Please help me!

[lawgirl]

I need to purchase a laptop, and after much research have decided on a TP because of its durability and performance. I was at first deciding between the X41 and the T series -- and finally came to the conclusion that I would get more bang for my buck with the T series.

Now here is the hard part -- after reading a lot of the reviews about the noise ( I am going to grad school in the fall and dont want to bug ppl in the library) and warmth of the T43, I am hesitant to purchase one. Can anyone recommend a T42 with spec similar to the 2687D3U model ??? or should I just suck it up and get the T43?

Thanks all. This board has really been helpful to me.

[K. Eng]

You probably don't need the marginal added speed of a T43. A T42 would be just fine for most people.

I can never keep track of the model codes off the top of my head, but I'd recommend a 14" XGA or SXGA+ display, 512MB of RAM, and at least 40GB of hard drive space. Don't forget a 3-year warranty as well

[mysbca]

If you can skip the multi-burner, the 2373M3U is very similarly spec'd:
1.8GHz P-M, 14" sxga+, 512MB, 7200rpm 60GB HD, Combo drive, Intel b/g wi-fi, bluetooth, fingerprint reader, 6-cell battery, 3 year warranty

In summary, it is about $50 more with student discount. You get the 7200rpm HD instead of the 5400rpm HD and bluetooth, but lose the 9-cell battery and the multi-burner.

[lawgirl]

If you can skip the multi-burner, the 2373M3U is very similarly spec'd:
1.8GHz P-M, 14" sxga+, 512MB, 7200rpm 60GB HD, Combo drive, Intel b/g wi-fi, bluetooth, fingerprint reader, 6-cell battery, 3 year warranty

In summary, it is about $50 more with student discount. You get the 7200rpm HD instead of the 5400rpm HD and bluetooth, but lose the 9-cell battery and the multi-burner.

But you guys never mentioned anything about the heat/fan issue. Do you think its worth it to get the T43 (2687D3U) or spend a little more on the T42 (2373M3U)????

Which is the BETTER machine?

[Inky]

Do you think its worth it to get the T43 (2687D3U) or spend a little more on the T42 (2373M3U)????

I did!
See my recent post called:

UPDATE on 14.1" Vs. 15" screen dilemma

Which is the BETTER machine?

The question to ask (as I discovered) is not which machine is better, but which is best for YOUR intended purpose.

I chose the 2373M2U and for my purposes I ordered the 9 cell battery and a DVD recordable drive as accessories.

-Inky

[alpuzz]

I really don't think you can go wrong with either machine. I made a similar decision a few weeks ago and decided on the T43. It wasn't so much for the extra performance as it was the fact that I didn't want to pay more for an already dated T42 with similar specs. The T43 I have is the 2668-75U.

A comfortable Noise level is obviously a very subjective thing, but in my opinion the only time my machine is obnoxiously loud is when it first boots. The fan fires up to max for a few seconds-- I understand that at this point, the system board is actually testing the fan. After that, it settles down to the point where if I am in a quiet room, I can hear it at the edge of my perception, but only if I'm sitting at the computer. If I lean back or walk even a foot away, the fan immediately blends in with the ambient noise.

I have owned four laptops counting this T43. The other three were Toshiba tecras, a 510 CDT, an 8000 and an 8100. For what it's worth, the T43 is the quietest of the bunch.
I think you'll probably be happy with either machine, but if you really feel like you want to try the T43, don't let the heat and noise talk put you off. After all, there are far more people who are happy with their T43s than not. It's just that the ones who are not are more vocal about it. Also remember, you basically have a 30 day evaluation.

Good luck,

--Al

[mysbca]

But you guys never mentioned anything about the heat/fan issue. Do you think its worth it to get the T43 (2687D3U) or spend a little more on the T42 (2373M3U)????

Which is the BETTER machine?

There are already many threads with discussions on T43 fan noise. For example:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=12029
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=11600

Which machine is better is subjective. The D3U seems to have more features for less money, but others will claim that the 7200rpm hd and the Radeon 9600 graphics on the M3U is better than the 5400 rpm hd and X300 graphics. Some people have already decided that the quieter fan of the T42 is better than the T43. Some, such as alpuzz, has decided that the T43 is better for them.

They are both very close; you'll probably be happy with which ever one you pick.

[Basker]

I'm with lawgirl in terms of wanting more information. It's relatively clear that T43 has a bit more tech behind it. It's a bit faster, newer, etc. I think it'll be available longer, and probably supported better in the long run. Were it not for the fan noise, I wonder if there'd be any question over the T42.

Personally, after all I've read, t's not even near clear to me what's up with the fan. I have read (here) that it's quiet, loud, low pitched, high pitched, louder than the t42, only loud at boot, quiet, totally quiet, blends with background noise, quiet under load, loud at idle, loud all the time, etc.

I sure wish there were a definitive thread on the whole fan thing with with some sort of objective measurements on the sound levels. (I remember that when I was shopping for my computer case, folks actually did decibel tests) The number of threads on fan noise in my mind makes it seem (perhaps artificially) like this is really common and significant problem with the T43.

I sit in classrooms a lot and I sit in business meeting rooms a lot, and I couldn't have the T43 going off as loudly as some people here are claiming.

FYI, I have looked around, and frankly unless I was a really loyal Thinkpad customer, and if I chose against the T43, I'd look at the new HP's rather than go with the older tech in the T42. The HP 6230 has the same magnesium casing, and sturdiness, and all the same technology as the T43 at similar prices, and I haven't read any complaints about noise and heat with them. It's the same exact form factor, and It even has a slightly recessed keyboard to prevent screen scratches from the keys and pointer stick. (No Thinklight or Fingerprint though) As best I can tell the 6230 is meant to be the equal competitor to the T43.

All things considered, I'd prefer the T43 if this fan noise thing wasn't actually a problem. I am not really the type to buy something I am likely to return though, and I just don't have enough info to decide to pull the trigger as I have seen some folks here say.

[alpuzz]

i'm quite confused, and wonder if there are actually significant variances between particular T43s in terms of cooling and fan noise? Once my fan settles down after booting, the noise level is slightly louder than it is when just the hard drive is running, but only slightly louder. As I type this, I'm running Prime95 and doing the torture test that is supposed to generate maximum heat. The test has been running for about 25 minutes, and my fan hasn't fluctuated in the least. I'm admittedly not a gamer, but if Prime95 can't make my fan rev up even slightly, then I'm hard pressed to imagine any tasks I will ever ask this machine to do that will. What's even more interesting is that I have a 2.0GHZ processor which should be one of the fastest/hottest in the T43 line.

--Al