Tindie

I realized, 2 years later, that I did not review MikeP's wonderful kits here on Tindie.

He hasn't considered updating his info to potential customer's benefit:

This USB-C conversion for the T420/T430 also is the same part used in the T410. It was probably a matter of him not having a T410 on hand to confirm and test himself.

At least, I can attest that the 65W USB-C parts MikeP have worked perfectly fine for my pair of i5 T410s for two years now. So, if you want to modernize your perfectly good T410 and drop the stock adapter for one USB-C charger for All The Things in your travel bag, don't wonder if you're ordering the wrong part. It'll work with your T410 too!

His instructions, via his Youtube videos are VERY thorough. And, that is where, after watching and comparing parts, I deduced that the T410 uses the exact same barrel-plug charging port as in his T420/T430 video.

If you can sit for a half hour to watch a video, swap out your battery, and use simple tools, you can do this conversion yourself with confidence.

Brian | April 5, 2023

Just as described, well-made, and arrived reasonably quickly

Product was exactly as described, well-made, and arrived reasonably quickly to Canada. Love the colour!

Jordan | March 25, 2023

High quality cable with easy drop in installation

I am very happy with this product. My only criticism (and I would like to reiterate, is very minor) is the cable was a little too long so I had to really wedge it in. It could not sit in existing cable channels within the laptop. However, with a bit of force, it is now sitting nicely in there and working perfectly. I have an X260, so maybe I ended up with a cable designed for a larger laptop. Either way, I'm glad to have USB C charging on this laptop now, thanks to this product.

Response from MikePDiy | March 25, 2023

Thank you for the review Jordan ! Yes the cable length is a bit more than needed to allow some slack. As I make all these by hand I am always worried that I might cut a bit too short the wires so I leave some slack as I know it can be tucked in and better have some slack than be short of a few mm. Enjoy the mod :-)

Matthew | March 10, 2023

Exactly What The (Computer) Doctor Ordered!

Literally a drop in replacement, and saves you from having to carry around multiple chargers for your phone and your laptop! I've used the usbc to slim adapters (both the corded ones, and the female to male adapters) and the internal solution is the best solution!

Ryusei | Feb. 22, 2023

It works fine

Thank you for developing such a wonderful item!
I live in Japan, but it took about 3 weeks for the item to arrive.
The product was carefully packed.

Jonathan | Jan. 19, 2023

High quality & world-class customer service

For Lenovo charging port Type-C PD X200T X201T X200

I'd never bought anything on Tindie before but I went for Mike's T420 mod because...I wanted it, and couldn't find anything similar anywhere else. I took a risk and it paid off. The adapter is beautifully made and clearly refined over many iterations. I happened to have a problem, my laptop would randomly start and stop charging -- it was behaving badly with the mod. Mike was wonderful and helpful FAR beyond what was required, even offering to send me another unit despite me being relatively convinced that wasn't the problem. It turned out my brand new Anker 100W e-marked USB-C cable was faulty, and Anker is now replacing it. I may never have figured that out without Mike's help and assistance throughout -- he clearly cares about the product he's made and is willing to stand behind it 100%. The world would be better if we were all like Mike!!

Cheers & thanks again -- I absolutely recommend this mod to anyone wanting to bring their 2011 ThinkPad into 2023.
-Jack

Jeremie | Jan. 12, 2023

Works perfectly.

As advertised. Replacement required to disassemble the entire laptop (x201) but that was expected. The piece fits great and works perfectly.
Color choice doesn't really matter in my opinion since it's not really visible anyway.
100% recommended.

Wouter | Jan. 12, 2023

Worked great

For Lenovo charging port Type-C PD X200T X201T X200

Relatively easy install, I wish i had watched the video detailing the disassembly but I winged it and it still went well.
Product works great.

Dakota | Jan. 3, 2023

Great product!

For Lenovo charging port Type-C PD X220T X230T

Item arrived nice and safe. Installed it the night I got it and was super easy to install. Was like I was installing a OEM part into the computer. Now I can use my USB C chargers on my lenovo laptop!

Neil | Nov. 22, 2022

Great product with great quality

I bought this type-c port replacement not expecting much, but got a really nice part that i really do appreciate on my day to day use of my x220. my variant is transparent and looks great. I Did unfortunately run into an issue when i bought a 65w charger and used it with a 2m apple type c to type c cable, i had a loud screech coming from the port and it would fail to charge. My mistake as the amperage was incorrect at 3.0A instead of the 3.25A requested in the description. now using a apple 61w charger and it works flawlessly. My only request would be to lower the price slightly as I do feel like £23 is a bit steep.

