T500 Specs

Are the published specs for the T500 video display wrong T500 (See http://shop.lenovo.com/ISS_Static/merchandising/US/PDFs/t400_and_t500_datasheet.pdf )? The information shows both of the available video modes having the same dpi even thought the resolution is different on the same physical sized screen. Shouldn't the WXGA DPI be about 98dpi?
ie
WSXGA+ (1680x1050, 129dpi, 200+ nit)
WXGA W/LED Backlight (1280x800, 129dpi, 200+ nit)
Cheers!
No Dice

probably it is wrong from the looks of things.

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What Chipset is in the T500? No specs anywhere

I am getting ready to buy a T500 for use with Digidesign ProTools LE 8. Digidesign has specific chipsets that are compatible and others that are not compatible.
Could someone please point me to where I can confirm which chipset is in the Lenovo T500? Is it the same in the W500?
And what's the difference between the T500 and the W500?
Thanks in advance

markus44uk wrote:
I haven't bought the laptop yet silly! I need to know this BEFORE I buy it.
Welcome to the forum! Don't call people names like "silly" in this forum.
You need tabook
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Jane
2015 X1 Carbon, ThinkPad Slate, T410s, X301, X200 Tablet, T60p, HP TouchPad, iPad Air 2, iPhone 5S, IdeaTab A2107A, Yoga Tablet, Yoga 3 Pro
I am not a Lenovo Employee.
I AM one of those crazy ThinkPad zealots!
If you find a post helpful and it answers your question, please mark it as an "Accepted Solution"!

