Thinkpad Edge 420s

I will say though Ivy Bridge and AMD 7000 will be an amazing platform, even better than Sandy Bridge with AMD 6000.

I am on an E4400 Dell Inspiron 530. I would like to go over to notebook pc but Ivy and AMD 7000 is just too long a wait.

If Ivy Bridge came out in June 2011 along with AMD 7000, then its possible I could wait for that a little longer but that really is as long as I will wait.

It is April 8th 2011. Most I can wait is for June or so.

No matter what I buy and when I buy it, something better will come out.

The Lenovo E420s is delayed but not by too much.

 

this is my line of thinking, if I wont buy it till june, I will wait for ivy

 

Whatever happens. I'll be gone for a long time now from here. Maybe at a later date I'll check back to see if any progress has been made.

 

I finally decided to buy the E420s but now I can't find it for sale on the lenovo site anymore. Have they stopped selling them already?

 

They are re-releasing it with the rest of the Edge and X220 on April 19, hopefully this time around we can configure it with an AMD 6630.

 

According to Notebookcheck, the AMD 6630M is comparable to the 5650. Does this mean this laptop will be good for gaming?

And what are your predictions for the pricing of an i5 E420s with the 6630? Do you think it will be under $1k?

...I might hold out for the upcoming Ideapad Y470. We'll see...

 

It should be under $1k, the one with Intel integrated graphic is around $700 if my memory serve me well. 5650 should be enough to run pretty much everything on med-high setting, depending on the game you run. The card is an mid-range card and hopefully is cooler than the previous generation. Personally I think the Thinkpad Edge will be better build (i.e hinge will last longer), better looking, and might run a little cooler.

 

I wouldnt believe that much on notebookcheck, for one they are nvidia biased.

The 6770 (which is the same card as the 6630 with GDDR5 with a slight overclcock is more powerful by a significant margin than the gt 555m (15-20%)

The 5650m, is rebranded now as the 6550m, the 5750m is rebranded as the 6570m, so by now you can already see that its more powerful than the previous y560p, if its going to be more powerful than the y570p with its gt 555m I dont think so, it should be something lesser around (15-20%), since it wont pack the same clocks nor the GDDR5 memory.

Notebookcheck thinks that the performance should be similar due to the niche market that this card is supposed to fill, which is the underclocked 5650m (like in the envy 14), and since it only packs 480 shadders, which is 80 more than the previous 5600/5700 series they think its performing equally, the problem here is that they dont think. The gpu market is based on the die shrink and how much shadders the card packs. There were some few lines that maintained the same level of die manufacturing, like in the case of the 6000 series being built in the same 40nm tech that the 5000m series.

This led to a few problems like launch delay and so forth. But when they did launch there was nowhere near the same performance than the previous generation. Off course it wasnt the same leap in performance from the 3000 to the 4000 series, but it was a great incremental performance.

 

Not sure what to take from that post. It seems that the NVIDIA GT 550M (on the upcoming Ideapad Y470) is better suited for gaming than the AMD 6630M. Is that accurate?

Update: It looks like the 'optional discrete AMD graphics' part has been taken off the spec sheet for the E420s.

 

I just talk to a representative on Lenovo's online chat support about the issue, the sale person say that the 6630 could be available in the future, but she don't know when.

 

actually the GT 550m should have the same performance level as the 6630m.

now the gt 555m is a different story, since its a different chip (a rebranded gt 445m)

ps: ****** I cant believe they removed that! The 6630m is one of the purposes that Im looking for this laptop!

If they get it out, I will either pick the X220 or the vaio SB, if I can get a store that would ship it to me.

 

I was waiting for this laptop for about two months and now they tell... Unfortunately... perhaps I'll need to search for another option or just wait (who knows how long) for 6630.

 

What's style without substance? The E420s is hard-working to its core. Or maybe that should say "cores" — as in, quad cores. Thanks to its 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors with Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading, this laptop is responsive, fast and powerful enough to keep the pace with your most aggressive young entrepeneurs. The CPU is 20% faster and handles multitasking with ease. Optional 2GB AMD Radeon™ switchable graphics further accelerate its performance, as does Enhanced Experience 2.0 with its business optimization and faster startup and shutdown times. Ample memory and storage — up to 8GB DDR3, 320GB HDD and 80GB SSD — mean this workhorse can handle whatever your professionals can throw at it.

When its ready its ready and we will see how it comes configured. When I asked they said yes to AMD 6630M option. And the website still shows it. As to why that spec sheet removed it, I don't know. It also shows the QM67 chipset instead of the HM65 chipset like the PSREF.

Just be patient. They didn't tell anyone anything. Someone noticed a spec sheet which they modified which also has a different chipset listed than the PSREF sheets. Obviously their spec and documentation department is a little sloppy, but when its ready its ready.

It still says coming soon. Delays are happening from all the makers right now on new models due to lots of issues now (earthquakes affecting supply chain, intel chipset bug, etc.).

Just be patient. When its out we will see what configurations it comes in and any such speculation is just that.

 

FYI - Launch date seems to be April 24th now (as of 4/11/11 @ 8:30pm EST). See chat dialog below.

Please wait while we connect with you with a Lenovo Chat Representative.
You have been connected to *Earl L.

*Earl L: Thank you for choosing Lenovo chat. My name is Earl and my rep id is xxx...what may I help you with today?

Me: I was just wondering if there was any information on the new Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E420s

Me: in terms of release date? or whether there will be an option for a discrete graphic card? and also, if there will be an option for 1600x900 screen resolution.

*Earl L: Unfortunately, at this time we have little information regarding the E420s

*Earl L: Our current launch date is April 24th

Me: Ok. thank you very much.


I can wait 2 weeks for this...as it is currently my #1 choice.

 

MM it appears you and I are looking for the same thing. Do you have anything to back up your opinion of the 6630 vs the 550? You say not to look at notebook check, and perhaps you are right, but I can't help but notice the giant gap between the two on their page.

I am looking at 3 possibilities right now. The Vaio SB, the E420s, and the Y470P. If I am to believe notebookcheck the Y470P has to be the best bang for the buck. I do not like the extra weight, but if the GPU is in-fact that much better, to me it is worth it still coming in lower than 5 lbs.

With the sony and the 470P I can get a blue ray player as well.

The problems I have with the sony is the 13 inch screen. I feel like 14 is perfect for a laptop. Also there seems to be build quality concerns. And lastly the price seems a little ridiculous. Add $200 for 8gb of ram. Really? Also, why do I have to upgrade to the i7 to get the 6630?

Difficult decisions to make.

 

When I asked they gave an earlier date. Obviously all notebook vendors are having issues in production due to Japan quakes, and the Intel chipset bug which has slowed down production.

Lenovo is not unique, all vendors are equally as slow right now on their new models. Lenovo has said in their own statements however that supply is not affected. But if that is true, and if Intel fixed the chipset bug I wonder what is holding up production.

Seems like every time you ask they claim its delayed even further.

Sales of the existing e420s with Windows 7 Profession have sold out with integrated video which happened to be a really nice mainstream notebook and were available in limited quantities.

Seems like no stock is in sight yet for new shipments which have been postponed. Just limited stock with Home Premium left in inventory.

So I guess if someone really wanted an e420s right now, they would have to go with the i5 2410M that is in stock. It really is an excellent machine for many people.

 

There are a lot of problems with their ranking system, dont trust it, I have 4670m and it runs on par with the 5650, some games some lower, most of them the same performance, just check the rank for it. The thing is that according to the released sony SB, I can vouch for an increase in 15-20% in performance, I do believe that, as I said, the Gt550m will be faster than the 6630m, but since that we can overclock the card to reach the speeds of the 6670m (same chip, same type of memory), and the gt 550m is the end of the line (its the same chip for the gt 425m, gt 435m, gt 525m, gt 540m, gt 550m, as you can see its already overclocked, a lot)

Yeah, but you are going to lose in build quality, its not that the y series is bad, its just that the edge and the SB are better build

If value this choice, go get one with it. I dont own, and never will own a blu ray disc, I dont like that kind of external storage (ODD), and I usually buy my movies online, the thing is that I was always a great user of DVDs for storage and other things, but right now... I only use my 1tb HD, which is already full btw, need to buy a new one.