Response from MikePDiy | Nov. 22, 2022

Thank you very much for the review Neil and I am glad it works as it should :-) . In regards to the price, it is 23usd and about 20gbp. Sadly the parts cost has increased in the last 2 years and that is a true factor plus the amount of work that is involved is really considerable. I have am making these mods since late 2019 and only raised the price by 3usd since then just to keep up with the parts costs increase. About the loud screech issue, it is a particular one. I can't think now where that came from as the in the mod, there is nothing that can generate sounds like a coil or simmilar.

Cody | Oct. 24, 2022

Modern + Portable. <3

I wish to install these on all of my ThinkPads one day! The only downside I had was the wire was a bit long, so I just wrapped it around to fit. The charger I'm using works perfectly, and is very slim & affordable. It's the Nekteck 100W USB C Charger [GaN Tech & USB-IF Certified] on Amazon. Thank you Mike, and please keep selling these to the ThinkPad community!

Gillian | Sept. 24, 2022

Fantastic product

I'm really impressed with this charger port. It's reduced the weight I need to carry around with me when travelling as I can charge all my things from a USB-C charger with no issues. It was easy to fit, with the videos in the listing taking me through the whole process. It fits perfectly and is really professional looking

Kevin | Aug. 22, 2022

A great mod upgrade

So far this works great, it charges my laptop as it should but it What seemed the cable was abit longer but nothing A little wiggle room wouldn't fix. Aside from that it works and charges with my anker 45w charger and cable😁

Julien | Aug. 18, 2022

Nice upgrade

Perfectly fit in my x230 :)
Easy to install: few screws and flat cables to remove (best is to try before ordering)
Laptop is charging well (as before) but using a small 65W USB C charger!

Robert | Aug. 13, 2022

Amazing Retromod

For USB Type-C PD USB3.0 Red Bradied Cable Emark 100W

Installation is effectively a motherboard-out affair, but that's pretty easy on the X220. Fitment is excellent, right in the same spot as the original and held down by the original bracket. Powers the laptop without issue even without the battery, must have mod for any "modern-vintage" machines to remove one more cable from your EDC.

Cristian | Dec. 17, 2021

Great cable, decent price

This is great! i discovered this cable by mike with his Lenovo Thinkpad usb c mod. I bought a couple of cables to use with my other gadgets and it works marvelous. I'm using this with my Xiaomi 11T Pro and a MacBook Pro aside from my T450s Thinkpad. Very happy with the quality and look of this product.

Aitor | Oct. 29, 2021

Works perfect on my X230

For Charging Port Type-C Lenovo PD W520 W530

Great mod to have a Type-C charging port.

My specs:
- Thinkpad X230 Intel Core i7
- With Coreboot firmware
- Baseus 100W GaN2 Pro Quick Charger

I recommend putting a bit of foam to make it firmer as MikePDiy indicates in the video (min. 17:40).

Response from MikePDiy | Oct. 29, 2021

I am glad it all works as expected Aitor !
Thank you for the kind review@

Best Regards,
Mike

Avery | Oct. 20, 2021

Amazing mod, Fantastic seller

What can be said about Mike's work that hasn't already been said? Do it. You won't regret it. It's one of the first mods I do on any old Thinkpad. This mod has made it so that they all use the same charger. It's pretty easy to swap out. 10/10 would buy again!

Response from MikePDiy | Oct. 21, 2021

Dear Avery,

Thank you very much for such an amazing review !

Mike

Dae Jin | Oct. 17, 2021

Very good

Yoyuljeog-in eobgeuleideu-ibnida.
Thanks to the creator for making a good product with a smart idea. Using type c without gender is a very efficient upgrade.

Jeffrey | Sept. 19, 2021

Works great and easy to install!

I had a question for Mike and he got back to me right away. The installation couldn't be simpler (x220 - these machines are really easy to work on in general). Took the opportunity put some fresh thermal paste on as well. This makes my thinkpad even more useful. Thanks Mike!

Response from MikePDiy | Sept. 19, 2021

Thank you very much Jeffrey! I am glad that you are enjoying the mod :-D .

Joon | June 29, 2021

Works perfectly on my X220

After a straightforward installation, I am happy to say this has worked perfectly in my X220 for weeks now. My only complaint is that the cable is a couple centimeters longer than necessary, so you have kind of cram it between the fan and cable routing grooves. Regardless, it feels great to charge a dependable and durable ThinkPad from 2011 with USB Type C.

Markus | May 28, 2021

Perfect

Thank you so much. Great product and qualitiy. Full recommendation. Easy to install and after a few week no weakness.

Peter | May 27, 2021

Great upgrade for Thinkpad X240.

My trusted X240 was the only remaining notebook without USB-C charging capability in my household. With my new USB-C charging port I can charge it with the same AC adapters as my other devices. Installation was no problem thanks to Lenovo's high repairability and Mike's perfectly fitting charging port and cable.

Great product quality and the personalized message in the package made me even happier!
Keep up the great work!

