New Y460 and Y560 Ideapads

haha i Ordered also with the mothers day coupon its a great deal and when i was ordering am pretty sure it said 7200rpm drive. and yeah it says in process for like the whole week =/, at least i can focus on the finals....

 

Lenovo's tracking page will pretty much just be "In Process" until your machines are ready to ship. The day after it ships a tracking number should appear.

 

What's up with this? The high-end models look exactly the same as previous-gen. What's more, with all the redesigns, now the lower-end models "look" higher-end with the brushed aluminum palmrests and chiclet keyboards.

Hmm.. maybe they have something major up their sleave?

 

I doubt. The Y560 just came out on the wrong side of the refresh. Maybe when they refresh it at the end of the year they will homologize the series by making the keyboard the same.

 

Please, please, please. Would anybody in USA contact Lenovo there and ask if (or when) they are going to put Y460 or Y560 for sale in Europe? I've written several mails already but with no answer, and I'm afraid that my English isn't good enough to call to Lenovo by myself.

And I believe that many other people not only in Czech republic would appreciate this information. So, guys, please. be so good and do it for us

 

I talked to a person on the chat feature on the site and they didn't know when. The only real way of getting it right now would be to have someone buy it from North America and then send it to you they said. So if you have family or a good friend over here, try to do that. (Risky though)

 

does the Y560 heats up really fast? How fast does it heats up? How is the battery life on the i7 one? I'm planning on getting one for school and my major is engineering. You guys think the y560 will have any trouble running any engineering, photoshop, movie problems on it?

 

I've been using my Y560 all night (since ~9 PM local ish, it's now midnight) and I'm just starting to notice that it's warm. This laptop does not seem to run very warm. Only the out vent is warm.

My battery life on the i7 with 8GB RAM is 2 hrs and 33 minutes doing nothing but light use (internet). I'm sure I could tweak some settings to squeeze another 15 minutes out of it, maybe. Don't expect this thing to be a netbook as far as battery life goes... the i7 is a beast and it's got the power consumption to match.

This laptop will not have any problem running engineering software such as Autodesk or other CAD programs. Photoshop it will be fine with. Movies it can probably do too.

I bought this laptop for college too. Engineering major (ish, integrated business and engineering) as well.

 

Even if it is true (and I'd like to see some proof of that), it doesn't explain why Lenovo advertises the technology as available, when in fact it isn't. In fact, on the Y line page, the Y460 and Y560 are advertised as having RapidDrive as a feature, not just as an (unavailable!) option.

So sure you'd reimburse him the price of his laptop if you happen to be mistaken?

 

If anyone is interested, I ordered my Y560 on mother's Day and it was shipped today even thou it was estimated to ship on the 5/28 yeye... So if anyone had ordered around the same day yours may ship soon too. Cant wait!!

 

It took my Y460 about two weeks from order date to arrive at my house. shipping was super quick surprisingly...i'm from Canada.

I have no issues with heat, although I'm not a gamer. My temps range from 28-45 celsius when I switch the graphics to the power saving GPU. I typically average around 35 celsius. I do elevate my laptop though, just using a cardboard box cause it makes it more comfortable to type.

When I'm using the full GPU, temps range from 34-50 celsius. Average around 38 though.

Battery life is around 3 hours, mehhhhhh. Speakers are pretty decent and it looks sexy. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase.

 

For those who are wondering about RapidDrive installation post-shipment, it is possible. The Y series laptops don't ship with RapidDrive yet, however I have strong reasons to believe it is not only possible, but also rather straightforward to install your own rapiddrive system. Two points must be made, first you have to have the correct hardware. I'm not certain if every PCI-E SSD will work, but I do know that this one will : Samsung mini-PCIe SSD: up to 64GB of super-compact storage - SlashGear
As far as I know it is not available for purchase yet. If you can get your hands on one you can then simply pop it in the slot and proceed to step two.
Step two is simply download the rapiddrive firmware from Lenovo's download website.
Rapid Drive can be installed on your own, assuming you can buy the proper SSD. Simple, easy, straightforward. The hardest step is ordering the part.

