Lenovo Y470 and Y570 Official Owners Thread

Finally received my Y470 today!
Will repost with opinions, so far the laptop is great...one problem though.
I am having issues connecting to my wireless router. Another of my laptops connects just fine but for some reason cannot connect the 470 to it. Other than that though the build quality of the laptop is great.

 

Thanks HauntedForest, that really helps. I think that I may be ordering one tonight. I only have to decide between the Y470 and the Y570 now. I like the bigger screen and better graphics card for gaming, but I like the centered touchpad and lack of numeric keypad for typing. Also, I wonder if the 14" model would be a little sturdier. I know you wouldn't be able to compare, but someone else just posted about a Y470 and mentioned how well-built it was. Got me wondering.

Luckily, I managed to get my hands on a PDF of the Y470/Y570 manual, so I knew about the Optimus switch. I would have told you about it, but it didn't occur to me that that was the problem you were having. It didn't occur to me either that there would be a physical switch for Optimus, before I saw it in the manual, so I understand your momentary confusion.

Enjoy your new lappy!

 

Congrats on your new laptop! Have you tried the Super Silent Mode? Another poster said the laptop's pretty quiet anyway, but I'm still curious since I need something that's quiet for word processing and the like.

Your comment on the great build quality is really good to hear. I was going to order a Y570, but now I'm wondering if the Y470 is more sturdy. I realize that 14" models are usually less flexible than 15.6" models, but I'm wondering how much difference there really is, if any. Not that you can compare. Just thinking out loud.

I like the bigger screen and more-powerful graphics card of the Y570 for gaming, but I also prefer the centered touchpad and lack of numeric keypad on the Y470. I don't know if extra sturdiness on the part of the Y470 would tip things in favor of that choice, but it's got me thinking.

The 555M manages about 10% better graphics performance than the 550M. That's really what has me leaning in favor of the Y570. Maybe I'm placing too much emphasis on that 10%, who knows. It might start coming in handy as more DirectX 11 games come out. Decisions, decisions.

Anyway, enjoy your new laptop. I look forward to any further comments you may make.

 

Hi,

I'm still haven't got my Y570 yet and just wondering if the GPU switch turns off the NVIDIA GPU completely or does it just turn on/off Optimus?

Example:

Turn switch off = HD3000 alone (no NVIDIA regarless of video/games/application) or HD3000 with Optimus (with NVIDIA Optimus and uses NVIDIA GPU depending on video/games/application)

Turn switch on = NVIDIA alone (no HD3000 and Optimus) or NVIDIA with Optimus (with NVIDIA Optimus and uses NVIDIA GPU depending on video/games/application)

Can someone clear this up?

Thanks,

 

The manual says that turning the switch on enables Optimus, which will then decide which programs it uses the GPU for and which ones it won't use it for. Also, there's an NVIDIA control panel where you can make the GPU active for specific programs.

Beyond that, it doesn't indicate if the switch being off means all HD3000 or all GPU, but it would make sense that it would probably be all HD3000, considering that they call the switch the 'gpu switch' rather than the 'optimus switch'.

On the other hand, the description of the 'gpu switch' describes it as switching optimus on and off, not sitching the GPU on and off. I suspect that whoever wrote the manual wasn't seeing the distinction and that the switch disables the GPU, but don't quote me... I don't know what was going through the engineers' minds or the manual author's mind.

On the other other hand, if the switch just shut off the GPU, then wouldn't that be an even better guarantee of long battery life? Perhaps it can be used that way.

Anyway, at least I answered half of your question definitely.

The other half will have to wait for one of the few people that already have a Y470 or Y570.

 

So if this is the case for the GPU swtich then turning off Optimus in the NVIDIA control panel maybe the best option because this makes it all HD3000 when off and all NVIDIA (not Optimus caused turn off in NCP) when turned on thus not having to deal with NVIDIA's dodgy Optimus (broken Automatic).

Question:

Anyone have the 500GB 7200 RPM model confirm the make and model or the 7200 RPM hard drive?

Anyone with a i7/i5/i3 confirm the battery size for each 4800Mah 44Wh/6600Mah 62Wh?

Also what is the model for the included Intel WiFi card?

Thanks,


NEW BIOS 25 for the Y570:

Lenovo Ideapad Support & downloads - Drivers & Downloads

Fixed the problem of AUO panel slight flickering after adjusting brightness to lowest level.
Fixed the problem of Fn+F6 no function by upgrading BIOS and Touchpad driver on the machine produced before 2011/4/25 (included)

 

My Y570 shipped with that version of the Bios already installed.

 

I just purchased a Y470 on-line last night after much angst as to whether to get my first 15.6" machine. The bigger screens looked much bigger to me when I compared size profiles at Best Buy - but funny, they didn't seem so different when I measured out the difference against my current screen at home. Go Figure. Anyway, the I-5 model 085523U Y470 ($663.92) turned out to be $200 cheaper than the I-5 086226U Y570 ($859.28). The clincher or me was that the faster disk drive on the Y470.

