T420 vs. T420s (Is Less Weight Worth It?)

[Electric Wolf]

Right now Lenovo has a 25% off coupon + 8% cashback, but it ends on the 17th. I am having a really hard time choosing between the T420 and the T420s. I will be going to university for mechancial engineering, so my main concerns are portabilty (which the T420s has), battery life (which the T420 has), and graphics power for AutoCAD (which both can have with the NVS 4200M).

It seems the main difference between the two laptops is that the T420s comes with an Intel Core i7-2620M processor instead of a i5-2540M, and it is about a pound lighter. The T420 is roughly $200 cheaper, so I would use this to buy an SSD. My question is, is the T420 that heavy? If you put it in a backpack with a couple textbooks, would you actually benefit from the T420s' lower weight?

This seems to be the decision maker. If weight does not seem like an issue, I will go with the T420.

[Isaac-1]

Don't forget the T420s has USB 3 and the T420 has USB 2, I just ordered a T420s and had many of the same debates, but it came down to I wanted the lighter one, and if I need to add more battery life I can invest in more batteries, I already ordered a an ultra-bay battery pack to help out.

[Kaso]

It seems the main difference between the two laptops is that the T420s comes with an Intel Core i7-2620M processor instead of a i5-2540M, and it is about a pound lighter.

The i7-2620M is dual-core and is not a significant step up from the i5-2540M. You'd rather save the upgrade money here to put into extra RAM or an SSD.

The T420 is roughly $200 cheaper, so I would use this to buy an SSD.

Good thinking!

My question is, is the T420 that heavy? If you put it in a backpack with a couple textbooks, would you actually benefit from the T420s' lower weight?

The T420 is not that heavy. The difference in weight between a T420 and a T420s is insignificant in the context of a backpack with school stuff.

You could get a 9-cell battery (which is not applicable to the T420s) and use the Ultrabay for a second HDD in lieu of the optical drive, or remove the optical drive completely. With the T420s, though, you have to add a second battery in the Ultrabay to the main 6-cell (but weaker than the T420 6-cell battery) if you want to manage the battery situation sufficiently.

This seems to be the decision maker. If weight does not seem like an issue, I will go with the T420.

I'd recommend you go with the T420. I use one, and it does not feel thicker and heavier than a T420s.

Oh, and remember to select the HD+ 1600x900 display option.

[sklsy]

Ha, That's exactly what my situation is.
Going to study in Computer Science and have no idea which to get, t420 or t420s

Does the "s" look thinner on the desk?

Edward

[Tsunade_Hime]

Also consider T420s will be harder to find parts for down the line, T420s has a significantly weaker battery (44 WHr vs 55 WHr) and with the T420s you are forced to use 7mm 2.5" drives (harder to find). Also there is quite a premium on the T420s vs the base T420.

[MidnightSun]

Also consider T420s will be harder to find parts for down the line, T420s has a significantly weaker battery (44 WHr vs 55 WHr) and with the T420s you are forced to use 7mm 2.5" drives (harder to find). Also there is quite a premium on the T420s vs the base T420.

Yep, the battery life alone makes the T420 a much more attractive package to me than the T420s--the T420 supports a 9-cell battery, while the T420s tops out at a 6-cell (which already has less capacity than the T420's 6-cell). If weight is a huge consideration, the X220 would be a much better choice. If it's not crucial, then the difference between the T420 and T420s' weight likely won't be too significant either.

[Tsunade_Hime]

Well the main and only real downfall of the x220 is the limited vertical real estate (I don't want to be ruining my eyes by squinting at a 12.5" doing coding). At least with the T420 you get an option of 1600x900. But if you can live with WXGA IPS vs HD+ TN panel on a 14", all up to you.

[lead_org]

X220 doesn't have WXGA resolution, it has HD resolution.

The Intel HD 3000 GPU are quite adept at AutoCAD work, so if you only use AutoCAD and not Solidworks, then you could consider the new Intel integrated GPU.

[jjahshik32]

I think whichever one you get you'll be very satisfied. I have the T420 and I already think its light, I'm sure the T420s will be even better with its weight.

[Electric Wolf]

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll go with the T420. I have one more question though: how does the 9 cell compare to the 6 cell battery? I'm wondering if having it stick out of the back an inch is an annoyance.