please help w/ W510 configuration

Now that the FHD screen is available to order online for the W510, I'd like to jump on it! I'd like some help configuring the other system components so I can make my purchase later today before the coupon expires.

Some quick background: I am a photojournalism student and plan to get Adobe Creative Suite CS5 and Lightroom 3 to run on this laptop. I'd also like to get into video editing and hope to run Premiere CS5. Anyone confirmed that Premiere CS5 runs OK with the Quadro 880M? (It seems that many journalism schools are teaching Final Cut, which obviously I won't be able to run on a Windows machine, but I couldn't bring myself to switch to Mac. Apple doesn't even give a good educational discount on Final Cut Studio. It's still close to $1,000, whereas I can get CS5 Master Suite from my school for under $100!) Of course, I'll also be using it as a general purpose computer and want to be able to watch streaming HD without any hiccups.

Somebody tell me I'm making the right choice here getting the W510 over the MacBook Pro, the Dell M4500, the HP EliteBook 8540W, or even the Lenovo T510! Seems like the Dell or HP could be higher-powered, but at a higher price. Some say MacBook Pro is the way to go for photo/video editing, but that seems silly and I've always had PCs. The 16:10 ratio on the MacBook seems like it could make it easier to work with than the W510, but has anyone had issues with their FHD on a W510 with the 16:9 ratio or can you still be productive enough losing that extra screen height? Are there times where the lower clock speed on the W510 i7 quad core could make it perform worse than the higher clock speed on the i7 dual core such as on the MacBook Pro? How does support compare between all these companies?

Here's what I need help deciding for the W510, unless someone convinces me I'm getting the wrong laptop (note the prices I've quoted are with my student discount) ...

Processor:
Any reason to spend the extra $180 on the i7-820QM (1.73 GHz) over the i7-720QM (1.60 GHz)?

OS:
Is 64-bit the way to go? Seems like CS5 is optimized for 64-bit. Any reason to avoid it?
Is Windows Ultimate worth the extra $63? If I use the Bitlocker feature in the Ultimate version, is that as good as getting an encrypted hard drive?

Color Sensor:
Built-in color sensor seems cool, but do I really need it if I already have an Eye-One Display 2 color calibrator? Or, should I leave it out and save $63? I'm thinking maybe it would still be good to have in case I went on a long trip so I wouldn't have to bring the external calibrator along. Then again, how often do I really need to calibrate?

Memory:
Not really sure about this one. Seems like the 2 DIMM 4 GB upgrade is the only reasonably-priced one at an extra $76, though I expect I'll want to upgrade to even more memory. Is it pretty easy to find memory (and install it myself) from other companies that will work with the W510 and how much can I expect to pay? Should I just stick to 2 GB and buy extra somewhere else or buy the 2 DIMM 4 GB upgrade now or even more now or what do you recommend?

Hard Drive:
SSD seems cool, but a pretty expensive upgrade. Any compelling reason to get it? I suspect I'm going to need to get an external hard drive anyway since I have tons of gigabytes of RAW photo files from my Canon 5D camera and will have even more tons if I start shooting video in the near future.
If I stick with the hard disk drive, is there any reason to get the 250 GB w/ disk encryption over the 500 GB w/o encryption? (See my question above about BitLocker. I don't even know if encrypting my data is that important, but I suppose it might be if I'm working on an investigative journalism project and don't want my interview notes stolen!). Does 500 GB use up a lot more power than 320 GB?

System expansion slots:
The smart card slot is only an extra $9. Not sure what I'd use it for, but seems like I might as well spend the extra money just in case. Any reason not to get it?

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters:
Spend the extra $13 for the Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250? Any reason not to?

Integrated mobile broadband:
Don't think I really need this now (Gobi + GPS), especially since it's an extra $135. "Upgradeable" means I can always get it later, right? And I already have an external bluetooth GPS, so I should be able to use that with the laptop anyway, right?

Accessories:
Anything that I need to buy right away? Anything you'd recommend?
Any reason to get either of the notebook expansion options? Does the laptop have a DisplayPort or do I need something else to connect it to an external monitor?

Warranty:
Seems like 3Yr Onsite Warranty + 3Yr ThinkPad Protection at $237 is the best deal right now? (Basic and onsite warranty are priced the same.) Any reason to pay another $102 for the Priority Support Onsite Warranty? Does that include the Thinkpad Protection?

