Thinkpads Forum

Hello everyone!

I'm currently the happy owner of a X201 that I plop into a docking station. It's my main workhorse, for software development work and running Virtual Machines. I have a separate over-powered desktop PC which I use for very light-gaming. The hassle of switching the two PCs, just for 30 minutes of gaming, is annoying, even with a KVM switch. In addition, my X201 is starting to wear-out a bit after almost 3 years of age: ThinkLight doesn't work anymore, on it's second battery and it's half of it's original capacity, etc...

I'm planning to upgrade to a newer machine, and one with a dedicated card, and sell my desktop PC. I want to keep my docking setup, so I'll have to get a docking station with that newer machine. I use my laptop often both at my desk, and away from it.

The T430 looks like a good candidate, but I have some reservations about it. The keyboard layout looks awful, I tried a T530 at a nearby computer retailer, and the feel is just fine, but I just don't really like the layout. But I guess I have to just give in, and get used to it.... The build quality also seems that it's not as good either.

Alright, so just to summarize, here's what I'm looking for:
- A solid dual-core processor like Intel Core i5, quad-core would be nice.
- 16GB of RAM. (I'll upgrade the RAM myself to save some cash)
- Mid-range graphics card. (Something close to the nVidia GT 550m in power is just fine)
- Docking station capability and support for two displays.
- High-resolution screen on the laptop (no 1366x768 please)
- 12-14 inch form factor
- 6+ hour battery (my X201 could do 6-7 hours easily when I first got it)

Now here's the thing, I know that Haswell is going to released soon, and Lenovo's going nuts with their ThinkPad brand. The T431s they just released is not really a good sign. So what should I do, should I wait and stick to my setup for now? Or perhaps I should just buy the T430, and try to swallow the new keyboard layout?

If clarifications are needed, let me know.

Thanks,
Ahmed

Lenovo doesn't offer quads in the T4x0 machines, though a few people here and elsewhere have put them in. If you like the old keyboards, you could look for an older T420. It uses the old keyboard and the bump from Sandy to Ivy Bridge isn't that great. The dedicated GPUs offered in T4x0 ThinkPads aren't much better than the Intel integrated cards. If you want something better, the W520 might be worth a look, though it's a bit bigger.

Personally, I've used several of the new keyboards and liked them. They're firm with good pitch, but if you've got the old layout ingrained in your brain, the new one will probably never make you happy.

For the keyboard, I guess I'll just have to move on and get used to the new keyboard.

Otherwise, should I commit to purchasing now? Or should I wait for Haswell which seems to be right around the corner?

I haven't been following it too closely, but I can't see Haswell being that much better. Sandy Bridge was the CPU that made biggest leap in terms of battery life and performance. It's hard to pull that rabbit out of the hat every time. You could probably even look at a X220 if you want the old keyboard.