Opinion of this Thinkpad Lenovo W520 notebook for sale

I'm a Professional Photographer and do a lot of editing with Adobe CS6 Masters Collection and want the best notebook I can get for the $$$.
New these notebooks are around $2000 with these specs. I can get this one for $520.

Intel Core i7-2720QM (2.2GHz w/ 6MB L3 Cache, 1600Mhz FSB)
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM
1920x1080 LED LCD Thinkpad Display
NVIDIA Quadro 1000M & Intel HD Graphics 3000
500GB 7200RPM System Drive
w/256 Solid State in CD/DVD SSD Caddy tray

Even though this is two years old now, I think it is a lot of bang for $520.

Opinions?

 

It is. Great machine for the price.

Sent from my C1905 using Tapatalk

 

Very recommended for you. An excellent laptop. Will serve you well. Has great graphics performance for your needs, the Quadro is a good card for you.

 

For $520, it's a damn good machine. I have the Quadro 2000M version and it's still pretty awesome for CAD work (I don't do graphic work, but still the work load is somewhat representative).

 

It's a steal.

Grab it and enjoy.

 

I think that's an $850ish value laptop. That's a great deal.

 

How does this laptop hold up in regards to today's newer notebooks? I'm considering a 2820qm version for around $450 total.

Pretty much a rugged w520 vs the y50 for portability, not sure which way I'm gonna go

 

How does the T440s stack up in comparison to the w520 for my needs?

 

You didn't list your needs, memphistre. The differences between a T440s and W520 are as follows: the T440s is smaller, thinner, lighter, and gets longer battery life. The W520 has a more powerful processor, more powerful graphics, more RAM capacity, and more ports/input options.

 

Thanks for responding.

Running a Linux VM or two, photoshop for web design, and maybe some moderate gaming (doubt any at all, have a desktop for that).

I like the idea of the w520, but they seem a bit aged and not too practical to travel with. Outside of travelling would be the occasional lugging it around to class. The size/weight is fine it seems and I really like the build, but the AC adapter seems much. Normally, this is fine, but if travelling, it seems a bit much for light/moderate lap use. Of course, when I'm not travelling, this box will pretty much on a desk (not docked and I don't use CAD. Adobe CS6 only). I really like the w550s, but it is a bit out of range right now.

My current laptop is a mere 2gb asus r503u that I can't do much with. It bogs down just opening word, but its semi-tolerable.

y50 w/ 4700 hq, 16gb, and a ded graphics card seems really appealing for the price. Durability is the only thing that concerns me (and not being able to replace much).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Gami...-W8-HP-1656-/281726065883?hash=item41982e9cdb

a w520 similar to the specs I have been eyeballing (I'm looking for at least 16gb - or at least upgrading to it):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thin...B-/181816208767?ssPageName=ADME:L:PMR:US:1123
and
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LENOVO-Y50-...touchscreen-/261877780395?hash=item3cf921cfab

t450s (pushing budget again, but if its worth it - i may consider it):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-T450...Win-8-1-Pro-/281758611727?hash=item419a1f390f

Asus: n550 (Looks like a nice machine, but my last/current ASUS has a touchpad that is almost unusable and a keyboard that is annoying to type on. Other than that and the really bad/aged hardware, it isn't too bad).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASUS-N550JV...374?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1ea180006e
The w530, t450s, and etc, all seem to fit in this range as well, I think (budget wise). w520 being the cheapest probably?
(Edit: scratch that, seems the w540 is a bit outside of my budget - nearing $1k or more)

I'm trying to keep my budget under 600, but for the right price and build/machine, I'm willing to go a bit higher.
The y510p I've also read a few good things about as well. One of the these I have come across that doesn't seem too bad:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171865010154?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Note: I realize that these are pretty much 2 different laptops, but I'm kind of stuck in the middle between choosing with them. I'm afraid a mobile workstation might be too specific or overkill for some of my needs (like not using CAD or doing 3d rendering) - and some of the newer tech seems to be catching up or surpassing it a bit. Regardless of the case, I can probably do a good amount of heavy load work via RDP.