Coming soon - Y470P!

Alright ladies & gents, SSD should be in my mailbox today. Tonight I'll try and do the writeup (if time permits my schedule) and post it for everyone. I'll take the best pics I can. If I manage to screw things up as I go then I'll not be posting anything ;]

One thing I'm worried about is proper screws but hopefully the drive I ordered came with them or I have some lying around.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

Looking forward to seeing the process! I am sure you will enjoy the benefits.

 

so far this is a pain in the a** as I didn't have the proper storage for backup (eventually found some, just waiting for files to backup) will write the walk thru if I get this finished wish some spare time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

All, I just made my 'slightly-mini' write-up on the basics of how to install the SSD. I didn't get to finish completely but I hope what I have put is helpful. Please feel free to ask any questions on that thread and hopefully I will get to update it soon with more information....

Thread located here.

 

I just noticed there's a new version of the Y470P (SKU 08552KU) for sale on the Lenovo website. What's the deal with this? The main difference is that it reverts to the Nvidia GPU from the Y470. I would think that alone would make it not worthy of the "P" designation. Actually, spec-wise it's identical to the Y470 w/ SKU 08552HU. What's Lenovo trying to do here? My guess is trying to clear old stock, but why give it the "P" name and confuse people?

 

I live in Nicaragua (Central America), and unluckily for me most vendors decided to sell inferior products for the Latin American market at the same or higher price, so my only choice is to buy online if I want something decent.

Here's and example: The hp dv6 has a nice aluminum finish, has the option of 1080 screen, dedicated GPU and with up to i7 or A8 CPUs, all of this for less than $1000. The latin american version of the dv6 has cheap ugly plastic finish, no high res screen option, no dedicated GPU, no USB3, and up to A4 CPU (not even i3!), all of this for around $800+15% tax. Feel my pain?

When I read about the y470p I was really exited, the port selection is great (it's got eSATA, USB3 and mSATA port!), 14" is my preferred laptop size and I was looking for something with gaming capabilities. The thing that let me down was no other option than 1366x768 glossy screen.

My second choice was an HP dv6, which is bigger (15.6") and has no eSATA, but can be had with a 1080 matte screen. My balance was leaning towards the dv6 as the screen is very important to me, but in the end I could not order from hp.com because they don't take non-us issued credit cards, so I ended up buying the y470p (I love amazon payments).

A friend of mine is going to the sates for a week, and he'll do me the favor of getting the laptop here. I hope Lenovo does not delay their estimated shipping date, or I'll have to cancel the order.

When the y480 comes to market, I'll consider getting it if it comes with a decent screen.

EDIT: Well, I just got an email stating that the laptop is in the mail.

 

Screen is what it is.
The computer rocks. Specs are great. Handles HD video editing, viewing and Skyrim without a hitch.
No regrets whatsoever on my end.

 

:-( How did you get the 7690m work ? I can't even play d3 beta with it...

 

I have not been a big fan of the program-specific switching between the 7690m and the Intel integrated graphics. You can set it up though to switch between the 7690m and the Intel graphics based on power source. In other words, as long as you're plugged in, the AMD card is active. I don't have my Lenovo with me at the moment, but I think you right click on the desktop and there is a Graphics Options or something of that nature. I believe it will open up the Catalyst Control Center and you'll be able to switch to have the AMD card active while plugged in. GregPf has some instructions earlier in the thread, although I had to follow a slightly different path to get there than what was in the instructions...not sure why.

EDIT: Home with the Y470p now...this is something you might try: Right click on the desktop, then select Graphics Properties. It should default to the "Standard" view for Catalyst Control Center. Click on "Switchable Graphics Method" under the "Power" section to set the GPU to be always on when plugged in. Looks like you can also switch manually between the two by going to "Switchable Graphics" in the same "Power" section.

 

I agree. Screen isn't great, especially compared to my Sony Z11, but it's usable. I've been pretty impressed so far with the speed of the machine.
IMHO, even the HDD is pretty fast (my boot times are generally under 60 seconds).

My only real "complaint" so far is the screen wobble. I don't like notebooks where the screen wobbles as I type on the keyboard. It's really minor on the Y470p, but there is a little bounce in the screen. That doesn't happen at all on my Sony or Dell computers.

 

Screen wobble? Anybody else seeing this? I don't, not at all, unless I really pound hard on the keys -- then the whole thing shakes, including the screen, back and forth a little bit on the hinges.

 

Are there any special consideration for a clean Win7 install on the y470p?

Can the official AMD video drivers be used, or do I need to use the Lenovo supplied drivers?

I don't want automatic GPU switching, I prefer to manually choose which GPU I like to use, even if that requires a reboot.