Also, I had a minor last second panic attack when I was e-mailed last night about the sudden appearance of the Dell XPS15z! After looking at the reviews on-line though it appears to be a poorly executed macbook knock-off. Don't mean to be cruel but, I didn't see anything special. Thin and fragile is my guess.

What's up with the Lenovo marketing department anyway? There are suddenly lots of XPS15z reviews on-line onthe day of launch while I've yet to find a professional Y series Ideapad review!

One GPU question for all out there - and pardon my ignorance as I'm not much of a gamer (yet). I get that the Optimus capability on the Y470 isn't likely to be necessary for web surfing or multi-tasking (switch it off) but, its more for gaming (switch it on). What about video streaming? Does shifting from the HD3000 to the GPU matter in that instance?

Thanks. I'll leave some detailed impressions of my computer's build when it arrives if anyone is interested. Let me know as well if you have trouble finding the above pricing. I think the discount avenues are well known but, maybe not

 

Do you mind me asking how you get it so cheap? I'm looking at it now, and it's at $849 for the i5 Y470, is there a coupon out there? I searched, and couldn't find one.

Thanks!

 

So far I haven't tried the silent mode but in general use the laptop is very quiet.

 

I got quoted for a lower price, this is the Canadian high end model which was $1100/$1200 (I don't remember) for this configuration. I then got quoted for 25% off.

I was thinking about the Y570 but I can't afford the extra weight and size being a university student. I'm not too worried about the GFX card, because I have an external Radeon 5870 hooked up to my current laptop which I can just switch to the Y470 when gaming time comes.

 

Here's the link that I found. Good hunting! Let me know if you were successful and you can buy me a virtual margarita!

http://slickdeals.net/?sdtid=291314...002D67:&smid=882E5BEF01940B69A2DA45E4D3405DDB

 

FYI: If the link doesn't open properly, right click on it and copy the link and then paste it into a new window. You may come to a screen that says "start a new session" so, just click through and set up an account.

 

Hey Guys,

I am also looking to buy the y470 non blu-ray version with the following specs:

2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM Processor ( 2.00GHz 1333MHz 6MB )
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M 1GB
8 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz
14.0" HD Glare with integrated camera 1366x768
Industry Standard Touchpad
500GB 7200
DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
6 Cell Lithium-Ion
Intel 1000 BGN Wireless
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
One year warranty

The price comes to 859.42 before tax.

My question is if it is possible to get the rapid drive technology (where there is a small SSD included on which the OS is installed) on the y470?

If it is not possible, do any current owners know if it is possible to add an SSD on your own and how easy is it to do so?

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

good question

 

Maybe a Y470 SSD will come out eventually. The Lenovo rep told me that the actual SSD component is tiny so, in the way he described it, the 14" build should have plenty of room for it. Anyway, the real Lenovo innovation here is supposed to be not in the HD-SSD pairing but, in the proprietary software that decides how and when to constantly move data back and forth between the SSD and the HD seamlessly. So, I guess you'd have to figure out that part of the puzzle if you were to DYI the set up.

The lack of an offering now is likely just down to supply chain issues or Marketing strategy (model prioritization, keep the buzz alive over time,etc.). Looking at the price structure they've rolled out with the Y series, a Y470 SSD is likely only to be offered for a $300 bundled upcharge with the I-7.

 

The small SSD connects to the mini PCI express port on motherboard and the software for the rapid drive is on the lenovo site under drivers and downloads. Anybody know if something like this would work in the y470?

Newegg.com - Intel 310 Series (Soda Creek) SSDMAEMC040G2C1 mSATA 40GB mSATA (mini PCIe form factor) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - SSD

I'm assuming it can't be easy to access the mini PCI express port on the motherboard or even to get the rapid drive software to work correctly.

What you guys think?

 

Here's a pretty good unboxing video of the Y570 (European):

YouTube - ‪Lenovo Y570 HD Review Unboxing Part 1/3‬‏

 

Does anyone know if these laptops may suffer from the dreaded throttling issues out there?

 

None have been reported so far on the Y470/Y570. However, I do know the Acer 5830TG suffers from this issue but the 4830TG does from NotebookCheck's review.

 

Get $569 off Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 Laptop, Coupon Code, Best Deal, & Cheapest Price

Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 085524U Core i5-2410M , 4GB RAM, 750GB 5400RPM HDD, 1GB GeForce GT 550M, Blu-ray
$812.34 Shipped...

Dont want BluRay?

Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 085523U Core i5-2410M , 4GB RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, 1GB GeForce GT 550M
$726.74 Shipped..

not bad.. even cheaper if youre a student.

 

HauntedForest: You mentioned a GPU switch in this post. I just ordered the Y570 for my brother and would like to be able to flip it for him. Where is it?

 

Front, on the right. Should be silver.

 

anyone know of a battery test for the y470?

I am this close to buying it but i would like to know if this thing gets atleast 4+hours of battery with wifi, 50% brightness on intel gpu...

 

Thanks, +rep

 

unkk33,

Thanks for posting that coupon.

I ordered a Y470 two days ago, so I'm going to see if they can apply it or canc my order.

