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    Intel 1000 vs Intel 6205

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by kev.nam, May 7, 2011.

  1. kev.nam

    kev.nam Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi, I'm going to order a X220 and was wondering if there's a difference in terms of RANGE between the two. From what I understand, because they both have 2 receiving antennas, they should have the same range?

    This is sort of important to me when I'm on campus and trying to connect to weak wifi hotspots. The 6205 is $25 more than the intel 1000.
     
  2. erik

    erik modifier

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  3. LoneWolf15

    LoneWolf15 The Chairman

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  4. redmars49

    redmars49 Notebook Guru

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    Interesting read about the antennas. How do they compare in power usage?
     
  5. LoneWolf15

    LoneWolf15 The Chairman

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    You'd have to read some of the Intel white papers for that. However, Intel's latest-generation Wifi chipsets are quite efficient, even when comparing to their final-generation 802.11g cards (like the 3945ABG) or their first-generation 802.11n cards (like the still very-good 4965AGN).
     
  6. ThinkRob

    ThinkRob Notebook Deity

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    I opted to save the $25 and go with the 1000.

    I haven't regretted it. It works just great, even when dealing with a weak signal.
     
  7. anodize

    anodize Notebook Deity

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    Say if I went with the 1000, will my x220 still come with 2 antennas(both able to receive/transmit) for possible upgrade to 6205 later on? I know Lenovo gets rid of anything that is not in your original configuration.
     
  8. Blue_Alien

    Blue_Alien Notebook Consultant

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    I have the intel 1000 in my x220 and I haven't had any problems. Seems pretty snappy to me. I will have to test it on my 50 mbps internet connection when I get home for the summer and compare it to my asus.
     
  9. erik

    erik modifier

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    the number of antennas received is determined by the display choice.   you'll have options of 2x2 or 3x3 antennas under both standard and premium displays.   at a minimum you'll receive two antennas for use with the 1000, 6205, or 6250 adapter.   if you want the 6300 then you'll have to get the 3x3 option and forfeit the optional webcam.

    if you purchase a 1000 now then you can purchase a 6205, 6250, or 6300 later if desired.   the 6300 will work with only two antennas connected but won't exceed 300mpbs due to lacking the center (white) antenna normally included with the 3x3 setup.

    any wireless card purchased must be an original lenovo FRU to be compatible.
     
  10. afhstingray

    afhstingray Notebook Prophet

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    while im not suggesting that its sensible to spend money for spending sake, when you're buying a laptop that costs between 800 and 2000 bucks, stingeing and fussing over 25 extra, particularly for a component that a user would use practically all the time, is a bit penny wise pound foolish.

    especially when you're in places like airports or my latest situation was i wanted to continue working in the coffee shop across the road from the university, my girlfriend's intel 5300 couldnt connect to the wifi but my 6200 could, so i was able to continue working and download the journals i needed. if there is even a chance that the 6205 would have better range/signal quality over the 1000, i'd go for it.

    i mean come on, we're not talking about a $300 netbook here, plus thinkpads are fussy over what cards you can upgrade to, have to be whitelisted by the BIOS
     
  11. kev.nam

    kev.nam Notebook Enthusiast

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    That's really odd because the 5300 has 3x3 antennas, and the 6200 has 2x2... I suppose the antennas themselves could have been worse.

    But $25 is $25, and if there is no noticeable difference between the two, it only makes sense to pocket the $25... Either way I ended up deciding to get a T420 with an intel 6300 :D
     
  12. afhstingray

    afhstingray Notebook Prophet

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    yea this puzzled me too, i thought the 5300 would be better. and also, the more upgrades you add, usually the bigger the discount the rep will give you, so after bargaining, it ends up more like $10 upgrade than $25
     
  13. LoneWolf15

    LoneWolf15 The Chairman

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    While you can, it will probably cost at least as much down the road, and the part won't be waranteed by Lenovo.

    The T420 is a solid choice. So far, it's the best of the three ThinkPads I've owned.
     
  14. KeithF40

    KeithF40 Notebook Consultant

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    u can call lenovo for an order and haggle over the price??
     
  15. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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  16. Renee

    Renee Notebook Virtuoso

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    "You can literally haggle with anything, not just computers. Same process as you would use if you were buying a car."

    I've never haggled over a car. That's a waste of life.

    Renee
     
  17. PatchySan

    PatchySan Om Noms Kit Kat

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    Really? o_O I saved over £1500 and had extras thrown in for free from haggling on my new car. £1500 is a lot for me so thats a bit of life well spent.