T500 Problems and experiences with Lenovo's technical support / EZServ

After some issues and numerous calls to Lenovo's Technical Support, I just thought I would share my experiences here.
First off, I currently own a ThinkPad T500, which was designed to be a replacement for my older ASUS laptop.
While the ASUS laptop is still running okay, I have had a hard time trying to get the company to properly warranty the laptop. (they would make falsified claims that nothing is wrong with the laptop, so that they would not have to replace any parts - and when they do replace parts, they would simply create another problem and totally ignore the described problem.) The experiences were so stressful and disgusting such that I am sick of arguing with the company any further. My decision on the ThinkPad was based on that IBM/Lenovo is designed to serve business class customers and theoretically should have "business-class support". For this very reason, I have added the best warranty service they was offered to me at the time (3yr onsite + accidental). I am just guessing at that time I just wanted to get away from small companies and go to a company that would back their customers' laptops.
As soon as I got my hands on a T500, however, I have noticed that something is wrong with the card reader. Apparently the reader on the machine would not read SDHC cards (it does read SD cards, however.) This is a problem because I only use SDHC cards and the machine was not able to read any of them. As the card reader controller is manufactured by the same manufacturer (Ricoh) and my older ASUS laptop was able to read SDHC cards, I thought something odd was going on with my machine. This was also based on the evidence that other T500 owners were able to read SDHC just fine.
In addition to the card reader, I was also having troubles in which the machine would freeze whenever Nero Burning ROM (a CD/DVD authoring software) is used.
My first support call to Lenovo was not that pleasant, given that I was placed on hold for 20 minutes when the rep was looking up specs for SHDC compatibility. The rep also said that they would not troubleshoot 3rd party software and would not help me on the issue. I was also told that I should also call back during "regular business hours (apparently until 5pm EST, or 2pm PST (my time)" (despite that the technical support hotline is open 24/7) so that a supervisor can handle my case. This makes it very difficult for me to get to someone with any authority as I am usually busy throughout the day until late afternoons (~4pm PST -> 7pm EST).
Nevertheless, my second call to Lenovo was much more pleasant. The rep handled my case in a timely fashion and promptly provided replacement parts indicated by my problem. (Onsite motherboard replacement for the card reader, and a separate shipment for the DVD-RW drive). Turns out that the motherboard replacement did fix the SDHC issue, although the freezing problem was not caused by hardware failures, but rather a faulty driver that was corrected after Lenovo released an update months later on the Intel SATA controller drivers.
Five months later, after having to use a broadband WWAN card for my work, I also started to notice there is something wrong with the broadband WWAN card. The card used is the Ericsson F3507g card (or the AT&T broadband WWAN option). Not only would the connection be very flaky, it would also drop connections fairly frequently. It seems that a SIM card pull to another card would result in a perfect connection and ever since I have been using an addon card instead to use the Internet. When I confronted Lemovo with the problem, the experience was worse than the first one. I have made at least six service calls to Lenovo and everytime the reps will waste my time with basic troubleshooting which I told them repeatedly that I have already done (I have even reinstalled the OS but it seems that it does not matter to the reps). Here are some things that are repeated over and over:
1) Can you uninstall the Power Manager Driver and the Wireless WAN drivers and reinstall them?
2) Can you go on to our website and download the WWAN drivers (document ID: MIGR-70000 - I even remembered this number since it was repeated so many times) - and the Power Manager Driver and reinstall it?
3) Can you go to Device Manager (the rep would go step by step to it even though I told him I already know how to get there), and see if there are any "bangs" (exclamation marks) on any of the devices?
4) Since you were able to connect to the AT&T network, then from the hardware standpoint there is nothing wrong with your card. This indicates there is a software configuration or a driver problem. (I have been trying to acquire the latest drivers but what I have was already the latest)
5) Since your card could connect to the network, you should contact your provider for help. (AT&T blames it on the card)
6) I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do to help you. You should contact your provider about the card (despite that I acquired the card from Lenovo and not from them)
7) Are you sure that your card is activated properly? It doesn't show in our systems that the card has been activated properly. You will need to call both AT&T and the Lenovo activation hotline (whatever this is) to have your card work properly. (I have never heard of this before)
Despite telling these reps I have an addon card that works perfectly and that I have done all the basic troubleshooting already, none of them are really willing to give me a replacement card. They would either request that I send my computer back to the depot (which I do not want to do since I use this laptop everyday and that's why I have onsite warranty), fail to help me, or transfer me to someone else that makes me do all the troubleshooting all over again. (Every call I made to Lenovo can be said to be composed of at least 20 minutes of basic troubleshootings with the end result of not being able to help)
After having the case escalated to a team leader, I was told that someone would give me a call within a few hours since their team leader is with another customer. Result? No callbacks. Not within a day, nor two.
Called Lenovo again, they apologized, but samething happened - supervisor on the line - promised another callback by a supervisor - but nothing, nada!
Called Lenovo a third time - was again told the same thing, but I am not falling for that anymore - the rep finally agreed to give me a replacement, as well as as to send out a technician that would fix the LCD cover that is starting to get loose on one side.
At that time, I was so frustrated and this reminds me of the pain I have went through with my old ASUS laptop and their grumpy customer service. It just seems to me that it has to be that difficult to have anything resolved or fixed. (What is especially frustrating is that the basic reps do not have any authority to make any decisions, 90% of the time I will need to be transferred to a supervisor of some sort before my case can be handled successfully - which is hard at times given that I only have until 2pm PST to call them)
Received replacement, but did not fix issue. I have noticed that the GPS (which was part of the WWAN card) also has problems getting adequate signals for a 3D Fix. I have once again called Lenovo, this time raising the concerns with the GPS and seeking for help. Along with the basic troubleshooting, here is what Lenovo has to say about the GPS issue which frustrates me even more:
1) uh, G..P..S? what GPS? (most reps I call say this, shows me that they either don't know what a GPS is or know that there is a dedicated GPS builtin on the Ericsson module. Perhaps they don't even know that ThinkVantage GPS existed)
2) You will need to have active service in order to use GPS (I do have active service, but nevertheless that statement is false since a 3D fix can be successfully acquired with a dummy card - I guess the rep has no idea what he/she was talking about)
3) That's a software issue - you need to call AT&T and tell them about the problem (Again, I guess the rep has no idea that the GPS is not linked to AT&T's networks - there is a dedicated GPS on the card that allows the ThinkVantage GPS tool to acquire proper GPS signals) (Also, why would AT&T troubleshoot a tool that Lenovo made called ThinkVantage GPS? - I don't get it)
4) You need to uninstall, and then reinstall the Power Manager driver and also the latest WWAN drivers. (I did that, did not work - I have told them I even reinstalled the OS from scratch)
5) You need to go uninstall, and then reinstall the Wireless LAN drivers (although I am talking about wireless WAN, not LAN)
6) There are two wireless adapters in your laptop? Are you sure about this?
7) LAN, or WAN? What are you referring to? (I guess some reps are not aware what WWAN means)
After dealing with the numerous reps that have no idea what I was talking about, I have decided that I would just take the machine into depot, which would give me a chance to explain the other issues I have with the machine as well.