Is there a BIOS option to select integrated/external GPU? A physical switch?

I'm installing Linux on it when it arrives, so I guess the GPU switch thing will be problrematic.

 

My screen bobbles if I'm typing normally. If I pick up the computer and move it, I get a little shaking in the screen. I can only get my Dell Latitude to shake like that if I "flick" the top part of the screen. It's not extreme on the Y470p, it's just a little bobble that happens pretty much any time I touch it. I wonder if there is a way to tighten the hinges...

 

Depending on the gap(I don't have one yet so I'm not sure) you could put a bit of friction tape on each surface(so the tape rubs against only itself) or friction tape on one side and a smooth electrical tape on the other to increase the force required to move the lid.

I've had this work before on a older laptop that had pretty tight clearances. I can't tell from images if the y470 has a small enough gap for this to work. You might have to play with layers or different types of tape.

 

Not a bad idea. I may pick some up next time I'm at the store. Now that I'm looking closer at it though, I'm not sure it will help. The hinge is pretty stiff...it's the connection between the hinges and the screen that I think produce the wobble. Like I said...it's not a huge deal. I'm definitely happy with the computer.

@any overclockers...what are you using to overcock the GPU? I'm not seeing ATI Overdrive in the Catalyst Control Center suite.

 

Use msi afterburner for overclocking

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

How? I can't seem to clock it over stock values

 

Maybe you need to disable ULPS as described in this post:

The Definitive DV6z Llano Overclock and Optimization Guide

 

Thanks for the heads up. [Sigh]...lots of work it seems just to do a little overclocking. I also tried to follow the advice of lee_what2004 in post 35 of this thread (which talks about unlocking MSI Afterburner 2.1), but a link in the instructions appears to broken and I can't install the beta.

Is there an overclocking tool anyone is using that is just plug and play? EVGA Precision worked like a charm on my Vaio...but it has a Nvidia card. It wouldn't work on the AMD card in the Y470p.

 

The unlocking guide should be this

source: GUIDE for Unlocking MSI AfterBurner - OverclockersClub Forums

If still fails, try Sapphire Trixx
https://www.sapphireselectclub.com/ssc/TriXX/TriXX.aspx

 

I tried that (the first part) and it didn't work. Maybe I'll try the sapphire trixx thing tomorrow, though the link Glock posted a few posts above made it sound like that was unreliable.

 

I've used Trixx with several different mobile and desktop Radeons, but support depends on driver version and GPU model.

With Catalyst >=12.1 Trixx does not work, at least on my HD4650 or desktop HD6850

 

I'll be interested to hear if you get this working JP$

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

No go. Tried everything as far as I know. I tried the link that lee_what posted above: GUIDE for Unlocking MSI AfterBurner - OverclockersClub Forums. It doesn't work because a link in the instructions to the MSI Afterburner 2.2.0 Beta 2 is broken. It gives you a "Not Found" error when you try to download from guru3D.com.

So then I tried Trixx. Doesn't work. Trixx gives you a checkbox for disabling ULPS, which apparently is a necessary step for unlocking overclocking on the AMD card. Checking the box didn't work. I tried HTWingNut's automatic disabler from this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...overclock-optimization-guide.html#post8247084. Didn't work. I manually disabled ULPS in the registry editor. Still didn't work. I would think this--in combination with setting the MSIAfterburner.cfg file to UnofficialOverclockingMode=1 should have done the trick. But the clocks are still locked. Can't move them in MSI Afterburner or Trixx.

So I also downloaded RivaTuner, which is what I used to use to overclock my Dell Inspiron 1520. But I couldn't remember how the hell to work RivaTuner.

So I think I'm done now. Overclocking a computer that is ostensibly supposed to be my wife's is just not worth all the crap I have downloaded at this point, and certainly not worth manually updating the registry. I've already experienced a BSOD for my efforts here (although that is what I get I guess for accidentally installing AMD CPU OC software).

If anyone has a simple OC solution--I'm talking downloading a program and then sliding two clock bars--I'd love to hear about it.

 

When my y470p arrives I'll try overcocking, will let you know if it works of not.

 

well, at least you tried! thanks for the info (or lackthereof )

 

Let me reiterate, we cannot overclock just yet because the drivers for the HD 7690m haven't been released yet.

 

In post 36 of this thread, Bomino reported a successful overclock: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ideapad-essential/639812-coming-soon-y470p-4.html#post8295960. I couldn't get it to work though.

 

I know I tried as well, to no avail.

 

Try download the beta MSI here, guys: I'm trying out OC using this version now.
MSI Afterburner 2.2.0 Beta 15 download from Guru3D.com

 

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of upgrading my notebook to the Y470P.

