Thinkpad W550s Owner's Thread

My W550s was delivered today. Planning on using as a SolidWorks/Engineering workstation. Will send unboxing pics and a first impressions review when I get home tonight.

 

Congratulations!!! Looking forward to your review. Please do include your configuration info.
I am myself deciding between W550s and the T450s. Apparently, there is about $100 discount on the W550s, plus the 6-cell (72 Whr) battery option is available as well. It is not yet available for T450s.

 

I got the 72 Whr battery option so I'll be able to test it for you. Went with the 1920x1080 display because of the price so I won't be able to give a review of the 3k display. Excited about the return of trackpad buttons. If I'm unhappy with anything I won't hesitate to return it for a Dell M3800.

System Details:
Intel Core i7-5600U Processor (4MB Cache, up to 3.20GHz)
Windows 7 Professional 64 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 8.1 Pro 64
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080), with WWAN
NVIDIA Quadro K620M 2GB
16GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (2 DIMM)
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, 2.5"
No Micro Hard Drive
3 cell Li-Polymer (44Whr) Front Battery
6 cell Li-Ion (72Wh) Cyl HC Rear Battery
Intel 7265 AC/B/G/N Dual Band Wireless + Bluetooth Version 4.0
Fingerprint Reader
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
Windows 7 Pre-Install Through Win 8 DG

 

How lightweight is it?

 

I bought one from my vendor at work but it hasn't shipped yet. I paid 1359 USD and I chose the I7 5500U, Windows 7 with downgrade rights to Windows 8. 4 GB of ram(will upgrade ram myself), 500 gb hd, 6 cell rear battery the upgraded 3 k display and I didn't have to pay shipping or taxes.

 

Getting mine soon, I hope. Maybe Monday or Tuesday next week.

 

First Impressions:

-Sturdy: Solid build quality. It seems it will last a long time under daily use. Rigid frame. Doesn't flex. Display hinge action is smooth and tight with no noticeable play.

-Light: I can easily lift it off the desk by the corner with one hand. If I do this with my Toshiba Protege (2.5 lb) the frame flexes. It takes much more effort to lift any other workstation laptop this way. The 72Whr battery makes it heavier, but overall it is still way lighter and easier to move than my friend's W540. I will carry this with me every day and it will add almost no burden.

-Touchpad works like it should! Having a great experience here without a mouse. Very predictable touchpad button action. Two finer swipe, pinch zoom, right click, etc. all work well and make navigating pain free.

-Keyboard feels awesome and my fingers land where I want them like on a desktop keyboard. I feel locked in to it unlike other laptops where my hands tend to drift. Backlighting is a plus, spill resistance is a plus, and I'm stoked about the number pad. The keyboard is off center, but I have a number pad!

-1920x1080 Display looks surprisingly bright and clear compared to what I'm used to.

-Charger is small and comes with enough velcro to wrap around both cords. Connector is sturdy.

This is my first Lenovo and I'm very impressed with the build quality, feel, and look of the machine.

Tomorrow I'll have a faster connection and can install my programs and test battery life.

 

Its pretty light. Not the lightest, but a lot lighter than other 15" workstations.

 

A real trackpoint with buttons, I'm so jealous I could spit, but congratulations nonetheless. Your carpet and mine look eerily similar.

 

Lmao I thought I was the only one left with the puke yellow 70's carpet.

 

Man, every time I see the numpad, the only thing I can think of is how ugly it is
In my opinion of course....

Anyway congrats, I hope you won't regret it. Btw, may I ask why W550S and not something else? 15" screen? what else?

 

Congrats on the notebook - nice writeup. You might be the first person to post "in the wild" pictures of it.

I dig the fact Lenovo included the numpad on this (vs. HP not doing so on their competing ZBook 15u). However I don't understand why the F-row keys aren't primarily the F-keys e.g. F1-F12 and not the other functions like volume and so on. I get the Fn-Lock feature but it should be the other way around - F keys primary, and Fn-Lock to switch what should be the secondary functions to primary. Maybe it's me but on a machine built for productivity, you don't mess with the F-keys.

Additionally I don't get why Lenovo is leaving out physical caps lock and num lock indicator lights ...they put in a light for Fn-Lock so what gives? Gotta wonder what the logic is (if any) behind these decisions.

 

I chose the w550s over the dell because of the docking station. I'll be using this at work with dual monitors. I chose it over the other think pad models because of the dedicated graphics and portability. I really do carry my computer everywhere and wanted something light enough to carry all the time and still do well with large assemblies in SW.

 

I actually prefer to have the function keys default so I can quickly change the volume, brightness, whatever. When I'm working the FN-lock will be on so no loss in productivity imho.

You're right about the caps and NumLock indicator lights missing. I hadn't noticed that yet and I wish it had it. Not that hard to add a couple LEDs.

What does bug me quite a bit is the Ctrl and FN keys are swapped, so when I go to use Ctrl+c, Ctr+v by muscle memory I have to think twice about it.

That being said still would take this keyboard over any other one I've used.

 

Check in bios for option to reverse Fn Ctr behavior.

