New Y460 and Y560 Ideapads

Yeah, I am stuck with the same problem. though i did a few random guesses and the system runs perfectly fine still.

Readycomm5 is 3rd party, not necessary, get rid of it.
mutesync is..my guess...for the physical mute button on the laptop.
easy capture is...my guess....for the webcam.
direct share i dont find any use for it so i got rid of it. suppose to transfer files from one computer to another. meh.

i didnt do a full format since i dont have a win 7 install disc.

 

nope. it does not.
rapid drive is ADVERTISED but they actually have not incorporated it into the y560's yet. their ETA is stated to be in the summer.

LAME RIGHT!? i was peeved abotu that.

btw, Veyron, do you play Aion? your name seems familiar.

 

DO NOT get a cooling fan. They ALL break down within months. Your best bet is to buy a clip on fan and just keep it at your desk whenever you use it. It keeps you AND your laptop cool.

 

NVM. question answered (excuse the spam. just answering questions as i read them since i havent been on here for like 10 pages. gatta catch up, haha)

 

It is very thin as I came from a laptop that is 5 years old.
I don't believe it is heavy at all. Its about 6lbs.
i5 with switchable has around 4hours bat. life.
i7 (doesnt have switchable) is around 3hours depending on usage.

the 500gb 5400rpm is not worth it. get the 7200. you will notice a SIGNIFICANT difference. a fast computer relies on how fast it can access its data and files. u could have the craziest specs but a slow hardrive and your thing will still be slow.

i got the i7 model and it is absolutely worth the price.

 

Thanks taekwondoboy, for taking the time to answer my questions. I think I will go for the i7. Was wandering the switchable grafics should be software related so can this be added in the future?

 

Well, my new i7-based Y560 is heading back to Lenovo tomorrow. I've had it for less than a week, and it's performance for gaming is simply not acceptable.

I first discovered problems with - of all things - the game Portal. Hardly a hot-bed of 3d fire breathing. None the less, the laptop would overheat within 10 minutes of starting to play and shutdown. That got me thinking there was an issue with the 5730 and gaming. So I installed many types of games to tests what worked and what didn't. Things like Call of Duty and WoW worked fine. The air coming from the GPU was blistering hot (literally -- it melted the glue that holds my desk's laminate top on) as well as being noisy. I do not agree with those who characterize the fan noise as 'subtle'. But the games played very nicely for hours on end.

I was almost at the point of believing that the issue was a software defect in Portal. And then I installed Crysis. Once again, within 10 minutes, the system overheated and shut down. Which is a pity, since performance (game wise) was excellent for both games. The 5730 had plenty of oomph to make playing a pleasure.

Unless someone knows of a fix for the shutdowns, back she goes. $1000 is too much for a computer that won't let me play whatever I want to.

Any helpful thoughts on how to resolve the issue would be great.

Mark

 

I ordered one mid-last week with the USPMOTHERSDAY coupon (brought the $1299 i7 model down to $949). I think they bait-and-switched the hard drive because I remember earlier in the week it said 500gb 7200rpm but when I made the purchase it was 5400rpm. Oh well.

Does anyone know where to get spare batteries? (Or if the ones from Y550 work) Also is it that heavy, more so than the 5.9lbs the website claims? I'm coming from a TP R61i and that was pretty heavy for its mediocre specs.

E: ^^ Uh oh....

 

Strange? It's impossible. the i7's only have the 7200rpms??? mine does...

You could probably get the battery directly from them. I got my spare AC adapters from them. if u cant find them, just contact a sales rep. its good customer service.

and no. its 6lbs...and i love the weight of it. its nice. if u wanted something lighter, go for the more buggy envy 15. more expensive than the y560 for lower specs.

 

That's very unfortunate to hear, because I have two y560's i7s to look at. Mine and my friends. We both got ours within the month and they work perfectly. I have played Aion, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Assasins Creed 2, Far Cry 2 WITHOUT any shutdowns as you have said. I have played for hours and into the night (so damn tired lol)

It just seems like you got unlucky and got a dud. It might be their packaging though. My box was beat up but in the end it was alright. Maybe yours got banged up while in transit. =/

 

I dont think so. It's a hardware thing.
The same goes for RapidDrive. Though i wish it could be user friendly and added on our own. it would make life so much easier.

 

Does anyone know how many DIMM slots the Y560 has?

 

Can anyone comment on the overheating problem? I'm looking at buying a y560 with an i5 but don't want it melting down in a year from WoW or Autocad

 

overheating is not even a problem for the y460 and y560.

ppl are just saying the y460 heats up, not overheat.

