Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

Quote cause next page..!

 

Is this on a domain joined machine with a domain user account?

 

Thank you! That user guide is *very* handy!

 

I ordered the MyDigital 128GB SSD for the mSATA slot. Does anyone have a link to an installation process?

Thanks!

 

When you say plug and play, you mean when the vidock is connected to an external monitor right?

I'm interested in getting the vidock working with the internal LCD, which I heard is quite a bit trickier. I should have all the stuff I need by tomorrow, at which point I can test it out. We shall see...

 

I don't know why the battery life is so disappointing on my machine...

Right now with NVIDIA off, Power Manager shows 4 hours left ( 88 % battery life). Nowhere near 8 hours

 

Weird... maybe there's something wrong with the battery that shipped with your system? I can confirm ~8 hours on my system (before my battery decided to not charge for the past few days -.-).

If there is something wrong, just call IBM to get a new battery. They shipped me one sometime under 24 hours after I called for a replacement (though that's probably because I live near the IBM center in Atlanta?).

 

I'm gonna say it's 5 1/2 hours browsing the internet. But yes, nowhere, near 8. I don't know what the rules are for getting a replacement battery? Do I have to ship it back to them first?

 

When I noticed that my battery was stuck as 37%, I called support and it only took a few minutes for me to describe the problem, have them remote into my computer to make sure, and then they shipped a new battery for free to my house. Told me it'd be within 2 business days, but as stated I received mine much quicker.

Since you're describing a problem with battery life, I wouldn't know how they'd handle that. All I know is that I didn't have to return my old battery (I still have it installed in my W520 at the moment; the new battery shipped to my billing address, and I won't arrive until tomorrow evening).

 

When you are saying 8 hours, what are you doing exactly / what types of programs are running?

 

Can be internet (Firefox, Iron) with several tabs and/or Office products like Word or Excel. Screen brightness at 5. In Power Manager, I have Performance set to "2 dots" and Power Usage set to "3 dots".

 

OK, that in part could explain it... My screen brightness is set at quite a bit higher than 5. The screen looks very dim to me at 5...

 

Yes.
I gave up on accomplishing the second after reading the thread.

 

Some people here using Intel 320 SSD? Is it 100% compatible?

 

Of course. SATA is SATA is SATA. I've never had problems with mine.

 

Your answer make me think you're not aware that many SSD gives trouble in the new Thinkpads...

 

I don't think you'll have the troubles with intel. I'm using a 510 with no trouble at all. Sames size as the hdd so it fits perfectly. The one you're looking at is supposed to be the same size. you will notice a big difference with the ssd.

 

I don't know, I mean there is still the odd issue with the Intel 510 having a long startup delay during warm reboots but I blame that on Lenovo (I believe its something to do with the Active Protection System which is evident on diagnostic runs). Why its still an issue now after so many months still leaves my head scratching...

 

The warm boot issue is very minor. I always shut down and then re-boot so I don't have to deal with it. The issues I've dealt with with other ssd's range from being oversized and not fitting in the cage to blue screens multiple times daily. The 510 has been rock solid. Reliability has me sold on the intel.It's not the fastest but it fits and it works.

 

Well, I got the Vidock to work with internal LCD. Simply install the modded driver in the DIY Vidock thread, and disable Nvidia Optimus in BIOS. Not too difficult. Games run in 1080p just great with the 560Ti. Will be doing more benchmarking soon.

With this I'm finished with customizing my W520. Replaced HD+ screen with 95% NTSC gamut FHD screen (what a difference!); installed 6205AGN Intel Wifi; installed extra 8GB RAM for a total of 16GB RAM. This is now the best 15in laptop I've ever owned, with Intel Extreme 2920XM CPU Now if only Lenovo releases a BIOS that allows me to overclock the CPU

 

No, it is not on a domain and I am not using a domain account. I am logging into web sites from my home network. The laptop is always used on my home network or via wifi in hotels when I travel. The laptop has never been set up as part of a domain, it is basically a stock W520 as delivered from Lenovo. It is my personal laptop, and not a corporate managed one.

 

Your creds issue has nothing to do with the W520. Are you using a VPN client? It sounds like it.

 

Were you able to force ExpressCard to run at 2.0 speeds?