 

@Tossthedice - May I bother you with some questions?
1. Do you plan to install an NGFF drive? If so, would like to hear you experience, since the slot is supposed to be single-sided and the only aftermarket NGFFs are double-sided.
2. The large battery is not exactly in the center, but a little offset. My T440s has the large battery, but it is in the center. Does this sit stable on the desk and on the lap?
3. Would you happen to have a scale to weigh it? I am deciding between the W550s and T450s, but the T450s is a whole lb lighter.
4. Looking forward to the benchmarks.
Thank you.

 

Seems like I will be getting mine tomorrow...will install Windows 10 Tech Preview, and I will also test some games with the K620M. I anyone wants a special benchmark, I can do it as well...

 

quite miss having a thinkpad as i went to buy one last year to find that the dedicated buttons were not going to work for me but now they fixed that its soldered cpus now. so i cant even upgrade it if i really liked it a lot. but very nice machine. but as one said i do agree with the numpad opinion. im not a fan. only neg i saw on the picture that spoiled it "just a lil bit" for me.

 

Of course you can ask questions.
I'll do my best to answer them.

1. I don't plan to install NGFF drive. Though I'd like to upgrade to a 512 GB ssd sometime in the future.

2. I noticed the offset battery too, and as I sit here at a desk the computer doesn't wabble at all and sits firmly. The bottom of the battery has two large rubber feet that grip very well, so there's no sliding or rocking. I used it on my lap last night and didn't notice the extruding battery creating any imbalances. Here's some pics of it sitting on the table.


3. I weighed it on the digital bathroom scale with the battery in to be 5.0 lbs.

4. I've never benchmarked before, not sure what kind of programs I should run. Superpi? What else? I've been using it on battery for four hours now downloading and installing things, and I still have 70% battery left. That's at 13/15 screen brightness and high performance mode in the lenovo power manager.

 

The machine is top notch, and I don't think I'll need to upgrade anything except installing an ssd. The number pad is useful for me when entering data at work but if you don't use it, the keyboard layout is still great to type on.

 

I'm loving the fingerprint scanner. Makes logging in so much faster.

 

Yea I had no use for number pads so I wouldn't be against it completely but I do miss using the keyboard and the whole experience from using Lenovo since my T430p


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

So I got my W550s today.

Very nice machine. Solid build quality, feels a bit more robust even then the T440s (but thats maybe because its heavier). Materialwise, the T440s has the edge over it with smoother and finer materials, but the W550s is not bad as well. Very solid and sturdy hinges.

The display is sharp and crisp and much better than either of the 14" FHD displays used in the T440s. A very fine display. 2880x1620 is unusable on 100 %, 125 % is a good balance for me.

The keyboard is just as good as the T440s keyboard (cause its nearly the same). I like the central keyboard better, but it doesn´t really bother me to have the numblock.

The UltraNav is a step back for me. The innovative Tx40 design being cast aside for the older design isn´t very nice. Although the new TrackPoint buttons are very quiet and not mushy at all, now the TouchPad is a unused part of the palmrest, again, when on the Tx40 models, I could use the whole TouchPad as a big TrackPoint button. Definitely a step back in my book. Wished they would have refinded the new ClickPad rather than travel back in time, but...oh well. I can use the new one fine, it just angers me to see this idea go down the dumbster. I would rarhter have a palmrest without TouchPad or the older 5 button ClickPad, than this unused TouchPad that only collects dust.

I can´t say anything about the performance, yet, as I have installed Windows 10 Tech Preview, whcih runs fine I guess, but the problem is: There are no compatible nVidia drivers for Windows 10 yet. So I guess I will have to go back to Windows 8.1 for now and would advise anyone with a W550s to stay away from Windows 10 right now, until there are drivers from nVidia.

2 pictures, the viewing angle when the display tilted towards the user and a size comparison with the X301:

(please don´t mind the slight dirtiness of the lid)

 

@ibmthink - Congratulations on the new computer.
Would you mind commenting the weight, between your T440s and the W550s?
I currently own a T440s and am going back and forth between the T450s and the W550s. BTW, what made you decide on the W550s instead of the T450s?
Thanks.

 

Thanks!

T450s will be definitely much more mobile. W550s is pretty big and heavy. It weights less than a T420 with 9 cell, but it actually feels like it weights more. Sure, its better than former 15" models, but really light, not yet.

I did choose the W550s because of the nVidia GPU.

 

^^^^^^^^

Congrats on your new ThinkPad!

Since you got the machine with the 3K panel, here's a question that is only-half-related to the laptop itself:

How's the scaling in W10 on the 3K panel, when compared to W8.x since I believe - possibly incorrectly - that you ran the latter on your T440s?

 

Windows 10 scaling is essentially Windows 8.1 scaling.

Windows is divided in two parts: The Win32 part, that scales sometimes correctly, and the WinRT part, that always scales correctly.

The biggest difference between Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 is that more and more of the native built in Win32 apps, like the old Windows 7 calculator, are replaced with WinRT apps. Also, it seems like the Control panel, which doesn´t scale correctly in many parts, might disappear in favor of a unified Windows Settings app. So for the built in parts of Windows, scaling is being improved. But if you have an old Win32 program from the XP era, thats not being updated to support scaling, Windows 10 won´t change anything.