Here are some of the issues I am having with my T500 right now (please comment if you have the same issues or perhaps have a possible solution/workaround for it)
1. The left side of the LCD cover has a pressure point, which causes the cover to dislodge from the rest of the panel slightly when pressure is applied from the back side of the cover. (Could be caused by closing the lid, for example) - IBM technician applied some adhesive to the inside, which helped it from dislodging, although the left side is still a little filmsy compared to the right.
2. This error randomly pops up at infrequent intervals: "Display driver igfx stopped responding and has successfully recovered."
The latest GFX driver is installed and all updates have been installed. OS has been reinstalled but problems still occurs infrequently.
3. This error also pops up at infrequent intervals: "Active protection is not functioning as system detected the abnormal sensor status. To diagnose the sensor device, run PC DOCTOR DOS - HDD Active Protection Test and if it still shows, contact Help and Service for repair." The only problem is, my laptop only came installed with PC Doctor 5 for Windows and when I run it"
I ran a sensor check in DOS using the diagnostic CD and the sensor checked out okay. This error seems to happen mostly after I changed a setting in the Active Protection System software. (ex. changing the suspend time, etc)
4. By default, the internal microphone does not work. In order for the internal microphone to work, the Advanced multi-stream mode must be enabled in the SmartAudio control panel. If both redirection options are enabled, the internal microphones and the speakers would then work normally. However, the hotkey controls on the ThinkPad would not control the right device when headphones are plugged in (since headphones are classified as its own device when the Advanced stream mode is enabled) - Mute and volume controls thus only controls the internal speakers' volume, and have no control whatsoever when headphones are plugged in.
5. The brightness on the T500 is rather dim. I am not sure if that's how the monitor is, but I can hardly see anything unless the display brightness is close to the max setting. I have the 1680x1050 matte screen.
6. The WWAN card does not make a stable connection to the network and ThinkVantage GPS does not acquire a 3D Fix even when under direct sky for >20 minutes. What is interesting though is that if I turn off the monitor screen (Fn+F3) or close to lid, the WWAN connection will be very stable and GPS will function normally (acquire fix usually within 2-3 minutes). If the monitor/screen is turned back on after a GPS Fix is acquied, the signals will quickly deteriorate and the updates will either become delayed/inaccurate or a fix will be lost. The brighter the screen, the harder it is to get a fix or a stable connection. (At the max setting it is almost impossible to get a fix while at the lowest brightness a very weak fix can be acquired - this is the case even many sattelites have been detected) Perhaps something with power consumption? Or the LCD drawing too much power?
7. Although it does not happen very frequently, pressing Fn+F3 to turn off the display might cause the LCD to flicker on and off non-stop.
8. This used to happen more with the older version of the Lenovo Fingerprint Software - but sometimes the software tends to get stuck at the welcome screen after returning from sleep/suspend/standby mode. The screen will remain at Please Wait forever and a hard restart will be required to get back into Windows.
9. At frequent intervals the sound from the internal speakers would stop working and only the headphones would work. The sound might, however, come back if I leave the headphones plugged in long enough and unplug them. Restarting the Windows Audio service will temporarily restore audio but the same issue tends to happen again soon after that. Driver issue? (I am not sure if it's relevant, but I tend to put my computer to sleep instead of shutting it down)
I have explained all of these issues on a piece of paper that I have included in my shipment to Flextronics. I have also included in big letters to make sure that they do not send the laptop to the address where they originally sent the "box" to. This is because I am only at that address a few days during the year and I don't plan to be there most days during the year.
On the first day, it seemed that the status changed from "Machine being repaired" to "Hold for customer information".
Apparently I missed a call from a number with an area code of 901 (which is Memphis, TN - I assume this is Lenovo's support center, since this is where the package was sent to). No messages were left on the voicemail. Called the number back, but was however told that I dialed the wrong number and no one has ever called me on this number (the lady on the phone was quite rude too) I then called the 800 EZServ number instead, turns out that they wanted one of my passwords which I gave them.
The evening after I saw that the machine was successfully repaired and that it is being shipped back to me. However, no tracking number was provided. (There still isn't a tracking number on the EZServ status page)
Hoping that my machine was repaired in good condition, I took a day off so I would be able to wait for UPS to deliver my laptop.
Such that I have something to work with, I called the EZServ # and see if they had a tracking number for my shipment. At the same time, I asked what components were replaced and/or what components were installed to the system. To my surprise, they reimaged the whole system and I was not even informed about this at all! (I do understand I checked the Yes box in the problem description page, but I felt that it was important that the repair center let their customers know before their data will be destroyed - luckily I imaged my laptop right before I shipped it out so I have a copy of my data) In addition, it also seemed that they did not read any of the pages I enclosed in the shipment since nothing about the WWAN card was ever mentioned, despite special emphasis placed on this when I called Lenovo to have my computer sent back. It seemed that the rep only recorded one of the problems I listed above, which was unsatisfactory.
The repair process was disappointing, as I have included in my problem description that I have previously tried reinstalling the whole OS from scratch and the problems did not go away. Reimaging the system will also probably have no effect on the problems I have described in the problem description.
What is more surprising to me though was that they totally skipped the notation I put on to have the notebook shipped to an alternate address relative to the box address. To make this impossible to miss, I miss drew a big * and circled it many times so that anyone would see it if they were reading the sheet. I found out shortly after checking on the UPS website that the city the package was being shipped to was that of the wrong address, and not the city of that of the alternate address. I was horrified after knowing that the package would not arrive today but yet I still took a day off work. (How disappointing?!)
Again and again, I called EZServ to see if I can have the package intercepted so it can be delivered to the right address. An intercept was placed on the package, although I received a call 30 minutes later from UPS saying that the intercept failed since the package has already been delivered. UPS also told me there is no way the people living there can simply return it and continue on with the intercept. Not happy with what I am hearing, I called EZServ and see if they can set up a pickup request to have the package delivered to my address. The first rep hanged up on me shortly she answered. The second rep called UPS, placed me on hold for more than 20 minutes, then hanged up on me. The third rep called UPS, and told me that they have esculated the case and that "UPS will handle everything", whatever that means. (she refused to disclose any more details). She told me that I would be receiving a call from her shortly on the details on the upcomings and promised that I would be receiving my laptop back. As with Lenovo, I didn't receive any callbacks. I called EZServ once more, and all they would say is tell me to wait. Sick and tired of waiting and calling and not getting anywhere, I drove 100 miles to where they shipped my laptop and picked it up there. I just don't know whether to trust the EZServ people anymore....
As far as the laptop goes, I didn't have time to open the box or to test it yet. But I will let you all know once I have taken a look at the results.
While the past experiences have been painful, I haven't lost all hope in Lenovo yet - although I really think that the customer service can really improve on certain levels.
Please give me advices on what to do next!
Thanks for reading this!
Message Edited by swg0101 on 04-04-2009 11:02 AM

