Thinkpad T43p vs T400

[nirvanaxp]

I am looking to buy a thinpad used and am wondering how you like the quality of the T40 series vs the t400. I have handled models of both series but am disappointed with the thickness and heft as well as the more flimsy feel of the palm rest area in the t400. Also, I like the 4:3 ratio. Would it be really bad comparing a modern c2d proc. vs the older pentium m? Are things like batteries, drives, and power adapters compatible anymore between the two?

[ZaZ]

If you like the standard screen, I might suggest the T60 or T61, if you can get one. The T4x machines look good, and are nice and thin, but the thinness comes at the cost of durability.

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

If you really like 4:3 format, you're likely to have a difficult time adjusting to a T400...which is otherwise a nice machine...

If you're looking for a 15" unit, your best bet is T60/p with an IPS FlexView LCD.

Should your choice be a 14", T61/p are the last ones that were offered in a 4:3 format. If you end up getting one of these with a nVidia GPU, make sure it has plenty of warranty remaining.

Hope this helps.

[nirvanaxp]

Oh, so your saying that t4x series may have durability issues. Thanks for the welcome.

[ZaZ]

I wouldn't touch one of those nVidia based T61s. If you go over to the Lenovo Outlet, they're dirt cheap, meaning they're trying to move them. Even if you've got warranty, it's still a PITA to send it in. I have a desktop with a 8600GT, which is one of the effected cards. It's been "fixed" four times now during the one year warranty. The last one seems to have worked, but if it fails again, I'll be getting a new card. Now if you can find a Intel based one, you're in good shape, provided you don't need the GPU.

[ssd_thinkpad]

Are things like batteries, drives, and power adapters compatible anymore between the two?

Batteries, drives and ultrabay are not compatible between T4x and T4xx series.

The ultrabay is compatible between T4x and T6x series. In fact, both series use the same ultrabay. Docking, Batteries and drives between these series are unfortunately not compatible.

If you need only some more computer speed and value the 4:3 display ratio, go with the T6x series. If you value the display quality very high, the 15 4:3 non xga T4x / T6x models are the best choice (they are called Flexview), followed by the 15 wide screen WSXGA+ panels (much inferior, but best panels around actual selling thinkpads).

[SaberX]

I should add that i have my T43P (see specs in sig) running Win7 RC1.
With 2 gig's ram and a new 160gig hard drive it's running Win 7 nicely.
Under Win7 RC1 my Windows Experience #'s are...
CPU(P-M 2.13)---3.9
ram(2x1gb ddr2-667)---4.4
Graphics(running Aero)---- 3.9
Gameing ---------------- 3.7
hard disk---------------- 5.5

Maybe not the fastest BUT for a laptop thats a few years old and can be bought for under $300.00.It's a very nice laptop that can still handle newer software and have one of the best LCD's you will find on any laptop,even new ones today.
I'm very happy with it.And for the price i paied for mine(230.00with no HDD),i wont mind if it gets the GPU problem down the road.
I think my next one i'll try and get a T60P with IPS.

[ajkula66]

Well, truth be told, not too many machines can beat a properly configured 15" T43p for one's average daily use...and even if the GPU fails (which is not very likely on a T43p), there are known solutions for these issues, which can't be said for nVidia based T61/p machines...

Personally, there's no love lost between me and T61/p generation which has failed to impress me altogether. If one's priority is a good LCD, that has ended with T60/p. For those who care less about the LCD but need a modern high-end machine, T400/500 or W500 are much better solutions, and not all that expensive.

My $0.02 only...

[ZaZ]

T400/500 or W500 are much better solutions, and not all that expensive.

I've seen T500s with the ATI card go for $700 in the Outlet. I always wondered whether since they're returns if you got a higher chance of getting dead/stuck pixels.

[ajkula66]

FredGarvin wrote:

I've seen T500s with the ATI card go for $700 in the Outlet. I always wondered whether since they're returns if you got a higher chance of getting dead/stuck pixels.

I've never gotten anything sub-standard from the Outlet, but maybe I was just lucky. Having said that...who cares about a pixel or two...these LCDs are garbage anyway...

[LegendaryKA8]

Well, truth be told, not too many machines can beat a properly configured 15" T43p for one's average daily use...and even if the GPU fails (which is not very likely on a T43p), there are known solutions for these issues, which can't be said for nVidia based T61/p machines...

Personally, there's no love lost between me and T61/p generation which has failed to impress me altogether. If one's priority is a good LCD, that has ended with T60/p. For those who care less about the LCD but need a modern high-end machine, T400/500 or W500 are much better solutions, and not all that expensive.

My $0.02 only...

I'm definitely in agreement with you there. I just pieced together my 15" setup after finding out that some parts in a trade I got included a 15" Flexview LCD and chassis. Bought a palmrest, drive caddy, and keyboard and off I went with no regrets.

I thought that the WUXGA monitor on my Dell XPS M1730 was top-notch until I started using this cobbled-together T42. I am honestly amazed at the quality of the display, and probably wouldn't go to another notebook as this setup is perfect for my needs. Actually, I use this T4x about 90% of the time now, neglecting the XPS unless I want to fire up intensive games or need its copious amount of storage space. The non-widescreen format is better for reading and serious document viewing, which I view as necessary for serious work.

In my opinion the T42/T43 machines are still quite adequate for light to medium duty work. My rig is mainly used for Net surfing, office apps and light gaming; in 'normal' tasks I don't perceive much of a difference between my 1.8 Dothan and my M1730's X9000 overclocked to 3.2Ghz. Whether the T4x series is suitable for you really depends on what you're going to use your notebook for. The dual-core T6x machines obviously offer more horsepower, especially for stuff like photo and video editing... but they are significantly more bulky than the T4x.

The ATI-equipped T4x are notorious for the 'loose GPU' problem, but there are definitely fixes available and generally later-production 15" models offer the best balance of a quality soldering job and a sturdy enough case to tip the odds in your favor of not experiencing it. Even if it does happen there are reflowing/reballing options available, and they are in fact pretty inexpensive. Compare that to the GPU failures with the Nvidia G84 cores.

So in a nutshell... if the LCD is extremely important and you don't need to do extreme things with your system I'd look at the Flexview 15" T4x. If you need more horsepower, I'd go for the T60/T60p. I'm still not that familiar with them but I think the best processor you can fit into one would be the T7600... which would make a pretty modern system out of it, IMHO.

[bill bolton]

Would it be really bad comparing a modern c2d proc. vs the older pentium m?

Yes.

Things have changed a quite a lot in the nearly 4 years since the last T43 was manufactured.

Cheers,

Bill B.