Battery warranty:
Seems like Lenovo is just trying to make extra money here, right? I can always buy a new battery if I need to later.

Software:
Is LoJack worth it? I might go with the 3 year to match my Lenovo warranty. Is Premium LoJack worth the extra $17?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice! Hope it gets here before fall semester starts!

 

I can't answer most of these, but I can help with some
Color Sensor - while the i1 D2 works ok on LED lit screens, it's not perfect. Now, is the thinkpad color sensor perfect with an LED lit screen? Not sure.

Ram - crucial.com will tell you everything you need to know about pricing. It's easy to upgrade yourself.

WiFi - WiMax has a very limited map of where it's used, and the 6300 gets you a three antenna wifi card versus the 6250's two antennas.

Warranty - warranties are high profit margin. Buy whatever your level of risk-averseness dictates, but keep in mind that over the long run this is a losing proposition.

 

Thanks, I see Crucial has 4 GB modules for $220 (1066 MHz) and $250 (1333 MHz). Buy.com also has a special Crucial 2 x 4 GB for $339 here (though, need to check to make sure that one is compatible with the W510). Is there a big difference in 1333 vs. 1066? In what types of applications would the difference be noticeable (I'm not into gaming, but am into photo/video intensive applications).

 

the W510 has quad core CPU, if you have processes that is optimised for that then it is a very good laptop to have.

But in some softwares, a simple 2 core CPU is more than enough, especially with the Hyper Threading enabled. So the question is what size files you will be working with.

The good things with W510 is the 4 ram slots, so you can basically configure 8 gigs of ram pretty much next to nothing, as compared to the 8 gigs configuration on the T510. 16 gigs is maximum for the W510 and 8 gigs is the max for the T510.

You can use aftermarket RAM it won't affect the laptop performance or void the warranty, and on most occasions it is cheaper to do so.

The HP and Dell equivalent are all pretty good, but the individual choice really comes to the system design (form/function), cost and support service. Lenovo is generally pretty good in all that front, with odd hit and misses, which occur with HP and Dell too.

Apple MBP is only good when you run OS X, if you use windows on it, then you will be disappointed.

Smartcard is useless for most consumers, unless they run a smartcard security system.

Gobi+GPS is useless too if you don't use for it.

 

I've thought about it, and for photography, if you've got the money get as much CPU speed as you can.
On the ram, I think with either of those processors the 1333mhz won't gain you anything over the 1066mhz, though I could be wrong.
I forgot to mention - get 64 bit windows. I know a lot of the tech people have been saying home premium is a fine version, but you seem interested in the bitlocker which I know nothing about, so I can't say one way or the other.

 

Anyone confirmed that Premiere CS5 runs OK with the Quadro 880M?
- It will run just fine with it

Are there times where the lower clock speed on the W510 i7 quad core could make it perform worse than the higher clock speed on the i7 dual core such as on the MacBook Pro?
- The 620M and 720QM perform around the same overall, if you aren't using OS X skip the MBP

Any reason to spend the extra $180 on the i7-820QM (1.73 GHz) over the i7-720QM (1.60 GHz)?
- For your purposes, it's not worth it

Is 64-bit the way to go? Is Windows Ultimate worth the extra $63?
- Get 64-bit. Ultimate isn't worth the cost (you might be able to get it from your school too)

Built-in color sensor seems cool, but do I really need it if I already have an Eye-One Display 2 color calibrator?
- If you have your own then don't get theirs

Should I just stick to 2 GB and buy extra somewhere else or buy the 2 DIMM 4 GB upgrade now or even more now or what do you recommend?
- Install the memory yourself, just get the lowest config (1x2GB) then you can get another 2GB stick. If you find that you're running out of memory, you can always get another 2x2GB kit

SSD seems cool, but a pretty expensive upgrade. Any compelling reason to get it? If I stick with the hard disk drive, is there any reason to get the 250 GB w/ disk encryption over the 500 GB w/o encryption? Does 500 GB use up a lot more power than 320 GB?
- If you don't need the DVD drive, then you can go SSD/HDD in the future. IMO the encryption stuff in those drives and in software isn't that useful. Again check out prices, it might be cheaper to upgrade yourself. Depending on your budget, I'd prefer Intel 80GB for OS/programs (or 60GB Sandforce drive) and a 640/750GB/1TB 5400RPM drive for storage (W510 supports 12.7mm drives in ODD slot). Power consumption between most HDDs are minimal for your machine

