Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

woohoo! The Brown Santa (UPS) dropped off my new bundle of joy today I ordered on 03/29 and live in Wisconsin. FYI... For both the docking station and the laptop, once the UPS web site showed the box was in Louisville, KY, it was at my house the next day.

I like the "ThinkLight" feature, which I didn't really know about as this is my first ThinkPad. I personally like it better than a back-lit keyboard. I also like the textured feel of the touchpad.

I do find it odd that the headset plugin is only one port instead of two (one for audio out and one for audio in). This means I'll need an adapter to plugin my headset I guess I'll have to order that along with the DisplayPort to HDMI adapter.

 

Grats! ThinkLight is very good, yep. I am not going to pretend I like it more than backlit keyboard, but it is certainly completely functional. The advantage is that I could read off my paper notes in the dark.

 

Reading notes in the dark? $2.66, here: Amazon.com: Portable USB LED Flexible Work Light for Laptops

 

LOL! Nice find! This + the new USB 2.0 always on port = win.

 

Hi
I currently own a T500 but i find the screen to be very bad (not very bright and with low contrast). I am thinking about upgrading to a w520. But how good is the fhd screen? Is it usable in very bright conditions (outside)?

Thanks

 

Today was the day my W520 was supposed to ship... still no shipping info and my order status is still quoted as there possibly being a problem with my order. No one at Lenovo is of any help on the matter!

I was reaaaaaally hoping the W520 would be at my parents house when I went home next weekend because if it isn't I'll have to pay to have it shipped from their house to me at college.

The only difference between mine and some others that I can tell is I ordered mine with the Quadro 2000M. Has anyone else received a machine with this card yet?

 

I am kind of on the same boat as RyanHurtt. My W520 suppose to ship today but with no shipping info and my order status is 'in process'. Haven't called Lenovo yet as I don't expect them to tell me anything useful.

 

where are you checking and seeing the "in process" status?

 

Update: Ordered 3/29; Shipped late 4/4, via Anchorage/Lexington; out for delivery on the UPS truck today in San Diego; 4/7.

It must go by air every step of the way. I did not pay for any extra shipping and ordered from Lenovo.com.

Will post more this weekend.

Perry

PS: I ordered the same config as PoorinRichfield above that also ordered on 3/29 and got it today; excepting I got the Intel 6300 WiFi.

Second PS: It arrived at home. I am blown away; China/Anchorage/Lexington/San Diego all in 3 days and it was very late on the 4th when it was ready for pickup and midday on the 7th when it was delivered.

Third PS: My Crucial C300 also arrived today. I will put in the new RAM and the SSD this weekend and post what my first impressions are.

 

[UPDATE for 4/6/2011] A little over a week ago I sent some questions into Lenovo around the drives and storage for the new Sandy Bridge based notebooks. Here are the questions and the answers I received.

1. Are the supported SATA interface speeds on the new ThinkPad's SATA III 6GB? Specifically, is this true for the T420, T420s, X220, X220t, T520, and W520?

[Lenovo] Yes, The new Huron River ThinkPads will support 6Gb/s, but our current drives that have been certified are only 3GB/s drives. The current roadmap is showing Late 3Q or early 4Q is when we'll qualify 6GB/s drives. This is true for the T420, T420s, X220, X220t, T520, and W520.

2. What SSD drives have been tested and are recommended for the new Sandy Bridge based machines?

[Lenovo]These are all 3.0 Gb/ps.

1.ThinkPad 160GB Intel X25-M Solid State Drive II - Released
2.ThinkPad 128 GB SS Drive II - Released
3.Intel 320 Series - Not Released. Lenovo engineering has completed testing/certification of the Intel 320 Series.
3. What is the hard/ssd drive bay height and size for the new machines? I need this for the primary bay, and ultrabay for each machine. I understand some of the bays will only take 7mm height drives so if you provide a table of information on the machines above I would appreciate it.

