Customer reviews for Lenovo ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
The Lenovo W530 is a sturdy laptop that comes with 15.6 inch HD, 4 GB PC3 memory, Wi-Fi, and mobile broadband. Review the ThinkPad W530 and see online offers at Lenovo US.
Average customer rating:
(35 Reviews) 33
Rating Snapshot (35 reviews)
5 stars
21
4 stars
7
3 stars
6
2 stars
1
1 star
0
30 of 35(86%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Review 1 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
2
out of
5
Design
2
out of
5
Features
3
out of
5
Value
4
out of
5
almcc22
Location:Atlanta
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Lenovo has ruined a classic
Date:September 17, 2012
Pros: Processor, Memory
Cons: Input/Output compatibility, Keyboard/peripherals
"I have been buying Thinkpads for 15 years, and when the time came to replace my T500, I didn't shop anywhere except Lenovo.com.
The specs on the W530 look great, but many of the things we simply take for granted are gone. In particular, the keyboard redesign is a disaster. A few examples:
- The function keys at the top are no longer grouped, but just arrayed in one long row. Not a big deal until you try to use them. I'm an Excel power user, so now I actually have to read the keys to find F9 (recalculate), F3 (Edit Formula), etc.
- Speaking of reading the keys: the Fn options on the Function buttons (showing Sleep, brightness adjustments, etc.) are screened in a gray that's almost impossible to see in dim light or when using the keyboard light.
- The worst change for a programmer is the elimination of the Break key. Supposedly, Fn+Alt+B works, but it's not a reliable substitute, and is certainly less convenient.
- The function keys at the top are no longer grouped, but just arrayed in one long row. Not a big deal until you try to use them. I'm an Excel power user, so now I actually have to read the keys to find F9 (recalculate), F3 (Edit Formula), etc.
- Speaking of reading the keys: the Fn options on the Function buttons (showing Sleep, brightness adjustments, etc.) are screened in a gray that's almost impossible to see in dim light or when using the keyboard light.
- The worst change for a programmer is the elimination of the Break key. Supposedly, Fn+Alt+B works, but it's not a reliable substitute, and is certainly less convenient.
Beyond the keyboard, there are a few other inexplicable design changes:
- No microphone plug. If you want to use your Skype headset, you'll need to buy a USB adapter.
- The built-in microphone/speaker combination is also atrocious. It was usable on my T500, but on the W530, no one can hear me at all.
- The 170W (!) power supply that comes with it weighs more than the laptop, and it seems to be horrible overkill. I thought Ivy Bridge laptops were supposed to be efficient? I guess it's the graphics potential to drive 3 monitors, but I hate carrying around 10+ pounds so I can theoretically drive 3 monitors.
- No microphone plug. If you want to use your Skype headset, you'll need to buy a USB adapter.
- The built-in microphone/speaker combination is also atrocious. It was usable on my T500, but on the W530, no one can hear me at all.
- The 170W (!) power supply that comes with it weighs more than the laptop, and it seems to be horrible overkill. I thought Ivy Bridge laptops were supposed to be efficient? I guess it's the graphics potential to drive 3 monitors, but I hate carrying around 10+ pounds so I can theoretically drive 3 monitors.
Bottom line: give this dog a pass and go back to the T series -- if they haven't ruined that model, too."
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Review 2 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
phadeon
The Emperor
Date:June 7, 2012
"I am an IT specialist who have worked with several laptop brandmarks so far. I have to work with mac and windows based pcs at the same time and I need more professional laptops. I can honestly say W530 is definitely the best choice with its upgrading options which other companies can not deliver at the moment. Here is the Emperor of the mobile tech and we should respect it :)"
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1 People found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Iraqman
Great is not enough to say
Date:June 7, 2012
"So great laptop. Instead of wasting my money on buying desktop, Lenovo Thinkpad W530 gives us the opportunity to buy a laptop challenging the desktop.
Now, I can design my 3D buildings because it is built to build."
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Review 4 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
mailing
Looking for more longlasting & powerful laptops
Date:June 22, 2012
"Nice product but we need a built-in wacom technology for the touchscreen. And we need a 20' inch detachable screen with full 4k resolution because the 15.6' inch is getting boring now. SSD memory drive need to be at least 4TB because the 500gb SSD is becoming booring too. More input & output sockets are needed for the SSD memory so that data retrivability is faster.
