
BIOS
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Install the Middleton BIOS on the ThinkPad X300 to enable the following:
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SATA-II (3 Gb/s) drive speeds – the stock ThinkPad X300 BIOS limits the SATA interface to SATA-I (1.5 Gb/s)
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SLIC 2.1 tables – simplify licensing of Microsoft Windows
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Whitelist removal – allow installation of a wider variety of internal components such as wireless cards
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Dual-IDA (Intel Dynamic Acceleration) support – allow both cores of CPU to simultaneously run at higher speeds
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CTRL-FN key swap (optional)
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A benchmark comparison of SSD speeds with the stock BIOS and the Middleton BIOS can be viewed here
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Download the Middleton BIOS here
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Download the current official BIOS version as well as previous versions from Lenovo here
RAM SUPPORT
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The ThinkPad X300 supports a maximum of 8GB (two 4GB modules) of 200-pin DDR2 PC2 5300 or PC2 6400 non-ECC RAM
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Install two modules of any capacity to enable Dual Channel memory speeds
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Recommended RAM: Komputerbay 8 GB (2 x 4GB) PC2-6400 DDR2-800 SoDIMM Dual Channel Laptop Memory Kit
WINDOWS 10 INSTALLATION ON THE THINKPAD X300
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Create a bootable installation USB from this ISO using Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
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Press F12 at startup and select the USB as your boot drive
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In Windows setup (for a clean installation):
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Select “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)”
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Delete any partitions on your target drive
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Select the unallocated space as the location to install Windows
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The system will automatically restart during the installation process
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Complete the Windows guided setup and the system will proceed to the desktop
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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
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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.
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Install and run ThinkVantage System Update to search for the latest Lenovo drivers and utilities
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Adjust UltraNav settings as desired in Start Menu > Settings > Devices > Mouse & touchpad > Additional mouse options
WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL RECOVERY DVDs
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Images of the three DVD set to recover Windows 7 Professional to your ThinkPad T420s can be downloaded here (alternate source here)
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Instructions for use of these images are in the included Read Me file
BATTERY
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Three batteries are available for the ThinkPad X300:
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ThinkPad Battery 49 (3 cell)
27.3 watt hours, Part number 43R1965 -
ThinkPad Battery 49+ (6 cell)
43.2 watt hours, Part number 43R1967 -
ThinkPad Bay Battery 50 (3 cell)
23.7 watt hours, Part number 43R1966
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Reset the battery gauge by launching Power Manager (click the battery icon), select Advanced > Battery > Battery maintenance > Perform Reset
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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
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To improve battery life on the X300:
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Update the BIOS to the most recent version
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Reduce display brightness and set the display to dim and turn off as soon as possible in Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options
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Deactivate in the BIOS any ports that you don’t use, especially USB
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Unplug unneeded USB devices
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Remove unneeded optical media
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Use a plain black desktop wallpaper
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Turn off Bluetooth and WiFi when not needed
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Turn off visual effects in Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced system settings > Advanced
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Set computer to hibernate instead of sleep in Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > System Settings
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See Windows 7/8/10 Adjustments below
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DRIVES / STORAGE
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Primary drive bay accommodates standard 1.8-inch (uSATA) hard drives
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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
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An mSATA SSD can be installed in the primary drive bay by using an mSATA to 1.8-inch adapter
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Recommended mSATA adapter: Aleratec mSATA SSD to 1.8″ SATA Drive Converter with Frame
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Recommended mSATA SSD: Samsung 860 EVO 250GB mSATA
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A standard 2.5-inch x 7mm drive can be installed in the optical bay by using an optical bay caddy
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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)
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There can be problems booting from a drive installed in an optical bay caddy. A discussion of this issue is available here.
WIRELESS NETWORKING
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Four versions of the Intel 5xxx WiFi link were originally available in the X300: 5100, 5150, 5300 and 5350
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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
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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)
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It may be necessary to cut or tape over pin 51 on this card to allow Bluetooth to operate correctly
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The whitelist-removed BIOS will likely be necessary to install either of these newer cards
BLUETOOTH
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The ThinkPad X300 includes Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate (BDC-2) (FRU 43Y6481)
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Bluetooth can be upgraded to Bluetooth 4.0 by simply swapping out the daughter card located under the palm rest
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Lenovo Bluetooth 4.0 daughter cards:
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FRU 60Y3303 (Foxconn)
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FRU 60Y3305 (Liteon)
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OTHER MODIFICATIONS & CUSTOMIZATION
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Desktop wallpaper collection – 21 ThinkPad wallpapers in 1440×900 resolution
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Fan speeds can be controlled with TPFanControl in Windows and with thinkfan in Linux
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ThinkVantage button illumination can be customized in Windows and Linux
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See the “Bluetooth” section above for simple upgrade options
WINDOWS 7/8/10 ADJUSTMENTS
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Install a lightweight antivirus package (Windows 7 only)
CPU SPEED THROTTLING
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The maximum CPU clock speed may be limited when the system is operated on the 65W AC adapter and no battery is installed
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To prevent automatic CPU throttling, leave the battery in place while running on AC power or use a 90W AC adapter
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
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Trusted Reviews – February 5, 2011
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NotebookCheck.com – July 20, 2008
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MobileTechReview – June 4, 2008
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PC Advisor – March 21, 2008
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Geek.com – March 10, 2008
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Notebook Review – February 28, 2008
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Laptop Magazine – February 27, 2008
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PCMag.com – February 26, 2008
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CNET.com – February 22, 2008
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PC Pro – February 22, 2008
DISCUSSION FORUMS / OTHER SITES
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ThinkWiki:X300 (German version with different content)