Y500 Owners and Questions Thread

Any chance you have any ideas about my problem?

 

Best to post it in the Windows OS subforum. I have no idea.

 

Do people find that using the Crucial M4 as your main hard drive makes a big difference? Also, can someone confirm that this is the one that works for everyone? Is it easy to put in?

I've changed out a video card and added RAM to a desktop before. But I have never opened a laptop.

 

Okay, so I'm going to assume it's better to invest in the i7 version then. There's a promo code going on Newegg that takes 137 off the 1200 one so why not.

As for the SSD that comes with the more expensive versions, is it an regular one, mSATA or an Ultrabay one? Or is it integrable into the laptop both w/ and w/o Ultrabay?
And is it worth it just for the 16 GB? I'd imagine that wouldn't even hold an OS or even a full game.

And I assume there's only there's only one Ultrabay slot so I'm guessing it's not possible to run the extra 650m GPU and have an extra fan/HDD/battery functioning alongside at the same time?

One last question: Is Hyper-threading the same as the Turbo Boost Technology they mention?

 

Would I be able to replace the HD with the Samsung 840 Series SSD? Or would you recommend something else? I'm looking for a 256 GB SSD and something relatively cheap (under $200 or $250) .

 

The 16GB that comes with the more expensive configurations is an mSATA and it is used for cacheing.

Thats the SSD I had been looking at myself. I need to see how much room the games I am going to install take up before I decide to pull the trigger on the 256 or wait for the 512s to come down in price (saw one go fro 280 the other day). From what I saw that one is pretty good. While some people might thrown around read/write specs, I wonder in everyday use if one would even notice a difference between the different "tiers" of SSDs.

 

What's cacheing by the way? Or how's it different from storage/booting stuff up? Kind've a stupid question I know..

 

The way I understand it is it kind of stores frequently used programs for faster launching. So when you start fresh you wouldn't see that much different. But as you start using it is learns what you are doing. So lets say you use Firefox a lot and you bring up a Twiiter app, that kind of stuff. It would have those programs in the cache (I think..) so you would get the SSD benefit of loading those from the SSD and not the HD. Now I don't think it would cache something as big as a game, but smaller everyday kind of apps. So a big game like Tomb Raider would stil needed to be loaded from the HD. And also maybe some OS level stuff would be cached in the SSD as well and would make Windows 8 a bit quicker. Its just a hybrid of both a traditional HD and an SSD.

While not the greatest explanation, its how I understand it. Heren` is a dumb metaphor. It would be like if you were cooking and you had all your small spices and herbs right beside the stove. But if you needed to get in the bigger bag of flour or sugar, you still need to go to the pantry. The smaller, most used items are right there, but the bigger and occasional use items require more work to get to.

 

So the Y500 is compatable with the Samsung 840? Just want to be sure before I buy.

 

Ohhh, okay. Wow, that's a bit creepy when you think about it...but smart and efficient.
But basically since it's only cacheing for those little things like browsing and whatnot, I might as get the SDD-less version and just save up for a bigger one for gaming+OS?

 

Yes that is the one. The access panel on the bottom is harder to remove than most since you need to remove nine screws total, but after you pop it off you should be able to access all the user-serviceable items. The mSATA slot is right on top of the WiFi card and you just pop the SSD in the open slot there. I haven't checked myself but if the mounting screws are not already present in the empty slot or included with the SSD then you'll have to buy them separately.

 

I got a quick question:
Are there always "sale deals" for the Y500 , and there will be more in the near future? Meaning that despite the retail price of 1300$, the price will always be around 800$(for the basic 1080p model)?
I'm asking because I would prefer to purchase the computer around May, but if the price will jump back to the retail price - I will take advantage of the low price and buy now.

Also, for anyone considering adding mSATA SSD, take a look at the new Plextor M5M. It uses the new Marvell controller - so it might be a good alternative for the Crucial M4.

 

So far it's been on sale every week on Lenovo.com so that probably won't change. The sales prices fluctuate every now and then but you should never have to pay retail.

 

I was wondering about this too. Even though Newegg is having the top tier laptop at 1066, I'm more willing to spend 810 on the tier 2 model and just get the spare GPU and charger later when they go on sale. I'm just hoping I can get the whole package for no more than 1000.

 

There's no dock that can be used with a Y500, right? I currently have a T420, and I will miss being about to dock to an external monitor, ethernet, accessories and power.

