Hi,
Just got T520 and i can't believe I was missing out such an excellent keyboard all these year. Anyhow, two questions:
- Fan Constantly Running
So, the fan runs constaly at row RPM; however, is there a setting to have the fan come on only as needed? For example, I have dell E6410 and i only hear the fan when it's under load.
- Possible CPU Noise
This is only aduit in a whisper quiet room. The noise is like bccccc,zingggg,keeeeen, some kind of elctric wire noise. Is this the famous CPU whine type of issue? If yes, i thought the latest BIOS fixed all that stuff.
Plus does this get lounder while the machine is under load?
Lastly, do you know of any stressing program that i can use to see the noise levels when this puppy is put to real work.
thanks for your help,
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Thinkpad T520 arrived yesterday.
T520 keyboard has more flex than T60. The arrow keys on my T60 is rock solid, no flex.
Everything look good except for the thickness. She is looking like a plus model.
Never did like the angle of the power plug, it will go bad, should be L shape.
Speaker location looks good but not functional because when I go to grab my laptop my thumps will be pressing against the speaker screen.
I keep popping open my DVD drive. Should be flushed.
Screen brightness (1600x900) is very good, using only 13/15 brightness. -
Is anyone running 16 GB of RAM in their T520. I was looking at this website which said the max is 8. Computer memory upgrades for Lenovo ThinkPad T520i Laptop/Notebook from Crucial.com
is it wrong? If anyone is using 16 what brand do you have and do you recommend it ? -
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Hi,
Does anyone have any experience with core i7-2820 in either T420/T520? I am look to hear about heat output; moreover, if any, noise level?
Thanks. -
I have been a user of Thinkpads for about 10 years. My latest was a t61, but I needed to upgrade. I actually switched over to a Macbook Pro for a bit, but despite loving the trackpad and some OS things about Lion, found that I really, really, really missed the t61's keyboard. So, I am returning my MBP tomorrow, and will get the t520 (which I'm told has a similar, but not identical keyboard as the t61 - first question: any thoughts on that? I care mostly about the FEEL of the keyboard, not so much the layout - i type a LOT so the feel matters tremendously).
Here's my second question: I want to get the t520 configuration where I have a 80 or 160 GB SSD that is the boot drive, AND a 500 GB normal HD. Lenovo does not config BOTH at the factory - I have to get one or the other, then do the other myself. Which should I have preinstalled by them, and which by myself? (not me personally, but probably a techie friend or shop). If I do the SSD from Lenovo, will they know to put it in the mSATA slot, or will they put it in the primary bay drive? Is this all even worth it (too complicated, etc.) - and the 500GB is more than sufficient for booting speed + getting around opening apps, etc.? I'm not a hard core techie user, just someone who does a lot of writing and web research and want to be fairly quick.
Note - I would rather NOT use the optical drive for the HD, as I actually do use DVD's, etc. every so often. -
Your best bet is to get a large capacity HDD drive and use that for general storage purposes while getting your own mSATA SSD (such as the Intel 310) as an OS boot drive so you don't have to sacrifice the DVD Ultrabay. -
Thanks! -
Refer to the T520 Hardware Maintenance Manual for clear, illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions. Go to this page and download the manual in PDF. Refer to page 75 for instructions related to your question 1.
You must properly set the boot drive in BIOS to tell the system which device it will find Windows and load it into RAM. To get the Setup screen, press and hold F1 when you turn on the laptop.
Refer to page 35 for instructions related to your questions 2 and 3. -
Hi everyone,
Thanks a million for your advice about the keyboard + SSD. One remaining question I have is this: I am significantly upgrading the T520 - does it make sense to still get a souped-up t520, or simply get the w520 (one sentiment I heard on the boards is that the higher up you go on the t520 spectrum, the more the w520 becomes a better value). Here are the specs I am getting:
Intel Core i7-2860QM Processor (2.50 GHz, 8MB L3)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
720p Camera
500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD recordable multiburner
Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader
9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++
Country Pack North America with Line cord & 135W AC adapter
Bluetooth 3.0
Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 (2x2 ABGN)
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
Services and software
3YR Onsite NBD + 3YR Priority Support + 3YR TPP
Accessories
ThinkPad TrackPoint Cap Collection
Price: $3,068.99
Web price: $2,287.29
After eCoupon: $1,973.94
You save: $1,095.05
Total $1,973.94
Use eCoupon code PRESIDENT
Estimated ship date: 3/2/12**[/li]
Here's my question: Which of the two makes better sense? Is there anything that the super-t520 has that a super-version of the w520 does not? is there any reason, in other words, that is compelling to go one way or the other?
Thanks again for your advice!
Best wishes! -
Grabbed one of these during a crazy price error last week (Lenovo.ca):
$645 for i7-2860QM, 4GB, 1600x900.
For some reason, selecting the high-end 2860QM subtracted $191 from the price. Final price was the result of that + a 15% Friends and Family coupon.
Build quality is OK but nothing spectacular. Plastics feel and look cheap.
Screen is actually quite nice and I was not expecting decent contrast or viewing angles given my previous experiences with Lenovo panels. 600:1 contrast according to Notebookcheck and sRGB gamut coverage. -
Wish I had see that last week on rfd. What a steal! Would've been able to price an i7 + FHD for under 1000
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Deleted.
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All items offered for sale at NBR must be posted in the appropriate Marketplace forum. They must also adhere to the Marketplace rules and use the Marketplace form.
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hey guys quick questions before pulling the trigger on a new t520:
how does the i7-2630QM (2.0 ghz, 6m cache) compare to the i3-2350M (2.30 ghz, 3m cache)? i can get the i7 for cheaper than the i3
any difference in choosing between intel wifi link 1000 vs. the thinkpad 1x1 b/g/n?
thanks a bunch! -
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Intel 1000 is 2x1 from memory. The 1x1 doesn't support 5 ghz mode nor does Intel 1000, as such the Intel card will offer better performance too.
