Bought: 2017 for approximately 2400 pounds to be Ciro Santilli's main personal laptop.
Specs:
  • screen: 15.6 inches, 16:9
  • weight: 2691g (self weight in 2023)
  • charger weight: 700g (self weight in 2023)
Identifiers:
lspci
output:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v6/7th Gen Core Processor Host Bridge/DRAM Registers (rev 05)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6th-10th Gen Core Processor PCIe Controller (x16) (rev 05)
00:08.0 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v5/v6 / E3-1500 v5 / 6th/7th/8th Gen Core Processor Gaussian Mixture Model
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family USB 3.0 xHCI Controller (rev 31)
00:14.2 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family Thermal Subsystem (rev 31)
00:15.0 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family Serial IO I2C Controller #0 (rev 31)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 31)
00:17.0 SATA controller: Intel Corporation Q170/Q150/B150/H170/H110/Z170/CM236 Chipset SATA Controller [AHCI Mode] (rev 31)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #1 (rev f1)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #3 (rev f1)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #5 (rev f1)
00:1d.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #9 (rev f1)
00:1d.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #13 (rev f1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation CM238 Chipset LPC/eSPI Controller (rev 31)
00:1f.2 Memory controller: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family Power Management Controller (rev 31)
00:1f.3 Audio device: Intel Corporation CM238 HD Audio Controller (rev 31)
00:1f.4 SMBus: Intel Corporation 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family SMBus (rev 31)
00:1f.6 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (5) I219-LM (rev 31)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM107GLM [Quadro M1200 Mobile] (rev a2)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GM107 High Definition Audio Controller [GeForce 940MX] (rev a1)
04:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wireless 8265 / 8275 (rev 78)
3e:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller SM981/PM981/PM983
3f:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS525A PCI Express Card Reader (rev 01)
lspci -t
output:
-[0000:00]-+-00.0
           +-00.2
           +-01.0
           +-02.0
           +-02.1-[01]----00.0
           +-02.2-[02]----00.0
           +-02.4-[03]----00.0
           +-03.0
           +-04.0
           +-04.1-[04-63]--
           +-08.0
           +-08.1-[64]--+-00.0
           |            +-00.1
           |            +-00.2
           |            +-00.3
           |            +-00.4
           |            +-00.5
           |            \-00.6
           +-08.2-[65]--+-00.0
           |            \-00.1
           +-08.3-[66]--+-00.0
           |            +-00.3
           |            +-00.4
           |            \-00.6
           +-14.0
           +-14.3
           +-18.0
           +-18.1
           +-18.2
           +-18.3
           +-18.4
           +-18.5
           +-18.6
           \-18.7
PCIe TLC OPAL2.
sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/nvme0n1p5 on Ubuntu 20.04:
 Timing cached reads:   29812 MB in  1.99 seconds = 15007.00 MB/sec
 HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device
 Timing buffered disk reads: 6328 MB in  3.00 seconds = 2109.00 MB/sec
Nominal maximum sequential read speed: 3,000 MB/s
1TB.
sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/sda3 on Ubuntu 20.04:
 Timing cached reads:   29594 MB in  1.99 seconds = 14893.89 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads: 386 MB in  3.01 seconds = 128.07 MB/sec
....
Nominal maximum speed: 140 MB/s
  • battery life:
    • 2023-04: on-browser streaming + light browsing on Ubuntu 22.10: about 2h45. Too low! Gotta try buying a new battery.
  • 2022-01-04 updated firmward after noticing that ubuntu 21.10 does not wake up from suspend seemed to happen every time when not connected to external power. dmidecode diff excerpt:
     BIOS Information
            Vendor: LENOVO
    -       Version: N1UET40W (1.14 )
    -       Release Date: 09/28/2017
    +       Version: N1UET71W (1.45 )
    +       Release Date: 07/18/2018
    used the "Ubuntu Software" GUI as mentioned at: support.lenovo.com/gb/en/solutions/ht510810-how-to-do-software-updates-linux. Kudos for making this accessible to newbs.
    After doing that, another update became available to: 0.1.56, clicked it and was much faster than the previous one, and didn't auto reboot. After manual reboot, dmidecode diffed again:
     BIOS Information
            Vendor: LENOVO
    -       Version: N1UET71W (1.45 )
    -       Release Date: 07/18/2018
    +       Version: N1UET82W (1.56 )
    +       Release Date: 08/12/2021
    plus a bunch of other lines.
