Brand new T510 - possible defect?

Please look at the pictures. I just noticed this and was wondering if it's a defect or it's Lenovo's last minute design change?

In case they forgot that plastic cover there, should I take it out? I guess this would void warranty too..

Thanks.

PS: Last pic is from my T61...

 

Did you just open the case and put a piece of plastic and then took that picture??? just kidding!
i dont think lenovo would make this kind of mistake since i have open a couple of thinkpad before to change the fan/heatsink. The space are pretty tight inside. Any obstacle will stop the heatsink fit into the space.
And no, you wont void the warranty by open the case and take back the plastic piece.

cheers

 

So funny, i am waiting for my T510.

 

Is it a hard plastic piece of a piece of foam? If it is loose you can just remove it.

Weird though...

 

The side grille looks fine (you can barely see a tiny edge of grey foam on the side of my T500's heat grille as well). But the rear side seems to be completely blocked up by that piece of foam, which is not normal. I'd call up Lenovo instead of opening it up yourself, in the event that you damage something trying to remove the piece of foam.

Or, you could try using a pair of needle-nose tweezers to try to pull it out - but then that foam could be part of a larger piece extending into the chassis...

 

Thank you guys for your replies.

Yes, it's a piece of plastic and it seems that it is pushed by that foam because if I try to push it inside it moves a bit... I think

However I'm not so worried right now as the CPU's temperature is 30-35C.

I think I'm going to try to take it out.

Thanks.

 

Uhm, if I'm seeing that picture right, I think my rear vent looks the same. I can feel a bit of cool air being sucked in through it, regardless.

 

This is an image of the T510 reviewed from Notebookcheck.net

 

Mine looks exactly like the original poster's photo. Please see my attachment.

 

Dust filter, perhaps. I think its the opening where air is sucked in, so it would make sense.

 

It looks like the original posters heatsink isnt copper. Thoughts?

 

Small update on this.

Yes, it looks like that the plastic cover is part of cooling design...

Please see attached images.

Also, looks like indeed heatsink is not copper. Perhaps copper was left for i7 CPUs?

 

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-74345.html

Thermal module for T510 integrated graphics models: 60Y5489
Thermal module for T510 discrete graphics models: 60Y5491, 60Y5492

oct might be right.

 

sorry for not believe in you oct. I remember the notebook check T510 review mention about the W510 has a different heatsink design. So, the first batch of T510 has the same heatsink as the W510 and now this is the one intented for T510. Smaller exhaust and aluminum for i5 cpu and 3100m gpu.

 

I wonder how much the difference in cost is for the two heatsink designs considering needing replacement parts for both.

 

Dissapointing. I wanted the copper heatsink in order to have the coolest running T510 possible.

 

yes, I agreed with #10 friends, just the entrance of air so the foam used to filter the dust, thus making sense...

 

As long as they're all like that, then yes this is probably the case. It's possible that the pic from the review was of a pre-production unit sent out for the review and that's why it's rear grille is unobstructed.

 

Well, just FYI, mine doesn't have that foam.

 

At least in my case, that foam is really thin and I doubt it's there as part of dust filter.

 

Mine doesn't have that foam, I have discrete graphics and a copper heatsink.

 

+1 My T510 was built on 3/16 and it has what looks to be a copper heatsink. I have discrete graphics and the i5 540 CPU. It sounds like there are two heatsinks and it is luck as to which one you get.

 

On the T410 the rear appears to be the exhaust. Is this the case on the T510?

If it is then why have a dust cover on that...? To stop the dust blowing out?

 

Yes, all T-series Thinkpads since the T60 generation has had cooling grilles on both the rear and side. The T410's vents are smaller than the T510's, though (and those of the previous-generation T400).

Well, that's the question, isn't it

 

Maybe only the discrete version have copper heatsink

 

I have the discrete version (bought it in June) and also have the copper heatsink. There's no foam blocking any of the vents.

 

A photo of my T510 "heat grills" is attached. They look like that in my other ThinkPads, too. (There is one vent, with grills visible, on the left side of the T43p.)