Response from MikePDiy | May 27, 2021

Thank you very much for the review Peter :-) ! I am glad the mod helped so much :-)

Nik | May 26, 2021

Fast shipping and flawless mod

For Lenovo charging port Type-C PD T440 T450 T460

Awesome build quality, simple to replace the old jack, and fast shipping. And a personal note. Works without problems. Awesome!

Mikhail | May 26, 2021

Super

Charging port is good. Now i can have only one cable to rule them all!
Cable length a bit large that stock, need to reapply inside a notebook. Otherwise its a great experience to modify Thinkpad from 2015 to new tech.

Johannes | May 22, 2021

Awesome high-quality cable!

For USB Type-C PD USB3.0 Red Bradied Cable Emark 100W

I use it as a charger for my Thinkpad x250 (the charging port of which I also bought from Mike P.) as well as my smartphone. Despite being very affordable, it looks and feels like a high-priced product. As a bonus, it perfectly matches the Thinkpad color style. Naturally, the jury on the durability is still out, but judging from the quality of the charging port, I can highly recommend it!

Response from MikePDiy | May 22, 2021

Thank you very much for the great review Johannes !
Don't worry, that cable will outlast many others :-) . I have spent weeks testing and looking for the best product that I can bring to market :-D . I am sure you will enjoy it in the long run also :-) .

Mark | May 12, 2021

Great having USB-C charging for my X230

It's great having USB-C charging for my X230. Now I can carry one less charger or USB/Lenovo adapter in my bag.

Joseph | April 25, 2021

Great Product - Works with Slice Battery too!

Perfect drop-in replacement for x230's. Wired one up inside an x230 slice battery as well, and it works like a charm. Seller responded instantly and was helpful. Two thumbs up!

Andrew | April 24, 2021

Great upgrade for my X230!

Worked perfectly, and was a drop in replacement as claimed. Learned how to disassemble my X230 in the process, so an upgrade and a learning experience at the same time!

Avery | April 22, 2021

An easy but profound upgrade

I am not technically adept but I can dismantle my T430 to clean the fan or re-paste the heat sink. I used the HMM to dismantle the laptop and make the switch. It works as intended with no issues charging my laptop. I have an i5 and bought the 65 W charging port. It's such a nice upgrade and eliminates the need for an additional and/or bulky charger.

Mike is a great seller to work with: very knowledgeable, quick to reply, and very honest about what he's selling. I never go the sense that he was just selling me something to make money.

Like I said, I don't consider myself technical though I can follow a manual and do basic things. The change from the barrel port to the USB port made a big difference in portability. I love it.

Nathan | April 11, 2021

edit/reply to creator of product

It's a blessing to have this product but it is now broke, after doing 2 DIY fixes it is broke. My soldering skills are novice I know so I was bound to break it more when fixing it. The problem is the plastic mold it is placed in does not fully hold the product in place therefore the wires can fall/break off.... How does it break off? Problem 2 is that the module does not SIT inside the block slot(?) So when applying pressure to insert the USB-C connector it will just move out of the way so I used tape and/or blu-tak to hold the module in place which over-timd (especially with clumsy insertions) the wires break. It worked for me for about a year before it finally broke today... The exact break is when trying to resolder the green (ID?) Wire the SMD resistor came off, I'm sure with even more time and patience I could fix that but to "improve" the design I recommend you make the next modules with part of the plastic stick out into the hole found in the piece of metal that folds on top. You could also place more resin(?) Around the wires, can you choose thicker wires as well? Possibly? I will pay extra for thicker wires that won't break after a few tugs.

Just to clarify both times I've gone to repair the symptoms that I saw that caused the need to repair is the laptop either went into a sort of trickle charge state or the charging only worked when I angled the connector correctly, usually one wire would be torn

Response from MikePDiy | April 15, 2021

Thank you very much for the review Nathan :-) !
The mod is not intended to be flush as the type-c receptacle would not be able to pass thru the case without some force being applied; also in the picture of the mod installed in the laptop it can be seen it is a bit recessed.
About the troubles you had with the mod and fixed on your own I would be keen to learn about them as I am happy to assist if there is any problem and learn where I can improve the mods. More so that you have succeded to take the mod apart and put it back together which to be honest is a difficult job as I pot these things with a very strong potting compound.

MikeP

Stefan | March 16, 2021

Great product, responsive seller

This was a great upgrade to my T430. Just be prepared to fully remove the motherboard as the screw to release the old charge port is underneath the darn thing. Good opportunity to make other upgrades or just clean things up.

Dafna | March 14, 2021

Works well, easy to install

The module fits precisely in place of the original one, works perfectly as it should. The cable is a bit wider than the original, so I had to creatively lay the cable to avoid sharp bends, but other than that the installation was very easy to do.

Tseklias | March 10, 2021

A must have mod!