SSD height for ThinkPad W530

Buying a hard drive for ThinkPads is a bit confusing because I don't really understand what height I need to buy.
From my understanding there are 9.5mm, 7mm, and 3.75mm SSDs.
Is it possible for me to buy a 9.5mm and have it fit into either the main drive bay or the ultrabay?
Do I have to have a bay adapter or those rubber rails for the 7mm or 3.75mm SSDs?
Solved!
Go to Solution.

That is VERY incorrect. 9.5mm drives fit unmodified. You MAY (depending on original drive size, the 320GB 5400RPM drive is like this) have rubber bumbers sized for a 7mm hard drive instead of 9.5mm, the replacement rubber rails are a few dollars to order; search for part number 41V9756.
9.5mm drives fit unmodified in the internal hard-drive pay on the W530. I'm currently using a pair of WD10JUCT drives in my W530 + an mSATA SSD. The UltraBay adapter in fact will fit a 12.5mm hard drive, though it will *NOT* fit the 15mm 2TB drives out there.

Similar Messages

Samsung 840 Evo vs 850 Pro for thinkpad w530

I want to purchase a 250 gb samsung ssd drive for my w530. My specs:
Lenovo Thinkpad W530
I7 3520M @ 2.90 GHz (2 Cores 4 Threads)
8 Gb Ram
Nvidia Quadro Q1000M
I am a mechanical engineer at work, and use this computer for learning new things on my free time. I will be using it to study solidworks simulation, catia, and maybe inventor or creo. I wil use it to understand principles of features and technologies, not for heavy duty freaquent calculations, or constant work with large assemblies. This computer would be too slow for these tasks anyhow.
I would appreciate your advice between these two discs: Samsung 850 Pro and 840 Evo.
Pro has a few GB more space, which actually makes no difference. The considered field is the other performance parameters: on certain tasks 850 Pro is a little, and in other tasks - much faster, according to benchmarks, e.g.:
http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Samsung-850-Pro-256GB-vs-Samsung-840-Evo-250GB/2385vs1594
Basically it is a new generation ssd drive, having much faster write speed.
But my mentioned computer is for personal use, is not too fast, and is already 2 years old. Based on my setup and tasks, do you think Pro series will have a performance advantage on my system? Pro is a little more expensive, and I am not sure if I can feel the difference in this computer, maybe you have some advice on this?
Thank you for your ideas

Yes, all of those tasks are highly CPU/GPU intensive, not disk intensive. Where you would see a difference is large scale file transfers and/or when the drive is almost full. The EVO would slow down to below the speeds of a standard hdd when it is almost full due to the nature of its memory (which is why it is cheaper in the first place), while the pro would not as much (it still would - all SSDs do - but not as bad as the EVO).
However, the EVO is kind of designed to account for this, which is why it is only 250 GB. The extra 6 GB is still in the disk, but it is set aside so that you can't fill it up. The rest of the EVOs follow this, too - 512 reduced to 500, 1024 reduced to 1000 - to protect the user from completely destroying its R/W speeds.
Note that this is still not enough to prevent degradation, and that you should try to keep at least 23-25 GB free on a 256 GB drive for maximum performance. The best method is to just leave the last 25 GB unpartitioned.
W540: i7-4700mq, K2100m, 8 GB DDR3L, 512 GB SSD
T510: i7-620m, NVS 3100m, 8 GB DDR3, 512 GB SSD

Dolby Home Theater for ThinkPad W530

So I had to restore my Windows 8, and I had to reinstall all the drivers. However, I couldn't find the Dolby Home Theater driver in the drivers page under ThinkPad W530. In another post on the forum, I found the link to Dolby Home Theater driver for another ThinkPad (S series). When I try to install this, it gives an error saying PCEE needs to be installed.
Could someone help me find the driver for ThinkPad W530 or resolve the PCEE error?

