Thinkpads Forum

Hi all

I recently bought a T520. Very pleased so far, looks like a solid machine!

I have a couple of questions and was wondering if you could help me:
- I noticed that even without any applications running, Windows 7 64bit is taking up 1.4GB of RAM on start up - my previous PC was Windows XP and used 100MB. I also noticed that there are about a dozen or so Lenovo processes running. Some of them appear to be duplicating Windows functionality (such as the wireless network one), while others could be useful (e.g. I noticed that the power management one provides additional options over the Windows control panel). Do you know which ones it is safe to remove without disabling any important functionality, and is it worth doing so, or would I just be wasting my time? Do you have any additional tips for optimizing the PC?

- I will probably upgrade to an SSD drive. I didn't get this preconfigured because I could only get 128GB, and I would like 240GB. I'm thinking of getting the Crucial m4 as it is way cheaper over here than the alternatives. I was wondering if there you have any tips on how to set it up? e.g. I saw somewhere that I'll probably need to change the BIOS setting to "Compatibility" first, then install Windows from the recovery disks, the latest version of the drivers, and then switch the BIOS back to "AHCI". Do you have any additional advice to make sure it's set up optimally (e.g. how to check that it is using TRIM)?

thanks!

vista and 7 use ram more smartly than XP, by throwing everything it thinks it will need into ram.

This is GOOD. it can flush it at a moments notice if you load, say, photoshop or a game.

1.4GB sounds about normal. The more RAM you have, the more it'll use to prefetch stuff. It'll also keep more stuff in RAM to prevent hard faults.

Naturally, 64-bit Windows will use more RAM.

If you don't plan on using Access Connection's features, you can uninstall it.

Most of the Lenovo-ware is useful (like Power Manager, which I recommend you use to set a charging threshold of 80-85% to maximize battery lifespan). Some of the other stuff you can wipe are: Intel Management, Intel Identity. Then go into the Services and set the WinDVD/Corel/Ulead services to manual.

Try to avoid touching any Lenovo service/Windows service as it can interfere with RapidBoot and cause an unnaturally long boot.

Switching BIOS to Compatibility is only necessary for XP and earlier (unless you slipstream SATA drivers).

Thanks for the replies!