Vikings T440p
The Thinkpad T440p is a classic business laptop made by Lenovo beginning in 2013. It's the latest and fastest Thinkpad model (Intel Haswell) where Intel ME can still be neutralized. Later laptops have signed firmware where this has become impossible.
General information
T440p graphics
Regardind the GPU the T440p is available in two different tastes.
- Intel HD 4600 (20 shader units, 22 nm, DirectX 11.1), i915
- Intel HD 4600 + NVIDIA GeForce 730M (Optimus)
Intel HD 4600 Graphics
The graphic card used is integrated in the CPU. In this case the heat sink with part number 00HM902 is used. Its performance is the best among all Thinkpad laptops and even okay for occasional gaming (depending on the game, resolution and quality settings).
Intel HD 4600 Graphics + NVidia GT730M
Using Nvidia Optimus, graphic card being used is dynamically switching from HD4600 to Nvidia GT730M depending on the load. Heatsink part number 00HM903 is used.
The Nvidia GT730M has not been tested at Vikings. This has been an odd choice from Lenovo, since it will perform very similar or even worse than the integrated GPU we simply disregard it and use the integrated CPU.
T440p recommended upgrades
There are a number of possible/recommended upgrades which are mentioned further below.
Available and tested displays
The following displays are recommended to replace TN panels that came from the factory which have sub-par viewing angles, color accuracy and resolutions.
| Make | Model | Type | Size | Coat | Color | Resp. | Cont. | View Angle | Bright. | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUO | B140HAN01.1 (AUO113D) | IPS | FHD | Matte | 16.2M | 25ms | 700:1 | 89 | 300 cd/m² | 5.4W |
| AUO | B140HAN01.2 (AUO123D) | IPS | FHD | Matte | 16.2M | 25ms | 700:1 | 89 | 300 cd/m² | 5.4W |
| AUO | B140HAN01.3 (AUO133D) | IPS | FHD | Matte | 16.2M | 25ms | 700:1 | 89 | 300 cd/m² | 5.4W |
| AUO | B140HAN01.4 | IPS | FHD | Matte | 16.2M | 25ms | 700:1 | 89 | 200 cd/m² | NA |
| LG | LP140WF3-SPD1 (LGD046D) | IPS | FHD | Matte | 262K | 25ms | 700:1 | 80 | 300 cd/m² | 4.6W |
| Innolux | N140HCE-EN1 C2 or C4 (CMN14D2) | IPS | FHD | Matte | 262K | 25ms | 700:1 | 89 | 300 cd/m² | 3.98W |
| Innolux | N140HCG-GQ2 | IPS | FHD | Matte | 16.7M | 14ms | 800:1 | 89 | 400 cd/m² | 3.1W |
N140HCG-GQ2 recommended
While all displays from the list above have been tested and found very good, the most recommended display is the N140HCG-GQ2. It has superior brightness and image quality. It is also still in production and has been released comparatively recently (2019).
These panels don't come with brackets so they can't be installed in the T440p as-is. It is possible to either re-use brackets from old T440p TN panels or use custom made brackets. Using old brackets from TN panels require some modifications so the N140HCG-GQ2 fits.
When purchases at Vikings, we take care of any modifications required including warranty.
Synaptics trackpad recommended
T440p laptops come with trackpads from the factory that are almost unusable for serious, productive work.
Synaptics trackpads are available in the Vikings store. This touchpad replaces the T440p's manufacturer touchpad and significantly improves the T440p's usability.
EC firmware downgrades not possible after firmware package 2.53
As the result of CVE-2019-6171, newer Lenovo firmware update files have added a digital signature. If you upgrade to the locked versions you will not be able to patch and/or modify your EC without downgrading it. This is esp. relevant if you're using any future EC hacks or want to work on the EC firmware yourself.
Basically, any BIOS update package where the changelog mentions CVE-2019-6171 will have this lockdown.
If the BIOS is at any of the locked versions:
- Ensure that downgrading is possible in BIOS settings (Security/UEFI BIOS Update Option/Secure Rollback Prevention -> Disable)
- Downgrade it to the version before the one addressing CVE-2019-6171. EC firmware will be automatically downgraded as well
Last modifiable firmware package 2.53
The last modifiable version is firmware package 2.53: BIOS 2.53 (GLET99WW), EC 1.12 (GLHT29WW)
Download firmware packages from the Lenovo website
BIOS and EC firmware can be downloaded from the Lenovo website at https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/de/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t440p/downloads/ds037575
Lenovo whitelisting adapters
Avoid newer firmware packages, the newer the firmware versions the more limitations on what hardware you can use with it (Lenovo whitelists) will be imposed on you, so some WLAN adapters won't work for example. This is only relevant if you're not using coreboot.
Third-party batteries
Newer firmware will lock you in on original Lenovo batteries and charging third-party batteries will not longer be possible. Firmware package 2.53 does not have that issue.
ToDo: Research which is the last known good version for charging third-party batteries
Powersave considerations
Install TLP and disable turbo boost on battery
TLP is currently one of the best powersaving utilities avaiable on GNU/Linux operating systems. It performs many functions of similar tools (e.g. the popular powertop), without having the user worry about performing them manually.
Install TLP using your Linux distibution's package manager
For Debian:
sudo apt install tlp tlp-rdw
Modifying tlp for better battery life
The default configuration should be fine for most people, however we will be modifying it for better battery life.
$ sudo editor /etc/default/tlp
Change the content to this and then save the changes:
CPU_BOOST_ON_AC=1 CPU_BOOST_ON_BAT=0
Apply these changes by running:
$ sudo systemctl status tlp.service
If successful, enable tlp for the next reboots:
$ sudo systemctl enable tlp.service
