First Thinkpad L430 or T430

Hi,

I am already sick from waiting my old MSI vr630 loading things.
It has upgraded Turion RM-70 cpu
He's got 2gb of ddr2
With 16" 1366x768.
And is a proud owner of 37 bad sectors on his HDD, with 49% health. (hd sentitnel)
Well i guess it would'nt work so bad if his HDD is healthier, but i won't bother replacing it with new. It is just not worth it.

So i am looking for some second hand Thinkpads.
I decided for thinkpad, because I am really impressed how this machine works.
Atleast i know for t42 and t60. (my professor has it, this one will be my first Thinkpad)

Generaly I am not that demanding user. PC would probably suite me better at this time, because of greater number of ports.
But there thinkpad kicks in with docking station, which i intend to buy.
Work that I do on a laptop is mostly reading pdf's and browsing internet.
But I am also doing embedded programming, designing pcb, some simulations and maybe play some game but rarely (it will be nice to be able to)
Some semi-CAD machine i guess?

P.S. Not doing this stuff professionaly, but next year i need this laptop for college and probably more intense work.

2 laptops i came acros are:

=====================================================
L430 300euros
cpu: i5 3210m
gpu: HD 4000
screen: 14" 1366x768
RAM: 8GB DDR3
SSD: 128GB ( Seller says samsung, though he doesnt tell which model)
He claims 4 hours battery life
And does not mention warranty or age
===================================================

T430: 400euros
Intel i5-3210M 2.50GHz
4gb ddr3 ram memorija
14.1 wide led ekran Anti reflex 1600x900
Intel HD4000 grafika
500gb hard disk
claims 3h+ battery life
And has year and a half warranty.
=====================================================

By the specs and price L430 wins.
8gb RAM would probably be good to have.
And i like SSD opossed to BAD SECTORS, i can probably squeeze myself on 128GB.

I would really like if my cpu is in socket. So i can upgrade it if i want to.
Not sure if one on these laptops is replacable?

Then i am not sure that 14" will suite my needs, but i am prepared to give it a go. It is possible to use it with external monitor when using at desk.

And screen resolution, i heard people saying 768p is no go.
But i am using it now on bigger screen, i can not say i am satisfied because i am not experienced with laptops and not sure how 1600x900 looks like.

I would really like to hear an opinion on these laptops.
On paper l430 looks better, but is it in action?
Is it worth giving 100e or probably more for t430 (for resolution and quality factor)
I am eager to hear alternatives, but i am buying laptop second hand.
And offer in Serbia is not that good.

P.S sorry on a long post and hope i havent broke forum rules

 

Welcome to the forum!

My advice would be to stick with T430 if these are your only choices. HD+ (1600x900) LCD is a decent one by ThinkPad standards, way better than the HD (1366x768) one.

L series is an "entry level" ThinkPad, while the T-series is the premier range. That's another thing to bear in mind.

You could install a mSATA SSD in the T430's WWAN slot and keep the HDD for storage. That's what I've done with my past T420 and X220 machines, and it works like a charm.

Happy shopping.

 

Thanks ajkula.

I kinda prefer l430 due to its price.
If l430 doesnt have some major issues i would rather spend 100e difference on docking station and maybe an HD screen for L430.
If the screen is possible to install?

I looked other brands second hand. But they were all about the same price as thinkpads. Giving no extra performance, i would rather buy thinkpad. Although thinkpads are significatly degraded in quality than their predeccesors or so i heard.


P.S. Your FrankenPad looks damn good

 

Nema na čemu...

I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to upgrade the panel yourself, although I haven't done it.

You'll hear strong opinions when it comes to quality from both sides of aisle...as with most things in life: you win some and you lose some...with that said, they are still decent laptops. If the T430 has actual Lenovo warranty left and not some-local-provider one, I'd still suggest getting it instead of L430, but those are your dinars/euros to spend...

Hvala...:thumbsup: