ThinkPad W530 Build Check

Before I pull the trigger, I'd like to know if you guys have anything to say. Buying in Canada off the student site.

Code:

ThinkPad W530 - 1 Year Depot Warranty

Processor:
Intel Core i7-3720QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz)

Operating system:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)

Operating system language:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 - English

Display type:
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready

System graphics:
NVIDIA Quadro K1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory

Total memory:
4 GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1 DIMM)

Keyboard:
Keyboard Backlit - US English

Pointing device:
UltraNav with Fingerprint Reader

Camera:
720p HD Camera with Microphone

Hard drive:
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm

Optical device:
DVD Recordable

System expansion slots:
Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader

Battery:
6 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70+

Power cord:
170W Slim AC Adapter - US (2pin)

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters:
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN

Integrated mobile broadband:
Mobile Broadband upgradable

Language pack:
Publication - US English

Accessories and options:
3Yr Base Warranty Extension

Sale Price: $1,941.65 CAN
eCoupon Code: CAXJUNESAVINGS2012
Final Price(before taxes): $1,588.85

Things I'm not sure about:

I'm not sure if I need the 6-cell or the 9-cell battery. I don't like how the 9-cell sticks out. I'm thinking I'll get the 6-cell for use over the summer and see how long it lastl, and in September if I find I need the 9-cell I'll buy one then.

I'd like to upgrade the graphics so I could do a bit of gaming, but this laptop is already pushing my budget with all the discounts applied, so I can't afford the $250 upgrade, especially as I can't seem to find how much better for gaming the K2000M is vs the K1000M.

I'll be buying 16GB of RAM from Newegg or something, as it will only cost about $120 as opposed to $480/$1,030.

here's my original post I made about "What Laptop Should I Buy?", if you can think of a better/cheaper, good warranty(Not Clevo, it'll take too long for repairs) solution:

Spoiler

What Notebook Should I Buy Form:

Spoiler

What is your budget?
$1,500, but it's adjustable if needed

What country will you be buying this in?
Canada

What size notebook do you prefer?
Mainstream (15 - 16-inch screen)

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
No.

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Office and Productivity Software, Listening to Music, Photo Editing, Computer Programming, Movie Streaming and Viewing, Output Video to TV or Large Monitor, Casual Gaming

and Heavy Virtualization (the laptop needs to support 16 or more GB of RAM, which I will be buying later, and should probably have a 3rd gen/Ivy Bridge Core i7)

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will be used different places and Will stay on desk

How many hours of battery life do you need?
As much as i can get, preferably 4 or more.

Will you be buying online or in store?
Online, most likely. I'd love to be able to buy it at a brick-and-mortar store, but my requirements are better dealt with online. I'll be shipping it to Canada, though, and a few sites won't ship configured builds to Canada (I'm looking at you, HP)

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7, but it doesn't need it pre-installed, as I have my own copy.

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
High Resolution (1600 x 900)
Preferably Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Matte is preferred

Is the laptops design important to you?
Yes, but not as important as functionality.

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
July 2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
Through 3 years of college

How much storage capacity do you need?
750 GB or more

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Maybe, but not initially. It'd be an upgrade I'd make down the road.

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
DVD Burner; Blu-Ray Reader/DVD burner if possible (read: if standard or extremely cheap)

What are you most concerned about?
Heat, weight, RAM upgradability/processor (see above), build quality

Lenovo ThinkPad W530 is shaping up to be a winner, partly due to my school computer store having Lenovo technicians on hand for warranty repairs

First off, I've been looking at 15" notebooks <strike>all night</strike> all month. My budget is $1,500, but if absolutely necessary, I can stretch to $1,750. This is as high as I can go, and must include tax and, if applicable, shipping

What I don't want:

Clevo P150EM/P151EM/W150ER - Too expensive, heavy.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 - RAM and screen not configurable/upgradable
HP DV6 - Heat issue, touchpad issue, not configurable in Canada; shipping to US and bringing it back to Canada would make warranty a pain to deal with, I would think. correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, it would be perfect.
HP Envy 15 - Same problems as DV6, and slightly more expensive than the DV6.
MSI GE60 - Not very well built, from what I've read. Would love to hear positive things though,
Samsung Series 7 - Gamer too heavy, Gamer and Chronos CPU not up to spec, Out of Date
Clevo W250ES - Warranty repairs would take too long, and I would need my computer for school

What I am looking at:

Lenovo ThinkPad W530 - Price is right, warranty would be quick, but the graphics are a little low(meh, graphics aren't priority).
Anything else you guys can think of.

The specs I <strike>recommend</strike> need are as follows:
15" 1920x1080 Screen
Ivy Bridge 3rd-gen Quad-Core i7 2.3GHz or 2.6GHz
4-8GB RAM stock, needs to support 16GB or more (will be upgrading later)
Optical media drive. Can be internal or external, but I need a DVD burner at minimum.
Less than 6lbs.
Must be purchased in Canada, or if purchased online, must ship to Canada.

The specs I'd like:
Backlit keyboard.
Matte screen.
HDMI out.
Bluetooth
Blu-ray, only if it comes standard or is very cheap.

Now, maybe this doesn't exist, and maybe I'm a fool for thinking it does, but I'm going to be reliant on this thing for 3 years, so I'm not taking this lightly.

I just really need some help, and this is the best place to go.

 

About the battery sticking out: I have a 9 cell stick-out battery in my x60 and it's not that bad. It actually gives a nice rounded edge to put against the palm of your hand when carrying it "under the arm". However, consider putting the computer on those tiny folding plane or train tables on the back of the seat, that might be an issue with a stick-out battery. If you rarely fly or go on a train though, go for the 9 cell, more is better

 

i won't be doing much flying or train-ing haha but I just worry for putting it in a bag or something as I don't want it to snag on anything and I don't know about extra weight. I think what I'm going to do is get a six-cell for now. Over the summer I'll be using the laptop just around the house, and if I find I need more battery, I'll buy a 9-cell in September.

 

I use the flush 6 cell.

 

order through the Barnes and Nobles site

(google "lenovo barnes and nobles gold")

then enter coupon to get double the discount (I personally went another route but it seems people have order through this for double discounts)

 

do you mean enter the coupon that lenovo already supplies on their site?

USXJUNESAVINGS2012 through barnes and noble, or are people stacking that with other coupons?

 

yes barnes and noble + USXJUNESAVINGS2012

 

I'm ordering in Canada, so I don''t think this applies. Plus I'm on the Canadian student site with the CAXJUNESAVINGS2012 code. I think I've hit the rock-bottom prices.

 

That's as low as prices go in Canada (well, you could try haggling with reps and see if they can do better, or try getting a friend in IBM). Though, really, if you are going to extend the warranty, go for TPP. I don't see a point in extending the base warranty by 2 years since whatever breaks in that extra 2 year period probably costs less to replace yourself.

 

I don't know though, it's out of my budget, before taxes. I'd love to get it, but it's an extra $150. I think I'm going to try to squeeze it in though. Gonna have to starve for a week for it, though, haha.