Are there any basic prefered T60 specs (how are these?)

[JohnB2000]

Hi,

Ive studied a lot on the T43, but have found a new used T60 with warranty I will probably get.

May I please ask are there any hardware configurations to avoid, or any h/w to be preferred with a T60. You know sometimes you read, "oh you should have got the one with xxx or the the yyy is faster, or zzz is way too hot", etc? And how is the Intel GPU vs the ATi? From what Ive read there are no GPU issues such as with T4x so what would be the main differences, is it just resolution or would indicate a better screen manufacturer?

I just want to make sure. Many thanks in advance. If there any any used buyers guide posts (which Im sure there are) I may have missed, please excuse.

The machines Im looking have the following specs and are each ~450USD, is this a decent deal?:
THINKPAD T60 DUAL CORE 1.86GHZ 1GB 60GB WIFI
MODEL NUMBER ???
IDEO CARD ATI Mobility Radeon X1300
MODEL/TYPE T60
DISPLAY 14 Inches
CPU TYPE CORE DUO
NETWORKING 10/100 LAN, 56k MODEM,WIFI
CPU SPEED 1.86 GHz
OPTICAL DRIVE CD-RW/DVD
INSTALLED MEMORY 1 GB
PORTS 2x PCMCIA, 2x USB
STORAGE 60GB

Or for the same price I could get a 15"
Model: Thinkpad T60 - Part # 2007-W63
Processor: Intel Centrino Duo T2400 / 1.83GHz
Dual Core CPU.
Display: 15.0" TFT Active Matrix colour display
1400 x 1050 Resolution
Memory: 1GB RAM
Hard Drive: 60 GB Hard drive
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 512MB

[LegendaryKA8]

Hey there.

On first glance, both machines look good. Both have ATI X1300 GPUs, which are the least powerful discrete GPUs that came with the T60. They can still run older games, however, and will be enough to do Aero Glass effects in Vista. The Intel integrated GPU will run much cooler, but at the cost of graphics performance. If you intend to do any sort of 3D gaming/modelling/CAD work with this machine, get the X1300, or an X1400 if you can find one in your budget.

I've never heard of any 'loose GPU' issues in the T6x machines, and the internal design is far stronger than the T4x systems... 14" models look a lot less sleek, however. If you have hands-on experience with T4x systems, the 15" T60 is the exact same size as the 15" T42/T43.

Both machines are have Core Duo processors; the best you can put in would be a Core 2 Duo T7600. The Core Duo processor will still be more powerful than the Dothan-based T43.

Another thing to keep in mind is that all 15" T60s have Flexview screens(which do not come on the 14.1" models). If that's an attractive option to you, go for the 15". I personally love mine and do not mind the extra weight/bulk of it at all.

The only major problem I've heard with the T60 is its cooling system can be a little wonky. Since these machines are under warranty, you should be able to have any problems rectified very quickly if need be. Make sure to keep the fans clean every now and then and you'll be fine.

If these computers have factory warranty remaining, $450 is a pretty good price. I paid $540 for my T60 about a month ago with no warranty whatsoever.

[ZaZ]

The T60 is a fine machine. I guess it would depend on how much mobility you want or need, but some don't mind the larger notebook. I myself don't tote my notebook around too often so I don't mind a 15". A 14" notebook is obviously more portable and with a smaller screen gets better battery life, but the 15" FlexView blows it out of the water in terms of image quality. I had a 14" SXGA+ R60 too with the BOE-Hydis screen, which is supposed to be the best of the 14" SXGA+ screens. A 14" SXGA+ is to me the perfect blend of performance, size and screen real estate. It's fine for Office and Internet, but doing anything where image quality is more important like Photoshop or watching a movie, it's not anywhere near as good as the FlexView due to the poor contrast and limited viewing angles. It seemed I could never see the top or bottom half of my screen at the optimal angle. One or the other was slight washed out. That's not a problem with the IPS.

My R60 runs very cool and quite, though the R is a bit thicker than the T, which will help some. There's no GPU issue with the T60 like on the T4x units. You'll get better battery life with the Intel card. If you're not planning on gaming it's probably a better option.

I think the T60 is a better choice than a T4x unit. They're more durable. It gets you a dual core CPU and access to bigger/faster SATA drives.

Lastly if you're budget is tight you might want to consider the R60 as well. It's basically the same as the T60. It's a little heavier and thicker than the T60, and lack the mag-alloy lid of the T60, though it's likewise very well built in my opinion. You can probably get it cheaper than the T60 too. Good Luck.

[JohnB2000]

Hi Fred and LegendaryKA8, thanks for the comments, I know you guys must get these questions 24/7/365, so I appreciate your time and expertise.

So ALL T60 with 15" have FlexView which is the preferred monitor? That sounds good maybe I will go for the 15" inch then, thanks for bringing that up.

The R series does sound nice, but since Im buying used I can only choose what the vendor has and Im afraid I will be looking around forever, hahha, so I think I will bite the bullet and get a T60 soon, its about $150 more than a T43.

Thanks again!

