Difference between T420 and E520?

Hi everyone,

I'm finally ready to pay a bit extra to get a quality machine from Lenovo rather than the Dells and HP's that have been falling apart on me for years. I like to buy my laptops at Costco because of their excellent return policy and added warranty, and so I'm comparing these two models at Costco.com right now:

T420 vs E520

My question: why would the T420 listed there be almost twice the cost as the E520? Both have 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drives, and i5 processors that, as far as I know, shouldn't make such a big difference. The T420 has a fingerprint reader, which I don't care about, but I don't think it would add $500+ to the cost anyway. The cheaper machine actually has a 15.6 inch screen, vs. the 14 inch screen of the T420.

So why is the T420 almost twice the cost? I don't want to say money isn't the issue for me in this buying decision, but both machines do fall in my budget so I don't mind buying the more expensive one. I'm just trying to decide which is the best option for me.

I'm a writer and editor so I would use the laptop for writing, web browsing and music listening first and foremost, with some light gaming very occasionally (things like Civ 4 and 5, nothing super-graphics-intensive).

I'd appreciate any feedback or help anyone could give me!

 

Because, as you said, the ThinkPad T420 is ...

If you are writer who types (instead of clicking the mouse), consider the ThinkPad T/X for its great keyboard.

The "ThinkPad" Edge Ẹ520 is designed for a different market segment.

 

The standard ThinkPads (i.e. T420) should use more robust materials compared to the ThinkPad Edge. The little things such as the carbon fibre reinforced plastics, internal magnesium rollcage and thermal engineering on the standard ThinkPads all adds up to the costs which is why it's a bit more expensive compared to its Edge sibling.

The ThinkPad Edge is not a bad machine but if you have the odd mishap such as dropping it for instance then it's reassuring to have a robust machine that can withstand that. I mean my 4 year old ThinkPad R61e was in my boot when I had a car crash and got thrown to a ditch. Amazingly apart from a small cosmetic chip it's still working to this day as an office server which is testament to its strong build quality.

 

Thanks for your answer, but what part of my initial post are you referring to with the "..."? I described what I know of the machine, but I obviously don't know what causes the price difference or I wouldn't have asked. Thanks again.

 

Awesome, thanks Hearst. Build quality is important to me, not so much in terms of dropping it but more things like bad construction/design causing the thing to melt on me. I've had a Dell that needed a new motherboard simply because a cable put a bit too much torque on a port, and an HP that got ruined because the graphics card melted something internally, and a Toshiba that had an improperly fitted HD that caused static so the audio had a crackling sound... I'm just ready for a well-built machine that won't fall apart on me within 6-12 months.

 

Right after the "..." itself: the "falling apart" part. Anyway, hope you'll treat yourself to a T420.

 

Thanks! I'm very seriously considering it. The Costco one is on sale for $250 off right now. I believe Lenovo itself has a sale going on too, but I'm such a big fan of the 90 day no-question-asked return policy and the extra year of warranty at Costco that I may just get it there. My main thing is that they only get a handful of models/configurations in at a time, and that selection changes from week to week, so I'm trying to wait and see if they get one that has e.g. an i7 processor or one that comes with 6 or 8 gigs of RAM.

 

Buy the ram on your own, it's quite a bit cheaper to go that route. Also the i7 isn't going to make of a difference for most people.

 

I wouldn't stress yourself too much about those two things. You can get more RAM from a computer store like Newegg.com, and then it's really easy to install. Also, while the i7 would be faster than an i5, it's not drastically faster, and anything that is too resource-intensive for the i5 will also be for the i7. I think you'd have an overall more pleasant experience with the i5 and a small SSD as a boot drive.

 

If you get a T420, I'd shy away from that one. The price is too high for what it is, and it has the low-res screen.
- Unless eyesight issues are a concern, it is recommended that you get one that has the 1600x900 display, not the 1366x768 display. The higher res lets you fit more stuff onscreen.
- A config of the T420 that would still be suitable to your performance needs while also having the better display would run for much cheaper if you bought it from Lenovo.com. Costco's return policy might be nice, but you might want to reconsider if it means paying significantly more to get a worse overall configuration.

Lenovo Thinkpad T420 with the 1600x900 display upgrade - $764+
- Go here: Lenovo - Laptop computers - ThinkPad T420
- Start with the cheapest base model.
- Under "Display" upgrade to the 1600x900 option.
- You might want to do the $0.00 switch from the stock WiFi card to the Intel 1000 WiFi card. From what I've heard, it's better, but I'm not 100% sure about the actual differences.
- Use coupon code THINKSAVINGS, or USPRETHINK if that happens to expire.
- Other upgrades to consider: 9-Cell battery, larger hard disk, WARRANTY.

Or you can look at the T520, which has a 15.6" display (same resolution in bigger size so it fits the same amount of stuff but stuff isn't as tiny, but image quality / contrast is much better).

