Lenovo ThinkPad W520 Black Notebook Review
The Lenovo ThinkPad W520 is Lenovo's upgrade to the W510 mobile workstation notebook. This 15.6-inch notebook is powered by up to an Intel Core i7-2920XM processor and equipped with up to a discrete NVIDIA Quadro 2000M GPU, switchable to Intel HD integrated graphics. ThinkPad W520 Laptop Computer - Intel Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz, 4MB L3).
The laptop is about 1.3 inches thick and starts about 5.5 pounds.The chassis looks as same in principle as in the T520. The display lid consists of carbon-fiber / glass-fiber hybrid, while the bottom includes glass-fiber reinforced plastic.The Lenovo ThinkPad W520 is Lenovo's upgrade to the W510 mobile workstation notebook. This 15.6-inch notebook is powered by up to an Intel Core i7-2920XM processor and equipped with up to a discrete NVIDIA Quadro 2000M GPU, switchable to Intel HD integrated graphics. Like last year’s model, the full HD (FHD) displays on the 1920 x 1080 resolution models have a 95% color gamut and a huey PRO color calibration system application.
Mobility may be flawed, but performance more than makes up for it. One of Intel’s Core i7 2620M processors is on board, which will comfortably run the most intensive software for the foreseeable future. Multimedia performance is just as strong, with a dedicated Nvidia Quadro 1000M GPU handling graphics – perfect for editing HD video and playing the latest games.
ThinkPad workstations have always been known to be top-of-the-line, updated systems in terms of performance, FHD display, build quality, Lenovo ThinkPad W520 battery and power consumption, and carry a host of features such as the Fingerprint Reader, nice upgrade options, and a great port selection. This workstation is expected to live up to those who have high ThinkPad standards and expectations.
The ThinkPad W520 features the same industry-leading keyboard design we've seen on any number of ThinkPads. The classic-style keyboard has enlarged Esc and Delete keys and the best tactile feedback of any keyboard we've tested, springier even than some of its fellow ThinkPads. Because of the improved feedback, we scored 86 wpm on the Ten Thumbs Typing test, a bit better than our typical 80 wpm.
There are three options available for WiFi. The particular configuration we reviewed came with an Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (Puma Peak) 3x3 AGN wireless card that can theoretically reach a connection speed of as high as 450 Mbit/s. This wifi card has greater signal range than that of the other configurations available. UMTS is usually available but wasn't advertised in the model we tested, but since all W520 models are equipped with antennae for UMTS, you shouldn't have to tinker with too much to get it working. For models of the W520 that don't have a SIM card slot within the battery slot—like ours—a potential connection for a SIM card (PCIe) can be found after removing the keyboard. A guide for doing this can be found on Lenovo's support site. You can also connect an mSATA SSD to this PCIe slot, but only one device can be attached at a time.
As far as details go, the ThinkPad W520 has a FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution, LED backlit, matte screen display with a color gamut of 95% and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Lenovo has tried, largely, to make everything about the display appeal to graphic artists and others need more of the color spectrum. The high color gamut and FHD will attribute, however, to a huge difference in what opinions users have about the display. Because of the added color range and default display settings, some people will think that it’s too saturated and in effect colors look distorted, or as one editor here put it, “way too saturated.” But others (particularly graphics artists) will revel in the wide range of color and find it to be useful.
The version of the ThinkPad W520 that I worked with came equipped with a larger nine-cell battery pack that provides a very high 94 WHr capacity. The downside is the battery pack extends out behind the hinge of the laptop which makes it a bit less portable. In DVD playback testing, the laptop lasted just under six hours before going into standby mode. This puts it at the same overall level of running time as Apple's MacBook Pro with its integrated Lenovo Thinkpad W520 battery pack but in a package with much higher performance. One should also be aware that the 130W power brick for this laptop is very large which is something to be aware of for frequent travelers.