[ZaZ]

All 15" SXGA+ and UXGA screened T60s are FlexView screens. The XGA panel is not an IPS screen.

There certainly are other buying options. You could post over in the Marketplace forum you're looking for a machine. eBay is an option as well, though things can be a bit more dicey over. I've bought a few notebooks on eBay over the years. Some were very good values while I had to dispute others with the CC company to get my money back. I've seen R60s with warranty go for less than $300 on eBay, but getting that price may require some patience on your part.

Aside from that a used T60 with warranty for $450 is a good price provided it's in good shape. Being able to see it before you spend your money is a big plus. Good Luck.

[RealBlackStuff]

I just picked up an R60 on eBay for a little over $250.- with these specs:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ry=9457Y1X
It has warranty till end December 2009.
It's missing the HD with all the bits and the power supply.
Add another $100.- or so and you have a great machine!
Compute the crap out of it, and get everything replaced before the warranty expires, hard to beat!

[JohnB2000]

Im looking at Ebay sellers in Canada so it should be easier with shipping, and one of the stores has pretty good feedback.

These are the two I am looking at, if you can comment on the sellers that would be great as you said it may be tricky to buy from Ebay:

(Model number is wrong I cant find any 2007-W63 part number:)
http://cgi.ebay.ca/IBM-ThinkPad-T60-Cen ... .m14.l1262

This one looks good but the seller has 96.5% feedback - thats bad according to Ebay right? (Seller is in Canada I dont know why price is in USD.)
http://cgi.ebay.ca/LENOVO-THINKPAD-T60- ... 286.c0.m14

So probably one of these two, or there is a nice T43 Im looking at, its only 300CAD (about 280USD)

[smidgley]

ThinkPad T60 2007-W63

Original description: Based on 2007-CTO: T2400(1.83GHz), 1GB RAM, 60GB 7200rpm HD, 15in 1400x1050 LCD, 64MB ATI X1300, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, 6c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro

[JohnB2000]

Thanks bro!

I still couldnt find it in my ltwbook, maybe Im just blind Regardless the auction ends in 26 seconds so I need more time to think. Seller will probably relist anyway.

[JohnB2000]

Thats the bad thing about too much information, I just spend all my time reading the TAbooks and comparing specs on-line between the processors, etc.

Generally for the sales figures or the general public what do most people get, the 14" or 15" screen? Is one much more popular that the other?

[ZaZ]

I doubt the CPU makes a huge difference one way or the other. The hard drive and memory can be upgraded later. You can do the CPU too, but it will void the warranty.

The 14" has been more popular. The T series didn't get a 15" model until the T42.

[JohnB2000]

ThinkPad T60 2007-W63

Original description: Based on 2007-CTO: T2400(1.83GHz), 1GB RAM, 60GB 7200rpm HD, 15in 1400x1050 LCD, 64MB ATI X1300, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, 6c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro

Thanks just to confirm, is this an IPS/FlexView? Thank you again.

[LegendaryKA8]

Yes, that is a Flexview display. ALL 15" T60/T60p machines have Flexview, either 1400x1050 or 1600x1200 resolutions.

[JohnB2000]

Yes, that is a Flexview display. ALL 15" T60/T60p machines have Flexview, either 1400x1050 or 1600x1200 resolutions.

Great, thanks for confirming that, I was just checking out Dr_st's great post re: 14"/15" 4:3 T60 - indepth comparison with pictures
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=78555

Im really on the fence here between the 14" and 15"(with flexview.) I dont plan to move the laptop around so the 15" would be a no-brainer right? Price is $20 more for the 15" so its really a non-issue in price...just size and what looks nicer...

[JohnB2000]

ThinkPad T60 2007-W63

Original description: Based on 2007-CTO: T2400(1.83GHz), 1GB RAM, 60GB 7200rpm HD, 15in 1400x1050 LCD, 64MB ATI X1300, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, 6c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro

I just bought this machine tonight, and hope it arrives in good shape.

Vendor says it still has warranty so thats a plus.

Now I just need to upgrade the ram to 4GB, and look for a larger HDD, and all the reading that requires.

Thanks to everyone for the help, this forum is really great.

[ZaZ]

Congrats, it's a fine machine. Sure, the newer ThinkPads got a bit better specs but for every day stuff like Office and Internet they won't be any faster. That IPS screen just cannot be beat and there's nothing else coming down the road that's near as good. The warranty is huge. If next June you decide it's a keeper, you can upgrade the warranty for another two years so you'll be covered. I would note the max memory for the T60 is 3GB. Don't waste your money buying more. Hopefully, it's got 1x1GB of memory already and you can just add another 2GB stick.

[LegendaryKA8]

Congratulations on your purchase! The 15" T60 is a fine machine, and I haven't looked back at mine with any regrets. You will definitely love the IPS screen... I'm looking at both my T60 and my XPS M1730 right now and can say that as far as clarity and color reproduction go the Flexview wins by a mile. I've been carrying my T60 to school with me all this week, and have been surprised at how small and light it is compared to some of the other notebooks I've seen other students lug around.

Simply put, I pretty much guarantee you'll love your new T60.