Upgrade Advice for a T4220

[soccerdude07]

So, I'm a little late to the game of upgrading my T4220 but I'm now in the position to either upgrade or just buy something new. The sturdyness of the computer has unfortunately far outlived the hardware...is it even worth the time, effort, and money to upgrade the laptop?

I've dug around the forum a bit and it seems like the easiest way to max out performance is to upgrade the processor, the hard drive, and the ram. I consider myself tech-savy but I'm not familiar with computer hardware and software contraints and compatibility and unfortunately, trying to get help/recommendations from Fujitsu tech support is about as helpful as slamming my head into a wall and almost always ends with the same result.

Has anyone had any luck hot rodding their T4220? What would you recommend? I've looked into upgrading the HD to a Seagate Momentus XT HHD but have been repeatedly told (by none other than the Fujitsu tech support) that any hard drive not meeting the constraints of the one currently installed won't work with my computer. Additionally, I have been told that the processor can't be upgraded since it's soldered directly to the motherboard which multiple sources on this site seem to indicate is false.

Here's what I currently have:

Fujitsu Lifebook T4220
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7700 (2.4 GHz, 4 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB)
Intel 965GM + ICH8M Chipset
4 GB DDR2 667 MHz Crucial RAM
12.1" XGA TFT Display (1024x768 Resolution)
Mobile Intel GMA X3100 Video Controller
160 GB, 5400 rpm, Serial-ATA 150, shock-mounted, two-level password protection HD

Sorry this is a bit wordy, but any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[monkey13]

If your T4220 is still in good condition (no cracks and other problems) a very noticeable improvement is installing a SSD.
That's what I did and so far I'm really impressed with it. OK, it was also the Windows transition from XP to 8CP, which in my eyes improves things. And I only have the previous model T4215, Core 2 Duo T7200 with 2 GB RAM (both batteries have died already but I use it on AC most of the time), but I will hold now on a little longer to it. After that it will still be a good second machine. For details on the processor look at the "Disassembly of the Fujitsu LifeBook T4200 Series Tablet PC"-thread started by SimsHsia, you'll learn more about your T4220 and perhaps some means of improving it.

[soccerdude07]

Thanks for the quick response Monkey.

Yes, my T4220 is still in good condition besides the common pc card slot crack and a bit of wear and tear from surviving 4 years of college with me. I've burned through 4 batteries so far and just recently got another, so I'm still mobile (to a degree) and the upgrade to Win7 and an uptick in ram drastically improved my heat problems unless I put it under high stress. I considered going to a SSD but I think a hybrid drive would give me a nice speed boost without the high price tag...not sure if the speed increase of a nice SSD is worth the cost on such a seasoned tablet...in my eyes (which, I could be completely wrong), I might as well just upgrade to a newer computer in that case.

Thanks for the shoutout to SimsHsia's teardown...it's definitely a great resource.

[monkey13]

What kind of a drive (hybrid/SSD) depends on your budget planning, of course.
The prices for SSDs are falling rather slowly... I did invest in a SSD with the thougt of taking it into a new machine when I buy one. The upgrade options offered by Fujitsu (on their site and with the dealers I know) are in my opinion overpriced, so I will go for a reasonable processor but base HDD and RAM and upgrade myself.
In any case, the SSD (plus W8) prolonged the life of my 5-year-old T4215 by at least a year, enough time to see how the newer generations (IB and maybe even Haswell) perform. Build quality seems to have gotten worse, if you skim trough the threads on the T901...

[soccerdude07]

Yeah, I maxed my RAM a few years back after Fujitsu convinced me that that was the only way to upgrade the computer...Now I'm playing with the idea of switching the hard drive to a Momentus XT hybrid drive (7200 rpm, 8 gb solid state cache, 750 gb) and switching out the processor for a T9300 or T9500. I read a few threads where people talked about changing out the screen for a higher resolution one (which I'd love to do) as well but haven't found any successes thus far.

While I'm fairly confident I can handle the physical installations, ensuring both hardware and software compatibility is my bane as I'm not extremely well-versed in computer make-up and it would be my luck to drop a good bit of money on hardware that the BIOS won't recognize or severly limits.

[soccerdude07]

Another potential mod I found reading through some of the forums is the possibility of upgrading the standard XGA screen to a higher resolution SXGA+ display but I haven't found anyone who has detailed such a move or reported success in the endeavor....has anyone else successfully made the switch?