    The Intel 6205 card is actually the most recent out of the three Intel Wi-Fi cards on offer from Lenovo (compared to the 1000 and even the Ultimate 6300). If you do a bit of travelling and go to the odd Wi-Fi hotspot such as cafes then you probably would appreciate the extra gain in the antenna where signals are noisy compared to the Intel 1000 card.

    Considering the cost difference of the Intel 6205 to the Intel 1000 card is not enormous, personally I opt for the upgrade. For Wi-Fi cards I rather have something that is way more than adequate rather going for the low end card only to find out later it isn't adequate for the job and then manually searching on eBay for a Lenovo branded Intel card and fit it in myself later (thus paying more in the end).
     
  18. ThinkRob

    ThinkRob Notebook Deity

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    I have a 1000 in my T420, regularly use it in "noisy" environments (10-15+ SSIDs visible), and have never had a problem. Just my $0.02.

    And yes, I'd definitely call and try to bargain. It can't hurt. The worst case scenario: they say no, and you order just as you would have done anyways...
     
  19. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    I have some random Realtek card (RTL8187B) and it works fine in crowded SSID areas too.
     
  20. TheDonkey

    TheDonkey Notebook Geek

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    So I happened to be a stupid and just ordered the ThinkPad b/g/n WiFi instead of Centrino 1000 (which was a free upgrade)

    Is there anything that the Thinkpad wifi actually has going for it over the 1000? (Just so that I don't feel bad about doing it)

    Also, my router is 5ghz capable, so what would be the cheapest possible way to upgrade to whichever Intel chip supports 5ghz? (Calling up Lenovo parts resellers? eBay?)

    Thanks.
     
  21. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    I believe it's just some random Broadcom or Realtek card that they use.
     
  22. ThinkRob

    ThinkRob Notebook Deity

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    I haven't had the pleasure of using one of those RealTek cards for a couple years, but if they're anything like the ones I've used, the only real perk is that you'll spend far less time surfing the web. :D
     
  23. sklsy

    sklsy Notebook Guru

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    What about 6205 vs. 6300? I think I would stay on 6205 with camera anyway~
     
  24. TheDonkey

    TheDonkey Notebook Geek

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    D: Gulp.

    We'll see how it goes, I guess.

    In the event that the RealTek card is as bad as seemingly expected, ae there any guidelines for what will and won't work as a replacement? I've seen pictures of Wifi cards causing POST errors.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Intel-6205-...ultDomain_0&hash=item3f0adf4acc#ht_3142wt_922
    This is what a quick search led me to. Would it be fine?

    I do have the camera, and no 3x3 antenna option preinstalled so from what I understand, the 6300 would have no gain for me.

    Sorry for the thread-jack, this just didn't seem like a big-enough issue to start a new thread.
     
  25. KeithF40

    KeithF40 Notebook Consultant

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    the whitelists are horrible on lenovos so id just see what other people have and then use that
     
  26. c17chief

    c17chief Notebook Consultant

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    6300 will do up to 450mbps vs the 300 for the 6205...and of course UP TO is key being wireless. I have read that to get the full 450 on the 6300, besides the obvious being close enough to the AP for full signal....not only do you need the 3x3 antenna, the access point has to be putting out 3 spatial streams as well. In orther words, you would probably need a new router to see those speeds at home, and in public areas where you have no control over that, you will never see any benefit from it unless you come across the random AP's running this configuration.


    Anyhow, my 2 cents on what to go for:

    If it is going to be used at home or other places you know as pretty consistent signal levels, then just go with the 1000.

    If you regularly use it in places with known weak signal, or travel quite a bit where you don't know how good a signal you have coming in your hotel room, airport terminal, etc thus could use something to make the most of a poor signal when you come across them, then go with the 6205.

    If you want the best available part without consideration to value for money spent, or if that extra throughput will make a difference for you (and you are using an AP that can dish it out), then go with the 6300.


    If you are really trying to save every last buck and are in that first catagory using mostly at home or other places you know have a pretty decent signal, the lenovo one should be fine for that. Most of the lower end wireless chips will do fine with a good signal, but they can be all over the map on how they handle less then ideal signals. Some will hang just as well as anything else out there, and others you can just forget it.
     