I dont know, I have fiddled with netbooks (too small for my taste), I have used a SZ (great screen, and great size, the bezel could be thinner though), I have an old lenovo 14'', and Im currently using a 16''. All the screens, aside the vaio, were low res, I never found it to be difficult, or that I wasnt able to do some quality work there. The thing is that I value mobility more, much more after this 16'', the 14'' is not that small, and its a little too close to the 15.6'' that I dont like. Since that I got a hands on with an old vaio z8, i really liked the screen size, its not that small.

I dont like at all the bundle i7 and 6630m too, I would rather go for a i5 2520m (since it carries some needed instructions) than an i7. The price for the ram upgrade is always a rip off, just go and buy yourself a 4g stick in a store and be glad that you saved 150 bucks, fair warning the SB comes with 4g soldered already to the mobo.

I do think that most people at sony forums are a little snobby for my taste, and that they only see the high end line and praise that as much as they can. Since the SB was supposed to be a temporary replacement to the Z, its getting too much attention from that type of people. Now without the ultra high res screen, and the added weight and bulk, they are going to be ***** about it. I sincerely didnt like the Z11/12/13, and the chassis flex is worse on that line, aside the palmrest that wear off, aside the RAID 0 SSD that are performing lower and lower everyday (they dont have trim and dont support it, they only maintain those kind of speeds by sheer miracle)

Indeed they are. Im now seriously considering a x220 + a ViDock, so that I can at least game a little.

 

Funny I have the 4670m right now as well. I am playing Shogun 2 on it now, and I HDMI to my full HD monitor. The game runs fairly well, but I do have to tone it down a bit and it can still be a little jumpy at times. I need to know that the 6630 will be a nice improvement over this card if I am to upgrade.


The x220 will not work for me since I am looking for something that is not only portable, but also gaming capable.

I don't currently have a blue ray disk so I figured I would get one since I use my laptop on my big screen tv quite a bit. Figured it would be a nice addition.

Even without the ram and adding the blue ray the sony comes up to 1500. That just seems a little high for 4gb of ram and a low res screen. I would think I could probably get more from the Y470 or the E420s for less.

 

Anyone know the hardware layout of this thing? Wonder about where it will heat up the most (esp. where is the HDD, hopefully, not palmrest!). It's hard to guess from the picture because they use single lid design on this one.

 

I think I've just answered my own question. Here's maintenance manual for this one.
Lenovo Support - Hardware Maintenance Manual - ThinkPad Edge E420s

So, it is well at right palmrest. Have to wait and see if Lenovo have better heat seal than my current R61.

 

which 4670m? the GDDR3 model or the cheap DDR3 model? I have the former, it runs shogun 2 flawless on the 1366*768 res that I have, all on high.

If you use your notebook with your tv, then Vidock is an option, you are going to get gaming capabilities of the gtx 485m or 6970m, in a much lighter body.

 

I am so bomb out that the E420s isn't going to release the 6630 anytime soon. Some how I am not surprise that Lenovo is doing something like this, it take them months to release the original Edge 14 with a discrete graphic.

 

if they are until june I might want one, if not, I wont buy a pc this year

 

Not sure which version I have. I have an ASUS N81VP, so I am assuming it is the cheap one.

Vidock is an option, but it is also a little pricey. I would prefer to have a portable laptop that does it all. I don't need the best GPU, but I need to know that something like this 6630 is going to be a pretty good boost to the 4670 that I have now, or it would be pointless to upgrade.

 

So annoying, these delays. I finally decided that for my needs e420s>t420, now lenovo goes and does this...

