ThinkPad T510 upgrade -- next steps after SSD and RAM?

[ThinkPat]

As an incurable hacker I was delighted when I stumbled upon this forum, having just picked up a refurbished T510 -- I was looking for something built like a tank, with a Firewire port (for AV stuff) and boy, does this check all the boxes! From what I've been able to learn from this forum and other sources, my machine appears to be the older T510 without Optimus (i.e. the Intel video is not selectable), but I'm OK with the NVidia NVS 3100M anyway.

Needless to say the compulsion to disassemble and upgrade didn't take long to kick in, so, having gone for a hybrid SSD, USB3 ExpressCard and 8GB RAM, I'm wondering about the next steps, possibly in this order:

Replace the 1600x900 panel with a FHD 1920x1080
The extra screen real-estate would be useful for AV work. The manual lists 2 FRUs but is there any way to know which one is best (or even what the difference is between them)? I'm not familiar with the after-market scene so I don't know if there are any good non-OEM options available.

Replace the i5 M540 with an i7
Possibly not worth the expense but is there a quad-core that would be a drop-in replacement? (BIOS 1.52). The additional cores could help with audio production and video editing, but I don't want it at the expense of the fan working overtime, so even a quad i7 with a lower TDP might be worth considering.

Get a spare battery
Google returns 2m hits of course, but my research tells me I'd want a Panasonic 9-cell ... is there any source for that specific cell manufacturer?

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the Forum.

As the best FHD screen, you'll want B156HW01 v.4 made by AOU (FRU 04W1544 as sold for T520/W520).
Make sure you buy that exact, genuine screen, not one that is advertised as "compatible" or "for B156HW01 v.4" etc. (and don't get v.1, v.2 or v.3 either).
Notice the word FOR (also shortened to F by eBayer browngranite, skip him), a dead giveaway it's not the real deal...

For part numbers, instructions etc., click on the HMM link at the top of this page, then download the T510-W510 manual (and the T520-W520 as well, many compatible parts).

Swapping your CPU for a quad-one will also require a different fan.
But not every motherboard is suited for those CPUs.

For Panasonic's batteries, you'll need the official P/N or FRU, then look for a GENUINE Lenovo battery. Prepare to spend quite a bit.

What is the 7-char. type/model, find it on a label on the bottom, looks like TYPE 4313-5EU


Best of all: you could save yourself all that hassle by selling your T510.
I happen to have a W510 (4391-BK3) for sale, which already has such an i7-720QM quad-CPU, has that FHD B156HW01 v.4 screen, has nVIDIA Quadro FX 880M graphics and 4 (four) RAM slots allowing for a total of 32GB.
PM me if interested.

[ThinkPat]

Thanks! That's exactly the type of information I was looking for!

Type is 4349-AF5. I'm still finding my way around the HMM but it's fantastic (for us!) that so much detailed information is freely available from the manufacturer. I'll see how I get on over the next while with the i5 as I suspect it may not warrant the trouble and expense of the i7 (after all, I have a desktop for that!).

I guessed (as with any after-market batteries I've experienced) that you very much get what you pay for. I'd not be averse to cracking open a second-hand one to replace the individual cells though -- I've done a few on other laptops with standard 18650 cells.

[RealBlackStuff]

Ex-factory, your T510 looked like this:
T510 (4349-AF5)
i5-540M(2.53GHz), 4GB RAM, 320GB 7200rpm HD, 15.6in 1366x768 LCD, 512MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 3100m, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn wireless, WWAN option, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure Chip, Camera, 9c Li-Ion, Win7 Pro 32

Replacing battery cells is not as easy as on other brands.
Check the forum for how-to's.

[ThinkPat]

Excellent, thank you! Looks like the refurb included a HDD downgrade (to 160GB 7200rpm) and a LED panel upgrade (to 1600x900). I shall delve deeper into the treasure-trove of information that is this forum.

[hhhd1]

If you want more performance, or if you considered buy & selling, consider the W520 or the T520, they have better CPU and GPU, and more RAM support.

[ThinkPat]

This is my first ThinkPad but I think the bug has bitten alright ... good to know, I'll keep an eye out for a T520.

[SkiBunny]

You sound like a candidate for a W520. It is from year 2011 but it ages well with its quad core i7, up to 32GB ram, USB3 ports, 2GB vram, and ability to hold 3 drives (sata, msata, hot-swappable ultrabay sata), etc. The T520 can also hold those same 3 drives. The W520 sports significantly superior GPU options over the T520 but they're mediocre GPU's by recent standards.

