W500 Review and Benchmark Tests on XP

Updates:11/11/08
1) W500 has the V5700 GPU see explanation: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=319216
Updates:11/05/08
1) Viewperf 10.0 shootout! Results below in viewperf section.
Updates:11/1/08
1) BIOS fix to misidentification of FireGL V5700 found! http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=316204

Configuration and Physical Description

Current notebook:
W500 4058CTO
Intel Core2 Duo Processor T9400 2.53 GHz
Intel Cantiga GM45 motherboard chipset
Intel ICH9M AHCI controller
15.4” WSXGA+ 1680 x 1050 pixels
3 GB PC3-8500 1067 MHz 2 Dimm RAM
ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 512 MB DDR3 VRAM
250 GB 5400 rpm HDD - Fujitsu MHZ2250BH G1
Intel 5300 WiFi
Integrated Bluetooth
AT&T WiWAN (Ericsson F3507g)
Sony 6-cell battery
Vista Business 32-bit - > Win XP Pro 32-bit

Previous notebooks owned:
a) 2002 IBM Thinkpad T21 (mother board retired, but hard disk still in use!)
b) 2004 IBM Thinkpad T41, Intel 1.4 GHz , 2 GB RAM, 14” 1024 x 728 LCD (still in use, but mother board dying)

1.Introduction

Hi. This post aims to be the companion post I made earlier on the benchmark tests of the W500 running Windows Vista: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=311572 . This time, as the title suggests, we’ll be running the same benchmark tests on the W500 but running XP Pro SP3. But before we get to the results, I’ll talk about some issues and possible fixes that I’ve come across after using the W500 for a little more than two weeks.

Issues and Fixes
a)Keyboard Flex.
From Day one, I was unhappy with the keyboard flex. I had read about it in this forum, early T500 review and was prepared for it. But I was unhappy because it is really a leap (not step) backward for Lenovo with the new but flawed keyboard design.
Fix: Don’t make excuses for Lenovo. Get a replacement T60/T61 NMB keyboard FRU #42T3143. The new NMB keyboard flexes and the FRU is 42T3937. (See pics at http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=313091)

b)Display Driver
Some users have experienced BSOD when connecting their notebooks to external monitors.
Fix: Update your display driver to release 3. One user reported that this update works for him/her. I am using display driver release 3 and I’ve not had a BSOD when connecting my notebook to an external monitor.
XP driver: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-70366
Vista driver: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-70417

c)ATI FireGL V5700 misidentified
Catalyst Control Center and other software have misidentified the FireGL as the HD3650.
Fix: BIOS version 1.18 fixes the problem. Links are here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=316204

d)‘CPU Whine’
After two weeks of using the W500, it suddenly came down with the dreaded ‘CPU Whine’. IMO, it’s not the CPU that’s whining but the inductors or capacitors on the motherboard that is whining. Many others in this forum have experienced this ‘CPU Whine’ and it sounds like a high frequency ring/buzz coming from the battery or top left of the keyboard.
Fix: Best way to fix it is to locate the buzzing inductor (if it’s an inductor that’s buzzing and not a capacitor) and put a dollop of hot glue, lacquer or RTV on it. However, the motherboard is not that easily accessible and will need disassembly of the heatsink and brackets to get to the offending inductor.
Second way is to use the integrated Bluetooth with a wireless mouse if you have one. I found that it lowered the noise level of the buzz (when running on Vista and XP) by changing the PCI bus throttle level.
Here are more ‘fixes’: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=67338
EDIT: I just disabled CPU Power Management and PCI Bus Power Management under BIOS > Config > Power (fix in the thread above by wswartzendruber) and the whining is gone!

e)Downgrade to XP Pro
Using the included Recovery DVD to install XP Pro was a BIG mistake. I spent more than 4 hours installing the XP Pro, finding out that the drivers were pre-release drivers, downloading the new drivers, uninstalling the old drivers and installing the new drivers (not all were done at one sitting though). The experience was just plain horrible.
Fix: Do a clean install of the XP. Nice guide from Arkit3kt found here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=188992&highlight=xp+clean+install

Oh yes as an aside, did you guys know that the T500/W500 was actually the T62? (see picture below)



Also note that the Recovery DVD was made in July 2008 (not shown in picture).

All the following benchmark tests were carried out with maximum performance power setting unless otherwise specified. Also my V5700 driver is release version 3 from Lenovo.

2.WPrime speed test ( http://www.wprime.net/ )

Idle equilibrium temperature with maximum performance power setting (measured with Everest Ultimate Edition http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=3&ps=UE&lang=en ):
Ambient temperature: ~27˚C
CPU: 46˚C
CPU core #1: 44˚C
CPU core #2: 43˚C
GPU: 50˚C

Wprime v1.55
32M Benchmark: 30.937 secs 2 thread
Maximum temperature
CPU: 57˚C
CPU core #1: 59˚C
CPU core #2: 57˚C
GPU: 54˚C

WPrime v2.00
32M Benchmark: 32.375 secs 2 thread
Maximum temperature
CPU: 60˚C
CPU core #1: 62˚C
CPU core #2: 60˚C
GPU: 55˚C

The CPU is running slower on XP than on Vista! Why? The CPU is also running hotter on the XP compared to running on Vista. Guess I really need that Artic Silver 5.