If you can get the i7 quad core then by all means do so, as this will retain the resale value down the line if you ever want to sell it. But as said battery life suffers. But in terms of thermal management, the T520 with quad core runs at about the same temperature range as the i5 model i have tested.
So other than the battery life and the larger power adapter (i think the T520 with quad core uses the 135 watt adapter), everything says the i7 quad core is a better purchase. -
On the new T520, what is the acceptable level of flex? On mine, the keys, a,s,d and enter, backspace, and right shift keys are a Clacky and has a shallow sound. Some folks recommend using double sided tape but wondering how is it like for you?
thanks. -
thanks so much again -
still haven't pulled the trigger yet. i have the option of getting the 65w adapter or the 90w for no additional cost. aside from being heavier what is the benefit of having the 90w? i'm planning on getting an i3
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Has there been a fix for the ultrabay hard drive ejecting when the computer goes to sleep? I've read various threads about it but they are all either inconclusive or solved by downloading the latest intel RST drivers. I have the latest drivers, and my hard drive still disconnects every single time I put my computer to sleep (even for 2 seconds to test...).
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I haven't had that happen to me yet, it did happen a couple of times on my W510 but never on the T520.
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Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast
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seagate 7200rpm 500gb 12.5mm hard drive
The caddy has all the ultrabay attachments from the dvd drive and my computer is never moved so I know that it isn't a physical connection problem. -
Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast
FYI, the Seagate drives CAN be a pain in there rear. I'd recommend trying another drive if you have one just to rule the drives out. I'd also recommend using the caddy in another machine if possible and see if it work properly there.
Or, if you have a friend with the official Ultrabay hard drive adapter, try it in your machine and see if that works.
You should be able to isolate this down further. -
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just got a t520 with 2860qm and it's been great so far thanks for the help earlier. just a couple questions - is there any way to turn off cores when i don't require the power, and are there any tips to improving the colour accuracy of the HD+ screen? thanks a bunch
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conscriptvirus Notebook Evangelist
I think windows may do it automatically. Try googling core parking. Its when windows turns off cores when theyre not being used to conserve power.
Any other answers are welcome too -
thanks. another question is about turning off the display with fn+f3 and/or rightclicking the thinkpad power manager battery and going to 'power off display'
curious to know why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt? -
Anybody having trouble with nVidia's control panel? It crashes immediately if I start it and I've done the clean install with the newest drivers. It sucks because it wants to run Acrobat at full blast and Mass Effect on integrated.
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At work I use a Dell U3011 via displayport and another 20" 4:3 screen from the analogue out at work (so the laptop screen is off). I used to be able to suspend with the screens connected and when I got home I could resume and have the laptop display turn on and show stuff.
As of a few days ago this stopped working. When I resume I can hear the system wake and various noises (usb chimes etc) fire off (music even resumes playing if I left it playing when I suspended), but my display does not come back on.
This is pretty frustrating. Has anybody else experienced this?
T520 running Windows 7x64. NVidia drivers 8.17.12.7593. Laptop is in optimus mode. -
I am new to the T520 forum as I am thinking of getting it instead of the W520 I already have. I do not like the throttling on battery I have and the delay in everything when working on battery with the W520. Does T520 suffer the same issue whether I get the Intel Graphics 3000 or the discrete graphics?
Please, help me with this issue so I can make my buying decision.
Thanks. -
Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast
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Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast
So I wondered what it is really going to take for you to make a decision and get happy with a purchase.
If I were you, I would wait to see what unfolds with the Ivy Bridge machines that are coming and not rush into a decision to buy anything right now.
Sorry you aren't happy with your W520 throttling but the facts around it's behavior have been documented on the forums at lenovo.com for quite some time. Long before your purchase. -
I really hoped that someone can help instead of just trying to make people feel bad about asking questions!
Thanks -
All of the processors throttle on battery! That is how they achieve the quoted battery life. My advice, buy a desktop if the throttling is unbearable! Otherwise, learn to live with it... Cross posting won't help your cause... You've alienated many here and that is why answers are few and far between... The answer is the answer... no need for incessant rehashing... see Laptop, Desktop, Server and Embedded Processor Technology - Intel for more info on their cpus.
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The point is "no one seems capable of articulating anything to you relative to this identical question..." Eliminate throttling by buying a desktop! Perfect solution. Lenovo makes desktops too! Your problem is not a problem, it is how the chips were engineered... You fail to accept that time after time... Asking the same question in different threads throughout the forum isn't gonna make the facts change... Good luck to you sir!
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Laptop, Desktop, Server and Embedded Processor Technology - Intel has the answers you seek... "Mobile" processors down clock on battery to extend life while away from AC power. This is a "feature" that has been engineered into the last several iterations of processors from intel dating back to pentium m if memory serves... It is not isolated to Lenovo's implementation! What part of that don't you get? Again if you want to rid yourself of that buy a desktop. and be sure to disable turbo mode if the processor is so equipped...
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Going forward, let's keep the discussion focused and avoid personal attacks. Thanks.
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It's crazy that a W520 with even higher specs than T520 is cheaper than it. How does this happen? Is there any reason why one would buy a T520 and not a W520 based on this? Very confusing!
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Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast
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I also didn't need an i7 - I wasn't going to do anything more intensive than light-duty CAD (Inventor) and light-duty gaming (no Crysis!). That took $200 out of the equation and pushed me towards the T520.
Still, I can't help but wonder if the W520's Optimus software works better... -
May I ask if you are observing throttling on battery with your T520? -
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Lenovo Thinkpad T520 Owner's Thread
Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by format C:, Apr 8, 2011.