Law Student looking for Ultrabook/Thin and Light. Narrowed down, need help choosing!

[Kuroi-Tsubasa]

The Premium is an IPS panel, whereas the normal is a TN panel. It'll have better colors, contrast, and especially better viewing angles. Definitely worth the extra $50 in price if you ask me.

SSD options are expensive because it's profit for the OEM. You'll be better off buying your own SSD aftermarket and installing it yourself. For the X230, you'll need a 7mm height SSD (one that I know of is the Samsung 830), and you'll need a small screwdriver set (can pick one up at DG for $1 if you don't already have some) and some way to ground yourself (like an ESD band for $5, or just regularly touch a desktop computer's case while plugged in).

I'll just copy/paste this here from other threads asking how to install a SSD:

Spoiler :

Unplug the laptop, take the battery out, and hold down the power button for ~10 second to discharge any remaining current.



Find the panel that covers the HDD and unscrew the screw(s) that hold it in place, then remove panel.



Remove old HDD.



Remove any metal or rubber caddy that cushions the old HDD. In my case, I had two rubber rails supporting the drive. You should be left with the bare drive.



Take your SSD, install the metal/rubber caddy, slide into the drive bay, and plug into the SATA connector.

[ZaZ]

The premium screen on the X230 is an IPS screen, which offers wide viewing angles and high contrast. The standard panel is fair to middling. At $50 the premium screen is an absolute no-brainer.

I would suggest getting the 500GB platter drive and picking up a mSATA SSD unless you're planning using WWAN. A 60GB drive can be had for under $100 and this way you can keep the platter drive in the main bay for storage, where speed is not as critical. I have this setup on my X220i. It's quite slick.

If you decide to go aftermarket, keep in mind the X230 uses a 7mm bay, which will limit your selection. Samsung makes some good 7mm drives and the drive is very easy to swap.

[Calvin2376]

Thank you all for your great replies. From privatejarhead's post, it looks like the hardware side of things is very straightforward. Unscrew the access door to the HDD, unplug it, plug in SSD.

What happens on the software/OS side? I've never swapped storage drives before. What do I need to do in terms of the OS/drivers to make sure everything works after the SSD installation?

My biggest concern is buying a brand new ~$2000 computer and popping it open to swap a drive. I'm very familiar with the Magnuson-Moss warranty act, and that legally companies should only refuse warranty claims if the problem is related to or caused by the aftermarket parts (or caused by your installation of them). Do any of you have experience with Lenovo and how they handle warranties and aftermarket parts? Samsung seems to have made it clear that despite the MM Act, they intend to try and claim your warranty is voided if you even open the computer. What's Lenovo like in this regard? Can I even cause problems related to things other than the HDD/SSD by swapping them?

[Bronsky]

Lol. You sound like a law student. I have replaced hard drives in every computer I've had for years. I save the original drive to swap back in for warranty work. I also like to do a clean install. Find a guide before doing that. BTW, even good SSD's will wear out. I just lost my 2 year old Crucial M225 SSD yesterday and am waiting for my Samsung 830 to arrive. Until then, I have my original 5400 rpm drive back in and it is terribly slow.

The msata drive option is a really good option. You get to keep the original drive as backup and just change boot order if the MSata ssd fails. God, my equipment is starting to seem old.

[Kuroi-Tsubasa]

Software-side, things are straight-forward. Download the appropriate Win7 disc and ABR backup/restore software.. With the stock drive, you use ABR to copy your activation key (to a flashdrive or something). Burn the Win7 ISO to a DVD using something like ImgBurn. Remove stock drive, insert SSD per the pictures in my last post. Insert DVD into laptop and install Windows (easy to do, just follow the screen's instructions). When you're on the desktop, insert the flashdrive and use ABR to restore your activation key. Then install all the software and data you want and use it.

SSDs are usually rated for 20GB or writes per day for 5 years, conservatively. You must do a crazy amount of writes to your M225 for it to fail so early.

[Bronsky]

OT Alert

SSDs are usually rated for 20GB or writes per day for 5 years, conservatively. You must do a crazy amount of writes to your M225 for it to fail so early.

I have used the crap out of my Timeline. It has held up remarkably.

[SoundsGood]

I can get a Vizio CT14 with an i7 and 256 GB SSD for $1,199

I'm not a Vizio TV fan and I'm not familiar with their laptops -- but wow, that looks like quite a deal !

[jlp0209]

What happens on the software/OS side? I've never swapped storage drives before. What do I need to do in terms of the OS/drivers to make sure everything works after the SSD installation?

If you end up going Lenovo there is a utility on the hard drive that lets you create factory restore discs. It is as easy as the push of a button. Create the discs prior to removing the hdd, take out the hdd, insert the ssd, tighten screws. Boot up the PC with the boot disc the utility will create for you, and it will do everything for you. Everything will be installed. It will be good to go and is the safest way for you to be up and running if you've never done a fresh install of Windows before. I did this with my x230 rather than a fresh install and honestly don't notice any difference compared to other systems where I've done a fresh install.

Most manufacturers have a utility that does this.

[billypat]

Really: what should I get? I want an untrabook that that backlighted keys. at leqast 500 GB in a solid state drive. Dont neet many other things. would rater a PC. I like lenove but am open to other systems as long as ther right fetures are there..

Help thanks.

[Calvin2376]

Software-side, things are straight-forward. Download the appropriate Win7 disc and ABR backup/restore software.. With the stock drive, you use ABR to copy your activation key (to a flashdrive or something). Burn the Win7 ISO to a DVD using something like ImgBurn. Remove stock drive, insert SSD per the pictures in my last post. Insert DVD into laptop and install Windows (easy to do, just follow the screen's instructions). When you're on the desktop, insert the flashdrive and use ABR to restore your activation key. Then install all the software and data you want and use it.

SSDs are usually rated for 20GB or writes per day for 5 years, conservatively. You must do a crazy amount of writes to your M225 for it to fail so early.

If you end up going Lenovo there is a utility on the hard drive that lets you create factory restore discs. It is as easy as the push of a button. Create the discs prior to removing the hdd, take out the hdd, insert the ssd, tighten screws. Boot up the PC with the boot disc the utility will create for you, and it will do everything for you. Everything will be installed. It will be good to go and is the safest way for you to be up and running if you've never done a fresh install of Windows before. I did this with my x230 rather than a fresh install and honestly don't notice any difference compared to other systems where I've done a fresh install.

Most manufacturers have a utility that does this.

Thank you all for your responses. Both of you mention burning OS restore discs to use to boot from. What are you options if you have no optical drive (which the X230 doesn't have and I don't want)? Can you create a restore "disc" image on a flash drive or something? Will it boot from that?

So say I've created a restore image and backed up all the drivers/software to something like a flash drive (if that's an option). Then I swap out the drives. Then I just turn on the computer and boot from the flash drive (or restore image, on whatever media it is)? Will the SSD I buy (say it's a Samsung 830) simply be able to turn on and give me a boot option list right after being installed in a new computer?

I apologize for the possibly dumb questions, but I've never swapped out hardware before and am the kind of person that wants to cover all his bases before attempting.