But the w530 is tolerably "ok" with its speed thoughness, price, etc. Lenovo is capable of generating better technology so let us encourage them."
But the w530 is tolerably "ok" with its speed thoughness, price, etc. Lenovo is capable of generating better technology so let us encourage them."
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0 People found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
5
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
NJ5J
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Quad Core
Memory:4 GB or more
Best Development Box Ever Used
Date:April 27, 2013
Pros: Battery, Input/Output compatibility, Warranty, Processor, Durability, Software compatibility, Memory, Video card, Keyboard/peripherals, Screen size, Build Quality, Storage, Display resolution, Display performance
"I develop using Visual Studio, XAMARIN, SQL Server 2012. With all that activity the box runs cool. It is obviously designed for Software Developers. Extremely pleased with this purchase. Have been using for four months now."
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Review 6 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
5
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
TomJoppaMD
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Lenovo makes the best all around laptop.
Date:April 11, 2013
Pros: Warranty, Processor, Support, Software compatibility, Memory, Wireless card, Keyboard/peripherals, Screen size, Build Quality, Display resolution, Display performance, ultimate-n wifi great for fios, virtual xp, able to upgrade myself
Cons: Storage, upgrades are costly
"This is an upgrade from my 4 yr old personal T61. I got the W530 with upgrade screen, upgrade Ultimate-N antenna, & virtual XP mode 4 mths ago. My company gave me a T61 but I use my own.
I upgraded the W530 memory to 32 GB & 500GB Samsung 840 SSD myself. The SSD maximizes Battery and start up time and the Quad core with the SSD is lighting fast. I take my finger is off the mouse button and the application is open. The Ultimate-N antenna screams with FIOS. I got it w/Win 7 & bought the $15 Win 8 upgrade. I tried it on the original hard drive. I will stick with Win 7 Pro. Win 8 is too jarring jumping back and forth.
PS The backlight keyboard is a big plus."
I upgraded the W530 memory to 32 GB & 500GB Samsung 840 SSD myself. The SSD maximizes Battery and start up time and the Quad core with the SSD is lighting fast. I take my finger is off the mouse button and the application is open. The Ultimate-N antenna screams with FIOS. I got it w/Win 7 & bought the $15 Win 8 upgrade. I tried it on the original hard drive. I will stick with Win 7 Pro. Win 8 is too jarring jumping back and forth.
PS The backlight keyboard is a big plus."
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Review 7 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
5
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
BCgirl1960
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory:1 GB
Excellent Value
Date:March 15, 2013
Pros: Included software, Bluetooth, Screen size
Cons: Warranty, Memory, Input/Output compatibility, Battery, Weight, user friendly
"This computer is a great package for students of professionals. will do everything you need for work or play, really enjoyed buying it for my son and he is special needs"
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Review 8 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
RevitUser
Owned Product:Less than a week
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Best out there?
Date:March 2, 2013
Pros: Weight, Processor, Memory, Video card, Screen size, Build Quality, Display resolution, Display performance
Cons: Battery
"For those using Revit or Max, this machine rocks. Of course, any machine with an i7 and K2000M graphics card would rock. The matte screen is a big plus. The keyboard takes getting used to, especially since the CTRL key is second in from the left. I keep hitting the Fn key by mistake, which occupies the leftmost position on the bottom row. The power brick is big but not a deal breaker. The case is solid, but my battery has a little bit of play in its dock. I went with the 16GB solid state second drive, and saving is very quick. The USB ports are stacked instead of side by side, and I think this was a mistake. The sound is worse than on my Studio XPS, but I did not buy this for speaker quality. Bottom line, I thought this the better machine than the competition offerings, and still do."
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Review 9 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
Ruziel
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
An excellent upgrade from my T500.
Date:February 26, 2013
Pros: Battery, Warranty, Processor, Durability, Build Quality, Display resolution
Cons: Weight
"I bought a W530 recently as a replacement for my 4 year old T500. Like any product, you can find positive & negative reviews online. However, having been very happy with my T series, I decided to take a leap & bought a top spec W530.
