Lenovo T530 Owner's Thread

It is possible to buy an exact, genuine AUO FHD panel and do the swap yourself.

However, if you've just received the T530, you can arrange for a non-restocking-fee return with the intention of ordering a differently configured system.

 

Well, I bought it from Tech Data who does not take any returns. I work for a small VAR here in NJ and we get discounts on Top Seller machines. So, any recommendation for a place that sells the proper screen?

I really appreciate your help!

Jeff

 

If you want it inexpensive I'd suggest eBay, but you have to do your homework with eBay. There's a lot of third party screens there that don't stack up. If you buy it from Lenovo it will likely cost as much as your T530.

 

Sure. PM me when you are able to. I don't want to do free advertisements. Not eBay. Not Lenovo. Not an arm and a leg. Not hands waving.

 

I bought a ThinkPad T530 on September 7, 2012 with the new chiclet-keyboard and my "Shift" and "Enter" keys gets stuck in the keyboard all the time. I was wondering if there is a way to fix this? I am also past the 21 days I have to return it and was wondering if Lenovo would still take it back. Thanks

 

^^^ I doubt if you could return it at this time. You can always ask them to send you a new keyboard and replace the faulty keyboard yourself.

 

Thank you, I'll call Warranty and see what they can do.

 

Does anyone know to to turn off the auto-dim feature when viewing darker websites? It has become very annoying and I can't find anything in the NVIDIA control panel or the Power Manager that would turn this off.

 

Hi,

How much would be this laptop be worth:

Stock Specs:


Warranty:
3 Years Onsite warranty (expires 2015)

Upgrades:
1. SSD - Intel 310 80GB (mSata)
2. 16 GB RAM - Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800)


The box is opened and the battery has 5 cycles on it. But everything is in MINT condition.

thanks for your help.

 

Everything is top of the line (except the graphics card), plus the upgrades. I wouldn't mind paying $1,600 for it.

 

Lenovo is running a 10% sale on the T530 right now, ends tomorrow. Anyone know how often these sales are, or if greater savings can be had? I want to bite but don't want to regret it so checking here first!

 

It was 12% recently and 20% about 5 weeks ago. You could sign up for email newsletters to get (stackable) 10% off.

 

I did a lot of research before ordering a T530. I ordered a quad core first and the fan was noisy so I re-ordered with an i5 processor. I use a lot of graphics programs and do video editing so I ordered it with the nVidia 5400. I received the new one yesterday and the fan runs constantly on it with no programs open. From reading this whole thread, it's obviously the discrete graphics. This was my first Lenovo purchase and I'm really disappointed... plus it's taken almost two months to get these two computers with all Lenovo's shipping delays! I ordered another one last night W530 with the i7 3520M and the K1000. Does anyone think it will be quieter than the T530s?

neothe0ne - if you sign up for Lenovo's emails they send a lot of codes for % off. I got 25% off the W530 I ordered last night!

 

I can't comment on the noise of those systems, but I would recommend you try out TPFanControl as it will allow you to control the fan speed.

 

What about the prices of certain components? Right now the NVIDIA NVS 5400M is $50 "instead of $250" (and the 500gb 7200rpm HDD is $0 instead of $40, but I would probably buy my own hard drive anyway since Lenovo has no options between cheap 500gb and expensive 1tb)

 

I was trying to charge my iPad through the USB ports on my T530 while it is connected to the Dock but it did not charge. I tried different settings and the only time it would charge is when i is connected to the Always On port when the computer is completely shut down. Is that normal? Is there away around this to charge it while working?

Also, I wonder if anyone know if the MacBook Pro will charge it while being On?

 

I recently installed Windows 7 as a fresh install and I also installed Power Manager and its drivers. When I open PM, I do not see any power plan selected and all the options are dimmed. The only thing that is active is the performance indicator that is set to Maximum Performance. Interestingly, the machine speed is working to my satisfaction as of now and it is also really quite but I was jut curious to know what does it mean now that no power plan is selected and is here actually any function now that the PM is doing for me?

The power plan selected in Windows Power Management is 'Balanced'

 

What is the best WWAN card I can upgrade my T530 with and what is a good place to buy it from (compatibility wise)?

 

There is the GOBI card that should work with many carriers.

