Thinkpads Forum

Im looking at getting an i7-2860QM processor (2.5GHz, 8MB L3, 1333MHz FSB), with 8GB Ram. I know I want a conventional HDD so Im wondering if the wait for the 7200rpm 500GB Hard Drive is worth it...? I will be keeping this laptop for at least 4-5 years, so I usually try to get the most updated specs. Im just wondering if the extra few hundred RPMs are going to make a noticeable difference..... also, any reliability issues with the faster spinning hard drive that I should be worried about...?

Many thanks,
Alex

One more power adapter & cord related question..... the T520 Im configuring comes standard with a 135W AC power adapter. I will be getting the 6 cell Battery (55+), but as an option I wanted to get the Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Adapter, but this accessory is listed at 90W. This accessory was offered to me when custom configuring my T520, so I assume this AC/DC Combo adapter will work properly for my machine and my 6 cell Battery.... or....?

I guess Im just concerned that the standard power adapter is 135W and my additional adapter is rated only at 90W.

Experts, please advise if this is something I need to be concerned about.

Thanks,
Alex

I would suggest to wait for the 7,200 rpm hard drive. Lenovo specifies the 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Adapter as not being compatible with quad core T520 models. The adapter is compatible with dual core T520 models.

The 7200RPM drive will ding your battery life a little bit compared to the 5400RPM. Don't even think about a 4200RPM unit.

Just food for thought.

http302 wrote:The 7200RPM drive will ding your battery life a little bit compared to the 5400RPM. Don't even think about a 4200RPM unit.

Just food for thought.

Thanks... I am not considering the 4200rpm.

TTY wrote:I would suggest to wait for the 7,200 rpm hard drive. Lenovo specifies the 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Adapter as not being compatible with quad core T520 models. The adapter is compatible with dual core T520 models.

Thank you kindly for pointing this out... however, Im a little lost on the dual vs. quad core models that you mention... is there a specific designation to Quad core models... is this a CPU or memory related issue...? Please be so kind as to clarify further.... the model I had been configuring was based on the most powerful i7 CPU I could find and the 90W UltraSlim as an option was presented to me by the website.... so Im a little confused.

Thanks.

Alejandro Audisio wrote:... is there a specific designation to Quad core models... is this a CPU or memory related issue...?

Quad core refers to the CPU. Current Intel i7 quad core mobile processors have names to the scheme of i7-2xxxQM or i7-2xxxXM. Current Intel i7 dual core mobile processors have names to the scheme of i7-2xxxM. Configuring a notebook is a compromise between processor ability and weight, the most powerful processors require heavier AC adapters. If you want to carry the notebook and the AC adapter with you, the most powerful processor might not always be the best choice.

Alejandro Audisio wrote: ...the model I had been configuring was based on the most powerful i7 CPU I could find and the 90W UltraSlim as an option was presented to me by the website....

Look up the 90W Ultra Slim AC/DC adapter on Lenovo's support site. There you'll see that it's specified not to be used with T520 quad core models.

Thanks very much.... one additional follow up. The Quad Core AC adapter issue is independent on which battery I will use the T520 with... is this right..? I know that T520s come with a 9 cell as standard, but I should still be able to use a 6 cell battery, just that I will have to use the larger/heavier AC adapter, right...?

Thanks for your patience with all my questions...

Alejandro Audisio wrote:Thanks very much.... one additional follow up. The Quad Core AC adapter issue is independent on which battery I will use the T520 with... is this right..? I know that T520s come with a 9 cell as standard, but I should still be able to use a 6 cell battery, just that I will have to use the larger/heavier AC adapter, right...?

Thanks for your patience with all my questions...

That is correct. The number of watts of the adapter will effect the charging rate, but it does not matter the capacity of the battery. The Quad core i7 models are still 20VDC and will still work with the 90 or 65 Watt adapter as a charger only and with the PC turned off. It is not recommended because the power usage of the quad core models when powered on at max power is allowed to exceed 90W, which could easily damage the battery by bouncing back and forth between charging and discharging.

Just like TTY said, it may be time to start thinking about the i7-2640M.

As far as 5400rpm vs. 7200rpm. I say it does not matter! Any spinning traditional drive is going to be slow either way. The 5400rpm drives use less power, make less noise, and can transfer up to 80MB/sec. On the grand scale of disk transfer speed, 5400rpm and 7200rpm are both way down close together at the slow side of the scale.

Configure the memory with 4GB and get the other 4GB stick somewhere else. The going rate on the memory is $25 compared to $160 from Lenovo.

Just confirming what jayton4 already wrote:

Alejandro Audisio wrote:The Quad Core AC adapter issue is independent on which battery I will use the T520 with... is this right..?

Yes.

I know that T520s come with a 9 cell as standard, but I should still be able to use a 6 cell battery, just that I will have to use the larger/heavier AC adapter, right...?

Yes.
About hard drive choices: comparing a Hitachi 7,200 rpm drive to a 5,400 rpm drive from the same manufacturer shows, that both drives have similar power consumption. The 7,200 rpm drive uses a little bit more power when starting up, but less power during seek, read/write, performance idle and low power idle. And Hitachi specifies the same reliability in terms of load/unload cycles for both drives.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that 7200rpm drives are wonderful. However it is my opinion that it isn't worth the LONG 4+ week wait that it adds to the order time to get a new T520.

If you need one with 7200rpm from the factory, then look to getting one that is already configured at a Lenovo distributor or retailer.

Hard drive and RAM is easily changed out on ThinkPads. They are the two options that should never get in the way of shipping time when it comes to configuring one to order.

If you want it to scream, run Linux. My R60e running Ubuntu 11.10 boots in about 7 seconds.