[Hattori Hanzo]

Depending on what you do there's nothing wrong with a T4220. I had a T4215 until recently and just retired it as my wife's toy because of mechanical issues (hinge nearing end of lifetime). What I got was the dead cheap HP counterpart to the T4215 and guess what, it still does what I want. There's very little for me that the TC doesn't do and that doesn't need a real desktop.

One upgrade I can recommend for the T42xx series is reinforcing the housing: Twenty bucks to get me a stiff one | Tablets, drivel, rants 'n stuff


But in all seriousness:
Upgrading the CPU is imo not worth it. If you would do a blind test with the T7700 and some higher end model of the T9000 series chances are you'd be guessing for most tasks whether it's the old or the new one. In addition to that getting a used higher end T9000 is comparatively expensive and needs you to nearly completely disassemble the thing (take off display, keyboard, top of base unit, heat distribution shield). If you really need more processing power, get something from the core-i era.

Upgrading the hard drive, though, is really highly recommended. The original drives Fujitsu sold in these are rather slow. I can personally tell you that the Momentus XT is a very good choice. It is an enormous difference between that and the original Fujitsu drives, even the 7200rpm ones. Getting an SSD will still be another huge step in performance, though. I had the possibility to compare my XT in the TC directly to the same machine with an Intel 320 80GB model. If you put such a thing in there you will be amazed how snappy it can feel and the CPU will definitely be the new bottleneck.
The question is how much space you need. I need a lot and that's the sole reason I chose the XT. If you can live with a rather small disk, SSDs aren't much more expensive but way faster still.

Another thing you could do if you are keen on hardware modding is replacing the front "glass". It's the major source of reflections in bright environments and it you could replace it with a piece of real glass with better optical properties.
Concerning the SXGA display, I think that there was some minor problems with some part of the BIOS and the display EDID. The memory is vague, though.


If I were you, I'd just get a new disk and wait what the next round of Tablet PCs will bring.

[Agent 9]

I got a T4220 just recently to start using as a main machine (its replaced my desktop and ia a 'at-home' machine while my 2730p is my on-the-go unit); I put my Crucial 64GB SSD in the main bay, then got one of those ebay modular bay adapters for hard drives then tossed a 2.5" 1TB SATA II HDD in there (this way with the HDD in the bay I have access to most of my important data, and if I take it out I get a nearly silent and shock-proof device with the OS all setup and some personal data), the price of SSD's is still pretty high, but the Crucial SSD's are really down (they are at just under $1/GB as non-sale prices on Newegg, a 128GB costs $124, and a 256GB costs $244; but for $130 you can get the Western Digital 9.5mm 2.5" 1TB HDD; I would not really recommend the Hybrid HDD's as there won't be that much of a difference in performance and it will run louder and louder (would probably be very noticeable in a quiet room, or during use when you aren't playing any audio). Adding a USB HDD adapter to house the old HDD is a good idea (for $6 the Inland one from Microcenter or elsewhere is absolutely fantastic and doesn't have issues); and maybe a USB enclosure for the 12.7mm DVD drive so you have a good USB DVD drive to use wherever for $12 on ebay.
I have the SXGA+ screen and while the higher resolution is really awesome, sometimes I really wish the viewing angles were a whole heck of a lot better as it is decent, but nothing like the M1400's screen, and a far way off from the F5's AFFS+ screen; if you'd like I can take a set of comparison shots between it and my M1400 & F5. I have the T8300 processor (Penryn 2.4Ghz full voltage processor, 64-bit) and it does quite well, I am using Throttle stop to undervolt it slightly to help reduce heat output... That's the other thing, the X3100's chipset can take the full 4GB DDR2 if you are using a 64-bit OS, so when you get a new drive do a clean install of the 64-bit version of Windows 7 you have (you can use the exact same COA key), 4GB is the most ram you can have though.

overall I'm very taken by the T4220, its powerful, has some really nice features, a nice screen, built well, ect... the only things I don't really care for are the plastic screen front, the kinda dim screen, no expresscard slot, and no track-point or keyboard light. I don't see much reason to upgrade unless you really want to output to higher resolution screens (though there are some work-arounds getting it working on the 950 and X3100), or if you need the GPU power of a newer machine for things like 3D modeling or heavy 2D work.
For comparison purposes the WEI score are 6.0 - 6.0 - 3.5 - 3.1 - 7.8 and for wPrime it gets 37 sec for the 32m test.

