Get T61 now or wait for T400?

With the current deals on the T61, I'm finding it very tempting to get one. I can't decide whether I should get one now or wait for the T400. The only features I'm really looking forward to on the T400 are the LED backlit screens, improved battery life, and reduced weight. I'm kind of iffy about the graphics card (is it much better than the NVS140M?). I'm also worried about a potentially high price for the T400 when it releases, as I don't think Lenovo would be offering these kinds of deals anytime soon.

I don't really need the laptop until around September, so what do you guys think I should do?

 

buy when you need to and hold off for as long as you can in my opinion

 

I think you should wait. You don't need it now so there's no reason to buy it.

 

About how fast and how much that Lenovo will discount on the new model, I think it depends on how big they want to capture the US laptop market. I just got my R61, and did a compare that on other country, and some come out about 1/3 more than what is cost in US

 

If I remember correctly, a "decently" spec'd T61 was close to $2000 (CDN) when it was released last year. That's one thing I'm worried about; paying a few hundred more for just a few more features. Ideally, I would rather wait for the T400 though.

 

The only feature I consider worth waiting for is the LED screen. All other extras aren't really a deal breaker, IMO. If you need a laptop and are pushing yourself to the limits of your time constraint, then just get a T61.

If you can wait and has some extra cash to put into the laptop then wait. Make sure you can wait for a while because last year the T61s were shipping about 3 weeks late, it could happen this year as well. Also, they won't come cheap, at least not the ones with the interesting features anyways.

 

The new T400 will be a lot more expensive for sure. With the current deals going on, you can buy a T61 w/ T8300 processor, 3gb ram, 160gb hdd, dedicated video card (Nvidia 140m), 14.1" wxga+ etc... for $1200 cdn with shipping + taxes.

I got the 9-cell battery and it lasts for 4hrs and 45mins. The gfx card is better than my old Asus A8Jm's gfx card which was a Nvidia 7600gs w/ 512MB. The 7600gs scores about 2200-2300 on 3dmark06 where as the 140m can score about 2100-2200 on 3dmark06 w/ stock settings.

If you oc'd both the 7600gs would max out around 2700-2800 while the 140m can reach 2800-3000 after oc'ing. So the gfx card aint too bad, it is a lot better than the 8400gs and probably on par with the 8500gt w/ slight OC

 

The price is what is really swaying me right now. Paying possibly $600+ more for T400 with a few more features has me considering a T61 now instead.

 

If you would buy it right now you would get a lot of features for hardly any money. If you really want an LED screen and less features for a lot more money then wait for the new T400.

 

Ok, so I'm pretty much convinced. After going over Lenovo's site I came up with:

ThinkPad T61 14 Wide 7662
Description Part number Unit price* Quantity Price*
ThinkPad T61 with nVIDIA Graphics - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Edit 7662CTO $1,261.56 $1,261.56
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2)
Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista Business 64
Operating system Language: Genuine Windows Vista Business 64 - English
Recovery DVD: Genuine Windows XP Recovery CD English NA
Display type: 14.1 WXGA+ TFT
System graphics: NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M 128MB
Total memory: 1 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 (1 DIMM)
Keyboard Language: US English Keyboard
Pointing device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
Fingerprint : Integrated fingerprint reader
Hard drive: 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device: DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim
System expansion slots: PC Card & Media Card Slots
Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth PAN
WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (US/CAN/LA/AP)
Modem: Yes - AMoM
Camera: with Camera
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion Battery

AND 40Y6797 ThinkPad Z60m/T60/R60 Series 9 Cell Li-Ion Battery

The laptop + battery end up being $1275 before tax, so the price is definitely right. I plan on replacing the RAM after I get the notebook (cheaper) and the hard drive a few months later. Anything else I should change? Would I be better off with a T8300 instead of the T9300?

 

No, get the T9300 if you want to keep up-to-date. Nice configuration. I'd say go for it. The 9-cell battery is going to stick out like a sore thumb though. It does not bother me though.

 

I figured it would, but I need the battery life. I'd like to thank you, and everyone else in this thread for the help. I'm probably gonna think this over for a day or two before I order.

 

There's no difference in power consumption between the T8X00 and the T9x00 with both having the same TDP (35W I believe), so if possible go with the T9300 (best bang for the buck - good clock and nice cache size).

Also, have a look at visaperks if you plan on paying with a visa card, it will give you an extra discount.

Edit:
Completely misread your reply (9-cell battery instead of T9300), sorry...

 

I'm already getting 25% off with the sale on the IBM EPP site plus an additional 10% off using an ecoupon. I don't think it's possible to get any further discount, right?

 

Yeah, 35% is the max, at least that I know of.

 

Yah, I ordered the T8300 instead because I was on a tight buget and the T9300 would've cost an additional 50-100$, which I don't think is gonna make such a big difference. T8300 is 2.4ghz where as the T9300 is 2.5ghz.... You make the choice...

