Lenovo Legion Y740 17" 15"

Hey guys, it is my first time posting here, my new y740 will finally arrive tomorrow and I already got the upgrades to squeeze the best performance out of it.
I am just wondering where do you recommend me to sell the original 16gb kit set (2x8gb) 2666 ddr4 SODIMM 260-Pin Memory & a 512gb M.2 PCIe NVMe Internal SSD? I’m in Canada.
Thanks

 

Depends on if you are dead set on getting every single FPS possible out of it. Those parts aren’t exactly slow my any means

 

Apex Legends with some tweaking I can hold 100FPS at all times using the launch options fps_max 100.

Have the 2070 max q i7 8750h.

All settings min and vid config file lod setting at 0.3.

I find using any vram buffer causes fps drops and frametime spikes.

Get same performance more or less as my desktop gtx 1070 and i7 4790 16GB.

This RTX 2070 max q runs at mostly 1800+ MHz.

Would like to know if faster RAM would allow a higher LOCKED framerate? Or just peaks fps which is stupid imo.
The frs in fights IS THE FPS U PLAY AT.
game is a shooter

 

Do you have single or dual channel RAM?

 

Generally faster RAM provides a negligible benefit for the cost, switching from 2666 to something higher like 3200 might provide like a 1-3% boost in FPS at most, and even that depends on the game.
But like Richard is asking, if you're on single channel, then switching to dual channel should give a noticeable improvement.

For SSDs look at https://www.reddit.com/r/NewMaxx/
Generally most of the major brands will be roughly the same speed, with minor differences setting them apart.
I just installed a 2TB addlink NVMe SSD, so far it's been good, but no noticeable speed boost over the 256GB one that the laptop came with.

 

IMO if you really wanna get the most performance out of a system, liquid metal or a good paste like kryonaut will do a lot more than what RAM can pull off.

Stuff like RAM or storage CAN improve FPS, but we are talking signle digit improvements for double or triple figure upgrades

 

Liquid metal may improve temps a little but Lenovo used a good paste already, other users have reported putting in Kryonaut and not seeing any improvement.

Best bet for FPS boost is undervolting CPU and adjusting the Voltage/Frequency curve for the GPU. See the relevant videos on Bob Of All Trades youtube channel.
But even then the improvement will vary depending on your luck in the chip lottery.

 

Guys, look at the thread title lol. I have the Y740, pretty sure there are no single channel RAM options.

I have 16GB of DDR4 RAM at 2666MHz, just like every Y740 laptop, lol. (Expect 32GB versions)


Yeah liquid metal has been done (by others)and doesnt help temps more then a degree or 2.

Undervolting is REQUIRED or you will throttle like every other I7 8750h laptop, after undervolt I have zero down throttle ever in Apex Legends and Overwatch. I just stuck with the -125MHz core/cache, no real difference after that imo.

CPU temps peak into the 80's now, but generally live in the 70's. (Instead of living in 80's and peaking to 95+ on stock voltage and dipping to 3.3GHz)

GPU Voltage seems to max out around 775mV, so adjusting the Frequency/Voltage graph is the only good way to get a rock solidish OC, (sit around 1750-1850MHz 99% of the time)


Something is busted with my Turbo though, wants to run at 2.2GHz all the time unless I use throttlestop and set all core speed to max.
The bios for this laptop does not have any options for turbo boost, like not even enable/disable, but it was in the advanced options.

I need back in there so i can change some stuff back and play with the other options!!! Someone knows something so speak up please!!!


Now this CPU will run at 4GHz on 4 cores, so I found disabling 2 cores in msconfig allows you to run games at 4GHz.
(Was better to do in the bios as it didnt mess with the turbo)

IMO single core speed is more important then # of cores for games (Once you get to quad core or higher in most games anyways)

You will find the CPU only pulls about 30W on 4 cores at 4GHz too, so prob would be a great idea for gaming on battery???



I want back into the advanced bios tab real bad though. Most of the throttlestop options were available in the Advanced bios tab and so much more, there was pages upon pages of options in there, most not greyed out or anything.

I wish I took pics so i could show you all, it was glorious!!

I was trying to access bios and didnt know if it was ESC or F2 or FN+F2, so was pressing ESC and F1 alternating and I think my hand was holding down one of the keys on the left hand side by accident.

Have never been able to access this hidden menu since i connected to the internet, i think lenovo ninja'd an update first time i connected.....

 

I dunno if there is a single channel ram option in other places. There isn't the option in Canada but there are more countries than Canada.

Also to find advanced BIOS, you can record what combos of buttons you mashed. Or you could ask Lenovo directly

 

Do you have s link or phone number for software support?

Lenovo tech support is "hardware only" according to the phone rep i got.

Said have to find an authorized service center that knows the software and suggested Bestbuys geek squad.
Talked to geek squad and they do not know anything about this model at all.

