Known Problems

This page provides information regarding unusual known problems, or rather, hardware/software design defects that may appear on a ThinkPad. Known problems that are related to age, are not considered unusual and will not be listed here. Some examples include: Problem with dead pixels or subpixels on TFT display panels Problem with broken inverter Problem with key and trackpoint markings on the display Problem with slow response rate of red subpixels on TFT display panels Problem with failing CCFL tubes on CCFL-backlit display panels Problem with hot surfaces Hardware problems are design defects related to a physical component that resides on or in a ThinkPad, which may result in premature death or reduced functionality. Fortunately, some components are modular and can be swapped for a fault-free equivalent in certain cases. Software problems on the other hand, are design defects or mistakes related to a component's firmware. Depending on the severity of the problem, some can be easily resolved with a simple modification, but some can't and may require special tools.

Hardware Problems

Display-related

• Problem with air bubbles forming due to inadequate adhesive used (X61 Tablet)
• Problem with garbled or blank vertical stripes on TFT display (T400s, T410s, T410si)
• Problem with image retention/persistence on IPS-based TFT displays (X220, X220i, X220 Tablet, X220i Tablet)

Storage-related

• Problem with hard drive clicking noises caused by excessive head parking (any model with a AAM/APM-capable HDD)
• Problem with failing Ultrabay 2000 Zip 250 drives

Motherboard-related

• Problem with faulty voltage regulators (A2x, T20, T21, T22)
• Problem with inductors falling off (T23)
• Problem with capacitors falling off (R31)
• Problem with faulty VRAM chips (A3x)
• Problem with dead audio codec chip (A31, A31p)
• Problem with loose solder joints on a RAM slot (T20, T21, T30, X3x)
• Problem with corrupted/garbled graphics caused by loose/fractured solder joints on GPU chip (A3x, T30, T4x, R32, R40, R5x)
• Problem with loose southbridge chips (T4x, R5x, X40)
• Problem with dead southbridge caused by inadequate short-circuit protection (X40)
• Problem with faulty VRAM chips (T60p, T60, R60, R60i, Z61m, Z61p)
• Problem with faulty NVIDIA GPU caused by inadequate solder bump material (T61p, T61, R61, R61i)
• Problem with dead VGA port (X61, X61s, X61 Tablet)
• Problem with broken USB ports' tabs (W500, T400, T500, R400, R500)
• Problem with dead EEPROM chip (some models that were built within Sep to Dec 2011)
• Problem with dead SATA ports (any model with a B2 stepping Intel 6 series PCH)

Power-related

• Problem with premature battery death (600 series)
• Problem with high pitch noises (some models)
• Problem with damaged 56 W AC adapters

External-related

• Problem with cracks forming on palmrest or keyboard bezel (T2x)
• Problem with loose hinges (X2x)
• Problem with hairline cracks forming nearby hinges (R3x)
• Problem with hairline crack forming on display bezel (X3x)
• Problem with malformed casing caused by bending/twisting (T4x, X4x)
• Problem with magnesium frame near the VGA port breaking apart (T60, T60p, R60, R60e, R60i)
• Problem with broken left hinge (SLx00 series)
• Problem with stiff or loose left hinge caused by broken magnesium frame (W500, T500)
• Problem with hairline cracks forming on palmrest (T400s, T410s, T410si)

Software Problems

Display-related

• Problem with DVI throughput on port replicators and docks (models from 2000-2004)
• Problem with ATI proprietary fglrx display driver (all models with an ATI display controller)
• Problem with system lockups related to video adapter (all models with an S3 display controller)
• Problem with video output switching
• Problem with LCD brightness controls not working or causes crashes (some models with ACPI)

Storage-related

• Problem with APS harddisk parking (all models with APS)
• Problem with too large harddrive (560)
• Problem with non-ThinkPad hard disks (T43, T43p, R52, X41)
• Problem with SATA performance limited to UDMA 2 (all models with a I/O controller capable of only IDE)

Network-related

• Problem with error 01C9 - More than one Ethernet devices (A31, A31p, T23, T30, X22, X23, X24, X30)
• Problem with e1000: EEPROM Checksum Is Not Valid (any model with the 82573L LAN controller)
• Problem with 3945ABG: Internal wifi cannot associate with AP (any model with the 3945ABG WLAN card)
• Problem with V.90 and V.92 speeds (any model with a Conexant SmartV.92 Softmodem DSP)

Power-related

• Problems with ACPI suspend-to-ram (ACPI sleep troubles)
  • Problem with display remaining black after resume (various models)
  • Problem with high power drain in ACPI sleep (various models)
  • Problem with LCD backlight remaining on during ACPI sleep (various models)
• Problem with fan noise (some models)
• Problem with checking battery status causes mouse to jerk around (R31)
• Problem with CPU locked to lowest frequency under AC power only (any model with SpeedStep or Cool'n'Quiet)
• Problem with immediate restarts from suspend, hibernate, and halt (some models)

Audio-related

• Problem with audio clipping caused by excessive sound amplification (any model with an AD1981A or AD1981B AC'97 codec)

BIOS/UEFI-related

• "Unauthorized" MiniPCI Wireless Network card error (Error 1802) (models with MiniPCI, MiniPCIe, and M.2 slots)
• Problem with faulty Thunderbolt ports caused by problematic firmware (all models with dedicated Thunderbolt controllers)
• Firmware issues

External-related

• Problem with Dock USB Ports
• Problems accessing cdrom drive (T400)
• Problem with Overheating then reboot since Ubuntu 11.10 (T500)