Thinkpads Forum

My beloved T530 just died, and I'm thinking about getting a W530 so I can have more RAM. Anything I should look for? Are there some screens that are better than others? Guessing it's like the T530's where some keyboards are backlit and some aren't?

And I don't imagine anyone has a W530 gathering dust somewhere that they'd like to sell?

Planning on going the eBay route otherwise.

wrybread wrote:My beloved T530 just died, and I'm thinking about getting a W530 so I can have more RAM. Anything I should look for? Are there some screens that are better than others? Guessing it's like the T530's where some keyboards are backlit and some aren't?

And I don't imagine anyone has a W530 gathering dust somewhere that they'd like to sell?

Planning on going the eBay route otherwise.

I actually have one i need to sell. Only thing it needs is a new fan cause the bearings went out. Currently does not have a drive in it. Here are the specs
I7 3940xm
24gb ram
K2000m 2gb gpu
1080p display
Will be going on ebay once its fixed up
Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

I don't need a drive, and I bet I could use the fan from my deceased T530. Message me or email me? (wrybread at gmail dot com).

Maybe also consider trying some last stitched methods to see if the motherboard would come back on the T530? Like washing the motherboard and also baking the motherboard?

It got left out in the rain powered on (it's a long story). It didn't get super wet, just a sprinkle, but won't turn on anymore.

I opened it up and it was almost completely dry, but unfortunately there was a drop or two inside it, which is of course enough to do a lot of damage. It's all dried now but still won't power on.

If anyone has any theories on what that could be, I'll try whatever. I've tried different battery, no battery, different power supply.

wrybread wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:31 pm

It got left out in the rain powered on (it's a long story). It didn't get super wet, just a sprinkle, but won't turn on anymore.

I opened it up and it was almost completely dry, but unfortunately there was a drop or two inside it, which is of course enough to do a lot of damage. It's all dried now but still won't power on.

If anyone has any theories on what that could be, I'll try whatever. I've tried different battery, no battery, different power supply.

Wash the motherboard. Yes this sounds very counter intuitive, but while washing it while powered on gives you a dead mobo, washing it while powered off and then make sure no residue is left behind cleans off whatever corrosion, micro shorts, or bad contacts that the board has.
I have suggested to many others to try this. Since in your case there is no loss anyway why not.
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=131694&p=853371&hilit=wash#p853371
After this, you might need a multimeter and probe around the motherboard as ThinkPad motherboards love fuses and there are lots of them that can blow out.
If you are lucky, it can be the shorts caused by corrosion, and those get washed away when you wash the motherboard so it would work again.
If you have severe problems such as a blown superio, then it's game over.
Test your CPU and RAM also as they can fry too if rain blows the MOSFETs

Fuses are a really good idea. I don't see any on the top of the mobo, do I need to look at the backside? I'm having trouble removing the bottom case, but will figure it out if needed.

wrybread wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 11, 2021 3:46 pm

Fuses are a really good idea. I don't see any on the top of the mobo, do I need to look at the backside? I'm having trouble removing the bottom case, but will figure it out if needed.

If you are gonna tackle with fuses, you MUST make sure the places that fuse got blown actually have no shorts or corrosion, otherwise bypassing the fuse will just be a death sentence to your motherboard.

I'm pretty sure the shorts was just water that was there for a moment and is now gone. But yes of course, I'll make sure there aren't any shorts.

wrybread wrote:I don't need a drive, and I bet I could use the fan from my deceased T530. Message me or email me? (wrybread at gmail dot com).

Email sent

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

This thread morphed into a discussion about repairing a T530. In case anybody else comes across it, here are my views about the W530 (which I love):

It's not the most portable laptop in the world. It's best kept chained to the desk, where it takes up less space than a desktop, and uses less power (in most cases).

It really shines when attached to a discrete screen. And if one isn't enough, you can use up to four.

The webcam on mine doesn't work, and I am told this is a common fault.

The xn30 series of Thinkpads (T430, etc.) were the first to use USB3, and data transfer speeds can be slow at times.

To state the obvious, all laptops are portable devices, and this results in compromises. Sustained heavy loads will cause the temperature to rise, especially in summer if you don't have aircon. People who do a lot of video editing or gaming may be better off using a desktop.

To monitor temperature I use an excellent program called Core Temp.

Old Thinkpad fans don't like the keyboard. However, it works well, and if you are not used to the keypads on older Thinkpads, don't be put off. It's still a better keyboard than those on other laptops, not to mention many desktops.

What I DON'T like about the keypad is the lack of dedicated numeric keys. If you work a lot with numbers you'll want to add a separate numeric keypad, or buy a W541 instead.

Replace the HDD with an SSD, like the Samsung EVO series. It's a huge improvement.

I upgraded the RAM from 8gb to 16gb. It means I can have more tabs open while browsing, but otherwise hasn't made a huge difference. I don't think many people would benefit from having more RAM than 16gb.

I have the nice 1920x1080 screen. It's great, but I find it hard to read sometimes, so it's scaled at 125%.

My favourite Thinkpad is the T61(p). It's a lovely machine, and the 1920x1200 screens are superb. Sadly, however, though they generally work fine in Win10, they are no longer good for web browsing.

If my W530 packed up, would I buy another? Yes, I would, unless I could find a W541 at an attractive price.

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

I upgraded the RAM from 8gb to 16gb

Hey mate, haven't you just made an argument for going with T530 instead and swapping the CPU?

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

I have the nice 1920x1080 screen

IPS? Is this the other advantage of W530 over T530?

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

If my W530 packed up, would I buy another?

