Lenovo W510 Owner's Thread

The blue ones, on the left.

 

I have a W510 for sale..will post it in few hours. If anyone is interested please check out my For Sale Thread. The W510s are very good systems. I have had both the w500 and W510s excellent systems. The W510's have USB3 and few memory slots. So if you are a power user it will serve you well.

 

I think that wine is CPU related. My current x201t also does it.. Indeed thinkpad series are excellent laptops.

 

Maybe its my ears or my office, but it seems that changing the cpu setting for battery mode to low as opposed to adaptive eliminated the noise. Not sure if that is equivalent to C2, C3, or etc. Also the noise seemed to decrease when I disabled cpu deeper sleep. Anyone out there with the what's what on this?

 

Can't wait to see my machine :-(

 

All I know is that this seems to have been an ongoing problem since Feb. 2010, but there is not some solution which they are implementing in the new builds. My CPU whine is terrible, and I actually had it in a meeting and was asked to turn it off because it is sooooo distracting. Called Tech support and they acted like they had never even heard of the problem - which I know cannot be correct. If the only apparent fix to at least reduce the noise is to greatly reduce the battery time - that is not a fix for me as I need to be on battery for the maximum time for which this laptop spec. I await the resolution to this problem - but it will have to be resolved as this is not something I can just live with.

 

This has been going on with all Intel processors for far longer than Feb 2010 -- at least a few years. There is no fix other than messing with the power states, and there never will be. You will need to make your decisions based on this information.

 

Could you check to see if the above has any impact on the noise? The low setting may actually improve battery life as it will not increase cpu when stressed. Can't hurt to try...

 

Did some research on the whine a few weeks back when I first got my W510 and it was annoying the crap out of me. It's related to the power management settings on the processor -- moving back and forth from a power-saving to high-performance state. After disabling power management altogether it has disappeared. It's also possible to just set the power state to 'High Performance,' or likely low-performance as well. Anything that avoids the switch-over.

 

That's what I was thinking... I set mine to low and no whine. I may set it to lowest to see if I can live with the performance while on battery and I may even get a few extra minutes of battery life.

 

Pardon the admittedly uninformed question. I'm in the process of configuring a W510 prior to purchase and I have a choice between 2 and 4 DIMMS of memory at the same price.

In one case the choice is 2 DIMMS (1333 mhz) 4gigs apiece. The other choice is 4 DIMM (1067 mhz) 2 gigs apiece.

Can anyone tell me why I would choose the latter at the same price? From my naive perspective, it seems the former 2 DIMM configuration is inherently superior. Am I missing something?

 

Received W510 and T410S (for friend) on Dec. 17th, ordered on Dec. 1.

W510's LED screen is amazing, especially after calibration.

We ordered 1067 mhz DDR3, received all 1333mhz DDR3.

 

You would not choose the latter. Later, if you decide to add more memory you have 2 empty slots that are available. If you choose the later (4x2GB), you would need to pull SoDIMMs out to move above 8GB of memory. I have a memory graveyard behind me because of things like that.

 

Thanks for the input. That's exactly in line with my understanding. And if that's the case, I wonder why Lenovo even offers the 4x2 option at the same price.

 

So here is my quandary - I bought a W510 w/ the 820QM loaded - I have had some problems with the machine and because of all the drama Lenovo has kindly offered a 920XM loaded in exchange. It is the 26th of December and the CES announcements are just 9 days away. Should I take the 920XM in exchange or return the W510 and await whatever the new W Series Lenovo may be? Obviously based on the dumping of the Multi-touch screen on the W510 for zero cost over the basic screen and the 20% off coupon, they are attempting to move out the inventory based on the introduction of a new W Series. What should I do? Thank you for input in advance.

 

Take it. Even if anything is announced at CES, the price is going to be higher and it probably won't be available right away. Also the performance difference will probably not be a huge jump from the current processors.

 

I am thinking of selling my W510, sadly.

What is the best way to do a complete factory restore?

 

1. Backup then delete your data
2. Run a "free space" wipe tool to clean data from the hard drive (deleting doesn't really get rid of it)
3. Restore using the Recovery Discs you burned when you received the machine. If you don't have them, you might be able to create them, or boot from the recovery partition (I think using the blue thinkvantage button), and perform the restore from there.

