W Series ThinkPad Laptops

[#1]

VT-Vincent : To bad your not closer to the Phily area I would let you try my W500 with your programs to see if you get the BSOD. Mine has yet to BSOD after the updates. Still some other quirky things but no show stoppers.

-Luke

Message Edited by xpnet on 11-20-2008 09:15 AM

Message Edited by xpnet on 11-20-2008 09:15 AM

[#2]

so what I said earlier... about solidworks 2008 running well .. I take it back.

Realview does work (reflections/textures look great) -- but I get alot of

clipping and "blocks" when rotating.

[#3]

May I ask, outofstepper, are you using XP or Vista?

JimL (W500 pending "construction")

Message Edited by oldguy on 11-20-2008 02:25 PM

[#4]

JimL,

I'm running vista64. 

[#5]

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Mark_Lenovo wrote:

To remedy this situation with the ISV drivers, Lenovo has distributed new drivers with the new ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 Subsystem ID’s to the ISV’s and they are currently being evaluated and updated.  Until the ISV’s are able to post the new drivers it is recommended that users requiring the ISV driver use drivers which Lenovo is providing via a new tip which should be made available on the web shortly and we will update this post with a link here. We are working to get these posted as quickly as possible.

---

Mark_Lenovo (or should that be Mr. Mark

Any buzz or when or what as regard to the above noted link (or lack thereof)?

[#6]

Mark_Lenovo,

It looks like the V5700 works fine under Vista, and supports all hardware acceleration (Open GL for Solid Works) which enables function called Real View, Aparently under Windows XP this is not working right, Even with the newest driver from Solid Works web site version 8.523.0.0. Will this issue be solved soon? This was the main reason why I purchased workstation W500 and now I start to wonder if this is persistant perhaps I should go with Dell. The second issue which aparently ATI people are aware is problem with ghosting. Sometimes you open application and the tab stays on even after you close the window. Would be nice to get this finally resolved.

Marcin

[#7]

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Mark_Lenovo wrote:

System BIOS version 1.18 and later change the subsystem ID section of the Hardware ID’s for the ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 to 2126 for switchable graphics mode and 2127 for discrete graphics mode.  Graphics driver version 8.54.2 and later apply this same Subsystem ID change for the ATI Mobility FireGL V5700.   Note that it is important that users follow the directions to install the driver update BEFORE updating the system bios.

Unfortunately, the system bios update that contains the updated Subsystem ID’s has the side effect of causing the drivers that were certified at the ISV’s to not work on any W500’s with system BIOS update 1.18 or later.  The reason for this is that the original drivers sent to the ISV’s did not contain the new ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 Subsystem ID’s.  New W500’s from the factory that are shipped with system BIOS 1.18 or later will not work with the these older certified ISV drivers and any W500 that is updated to this new SBIOS will also not work with the ISV drivers.  Windows will see that the Subsystem ID of the installed GPU does not match the Subsystem ID’s supported by the driver and will either unload the driver or refuse to install the driver.

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I have recently order a W500 c/w Vista64 AND XP Pro R&R

Autodesk (and similar at Solidworks) lists a Certified driver for the W500/V5700-WindowsXP combination on their website. Might I be correct to assume that 1) On installation of XP (after having created a Vista recovery set) 2) downgrading (if this is possible??) the BIOS to pre1.18 that , Under XP Pro all should work 'as advertised' ?? After all, some Drive/Bios combination got through ISV and Autodesk's certification process somewhere. I'd be more than happy if I could configue my W500 (when it arrives) to such a state.

Does that make any sense to any one?

a) I checked Autodesk's certified graphics list.

b) A lenovo/W500 driver is shown and linked UNDER XP

c) I order XP, expecting to HAVE to use XP to achive an "autodesk certified configuration"

d) Can this be done??

On the other hand...... I have seen several Solidworks-type comments where they need OpenGL. No comment from AutoCAd-type users. For AutoCAD, under Vista (and even XP) Direct X is supported (since 2008) and maybe preferred. In which as, oddly, the V5700 appearing (or in fact being - take your pick) as a Radeon may be a good thing (other than of course, that's not what one was expecting to purchase)

Jim "I'm getting a headache" L 

Message Edited by oldguy on 11-21-2008 12:12 PM

[#8]

Just to follow up with Oldguy's question:

If I "downgrade" to XPpro, will that solve this graphics problem?

Thanks. 

[#9]

I will venture a guess to outofstepper's question, out of ignorance, perhaps - so please someone correct me...

Without my "In Progress" yet-to-be-built W500,  think the answer is a qualified "Yes". Yes, in as much as both Solidworks and Autodesk's sites both list "Certified" ISV drivers as for W500/Windows XP.

Qualified in as much as it MAY depend on BIOS revision. The new BIOS, if I understand Mark_Lenovo's post correctly, changes something in BIOS as it relates to the sub-class ID of the video card. This "breaks" (if I might use that term) existing certified ISV drivers = hence the need for new ISV drivers to be certified.

Now, if one had an "older" BIOS version with corresponding video it should work right - Any one?

Odd how this thread seems to have fallen silent

Mark_Lenovo.... Someone??

[#10]

All,

Sorry for the delay - it took longer than expected to get the interim ISV drivers up on the site and a new tip released.   I'll go back and update my prior tip to include this link, and pending ongoing feedback - if these drivers fix your solidworks and other CAD applications, then maybe we declare the prior post as the "solution" to this thread.

HERE IS THE LINK to the interim ISV drivers.

We are submitting the drivers back to the software vendors and will ensure our normal ISV page is updated when these are validated.

Mark