Thinkpad W520 Ram Slots
Ratings Breakdown (1-10)
- Software & Support
- 9
- Upgrade Capabilities
- 8
- Usability
- 9
- Design
- 7
- Performance
- 9
- Features
- 9
- Price/Value Rating
- 7
Find up to 128GB RAM Memory and 2TB of SSD storage for your Lenovo ThinkPad. Find your specific model from the drop down box on the right for step #2 Certified, guaranteed compatible RAM Memory upgrades for your ThinkPad. Lifetime warranty. All SSDs supplied are from Crucial; the leader in SSD reliability and compatibility. Ok I just got my brand new spanking W520 today I have a question re: upgrading the memory It came with one 4gig stick which is in one of the slots under the keyboard and there is 2 slots open under the bottom of the case So. To install my 2 sticks of matching 4gig Ram I had waiting.
- The W520 comes in 4 quad-core configurations, and 1 dual-core configuration. The quad-core configurations support RAM up to 32GB. It is similar to the T520 model but supports more powerful CPU's and GPU's and has 4 RAM slots (32GB total).
- Hello, since you are running a dual core processor and not a quad core, I believe you will be limited to using 2 of the 4 memory slots in the machine. Also, since you are using a 32 bit operating system, you'll be limited to using at most 4gb of RAM.
- Total Score:
- 8.29
- Rating 1 to 10, top score 10
Overview
Pros
- Excellent all-around performance
- Beautiful 95% color gamut FHD display
- Solid build quality
- Comfortable keyboard with great tactile feedback
Cons
- Collects dust and grease easily
- Below par audio quality
- Expensive for some configurations and options
Quick Take
A true 15-inch ThinkPad mobile workstation, the W520 delivers serious performance for professionals who need it.
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. At the time of writing this review Lenovo has not yet announced if there will be an upcoming multi-touch screen option like last year or not.
In this review we will measure the ThinkPad W520 up with other workstations in its class by putting every specific detail of it to the test. Read on to find out if this is the laptop for you.
Our Lenovo ThinkPad W520 Specifications:
- 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) LED backlit display, 95% color gamut, matte, 16:9 ratio
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
- Intel Core i7-2920XM quad-core CPU (2.50GHz, 8MB cache), Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 (3.50GHz)
- NVIDIA Quadro 2000M w/2GB DDR3 VRAM GPU switchable to Intel HD Graphics 3000
- 8GB DDR3 RAM (4GB + 4GB)
- 500GB at 7200 RPM SATA hard drive (Seagate Momentus)
- Multiburner combo drive
- Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (802.11 a/b/g/n wireless) and Bluetooth
- 9-cell Li-ion battery (94Whr), 170W and 20V adapter
- Lenovo Fingerprint Reader
- Dimensions: 14.68″ x 9.65″ x 1.29-1.44″
- Starting at 5.75 lbs with 9-cell battery and at 5.40 lbs with 6-cell battery
- Retail price: starting at $1,299, as configured: $2,969
- Warranty: 1-year for parts
Build and Design
ThinkPad workstations have always been known to be top-of-the-line, updated systems in terms of performance, FHD display, build quality, 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.
From the looks of it, the outer build of the W520 is about the same as the previous generation workstation model, the W510. Lenovo stuck with the same ultra sturdy hinges, still evenly built width-wise due to a build fix to the older models. The hinge and display cover are so well-built that it takes a good amount of force to even tilt the screen back or forward (which is reassuring of course). The palm rest and keyboard are both extremely tough as well?showing no flex when typing regularly and only a minimal amount of flex when trying to press down extremely hard.
Some minor outer design changes include the newly-added Lenovo company label on the front of the screen casing, new carbon fiber mixed with the glass fiber onto the display cover (no more reinforced plastic), and the absence of paint over the glass fiber/reinforced plastic on the base. On that note, some consumers may find that the finish on the base and display cover to be disconcerting because it easily collects dust, grease, and fingerprints. In short, the finish may prove to be high maintenance throughout the daily usage of the notebook. Even though most black-colored notebooks will seem to show dust more often just because of the color, this laptop seems to carry grease from the fingers more so than most other business notebooks I?ve had the pleasure of using.
