T430 vs T430s? Not as clear cut as it seems

[son12]

On the surface, it seems like T430s is a no brainer, but after some research the case isn't as clear cut.

T430s pros
-thinner, lighter
-thunderbolt (i7)

HOWEVER, with the T430s I will be using the 6+3 cell battery config because of the abysmal battery of just the 6 (3-4 hrs regular use, surfing, word, excel, wifi etc)

T430s cons
-3 cell battery weight brings it closer to T430 weight
-no ultrabay, no cd/dvd, no HD storage space
-forced to use mSATA (sata2) for SSD OS, and normal bay as storage, leaving no WAN slot
-something weird about the way battery drains; main battery drains before ultrabay battery?

With this, let's look at the T430
-6 cell battery is still good for 8-9 hrs, 9 cell brings it to 15 hrs (Lenovo ThinkPad T430: Conclusion)
-frees ultrabay for cd/dvd or HD storage
-main HD space swapped for SSD (sata3)
-mSATA or WAN space still free
-T430 is carbon fiber reinforced top AND bottom, while T430s is only reinforced on top
-while heavier, is more rugged, and more space might mean better cooling
-discrete GPU option

Questions:
1) What is the weight of T430s with ultrabay battery?

Edit: found out that the bay battery is 0.52lbs (ThinkPad Battery 43 (3 cell bay) - Overview), this means T430s is 3.96+0.52=4.48lbs vs T430 at 4.77lbs, only a 0.29lbs difference... pretty negligible, so basically it comes down to thickness (1.18" vs 0.83"~1.02")

2) I don't plan on heavy gaming, but T430 has the optional NVS 5400M currently for another $50. What are the implications? With the dGPU will I get better playback on ultra high resolution monitors? Will it affect photoshop use at all?

Edit: for gamers, you'll see that 5400M is anywhere from 20%-60% better than HD4000 in the game tests (NVIDIA NVS 5400M - Notebookcheck.net Tech)

3) What's the deal with the T430 having both a 90W adapter option as well as a 65W adapter? Is 90W for dGPU and 65W for HD4000? How big/heavy is the 90W vs 65W?

[hmmwv]

2, T430 has the 5400M and 430s has the 5200M, which I think is too close to HD4000's performance I don't even recommend the upgrade, the 5400M definitely helps things such as AutoCAD and I imagine it'll help Photoshop as well, HD4000 is good enough even for a 2560x1600 external panel.
3. I think so, the 90W adapter is for the dGPU models, they are pretty close in size and weight compare to the 65W one, generally you want an adapter rated for higher power consumption so it runs cooler and live longer.

[Thors.Hammer]

I would normally recommend the T430. I really liked the T420. But they cut the eSATAp port which is a big bummer for me.

[XX55XX]

My only gripe with the T430s is that the main battery is not sealed in. If they sealed in the battery, they could have made the bottom into a more uniform panel.

[son12]

My only gripe with the T430s is that the main battery is not sealed in. If they sealed in the battery, they could have made the bottom into a more uniform panel.

What do you mean by sealed in? As in sits flush against the bottom? Does this apply to the T430?

[ibmthink]

-T430 is carbon fiber reinforced top AND bottom, while T430s is only reinforced on top

Yes, but the T430s bottomcover itself is made of magnesium.

[pepper_john]

I have to decide between T430 and T430s in Sept.

So the main difference is only in the battery?

[hmmwv]

^^ Also depends on the introduction of T430u ultrabook.

[pepper_john]

right. There is a rumor that T430u comes with full voltage cpu, which is the minimal requirement for me.

[Nrbelex]

-T430 is carbon fiber reinforced top AND bottom, while T430s is only reinforced on top
-while heavier, is more rugged, and more space might mean better cooling

Just wanted to point out the T430s may be more robust than you've indicated. The top cover is carbon fiber - supposedly 230% stronger than the previous generation - and the roll-cage (bottom) is made of magnesium.

The cooling system in the T430s has also been improved in the newest generation. I've noticed almost no heat in my i5, HD4000 system.

Source:
Lenovo ThinkPad T430S Teardown - YouTube