As for the y560, from what I've read, it doesn't heat up at all, except for the vent

 

Can anyone post some y560's temperature readings???

 

Could somebody who owns Y560 already claim or disprove what m2pilot said about playing Crysis or Portal? Do these particular games work on another people's machines without problem?

 

As I mentioned before, I partitioned the hard drive (C) and know the OneKey Recovery doesn't work. I tried to un-partitioned what I did, just like I was told, but the software still doesn't work. According to disk manager I have four partitions: C which is 420.33 GB, D which is 30.48 GB, and two not labeled which are 200MB and 14.75 GB.

Now I understand that if I return the partition as it came from factory, OneKey Recovery should work again. But I tried that and it isn't, reason for which I wan't to confirm what are the exact sizes of all the partitions when the Y560 comes from factory. Thanks for you help.

 

Really? All? I am sure quite a few cooling pad owners could prove you wrong. I have a Thermaltake one with one big fan. Nice airflow, cool and quiet. When do you think it will break down on me since they all do?

 

I don't think anyone needs to 'prove or disprove' the issue I'm seeing. It's a fact. Whether other owners have the same issue is another thing entirely. Perhaps my unit has a problem of some sort that others don't have.

I am beginning to suspect that the issue is caused by where I happen to live. The altitude at my home here in Colorado is 7550 feet (2300 or so meters). It would not be the first time electronics fail up here because they can't cool efficiently in the thin air. For example, we can't buy regular plasma tv's for the same reason -- we have to get 'high altitude'models.

I'll report back what Lenovo has to say. Other than this issue the laptop is really quite nice.

Mark

 

Ah well sorry if i offended a proud buyer. I just feel that its overpriced and unreliable.

A desk fan does both jobs of cooling you and the laptop for a much cheaper price.

 

No offense was taken nor am I a proud buyer, but to say ALL laptop cooling pads break down in months is misinformation. Unless you count months in the twelves.

I mean after all a laptop cooling pad uses the same technology as the fans used to cool your heatsink on your desktop CPU and the fan you are talking about as well.

Also the volume of air blowing right against the bottom of your notebook will do a better job cooling your case than a desktop fan. I don't have the really nice, expensive ones but you could get a nice one that has a big single fan + elevated design + aluminium. Your system generates heat which is conducted by the case. Once you keep the case cool it will be like a big, effective heatsink.

 

Just ran portal(freaky game) on my y460 for about 15mins and the cpu and gpu got to around 80c. No problems.



On a side note I just passed the one month mark on my y460. I use it on average 4 hours a day and I have had no problems with it. Lets just hope it can last another few months for me.

 

hehe..i dont play AION...i play COD4...really lame for not being installed(rapiddrive) as said by advertisment...T.T

 

Ok - Lenovo's suggestion was to try running the games on a laptop stand with a mesh bottom. Essentially - raise the laptop higher off the desk so it can breathe easier.

Did this for both Portal and Crysis. Both games ran as long as I cared to play them. I ran Crysis in "high" settings. It ran beautifully. No stutters, really nice high framerate. Also, the air temp coming out of the exhaust port was *much* cooler than before. When the system would shut down during earlier tests, it was rapidly painful to put your fingers in front of the exhaust. With the laptop raised, the temp got uncomfortably warm if you left your fingers there, but nothing like the temps before.

So - for me, this is an acceptable solution. I don't play such games terribly often, and using an elevated stand when I do is no great hardship. Most games do not require even this - e.g., CoD ran for hours just sitting on desk. Although I may use the stand for every game just to help the laptop stay cool & last longer.

I would think this was the perfect laptop if only it had the GPU switch found on the i5 version. I would really like *silent* while working; happy to have fan noise while gaming. Even while just web surfing, the fan is making a low whiring noise that I find somewhat irritating. So being able to switch to a low power silent gpu would have been perfect. Oh well - as the songs says "you can't always get what you want"

Also, a few folks have asked about general laptop temps for the i7 version of the y560. Here are my impressions.
#1) Lenovo has done an excellent job isolating heat sources. The palm rests never get hot. During web surfing, etc the laptop is cool to the touch everywhere except immediately above the exhaust vent where it is mildly warm.
#2) During gaming (for me at 7500feet) the left palm rest gets a tiny bit warm - you can tell its warmer than the right palm rest - but not in any way uncomfortably so. The case immediately above the exhaust gets very warm/hot, but there is no reason to touch the case there, so it's only noticeable if you go looking for it. The keypad does not heat up at all, ever. Nor does the touchpad.
#3) I have not commented on how hot one's lap gets. This really isn't a computer you should be putting directly on your lap -- it needs to breath freely and is best on a hard surface. exhaust temps got to the high side even during web browsing when I tried sitting it on my lap. Despite this, I did not find it uncomfortably hot. Again, only around the exhaust vent was there a noticeable amount of heat. Suffice to say I've had laptops in the past that got hot enough to make me happy I've already had all the kids I intend to have ;-). The y560 did not make me fear for my reproductive capability.
#4) My sole gripe about the laptop is the modest fan noise at 'idle'. And this only because fans annoy me. A more rational person might not notice it.


