W540 Questions (Laptop for Audio/Video)

Hi. I have an X220 (posted about it recently) but need a computer with more processing power for Audio and Video. I was about to build a desktop DAW but saw the W540 and am considering this for a Desktop Replacement. I run Pro-Tools and Use Sony Vegas. Some of the plug ins require a lot of processing power. I have a few questions:

∙ Can I pull my 16GB RAM from my X220 and place it in the W540 (both are DDR3)?
∙ Are the graphics good enough for Video Work (fast rendering, etc)
∙ Can M2 be used as a separate drive as my MSATA is in my X220?
∙ Is the i7 processor in the W540 comparable to powerful desktops? My X220 (i5 Dual Core, 2.4GHz) lags w/CPU intensive tasks.
∙ I've been using Thinkpads for a decade but never owned a docking station. What is the purpose of these? Would it save me from abusing my ports?
∙ My X220 is 3.3lbs w/the smaller 3 Cell Battery. Is the 2lb difference that staggering in terms of weight?


I am really thinking of getting this machine. I see them on eBay for <$1200 which is amazing. I plan on stocking this w/a 512GB SSD and 512 M2 SSD if it is possible.

Please give me some insight. Thanks!

 

No, Haswell CPUs require DDR3L, which has the same form factor but a lower voltage. The W540 will not POST with the X220's RAM sticks.

Not an expert on that, but I believe the W540's discrete graphics should be more than adequate for most usage patterns.

Yes, although there are not as many M2 SSD options as there are mSATA drives.

Mobile CPUs will always be significantly slower than the same generation of desktop CPUs. I would look at some artificial CPU benchmarks to get a rough idea of the performance differences between CPUs you're interested in.

It's mostly for convenience; if you're constantly on the go, it's a lot easier to pop the laptop out of the dock and be on your way rather than disconnecting a bunch of USB cables, video, etc. I believe the dock also allows for additional external monitor support, depending on which dock you get.

I own a T500 (5.9 lbs) and a T440s (3.8 lbs), and the 2 lbs difference is quite significant, especially if you're carrying the laptop around all day in a backpack. The W540 will also obviously be significantly more bulky in a bag than your X220.

 

No, the W540 uses DDR3L while the X220 uses DDR3.

The Quadro cards offered by the W540 are plenty capable of handling such tasks. You can check out a few benchmarks here:

NVIDIA Quadro K1100M - NotebookCheck.net Tech
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M - NotebookCheck.net Tech

Yes.

It's quite a step up from the i5-2520m, but not on par with desktop processors.

Yep, pretty much. It also saves you some time.

The W540 is a much bigger and heavier machine. It will be a hand full to carry if you are used to the X220, but it's still quite reasonable in terms of portability for a workstation.

 

Thanks so much for the insight. I am also now looking at the Dell Precision M3800 which is in the same class as the Lenovo W540. I'm a long time Lenovo User and would hate to leave the platform, but this W540 is getting a lot of bad reviews.

If you have any more insight, I'd appreciate it!

This is from Tech Radar about the M3800:

Superb CPU performance
Superb graphics performance
Thin-and-light design
High-DPI QHD+ display
SSD, 802.11ac wireless networking
2.2 GHz Intel Core i7-4702HQ (Haswell)
16GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L RAM
256GB Solid State Drive
NVIDIA Quadro K1100M Graphics (2GB)
15.6" UltraSharp LED-Backlit Touchscreen
QHD+ 3200 x 1800 Native Resolution
Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.0
802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Built-in Webcam, Mic, & Speakers
Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)

 

Perhaps these reviews might help you out a little bit:

Review Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Workstation - NotebookCheck.net Reviews
Review Dell Precision M3800 Workstation - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

 

Thanks. It says that the W540 has TWO M2 SSD slots. Does that mean you could install TWO 42mm M2 SSDs for total of THREE SSDs in the W540? (i.e. Internal SSD, M2 SSD #1, M2 SSD #2).

