ThinkPad Edge E535 - 3DMark Scores

Has anyone gotten one yet? I was finally able to find time to run some tests, so I thought I'd post some scores (including crossfire).

Specs:
ThinkPad Edge E535
AMD A8-4500M
AMD Radeon HD 7640G + AMD Radeon HD 7670M 1GB
6GB 1600MHz DDR3
500GB HDD
1366x768 Display

3DMark Vantage (Crossfire disabled)
P4578
Graphics - 4255
CPU Score - 5927

3DMark Vantage (Crossfire enabled)
P5096
Graphics - 4934
CPU Score - 5654

3DMark 11 (Crossfire disabled)
P1194
Graphics - 1101
Physics - 2444
Combined - 1059

3DMark 11 (Crossfire enabled)
P1657
Graphics - 1663
Physics - 2361
Combined Score - 1128


I think the CPU score dropped from the non-crossfire to crossfire tests in 3DMark Vantage because the turbo-boost was probably lower since laptop was at max heat dissipation. I was too lazy to rerun the first test again.

Even though the synthetic benchmarks show that crossfire has significantly higher performance, Diablo 3 runs much, much smoother with it disabled. I'm guessing it's because the dedicated 7670m is more than twice as fast as the integrated graphics, so crossfire is hurting the performance during high action. The min frame rates were acceptable with crossfire disabled, running D3 recommended settings - High Texture, Med Shadows (smooth), High Physics, Med Cluster. I did turn off the AA, it's too blurry for my taste.

My laptop was ordered from lenovo outlet, sold as new. However, it arrived with a test version of Win 7, and a single sticker on the bottom of the laptop that says "Not a customer ship label system." Obviously this was a pre-production system, which is why I was able to order it from the outlet before it was even available on the website (I still don't see it yet).

I installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 that I had laying around, but the drivers were a pain. Most of them were listed in the support site, but I wasn't sure which components I had because outlet order confirmation doesn't show any system details, so it took a few trial and errors. Also, a few drivers were missing on the E535 support site, including the ACPI drivers and the video card drivers did not work. I installed the current beta drivers from AMD's website and finally got it to recognize correctly.

Back to playing D3....

 

First, congrats! I'm pretty sure you're the first one to get this model. That's kind of weird that you were able to buy this before its even sold/advertised on the regular website. Mind me asking how much it cost (total+shipping)? Since you were able to buy the E535 that must mean the E435/E535 should be coming out real soon. Right now, you can only buy the E430/E530 from Lenovo.

Thanks for those benchmarks. I'm going to add a link from The Ultimate AMD Trinity Notebook List to here.


Will you be doing a more in depth review later? I'd like to know how well it handles heat, how long the battery lasts, if the keyboard is backlit, and if possible some photos of the notebook in general.

Does it have an mSATA port?

 

I got lucky, there were only 2 of these available on the outlet when I ordered it for $487.35 + tax, free shipping. this was during the 20% off outlet sale they had a while back.

The temps are around 50-51C while I'm actively browsing, and hovers around 84-85C under load and starts to throttle the boost. These temps are using CoreTemp, but coretemp doesn't recognize the trinity yet so i'm not sure if they're totally accurate. seems about right though.

the top left part of the keyboard (from 1-5 and down to a-f area) gets quite warm when the computer is at 100%. it's significantly hotter than any other laptop i've owned, but it's not uncomfortable. i think it's a benefit for those cold winter nights of D3 i foresee in the future the keyboard is not lit. it is very comfortable to type on though, and I really like how the f1-f12 buttons require the fn key, not the other way around. However, i don't like how the fn key is on the left side of the ctrl.

i was pleasantly surprised by the lack of fan noise under load. i do hear the fans kicking in, but it is one of the quietest I've seen (my other laptop is a M14x R2, which is known to be one of the loudest...)

i haven't done any battery tests yet. i haven't really used it unplugged yet, actually. i'll probably play around with undervolting later.

here are some pics as requested. there are no plugs in the back or the front. there is 1 USB 2.0 on the right side, and 3 USB 3.0 on the left side. found this out when my mouse wouldn't work during the windows install until i plugged it in the right side

 

Awesome deal on a great Trinity notebook. I think the build quality on these ThinkPad Edge notebooks is a step up from most consumer notebooks. What kind of warranty did it come with?

Those temps seem normal although the max temps are a bit high, maybe with a repaste they can go down a bit. Or maybe its the new single exhaust vent design. Lifting the rear end of the laptop helps a little when under heavy load. I would love to see what this new heatsink looks like (just pop off that cover and snap a pic ). Try using CPUID HWMonitor to keep tabs on temps. I love how there's one BIG access panel underneath the notebook. To me, that is always a good thing. Can you tell me if there is an mSATA port under there?

My E425 also get very warm in that same area you described. That's where the heatsink/fan assembly are so it makes sense that it gets hot there. I use a cooler when under heavy load and it helps lower temperatures by about 5-10 degrees C. I agree once winter comes it won't be a big deal.

I love these Lenovo keyboards. I just wish the Edge series came with a backlit keyboard as that would be the icing on the cake. They are simply the best. You can change the Fn key operation (pressing Fn first, then the F keys, or other way around) as well as switching the Fn key with the Ctrl key position (you can make Fn -> Ctrl or Ctrl -> Fn) from within Windows Control Panel or the BIOS. I also didn't like the Fn key being to the left of the Ctrl key but I got use to it and at least the option to change it is there.

Its nice to finally see USB3.0 on the Edge but I'm sad to see the ExpressCard slot and the eSATA+USB port go. I used those so I'll be holding on to my E425 for a long time.


Are the speakers still in the front bottom edge?

How is that new clickpad? I noticed it doesn't have traditional buttons.

What do you think about the display? Colors, brightness, viewing angles? Does it have a matte or glossy finish?

How do the lid hinges feel? They changed them and I noticed the lid doesn't open a full 180 degrees like it did on the previous model.

Can you post your current WEI scores just for heck of it?

 

I also posted this elsewhere in the forums, but:

Good news, bad news.

Good news: E435 is already out.
Bad news: Japan-only.

Lenovo E435 & E535 laptops | Netbook Review, notebook review, tablet review, PC review