T25 Frankenpad

Last updated: 14 February 2022

Introduction

The T480 line of laptop can be modded to fit the T25 keyboard. A full documentation and breakdown of the process is available here as well as here. Please refer to these 2 pages to have a clearer understanding of the parts and prices listed here. Please email/DM if you want to place an order for the kit.

Pricing and shipping information

Please see here. All prices are in SGD and includes international shipping unless otherwise stated.

Full builds

To get the price of a full build, add the following:

  • Bottom half
  • Display assembly (top half)
  • Battery (if applicable)
  • SSD/RAM (if applicable)
  • Charger (if applicable)

Bottom half

All bottom halves contain:

  • T25 keyboard
  • WiFi 6
  • Dual heatpipe fan
  • Does not come with battery, SSD and RAM
PartPrice
i5-8250u
iGPU
$900
i5-8250u
dGPU (MX150)
$1000
i7-8550u/i7-8650u
iGPU only
$1350

Display

To get a full display top half, add the top half with the display of choice.

ItemDescriptionPrice
FHD low-power panelN140HCG-GQ2
T490 low power FHD panel
Does not come with display cable
Comes with 14″ display mount
Review here
$110
2K matte panelLP140QH2-SPB1
T480 stock matte WQHD panel
Does not come with display cable
Comes with 14″ display mount
Review here
Email/DM to enquire about other 2K matte panels
$130
2K HDR glossy panelB140QAN02.0
2K HDR panel of the X1C6
Does not come with display cable
Comes with 14″ display mount
Review here
$130
4K HDR glossy panelBOE NV140QUM-N53
4K HDR panel of the X1C7
Does not come with display cable
Comes with 14″ display mount
Review here
$130
FHD 120hz panelM140NVF7 R0
HP 840 G5 privacy filter panel
Does not come with display cable
Comes with 14″ display mount
Review here
$110
30pin FHD eDP display cable01YR501
Supports FHD non-touch and lower resolutions
$20
40pin 2K/4K/120Hz eDP display cable01YR503
Supports 2K or higher resolution
$25
Top half with IR sensorYour choice of display preassembled in a top half
Your choice of panel
Hinge is precut
Normal plastic chassis
All cables are installed properly (eDP display cable, camera, WWAN/WiFi antennas)
Comes with IR camera with no privacy shutter
$140 + price of panel
Top half with privacy shutterYour choice of display preassembled in a top half
Your choice of panel
Hinge is precut
Normal plastic chassis
All cables are installed properly (eDP display cable, camera, WWAN/WiFi antennas)
Comes with privacy shutter with no IR camera
$130 + price of panel
Magnesium top half with IR sensorYour choice of display preassembled in a top half
Your choice of panel
Hinge is precut
Magnesium top lid
All cables are installed properly (eDP display cable, camera, WWAN/WiFi antennas)
Comes with IR camera with no privacy shutter
$160 + price of panel
Magnesium top half with privacy shutterYour choice of display preassembled in a top half
Your choice of panel
Hinge is precut
Magnesium top lid
All cables are installed properly (eDP display cable, camera, WWAN/WiFi antennas)
Comes with privacy shutter with no IR camera
$150 + price of panel

M.2 2280 SSD/RAM

SSD/RAMPrice
128GB (PM981a)$35
256GB (PM981a)$55
512GB (PM981a)$100
1TB (PM981a)$220
2TB (PM981a)$400
8GB DDR4 2666MHz$55
16GB DDR4 2666MHz$95
32GB DDR4 2666MHz$185

Battery

PartPrice
3-cell internal battery$50
3-cell external battery$50
6-cell external battery$60
Extra cost for battery shipping$50

Additional Parts/Mods

Parts here are not necessary for the build. Shipping is included if shipped together as a full T25 build.

Fan, WiFi & SSD

The iGPU T480 comes with a single heatpipe variant of the fan while the dGPU variant comes with 2 heatpipes. The fan can be replaced for a better performance on iGPU models.

The stock WiFi is an AC wireless card. An Intel AX200 can be added in for a WiFi 6 experience.

NVMe M.2 2242 B+M SSDs can be added for a dual drive configuration. The recommended SSD is the OEM Samsung PM971 or Western Digital SN520 M.2 2242 B+M NVMe SSD.

PartPrice
T480 dGPU dual heatpipe fan$35
AX200$30
M.2 2242 NVMe Samsung PM971/SN520 128GB$50
M.2 2242 NVMe Samsung PM971/SN520 256GB$80
M.2 2242 NVMe Samsung PM971/SN520 512GB$135

Other Extra parts

The T480 bottom case has clips that are fairly easy to break. Consider getting an extra bottom case in case the original breaks. The 3D printed parts used in my design are also included here. DM/email for quotes for other parts.

PartPrice
T480 new bottom case$30
3D printed parts$30

BIOS Modding

A CH341a can be used to mod the stock BIOS of the T480. This is fully detailed here. This removes the WWAN USB (M.2 2242) whitelist enabling any add-on card to be installed, including this internal USB dock. A small wireless mouse receiver etc can then be installed in this slot, opening up a world of possibilities for expansion. It requires soldering however.

PartPrice
CH341a 3.3v USB EEPROM$10
M.2 2242 to 4 port USB hub$10
M.2 2242 to 4 port USB hub

USB-C Chargers

As chargers are extremely important to electronics, all the chargers recommended here have been reviewed AND torn down for a thorough examination of the components. After-market, cheap Chinese/unbranded chargers are not recommended. Different plug types are listed here.

TypeItemDescriptionCost
USLenovo ThinkPlus USB-C 65W US PlugSmall 65W USB-C chargers.
Teardown
$40
EUBaseus EU 65W chargerEU alternative to the ThinkPlus charger.
Teardown
$40
EU/US/UKSharge 90W chargerSmall 90W USB-C charger. Recommended for larger laptops.$75

Support

Check out support for the machine here.