W540 Nvidia DisplayPort

I'm struggeling to get my Nvidia activated. I just switched from a W520 where Nvidia worked liked a charme with Win 7, connecting Nvidia over DisplayPort to my UHD Samsung. This was a 3840*2160 30Hz output. Using the Nvidia control panel I could verify that the Nvidia Quattro was connected via DisplayPort.
With my W540, I did equally the same as with my W520. Switched to advanced mode in Bios to make shure that Nvdia will preferably be used. The W540 has a miniDisplayPort, don't know wether this makes a difference. Anyhow, I see a 3840*2160 display with up to 30Hz, but pretty slow due to the fact that only the internal Intel grphics adapter is used, according to the Nvidia system control window.
I reinstalled the Nvidia drivers from scratch wiping out the old install. I'm on driver 341.05. Any ideas how to activate Nvidia ?
Link to image
Moderator note: large image(s) converted to link(s): About Posting Pictures In The Forums

After one day of trial and error my conclusion is that the NVidia Quattro 1100M drivers are kind of buggy. My problem is not a display port problem rather than a problem with enabling NVidia discrete graphics at all.
Luckely, my W520 is still available for testing, so in comparison to my W540 I am able to switch off Intel HD completely and have only NVidia up and running. This is not possible with W540 and driver 341.05 from the NVidia Website. NVidia set PhysX configuration always conntects to Intel HD Grafics even though I configured to use NVidia globally. Bios is set to advanced graphics, Power Settings are on max performance, of course I'm running on power and not on batteries. Overall, I reinstalled the drivers 4 times (Optimus and Performance), without any change in behaviour (wipeout old install was enabled).
I'm running out of ideas. I have a W540 20BH-S0RR04 with a QK1100M and an Intel HD 4600, anybody with that configuration and different results out there ?

Similar Messages

W540 Nvidia Quadro K2100M Code 43

I bought a new W540 a few days ago and have been setting it up; upgrading to Windows 8.1, installing software, etc.
Today I noticed in the Device Manager that the Nvidia Quadro K2100M disreet graphics has stopped. This is the error message:
"Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)"
The problem code is 0000002B.
The onboard Intel HD Graphics 4600 is working fine.
I am certain that the Nvidia card was working before, but I don't know exactly when it stopped working or why. I've attempted to reinstall the graphics drivers multiple times, but no result.
When I try to access the Nvidia Control Panel, it says "You are not currently using a display attached to an Nvidia GPU". Not surprising since the device has been stopped by Windows.
When I try to disable then re-enable the device in the device manager while the onboard graphics is active, the computer will crash (or appear to crash) without a BSoD or any error messages. The screen will show the desktop background colour with some broken windows (fragments of borders), and nothing will move.
If I disable the onboard graphics, the Nvidia card's error is the same. Then if I disable and re-enable the Nvidia card, it will say that it is working, but the computer does not use it. On reboot, it will have the same error.
I'm aware that hardware failure is a possibility. I'm hoping to exhaust other possibilities before getting this thing serviced.

"Just did a factory reset. Same problem. Looks like a confirmed hardware problem"
The joy of Optimus (see also Dell's M-series)... Let's hope that Lenovo will fix this together with Intel and nvidia, rather soon - the 540 is quite late on the market already.

W540 Nvidia driver fails

I have recently received a W540 and was attempting to update the drivers. I downloaded the file from the support page, and unpacked all of the files by clicking on the .exe. I then left the check mark to install software now. It looks like it is installing, but when my computer restarts it does not have any driver installed and there is only a generic VGA graphics driver. I attempted to install the nvidia update automatically by going into the area where the files were unpacked and running setup.exe in administrator mode, but that did not work either. The Nvidia update started and then said it had failed. Am I doing something incorrectly? I thought that with a lenovo tested version of the drivers I should not have any issue installing them. HELP PLEASE!!
Tim

GuruAid-CS wrote:
You can download and install graphic drivers manually from nVidia website and check nVidia drivers are installed properly.
http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/77639/en-us
I tried it from their site as well. However, everything I've read since I encountered the first failure was that you should always go with the drivers provided and certified by Lenovo at this time. So downloading and installing from Nvidia's site is not the solution at this time.