Is it a good upgrade, considering my configuration in my signature?

Or should I wait for the Ivy Bridge machines to come out?

 

I'd say the biggest difference you would see would be graphics performance. The Y470p's 7690 is roughly double the performance of your 4670 (according to notebookcheck.net).

Otherwise
- double the proc count, but I've found nothing that really matters for unless you run HPC code or (maybe) do a lot of Photoshop
- double the RAM, but so far I've likewise seen nothing using even 4GB (again, except maybe Photoshop)
- same proc clock, but some day somebody may show us how to overclock
- same speed HDD, but half the space you now have
- if I had to guess, I'd say the i7 probably gives you better battery life (about 5hrs is what folks say they get)
- build quality - the y470p is pretty good, with what I personally consider a rather decent keyboard, but I've never had an Asus so can't directly compare. No leather, but it looks good (my opinion, obviously).

The graphics is, IMHO, awesome on this machine. But you have to decide - do you need it right now, or can you wait a bit? Ivy Bridge is pretty much on the horizon now (I don't know its laptop ship dates), will probably give better performance and even better battery life, and somebody's bound to glue a good GPU on one.

 

Probably depends too on what you are using your computer for. If you are a gamer, then definitely yes, the Y470p is probably a good upgrade, as you'll get much better performance out of the 7690, as GregPf mentioned. However, I haven't actually loaded any games on this machine to test, so I can't comment on how they run, though others in this thread have reported good results.

Personally I've been a tad disappointed in the 7690 in the Y470p. My 3DMark06 test only beat the 9000 mark by a bit. A decent score, but under the averages for the 7690 out on notebookcheck.net. I have also been frustrated by the difficulty involved with overclocking the GPU. We'll see if LagunaCId can get it working.

I wouldn't recommend the Y470p if you're looking for a great screen. If you are prepared for the 768 resolution going in (which I'm guessing you are because I think your Asus is also 768), then you're probably fine. The Y470p screen isn't bad, it's just not amazing. It gets the job done.

I also agree with everything GregPf stated.

 

I had the F8Va, which has the same motherboard on the N81 on a slightly different chasis, but with a 1440x900 screen. It originally had a Radeon HD3650, which I later upgraded to a HD4650 out of a N81VP.

From the 3650 to 4650 I got like 200% the GPU performance. I could have upgraded to a 5650 later, but that would only give me like 10% more performance, so I waited. The 7690 (rebranded 6670) will give another 200% performance increase.

I have not felt the need for more CPU performance (I had the T9600, like yours), but the 4650 GPU had a hard time keeping up with newer games.

The reason I waited so long for an upgrade was mainly the screen. The F8Va's screen did not have the best contrast or viewing angles, but sure was a lot better than the 1366x768 screens on newer laptops.

Since I could not buy an HP dv6 which has a 1920x1080 screen (I'm not in the US), I bought the Lenovo. I chose to buy the y470p now mainly because I prefer an ATI/AMD GPU over the nVidia GPU present in the y480, and I'll use and external monitor for gaming. On the CPU side I don't think there'll be much of a difference from SB to IB.

 

For those who want to overclock, I found some interesting info in this thread:

Problem with 7950 and Trixx

Basically, AMD left out a file in the newer driver packages, thus making overcloking impossible. After copying the file to the \Windows\SysWOW64 overclokign works again.

I just tested it with my desktop HD6850 and Catalyst 12.3, overcloking works again using Trixx (did not work with Cat >12.1)

Maybe this applies to the y470p drivers as well?

 

There are ATI/AMD video drivers posted today on the Lenovo website! 643MB large... Wow.

 

Holy wow is right! That's a huge file for drivers. With that being said.. I'm downloading now!

Maybe I'll do a backup for s***'s and giggles. I'll install the drivers and see if I can get an overclock to set.

 

do we not already have these drivers? The dates on the website are 2011, and the laptop was made available in 2012.
I am pretty sure we have these drivers and software already on our machines.
Unless someone else is finding different, please let me know.

 

Previously, there were only exact drivers for the Y470/Nvidia gpu, not the Y470p with AMD RADEON HD 7690m
Oh and for those who want a picture of the internals.

 

I stand corrected. I just found the driver. Will download.

 

My y470p just arrived. It's late, so I just put in the SSD and booted Linux. Everything seems to work, at least on the integrated graphics. Will test dGPU and switchable graphics tomorrow, as well as install Windows.

 

My Y470P is making a really high pitched whirring sound that the fan settings aren't having an effect on. It only turns off if I put it on standby or turn it off. Anyone else getting this? It's quite irritating.