On the other hand, I have discovered the Vostro 3450. It has USB 3.0, 6630, matte screen, expresscard 2.0 (much faster if you vidock). Its also quite cheap in my country, almost the same as USA prices (Dell New Zealand seemd FAR better at getting competitive prices and stock compared to Lenovo New Zealand).

BUT it doesnt look as nice (IMO), is quite heavy and thick (2.5kg 5lb+), keyboard might be crappy, and somehow I like lenovo more. I dont want to buy a vostro, then one day see an E420s in the wild and feel mega pangs of regret and cry ...

I have been waiting for a laptop for about 4 months now. I think Ill give it until the end of april. Hopefully that removal from the datasheet was just a temporary measure until they get enough E420s gpus.

 

I would either ask someone at the SB owners lounge or the CA owners lounge, according to nutral the performance is great, an improvement to what we have

 

Whats weird is that there used to be 2 models at a vendor that had the same cpu, the only differences in the e420s was windows 7 professional vs windows 7 home premium.

Now they are saying the stock of the one with lots more units available was actually an i3 in the specs.

So in reality, none of these units are anything worthwhile and everyone has to wait.

I wouldn't be surprised if those i5s that were allegedly sold had the chipset bug. I didn't order the e420s so im not sure what happened. I remember checking provantage because of a previous poster in here who mentioned it, and I saw 2 models were in stock with the i5's. I check again and now it shows the model as actually an i3 and the 2 i5 models are out of stock.

Till Lenovo sells it officially, this product as far as I am concerned is not out yet.

For anyone who wants a Lenovo right now I suggest a refurbished or new T or X at this point in time till the e420s is finally officially out (not just the few available units which could have wrong specs or chipset bug, I wouldn't trust those units right now)

Will be lucky to see these units released anytime in the near future. If it has to do with Japan it could be delayed indefinitely, but Lenovo said that they weren't being affected by Japan so its unclear if or why units are delayed for production.

When its ready its ready. At this rate I will just pass completely and wait till Ivy Bridge. Ever since the chipset bug, the Sandy Bridge has been jinxed.

AMD 7000, Ivy Bridge, USB 3.0, better gpu, battery life, and even faster performance. e420s or its equivalent model by then will have usb 3.0 which will be standardized.

So yeah, not interested in a notebook this year. I'll wait it out longer till vendors get Ivy bridge and inventory on hand.

 

Ok, I'm a little confused right now. I've been doing a lot of research on the Thinkpad Edge. I want one with the keypad, have they already released this model? IS the new one coming out just the e420s version? Or is there an e520s being released? I'm really confused about all this, i just want the thinkpad edge with the 15 in screen so i can get the numberpad ASAP.

 

E220s, e420s - high quality models

E420, e520 - lower quality models, including a different chassis from the s series.

Currently we have different dates, 19th, 20th ish... sincerely, I would go for teh t520 if you are considering the e520

 

The E520 will be the only one with the number pad, Lenovo will also be releasing it at the end of April. The specific date might be on the 19, but it will more likely be the same as the E420s which will be releasing on 24th.

 

Ok, thank you! When could i see them in stores to try out? Would that be months later, or would they have displays available? I only have Best Buy near me.

 

Thinkpad are usually not on display. If you want to see how the keyboard feel like (the Thinkpad keyboard should be much better), you could try and see their B470/ B570 that will be on display on Bestbuy.

 

A bunch of places carry Thinkpad in local stores:

Fry's, B+H, J+R, Office Depot, Microcenter I believe also carries them. Plus lots of localized stores and the like.

Check with your local stores to see who has them. In many areas you will find a store which sells Thinkpad models and has them on display as well.

You can check the Lenovo website for retailer lists who carry product. Best Buy just carries the Ideapad line.

Around me, there are loads of vendors who have the Thinkpad models in stock on display.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...Landing_pages/Lenovo_general/reseller_locator

 

I have yet find a Thinkpad that is on display, but then again none of the store you mention are in my area.

 

Staples also carries Thinkpad.

Lots more I can't even think of right now.

