ThinkPad Edge E220s and ULV Sandy Bridge

Looking for a new laptop to replace my aging Fujitsu-Siemens P7010C laptop and so far this ThinkPad Edge is top of the list.

From all the CES videos on YouTube I gather that this will only come with ULV dual-core chips. So from the charts Intel released:

(Model, TDP, CPU freq. base-SC-DC, L3 cache, Gfx freq. base-max, price)
i5-2537M: 17W, 1.4-2.3-2.0GHz, 3MB, 350-900MHz, $250
i7-2617M: 17W, 1.5-2.6-2.3GHz, 4MB, 350-950MHz, $289
i7-2657M: 17W, 1.6-2.7-2.4GHz, 4MB, 350-1000MHz, $317
i7-2629M: 25W, 2.1-3.0-2.7GHz, 4MB, 500-1100MHz, $311 (LV - may not be available for E220s)
i7-2649M: 25W, 2.3-3.2-2.9GHz, 4MB, 500-1100MHz, $346 (LV - may not be available for E220s)

SV: 35W, 2.1 to 3.2GHz, 3-4MB, 650-1333MHz

Big differences in speed there. My current P7010C has a Pentium M 1.1GHz so you can see that I am behind the times regarding mobile specs.

Few questions:
1. Does the TDP make much of a difference to battery life?
2. How much difference do you think the lower Gfx freqs. will make?
3. When configuring these machines to buy do Lenovo generally charge the difference as above or do they add their own profit mark-up?

I am also considering the E420s that will use normal mobile chips.

Thanks

 

1) TDP can but it also depends on the other specs/battery WHr

2) Not much

3) Unknown, wait for pricing..

 

The 25W ones are low voltage (lv) and not ulv.

 

we dont know yet if the e220s is going to come equipped with the LV chips (25w TDP).

What we do know is that power consumption differs from TDP, which is the heat output of the said chip.

I would go for the e420s, which is the one Im looking for. The power difference is great, but the size is not.

 

I would buy both if I could. but I'm leaning towards the E220s. The size difference between 12.5 and a 14 inch laptop is huge if you're going to be carrying it to and from school on the daily basis, like I do. Plus ULV = much longer battery life.

 

that is the main purpose for me to buy the e420s, to take it to college on a daily basis, have you taken any measurements for you to know the difference in size between the two?

and if the u260 serves any metric... the great battery life is only going on the thinkpad line.

 

Thanks. Didn't notice the separate LV distinction.

Will have to wait until they appear in retail to see for myself regarding portability, although I find the E220s dimensions perfect for me.

From various tech sites:
Edge E220s: 31.2 x 21.3 x 2.2cm 1.6Kg
Edge E420s: 34.9 x 23.6 x 2.31-3.12cm 1.88Kg

Not a huge difference looking at the figures but may be noticeable when actually hands-on.

Other differences: E220s won't have integrated slot-loading optical drive, will have 4GB max. memory limit, and no option for discrete graphics. None of that matters to me and the E420s has the same resolution. However the E420s will be cheaper, will probably have more powerful chip options and, according to that lineup PDF, be available to buy earlier.

 

New unboxing video here:

YouTube - Unboxing: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E220s

I quite like it. He mentions that it will come with the full range of processors although he may be mistaken.

Won't be available until 2nd half of April.

 

Wow,those ULV and LV speeds seem solid!

 

Glad to see some E220s show up. I am also waiting to try out the E220s vs E420s. One of those will replace my still-going-strong-but-old R61. Weight difference is around 280g/10oz which could means bag + AC adapter + E220s = bare E420s. Still have to see it in person and definitely have to read NBR's reviews!

 

I am hoping to get the e420s with the 6630, I will wait till NBR or Notebookcheck review the screen quality on these bad boy. I know how bad the screen on an Lenovo could get, I have been burn couple times (nothing major, just minor annoyance)

 

These are finally available in the US and possible to up the spec to the i7-2617M cpu.

US prices seem really good.

Currently deciding between this and the Sony Vaio SB. Sony is bigger but offers faster cpu options, discrete graphics, and no glossy plastic. E220s however is smaller, lighter, and cheaper. Also has the trackpoint that I like.

I think I can make do with the slower processor speeds but there also seems to be a 4GB memory limit. Guessing there is only 1 dimm slot which is a shame.

Does anyone have this yet? If so, what are your opinions of it? Also, would the dimm slot be able to handle 1 8gb ram stick when they become available/cheaper?

Thanks.

 

Oh dear...

E220S now available in Singapore for the bargain price of S$1599 (~US$1290) for the lowest spec model and that's apparently a special offer! Usual price S$2099 (~US$1694).

Compare that to the US price of ~$800-900 for the highest spec!

Anyone know of anyway I can order this from the US? I emailed Provantage who offer international shipping but they say Lenovo won't let them ship it overseas.

Thanks.

 

I just went through this, and my new notebook is on its way to Hong Kong even now. Buy it from a reseller (Buy.com has the E220s) and just use a package forwarder (I used MyUS.com, but there are several).

In the end I got the Samsung Series 9 instead of a Lenovo, but the process is the same.