Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

I don't use multiple drives, but I do have multiple partitions on my HDD. You can just right click on a folder in your user folder, and click properties, and go to the location tab. You can relocate the folder from there. I do that on all the Windows 7 machines that I have, and none of them has ever had any issues.

 

I bought this spec through Friends and Neighbour program lenovo Canada

Intel Core i7-2720QM (Quad-Core) Processor (2.20GHz, 6M Cache with Turbo Boost up to 3.30GHz)
15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED backlight Anti-Glare display, with Wireless WAN Antenna
NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Optimus Graphics technology (2GB)
Colour sensor
4 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
Keyboard - US English
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) Fingerprint Reader, Smart Card Reader
720p HD Camera with Microphone
Storage subsystem Internal RAID - Not Enabled
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
System expansion slots Express Card Slot, 4-in-1 Card Reader & Smart Card Reader
Battery 9 Cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery
Bluetooth Broadcom Bluetooth 3.0 with antenna
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
Language pack Publication - US English

price - $1158 (without taxes)

I'm thinking could I have gotten this for any cheaper ??

 

Yes, stay away from it unless you have current backups and like doing restores. Macrium's a much better product IMHO.

Cheers, B

 

Yeah I got really frustrated with Acronis.

Windows Backup for me.

 

One way is to make a "ntfs juntion" from your users folder to another on your second disk. e.g. c:\users\username to d:\whatever
Works flawless here apart from the fact that your 2nd drive won't spindown/eject if it's a traditional disk.
Here's a link to a guide

 

That's about what I paid for mine with similar specs about 2 months ago, looks good. Not sure if you've already bought it or not, but do you really need the colour sensor? I don't know how much it costs but unless you're doing professional graphics and colour work you probably don't need it. And if you're doing that kind of work I'd think you'd want the FHD screen instead of the HD+.

 

Color sensor is about ~$70. I think that money would be better spent on upgrading that 900p display to 1080p.

 

I`ve already bought it (yet to be shipped and delivered though). Colour Sensor was $0.00 at lenovo canada, so I just got it, no price. So what do you guys think, will the price come down too much during the holiday season.

 

I've been using it since may with no issues.I've made images with it and also used the nonstop backup option as well. I've not had any issue with it and i've reimaged ssd's and hdd's with it. Not sure what problems people are having with it but so far it's worked great for me. Here's the score I got yesterday on an intel 510 that was imaged using acronis. NVIDIA Quadro 2000M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2920XM Processor,LENOVO 4270CTO score: 19736 PCMarks

 

You really don't need Acronis or Macrium these days. If you install Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 into a boot from VHD environment, "backup" consists or making a copy of a single file.

If you need to restore a single file, just mount the VHD and grab it.

It's amazing to me how many people haven't bothered to even try the technology.

 

How do you guys think the W520 compares to the HP Dv6 laptop as a main computer for videos, programming, and medium gaming? If you also know how the 1080p screens compare on both laptops, that would help me immensely because no one of the HP forums seems to know.

 

these might help ya:

Lenovo W520 and HP DV6T QE - Switchable Graphics - YouTube


Benchmark - Lenovo W520 and HP DV6T QE - Unigine Heaven 2.5 DX11 - YouTube


Lenovo ThinkPad W520, X220T, HP DV6T, and BB PlayBook (screen, fan noise, performance) - YouTube


Benchmark - Lenovo W520 and HP DV6T QE - fr-025: the.popular.demo - YouTube

 

My roommate has a DV6. It can't hold a candle against my W520 for any application (and has like half the battery life).

 

Thanks, but i've seen those. The problem is it compare the W520 1080p (which is gorgeous) to lower quality 720p screen on the Dv6 instead of the 1080p upgrade.

 

was jokin mate..seriously, i'd like to take it but you know shipment will take longer than ordering it from toronto retailers. $10 dif is not much tho. thanks for the offer, i appreciate it.

 

What do you think of the W520 over the Dv6 as a main computer in college? Also, you said the W520 has better battery life. How much is it and how is the weight of the unit? Do you take it to class, is it fine putting it on your lap or bed because I think the W520 is bigger and heavier than the hp?

 

I'm sure that the HP with an AMD 6770M would be better for gaming than a Quadro card (unless you put GeForce drives on it, I suppose).