Lenovo has release a new mobile workstation notebook with 15.6-inch, namely Lenovo ThinkPad W520. The ThinkPad W520 is comes with Turbo Boost processor for speed performance and based on 2nd generation Intel Core i7 Quad Core Extreme Edition processor. ThinkPad W520 mobile workstation is available in two version processor option, a 2.70GHz Intel Core i7-2620M Processor with 15.6-inch HD LED Backlit Anti-Glare display with resolution of 1366 x 768 pixel without feature Bluetooth for starting price tag $1,299.00 or a 2.20GHz Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor with 15.6-inch HD LED Backlit Anti-Glare display with resolution of 1600 x 900 pixel with Bluetooth 3.0 for price start at $1,499.00.
There are two navigation devices that can be used on the ThinkPad: a touchpad and a TrackPoint. The touchpad has little bumps on it that feel a little funny at first, but you get used to them after using it for a while. It supports gestures such as two-finger scrolling, pinch zooming, two-finger rotating and three-finger flicking. However, we had some problems with its responsiveness while using it. It often didn't register taps and sometimes two-finger scrolling required a couple of tries before it would work. There is a comprehensive mouse driver where the sensitivity of the pad can be adjusted, but this didn't fix our problem. The TrackPoint is very convenient to use if you're resting the ThinkPad on your lap, and it was very accurate and easy to use in our tests. However, it did sometimes get in the way while typing.
The optional color calibrator allows users to enjoy greater color fidelity. After we activated the color calibration software and closed the lid as directed, the ThinkPad W520 took about three minutes to adjust the screen color and make colors, such as the yellow in an JPG of tulips, a little more vibrant. Professional photo editors with trained eyes will appreciate the Pantone software's ability to calibrate for different tone responses (1.8, 2.0, or 2.2) and white points (D65, D50, D75, Native).
The ThinkPad W520 comes with a 9-cell battery that protrudes slighly from the back of the chassis. Lenovo claims that our review configuration should run for up 8.9 hours with this Lenovo Thinkpad W520 charger battery. We tested the battery by asking the ThinkPad W520 to play a DVD video continuously. Lenovo provides its usual comprehensive power management application, and we chose the Video Playback option for our test. This power plan doesn't do a great deal to minimise fan usage, and we found its noise disrupted the quieter moments of our chosen video. If your presentations are silent you'll certainly notice the fan kicking in at regular and frequent intervals.
Although its power demands are much greater, the W520 still offers plenty of battery life. For the business user on the road or enthusiast sitting in class, this notebook could easily get you through most of a coast to coast flight or a few classes.
The W520 offers an impressive, extensive span of ports. Just as the W510, this workstation has two USB SuperSpeed 3.0, one USB 2.0, one USB 2.0/eSATA, VGA, DisplayPort out, FireWire 400, ExpressCard/34, SDHC-card reader, and a headset combo jack. Work professionals will be pleased at the two USB 3.0 ports and 4-in-1 card slot included and will have the option of adding a Smart Card Reader. At this point Lenovo has not yet released an option for Blu-Ray as they did last time. Our system has a multiburner optical drive.
Like the W510, the FHD screen on the W520 is fabulous. It’s bright and has good contrast. The high Gamut screen has good color support and it’s probably the smart choice for anyone considering a portable workstation. As with most if not all of the business computers Lenovo makes, it’s a matte screen. I don’t think I will ever buy a glossy screen laptop. Well, I haven’t yet. Anyway, the screen is very nice and I haven’t seen any complaints with it on the W510.
Options, meanwhile, include up to a 1920 x 1080 display (to replace the standard 1366 x 768 panel), up to 8GB of RAM, up to 500GB of regular hard-drive or up to 160GB of SSD, and both Bluetooth 3.0 and integrated WWAN. The regular model comes with a DVD burner, 6-cell battery and WiFi b/g/n.
