Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)EDIT: Full month of usage review is at the bottom!
WARNING! Unless you are looking for filthy speed, raw power, and a display that will rival your HDTV, seek other models. This is not a laptop for mere mortals. Make no mistake. If you are seeking something that is comfortable on your lap, that you can carry to the beach, or otherwise tote around like a book, this laptop is not for you.
It isn't even really a laptop. It's a beast. It's a 13.8lb beast. Let's talk about the w700...
1) Display: It is huge. You can't hide this thing. The 17" LCD is massive. With it's native 1920x1200 resolution, the sheer amount of screen real-estate is absurd.
2) Power: Core 2 Extreme. It's quad-core and what Intel calls their "fastest mobile processor...ever". Enough said. Wait...12MB of L2 cache. Yes, TWELVE MB. Not 4MB, not 6MB...but 12MB of L2 cache.
3) Graphics: It comes with an NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M 128-core CUDA parallel computing processor. I don't even know what a CUDA is but it sounds pretty darn impressive. Oh...and 1GB of Video RAM. ONE GIGABYTE OF VIDEO RAM.
4) Storage: Built-in RAID controller! Two SATA drive bays. Blu-Ray available. Solid-state HD ready. Absurd.
5) RAM: Ships with 4GB. Upgradable to 8GB.
6) Ports: It has a darn HDMI port on the back. That should tell you everything you need to know. Hook this thing up to your TV -- though, it's practically a TV on its own. Ok, 5 USB ports, RJ45, RJ11, mini-USB, microphone, headphones, DVI-D...the list goes on. This notebook connects to everything but the kitchen sink.
7) Keyboard: full-sized...with separate numeric keypad. Fingerprint reader too.
8) Speakers: Holy cow. There is a speaker grille which sits directly above the keyboard. Rich, booming sound comes from the speakers.
9) "Oooo factor": When my coworkers first saw the w700 sitting on my desk, they did a double-take. When they saw how fast it was, they were envious. When they saw the price tag, they had a good laugh.
10) Warranty Support: Backed by a massive, world-wide inventory of parts and technicians, you can rest easy. If bad things happen, Lenovo has you covered. Specific example: I called them at 4pm EDT about some bad RAM in an older Thinkpad. They had new RAM delivered by 8:30am the following morning. No hassle. No "reboot your notebook" or "perform these absurd troubleshooting steps". The drawbacks? There are a few:
1) The AC adapter: Like the laptop, the power brick is huge. The w700, due to the extreme power it consumes, cannot use older Thinkpad power bricks. Replacement power bricks, like most everything associated with this laptop, are expensive.
2) Case/Bag availability: Lenovo sells one. Only one. Targus has two that can carry the w700...they both have wheels and look like luggage. You won't be toting this thing over your shoulder like average people. Then again, if you are looking at the w700, you are not average people.
3) Cost: You could buy three average laptops for the price of this desktop replacement.
So, there it is. That's the w700. A big, bad, powerful beast of a notebook. I ding'ed it one star for the price tag and the $200 replacement power brick.
EDIT: One Month Review
This monster of a computer is, by far, the best portable computer I have ever owned. The DVD burner is blisteringly fast. The processor is so fast that it laughs at my applications. I've thrown everything from virtualization to AutoCAD at this portable and the processor just eats it up. The built-in RAID controller is just silly fast. Bringing this thing into an office will cause some serious "oooo" factor. When I first took out this portable, people were visibly impressed. Others have stopped by and asked about it.
Ok, some drawbacks: 1) The powerbrick can get very warm; 2) The exhaust of this laptop can get warm. Ensure you have adequate ventilation; and 3) 13.8lbs will add up. Even with a rolling bag, lugging this monster around can get old. (not for me...but it could for other people).
Hope this helps. Add a comment if you have any questions. Am happy to answer them.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo ThinkPad W700 2752 17" Widescreen Laptop Quad Core QX9300 (2.53GHz) 640GB
W700 Qx9300 2x2gb/320 Br 17wu Bt F C Vbe
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