 

For classroom use (Microsoft Office programs + a web browser) I can probably get around 9 hours out of my W520 on a full charge. Unfortunately, 3 of my days actually run for 9 hours straight minus 1 hour for lunch. My W520 is more or less 6lb, it feels light enough to carry around without killing myself and is light enough to use on my lap, though I rarely use it on anything besides a desk. To be honest, I've only taken it to class once because I was in a rush to go back to my parents' place. 3 out of my 6 courses don't allow laptops in class (ironically, I'm in computer engineering) and it simply doesn't make sense to use a computer for the other 3. I carry a netbook (2 hour battery life) with me to class in case I REALLY need to use a computer for something. Though, from that 1 day of carrying my W520 to class, I'd say that it's doable. And, I've seen a few people lug around a T/W520 with a 9 cell battery, so it's definitely doable. However, do note that I'm in the same room for at least 2 hours in a row (usually 3 or 4) and don't travel around a lot.

The Dv6 has a 6490M and a 2410M with a standard HD screen. The price was $999.99 + tax (13% here, my W520 was $1090.30 before taxes). It can't game nearly as well as my W520 can. Ironically enough, I also don't game nearly as much as he does.

 

Definitely ironic. I, too, have the same problem as only three of the eight classes I take allow laptops to be used. I'm also studying computer engineering.

 

I fixed it using "Nvidia Inspector". What's going on? I think i told it... Games refused to use the Quadro even though it was apparently detected by steam, i add to right clic>start with nvidia everytime! By the way, i also use Acronis True Image... I'm gonna try the one you said! But why is Acronis so bad to you all? I didn't had trouble with it...

 

My W520 has been taking a very long time to wake form sleep. As in it can take up to 30 seconds. Anyone have any ideas as to why?

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I'm thinking about cancelling my order for the Hp Dv6 because i'm dubious of its longetivity (order it with a 2.2 ghz quad core) and i'm kind of interested in a ThinkPad (thinkcurious here). I think might just wait for it to arrive and test it out and if I don't like it, just send it back and get something else. Would anyone be able to comment on this situation because i'm really not sure what to do.

 

I can say hands down you will like the W520 better and for many reasons. The one you just mentioned (longevity), Thinkpads are notorious for lasting a long time. Built like a tank. I doubt the HP has a magnesium rollcage throughout ?

etc. etc.

As to cancelling, imho do it asap ! For me it is a major pita returning something like a laptop I ordered online and the manufacturer to receive it and give me my credit back.

Hope that helps.

 

Has anyone tried to use (successfully) a universal ac adapter? Something like this slimmer Kensington?

http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-K33197-Portable-Notebook-Adapter/dp/B0007W1K8M

 

Cancel it. If I had to use a Dv6 as my main computer, I'd throw it out the window and go computer-less. I can't stand glossy screens at all; every time I see one I want to throw it out the window (this includes phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, etc.).

 

Thanks for the help, but i'm still not sure (this has been a real caveat for me). What is the best way to get a good price on a thinkpad (either the W520 or the X220)?

 

the best price can be had here imo:

Lenovo - Barnes and Noble Gold

do a quick signup and start shopping

use the coupons there if you can

I usually click a few different machine configs till I get it as low as possible

 

I have a W520 for home use and one at work. My daughter and father-in-law both have HP Dv6 laptops. No comparison here, the W520 is better. The only place a HP Dv6 might be better is with a high-end graphics card because the W520 is focused more on professionals and hence has the Quadro card. However, there have been many people on this forum quote reasonable game performance of the W520. The 1080p screen of the W520 and overall build quality is way beyond the consumer oriented HP Dv6.

 

Lenovo is finally offering the 2960XM processor on the W520! Just what I've been waiting for to pull the trigger. I will combine it with 16G of Kingston 1866 (as tested thitiv) and an Intel 510 SSD. This beast should rock!

 

Actalis, can you provide the link? I am just now looking the Lenovo US site wit configuration and the max is still 2920XM.
[Edit] OK, found it, the web special edition.

 

Hey, thx for the update...I'm looking to get a W520 in the near future and am very interested in getting the fastest chip possible. The 2960 numbers do appear to be a nice little boost upwards, too

Interestingly, I had taken another 'simulator' run through Lenovo.com to spec out a W520 within the last day or two and the 2960XM wasn't yet out there...

Btw, the upgraded procs were -only- available on the more expensive of the three starting configs Lenovo presents, when I just ran through the configurator.

Update: I didn't record exact numbers, but Lenovo's pretty proud of their new 2960XM proc, as it comes in somewhere in the ~$1000 range more than the 2920XM...certainly paying up for the extra mips, but it's worth it if you wanna max out your cpu.

 

oops; duplicate post...

 

I don't think that the performance gain of the extreme editions in laptops are justifiable (or "worth it"), period. For the amount of money you put into it, you can assemble a desktop with better specs (and probably ~130% as fast) and just use that when you are at a desk, and use something that is ~90% as fast when you are not at your desk.

 

^ True if you are just looking for raw value. However, if you want a laptop w/max cpu horsepower, these incremental improvements are worth the added cost.

