Help choose T400 Battery!

Hi all,
I am ordering a T400 with the specs below. I need to choose a battery: 4-cell, 6-cell or 9-cell. Lenovo doesn't specify the weight difference and indicates the computer starts at 4.7pounds. I want the extended battery life without being too heavy. What do you think? Should I stick with the 4-cell or move up to 6-cell? Does anyone know the exact weight of each battery? Thanks for the help!!



Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W1
Genuine Windows Vista Business12
14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight, Camera
ATI Mobility Radeon 3640 with 256MB
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)8
160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)5
Note WLAN10
6 cell Li-Ion Battery60
2764: 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7

Processor1 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W
Operating system12 Genuine Windows Vista Business
Operating system language Genuine Windows Vista Business US English
Recovery DVD Microsoft Windows XP Professional US English RDVD
Display type 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight, Camera
System graphics ATI Mobility Radeon 3640 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, 7200rpm
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 5100 (1x2 AGN)
Wireless WAN Integrated Wireless Wide Area Network 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
41C9170 3 year depot 9x5 Next Business Day

 

That's why I picked the 6-cell. Couldn't give you a more specific or scientific explanation than that.

 

I get about 4.5 hours out of my T61's 9 cell in normal use with the WiFi on (undervolted CPU in RMClock). With the T400's hybrid graphics and energy saving LED screen, you may be able to get 4 hours out of the 6 cell. I'd go for the 6 cell since it's lighter and more portable.

 

I was wondering about the battery as well.

Does anyone know if the 6 and 9 cell batteries stick out of the back on the T400 like on the T61??? Or did they finally fix this ugly thing?

 

The 9 cells stick out, but not the 6 and 4 cells.

"Or did they finally fix this ugly thing?"
Can they?

 

The 4 and 6-cell batteries are flush with the system on the T400 but the 9-cell does stick out. I got a 6-cell with my T400

 

Guys on the spec sheet it says the 6 cell sticks out too. PLEASE correct me definitively if I am wrong . I really dislike batteries that stick out.

 

I am just going by the thinkpad forums and the spec sheet. Here's the http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=65268&sid=f12b9ad4507c7e0586ad6e7ae2344ea3 link

 

Guys, there are two schools of thought. Basically sales has told people conflicting things, and apparently we won't know until someone actually gets one.
Here's a quote (which is what I read):

Note: The 6, 7, 8, and 9 cell batteries are larger than the standard 4 cell battery and extend beyond the back of the notebook. They are also slightly heavier than the standard 4 cell battery.

 

Spec sheet says a lot of things. Coming from the guys that ****ed up the ecommerce so badly, I wouldn't trust anything Lenovo say. The 6-cell will not stick out. The 9-cell will.

 

Sales Rep told me that the 6 cell will not stick out.

Furthermore they gave me the following URL with the Personal Systems Reference (PSREF) sheets:
http://www.pc.ibm.com/pcinstitute/mxw10.html

Other information which I received:
- Display resolution size of 1680x1050 is not available. (It was listed in the data sheet: http://shop.lenovo.com/ISS_Static/merchandising/US/PDFs/t400_and_t500_datasheet.pdf)
- Processor T9600 is not available as of now. They don't know the date yet when it will become available
- 7-in-1 Reader does support SDHC (as listed in the PSREF sheets)

Hope this helps!

 

Nice.

T400 WXGA+ LED Backlight is listed as 250 nits. Sweet.
Dimension w/ 6-cell 13.2" x 9.4" x 1.1–1.3" -- this suggests it doesn't stick out the back, since the T61 depth with 6-cell is listed as 10.2".

 

Thanks for the replies. I decided to go with the 6 cell battery since it will not stick out and last longer than the 4-cell one. I think the weight difference is negligeable as well.
Grand Total: $1677
estimated ship date: 8/27/08

 

Congrats on the purchase you'll love it. How did yours end up being so expensive? did you go with the extended warranty?

 

Take a look at my specs on the first page of this thread. Higher processor, 2GB, 160 GB 7200rpm, 2GB Turbo, fingerprint reader, etc... +3 Years warranty.