[Lenovo] Primary bay height for each system: T420, X220-X220T, W520 approx. 10.5 mm. Ultrabay height for each system: T420, X220-X220T approx. 10.5 mm. W520 Ultrabay is 12.7mm. Machines with 7mm height drives: Yes The X220/ X220T, T420s will only take 7mm drives in their primary drive bay.

4. Which machines support the mSATA drive in the WWAN mini PCIE slot? Do all of the machines support this? For the machines that do, is OS boot support supported?

[Lenovo] W520, T420, T420s, X220, X220T. Yes, boot is supported for all of them.

 

Good work rajeev!

 

No test of the Quadro 2000M yet?

 

I use the link below and enter my email address and order number.

Lenovo - My account

I just called Lenovo to check my order status and after a LONG pause, the guy said the estimate shipping date is next Monday even though when I check the page above, it suppose to be yesterday. I am having a feeling that guy just make up a date!

 

I called asking about my shipping date and he said that the estimated shipping dates means it can ship out ANY day of that particular week. I'm not 100% sure I believe him, but at this point there isn't much we can do.

 

Shipping date is same when they will deduct money from your account.... as I asked the Sales Rep..

 

I know what happens when it ships, I'm just not sure why there is no information about a delay, or why they insist that it's not delayed when it is....

 

1 0A68535 SBB 15.6FHD (1900 X 1080) LED

My order form shows 1900 x 1080?? is this the resulution or 1920 x 1080...

 

I have been looking at this machine. Has anybody played Starcraft 2 on it yet. (yes I know there are better machies but I like thinkpad)

Also anybody know the differences between the quadro 1000 and quadro 2000

Also could someone explain what is the differnce between the hd+ (1600x900) and FHD (1920x1080)

 

Typo. 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080).

 

I ordered my w520 on 3/30 and had an estimated shipping date of 4/11.

I just chatted with a rep on lenovo.com and he confirmed that my "order will be shipping out in the week of 9th of April as per the update from [their] supply team. So, Any time in this week [my] order will be shipping out."

I hope he is right!

 

So the big question is whether or not the PCIe slot supports SATA III? I guess it doesn't matter today as no one makes an mSATA SSD that supports SATA III, but I'd certainly hold off on buying the Intel 310 card if I new that that SATA III is supported.

 

Agreed, as people start receiving their laptops, a benchmark would be awesome

 

I also hope so please update when status updated on order page..

 

I think when you guys are saying "the week of the 9th" Lenovo means the 10th because it ships from China which is 18 hours ahead of myself in Hawaii. But because the 10th is Sunday, it'll probably ship the following day. A bit confusing if you think about it. My one experience was pretty good as I got my x120 2-3 days after the estimate.

 

I ordered my non-default configuration W520 online at Lenovo.com @ 9:00 AM EST on 3/29/2011. Up until Tuesday the estimated ship date was 4/8/2011. On Tuesday the ESD was no longer displayed, I saw a message that there may be a problem with my order and to call them. In my first call to Lenovo CS I was told my order was cancelled- no information by who or why. After arguing for awhile that my order had not been cancelled, I hung up and tried again. In the 2nd call to CS (immediately after the first), I was told that my order was still being processed with an ESD of 4/8/2011 and that web site order status mechanism was broken. The web site order status has not changed since Tuesday. Fearing a legitimate problem with my order being masked by the alleged problem with the online status mechanism, I have used their Live Chat mechanism to verify my order status each morning. This morning the Live Chat was not working.

At this time there is no evidence the order has shipped on the web site and my credit card has not been charged.

Reading the posts here I have formed two theories: 1. ordering over the phone vice online may result in better order status communications, a better deal & and less likelihood of fulfillment problems and & 2. upgrading the video card to NVQ2000M may delay fulfillment.

(Side note: I spoke to a sales person on the phone a week before the W520 was available and we left it that he would call me when they were available and I would place my order through him. He has yet to call.)