 

On the subject of Blu-ray drive compatibility for the W520, I would like to offer up an alternative Blu-ray drive besides the Panasonic UJ-240 drive already mentioned in previous posts, because I have personally confirmed that the alternative drive will work.

God knows I searched extensively on this very subject, so I thought it might help other forum members perusing this thread for me to document what I learned and have now personally confirmed.

First, a little background info. I initially started out by reading the following thread...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/565963-blu-ray-burner-w520.html

That thread subsequently led me to the following blog post and video by forum member zerodivide...

Primitive But Effective: Lenovo W520 and a Replacement Blu-Ray Drive

Zerodivide did a great job with that blog post and video, and I thank him immensely for it!

Needless to say, the swap of external parts looked simple enough. The only concern I had was that MY Lenovo-supplied optical drive was not made by Panasonic. Mine was made by Hitachi-LG (H-L Data Storage, Model GT33N), and I was unsure that the plastic bezel and other external parts from the Panasonic drive would be an exact fit.

So if you are a recent purchaser like me, and you received a Hitachi-LG Super Multi DVD Rewriter from Lenovo, I can positively confirm that the LG Model BT-10N 6X SATA Internal Slim Blu-ray Disc ReWriter is a PERFECT fit and works like a charm. Not only is the sizing correct, but the bezel mount configuration and the drilled and tapped holes in the metal chassis are an exact fit for the external plastic parts that must be swapped from the Hitachi-LG drive.

FYI, below is a link to the product page from the LG website:

BT10N Super-Multi Slim Blu-ray Disc ReWriter - Blu-ray Drives (For Notebooks) - Optical Disc Drives - Digital Storage - Products - LG Solutions

And another one for the official spec sheet:

http://www.lgsolutions.com/__downloads/pdf/specbt10n021105pr.pdf

And last, but not least, another one for an official photograph:

http://www.lgsolutions.com/images/product-images/hi-res/PHTO_BT10N.jpg

You can purchase this drive for $120-$160 + shipping from multiple sources (e.g., eBay, Amazon):

LG BT10N | eBay

Amazon.com: LG BT10N 6X SATA Internal Slim Blu-ray Disc ReWriter, Bulk (Black): Electronics

Using zerodivide's video as a guide, it took me less than a minute to swap the external plastic parts and insert the drive into the Ultrabay slot on my W520. Just like the original Lenovo-supplied optical drive, the swapped bezel on the modified BT10N fits flush with the W520 and has no unsightly gaps. Windows 7 automatically installed the appropriate driver within 10 seconds of initial insertion. I subsequently installed Corel WinDVD Pro 11 for the Blu-ray software, and everything is working perfectly.

I got my copy of WinDVD Pro 11 from Amazon for only $27.95:

Amazon.com: Corel WinDVD Pro 11: Software

The packaged disc-based software is probably on sale to clear inventory in advance of an updated release (i.e., WinDVD Pro 2012), since the downloadable version of 2011 is still listed on Amazon for $79.99:

Amazon.com: WinDVD Pro 11 [Download]: Software

In summary, I wanted to share my personal experience because I know that Blu-ray compatibility is a frequent topic of conversation on this thread, going back to the very beginning.

I hope this info helps someone else looking for Blu-ray compatibility advice. Cheers!

 

Vidock solution is physically limited to 1x speed. DIY solution is the only one capable of 2x speed.

 

That sucks...I guess when ViDock claims EC 2.0 compatibility doesn't mean it will run at full speed.

 

Thank you! Very informative writeup.

 

Yeah, it's a pity

Once PE4H 3.0 comes out, I would probably try it to see the difference. There are a few microlags in the current set of games that I play (Mafia 2, BF3, Skyrim...)

 

The next generation ViDock G4 is supposedly coming out pretty soon.

 

Does anybody know where I can find the technical specifications of a certain model number e.g. 4284-W7T

 

Any details? Sources?

I hit them up a while back about whether a USB 3.0 version would be forthcoming and they shut the door on that idea in a hurry. Didn't have any info on G4 either, altho I didn't specifically inquire about that.

