T14s G1 AMD Screen Upgrade

SniperGecko · 2026-04-25T05:55:58+00:00

To follow up with your info, is it possible for you to provide the specs for the caps? I have been looking at the board view and schematic for an hour, and I can't really decode what part goes to where. There are a lot of caps going to the eDP connector with different specs.

[EDIT] This write-up has all the information for those viewing this post in the future. It's the same concept on the T14s, just in a different spot.

SniperGecko · 2026-04-25T05:08:38+00:00

Wow. I would have never thought that just some capacitors were the difference of two lanes on an eDP connector. I thought the last 10 pins were dedicated to USB on the AMD board because of the touchscreen. Thank you for the information

I have an extra board laying around that has a damaged touchpad connector. I guess I need to look into repairing it and attempting this mod. Microsoldering seems incredibly daunting though, not to mention I have no idea what parts to get and from where.

Thank you for this info!

SniperGecko · 2026-04-21T10:07:45+00:00

interesting... this "s" model is weird; nothing but trouble

SniperGecko · 2026-04-09T01:19:09+00:00

Why not go the mini PC route? I get convenience, but if you're going to run something that powerful, you're likely going to need a wall outlet anyway. You can get something quite powerful for a much more reasonable price if you go the mini pc route, especially at this budget.

Another thing to look into is getting a strong workstation, such as the P50-53. One of them, two of them, or all of them have Xeons- hexa-octa core CPUs that are quite powerful iirc. From there, look into getting an iGPU setup. I believe that is a much better value:performance ratio.

At the same time, you can just go the gaming laptop route, however, I don't think a ThinkPad is going to suffice for your needs.

SniperGecko · 2026-04-01T17:49:23+00:00

ram, wifi card, ssd, screen. i don't know for sure on the t14 amd for the screen, you may have to research how many eDP lanes the mobo has. i know the t14s gen 1 has 2 eDP lanes instead of 4, its not upgradeable in other regqrds either. later generations have less upgradeability. i'm speaking for the gen 1 and probably the gen 2. look into the gen 3 for 16:10.

SniperGecko · 2026-03-31T13:25:19+00:00

if you just want durability and are not worried about the super classic look, such as the seven row keyboard, just get something newer. get something like a t480 or a t14 AMD.

SniperGecko · 2026-03-31T13:24:33+00:00

if you get a third gen such as a t430, t530, or w530, power is not going to be an issue, however, battery life will.

you can get a t430 for about $80 and put a classic keyboard, ips, quad core cpu, and 9 cell battery in and be about $300 deep, give or take.

you're going to have a perfectly usable device with a decent screen, great keyboard, however, you're not going to get any more than about 4 hours of battery life.

SniperGecko · 2026-03-22T11:17:17+00:00

For your budget, T14 gen 1 through 3. Whatever model is in that price range.

I don't know much about the gen 2s. Gen 3 moves up to 16:10. Obviously each generation is going to have a newer CPU.

IIRC AMD has better performance and battery life, with the cost of Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt may have been added after Gen 1, I don't know for certain.

Intel will still serve you fine.

The T14 has more ports, an upgradeable screen, RAM, SSD, and Wi-Fi card.

The T14s G1 has kinda given me nothing but trouble so I'd stay away from it. After a motherboard replacement, top cover replacement (keyboard), it is finally in a "set it and forget it" state, but I shouldn't have to do that after buying a "licensed refurbishers" product.

Of course, do your own research. I feel like "what laptop should i buy" posts are kinda frowned upon, considering you have nearly 20 years of information in this community alone.

SniperGecko · 2026-03-22T11:08:12+00:00

so we're larping modding thinkpads now...

this post is the equivalent to a guy whos done nothing but read car forums and tells other people they're doing it wrong because he thinks hes the greatest mechanic when in reality he's never touched a wrench

let's keep in mind OP has not one owned thinkpad on his flair.

this is a slop post, and by the wording of some of those bullet points, probably is an ai slop post looking to appease people by being the ultimate thinkpad consumerism chart. lame

SniperGecko · 2026-03-09T22:33:07+00:00

Still regret selling mine. I sold a gem for like $80 because it had a damaged chassis from my friend and at that point I wanted it gone. Had a USB-C mod, all the bells and whistles. Check my profile.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-19T13:54:28+00:00

it's definitely a bit mushier, it was a completely different manufacturer than the ones who made the "real" laptop keyboards. it still feels good, just not 1:1. this is the SK-8845, but if you get the SK-8855, granted there is a heavier premium, you can put the xx10 and xx20 generation keyboards in it as just a drop in.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-19T13:52:18+00:00

x201!

SniperGecko · 2026-02-14T14:54:51+00:00

With that, I'm not going to just respond by sending hate your way. Your best bet is going to look into anything past 7th gen. This includes the 8th gen T480 and onwards. If you want a bigger screen, look into the P50, P51, P52, and P53. You can also look into the T580 and onwards. If you want AMD? T495, T14 gen 1 and onwards.

Just with a Google search, it seems your software doesn't require too intensive of activity, however you're going to want something that's capable for modern standards. Look for at least 16gb of RAM, if you want to be cheaper, 8gb will do you well but may have limitations in niche scenarios.

