Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

Could you please be so kind and tell us what u did exactly? Thank u very much!

 

Just told him that I will be going to college soon and I'm tight on money, but still wanted a tough laptop (hence the Thinkpad). Then spent a total of 90min over 2 days haggling over the price. There was a 10% discount for signing up for their email newsletter that would normally be applied on your next purchase though I was able to get him to apply it to the laptop (my first ever purchase with Lenovo). Also, be polite; it helps a lot.

There's a thread in the Dell section of NBR on how to save money by talking to someone over the phone, called "How to Save $$$ on Dell/AW", or something like that. Good read.

 

AW/DELL Ordering Advice - How to save $$$

 

Hello all,

i would like to ask some question / help regarding W520:

is Ericsson F5521gw wwan modem able to receive/make calls / SMS's?


i found this article at wikipedia:
"Laptops with Intel vPro technology have hardware features that allow a system administrator to remotely access wired and wireless laptops for maintenance and servicing if the operating system is unresponsive or crashed, allow a sys-admin to remotely access the laptop when the system is asleep or laptop power is off."
how can i use these vpro features?


i would like to virtualize another old notebook to w520 - what sw can i use (vmware or virtualPC?), how to clone/migrate it to image file?


how to restore blue thinkvantage button functionality - i have installed clean windows 7 (because of unsuccessful system recovery) and installed all windows & lenovo drivers+updates (via windows update and lenovo system update utility), so i would like that again
- in windows it will start the program which shows warranty info and other icons (now it does nothing) and
- during bios post/boot it will start recovery environment (now it does nothing);
my recovery partition is wiped and factory DVDs i burned are incomplete (unusable); i already ordered recovery dvd from lenovo, but it will take some time as they told me, to receive them

can you recommend some good bluetooth mouse, suitable also for occasional gaming with good batery life?

is there some login option via face recognition (i saw it at asus)?

i tried prime95 (2820qm) and furmark and seems after gpu (quadro 2000m) reaches 85ºC it starts throttling and the gpu performance goes rapidly down; when i updated nvidia verde drivers to latest, now it seems the limit was shifted to 90ºC, but then it again throttles - is this OK?

so the minimum wattage for power adapter to work with W520 is 135w? if i would buy some universal 120w laptop adapter from ebay it won't work?


i enabled remote desktop on the w520 and leaved it connected via lan cable. i was able to connect remotely via rdp from another computers for some 2 days, but now i cannot connect anymore. i tried to connect from XP (looks like connecting for <1s then ends, no error reported) also from win7 (asks for user/pwd - if i enter incorrect it throws error; if i enter correct credentials, it is "connecting" for couple of seconds, then ends, no error) but no success. port 3389/tcp is still open/listening. laptop is still running, as i have there running irc client and see it still on irc channel, also responds to ping (via irc). i cannot check now the logs on the W520 to find out more... did anyone have this problem?

i tried to play some flash (flv) videos with vlc videolan player, but in some timeframes the fps went down to 6-9 (from 30); is there some incompatibility with vlc/driver? what is the recommended player to use?

Thanks to everyone.

 

I got a problem activating windows after a clean install. I got the windows key using keyfinder. But when I tried to activate the windows in the new system it failed. Is there anything else that I need to do? Thanks.

 

You either need to use software like ABR (found here: ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) | directedge.us ) to backup the OEM activation from the factory install and then restore it on the clean install, or you need to use the key on the bottom of the notebook under the battery.

 

Thanks a lot, I will give it a try.

 

Wow, it works like a charm. Just used the key under the battery. Thank you so much.

BTW, the key I got from keyfinder is a different one and does not work.

 

I used Keyfinder | Magical Jelly Bean last time as my cdkey was damaged (It was on the back and got erased slowly from normal use)

But year if you can read it from the sticker then always do that, never know if the software you download is legit.

 

Now Lenovo is smarter that they put the sticker under the battery so it will get much less damage from normal use. Actually I did not find the sticker until v3loc1ty2.0 pointed it out.

 

Well my "old" laptop was a Lenovo Thinkpad X201 tablet from 2010 so its not long ago since they werent that smart

 

How do I get access to the B&N discount? I am back in the US in about a month. The question for me is: shall I buy now, with the July discount and the B&N discount or should I wait?

