Help on deciding between graphics cards (T61)

Hello! First of all, I wanted to say this is my first post, but I have been watching this board like a hawk since the release of the T61 on Lenovo's site. I am planning on starting college this fall as a freshmen Nuclear Engineering major and need a laptop. I've decided that I want the T61 with the following specs...

Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0 GHz 4mbL2)
Windows Vista Home Premium
14.1" WXGA+
1 gig RAM (1-stick)
120GB HDD
Thinkpad Wifi (a/b/g/n)
7-cell

The only thing I can't decide is if I want\need the NVIDIA 140m. Since I am an engineering major, I figure I will need it a bit, BUT I have a main computer I will also be using. This laptop will be used mostly when I am on the road with a musical ensemble that I have joined at my school, which tours almost every weekend, meaning this will be my main computer most of the time.
A large amount of what I need from this laptop is battery life, which is why I will buy the 7-cell as well as the ultrabay battery... but I can't decide whether or not I will need the 140m.

Since I am indecisive as hell, I need opinions. What do you guys think?

 

Choose the nVidia card. You'll need it sooner or later, even if just for light gaming.

 

I've been also watching the board like a hawk

IMHO I think it would be best to purchase a laptop with discrete graphics, even with the downside of having slightly lower battery life, because eventually you will run into a reason for needing some form of better graphics processing.

As for battery life, you shouldn't need more than say 3 hours of 'light/regular' usage... I mean I see tests which all say about 1.5 hours on a 6-cell under heavy usage

 

Unfortunately, I will need a bit more than that. I'm going to be on a bus for 4 or 5 hours at a time while traveling to gigs... That's why I am really having a hard time deciding.

Also, this laptop is supposed to be keeping me good for the next 4 years, which kind of makes me want to get the discrete graphics.

 

Well I was saying you could probably get 3 hours from the 6-cell battery, but in your case you seem to have a 7-cell with the Ultrabay battery. (I never really found out if the Ultrabay battery even works with the T61's)

Hmm... maybe if you were to get say a 90W AC Charger, that would reduce the amount of time it would take to recharge your battery or something.

I really appreciate all the input you can get here before actually deciding

 

Get the integrated Intel. Everyone who says to get the better one can't imagine anyone not gaming with it, so that's not really the advice you want. go for the Intel for longer battery life, you probably won't use it for anything it can't handle.

 

Well I suppose if you took out the factor of gaming here and there, I suppose the latest Intel integrated graphics would probably work. But then you need to also factor in Vista Home Premium. (I mean seriously, integrated and only 1GB ram?)

Personally I think it would be sufficient with just XP Pro with integrated, only downside is that I suppose the 1GB Turbo Memory would be useless.

Then again that's the impression I'm getting currently. Someone please correct me

 

I have an old Dell Latitude, let's see, must be 6 years old right now, Pentium III. At the time of purchase, I think I could have configured it with some sort of rudimentary discrete graphics. But I chose not to. Over the years, this Latitude just crawls (like forever) when I want to play any kind of rudimentary games on it. I really regret my decision at the time.

 

I have similar needs and decided to get the best discrete card available for my new T60 (FireGl V5250 for all the reasons already cited -- you will benefit from it, if not now then in 1-2 years as software optimized for Vista matures) But I also needed the extended battery time. My solution was to buy two batteries (6-cell and 9-cell) and keep the 9-cell charged to 40% in a cool place. Before a trip, I charge it to 100%. I also purchased an AC car/plane adaptor. With two batteries and the car/plane adaptor, I have power one way or the other for a full day.

 

No T61 is going to last that long on a battery, unless you get the 2nd battery in the ultrabay.

Have you considered an x61? maybe tablet? Sounds like these would better suit your needs because they last plenty long on a battery and they're half the bulk/weight. Experienced, repeat thinkpad buyers tend to eventually move up to the X-series because after a few years, you realize that mobility is the #1 feature in a laptop. X has it, T does not.

No graphics card but that's no issue if you have a desktop, unless you wanna game. The new integrated graphics on the X61 is as good as the discrete graphics from 2005, without draining the battery dead.

 

I actually was planning on getting the ultrabay battery. Eventually I may get another 7-cell or such, but that's not my plan as of right now. As for the X Series, I really want the extra power I get from the T series, as well as the (relatively) cheap price.

 

"Extra power?" Both the T and the X series use the same CPU's, unless you configure an X series with a low voltage processor.

