t40 or t41 or t42 or t43? need some help

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Müsli · #1 Post by **Müsli** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 5:16 am

Hi,
I want to buy a t4* now my problem ist there are so many different models and they varry in price like crazy. now i have many questions.
I like high resolutins and want to be able to work outside is there a diffrence in brightness betwen the t40-t43 and betwen the different resolutions? The cpu is diffrent in all models but i can just replace them with a better one from ebay for 25$. I read somewhere on the internet that they vary in the case that the one from the t43 is moch more protective, is that true? Is there anything i should look for when buying an upgrade HDD(besides that its not a sata)? id dont want to play much games with it but some would be nice. the t40´s are not that good for it but a 9600 64mb or a x300 would do the job is it worth it to go for the x300(about 200$ more)

dr_st · #2 Post by **dr_st** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 5:46 am

I like high resolutins and want to be able to work outside is there a diffrence in brightness betwen the t40-t43 and betwen the different resolutions?

The higher resolution SXGA+ (1400x1050) screens are generally brighter. The 15" SXGA+/UXGA "Flexview" screens are the brightest and overall best. They are available on T42 and T43 only (earlier models do not come at 15"). However, even these screens are not very comfortable for outside work. Even on max brightness you will not see anything in direct sunlight.

The cpu is diffrent in all models but i can just replace them with a better one from ebay for 25$.

Yes and no. The CPUs from T40/T41/T42 are interchangeable - you can use any Banias/Dothan 400MHz CPU. The T43 uses a different chipset and different CPUs - 533MHz Dothans. These are not compatible with earlier models - a full motherboard swap is required.

I read somewhere on the internet that they vary in the case that the one from the t43 is moch more protective, is that true?

Never heard of it.

Is there anything i should look for when buying an upgrade HDD(besides that its not a sata)?

Upgrading the HDD in a T40/1/2 is simple - any PATA HDD will work. Upgrading HDD in a T43 is a nightmare, because of the proprietary PATA-SATA bridge they used. While usually possible, with select models and after a lot of headache, in general, if you plan to upgrade the HDD - forget about the T43.

the t40´s are not that good for it but a 9600 64mb or a x300 would do the job is it worth it to go for the x300(about 200$ more)

As you noticed yourself, the T40/T41 do not offer good video cards. 9600 (T42) and X300 (T43) offer equal performance - none is better than the other. Of course, even they will not run the newest games well. I got games like DOOM3, GTA San Andreas and Prince of Persia Two Thrones to run on my T42/9600 just fine, but I doubt that FEAR or Quake4 will run even remotely well on it.

Overall, from the T4x series, the T42 is probably overall the best purchase.

CZOLG · #3 Post by **CZOLG** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 6:43 am

You may also take into account fan/noise problem which T43 may suffer from.
Like dr_st, I would suggest you get the T42.

Müsli · #4 Post by **Müsli** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:28 am

ok thanks for the reply. i think i would get a t41/2 with 9600 and 64mb ram but a 14" with sxga+. there are some t4* on ebay any sugestions what would you chose(i want to use it for 5-10month and be able to play at least GTA):
T41 1,6ghz 40gb wifi sxga ati9000(32mb) 480$
T42 1.7GHZ 1GB DVD/CDRW SXGA ati9600(64MB) 600$
T41 1.6ghz, 512 mb, 40gb, Bluetooth WiFi ,ati7500 and some dark spot on display 400$

do you think i can get it cheaper anywhere else(must be able to pay from germany but will be send to usa)

Troels · #5 Post by **Troels** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:21 am

Hi,

I'd get the T42 in your middle link.

I'm 100% sure that the dark spot menitoned in the last auction is due to the trackpoint cap has been pressed for too long against the lcd. This happens if one is not careful - like me. So my advice, avoid it. You WILL always stare at the darker spot because it's right in the middle.
I think the last one should be priced lower since this IS a pretty severe defect, especially compared to the one in the first link.

The 9600 is faster in 3dmark01 by about 2-3k compared to the x300. But it's not something you'd notice in real life usage.
Both will play vice city well. I am not too sure about san andreas.

pianowizard · #6 Post by **pianowizard** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 12:21 pm

Another vote for the T42 in the middle link.

Müsli · #7 Post by **Müsli** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 12:56 pm

ok so tomorow i will buy this thing and now i thought why not buy a dockII and now i am confused the t4* uses the ultrabay slim but the dockII uses the ultrabay 2000 are they compatible?
edit: I am not allowed to buy it because I don´t have paypal confirmend adress

Sloba · #8 Post by **Sloba** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:13 pm

Müsli wrote:Hi,
id dont want to play much games with it but some would be nice. the t40´s are not that good for it but a 9600 64mb or a x300 would do the job is it worth it to go for the x300(about 200$ more)

MR9600 and MRX300 are in the same performance class. However, there are a few differences.
Both VPUs have 4 pixel pipelines and 2 vertex units. Core clock is the same in both cases - 350MHz. However, X300 has memory clock 300MHz while MR9600 has 200MHz. The consequence of this can be easily seen in memory bandwidth: 6.4GB/sec vs. 9.6GB/sec.
Additionally, M22 core (X300) has advanced power saving features compared to M10 core (RM9600).