 

Hey there, im buying the t400, 6 cell with integrated graphics (save battery life and reduce heating problems).
I have a question about the power cord... I will be in the UK quite often (living in america), will i need to buy a new power cord/supply/charger etc?. The standard one on the america lenovo site is "Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter".
Also does the t400 have GPS capability? (is this service free of charge?), sounds too good to be true.
Also which screen should i choose? The wxga or wxga+, and what is the LED option?
Finally what is the "Intel Turbo Memory hard drive cache-2gb", sounds pretty much useless and a waste of money?

Thanks in advance for the help

 

I had the same question when I was buying a T61 last year. All of the Thinkpad power cords are compatible with 110-240V electricity. I think in UK it's 220V, if I'm not mistaken. All you will need is a plug adapter.

I believe the "Country Pack North America" just refers to the cord that comes out of the power supply pack on the charger and plugs into the wall. In theory, if you purchased a UK plug in with the clover-shaped connector, you could just substitute that cord for the North American one, then you wouldn't have to fool around with an adapter (that's what I did in Australia). [that's assuming that these adapters have the clover-shaped plugs]

I recall last year that a source for some confusion was the lenovo website. It listed the power cord as 110-220 and I was heading to Australia which is 240V. Fortunately, the website was wrong and the cord was compatible with 240V.

 

The T400 has switchable graphics if you opt to get the discrete card meaning you can get the best of both worlds: keep it on the integrated X4500 during the work week. On the weekend when you need to try the newest games, you can turn it to the discrete ATI HD3470 card.
The GPS capability comes with all Centrino 2 laptops (T400 included). I am not sure about the fee. I chose the LED screen because it saves about 25% of battery and the lifetime of LED is much better than that of CCFL. This means the brightness of your screen will remain unchanged for a longtime. The WXGA+ had better resolution which is advisable for a 14" screen.

The Intel Turbo memory is a controversial issue. I opted to get before reading all the posts here. There is indication it won't make a big difference if you get the 7200 rpm. I chose to keep it since it is mainly advantageous if you are using Vista (which I am). Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replies So the power pack thing shoudlnt be an issue, all i need is a "2 pin to 3 pin" adapter/plug as the power pack will handle the voltage changes from the two countries.

As for the graphics card, the switchable thing doesnt seem to be an option on the lenovo site? I can only get discrete or integrated (integrated is an extra $100)

Also im not going to get the turbo memory as i thought it isnt justifyable to spend that amount on something that doesn't do much.

The screen is quite expensive, but i might aswell get the WXGA+ Led backlight with camera for and extra $110, as i need to save battery life (25% is quite alot).

All in all its costing $1,654.00. I might cut down on the screen option as i will already have the 6 cell battery giving me extra life.

Here is the spec of my notebook:

 

Any details on what the GPS is about? It comes with a builtin GPS reciever that works with software like Tomtom?

 

Switchable is a "included" when you choose Discrete graphics option for the extra $100. Without the discrete GPU you don't have anything to switch to and from.

 

Per the spec sheet, the GPS functionality is apparently part of the WWAN functionality.

I bet it's embedded into the WWAN module in the same way GPS functionality is built into many cellphones. If so, it's a cell-assisted GPS in which it utilizes information from the cell networks as well as GPS satellites. You'll probably have to be subscribed to WWAN service for it to function.

 

so, I just asked another sales rep and he told me the 6-cell battery will stick out about half an inch and only the 4-cell battery will not stick out.

First two sales rep told me that 4- and 6-cell battery will not stick out.

Now I'm confused. Can anyone shed some light on the 4-cell/6-cell battery sticks out/sticks not out question? Thx.

 

Hmmm, i dont think anyone knows apart from the actual owners of the laptop. I have read mixed facts about this, some say it will and some say it wont

 

T400 & T500 Batteries - what sticks out and what doesn't? *EMBEDDED IMAGES*

 

I go with the 6-cells batteries because I believe they won't stick out or if they do....they won't stick out as much as the 9-cells batteries do.