Think you'd have a cheaper option: a T530 motherboard Or in fact any other T530/T520 spare parts you might need except for CPU and possibly except for cooling system.

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

Old Thinkpad fans don't like the keyboard.

Captain Obvious reporting: fixable

atagunov wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:22 am

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

I upgraded the RAM from 8gb to 16gb

Hey mate, haven't you just made an argument for going with T530 instead and swapping the CPU?

Indeed. Very nearly!

atagunov wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:22 am

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

I have the nice 1920x1080 screen

IPS? Is this the other advantage of W530 over T530?

It's not IPS. Are they available on W530?

atagunov wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:22 am

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

If my W530 packed up, would I buy another?

Think you'd have a cheaper option: a T530 motherboard Or in fact any other T530/T520 spare parts you might need except for CPU and possibly except for cooling system.

The T530 was never very common in the UK, so they are hard to find, and that's true for both machines and parts. And importing costs money. But it's certainly an option, depending on the price.

atagunov wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:22 am

olddog wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:21 am

Old Thinkpad fans don't like the keyboard.

Captain Obvious reporting: fixable

As my first TP was a T430 I am not a die-hard lover of old keyboards. They are nice, but for me not worth the hassle and expense of upgrading.

Hey mate, haven't you just made an argument for going with T530 instead and swapping the CPU?

How so? Having had both, I can't think of a single way in which the T530 is superior to the W530, especially after making the mod that allows using a 90 watt power supply. I sure like being able to use 32 gigs of RAM instead of a max of 16 that's available on the T530 for example. And the upgraded video card is nice too.

And the CPU options for the W530 are faster than the T530. I suppose the T530 is a bit cheaper on ebay, but not much.

what I DON'T like about the keypad is the lack of dedicated numeric keys. If you work a lot with numbers you'll want to add a separate numeric keypad, or buy a W541 instead.

(shudder). I can't stand when laptop manufacturers jam a numpad onto a laptop, makes the keyboard so cluttered, cramped and off center. External numpads are cheap and plentiful. But alas, Lenovo agrees with your logic, which is one of the reasons I still use T/W530's.

wrybread wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:04 am

(shudder). I can't stand when laptop manufacturers jam a numpad onto a laptop, makes the keyboard so cluttered, cramped and off center. External numpads are cheap and plentiful. But alas, Lenovo agrees with your logic, which is one of the reasons I still use T/W530's.

Shudder???? Don't be precious. You don't work much with numbers; I do, so it makes perfect sense for me, if not for you. Try to broaden your horizons a bit and realise that we all have different needs.

wrybread wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:04 am

Hey mate, haven't you just made an argument for going with T530 instead and swapping the CPU?

How so?

..was joking with "olddog" about running W530 on 16Gb

Shudder???? Don't be precious. You don't work much with numbers; I do, so it makes perfect sense for me, if not for you.

Wait it's me who's being precious here? I was simply stating my opinion on the atrocious design of adding a numpad to a laptop keyboard. Especially given that external numpads are widely available for the accountants or whoever. Your mileage and opinion may vary of course and that's perfectly fine.

Try to broaden your horizons a bit and realise that we all have different needs.

And trying to make a single computer for every one of those needs is a recipe for bad product design. So you go ahead and buy laptops with numpads and I won't.

And oops atagunov! Whoosh! I shouldn't write emails before morning coffee, ha.

wrybread wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 23, 2021 3:15 pm

Shudder???? Don't be precious. You don't work much with numbers; I do, so it makes perfect sense for me, if not for you.

Wait it's me who's being precious here? I was simply stating my opinion on the atrocious design of adding a numpad to a laptop keyboard. Especially given that external numpads are widely available for the accountants or whoever. Your mileage and opinion may vary of course and that's perfectly fine.

A computer, especially a Thinkpad, is tool for doing work, and perhaps also for fun. It's primary goal is to be functional, which means that a numeric keypad is a necessity for most users. That is why Lenovo puts them on almost all its business laptops.

You're entitled not to want a laptop with a numeric keypad, but your shuddering says much more about you than it does about the machine.

And I'd say you obsessing over my hatred of numpads on laptops says a whole lot about you.

I'll go on hating numpads, you go on liking them, and it won't make a bit of difference.

Shudder!

Be nice, people.

I use external keyboards, because I can't stand laptop keyboards in general. In fact, if I am regularly at a particular client site, I leave an external keyboard there so I don't have to bring one along.

Same for the mouse / trackpoint / touchpad as well. I have a couple little IBM travel mice with the red glowing scroll wheel that I carry in the laptop bag. That's just the way I like to run them.

Interesting. I really like the t/w530 keyboard and touchpad. I can use the touchpad to do complicated things like erase the background from an image in photoshop, can code for hours on end with the keyboard, and can probably type 80 wpm on it. I think I actually prefer it's keyboard to any desktop keyboard at this point, bizarrely enough. Or maybe it's just a toss-up, but that's pretty amazing. I've been using thinkpads since the t30 and don't mind the changes to the keyboard, though I know lots of folks here disagree. Or at least I find the changes workable.

That said it increasingly looks like a laptop from the 90s compared to a Macbook, but I kind of enjoy the shocked look on some people's faces when I use it in a public place.

In my opinion Lenovo went off the rails with their later touchpads though, which is why I'm still buying 530's. And I do miss the screen aspect ratio of my old t61, but not much, I love the 530 screen as long as it's the 1080p.

Incidentally my old t61 powers the jukebox in my living room, running Linux Mint and playing college and community radio stations using this old midi controller I picked up at the thrift shop:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xf3BU6XxZkSuwxjt7

Whenever I need to open that laptop to reboot it or whatever I'm reminded how great that screen is/was.