  27. kirayamato26

    kirayamato26 Notebook Deity

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    I opted for the 6300 as I'll be in a campus with like 40000 other people. Although my netbook's Atheros wireless G adapter worked fine and got me over 20Mbps up/down in the dorms during my visit, I wanted to ensure that I can have a good connection no matter where I was on campus. In practice, I have noticed that my 6300 does transfer about 25% faster than my friend's generic adapter, at the same location in the house. His router was limited to 300Mbps, so no 3rd antenna was used. In fact, I've yet to use the 3rd antenna as my home connection is a wireless G connection (my dad is too lazy to unbox the N router). It was an easier choice for me, as the 6205 and 6300 cost the same to add to a system in Canada (both $40), and the 1000 costs $10. I thought that since I'd always use the component, might as well as get the best for peace of mind.
     
  28. ThinkRob

    ThinkRob Notebook Deity

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    My reason for badmouthing the Realtek cards is not their wireless performance, but rather that the hardware and drivers (at least for the ones I've used) was just flat-out buggy. Hitting max throughput for anything other than burst usage? Hang. Unload and reload the kernel module? Kernel OOPS. Wake up from suspend? Whoopee! The card's gone!

    I really hope they've improved. Maybe they have. At least they've tried to improve on the software side of things (their Linux drivers seem to be getting better, albeit slowly.)
     
  29. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    From personal experience, I haven't had any problems with the Realtek in my Toshiba since I bought it in 2008; only near the end of it's life did it disappear from my hardware list once, though I'm not sure what caused it.

    Even still, I decided to be safe rather than sorry and I upgraded to the 6300 as well. Might as well take advantage of my university's fast connection, plus I was able to get it thrown in since I was buying the more expensive GPU and screen anyway. At home, I haven't noticed any difference between the 6300 and generic, though that's because I also have a Wireless-G router at home. I'd love to see it flex its muscles when I move out this August.
     
  30. TheDonkey

    TheDonkey Notebook Geek

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    I'm only planning on running Windows 7, so drivers and kernel issues shouldn't be a problem...hopefully.

    But as I posted above, I found a 6205 on eBay for $30 which is very reasonable, especially for the 5ghz support.
    But just before I buy, can someone confirm that a non-lenovo branded card will work, and will the antenna setup be the same for this as it is for the Thinkpad b/g/n? (the b/g/n is a 1x1 card but do they still put in two antennas?)
     
  31. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    I believe that Lenovo (and others) whitelist wireless cards, so installing a 3rd party card would most likely require BIOS hacking.
     
  32. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    Yep. You will need to flash the BIOS to a whitelist-removed version (usually it's not too difficult to find online) to get a non-whitelisted card to work. Alternatively, you can buy a Lenovo-whitelisted version of that card online (eBay is good source), although they're usually slightly more expensive.
     
  33. TheDonkey

    TheDonkey Notebook Geek

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    So even though the model is the same, the serial numbers/whatnot need to be whitelisted? Damn.

    Would T420 compatible cards worth with a T520? There are a few for $40

    I'm generally comfortable with sticking it to the man(jailbreaking, rooting, installing third party OS's) but BIOS hacking has always been the one thing that's scared me, especially on a brand new laptop.
     
  34. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    I wonder whether those company that reflash bricked bios would able to load Optimus enabled bios firmware into these first gen nvidia T410/T510.
     
  35. hamdori

    hamdori Newbie

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    I just purchased Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 wifi for lenovo from ebay, and they say it is for lenovo, so I thought it would work for x220. Am I correct?
     
  36. rjan_

    rjan_ Newbie

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    TheDonkey, I also (perhaps foolishly) opted for the ThinkPad b/g/n over the equally priced Centrino 1000, on a new T420. I am currently experiencing no problems with the b/g/n (which I believe is a rebranded version of this card, but I cannot escape the notion that wireless performance might have been significantly better on the latter, especially when there exists more prominent signal interference. As a result I am also considering replacing the card in the near future.

    edit: I was wrong; apparently the ThinkPad b/g/n, at least in the T420, is the RTL8192CE-VA4.
     
  37. vinuneuro

    vinuneuro Notebook Virtuoso

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    Afaik, T410's with Nvidia had Optimus.
     
  38. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    not the initial version, they only had nvidia (even though the intel integrated gpu was there).
     
  39. rkj__

    rkj__ Notebook Consultant

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    How has this worked out for you Donkey? (Or others using the bottom of the line wireless card)
    I was a little hasty ordering my Thinkpad, because a coupon deal was about to expire, and I did not give much thought to the wireless card. Am I likely to notice any issues?
     
  40. THS

    THS Notebook Consultant

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    The 1000 gives the best battery life I read somewhere.

    True ?
     