I have tried multiple times to reinstall the realtech driver with no luck.
Here is the error that I get when I start Dolby home theater software
From the control pannel add & remove I can see that i have "dolby Home theater V4" installed with version number 7.2.7000.11 and i have the "Realtek high definition audio driver" version 6.0.1.6914 installed which I got from the lenovo drivers website for the w530.
Please let me know if you have a solution to this problem as I have already searched the web and cannot find any reliable place where I can find the original software drivers that came with the computer.
Thanks,
Marc

Drivers for the Biometric Coprocessor for the ThinkPad W530

I am looking for the drivers for the Biometric Coprocessor for the ThinkPad W530 running Windows 7 (64-bit). Can anyone assist with this? Thanks!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/detail.page?DocID=DS029769
W520: i7-2720QM, Q2000M at 1080/688/1376, 21GB RAM, 500GB + 750GB HDD, FHD screen
X61T: L7500, 3GB RAM, 500GB HDD, XGA screen, Ultrabase
Y3P: 5Y70, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, QHD+ screen

ThinkPad W530 Wireless Driver Not Available for Download

I have a ThinkPad W530 laptop running Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit. Machine type and model = 2438-4CU
When I go to the driver list on Lenovo's website and click on it to download...it's unavailable...you can't download it. The release date shows 3/28/13
Intel Wireless LAN (11abgn, abg, bg) for Windows 7 (64-bit) version 15.03.1000.1637
g1w216ww_64.exe
78.8 MB
I have also installed Lenovo's System Update and it doesn't list the wireless driver as a download option either. I have installed all the other drivers found by the System Update tool.
Am I doing something wrong or is there an issue with this particular driver download.
Thanks for your help...
Bill

You could just grab the latest 15.6.1 off of the Intel site:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=22547
W520: i7-2720QM, Q2000M at 1080/688/1376, 21GB RAM, 500GB + 750GB HDD, FHD screen
X61T: L7500, 3GB RAM, 500GB HDD, XGA screen, Ultrabase
Y3P: 5Y70, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, QHD+ screen

SSD Support for W530

I was going for a purchase of W530 and had a clarification regarding the compatability of SSD drives.
The W530 data sheet provided by lenovo suggests the following SSD drives as available options.
16GB SSD mSATA5
128GB SSD SATA3
Intel® 180GB SSD SATA3
256GB TCG OPAL SSD SATA3
But I wanted to go for 512 GB SSD.
Can anyone confirm whether I can go for the 512 GB SSD option even though its not listed in the data shhet provided by lenovo.
Thanks.

I bought a Samsung 840 Evo 500 GB for 220 EUR. Works like a charm here. Definately worth upgrading. Made a lot of difference compared to its original hard drive.
Jonas
Microsoft MVP: Windows Consumer Expert
Yoga Tablet 2 10 || ThinkPad X1 Carbon (20A7007MPH) || ThinkPad Helix (3698-6EU) || IdeaCentre B540
Twitter: @jonashendrickx

