Got me a W700ds!

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Medessec · #1 Post by **Medessec** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:36 am

After some intense hunting-I now myself have a W700ds of my own. I paid a bit more than I wanted for it... but in the end I can say it's 100% worth it.

http://www.medessec.info/m/W700s/W700ds-1.JPG

The second screen is just a work of genius... it's so incredibly useful. Despite it's super-skinny tall resolution, many programs sit right at home on it, including anything involving a web browser. The "humpback", or extra bulk of the screen lid is probably by far the most noticeable difference between the standard W700 and the W700ds. But it really doesn't bother me.

The machine was oddly speced when I received it... it had a T9600 Core 2 Duo, no digitzer or screen calibrator, however it does have a Blu-Ray drive and webcam, and the seller packaged an Ultrabay Hard Drive tray with the machine for a third Hard Drive.

So I've swapped all the high-spec features from my standard W700 I've had. The W700ds now sports a Q9000 Quad-Core, 8GB DDR3 RAM, digitizer and calibrator, a stylus slot, Intel Turbo memory, and coupled with the webcam, Blu-Ray drive and second screen it had before, it's a pretty highly optioned and fantastic W700ds.

A pic of both W700s with and without flash, in our front room:
http://www.medessec.info/m/W700s/W700s-1.JPG
http://www.medessec.info/m/W700s/W700s-2.JPG

My old W700 is now up for grabs:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=112357

Until that W700 is out of my hands, I'll be taking the rare opportunity to take some nice comparison photos.

#2 Post by **Tasurinchi** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 3:48 am

Nice! Enjoy that fine machine!

grafzero · #3 Post by **grafzero** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:05 pm

How does Windows see the second screen?

Is there a screen manager in driver?
Can you throw web browser or mail client to second screen and "glue" it there?

Medessec · #4 Post by **Medessec** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 1:14 pm

It recognizes it as any other secondary display. Pulling it out causes both screens to go to black for a split second while Windows loads up the other screen, same thing as if you plugged into a projector or plugged in another display. You can move it around too when you right click on the desktop in Windows 7 and go to "Screen Resolution", you can adjust it's resolution and it's orientation.

If when you mean your web browser is "glued" there, it stays there between sessions, then yes. As long as the second screen is open both when I close the application and open it again, it goes back to where I put it on the second screen. I listen to my music on the Zune software, I always have it open on the second screen.

ajkula66 · #5 Post by **ajkula66** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:29 pm

Congrats is all I'm going to say...you're definitely living up to the last part of your forum signature...

Adda · #6 Post by **Adda** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:58 am

So now you have an A31p and a W700ds!

Well, time to see how IBM_ECW works on there

And why not look in to undervolting the video card?

This app can put the GPU in to a fixed power state:
http://nvidia-powermizer-manager.software.informer.com/

There are four modes to chose from, fixed low, med, high performance or automatic frequency scaling (default).

If you set the GPU to run in the medium performance mode, the GPU will operate at a lower voltage.

Then get nVidia Inspector:
http://www.guru3d.com/files_details/nvi ... nload.html

This app can overclock the GPU, you can set you own clocks for all power states.
If you put the GPU in to medium performance mode, select "Performance level 1" in the drop down menu, and see how fast the GPU goes in this mode.
If the GPU can run at default clocks, in the medium performance mode, it'll run as fast as, but a lot cooler then default.
This works exceptionally well on W510, I run it at 600/1320/790MHz, in medium mode, while the default at max is 550/1210/790MHz, it chopped a good 10C off max GPU temps.

This tweak will disable automatic frequency scaling for the GPU, so idle temps will increase.
You can have the GPU run in a different power mode while on battery vs. AC.

But don't forget to replace the cooler paste.

Medessec · #7 Post by **Medessec** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:00 pm

Congrats is all I'm going to say...you're definitely living up to the last part of your forum signature...

No kidding... insane laptops for the insane person. Classmates have always been weirded out by my odd choice of laptops- I brought this guy to class the first time, and they just looked at it like someone smacked them in the face.

And why not look in to undervolting the video card?

