Thinkpads Forum

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140948748649?ss ... _168wt_948

Just snagged me this super cheap T500 in the middle of the night with dedicated graphics.
I need the machine to create flash games. (im a flash game designer)
For that I need something faster than a Celeron and something faster than a GMA 950.
How does the HD3650 perform?
Is it faster than a FX570?
Are there any known problems with the T500 series?
I know the T61's had GPU problems.

Major question:
-----------------
Does the GPU use GDDR3, DDR3 or DDR 2?

TY

Typing HD 3650 into google returned this with the first link: http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mobili ... 839.0.html It's a switchable graphics system with the much weaker 4500MHD not the 4000 HD as per the eBay description. There could be a variety of memory on that module. Once you get it GPUZ will tell you what you have.

As for the comparison with a FX570M, that is hard for anyone to say. With laptops, in general, there are to many other factors to consider that will affect GPU perfomance such as type and amount of RAM, Screen resolution, CPU type and speed, chipset and MB support are only a few. But a FX570M was last used in the T61 series so it's a generation behind. But you are comparing a top end from the previous generation to a midlevel of the next gen. So I would guess that they perform about the same, minor differences at most.

No known issues with the T400/T500 that we've experienced with the T4x and T61 series.

The T/W500s seems to have a cracking backplate at the screen (cracking near the hinge)

Otherwise they are fine!

Thanks for the replys!
@QWERTY Andreas - what do you mean?
U mean a cracking hinge?
Or cracking plastic?
A picture would help!

I have a T500 with roughly the same specs as yours.

It is a FANTASTIC machine. I never thought Lenovo could make anything great - but the T500 exceeds my old T43p in every respect, it is beautiful.

I believe in Windows you can dynamically switch Video cards. I use Mint Linux (Nadia 14 64-bit) and had some Ubuntu utilities that did the same, but almost since day one I have used the integrated (Intel) graphics for everything and disabled the ATI in the BIOS. This also gives me much better battery life apparently.

No visible cracks in my one at all.

Cost me about the same as yours three months ago in the UK - was very lucky - also eBay - and took out the DVDRW and put in an UltraBay 2nd Drive. Extended (Chinese non Lenovo) 8-cell battery lasts about three hours (but has to power two HDD's) cost me $20.

Never heard of GPU issues... doubt would be a problem on this machine as Lenovo must have been well aware of GPU issues before this machine was produced.

hoax32 wrote:Thanks for the replys!
@QWERTY Andreas - what do you mean?
U mean a cracking hinge?
Or cracking plastic?
A picture would help!

It is the magnesium by the hinge that cracks, take a look here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=107337

But otherwise it is a very, very nice machine!

Best regards