ThinkPad W530 Review

Just wanted to give a heads up about a review of the W530 that's written by a user who owns the W520, so it's heavy on comparisons which is kind of helpful if you're familiar with that machine. I'll quote the whole review below sans all the images to prevent bandwidth warnings! Also truncated and removed some sections to get under the 20,000 character count limit Full review with images is here: http://www.laptopreviews.com/lenovo-thinkpad-w530-review-2012-07
Just like last calendar year, Lenovo is ahead of Dell and HP in releasing a workstation equipped with the latest and greatest Intel Core processors and nVidia Kepler professional graphics. Starting at $1,299 on Lenovo.com (which is the same starting price as the W520 when it was introduced), the Lenovo Thinkpad W530 can be configured with processors ranging from the Intel Core i5-3320M to i7-3610QM to the top-end i7-3290XM, supports up to 32GB RAM and 270 nit 95% color gamut FHD display for demanding business customers. The W530 is like the W520 in many ways as a professional workstation laptop.
The Thinkpad W530 under review comes with the following specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-3520M (2.9GHz, TurboBoost to 3.6GHz, 4MB L3 cache)
Graphics: nVidia Quadro K1000M
Memory: 8GB RAM DDR3-1600MHz
Display: 15.6” 1600 x 900 resolution, matte finish
OS: Windows 7 Professional
Storage: 500GB 7200RPM
Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion, 57Whr
Wireless: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205
Ports: Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, mini-DisplayPort, powered USB 2.0, USB 2.0, USB 3.0 (x2), combination headphone/microphone jack, ExpressCard slot (34mm), SDHC reader, 1394
Weight: 5.95lbs (2.7kg)
Keyboard
Let’s just start off with the most obvious change. The new keyboard is the most radical change in the ThinkPad line since…forever, really. Up until now, the ThinkPad series has had the same keyboard style since introduction, with minor changes here and there. Replacing the traditional 7-row ThinkPad keyboard is the island-style 6-row keyboard, found on the whole range of ThinkPad's, from the 12” X230 all the way up to this 15.6” workstation. Even with the changes, the surface of each key has stayed the same during the transition (1.5cm by 1.5cm for the alphanumeric keys) as well as the spacing between each key (roughly 0.4cm). Other keys, such as Caps Lock, Enter, Shift, Backspace, etc., have stayed the same size as well, though the Caps Lock key no longer has an indicator light. Notable differences include shape changes in the Esc key, Delete key, moving the power button from top-center to top-right, and the lack of a dedicated Menu key. However, the most important changes in key layout are as follows:
The layout of the “special keys” (Delete, Home, End, PgUp and PgDn) has been dramatically rearranged on the new keyboard
The dedicated Forward/Back buttons are now gone. These buttons used to be located to the right/left of the Up Arrow key and are now replaced with the PgUp/PgDn keys
The Print Screen button is now located where the Menu button should be.
The Scroll Lock and Pause buttons have disappeared, though they have been relegated to near-oblivion in today’s world
And just for change’s sake (as far as I know), Lenovo decided to paint the Enter key black instead of the traditional ThinkPad blue and the Windows key is bigger on the W530 than the W520 (1.5cm squared vs. 1cm squared).
To those coming from an older ThinkPad, the newer keyboards are either something to love or something to hate. The older keyboard in previous generations were renowned for their quality and keyboard feel (certainly, they were one of the best laptop keyboard on the market) and is so popular that it has an almost religious following among ThinkPad users. On the flip side, the newer keyboard has a lot to prove to the ThinkPad community. While the common-used alphanumeric keys have the same area and spacing as the old keyboard and the typing quality on it is above average (compared to other island-style keyboards), Lenovo’s choice to move and kill off some special function keys fly in the face of what most ThinkPad users would want. I love using the Forward/Back buttons while browsing the internet and using Windows Explorer, for example, but with the current and likely future ThinkPad's killing those buttons off, I will miss being able to navigate with just my right pinkie. The choice to move the Print Screen button to the bottom of the keyboard just baffles me, period. It would have been nice if Lenovo had kept the 7-row layout while designing the new keyboard and if the keys had stayed in pretty much the same positions during the change (for example, “special keys” staying in the top-right, bringing back the Forward/Back buttons), I wouldn’t make too much fuss over the new style even though I personally prefer traditional keyboards. At least the Fn button stays in the bottom-left corner, an odd quirk that’s been featured on ThinkPad's for as long as I can remember.
Build and Design
Just like the W520 before it, the newer W530 is a tough machine, built well and meant to last. The outside casing of the laptop is made using ABS plastic, while the inside contains an internal rollcage to protect internal electronics in case of a drop or other accident. It also makes the laptop all but impossible to flex (there’s maybe a millimeter or two of flex when twisting the display). There is a keyboard draining system that will protect the laptop in the event of a small liquid spill onto the keyboard as well. Sturdy, metal hinges attach the display to the body of the W530, and they are firm enough to hold any angle they are set up despite any typical vibrations or other movements, and if the W520 is any indicator, they will stay firm for years to come.
