Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

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Nov 26th, 2021 1:13 pm

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Mar 5th, 2021 4:43 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

Mar 5th, 2021 4:43 pm

Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

I figure since many of us scored ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) laptops for a great deal recently, I figured I'd create a thread where people can share Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences with others, so we can improve the user experience. This would also be a great place to ask questions or for help, since there are multiples threads being used.

Some items shared could also work with the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (Intel) models too.

Please add/update the thread summary.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

Thread Summary

Loud fan when performing minor or simple tasks
Fix 1 (I found this fix works better):
- Refer to this post for details/explanation:
https://www.reddit.com/r/laptops/commen ... e/fuxozft/

- Perform the steps in this video

- Then edit your Power Options. You should see a new option under Processor power management called Processor performance boost mode. Make the change in the screenshot below.

Fix 2:
- By changing the "maximum process state" from 100 to 98 seem to have resolved the fan issue. This will limit power to the CPU from100 to 98%. My fan rarely turns on now (even when plugged in) during normal workloads (YouTube, browsing, checking emails etc). It will still turn on during heavy load (which is expected). I am also on "intelligent cooling" in the vantage app. Try it and to see if it works for you. It was also suggested to turn cooling mode from "active" to "passive" in power settings when plugged in but I left it as active and it's working quite well now. (Credit to Retep78)

CPU stuck on a low clock speed after running the battery down
- When the laptop is running on battery power, the CPU clock speed drops to a lower speed and gets stuck there

- I believe this occurs when Battery Saver mode kicks in. In my case it activates with 20% charge left in the battery. (This is confirmed)

- I suspect the issue will disappear if you change the 'Turn battery saver on automatically at' value to Never

- To restore the CPU's performance, just restart your system

ICC Profile for Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD)
- The default color accuracy for the ThinkBook isn't very good
- I used a SpyderX Pro with DisplayCAL to calibrate my ThinkBook's display
- The ICC profile that was generated using DisplayCAL can be downloaded from the link below:
https://mega.nz/file/JhATwACS#-5pbOEeiI ... 4SWNrbcoKQ

Renoir Mobile Tuning App (WARNING!!! Use at your OWN risk)
https://liliputing.com/2020/10/0renoir- ... ially.html
https://github.com/sbski/Renoir-Mobile-Tuning

Ryzen Controller (WARNING!!! Use at your OWN risk)
https://www.ryzencontroller.com/

EIZO Monitor Test
- Good for checking uniformity issues, dead pixels, backlight bleed, etc
https://www.eizo.be/monitor-test/

How to access the BIOS
- Hit the F1 key during boot up
- If the Windows rotating circles appear, you need to try again

26 replies

Mar 5th, 2021 8:43 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

Mar 5th, 2021 8:43 pm

I performed Fix 1 for the fan issue, and now it doesn't ramp up. When benchmarking between Fix 1 and Fix 2, I noticed the CPU performed better with Fix 1.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

+1

Mar 6th, 2021 11:12 pm

ultimatum: Deal Addict; Dec 28, 2011; 1102 posts; 848 upvotes

Mar 6th, 2021 11:12 pm

I appreciate the effort people put in solving the isssue

However, I wonder if this issue is random and indicate a problem with the quality control or it is an issue with every device? Amputing performance/capabilities from the device we just purchased because it is not functionning correctly is not in the best interest of consumer especially since the retun window is not infinite and dealing with waranty will not be fun. Plus if the manufacturer is not willing to deal with the issue now, they probbly never will.

My brother just received his thinkbook. Fan is almost always spinning even when doing absolutely nothing with the pc. A faint static noise can be heard when the fan briefly spin down. The noise is not present when unplugged. I have a hard time recommending keeping the device as when the summer heat will soon come the fan will be full blast all the time.

Also, pretty sure he got a refurb/open box because the machine already had more than 50 hours uptime and the sticker sealing the box was cut.

Mar 6th, 2021 11:43 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

Mar 6th, 2021 11:43 pm

ultimatum wrote: ↑ I appreciate the effort people put in solving the isssue

However, I wonder if this issue is random and indicate a problem with the quality control or it is an issue with every device? Amputing performance/capabilities from the device we just purchased because it is not functionning correctly is not in the best interest of consumer especially since the retun window is not infinite and dealing with waranty will not be fun. Plus if the manufacturer is not willing to deal with the issue now, they probbly never will.

My brother just received his thinkbook. Fan is almost always spinning even when doing absolutely nothing with the pc. A faint static noise can be heard when the fan briefly spin down. The noise is not present when unplugged. I have a hard time recommending keeping the device as when the summer heat will soon come the fan will be full blast all the time.

