Frankenpad X225
Ador, my Thinkpad X220, got its motherboard (mobo) fried a little over two months ago.
In my research online, a Thinkpad X230 mobo could be a drop-in replacement. I only needed to modify some bits in the chassis, and the resulting “Frankenpad” should be better than X220.
I found this guide by a certain Jiri Panacek during my first round of research. But at the time of writing this, it returns a 403 Forbidden error.
Luckily, someone archived it in the Wayback Machine. You can visit the entirety of the guide here.
Below the line are sections copied from the guide for my case. This will be my reference when I finally fix Ador with the X230 mobo I ordered.
ThinkPad X230 is a generation update which shares many components with the previous X220 model. There are still some differences:
- new chicklet keyboard
- slightly different palmrest
- a mini DisplayPort instead of the full-size DisplayPort
- most importantly, Ivy Bridge chipset which outperforms its older brother, especially when it comes to the integrated graphics card.
Pros:
- Ivy Bridge chipset with the official Windows 10 support
- Improved graphics performance
- Two USB 3.0 ports
- Support for two external LCD screens plus one internal (with Mini Dock Plus Series 3)
- Lenovo officially supports drivers for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10
Cons:
- X230 is not officially compatible with x220 batteries (you need to flash the embedded controller)
- You lose the CapsLock LED indicator on the keyboard
- COA Windows sticker does not match the OS
- TPFanControl does not show all sensors for the Ivy Bridge chipset
- A weird hole around the mini DisplayPort connector
Process
- Obtain X230 mobo.
- Replace thermal paste under CPU heatsink (optional but recommended).
- Take laptop apart and replace the motherboard. Video (Youtube) reference.
- Modify the keyboard.
- Put everything together.
- Flash the EC controller.
- Done!