Lenovo W520 Owner's Thread

[ukieandrew]

I did buy a pre-configured system and it did have a modem but it did NOT cost more than it would if I had ordered it directly from L. The deal was comparable to what others got early on - apx 38% off list (and no sales tax). Best of all, it arrived 2 days after I ordered.

What specs did you get and how much you paid?

[maaku]

So we should not buy the XMP version? Does the W520 support XMP?

As to the 1866MHz RAM, isn't 1600MHz the fastest supported by the CPU?

[m.antonius.primus]

So we should not buy the XMP version? Does the W520 support XMP?

I don't know if we should buy the XMP model. 1600MHz operation may depend on modifiable parameters (if any) in the BIOS. I don't think the current BIOS supports XMP. Unfortunately, I still don't have my machine, so I can't test any ideas. I'll leave this as an open question to the forum.

As to the 1866MHz RAM, isn't 1600MHz the fastest supported by the CPU?

1600MHz is the fastest operation supported by the 2700, 2800, and 2900 series quad core mobile i7s. However, as far as Intel is concerned "support" can be construed to mean "legally guaranteed, contingent on BIOS and appropriate hardware." Without waxing prolix, you can force operation of different clock speeds and latencies if: 1 the parameters are modifiable within BIOS, and 2 the hardware remains stable under such modification. Essentially, this returns us to the underlying question of the nature of the W520's BIOS.

[hrana]

So we should not buy the XMP version? Does the W520 support XMP?

As to the 1866MHz RAM, isn't 1600MHz the fastest supported by the CPU?

I'm simplifying this a bit but basically the official speed supported by the i7-2700 series Sandy Bridge quad core processors is 1600Mhz. However, Intel's XMP and JEDEC allow a properly enabled system to use much higher speed modules. It looks like this person has shown that the W520 doesn't allow us to use faster RAM. This is a Lenovo limitation. Is anyone surprised by this? I'm not.

EDIT: One thing to note is that KHX1866C11S3P1K2/8G is 1866Mhz RAM but it doesn't use XMP. I wonder if this will work in the W520.

[ST_Jim]

I had the Lenovo web order page e-mail me a quote over the weekend with the coupon deal. Yesterday the link seemed to be broken to place an order, but it worked this afternoon (once I changed from my cash-back AMEX to normal VISA).

We'll see whether they actually honor this order (I wasn't getting a response to e-mail contact attempts), or whether it actually ships this year!

Details + tax and $10 shipping:

4270CT CONFIGURED SYSTEM
05/15/11 $1,399.18 $1,399.18
0A68541 SBB ICI7-2720QM
45M3090 VBB GENUWIN7PROFES.64
0A68625 SBB GW7P64 E
0A68535 SBB 15.6FHD (1900 X 1080) LED
0A68893 SBB NVQ1000M GR
75Y0175 VBB COLORSENSOR
45M4572 VBB 4GBPC3-10600DDR3 1333SODMM
45M4839 SBB KEYBOARDUS ENGLISH
0A68526 VBB FINGERPRINT READER
0A68558 SBB 720P HD CAM INT MICR
0A69620 SBB I RAID-NOT EN
0A68553 SBB 500GB HDD7200RPM
0A68547 SBB DVD RC8XMXDLLRULTEHATA
0A68529 VBB ECS+4IN1CR
45M4816 SBB 9CELLLI-ION BATTERY
0A68904 SBB CPNAMLC+ 170W AC AD
0A68261 SBB BLUETOOTH 3.0
45M4804 SBB IN.CENT.ULTIMATE-N 6300
44C7950 SBB INT WRLSSWDAREANTWRK UPGR
0A68564 SBB LANG PCK US E

[JHawk88]

The non XMP model runs at 800MHz. I interpret this to mean that for a non XMP compatible BIOS, the XMP Hyperx model should run at 1333MHz unless BCLK, DRAM clock and timing parameters are modifiable. However, model KHX1600C9S3K2/8G should run at 1600MHz. Here's a link that supports my intuition: forum.thinkpads.com • View topic - W520 Lenovo Core DRAM Controller.

That sucks. My W520 arrived yesterday, and I already had purchased 4 sticks of KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX. When I ordered the memory Newegg was out of stock of the non-XMP version, and although I was aware the the BIOS might not support changing XMP profiles, I did not know that the default profile would cause it to run at 1333 MHz. The price was the same so I figured why not -- stupid me.

I am in the middle of a project and don't need any distractions right now, otherwise I would unbox the W520 and see if the BIOS supports XMP profiles -- I am pretty sure it does not. I will just have to wait a few days, or perhaps I will see if I can exchange the 8GX parts for 8G (they are unopened). Newegg happens to be out of stock of both right now.

[kevinlau]

I received an email from my L. sale rep PN, Inbound Sales Rep Lenovo AG Direct Sales regarding running the W520 with 1600 MHz RAM and his reply was yes. As long as ALL of the RAM is running at the same MHz frequency.
I have been reading the article at Legit Memory Reviews regarding the Kingston HyperX 8GB 1866MHz PnP Memory Kit For Notebooks. I am considering ordering the 1866 MHz kit.

Using CPU-Z, the 1600MHz is listed under the XMP Profile, and the W520 BIOS has no setting for memory to use XMP Profile.

The Kingston I got is (KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX).

I have no way to make the system clock the ram to 1600MHz.

The Legitreviews used a Asus, not our W520. That Asus seems to support even 1866MHz ram.

[kevinlau]

I'm very interested in PC3-12800 SODIMM support as well. Did you buy the XMP version of the Hyperx series? What CPU does your W520 have? Does the W520 BIOS present the option to manually alter the DRAM clock or timings? What is the idle and active power usage of your machine? Hyperx SODIMMs are supposed to draw 2.223-2.399W per module.

I have 16GB of Kingston Hyperx 1600MHz DDR3 DRAM waiting to be mated to a yet unreceived W520. I don't know whether I'll get my machine before my RAM RMA period expires, so it would be convenient to find out whether 1600MHz operation is possible.

My W520 is a Quad 2720QM. There are nothing in BIOS to alter memory setting anyway. My Kingston ram is KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX.

[kevinlau]

So we should not buy the XMP version? Does the W520 support XMP?

As to the 1866MHz RAM, isn't 1600MHz the fastest supported by the CPU?

I have the XMP version KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX. It is NOT clocking at 1600MHz.

Guess I have to return it for exchange to the non-XMP version.

Wonders if the 1866MHz version is XMP or not ???

[kimocal]

My W520 is a Quad 2720QM. There are nothing in BIOS to alter memory setting anyway. My Kingston ram is KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX.

Well the w520 is a workstation replacement and stability should be the top requirement for a workstation. OC'ing and tweaking is usually reserved for the gaming or enthusiast laptop domain.

Although if the t520/420 do have those cpu/mem adjustment options I bet some enthusiast may a way to modify that BIOS to work on the w520.