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    New Thinkpad W550s

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by driveromw, Dec 2, 2014.

  1. driveromw

    driveromw Notebook Enthusiast

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    driveromw, Dec 2, 2014
    #1
  2. driveromw

    driveromw Notebook Enthusiast

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    driveromw, Dec 2, 2014
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  3. Incontro

    Incontro Notebook Evangelist

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    If this thing had packed a quad core, then it would have been a winner.
     
    Incontro, Dec 2, 2014
    #3
  4. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    At least it's got buttons.
     
    ZaZ, Dec 2, 2014
    #4
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  5. TSGarp99

    TSGarp99 Newbie

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    Here, here to the buttons. No way I'm buying a Thinkpad until the 2015 refresh.
     
    TSGarp99, Dec 2, 2014
    #5
  6. oct

    oct Notebook Evangelist

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    I was hoping they will offer centered keyboard too... since they're #1 they coudl easily have 2 variants...
     
    oct, Dec 2, 2014
    #6
  7. iphetamine

    iphetamine Notebook Evangelist

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    hmm, good the buttons are back, but if the specs are not very powerful on the W series, I wonder what the specs will be like on the T series (assuming they're usually weaker..)?
     
    iphetamine, Dec 2, 2014
    #7
  8. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    Any idea if the new clickpad will be retrofittable to the previous gen? If it is, I'd consider getting an X240 if it goes on a fire sale before the X250 is released, and then just replace the clickpad.

    Edit: Looks like the clickpad is integrated into the palm rest, which seems to cost ~$50 on ebay. It seems like it would probably be doable if the dimensions don't change, so I may take the risk if it drops to a sufficiently low price. Might take a while for the new palmrests to pop up on ebay though.
     
    Faruk, Dec 2, 2014
    #8
  9. livebriand

    livebriand Notebook Consultant

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    Hmm, interesting design for a workstation. Dual core CPU, no ODD that I can see (though maybe it was time for it to die off even there), 45/65W power adapter, and a USB Port fewer than before. Does anyone think they'll have a different W series with a quad CPU, or is Lenovo done with making machines that aren't ultrabook-like?
     
    livebriand, Dec 2, 2014
    #9
  10. Faruk

    Faruk Notebook Evangelist

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    Well this is the W550s, so I imagine there would also be a standard W550 with the quad-core CPU.
     
    Faruk, Dec 2, 2014
    #10
  11. iphetamine

    iphetamine Notebook Evangelist

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    I thought i'd be excited, but I guess I'll hold to my t420... :/
     
    iphetamine, Dec 2, 2014
    #11
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  12. driveromw

    driveromw Notebook Enthusiast

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    driveromw, Dec 2, 2014
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  13. pepper_john

    pepper_john Notebook Deity

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    pepper_john, Dec 2, 2014
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  14. driveromw

    driveromw Notebook Enthusiast

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    driveromw, Dec 2, 2014
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  15. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I seem to recall people having throttling issues with the quad core M3800. Either they jam the quad core in there and it overheats, causing throttling and a noisy fan or they go with the dual core, which offers smoother performance if not the oomph. Pick your poison on that one. Personally, I'd be interested in a T550s with 3K LCD, but it'll have to wait until the Dell isn't cutting it.
     
    ZaZ, Dec 3, 2014
    #15
  16. iphetamine

    iphetamine Notebook Evangelist

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    and that would be a dual core i guess?
     
    iphetamine, Dec 3, 2014
    #16
  17. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Is there another choice? I would guess the level of engineering isn't quite there for a quad core to run smoothly.
     
    ZaZ, Dec 3, 2014
    #17
  18. 600X

    600X Endless bus ride

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    Perhaps a 37W quad core might be a wise choice. I don't understand why hardly any manufacturer ever chooses those.
     
    600X, Dec 4, 2014
    #18
  19. fb1996

    fb1996 Notebook Geek

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    Will there be Broadwell 37W Quadcores?
     
    fb1996, Dec 4, 2014
    #19
  20. ibmthink

    ibmthink Notebookcheck Deity

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    Not until mid 2015...
     
    ibmthink, Dec 4, 2014
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  21. fb1996

    fb1996 Notebook Geek

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    I think that's one of the main reasons why they don't use them.
     
    fb1996, Dec 4, 2014
    #21
  22. 600X

    600X Endless bus ride

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    I wasn't referring to Broadwell Quad Cores.
     
    600X, Dec 4, 2014
    #22
  23. hhhd1

    hhhd1 Notebook Consultant

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    Why call this 'W' series when it has low power processor and entry level graphics processor.

    What is going to be the difference between this and the 'S' series, and the 'T???s' series
     
    hhhd1, Dec 4, 2014
    #23
  24. 600X

    600X Endless bus ride

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    A CAD certified GPU.
     
    600X, Dec 5, 2014
    #24
  25. ibmthink

    ibmthink Notebookcheck Deity

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    In contrast to the T440s and the X240, this machine will have a much higher performance - since it has a dedicated GPU, the CPU can clock higher when both CPU & GPU are used.

    It also has a Dockingport (T440s with nVidia, which is not available in NA, doesn´t have one, only the Intel models), and it comes with 16 GB of RAM, no soldered RAM, instead of 12 GB maximum.

    So for an Ultrabook, you could consider this a "Workstation" - of course, performance wise, it will pale in comparison with a Quad-Core machine. But, thats why Lenovo offers different models for different types of users.

    Its still unclear which CPUs are used in here - could be the i7-5500U (15W), or the i7-5557U (28W) - and if the machine will be offered with Quad-Core later.
     
    ibmthink, Dec 5, 2014
    #25
  26. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    It's nice to see the buttons come back. I haven't had much issue with my T440s' clickpad, but I definitely still prefer the tactility of actual buttons versus the integrated solution. The W550s should also compete nicely with the thinner workstations from Dell/HP.
     