Would like a resource please post a link

 

If you have a Y740, it would be pretty valuable to know how much space there is between the top of the battery and the back plate. Part of the battery mod I want to do (I'm the OP on Reddit) is keeping the 2.5" drive in the form of a slim m.2 to 2.5" sata 3 adapter card, and I just wanna know if that's even a possibility.

You'll have to use a putty or something to measure how much room there is, but it would be rather valuable info.

 

I don’t have one. No idea if you could keep storage though. Waiting to see if anybody else does some tests

 

If the laptop battery is upgradeable then I'll probably grab the Y740, but else it's a bad choice if you need it for a full day of use.

 

It’s either this with upgraded batteries or ASUS GA502

No other cheap gaming laptop can last long enough for work

 

Is there any benefit to adding an intel optane stick to the laptop?

https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...orage/optane-memory/optane-32gb-m-2-80mm.html

 

Anyone notice that Fn+Q no longer stays at max fan with the newest BIOS 1.09? Kind of a weird thing to implement...

 

Lenovo added "FN+Q Version 2.0" in 1.09. there's supposedly another combo of CTRL + SHIFT + 1 which maxes out the fans. Mind trying that and seeing if it acts any different?

 

Only makes sense if you don't have a nvme ssd installed. If you want more speed out of your storage consider RAID0 with a backup solution. Not sure if that is possible with this laptop since I have not researched it.

 

What else was gained from the bios? Any performance gain in max fan?


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Both sound and feel the same to me (airflow wise). During gaming I did not pay attention how quick the temperature plateaus but my gut says it is around the same time.

Personally have not seen much difference but Lenovo lists:

Code:

Version AVCN19WW(V1.09)

General Information:
[*]Enhancement to address MCU security vulnerability.
[*]Enhancement to address ME security vulnerability.

BIOS Notification:

[*]Implement Fn+Q 2.0 function.
[*]Update includes some security fix. (PCR# CP20190221_0004).
[*]Update includes some security fix. (PCR# CP20190402_0003).
[*]Update DPTF table to 0423.

 

Ctrl+shift+1 no longer works in 1.09, fn+Q now bursts the fans to max but you can press it again rapidly to send the fans to 0% which is nice.
Haven't figured out if there's still a way to lock the fans on.

 

So 1.09 removes the ability to permanently max the fans?

 

It appears so. I'm trying to work on some software based on Vantage (which used to have a slider for fan control) to control the fans. Not sure how easy that will be yet. Beware 1.09, updating is probably not advisable right now until someone makes some fan control software.

 

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Gaming-Laptops/Bring-back-fan-control-to-the-Legion-Y740/td-p/4465666

Discussion about the new bios on Lenovo forums.

 

This is why you DON'T update the BIOS until others do so and don't find problems!

But can't you just set up custom fan control via third party app? All you need is EC values and BAM, fan control

 

Well yes, but I don't think anyones (successfully) done that in Notebook Fan Control. If anyone owns a y740, try and get that working plzthanks

 

Heh, silly me, that was on 1.08, 1.09 indeed removes the ability to max out the fans

 

I tried before and found a couple ec values, one that correlated to fan speed but only showed feedback but didn't control, and one that toggled max fan speed.
I mentioned it in an earlier post, you can search for it.
Maybe 1.09 changes things?

 

Here's the relevant post.

Anyone with a y740 able to try out these EC values?

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Lenovo/comments/c8h8ep/y740_users_heres_how_to_downgrade_your_bios/ - Downgrade instructions.

Here's a copy of the guide:

FILES---

Y740 ICHg: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles/avcn18ww.exe

Y740 IRH/IRHg: This doesn't apply to you. Only ICHg variants have 1.09, as far as I can tell. If you have a 1660ti, this is you. Otherwise, confirm in Vantage. If for whatever reason you do have 1.09, going to the Lenovo page for your sku should point you to 1.06.

Y540: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles/bhcn27ww.exe​

Steps-----

1. Enter the BIOS, press F2 repeatedly. If you have hotkey mode on, you may need to mash FN+F2
2. Navigate to the page with Bios Backflash. Enable that.
3. save and reset with F10
4. Download and run the file linked above
5. Flash the new bios​

IIRC one person after backflashing had issues with wifi not working, giving code 10 in device manager. Going into the bios again and restoring to defaults fixed it for them.​

 

Good work!

 

Tried again, modifying 0x13 and 0x14 makes no change, however I am finding some interesting behavior in regards to fan speed and 0x12.

Namely that from what I can tell it looks like fn+q simply toggles between two fan curves and power settings.
With FN+Q "Disabled" (0x12 set to 00) then we get a maximum CPU package power of 25W, however when we "Enable" it (0x12 set to 01) our CPU package power jumps to 60W.
I have not seen any discernible difference in regards to GPU power.