Swg0101
Thanks for sharing your details - it seems like we should focus on recovery of your system at this point.
I've sent you a PM - I'll look for your private message response with your contact information and case details so we can look into this and get you some help.
Best regards,
Mark
ThinkPads: S30, T43, X60t, X1, W700ds, IdeaPad Y710, IdeaCentre: A300, IdeaPad K1
Mark Hopkins
Program Manager, Lenovo Social Media (Services)
twitter @lenovoforums
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Lenovo T500 Brief Review

Hello Lenovo Community!
Recently, I bought a Lenovo T500. After much research and reading many user's opinions as possible (two of which that was really helpful was on this forum by MidnightSun and www.notebookreview.com) I chose the T500. In my research, I could not find many video reviews and was kind of disappointed (obviously, it was not a deal breaker.) I would have liked to have had more written reviews, video reviews and just in general more information. So, I want to do this review to help future researchers become informed consumers! If anyone has any questions or suggestions (e.g.. Of bloatware to remove or any tips) please chime in!
Preface
Before I begin my review, I want to say that I am in no way an expert at computers beyond the basics. I've never bought a laptop before, and my old computer (given to me) was a Gateway M465-e, a business oriented laptop. It came with 512 RAM, 1.6 Ghz, 15.4" screen and I really liked it. It lasted me 5.5 years (and still going) although the past few months, it has really taken a dip (hence the reason for buying a new one!) I will be comparing my experiences with the T500 with that Gateway. I will be using my computer for mainly working with spreadshett, word documents, surfing internet, media hub (especially for iTunes), and, OF COURSE, playing video games! Whoot for switchable graphics!
Specs
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.8Ghz, 1066mhz 6MBL2)
Windows Business Vista 64
15" WSXGA+ TFT, CCFL Backlight
ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with Intel Advanced Management Tech.
2GB DDR3 SDRAM
Camera
UltraNav
160 GB, 7200 RPM
Fingerprint Reader
Intel Turbo Memory 2GB
7-in01 Media Card Reader
Express Card Slot and Smart Card Reader
Integrated Bluetooth
Intel WiFi Link 5300 AGN with My WiFi Tech.
6 Cell Li-Ion Battery
Initial Impression
My computer took about a week to arrive. The packaging was fairly simple. I had expected the box to be bigger (why, I have no idea. I guess this is commensurate with the premium price. Hah.) Inside were the usual suspects: the computer, manuals, startup booklet, power adapter, XP BackUp CDs, ThinkPad nubs (replacements) and battery.
At first look, I thought it was quite big and bulky. However, after comparison with my Gateway, I found it to be slimmer and lighter (I chose the T500 primarily because of resolution; I really wanted the 1680x1080 resolution.) Personally, I love the sleek black look. It makes it look ominous, menacing and clean. It felt sturdy, but not as much as I had expected (I had this crazy idea that it could take a light-medium bang from a hammer.) Perhaps the image formed from reading about IBMs were a bit inflated. Anyway, it was clean, all the ports were where they are meant to be, it smelled nice, and of course looked pristine! It implored me to turn it on.
Build and Design
As aforementioned, I am becoming a huge fan of this design. From the creased overhang of the top bezel to the asymmetrical screen position, I love it! Little details like the hashed/ribbed strip from the top left corner and the imbedded "UltraConnect" lettering above the screen really make the ThinkPad feel like it warrants the price, special and unique. The top of the ThinkPad is made of a rubber-plastic material that allow a good grip. There is minimal logos and stickers. I especially like the indicators on the top (when it is closed) as well as on the bottom of the screen (when opened.) The hinge also seems to have been well built as it has a lot of resistance in opening the lid. When it is opened moving the the notebook does not move the screen at all (I hate it when you have to readjust your screen after swinging it from one place to another.)
One thing that bothered me a little was the vertically-positioned USB ports. I have a USB-port-extension device which increases my number of ports by 3. However, I am unable to use this device because of the shape of the device and because of the vertical port. It is difficult to describe, see below for picture. Anyway, having only 3 ports is quite terrible, considering my 5+ year old Gateway had 4.
Keyboard and UltraNav
One of the first things I looked for was the much-feared keyboard flex. This seems to have been mostly remedied because there this minimal flex on the right portion. There is, however,flex on the left portion of the keyboard (maybe left of the u-h keys.) It is only when I press quite hard that it flexes. When I am typing regularly, as I am now, it is utterly unoticeable. The keyboard, overall, is quite good. I like the clicky feel of it and can type on it with no hinderances or reserve. The volume buttons are VERY welcomed as they provide responsively (my old GW I had to hold the Fn to adjust.) I just say that the position of the PgUp/PgDn/Home/End and Esc button is a bit awkward as I have to move my hand quite out-of-way to access them. This is but a minor issue. I also wished that the delete button wasn't where it is. I use the delete button quite a bit and it is kind of difficult (as in the out-of-the-way sort)
As for the UltraNav, I am quite fond of it, although there are times when I prefer the normal touchpad-and-button. For me, the UltraNav is quite sensitive and can be frustrating to use. One moment you're shooting across the screen just fine, but then finding that one small spot on the screen is quite tedious. And yes, I know you can adjust it, but I just can't seem to find the perfect level. I have seen older ThinkPads, and think that I would have liked to have the red strips on the UltraNav buttons.
Display