Lenovo Thinkpad T520 with the 1600x900 display upgrade - $854+
- Go here: http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...=7162ACCF009D2872F8BA28660C1EC3B5&action=init
- Start with the cheapest base model.
- Under "Display" upgrade to the 1600x900 option.
- You might want to do the $0.00 switch from the stock WiFi card to the Intel 1000 WiFi card. From what I've heard, it's better, but I'm not 100% sure about the actual differences.
- Use coupon code USPRETHINK
- Other upgrades to consider: 9-Cell battery, larger hard disk, WARRANTY.

If you want to go ultra-portable:

Lenovo Thinkpad X220 with the IPS display upgrade - $835+
- Go here: http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...90072AB74EA5EA87218BF129CC11&menu-id=products
- Start with the cheapest base model
- Under "Display" upgrade to the 'Premium' (IPS) option. Resolution is 1366x768 (which is acceptable for this screen size) for all display options, but quality is significantly better for the IPS display versus the stock display.
- You might want to do the $0.00 switch from the stock WiFi card to the Intel 1000 WiFi card. From what I've heard, it's better, but I'm not 100% sure about the actual differences.
- Use coupon code THINKSAVINGS, or USPRETHINK if that happens to expire.
- Other upgrades to consider: 9-Cell battery, larger hard disk, WARRANTY.

--------

Either way, the Lenovo Thinkpad T/W/X series have excellent keyboards. As a writer, the keyboard is something you would want to pay attention to.

 

Build quality and Ruggedness of the laptop casing is what makes the T420 almost the twice the cost. Although the difference in the cost of manufacturing is not that much.

But E420 is aimed at budget conscious business consumers whom want the ThinkPad quality support and slightly better build quality then the more common consumer grade laptop.

While, T420 is aimed at the business and enterprise mainstream, where cost of deployment is less significant then the quality and stability of machine over the deployed lifespan.

So when you want quality you are expected to pay for it.

 

Yeah, i could never get my head around it, why does business mainstream require such power to run internet and microsoft word? Surely they cld get by with a pentium 3. Actually it disgusts me they get handed these powerful machines to surf the net and edit excel files.

To quote someone else..
i've had 2 ibms t61 and x61... none of the LCD's survived the fall...sorry. not sure about their durability.

 

Some enterprise customers use their machine more than just for Microsoft Office and run Internet, they also run lot of other software packages which are quite taxing on the CPU.

Regarding falls and what not, these machines are not made to be thrown around like frisbie. But the probability of them surviving a fall is higher than a consumer grade laptop.

This is the same idea with having airbags and using exotic chassis material for high end cars, it doesn't mean that you would survive every car crash, but the probability of you getting severely injured is reduced by a great deal as compared to lower end cars that doesn't have these safety features.

 

Just a quick note to thank everyone for their suggestions. This is an amazing forum. I will compare options on the Lenovo website for a bit and maybe run the final package I come up with by you guys again.

 

Okay, I'm back. After comparing the options on the Lenovo site for a bit, I think I've decided on getting a T520, but I wanted to run some options by the panel of experts here!

I use my computers until they fall apart, and processors aren't so easy to upgrade, so I like to buy towards the higher end of what's available in terms of CPU. I'm thinking of upgrading to the i7-2760QM processor, which is the second highest they offer right now. The next one up is twice as expensive for what I think is not a huge amount of difference, so I settled on the 2760QM. Thoughts?

I'm thinking of sticking with the base 4 gig RAM for now, because they put it as one DIMM, so it should be fairly easy to add more later - possibly at a cheaper price. But - I'm a tech klutz, so... is it an easy upgrade with this model? I know with some laptops you need to take out the keyboard to get to the RAM, which isn't something I'd be very comfortable with. I'd rather pay the $160 for a full 8 gigs now if it requires more than just popping open a panel and sticking in the DIMM.

I'm also thinking of upgrading to the 1920 x 1080 screen. It's a chunk of money, but I hated the 1366 x 768 res of my previous machine with a furious vengeance (not enough vertical space, very annoying when you write long format texts like I do) so when someone here recommended upgrading to 1600 x 900, I followed that logic and decided to go with the next step up. (This was actually a main reason why I decided to go for T520 vs T420 - and also because portability isn't that important for me.)

I think I'll pay the $30 extra to get a 7200 rpm HD. I know SSD is much better, but it's much more costly plus the 160GB size isn't going to do it for me. $30 for the upgrade from 5400 to 7200 seems very reasonable. Is there any reason NOT to upgrade to the 7200 rpm one? (e.g. less reliable)

Per the suggestion of someone here, I'll go for the Intel wireless adapter, unless anyone thinks that's a bad idea.

And finally - it's only $100 more for the 2 year on-site warranty. That seems, for some reason, REALLY cheap to me for the value it provides. Do they come through on this? Is it worth it?

The machine I came up with is about $1,500 at their current sale price and with the current BESTSELLERS e-coupon. Not cheap, but it's a pretty high-end laptop so I'm willing to invest, especially if the famed Lenovo quality is what it's cracked up to be.