 

I must add that I have not tried this theory out, I have not tested it, nor have I heard of anyone testing it, and that this process does not come with a warranty, implied or otherwise, and that whatever you decide to do with your own computer is your own choice and if you break it it's your own dang fault. But everything points to this being a viable solution, and I have absolutely no reason to suspect that this will not work. If the price of the SSD is cheap enough, I will invest in one and put my assumptions to the test.

 

So the y560 doesnt have switchable graphics? Has Lenovo said why this isnt present as a feature?

edit: Well apparently the cpu doesnt support it. Oh well.

 

So the problem stays the same: wonderful technology... only not available.

Let's hope things will change when the Z line comes out. I've got little hope, but we'll see... Otherwise, maybe I'll switch my sights to the HP Envy 14, with the full SDD option. It won't be cheap, of course.

And I would have to try the keyboard. That's Lenovo's true strength, right there: I love the keyboard of my aging T60. I tried typing on an Acer 4830TG -- attracted as I was by its very good specs -- but I quickly realized that I didn't want to spend several hours each day typing on its keyboard.

 

The keyboard on the y460 and y560 are nothing like whats on the T60. However, I find it much easier to type on the y460 then my T61. The keys on the my y460 feel a lot wider even though the keyboard has a ton of flex.

 

According to several reviews I've read, the chicklet keyboard used on the ThinkPad Edge as well as on the upcoming Z line is just as good as the traditional ThinkPad keyboard. So now I'm waiting for the Z line. Though if there's no RapidDrive and no SSD option, my interest won't be as high.

Lenovo seems to have gotten into a nasty habit of advertising stuff they don't really sell. Some models are advertised as being available with a core i7, but when you try to buy one, it actually stops at i5. Of course, it isn't as problematic as RapidDrive being advertised as a feature of the Y460 and Y560 (which may have been a mistake a few months ago but is now a blatant lie), but still... from a company such as Lenovo, false advertising is surprising and very disappointing.

 

To clarify for other people, only the i7 model doesn't have switchable graphics. The i3 and i5 do.

 

I have asked lenovo official site regarding rapiddrive availability.This is what they replied me.

''It looks like the RapidDrive is not available in Malaysia as of right now but it will be rolling out in more countries in July. Hope that helps, and thanks for being patient...''

 

At this rate I think I'm just going to get a SSD

 

I just got my Y460 the other day and wanted to comment on the heat "issue" so many here are talking about with this model.

I have not experienced any overheating problems at all with this computer. Under normal usage (firefox/itunes/AIM/copying files etc), the computer hovers around 50*C (+/- 2-3*) consistently, this is with the discrete graphics turned on.

Running slightly more intensive processes (Hulu desktop, playing videos, youtube) yields temperatures of around 57-63*C.

The video games i've ran on it have experienced no startling temperatures (granted, these aren't the most intensive games). World of Goo ran in the low 60*'s. Half-Life 2 and Portal both maxed at about 75*C.

The only temperatures that have concerned me have been when encoding H.264 video from DVD rips through Handbrake. This will nearly max out the processor and the temperatures usually hover around 86-89*C. A few times the processor has went into the low 90's. If I turn off the discrete card when encoding the temperature usually drops to around 84*C.

Other than the encoding, this machine runs cooler than the mid-2007 Macbook Pro that it's replacing (my MBP idles at 55*C, does hulu/youtube/video at 65* or so, and reaches close to 80*C with gaming.

 

I've also seen some not so nice numbers while encoding. One thing I've noticed is that the i5 is roughly twice as fast as my old Intel T8300, but he T8300 only ran in the mid 75C's.

 

anyone who has the y560 please answer!!!

Is this a way to physically change the Fn and the Ctrl key? If not, is there a way to change it via software?

Does it come with wins7 64bit? If so, does it come with the DVD? If not, how do you reformat, repartition and reinstall your OS?

Thanks for the help!

I ordered my i5 Y560 on the 9th of May. It will be delivered on the 21st of May. But my CC hasn't be charged yet.