 

Can you go into more depth about the display like brightness, clarity, graininess etc and some pictures with the display on at various angles? Or even the FRU? Thanks!!

 

Is that the default battery choice in your photos?

 

No, it's the larger 6 cell 72Whr rear battery option. The other battery option will flat on the bottom. I just prefer longer battery life, and I've only had to charge this computer once since Friday so I'm pretty happy with the larger battery choice.

 

Giggidy, I have the 1920x1080 display, so if you're interested in the 3k display I can't help, but here's my thoughts on this one:

Brightness: Bright enough to give you bloodshot eyes. I haven't taken it out in the sun yet, but it would be readable.
Clarity: Text and icons are sharp, but obviously not a sharp as a 3k display would be.
Graininess: Some graininess is apparent in small icons if you look very closely, but you really gotta try to notice.
Overall the display does what it's meant to do very well. Nothing to complain about, but it's not the shining point of the machine.

Could you explain what you mean by FRU?

Here's a pic of the display next to a macbook pro. Both are on full brightness. Sry it's upside down.

 

Thanks! I was looking for the 1080p model anyways, higher resolution with improper scaling for older win32 apps will drive me nuts. In either case there's always the option of swapping the TN panel out for an IPS 1080P Unit from AUO.

By FRU I meant the part number associated with the LCD screen. Usually tells you on the part list with your order.

 

Which AUO panel *exactly* are you referring to here?

 

Maybe he refers to the B156HAN01.2: http://www.panelook.com/B156HAN01.2_AUO_15.6_LCM_overview_19049.html

Its the 15" model of the B140HAN01.2 which Lenovo used and uses on T440s / T450s. Could be a simple drop-in replacement for the normal FHD TN displays used in W540/T540p/W541/W550s/T550.

 

An interesting screen indeed. Too bad it was discontinued quite some time ago.

Makes one wonder why Lenovo hasn't chosen that screen as a FHD option on *40 series to begin with. I guess we'll never know.

 

1.1 revision is still in production though: http://www.panelook.com/B156HAN01.1_AUO_15.6_LCM_overview_19048.html Also available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/AU-OPTRONICS-B156HAN01-2-SUBSTITUTE-REPLACEMENT/dp/B00JMM89NC

We sure don´t know why they didn´t choose that one, but my guess is to seperate the 3K option more from the FHD screens, as the clear "premium option".

 

Yup B156HAN01.2 that's the one

 

Thanks. There are two six cell options, correct? And also a three cell? Does one of be six cell options lie flat?

I am considering this model. I strongly want whatever I buy to lie flat, and Lenovo doesn't provide enough detail on their battery choices for me to always be sure what's what.

TL/DR: what would be the largest battery I could get and still have the machine lie flat?

 

The 23 Wh 3 cell battery (which makes a total of 67 Wh with the internal 44 Wh battery inside the W550s).

 

Thats also my view of it ;-)

Sent from my C1905 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks a ton for the info! I'm really leaning away from the T450s+nvidia GPU (when available) and going for the upgrade to the w550s (SolidWorks user as well).

@Tossthedice - would you be able to share a SolidWorks Performance Test? (or just general feedback as to how big an assembly has to get before it starts to chug)

 

Good afternoon.
What can you say about the work of the K620M in games.
On what games tested?
Thank U.

 

I can´t say anything about games, yet, as the nVidia GPU doesn´t work in Windows 10 and I have yet to install Windows 8.1 to test games...

 

Any updates on the w550s? Pros/cons/issues?

 

My guess would be that there is nothing much to say, since there is nothing special about this machine...

 

That's a bit harsh. My p34w is nothing special but I really love it. I know how people feel about the thinkpads. They are ice machines. Eventually I will return when the gpu matches similar performances in a few years and if that performance is still relevant. I'll buy it. Probably t480/e480 so some years yet.


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I agree.

I really like my W550s. Its a very solid choice, and I do think it is something special:

- Its Lenovos first "more high end" 15" Ultrabook, and first W/T 15" Ultrabook

- First W/T with powerbridge and much better battery runtimes then the normal T/W T540p / W541

- Also, first ThinkPad Ultrabook system that doesn´t compromise compared to non-Ultrabook systems on RAM and dGPUs (unlike T450s) - also, it has 2x 42 mm M.2 by default (which no other model if this generation has, its optional for T450s and X250, and only without the smartcard reader)

Of course, this isn´t completely new hardware. It combines existing features (15" 3K screen + numpad + Ultrabook style construction) into a package that wasn´t available before from Lenovo... I like it, but its not for everyone certainly.

 

Is it easy to upgrade the ram and the storage drive?

 

Can you use the ultradock pro that is used with the t440s?

 

You have to the bottom cover - which means several screws and then carefully several small clips (with a plastic pry up tool). Its fairly easy, you just have to be a bit careful with the clips.

Of course! Although I have the Pro dock, and not the Ultradock.