W540 Nvidia geht nicht

Bei meinem W540 unter Windows 7.1 64Bit funktioniert nur die interne Intel HD 4600, die NVidia läßt sich nicht ansprechen (siehe Bild). Ich möchte Intel komplett ausschalten und nur NVidia verwenden, ich möchte NICHT selektiv einzelne Anwendungen für NVidia enablen.
Folgende Dinge habe ich beachtet:
- neueste Treiber von Lenovo und von Nvidia probiert (aktuell Nvidia 340.52), immer vorher sauber deinstalliert
- im Bios ist discrete Graphics gesetzt
- in NVidia unter Set PhysX Configuration explizit NVidia Quattro K1100M ausgewählt
- das Bios ist auf dem neuesten Stand (letztes Update kam heute, ändert nichts)
das Problem tritt unter allen Auflösungen auf. Da ich einen 40 Zoll 4K Monitor habe, ist es aber besonders nervig, da Intel HD Probleme beim scrollen hat, ist halt nur eine interne Grafik.
Außerdem fällt mir auf, dass das Signal 2-3 mal pro Srtunde einfach wegbleibt, der Monitor schwarz wird. Das liegt NICHT am Monitor, was der Anschluß meines zweiten Thinkpads (ein W520) belegt, da flackert nichts und da funktioniert auch die NVidia-Grafik wie beschrieben. Ich bin an einem Punkt, wo ich überlege, den W540 wieder zurückzugeben, so macht es keinen Spass. Haben/hatten andere das Problem auch und ev. schon gelöst ?

Hallo, ich habe auch schwierigkeiten mit der Grafikkarte. Beim starten von Allplan kommt immer die Meldung "die verwendete Grafikkarte oder Treiber genügen nicht den Anforderungen. Funktionsumfang und Leistung der Bildschirmausgabe sind dadurch Eingeschränkt"
Schaltet das Notebook nicht auf die NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2 GB Grafikkarte um? Was kann ich tun, denn die Grafikkarte sollte doch für Nemetschek ausreichen.
Schöne Grüße aus Bayern

W540 Nvidia Grafikkarte wird ausserhalb der Dock nicht benutzt

Guten Tag,
ich habe ein W540 Notebook mit einer Nvidia K2100 Grafikkarte. Im Bios habe ich eingestellt, dass in der docking Station immer die Nvidia Grafikkarte verwendet wird. Dies funktioniert auch ohne Probleme. Sobald ich den PC aus der Dock nehme und z.B. ein Spiel starte wird dafür immer nur die interne Grafikkarte verwendet. Selbst wenn ich in den Systemsteuerungen einstelle, dass für bestimmte Anwendungen die Nvidia genommen werden soll funktioniert das nur bei den Internetexplorern, CAD oder Spiele passiert garnigs. Als ich das Notebook gekauft habe, hat das wunderbar funktioniert.
Ich verwende W7 Software ist auf aktuellem Stand (Lenovo Update Utility).
Ich hoffe, dass mir jemand helfen kann.
Vielen Dank
Grüße
Domi

Hallo, ich habe auch schwierigkeiten mit der Grafikkarte. Beim starten von Allplan kommt immer die Meldung "die verwendete Grafikkarte oder Treiber genügen nicht den Anforderungen. Funktionsumfang und Leistung der Bildschirmausgabe sind dadurch Eingeschränkt"
Schaltet das Notebook nicht auf die NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2 GB Grafikkarte um? Was kann ich tun, denn die Grafikkarte sollte doch für Nemetschek ausreichen.
Schöne Grüße aus Bayern