As I’ve mentioned in my Thinkpad W520 review, Lenovo’s business laptops are certainly capable of withstanding a few drops onto the floor. Even with repeated drops, having the power brick fall onto the palm rest from several feet above, and traveling with the notebook unprotected in a backpack for just over a year, I’m sure that the W530 will be able to survive prolonged abuse for years to come.
One thing to note about the W530 (and workstation laptops in general) is the power brick. The version with the K1000M GPU comes with the 135W power adaptor and it’s just slightly smaller and lighter than an actual brick of the clay variety, coming in at 6in by 2.5in by 1.4in and 1.83lbs. Those considering buying a W530 with the K2000M will receive the 170W power adaptor (like my W520), which measures 6.5in by 3in by 1.4in and actually weighs less (1.7lbs) oddly enough.
Display
While the review unit came with a 900p, 220 nit HD+ display, the W530 is also available with a 768p 220 nit display (which I recommend against; 768p needs to stay in netbooks and bargain-bin laptops, not workstations) and a 1080p, 95% color gamut, 270 nit FHD display. Depending on the configuration options, either the 768p is the default and the 900p is a $50 upgrade, or the 900p is the default; the 1080p display is a $250 option, though after owning a W520 with said display, I highly recommend it if it’s in the budget. Both the W520 and W530 use the same model displays.
With the 1080p display to the left and 900p display to the right, the 50 nit difference shows. Compared to the HD+ display, the FHD appears to be noticeably brighter (though in photos, it shows as being more white-washed, though this is due to the camera and not the displays). Colors on the 95% gamut FHD are also more saturated than the HD+ display, though the HD+ display still has colors that pop out well. Black reproduction on either display is good, with both being very dark. Being TN panels, viewing angles on either is just average, though better than on glossy display found in most consumer laptops. Tilt either screen back far enough (they go just past 180 degrees) and colors turn into shades of black or extremely darker versions.
Sound
This is where the W530 makes the W520 look shameful. Owners of the W520 workstation laptop would either have to use an external speaker set, headphones, or have to perform modifications in order to have a laptop that sounds half-way decent. The W520 speakers were low volume (even when at 100%), had no depth, and would sound tinny when playing near 100% and/or playing high-pitch noises.
In contrast, the W530 actually sounds amazing. In my review of the Thinkpad W520, I contrasted the W520 to a Dell XPS 15 with JBL speakers, concluding that the only way to get good sound from a W520 was to use a different sound solution from the internal speakers. However, I feel that the W530 can compete with media center laptops in terms of audio performance, a major plus over the previous generation Lenovo workstation. This is in thanks to different audio drivers (the W520 uses the Conexant 20672 SmartAudio HD drivers, and the W530 uses Realtek High Definition Audio) and Lenovo’s inclusion of Dolby Home Theater v4 software, which I went into detail about in the Ideapad U310 review. In a nutshell, this software includes a few factory-shipped sound profiles and settings appropriate for different usage scenarios, which allow a user to enhance voice quality (in the Movie profile) or to enjoy rich sound when listening to music (in the Music profile and various settings). While the W520 was tinny and lacked bass, the W530 can reproduce sounds from any pitch found in music and gives great bass for a laptop lacking a subwoofer.
Software
Unlike the previous W520, Lenovo’s ThinkPad W530 comes with a bit of bloatware out of the box. Of course, there is the typical trial AV software, Intel WiDi, and Microsoft Office Starter 2010, though this is to be expected in pretty much any laptop bought today. Also included is a trial of Nitro Pro 7, a PDF editing suite, and Corel DVD MovieFactory (Lenovo Edition). Lenovo also includes a cloud storage solution called “Lenovo Cloud Storage by SugarSync”. Skype is also included on the W530 and with the integrated camera, the video coming from the W530 user looks clear and colorful.
Lenovo also includes some excellent software as well. My personal favorite is the Lenovo Power Manager 6, which is like the default Windows power manager on steroids. A user can change system settings (CPU deep sleep, display brightness, ODD power, etc.), idle timers (when to stop the HDD, dimmed display brightness, standby and hibernation), advanced settings (allow/disallow hybrid sleep and wake timers, power management for PCIe, USB, CPU, and system cooling), events and alarms. By default, it comes with six power profiles (Power Source Optimized, Max. Performance, Max. Battery Life, Video Playback, Energy Saver (which actually drains more power than Max. Battery Life, oddly), and Timers off (for when a user wants to use the W530 in a presentation).
The best I can describe Lenovo SimpleTap as being is a Metro-like interface on top of Windows 7; either launching it from the Start menu or the blue ThinkVantage button on the keyboard will activate it, resulting in the traditional Windows desktop being replaced with a Metro-style tile system and a toolbar on the top-right corner. The user can always exit out of this interface by either pressing the Escape key or clicking on the SimpleTap background. The included Thinkpad-branded fingerprint software is also excellent, allowing for a simpler and more secure way to log into Windows; I use it exclusively on my personal W520, though there is a setting to allow a user to log in with a password en lieu of a fingerprint. Last but not least is the ThinkVantage Tools suite, which includes the above ThinkPad applications, plus: Password Vault, Update and Drivers, Airbag Protection (an active protection system for the HDD), Factory Recovery Disks, Messages from Lenovo, Enhanced Backup and Restore, Internet Connections System Health and Diagnostics, and Web Conferencing.
