Installing Fedora 15 on a ThinkPad W520
Installation
You should set the graphics mode as in the Video section below. The graphical Fedora 15 install works perfectly.
Video
The first decision is whether you want to use the NVidia discrete graphics (faster) or the Intel HD integrated graphics (more power-efficient). Both are more than fast enough for office graphics, the only noticeable speed difference is in 3D. I don't see any speed difference in the gnome shell (which uses 3D acceleration to draw 2D windows). You must set the graphics mode in the BIOS accordingly to discrete or integrated only. Do not leave it at the default "Optimus" as it is undocumented and unsupported.
I set it to "integrated only".
If you install the binary nvidia driver, 3D performance is awesome, but screen brightness stopped adjusting for me, and would sometimes dim with no way to un-dim. Similar bug in ubuntu here: Ubuntu bug #72669.
To solve it add
Option "RegistryDwords" "EnableBrightnessControl=1"
to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file in the "Device" section. Dim buttons then work after restarting X.
Networking
Works out of the box.
Finger print reader
Works out of the box.