Here's the full details of what's sitting in my Lenovo cart now

1. System Components
2. Services & Software
3. Accessories
4. Review

Description
ThinkPad T520 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty Edit
Processor: Intel Core i7-2760QM Processor (2.40 GHz, 6MB L3) Edit
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Edit
Operating system language: Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 English
Display type: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready Edit
System graphics: NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory Edit
Total memory: 4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM) Edit
Keyboard: Keyboard US English
Camera: 720p Camera Edit
Hard drive: 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm Edit
Optical device: DVD recordable multiburner Edit
System expansion slots: Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader Edit
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55+ Edit
Power cord: Country Pack North America with Line cord & 135W AC adapter Edit
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 Edit
Integrated mobile broadband: Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable Edit
Language pack: Language Pack US English
2Yr Onsite Warranty Next Business Day

 

If you need the performance and are willing to spend $1500, try pricing-out a similarly-configured Lenovo Thinkpad W520. The W520 often comes out cheaper for a better configuration, partially because it comes by default with a lot of upgrades the T520 charges you for.

However, your usage requirements "I would use the laptop for writing, web browsing and music listening first and foremost, with some light gaming very occasionally (things like Civ 4 and 5, nothing super-graphics-intensive)." don't indicate that you need all of these performance upgrades. I'm certain you could get away with downgrading a multitude of things.

 

I buy laptops planning to use them until they fall apart, so I like to buy the higher end of the specs. What seems unnecessary right now is the very minimum needed to be workable in a few years, so I'd rather spend a few hundred dollars more now and be able to use the machine for another year or two. That's also why I'm buying Lenovo - I understand they're reliable. My last laptop was a 2003 single core Pentium 4 that finally died on me a few months ago. So I know this configuration is more than I need now, but I hope it'll still be okay in 5 years when MS Office 2017 or iTunes 14 come around

(that being said, I'll check out the W520, thanks)

 

T520 quad core CPU model with the FHD screen is a screamer.

 

I've been toying around with T520 vs W520 options. In price they seem fairly similar when I choose the same basic CPU/RAM/HD. Is there any reason to go with one versus the other, if all else is equal?

 

If gaming is ever a factor, you want the W520 for its significantly better GPU.

 

Ivy Bridge systems will be here in the next 3 months, so expect current Sandy Bridge stock to be heavily discounted. The Ivy Bridge systems will see a 32->22nm cpu die shrink. At the same time NVidia have gone from a 40nm->28nm manufacturing process meaning more efficient/powerful GPUs from them. IVB is a significant technological improvement that's worth the wait imho.

If you must have something now then I'd suggest check the Outlets for a Lenovo W520 or Dell M4600. Their resale value won't see such savage depreciation upon release of IVB.

 

Argh, I wish I hadn't seen that, because reselling a laptop isn't something I want to deal with, and waiting 3 months is going to be hard (I'm typing this on a teeny tiny netbook that's driving me NUTS) so I want to buy a new keeper machine soon. I'll just have to suck it up, I guess. (Then again, that also means depreciation isn't a huge issue for me. I'm planning to use the new machine until it dies on me.)

In terms of W520 vs T520 again - is the build quality comparable?

 

Know what you mean. Wouldn't touch a netbook unless it's a 1366x768 HP 5102/5103 or Dell Mini 1012. If you want to wait for IVB then I'd suggest replace the netbook with a spare inexpensive ultraportable like a 12.1" Lenovo X220, HP 2530P or 13" Dell E4300.

Can't comment on your query on the T520 vs W520 build quality other than I assume they'd be pretty similar with bias favoring the W520. The W520 has a higher performance dGPU so would need some design smarts to house it and cool it.

 

No, the T520 and W520 share the exact same chassis and components. The W520 does have a more robust heatsink to cope with the more power-hungry and hotter-running GPU, but essentially, that's it. Build quality will be the same.

 

Cool, thanks. The 2GB GPU on the W520 is making me lean towards that model now, and the standard 9 cell battery is a plus too.

One more question - on the T520, the graphics card says "NVIDIA NVS 4200M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory". I know that "Optimus Technology" is supposed to be great at helping to keep the system cool. The W520's "NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory" doesn't say it has the Optimus thing. Is that correct? (Edit: never mind - just saw on nvidia's website that that card has the Optimus thing too.)

Here's what I'm looking at now...

Processor: Intel Core i7-2760QM Processor (2.40 GHz, 6MB L3)
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
Display type: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
System graphics: NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory
Total memory: 8 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Hard drive: 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Battery: 9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (2x2 AGN)

 

It's not because it's 2GB, it's because the GPU core is faster.

 

Thanks. I'm obviously not an expert at this stuff

I'm still going back and forth on different models. Part of me wants to go for broke and get a loaded W520, and another part of me wants to get a basic T420.