In the case of a fresh Windows install, a user can always download the Thinkpad-branded software from Lenovo’s website. If anything, I recommend keeping the Power Manager software.
Battery Life
Not using Power Manager’s Battery Stretch, the Lenovo Thinkpad W530 was able to last six hours and 46 minutes while having the display brightness set to 5 out of 15 and only using the Intel GPU (Optimus disabled). The 6-cell battery was also able to last five hours and 25 minutes under those same conditions, but also included a 45 minute YouTube video. Using the same settings, but running solely on the K1000M, the W520 manages a battery life of three hours and 52 minutes.
Out of curiosity, I tried installing my W520’s 9-cell battery into the W530, and while it fitted correctly, there were some issues. If a user tries booting with the older battery, the W530 will stop booting and display the following message:
The battery installed is not supported by this system and will not charge. Please replace the battery with the correct Lenovo battery for this system. Press the ESC key to continue.
What that means is that even if the W530 is plugged into its charger, the laptop will still not recharge the battery. This is because the older batteries lack an authentication chip inside of them (found in OEM batteries in the -30 series of Thinkpads). A user can still use an older battery with the system, but will have to find some other means to charge up other than the W530.
User Upgradability
If you know how to use a screwdriver, you can upgrade the W530 yourself with aftermarket parts. Lenovo, in a way, even encourages this by publishing their service manuals online. To access RAM slots 3 and 4 and to access the hard drive bay, all that’s needed is to remove the only two doors on the underside of the laptop, three screws total. This ThinkPad ships with a Hitachi Z7K500 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and no RAM in the last two slots (out of a total of four slots, allowing 32GB of RAM maximum).
To gain access to the rest of the components, there are two additional screws located on the bottom that must be undone. One is located right next to the RAM module door (towards the front edge of the laptop) and the other is located within the RAM module area itself. When these are gone, all one needs to do to remove the keyboard is to slide it towards the display, lift from the bottom edge near the trackpad, and carefully move towards the trackpad. First thing I noticed was that the size, shape, and connector is the same for both the W530’s keyboard and W520’s keyboard, so it might be possible to put an traditional ThinkPad keyboard into this Ivy Bridge system. However, there are additional keys on the W520’s keyboard that are not found on the W530 (Screen Lock, Forward/Back keys, etc.) and the BIOS probably would not know how to handle those extra keys. Anyway, Lenovo ships out this particular system with two sticks of generic Samsung memory (4GB each), an Intel 6205 WiFi card, and a slot for either a WWAN card or mSATA SSD (only one can be installed at a time). If an end user must have both, they could install the mSATA SSD and use an ExpressCard 3G cellular data card externally.
Conclusion
Like its predecessor, the W530 is a functional workstation laptop that’s first out of the gate with an array of Ivy Bridge processors to choose from. It can pack up to an Extreme Edition i7-3920XM, nVidia Quadro K2000 GPU, 32GB of RAM, 1080p display, and up to three system drives -- mSATA SSD, primary HDD bay, and another drive if you replace the optical bay with an Ultrabay HDD caddy. While not equipped with the more expensive options, our review unit is certainly a great workstation that will serve a professional well in any CUDA-based work (CAD, video or photo editing, graphics design, etc.). The most noticeable change between the W520 and W530 is the keyboard, and for a lot of potential buyers it will be a love it or hate it situation. For those buying into the ThinkPad line for the first time, it may not bother you too much. Those who are long-time ThinkPad users (such as myself) will probably be disappointed in the direction Lenovo has gone with the new design, but ignoring the odd arrangement of non-alphanumeric keys the new ThinkPad keyboard is actually a joy to type on. The curved keys fit well around the fingers, just like the old keyboard, and since the spacing between keys are the same it shouldn’t feel too different for those upgrading to a newer ThinkPad.
If history is any indicator, the ThinkPad W530 should not only be the first Ivy Bridge mobile workstation, but will also be the lightest of the bunch as well (the W520 was 5.95lbs, Dell’s Precision M4600 was around 6lbs, and HP’s Elitebook 8650w started at 6.5lbs). My only objective complaint about the W530 (ignoring the keyboard) is that Lenovo did not introduce an option for users to purchase one with a FirePro professional GPU (Quadro’s competition), found in workstations offered by Dell and HP. For those that do not need CUDA, it would have been a great, cost-effective solution while still staying with the legendary ThinkPad line.
Pros
Business-quality durability
Multiple storage drive options
Over 6.5 hours of battery life
IBM warranty support
Vastly improved sound quality (compared to the W520)
Cons
No Forward/Back keys, other missing keys
Cannot use previous-generation Lenovo OEM batteries

