Lenovo ThinkPad T400 First Look

by Kevin O'Brien

The new 14-inch T400 ThinkPad is the latest Lenovo notebook based off of the Intel Montivena platform. This computer offers all new features such as hybrid graphics, LED backlit displays, and power saving refinements that let the notebook get extraordinary battery life. With all these changes taking place, Lenovo has also managed to keep the notebook looking as boring as ever, just how ThinkPad owners like it. In this first look we will cover all of the basics, and give you a few hints of what to expect from the full review that will be coming in no time.

Our ThinkPad T400 specifications:

• Screen: 14-inch 1440 x 900 WXGA+ LED Backlit (Matte finish)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.80GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 6MB Cache)
• Memory: 2GB DDR3 RAM
• Storage: 160GB HDD (7200rpm)
• Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW
• Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0
• Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 w/ 256MB (hybrid switching)
• Built-in web camera
• Battery: 84Wh 9-cell and 56Wh 6-cell
• Dimensions: 13.2" x 9.4" x 1.47/1.12"
• Weight: 5.lbs 4.8oz (w/ 9 cell battery)
• Retail Price: $2,189

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Build and Design

The design of the T400 has changed a bit. The changes are subtle to the untrained eye, but they are there. The right side is now gently sloped similar to what can be found on the older T4x series, where the sides angle inward instead of dropping off flat. The first clue about this is the optical drive bezel which sports a nice beveled edge. The rubber feet have also been slightly tweaked, now feeling softer, and you get an additional springy nub. Moving past the minor case design changes, the ThinkPad is every bit as boring as all of those preceding it.

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We have the same paint, same rubbery texture, and we still have our ThinkPad logo.
Build quality is very similar to the previous generation T61, with all of its strengths and weaknesses. Fit and finish are great with most parts, but you still have a good amount of battery wiggle in the back, as well as the cheaper feeling plastic LCD lid. The molded plastic panels throughout the notebook feel sturdy, with only mild flex near the card slots. On our particular configuration with the SD-Card reader taking the place of the PC-Card slot and we get a cheap plastic blank instead of a spring loaded flap. Without the plastic blank in place the palmrest does want to bend down at that location under stress. Another odd trait I noticed was additional flex on the right side of the keyboard, where my T60 is solid as a rock, but the T400 wants to give in just a bit. It is still very strong compared to other notebooks, but not as rock solid as the older model.

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What still works and what doesn't

Those who have older ThinkPad accessories from the T6x/R6x generation will be happy to know all of the older docking stations are still fully compatible with the new notebooks. I can't say for certain that the older equipment won't be replaced with newer revisions that offer different connections, but at least you won't need to upgrade.

The optical bay connections have changed from the previous generation, moving more towards a SATA style connector, rendering older drive incompatible. The power connection for use with the UltraBay battery remained the same though.

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Display

The display on our review model is a 6-bit LG LED backlit panel. Lenovo's official spec sheet lists this screen as 300:1 contrast, but the LG specification is 500:1. Overall the panel is easy on the eyes with even light distribution and a wide adjustment range for the LED backlighting. The highest backlight setting is very bright, easy outshining my IPS FlexView panel by a wide margin. Colors are vibrant, although the whites do lean heavily on the cooler/blue side. Vertical angles are better than average, with a modest sweet spot before colors start to invert and wash out. Horizontal viewing range is better, with colors washing out slightly, but still staying accurate.

Comparing this screen to the older WXGA+ screen is no contest, with the newer LED backlit model being better in many ways. Whites look cleaner, colors look better, backlight is more even, and best of all is bright enough to view in sunshine. It is well worth the extra money, and you would be foolish not to get it if you are configuring the notebook yourself.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard layout has stayed the same, with only very minor changes in the feel of the keypresses. Some of this may be attributed to the differences in keyboard suppliers (NMB, ALPS, and Chicony) though, as my T60 came with the "clickier" Chicony keyboard, whereas the T400 is much quieter. The keyboard strength seems to have changed slightly, with more flex present on the right side of the keyboard, but I do not know if it is a keyboard difference or a change in support. As with older models, the liquid drains are still in place, ready to get your notebook out of harms way if a stray coffee or soda spills all over it.

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The touchpad has grown compared to the T61, expanding to the width of the lower touchpad buttons. With the ThinkPad touchpads always being the runts compared to other notebook designs, this change was very welcomed (even if they did paint scroll arrows on it). The texture is identical to the older touchpad, and sensitivity is just as good.