W540 - Nvidia Optimus Driver Update - upgrade query

Is there a chance that Lenovo will certify the latest mobile/quadro drivers for use on the W540 - the March 5th release seems to have it's core Nvidia driver elements made from Nvidia Drivers which date back to Q3 2013 -325.xx?
The first time I noticed this was in my failed attempt to play BF4 on my machine - if anyone has any success in getting BF4 to run on their W540 - (I have the Nvidia K2100) but the game launcher prompts that I don't have a supported driver version - I had some success disabling optimus (switching to advanced in bios), installing the driver on discrete only (advanced) and all this does is allow me to skip the driver check (but the game run horribly - looks like it runs from the intel HD gpu only?)
So in other words could Lenovo distribute an optimus driver which takes in the latest enhcancements made to the latest Nvidia/quadro WHQL (latest being 340.52 WHQL released on the 10th of July 2014!).
I'm by no means an expert on drivers/certication - I have only dabbled in tweaking/editing ini files and some Nvidia inspector on my Desktops - but i don't think it's a stretch to assume the improvements/bug fixes made in later driver versions are worthwhile being added to the Lenovo system - Aside from my laptop's secondary function to play a few games, It's a workstation - any "free" improvement to the performance of Solidworks would be welcomed.
Alternately, has anyone had success installing/adding optimus drivers from other sources? - Not expecting Lenovo to inform me of this but if any of the other users have had success I might be inclined to try other solutions

It looks like you've mentioned it, but changing the video mode to "Advanced" in the bios (despite it saying something about the dock) let me install the drivers. I had the same problem where the installer kept rejecting me saying that my card is not supported before switching that setting.
With the official driver, I have not had any problems with it switching to discrete graphics. In the Nvidia Control Panel, try enabling the option "Show Notification Tray Icon" under View and you'll have a little square icon in your system tray that lights up when the Quadro is being used (yes, it'll light up for fullscreen apps that you alt-tab out of). For cases where it doesn't activate for certain programs, you *must* create an .exe profile and enable discrete mode in that profile.

W540 - NVIDIA Optimus Display Driver

I confused as usual with my Workstation.
My W540 has v9.18.13.1269 installed. This was the default when I got the system. It is dated 10/28/2013.
Yet today I see we have a new v9.18.13.1269 released 9/5/2014 on the update site:
There are many 'Nothing' new in the help section, yet minor bug fixes, keeping the same version number. Maybe a different build??
Any one know what is going on. New calendar system? New software Dewey system?

I always avoid Optimus, it's historically been way too buggy and very little performance bump over HD4000/4600. I either opt for Quadro machines or just run Intel integrated. That being said, it's a blessing in disguise for you since Outlook is hideos. Consider something else, so many better options exist.
W530 | 3840QM | 32g @ 1.35v CL9 1986z | 512g 840 Pro | 1t HGST 7200 | FHD AUO v.4 | Quadro K2k | GOBI 5k | Centrino 6300

About Lenovo Thinkpad W540 for Music Production at a Professional Level

Hey there! I just signed up to this blog in search for an answer to my quest. I've heard a lot of good things about Lenovo ThinkPad W540, and I would like to make sure that I am getting what I really need to stay up to date, in this everyday changing technological world, for a while before making a purchase.
So far, this is what I got in my wish list:
Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40GHz)
Windows 7 Professional 64
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
W540 NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2G
16GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (4 DIMM)
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable
Intel Dual Band Wireless 7260AC with Bluetooth 4.0
1 Year Depot or Carry-in
I would like to know what are the major differences between the above items, which I have in my wish list, and the ones below:
1) Intel Core i7-4930MX Processor (8MB Cache, up to 3.90GHz)
2)15.5” 3K (2880 x 1620), IPS LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, Color Sensor
3) W540 NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2G
4) 32GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (4 DIMM)
5) I would like a 1TB hard drive but they don't come at 7200 rpm, i guess the one in my wish list works fine.
6) Do I need a more sophisticated Optical Drive from the DVD Recordable in my wish list?
I guess whay I am trying to investigate is if I can function in the music production world with a Thinkpad W 540 with the specs already in my wish list? And, what difference would it make updating this machine with the specs below. Your assistance and comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi ColonellONeill, thank you for taking your time in attempt to solve my problems.
Temperatures varies, but it never reached to unbearably hot.
Shutdown warning: for the last couple of times, I did got the blue screen warning (that windows had problem and will restart after collecting the necessary information) on my Helix and hanged display on my external monitor. Otherwise, most of the time, there isn't warning at all.
I doubt if there is anything to do automatic windows update as I have scheduled it every morning at 3 'O' clock! Sometimes it works from weeks to couple of months without even noticing any of these technical problems but then when it starts, it stays for weeks; it just comes and goes - never been able to resolve the issues completely; even the technician.
(It just happend right now! and this time wihtout even warning, and Helix wasn't even running 30 minutes - temperature is normal, I can feel it's little warm.)
Currently I am using my Helix with Thinkpad USB 3 dock connected to external Monitor with wired keyboard and mouse connected back at the dock.