In my case, I want to stay w/Lenovo laptops, but I need the most power I can get for some single threaded apps, so just having a quad core chip doesn't cut it. I want single core at max power and having four cores allows me to drive several of these single cpu apps. I also want a lot of ram for a ramdrive, so I have to go with Lenovo quad core laptops, as those are the only ones that have four functional memory slots. And now that 8G memory sticks are affordable, I'll be able to have gobs of memory, too.

I currently have three 8G sticks stockpiled(can't use 'em on my existing W700, but got 'em cheap in advance) and since I have to order a W520 with some kind of starter memory, I'll go as cheaply as possible there(4G or 8G) and shove in these three sticks + the Lenovo stick to get me up around 28G or so...very nice...

 

I'm having an issue with google talk/nvidia optimus on my w520. Gtalk is apparently giving optimus a reason to activate the discrete gpu. I'd prefer to not switch to another chat client.

Anyone else having this issue?

 

Have you tried forcing it to use the integrated graphics in the Nvidia control panel?

 

Frys currently has a deal for a Kingston 128GB SSD (SV100S2N) for $125 after rebate. Does anyone have experience with this drive? Would this be a good option to replace the original drive (320GB) that was shipped in my W520?

Also, if I'm happy to stick with this single drive, am I correct in thinking that I could keep my optical drive in place (i.e. I don't need to get the ultrabay adapter?)

I'd search the forum for the answer, but by the time I find it, I'm afraid that the deal will be gone.

Thanks,
-- The Wren

 

is this drive going to be big enough for your needs? there have been problems with this drive, you can google it, so I would be cautious until all the problems have been resolved.

 

Kingston is OK but nothing really special, especially for $1 per GB. I personally would buy something like Crucial M4 (Sata-III) or something similar but those drives are about $1.5 per GB now. You can monitor sites like slickdeals.net - SSD deals are constantly there.

Oh - and I personally would stay away from OCZ - they have ton of reliability issues even if performance/price are very good

Speaking about SSD in general - yes, you can replace original HDD without any problems and keep optical drive in place. One small thing to keep in mind - Lenovo is using slim 2.5" drives there - regular 2.5" SSD would not fit in case if you use hdd candy. It fits without it - and generally it's ok because it does not need to be shock-proof, only problem that connector itself is a little bit loose - you have to use either scotch tape or some padding material to make sure that drive does not move when you carry laptop around. Again, not a big deal.

In case, if you need more than 128Gb you can consider adding mSata SSD keeping original HDD in place. But in most part of the cases 128Gb should be enough.

 

Yeah, you can keep the optical bay if you want. I recently posted instructions in another thread, if you want to see below:

 

Yes, both the program and the plugin.

I might just have to switch to trillian.

 

Anyone got a trick to get the pc out of 800mhz ? I have the issue sometimes and then the computer is damm slow! Unless there have been a new bios the last 3-4 weeks?

 

What version are you running right now? A new BIOS came out recently... 1.32. Even with the BIOS update there are some issues with running the W520's discrete graphics and CPU at "full speed."

 

StorageReview.com just published this yesterday:
Lenovo ThinkPad W520 Upgrade Guide | StorageReview.com

 

Yes, use AC power.

 

I'm having a little hard time to adapt the W520 screen but can't figure out why... Is it screen brightness? Resolution? Am i too close? Too far? Since it's 1920*1080, you can't be too far from the screen, but being stuck might hurt eyes for some reasons?

Of course you can make everything bigger using windows settings, but it doesn't look great after. Please tell me, which light settings you use indoor without daylight?

 

1920x1080 at 125% DPI when using the W520 LCD. I nearly always have the brightness set at 13. 14 in really bright indoor settings. Almost never on full blast 15.

 

4-8 indoors

Wave your hands in front of the screen (at your usual brightness, not max). Do you see it strobe?

 

Not sure what you mean by strobe but yeah... Less and less when putting up brightness, right? I'm on 115% ATM, isn't 125% a bit too much..? By the way, speakers are so crappy if mine doesn't have a problem? Music plays and sound goes up and down like frequency cut...

Funny... I put back Windows default drivers instead of Connextant HD and sound is ok now... Webcam official driver = same > It makes the Lenovo communication app crash, while Windows default driver are fine! Lenovo made really crappy job with drivers...

Would that be possible to turn off the pop up when you turn on or off the wireless switch?

 

Just ran across this post and had to comment. Those scores are of a M18x w/580M SLI being throttled by Dell vBIOS that are no longer being offered by Dell. Since the beginning of last month Dell has put out Bios Version:70.24.2B.00.06 that clowns those scores.

If you want to still compare start reading here---> http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...xm-2960xm-cpu-overclocking-discussion-61.html

Take a look at johnksss scores in his sig.