Is IBM going backwards in battery life?

[Skysurfer]

I just bought a T43 w/ 14" screen to replace my killer T40. That T40 was an awesome machine. Nearly 5 hours of battery life doing hardcore financial modeling.

But this new T43, while wonderfully fast and loaded with nifty (read FUNCTIONAL) features, gets less than 3 hours of battery life.

What is the big drain over the T40? The ATI graphics card? The 7200 harddrive?

Is IBM going backwards in battery technology? Does anybody know what IBM/Lenovo has in mind for the nest T4x iteration? Consultants such as myself sometimes have to remain unplugged for some time and additional batteries are additional baggage.

Lawrence

[desdinova]

Laptop power is progessing faster than battery technology is.

Sure, you can have a big screen, fast CPU/GPU/HDD but you're going to pay for it.

Maybe get an ultrabay battery?

[simscitizen]

The battery in the T43 actually has 10% more WHr than the one in the T40 if I remember correctly, but I also get crappier battery life than i expected (I didn't own a T40, but this thing gets less battery life than my three-year old, and similarly-sized 1.2 GHz tualatin compaq n600c!). I put in a multibay battery now and get 4.5-5 hrs with undervolting, which is good enough for me but pretty sucky considering all the hype surrounding centrino.

[RonS]

It's Sonoma - the new version in the Centrino/Dothan Pentium M line that supports many new features, but unfortunately most of those features aren't implemented on the T43. But you pay the power price for them anyway. It's one of the reasons I think Sonoma is largely a dud.

You may be better served with a T42.

Here come the flames...

[tehsoul]

you can always get a high capacity 9cell instead of the standard 6cell...

also, for most people, I don't think battery life is SUCH a big issue... there's usually powerplugs around here or there

[GomJabbar]

also, for most people, I don't think battery life is SUCH a big issue... there's usually powerplugs around here or there

Powerplugs are like looking for hens teeth at a lot of airports (at least in the US)!

[Steve007]

I just bought a T43 w/ 14" screen to replace my killer T40. That T40 was an awesome machine. Nearly 5 hours of battery life doing hardcore financial modeling.

Why did you get a T43 if the T40 was ok?

[schmaud]

Hi,

Ther are different processors in the t4X:
t40/t41: pentium M Banias 130 nm ( max 1.6 Ghz, no 7xx but the 705)
T42: dothan 90 nm (7x5)
t43: dothan 90 nm, higher bus clock (7x0)

while the 90 nm types use less power if under full load they take substanially more power if in stand by or clocked down.

Clearly the faster bus speed and the pci -exp will consume power.

Another thing you might want to check: some t43 graphic units using parts of the RAM. If you ran big simulations with graphic demands this will lead to less available memory and increased swaping, thus hd usage and power consumption.
A RAM upgrade might therefore improve the situation... or get a t42, mine is running ~4,5 h on a 6 cell.

What might be interested: all the ( non ulv) Pentium M of one generation have the same max power recquirement in teh spec sheet, using a slower processor wil not improve battery life...

cheers

ralf



more info at the differnt pentium m might be at:
http://www.tomshardware.com/mobile/20050119/index.html

[Skysurfer]

I just bought a T43 w/ 14" screen to replace my killer T40. That T40 was an awesome machine. Nearly 5 hours of battery life doing hardcore financial modeling.

Why did you get a T43 if the T40 was ok?

For two reasons. First, my 3 yr warranty on the T40 was coming to an end in a few months. And second, right in the middle of a time critical project, my T40 suffered a liquid spill...which forced my hand on getting a new Thinkpad within 24 hrs.

FYI, the T40 will be repaired (fully covered under warranty) and auctioned on ebay. It looks like similarly equiped T40s go for around $800-$900. I will really miss that machine, as the T43s speed and power has now spoiled me.

Lawrence

[Skysurfer]

you can always get a high capacity 9cell instead of the standard 6cell...

also, for most people, I don't think battery life is SUCH a big issue... there's usually powerplugs around here or there

Do you know what the average battery life of a 9-cell is on a T43 with a 14" screen?

Thanks,

Lawrence

[Greg Gebhardt]

We all ask for more and more and it all uses power.

Get the 9cell extended battery and not worry about it for most days.

I can't complain about my T43 when I can use it most of the day on WiFi and not even look at the power meter. SUre there are ThinkPads that use less power but I would not give up mine for nothing.

[keku]

My T43p (15 inch) gives me about 4.5+ hours with 9 cell. it depends on power settings too.

I keep brightness to level 1 when using Battery,

Maximum CPU speed I keep low when using battery
for fan I use balance All Parameters

[syhead]

Hi,

A RAM upgrade might therefore improve the situation... or get a t42, mine is running ~4,5 h on a 6 cell.

ralf

up to 5h on a 6-cell? I can hardly get 4hs on my T42...
can you get 5h having wireless off? Perhaps that's the catch.

anyways, I'm pretty happy with mine... if I needed, I would get a 9-cell.

[schmaud]

I was typing 4,5h, which meant 4+1/2.

at the beginning I had really more than 4:50, now it is quite a bit lower.
Strange was at the beginning that the system told me that i have more han the design capacity, but after ~65 cycles i am at ~90 percent of this number. By the way I have a sanyo pack.

I ussually have wlan of. But i noted that teh modem is taking quite some toll on the battery.

cheers

ralf