New W540 will not power on any longer

Short story:
W540 config below
Arrived, bios 2.09, set intel rapid boot off
worked for 1 week
Then it refused to power on
No indicators when battery plugged in and power or battery plugged in and no power.
with power, and no battery only the power button blinked 2x. No other response.
Lenovo's action: return and get a new system. After waiting 6 weeks to get it, this is not what I expected froma rather expensive system. I should have heeded the warnings on this list.
I see on another list tthe E440, ithink, it was a cmos battery issue. Does anyone know what the issue is with the W540?
Thanks.
Ordered config
Base Model
20BHA0A4CC
Component
Description
Shipping Country
Canada
Selectable Warranty
N03_3YRDEP_CI
Preload Type
STANDARD_IMAGE
Preload OS
Windows 8.1 64
System Unit
W540 NVIDIA Q1
Processor
Intel Core i7-4800MQ
Security Chip 2
Security Chip Enabled
Wireless WAN accessories
MBL BB upgradable, future use
Display Panel
W540 15.5 3K IPS WWAN
Pointing device
W540 FPR
WiFi wireless LAN adapters
Intel 7260 BT ACBGN
Hard drive
500GB HDD 7200rpm
RAID Setting
Internal RAID - Not Enabled
Optical device
Travel Bezel, Fixed
Battery
6cell Cylindrical 56.16Wh
Total memory
8GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (2 DIMM)
Camera
720P_HD_CM
AC Adapter and Power Cord
170W AC Adpt2 US (2pin)
Keyboard Language
KYB w/NumPad US English
Publication Language
Pub; US English
Preload Language
W8.1 64 English

I too had a similar problem. The brick went bad.
I had to use a Fluke meter to measure the voltage at the tip, as there is no light on the brick, nor is there a functional light on the computer.
Yes, it is supposed to flash a couple of time if there is juice in the wire, but my issue, was that it supplied power, but failed under computer drain initially, until it gave up. My screen kept flashing when power was on, and power was off. Effectively, the screen became my power indicator.
Having had similar issues in the past with switching supplies that had a thermal breaker built in, I waited hoping it would reset. BUT, no light on either the brick or the computer, just wasted my time trying to solve the problem the normal way. If there was a light, you would know immediately. It finally gave up life, and never revived. No light on the brick, and NO indicator light on the W540.
The new brick was made by another vendor, and runs much cooler. If you want the markings on the broken brick, v.s. the new one, just ask.....
Not acceptable, but stuck with this..... At the end of the year, someone at Lenovo will get a raise, based on sales....
My productivity is going down!

W540 is being shipped - having second thoughts after reading such negative user reviews.

