Buying a new T400..suggestions if any..

Was planning to get a Macbook, but decided to stick with windows and get a Thinkpad..
Planning to get this config for a T400, had a R51 earlier loved the quality of the notebook so decided to get a new thinkpad...

• Processor1 Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
• Operating system12 Genuine Windows Vista Business 64
• Recovery DVD Microsoft Windows XP Professional US English RDVD
• Display type 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight, Camera
• System graphics ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
• Total memory8 2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
• Keyboard Keyboard US English
• Pointing device UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
• Hard drive4 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
• Intel® Turbo Memory hard drive cache Intel Turbo Memory 2GB
• Optical device5 DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
• System expansion slots Express Card Slot & 7-1 Media Card Reader
• Bluetooth Integrated Bluetooth PAN
• Wireless card10 Intel WiFi Link 5300 (AGN)
• Mobile Broadband Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
• Battery60 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
• Power cord Country Pack North America with Line cord & 90W AC adapter
• Language pack Language Pack US English

Price : $1388.70

Any suggestions??

 

depending on your needs sticking with a p8600 is probably a better option unless you want it to be similar to a MBP. I would also drop the 2GB turbo memory if you want to save money. You are intending to upgrade the RAM yourself right? Otherwise everything looks good.

 

yup im planning to upgrade and add another 2GB stick thats why the 64bit OS.

are there any advantages of the turbo memory?? also im planning to do some light gaming, photoshop on this machine thats why chose the t9400..is there a huge performace jump over the p8600??

 

no you wont see a major performance increase in gaming (probably none) or photoshop (very little maybe depending on what you are doing)

Very few advantages with turbo memory, on the santa rosa platform it did basically nothing. Intel claimed it would be better on montineva but I dont think you would miss it, but it wont hurt to get it if you like as just in case.

 

There is a slight performance jump. The T9400 is clocked only 5.4% faster, but it has double the L2 cache. However, for most people I think the P8600 is a better choice (cheaper, cooler, and with superior battery life).

Turbo memory is of little use at best. Basically it is a permanently mounted flash drive that is used for Windows Vista ReadyBoost (It HAS NO EFFECT IN XP). You can get roughly the same effect from a $6 2GB SD card.

I think the Intel 5100 is adequate, but the 5300 has no downsides (other than a small price premium). The advantage of the 5300 is an extra antenna, but I believe if you get the webcam you don't even get this advantage in full (the webcam prevents a true 3x3 array).

You may want to configure the WWAN card now. It is cheap to get it with the laptop ($30 for AT&T) but very expensive to add it later (>$150 last time I checked). If you get the AT&T card you can use any activated GSM SIMM with an Internet plan (including a prepaid international one or a smartphone pull) to get online anywhere.

The 9 cell battery is also worth considering if you plan on using your laptop away from the mains frequently. However, the 6 cell is smaller/cheaper and is probably more than adequate for your needs.

I'd also recommend upgrading to a 3 year warranty (depot is fine) if you intend to keep the T400 that long (it's also transferable if you choose to sell the laptop at a later date).

 

ahh well supposedly this SD card was "closer" so it could be accessed faster =)

 

For your stated uses, you are probably buying far more power than you need and could save some lots of $$$:

• You would be just fine with the P8400 processor instead of the P9400.
• You also do not need the dedicated ATI graphics processor
• You will not see much benefit from Turbo Memory.
• You need not purchase a internal WWAN card (unless it is offered as a free deal) because one can usually get one free / discounted from the carrier if you later sign for a WWAN plan (just like you get the free phone on your cell plan).
• You don't really need a fingerprint reader unless you are just looking to impress friends.

If you get the 64-bit OS, you may also need to get compatible 64-bit software. This may be an expensive proposition if you already have Photoshop and it is 32-bit.

 

Windows 64-bit and Linux 64-bit can run 32-bit code on a 64-bit OS. 32-bit applications run mostly the same on a 64-bit OS.


I would get rid of Turbo Memory as those $50 dollars could be better spent towards an additional 2GB of memory. You are better off getting a bigger and/or faster hard drive and extra memory than Intel Turbo Memory. Turbo Memory is not fast enough for any tangible, real world performance increases.

If you need the speed, the T9400 would be quite nice. The T9400 (with 6MB L2 cache) would be better than the P8400/P8600 (with 3MB L2 cache) if you run a lot of CPU intensive tasks such as compiling code, encode audio/video, or running intensive filters in Photoshop. Otherwise, the P8600 is more than adequate.

The fingerprint reader is not really necessary. On the other hand, if you are lazy about passwords, the reader can be quite nice (and helps the resale value).

 

So i have removed the fingerprint reader..and downgraded the processor to p8600..also removed the turbo memory...

the reason why i didnt get any WWAN card and additional warranty is that im from India and we dont have WWAN here, my friend is getting it for me...

another ques...is it better to choose a 250GB 5400RPM or a 160GB 7200RMP, ill be playing games like civilization, command and conquer, and a few FPS nothing to hi fi. i have plenty of external storage so space isnt much of an issue here...its just that its there really a very big difference bet 7200RPM and 5400RPM??

the most CPU intensive tasks that ill be performing are playing games, converting videos for my psp, and basic audio recording using audaticity or something like that.

 

The 7200 RPM will be 1/3 faster but noisier. It will gnerate a continuous sound similar to the exhaust fan at 70%. India is a pretty noisy place, so you probably won't hear this sound over background noise, but it is quite annoying in the US, which is a more quiet place.

Keep in mind that Vista itself can consume some 40 GB of space.

What are you planning to use the Bluetooth for? Again something you can drop if it is a vanity item.

Make sure you complete the online warranty registration for your computer as soon as it arrives in India, otherwise Lenovo India will try to dodge warranty obligations. I have had this experience firsthand!

 

thanks specialista guess ill go with the 250gb one...

another thing my friend is leaving for india on the 20th...will they deliver the notebook by then if i order is by tomorrow? ie 6th of Feb.

 

Either just before or just after you put in the order, the system should generate an estimated ship date. If that date is very close to your friend's departure date then call Lenovo and cancel the order. Lenovo has a reputation for sometimes missing estimated dates by weeks.

Your Plan B will have to be either buying an already-built configuration from Lenovo (these ship right away) or buying something off the shelf in a retail store. These days retail deals are often better than online because of the current state of our economy, but you will have no flexibility to configure specs.

 

Take away turbo memory and upgrade the 2GB you have to 4GB.

 

Sounds reasonable about the WWAN card. I just suggested it as an option because it is convenient to have it built in (as opposed to a USB/ExpressCard solution).

Either hard drive will work fine. The power/noise difference between 5400 and 7200 RPM drives is actually quite small. However, as a general rule, the most economical solution is usually to get the smallest drive from Lenovo and replace it with a high quality drive (e.g. 320GB @ 7200RPM) yourself.