The screen quality is fantastic, the build quality is rock solid & I have a quad core i7 processor, 8 Gigs of RAM & lots of storage. Apart from buying this machine, the next best thing I did was dump Windows 7 and install Linux. I am now running Manjaro Xfce on both the T & W series ThinkPads & have not looked back for a second.
It might be a bit on the heavy side & not that sexy - I love it's retro look - but I am very happy & it runs very cool.
Highly recommended."
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Review 10 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
4
out of
5
bryant
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
very good
Date:February 25, 2013
Pros: Input/Output compatibility, Processor, Durability, Memory, Screen size, Storage, Display resolution
Cons: Support, Weight, Included Software
"I am a developer and need a powerful laptop. W530 is the right choice. MSATA makes it fast. memory can expand to 32GB. It is easy to upgrade it.
There are some defects I have to say:
1. Lenovo cannot give solid supports to Windows 8. For example, the power management software is missed in Windows 8.
2. My wireless adapter is Intel Advanced-N 6205. It may occasionally disconnect from the network. I have tried to install the latest driver from Intel.com but it has not been solved yet.
3. The Fn keys of the keyboard was inconvenient, especially for developers like me. They are huddled together. I have to glance the keyboard when I pressed the Fn keys or Home/End."
1. Lenovo cannot give solid supports to Windows 8. For example, the power management software is missed in Windows 8.
2. My wireless adapter is Intel Advanced-N 6205. It may occasionally disconnect from the network. I have tried to install the latest driver from Intel.com but it has not been solved yet.
3. The Fn keys of the keyboard was inconvenient, especially for developers like me. They are huddled together. I have to glance the keyboard when I pressed the Fn keys or Home/End."
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Review 11 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
4
out of
5
Mobility
3
out of
5
Design
5
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
3
out of
5
Reliability
3
out of
5
Leafworth
Owned Product:Less than a month
Processor:Quad Core
Memory:4 GB or more
Great Hardware, Terrible Quality Control
Date:February 12, 2013
Pros: Battery, Durability, Display performance
Cons: Wireless card, Included Software, Software compatibility
"When I received my W530, it barely functioned. Upon arrival, the discrete graphics, wireless monitor functionality, wireless networking, and optical drive did not work. I opened the device manager and found about a half dozen exclamation marks indicating bad or missing drivers. The color calibration sensor software wasn't installed, and the monitor was not calibrated at the factory as Lenovo claimed it would be.
Because the W530 doesn't work very well right out of the box, I wouldn't recommend this machine to anyone that isn't capable of installing the OS on their own, installing device drivers, and so forth. If you're a creative professional and you need a calibrated monitor, expect that you'll have to load the X-rite software yourself and run the first calibration routine."
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Review 12 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
5
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
4
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
BlueNGray
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i5
Memory:4 GB or more
Good Upgrade
Date:February 8, 2013
Pros: Battery, Processor, Build Quality, Display resolution
Cons: Weight, Keyboard/peripherals
"Bought the W530 to replace a 4-year-old R500. In general, I'm satisfied, but the new machine is a little heavier than the old one, and I'm really disappointed with the chiclet keyboard and its non-standard location of the Home, End, Insert, Delete, PgUp and PgDn keys. I wish I could transplant my old keyboard to the new machine...
But the new machine is a lot faster, and the display has higher resolution and is brighter than the old one."
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Review 13 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
5
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
sjjaber
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Excellent Mobile workstation
Date:February 2, 2013
Pros: Battery, Input/Output compatibility, Weight, Processor, Security Features, Support, Included software, Software compatibility, Memory, Bluetooth, Video card, Wireless card, Keyboard/peripherals, Screen size, Build Quality, Storage, Display resolution, Display performance
"The best mobile workstation that i have ever used. Very easy to use, powerful, and secure!
I like to touch it, write with it, and using it to calculate simulate tough engineering problems.
The softwares included are very useful."
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Review 14 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
5
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
4
out of
5
Emilio
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Great Purchase
Date:January 16, 2013
Pros: Battery, Processor, Memory, Video card
Cons: Software compatibility
"You won't get these specs with other PC brand at $1300.00! Great performance and nice design. Have issues updating Windows 7 tough. Besides that, this PC is great"
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Review 15 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
4
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
Evan
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Solid Laptop for IT/GIS Professional
Date:January 15, 2013
Cons: power cord
"Some of the concerns with the keyboard seem to be dependant on their use. I am an IT / GIS / Web coder, and I am comfortable using this keyboard.
anyone try making glow in the dark lettering on the keyboard?!