Hello I just purchased a high end W540. ($3,500 including tax)
I purchased the machine Monday afternoon based on my trusted colleagues advice to go with Lenovo. I didn't do nearly as much market research as I normally would because my current machine, Dell Precision is starting to act up after 5.5 years of excellent use, and I need a replacement sooner than later. Even though, we went over the specifications with my colleague in detail before finalizing the purchase I don’t believe my colleague is aware of all the negativity surrounding the latest W540 model.
Although I think I will be fine with the W540 because most of the negativity is focused on the keyboard and trackpad I still would like to have some re-assurance the W540 was a decent choice for my needs. It is possible that I may cancel the order (probably with penalty) based on the feedback I receive from this post but my preference is not to.
How I use my workstation:
I work with 1GB datasets and run SQL queries, do a lot of development in MS Access including heavy data massaging using VBA.
For me the most important thing is speed when I am working / developing with MS Access. I also care very much about my Outlook, Web Browsing and YouTube experience.
Ideally, because of the power of the new machine I will also setup Virtual Machines so I can test my applications in various environments.
90% of the time I use my laptop docked and connected to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard.
5% of the time I am using my machine for presentations connected to a projector so I like that there is a VGA output on the W540. When I do presentations I typically use an external keyboard but I always use an external mouse.
The final 5% of the time I am using the machine as a laptop without an external keyboard but I always use an external mouse.
The Replacement Warranty is extremely important to me because if my machine is down I need it back up within 24 hours which is what the Lenovo salesman promised me.
Things that Concern me about the W540
Heat around the track pad where the palm sits to the point that you have to remove your palm.
Keyboard design is cumbersome and track pad is unusable.
People have said that the Screen is flimsy. I am assuming that could cause potential damage.
No LED for HD activity. I am curious with a SSD does that even matter?
There is tremendous negativity on the internet about the W540. Other colleagues may question why I would buy this model with all the negative feedback.
Things that I like about W540
I was able to customize it with the CPU, RAM, SSD that I wanted and it’s a powerful machine.
4 DIMM slots. However is it capped at 32GB or will I be able to put 64 GB in 3 years?
I am under the impression that Lenovo has the best customer service and that they will honor their 24 hour replacement policy.
It’s light and thin. I have to admit my Dell Precision is a brick but since I use the laptop docked 90% of the time it’s not a major consideration.
The laptop looks stylish.
My W540 Specs:
Intel Core i7-4900MQ Processor (8MB Cache, up to 3.80GHz)
Windows 7 Professional 64
Windows 7 Professional 64 English
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
W540 NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2G
16GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (4 DIMM)
ThinkPad New Precision Backlit Keyboard with Number Pad US English
ThinkPad TrackPad with Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera
512GB Solid State Drive SATA3
DVD Recordable
9 Cell Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery 99.9Wh
Country Pack AG with Line cord & 170W AC adapter
Intel Dual Band Wireless 7260AC with Bluetooth 4.0
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
Publication - US English
1 Year Depot or Carry-in
4YR Depot/CCI + Accidental Damage Protection
ThinkPad Ultra Dock - 170 W US / Canada / Mexico
Thank you for your comments.

Hello.
Speaking now as a long time W-series fan and owner, and writing this on my W520, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the W540. Based on your chosen specs and the tasks it is destined for, I have no doubt in my mind that it will perform admirably.
I tried out a W540 with the 3k screen when it came out, which was ridiculously fast compared to my W520, but the only reason I got myself a T440p instead of it was the full-size keyboard since I use my W- machine about 50/50 docked / laptop. Today it is mostly docked though as the T440p has taken over as my main travelmate when I need the power it possesses. Otherwise I got a T440s too for lighter work.
My T440p has pretty much the same hardware beneath the "hood", besides the obvious larger specs of the W- series, and it is an absolute delight to work on, and it's by far the most powerful 14" machine I've ever used.
Regarding upgradability in the future, I can only speculate regarding the 16GB DDR3 RAM module compatibility, but I really don't think that they'll become a widespread solution as the new Broadwell Intels have been confirmed with DDR4 support. In any case, they will undoubtetly be a very expensive upgrade.
Regarding the reviews, they are many and vary hugely between users, I can only say that even though the negative ones tend to be much louder, there are plenty of good reviews on it too, and when it comes to the negative reviews, they mostly tend to focus on the changes on keyboard layout, the new ClickPad and the "lack" of vintage ThinkPad features, none of which I think are crucial when it boils down to the actual performance of the machine. I've also seen highly negative reviews on the 3k display and the scaling problems some programs have with such a high resolution display, but that is hardly Lenovo's, or any other computer manufacturers fault. Besides, since you ordered the FHD display, you won't have those problems.
I can't really comment on the Lenovo support in Canada, but here in Iceland, our Lenovo partner goes way beyond the call of duty to keep their customers satisfied. In all my years as a ThinkPad user, starting with IBM, which our partner here also manages, I've never had a single issue with them. The official online support is also the best I've experienced as well as these forums here, but this peer2peer network is unrivaled in terms of collected knowledge to almost any possible situation and scenario.
In any case, you'll probably have a completely different experience with it than anyone else, as it's a highly customizable machine, and personal preferences and experiences will always vary greatly. But I would most certainly do the same as your colleague and advise it for anyone looking for a powerful workstation.
Best wishes and best of luck with your machine if you go through with it!
Atli Jarl.
ThinkPad W540 (20BG) - i7-4800MQ/24GB // ThinkPad T440s (20AQ) - i7-4600U/12GB
ThinkPad T440p (20AW) - i7-4800MQ/16GB // ThinkPad Helix (3698-6EU) - i5-3337U/4GB
ThinkPad W520 (4282-W4Q) - i7-2720QM/32GB // ThinkPad T400 (2767-W1C) - P9500/8GB
ThinkPad T61 (7665-CTO) - T7700/4GB // ThinkPad T60p (8741-C2G) - T7400/4GB

