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    Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by zacharyp, Mar 31, 2011.

  1. 5150cd

    5150cd Notebook Evangelist

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    Can you elaborate?
     
  2. denisavu

    denisavu Notebook Enthusiast

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    No screen freeze noted so far. I've had the system for 24 hours and have upgraded RAM and the bluray burner. Am waiting for the 80GB mSATA to come to do the boot disk. The dude from tech support us telling me there us a one click reload of all the installed software and drivers. Buy since I will be doing a new build with Win 7 ultimate, can I restore those drivers from the Recovery DVDs?
     
  3. JHawk88

    JHawk88 Newbie

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    I was going to order a W520 today, but was curious as to when the Intel 310 mSata SSD was going to be available, so I called the sales number and was told the option would be available starting April 19, so I am going to wait. I had read on another forum that it would not be available until later in the year, but that did not seem plausible so that is why I called. Can anyone confirm this date?
     
  4. k2001

    k2001 Notebook Deity

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    Everything seem to be releasing on the 19th. The edge series, the x220, and I think some of the ideapad series.
     
  5. Eric_Cartman

    Eric_Cartman Notebook Enthusiast

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    @JHawk88

    a german retailer offers the 80Gb mSATA option for 200,- Euros. I think the Lenovo price won't be much lower. In another online store they offer it for only 132,- Euros. 40 Gb is around 80,- Euros.
     
  6. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    You can certainly wait, but you'll probably pay more buying from Lenovo.

    In stock at Newegg.com - Intel 310 Series (Soda Creek) SSDMAEMC080G2C1 mSATA 80GB mSATA (mini PCIe form factor) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - SSD
     
  7. marcob

    marcob Notebook Geek

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    Got three questions for the proud owners of W520 beasts, but first a bit of background. I need a notebook that can take 16GB of RAM today and won't cost a kidney which is the price for two 8GB modules.

    I do not play any games and I do not work with any multimedia, 3D, CAD/CAM/CAE apps, for what I care 3D could be stripped off the gfx chip. I need the notebook for office, browsing and most important, development stuff (which varies from linux kernel development to Java to big DBs like Oracle and DB2).

    I need the 16GB of memory for I need from time to time to run multiple VM machines in parallel. I almost always have a VM in the background.

    I do not need FHD, nor will I order it, HD+ is fine and my eyes will be grateful.

    The most important things to me in a new notebook are: quiet (nearly silent), runs cool, support for mSATA and 2x 2.5" HDDs (low power SSDs) and a decent battery time.

    Now, the W520 fulfills some of the points, but doesn't some other, it has a monster GFX with way too much RAM, hence the three questions:
    - can one completely disable the discrete GFX and its memory (for instance in BIOS)?
    - how many Watts does it burn at idle or with only light browsing/office tools when the discrete GFX is disabled?
    - what's the lower Wattage one can get the W520 to?
     
  8. seb87

    seb87 Notebook Evangelist

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    hi , lenovo's warranty is international ?

    i've the m4500 in the sign i i want to change it with sandy notebook with a good display

    the display 1900x1080 of this w520 is good for photography ? it's possible to compare it with the macbook pro 15" or 17" display ? it's antiglare ?

    heat problem ? there is or not ?

    the quadro 1000m is better than my fx880m ?

    1000m and 2000m are much different or only in the n° of pipe ?
     
  9. ComputerNewb

    ComputerNewb Notebook Consultant

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    Hello Marcob, I believe I can provide some of the answers and fellow members can confirm or deny me.

    I believe it is possible to disable the discrete graphics card via bios. Other than that, I do not know. From some lenovo video, I believe the Quadro 1000m can get a little over 10 hours while the 2000m can only get 8.7 hours (or something like that. Lenovo's videos and websites have too many errors.)
     
  10. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    This laptop seems to have everything but bluray :) Back when I bought my Dell (yes, i know), it had everything but a dvd writer. I now regret that since obviously, DVD's are pretty important these days for burning ISO's.

    Is this going to be another problem in the future? Will I be able to swap out a bluray if needed?
     
  11. RyanHurtt

    RyanHurtt Notebook Evangelist

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    I know one of the users here has replaced the standard DVD burner with a blu-ray drive, but I can't remember who it was!
     
  12. denisavu

    denisavu Notebook Enthusiast

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    I did. 5 minute job. Gotta think ahead of the curve....
     
  13. pup650

    pup650 Newbie

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    I set out to build a killer laptop-based workstation for under $4k. I'll be running ProTools9 (an advanced audio production system) with over $10K in outboard hardware. I'll also need to run some DSP simulation software in real-time (big number-crunching) and I'll want to rock some games and HD video stuff.

    I ordered my W520 on 4/1 (April Fool's Day!) and I just got the "Your order has shipped." email. I'll post a first impression after I get it running. I'm also very interested in an Intel 310 series 80GB drive for OS and core programs.