The smart card slot is only an extra $9. Any reason not to get it?
Spend the extra $13 for the Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250?
Don't think I really need this now (Gobi + GPS), especially since it's an extra $135. "Upgradeable" means I can always get it later, right?
- Don't bother with any of these, if you aren't using WiMAX stick with the 6200 or 6300. Make sure you get BT if you want to use BT devices

Does the laptop have a DisplayPort or do I need something else to connect it to an external monitor?
- Yes, W510 has DP

Is LoJack worth it?
- Waste of money IMO

 

Thanks for the advice. Going from 1.6 GHz (i7-720QM) to 1.73 GHz (i7-820QM) is $180, but going to 2 GHz (i7-920XM) is quite a huge jump at $675. Should I be able to upgrade the CPU down the line when the prices come down if I just get 1.6 GHz now?

I also just noticed that the cache on the 720QM is 6 MB, whereas it's 8 MB on the other two. Anyone know how much of a difference that makes?

 

Ok, that's a huge jump, just go for the 820QM. Granted when dealing with lots of 15MP files, especially if you're working with RAW and TIFF, you basically want all the CPU speed you can get, but not for $500.

 

180$ is not a huge price to pay for the 820QM, but the performance difference is not noticeable in most cases.
Upgrading later is possible but don't expect to find a 820QM for less than 350$ even after the upcoming CPU refresh.

 

I have spend 3 months on my W510, i ask myself everyday how come i dont get the FHD. So, if i were you,

first priority is the FHD,

Second priority is the 128GB samsung SSD with at least 8GB ram with whatever the speed you want and with window 7 prof. 64 bits. Performance gain on SSD are much much bigger than upgrade from 720QM to 820QM. It takes about 4.5 seconds to open the Photoshop CS4 and about 10-12 seconds to open 20 TIFF pictures (100MB each). Some huge illustrator file takes about one mins or two to open on my T60p(7200rpm HDD) it takes only seconds to open on the W510(128gb SSD). Or you can spend $450 for a 160GB intel X-18M/X-25M.

Third Priority is the 820QM. Forget about the 920XM, too much to handle for the W510.

About the WiMAX, i have the 6250N + WiMAX and never ever use the WiMAX even once. And the built-in color calibrator for you is useless, since it only work on your W510 monitor only...(I am no expert on this)

Good Luck!

 

What CPU is on your T60p? These new CPUs kinda kick the butt of the old T7XXX series. The stuff I've done in CS2 that takes time has always been CPU intensive, not HDD intensive, but I guess different people use it differently.

And I definitely agree on the FHD.

 

First, I am no graphic designer, photojournalist, or etc. I am a chemist but I use all the apps you mentioned for various work related tasks. I will give my two cents, but feel free to ignore me if my comments are not poignant...

Some quick background
Anyone confirmed that Premiere CS5 runs OK with the Quadro 880M?
This CPU should smoke with CS5. I currently use CS3 on my T7500 equipped rig, and it does not miss a beat. I am sure this video card will out perform the other options. One question you have mentioned a number of Adobe apps that are all included in the Master Collection Suite. Have you checked into it. For the fed I paid 2400 for it recently, but as a student they had steep discounts for full versions. Check with your bookstore and or call the education sales staff at Adobe before buying those apps a la cart.

Somebody tell me I'm making the right choice here getting the W510 over the MacBook Pro, the Dell M4500, the HP EliteBook 8540W, or even the Lenovo T510!
I am a huge proponent of HP, but in this case I already bought the W510 so therein lies my opinion. Dell support is horrible. I may never buy another one. The MacBooks sell themselves well in this segment. Note that the current offerings are due for a refresh to incorporate the tech that is available in the W510 already.

The 16:10 ratio on the MacBook seems like it could make it easier to work with than the W510, but has anyone had issues with their FHD on a W510 with the 16:9 ratio or can you still be productive enough losing that extra screen height? 1650 pixels wide vs 1920 pixels wide I give the win to the W510 here because the heights are about equal but you get ~300 pixels more width.


Are there times where the lower clock speed on the W510 i7 quad core could make it perform worse than the higher clock speed on the i7 dual core such as on the MacBook Pro?
I can't see this being a drawback in any scenario...