 

And another question: does it make sense to get the thinkpad onsite warranty from the beginning or should I buy this later? Is it more expensive then?

Thx.

 

hi, how big is this laptop and can it game if i want it to?

 

It is as big as any other 15.6" laptop.

In more seriousness, see this.

14.68in x 9.65in x 1.26in --> 1.41in
372.8mm x 245.1mm x 31.8 --> 35.6mm

Yes, it can game if you wanted to.

 

I have been logging the Quadro using GPU-Z and just found that the gpu load seems to be inconsistent when the FPS lowers. Generally only hangs around the 30-50% load even on extreme graphics. When its smooth as butter, the GPU load usually maxes around 99%.

The gpu core/memory/shader clock voltages are all maxed as per factory spec @ 550/900/1100 and dial back when you alt-tab back to desktop indicating proper power mgmt. The VDDC also remains at 0.880 during the duration of the game.

I wonder if this a driver or hw related issue/limitation...

 

How much is the B&N discount + July 4th discount? I configured my W520 (quad-core) for about $1230 before tax. Does that sound right? The only thing I added on was the advanced wireless card for $17 and rest was the base config for quad processor. Any help will be very much appreciated.

 

Hmm, I guess we may have different issues then (Unless the lack of highest clock step is due to the reduced load.) It`s only happened once and I only paid attention to the clock logs, not usage sadly.

 

@49ersmylife yes, this sounds right.

a question of my own: which SATA III SSD is most reliable on the w520? I'm not too tech-savvy, and the last thing I want to do after dishing out an extra $300 is to deal with constant troubleshooting.

 

Thanks. I think I'll be pullin' the trigger tomorrow.

 

Just customized my W520. Will call Lenovo tomorrow and order it.

Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor (2.20GHz, 6MB L3)1
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 6412
15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display,
NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory
4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)8
UltraNav with TrackPoint & touchpad plus Fingerprint reader
320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD recordable multiburner5
9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++60
Bluetooth 3.0
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (2x2 AGN)10

$1,226.59

Any suggestions? Thanks. I love this thread, has been an amazing source of information!

 

Think of upgrading to the FHD! Its worth it for such a machine!

 

I want to, but it will bring the cost to be more than I want to spend. I don't really want to spend over $1200, but with the current config, it is already close to $1300. Another $200 - will be too much.

 

Well, in that case...

But if I was you I would rather cut my food expenses for a while... ;-P

 

How does this look on ebay - FHD, Quad-core for $1399?!?!? I sent a best offer of $1300 and seller accepted it!!! WHY IS THIS SO CHEAP???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180687432087&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123

IBM Lenovo ThinkPad W520 New in Box with New charger.

Model: 4270-CTO

Will have 1 year manufacturer warranty.


Intel Core i7 2720QM / at 2.2 GHz ( 3.3 GHz Max Turbo ) ( Quad-Core ) w/6MB L3
15.6" FHD (1920x1080) Display (95% Gamut) with LED Backlight
4GB DDR3 super speed SDRAM (pc10600, 1333MHz)
320GB SATA 7200RPM Hard Drive
DVD+-RW Burner Drive
Integrated Webcam 0.92 Megapixel
2GB NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Video Card
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6250
Bluetooth 3.0
Fingerprint Reader
4 in1 Card Reader
USB 3.0 Ports
9 Cell high capacity battery

 

@49ersmylife

During the last sale in Canada, a W520 with your first config on this page would've cost you $1139.25 (with the Centrino 6300 instead of the 6250 as they cost the same to add for some reason in Canada). I am under the impression that the US had lower prices, too. A W520 with the 2nd config would have been $1289.25 (again, with the Centrino 6300 instead of the 6250), around the $1300 you posted.

 

I don't think the 2nd config has Windows on it, a $100 value.

 

How did you get a build with the quad core that cheap?

And does anyone know of coupons that get 10% or more off? I'd like to wait a bit more before I decide on which laptop I ma getting but I want to know that I can get 10% off on the W520 if I go this route.

 

I thought that, but then he also said he never opened the package. Lenovo doesn't ship laptops without any OS on it, and he also added at the bottom that he could install MS Office for a low price - which he can only do so if there is a OS on the system.

