Lenovo W510 Owner's Thread

Recommend you start a different thread. If you do, please post your BIOS level, how long you've had the machine, and what you've done to resolve this so far.

 

I was actaully keeping track of the BSOD codes, but everytime I got one it was different so it became hard to track down. I ran all checks like you said and everything has come back good.

I called support and they said the same about reinstalling the OS so Ill just give that a try and see what happens. Thanks for the help

 

My W510 came with 4GB memory (2x2GB DDR3 1066 PC-8500 CAS-7) I know it can use 4 memory modules and I want more. My question is this: Am I better off just adding two additional 2GB modules like the ones already installed or should I replace them with a pair of 4GB modules?

And, assuming I replace, which is the better choice? 2x4GB DDR3 1066 PC-8500 CAS-7 or 2x4GB DDR3 1333 PC-10666 CAS-9 ??? (They are essentially the same price.) I know that 1333 is faster than 1066 but what effect does the latency have? My primary use is memory intensive (rendering images, video, autocad, etc). Am I better off with slightly faster memory at the expense of latency or slightly slower memory with less latency?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Hello guys,
i have to buy good business notebook.
I want to ask you does everyone W510
'CPU whine' problem / high pitched noise in
idle or not?
Thanks very much!

 

Most of them have it -- some are very loud while others are quiet. It also depends on the location you are in, as far as the background noise. In my last place I didn't hear it, but now I'm in a much more quiet area and I can hear it more.

This issue is not unique to Lenovo laptops. ALL laptops that use any modern Intel processor will have this issue. It's a side effect of the power management capabilities of the chip, and there's no way to fix it.

 

anyone know why isn´t working System Update 4.0 + Windows 7 SP1?

 

I don't think in this case W7SP1 should bring any major changes that would break System Update. Maybe try again later and see if it works?

BTW, Windows 7 SP1 is not officially released yet, so there is no support from Lenovo for it. If there is a problem, you will probably have to wait before SP1 is officially released and Lenovo relases an update to System Update.

 

I need help with two recent issues with my W510. Please chime in on either one:

1. I've noticed that even after completely shutting my W510 down, if it is unplugged the battery seems to discharge at a rate I find high. Last weekend I shut it down and unplugged it for about 12 hours and when I turned it back on and it started "charging" again it had dropped to 93%. After shutdown what is still turned on and drawing that much power?

2. I tried hooking up a Syba USB 3.0 hub (with AC adapter) to one of the W510 USB 3.0 slots. The notebook loaded the drivers just fine and everything seemed to work until I restarted the machine and the Bluetooth adapter never came on nor was it available to turn on (i.e. after hitting Function+F5). I tried restarting and the same thing. After I unplugged the hub and restarted the machine I was able to use Function+F5 to see the Bluetooth again and turn it back on (I have a Bluetooth mouse which is why I need it active). I tried the hub again and same problem at bootup. To compare I hooked up an older Belkin USB 2.0 hub (also with AC Adapter) and it worked just find and didn't disable any W510 devices. Is this just an incompatibility with this particular USB 3.0 hub? Does someone have a recommendation for a USB 3.0 hub that won't disable my Bluetooth or any other devices?

 

For both issues have you installed the latest W510 BIOS? Some of the USB 3.0 bugs got fixed with the latest.

 

Yes, I have the latest BIOS, and the latest NEC (Renesas) USB 3.0 Host Controller Drivers.

 

Yeah, i think the same and don´t have a lot of change, but when installed sp1 system update show a error

 

It's probably checking the Windows version number and the service pack would change that. You're using a beta version of Windows now, so it's expected you are prepared to deal with stuff like that.

Best thing to do would be to track down the web page or blog for system update, maybe at lenovoblogs.com or the lenovo forums, and report it there as a bug.