The display is great, it is of the matte variety and is non-reflective (rather, minimally reflective.) It is clear and crisp throughout without any dark areas or any irregular eveness. It looks great at 1680x1080. The viewing angle range is wide and being 15.4" has lots of estate. The one thing I would like to comment on is brightness. My friend, sitting next to me, has a MBP, and I must say, it is far bright than the T500 at maximum brightness. And, yes, I did allow the screen to reach full brightness. This is not so much a big issue at the moment, but I do kind of worry that in a few years my non-LED display will become much less bright. But that's a trade off I'm willing to take (for screen resolution.)
Performance
In terms of performance, it seems to be slightly slower than I had imagined. I expected that it would blaze through everything and it mostly does. When adding my 10k+ songs onto iTunes, it took a significantly shorter time than my Gateway, but longer than I would have liked.
I played Bioshock, at first attempt at maximum resolution (1680x1080) and with all the bells and whistles turn on. It was sluggish, and barely playable. I had to turn the resolution down quite a bit before I thought it was smooth (as on Xbox or a PS3). I surmise this might have something to do with my RAM amount because even just sitting idle 65% of physical memory is used (darn you Vista and ThinkVantage!) The performance, I suppose, could be called as snappy and powerful and will handle, I'm sure, anything I will throw at it during normal usage (e.g. not gaming.)
Battery Life
When I ordered the computer, I didn't put too much on the battery because the T500 will be my desktop replacement and will be plugged in most of its life. Despite this, I have attempted a to measure battery life on a charge; I must say that it is pretty good. On a full charge and normal usage, i.e. wireless, multiple tabs on while online, Windows sidebar, and Skype, I was able to get about 5 hours plus or minus half an hour (I usually don't use my computer in blocks of 5 hours, so when I do stop, I put it to sleep.) This is pretty good considering I have the 6-cell battery and is not really a priority for me. Though still important when considering the price of the system as a whole.
Audio Speaker
The speakers are generally weak compared to my Gateway. The volume isn't has loud and the quality of the sound is not as good. This too like the battery life, was of low priority because, even though I use the T500 for media, I have a set up at home where I can plug it into a system that amplifies the sound and quality through speakers.
Heat and Fan
Compared to my Gateway, the ThinkPad is infinitely better in terms of dissipating heat and reducing noise. On the GW the fan would run incessantly, even without any taxing programs being run. Then it would turn into hyper fan mode and eventually shutdown from overheating. In the ThinkPad, the story is completely different. Even when I ran Bioshock, though audible, the fan never was intrusive. The heat, too, was quite good. It gets warm but never hot. If you want to see numbers, you should look at the review on notebookreview.com. I don't disagree with those numbers.
*******EDIT********
I apologize for not continuing the review as stated earlier. I won't review much else, UNLESS REQUESTED (and please, if you want me to review some part of the machine, I will more than happily do so, so just ask!)
For the final part of this review, I will give, what will be my final impression on the machine (that is, before my long-term; which won't be for a long time.)
Final Impression
I have now had my T500 ThinkPad for quite some time now, having used it for various tasks and knowing its idiosyncrasies, can say that overall I would give it a 8.5 out of 10. I really hate giving a definite Yes or No to these things, but if I were to be asked whether I recommend this computer or not, I could not say without full reservation that I do. There are several reasons for this: Firstly, though I love the resolution (as aforementioned, 'twas reason I opted for the T500 over the T400), I wish it were brighter, i.e. LED-bright, but at this resolution, and as of this review, it is not offered. And sitting next to a MBP owner, who's gorgeous screen is a stark reminder of superiority in terms of screen brightness, it instills a sense of uneasiness because of the not-cheap price--though to be fair, a spec'd up 15.4" MBP is significantly more expensive (~$600 more; I have the 3 years accidental damage and warranty.) At full brightness, it is a joy to look at, anything lower however is much darker. For example, with all lights off and in darkness, the lowest setting was difficult to see---what?---I expect to be able to see (read: use) it comfortably without straining my eye at every setting. Otherwise, what's the point? This is to say the screen is not bright enough at all levels. I understand the remedy is as easy as turning up the brightness, but that is not the point.
Secondly, ThinkVantage is helpful however it is ultimately a bloatware for me. When I open up the Task Manager, I would say about a third of the processes taking up my memory is ThinkVantage stuff. Taxing my system when most of the time I don't need it. To uninstall it would kind of defeat one of the uniqueness of the system (I mean, they even dedicated a button for it) and just doesn't seem right. I have yet to do so because I don't know the kinds of effect it will have on the system, so it may or may not be done.
Thirdly, there have been several crashes. For example, yesterday instead of my usual Fn-F4 (sleep), I closed the lid instead (which should yield the same effect.) As I got home from work, I found that not only has it not been sleeping, but had had the processor running inside my protective case. It was HOT and as I opened the lid, I saw the Blue Screen of Death. Additionally, it takes a long time for the computer to go to sleep (I'm talking about 30 seconds-1 minute.) My 6 YO Gately does it in 5-10 seconds, but then again, it runs Windows 7. This is probably the fault of Vista, though and can't be blamed on Lenovo.
All in all, if I could re-order a system from Lenovo, I would consider the T400 with LED and the same configuration (though I would want the T500's more powerful graphics option.) I realized that though I initially wanted the large screen size, I would trade it for portabiltiy. I realized the T400's screen was sufficient after looking at the MBP. I still wouldn't get a MBP because it just doesn't offer the flexibility of a PC (I find PCs easier to manipulate in general.) Happy shopping!
Message Edited by StrangeL0ve on 07-21-2009 11:34 AM