I may have to look into all that... but currently the W700ds has the Quadro FX 2700M, the lower-end option. I'm thinking of getting a 3700M, as well as upgrading the CPU to A QX9300.

emeraldgirl08 · #8 Post by **emeraldgirl08** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:03 am

Medessec wrote: I brought this guy to class the first time, and they just looked at it like someone smacked them in the face.

That would have been something to behold for sure! How do you transport it when you are out and about? Do you have a forklift?

Medessec · #9 Post by **Medessec** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:00 am

Wouldn't mind carrying it around like that. I have an original Thinkpad laptop case that I think was included with one of the first 760s I ever bought... with all the pads removed it *barely* fits a standard W700. I used it once to try carrying the W700ds... it pains my shoulder and it can't zip closed. What works the best is an enormous Targus backpack that came with my D900F. It works, but the weight is really bad for biking. When I'm at the school, I just carry it around by itself.

Saucey · #10 Post by **Saucey** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:01 am

Nice! Not only you got an A31P, you now got a W700DS! Must be a good season for ya, wonder what Thinkpads you land next.

Oh and if you have a non-oem battery on that bad boy, chances the ThinkPad will immediately shut down when putting the screen back in.

I think the Blu-ray player and Ultra bay HDD are a definite plus! No need to scrounge eBay or new egg for the correct FRUs.

Medessec · #11 Post by **Medessec** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:19 pm

Oh and if you have a non-oem battery on that bad boy, chances the ThinkPad will immediately shut down when putting the screen back in.

The auction stated a "recently replaced battery", and it turned out to be a cruddy non-OEM. I can deal without a battery for the time being, but after I sell a bunch of stuff, I'll want to buy a genuine battery along with a QX9300 and FX 3700M.

I think the Blu-ray player and Ultra bay HDD are a definite plus! No need to scrounge eBay or new egg for the correct FRUs.

Absolutely. That stuff is always a pain in the butt.

Medessec · #12 Post by **Medessec** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:40 am

Just an update on this thing: I've swapped in an FX 3700M, and it is an EXTREMELY worthwile upgrade at the moment. The 2700M is based on the 9800M GeForce, and the 3700M is based on the 280M. I've started using it nearly as much as my Clevo.

The non-OEM battery just doesn't work half the time. Sometimes the laptop will power on unplugged, but it usually just instantly powers off after reaching Windows desktop, or when I launch an application that extensively uses the Graphics card(Maya, Minecraft, Zune)

Some people on here and in real life have asked if the second screen is really that useful: YES. It is. The W700 may not be that portable, but if you're crazy and stupid enough to carry it around anyways(like I am) then it's probably the biggest advantage you'd have over any laptop. I'd love to see a similar "DS" laptop released in the near future with updated hardware.

I was also going to ask Saucey how he's doing with his W700ds.

Hogig · #13 Post by **Hogig** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 3:14 am

Hello there,

I am a long time W700DS (2752-RT7) owner, only except that the laptop was retired for the past 3 years or so until I recently fished it back out from storage.

The computer is still running the OEM setup of Windows Vista on it along with the Autodesk and Foundry software that I installed on for my computer graphics work which I did for hobbies.

The computer still runs great but after calling Lenovo, they said that they will not support this computer anymore for the current Windows 8.1 OS. After a quick look on the web, it appears not many 700DS owners are around... until I came across this forum.

I can see that perhaps you maybe quite knowledgeable in setting up the 700DS, it is much appreciated if you can guide me in the right direction:

Is it worthwhile to upgrade to Windows 8/8.1 or just Windows 7? What can I do about the FX3700m video drivers and the digitzer drivers when I go about the updates - these concerns me most as I will be running digital content creation software (Maya, Photoshop...etc..) My 700DS was fully loaded... are all the hardware functionality going to disappear? Is it possible to get a windows 7 version of the OEM Lenovo setup disc with all the bloatware...etc.?

Sorry for hijacking your thread, appreciated if you can provide some pointers!

Update: It appears that Lenovo's support page on windows 7 for 700DS appears to have all the necessary drivers to get going where as video and the digitizer drivers are missing in Windows 8/8.1 - Is this my only solution? Thanks again!