Lenovo's ThinkPad W520 is a fast 15.6in. notebook with a high-quality display whose limited portability isn't helped by a brick-like Lenovo ThinkPad W520 AC adapter. If you do take the W520 on the road, then its battery performance ought to be adequate. The superb screen, discrete graphics and high-capacity hard drive lend themselves to multimedia-intensive activities, but the W520 should handle all manner of resource-hungry applications with ease.
Specifications:
Mobility may be flawed, but performance more than makes up for it. One of Intel’s Core i7 2620M processors is on board, which will comfortably run the most intensive software for the foreseeable future. Multimedia performance is just as strong, with a dedicated Nvidia Quadro 1000M GPU handling graphics – perfect for editing HD video and playing the latest games.
ThinkPad workstations have always been known to be top-of-the-line, updated systems in terms of performance, FHD display, build quality, Lenovo ThinkPad W520 battery and power consumption, and carry a host of features such as the Fingerprint Reader, nice upgrade options, and a great port selection. This workstation is expected to live up to those who have high ThinkPad standards and expectations.
The ThinkPad W520 features the same industry-leading keyboard design we've seen on any number of ThinkPads. The classic-style keyboard has enlarged Esc and Delete keys and the best tactile feedback of any keyboard we've tested, springier even than some of its fellow ThinkPads. Because of the improved feedback, we scored 86 wpm on the Ten Thumbs Typing test, a bit better than our typical 80 wpm.
There are three options available for WiFi. The particular configuration we reviewed came with an Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (Puma Peak) 3x3 AGN wireless card that can theoretically reach a connection speed of as high as 450 Mbit/s. This wifi card has greater signal range than that of the other configurations available. UMTS is usually available but wasn't advertised in the model we tested, but since all W520 models are equipped with antennae for UMTS, you shouldn't have to tinker with too much to get it working. For models of the W520 that don't have a SIM card slot within the battery slot—like ours—a potential connection for a SIM card (PCIe) can be found after removing the keyboard. A guide for doing this can be found on Lenovo's support site. You can also connect an mSATA SSD to this PCIe slot, but only one device can be attached at a time.
As far as details go, the ThinkPad W520 has a FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution, LED backlit, matte screen display with a color gamut of 95% and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Lenovo has tried, largely, to make everything about the display appeal to graphic artists and others need more of the color spectrum. The high color gamut and FHD will attribute, however, to a huge difference in what opinions users have about the display. Because of the added color range and default display settings, some people will think that it’s too saturated and in effect colors look distorted, or as one editor here put it, “way too saturated.” But others (particularly graphics artists) will revel in the wide range of color and find it to be useful.
The version of the ThinkPad W520 that I worked with came equipped with a larger nine-cell battery pack that provides a very high 94 WHr capacity. The downside is the battery pack extends out behind the hinge of the laptop which makes it a bit less portable. In DVD playback testing, the laptop lasted just under six hours before going into standby mode. This puts it at the same overall level of running time as Apple's MacBook Pro with its integrated Lenovo Thinkpad W520 battery pack but in a package with much higher performance. One should also be aware that the 130W power brick for this laptop is very large which is something to be aware of for frequent travelers.
Lenovo has release a new mobile workstation notebook with 15.6-inch, namely Lenovo ThinkPad W520. The ThinkPad W520 is comes with Turbo Boost processor for speed performance and based on 2nd generation Intel Core i7 Quad Core Extreme Edition processor. ThinkPad W520 mobile workstation is available in two version processor option, a 2.70GHz Intel Core i7-2620M Processor with 15.6-inch HD LED Backlit Anti-Glare display with resolution of 1366 x 768 pixel without feature Bluetooth for starting price tag $1,299.00 or a 2.20GHz Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor with 15.6-inch HD LED Backlit Anti-Glare display with resolution of 1600 x 900 pixel with Bluetooth 3.0 for price start at $1,499.00.