Also, pretty sure he got a refurb/open box because the machine already had more than 50 hours uptime and the sticker sealing the box was cut.

I think some issues are due to products being sold to consumers before all of the kinks are worked out. With laptops they probably release base versions of each model with the major issues worked out, but still expecting to fix the remaining minor issues through driver and BIOS updates.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

Mar 9th, 2021 12:47 am

Mephod: Sr. Member; Feb 28, 2021; 851 posts; 1869 upvotes

Mar 9th, 2021 12:47 am

I did a review video on the laptop. And there are a few more on my channel. This one also has some gaming benchmarks

Tech Guy Beau

+1

Mar 9th, 2021 1:15 am

Mephod: Sr. Member; Feb 28, 2021; 851 posts; 1869 upvotes

Mar 9th, 2021 1:15 am

I did a review video on the laptop. And there are a few more on my channel. This one also has some gaming benchmarks

Tech Guy Beau

+2

Mar 12th, 2021 1:05 pm

Bosschiefamomaster: Member; Nov 5, 2014; 318 posts; 166 upvotes

Mar 12th, 2021 1:05 pm

Someone from the 14/4500u thread mentioned:

ryde or die wrote: ↑ Got my laptop today. My quick observations:

snip
[*]This thing flies, it even feels faster compared to my 10th gen Intel laptop. I've also wiped the default install and reinstalled Windows 10 Pro (not necessary at all, as there is only a few things that are bloat).
[*]Fan is quiet at basic use, only heard it when doing a BIOS update.
snip

I wonder if a fresh Windows 10 install, and not installing the Lenovo ITS and other Lenovo stuff will help with the aggressive fan curve.

Mar 12th, 2021 2:39 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

Mar 12th, 2021 2:39 pm

Bosschiefamomaster wrote: ↑ Someone from the 14/4500u thread mentioned:

I wonder if a fresh Windows 10 install, and not installing the Lenovo ITS and other Lenovo stuff will help with the aggressive fan curve.

I uninstalled all of the Lenovo bloat and the scheduled tasks, and it didn't make a difference. It's possible there was still something affecting the CPU/fans. I guess that would be a good test if someone is willing to give it a go and post their results.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

+1

Mar 12th, 2021 11:50 pm

Bosschiefamomaster: Member; Nov 5, 2014; 318 posts; 166 upvotes

Mar 12th, 2021 11:50 pm

I received my second unit two nights ago, and have only used it for setup/updating/testing/benchmarks.

I was going to try a fresh Windows 10 install tonight, but using the laptop for the past hour or so on default advanced settings of the power plan and Intelligent mode, I noticed that the fans do not run as much as the first unit that I returned (due to a minor hinge cover/hinge issue). I'll skip the fresh install for now.

HWInfo reports CPU temp between 39c and 59c with 30+ tabs on firefox, netflix app, along with zoom. Fans rarely run, and when they do, not at the annoyingly loud max rpm like on the first unit. That one had temperature spikes over 70c even with light use. I remember just opening the Zoom app ramps up the fans on it.

Both are on latest BIOS, firmware, and driver versions. Mfg date on this is 2021/02/19 while the first unit was sometime in January.

+1

Mar 14th, 2021 9:28 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

Mar 14th, 2021 9:28 pm

The gamma is way too high on this laptop. I had to lower it.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

Mar 17th, 2021 12:54 pm

Bosschiefamomaster: Member; Nov 5, 2014; 318 posts; 166 upvotes

Mar 17th, 2021 12:54 pm

Who wants to hammer down and make dents on the grills of the bottom plate adjacent to the fans? It might be the ultimate fix to the noise without sacrificing performance. Fix #3?

"I listened to the fans with the bottom plate removed: Pure whoosh, no whine. That means the whine is caused by the slotted grille dividing air flow into turbulent jets which then impact the fan blades. Silencing solution described after this review." - Harri K. H.

Apr 13th, 2021 1:19 pm

max011: Deal Fanatic; Nov 25, 2003; 5487 posts; 7650 upvotes; Vancouver

Apr 13th, 2021 1:19 pm

Anyone knows if this toy would talk Linux???

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He who gives up a little freedom to gain a little security, deserves neither and will lose both. (Benjamin Franklin)

Apr 15th, 2021 7:08 am

mr_raider: Deal Expert; Feb 29, 2008; 29914 posts; 5417 upvotes; Montreal

Apr 15th, 2021 7:08 am

max011 wrote: ↑ Anyone knows if this toy would talk Linux???