 

As strange as it sounds, this company does most of its PR and tech support over facebook.
ViDock | Facebook
Head over to the Forum and Support tab for details.
https://apps.facebook.com/forumforpages/89321949134/145952da-9dc2-4ceb-9531-84fca11f8b4a/0

 

Thx for the info. Didn't expect FB to be the forum host

Seems I just need to wait a bit and new & improved will be hitting the market.

 

Nope, no VPN. Just trying to get to employer websites and log in
via my smart card. Works fine from my T60 with the same exact
smart card. I own a W520 for home and we have them in the office
as work computers. All of them have been driving people nuts. All
W520s are for traveling use only, so they have never been set up on
any sort of domain or work network.

In addition to my T60 working, numerous other people are able to
access these sites with their home computers with external smart
card readers. This has always worked just fine.

My understanding is that with Win7 and IE, no additional smart card
software should be necessary. I confirmed this with IT support. The websites
should work with just a smart card reader, Win 7 and IE.

 

To answer your original question, I use the built-in smartcard reader on my W510, on my previous W520 and have used them on the T410, T410s and T420. I have another W520 arriving in the next couple of days and will use it, too.

There are a couple of key differences in our setup. First, I always use an account that is in the local admin group. Second, my account is part of our forest and a domain within that. I only really use the smartcard as part of the multi factor auth our VPN client requires.

However, when my new W520 arrives tomorrow or the next day I'll try to reproduce the issue you are seeing. Ultimately your IT folks are going to need to resolve this.

If you haven't already, have you looked at Device Manager to confirm the smartcard reader and smartcard drivers installed successfully? They are separate and typically come from Windows Update. If those drivers aren't installed correctly, the X.509 cert(s) can't be read.

Speaking of which, have your checked the local cert store for your ID?

 

Will I be blown away by the screen brightness of the W520 vs my current W500 (CCFL)?

 

If your W500 has the 1920x1200 screen, yes. They are pretty low nit. The W520 is plenty bright.

 

Is W520 is good for eGPU (i need quadro when im traveling, but in home i can use eGPU for better performance)?

I have to put a second OS for new Nvidia drivers (You know when the system is starting you can choose operating system). Sorry for my english, can anyone help me and answer?

 

I doubt they'll ever implement a USB 3.0 solution of Vidock, due to latency issue.

For now, it seems like the 4G solution is limited to Thunderbolt, but if they can extend it to expresscard 2.0, it would be great.

 

Technically all laptop with Sandy Bridge CPU and an Expresscard slot is good for eGPU. W520 is just better b/c you can disable the Nvidia card in BIOS.
You don't need a second OS. Use one of the modded drivers that support both desktop GPU and Quadro mobile GPU.

 

What drivers are you folks using for the graphics chipsets on your w520s? I noticed before when I was using the drivers from Windows update I was getting a 6.9 in WEI for desktop performance for Aero, which I assume is a rating of the onboard intel graphics. Now that I've installed the Lenovo drivers I'm getting a 5.8. Also using the latest quadro drivers from Nvidia's site.

 

6.9 would be the Quadro. The Intel will rank 5.8. No difference practically.

 

^ah, thanks. That makes sense.


Another question, occasionally I'll get skips in audio when browsing the web or playing a game. Is there any common fix for this? I didn't see any mention of it when searching this thread.

For instance I have itunes playing an album right now and when I browse the forum here I can reproduce the skipping fairly regularly.

 

Quick SSD upgrade question: The MyDigital SSD arrived this morning. (Aside: Holy cow is that thing small--like a postage stamp!!) I've got the instructions to physically install it. Is there anything I need to do so Windows or the W520 itself will recognize it properly?

Thanks!

 

Both the System and Windows installer should recognise the mSATA drive without any additional work, so it should be a plug and play affair really.

 

Thanks! Appreciate the quick response!

 

How long time from Sandy bridge was released until we saw W520 with it? Just wonder how long time it will take with Ivy bridge (And if it will be worth the upgrade if I can sell this laptop for a good enough price)

 

Why You want to do this in ivy CPU have mostly less battery needs (longer working, but now W520 have great timing), the biggest improvement seems to be working on the intel GPU which is good for T series, but W...

 

400MHZ more and 10-15% better clock for clock performance, better battery and better gpu on chip and maybe better dedicated gpu from nvidia

 

Guess it's pretty unlikely to see hex-core W laptop in 2012.