My 700DS specs:
T9600(2.8GHz), 4GB RAM, 2x320GB HD, 17in 1920x1200+10.6in 1280x800 LCD, 1GB nVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M, Blu-ray RW, Intel 802.11agn, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ether, UltraNav, Sec Chip, FPR, Camera, Digitizer, 2GB Turbo Mem, 9c, Vista Business 64

Medessec · #14 Post by **Medessec** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 5:12 am

Is it worthwhile to upgrade to Windows 8/8.1 or just Windows 7? What can I do about the FX3700m video drivers and the digitzer drivers when I go about the updates - these concerns me most as I will be running digital content creation software (Maya, Photoshop...etc..) My 700DS was fully loaded... are all the hardware functionality going to disappear? Is it possible to get a windows 7 version of the OEM Lenovo setup disc with all the bloatware...etc.?

If you don't mind Windows 8, and you are more than happy to buy the upgrade or you already have one to use, then there's little reason not to. Aside from the Metro interface and no Start Menu

At the core, Windows 8 is mostly the same as Windows 7, so updated drivers should be accessible, and if not... drivers for Windows 7 will work for Windows 8 just fine.

It appears that Lenovo's support page on windows 7 for 700DS appears to have all the necessary drivers to get going where as video and the digitizer drivers are missing in Windows 8/8.1 - Is this my only solution? Thanks again!

For the Quadro 3700M, instead of using Lenovo's downloads... pay a visit to the NVIDIA website and see if they have anything on the card. They should definitely have a 3700M driver for Windows 8. And as for the Wacom Digitizer... I suppose you could try just using Lenovo's Windows 7 installer for the digitizer, but if that doesn't work, you may have to do some googling and maybe pull up the Wacom website to see if they have anything. But you should be able to get those features working.

My 700DS specs:
T9600(2.8GHz), 4GB RAM, 2x320GB HD, 17in 1920x1200+10.6in 1280x800 LCD, 1GB nVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M, Blu-ray RW, Intel 802.11agn, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ether, UltraNav, Sec Chip, FPR, Camera, Digitizer, 2GB Turbo Mem, 9c, Vista Business 64

Yours is quite nice... pretty much fully loaded other than the processor, kinda basic by today's standards. I swapped a Q9000(Quad-Core, 2.0 GHz) into mine when I got it, and I expect to install a QX9300(Quad-Core 2.53GHz) when I can afford it. But the 3700M is so much better than the 2700M, fantastic you have that.

The computer still runs great but after calling Lenovo, they said that they will not support this computer anymore for the current Windows 8.1 OS. After a quick look on the web, it appears not many 700DS owners are around... until I came across this forum.

Yeah... it's a real pain having a computer that still works beautifully, but you're left on your own with taking care of it. Personally, I'm not going to update to Windows 8 anytime soon, so I won't be able to help you firsthand, but if you have any trouble with your W700ds, feel free to post an entry in the subforum, we'd be more than happy to help you.

Saucey · #15 Post by **Saucey** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 5:13 am

Hi Hogig!
I haven't tried Windows 8.1, but I was lost using Windows 8.
Anyways, Win7 works like a charm on the W700DS. Using an SSD and a HDD for storage.
I haven't really messed with the Wacom driver much with Photoshop, havent had any projects with it but from the times I used it, but it worked fine otherwise.

Hogig · #16 Post by **Hogig** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:04 pm

Thanks Medessec and Saucey for your responses!

Lastly 2 quick questions, where can I get the upgraded CPUs and SSD drives for the W700DS? Is it kinda plug n play? If I have to crack open the thing I guess I'll have pass with my limited mechanical skills...

Thanks!

Medessec · #17 Post by **Medessec** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:17 pm

Any old SSD drive would work, although I'd personally recommend an Intel or Samsung SSD. Anything SATA will work. You can buy them online or at an electronics store outlet. The CPUs that go in the W700 are a bit harder-they're only on ebay, and usually limited in quantity. The ONLY processors that will work in a W700 are the Dual Cores: "T9400", "T9600", "X9100", and Quad-Cores "Q9000", "Q9100", and "QX9300". The QX9300 is the one you want, and will make your W700ds scream.

