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    Lenovo W520 vs MBP 15" 2011

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by memphistre, Jul 10, 2015.

  1. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    I am in the market for somewhat of a budget laptop with quad-core capabilities. I do a heavy amount of work in windows as an admin at a windows shop, but tend to do development/minor graphics work as well (Visual Studio based, but also python and web stacks, Photoshop). Having access to bash via OSX is an awesome feature - and I also want to get more familiar with OSX as it has been years since owning a mac.

    Also, I've heard a lot of good things about bootcamp and parallels, etc., but I am not sure how viable this actually is in a major windows environment. In either case, VMWare useage is a must.

    I've nailed it down to pretty much two models, a Lenovo w520 and MBP 15" 2011 (it has swappable ram, which I plan to upgrade).

    Gaming isn't also of a big deal, since I have a desktop built for it; but playing some modern games would be nice (maybe civ5 or dota). Not really a necessity, but a cool bonus, I guess.

    The specs on each:

    W520 (~$450):
    Intel Core i7-2760QM 2.4GHz
    Powerful quad core cpu
    RAM 8GB DDR3 Memory
    Supports up to 32GB max
    Display 15.6" HD+ Widescreen LCD
    (1600x900 max res)
    Storage 160GB solid state drive
    Optical DVDRW
    Video Card NVIDIA Quadro 1000M
    2GB of dedicated video memory
    Audio Integrated audio

    W520 #2 ($~700)
    Processor Intel Core i7-2860QM Quad Core Processor (8mb cache, upto 3.6 Ghz.)
    Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Professional, 64bit- English (Genuine factory install with restore partition intact)
    Total Memory 8 GB SDRAM SODIMM Memory
    Hard Drive 240 GB SSD HD (Intel 520 Series SSD) Uprgraded after factory.
    Display 15.6" HD 1920x1080 LED, with Camera
    Graphics 2 GB Nvidia Quadro 2000m Dedicated Graphics card
    Optical Device Removable internal DVDRW


    Note here: I like the idea of having an extra caddy for an HDD, the lower price leaves more room for upgrading ram or ssd, etc. Durability seems impeccable and self-upgrading capabilities is great!


    2011 Macbook (~$600):
    2.2 GHZ Intel Core i7 Quad-Core Processor
    4GB DDR3 Memory (supports up to 16)
    500GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM
    Intel HD Graphics 3000 384MB + AMD Radeon 6750M 1GB Dual Graphics
    Hi-Resolution 1680 x 1050 LCD Display
    OEM DVD Burner

    Note: Access to *nix and both os'es and swayed by nice design/reputation. Lack of linux support (and needing additional adapters) kind of sucks, but I can deal with this. Price leaves less room for upgrading, but I'll deal with it if this seems to be a good deal. Durability not as good, but weighs less for better portability? I've also heard of MBP running extremely hot?
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2015
    memphistre, Jul 10, 2015
    #1
  2. djembe

    djembe drum while you work

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    If the OSX environment is a priority for you, then you can only get that with the Macbook. If that OS isn't that big of a deal, then I'd advise getting the 2nd W520 configuration. Its better screen, graphics, and SSD capacity justify its higher cost, and the better screen and graphics are items that cannot be upgraded post-purchase (the screen is out of production and pretty much no longer sold unless you get lucky, and the graphics card is attached to the mainboard)

    A W520 definitely will have superior cooling and superior sustained power compared to a Macbook, not to mention the durability increase. And the ability to upgrade to 32GB RAM is very helpful when running multiple VMs simultaneously.
     
    djembe, Jul 10, 2015
    #2
  3. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    Agreed with the second W520 being the most viable option. If you find it too warm for your liking under load, you can upgrade the heatsink with the one found on models that sport a 55W CPU. The FHD panel found in this one - as djembe stated in his own words - is *vastly* superior to the other two as well.

    ThinkPads have historically maintained an excellent *nix support. You shouldn't have any problem running any remotely mainstream distro OOTB.

    W520 will also provide you with an option - if you need it - of having three storage drives which Mac won't.

