Locating the X230 BIOS Chip

Recommended resources

The freely available resources this lesson will direct you to.

Hello! Welcome back to our "Hardware Surgery" module.

The moment has arrived. You've meticulously planned the operation and prepared the sterile field by mastering ESD safety procedures. Now, it's time to make the first incision. This lesson is all about the practical, hands-on work of opening your ThinkPad x230 and laying eyes on our target: the BIOS chip.

Introduction

Today, you will translate your disassembly plan into action. We will carefully open the laptop, remove only the necessary components, and physically locate the firmware chips on the motherboard. This is a crucial and rewarding step, moving us from the world of theory firmly into the realm of practice.

This lesson directly addresses the learning outcome: Execute the disassembly of the x230 and physically locate the 8-pin BIOS chip on the motherboard.

Estimated time to complete: 60 minutes.
Brief recap: In our last two lessons, you created a detailed disassembly plan and established a rigorous ESD-safe protocol. Today, you will execute that plan, putting your ESD knowledge into practice to ensure the patient's safety throughout the procedure.

1. Final Preparations (10 minutes)

Before you pick up a screwdriver, let's perform a final pre-flight check. Your background in managing complex systems at Revolut and DST Global has surely taught you the value of a final verification before "going live."

Workspace and ESD Checklist

Confirm your workspace is ready by running through the checklist from our previous lesson:

[ ] Workspace: Hard, clear surface? Free of static-generating materials (plastics, styrofoam)?
[ ] Attire: Natural fibers like cotton? (No wool or synthetics).
[ ] Grounding: Anti-static wrist strap on, snug against the skin, and connected to a reliable Earth ground?
[ ] Power: Laptop battery removed? AC adapter disconnected? Power button held for 15 seconds to drain residual charge?
[ ] Tools: Are your tools laid out and ready?

Tool Check

Gather the necessary equipment. Both of the guides we'll use recommend a minimal set of tools.

Activity (5 minutes):

Quickly review the "Necessary Equipment" and "Gather Supplies" sections of the following resources to ensure you have what you need.

Your essential toolkit should include:

A #0 Phillips screwdriver.
Plastic prying tools (spudgers). Using these instead of a metal screwdriver to pry open the case prevents scratching the plastic and reduces the risk of shorting something if you slip.
A system for screw management. This is critical. I suggest either a magnetic mat with a grid, a simple tray with labeled compartments, or taping the screws to a piece of paper next to a sketch of where they came from. This small discipline now will save you immense trouble during reassembly.

2. The Disassembly Procedure (30 minutes)

It's time to begin. Our goal is to access the BIOS chips with minimal disruption. As the guides confirm, we only need to remove the keyboard and the palm rest. There is no need for a full teardown.

Proceed slowly and methodically. If a part resists, don't force it. Re-read the step or watch the reference video to see the technique.

Step-by-Step Guide

We will use the guide by Chuck Nemeth as our primary visual reference, as its photos are clear and sequential.

Activity (30 minutes):

Follow the steps outlined in the "Disassemble the X230" section of this guide. I have broken it down for you below, with additional context.

Flashing my Lenovo x230 with Coreboot - Chuck Nemeth (Disassemble the X230)

Remove the Battery: This should already be done as part of your ESD prep.
Remove the Back Screws: Flip the laptop over and remove the 7 screws indicated in the guide's first image. Note that two of these hold the keyboard in place (marked with a keyboard icon) and the others secure the palm rest. Keep them organized!
Slide and Lift the Keyboard: Slide the keyboard towards the screen, then lift it up from the bottom edge. Be gentle. It is still attached by a fragile ribbon cable. You can either disconnect this cable by flipping up the black retaining tab on the connector and gently pulling the ribbon out, or you can carefully lay the keyboard face-down on the palm rest area as shown in the guide. For your first time, simply resting it out of the way is safer.
Remove the Palm Rest: With the keyboard out of the way, you can now see the screws and connectors holding the palm rest. The guide simply says to "gently pry the palm rest back then remove it." You may need to use your plastic spudger to carefully release the clips around the edge. Once it's loose, remember it is also attached by a ribbon cable (for the trackpad). Like the keyboard, you can either disconnect it or carefully lay the palm rest assembly out of the way.

For a dynamic view of these steps, you can watch the beginning of this full disassembly video. Do not follow the entire video! Just watch the keyboard and palm rest removal to get a feel for the movements.

Reference Video (optional, 5 minutes):

Watch from the beginning until the palm rest is removed (approximately 0:00 to 4:30).

3. Locating the BIOS Chips (15 minutes)

With the palm rest removed, you have successfully exposed the motherboard. Our targets are now visible.

None

This image shows the general area of the motherboard where the BIOS chip is located, indicated by the yellow arrow. You are looking in the lower-left quadrant of the exposed area.

The Two-Chip System

The ThinkPad x230 does not have a single BIOS chip. Instead, its 12MB firmware is split across two separate 8-pin SOIC chips:

A 4MB "top" chip (closer to the screen).
An 8MB "bottom" chip (closer to the trackpad).

You will need to flash both chips to install Coreboot completely. For today, our goal is simply to locate and identify them.

Activity (10 minutes):

Peel back the black protective film in the bottom-left corner of the motherboard, as shown in the Chuck Nemeth guide. You can use a piece of tape to hold it out of the way.
You should now see the two chips. Use the following detailed image to positively identify them and their pinouts.

None

This annotated image from the Chuck Nemeth guide clearly labels the 'Top Chip 4MB' and 'Bottom Chip 8MB', along with the function of each of the 8 pins. This is the ground truth for our operation.

Chip Identification

As a final step, it's good practice to identify the exact part number of the chips themselves. This can be useful for cross-referencing with flashrom documentation if you run into trouble later. The text is minuscule, so you will likely need a magnifying glass or your phone's camera zoomed in.

Take a moment to read the text on the top of each chip. It will likely say something like "Winbond W25Q32BV" (for the 4MB chip) or "W25Q64CV" (for the 8MB chip), though the exact model can vary. Make a note of what your chips say. This act of verification is the hallmark of a careful practitioner.

Conclusion

Excellent work. You have successfully performed the initial disassembly of your x230, applied your ESD safety knowledge in a real-world scenario, and located the two BIOS chips that are the target of our Coreboot installation. You've taken a significant and tangible step toward taking full control of your hardware.

Key Takeaways:

A methodical approach, including careful screw management, is essential for a smooth disassembly and reassembly.
The x230 can be opened to access the BIOS chips by only removing the keyboard and palm rest.
Ribbon cables are fragile and must be handled with care.
The x230's firmware is stored on two separate chips: a 4MB "top" chip and an 8MB "bottom" chip. Both have been located.

Next Lesson

In our next lesson, "Assemble the flashing apparatus by correctly connecting the SOIC8 clip to the Raspberry Pi's GPIO pins," we will turn our attention from the patient to the surgical tools. You will prepare your Raspberry Pi and connect the SOIC8 clip, learning about the GPIO pinout and ensuring your flasher is ready to communicate with the chips you've just uncovered.