X220 cpu throttling problem

[GatorBob]

I'm waiting for a fix for the major issues before I reorder another i7 X220.  The 10% off deal has been extended to July 20 so I'm ready to pull the trigger on my i7 replacement.  Hurry up, Lenovo!

[eggshelly]

+100 @dhackett and @NSGundy

I agree that the throttling is an issue as it happens when I play Starcraft 2.  It's not a small issue and not a huge issue for me personally.  However, I read this forum every day to make sure I don't miss the day when they post a fix.  @dhackett's plan would be much more convenient.  If you guys could even set up a mailing list or something and email us when the bios that @JameZ was talking about is released, that'd be fantastic.

[der72]

@eggshelly
Very good idea, it would be very helpful if there would be a mailing list to sign up.

[JNavas]

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NSGundy wrote:

I give you a real world example: Playing Starcraft 2 on low settings will result in throttling on my i7 machine with the 65W adapter plugged in. Running on battery is not much of an option as you are looking at 90 Minutes max with a fully charged 6 cell battery. If it was only for benchmark environments causing the issue I wouldn't care one bit.

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The X220 is an ultraportable with modest integrated graphics and a small AC adapter, not a gaming machine. Regardless, your issue is easily solved with a 90W AC adapter.

[JNavas]

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JameZ wrote:
3. Team are doing a test on this, no timeline provided. They will be releasing a BIOS within next week or another. Currently still in testing stage.
Appreciate everyone's patience on this.

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Appreciate you keeping us posted.

Will this be the same BIOS as the mSATA fix (much more serious issue)?

Thanks!

p.s. Please excuse the impatient nitpicking.

[OtherSteve]

I for one really appreciate JameZ's updates on these problems.

As for real-world examples, try playing nearly any GPU-intensive game.  Whether it's obvious or not, a significant performance hit applies while playing many of them (Fallout 3, Just Cause 2, Civilization V to name just a few).  You will need to verify via use of fraps or other similar benchmarking utlity (such as in-game benchmarks).  But trust me, it happens, and it's extremely noticeable once you see the difference.

JNavas:

The intended use of the machine is for each individual customer to determine for themselves.  If the specs suggest it ought to be handle most games on low settings with fluid frame rates (and they do, and it does with sufficient power provisions) then it ought to be able to handle that.

Folks, just because this problem does not personally bother you with your intended use of the machine does not mean it is not a problem.

[JNavas]

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OtherSteve wrote:

The intended use of the machine is for each individual customer to determine for themselves.  If the specs suggest it ought to be handle most games on low settings with fluid frame rates (and they do, and it does with sufficient power provisions) then it ought to be able to handle that.

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1. The intended use is determined by Lenovo in the design.

2. The X220 is a business ultraportable with modest graphics, not a gaming machine.

3. There are more appropriate ThinkPad models for gaming (e.g., T420 with NVIDIA NVS 4200M).

4. The solution to your issue is simple, and you'll get faster battery charging in the bargain.

5. Users are free to use equipment however they wish,

but don't have a valid complaint when going outside the design envelope,

especially when the solution is so simple.

6. This is at most a disclosure/documentation issue.

[twotoneblue]

@JNavas

I'm sorry man, with all due respect, your notion of there being a certain way a computer (any computer) is meant to be used is completely static and utterly misguided. Of course a computer company will contemplate typical use patterns and save money on specs and construction, but the only real limit is the hardware's own limits. If it wasnt so, computer companies could not be stating hardware specs as commercial for their products - in a world where people have access to information on how hardware is supposed to work, the company would be fronting false information/commercial.

[JNavas]

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twotoneblue wrote:

@JNavas

I'm sorry man, with all due respect, your notion of there being a certain way a computer (any computer) is meant to be used is completely static and utterly misguided. Of course a computer company will contemplate typical use patterns and save money on specs and construction, but the only real limit is the hardware's own limits. If it wasnt so, computer companies could not be stating hardware specs as commercial for their products - in a world where people have access to information on how hardware is supposed to work, the company would be fronting false information/commercial.

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I'm sorry man, with all due respect, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[dtp7]

People that buy this computer use the specs published by Lenovo to determine if it is sufficient for their needs. Lenovo does not say "this can only be used for web browsing and word processing - if you try to play a game, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE HARDWARE TO SUPPORT IT, then screw you!" If Lenovo did say that, sure, JNavas, you'd have a point. But they don't. The only thing that a potential consumer has to go off of are the hardware specifications, and we have to make our own decisions if they fit our needs. For those of us that purchased this computer, we decided that an i7 would adequately meet our needs. Now that we have the computer, we find that it is in fact not doing what an i7 is supposed to do because of an error on Lenovo's part. There is no question that Lenovo is responsible for fixing this.