Questions about the IdeaPad Y500...

Just to confirm, for those of you who currently own the Y500:

1) Does the single GT 650m model support graphics switching (Optimus) or is the HD 4000 completely disabled?

2) Is the single GT 650m model GDDR5 or the slower DDR3 version?

3) Is the supplemental GT 650m ultrabay add-on available in US/Canada to be purchased after the fact?

4) How does a single GT 650m compare to my older desktop's 8800 GTS?

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Amazing what a little research can do; I didn't think that I could find teh answers so easily.

1) Looks like the Y500 does not support Optimus, as the HD 4000 appears to be hardware disabled.

2) The Y500 appears to use the better GDDR5 version of the GT 650m.

3) The ultrabay GT 650m is available direct from Lenovo for $229.

Not so sure about my last question though, as no direct comparisons exist. Considering that the 8800 GTS is more than 5 years old, it's safe to assume that, overall, the GT 650m would perform substantially better.

 

I think HD4000 is completely disabled because of the SLI option.

GPU RAM is GDDR5, according to various sources.

Seems you already found the additional ultrabay-gpu, but you're going to need the 170W power adapter also if you buy the second GPU later. SLI models are delivered with a 170W unit.

You can roughly compare the GPU's if you look up results for the desktop GT 650 and take something like 10-15% off from the points since your model is a mobile one.

 

Realistically, what is the battery like on the i7 single GT 650m model?

Lenovo states 3 hours for general usage...