Regards,

Mark

 

I'm currently looking at buying the Y560 with core i3 (the cheapest model on the Lenovo site) since after the current coupon, I can get it for $800 bucks. I was wondering how much worse the i3 is than the i5 model. Also, other than the cpu are there any other differences between the i3 and i5? I'm interested in the switchable graphics and rapid drive features and was hoping they were available in the i3 model.

Also, would the core i7 + Nvidia 240m be better for gaming than the i3 + 5730?

Thanks for your help.

 

If you want to game, get the ati 5730.
You can do a check on what games it can run by going to notebookcheck.com
or just type in ati mobility radeon 5730 in google and that should be the first link. check their gaming list.

the i3, in my opinion, isnt worth it. It is just a downgraded version of the i5. it just seems like the windows OS for 3rd world countries. not worth it. id rather pay 100 more for the i5 with switchable graphics. thats much more reliable. the speed is different and noticable.

 

GAMING is all about the GPU. go with the i3 with better graphics.

CPU for games is important when it comes to like post-production visuals, which isn't that intense. If you want good shadows, lots of 3d elements and particles like dust and sun rays, then get the better graphics card.

If you have the money go with i5. but if not, i3 will still work.

 

Thanks for the responses. I was figuring the 5730 would be the way to go, I just wasn't sure how terrible the i3 was as a cpu. It looks like the 5730 is just an overclocked 5650, so would an i5 + ati 5650 be a better route?

 

Well..well, I had just decided to get the i7 Y560 as youall so kindly answered my questions and recomended and out comes levono withupdates to the U line adding core i3,i5 and i7 now to an even slimer profile model, and out come the 15.6-inch Z565 although i understand it will have the latest and greatest from AMD, still worth researching some. News on engadget

 

Correction Z line has two model, also packs 15.6-inch Z560 have onboard optical drives, and both pack standard-voltage Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processor options

 

I've read something about new Z series and it really didn't make me change my mind and consider it over the Y560. According to my information, the first model Z560 has up to GeForce GT 315M graphics - I suppose it to be just a renamed one of their mainstream card (although it has huge useless 1 GB VRAM lol), so this is not a good partner for the powerful i7 CPU.

The second one, Z565 has up to Amd Phenom II 2GHz quad-core CPU and up to Radeon HD 5470 (again with lovely 1GB Ram but i guess the same performance as HD 4570 256 MB).

I wouldn't expect them to be a good competition for Y560. Moreover, I've been waiting since February/March and these should be out in June. Don't wanna wait another several months for these babys, likewise they don't have features like Y560.

 

I would have to agree with you on that. Hopefully this new model and updates would yield some new cupons or specials on the Y560 to ofset the news. I think i'll wait until this running offer expires on 05/12 and see what new offer comes along.

 

Better would be based entirely on what you actually end up using the computer for.

Gaming is not really very descriptive when it comes down to the use of your new notebook. Which games do you intend to play? Also will you be using it for anything outside of gaming?

You may be looking to play games that the GT 240M will handle fine. I will advise this: Buy the most powerful one that you are budgeting for. If you can spend $900 then spend that.

For me I like the "idea" of swtichable GFX but I know I do not need the battery life improvements since the dedicated GFX battery life is enough for me. So I am not going to buy something I do not need. If you are into gaming and want to future-proof your purchase then you may want to get the best GFX card you can afford.

 

I think Lenovo is fragmenting the ideapad line too much. S, U, V, Y, and now Z? Also the Z line looks like a lower-priced Y and will not compete head on. Pricing is supposed to start at $600+ and does not offer the same higher end components.

One thing it does offer that I really love is the Thinkpad Edge keyboard. Now if I could get Y560 specs and an Edge keyboard I would be in heaven.

 

Hi guys, i read up to page 74 and I'm gonna keep going tonight. However, I had a question: I'm about to order a Y460 for 890 before taxes.
Do you think it can handle the heat for the game Pro evolution soccer 2010? I know, it'll handle it graphically, but what about the temperature?
Also, I know that Pro evol. soccer doesn't need great graphics, so probably heat won't be a problem? I usually play this game for like 2,3 hours.