Lenovo made the bottom upgrade panels and keyboard easy to remove, for the most part, and labeled each screw spot appropriately. For example, if you?ve had even just a little bit of experience with upgrading notebooks you will most likely know right away which screws to remove to get to the RAM under the keyboard due to Lenovo?s icons. The bottom of the workstation provides simple access to the first two memory slots and another simple access panel for the hard drive. There is one screw you?ll have to remove to get to the hard drive and two screws to remove to reach the bottom RAM panel (and two to open up the keyboard). The wireless card under the keyboard should not take very long to locate and remove if you?re looking to swap it out. One other thing I?d like to mention is that the W520 has a potential capacity of up to 32GB of RAM, but for now you will only be able to upgrade to 16GB at the time of purchase.
Ports and Features
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.
Specifications of the upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad W520 15.6-inch mobile workstation have been published in a document on Lenovo’s website.
It is a successor of the W510 and is made for designers and engineers. The notebook packs higher-end Intel 2nd Generation Core “Sandy Bridge” laptop CPUs, dedicated professional-class Nvidia Quadro video card options, plenty of RAM, and various storage choices.
Lenovo ThinkPad W520 Processor, Graphics, RAM, Storage
The W520 includes the dual-core i5-2540M and i7-2620M, and quad-core i7-2720QM, i7-2820QM, and Extreme Edition i7-2920XM. Dual-core systems have two SO-DIMM slots, while quad-core models have four, supporting up to 8GB and 16GB of DDR3 RAM, respectively.
Besides Intel HD integrated graphics, the ISV-certified mobile workstation comes with the NVIDIA Quadro 1000M or 2000M dedicated video card, both with 2GB of video memory. The integrated and discrete GPUs are combined using Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics technology, in order to deliver longer battery life.
Data storage options include a solid state drive or a traditional hard disk, and the Ultrabay that accommodates an optical drive, secondary HDD, or other Ultrabay-compatible parts.
Regarding computing performance, Lenovo says that the W520 and other new Thinkpads can stay in Intel Turbo Boost dynamically overclocked CPU mode longer than other laptops with the same technology. This improvement Lenovo calls Turbo Boost+.
Display
Display choices are the same as in the ThinkPad T520. Available are LED-backlight anti-glare 16:9 screens with 1366×768, 1600×900, or full HD 1920×1080 resolution. The lower-res displays have 60% color gamut and 220-nit brightness, while the 270-nit full HD choice has 95% gamut.
Battery Life
The Lenovo ThinkPad W520 ships with a 6-cell or 9-cell battery, providing up to 6.5 and 10.8 hours of battery life, respectively. Notebook’s run time can be extended to 21.6 hours, using the 9-cell unit and an optional 9-cell slice battery that mounts on the bottom of the case.
Other Features and Specs
Regarding connectivity, the ThinkPad W520 incorporates 802.11n Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth 3.0, optional mobile broadband, Gigabit LAN, and a 56k modem.
Other features are an optional X-Rite color calibration sensor in the palm rest, a spill-resistant keyboard, 720p high-def webcam, microphone that supports conferencing, stereo speakers, DisplayPort and VGA video connectors, two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, and one eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, 4-in-1 media card reader, FireWire 400 port, and an ExpressCard slot.
Security is enhanced using an optional fingerprint reader, the Trusted Platform Module 1.2 chip, optional Smart Card slot, and optionally encrypted hard drives. Also are available security features that come with optional Intel vPro system management technology.
The laptop is around 1.3 inches thick and starts at around 5.5 pounds.
The chassis looks as same as in the T520 and passes “8 MilSpec tests” for ruggedness. The display lid is made of carbon-fiber / glass-fiber hybrid, while the bottom is made of glass-fiber reinforced plastic.
Price and Availability
Lenovo’s mobile workstation runs Windows 7 Professional OS and is expected to be available in late March 2011 for a base price of 1,329.
UPDATE: The laptop is available now for a base price $1,299.00 at Lenovo.com.
Lenovo W520 Ram Slots
Source (The pdf document contains details of other new ThinkPad laptops as well.)