I plan on getting the config with i7 and 8GB. Should definitely be an upgrade over my Y460, which I plan on giving to my gf.

 

That's odd, it's actually slightly more expensive in the student store with the same coupon code.

 

Ok, how are you getting it at this price? I would really consider this laptop if i can get all that for this price lol

Also, what is the battery life and weight on y470?

 

create an account at this site: Lenovo - Barnes and Noble Gold

then at the lenovo page pick whatever you want to buy and configure it.

Then use coupon: USXMAYSAVINGS2011 for extra savings. This is the price I get for the Y470: 859.42 before tax.

2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM Processor ( 2.00GHz 1333MHz 6MB )
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M 1GB
8 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz
14.0" HD Glare with integrated camera 1366x768
Industry Standard Touchpad
500GB 7200
DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
6 Cell Lithium-Ion
Intel 1000 BGN Wireless
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
One year warranty

 

4.85 lbs they say with a battery life of about 4 hours. That is what lenovo says. I have not tested the laptop. I'm still waiting to see if they offer the rapid drive hard drive (SSD/HDD combo) before I buy it.

 

Isn't the current coupon posted above by unkk33 a better deal, or am I missing something?

 

Thanks, been debating between a few laptops, this one seemed very nice.. was also considering the sony ca with the 6630, claims 5-6hrs of battery life though.

 

Nekro, I just tried what sun said and seems like a much better price especially if you want the i7 + 8gb ram

Anyone know what the temperatures are like for this laptop and how it may compare to the sony ca 899?

 

Ahh, ok I see. Do you need to be a student, or have a student e-mail address that is? I see "Welcome students, faculty, staff" at the top of the page.

 

I don't think you have to be a student. You can make an account with any email. Not sure if they ask something at checkout.

 

Anyone else waiting for the rapid drive technology with boot times of under 10 seconds? Check out this video.

YouTube - ‪IdeaPad Y Series laptops with RapidDrive technology‬‏

 

not sure if it would be worth it really imo.. to save 10 seconds on bootup and some other minor stuff? I am sure there will be not super cheap to offer this.

 

Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 085523U Core i5-2410M , 4GB RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, 1GB GeForce GT 550M

Estimated total: $710.39*

I think i am a going to buy this bad boy.. you cant really find anything like this at this price point am i right?


**Oh and i just spoke with a lenovo chat rep. She said that it is possible for a user to upgrade the Rapid Drive themselves however it will void all warranty. So thats good news if youre only buying a 1 year warranty laptop.

 

That's about the best it gets for that config... Mine is the same thing but i7 and 8GB RAM, USB 3.0 and it's $850

 

Hey, is that through the coupon you posted, or the Barnes & Noble student site thing?

 

yes except i used the other coupon suns posted. Thank you Suns..

create an account at Barnes and Noble Gold


Then use coupon: USXMAYSAVINGS2011 for extra savings.

2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2410M Processor ( 2.30GHz 1333MHz 3MB )
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M 1GB
4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz
14.0" HD Glare with integrated camera 1366x768
Industry Standard Touchpad
500GB 7200
DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
6 Cell Lithium-Ion
Intel 1000 BGN Wireless
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
One year warranty

710.39$ Shipped for me... (Free Shipping & 7% Tax NJ)
Best u can get for the price. USB 3.0, ESATA, Great speakers + GPU

 

Tight, about to pull the trigger myself. Come back by and post your first impressions when you get time, congrats!

 

thanks.. i really hope that the battery is more than 4hours. Some people said that on their y460p its rated at 4 hours and they get about 5.5 hours..

Also anyone know whether the RAM is 1 DIMM or 2 DIMM running in dual channel? i would definitly like to upgrade the ram in the future to 6+GB

 

That sounds about right. My Y470 depending on what I'm doing can last up to 5.5 hours have yet to see it go any longer than that.

 

No problem. Glad to help.

unkk33- any details on what the sales rep told you about doing the rapid drive on your own? how would you go about doing it? is it as easy as downloading drivers from lenovo site and configuring them some how?

 

I have a friend who has a Y460... he says the battery lasts 1 hour when gaming.

 

good thing im not a gamer haha

 

Hold On Hold On. I posted the Barnes & Noble Gold discount link a couple of days ago when I pulled the trigger and bought the Y470 i-5 myself. Looks like you don't need to do that anymore. The regular Shop Lenovo site is offering the computer now to everyone at $679.20! if you use the following coupon code: USPLENOVO526 You'll see the coupon offered at checkout anyway. The one same model but w/ BlueRay and the slower HD is $100 more.

Here's a quick link to the Shop Lenovo Y470 site. The above coupon likely works on the Y570 too. They must really be trying to get these sold before they close the books on the second quarter results!


http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=DDF9ECA3EE7295319F81388519B2B09A&cid=us|seooso|dl|covario|lenovo_oso|1

 

using the barnes and noble got me an extra 15$ off.. so it worked out for me

 

Does anyone know if the Y470 and Y570 take the same battery as the Y460 and Y570?