 

Hello,
How long does the W510 last with the Core i5 processor? Sometimes I am away from any power source for 4 to 5 hours at a time. Would an i5 processor give me the run time I need?

 

If you need 5 hours of runtime I would not suggest an W510. Lenovo makes a number of less power-hungry machines that may better suit your needs.

 

Hello,

I have some questions that I would like to have answered before I decide what laptop to buy. The three computers that I am currently looking at are the Hp Envy 17, the Asus G73JW, and the Lenovo W510. I have here a picture of the setup for the Lenovo.



The specific questions for this student + end of year discounted version are:

1. Is this a good deal for the w510 and does anyone recommend any changes to the configuration (I will buy 3 more modules of RAM to make it total 16 gb).

2. Since I have about 6 or so months to decide on the computer, are there any pending releases for the w510 (or perhaps the envy or G73JW) that would cause this deal to become irrelevant?

3. Is the reliability of a workstation gpu worth the premium? I can get both the Asus and the HP computer similarily configured with 17 inch screens and a consumer gpu that can be used to game also. I will be using AutoCAD Revit, 3ds Max, and various Adobe products to work with production quality images (high file size and render quality), and would also like to play Call of Duty at a reasonable resolution and fps.

Thank you for your time and enjoy your holidays.

 

I just received my new w510 in the mail today after going the past two weeks without a laptop. I was amazed by the LED screen, my eyes are simply not used to this quality. So I naturally decided to see what it was like to watch a movie. I downloaded the divx codecs from divx.com and put on an avi file; I tried watching in both windows media player and divx movie player. I had very peculiar playback problems in both programs:

-for starters, when I move the laptop's position (even slowly and slightly) I begin to hear the audio repeat itself in loops over and over again; only way to stop it is by pausing the video and repositioning to an earlier or later time.
-during regular playback the movie would occasionally lose its color scheme (like a damaged vhs tape the colors would go to some purplish scheme of the movie). This happened twice over the course of an hour and a half.
-I am not even sure how to describe the audio. It goes from clear sounding to distorted every 2-4 seconds (2-4 seconds of clear sounding audio and then 2 seconds of audio that wavers in volume).

Audio and video playback seems fine when I watch a video on youtube. I am just a simple backend programmer who enjoys watching movies, using the occasional adobe product, having a large music library, and some light gaming. I don't understand why this is happening. I did some searching through this thread and found two others posts complaining about avi playback. The replies indicated that it was probably a software problem. However, I am perplexed as to why moving my laptop would affect playback.

What should I do? This is really disappointing. I did the standard installation and have barely done anything other than install chrome and eclipse on my machine.

edit/update: The audio was fine when I listened with headphones, but I still had video playback issues (especially when the laptop was on my lap vs a solid surface). I restarted my computer and no longer have audio or video issues. I am wondering now if I should contact lenovo to have my hardware checked out. I've read about other people having very similar issues, so if there is something wrong I want to get it fixed from day 1 (otherwise I get paranoid on day 30 that I messed up the laptop somehow).

 

The whole market will change in the next 6 months so the answer is yes.

 

Have you tried a DVD?

 

I can't explain everything, but for the problems when moving the laptop: Lenovos have built-in hard disk protection that detects if the laptop is moved and stops the hard drive. Watching videos depends on the hard disk always sending data, so if you move it and the disk stop, the video will also stop until you stop moving it again. Your video software might not handle this well, which could explain why you need to rewind. Try using VLC which seems to deal with this better.

 

I'm the proud owner of a new W510 and am very impressed except I expected better Windows Experience Index (WEI) scores... I have the latest updates and have applied standard SSD/Win7 tweaks, but am still stumped as to why others are reporting higher Memory/Processor scores for the same hardware:

Intel Core i7-820QM Processor (1.73GHz, 8MB L3, 1333MHz), BIOS 6NET74WW (1.34)
Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M with 1GB DDR3 Memory
16 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (4 DIMM)
INTEL 160GB SSDSA1M160G2LE (Firmware 2CV102L1, UDMA Mode 6)

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 820 @ 1.73GHz 7.1
Memory (RAM) 16.0 GB 7.4
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 6.5
Gaming graphics 4607 MB Total available graphics memory 6.5
Primary hard disk 110GB Free (148GB Total) 7.7

 

Make sure that the computer is plugged in and you have selected the high or maximum performance power profiles when running the test.

