Need to Make a Decision on W520

Lenovo's having a sale this weekend; 15% off on W520s, so I'd like to make my purchase while they're still having this sale. I need a laptop for music, photo, and video editing in addition to 3D/animation design. I need to be able to run the majority of Autodesk and Adobe software on my laptop. Right now I'm working at an entry level with the intent of eventually working at a professional level. I don't want to spend extra money on features that I won't grown into before I have to replace the laptop. Will the following configuration be suitable for my needs for the lifetime of this laptop? Do I need to make any upgrades or downgrade anything that I won't use until I'm proficient in what I'm doing?

Intel Core i7-2760QM Processor (2.40GHz, 6M Cache with Turbo Boost up to 3.50GHz)
15.6" FHD (1920x1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare display
NVIDIA Quadro 2000M Optimus Graphics technology (2GB)
Colour sensor
8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Intel 160GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA

I've waited a month or two for the 15% discount as I missed out on it the last time. Will Lenovo have any better deals coming up that I should hold out for? I don't really want to wait any longer, but I'm cheap...

 

How much is the configuration? I personally would downgrade the memory and SSD into cheaper options.

 

Call up their sales dept and get a quote (quotes are good for 14 days). Then, keep tabs on the price between now and the end of your quote's expiration.

If the price goes down between now and when the W530 is released, get a new quote. If the price goes up, you still have your old quote.

 

$2,000 with the 15% descount. I'll recheck, but I think some of the software I'd like to run requires 8GB memory. I was debating the SSD...

Oh gee. I decided a few months ago that I wanted a W520. I've just been waiting for it to go on sale. I don't keep up with the latest news in technology. Needless to say I didn't even realize Lenovo was coming out with the W530. I was glad to have finally made a decision on a laptop and now this! Is the W530 going to be significantly different than the W520? Do I need to wait even longer to see how others like the W530 and then make a decision?

Though I don't want to, I'm going to have to do some more research. I didn't even think to call for a quote. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

SSDs are nice, unbelievable how much of a difference it made for me. I still have my old Core 2 Duo laptop and it runs really fast. The only reason I'm upgrading is for some virtualization & graphics horsepower.

Here's a quick breakdown of the W530 vs the W520:

• W530 will have Intel's latest gen processors (Ivy Bridge). Looking at a 20-25% speed boost, MUCH better integrated graphics, USB 3.0 on the processor itself (no additional chipsets), and better battery life
• W530 will have the same chassis as the W520 so no size differences there
• W530 has the chiclet keyboard (with optional backlight) which has been controversial to say the least but I don't mind it
• W530 will NOT have an eSATA port
• The W530 dedicated graphics are expected to be Kepler-based (W520 has Fermi-based Nvidia graphics) but details on that are tough to come by.
• W530 starting price is expected to be around $1,530 at launch

NOTE: Microsoft is likely going to offer $15 upgrades to Windows 8 Pro for people that buy new laptops AFTER June 2nd. Get a quote for the W520 now if you're not sold on the W530 and then purchase it once the official Microsoft announcement is released (as long as it's not after the 14-day quote period)

 

You should not be paying more than like $1500 for that.

 

Aftermarket upgrades are much cheaper and can be done in minutes.

The W530 will be substantially more expensive than the W520 when it comes out. While the OP might utilize the extra power, I'm not convinced the difference is that significant that it warrants the cost. Then again, I would suggest the OP fill out the FAQ so we can know the budget, timeframe of purchase, warranty details, etc.

Agreed.

 

OP,
I'm new to the forums but have been lingering around the IBM/Lenovo forums for some time now. I recently purchased a W520, model 4270-CTO, with the following specs...

Code:

1ea 4270CTO	ThinkPad W520 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty 
 
 
Processor	
 
Intel Core i7-2760QM Processor (2.40GHz, 6M Cache with Turbo Boost up to 3.50GHz)
 
Operating system		Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
 
Operating system language		Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 - English
 
Display type		15.6" FHD (1920x1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare display, with Wireless WAN Antenna
 
System graphics		NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Optimus Graphics technology (2GB)
 
Total memory		8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
 
Keyboard		         Keyboard - US English
 
Pointing device		UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) Fingerprint Reader
 
Camera		         720p HD Camera with Microphone
 
Storage subsystem		Internal RAID - Not Enabled
 
Hard drive		500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
 
Battery		9 Cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery
 
Power cord		170W Slim AC Adapter - North America, Latin America (2pin)
 
Bluetooth		Broadcom Bluetooth 3.0 with antenna
 
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters		Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
 
Language pack		Publication - US English
 
55Y1804	 Computrace LoJack for Laptops Standard 1 Year license		

 
43R9113	 ThinkPad Basic Case		
 
51J0477	 ThinkPad 15W Case Sleeve

After having taken the W520 on several work trips I underestimated the size of the W520 and as silly as this sounds, I'm not going to keep the laptop. My T420 does just fine and I'm going to sell the W520. The W520 is a beast and was tearing through all my VM's and Photoshop madness. My ONLY complaint is the size, otherwise the laptop is fantastic.

If you're interested, let me know via PM. For reference, my eBay user account is sjrttrb3380.

--Sanza

 

Interesting you mention the size Sanza, I've been wondering if it might be too big for me (also will be travelling with it). I do like that screen though

 

Webo, It's not THAT big, but it's just big enough where it's very awkward on your lap or on the fold-out tray on a plane. Sitting side by side to my T420, both laptops are the same height while open but the W520 looks much larger while closed. Don't forget that the 170W power-brick is almost the size of a brick. Maybe it was the 9-cell battery and overall width of the W520 that put it over for me too. Oh well, gonna try to push this T420 for some time to come!

Forgot to mention...The FHD screen is VERY nice on the W520! Best mobile screen I've used to date.

 

BTW, you have PMs blocked on your account.

 

It's the lightest workstation in its class.

 

I have no problem hauling the W520 in between classes using my bookbag. Works well in class as well. 5.95lbs isn't very heavy at all, though the power brick is pretty much a literal brick (though with a 9-cell, you usually don't need to bring that thing with you anyway).

 

I'd recommend that you should upgrade the RAM and HDD yourself, it saves money and the warranty remains unaffected.

When I used the Mastercard Marketplace ( here), I looked up the pricing for the following config (with the MEMORIAL day code).

Code:

Intel Core i7-2760QM Processor (2.40GHz, 6M Cache with Turbo Boost up to 3.50GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
15.6" FHD (1920x1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare display
NVIDIA Quadro 2000M Optimus Graphics technology (2GB)
4 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) Fingerprint Reader, Smart Card Reader
320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable
Lithium Ion 9-cell Battery
Bluetooth 3.0 wireless
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN
Mobile Broadband ready (no mobile broadband module)
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty

For a total of $1,378.30, after applying their holiday promotion code.

The RAM can be upgraded up to 32GB, you can choose between purchasing of these 2x8GB RAM sticks (each $99 w/ FS here). The motherboard only supports up to 4 sticks (4 DIMMs). Please be sure to burn a Memtest86++ ( here) and run a few passes through the new RAM to check if its faulty (ask for a DOA if you do have any issues).

 

BTW - My boss has a W520 and when flying in Business Class, if he plugs in it trips the Circuit Breaker....

 

It sucks up a lot of power - it won't even run on supplies with less power.

 

That's assuming that you never turn your W520 off, it'll charge with a 90W adapter when the computer is not on.

 

I'm well aware since I left my charger in Canada recently and had to borrow a 90W from Best Buy. If you run anything that requires CPU or GPU power, your battery gets drained quickly. It gets annoying really fast since it takes a few hours to charge.