Lenovo W510 Owner's Thread

Anyone have any idea how long it is going to be until Lenovo allows you to order a FHD monitor (w/o multi-touch)? Seems stupid on their part not to just leave the option on there so people can order.

 

Can someone possibly confirm if the W510 works with the 90W adapter? I haven't found anything conclusive yet.

 

You are not the only one with this problem, at this point it looks like I will be getting the multitouch version even though I have no use for it.

 

It just might. The standard 90W unit is shown on the accessories tab when you configure a W510.

I'm going a step further and hoping the ultra slim power supply works as well.

The one shipping is huge. Looks like a trap from Ghostbusters

 

My W510 with i7 820QM Windows Experience Index (WEI)

* Processor 7.0
* Memory 7.3
* Graphics 6.4
* Gaming graphics 6.4
* Primary hard disk 7.3 (Samsung SSD installed)

I have more benchmarks and some pictures posted here:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=84627

 

I think very likely it will work to charge the battery. But depending on how the control circuits and software are set up, it may or may not draw current from the line power when in use, and might reduce processor speed or accessory power in order to keep the draw to 90w if it does use line current. You might, for example, use it on battery during the day and then take all night to charge it. You'll be limited then to a power profile that sips power slowly enough to let the battery last all day.

When I looked at this question it seemed like it wasn't worth spending the money on a w510 to get a computer that is throttled back to the capabilities of, say, a SL510. So skipping the 135w adapter seems like a false economy.

 

Does the i7 820QM on W510 get locked to 1.2 GHz on battery power like some other laptops? How about with charger plugged in. Any throttling issues?

 

Anyone know the perf difference between running the 1066 memory and the 1333 memory (8500 verses 10600).

 

Yes, it does. I just tried it and it works. But a message is displayed at boot that battery time will be longer and system performance will be adjusted to match available power.

I attached it to a W510 with a drained battery and it's charging the battery just fine while i'm using the system (very light CPU/GPU load).

 

Very little noticable difference, it really only affects benchmarks.
There is no need to feel like you are missing out by going with the 1066.

 

spot on @ "Looks like a trap from Ghostbusters' lol

 

Someone posted some viewing angle pics at http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=84627. Direct link to pictures is http://img31.imageshack.us/g/p1000541i.jpg/. Vertical angles are very poor, as could be expected.

 

Rons, thanks 1k for the information

Can you confirm that there are RAID 0 and/or RAID 1 levels available in the Intel Option ROM?

 

I hate 4x3 and love widescreen every time I'm on an airplane and almost every time I'm on a train.

Which is a lot. That's why I don't have a desktop. And why I would never consider a 4x3 format machine ever again.

 

Im very sure that the performance of the quadro fx 880m is about 30-40% difference in gaming performance. even tho my scores are similar with the quadro fx 770m and no overclock.

Processor: 6.4
memory: 5.9
Graphics: 6.5
Gaming: 6.5
HHD: 5.8

i was kinda hopeful it wud increase on the fx 880m but at the same time im was thinking it wudnt change.

 

any one got FHD multi touch screen?

 

nobody has it on hand yet

 

Why does the Enhanced 510 cost $300 more than the base model? I only see the enhanced having 4gb memory ($65) and integrated mobile broadband ($150), so $215 upgrades and they charge an extra $300 unless I am missing something?

 

Hi folks,

Just ordered a W510 to replace my aging Dell. I opted for 8gigs of RAM, 500gig HD, and the FHD screen. Probably won't use the multi-touch, but I did want the better screen. Anyway, ship date says 1 March--I guess it's time to play wait and see.

Btw, quick question: I'll need a port replicator. Any recommendations?

Jan C.

 

I just did two configs side by side, which the website hates by the way. The non elite model ended up being more expensive.

Check the screen you are using and don't forget the color sensor.

iamjanco, I'm not in the market for a dock, but if I were I'd get this:
ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3

 

I was comparing the base to the enhanced model, not the elite.

 

I noticed that too when I ordered mine on 1/26. Supposedly "enhanced" is comprised of a thousand little tweaks to bios, startup, registry etc. - the type of thing I think you could reasonably expect as STANDARD. No way I'm paying for that, and will just scour the web for windows 7 optimization tweaks that I can DIY.

 

Also could someone see if there is throttling when on the 90w power and also on battery?

the best way to test is to use cpuid and look at the multiplier. then run a processor intensive task or something like prime95 and see if the multiplier goes up.

On several other brands using the i7 this is locked at the lfm (on the i720 that is 7x multi and on the 820 it is 9x multi.)

thanks,

 

You are referring to the enhanced experience, which is on all of the systems.