 

That is exactly my configuration and those are exactly my scores. Look great to me.

 

I would like to ask for Lenovo W510 and "CPU Whine" problem.

All you do have this problem or not, because i very like
this model, but i don't want buzzing noise.

 

I have this problem with a 820QM - which there seems not to be a fix for - so I am dealing with IBM support on this issue right now. Mine is so bad that it is definitely not something that I can just live with, and they seem to be very aware of this problem.

 

Thanks for the reply.
Someone with i7-720QM purchased after October 2010 and with the cpu whine problem?

 

Mine is a brand new i7 Q820, manufactured Nov 2010. I noticed the whining sound the day it came in. The sound was enough to make me go very annoyed.

I actually went through the trouble of returning it to Lenovo's repair centre. That turned out to be a very unpleasant experience.

At first they told me they would replace the fan, which I told them from the very first moment is NOT what is making this sound. They ignored me. The fan was not in stock, so they told me this would take a couple of days. Over a period of two weeks I would call them every other day, and the fan was still not available. I filed a complaint with Lenovo, told them to cancel the repair and return it to the reseller; I was going to get a refund.

They send the laptop back, but to me, not the reseller. A report with the package said they replaced the fan, a LED or LCD cable (unclear) and THE MOTHERBOARD.

I was pretty much excited by this, hoping the laptop would now be ok.

Imagine my surprise and disappointment when I powered it up only to find that the sound is still there...

I called the repair centre again and they offered to pick it up again for another repair. I filed another complaint with Lenovo but haven't heard from them yet, probably because of the Christmas holidays.

I really like this laptop, but the whine is so infuriating.

If you have sensitive ears, be very careful about this laptop.

 

Has Lenovo or Intel identified the root cause of this problem (whining sound) and have they fixed it? I was under the impression it's present in other OEM machines and isn't unique to Lenovo.

 

Yes, this problem is present with other brands, but
look in the forum most cases there is a Lenovo W510/T510.
I do not know the new Sandy bridge CPU's will solve the problem.

 

Well it looks like Im back to having issues with random BSOD and my power button wont put the the comp to sleep. It seems like everytime I install a new update, I always have some sort of issue.

Just incase anyone know off here are a couple codes I copied down from the BSOD, twice in one day.

0x0000007E
0x000000FC

 

You can Google for those STOP codes and figure out some clues. It's most likely driver issues, so make sure you have all your drivers installed and updated from the Lenovo web site. The default drivers that come with Windows might "work", but they will definitely cause issues with sleeping.

Otherwise, I would also run a memtest to see if you have bad memory. It will take a while so let it run overnight or something. See guide in my sig.

 

Hey guys, going to put my order out for my w510 soon.

Couple of questions off the top of my head..

1. Should i stick with the 720qm processor or is the upgrades to 820qm and 940xm worth it?
2. I want to run the SDD drives should i upgrade it after i buy the laptop or when i buy it?
3. What is a good place to order?

Thanks

 

1. If you are not sure, or don't have a specific application for the faster processor (ie, asking this question in the first place), you will be more than happy with the 720QM.

2. Aftermarket will be cheaper. Try Newegg or Microcenter.

3. B&H carries a good line of TPs if you don't want to order direct.

 

just bought my w510, waiting patiently for it to get here...

specs:
60Y6082 SBB INQUADCORPERFPROC I7 720QM
45M3090 VBB GENUWIN7PROFES.64
45M4918 SBB G.WIN.7PROF64US ENGLISH
75Y0162 SBB M W7 XP MD- E
45M4597 SBB 15.6FHDDPY95%GMWLDBLT+MTTS
60Y6084 SBB NVNVSXXXD.1GBDDR3W/INAMTCH
42X6309 VBB 4GBPC3-8500 1067MHZ2DIMM
75Y0171 VBB ULNAVTRPOITOUPADFINGREADER
45M4631 SBB CAMERA(2.0 MP)
45M4618 SBB 500GB HDISK DRIVE7200RPM
45M4608 SBB MULT.RECORD.OPTDRIVE12.7MM
75Y0173 VBB EXPCASL+5IN1CARREAD+SMCASL
45M3043 SBB BLUETOOTH W/ANTENNA
45M4804 SBB IN.CENT.ULTIMATE-N 6300

I left the ram at the base, since I upgrade to 16GB at some point. newegg has it for roughly $90 per 2x4GB kit.

