / STORAGE

  • Primary drive bay accommodates standard 1.8-inch (uSATA) hard drives

  • Install a Solid State Drive (SSD) with a SATA-II or faster interface for significantly better overall system performance than with a traditional spinning hard drive

  • An mSATA SSD can be installed in the primary drive bay by using an mSATA to 1.8-inch adapter

  • Recommended mSATA adapter: Aleratec mSATA SSD to 1.8″ SATA Drive Converter with Frame

  • Recommended mSATA SSD: Samsung 860 EVO 250GB mSATA

  • A standard 2.5-inch x 7mm drive can be installed in the optical bay by using an optical bay caddy

  • Note that the optical bay interface is Legacy IDE (PATA) with a maximum speed of 133 MB/s while the primary drive bay operates at 300 MB/s (SATA-II)

  • There can be problems booting from a drive installed in an optical bay caddy. A discussion of this issue is available here.

WIRELESS NETWORKING

  • Four versions of the Intel 5xxx WiFi link were originally available in the X300: 5100, 5150, 5300 and 5350

  • The Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (FRU 60Y3233) can be installed to enable up to 450 Mbps data rates on 802.11n connections, Intel Wireless Display and improved power management

  • The Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 Plus Bluetooth (FRU 04W3814) can be installed to enable up to 867 Mbps data rates on 802.11ac connections (300 Mbps maximum on 802.11n connections)

    • ​It may be necessary to cut or tape over pin 51 on this card to allow Bluetooth to operate correctly​​

  • The whitelist-removed BIOS will likely be necessary to install either of these newer cards

source 1 | source 2

BLUETOOTH

  • The ThinkPad X300 includes Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate (BDC-2) (FRU 43Y6481)

  • Bluetooth can be upgraded to Bluetooth 4.0 by simply swapping out the daughter card located under the palm rest

  • Lenovo Bluetooth 4.0 daughter cards:

source

OTHER MODIFICATIONS & CUSTOMIZATION

WINDOWS 7/8/10 ADJUSTMENTS

CPU SPEED THROTTLING

  • The maximum CPU clock speed may be limited when the system is operated on the 65W AC adapter and no battery is installed

  • To prevent automatic CPU throttling, leave the battery in place while running on AC power or use a 90W AC adapter

source

DRIVERS

Official Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Support

SUPPORT AND DOCUMENTATION

LENOVO PARTS LOOKUP

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/partslookup

LENOVO WARRANTY STATUS LOOKUP

http://support.lenovo.com/en/warrantylookup

REVIEWS

DISCUSSION FORUMS / OTHER SITES

Scroll to Top