W540 Graphics Card Clarification

I had one clarification regarding the graphics card I chose for W540 which was "W540 NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2GB" but when I got my spec confirmed it was changed some thing like "NVN15P-Q3Opt(K2000Mfollowon) Graphic Card".
Are both these represent the same thing or the one I got is something different.

Hi gaugeta123
If I am not wrong. NVN15P-Q3Opt(K2000Mfollowon) is just a codename for NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2GB. So, technically both are the same.
Peter
ThinkPad W520 | ThinkCentre E73 SFF | IdeaPad K1 | IdeaPad Yoga 11s | Miix 2 10"
Give kudos to reward people for their assistance | Mark thread solved if the solution works | Please do not send me an e-mail regarding technical questions | I am not an Lenovo employee
=====================================
Dolby ; IdeaPad Slate Tablet

Thinkpad W540- Should I Get RAID?

Hello all,
I am looking to purchase the W540 with the following specs:
Intel Core i7-4800MQ Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.70GHz)
15.5” 3K (2880 x 1620), IPS LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
W540 NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2G
16GB PC3-12800 DDR3L (4 DIMM)
128 GB Solid State Drive, Serial ATA3
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
That being said, I have a 1TB hard drive that I plan to replace the laptop's optical drive with after I receive it. So do I need to get RAID? I have done some reading about it and have become very confused as I'm reading about two drives only working as fast as the slowest drive with the capacity of the smallest one. I would like the laptop to run off of the 128GB SSD and use the 1TB as basically extra file storage.
Thank you!
Alex

RAID is a technology that can virtually combine multiple drives into one to increase performance and/or reliability. For example, you can use RAID to combine two drives into one with double the read/write speeds. You can use it to completely mirror one drive with another in real time for a redundant backup. Other RAID modes combine these two concepts for even better performance/redundancy.
RAID is not a necessity just for using multiple hard drives. You only need it if you are using one its features. IIRC you cannot even order a RAID-enabled system without ordering it with two preloaded drives.
W540: i7-4700mq, K2100m, 8 GB DDR3L, 512 GB SSD
T510: i7-620m, NVS 3100m, 8 GB DDR3, 512 GB SSD

Which is more reliable/ better value: t540p or w541?