I have the thinkbook 14 Ryzen 4700u. I run Linux (KDE Neon) with no issues. Use kernel 5.8.

+1

Apr 15th, 2021 12:11 pm

max011: Deal Fanatic; Nov 25, 2003; 5487 posts; 7650 upvotes; Vancouver

Apr 15th, 2021 12:11 pm

mr_raider wrote: ↑ I have the thinkbook 14 Ryzen 4700u. I run Linux (KDE Neon) with no issues. Use kernel 5.8.

Thanks so much...

May 7th, 2021 9:37 am

Dantahoua: Newbie; Apr 23, 2018; 16 posts; 6 upvotes

May 7th, 2021 9:37 am

I have the 13s Gen2 ITL with Intel i7. Linux works almost perfectly, there is a problem with speaker (headphones, hdmi, BT audio works, but no sound through speaker). This is a somewhat known problem with Linux and a lot of Lenovo (even other brand) Tiger Lake processor computer...

Anyone knows how to access advanced Bios configuration on those conputer (13s gen 2) ?

May 8th, 2021 3:18 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

May 8th, 2021 3:18 pm

Dantahoua wrote: ↑ I have the 13s Gen2 ITL with Intel i7. Linux works almost perfectly, there is a problem with speaker (headphones, hdmi, BT audio works, but no sound through speaker). This is a somewhat known problem with Linux and a lot of Lenovo (even other brand) Tiger Lake processor computer...

Anyone knows how to access advanced Bios configuration on those conputer (13s gen 2) ?

If it's anything like the AMD version, just hammer on the F1 key while your computer is starting up.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

May 19th, 2021 8:15 pm

Mulder and Scully: Deal Fanatic; Aug 3, 2006; 5288 posts; 2366 upvotes

May 19th, 2021 8:15 pm

Well this sucks. My Thinkbook 13S Gen2 has stopped charging. When plugged in nothing happens. The charging LED doesn't turn on either. Trying different outlets doesn't help. I don't have a second power adapter so I can't test that, but when trying phone USB-C cable it doesn't detect that (normally Windows would have a pop up saying it's too low power). Anyone else have this problem? Apparently this is a known problem with USB-C ports across all Lenovo laptops.

Update: Temporarily fixed this. Per the below Lenovo "Troubleshooting No Power Issues" page:
If the laptop still does not power on, try a power drain:
4. On other laptops (without a pin hole reset or Novo button), press and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds.

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/prod ... wer-issues

+1

May 20th, 2021 9:07 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

May 20th, 2021 9:07 pm

Mulder and Scully wrote: ↑ Well this sucks. My Thinkbook 13S Gen2 has stopped charging. When plugged in nothing happens. The charging LED doesn't turn on either. Trying different outlets doesn't help. I don't have a second power adapter so I can't test that, but when trying phone USB-C cable it doesn't detect that (normally Windows would have a pop up saying it's too low power). Anyone else have this problem? Apparently this is a known problem with USB-C ports across all Lenovo laptops.

Update: Temporarily fixed this. Per the below Lenovo "Troubleshooting No Power Issues" page:
If the laptop still does not power on, try a power drain:
4. On other laptops (without a pin hole reset or Novo button), press and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds.

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/prod ... wer-issues

That sucks... haven't experience that.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

Jun 1st, 2021 8:51 pm

fudge_u [OP]: Deal Guru; Jun 29, 2004; 14142 posts; 15239 upvotes; Oil Country

Jun 1st, 2021 8:51 pm

I just used a SpyderX Pro with the DisplayCAL software to calibrate the display on my ThinkBook. The ICC profile can be downloaded from the link below if anyone wants to try it. IMO, there is a noticeable improvement in the color accuracy.

https://gofile.io/d/Mg5mdi

*Update*

One person on Reddit gave it a try, and they confirmed that there was an improvement in the color accuracy. They noticed the colors popped more and it fixed the cool-blue tint issue.

"Retail is for suckers."
- the K-Man
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (AMD) - Tweaks, Upgrades, BIOS, Mods, Experiences

+2

Jun 26th, 2021 8:54 am

Mulder and Scully: Deal Fanatic; Aug 3, 2006; 5288 posts; 2366 upvotes

Jun 26th, 2021 8:54 am

Anyone having mouse lag when connected to a 4K monitor?

I have my Thinkbook connected to my 4K TV via HDMI 2.0. Both the 4700U and HDMI 2.0 support 4K 60Hz. My mouse is a Logitech M720 connected via Bluetooth and there's movement or response lag. However there's no lag when my Thinkbook is connected to my 1440p monitor.

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