 

Well it looks there are still USB 3.0 bugs in the current BIOS...or at least there's something wrong with my machine (4318 CTO with 1.34 BIOS). I tried Syba and Monoprice USB 3.0 hubs and both give the same result when left plugged in and the machine started. Bluetooth is disabled at startup and can't be reactivated until the hub is removed, and the machine restarted without it. This is a major inconvenience for me. Has anyone had any luck with a 3.0 hub and not having to unplug it before turning the computer everytime? I called Lenovo and they wrote my issue down...maybe they'll find a fix and a BIOS update soon.

 

for 1: Try turning off the fingerprint : indicator light , and power- on instead of power button.

 

Do you think $1299 + tax is good deal....

thanks

 

I just tried that and still no change. It is still turning off the Bluetooth while the Thinkpad boot screen is still on.

 

Just talked to Lenovo and they want me to ship my laptop in to the depot. I messed around with it last night and found that if you plug in the USB 3.0 hub and then enter the BIOS Bluetooth is no longer listed under I/O Devices (in the Security tab). This tells me it is a BIOS issue. I wish I didn't have to mail in the laptop though. Noone else uses a USB 3.0 hub with their W510?

 

Does anybody play starcraft 2 on there w510. If so what are the settings/ frame rate etc like

 

Yes, apparently it is.

 

yeah with ongoing coupons it will be better..

going to order..

hope it will work out well in terms of first time thinkpad w510 user experience

 

For those who haven't seen. Looks likes the W series with Sandy Bridge has indeed been announced "shortly after" CES..

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/556962-w520-t520-model-roadmap.html

Lenovo Announces New ThinkPad T, W, and L Series Notebooks with Sandy Bridge CPUs

 

Lenovo ThinkPad W520

The ThinkPad W series provides workstation-level performance. With the W520, Lenovo has moved from a 16:10 to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Key specs include:

* 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 / 1600 x 900 / 1920 x 1080 screen
* Intel 2nd Generation Core Series CPUs ranging from 2.5-GHz Core i5 to 2.5-GHz quad core Core i7
* Up to 32GB of DDR3 RAM
* Nvidia Quadro 1000M or 2000M graphics with 96 or 192 CUDA cores
* Up to 10.7 hours of battery life, depending on config

Everybody clap your hands ^^ W520 no money for this toy...

but I've got crazy Idea! wonder if motherboard layout is the same hehehe
on the other hand not really much of a difference to bother http://www.nvidia.com/page/quadrofx_go.html

 

Strange marketing tactic. W510 also has 16:9 aspect.. so that's a bit of a stretch to keep pushing that as a feature, as almost all laptops have had that for at least a few years.

 

I have a W510 now I want to replace the HDD with a SSD and use the old drive in the Ultrabay:

I got:

1 x 128GB Crucial C300
1 x 43N3412 ThinkPad SATA HDD Bay Adapter III

Is there anything else I need or do have to care about? My plan was switch the SSD with the HDD, put the HDD into the Ultrabay with the adapter and then format both drives. Do a clean install of Windows 7 on the SSD and try to live with the small gap in the Ultrabay because Lenovo can't make another CRU that fits.

 

That's what I did and it's all you need. The bay adapter will leave a small opening but it's apparently normal. I eventually got over it and nothing bad has happened yet (+6 months).

 

Do I need those rubber side stripes? Should they be included in 43N3412 ThinkPad SATA HDD Bay Adapter III? Currently everything seems to be awfully loose for a HDD container in a mobile device.

EDIT: Just checked the manual - I should put away the rubber things. So I guess everything is okay

 

My machine is still on a "Engineer's hold" with Lenovo. Apparently the USB 3.0 issue I mentioned above is a bigger issue than originally thought. They've had the machine for almost two weeks now. I'm active duty military and deploying next week. Now I have to get them to send it to my wife and then pay to have her ship it overseas. They still won't get the engineer to tell me what's going on. Last they said was something about having to order some test equipment which doesn't get to Lenovo until March 4. Frustrating.

 

Well, at least you'll have an APO address, which shouldn't cost even close to the amount of regular overseas shipping. It should take no more than a week... Hope you get it soon

 

FWIW, just to catch up on some whine/hiss issues:

I think on my W510 the main culprit for irregular/intermittent noise was the USB 2.0 controller. If I activate USB autosuspend (with powertop, don't know about other OS) this is silent and USB devices still work.