I have upgraded from 2gb to 4gb RAM (Vista bu 64bit) but T400 was still slower than the old MSI notebook. I had MSI 12", 1.8ghz sempron, 2gb RAM, 160HDD with UBUNTU 8.04. Now T400 with P8700, 4gb DDR3, discrete Ati 3470. What really helped me was NOT using Vista at all! I'm now on RC of Windows 7, it's much faster (boot, turning off, and aslo system respose is I think 4 times shorter than Vista has). Just wanted you to know how are these systems different. But if I had a choice, I would go for some linux distribution. Sadly fingerprint reader and thinkvantage software are not supported
Message Edited by popo666 on 07-11-2009 10:20 AM

BSOD, T500 Multiple machines same error.

Hello, I have about 5-6 T500's here. I am the windows imaging person for my company. I have been working on a T500 image using windows Xp Pro with SP3. I am following the guidelines at MIGR-70665 for installation.
The only Major change I have to my installation media is inclusion of the mass storage drivers so I don't have to use compatibility mode to boot the machine and I have my Xp installation automated.
After setting the bios correctly I boot to XP CD "note at this point the intel video adapter is DISABLED and it stays that way" I install XP and after the first boot with XP I install the ATI Video card drivers using the command they recommend. "I have tried it both ways with same result" Then I install Intel Matrix etc so all mass storage drivers are up to date. I continue to build the machine. "these machines are loaded with pretty much all options" All drivers are loaded. I install a few extras "flash, acrobat, shockwave, java, and quicktime. I also install a few company specific plugins that are java and tiff related nothing extreme or graphics related.
Now onto the problems. The very first time I built this machine prior to sysprep. I was getting constant blue screens which pointed to ATI2DVAG or ATI2MTAG. These blue screens were only DURING BOOT. I gave up on my installation and decided on doing it via the above page "I don't always follow an install method until there is an issue because i automate much of my installations"
So I do the Xp installation using the preferred method in the link above. At this point I can completely do everything I need to the machine no issues at all. So I assume my problem is cured.
Now however comes the part where I image the drive. I run sysprep and shutdown the machine. I boot to my imaging disk and upload the image to server. upon the completion of imaging I again reboot the machine. The first 2 reboots of the machine are fine "one to complete sysprep name the machine etc" Once I have logged in the second time things are ok as well.. no issues. Starting with the 3rd or sometimes the 4th boot the machine BSOD's on the ATI drivers again. "generally infinite loop stop 0x000000ea pointing to ATI2DVAG" Sometimes pointing to ATI2MTAG. This is not machine specific. I can put a non-sysprepped image on another T500 and it works fine however AFTER sysprep i start getting blue screens. "yes I have even waited to install the graphics drivers until sysprep was done but with same result"
Once it starts blue screening only VGA mode works to get in the machine. Note, This is ONLY DURING BOOT I am not so far getting any BSOD's after a successful boot.
So I'm hoping someone here has an answer I'm pretty competent with computers but this has me stumped. I need to get these machines to the folks they belong to but obviously this is a show stopper.
I have tried using TVSU and my own driver installations via matrix. Neither affect the amount of blue screens I get. Remember this isn't a single machine issue it carries to the other machines. A nonsysprepped image works great a sysprepped one blue screens. Installing drivers after sysprep does not affect the blue screen.
I have built it with Xp and 2 different laptops 5x at this point.
If you've read this far thanks. hopefully someone has an answer I haven't thought to try.
Anyone out there have XP on their machine? Anyone tried sysprep as it seems to be introducing some kind of issue? "I can't guarantee sysprep is causing it though" I have to use VOLUME LICENSING on these machines. However at this point rescue and recovery set for XP would be helpful just to test with.
This machine is a 2055-2EU if anyone needs to see the specs.
2.53ghz 2g ram
Sata AHCI 160gb
ATI HD3650
I have upgraded the bios to the latest available on site.
Message Edited by popeye44 on 02-04-2009 10:18 AM

You are certainly more capable than I at this stuff, but I'll throw in my experience just in case. I have a T500 with the ATT HD3650 card and I am running XP. I upgraded the RAM to 4gb and I imaged the 80gb to a 320gb and installed it. (I used Easeus Partition Manager ). The 320gb wouldn't boot, so I found that the Cool Tools tab in XXClone was able to make the imaged 320 bootable.
I didn't have any BSODs until about a week later when I used the Lenovo software to auto update the all of the drivers. That seems to have been a big mistake. I have had several since then, but not during booting. At least two have been the x000000ea error in ati2dvag. I ran the Microsoft Windows Memory diagnostic for several passes and RAM seems to be ok. (MemTest86+ refuses to run on a T500). The sound has been stuttering at times, so I rolled back the audio driver.
I used the recovery procedure (using the hidden partition) to totally reinstall the 80gb to factory settings (that took forever!!!!) and I am about ready to try the imaging all over again. Sheesh..
Anyway, I have never had a computer give me such fits in upgrading hardware.

T500: Can't get WLAN to work!! HELP

Hey all, new to the Lenovo community so sorry if I sound like a noob.
I just bought a Thinkpad T500- 2056 CTO (Vista Business) from a colleague of mine. I searched the internet for the specs of this notebook and saw that it was equipped with an integrated WLAN card but I can't get it to work. I checked the Network Adapters in the Device Manager but there was only an Ethernet Gigabit driver. I tried downloading the only 2 different drivers that Lenovo's Support and Downloads has but that didn't work. Can anyone help me out? I'd greatly appreciate it.