 

I recently started to have some stuttering when browsing the internet (scrolling, moving between tabs, typing lag (letters appear after a delay/stutter), or sometimes waiting for the mouse arrow for example to change to the hand that would enable me to click on a link) and was wondering what this can be related to? I also get stuttering/pauses when watching YouTube video that are not related to loading as the file has already completely loaded. Just FYI, I have Samsung SSD 256GB and 8GB of RAM with dual-core i7 and Intel only graphics. Could this be caused by any means by not installing the SSD management driver or whatever it is called during the setup? I do not think so but just wondering as it is really annoying me.

By the way, this happens on both AC and battery and I use FF 15.0.1 if this helps (did not upgrade to latest version 16.0.2 as it is not compatible with Norton toolbar 2012)

 

I'm planning to order a T530 for $918 with the following specs. Does it sound like a good deal?

Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)
Windows 8 64
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 4000
4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
Keyboard (Backlit) US English
UltraNav without Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera with Microphone
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max, Dual Layer, Ultrabay Enhanced w/ SW Royalty for Windows 8
Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader & Bezel
9 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70++
90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200 (2x2 BGN)


I'm hoping there are no heating/noise problems with this machine.

 

Good configuration for a good price. I've got the chance to sit in front of a similarly configured T530, training someone on various applications, and the system is cool and quiet the whole time -- I'd say quieter than a T430.

If I recall correctly, you plan to have this notebook on the desk most of the time -- if so, why the 9-cell battery?

 

Good question. You remember correctly; I don't travel often. It's just that my current Latitude D630 had a 9 cell so I was taking that as a starting point. Do you know approx how much it would cost to replace a 6 cell vs a 9 cell battery and how long they last?

 

I don't know the replacement cost, off hand, but if you mostly use wall power and do not cycle (recharge) the battery often, it can last for a few years.

Not that I want to sound vain, but the T530 looks very elegant with the flush 6-cell battery.

 

I just ordered the following configuration from Lenovo with an initial estimated ship date of 11/28/12. Now that ship date has been bumped out to 2/28/13--THREE MONTHS!!!

What do you guys think? Should I cancel? Or is there anything I can do to get it maybe sometime in the next, you know, month (at most)? It might be a very good laptop, but I don't think any machine is worth waiting three months for. Geez!

Intel Core i7-3610QM
4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)

320GB HDD 7200rpm
DVD Recordable, UBE W8 w/SWR

9cell LI Battery TWL70++
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300

135W AC Adpt US (2pin)
TW530 720p HD Camera Mic

TW530 15.6FHD Anti-Glare, WWAN
T530 NVIDIA Optimus with 1GB

 

Was reading up on the web about the best way to upgrade to an SSD and it seems that's by doing a clean install of Windows 8 once the SSD is put in. However, Lenovo won't provide the installation disk (I think), so the next best option seems to be to burn Recovery disks and restore using them. (I'm not sure about cloning or creating images due to misalignment problems between HDD and SSD).

Anyone who's done this before, please pitch in.

 

You can do it that way.

And the myth lives on...

 

Or use a flash drive to do it which might be faster. I hope restoring to a blank drive should proceed smoothly. I wish there was some way to get rid of the bloatware during this process.

Even if it is a myth, the clean install seems simpler in terms of software needed and steps to be taken even though it might take longer (I'm assuming Windows would take care of the drivers).

I'm surprised that Windows 8 installation media is not provided for free when the key is tied to the hardware (so I have no way to do a clean install actually, just a restore).

Shoot, I'm about to order a T530 and this isn't good news at all

 

Control Panel > Uninstall Programs.

Tools like Acronis and Apricorn (usually included in a "SSD Kit") take care of all the necessary details in transfering from HDD to SSD, including the "alignment" concern. Windows cannot take care of all the drivers, as some of them are provided by Lenovo, specific to your configuration.

Anyway, before you do "clean install," save a copy of C:\SWTOOLS (in the stock image) on a flash drive.

 

Yeah I was kind of hoping to avoid having to do that

Are you saying if I buy a Samsung SSD like this one without the bells and whistles, the "Samsung Smart Data Migration Software" that it refers to would include Acronis or Apircorn?

 

@pencilpanda: Are you asking for advice, or are you debating? I'm weary of the latter. If you believe clean installation is the better method, go for it.

 

Debating? I don't know enough to do that. I'm so much of a newbie at this, that I practically need step by step handholding! Which is why you might see questions on stuff so obvious to you that you think I'm trying to be a smartass

If the SSD I linked to comes with the software you mentioned, and if that software takes care to make Windows optimize for the SSD, I wouldn't bother with the clean install. In any case, clean install is out of question with Win8 without available media, it would be "recovery".

