Lenovo ThinkPad T400 Review

[mikec]

****, price went up a little on the Lenovo US site.
I probably will end up getting this (unless I go for the E6400 at the last second). I guess waiting for my student loan to go through will just give me more time to decide. Hopefully the prices will go down not up though.

Yes, I notice the bump in prices....grrr...did not pull the trigger fast enough.

[jtan189]

Anyone know anything about the student discount for the T400? It seems to knock off a little bit, and anything helps. I'm not sure how one would go about getting the discount though. I'm assuming you would just have to show proof of enrollment at a college or something?

EDIT: the exact amount for the same configs that it knocks off for me is $101.75. Which is pretty nice.

[grkn]

"I giggle at the thought of the battery life with a 25W procesor (instead of the beefy 2.83Ghz 35W processor) and a SSD instead of the 7200RPM drive.

Well, giggle all you want, using integrated graphic and all power saving features on, my 2.26 ghz LED backlit OCZ SSD II wielding T400 draws 12W idling, having used the same settings as in the review.

Life is unfair!

[jtan189]

I'm also debating what type of cpu to get for my T400. I notice that a lot of people are not going with the most expensive option. I'm assuming this is for increased batter life. If I don't plan on doing any intense gaming and my multimedia needs are basically just what is necessary for playing music and movies, what cpu would be a good choice? Also, if I did go with the top option (the T9600), what would this mean as far as performance? Would the benefit be similar to increasing the memory inside a computer (faster processing and loading)? I don't want to cheap out on the cpu, but I also don't want to waste money on parts that I'll never utilize to the max.

[vk60402]

I had a quick question about screen size and resolution difference between the T60 and T400 in this review. Is the T60 pictured next to T400 provided with 14.1 or 15.4 in 4:3 screen?

[mikec]

I'm also debating what type of cpu to get for my T400. I notice that a lot of people are not going with the most expensive option. I'm assuming this is for increased batter life. If I don't plan on doing any intense gaming and my multimedia needs are basically just what is necessary for playing music and movies, what cpu would be a good choice? Also, if I did go with the top option (the T9600), what would this mean as far as performance? Would the benefit be similar to increasing the memory inside a computer (faster processing and loading)? I don't want to cheap out on the cpu, but I also don't want to waste money on parts that I'll never utilize to the max.

I would say go with the 2.53ghz (T9500). The 6MB cache is double the other cpus, and you will notice it. The top end 2.8ghz (T9600) is not worth the extra $200.

[dietcokefiend]

I had a quick question about screen size and resolution difference between the T60 and T400 in this review. Is the T60 pictured next to T400 provided with 14.1 or 15.4 in 4:3 screen?

The T60 is a 15" 4:3 model at 1400x1050 resolution

[PowerPaul86]

I would say go with the 2.53ghz (T9500). The 6MB cache is double the other cpus, and you will notice it. The top end 2.8ghz (T9600) is not worth the extra $200.

You definitely not need 6 MB Cache for playing movies or music!

[jtan189]

Maybe, but will it improve the overall performance anyways? What I mean is, will I notice the change? According to mikec, I will. Do you disagree?

[PowerPaul86]

Like i said for playing music, watching movies, normal office and web usage i would save the money and get a cpu that needs less power and stays cooler.