I think no one "normally" working will use touch specific elements of Win8! Metro is one part of Win8, but i think normal desktop mode will be preferred by 99 % of the users.
With the new upcoming Microsoft Surface, touch might work well, but i just don't see myself touching my laptop's screen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------W520 4276CTO i7-2860QM Quadro2000M 1920x1080 16GB RAM - 160 GB Intel 320 SSD

ThinkPad W530 with the Quadro K1000M or K2000M? BTSBEST coupon expires tomorrow!

I've been looking for a good 15" Ivy Bridge laptop that will last four or five years without breaking or becoming totally obsolete. The ThinkPad W530 fits these criteria. I'll be using it for playing Portal 2 and Minecraft, watching (and sometimes encoding) 1080p video, developing graphical and other programs (fractal renderers, procedural generation, etc), and web design. Programs I run include Eclipse, VMware, x264, Photoshop, and Firefox (with pretty many extensions, userscripts, and tabs).
I'm getting the Intel Core i7-3610QM, 1600x900 display (for 1080p I'd use an external monitor larger than 15"), 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive (I can upgrade them myself more cheaply), and Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN. So: which graphics card should I get, the K1000M or K2000M? The K1000M has 192 pipelines at 850MHz; the K2000M has 384 at 745MHz. Is having twice as many shaders worth an extra $250 for my purposes? Four years from now, will the K2000M be acceptable while the K1000M is obsolete? And if I do get the cheaper K1000M, should I upgrade to the Core i7-3520M for $50 or the i7-3720QM for $85? (Why does the dual-core 3520M cost more than the quad-core 3610QM?)
The BTSBEST coupon is saving me $300 on this configuration, but it expires tomorrow, so I need to make a decision. Thanks for any advice!
ThinkPad W530 (Intel Core i7-3610QM, NVIDIA Quadro K2000M, 4GB DDR3, 320GB 7200RPM, 15.6" 1600x900, Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300)

Hello Rangi42,
Personally I would go with the K2000M. I am a big gamer and that graphics card would be great for Minecraft and Portal 2. Graphics should run smoothly. I would agree on the RAM and hard drive upgrade, maybe an SSD to make the computer run faster and smoother.
I am not sure why the price of the 3520M is cheaper than the 3610QM.
The w530 in general is a great computer for graphics development like your web design. Video editing is good on the W530 as well.
Hope this helps,
Alex
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ThinkPad W530 on Windows 8 - dual monitoring flickers and resets resolution evey minute

I am not able to run presentations from my ThinkPad W530 while duplicating the monitor to a beamer. The monitor will flicker and reset its resolution every minute. I have already tried updating drivers, setting BIOS mode to discrete, using different resolutions, but nothing helped. As such, the device is useless when I would need it most importantly, to give presentations.
Thanks in advance for any help in resolving this really disturbing issue.

Are you attaching it via VGA or DisplayPort?
W520: i7-2720QM, Q2000M at 1080/688/1376, 21GB RAM, 500GB + 750GB HDD, FHD screen
X61T: L7500, 3GB RAM, 500GB HDD, XGA screen, Ultrabase
Y3P: 5Y70, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, QHD+ screen

Thinkpad W530 fresh Install issue

So, I've got this brand new Thinkpad W530 w/Win 7 Pro... and I installed a larger hard drive (1 TB partitioned into two drives) so I could do a fresh Windows install like I've done numerous times before with no issues at all.
This time tho, I get Windows installed and updated... and then it starts shutting itself down saying Windows has recovered from an unexpected error and the error is "Bluescreen". After the first install seeing this, I removed the drive and started all over again from scratch... and it's doing it again. Othere than this it seems to perform perfectly.
So, I still had the original hard drive... and I put that back in and so far it isn't doing this. I'm probably going to return the laptop and ask for an exchange, but I was just curious if anybody had any thoughts about what may be causing this?
I had yet to get to the Lenovo update software which I use sparingly since I don't want a bunch of bloatware. I normally allow it to update the bios and video drivers. Think I need to do that?