There are two navigation devices that can be used on the ThinkPad: a touchpad and a TrackPoint. The touchpad has little bumps on it that feel a little funny at first, but you get used to them after using it for a while. It supports gestures such as two-finger scrolling, pinch zooming, two-finger rotating and three-finger flicking. However, we had some problems with its responsiveness while using it. It often didn't register taps and sometimes two-finger scrolling required a couple of tries before it would work. There is a comprehensive mouse driver where the sensitivity of the pad can be adjusted, but this didn't fix our problem. The TrackPoint is very convenient to use if you're resting the ThinkPad on your lap, and it was very accurate and easy to use in our tests. However, it did sometimes get in the way while typing.
The optional color calibrator allows users to enjoy greater color fidelity. After we activated the color calibration software and closed the lid as directed, the ThinkPad W520 took about three minutes to adjust the screen color and make colors, such as the yellow in an JPG of tulips, a little more vibrant. Professional photo editors with trained eyes will appreciate the Pantone software's ability to calibrate for different tone responses (1.8, 2.0, or 2.2) and white points (D65, D50, D75, Native).
The ThinkPad W520 comes with a 9-cell battery that protrudes slighly from the back of the chassis. Lenovo claims that our review configuration should run for up 8.9 hours with this Lenovo Thinkpad W520 charger battery. We tested the battery by asking the ThinkPad W520 to play a DVD video continuously. Lenovo provides its usual comprehensive power management application, and we chose the Video Playback option for our test. This power plan doesn't do a great deal to minimise fan usage, and we found its noise disrupted the quieter moments of our chosen video. If your presentations are silent you'll certainly notice the fan kicking in at regular and frequent intervals.
Although its power demands are much greater, the W520 still offers plenty of battery life. For the business user on the road or enthusiast sitting in class, this notebook could easily get you through most of a coast to coast flight or a few classes.
The W520 offers an impressive, extensive span of ports. Just as the W510, this workstation has two USB SuperSpeed 3.0, one USB 2.0, one USB 2.0/eSATA, VGA, DisplayPort out, FireWire 400, ExpressCard/34, SDHC-card reader, and a headset combo jack. Work professionals will be pleased at the two USB 3.0 ports and 4-in-1 card slot included and will have the option of adding a Smart Card Reader. At this point Lenovo has not yet released an option for Blu-Ray as they did last time. Our system has a multiburner optical drive.
Like the W510, the FHD screen on the W520 is fabulous. It’s bright and has good contrast. The high Gamut screen has good color support and it’s probably the smart choice for anyone considering a portable workstation. As with most if not all of the business computers Lenovo makes, it’s a matte screen. I don’t think I will ever buy a glossy screen laptop. Well, I haven’t yet. Anyway, the screen is very nice and I haven’t seen any complaints with it on the W510.
Options, meanwhile, include up to a 1920 x 1080 display (to replace the standard 1366 x 768 panel), up to 8GB of RAM, up to 500GB of regular hard-drive or up to 160GB of SSD, and both Bluetooth 3.0 and integrated WWAN. The regular model comes with a DVD burner, 6-cell battery and WiFi b/g/n.
Lenovo's ThinkPad W520 is a fast 15.6in. notebook with a high-quality display whose limited portability isn't helped by a brick-like Lenovo ThinkPad W520 AC adapter. If you do take the W520 on the road, then its battery performance ought to be adequate. The superb screen, discrete graphics and high-capacity hard drive lend themselves to multimedia-intensive activities, but the W520 should handle all manner of resource-hungry applications with ease.
Specifications:
- Intel Core i7-2920XM Quad Core Mobile Processor
- 8GB PC3-10600 DDR3 Memory
- 500GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Modular Dual Layer Burner
- 15.6" WUXGA (1920x1080) Display With 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
- NVIDIA Quaddro 2000M Dedicated Graphics With 2GB Memory
- Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth
- Two USB 2.0, One USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire, ExpressCard/34, Fingerprint Scanner, Color Calibrator
- 14.7" x 9.7" x 1.3" @ 6 lbs.
- Windows 7 Professional
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