Any other option for connecting an external monitor without having to connect an HDMI cable (along with a power cord and a USB for your external keyboard and mouse) every time?

 

Is it safe to connect the Y500 to an external display(like a 40 inch HDTV), for gaming?
It won't burn out the video card of anything would it? Cause I enjoy playing games when my roommates and friends are around to watch.
Could do that with a PS3 but why spend even more money on lower quality ports when you have a rig that can run the better counterpart for even cheaper?

 

Is there any cheaper place than Lenovo.com to get a compatible 170W AC Adapter (it's 79.99 there)? I need at least three total.

 

Not that I'm aware of, at least not reputable places.

If you want $10 off the charger you should sign up for Lenovo Barnes and Noble Gold here. Buying through this portal gives you an additional discount on everything compared to Lenovo's normal website. That's how I scored my Y500, Ultrabay GPU, and 170W charger for only $959 before tax.

 

I'm completely re-writing this post, as my plan has just changed.

My office just said they would put in a 240GB SSD drive, and give me the 1 TB HDD to take home (and make an external USB drive), so I'm going with that plan.

Anyone know if I will need an extra bracket to make the SSD drive fit where the HDD currently sits? I assume I will, but thought I'd ask before I start trying to buy one.

 

does anyone know if the newegg y500 sli comes with the 170 ac adapter????

 

Any SSDs and HDDs should be compatible so long as it's a 2.5 inch drive. The depth might be an issue, though I think the laptop can take 12.5mm drives just fine. But I would assume the SSD is 9.5mm as it is more common, in which case you should be fine. No adapters/brackets needed.

If you like though, you can install both the 1TB HDD and the SSD on the laptop, only if you don't mind losing the optical drive as a trade-off.

 

Thanks. Good to hear that I won't need any brackets.

I don't care about the optical drive too much, but I care very much about the second GT650M. ;-)

I think 240GB will be plenty of space for a while, since I will not be using this for media storage (my music, pictures, and movies are on my Mac). Just programs, games, and a smattering of documents.

Can't wait to get Bioshock Infinite!

 

Hey guys,

I'm seriously considering a purchase of the i5 Y500 SLI in the next couple days for a long trip to Japan and have a few quick questions for you. Sorry if these have been asked multiple times. Here's the link:
Newegg.com - lenovo IdeaPad Y500 (59359560) Notebook Intel Core i5 3230M(2.60GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1600 1TB HDD 5400rpm Dual NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To owners of the SLI Y500s:

1) How reliable is the SLI setup in this laptop -- performance-wise and not crashing, etc? If there are reliability issues and knowing what you do now, would you pay more for a single 660M laptop such as the Y580?

2) How well does it play TF2? -- sorry I have to ask since one person reported low fps. I do like my free multiplayer games...

3) Am I correct with the following statements?
- Optimus and WiDi will never happen in this laptop
- All touchpad & keyboard issues have been resolved

4) Is this an amazing laptop?

I think that's all I have for now. Cheers! -Eric

 

Nop, you dont need an extra bracket , just remove the HDD and put your SSD ( like me , i made the same procedure you are going to make)

 

1. 650m gddr5 is almost equal to the gtx 660m. 660m is more powerful in some areas but the difference is negligible. also the y580 overheats like a _______fill in the blank
2.played planet side 2 on ran fine. hawken ran on it fine as well. keep in mind that i have the single gpu not the sli soo it should run well
3. True
Semi-True there might be one or two Elan ones in circulation but it should be fixed
4. hell yeah

 

So if i'm installing an ssd, i can't have a cd drive? Does the ultrabay enable me to interchange
the spare gpu and UB cd drive easily?

 

Yes, you can easily interchange those parts. (unlock and pull, kinda like pulling out the battery.

I would also suggest installing an msata ssd instead. That way you have an ssd in the msata slot and you can keep the HD for data. I think everyone else here would recommend that option.

 

Wait so i can have my 1tb hdd and msata ssd installed and still have
Both an ultrabay slot and optical slot open? Or just one of those?

 

Yes, you can have both the 1TB HD and an msata ssd installed at the same time. The ultrabay is 1 slot. You can only have 1 thing in there (another gfx card OR optical drive)

 

Cool. Thanks for clarifying.
Anyone have suggestions for how to do a clean reinstall?

 

This is not a guide but iam sure this is going to be helpfull for you, just save the links in case you need them.
Which OS are you going to install? if you are going to install the same OS, download @DriverMax and back up your drivers to make your life easier.