I recently did a full Win7 reinstall from scratch as well, after replacing my oriignal 512GB spinner drive with a 512GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD drive (partitioned into 8 partitions... because it's a long story).
I normally would not use Lenovo's System Update to "manage" my system, but it's not really bad to have it available and run it occasionally (regardless of whether or not you actually let it update things). I actually do my own regular maintenance, periodically checking the Lenovo driver site for the W530 for applicable updates.
Same with some of the other Lenovo system utilities. I install them, but essentially never use them.
Anyway, my full reinstall-from-scratch includes running the following downloaded installers from Lenovo. I use the latest Intel versions of the chlpset utility and the USB 3.0 XHCI driver rather than Lenovo's.
I actually don't use Optimus with my K1000M. I have set the BIOS to discrete graphics, with Optimus disabled. I then install the native nVidia retail graphics driver for the Quadro K1000M (332.76 is the current latest version).

Thinkpad W530 - PCMark7 Score

Has anyone received their Thinkpad W530 yet?
I would be most interested in the PCMark7 score. I use it for purchasing decisions, since it approximates most closely my usage pattern.
(The benchmark can be downloaded free: http://www.pcmark.com/benchmarks/pcmark7/download/)
Thanks for posting.
W520 4270CTO i7-2820QM Quadro2000M 1920x1080 Display 16GB RAM 2x240GB Intel 510 SSDs (RAID 0) - BIOS 1.42 - PCMark7:4,568
Samsung Series 9 15-inch NP900X4C-A03US - PCMark7: 4674

I posted some findings here: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/W-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/Just-got-my-W530/td-p/774901
Huberth: I haven't gotten to the battery tests but the keyboard feels comfortable to me (never had a Thinkpad with an older keyboard so no reference for comparison)
I dragged it briefly across my couch, no shutdown.
Fan noise: I set it up to run some tests before I went to bed and my gf said it was a bit loud. I'll reconfirm later.
It has the same huge power brick
I'll post a CPU-z screenshot later but it showed the speed at 800mhz (which is how CPU-Z shows dual-channel from the quick Googling I did) when you double the 800mhz it's 1600mhz.
The only weird part about that is I have 3 sticks of RAM, not two so idk if it's really in dual channel mode.
Thinkpad W530: i7-3720QM, K1000M, FHD Screen, 16 GB PC12800, 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 SSD

Thinkpad W530 Random Shut down

I have a Thinkpad W530 with a CTO2436 motherboard and it randomly shuts off. I'm out of warranty now, but when I was in warranty, it had the same issue, so I sent it off for repair. They said it was the hard drive, so they replaced it and sent it back to me, but the issue is happening again. I don't think it's overheating because I haven't done anything extensive on it and the bottom never feels hot. What is the problem/what should I do?

There was a whole long thread about W520 sudden shutdowns.
The conclusion for most but not all was to take off the RAM door on the underside, and bend the metal fins up to stick out more so they ground the machine properly.
Maybe give that a try.
W520: i7-2720QM, Q2000M at 1080/688/1376, 21GB RAM, 500GB + 750GB HDD, FHD screen
X61T: L7500, 3GB RAM, 500GB HDD, XGA screen, Ultrabase
Y3P: 5Y70, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, QHD+ screen