Another thing, I just went with Vista Home Basic to save money, but if you really want to run Vista 64bit I would advise to order the RAM asap. One last thing, if you are going to change your HDD, then might as well order the cheapest one from Lenovo and get a replacement. I think a 250GB 5400rpm is just about as fast as the 160gb 7200rpm.

For myself I received a Hitachi 160GB 5400rpm (that's what I ordered) and instead of switching out the HDD, I just got another 500gb external HDD for $100. This way I will have enough space on my laptop for mobile use and If I need the extra storage then it will be at home.

Also, definitely do get the 9-cell battery if you need to use the laptop on-the-go or if you go to university. I go to UBC so I really needed a laptop that could last me a full day of classes 2-3 courses a day which equates to about 3-4 hrs of note taking with 30 mins to spare.

PS: You can use Visaperks.ca to get even a lower price. I think it was about $40 bucks cheaper when I used visaperks instead of the 25%+10% off. Just phone Lenovo and ask them to price match, that's what they did for me. Best of luck to you!

 

I think I'm gonna go with the T9300 since I plan on keeping this laptop for a while anyway. The extra L2 cache might be better utilized down the road. I plan on installing 4 GB of RAM pretty much as soon as I get it, that's why I'm ordering it with Vista 64.

I had originally planned to order it with the base 80 GB hard drive, and just put that in my PS3 when I upgrade. But then I figured I'd get the 160 GB 7200 rpm drive since it was just $57 more and hold on to it for a while, until 320 GB 7200 rpm drives drop in price.

I checked out visaperks.ca and it ended up being more expensive, and I can't use the same 10% off coupon. If I call in, will they pricematch the EPP + coupon price? Actually, is there any point to that though?

EDIT: To get the visaperks discount, do you actually have to go through the checkout process and enter you credit card info for the discount to show up?

 

what is up with the new T series having the bezel thickness on the sides different? What is lenovo thinking with this design? For the t61 and the new t's coming out?

One of the reason i will not buy a T series....

 

I was worried about this before I received my T61, but honestly i don't even notice it since my eyes are solely focused on the screen. I've even asked friends if they notice something unusual about the screen and they don't even notice until I tell them.

 

same.
actually, i was never worried about it.

 

I couldn't agree with y2b_3k more.
I don't think gaming, office work, and scientifical calculation is cache sensitive. The 0.1Ghz difference does not worth the money for me... However, you choose if for yourself.
And I suggest you should select the cheapest harddrive from lenovo and change it yourself. 7200rpm harddrive might be no fast than 5400rpm harddrive if lenovo use the 7200rpm harddrive of last generation... Therefore you'd better buy a better harddrive for yourself after buying the laptop, and it is usually much cheaper than from lenovo.

 

Nope, the discount shows while you configure your laptop. The coupon for the discount is on the first page, to the right, if I remember correctly. Then just apply the coupon to the total to get the extra 10% off.

I ended up saving over 600 bucks off my T61 configuration with visaperks, so it was a pretty sweet deal. If you can get a better price with the EPP then go for it.

 

I was wondering how you can get either WXGA+ TFT AND Camera?

 

On the canadian site you can choose the screen type and the webcam separately, unlike with the US site.

 

@heavenfire: That's a good point about the cpu, I'll have to take a 2nd look at the price difference between the T8300 and T9300. I'm not sure what hard drives Lenovo uses, but their 7200 rpm offerings should still be faster than similarly sized 5400 rpm drives. I would go with the base hard drive, but I'm waiting for 320 GB 7200 rpm drives to release and come down in price first. So I'd need something decent to get by with for a few months. I am however, still debating what to do in terms of hard drives though.

@gnuh: On Lenovo's Canadian site it allows me to select the webcam when I select the WXGA+ screen. I didn't know it wasn't possible for some.

 

Yeah, that combination is not possible on the US site...

 

Does anyone know if the new T400 comes with an e-sata port?

Thanks!

 

I totally understand your need for a faster HDD, so I would say go ahead and get the 160gb 7200rpm. However, with the CPU it really isn't worth it. To tell you the truth, my previous laptop almost 3 yrs old now (Asus A8Jm has a Core Duo 1.83ghz - 1st generation) and it still runs almost all programs without a hitch. Believe me, the price difference for the T9300 vs T8300 is not worth it. You will most likely not use the extra L2 cache unless you are doing some major gfx editing etc...