    MidnightSun, Dec 6, 2014
    #26
  27. livebriand

    livebriand Notebook Consultant

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    I still would've liked to see discrete touchpad buttons though. HP still has those on most of their business machines (I don't follow their consumer lines), and it's great.
     
    livebriand, Dec 6, 2014
    #27
  28. hhhd1

    hhhd1 Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks 600X & ibmthink for the info

    It would be nice though if this got a quadcore processor, with broadwell it should not be impossible, there were ~35w quadcores in Haswell's and IvyBridge Generations
     
    hhhd1, Dec 7, 2014
    #28
  29. jedisurfer1

    jedisurfer1 Notebook Deity

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    will these things support a single 16gb sodimm (I need 2x 16gb module capability)? I stupidly keep buying lighter notebooks but even 16gb ram isn't enough for a win7 virtual machine, win8.1, win10, ubuntu, osx, android vm, 2k8r2 sever and 2012 server. Right now I have to shut down a vm if I want to open some others. Love my w520 but I need something smaller with a qhd screen and the w540 is meh. Even willing to go to AMD if it runs vmware workstation or esx well.
     
    jedisurfer1, Dec 7, 2014
    #29
  30. hhhd1

    hhhd1 Notebook Consultant

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    This is off topic, but ..
    When you need more ram than you have for multiple vmware machines, just put a large pagefile/swap on an SSD, it doesn't perform as well as having real ram, but it is a close second.

    from experience, having 16 gb of pagefile, divided to 8gb on 2 different MLC SSDs, and I am monitoring SMART details often, rate of 'wear' have increased significantly, but still if the numbers are accurate, the SSDs still have 10+ years of life

    But since nothing beats real ram performance when multitasking between different large apps on different VMs quickly, I am trying to look for more ram on my next laptop too, but for now, it works. ;)
     
    hhhd1, Dec 7, 2014
    #30
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  31. ibmthink

    ibmthink Notebookcheck Deity

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    I don´t think so - 16 GB DDR3 SO-DIMMs are not supported with Haswell, and I don´t think Intel will change anything with Broadwell (but there is a slim chance of course). This might not happen until DDR4 and Skylake.
     
    ibmthink, Dec 7, 2014
    #31
  32. olakiril

    olakiril Notebook Guru

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    That is what I would have thought too but then I went from an W540 to an XPS 15. This is the same as M3800 with GT750, and there is very little throttling with <80 max temps (i7-4712HQ). I am getting steady 3.2gHz whereas with W540 (i7-4800MQ, a faster cpu in paper..) I would get max 2.8 after 2 minutes and almost half the time it would drop to 0.8!

    I don't know what Lenovo is doing. It should be possible to make not only a T550s, but a T440s with a quadcore and a gtx860m. Gigabyte has managed to do it with the P34Gv2 without heat problems so a company with so many experienced engineers such as Lenovo should be able to at least match it.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2014
    olakiril, Dec 10, 2014
    #32
  33. Incontro

    Incontro Notebook Evangelist

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    There is a 12W difference in TDP between the 4712HQ (35W) and 4800MQ (47W) in terms of TDP - which doesn't seem large at first, but makes a significant difference in heat output.

    But I still totally agree with your opinion on Lenovo's thermals - they don't seem to have any clue what they are doing these days. The W540 is a desktop replacement machine, there is absolutely no excuse for such heavy throttling in such a large chassis. Unfortunately less-than-perfect thermals don't only apply to the W540, but many other models, including my IdeaPad.
     
    Incontro, Dec 10, 2014
    #33
  34. olakiril

    olakiril Notebook Guru

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    There are many reasons for throttling. One is when the temperature is above the Tmax of the CPU which is ~100 degrees for these models.

    Another reason for throttling is current. This is typically related to stability of the CPU so it can be increased when overclocking or decrease to lower the energy consumption of the CPU.

    The most common throttling in laptop CPUs is thermal envelope related. So the CPU is throttled to match the designed TDP. In case of the i7-4712HQ is 37W but for short periods it can exceed that. Then the CPU clock is adjusted to match the TDP.

    So contrary to what would be expected from a "hotter" cpu such as the 4800MQ, the higher TDP should result in less throttling unless the temperature was very high. In my case on the W540 it never exceeded 80 degrees so I doubt that was the problem.

    Maybe Lenovo adjusted throttling so the whole system will remain cool, but unfortunately I didn't check the energy consumption in my tests.
     
    olakiril, Dec 10, 2014
    #34
  35. miku39

    miku39 Notebook Enthusiast

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    The weight is quite disappointing, I had expected 2 kg or less, similar to the competition.

    With just 250 gram more, one can get quad core and better cooling in w540.
    Is there a plan for even lighter T550s? 15" ultrabook with Thinkpad keyboard + Trackpoint?
    Toshiba has one at 1.8 kg, but the keyboard is questionable and Thinkpad 3k screen is superior.
     
    miku39, Dec 11, 2014
    #35
  36. MikesDell

    MikesDell Notebook Evangelist

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    I love the look of the W550, looks like they bought back the trackpoint buttons, but from the looks of it looks like the status lights are still missing.
     
    MikesDell, Dec 11, 2014
    #36
  37. liejian

    liejian Newbie

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    hi guys! I just ordered the w550s. I have had so many issues with high dpi screens that I ordered the 1080p FHD screen. I wanted to replace it with an aftermarket IPS screen. Does anyone know what panel it uses or what I can replace it with. Thank!!
     
    liejian, Mar 16, 2015
    #37