 

D:

I hope it's not capacitor whine... I had a 10-year-old desktop PSU blow out on me when I heard that once

 

Howdy folks, quick question:

Lenovo's 4/11 promotion has ended, and the prices on the Y470p have "juggled" a bit again. For the next week the 08552KU is listed at $759 (good til 4/18). It's the "odd" model, as it seems to have the Geforce 550m instead of the Radeon 7690.

I talked to Lenovo customer support quite a bit two weeks ago, and they were "certain" that the older Y470 came/comes with the 550m, while the newer Y470P has the 7690. So...perhaps it's a listing error?

In my case, even though the 550m is the lesser card, I have some software written specifically for CUDA, so I'm kinda stuck with NVIDIA. Question is: has anyone picked up a Y470P with the 550m and if so, impressions?

It wouldn't bug me too much if it were a "typo" -- I'd just exchange/refund it if it came with the 7690 (which is a shame, huh?). But I'd like to get some owner feedback if it's out there!

-Matt

PS I noticed there are also some good prices on the 15.6" Y570, which carries the much nicer 555m (pretty much equal to the 7690). But since I'll be carrying it a lot, those ~6lbs are a drawback (plus battery life issues).

 

Well I did a clean install of Win7, everything is good so far except for the wifi, which has very bad reception and is very slow.

I'm 3 meters from the router (Asus RT-N16) and the connection maxes out at 36Mbps with transfers below 2MB/s. My previous computer with a Ralink card did around 12-13MB/s from another room! Even a crappy Atheros card on my wife's 4 year old laptop manages 6-7MB/s! Has someone experienced similar issues?

The only 7690M drivers that work are the ones supplied by Lenovo, I tried several third party updated drivers, but without success. Overclocking the GPU does not work.

Under Linux the Catalyst 12.3 do not recognize the 7690M, so no switchable graphics under Linux ATM.

Oh, the SATA port appears to be 6Gbps, contrary to what I read on several reviews and forums. Reads from the Force3 average around 280MB/s with ~400MB/s peaks, so it looks like it's 6Gbps.

As for general impression, the laptop looks very nice, and the screen is not as bad as I expected, but I would prefer a higher resolution. The chassis feels a bit flimsy, it bends easily. I thought it would be sturdier. the keyboard is nice, the speakers are decent and so far it does not get hot. I still haven't had the time to do some gaming, but will this weekend.

 

Thanks for the impressions! Sorry to hear it's a bit flimsy.

Two questions (sorry if you already touched on this): (1) how was wifi before the reinstallation, and (2) have you popped the door on the back and checked the antennae?

-Matt

 

1) I did not test transfer speeds before the reinstallation.
2) I just checked the antennae cables and seem to be ok.

I just did some more tests on the SSD, and I get ~400-450MB/s reading uncompressed data (big file filled with 0s), so I can confirm the 6Gbps SATA.

WiFi download speeds under Linux are marginally better, I get 3.5-6MB/s, upload speeds tops out at less than 1MB/s. Still poor in my opinion, especially upload transfer speed. After a google search I found several people complaining about the WiFi Link 1000 BGN, so maybe it's an inferior product.

Can the mSATA slot be used for a regular mPCI-E card?

 

Actual usage on battery: At conference, screen brightness dimmest possible, no game playing.

After 3 hours, showed 49% remaining.

1 hour later, down to 7% and gasping to be turned off.

Lesson (re-) learned: Battery gauges are not linear. Wondering about others' claimed 5 hour use.

 

Thanks Greg, that's extremely useful info. I'm assuming you used Windows to gauge battery life -- how long have you had the machine? It might take several charge/discharge cycles before it's "accurate". Either way I think gas tanks operate on the same nonlinearity principle.

BTW, wifi on/off? Status of the dedicated video card? I'd guess whatever you were doing the last hour was pretty much the same as the first three?

-Matt

 

Good questions!

I've had the machine for a few months now. It's gone through at least three charge/discharge cycles where it got below 10%. Some accidentally.

Yes, Windows was my source of battery info. I don't think the nonlinearity has anything directly to do with that - my impression is that it's an industry-wide "if you got a battery gauge it's nonlinear" thing. Second hand info from a newbie Motorola phone designer (his friend told me): He carefully designed the gauge to be linear, and was told to go back and make it nonlinear - that one bar down should be 50% life gone. They want you to think your battery lasts longer - is my guess.

Wifi on, GPU off, did exactly the same as I'd been doing the first 3 hours: Live-tweeting what was going on at the CSU #Futurevisions 1-day conference. (Cool meet. Final panel had David Pogue (hilarious speaker) and the IBM manager of Watson - the Jeopardy thing.)