 

okay I got W510 over weekend and now what fan noise..damm...

this one going back even I am need of machine for work...

paid a lot for machine not for faulty fan...

 

My fan makes hardly any noise at all. If you replace it or repair it, you shouldn't have any other problems.

 

yeah I will do that on little old system but BRAND NEW meaning just three day old system should not emit such symptoms. You are paying so much almost premium for W510 & lenovo should do such basic test to avoid such situation.

I dealt with both IBM thinkpad & lenovo but again IBM was IBM (lenovo and customer service is second grade)

 

Welcome to the real world. Sometimes things have issues, even when they are new. You're talking about a fan here which is a very minor (cost) part of the system. I know it's annoying but we all have to deal with something like this once in a while.

If they give you any trouble when you try to get it replaced or fixed, that would be something to complain about.

 

Mine is about a week old and no issues.
Well except the battery life but that was expected. So i picked up a Battery Slice.
Yes it adds weight but your looking at anywhere between 8:30-10 hours for battery life. WOW for a 15" high spec notebook.

 

Has anyone found a solution to masking the mobile broadband work? I brand new system arrived and Windows does not see the WWAN card no matter what I do. I have tried everything, clean installed (that sadly did not work out well, colour sensor stopped working, no way to make it work, factory rest, re-installed drivers. It's just not there as far as windows is concerned.

I just know Lenovo is gonna tell me to send it in, which is going to tick me off royally.

 

Possible yours is defective? Does it show up in device manager or BIOS? If not it maybe defective or you have a bad PCI-E slot..

 

HWiNfo32 is good program too see the spec.

Also if you goto All Programms --> Accessories --> System Tools --> System Information.

 

Small part like fan keep expensive part like CPU in better health. I mean why on the earth I would take bad system from day 1 after paying well over $1000...

In fact my T400 which was around $750 had quiet fan meaning no noise even temp goes to 70 where as W510 fan makes noise without opening single program. go figure...

Before returning I did everything software --> bios --> drivers --> factory reset --> call to tech support & nothing work --> return

 

My point is that no matter how much you pay, computers are physical objects and you can't always expect them to be perfect. As long as the company deals with it correctly, there's no issue. I do IT work for a living and even $10,000 servers can show up with bad disks, fans, drives, etc... You just need to test things and get replacements when needed.

 

Would you be willing to post a picture of your rig with the slice attached? Curious as to what it all looks like when said and done.

 

As near as I can tell it is showing up in BIOS, but no sign of it in device manager.

 

This was my first and, unfortunately, probably my last Lenovo laptop. My W510 has been sent in 4 times now. Screen issues, MB/BIOS failure, and now USB 3.0/Bluetooth issues. The laptop has been at Lenovo since 14 February. I sent it in with a detailed description of the issue which the tech obviously didn't read. Then they wouldn't patch me through to him and the phone agents didn't seem to have any clue what I was talking about to correctly relay the proper message on how to duplicate the problem. After a few days it was mysteriously elevated to "Engineering" and the phone agents claim that they have no clue on what happens there. The latest they told me was that some testing equipment was ordered, and that was the holdup, but noone can tell me what they intend to test. I'm now on military deployment and, because of my location, I'm going to have to pay to have my laptop shipped to me after they ship it back to my wife (they won't ship it here directly because UPS doesn't operate here). If they would just communicate to me what is going on I'd appreciate it but I am pretty sure it is just sitting on a desk, they've broken something else, or they have no clue and don't want to admit it (which would be fine if they'd just tell me). I'm about to call back and just say to ship the laptop back as is and I'll send it back in when I'm done with deployment, or give it to my wife who won't use the Bluetooth and therefore won't be affected by the USB/Bluetooth problem. They could've replaced the Bluetooth adapter and/or NEC USB 3.0 controller (or motherboard if it is soldered on) and shipped it back to me a long time ago.