USA site drivers
Lenovo Support - Drivers & Software (US)

CHINA site drivers
联想IdeaPadY500驱动下载 Windows 7 32-bit,Windows 7 64-bit,Windows 8 32-bit,_联想中国(lenovo china)服务频道

 

Thanks for the reply! I'll go have a look at MicroCenter tonight.

For those replacing the stock cache drive with something fancier, would anyone be willing to sell their 16Gb?

 

Would you say a reinstall is necessary to have my laptop run optimally?(assuming i'm still using windows 8)
Or can i just manually remove all the bloatware and crap?

 

For those wanting to install windows 7 and need drivers. You can probably use the Y400 win7 drivers. Most of the hardware I'm assuming are the same as the Y500.

Drivers and software - IdeaPad Y400 Notebook

 

Hey guys,

Here are some Unigine Benchmarks i did on my Y500 SLI.
This is a stock non OC laptop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecsNyxB2u3Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Px1r0Ynp0

Hope you enjoy,

Cheers, Mike

 

The bloatware and crap is actually somehow tied in with the drivers. Delete them and you are in a world of hurt. so if the ain't broke as hell do not attempt to fix it

on the other hand if it is,
try a windows "refresh" this will delete all .exe programs in your pc. this should remove most bloatware wihtout destroying the drivers.
reinstall will damage your personal files inside the system. Even though it says that it will not delete personal files, i lost all my borderlands 2 data(killed hyperious on solo ...)

 

Dang, that sucks. But I guess in my case it would be safe cause I'm getting mines today?

 

Same question since mine should be here on Friday!

 

It depends on what you define as the bloatware on the machine. Mcafee I uninstalled with no issues. I kept youcam because you can use effects with it and of course one key recovery.

 

Okay just got mines.
Don't even know how to get to do the whole W8 refresh function thing.
I don't even know how to access half the things I did on my old computer. So confusing lol

 

How to turn off windows 8 is the meanest looking question.
Hint charms bar
I get your pain. So best way to fix driver issues is too replace them with newer ones.

Gpu drivers are better on the nvidia website. Download the 310.90 for most stable experience.

System restore is quite easy in the operating system. The refresh feature deletes all exe things that are programs. This is useful when computer is infected with a virus.

You can use one key recovery to restore computer to default state. The files are located in the d drive so do not mess with this partition.



Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

 

Thank you.
Okay I think I'm going to go through with the refresh feature.
Should I choose to wipe my computer clean? With the exception of the D drive.
Is there any app that's important enough to keep around?

 

Do not mess with the lenovo d drive.

It contains the okr . it also has all your drivers.

That being said, There are no apps that you should keep around. The Dolby digital home theater v4 is available for a thinkpad, you can actually download and use it. there is no need to wipe documents and other places. the refresh feature will eliminate all exes. it should speed up your computer.

 

I don't think refreshing gets rid of all my bloatware though. There's an option on PC settings below that which says "remove everything and reinstall windows"...should I do that with the C drive? Don't want my OS to be wiped out.

 

There should be a Windows 8 re-installation walk-through for this computer if there isn't one already. A knowledgeable person or at least someone with 1 success under their belt should get to it!

 

Are we talking about a reinstall with or without media?

 

So, whats the consensus? I also ordered the Y500, i wont be receiving it for 2 weeks though.. long ship times. I haggled a bit, got the following
Y500
1tb hdd, +16gb msata,
16gb ram
blu ray
etc. all those gidgets for $949.

I am just debating doing a fresh install or manually deleting the bloatware, (will be installing start8) to get the look of windows 7 back. Any advice/warnings that I should know about before digging in?

 

Without media would probably be better since most Y500 owners are without.

 

Hey guys, I'm getting a weird screen tearing on my monitor/tv when it's displaying dark/black patterns (connected via hdmi). Really strange. For example, this image produces massive blue tearing on my screen, but only where the image is displayed:
http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/208178/cat-black-symmetrical-design.jpg

It's REALLY bad. Has anyone else noticed this?

View attachment 94341

Here's a picture of what I mean. This only happens on my hd LED tv screen, when hooked up to the lenovo. When it's hooked up to my Asus, the image just looks black with no distortions. It also shows up perfectly when I hook the lenovo up to my PC monitor via vga. Could this be a defect with the hdmi connection on the lenovo?

 

What is this media you are talking about? (what do you mean by media lol? media player? etc.. or files?) I want media player as I opted for blu ray player and want that kind of things.