Performance

Needless to say, with the Intel T9600 Core 2 Duo processor in our T400 configuration, this system performed very well no matter what we threw at it. Combined with the speedy 7200rpm system drive, applications loaded abnormally fast. Synthetic benchmarks also backed this up, peaking well over 6,000 in PCMark05, and getting scoring around 27 seconds in wPrime. Mild gaming was even possible with this configuration, with Half-Life 2 getting framerates well above 100 frames per second during low detail scenes and high 30's during action.

Battery Life

I must say that the battery life of this notebook was the biggest surprise. Even with the top tier Intel T9600 and ATI 3470 dedicated graphics the idle power draw of this notebook is lower than ever. With wireless enabled, screen backlight set to 60 percent, and the power profile set to balanced the system sips a paltry 10.2w of power. Under the additional load of rendering webpages or keeping the internet connection active it jumps up to the 12w range, leaving you with between 7-8 hours of battery life using the 9-cell battery.

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Both batteries side-by-side (view large image)

More to Come

Expect to see more information covered in our full review that will be up in the next few days, as well as our upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad T500 first look.

 

so tempting! too bad thinkpads are really over priced anywhere except the US.

 

Only vertical USB ports, that could be a problem if you have a larger-than-normal USB device.

 

Nice review!

Other differences I noticed and not sure if I like them:

The 'Lenovo' logo on the lid. Not sure if I like that ....
Arrows on the touchpad
Microphone and headphone jacks on the front
Why couldn't they add an extra USB port

The palmrest looks weird with only the Vista sticker.

Also, with the webcam where it is, does using the ThinkLight affect the webcam?

 

Thanks for the "first look." Now, waiting for, at least, a first look review of the Dell Latitude e6400 before replacing my T60.

 

Still worried about the keyboard flex. If they have cheapen up on the "legendary" ThinkPad keyboard, then they have made a clear mistake. I hope to hear more about this, if there's still NMB, Chicony and Alps for this new generation. Curious which one it was for this review model.

 

First look sounds a bit disappointing. As with ed_h, I'm annoyed with the headphone jack placement (though I don't much care about the logos etc.). It seems a minor thing but to my use it's a deal-breaker.

Too bad the X301 will cost more than my college education... I just can't seem to shake this old T42.

 

They put that on the X300 as well, and it's very discreet. It shows up more in pictures than it does in real life to me.

 

IMO it looks a tad tacky. They should have just put it above or below the Thinkpad logo on the lid.

 

Why are you so annoyed about the placement?

 

Nicely done Kevin, I've been waiting on this for a while. Hopefully the full review is up soon, and maybe a review of the E6400 for comparison (anyone have an idea whether one is being prepared here?).

Were you getting 8-9 hours of battery life using the discreet graphics, or the integrated? Either way that is impressive.

The biggest drawback on this notebook for me is the lack of HDMI or Display Port. I mean they could fit a Display Port on the new X301, so space can't be the issue. It would be sad to have to hook up an otherwise cutting edge notebook to a HDTV using analog VGA. I know its a business notebook, but I think digital inputs/outputs are becoming pretty ubiquitous, and why should a notebook be designed to be used purely at the office? But I guess it might lead to more people buying docking stations, so more profit for Lenovo........

 

Seems very good so far, especially with the battery life. I don't like the lenovo logo on the cover, although it is quite inconspicuous. And what is with the flex?

 

So... Not the same old thinkpad quality? That sucks. Especially since T60 was built by lenovo.

But the screen is brighter which is definitly good. If only it was an 8-bit display.

I'll be looking forward to the full review, and any eventual comparisons to the E6400.

 

So both 6-cell and 9-cell batteries stick out??
Amazing battery life though....

 

Hmm...very nice first look, Kevin. I know many of us who post in the lenovo forum regularly have been eagerly awaiting this! Unfortunately, I have to say I'm a little disappointed by the T400. They may just be little things, but there are too many for me. Some of the main things are the off-center screen, plastic blank on the expansion card slot instead of a flap, and the same old uncolored TrackPoint buttons plus the cheap-looking power/volume buttons. All of these, I believe, were fixed in the X200 which I thought was pretty spectacular. I am also a little disappointed by your report of more flex on the keyboard. Despite the many minor imperfections, I'm sure most will be happy about the better screen and great battery life, but for me, it looks like the next laptop I buy will either be an X200 or an EliteBook...