[terry mc]

OK,
Hopefully I can give some insight here. I have owned a couple of T4220's and hot rodded each. I have done processor upgrades memory and hard drive upgrades on mine. Most of it on the cheap (i.e. Ebay). I also have gone the upgrade route on the computer. I bought a nice T900 from Fujitsu on their refurbished computer page on Ebay.

Plusses T4220 with an upgraded hard drive, memory, and processor the 4220 is very quick. The work is not that hard with the link that was provided to you. You will gain processor speed, and file opening will be much quicker. I did mine over time so it felt like I was getting a newer computer each time I modified it.
After a while you will crave more improvements, it is the nature of modding.
The T4220 is a solid computer an all time classic, in my opinion.
Negative for T4220, no matter what you do, the graphics processor is the weak link! if you have much work with video intensive items this will not improve no matter what you do. I did work with consulting on BIM (building information modeling), this is a 3d model of a building under construction where you navigate thru the model seeing what layout changes due to the other trades. my t4220 would do the job, it was just slow at it, so it made a good excuse to make an upgrade.

T900 Plusses, the graphics processor is much better than the T4220, the T901 is even further down this road and you can order it with a dedicated graphics card (that should be a quantum leap) the screen is larger if you like or need that. The processor is faster if you order or install one that is a higher end model. I have an i7 620m (upgraditus at work here) and with the hyperthreading and dual cores it will work like a 4 core processor. It is very quick and responsive. With the right processor you can get more performance than you ever will with the 4220. It will also run cooler than a hot rodded T4220. Although both can get very warm.
T900 negatives. The case, in my opinion as well as others the T4220 was the peak of quality for fujitsu. not to sound like a cliche they just don't build them like they use to. the T900 just does not feel as sturdy as my old 4220's I like the smaller form factor of the T4220 also, so if you like that consider a T730. Both work with docking stations so screen size is not a big deal for me as I dock when I am at my desk (external 23" monitor). Of all the things that drive me nuts, this one you would not think would be a big deal, the modular bay release. on the 4220 you can change the disk drive to a battery or vise versa while in a docking station, with the T900, 5010, and 901 you have to undock and flip the computer over to find the SMALL hidden lever on the bottom of the computer its a PITA. I also miss my scroll rocker on the touch pad. It was one of those great inventions thats time has come and gone and I miss it.

Hard drives, you biggest improvements for each computer is hard drives and ram. I have tried many different hard drives. Seagate momentus 500 GB 7200 rpm JUNK! I have been thru several. Crucial C300 SSD, don't even think about it 4 months of superfast file opening (great) and lots of freezes (sucks), only to be followed by sudden death syndrome. Seagate Momentus XT 500 GB 7200 rpm hybrid, it has its plusses it is slightly faster than a standard 7200, although not nearly as fast as the SSD's, HOWEVER this is what is currently in my computer after my C300 died and the platter is starting to rattle, which can also be known as "SEAGATE DEATH RATTLE" Living in Arizona and dealing with rattle snakes you know that you have been warned when you hear the rattle, you just don't always know which way to step to get out of danger. LOL
THE GOLD STANDARD Hitachi Travelstar 500GB 7200 rpm, I have found these to be bank vault secure and have out lasted anyother type of drive I have ever used, Period!!! they are quick not as quick as a hybrid or SSD but they don't die. But they are still much faster than the stock drives.

I hope this all helps and I have not bored you to sleep. I am sure there are some that never made it down this far.

Hopefully Dean Hosh will sound in as he has done lots of modding and upgrade on computers as well. He likes the intel SSD which may be my next step.

[terry mc]

I just reread what you have, you will not see a big jump on processor as you already have one of the higher models the T7800 is the only step up from here and I have had both and there is not a significant change.

As far as the other comments about soldered chip, that is wrong it is a socket.
HDD compatibility no problems except maybe the Crucial C300 (freezes, there are whole threads on matching that drive up)

I really like Agent 9's concept of using the bay drive combined with the SSD, I just work in the field enough that I have a hard time giving up my second battery.

As an aside, my work in the field is on construction sites and The fujitsus are subjected to usage in conditions that should be reserved for Toughbooks, they are that sturdy.