 

The 9-cell actually doesn't look as bad as it did in the video. I may pick up a 6-cell though for good measure.

 

yeh i got the 6 cell battery too on my t400, o well i hope the weight is still kept to a minimum

 

I ordered a T400 today and the rep told me the 6-cell battery would stick out an inch. Quite frankly, the battery on my T43p sticks out the back and I don't mind it at all. If anything, I like it more because it's easier to carry

 

so how much bigger is the 9 cell than the 6 cell? it looks like the official word is that the 6 cell is NOT flush (per lenovo admin on their forums), but it doesn't say by how much.

also, anyone know how much longer the life is on a 9 cell vs a 6 cell?

arrr... why aren't there are reviews?!?

 

Are the 4 and 6 cells compatible with T61 batteries...?

ie, if I wanted a smaller battery (I got a 9 cell), could I buy a T61 6-cell, or do I have to buy a T400 6-cell?

 

Ah frick... the 6 cell sticks out? Well thanks for making the decision very easy for me -- it's a U330 for me now.

 

I bought today, w/ 6-cell. And I too thought that it would Not stick out ****!

Lenovo does such a poor job communicating with their customers it's amazing. Between recurring website errors, tech specs typos, misleading info and the like......they should fire the entire marketing department!! (if they do have one)

 

yeh i bought the 6 cell too, thinking that it wont stick out (have been told this by a rep) as well as some forums. O well

 

I wanted the 9 cell longevity but didn't want the 'handle', so I went a different route. Went with the 6 cell and bought an Ultrabay battery through CostCentral so I can be in class all day and not stress about pluggin' in. Now I'm just waiting for my T400 to show....

 

Let's see how much 6-cells stick out from T400 when we receive it...anyway, I'd like more battery life with the 6-cells

 

+1 to that. I had the same thoughts and have an Ultrabay battery on the way with my T400 (with 6 cell). Hoping that this will give me a total of 7.5+ hours with really light activity.

 

Which ultrabay battery works with the T400? the Advance one?

 

Yes the Advanced Ultrabay battery on the Lenovo website will work with the T400. The part number matches that of the Ultrabay battery listed in the tabook as compatible with the T400. And...Kevin has said somewhere in this forum that the batteries are the same as from the T61.

 

The ultrabay battery connector looks the same, but the connector for the optical drive and additional HD's changed to something that resembles a SATA connector. No battery to test between each model so I cant say for sure though.

 

Crap...well I'm hoping the tabook is right. Otherwise, looks like I'm going to have to return my Ultrabay battery.

 

Yeah that would suck with the 15% restocking fee

 

The one I ordered and received quickly from Cost Central was the 43R9250 LENOVO BATTERY II F/ THINKPAD ADVANCED ULTRABAY, it was $100.76. I sure hope it's the right one as well!!

 

See what I'm hoping is because the tabook also lists the T400 as compatible with 43R9250, there shouldn't be any problems. The tabook seems to be completely typo-free.

 

It's not infallible, but when there's a discrepancy between tabook and the web site or a sales rep, tabook is more likely to be right.

 

Any of you guys want to take a picture of the business end on the ultrabay battery? I will look at the T400 and see if it looks like it would fit. I will also see if I can snap a picture showing the inside connection.

The old optical drive from my T60 slid in perfectly into the t400, just didnt go in that last 1/2cm or so since it didnt mash up right with the data connection.

 

Here are a couple pics of the battery I have... Sorry the second pic isn't as focussed as the first...

 

I just took a closer look at the tabook. And it lists that the Ultrabay HDD adapter and optical drive from the T61 and T400 as being different models, but the Ultrabay battery as the same model. Weird...

 

Took pictures of the old connector and the new connector, and they are identical. Size and shape of the bay is the same, so it looks like only the data side changed.

 

I read somewhere that the T61 and earlier models were IDE interfaces in the Ultrabay, where the T400/500 switched to SATA interfaces. Presumably the earlier Ultrabay HDD caddies had SATA to IDE conversion taking place.

That would easily explain the difference with the new optical and HDD devices yet the same Ultrabay battery and serial/parallel adapters.