To sum up, I would go with X300 if we talk about VPU, but I would go with T42 or T41 rather than T43 (Sonoma platform + X300)

Hope this helps.

Regards

NOTE: RM9600 with 32MB has 64bit memory bus which will severely decrease performanse

#9 Post by **underclocker** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:43 pm

I'd go with a T42. I'd also wait to find one with a warranty. Good luck.

Temetka · #10 Post by **Temetka** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:02 pm

I would go for one of the the P models. T41p/T42p. You gain an extra 64MB of VRAM, which on these older machines can greatly increase performance in certain applications (games, renders, photoshop). That is why I picked up a T41P instead of a T42. The price difference between the two models was small and I got the better video chip. As soon as my 2.0GHz CPU arrives I will have a great laptop for less than $900. (not counting the $150 I paid to upgrade to 2gb of RAM).

So looking at the specs of the machine in my sig you can figure that after initial purchase and all upgrades I will have spent roughly $1,100 USD. A tad on the high end, but on the other hand:

It's one helluva Thinkpad and will serve me well for the next few years to come. I have not, and do not regret my purchase or the upgrades. This is by far the best laptop I have ever owned.

So to recap everything: I highly suggest that you pick up one of the 'P' series models. CPU speed is not so important as the CPU can quite easily be swapped out.

Stevesoura · #11 Post by **Stevesoura** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:17 am

I just got my T42 about a week ago and love it more than the T60 I had. Honestly, the T42 feels allot faster then the core duo T60. You can try to get a T42p but the price is kinda high right now. And warranty is very important.

Temetka · #12 Post by **Temetka** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:06 am

So get a T41P then. T42P's are a couple of hundred more. Most of them are only 1.8GHz. That doesn't seem justifiable for the cost. Other than a Dothan calss CPU I don't think (or am aware of), the differences between a T41P and T41P are very minor.

w0qj · #13 Post by **w0qj** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:27 am

Only T42 and up can burn Product Recovery Disks (all 7 of them).
T41 cannot.

This alone may be worth getting the T42, given the small price difference between used T42 vs T41.

I own a T42, so i'm biased

Müsli · #14 Post by **Müsli** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:25 am

jeah recovery but I dont need them i have installation cd´s for every win os(xp and vista from lenovo). i think i will go for the t41p it looks verry nice from specs and price(some went out from ebay for 440$ thats awesome).

#15 Post by **gator** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:20 am

Very informative thread. I am on the lookout for a T41p or a T42 for my bro and found the finformation here very useful.

bin.dong · #16 Post by **bin.dong** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:15 pm

The cpu is diffrent in all models but i can just replace them with a better one from ebay for 25$.
Yes and no. The CPUs from T40/T41/T42 are interchangeable - you can use any Banias/Dothan 400MHz CPU. The T43 uses a different chipset and different CPUs - 533MHz Dothans. These are not compatible with earlier models - a full motherboard swap is required.

T42 CPU will work on T43 or T43p motherboard. I am sure for that.

dr_st · #17 Post by **dr_st** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:45 pm

Temetka wrote:So get a T41P then. T42P's are a couple of hundred more. Most of them are only 1.8GHz. That doesn't seem justifiable for the cost. Other than a Dothan calss CPU I don't think (or am aware of), the differences between a T41P and T41P are very minor.

The major difference is the option to get a 15" UXGA IPS on a T42p. T41p only came in 14". But to some the 14" is preferred anyways, so the difference is indeed very small.

Temetka · #18 Post by **Temetka** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:18 pm

Yeah, that's pretty much what I figured. However I didn't want to say anything and sound uninformed in the off chance that I was, well; misinformed.

Müsli · #19 Post by **Müsli** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:53 am

I just made up a exel sheet wit t40(xga,7500 32mb) compared to t42(sxga,9600 32mb) and t41p(sxga,t2 128mb) with prices from ebay the t40 comes out with 600$ the t41p with 830$ the t42 with 700$(all of them with 1gb ram 1,7ghz cpu 120gb hdd new 9cell battery wlan) these are the prices if you upgrade them yourself. And now i cant decide i have to coose between the t40 with dock and all extras like bay battery and 2nd hdd or only the t41p what would you choose?(pm me if you want the exel sheet)

Temetka · #20 Post by **Temetka** » Tue May 01, 2007 3:59 pm

I'd get the best machine I can now. Upgrades and accessories can come at a later date. There is no sense in buying a weaker machine as it will be the central point of the machine. What I did was buy the best machine I could get my hands on (spec wise) and upgrade a few months later, and spread out over time.

t40 or t41 or t42 or t43? need some help

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