    Here's my config:

    i7 - 2920xm
    16GB DDR3 RAM
    Win7 Pro (64 bit) with XP mode
    1920x1080 FHD display
    nVidia Quadro 2000m (2GB)
    500GB x 7200 rpm HDD
    8x multi-DVD
    Intel Ultimate 6300N WiFi
    MS Office 2010 Professional

    $3,068.57 (after tax)

    ThinkPad mini-dock Plus III

    $ 272.42 (after tax)

    2 x HP 2511x monitors

    $ 655.48 (after tax)

    ________________________________________

    TOTAL = $ 3,996.47

    Well, that leaves me enough change for two gumballs.; We'll see...
    :D
     
  14. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    Cool, how did you go about it? Where did you order a drive? Does it fit right in with no problem?

    Details appreciated!
     
  15. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    Thats going to be a hell of a setup, jealous :)
     
  16. novice973

    novice973 Notebook Guru

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    Hi, I have a Latitude D600. It has been a great machine. But it is now showing its age. To turn it on, I have to hit it at a particular spot with the right amount of force. It is time for a new machine.

    I am looking at the W520 with 4 gb 1 dimm ram. I want to add another 4gb to it by myself. Do I have to replace the original card and put in 2 identical 4gb rams or can I just put in 1 card from any manufacturer? Should the ram cards be identical? Also, is it really worth it to get the Quadro 2000M? I will not be playing games on this laptop.
     
  17. k2001

    k2001 Notebook Deity

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    Generally speaking you don't. But it is better to do so for stability shake (sometime ram doesn't work well together, but it is rare) and speed (very slight performance gain, only noticeable in benchmark)
     
  18. unreal25

    unreal25 Capt. Obvious

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    pup650, sick build. :) Mind posting some benchmarks when you get it? ;)
     
  19. dn00

    dn00 Notebook Consultant

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    Can someone with the 2000m run 3dmark06 or vantage? I'm dying to know the real difference between the 1000m and 2000m.
     
  20. edit1754

    edit1754 Notebook Prophet

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    Unless you need the extra power, you probably won't need the upgraded graphics card at all. You might even be fine with a T520.
     
  21. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    What's considered to be a good score?
     
  22. orca3000

    orca3000 Notebook Evangelist

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    It'd be nice if 3DMark06 for 2000m can hit 10000. The 460m is 13000. The 445m is just above 10000.
     
  23. rajeev16706

    rajeev16706 Notebook Guru

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  24. ComputerNewb

    ComputerNewb Notebook Consultant

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    Its has a Display port. The Lenovo website had it specified as an HDMI as a typo but has been corrected.
     
  25. rajeev16706

    rajeev16706 Notebook Guru

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    So here are mostly W520 owner now. Can anyone put recovery Disk for Windows professional 7 and Windows ultimate 7 recovery Disks online for you backup and for any damage to anyone hard disk.
     
  26. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Can you? Yes
    Should you? No
     
  27. Silent3sniper

    Silent3sniper Notebook Enthusiast

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    +1 dying for more data on the gpu
     
  28. seb87

    seb87 Notebook Evangelist

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    :) :) :) ..............
     
  29. rajeev16706

    rajeev16706 Notebook Guru

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    Yes I will upload when I will get my laptop.
    I need Ultimate recovery disk also thats why I am asking...
     
  30. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    +1 on my side also
     
  31. pup650

    pup650 Newbie

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    I'd be glad to benchmark it, but I haven't scored a build since my dual PPro200 Tower (like... 1997?). Will someone suggest 'best' benchmarking software and post download links?

    ThinkPad W520 - i72920xm | 15" 1920x1080 NVQ2000m | 16GB x 500GB
     
  32. LoG!K

    LoG!K Notebook Guru

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    Futuremark - Benchmarks - 3DMark06 - Download
    3DMark Vantage | 3DMark 11 – The Gamer's Benchmark for DirectX 11

    If you're into game testing, just load up any game, log graphics/performance settings and monitor the FPS.
    http://www.fraps.com/download.php
     
  33. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    The recovery disks are licensed to a single machine. You should make your own personal set from your new machine and stick them in a file cabinet. That the legal way to do this.
     
  34. ComputerNewb

    ComputerNewb Notebook Consultant

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    Screen: Yes, anti-glare, never had a mac so I cannot compare it but there is someone on youtube (lol) who said its better. I also would believe its good for photography as it has an optional built in calibrator ($70).

    Heat problem: shouldn't unless you got a defective product. Lenovo is generally known to have good cooling systems.

    Graphics Card: Yes its better (notebookcheck.com) according to preliminary specs and ratings and number of CUDA cores.

    As for the difference in graphics card, I do not believe many/anyone knows because few people have the laptop/cards to check and of the people that do, none with the 1000m has come forth. Basically, the specs of the cards are unknown (there might be someone who listed the 2000m specs earlier).