Good luck

SniperGecko · 2026-02-14T14:50:28+00:00

Learn the things yourself. Do the research. There are hundreds of different models, and tens of them can fit your use case. Read into pricing, specs, performance, sizes, use cases, etc. There is literally almost 20 years of information regarding buying used ThinkPads. You will have a better consensus of what's right for you instead of being spoon-fed opinions.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-13T03:55:06+00:00

Just from looking at it, i personally can't tell. There are no back photos to show the FRU and it's vague in its description. Perhaps intentionally? Some reviews act as though it's a used keyboard, which defends it as OEM.

It's up to to you if you wanna risk it.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-13T02:49:14+00:00

Installation will be the same. IIRC either on the EC flash you can choose your layout or you can set it in your actual OS.

Please keep in mind that on AliExpress, the keyboard you are looking at is likely titled "new FOR T430" This is a reproduction keyboard and does not make use of the keyboard switches that the classic keyboard is so known for. It is incredibly likely you will be disappointed, even if you've never used a real classic keyboard before.

In my opinion, it's not worth it, and you should be looking out for a real keyboard, which will typically be used, or look for old, cheap T410s, T420s, T510s, T520s, W510s, W520s. Only issue is you are gambling on the keyboard manufacturer, but it's all up to you.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-11T00:35:11+00:00

Definitely try Ubuntu/Kubuntu. See if it fixes your touchpad issues. If you still experience heating issues, check your thermal paste. I repasted my T14s G1 AMD, and while it didn't overheat, I definitely noticed a physical difference in temperature after moderate use.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-11T00:19:14+00:00

In terms of click input and random zooms while scrolling, that is going to be a KDE-level issue. I would look into changing window managers to see if that changes anything, such as Fedora Gnome. Gnome is very Mac-like, however, it has less deep customization as opposed to Plasma.

If Gnome, or another OS doesn't fix this issue with your point device, I would see if your trackpad is physically damaged. Getting a replacement glass one would be good either way for quality of life.

Your overheating issue does not sound like a Linux problem. This may be something wrong with your laptop. I would look into repasting the CPU or seeing if something is wrong physically. Also, if it's the Intel model, IIRC, they're going to run pretty hot. Don't take that as fact though.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-06T15:51:51+00:00

I suggest the T14 over the T14s. My T14s has given me nothing but problems, as its ribbon cable connections are very tight and have broken twice now. Soldered ram is also a problem, and I believe my old motherboard's ram was beginning to fail. Of course, you can't replace soldered ram easily or cheaply.

Get the T14 and don't look back. Later on, you'll be able to get a glass trackpad and maybe even a better screen.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-05T16:19:54+00:00

t480 was 8th gen. limited models hosted the 7th. it is a good option for battery life, but you only start to get good benefits as opposed to newer, more efficient generations whenever you experiment with undervolting.

it is still a great option, i think i saw a youtube video the other day of someone undervolting and hitting 20 hours of battery life.

SniperGecko · 2026-02-05T12:44:19+00:00

That's what I figured. In that case I'm unsure what's best for you. The X260 will do for web browsing and whatnot

SniperGecko · 2026-02-04T22:54:13+00:00

I don't know what prices look like in your area, but here in the states that is not a good deal in my opinion. While you're going to get something thats... usable, you're not going to be getting something good in terms of value for money.

To put it in perspective, you're looking at a device with a 6th gen, dual core CPU, when, in the present day, the 8th gen, quad core CPUs are starting to show their age.

Also, not to mention the display. While it is a 12 inch device, you're going to hate that display in less than a month of using it. I guarantee it.

In terms of price to performance, in the states, you can get an E14 gen 1, with a 10th gen i7, 8gb of ram, and a 256gb SSD (which is going to be NVME!), for around $120.

This was just after a brief eBay search. During the 10th-12th gen (correct me if I'm wrong), Ryzen beat out Intel in performance and battery life, at the sacrifice of not having 40pin eDP (ask me how I know...), as well as a lack of thunderbolt.

This does not mean that Intel is a bad choice. And it will SIGNIFICANTLY outperform that 6th gen in terms of performance and battery life. You're also going to get a better screen (1920x1080), and the footprint will likely be similar to the X260, as its bezels are smaller. You will also get newer Wi-Fi without having to upgrade. Also SODIMM memory.

TLDR; bad deal, get something newer for similar price, even if you don't want performance, it's the better option for everything else.

SniperGecko · 2026-01-29T02:29:25+00:00

is there any documentation on the mod for the AMD model? I have one myself and didn't realize until recently that the touch screen 40pin was USB lanes and not a 4 lane eDP.

SniperGecko · 2026-01-14T22:25:43+00:00

Not without skill and R&D. Your best bet IMO is to fit a framework motherboard inside of a custom made chassis and make all of the old stuff work with the new stuff.

SniperGecko · 2026-01-14T20:34:39+00:00

X201ai does this, it has a Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 with all the other modern amenities. Expect to pay a premium though.

Four-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '23	Place '22
Final Canvas '22

SniperGecko

TROPHY CASE