I believe enabled is also more aggressive with ramping the fans but I don't have the time or patience to truly figure that out.
I also currently have hybrid mode enabled, I will try disabling it to see if that changes anything, and I also want to see if fan setting will persist through reboot.

Edit: Did some more research, behavior of the bit itself is odd when rebooting where for a while it seemed to switch where 0 was on and 1 was off, but then it flipped back when i started torturing.
It seems to have no effect on the GPU, in fact it almost seems like we could push more out of it if the power limit allowed, maxed out at 73 deg and GPU-Z said power limit was stopping us.

As for CPU, once you get past the initial turbo fn+q will indeed switch between 25W TDP and 60W TDP.

 

Downgrading was a piece of cake as I had the older bios still on my harddisk. In case anyone needs it, I can share it.

 

BIOS Links
1.09: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles/avcn19ww.exe
1.08: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles/avcn18ww.exe
1.06: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles/avcn16ww.exe
1.04: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles/avcn14ww.exe

There may be other links somewhere else, but I don't know them.

 

Anybody know if the 17" version of the Y740 was gonna get the 500nit screen too? So far it's just the 15" model.

 

As of right now, there doesn't seem to be any plans or anything for Lenovo to add that option.

 

Here's a good tip to take into consideration when ordering pretty much any CTO laptop from Lenovo.
Configure your laptop with as cheap/basic parts as possible.

You can configure it with high end processors and GPUs still, but go for as little ram as possible, the cheapest drive setup you can, etc etc. Chances are you'll be able to get those parts for cheaper, and faster than Lenovo would ever ship them. Plus, when you do this, it might take your 3-4 weeks down to 1-2 weeks after your order has been fully processed.

For example, I bought my laptop on June 25th with basically no configuration on my part besides minimizing everything. 9750h, 2060, 8gb of ram, 1tb hard drive + 128gb ssd. Shipping date was originally projected to be July 25th. After it got processed, it dropped down to July 12th.

 

I did this. Ordered 8 March. Estimated 27th March. Arrived 2nd of May
I had no os. 256gb. I went for MINIMAL everything
But that didn’t work


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Lenovo had some logistics issues back in March. That seems to be mostly resolved now.

 

I’m torn between this laptop and the refreshed Acer Helios 300.

The Y740 is more expensive ($1,620 vs. $1,200). That additional $420 gets you a 500 nit panel vs. the 300 in the Helios, G-Sync, 512GB vs. a 256GB m.2 SSD, thunderbolt 3 and a 1TB HDD.

What is swaying me toward the Y740 is the 500 nit G-Sync panel.

For reference I’m comparing the following SKU’s.

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, 15.6" Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display, Intel i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, PH315-52-78VL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QXLFLXT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_YvMhDb582827E

The part number is 81UF0000US. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptop...-y-series/Lenovo-Legion-Y740-15/p/88GMY701059

 

Y740 has GSYNC and thunderbolt 3, if those matter to you. In all variants, even the 500 nit panel.
The helios 300 has some better thermals due to increased thickness, so you can get a higher PL1 without thermal throttling. That's about the only thing I'd really say is better with the Helios 300, personally.

 

I would go for the Legion. Buy once, cry once.

 

HUGE update on the bigger battery project!

Full conversation transcript can be found here: https://pastebin.com/SYXFt42L
Basically, what Reymark here told me was that the compatible parts page is out of date or missing information, but the 17" battery (despite a difference in voltage) will be usable in the 15" chassis. Expect a 33% battery life improvement over your 57whr battery, since the 4-cell 17" model is a 76whr battery!

 

Whoa. That’s huge. 76Whr makes this a LOT more competative vs ACER and ASUS laptop’s in this range

 

Soon... My y740 shipped today

 

Nice! I ordered my Y740 with basic everything (except an RTX2070). I’ve already ordered Crucial Ballistix Sport 32 GB for my RAM, and I’ll be trying out the 1TB Inland Premier SSD That MicroCenter offers for $100.

 

How do I program my m1 and m2 macro keys? I would like to program them to dim my screen as opposed to the fn+f5 and f6. Thanks!!

 

Has anyone received one of the 500 nit units yet? curious to see performance on the 1660ti vs the 2060 and what battery life is.

Edit: how is the back light bleed?

 

Nice!
Just ordered a battery because of this lol.
Hopefully everything checks out, I already put in a 2TB addlink NVMe so I could eventually nix the 2.5" ssd, or if the battery thing didn't work out just wait for like a 4TB 2.5" SSD to drop in.

In case anyone is curious, here's the one I bought https://www.b2c-laptop-batteries.com/laptop-battery-lenovo-8039.html

 

https://www.resellerratings.com/store/b2c_laptop_batteries