If so that would be truly remarkable. I saw this drive online - 256GB M2 SSD

And this means they would show up as THREE SEPARATE DRIVES on my W540 right?

 

Actually, you can install 4 SSD's. One in the main bay, 2 M.2 SSD's, and one instead of the DVD drive.

People kept complaining because they couldn't use a mSATA SSD and WWAN at the same time, so lenovo now includes 2 free M.2 slots in some ThinkPads.

 

The W540 is very tempting because of its numerical keypad (Pro Tools utilizes it), and the fact that 3 SSDs can be fitted w/o removing the optical drive. What sucks is that there aren't that many M2 SSDs available in the 512GB-1TB range (yet). The screen resolution is odd though better than HD and you can have up to 32GB. The build quality is not that great. I'm reading about creaks and cracks (I have a few cracks on my X220, never happened on any other thinkpad I owned prior to this). It's also heavier by far.

The M3800 is lighter, no keypad (bummer), no thunderbolt, worse battery life, but superior screen resolution, can use MSATA (and there are 1TB solutions available now), better and tougher build, only up to 16GB of RAM, but 10 finger multitouch on the screen. The available dock is sleeker looking and has many additional ports.



Seems the W540 is a superior machine but too far ahead of its time (if that makes any sense).

 

There's absolutely nothing about W540 that is ahead of its time.

The screen is nice, presuming that one can live with the native resolution since the scaling in Windows is still nowhere near the Mac standard, which is not Lenovo's fault.

Build quality is abysmal by ThinkPad - or any other serious - standards. Out of all the *40 series, W540 has taken the largest number of complaints from end users, closely followed by X240.

Dell M4800 would be my pick nowadays if I were in a market for a machine somewhat similar to what you're looking for.

 

Well, I was thinking that the ability to install four M2 SSDs would make it a bit ahead of its time. You're right though, I've been reading a LOT of complaints. Even the critics give it mixed reviews.

I am leaning heavily toward the M3800. It's cheaper (on eBay) and have comparable warranties. The Dell 4800 is a bit too bulky and expensive for my taste, so the M8300 is in the sweet spot. It was either get a new workstation laptop or build a new desktop. The Dell just seems like a better choice at this point

Thanks for your input!

 

That's actually two M2 SSDs and two conventional ones. With that said, the platform in *40 series - or any current notebook for that fact - doesn't utilize the potential that is theoretically tied to the M2 form factor.

I'm interested - on a theoretical level since I'm never buying a ThinkPad with a 6-row keyboard - what W550 (or whatever it ends up being named) will bring to the table. If you have the time to spare, waiting for it might not be a bad idea.

No argument from this lifelong ThinkPadder on that one, unfortunately.

Happy shopping.

 

Double check the height of the M.2 drives it can take - I believe the t440s is limited to 42mm ones (type 2242), and I think the W540 is the same. This also means you're limited to lower capacity drives in those slots.

 

Thanks! I already checked. It's a shame. While I'm sure larger capacity ones will come out at some point, I'm not waiting. I've owned an X31, X61, X200 and now X220. The W540 looks great on paper, but when you do the research, at least in my opinion, it's not a good deal. Too many limitations, gotchyas and underpowering. I started out looking to upgrade to the X240, then looked at the W540 and am not satisfied.

My X220 is an awesome machine. Were it not for a need to upgrade in processing power, I would just keep it and not upgrade at all. At this point I'm sold on the Dell M3800. It seems like the best buy for this particular price range and category. If I bought another Lenovo at this point, it would just be for staying loyal to the brand. In Music and Video production, that won't get me anywhere.

 

not one bit, I had to switch from Apple to others for video work. As for the m3800 it is a great unit, but I still admit I am more partial to the m4700/m4800 just for the extra horsepower, expresscard port and the docking port.

I may not be a diehard thinkpad gal, I still love my x220 and x230 but from what I have seen and read the W540 seems to be in many ways including quality, a step down from the W530