Installing an SSD is nothing more than peeling off the HDD door on the left side towards the front. Facing the W700's left side head on, the HDD door is beneath the ExpressCard slots, to the right of the two USB ports on that side. It shouldn't be secured by a screw either most of the time, so you can just pull it off(start with the side closest to the back of the laptop) and both hard drive bays are right there. You do need to unscrew the caddy from your old hard drive, but all you need is a small screw driver. And you will have to worry about reinstalling Windows on your Solid State after you install it...

Upgrading the CPU will be a lot harder, if you aren't confident peeling apart your W700ds. The W700ds comes apart much easier than other laptops, but you still need to unscrew all the screws on the underside, then lift the palmrest upwards(be careful of the connector for your touchpad, digitizer and calibrator) then your keyboard, then your numpad, then you can remove your speaker panel. This should completely expose the inside of the base of your W700ds. Unplug the fan in the top left corner then unscrew the heatsink associated with that fan, then underneath that should be the CPU. Use a flathead to unlock the socket, remove the CPU and replace it. Before re-installing everything, be sure to apply some thermal paste to your new CPU, I personally recommend Arctic Silver 5, which you can pick up at any Radio Shack. REMEMBER to plug the fan back in when you're done, this is something I always forget with disassembling Thinkpads, and it's always an eye-rolling moment when I power it on, and I get a loud beep and "Fan Error" on the black screen.

With whatever you decide to do, good luck! And Happy Holidays by the way.

Saucey · #18 Post by **Saucey** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:47 pm

Medessec is spot on!

An SSD really does pick up boot speeds and performance on any laptop that has had a standard HDD.
Its only one screw, the HDD cover, pull out the HDDs and plug an SDD in, toss in the OS you wanna install and let it rip.
Then after it is done installing and you had your shutdown, just plop back one of the HDD and seal it up.

CPU handling is always a bit scary at first. The pins are the most intimidating factor, then its if you had got the right amount of thermal paste to properly cool it with the fan, not too much paste nor too little.

Best of luck and Happy Holidays!

Hogig · #19 Post by **Hogig** » Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:55 pm

I'll look into it. Awesome info. Thanks again!

Happy Holidays!

Hogig · #20 Post by **Hogig** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:49 pm

Saucey, Medesec,

I have a quick question before I swap out the hard drives...

I am currently running an OEM windows from when I since bought the computer... Let's say I swapped them out and put in an SSD and the OS install FUBARed on me.. can I revert back to my original OEM windows setup that I had running on the old hard drives by plugging them straight back in so to have the computer running while I sort out the new hard drive issues?

Many thanks.

Medessec · #21 Post by **Medessec** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:10 pm

Absolutely. As long as you haven't plugged the original HDDs into another system, or formatted or modified them in any way, you will be able to plug the hard drives back in as they were and your laptop will behave as originally intended.

There may be some hiccups if the RAID isn't configured as it was originally. But all your data and the original OS will still work.

Hogig · #22 Post by **Hogig** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:16 pm

Hi everyone,

Just want to update:

Windows 8 Pro was installed successfully with a SSDHD hybrid along with Autodesk Creation Suite. So far Win8 installed all the drivers for me except Nvidia which I did it myself first thing Win8 loaded. Everything along with the Wacom builtin pad is working except fingerprint sensor (Maybe it works, but I don't see win8 using this feature), color calibration and the webcam at the top of the monitor. The webcam works but it is pretty fuzzy like bad analog reception. I have to note that start up is very quick, 7-8 seconds. (most of the time is in the bios screen actually)

My Wacom pad built in stylus' soft plastic material has now become quite sticky for some reason... I tried my Wacom tablet stylus and it doesn't work. I would like to get a more comfortable stylus for the built in pad. Do you guys know what type of stylus is this as searches on the web will bring all sort of tablet stylus which I believe is not compatible...

Again, thanks guys for helping out.

Got me a W700ds!

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