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    W701 - Looks like a good choice?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by rcruk, Aug 6, 2010.

  1. rcruk

    rcruk Notebook Geek

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    I couldn't find a M701 thread so thought I'd start a new one...

    I'm buying a workstation as my first laptop, essentially as a desktop replacement for working at home. I'm a 5th year architecture student. Initially I was looking at dell precisions M4500 and M6500, shopping around I've found this rig though coming in at a price somewhere between those aforementioned systems. Looks ideal for my needs.

    I don't know much about Lenovo though, there's lots more consumer info about dell around, so I'm kindof looking for confirmation that this would be a good choice.

    The software I use are:

    Adobe CS4
    Sketchup
    Autodesk autoCAD & Revit Architecture

    I'm hoping for smooth movement about fully shaded models and a good rendering rate. I don't need much onboard storage as ongoing work will be backed up on an external drive.

    ThinkPad W701
    Intel Core i7-820QM Processor (8M Cache, 1.73 GHz)
    Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
    17" WUXGA RGB-LED-BL
    NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M 96-core CUDA parallel computing processor 1GB (dedicated)
    8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
    Ultranav + Number Pad + Fingerprint Reader + Pantone Color Sensor + WACOM Digitizer w/ Stylus
    320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
    Multi Recorder Optical Drive (12.7mm)
    9 cell Li-Ion Battery
    Bluetooth w/ antenna
    ThinkPad WiFi (BGN)
    3 year next day onsite Warranty
     
    rcruk, Aug 6, 2010
    #1
  2. Andrew Baxter

    Andrew Baxter -

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    Andrew Baxter, Aug 6, 2010
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  3. PatchySan

    PatchySan Om Noms Kit Kat

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    As Andrew said, I think you meant the W701 rather than M701. ;)

    But the workstation specs you posted should handle your design applications easily thanks to the Core i7 Quad Core Processor and Nvidia Quadro graphics. The only gripe I could think for the W701 is that it's very heavy so factor that in if you plan to carry it a lot.
     
    PatchySan, Aug 6, 2010
    #3
  4. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    M701 is a W701 when it is flipped around...
     
    lead_org, Aug 6, 2010
    #4
  5. rcruk

    rcruk Notebook Geek

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    rcruk, Aug 6, 2010
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  6. rcruk

    rcruk Notebook Geek

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    The main criticism I've seen so far of the W701 is that it's ugly and bulky. It's hard to tell from images on the net, also it's hard to get to grips with its size, anyone have a good image with something to scale it against, a can of drink, a ruler or something?? The only alternative would be to pay £1000 more for a dell with the same specs and a sleek looking M6500 silver base. I thought I'd try something other than dell, my desktop was from dell and though it was a good purchase and has lasted well, I'm interested in trying something different.

    In terms of the specs they look exactly what I need and I'm getting the impression overall that Lenovo tend to be reliable and their service good. Do you find this to be the case?
     
    rcruk, Aug 6, 2010
    #6