Thinkpads Forum

So I have around $400-500 to blow on a computer
Should I go for a T60 or a new computer?

T60.

IMO, one of the best laptops ever made. It will go down in history as a classic Thinkpad, somewhat like the T23 or the A31 series, which are still held in very high regard, even today.

But seriously though, without knowing your needs from a laptop, how can one give any real advice?

Well, what does the T60 offer that $500 new laptops cannot?

Quality, durability, high-res screens, 4:3 aspect ratio, resale value, and the feeling that you belong to the elite.

After buying lots of thinkpads I sticked to the T60 Flexview 15 inch display.

It depends what you want. A very small notebook ... take the x series. A moderate notebook with good ergonomics ... then the T series (including the newer series) is the right choice. If you want the best display, go with the 15 inch non-xga models of the T series (all these models have displays that are called Flexview).

dr_st wrote:Quality, durability, high-res screens, 4:3 aspect ratio, resale value, and the feeling that you belong to the elite.

+1 for durability and aspect ratio

Although my vote would go towards a T60 purchase, it's hard to say anything without knowing your specific needs...

General uses are internet surfing, word processing, running AutoCAD, occasional gaming (usually graphics intensive to an extent).
No audio/video production, or photoshop
Have yet to drop my laptops.

Thanks

I had a similar dilemma some time ago and went with a t60. 15inch sxga+ flexview in that aspect ratio is something too good to pass by. The grapics card is the most outdated component so games may be problematic. Don't know if AutoCAD relies much on graphics card, but the 3d part could be. In that case t60p may be better. The core duo processors are good enough for most normal computing tasks. There should be enough of these machines available as they are coming off the 3 year warranty and businesses are changing them for more modern machines.

Yes, if the AutoCAD needs a good solution, the newer machines offer better cards.

Most of the cheap machines offer GMA4500, though, which is inferior to even X1400, not to mention V5200/5250. You can probably find some occasional low-end dedicated card (which will be better than what's in a T60) in a sub-$500 laptop (after discounts, etc.), but you have to know what you're looking for.

I've had a lot of problems with my T60. It's been in for repair at least 3 times since I purchased it 3 years ago:

- Processor (T2500) overheating. Heatsink/fan replaced under warranty.
- Optical drive bad. Replaced under warranty.
- Second optical drive bad after a few months, didn't bother to replace.
- Hard drive died. Didn't bother to take it in, bought a new one.
- Screen bad, so I took it in for replacement. Replaced screen and bezel under warranty. New screen still bad. Dim with washed out blacks. Go with the UXGA if you get this laptop.
- It's noisy. More so when running on battery. Fan noise, weird high pitched noises that emit in tune with the blinking cursor, etc. Given that I've already had the fan and heatsink replaced, there's probably not much else I can do.
- False advertising. I bought the laptop when it was advertised as supporting 4GB of memory. This is false, only 3GB is supported.

Warranty support has been pretty good though, and after the heatsink/fan and hard drive replacement, the machine has been very stable.

dr_st wrote:Most of the cheap machines offer GMA4500

I invested hundreds of dollars to upgrade my thinkpad from ati x1300 to intel gpu. It is a step down in regards of performance. But since a half year I have the fan on every few days! The notebook runs totally silent with its ssd and the intel gpu. Currently its somewhat over 60 degrees with the fan turned off where T60 with high end gpus tend to have 80-90 degrees even with the fan on.

The intel gpu is perfect for my two external display setup on dvi and vga. Once I am at home I put my T60 in the dock and have my two eizo s-pva displays with 1.000 : 1 contrast and automatic lightview sensor, printer, network, interface - everything is connected. When on the road I like its Flexview display that is in its heigh comparable to the W700 ... Only downside is that the current T2400 processor does support 32bit only, but that's something that would be more interesting in the next three years or so.

You can get the whole setup (notebook, docking, 2 monitors, interface and printer) for less money than one new T400s costs. Imagine the possibilities

ssd_thinkpad wrote: T60 with high end gpus tend to have 80-90 degrees even with the fan on.

my T60 had 128mb dedicated ram and it ran usually at 72-74C. my X300 with integrated graphics now runs at 65C.

No new machine in the $500 range will offer better performance than a T60 when it comes to gaming/Auto CAD, although gaming might leave a bit to be desired...

If intensive gaming is a must, an older Alienware might be a good bet for you...

(Yes, I actually wrote that although I can't believe it myself... )

with 128mb of dedicated ram and another 128mb from hypermemory i have done quite a bit of gaming. are you going to be running the newest games? if so i still believe that with turning all the effects down to minimum you should be able to run them with no problem. in my opinion laptops have been always a compromise in gaming, if you don't want to compromise go with a desktop.

ssd_thinkpad wrote:Currently its somewhat over 60 degrees with the fan turned off where T60 with high end gpus tend to have 80-90 degrees even with the fan on.

Are you talking about CPU or GPU temps? In any case, at idling, my X1400-equipped T60 will never reach even 70C on either of them, and with the fan on - usually under 60C. Under heavy load, CPU temps can go into high 70s-low 80s. The GPU, if stressed can go over 90C as well, but it has to be very GPU-specific stress.