I just spoke with Lenovo and it seems to be a mistake on their part. The machine are identical beside the ram upgrade and integrated wireless provider option, which you can spec out on the base machine for $85 less.

They also said the FHD (non-multitouch) won't be available for another 1-2 months. I guess I have some serious waiting ahead of me. Hopefully SSD prices come down in the mean time.

 

Wow, this is extremely disappointing to hear.

I was just waiting for my rep to get back to me about that. I'll see if he reports anything different.

 

That makes no sense! On the T series the FHD non-multitouch is available now with no wait! Grrrrrrrrrr...............

 

Whenever I get a time line from a sales person, I keep these things in mind.
1) It's always in their best interest to close the deal now.
2) They might not be told the real answer but make something up to sound informed and knowledgeable about their product. So they pick an answer which is plausible, but is influenced by (1).
3) They might know the answer, but nudge it a bit due to (1).
4) On a time-line question, giving a longer time means either:

a) the company will exceed your expectations if you wait
b) influence you to buy now (see 1)​

 

that is totally normal - the only thing Lenovo makes sense about is never making any sense.

BTW i just check my university ordering page and you can get W510 with regular FHD with estimated shipping in 15 days.

I think they must take the option off or mark it as 4+ weeks whenever they run out of supply, but they must have gotten some in last week.

 

I was just informed by a Lenovo representative that the FHD screen for the W510 is no longer available. I had my W510 on order since 1/12 and according to the rep. there has been a spec change and that screen will no longer be offered on the W series. Who knows if it's actually a permanent change, or if it is simply constrained by supply and won't be available for a month or two.

Anyway I was offered the choice of HD+ or FHD multitouch. After almost a month of waiting for my order to ship I cancelled the order, great stuff ...

 

W.T.F ? I can't cancel my order (27 Jan, FHD), since I got the Canadian visa coupon that expired Jan 31th. And I don't want the damn multi-touch. Its stupid on a non-tablet.

Did you call them yourself or you were contacted by them ?

 

Wow im really sorry to hear. I have a 2/12/10 ship date on mine however when I originally was spec'ing out my w510 I spec'ed it out without the multi touch and with a 1 yr warrenty. My rep got back to me and had a few multi-touches that he could get me quicker with 3 yr warrenty for a few hundred less than going with the non-multi through lenovo.

From what I gather here I may be the first with an actual multi-touch. Wait and see for friday to come around. If all goes well I should be rocking on it next week. I went with 4gb RAM, win7pro 64, 320gb 7200rpm, QM820 CPU.

 

My order was forwarded to the "Executive Team" last week, most likely due to the FHD screen. I was contacted today, and called the rep back to see what my options were. I could either pay the extra $200 for the multitouch screen or get the HD+ one. Not a lot of options. I asked why the T510 still had the FHD option and the W510 does not, the response was FHD is no longer an option on the W510 which leads me to think it's not a supply issue.

I really hope all of you out there that have the W510 with FHD on order get your laptops.

 

My W510 has arrived.


I'll get pictures later...but here are my initial observances

This screen is BRIGHT. 0 bad pixels.

Text size is small, but that's to be expected.

Audio: Hell March is the standard file I use to test it. Wish it had more bass, but certainly not the worst I've heard (Fujitsu T5010). On par with the W500 it replaces.

The recommended SATA hdd adapter leaves a big gap along the top, not a huge surprise. Hopefully Lenovo will release a proper SATA drive adapter. The 3rd party one I have for the R500 series is a closer but leaves a small gap on the 7/8" inch section it extends. The new bezel drive shape appears to be somewhere in between the Ultrabay Slim and the larger ultrabay.

It's unfortunately put on a few pounds from the W500's svelte thinness...but I can't help but smile at those extra 6 CPU graphcs in Task Manager.

The new form factor has rendered useless the brand new Ogio Epic I bought for my W500. If anyone wants to buy a bag that's sat in my closet and seen zero use outside of testing to make sure it would fit, let me know.

Keyboard shows no play. Nice & solid.

The screen's not IPS, and color inversion doesn't come into play as quickly as the Acer/Gateway/HP consumer units I have around me. Much wider viewing angle. I'd definitely rate it as being a better screen than the 1680x1050 LG I had on my W500.

I'm glad to see the red trim on the UltraNAV buttons.

The texture on the touchpad...I liked how they were before, but this still beats the hell out of many of the other touchpads I've used.

Only one thinklight (I think I saw reports of 2, maybe that was for a different model)

Expresscard 34 slot isn't a door, but a filler. I prefer the doors, personally.

SD card fits flush. I don't know if it's bootable or not, but I sure hope so.