Note that the W520 and T520 can now be found very inexpensively (compared to 2-3 years ago when I bought mine used) as they're coming off 4-5 year leases now. A number of posters in this forum have bought a used W520 lately, tho few ppl on this forum are likely to give up theirs. The off-lease supply of W520 will probably wind down shortly, as few were leased for more than 4 years and the 520's were made in year 2011. The T520 and W520 are coveted for last having the full size, commercial-grade keyboard (while the 500's are coveted for last all having screens in the 16:10 aspect ratio). But if you can tolerate toy-like chiclet keyboards with lesser keys (the modern standard among most brands) then you could look for a T530 or W530 coming off a 3-year lease. After these thinkpad models, the next thinkpads take on an aura of a cheap imitation of mac.

I concur with the above posts that the FHD screen by AOU is a must-have upgrade for any T/W 520 /510 not already so-equipped. The 1600x900 screen has poor color and over-saturation issues that I find hurt my eyes (although not so much in the 14" equivalent models). If you find a used T/W 520 or 510 with an originally-equipped FHD, it will be the AOU screen because that's the only FHD screen that shipped on these models. Or if you buy an AOU FHD screen separately for your T510, the good news is that it will fit any other T/W 510/520 model (and maybe the 530's too?)

[ThinkPat]

Thanks SkiBunny, I shall certainly keep my eyes open for W520 bargains. The fact is, I'm invested now in the T510 and it's still a learner project (and my first ThinkPad) so I think I'll go for the FHD panel, possibly popping in an i7-620M later, if that turns out to be a bottleneck. Either way I think my T510 will be a keeper, and given the rubbish swamping the laptop market at the moment, I'll certainly be considering the W520 before they're all snapped up, at which point the T510 would be retained as a spare.

I'm getting the impression I'm not alone in being unimpressed with current notebooks; thanks again to all for your help!

[ThinkPat]

As the best FHD screen, you'll want B156HW01 v.4 made by AOU (FRU 04W1544 as sold for T520/W520)

Just a question on that recommendation, is the v.4 bit essential? I've seen this as e.g. "v.5", "v.7" etc., and some argument about whether it's matte or glossy (I hate glossy panels with a passion!)

[RealBlackStuff]

That V.4 is the only one many people on the forum have seen, and can confirm its top quality.
Any other V. versions may have different specs and/or different pinout.
Not worth taking any risk.

[Tasurinchi]

Yesterday evening I finished swapping an awful 1366x768 AUO panel (I think it was a B156XW02 something) with a B156HW01 V5.

It's a direct swap, fully compatible.

I have three ThinkPads with the V4 panel and in comparison, the colors and contrasts of the V5 are inferior though still not that bad, but the viewing angles are far worse! (And it's glossy)

I still quite like it, specially considering I got it 2nd hand for cheap money. Initially I was very doubtful about it because the reviews in the Internet were less favorable, but at the end my curiosity won

[ThinkPat]

I currently have a nice matte 1600x900 HD+ (which doesn't bother me because I do a lot of 16:9 video and horizontal timeline-based AV stuff where a wider screen is an advantage), and whereas FHD would be nice to have, from what I've been able to find so far, the choice for B156HW01 v.4 seems to be between cheap but dodgy (suppliers) and genuine but expensive (i.e., more than I paid for the refurb T510 itself).

[KentT]

Also, if budget is a concern, a W 510 would be a great alternate choice. And still can handle a lot of RAM, 16 GB if I recall correctly.

[ajkula66]

Also, if budget is a concern, a W 510 would be a great alternate choice. And still can handle a lot of RAM, 16 GB if I recall correctly.

QC versions of W510 will actually handle 32GB (4 slots x 8GB) of RAM.

[RealBlackStuff]

I could supply my fellow countryman ThinkPat with exactly such a W510. (Others are also welcome to inquire)
W510 (4391-BK3)
i7-720QM(1.6GHz), 4 RAM-slots for up to 4x8=32GB, currently no HD/SSD, 15.6in 1920x1080 LCD AUO B156HW01 V4 (FHD), 1GB nVIDIA Quadro FX 880M, DVD, Intel 802.11agn wireless, WWAN upgradeable, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Camera