3.Techpowerup GPU-Z ( http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/ )



GPU-Z still shows an ATI Radeon logo as expected and misidentifies the FireGL V5700. Running ATI’s Catalyst Control Center will show an ATI FireGL logo. This will confirm that you have a FireGL V5700 according to Lenovo. But the new BIOS 1.18 will purportedly fix this misidentification problem!



Note the extra workstation icon on the left menu bar in the CCC. Selecting it unfortunately leads to an empty page. I wonder whether if you install ISV drivers, this workstation page will have extra features (I’m waiting for the Solidworks ISV driver!).

4.3Dmark06 ( http://www.futuremark.com/products/3dmark06/ )

Running 3Dmark06 produced a score of 3945 for a 1280x1024 test with everything disabled and application managed on the Catalyst Control Center (CCC). With 4xAA and Anisotropic filtering, the score drops to 2664. I don’t get it the scores; on Vista it’s 3969 and 2432 respectively. Is XP performing a little better with AA enabled?



Top: No AA and No filtering. Bottom: 4xAA and Anisotropic filter.



5.PCmark05 ( http://www.futuremark.com/products/pcmark05/ )

Running XP gives a 5458 score while on Vista I get a 6434 score. Hmmm interesting. Better performance running Vista?



6.SPECviewperf 10 ( http://www.spec.org/gwpg/gpc.static/vp10info.html )

Win XP doesn’t have the Desktop Windows Manager to hog up the GPU and so we should get higher scores compared to Vista. However, we see marginal improvement when running viewperf 10 in XP.



Top: Viewperf scores on XP. Bottom Viewperf scores on Vista.

*Viewperf 10 was run with DWM enabled but Aero disabled. No difference with both DWM and Aero disabled.

[/URL]Here are the results of the Viewperf 10.0 shooooootout!



7.Cinebench R10 (http://www.maxon.net/pages/download...note=0&month=&or=0&search=&sort=cinebench10_s . Here’s a score for the Macbook Pro: http://youtube.com/?v=hSZmZfTr8Qw .

Single CPU score: 2869
Multiple CPU score: 5311
OpenGL score: 5528

Cinebench scores are slightly higher when run on XP.



8.Conclusions

The W500 still has hardware/software issues that need to be ironed out .This time my keyboard is not bouncing up and down as I type these words and I love it. It now feels more like a Thinkpad of yonder. However, I wish Lenovo would quickly iron out the issues with the display drivers and let me work my Solidworks on this T62p errr W500 soon. Finally, after using Vista for two weeks and downgrading back to XP (I’ve been only an XP user before getting the W500), I feel that Vista runs smoother than XP in some ways. Unfortunately some of my software runs on XP and I have to stick with XP for the time being. Oops I hear whining. Thank god it’s just my significant other. Cheers.

 

Thanks for good thing. Keep up!

 

Great piece on the performance. Thanks.

 

Thanks veemexx! It's really helpful for those who are considering to buy W500 ,like me.

 

You're welcome. Bump for update.

 

Hi Veemexx just wanted to say a quick thank you for the time and effort that you have put in to this.

Also, would you recommend getting a notebook as I have always been a desktop computer man but i'm now rapidly running out of space so just wondering if liability insurance would recommend them?

Thanks

 

You're welcome Nathan.

It depends how you would use your computer. For example I shuttlle around a lot from place to place and using a desktop computer doesn't allow me to access files and software easily. You could use remote desktop, like I did for a few months, but mouse lag is a big issue especially if you do 3D CAD. So I got myself a notebook. However, the tradeoff with notebooks are reduced hardware performance, but if you don't have to do demanding 3D CAD, notebooks are ok. Hope that helps!

 

Whats the screen quality like (brightness, contrast, quality)? I'd be getting the 1680x1050 one, as the WUXGA is a bit out of my price range. I'm torn between a T400 and W500 at the moment, the W500 will be an extra 60 dollars or so, trying to decide if its worth it.

 

nice review.

My old T61p with FX 570m 128Mb got around 5500 on PCMark05.
and my W500 got 4863 on 3DMark06, both are tested under xp.

 

Does the W500 have the hybrid graphics? How is the screen?

 

Yes, it does have a hybrid video card.
The screen is even brighter than the one on my T61p.
The vertical viewing angle is better than the one on my T61p but the horizontal viewing angle is not as good.
Also the size is different. It's a lot longer than my T61p. So I don't take it with me when I travel.

Overall I like it, they're both good laptops.

( btw, I tested the laptops by dropping them several times while they're still running xp and nothing happened and I also stepped on them and they're as good as I got them.)

 

I like the hybrid graphics, DDR3, P9500 processor, and general Lenovo build quality / keyboard. However I like the graphics card and WUXGA LED RGB LED in the Dell M4400. However the W500 is so much cheaper so I will probably go with it. Pretty bad news for Dell too because I was trying to buy the M4400 yesterday and the rep didn't call me back.

 

Thanks, glad you liked it.

Your W500 is giving you a good 3DMark06 score. Did you have to tweak your W500 to get that score? Most people have posted scores around 4000.

 

No, I didn't do any tweak on it. I just did a clean install and all my programs.

 

Good to know. Thanks!