So far, I'm 97% satisfied. I'm not happy about having to buy another bag, but if I go through with selling my HP 8710W, I'll be able to use its Ogio Mastermind.



*Update: I forgot you load the Ogio Epic and Ogio Metro differently, it's a very tight fit, but the W510 will fit in the Epic. Now, I'm 99% satisfied.

 

NecessaryEvil, how did it change from the W500 in regards to form factor? I've been using my W500 with the 1920x1200 screen for a few months now and really like the machine, but have a W510 on order. I'd be curious to hear how the heat and battery life come into play as well as any other differences you note.

Thanks!

 

It'll take a while to make those kinds of impressions. The only noise I hear at the moment is that of the DVD getting burned...but I put my hand next to the exhaust vents and feel just a little heat. Everything else feels fairly cool or room temp.


As to the form factor...I don't have another 15.4" available to me, just 17s, another 15.6" (the Gateway NV5927U I bought for work...that my wife stole from me), and a Fujitsu 13.3" that's the same size & weight as a T400 (roughly).
But, from my recollection on the W500/T61P, it's certainly wider. The fit was so tight on that bag (where they got the idea it'd fit a 17", I'd love to know) on the W500, I was worried it wouldn't fit here.
As far as the screen goes, I personally preferred the W500@WSXGA+ to my T61P@WUXGA. I'm looking at this as a step up from my WSXGA+ rather than a step down from WUXGA...but it's still easier on my eyes than my T61P was.

 

Well it was at the time I did my order... Hoping we won't get screwed.

 

Who knows, you'll probably still get your order. For me it didn't seem like I could just keep the order as it was, and had to select a different screen. Whether the screen is no longer available, or the rep assumed so because she couldn't select it from the allowable screens I don't know.

 

I would find it hard to believe if this is true in the long term. "Mobile workstation" machines are specifically designed to be used for CAD work, and that needs high resolution. Switching to 16:9 is risky enough for that market, but removing the FHD option altogether would be suicide.

 

You ordered on 1/12 and I guess you are American ?
I'm Canadian and ordered on 1/27.

For the lucky who got their W510+FHD, when and from where your orders were done ?

 

Well, that will make a lot of people's shopping easier.

 

Maybe... but I would loose a 35% + free shipping VISA coupon.

 

D:

Today finally got a tracking number.....
When I checked the UPS site it is in status "Delivered"
Delivered to = "MISSISSAUGA, ON, CA"

Thats all nice.... but I don't live in Mississauga arg. I really hope this just means it reached Canada and will be shipped to me.

I'll give it a day or two.

 

Mine just got pushed back. It was originally supposed to be shipped 2/10/10. I'm now estimated at 03/01/10. I called to ask why--they said my order was canceled and reordered due to "website error."

 

Ok: anyone here have an ultrabay SATA adater that's from Lenovo?

My 3rd party one that worked perfectly on the W500 won't work on the W510. I'm curious if it's an issue with my knock-offs, or if there's something else I should be looking at. I have a call into Lenovo at any rate.



Also, the Blu Ray drive from my Gateway would work, if it had another set of screw holes in it. The drive was detected by the laptop though.

 

Are they shipping out FHD multitouch anytime soon? It got delayed

 

I just ordered the Ultrabay from lenovo...you can still get 10% discount from visa perks and free shipping so I just went for it...the rep told me the the only one that will work with the 510 is the 3rd generation one...don't know how true that is ..

 

called lenovo today for status. Order placed on 1/28 w510 elite w/ multitouch FHD. They said shipping date would be end of this week. I'm in Toronto.

 

Yeah, I have the 3rd generation one. I thought I was buying a Lenovo one, but got sent a knock off...but it worked perfectly on my W500.

 

I have one of these that came in week before last. Let me know if you want pics, although it will need to wait until Wed (currently traveling).

Good news on the shipping update. Really hope it comes in before I travel again. There isn't a better test for a laptop than to take it on the road.

 

Well I got my W510 today. FHD (non-touchscreen) i7 820, 500GB HD, 16GB RAM.

Figured I would post my WEI rating.
After all Windows updates:
Processor: 7.1
Memory: 7.4
Graphics: 6.4
Gaming: 6.4
Hard Disk: 5.9

Tried updating the video card drivers from the installed version 188.25 to 195.62, but I guess Lenovo keeps you from installing the Nvidia ones over thier OEM ones.

Only problem I had so far was the horrible shipping. My box has a 2 day air label, but they sent it out World Ease and with lots of custom problems/plane problems, when it shipped 2/1 it didn't get here until today (2/8) and even then, the UPS tracking stopped in Kentucky and UPS said I wouldn't get it to 2/9.