Which of the following configurations is a better value and/or is more reliable
1) T540p with:
-4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4330M (3MB Cache, up to 3.50GHz)
-Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (either originally or via downgrade rights from windows 8.1)
-15.6" FHD (1920x1080) With WWAN
-NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M 1GB (1GB? game-debate lists this as a 2GB card)
-4GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600MHz SODIMM (planning on upgrading to 16GB later)
-ThinkPad TrackPad No Fingerprint Reader
-No Camera
-500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, 2.5"
-DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
-No Smart Card Reader
-6 Cell Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery 56.16Wh
-65W AC Adapter - AG
-ThinkPad Wireless 2 x 2 BGN with Bluetooth
-Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
-1 Year Depot or Carry-in Warranty
Ports: Mini DP, VGA, 2 x USB 3.0 (1x always-on), 2 x USB 2.0, Ethernet, Combo jack,
Audio: Dolby® Advanced Audio™
Web Price:$1314.00
OR
2) W541 with:
-Intel Core i7-4710MQ Processor (2.5GHz, up to 3.5 GHz, 6MB, 47W)
-Windows 7 Professional 64 preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 8.1 Pro 64
-Thinkpad W541 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080), with WWAN
-W540 NVIDIA Quadro K1100M 2G (or W540 NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2G[add $250.00])
-4GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600MHz SODIMM (planning on uprgading to 16 or 32GB later)
-Thinkpad W541 No Fingerprint Reader, 3+2BCP (not sure what that is, but....)
-720p HD Camera
-Internal RAID - Not Enabled to Not RAID Capable
-500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm, 2.5"
-16GB M.2 Solid State Drive Double
-DVD Recordable
-6 Cell Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery 56.16Wh
-Country Pack AG with Line cord & 170W AC adapter
-Intel Dual Band Wireless 7260AC with Bluetooth 4.0
-Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
-1 Year Depot or Carry-in Warranty
Ports: Thunderbolt, 2 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, VGA, RJ-45, 4-in-1 card reader, Express Card, Smart Card (optional) (??? I didn't see the option, but oh well...), headphone/mic combo
Audio: Stereo with Dolby® Home Theater®
Web price: $1639.00
Which is a better system/performance for the money? Which is better for moderate (2013 and earlier) gaming, video editing, XP mode, etc?
Is the performance upgrade of the w541 over the t540p worth the money upgrade?
Which will hold out better for 5-10 years? No CAD usage foreseen. Would 32GB be necessary for the w541, or would 16GB be enough?
The camera is something I would gladly do without; its presence is a drawback. Same for fingerprint reader.
Thanks.
(Edited to add)
PS: If the t540p is the way to go, does it make sense, for a $55.00 price increase, to upgrade from a i5-4330m to an i7-4700mq? At that point, is the graphics card (Nvidia GT 730m) bottlenecking the processor, game, etc. so much that the CPU upgrade is a waste of money?

I have the T540p with the i7-4700. It is a strong machine and a CPU upgrade to the 4700 is worth the $50. A 4700 will perform the same in either laptop.
Grqphics cards are always the bottle neck. The GT730M can't do much so if graphics are a concern it's the W541. The W541 also has the new touch pad & thunderbolt, a bigger power supply and more of a workstation feel. That is attractive to me, but, if all you plan to do is spreadsheets and surf the T540p will go right through it.
If it didn't break the budget I would do the W541 with the i7-4810 cpu and the K2100M. I would complain about the price but I think I'd be happier with that config over the next three years.
Sixteen gig of memory should be good & focus on a fast boot drive.
If you call in the order they may give a $50 discount, if you ask.

W540 Thinkpad Nvidia Quadro K1100 Issue

I bought a new W540 Laptop, I disabled Intel Graphics card and I tried to open NVIDIA control panel.
It gives me Error NVIDIA Display settings are not avilable. you are not currnently using a display attached to an NVIDIA GPU.
I tried to uninstall and install the driver agian. I check dvice manager and the driver is installed proberlly.
Any advise how to solve this issue.
Thank you

You can't actually disable the Intel graphics. The display is always driven by Intel graphics, and the Quadro just renders frames when it is on, sending them to the Intel graphics to display them.
W540: i7-4700mq, K2100m, 8 GB DDR3L, 512 GB SSD
T510: i7-620m, NVS 3100m, 8 GB DDR3, 512 GB SSD

W540 update nvidia driver

Hi,
i just recieved my new W540. After installing everything i needed i wanted to enjoy a nice round of Battlefield. But since i did not update my Nvidia card it directly reminded me that the driver is outdated (and crashed on start). I had the same problem with my W530 until i updated the drivers.
Now when i download the latest driver and try to install it i recieve the error that i am not allowed to use nvidia drivers but have to use the oem ones.. Unfortunatly Lenovo only offers outdated drivers 327.68.
Is there a possibility to use the current Nvidia drivers???

Thanks for the suggestion. During my attempts, I did look into the manual install through the Device Manager. I pointed to the driver directory that the Nvidia installer created. When I pointed the device manager at that directory, there were about 5 entries for "Nvidia Quadro K2100M" listed. When I selected any one of them, I got a message to the effect of "This driver may be incompatible with your hardware. Just right now, I went ahead and clicked through and I eventually get the error message "The driver selected for this device does not support this version for Windows". I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything wrong at this point since I double checked the setup file and it is for Windows 8.1 64-bit, the OS I'm using.

W540 Nvidia DisplayPort

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