 

I sorta agree. I think it's the colour of the buttons or the shape. Perhaps if they made them the same shape as the blue Thinkvantage button it may look better.

The off centre screen doesnt really bother me. I'm used to it. The one thing I love with the Thinkpads (as minor as it is) is that with other laptops, they use very tacky rubber pads that stick on to the frame of the screen that serve either to cover up screw holes or used to protect the screen when closing the lid.

 

everything is really overpriced everywhere except in the US.

 

I get the impression that you love the boring Thinkpad look.

Impressive battery life, particularly if the dedicated GPU was running? Or dies the system switch over to the integrated graphics automatically?

Does the front-to-back dimension include the battery sticking out at the back.

Is there any eSATA port?

John

 

Why? It's not like there's a big difference in image quality. In fact, VGA might be better for many TV's due to a lack of overscan on the VGA input.

 

Aleman: You've never seen resolutions upwards of 1920x1080 with D-Sub (VGA). Try it and go blind.

 

The keyboard flex also worries me, but it could (and most likely is) an individual issue. I guess we will know more about it once the T400s start arriving and people give their feedback on this. BTW, the plastic block instead of the flap was definitely a mistake on lenovo's part.

I'd also be interested in actually seeing the sloped right corner. I really can't think of why they would slope just one of the corners and the side with the optical drive to boot. It would make more sense to me if it was the opposite end.

Overall the T400 seems like a great machine, hope the review comes up soon.

 

After using my Lenovo laptop for a day you don't notice the off center screen because your eyes are focused on the screen, not the bezel. The screen does not feel off center when you look at it.

The cheap-looking power/volume buttons that you mention are exactly the same as the T61. They didn't change them. I personally don't think they look too bad/cheap. Personal preference I guess.

I also think it is disappointing the Lenovo has put the headphone jacks on the front of the laptop. I guess they really don't have much of a choice, but it still sucks. I do like that they made the touchpad wider, although they could have left out those arrows.

I am looking forward to seeing the T500 review.
Tim

 

If you have such a device it simple enough to buy a 6 inch USB extension cable or one of those little USB swivel adapters.

 

Why are the flexes everywhere? I guess I will have to live with the minor disappointments if they are true....by the way, great job Kevin....hope the full review will come out soon

 

Does tpfancontrol work?
http://tpfancontrol.com/
And if it does, how fast are individual speeds (especially level 1?)

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=285671

Navigate to the last few pages of that thread.

 

Checking right now. I was planning on using it to plot out temperatures for the full review, since the heatsink seems to have been improved.

EDIT: Works fine, plots out all the temps

Speed at 7: 3546
Speed at 1: 1812 (can barely hear it)

 

Thanks for the first look Kevin. Can't wait to get my hands on this myself and see how it is, probably my next notebook. I'd also be interested in knowing how the graphics switch works.

Edit: ok, never mind, they switch on the fly and there's no button a la the Sony SZ. I've been away too long

Sounds like the battery life is as impressive as the X200 I reviewed, it's so great to see battery in the 8 hour range on a 9-cell. Sure the Dell machines are touting all day battery life, but that requires two batteries at the same time being installed, which equates to about 7lbs worth of weight on that 14" notebook that was considered a "thin and light". Lenovo took the approach of engineering the design to improve battery life, and not strapping on extra lead weight like Dell did. Obviously one being a more elegant solution than the other.

 

If the UltraBay Slim extra battery fits, by how much is battery life (presumably) increased?

 

Is graphics switching done in software? I plan on running Linux on my Thinkpad at least some of the time, and I'd like to be able to control what graphics it uses (at least be able to force Intel).

Oh, and personal opinions: Would it be better to get ExpressCard/PC Card or ExpressCard/Card readerm considering the plastic blank issue?

 

Right now I dont know if the hybrid switching works in anything but Vista. In the bios you can lock it in Hybrid, integrated, or discrete, but not sure what drivers would work with the other 2 modes. In vista with it locked to integrated, the video card wasnt recognized.

 

That's rather disappointing, as I was hoping to be able to boot into Linux with (presumably well-supported) Intel graphics and do work, as well as be able to play me some TF2 under Windows.