    Warranty: It is my understanding that the warranty follows the machine, so yes? However, I am not sure.

    Feel free to correct me, I do not really know much about the policies of Lenovo. Just learned that you can take apart the computer and not void the warranty unless you caused the damage.
     
  35. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Answer: 11,100
     
  36. dn00

    dn00 Notebook Consultant

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    The display should be good or better than most laptops.

    not sure about heat but larger laptops tend to run cooler.

    Both the 1000m and 2000m is more powerful than the fx880m. The 2000m should be significantly more powerful than the 1000m though it's probably bottlenecked by ddr3 memory. Still more than enough for gaming.
     
  37. dn00

    dn00 Notebook Consultant

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    Is this a guess? :eek:
     
  38. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    If it was, I would have specified as such. No, it isn't a guess.
     
  39. ComputerNewb

    ComputerNewb Notebook Consultant

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    I thought it would be bottlenecked by the bus width (128 bit)
     
  40. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    Could be, could not be. GDDR5 128-bit and GDDR3 256-bit are nearly the same in terms of memory bandwidth, though the GDDR5 will still outpace the GDDR3 slightly because of the higher memory clocks GDDR5 must run at to minimize latency.

    From articles I have been reading, theres two ways to remove the bottlenecks and increase memory bandwidth. Frequency and bus width.
     
  41. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    What processor were you using to achieve this score?
     
  42. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM (2.20GHz, 6MB L3, 1600MHz FSB, 45W)
     
  43. niriven

    niriven Notebook Geek

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    Cool, this score helps a lot, I know plenty of people were waiting for it as much as I was :)

    If you happen to run it again, a screenshot would be even more reassuring!
     
  44. RyanHurtt

    RyanHurtt Notebook Evangelist

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    I hate to do this, but is there anyway you could run 3dmark Vantage and post the GPU Score if your Quadro 2000M?

    I ask because 3dmark 2006 is very CPU bound and with the power of your processor I'm not sure how much of the score is the Quadro 2000M and how much is your sweet quad-core processor. :eek:
     
  45. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Sorry, you'll have to wait for anandtech.com or some other site that owns the full license and publication rights to answer your questions.
     
  46. pkincy

    pkincy Notebook Evangelist

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    First impressions vis a vis my rather ancient T61.

    About the same wt. But I knew that from the specs, but the feel is different. Slightly wider and slightly thicker and of course shorter (16:9 rather than 16?10) but it feels very sturdy but less dense. Does that make sense. Likely lighter materials do that.

    The screen is great. I am using my T61 at 1680 x 1050 and the new screen as you might expect is much brighter with more vivid colors. I tend to like the matte screens as I am tired of looking at myself reflected in the glossy IPAD screen as I watch videos on the airplane.

    Adding two sticks to the bottom DIMM drawer was a snap. I suspect the third stick will be also but that requires pulling the keyboard and I haven't yet got to that. The system recognized the 12 MB of memory with no problem.

    burning the recovery disks took about 2-3 hours but I had the Master's to help with my impatience. The Crucial C300 install mechanically was trivial. The drive (500GB 7200 Hitachi) was already set to ACHI in BIOS.

    The last recovery disk is installing now. Much more quickly than burning them. Say 30 minutes. I will post more impressions when the SSD is up and running and I have added the drivers and some Win 7 updates.

    BTW, the computer went from pwer on to password screen in 70 seconds with 4 MB of ram. And in 42 seconds with 12 MB. It went from Password entered to full up in 80 seconds with one stick of memory and in 42 seconds with 3 sticks.

    I will let you know with the Crucial.

    Perry

    Perry
     
  47. ComputerNewb

    ComputerNewb Notebook Consultant

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    4MB of ram? 4 megabytes of ram? you mean 4 gigabytes of ram? confused.

    Also, I suggest you reinstall the ram. The w520, like the w510, has 2 dual-kit ram channels so you will only get the max preformance if they are set properly. One stick must be under the keyboard while the other one, same side, must be under the ram door. Its not really a hassle since removing the keyboard is much simpler now (only held by 2 screws I believe).

    I am also making the same upgrade, from the t61 to the w520 and I cannot wait. :D

    Cheers
    Steven
     
  48. dn00

    dn00 Notebook Consultant

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  49. unreal25

    unreal25 Capt. Obvious

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    Yeah its free for one run. So you better make it worthwhile. ;)
     
  50. pkincy

    pkincy Notebook Evangelist

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    Aha, I suppose you are right. As you can tell I am not a techie. Right now I have added 2 sticks in the bottom DIMM space. There is only the one in Slot 0 under the keyboard. That was the one populated at Lenovo. I will get to it tomorrow.

    The C300 is in and running beautifully. I have tried to use the search function here to find the proper settings for a SSD drive and unfortunately no matter what I put in the search this forum section I get no hits.

    Oh well. My computer is doing just fine even if the forum is a bit hard to search.

    Perry
     
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