Thanks a lot, and especially to those who already have the laptop and are answering questions.

 

First post on this website in general...

I'd say grab a cooling pad if you're doing extended gaming of any kind, just to be safe. They've said on the earlier pages that the y460 gets hot anyhow.

===

Pulled the trigger on the Y560 with the 8GB RAM and i7 the other day, using the Mother's Day coupon. Picking it up tomorrow.

I'm a bit disappointed to learn that RD isn't a standard option at the moment. I was under the impression that it was from the Lenovo website. Oh wells. I figure that if it isn't fast enough for me (... looks at specs ...) I can just pop an SSD in there. 32 GB or 64 would be fine I think, if I get an external for my random files. Plus my college has network storage so I might even be able to get away without an external.

EDIT: I suppose I can figure this out on my own tomorrow, but for whatever reason I'm getting confused with all the internet information out there. Is the hard drive on my Y560 a SATA or SATA II?

 

Just got done playing the Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 demo for roughly 15mins. Looked great, did have a few lag spots but they only popped up about 3 times. CPU ran in the high 70C's and the GPU topped out at 67C. Very reasonable, but if you are going play for long periods of time a cooling pad would help.(Or just lift the back of it up a few inches.)

 

The z series has a normal fn ctrl layout.

I think Lenovo need to cut down on the line of ideapad and thinkpad. The expansion is getting very confusing for the customer. But this expansion of laptop has allow Lenovo to grow at 89%

 

Thanks so much for trying out the game. I think I'm getting it tonight. Final price: 983 incl tax. So I guess it's an excellent deal for it's specs.
One small question, did u play it in the highest quality?

Thanks a lot, all this is really helpful! Hopefully my first lenovo purchase will be pleasant as I'm switching from Dell.

 

Great price for it. Sadly, the demo doesn't let you change any of the graphics. However, it looked amazing and the cut scenes looked almost photo realistic. I'm assuming it looked at my CPU and GPU and based the settings on that, so most everything was high as it could be. I even ran FRAPS and it ran flawlessly. YouTube - pro evolution soccer 2010 Fail

(Windows Movie Maker killed the looks though)

 

Hahah thanks a lot!!! it looks pretty good actually, way better than my current desktop. THANKS!

 

Only Lenovo is not offering it. They've been advertising it all over their website for months now; they clearly indicate it as a feature* for the Y460 and Y560 on the Y line page; but it is still unavailable. Now they advertise it for their upcoming Z line -- but isn't it again a way to attract customers with a nonexistent feature?

* They will call it an option (one that is "simply" unavailable), but that's not the way they present it on the Y-line page, and I do have to wonder how many customers were (unintentionally?) misled.

 

so none of the forumers here with y560 has rapiddrive??wat the f***lenovo is cheating...

 

PATENT. that's why they aren't out yet the rapid drives.

BUT considering that it goes in the express card slot, I'm sure you can buy it after the fact and install it yourself.

 

has anyone tried replacing the thermal compound or underclock the GPU

after google-ing, i found out that:
- replacing thermal compound decreases temperature by almost 5 - 10 *C
- underclocking logically reduces power consumption and temperature as well
- Vaio E also has the 5650 but at 450Mhz Core, while y460 y560 at 550Mhz
- disassembling the heat sink fan of y460 is considered very easy and handy
- underclocking can be done in seconds through the catalyst control center

appreciate to ask lame questions but i'm also considering buying y460 and are very confused ^^

 

for thermal paste, I heard ArticSilver 5 works great and is not too expensive. Yes, it does decrease the temp. BUT if the laptop y560 already has it, then you probably won't notice too much of a difference. Just be careful not to short circuit the chip or motherboard.

Personally, if your laptop is warm or slightly hot, that's normal. IF its overheating, then try a cooling pad. Last resort is the thermal paste.

 

Hey I ordered the y560 over the weekend with the mother's day coupon. Has anyone recieved their laptop from that deal? Does it have the 5400 or the 7200 rpm hard disk, and has anyone gottent the lenovo tracking website to say something other than your order is "in process"?

 

"Ships in less than 14 business days" explains it. Mine's coming in 2 weeks. And like I said before I think they switched the base i7 model's HD with a 5400RPM one. That's what my specs say.

 

I emailed lenovo, the drive speed should have read 7200, so yay.

 

Well that's a relief.

Quick reminder, USPIDEAPAD0513 for $350 savings on i7 models today only