 

Dell's touting 9 hours with the 9 cell on a E6400 (I'm sure that's a bit optimistic), so that's certainly in the range of the T400 previewed here. I'm guessing there's something intrinsic in the Montevina platform (plus the plethora of LED backlit panels now) that's reducing power consumption, not necessarily just with Lenovo's implementation.

 

See my sums here for the Dell E6400. To get the claimed 19 hours using 9 cell + slice then it should be able to reach 9 hours with the 9 cell battery alone.

John

 

Thanks...still I'm really excited to get my hands on it and really see what it's like. Do you know whether there is a single driver for the hybrid graphic or do we get separate drivers?

 

Thanks for the first-look! For the my part, for the full review, I'm really interested in heat/noise (whether it can be used as a LAPtop), and weight with the 4/6cell batteries(if you have them).

 

I am quite sure that it can be used as a LAPtop.....very low heat and noise

 

I've been doing a bit of homework on the tech in the new T-series, and it looks like Linux people in general are going to be undersupported for a while -- the graphics, both Intel and ATI, are lacking official drivers, and so is the 5300 wireless. I may be stuck with Vista, Cygwin, and ssh'ing into my desktop for a few months.

 

I'd be very interested to know the power draw when playing a HD movie. Presumably the Montevina platform then switches to discrete graphics with H.264 support? Will say VLC take advantage of this straight away or will we have to wait for player support for hardware acceleration for the new codecs?

 

Would the Ultra Slim Hard drive bay adapter from the T61 work in the T400?

 

But the good thing about the Dell approach is that it is optional- its there if you need it, but otherwise does not compromise weight or elegance. At least with the slice battery you don't have to remove your optical drive. And it would make sense that battery life would otherwise be about equal between the T400 and E6400 with similar 9-cell batteries.

I believe that the Dell D series actually had better battery life than the T61 series, so it will be interesting to see reviews and draw a comparison.

 

Kevin: Great review! It is very helpful for me.

Though I have a still question: How is the fan behavior if the notebook is in the advanced mini dock and an external monitor is attached through DVI? - In this scenario, previous T-series notebooks let the fan run at a high speed. Now I wonder whether the optimized thermal envelope of the T400 allows it to stay quieter.

 

Good to see battery improvements at last. I hope the W500 will bring battery life improvements in the same linearity.

BTW: I have an old Centrino 1 Dell Inspiron 8600 with 2GHz and nvidia graphics, which get's 6:30h under Vista with main and bay battery.

 

Don't think so -- the tabook lists a different part number and name. For the T400/500 they call it the Serial ATA Hard Drive Bay Adapter II SATA with part number 43R1980. The T61 "Serial Hard Drive Ultrabay Slim Adapter" is part # 40Y8725.

 

Kevin,

Thanks for this first look. I can't wait to read your full review.

I appreciated your mention of the HL2 frame rates. Good to know how the GPU can perform.

When you tried HL2, was that on AC Power with the ATI GPU running?

Do you plan to try running XP on this system? I know it is a supported option from Lenovo, as XP is a choice on the OS customization and because XP drivers exist for the T400 on the support site.

Also, I saw someone else ask this but receive no answer (unless I suffered from eye-skip): is the plastic blank in the PC Express slot only there if you get the memory card reader, or do you think it is present if you get the PC Card & PC Express card?

Thanks again

 

Ugh! Did they changed the battery again? Will T60 main batteries work on this?

 

Unless it was a widescreen T60 14" notebook, no.

I have not exactly followed the battery revision changes on the 14" and smaller notebooks, but I do know that larger models have not changed. Lenovo still uses the same battery for all of the 15 and 15.4" notebooks.

 

The new notebooks use a completely different optical bay connector for the data side. The old one will not fit.

I will try to cover this in my main review. PM me if you want to discuss how you want me to run the test (codecs, players, what files, etc)

Fan behavior seems to be the same (very quiet, very low speed). My T60 stays in a dock all day at work, and the fan barely runs at all.

The 15" non-LED T500 I am reviewing doesnt appear to get as drastic of a bump that the 14" T400 saw.

When running HL2, I had the ATI control panel set to max performance for both AC and battery. In battery mode the framerate dropped by 2-3FPS.

That cheap plastic blank is only present if you get the SD-Card reader option on the T400.

 

Great First Look, Kevin. Very much appreciated.

I have the T61 14" widescreen and it also has the jack and mic in the front, so no change there.

The ThinkLight will not affect the webcam. (just tested this)

 

Crap, I wanted the card reader to use for Readyboost