Thinkpad W530 not powering up

Hi,
I bought this laptop two months back and I am very disappointed with the overall quality of the laptop. First of all when received my laptop it was not fitted properly and keyboard was detached from right side. Although I managed to press and fix it myself but it was a clear indication how poor the quality control was. Second, there was a deep scratch on the battery and looked like it had been use before. Third, the 2nd HDD keep disappearing and I had to manually restart the computer and remove the caddy and then plug in so that it can be detected again. Anyway managed to sort that problem upto certain extent after reading forums. Fourth, there was always a burning smell all the time so I thought may be because it is new and it will be fine in next couple of days. And in fact it was better after day to day use. You might be thinking why I did not send it back straight away. The problem was I was traveling to UK for business and I need my laptop and had no choice.
Now the real problem comes in. It is complete dead after my shutdown. It was working with no problems but now it is 100% dead. I am really shocked the amount of money they charge and the poor quality of product you receive from Lenovo. Even Dell is far better than them and now it is no more IBM.
After reading lots of reviews about Lenovo overall, I am convinced that they are definitely the worst. So please all readers if you are also experiencing poor quality issues with mouthful of charges let's join our hands and not only say no to Lenovo but also lets do some practical steps.
In next couple of days when I will get my laptop back from warranty, I will run Facebook campaign, and get all you people on board and take this as petition to UK office of fair trading for investigation.
Second, I am planning to write a complete story for BBC to publish how these monsters are using IBM name and get all problem snippets and reviews of affected people for that story.
I will not let them run and it will not be an easy walk for them. I am affected and not able to work now but not let them do again.
If you are thinking of buying Lenovo, please think twice and go buy something else and don't waste your time.
Thanks.

For comparison, when I first got my W530 and did some burn-in testing, I discovered the Intel graphics had failed. I called Lenovo support, which was respectful and walked me through making some changes to Windows Updates. That didn't work, so they sent me a box to send my system to the depot. It took a very long time to get my system fixed (they said it was a motherboard problem), and I called a lot, so after approximately a month without my computer, they decided to just build me a new system instead and extend my warranty. The replacement system works very well and I've been using it without incident for just over a year now.
While Lenovo definitely needs to speed up their repair process from my experience, they did eventually make it right by replacing the machine with a new one. Personally, I would not go down the path of advising others to stay away from the company unless they never satisfactorily resolved my issues. I do warn people that the repair time may be unreasonably long (as mine was), but as I said, they did make it right in the end, and that's the most important thing. I'd be interested to hear how your support request turns out.
Thinkpad W530, i7-3720QM, 1920x1080 screen, 32GB RAM, dual SSDs (Samsung 830, Crucial M4 mSATA), Quadro K2000M, 9-cell battery, DVD burner, backlit keyboard, Bluetooth, Intel 6300 wireless card

Thinkpad W530 2438-2MU discontinued?

Hi All,
The 2438-2MU model of the W530 is suddenly flagged as "Discontinued" or "Not available" at most distributors. Has anybody a clue on why this is?
TIA.
Nils G. Svedmyr
Thinkpad W510 4318-CTO 15,6" 1920x1080 nVidia Quadro FX 880M Intel i7 CPU X920XM, 256GB SDD + 500 GB HD 16GB
RAM Gobi Broadband Device Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bits In our company you can name your own salary. I named mine "Fred"

It's the one with the Core i7 Extreme i7-3920XM 2.9GHz Full HD
Lenovo ThinkPad W530 24382MU 15.6" LED Notebook - Core i7 Extreme i7-3920XM 2.9GHz Full HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834310461
Is Lenovo getting ready for the W540?
W520 4270CTO i7-2820QM Quadro2000M 1920x1080 Display 16GB RAM 2x240GB Intel 510 SSDs (RAID 0) - BIOS 1.42 - PCMark7:4,568
Samsung Series 9 15-inch NP900X4C-A03US - PCMark7: 4674

ThinkPad W530 docked and plugged all the time.

I just got a new w530 with windows 8 and a 9 cell battery. I am using the mini dock series 3 (without USB 3.0). My question is: is it ok for the battery life to leave it in the laptop knowing that most of the time the machine is docked and plugged? If I removed the battery, the machine is unbalanced on the dock.
The power manager app does not work on windows 8, so I cannot choose what profile I want for the battery.
What do you think?

I have exactly the same requirements and I'm also trying to figure out what's the best option for the battery life.
Thinkpad W530 2447-4GG, Intel Core i7-3820QM 2.7GHz, 1920x1080 FHD with color sensor, NVIDIA Quadro K2000M GPU, Crucial 4x8GB DDR3 1600 RAM, Crucial M4 256GB mSATA SSD (07MH), Crucial M4 256GB 2.5-inch SSD (070H), Toshiba 500GB HDD 7200RPM, Intel 6300 AGN, BIOS 2.53-1.11, Thinkpad Port Mini Dock Plus Series 3, Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit

SSD height for ThinkPad W530

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