AHuerta775 wrote:
I searched the internet for the specs of this notebook and saw that it was equipped with an integrated WLAN card
What specifically did you look at on the internet to determine the spects of a 2056-CTO ?
Cheers,
Bill
I don't work for Lenovo

Questions about T500

Just received my new T500 a couple of days ago and really happy with so far. I went over it to make sure it had all the hardware I ordered with it. When running CPU-Z (http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php) the RAM is being reported as DDR2 but should be DDR3. Now, it's possible that CPU-Z is not able to read the memory specs properly. Does anyone have another suggestion to find out the mem spec's without actually opening the laptop to look at the RAM?
Also, I wanted to download the drivers for the Intel 4 series integrated graphics. On the download section for the T500 I was able to find the driver for Windows Vista but not Windows XP (which I chose to "downgrade" to). Anyone know where to get a full list of drivers for XP or should I contact technical support for this?
Thanks
Jim

The current cpu-z is not properly updated to reflect the existence of the DDR3 ram.
Opening up the laptop doesn't affect your warranty. Try PC-Doctor see whether that show the new DDR3.
Don't worry you can't swap DDR 2 in place of DDR 3, like you can't swap ddr in place of ddr 2. Or vice versa.

T500 overheating problems - Novice needs help

Like for some others in this forum, my Thinkpad T500 is overheating.
Here are my specs:
Model: T500 (Type: 2055)
Processor: P8600 (2.40GHz)
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
When I'm doing most regular activities (browsing,emailing, documents), laptop is fine. The unit gets warm underneath, but I've not had problems.
If I'm doing more intensive activities (watching local video,Netflix, or Skyping), laptop starts to heat up enough so that it's uncomfortable on my lap.
When I play games (Nothing crazy intensive: e.g. Minecraft, Civilization 4), and sometimes when I Skype, the unit gets extremely hot underneath and shuts off without warning.
The heat seems to be originating from the left-hand side of the laptop, near the back. Unless I'm mistaken, this is where the GPU is located. And this makes sense, since the overheating seems to be related to graphics-intensive activities.
So, my questions are:
1. How can I diagnose this problem further? What's a good utility to use to monitor heat of GPU and CPU? Anything else I can use ?
2. Are there any settings I can change on my laptop to prevent the automatic shut-downs and excessive heat?
3. I've seen some mention of people cleaning fans, replacing fans / cooling units, or adding thermal paste. Need some advice there too.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Thank you!

Good day and welcome to the community.
If you've never had the machine open to blow out dust from around the fan/heatsink assembly, I'd recommend that first. If you download a copy of your Hardware Manual: http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/43y6630_04.pdf , you'll see that by pulling the palmrest, keyboard and keyboard bezel (manual pages 88-90, 92-93 and 102-103, respectively), that you'll expose the top side of the assembly in the upper left. The top view image on page 107 is helpful. The CPU is beneath the end section of the wider heatpipe and the GPU is beneath the narrower.
While holding the blades of the fan stationary (important!), you can use canned air to blow all of the dust from the inside out through the exhaust vents. Once done, button everything up and see if things run cooler. If you're still overheating, you may need to clean off the old thermal compound and apply new, but try the de-dusting first.
Regarding temp monitoring, many folks like TPFanControl: http://www.staff.uni-marburg.de/~schmitzr/donate.html
Scroll about 2/3 down the page for the download link for v0.62 which is the latest. It can be run in monitor-only mode or can be configured to provide a level of control over your fan speed.
Please post back your results from the first step and we can go from there.
Regards.
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LED resolution diff between t400 and t500

I see on the specs that the LED screen in the T400 has higher resolution that the T500. Is this a typo or is it correct? Why does the 500 or have the higher resolution?
Rick

cassio wrote:
3) i'd actually go for the wxga+ (1440x900) one, since that's probably more useful than 1280x800. virtually all the screens available in the t-series are great anyway.
+1 to that. The x800 screens are just too constipated, particularly when I'm running VMs. The VM window decoration takes up enough space that the actual client resolution has to be quite low to fit. x900 definitely helps.
I'm not a gamer (well, text-mode adventure...) but my kid can WoW on my old discrete-graphics T61 if that helps.
I'm very happy with my T400. Fits nicely in the back pack.
Z.
The large print: please read the Community Participation Rules before posting. Include as much information as possible: model, machine type, operating system, and a descriptive subject line. Do not include personal information: serial number, telephone number, email address, etc. The fine print: I do not work for, nor do I speak for Lenovo. Unsolicited private messages will be ignored. ... GeezBlog
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T400 vs T500 Screen Resolution (LED backlit)

It's nice to see that LED backlight is now available for both the ThinkPad T400 and T500.
However the T400/T500 Notebook Specifications indicate the following resolutions for the LED backlit screens:
T400 WXGA+ 1680 x 1050 129 dpi 200+ nit
T500 WXGA 1280 x 800 98 dpi 185+ nit
I'm wondering why the larger screen has the lower resolution, and also why illumination is not as good.
Are these specs correct?

Yes, it's nice to see the LED backlight option available for the T500 model. I had hoped for higher resolution to match what I have on my 15" Macbook Pro at 1440x900 and it was a concern for me when I was trying to decide on which option for the screen to go with my T500.
I thought I might regret my choice but after receiving my T500 I'm extremely happy with the LED backlight option even it's resolution is a little lower.
If one decides to place the the higher resolution screen on the Macbook Pro beside the T500 you'll probably notice the slight difference in resolution with the text and windows. But in real life I don't think you'll spend time with your head inches away from the screen studying the pixel difference.
Even thought the LED WXGA screen on the T500 is only 1280 x 800 I'm very happy with it.