How does support compare between all these companies?
Apple>Lenovo=HP Business>Dell This is my rating from personal experience related to systems used at home and work over many years of work station use from each.

Processor:
Any reason to spend the extra $180 on the i7-820QM (1.73 GHz) over the i7-720QM (1.60 GHz)? I bought the former as it was a only $200 and added two cores and 0.13 GHz per which on the face seemed spectacular for a geek like me. LOL!

OS:
Is 64-bit the way to go? Seems like CS5 is optimized for 64-bit. Any reason to avoid it?
Yes, it's the way to go! There is no reason to avoid it, embrace it! During your study more and more apps will use that beefy cpu and videocard.

Is Windows Ultimate worth the extra $63?
I use ultimate for bit-locker and media center, and I consider it worth it.

If I use the Bitlocker feature in the Ultimate version, is that as good as getting an encrypted hard drive?
Bit-Locker will encrypt the drive, no need to get an encrypted drive when you can use Bit-Locker.

Color Sensor:
Built-in color sensor seems cool, but do I really need it if I already have an Eye-One Display 2 color calibrator?
I have never had one, but this one was incorporated to into an LED based display with a 95 % color gamut. I would suspect that it will do the job well.

Or, should I leave it out and save $63?
Contact the manufacturer of your current one and see what they have to say about it relative to correcting the blue hue associated with LEDs. On second thought, GET IT! You cannot add it later!

Then again, how often do I really need to calibrate?
Good question...

Memory:
Is it pretty easy to find memory (and install it myself) from other companies that will work with the W510 and how much can I expect to pay?
It sure is. I bought 16 GB from Newegg for about $675.

Should I just stick to 2 GB and buy extra somewhere else or buy the 2 DIMM 4 GB upgrade now or even more now or what do you recommend?
NEVER buy ram from an OEM! Newegg.com or buy.com or frys.com or something, but never from an OEM.


Hard Drive:
SSD seems cool, but a pretty expensive upgrade. Any compelling reason to get it?
I have not used one but reviews have it that you boot windows in seconds and launch apps like Photoshop instantly.

If I stick with the hard disk drive, is there any reason to get the 250 GB w/ disk encryption over the 500 GB w/o encryption? (See my question above about BitLocker. I don't even know if encrypting my data is that important, but I suppose it might be if I'm working on an investigative journalism project and don't want my interview notes stolen!).
Addressed above.

Does 500 GB use up a lot more power than 320 GB?
Negligible, if any.

System expansion slots:
Any reason not to get it?
I can't think of one.

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters:
Spend the extra $13 for the Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250? Any reason not to?
I would if I were you, makes the computer just that much more future proof is how I look at it.

Integrated mobile broadband:
Don't think I really need this now (Gobi + GPS), especially since it's an extra $135. "Upgradeable" means I can always get it later, right?
You can get it later, and install it yourself.

And I already have an external bluetooth GPS, so I should be able to use that with the laptop anyway, right?
External will work fine.

Accessories:
Anything that I need to buy right away?
I only bought RAM so far, considering SSD, ultrabay hd adapter

Anything you'd recommend?
Above.

Any reason to get either of the notebook expansion options?
Above.

Does the laptop have a DisplayPort or do I need something else to connect it to an external monitor?
It has a display port.

Warranty:
Seems like 3Yr Onsite Warranty + 3Yr ThinkPad Protection at $237 is the best deal right now? (Basic and onsite warranty are priced the same.)
I have the 3 priority onsite... I consider it a great value.

Any reason to pay another $102 for the Priority Support Onsite Warranty? Does that include the Thinkpad Protection?
My addition was not this expensive because the base warranty on the system I bought was 3 years onsite. I added the priority for 118.

Battery warranty:
Seems like Lenovo is just trying to make extra money here, right?
Don't do it. My T61P battery still has 70-75% of its original capacity nearly 3 years later. The Lenovo power Manager is the truth!

Software:
Is LoJack worth it? I might go with the 3 year to match my Lenovo warranty. Is Premium LoJack worth the extra $17?
I have considered it but I put it on my homeowners, and I use bit-locker. If it goes missing I hope I don't see it again.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice! Hope it gets here before fall semester starts!

 

Andre noted one thing I missed: how often do you need to calibrate your monitor. I'd say monthly, some say more. The differences will be slight, almost imperceptible, but it's not a bad idea.