Right?

 

The 1226 price is pre-tax price. You just have to sign up as the b&n gold member and you should get that price. It's the best discount I know of - directly from Lenovo's site.

 

In my opinion, the 1226 is like $100 too high for a system with those specs.

 

Lenovo does sell W520's without an OS. The listing says "Operating System: Not Included" so ask the seller.

 

Check this out! New BIOS in test stage... Re: W520 fan pulsing noise every 5 seconds - Page 3 - Lenovo Community

 

Hello, guys! I am new to this forum. I have got my Lenovo W520 about month ago. Specs are i7 2720qm, 4gb(upgraded it to 16gb woth kingston RAM 4x4), 1000M, 350GB @5400(changed it to Crucial M4 SSD). First of all I had some issues with the M4, after the installation of clean Win7 64 it would start giving me BSODs after few seconds after booting. Found fix on it in internet, so now it is not BSODing and showing crystalmark equal to those tested on other 6Gb/s systems. So here is no problem. But, I found very annoying issue. When I tryied to play HoN online game it gave me unbarable micro lags, like sputtering. The FPS was allright at the same time. There is no prob with internet connection, cause my mate is runing HoN on his 2 years old acer w/o this issue, very smooth and nice. Have any one had this issue may be in some other online games? I found this issue in internet too, it said Win7 x64 to be the problem. I will try to use my Hard disk with preinstalled windows 7 which was in the box, to figure out if this micro-lags with persist. Any one can give me an advice?

 

How do you sign up as a B&N gold member? Excuse my ignorance, I tried to figure it out earlier with a link someone provided but couldn't.

 

Once you find the link, it'll take you to a username/password login, with a another link on the page to create an account. Provide the needed information, and bam! You're a B+N user.

 

Where is that link? Couldnt figure out how to become a gold member either...

 

@privatejarhead: Could you be so kind and send me the contact detail of your sales rep? Thx!

 

Is there anything special you have to do for the BN gold member like sign up for a credit card or have a .edu email address?

 

Sent

All I did was provide basic information (Name, Occupation, etc. Nothing too personal like contact information), not credit cards or .edu addresses (didn't have any cards when I signed up, and they never asked for an .edu address. Lenovo has a separate section for students, difference from the B+N discount)

 

Alright guys I pulled the trigger. 2720qm with an FHD screen. So pumped.

 

You will be a happier person now, I promise. That said, don't buy the hyperx 1886 memory, or a few other things (you'll have to look through the thread) unless or until they fix the bios.

Enjoy your awesome new laptop!

 

Can a few of you please run a Furmark Benchmark (1080 & 720 Preset) and post the results?

I got a score of: 491 @ ~8fps (1080 Preset)

This is my 2000m with Optimus disabled.

Thanks!

-Matt

 

Could someone please tell me about this?

(From Notebookcheck)

When running on battery power, do you see a noticeable performance decrease? I'm sorry if this has been answered before; I tried searching this thread and that didn't go very well.

Thanks!

 

The chase was a reward for signing up for a new card. The offer was from here:
Chase Freedom Credit Card - $200 Cashback after $500 purchase in first three month - Slickdeals.net
If you spend $500 in 3 months you get $200 back, so laptop is an easy $200 back. After shipping and handling and tax (I live in Hi) it came out to $1864.
-Whil

 

Runs fine for me on battery.

 

pilotguy, can definitely confirm the noticeable performance decrease while running on battery. For testing purposes changed the BIOS setup to maximum performance on battery and there was noticeable increase in the performance. If you really need performance, run it on AC and battery.

 

I never noticed much of a performance hit on battery, though for right now I'm only using the W520 for internet surfing; the most intense thing this thing has seen so far is Flash video >.<.

However, I have the 800MHz throttling cap on the processor, though I haven't bothered to fix it yet. When I need better performance, I will.

 

Anyone know if the dockingstation makes cooling better or worse?

 

If anything, then worse. When the lid is closed, the top of the notebook is covered so this could be worse. And the exhaust design is not good - about 50% of exhaust hole of the W520 is covered by strange plastic. It is perfored, but I don't believe in it much.