I don't know your local stores. IF you have an office store or computer store, check to see if they carry Thinkpad.

You just need to check what is in your area. I don't know offhand who has them where you live.

Check stores on the internet for your area or your local yellowpages. Odds are places will have the Thinkpad models.

There are dozens of places around here who sell them and I doubt its unique.

There is also Abe's of Maine which sells Thinkpad and lots of others.

Staples is a LARGE nationwide chain with Thinkpad as is Office Depot. Fry's is a regional seller which has Thinkpad.

I don't know all the stores with Thinkpad but I listed some major ones.

 

The staple near where I live only have crappy consumer laptop. They stock the G series and other values series from Lenovo. The stores are flooded with consumer notebook, no real business machine to be found.

 

Oh well. Around here one can check them out locally.

 

Is i3 ULV processor better than i3? Does this mean that my eletricity bill would be higher using i3 processor as opposed to the i3 ULV?

I'm interested in the e220s which hasn't been released. It will probably take a couple more months until it's out. Compared to the x201i, I'm wondering if it's worth the wait.

 

ULV means a slower processor but less power consumption. I personally would be good with an i5 ULV but not an i3 ULV, because the i5 and i7 ULVs have turbo boost, increasing the clock speed to a certain extent as needed.

Where did you hear a couple of months out for the e220s? I am waiting on this machine too and would be pretty discouraged if that were true. I did an online chat on lenovo.com last week and they said 4/18 for the e220s, end of month for the e420s. I take the 4/18 with a grain of salt but I am hoping for end of month.

Then again the e220s will be the first laptop to be released that I know of to have ulv sandy bridge. That could be a hold up. If there are others out there already I would love to know about them.

 

the samsung 9 series, there is also the lifebook, and I think toshiba launched one too.

there is the m11x r3

 

While it does save you some electricity, absolute the most you could save is a couple of bucks.

 

I'm not based in the US, that's why I'd add a couple of months. Do you already know how much it's priced at in the US? And does it have a matte screen? what's the expected battery life on this machine?

 

Yes that's what i meant

 

I've read both 799 and 849 USD for the starting price on the e220s. Unfortunately it's a glossy screen. Lenovo claims 6 hours of battery life for what it's worth, but I haven't heard any real numbers.

 

Then I guess it's more like 4-5 hours in real use. I was expecting more from an ULV powered laptop since the x201i which runs on a i3 can last 5-5.5 hours in use on a 6 cell battery.

 

Lenovo added a bunch more units for sale. Added around 35 units to the inventory for the e420s.

Mostly more i3's and last I looked 4 i5's were out. Seems like supplies are trickling in very slowly but Lenovo isn't selling them directly.

 

Interesting. Even more i3's have come in today.

The small number of i5's that came in again have sold out completely, but i3 models are being produced in large volume right now.

So I project the i5 and i7's should be out soon from Lenovo. They seem to be ramping up production as we speak, starting with the i3 models.

I presume next batches should be more i5's then the new PSREF with possibly more models and then Lenovo direct selling them later this month.

Just looks like a temporary situation.

 

Can you give me a link for the list of new models being seen? I looked all over lenovo's site and just saw coming soon still...

Also while reading more, it appears that they only project 7 hours battery life with the slice battery which I didn't catch. Does that mean with the standard 6 cell (unless they have a 9 cell option) you will only get like 3-4 hours? This laptop is perfect for me and it all rides on battery life now (decided i don't need the AMD 6630M gpu because i just don't game enough to make any discreet gpu worth it... HD 3000 will work fine for League of legends and CS:s). Good timing because it looks like the 6630 option might not be available for a while...

Should I go with the e420s or the T420 if i'm just going to go with integrated graphics... or maybe some other laptop is a better deal now that the 6630 isn't a sure thing.

 

when the e420s is released, how can i get my laptop as soon as possible? I heard they have premade laptops and then customized. How do i order a premade one?

 

Lenovo 440129U E420S 2310M 4GB/320 DVR F C W7-64