 

[Comp] Lenovo IdeaPads: 14" i5/Radeon 5650 $839, 15" i5/Radeon 5730 $759 or i3 $679... Hot! - Page 18 - RedFlagDeals.com Forums

here is another website that has up-to-date info on the y560. All the owners are canadian as its a CDN website.

 

click the [comp] for the redflagdeals forum

 

This can't be a good thing... I hope it's just an export check and not something worse.

 

for the crapware, is there a way to uninstall them properly without doing a fresh install?

from what I understand, the wins7 dvd is on the hard drive and you have to make 2 dvds from them and then reformat, but it results in reinstalling the blotware that comes with the lenovo.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/144783-clean-install-guide-works-32-bit-64-bit.html If you want to do a clean install.... I just went under the program list and just uninstall each program one by one. I hate that they put that much crapware on the computer.

 

Hey we're plane buddies! I think its mechanical trouble with the aircraft or something of the like. I hope my laptop makes it to the states intact.

 

Update:

Did a test last night observing temperature doing regular computer duties (firefox/AIM/itunes, stuff like that) on my y460 with the discrete graphics turned off and the computer hovers at 37-41*C consistently. Not bad at all.

Watching a video through iTunes with the discrete graphics off gave temperatures in the mid-40's.

I hope my information will quell some of your concerns regarding heat and this computer. Any laptop with a nice GPU is going to get scorching hot when gaming (let's face it, laptops are not ideal for gaming) and you should probably get a nice cooling stand for it if you plan to game often, as you should with any laptop used often for this purpose. Based on my experiences with this computer, it will show no heat problems accomplishing tasks that most average users are going to be doing on a computer anyway.

 

Hi guys;
This my first post.
I wanted to share with you a file that i found on the web which describes almost all Lenovo's IdeaPad series.
Go to Google and search for a pdf file called "ipbook".
Hopefully it is of an interest to you all.

 

Just a quick question for everyone w/ a Y460. What color is the LED on the power adapter? Lenovo "support" just told me it is supposed to be green.

...they also told me that to switch GPU, I "should turn the computer off", which doesn't contradict the User's Manual, which I have discovered, says to avoid switching the GPU in Hibernate or Sleep modes, only.

Disclaimer: My Y460 User's Manual came in French, so I was, initially, calling to find out where the English version could be found (consumersupport.lenovo.com under User Manuals), since the link from my start menu, entitled "Lenovo User Manual" directed me to a page where the Y460 had not yet been added....

 

My power adapter light is orange.

As far as switching the GPU, i'm pretty sure the only way you can do it is if the computer is on. Seeing as the built in ATI software allows you to switch the GPU through the software, it's obviously OK to switch the GPU while the machine is powered on.

I do wish there was an option to automatically switch the graphics from discrete to integrated when the machine is removed from the AC power.

 

Thanks AF! Mine's amber as well. Lenovo Support told me I should, either A) Call the Sales group to have a replacement ordered; B) provide a credit card for the support group to send me a part replacement; or C) don't worry about it, as long as it's 'working'. This, after putting me on hold for a few minutes to verify each question... wow.

 

wats the difference between amber and green color on the power adapter?

 

I have no idea, i'm pretty sure my power adapter light has been amber since I got the machine a week ago.

Another thing i've come to like about this machine are all the access ports on the bottom. The one cover I noticed lifts up to reveal the cooling fan and heatsink. AWESOME feature for cleaning later down the line. Most laptops are almost impossible to clean that thoroughly without disassembling the case.

Any other owners notice that the ambient light sensor doesn't work too reliably? Mine seems to work alright after reboot and then several hours later stops responding. Most likely culprit is buggy software. Not too concerned however as the light sensor on my MBP drove me nuts so i'd probably turn the one on the y460 off after awhile anyway.

 

finally a review of this laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 Review - A Review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460
enjoy!

 

^^^ Great review. I'm surprised they didn't go on a tear about the heat during gaming/heavy load. They must not read in this forum.