    Happy shopping.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 10, 2015
    #3
  4. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    Another vote for the second W520 option, if only because the 900p Thinkpad displays are subpar compared to the 1080p display, at least with my experiences with my 1080p W520 vs a review-unit 900p W530 (same display choices at the W520).

    If OSX is the main OS you'll use (it doesn't sound like it), you're leaving yourself with little choice outside of Apple's hardware; that said, you can always run OSX in a virtual machine on top of Winodws/Linux/whatever if you want to. Weight is an overrated complaint as far as I've experienced, and even if it were a real concern the weight difference between a W520 and a 2011 MBP is trivial at worst; personally I wouldn't give up druability for a few ounces.

    Linux support in Thinkpads is excellent, and I've had no issues running various versions of Debian, Mint, or Ubuntu on my W520. The 1080p display is of a much higher quality than comparable MBPs of the era (or even modern ones), especially comparing my laptop to those of various OSx-using peers.
     
    Jarhead, Jul 21, 2015
    #4
  5. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I would never recommend a W520. It has a flawed video chipset implementation. If you have no need for more than two external screens it is ok, but trying to go to number three is impossible. A W530 is a better choice for multimon.
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jul 21, 2015
    #5
  6. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    W530 was never mentioned as an option in the first place...for the reasons that OP knows but we likely never will, since they've disappeared from the forum after this post...
     
    ajkula66, Jul 21, 2015
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  7. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Multimonitor is a nice feature - and definitely something to consider, but will I be using more than 3? Probably not.
     
    memphistre, Jul 25, 2015
    #7
  8. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    I wouldn't mind the option of having OSX due to built-in terminal features, but I do not currently run into OS X much other than using Safari for browser testing. I've also heard good things about the performance and longevity (not including durability) of MBPs - and the ability to run Windows in bootcamp w/ multitasking being a supposed breeze. However, most - if not all - of my work is done in Windows and a Linux VM.

    I've looked at this one for instance because it is one of the last models that has upgrade-able ram slots:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBo...16GB-RAM-i7-/271939352239?hash=item3f50d936af

    I've narrowed it down to the ThinkPad series, but I'm not sure which one will fit my needs, given my current budget.
     
    memphistre, Jul 25, 2015
    #8
  9. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    Well, between the W520s, the 1080p version is the only one worth buying.
     
    Jarhead, Jul 25, 2015
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  10. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Thanks, how much of an improvement would the t440s, t440p or w530 be over the w520? Worth the extra $$?
     
    memphistre, Jul 25, 2015
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  11. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    The W530 is more or less the same computer, with minor differences thanks to the slightly-newer CPU/GPU/etc (nothing noticeable though); the only "major" differences would be the keyboard and the fact that (starting with the --30 series) Lenovo's batteries have chips in them that prevent the user from buying/using 3rd-party batteries (you can use whatever you want in the --20 and earlier).

    As for the T440s, it's smaller/lighter than the W520, isn't as powerful hardware-wise, and might have better battery life. T440p is somewhere between the T440s/W520 in terms of weight, and isn't as powerful as the W520's hardware.
     
    Jarhead, Jul 25, 2015
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  12. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Great info, I think I will go with the 520 unless the price on the 540 will go down in a few months/relatively soon.
     
    memphistre, Jul 25, 2015
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  13. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    memphistre, Jul 25, 2015
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  14. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    outside of the durability of a thinkpad
     
    memphistre, Jul 25, 2015
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  15. jedisurfer1

    jedisurfer1 Notebook Deity

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    I've owned a w540 and a number of w520. For my type of work the w540 was not faster. Virtual machine type of work saw no improvement,

    w540 keyboard is meh, the touchpad is worse, the off center keyboard is also not so great. Also had some issues with optimus on the w540. Battery life is not much better.

    w520 has a better keyboard, similar performance, decent trackpad, physical mouse buttons price/performance/ergonomics is infinitely better.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2015
    jedisurfer1, Jul 26, 2015
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  16. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    How does this fare for $450?
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/231631388700?_trksid=p2055359.m2763.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

    Best bang for buck?
     
    memphistre, Jul 26, 2015
    #16
  17. jedisurfer1

    jedisurfer1 Notebook Deity

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    jedisurfer1, Jul 26, 2015
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  18. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    What do you mean by getting a 1080p screen? Do you mean as in another monitor - or a w520 with better resolution?
     
    memphistre, Jul 26, 2015
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  19. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    This. W520 with 1920x1080 FHD LCD.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 26, 2015
    #19
  20. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    I will have to look into it some more, but the w520's with 1920x1080 seem to jump in price as opposed to the 450 for the one I linked (with a 1600 reso); is it really worth the money? I feel like for 550 or 600+, I could be looking at newer modeled laptops? Just a thought.

