Decisions, decisions

[benplaut]

It's that time again, folks. My beloved T40 is becoming a bit old, and I'm thinking of upgrades.

Here's the possibilities i've thought of:
T60 14, and sacrifice quite a bit of graphics power (about $1400)
T60 15, and sacrifice size and weight ($1500 and on up to the sky)
T43 14, high spec... sacrifice core duo (roughly $1300?)
T4x Barebones, and use my parts! (no idea on cost)

What i'm looking for is to get rid of the XGA screen and mobile 7500 in my T40 in exchange for something alot higher res and with some gaming power (anything more than what i have is a good start). I've done quite a bit of upgrades beyond my 2373-7CU, and i estimate it's worth roughly $550-600.

So... any suggestions in this dillema? Bill, do you still sell ultra-high end T43s any more?
I've got time to spare, but i know that the longer i wait, the less valuable my T40 will become =/

Cheers,
Ben

[GomJabbar]

There are still some relatively high-end T43p's available here: Lenovo Outlet

[benplaut]

wow... those are some high spec t43p! that's definately a backup if i can't find anything used.

<edit>
in terms of gaming performance, what's the difference between a x1400, x1300, and FireGL v3200 128? Some of the high-end t43p 14s i'm seeing are very nice!


<edit2>
research adrenaline!
if i can find one for a good price and with a x1400, i think i've settled on a T60 14. On ebay (not to buy from there, but for a general price range), it seems that $1500 pulls in a 100gb 5400 and a gig of ram

<edit3>
Housten, we have a laptop!
My dad's a teacher, so i can probably get a huge discount and end up with this machine:
https://www-03.ibm.com/lenovo/shop/pers ... il_status=

<edit4> Final edit!
having some trouble deciding between a mid-range T60 vs a high-range T43P. Both can be had for about $1500, so it comes down to a choice: Core Duo vs a better graphics card.
Right now, i have a T40. The size is perfect, but i don't have a 15" to compare to. I was considering a z61 15.4", but it's quite large (albeit cheaper).

Here's a rough estimate for what i'd be able to get for $1500 on either

T60
Core Duo 2500/2600 (2.0/2.1GHz)
14.1" SXGA+ OR 15" UXGA IPS (a bit more expensive)
1gb RAM
100gb 5400
DVD+/-RW
ATI X1400 128mb

T43P (I can probably find some higher configs, but this is from IBM/lenovo outlet)
Pentium M 760/770 (2.0/2.1GHz)
15" UXGA IPS OR 14.1" SXGA+ (harder to find)
1gb RAM
100gb 5400
DVD+/-RW
ATI FireGL V3200 128mb