  • 2021-06-05 upgraded to Ubuntu 21.04 with a clean install from an ISO. Selected
    • "Minimal installation"
    • "Erase disk and install Ubuntu". Notably, this erased the Microsoft Windows that came with the computer and was never used not even once
    • "Erase disk ans use ZFS"
    • Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security
    After this, the GUI felt fast, who would have thought that erasing a bunch of stuff would make the system faster!
    lsblk contains:
    zd0               230:0    0   500M  0 disk
    └─keystore-rpool  253:0    0   484M  0 crypt /run/keystore/rpool
    nvme0n1           259:0    0 476.9G  0 disk
    ├─nvme0n1p1       259:1    0   512M  0 part  /boot/efi
    ├─nvme0n1p2       259:2    0     2G  0 part
    │ └─cryptoswap    253:1    0     2G  0 crypt
    ├─nvme0n1p3       259:3    0     2G  0 part
    └─nvme0n1p4       259:4    0 472.4G  0 part
    and lsblk -f:
    zd0               crypto_LUKS 2
    └─keystore-rpool  ext4        1.0   keystore-rpool
    nvme0n1
    ├─nvme0n1p1       vfat        FAT32
    ├─nvme0n1p2       crypto_LUKS 2
    │ └─cryptoswap
    ├─nvme0n1p3       zfs_member  5000  bpool
    └─nvme0n1p4       zfs_member  5000  rpoo
    Then:
    grep '[rb]pool' /proc/mounts
    contains:
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq / zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/USERDATA/ciro_czngbg /home/ciro zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/USERDATA/root_czngbg /root zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/srv /srv zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/usr/local /usr/local zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/games /var/games zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/log /var/log zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/lib /var/lib zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/mail /var/mail zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/snap /var/snap zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/www /var/www zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/spool /var/spool zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/lib/AccountsService /var/lib/AccountsService zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/lib/NetworkManager /var/lib/NetworkManager zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/lib/apt /var/lib/apt zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq/var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg zfs rw,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    bpool/BOOT/ubuntu_uvs1fq /boot zfs rw,nodev,relatime,xattr,posixacl 0 0
    which gives an idea of how the above map to mountpoints.
    Had two GUI freezes since installation, a fixed images shows no matter what I do, possibly graphics only, but impossible to tell (next time I'll try SSH access). No Nvidia drivers installed yet.
2020-06-06: dropped some lemon juice on the bottom left of touchpad. Bottom left button not working anymore... I'm an idiot. There are many other alternatives, but very aggravating, I'll replace it for sure. Can't find the exact replacement part or any videos showing its replacement online easliy, dang. For the T430: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lzV9uXRjU Asked at: forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-P-and-W-Series-Mobile-Workstations/P51-left-bottom-button-below-trackpad-mouse-left-click-stopped-working-possible-to-replace/m-p/5019903 Also I could not access it because you need to remove the HDD first: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Klawxc7T_Y and I can't pull it out even with considerable force, unlike in the video... And OMG, those button caps are impossible to re-install once removed!!! Then when I put the whole thing back together, the upper buttons were not working anymore. FUUUUUUUUCK. When first opening I pulled on it without properly removing the cap and it came off, but it didn't look broken in any way and I put it back in. Keyboard works thank God, so right black connector is fine, left white one oppears to be the one for upper keys and trackpoint, both of which stopped working. The hardware manual confirms that they are both part of the same device, so basically a mouse :-) TODO can it be bought separately from te keyboard? Doesn't look like it, photo of keyboard part includes those buttons. The manual also confirms that the bottom buttons are one device with the trackpad "trackpad with buttons", thus forming the second entire mouse.
2019-04-17: popup asking about "ThinkPad P51 Management Engine Update" from from 182.29.3287 to 184.60.3561, said yes.
Ubuntu 17.10 setup after buying it:
Battery life shown by Ubuntu battery app after installation:
  • before NVIDIA driver setup: 8h
  • after: 6.5h
glmark2 -b build:duration=3:model=horse
~4.8K
Monero 0.18.3.1 hashrate: 2.6 KH/s