    Currently, I do my mobile work on a 1366 display, so I feel it will be a great upgrade regardless. Still though, I want to find the best bang for my buck - and keep it as 'future-proof' as possible. Even though that is probably not possible.
     
    memphistre, Jul 26, 2015
    #20
  21. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    Definitely.

    Those laptops are unlikely to have a comparable screen, or workstation build. Newer is not always better.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 26, 2015
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  22. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    There is also the case of having to upgrade the ram as well, which I am ok with, but just adds to the cost. Now I'm a bit back at square one with trying to justify $450 vs $600. :(
     
    memphistre, Jul 26, 2015
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  23. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    How much RAM do you believe that you need?
     
    ajkula66, Jul 26, 2015
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  24. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    I think I can get away with 8, but 16 is ideal due to my VM usage, etc. I currently use 16 on my desktop workstation and am leaning towards something akin to that (granted I realize I won't match exact performance in any way).
     
    memphistre, Jul 26, 2015
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  25. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
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  26. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
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  27. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    Nope.

    All 4-slot W5*0 systems support 32GB.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
    #27
  28. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Hmm will have to keep looking into it some more. How do the Ideapad Y series hold up against the w520? I understand that one is a mobile workstation
     
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
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  29. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Seems like that one is a dual core?
     
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
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  30. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Last edited: Jul 27, 2015
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
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  31. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    Nope. QC.

    http://ark.intel.com/products/50067/Intel-Core-i7-2720QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz

    None of the IdeaPads are workstations. They are consumer-grade units, although some of them are quite nice within that range.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
    #31
  32. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    When compared to what???

    No clue. It's an ASUS, so it's a consumer-grade laptop, and that's where my interest in it dies.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
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  33. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
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  34. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    Well, I'd rather be upgrading the RAM than the screen, but that's me. From a financial standpoint, it's about the same - presuming you could locate a FHD panel to begin with since the AUO v.4 that was used in W510/20/30 has been discontinued for quite some time - but it definitely takes more time to swap the panel than to upgrade the RAM.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
    #34
  35. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #35
  36. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
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  37. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #37
  38. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    That picture also states that the system in question is Dell, so I'd message the seller and ask specifically about the CPU. Mistakes happen.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
    #38
  39. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Heh, two threads seem to be going here - should probably stick to just one. Ran across some T series ones I really like too, but lack of ded gpu and 1080p? Doesn't seem like I can find a quad version either. The hunt for a dealbreaking w520 is on :(
     
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #39
  40. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    T 510/20/30 series did come with FHD panel, but these are fairly rare. Some of them have switchable graphics and QC CPUs as well. However, all of them have only 2 RAM slots.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
    #40
  41. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Are any of the X series worth looking into?
     
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #41
  42. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    Not for your intended purposes.
     
    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
    #42
  43. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Thanks, I'm assuming the same thing with the E series. W series w/ 1920 does seem to fit the bill though. IPS would be a bonus, but I don't even own a desktop IPS so I'm not too concerned.
     
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #43
  44. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Last edited: Jul 27, 2015
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #44
  45. djembe

    djembe drum while you work

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    It's always worth it to get the best graphics available, in my opinion.
     
    djembe, Jul 27, 2015
    #45
  46. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Last edited: Jul 27, 2015
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #46
  47. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    ajkula66, Jul 27, 2015
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  48. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Yeah noticed that as well - back to searching outside of the T series for now.
     
    memphistre, Jul 27, 2015
    #48
  49. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    Last edited: Jul 28, 2015
    memphistre, Jul 28, 2015
    #49
  50. memphistre

    memphistre Notebook Geek

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    memphistre, Jul 28, 2015
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