But if that were the case, then I would suggest you get the T61p b/c the 570m is a lot more powerful. My advice, the T8300 will be more than enough for games etc... save the money and put it towards your 4GB of RAM for vista 64. The RAM will make more of a difference than the CPU. Btw, my T8300 already hits 5.4/6 on the windows vista index and that's w/o a clean install =D

I recently upgraded my RAM from 1gb to 3gb and my RAM index jumped from 4.6 to 5.2. This also made the computer load much faster and most tasks are a breeze. Good luck and choose wisely

 

With Visaperks.ca I configured the system EXACTLY as your specs and received a price of $1331.61 However, applying the coupon code CAXJUNE01 online does not work, it was the same case when I was buying my T61 about 2 months ago... stupid website. Just call-in and order the laptop thru Lenovo and tell them about Visaperks.ca and how the system won't allow you to apply the additional 10% off.

By my calculations, you system should only cost $1198.47 before taxes + shipping which is a bit cheaper than your current price $1275. Might as well save the money right? Plus, I just checked and the T9300 is about 70$ more than the T8300 which IMO isn't worth it. Save that money and get 4GB of RAM for 80$. Cheers and Good Luck! Btw, get the 250GB 5400rpm which is a good deal and just as fast as the 160gb 7200rpm

-Canuck ^_^

 

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm having a really hard time deciding between the T8300 and T9300. Of course I don't really need the T9300, nor is it it really worth the extra cash, but I have a tendency to want the best, heh. The 4 Gb of RAM was a must for me too.

Although the system price is showing up as $1261.56 in my earlier post, that can't be right. The total shows up as $1275.38 with the $127.36 additional battery. So either I'm getting the 9 cell battery for $13.82 or the laptop actually costs $1148.02 (which is better than the visaperks deal). This is before tax BTW.

 

I'd keep the T9300 because the new laptops that are coming out will be higher then 2.4. Keep up-to-date.

 

So I decided to order today and went with this:

ThinkPad T61 14 Wide 7662
Description Part number Unit price* Quantity

Price*
ThinkPad T61 with nVIDIA Graphics - 1 Year Depot Warranty
Edit 7662CTO $1,133.31 $1,133.31
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2)


Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista Business 64


Operating system Language: Genuine Windows Vista Business 64 - English


Recovery DVD: Genuine Windows XP Recovery CD English NA


Display type: 14.1 WXGA+ TFT
System graphics: NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M 128MB
Total memory: 1 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 (1 DIMM) 1
Keyboard Language: US English Keyboard
Pointing device: UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)


Fingerprint : Integrated fingerprint reader
Hard drive: 64GB Solid State Drive
Optical device: DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim
System expansion slots: PC Card & Media Card Slots


Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth PAN
WiFi wireless LAN adapters: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (US/CAN/LA/AP)


Modem: Yes - AMoM
Camera: with Camera
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion Battery

And an additional 9 cell battery. I decided I might as well get the T9300 since I'll probably keep it for a while and it's only $70 more. The fact that the 64 GB SSD somehow brought down the price also made the decision much easier

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

What do you mean and an addition 9-cell? I can't find that, only the 7-cell. I just ordered mine too! Hopefully they honour the SSD and it's the new Samsung SSD, which alone is at least $900!!!

 

Guys!

I read this thread earlier and couldn`t believe my eyes about the SSD being cheaper than the slowest HD. It`s completely unadvertised and I hope it`s the real deal.

I got the T61 14in, T9300, 64SSD, 1 gig ram (will buy 4GB crucial and install) without fingerprint, without camera, without bluetooth, 4 cell battery. I`m a minimalist and plan to put XP in this baby since Vista requires 50GB in itself. 4 cell because i wanted compact and i`m usually plugged in. I`ll buy a 6 cell later for $50 off eBay if I need. I CAN`T WAIT TO GET THIS!!!

Shawn

 

You're gonna have to get it separately on the Lenovo site. Under accessories search for batteries for the R61 14 (it doesn't show up when you search for the T61 14W). You should find this:

43R2499 (Part Number)
ThinkPad T61/R61 14W 9 Cell High Capacity Battery

 

Good choice on the processor. Your going to really like your T61. I think most probably Lenovo will have to honor the SSD upgrade.

 

And this happens right now, when my T61 is already on the way!!! Should I cancel it and re-order with the SSD? I'll be hit with the 15% restocking fee, plus more waiting time...

Is it worth the hassle?

 

No, it's not worth the hassle. We don't even know if they are going to honor the SSD yet. Personally I think 60GB is not a lot of space. But then again it's a SSD!

 

Exactly! I could even sell that sucker, get a bigger disk and still have some cash left. Oh, the doubts...

 

Or you could even wait until SSD become extremely cheap and get a bigger one!

 

True, but how long will it take???

Anyways, I think I'll stand by my current order, especially since it should arrive sometime next week. I'll just have to calm down and let it go... I hope it works out for you guys! Maybe I'll join in next time.

 

Given that the drive goes for $1000+ on the Lenovo site by itself, I'm pretty sure this isn't gonna work. But if it does work out somehow, this is definitely one sweet deal.