The reason I have bought IBM/Lenovo for the last 15 years is that they historically have demonstrated above average customer communications. Sadly, that has not been the case with this order.

 

Lenovo's credit-card overreaction! This happens fairly often. Someone should have called you respectfully. But no, Lenovo maintains the provincial attitude that immature people with stolen credit cards are out to cheat them.

The Lenovo "web site" means nothing. Their various systems do not synchronize properly. Did you receive any email notifications? Any number that you can refer to? I suspect your order has been blatantly canceled. But you should get an absolute confirmation of the cancelation (arrrggghhh!!!) before you decide to make another purchase (again with Lenovo?).

I'm not surprised.

 

My order shipped this morning (exactly when they estimated it would). Oddly- they have not yet charged my credit card. To answer Kaso's question; no- I didn't receive any e-mails regarding my order status, except the initial confirmation.

So in summary, my beef is not regarding how long it takes to fulfill an order but over the unknown status of my order for nearly a week and getting conflicting reports from customer service.

 

Mine status updated and got UPS tracking number also.
Shanghai, China 04/08/2011 8:34 P.M. Export Scan
04/08/2011 8:29 P.M. Origin Scan
China 04/08/2011 7:45 A.M. Order Processed: Ready for UPS

 

@rajeev16706: Could you post the system you ordered? I am wondering about your customization. I also order my W520 on 3/30 and have an estimated shipping date of 4/11. I was hoping it would be send out this week.

 

I've got the following system coming in today.

Lenovo W520 4276-39U
Intel Core i7-2820QM
8GB RAM
15.6" FHD
NVIDIA Quadro 1000M
500GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
Intel 6205 WiFi
Fingerprinter Reader
Bluetooth
9-Cell Battery

I'm going to be tossing in a Vertex 2 240GB, 8GB more RAM (16GB Total), and putting in a 6300 WiFi assuming I have the right size on hand.

Anything you guys would like to know about it when I get my hands on it?

 

Did you mean i7-2820?

How much was the Vertex 2 240GB?

 

Sorry about the mistake, I fixed the processor number in the original post.

As far as the cost on the Vertex 2 240GB, I don't remember how much I paid, I've had it for a few months. Probably around $450.

 

As usual - noise when idle and load, best with temps thanks!

 

4270CT CONFIGURED SYSTEM
0A68542 SBB ICI7-2820QM IHD GR200
45M3090 VBB GENUWIN7PROFES.64
0A68625 SBB GW7P64 E
75Y0162 SBB M W7 XP MD- E
0A68535 SBB 15.6FHD (1900 X 1080) LED
0A68894 SBB NVQ2000M GR
75Y0175 VBB COLORSENSOR
45M4574 VBB 8GBPC3-10600DDR3 1333SODMM
45M4839 SBB KEYBOARDUS ENGLISH
0A68526 VBB FINGERPRINT READER
0A68558 SBB 720P HD CAM INT MICR
0A69620 SBB I RAID-NOT EN
0A68552 SBB 320GB HDD7200RPM
0A68547 SBB DVD RC8XMXDLLRULTEHATA
0A68529 VBB ECS+4IN1CR
45M4816 SBB 9CELLLI-ION BATTERY
0A68904 SBB CPNAMLC+ 170W AC AD
0A68261 SBB BLUETOOTH 3.0
45M4805 SBB IN.CENTADV.-N+WIMAX 6250
44C7950 SBB INT WRLSSWDAREANTWRK UPGR
0A68564 SBB LANG PCK US E

 

If the expresscard slot is pci-e 1.0 or 2.0 that might give a hint if T420/T520 is 1.0 or 2.0

 

I chatted with someone online and apparently my order is now shipping the week of the 9th, rather than the week of the 7th, but the support guy said there was no issue with the order.

I always get frustrated when things happen for "no reason" and wish the customer support people were given more information as far as the reason behind delayed orders. That way those waiting for our machines could at least know why!

 

My status changed few minuts before I post and the Rep. on chat gave me tracking number.

 

If you can tell me how to do it, I'll check it out.

 

My W520 is coming soon.
I have two 80GB X-25M SSD SATA II with me so how should i proceed. Is there any recovery Disk I should use or I should clone the disk?
I have to order the Caddy also..

any help to change HDD?

 

Only way I know (If there is no option in the BIOS to enable it) is if you install Aida64 (Formely known as Everest)

Like I have done here http://www.gratisimage.dk/image-25AE_4D9F2374.jpg where you can see the wireless is pci-e 1.0 and I would assume that would be 2.0 if the motherboard supports it (Even if the wireless card itself is only 2.0 ? )

 

I ordered my W520 online from Lenovo around 11 AM CST on 3/29. The original estimated ship date was stated as today but it's blank as of today. I tried contacting someone via live chat and he said:

That last sentence is a little reassuring, though I am extremely anxious to get my Thinkpad already.

 

Is your order same as mine? or different?
$2350 or something with tax. Is your same?

 

Your order is almost identical to mine except I got the 500GB HDD and only 4GB Ram (will upgrade on my own).

Still waiting for my shipping info though. When did you receive your info?

 

Early morning status was still same like yesterday.
I checked at 9:30AM from office and the status was shipped still the Credit card is not charged.
I order two Memory module Identical because of compatibility.

 

Does anyone know if DDR3 1600 is supported? And if yes why it isn't available at Lenovo?

 

BTW what type exactly are they using? I checked some stores and the modules from Lenovo CTO shop is nearly 3 times more expensive than aftermarket ones (A-data/corsair/kingston CL9)

 

This is common with all retailers if you purchase RAM from them when you customize your machine. It is always considerably cheaper to upgrade RAM as well as the HDD on your own.

I guess to answer your question though, Lenovo isn't using any special sort of RAM in their machines.

 

Since Flazo was unable to install a Vertex 3 120GB on his W520, it would be great if you could document the steps you use to install your Vertex SSD successfuly.

PS: I saw the following recommended sequence at How to set up SSD running properly? - bit-tech.net Forums
1. physically install the SSD to the first SATA port & (temporarily) disconnect all HDDs.
2. reboot &, in the BIOS, set the "Storage Configuration" (it'll be called something like that) to either ACHI or DAID (IDE mode is slower).
3. run the Win7 install (using a USB stick or DVD or...?) but only do a quick format.[#]
4. once the install's complete in some order to suit yourself -
(a) do your updates (inc drivers)
(b) reconnect the other HDDs & copy the user data across that you need
(c) install the other software you want

 

Here's my findings so far:

It wouldn't take my Intel 6300 WiFi card. Said it was an unauthorized card or some BS like that.

It took my other 8GB RAM so I have 16GB total.

I had no issues with my Vertex 2. BIOS was already set to AHCI, everything installed as normal. Benched at 280/265 R/W using ATTO, looks right to me.

The fan was dead silent while I was installing Windows/updates/drivers.

The fan did kick on while I was running FurMark, and I thought that it ran quietly, no louder than my OC'd Dell Prec M4500. GPU-Z said that the max temp while running FurMark for the GPU was 82c. This was sitting on a flat desk. While it was maxed I put my hand on the bottom, and while warm, I don't think I would have any problem leaving it on my lap while gaming, even with shorts.

As far as PCI Express goes, I'm too lazy for a screen shot. But the values on my WiFi were:

Bus Type: PCI Express 1.0 x1
Bus/Device/Function: 3/0/0
66MHz Operation: Not supported
Bus Mastering: Enabled

Overall, I'm impressed with the machine. The screen is very nice. I'll let you know if I run into any issues.

 

For those guys who have received the W520, could you please double check whether W520 has screen freeze problem, which was extensively reported with W510?