3.3V CardBus Card does not fit into T500?

I got a new T500 2055WVJ last week with Win 7 64bit.
I have only one problem. The cardbus slot (it must be one, because the device manager says RICOH compatible CardBus controller) does not like my Adaptec SCSI CardBus card (Type II). Other PCMCIA cards (5V, non Cardbus) in the same slot fit in perfectly, but the 3.3V SCSI card goes in but stops about 5 mm before they is completely in. The same card works in all other laptops including my old T60, where is slides in and is recognized perfectly. Also CompactFlash cards inside an PCMCIA adaptor fit in perfectly on my new T500 and appear as ATA devices.
Looking into the slot with a lamp shows that on the left side, the notch for differentiating between 5V and 3.3V cards only allows 5V cards. But the CardBus spec says, that Cardbus cards must be 3.3V. You can see a picture of the difference between cardbus and pcmcia pccards here: http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DateiCCard_CardBus.jpg&filetimestamp=20061112220451 (you see the different notch on the right side).
So whats wrong here? Does the new Thinkpad really does not like 3.3V CardBus cards, although the controller is CardBus?
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Congrats on getting it to work!
Thinking back, I remember how reluctant I was to force a card into my new T500. I do think there is something slightly off about the slot, because the same card had been working fine in my old T42. (Or maybe the T42 was similarly stiff when it was new way back when?)
Anyway, congrats again!
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Is T500 is good machine

Hello Friends
   I was searching laptops with good specs and i came across T500 notebook. i read some reviews of it saying it has annoying keyboard flex + on the palmrest ..... and also it looks cheap from the inside ....... Can anybody let me know if it is realy comming with new laptops of lenovo that dissapointed me a lot !!!!!
r eply me guys....
Thanks

QAftw,
This minor revision would not be considered a product refresh, or version 2 as you suggest.   Products normally undergo minor revisions while in production to incorporate information derived from the field.   Product refreshes are usually timed around processor speed bumps.
From the customer view, nothing externally changes, and this update will just ensure that the keyboard has a solid feel no matter which version is used, or any other tolerances that might otherwise come into play.   This update is the long term solution based upon customer feedback on the keyboard flex concerns on the left side of some of these systems.   The tactical solution has been to build with the earlier T61 version that had the additional plate on the keyboard where possible.   This update will allow for the use of the newer, lightweight keyboard, while providing the same solid feel that customers expect.
Best regards,
Mark
ThinkPads: S30, T43, X60t, X1, W700ds, IdeaPad Y710, IdeaCentre: A300, IdeaPad K1
Mark Hopkins
Program Manager, Lenovo Social Media (Services)
twitter @lenovoforums
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T500 users, what's your battery life?

Here's my specs:
T500 2.4ghz w/ 4gb ram, purchased october 09
Battery: 9-cell
Graphics: "energy saving" mode
Life: only 2.5 hours battery life, three if I'm lucky.
Usage: just have about 10 tabs open on chrome, no flash or anything
What are you guys getting? Other reviews claimed people getting about six hours. I did the battery gauge reset earlier today, it calculated a max of a little less than three hours as well.
My friend's t400 2.2ghz (with 9-cell) seemed to last for six hours easily, possibly more than that.

I ended up stumbling upon this thread ( http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Windows-7-Discussion/Battery-Life-Decrease-In-Windows-7/td-p/168772/page... )and have the same symptoms of the fan constantly running among other things.
I'm updating power manager to see if it'll fix things, otherwise I'm getting tempted to cave and buy something else.

T500 - SIM slot faulty ?

I use my T500 with a WWAN card inside.
Now I have a problem when the SIM card search the 3G/HSDPA net.
The WWAN module works, I see that the software finds the WWAN card.
I've changed the SIM with a NEW one, but no news.
I think is a SIM SLOT problem.
May be?

the sim card slot is for the WWAN card, which you don't have according to the published spec of your system.
T9400(2.53GHz), 2GB RAM, 160GB 7200rpm HD, 15.4in 1680x1050 LCD, 256MB ATI Radeon HD3650, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn, WWAN option, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ether, UltraNav, Sec Chip, FPR, 9c Li-Ion, WinVista Business 32
Regards,
Jin Li
May this year, be the year of 'DO'!
I am a volunteer, and not a paid staff of Lenovo or Microsoft

T500 CPU compatibility?

I know it's probably not a very good idea....
I have a T500 bought 4 years ago with P8600 3M 2.40GHz 1066MHz FSB cpu.
Now I happen to get a FF80576T9300 t9300 6M 2.50GHz 800MHz FSB cpu. I wonder if is possible to replace P8600 with T9300?
If it is possible, will the lapto have a better performance?
It's confusing to me because the official datasheet of T500 does not list t9300 as an option but the specs of the two cpu looks very similar.
t9300 has a minor advantage in speed and a doubled L2. But it's FSB actually slower than P8600. I wonder if it is worth or not to replace P8600 with t9300.
Any help or suggestion will be greatly appreciated!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

It is the wrong class of CPU. It is compatible with the prior generation (T61), and will not work in a T500. You can use a T9400 or T9600.

T500 Specs

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