 

Anybody who ordered it recently ? I would like to know the expected shipping time for this model.

Thanks.

 

prospect buyer here:

1. Any known issues with this model? I'm looking at this over a T430 because of the known fan noise issues

2. Any reccomended customizations/upgrades? I am already looking at t he $50 display upgrade and the 180 gb SSD.

 

$50 upgrade for display is worth the money. 180Gb SSD can be bought separately(not through lenovo) as its a lot cheaper and installation is pretty simple.

Thanks.

 

Order placed and estimated shipping date is showing up as 2012/12/02.

Here's my config (items in bold are upgrades):

Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)
Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 4000
4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM) - planning after market upgrade to 8 GB
Keyboard - US English (Not backlit)
UltraNav without Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera with Microphone
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm - planning after market replacement with 250 GB SSD
9 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70++
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN WLAN Adapter

 

Joining the club.. ordered the below config with expected ship date 12/02/2012.

Already ordered a 240GB Intel 330 SSD and 16GB G.Skill memory as well.

Going to retire my T400 which occasionally bluescreens when returning from sleep . Still think Thinkpad is the best Windows machine in the game and can't wait to get it.

Intel Core i5-3320M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)
Windows 8 Pro 64
15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 4000
4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
Keyboard (Backlit) US English
UltraNav with Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera with Microphone
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max, Dual Layer, Ultrabay Enhanced w/ SW Royalty for Windows 8
Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader
6 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70+
90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN

 

If it's for use with caddy then it's probably ok but if it's to replace the 500GB hard drive then I'm not sure 330 is the right thickness

 

Thanks for the tip..it is to replace the 500GB drive. I did some searching and sound like the included drive is 7mm, but a 9.5mm drive should be OK with these replacement rails:

Hard Drive Rubber Rails for IBM Lenovo T60 T61 T400 T410 T420 T500 T510 T520 R61 | eBay

Reference: T530 Drive Bay - Lenovo Community

 

I just ordered my first ever Thinkpad. I'm coming from an Asus G54SX which I soon realized after purchasing was a mistake. The T530 is a much more professional looking laptop and I won't be embarrassed to use it in class like I was with the G54. Here are my specs:
Processor

Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)

Operating System Windows 8 64

Operating System Language Windows 8 64 English

Display Type 15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready

System Graphics NVIDIA NVS 5400M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory

Total Memory 4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)

Keyboard Keyboard (Backlit) US English

Pointing Device UltraNav without Fingerprint Reader

Camera 720p HD Camera with Microphone

Hard Drive 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm

Optical Device DVD Recordable 8x Max, Dual Layer, Ultrabay Enhanced w/ SW Royalty for Windows 8

System Expansion Slots Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader & Bezel

Battery 6 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70+

Power Cord 90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)

Integrated WiFi Wireless LAN Adapters Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN

I have a M4 128gb SSD and another 4GB's of RAM to install when it gets here. Can't wait!

 

P.S. I forgot to mention that I purchased the specs above for a grand total of only $730.61 tax included. Not bad!

 

Order is shipped and the ETA is showing up as 12/6...fingers crossed!

 

I joined the happy owners' club of Lenovo Thinkpad W530 and I am absolutely in love with it. Since then, I started the fun part of upgrading the computer on my own and improving its performance.
I had the original 4GB RAM and I bought some days ago 2 sticks 2 x 8GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR3.

I did some Geekbench tests after that, but I am quite disappointed with the results: 5834
compared to the average 10000, 11000 and 14000 points of users with exactly the same technology.

Compare results:
5834: LENOVO 2438CTO - Geekbench Browser (mine)
10728: LENOVO 2438CTO - Geekbench Browser
14914: LENOVO 2438CTO - Geekbench Browser

My question is, why on earth am I getting such performance?

 

I am a grad student in Computer Science. I am thinking of buying a T530 with this config:

---

After this order, I plan to do these things:
1. Samsung 840 Pro 128GB/256GB SSD (deciding which one) to be used as main drive.
2. Ultrabay Caddy for the stock HDD for use instead of the DVD drive
3. SATA to USB cable for the DVD drive (if and when necessary)
4. 1x8GB DDR3 1600MHz Memory - I am trying to find which is the best one. Some of the users of the Corsair said they were getting sub-1600MHz. Suggestions welcome.

What do you guys have to say about the config? Any redundancy or something missing?