 

Nice review, killed most benchmarks. One thing I noticed was switchable graphics. Battery life was a big difference 2.5 vs almost 5hrs and what they said about playing video and HD content with the intel HD intgrd was smoother and look a bit better and only needed the ATI card for hardcore games at highest settings. Makes me rethink my choices.

I was going for the Y560 with the i7 and the mainly because of the hdd 7200rpm vs 5200 on the i5 model and forth go the switchable grafics.

If I could have the i5 with the 7200 hdd and switchable graphics would be perfect for me. But thats the problem with lenovo Can't customize.

Plus with the current coupon the i7 is a better deal that the i5 $859.00 vs $949.00 for the i7.

 

Do the y560s use ExpressCard v2? -- the one that'll support USB 3.0?

EDIT: Exactly how useful is VeriFace, really? I mean I can just close it at the log in screen and put my password in. Is there any reason for me to keep it installed? What other Lenovo/preinstalled programs can I ditch? Already ditched ReadyComm.

 

Veriface is pretty useless IMO, I could just type in my password 3 times before the program loads and turns the camera on.

Couldn't tell ya about ExpressCard, don't think i've ever used the Expresscard slot on any laptop i've owned.

Another update: I got my Zalman NC-1000 cooler from newegg the other day and wow does it work nicely with this computer. The laptop fits on it perfectly and angles the computer in a way that makes it a dream to type on. Even better, it has reduced my temps down to 37-40C with discrete graphics on doing low-power tasks. I have not been able to break 80C even with the processor at 100% doing encoding.

 

Agreed. Would you say that it has any benefits at all?

And I'm eyeing the CoolerMaster one with the repositionable fans. Seems like it'd work well with one fan under the intake fan for the CPU or w/e (underneath the left side of the keyboard, basically directly under the Caps Lock key.) and the other under what I'm guessing might be the RAM vent (further to the right if looking down at the keyboard). That vent has no intake fan, so I'd be blowing in cool air to circulate around in there in addition to under the intake fan.

 

I was deciding between the NC1500 and the Notepal U2, and decided on the NC1500 on the suggestion from X2P. But I did not get it yet.


If you do get the CoolerMaster U2, tell me how it goes.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Even with v1 2.5Gb/s works out to over 300MB/s. Most expresscard USB 3.0 adaptors have 2 ports max, so you won't saturate even a v1 interface with rotational HDD's.

 

Y560 with i5-430m, at 1280x768 resolution, 3d mark06 score was 7856 out of the box. Temps maxed at 70c for both GPU and CPU with no cooling, but propped by mesh stand.

 

I don't know if this has been discussed already. What do people think about the hard drive used in the i5-430M model of Y560? Its speed is 5400 rather than 7200. In my opinion that's the only draw-back for this machine.

BTW, is there a way to search each forum thread without having to go through all 100 pages of posts? As a new user, I would hate to ask a repetitive question that's been asked already.

 

tslp04: Have you tried max battery life of the i5 version? I wonder if it could be atleast 5 hours?

 

As listed on Lenovo's site, the i3 and i5 have 5400 and the i7's have 7200.

 

I'll try it out when i get a chance on the Power Saver scheme with Wifi and Bluetooth ON. I know i've already had over 4 hrs of use before, but haven't really tracked it.

Battery is at 45% now, and Windows is showing 2hrs, 23mins remaining on Power Saver with IGP being on.

 

Just got back from Fry's Electronics here in SoCal...

They have the y560 i7 on sale for $850 which seems like a great price. I actually bought one online for instore pickup.

I went to the store and looked at their demo and really thought the screen was lacking. I don't get why they would put such a poor screen on an otherwise great laptop.

I stayed there for an hour, trying to convince myself to get the computer, but couldn't do it...

The reason? I looked at the Envy 15 and it's screen was lightyears better. There was really no comparison.

I'm sad though, because now I need to wait for another great deal on a unit with the same specs as the y560, but a higher res screen.

Anyone have any suggestions? Might go Dell XPS 16 at the outlet and ry to get a good price.

Thanks...