  41. Widows Son

    Widows Son Notebook Geek

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    Out of curiosity; for the card that uses three antennas, is it possible to upgrade to that card later and just run a third antenna somewhere else in the laptop; like maybe under a keyboard?


    Have a Magical Day!
     
  42. Jarhead

    Jarhead 恋の♡アカサタナ

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    Wireless cards in laptops are usually whitelisted, so if you wish to do that you will most like have to learn how to BIOS hack your new card in there. It's simply much easier to buy the card upfront when you purchase the laptop, instead of waiting later.
     
  43. Widows Son

    Widows Son Notebook Geek

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    1st: thank you for your timely response.

    2nd: I understand all that you are saying, however my question still stands; I am still curious about the fesability of adding the third antenna at a later date should someone aquire the Lenovo wifi card, say from ebay.

    Like their cars. some folks like to tweak and mod their computers; maybe they wanted the card that has the three antennas but also wanted the webcam. Just because a manufacturer says Nay Nay dont mean it cant be done ;)

    Previously I was considering a different brand laptop; I seem to recall a similar discussion of wifi cards in that NBR forum in which folks were either doing or considering what I am asking about.

    Now I am looking at getting a Lenovo x220; personally I dont see a need for me to have that card, but, I am curious; would weaving an antenna somewhere else in the systems body affect the reception of the card? Would they get the same benefit as they would have had it been original equipment with the antennas in the screen? Would there be any RF interferance to contend with? Is it worth it to try? Is there even room?



    Have a Magical Day!
     
  44. measure

    measure Notebook Geek

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    I cannot speak for the x220, but my T410 already has a third antenna installed, despite the fact that I have the Intel 6200. The third cable (which attaches to the card) is just taped to the inside near the card, but obviously not in use.


    Thanks,
    Ryan
     
  45. Widows Son

    Widows Son Notebook Geek

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    Thanks for pointing that out; makes it appear then that it is possible.

    From what I understand, you can get the x220 with the third antenna built into the LCD panel, however you sacrifice the webcam doing so.

    Interesting though that they would not also place the 3rd antenna in the x220 as they have in your T410 and thereby allow users to have the best of both worlds; the better wifi and the webcam. One wonders if there is a structural difference in the chassis of the two units which would interfere with the performance were they to route that antenna in a similar fashion on the x220.

    Thanks again


    Have a Magical Day!
     
  46. rjan_

    rjan_ Newbie

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    I doubt this; the 1000 is a 1×2 card, compared to the 1×1 b/g/n.
     
  47. rkj__

    rkj__ Notebook Consultant

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    So you are suggesting the 1x1 could potentially be the least power hungry? I suspect there is more to Consider than the number of antennas.
     
  48. TheDonkey

    TheDonkey Notebook Geek

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    Hey, sorry for the couple-days-later reply, haven't been following NBR recently.

    It's been working fine for me, granted, I have yet to try to get online at a sketchy motel with a single AP on the far side of the building, but just around the house it works great. Both with my DI-524 (G router) and my DD-WRT'd WRT-610N (Of course, without the full use of the 5ghz or MIMO technology that beast has)

    Hamodri, have you received your eBay WiFi card? I'm still planning on upgrading, but a testimony on those cards would be great.
     
  49. rkj__

    rkj__ Notebook Consultant

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    No problem, thanks for the reply.

    I did not give too much thought to the wifi card, because there is no number associated to the options when you are selecting the configuration on the web. Obviously, it is easy to quantify the differences between 4GB of RAM and 8GB of RAM, but when it comes to network cards, if all you are doing is surfing the internet, I felt it was a little more "either it works, or it does not." The speeds of the cards are much more than the speeds of my internet connection, and I don't transfer large amounts of files wirelessly.

    I expect the 1x1 card will serve me just fine at home. I'm a little more curious to see how it will perform at school, where the signal strength is more variable. In my experience though with my Intel equipped Toshiba, if you are having problems connecting to the network at my school, or are experiencing slow speeds, your device is likely not the problem.
     
  50. TheDonkey

    TheDonkey Notebook Geek

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    Funny today would be the day I replied in this thread, I was out and happened to need the rage of the upgraded wifi.

    I'm not sure how much it would have helped exactly, but today I needed to hop onto a wifi network that was in a store across the street (4 lanes plus parking/sidewalk/router was inside the store), and although it did manage to make the connection, it was very borderline and slow, with a lot of packet loss. Seems like a situation where the upgrade may have significantly helped.

    If I get the new card before I go away to school, I'll recreate the situation and post how well it connected afterwards.
     
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