 

Setting aside the issue with the WLAN card (It more of a huge annoyance than anything since it's way easier and cheaper for me to simply use the mobile hot spot feature of my Android phone and my existing data plan than to bother with a separate SIM and plan from FIDO) I am loving this computer.

One thing that annoyed me is the way the hueyPro calibration works though. In order for the generated profile to be loaded by Windows 7, the huey pro tray app has to load. This means that when you first log on, you have bad colour, and it suddently corrrects once that said tray app loads.

I figured out a way to fix this. I first used the Windows display calibration tool, and that generated a calibrated profile (actually it wasn't because I didn't bother to actually attempt to make it look good. Then I simply went into the C:\windows
system32\drivers\spool\color directory, deleted the profile windows generated, and rename the hueypro profile to what the WIN7 generated profile was. Phwew. Now more needing to have huey load on start up.

 

Well the engineers at Lenovo have duplicated my USB 3.0 issue and there isn't a fix. They've tried to replace the system board and Bluetooth and it still messes up. If they remove the Bluetooth the USB 3.0 hub works just fine. I'm about ready to just request my laptop back. I'll call back Monday their time (I'm in Guam now) as I really need my laptop back. This sucks.

 

hi all, just got a w510 and all i can say is wow, what a machine, i have always used decent enough laptops through out the years but this is soooo nice i cant see myself going back ever

2 silly questions

1. anyone know a url or could post the wallpapers and the boot image, i installed fresh windows and i dont have then anymore

2. on mine there is ever so slight play in the plastic right over the USB3 port on the and near the edge(where the right palm rests), i mean under a milimeter, it slightly clicks, i doubt most ppl would notice it, and it doesnt really do it when something is pluged into the top port, i mean lol not a big deal im just wondering cause everything is to tight and compact, incredible workmanship over my previous buissness class HP

thanks all

oh and if i ever what some reason would want to restore to factory setup how would i do it , i didnt receive any media and i didnt make the media with stock os since i didnt have anything big enough by hand (8gb stick wasnt enough), ofcourse i formated the drive and i cant see anyting on the downloads page

thanks

 

How did you reformat if you didn't create boot CD and recovery disk at first?

It has second partition to create recovery disk. You can access that via Thinkvantage blue button.

I suspect by reformatting you deleted that partition. If that's the case I am not sure it will allow or have option to create recovery disk now. (you have to pay to lenovo to get the recovery disk)

Do you have any fan noise or hot air coming out from upper left corner? I had same problem in brand new W510, which I return.

 

yap deleted the partition and full reformat and reload, i tried making it but since it could fit on a 8gb drive i gave up. I never used a lt or a brand computer with it loaded from the factory, although this one didnt seem to have too much bloatware, its not a big deal i did create a acronis image of the whole drive and all the partitions prior to reload, no a big deal i mostly was wondering cause i want the wallpapers, never really cared before but i would like to put it on now, but not enough to reload the image

noisewise its quite quiet, i can hear the squiling that there is stuff about in this thread but it doesnt seem that bad, i just got the laptop yesturday so still to impressed with it to think about that, i can see that it could be quite annoying so ill see what i think about it in few months, fan i can only hear if i put my ear to the blow out area, and it mostly doesnt even seem like there is air comming out of it, but then again i didnt really load the cpu yet for anything serious, mosty just setting up and web for now

 

Congrats on the new machine! I have put original wallpapers from my W510 on Dropbox - go ahead and take them. It also includes the Lenovo OEM logo that appears in the System Properties (let me know if you need help setting it up or you can find info on the web).

 

thanks a bunch, would it be too much to ask for the image sitting in a sub folder of windows ?
System32\oobe\info\backgrounds

that image is used for the logon screen

 

That image is ThinkPad_Black.jpg in the folder that BlackLion sent earlier. It should be copied into the ...\System32\...\backgrounds folder and renamed backgroundDefault.jpg .

The Registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background\OEMBackground
(a DWORD) should be set to 1.