The red dot mouse is good as usual and the multi touch mousepad seems nice . . . I actually use it sometimes
The battery brick is huge, however this is only minorly inconvient having it in my bag . . . The battery lasts so long anyway. I do feel betrayed by the description of being a "SLIM 170w adaptor" how very misleading compared with other slim travel adaptors . . . I think this was only on the canadian site . . .
Having said that, if your just complaning a little about a keyboard and the power cord, I think your doing just fine . . . overall this laptop is da best . . . bro."
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Review 16 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
lucy
Owned Product:1-6 months
I prefer the classic one
Date:January 12, 2013
"nothing else I am mot happy with except the keyboard. I personally prefer the look of classic keyboard, and the feeling when typing with it. I hope one day the classic keyboard can come back!"
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Review 17 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
prempola
Owned Product:1-6 months
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
W530
Date:December 20, 2012
Pros: Input/Output compatibility, Warranty, Processor, Memory, Bluetooth, Video card, Wireless card, Keyboard/peripherals, Screen size, Storage, Display resolution, Display performance
"Extermely happy with the purchase. I am a Consultant and was in a need for a best performance class laptop out in the market. Lenovo was the only company that was offering the laptop that I was requiring. Upgraded to 32GB RAM and a SSH Cache drive. The laptop just flies. I run numerous servers on this laptop for several POC requests for my clients and it just performs really good. Very glad with the purchase. Can't speak about reliability yet but I hope it will last for few years."
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Review 18 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
3
out of
5
Design
3
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Value
4
out of
5
vr0791
Location:Lexington, KY
Owned Product:Less than a month
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Good laptop with a horrible keyboard
Date:December 16, 2012
Pros: Bluetooth, Video card, Wireless card, Screen size, Build Quality, Display performance, Display resolution, Battery, Processor, Memory, Storage, trackpoint
Cons: Keyboard/peripherals
"I shopped for a mobile workstation which would allow me to develop scientific software, and ThinkPad W530 looked like a very attractive option.
When I received the box, first I liked it a lot. Hardware vise it is what I expected it to be. I have installed Ubuntu 12.04 and had almost all the hardware working properly with no efforts. All looked very good until I have actually started coding. The problem is with the keyboard. It feels great, but Home and End keys are in so unnatural places, that I am not sure I will ever get used to it. It looks like a minor thing, but it makes a big difference. Huge disappointment. Lenovo ought to develop a replacement keyboard for this model which would have Home and End keys at your fingers."
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Review 19 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
3
out of
5
Design
1
out of
5
Features
3
out of
5
Value
3
out of
5
Reliability
4
out of
5
nick123
Location:New York, NY
Owned Product:Just got it
W530 keyboard
Date:December 13, 2012
Cons: Keyboard/peripherals
"W530 overall is fine machine with one big problem area – its keyboard. I’m a developer and may attest that the key layout and most importantly, their size is horrible and absolutely not suited for application development - huge disappointment."
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Review 20 for ThinkPad W530 Best Seller
OverallOverall Rating
Performance
5
out of
5
Mobility
4
out of
5
Design
4
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Value
5
out of
5
Reliability
5
out of
5
Icom
Location:Israel
Owned Product:Just got it
Processor:Intel Core i7
Memory:4 GB or more
Just when I thought I could not be surprised
Date:December 1, 2012
Pros: Warranty, Security Features, Durability, Software compatibility, Bluetooth, Video card, Wireless card, Screen size, Build Quality, Display resolution, Display performance, Battery, Input/Output compatibility, Processor, Support, Memory, Storage
Cons: Weight, Keyboard/peripherals, Included Software
"I was always a Dell person. I have been through 4-5 Dell laptops in the past decade. I was confident that I had the best laptop for my needs. My new W530 makes my latest model Dell look like a 14" black-and-white TV near my 60" 3D Flat Screen.
I am happy to see that with the combination of Windows 7 I am a happy camper once again."
I am happy to see that with the combination of Windows 7 I am a happy camper once again."
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