Difference between T420 and T420s?

[JNavas]

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ColonelONeill wrote:
I'd say you should get more than 4.5 hours on a 9-cell in the T420 >.>

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Depends (greatly) on the power management setting.

[nibs Guru]

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JNavas wrote:

1.a USB 3.0 flash drives can be far faster than USB 2.0, notably the Patriot Supersonic Magnum.

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     Thanks for mentioning that. I see flash and external harddrives as so related that I forgot to mention flash drives in my original post. There are some eSATA flash drives; however I believe that they tend to cost more than USB 3.0 models. The point I was attempting to make is that currently USB 3.0 is generally only good for connecting to storage (HDD, SSD, flash drive, external burner) and specialized kit (like the BlackMagicDesign Intensity). 

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JNavas wrote:

1.b Flush ExpressCard USB 3.0 adapters are available with sufficient power for an external 2.5" HDD.

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 I have an adapter similar to the one pictured (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046Y3INC). You'll notice that both the one pictured and the one that I own have an additional USB cable that plugs into the ExpressCard and a USB 3.0 port. This cable provides additional power because an ExpressCard cannot meet the power demands of USB 3.0. You may be able to connect to things without the power cable; however, the speeds might be slower or there may other issues.

     I've tried my ExpressCard adapter with two external drives, my Intel SSD when I was installing that drive in my system, and the HDD that came with my system, in both cases I needed the USB power cable. I tested this with two different USB 3.0 to SATA adapters, one came with the Intel SSD and other one was an enclosure.

     I have not tried the card with a USB 3.0 flash drive, and maybe it would be able to power that without the cable. The cable kind of makes things ugly has you have this cord going from one part of the laptop to another part. I only put up with it because it allows me to backup both my T420 and T400 over USB 3.0 speeds, and the T400 doesn't have eSATA. 

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JNavas wrote:

A good alternative to that is mSATA SSD in the Full PCIe slot (unless you need internal WWAN).

Put Windows and programs on mSATA SSD and data on internal HDD, ideally 7200 RPM.

The hibernation file has to be on the SSD, but the paging file can be on the HDD.

This gives you most of the benefits of SSD with the capacity of HDD at much lower cost.

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mSATA drives seem to cost a good bit more than SSDs. Another option is to use an SSD in the Ultrabay and convert the optical drive to an external. The mSATA does have the advantage of everything being inside the machine. 

[JNavas]

nibs wrote:

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JNavas wrote:
1.a USB 3.0 flash drives can be far faster than USB 2.0, notably the Patriot Supersonic Magnum.

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Thanks for mentioning that. I see flash and external harddrives as so related that I forgot to mention flash drives in my original post. There are some eSATA flash drives; however I believe that they tend to cost more than USB 3.0 models. The point I was attempting to make is that currently USB 3.0 is generally only good for connecting to storage (HDD, SSD, flash drive, external burner) and specialized kit (like the BlackMagicDesign Intensity).

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While USB 3.0 is primarily useful today for storage and specialized devices, it will probably matter more over time for such things as HD video capture, direct computer-to-computer connections, printing, etc. As for eSATA flash drives, they are not only more expensive but also rare.

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JNavas wrote:
1.b Flush ExpressCard USB 3.0 adapters are available with sufficient power for an external 2.5" HDD.

---

I have an adapter similar to the one pictured (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046Y3INC). You'll notice that both the one pictured and the one that I own have an additional USB cable that plugs into the ExpressCard and a USB 3.0 port. This cable provides additional power because an ExpressCard cannot meet the power demands of USB 3.0. You may be able to connect to things without the power cable; however, the speeds might be slower or there may other issues.
     I've tried my ExpressCard adapter with two external drives, my Intel SSD when I was installing that drive in my system, and the HDD that came with my system, in both cases I needed the USB power cable. I tested this with two different USB 3.0 to SATA adapters, one came with the Intel SSD and other one was an enclosure.
     I have not tried the card with a USB 3.0 flash drive, and maybe it would be able to power that without the cable. The cable kind of makes things ugly has you have this cord going from one part of the laptop to another part. I only put up with it because it allows me to backup both my T420 and T400 over USB 3.0 speeds, and the T400 doesn't have eSATA. 

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That's yours. The adapter I referenced does have sufficient power for an external 2.5" HDD without a USB cable and without speed or "other issues".

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JNavas wrote:
A good alternative to that is mSATA SSD in the Full PCIe slot (unless you need internal WWAN).
Put Windows and programs on mSATA SSD and data on internal HDD, ideally 7200 RPM.
The hibernation file has to be on the SSD, but the paging file can be on the HDD.
This gives you most of the benefits of SSD with the capacity of HDD at much lower cost.

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mSATA drives seem to cost a good bit more than SSDs. Another option is to use an SSD in the Ultrabay and convert the optical drive to an external. The mSATA does have the advantage of everything being inside the machine.

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While mSATA does cost more on a per byte basis than SSD, it can nonetheless be cost effective overall because mSATA does not need to be as large as SSD when paired with a fast HDD (as in my X220).

[mpk]

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nibs wrote:

The s gets you a USB 3 port.

Just a friendly correction-- the "s" in T420s does NOT automatically provide usb3.

My company shipped me one in February, and I anxiously bought a USB3 drive in anticipation. To make a long, sad story short, no USB3, even though it was configured generously (i7, 8gb RAM, SSD). There is eSata, but not having USB3 is a real head scratcher. On the other hand, the t430s does seem to automatically have usb3.

(Sorry to dredge up a year old thread, especially one from the earlier days of T420s, just want to prevent someone from being disappointed)

[JNavas]

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mpk wrote:

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nibs wrote:

The s gets you a USB 3 port.

Just a friendly correction-- the "s" in T420s does NOT automatically provide usb3.
My company shipped me one in February, and I anxiously bought a USB3 drive in anticipation. To make a long, sad story short, no USB3, even though it was configured generously (i7, 8gb RAM, SSD). There is eSata, but not having USB3 is a real head scratcher. On the other hand, the t430s does seem to automatically have usb3.
(Sorry to dredge up a year old thread, especially one from the earlier days of T420s, just want to prevent someone from being disappointed)

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With respect, the "s" in T420s does get you a USB 3.0 port.

It's on the back of the machine, properly marked.

See the ThinkPad T420s data sheet.

If you didn't get one, then you should file a claim under warranty.

[nibs Guru]

@mpk have you found the USB3 port yet?