Also, on the ram and newegg, I'll just say that the 4 times I have ordered ram from newegg they came DOA and I had to send them back for a refund. I wasn't going with el cheapo ram either. I have never had a stick of Crucial ram fail.

 

Did you use Dell business support? I've found their business support to be excellent (for past 10+ yrs) and much better then Lenovo's. Haven't used HP's or Apple's support. For memory, I haven't really had any issues regarding where I've bought it from but just make sure the memory is from a brand that offers lifetime warranty such as Crucial, Kingston, etc.

 

WOW, I have been fortunate this far. I have bought an estimated 20 sticks over the last 3 years or so and have not had any issues, knock on wood! If its any consolation, I stick with g skill, crucial, and pny.

Does the back light of an LED intensity fade rapidly? Is this coupled with photo oxidation of the panel outer cover causing yellowing. Why the need for such frequent recalibration?

Yeah, I have. I have had issues with desktops and towers and they have been pretty good in repairing those systems. When I have issues with laptops with onsite warranties they want me to send it in. I paid for onsite and they simply don't want to honor it. Their support of the business customer is vastly better than their consumer support.

 

There's also a deal on the Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 2.5" SSD/Platter Hybrid Drive right now.

I wonder if it's worth exploring the RAID option for the W510. According to posts elsewhere on these forums, it might be possible to get a RAID setup by calling Lenovo, even though it's not listed as an ordering option on the site. I guess it requires a different chipset on the mobo that you must order at time of initial purchase. I know that RAID would mean I'd lose my optical drive, but I can always get an external one if I need to use CDs/DVDs for any reason. I'm thinking RAID 0 might allow for even greater video editing performance. How about two Seagate Hybrid 500's in RAID 0?! How much would RAID affect battery life? I wonder if an external RAID setup through USB 3.0 would be just as good. Anyone know if you can disable RAID if you get the option and just use it as normal with two separate HDDs/SSDs or an HDD/SSD and an optical drive?

 

Weren't the MacBooks just refreshed recently with the addition of the i5/i7 CPUs?

Aren't they both quad core? It seems the only difference aside from the .13 GHz is the extra 2 MB cache. I was going to go for the 720QM, but since some here are recommending the 820QM, I'm leaning towards that one for the extra $180. Hope it's actually worth the extra money!

Good news is Lenovo is now showing an EPP sale on the student site through June 11, so I've got a little extra time to figure it all out. However, I still want to order ASAP before the FHD option disappears again! Anyone have experience with changing their configuration after ordering online? Is Lenovo OK about that or would they make me start the order over and lose the discount if I had to call and change something after the sale ends?

 

Most likely they'll make you start over.

 

Weren't the MacBooks just refreshed recently with the addition of the i5/i7 CPUs?
They did add the i5 and i7, but the only offer 3 and 4 MB cache options which suggest lower end. Also the ram is limited to 8 GB and the video card offerings are limited to 512 MB. I expected minor updates during the Jobs Keynote at WWDC, but they didn't even mention them.


Aren't they both quad core?
They are, I meant to highlight the additional 2 MB of cache, but must have gotten confuseterated during reply.


Anyone have experience with changing their configuration after ordering online? Is Lenovo OK about that or would they make me start the order over and lose the discount if I had to call and change something after the sale ends?
Yep, cancel it and start over. It will be easier on you in the long run this way.

 

I just called Lenovo to ask about RAID option on W510. I was told that they go by the same options that are on the web site, so I couldn't order a RAID configuration over the phone. However, the rep. did say I could purchase a bay adapter separately for $59.99 (part 43N3412), get a second hard drive, and set up RAID myself (which I'd prefer anyway, since I'd rather not pay Lenovo for the extra hard drive when I can get it cheaper elsewhere). However, I'm not too confident this will work as I've read elsewhere that they need put in a special motherboard to allow RAID if you want it. Supposed it's not mandatory that I have RAID, but the option would be nice. I tried talking to someone through Lenovo chat and was told RAID is not an option for W510, just the W701.

 

the only laptop to support raid in hardware mode is the W70x, all other systems use a software implementation, so it is not the best.

 

FYI - This is where I read about a separate system board being needed on the W510 in order to do RAID:

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/W510-amp-RAID-0-1/m-p/228257

 

i have seen the packing list of certain W510, which talks about RAID enabled/disabled, so there is a good chance that there is a hardware implementation of RAID.