 

Unless I am reading Lenovo's site incorrectly (which I very well may be doing), they only offer the new Santa Rosa core CPUs on the R61 and T61.

 

A lot of university kids with tablets are glad they got a tablet (not to mention a smaller laptop to lug around)
I'd recommend reconsidering.
At least investigate it before pulling the trigger on a T.

The girls would be more impressed with your X61 tablet than with another gaming laptop.... yawn. hehe

 

No guarantees but the X / tablet will probably be on sale in July for back-to-school
They usually are. That's the best deal of the year.

 

What's the benefits of the Tablet PC, I've tried comparing them and I have yet to see any benefit if actually using a Tablet

(I too will be joining the people at University next fall)

 

A tablet is, for now, quite a bit out of my price range. I'm barely skating by with the $1300 layout I have on the T61 I am looking at.

 

I read somewhere the X61 is coming, probably mid-June.

 

Check out your campus store or something, many have some awesome deals in the summer available only to their bona fide students, these are arranged with the manufacturer.

 

Is it a public bus or a tour type of bus? If you have access to some kind of power source on the bus, just get an adapter for that. You said you want the laptop to last you four years, but after constant use, you'd have to replace the battery after a year or two anyway.

 

It's a tour bus, methinks. I haven't been on it, yet, but I think it's a tour bus. I don't know, however, if it has a power source.

 

I went for the discreet graphics on mine because I figured that drivers and such for Vista and for the graphics card would probably eventually be optimized to give me more battery life. And even if they never are, I can easily buy more batteries.

It would, on the other hand, be tougher to switch from integrated to discreet graphics if I ever had the need.

 

Unless someone has run Vista on the new Intel X3100 integrated graphics and knows that it's going to run slower than with the dedicated NVS 140M then I see no point in the dedicated graphics. The nVidia NVS 140M is optimized for workstation graphics and it is also nothing like the more expensive Quadro. It will not be good for gaming. I wouldn't know why someone would be buying a business class ThinkPad 14.1" laptop to be playing games anyways. Since the Intel X3100 is quite a bit faster than the GMA 950 I would think it would be plenty to run Vista graphics wise but who knows since I haven't run Vista on integrated graphics yet.

 

I'm sure at the very least it has a cigarette lighter adapter that doubles as a power source. Or you may want to put off the purchase until you know. That way you won't even need to worry about battery life, just get power adapter of some kind.

 

I just checked with someone. Evidentially it does not.

 

I'd like to know this too. Someone on another board told me the same thing you just said, and I'm inclined to go with the X3100 because of it.

 

I had a X31 as my last laptop and would have ordered another X series if I could get a 13" screen like Sony and Apple have. The 12" screen was just a bit too small for my work as I'd have to keep panning for spreadsheets and other programs. I highly recommend the X Series as well made, small, powerful and long lasting. You may need an external optical drive, but I could count the times on one hand when I needed one. Also, I didn't do gaming or DVDs. As others have mentioned, tablet would be cool but the preimum isn't worth it for me.

As for the T Series, I decided to go for the on board graphics. The primary reason is battery life. I really didn't have any issues with the X Series for my work so the graphics chip shouldn't be an issue for me. Honestly though Vista worries me but I can always fall back to XP if it is that bad; I plan to run XP as a Virtual machine anyway as most of my work software won't run in Vista yet.

I'd rather have the nVidia graphics because I like to get a fast machine now since I know I'll be using it for years. But I work in the field quite a bit and, although I usually have access to 120Vac somewhere, battery life is all too important. Prior to my X31 I had a A31p (7.5lbs and a 15" IPS screen!) that, believe it or not, I still use but just in the office. The battery life is horrible and that was the reason for the X31. So now I'm kinda of trading some battery life for screen space.

Regards-Michael G.

 

x3100 vs nvm 140m battery life.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/archive/index.php/t-233650.html

 

y dont u go with the 9 cell? Itll give u bout 40 more mins.

The thread proneax posted is quite misleading, as the 140m laptop in the comparison also has the more powerhungry t7500 and a bigger display

 

9 cell isn't available. 14" Widescreen thinkpad's highest capacity is the 7 cell and even that is unavailable.

 

They can have a 9 cells battery. But it's ugly !!!!

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=59688&highlight=thinkz61

 

Eeee, gods! That looks like a car's rear spoiler!