 

The mSATA SSD is worth a look if you want to keep the optical drive and aren't using WWAN.

I don't think the memory speed makes any practical difference. I'd buy whatever is the least expensive from a good brand. I got my memory used on eBay.

 

I haven't been here in a while and was reading back over the old posts and saw some responses to my comments that I missed. (Back in Sept) Sorry about that.

Anyway, I saw that some people didn't understand how it was that I had a quad-core and it was silent. Here it is a few months later and I am still a super happy camper with this ultra-quiet system. I don't know enough about the innards of a computer to pretend to understand it but I will say that my old Dell Studio 1555 bugged the heck out of me with the noise. As as writer and photographer, I need quiet to work and that thing was always making noise. The T530 is a dream machine to me.

Here's my build:
Processor - Intel Core i7-3820QM Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz)
Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display
NVIDIA NVS 5400M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
Memory - 8 GB
Battery - 6 Cell

I swapped out the optical drive for a Samsung 512 SSD and I upgraded to a 1Terrabyte HD once I got it.
Yeah, I goofed on paying the price for the Lenovo memory. Whoops. If I decide I need more down the road I know what to do differently.

The system is on 14-16 hours a day. Maybe I'm not stressing it enough to make a racket. I'm in MS Office, Scrivener, Lightroom and Photoshop all day. Plus multiple browsers. If everything around me is quiet, I can hear that the system is running but I never notice it over me pounding the keys. Maybe my quiet is someone else's noisy? This one does what it needs to do with a minimum of fuss and then stops instead of running constantly. The fan on the Dell made me want to scratch my eyes out.

The keyboard was easy to get used to and I type just as fast as I used to. I love the docking station. For once I actually have all my stuff plugged in and it's so easy to drop the laptop into the docking station and go right to work on the big monitor. Just as easy to remove it and move around the house. My only tiny issue is the crackling noise that happens when I drop it into the docking station and it connects to the speakers. That's actually what I popped over here to check for, to see if there had been some sort of driver update or something to fix that. Is this still an issue for other folks?

Anyway, I still consider this the quietest and best laptop I have ever had and this is my 7th laptop.

 

I wish I had such a great love story with T530 with the 'fastest' quad-core CPU like you. I can guarantee you that you have one of a kind machine that was probably produced by a mistake!

 

Maybe so. After a few lemons maybe I was due for a computer miracle.

 

I started my reading of this thread based on searching for the word "maintenance"

Starting with post #391 (page 40) through post #420 (page 42), but after your above comment, I decided to start with post #321 (30th August 2012, at page 33).

That's an expensive i7.

You're doing some heavy lifting (cpu-wise) with editing photographic images on your T530?

Why not do that on a desktop computer?

Ah, OK.

But to repeat:
Why not do that on a desktop computer?

And FWIW I ordered a T430 which can only have a 7mm drive in the main bay (still hasn't shipped, probably will on Monday 2 days from now). I also ordered a 9.5mm SSD (a Crucial M4 in 512GB capacity). I only learned the ugly truth of the T430 main thickness limit 2 days ago, and am now considering other notebooks including the T530.

There's an extensive list of Intel i7 3rd gen cpus that end with QM (22nm) (as well as i5 and AMD) at:
Mobile Processors - Benchmarklist - Notebookcheck.net Tech

TDP (watts) for most of them, including yours, is 45 watt, with only a few at 35 watt.

But there are other i7 with even higher heat, the XM cpus typically having 55 watt TDP.

Well there's a serious compliment for the Lenovo T530. And I like what I've seen of it also.

I assume that the "popping" sounds from your speakers is that from external speakers that you have hooked up? You probably should provide some equipment specifics on that.

FWIW it is a not uncommon thing for just about any hifi equipment, even stuff that is extreme high end (read that as being extremely expensive) to have startup connection popping sounds. The real issue is if it is merely annoying or if it is dangerous to the speakers and/or other equipment.

 

Othersongs.

The speakers are an oldish set of Logitech. The issue with the clicking noise when being plugged into the docking station with this system is mentioned repeatedly throughout this thread. It only kinda bugs me once in a while so it's mostly a non-issue.

You asked, Why not do that on a desktop computer?

Simple. As a writer/photographer/artist, I don't like to be tied down to one place. I work in my office. I work in my art studio. I work in my home library. I work in my backyard. I work in my front yard. All that without leaving my house. Then I can pack up and go any time. I have nice, big monitor for doing graphic stuff though.