Help me decide between T430, T430s, and T430u

Hello,

I have a T400 which I absolutely love, but I plan to buy a new laptop soon and am looking at the T430, T430s, and T430u. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time figuring out the differences between those three. Can anyone tell me what I'm missing here? They all seem to be configurable with pretty much the same specs! I'll be using this laptop mostly for work (scientific data analysis, writing, etc.). I usually plug it into a port replicator and use external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, but I do bring it to and from work on my bike everyday, so weight it important too.

If anyone could help me figure out what the main differences are, I would really appreciate it!

 

No to the u, it was a half-arsed entry into the ultrabook category and suffers as such. The S is slim and portable, the straight T430 is built a little thicker at a lower cost. I'd recommend a beefed T430 as it will provide the best cost/performance balance, and if you are pleased with your T400, you will not be surprised by the "bulk" (air-quotes there...) of the normal T430. If you can't get the T430 with the NVS5400M (I think it might be the NVS5200), consider bumping up to the T530, as it has a better video card, can be configured with a 1080p screen, and is relatively the same cost.

 

The ThinkPad T430u uses ultra low voltage CPU and it doesnt have dedicated Dock connector.

 

I'd say the same.

 

Thank you all for the helpful comments. I will take a look at the T500 as well. Price isnt really an issue here as I just want to get the best and most reliable laptop I can find. I think I've had my T400 for about 4 years now, and it still runs perfectly and I've never had any problems with it. Definitelyw the best laptop ive ever owned. Hoping to have a similar experience with my next laptop.

 

Couple of points of clarification... The T430 is available with the NVS5400, the T430s has NVS5200 and the T430u has NVIDIA GeForce GT620M. All have one GB dedicated memory. If the T430 was perfect for you and you just want new HW in a similar footprint and form factor as has been stated the T430 is the only option as it is the best in the lineup for price to performance. The only reason to start to consider other options if you sought to improve your experience in some area... That doesn't appear to be the case here... In fact, with your initial post I don't know why you're considering moving on... I have three T61's and a T61p in my household that are still functioning as new... The oldest one is about 8 y/o if memory serves. The only reason I have new ones is that they have serviceable lives at work and are replaced accordingly.

 

Yeah I was originally looking at a new ThinkPad, but I thought about it and my T61p is still kicking hard, so I went with a gaming laptop. My next purchase will be something like the X1 Carbon - should they ever decide to gie it a proper 1080p IPS panel... But yeah, I knew off hand that I had seen the T430 available with the NVS5400M, I just wasn't 100% and wanted to make it known. The T530 is the better option though IMO, it can be configged with a 1080p panel if nothing more and starts right near the same base price.

 

I am in the sciences as an undergrad and my winning combination is a T400 on the dock at my apartment and an X200T I carry to campus. The X200T is perfect for scribbling everything from synthesis reactions, analyzing NMR results, to doing actual typing on. If I need a bigger screen I have a 23" Samsung monitor as well. The T400 I have is one that has a 2.53ghz C2D and switchable graphics. I received it pretty much vacant of components but I have lovingly nursed it back to health. I love it! I purchased the X200T in near-excellent shape but it did not have a hard drive, battery, or stylus. Now that I have the X200T running well with W7 I should be well set for a while longer