 

Just curious...is there an optimum setting for the Intel 6300? My fiancee's Toshiba laptop (3 years old) gets like 2Mbps more bandwidth according to Speedtest.net than my W510.

 

I have the same issue here after i replace my hard drive with Momentus XT.

Just found the shock detection sensitivity setting at the Active Protection Control Panel, the default is "High". Change setting to the middle position decrease the stutter but later i put it back again in the high position because i am not really sure the impact of this setting to my data.

 

Setting it so high that normal movements cause the heads to park is not good for your disk and data.

 

How so? Head parking is there specifically to protect the disk. Any safety system would be smart enough to keep track of where it left off and start again without losing data.

The only thing I can think of is maybe it reduces the duty cycle of the head park mechanism. The alternative is to smash the heads into the rapidly spinning platter, which is surely the worse option for both the disk and data.

 

Has anyone ever been able to actually get rid of the completely unacceptable whine that the CPU seems to be creating? Lenovo and IBM seem to be very aware of the problem but without a solution - although they are trying.

 

I've got a question for those in the know, got SATA adapter III for my w510 (43N3412) but problem im having is random switch offs with message saying its safe to remove drive or just me hearing it goes of and on again with windows sound for that. I suspect few things. one power management, then goes possible driver incompatibility and finally hard drive is at fault?
I'm using seagate 500gb as the bay option and Hitachi as internal 0

any clues?

also
I absolutely agree @notsure comment

many laptops have no "AirbagProtection" and they do just fine without it.
when playing mp3s and videos or converting you should set this feature off since it will cause lag in all instances if you even just puting a cup on your table (with hot coffee)
vibration can park the heads on high setting. in other words one thing is "theory" the other is PRACTICE.

moving allot but not jumping around? = no need for airbag

moving laptop back forth = low setting

got on the train which has Steven Seagal on it = max setting or get off at the next stop.

 

Can someone please do me a quick favor and look at the right side of their laptop where the card slots are? There is the larger slot and the smaller card slot underneath it next to the headphone jack. I'm on travel and the larger top card slot has a little protective cover on it but the smaller lower one doesn't. I just to make sure I didn't lose anything....haha. Thanks.

 

No cover for the SD card slot... You're safe! LOL!

 

Still having BSOD issues on a daily basis now, even when computer is at idle. There have been so many different codes I dont know what to look for. All windows and lenovo updates have been installed and that hasnt fixed anything. I still have my warrenty, does anyone know where or how I can get support?

 

i had BSODs recently but when I excluded logitech nano receiver from daily menue they went. ( they were idle BSODS amybe has something to do with power managment vs usb) it is driver related stuff its also important to do right updates in the right order sometimes. one more thing i can say is that some hardware not designed in era of vista to w7 transition has problems (bsod inclusive) when plugged into the blue ports. sometimes nothing helps and you just have to replace the damn thing.

 

Did you do any of the things I said in this reply?. In addition to what I said there, find and run the full suite of Lenovo diagnostic tools on your system.

If you find no hardware issues:
Many people install software on their computers and think "they know what they are doing", but there's clearly some stuff going on there that's not compatible and causing these issues. You might also try a clean install of Windows to wipe out any possible software conflicts.

Another thing is to start thinking about is your environment. Are you running it on/near a factory floor or next to other EM fields (spinning motors, high power lines, etc...)? Doing a lot of traveling? Running the laptop in a warm environment, or on top of an insulating surface like a blanket?

This is definitely not normal and does not reflect the state of all W510s. Maybe you got a lemon or installed some bad software. It also is not related to Windows Updates. I run an office with a bunch of laptops, and Windows Update rarely if ever causes any problems.