The T400s - a close facsimile of the X301

[TonyJZX]

I bought another T400, this time the T400s which seems to be avoided by the masses due to the 1.8 HDD.... people cant easily put in a cheap 2.5" 120Gb SSD.

This one is mid spec, SP2400 2.4Ghz, not sure about performance but it does seem ok, I guess much faster than the SU cpus. This one had 2Gb ram, the 5,400rpm 250Gb 1.8 HDD which is long gone. I added another 2Gb ram.

I put in a cheap Samsung msata ssd I had lying around and a 1.8 converter frame, I had to use pliers to insert it into the hdd compartment and I used a small piece of foam as a buffer so the thing doesnt move around. Obviously an msata is smaller than a 1.8" HDD.

It also has displayport which is useful but not as useful as HDMI.

I got rid of the Intel 5100 wireless because I dislike the 2.4Ghz performance. I had a Intel 5300 lying around.

So in the end, this feels like a faster slightly larger X301. The LED 1,440 x 900 screen is fine although it looks markedly worse than the T400/410.

This cost me $49 for the laptop sans hdd. I filled it full of offcut bits I had lying around. Windows installed fast and activated.

[600X]

I got myself a T410s for daily use in December. However, I have quickly moved on again. While it seemed like quite a nice machine at first, it just couldn't live up to my expectations. I don't know why people always complain about the 1.8" HDD. Maybe it's just the US, but where I live, 1.8" HDD's are quite abundant.

Anyway, the performance was good, as was the battery life at about 5 hours. While slightly large, the form factor was quite appealing as well. The screen on the other hand was simply bad. There is no AFFS mod available like on my X301. The speakers are absolutely atrocious as well. Nowhere near the X301. The same applies to the keyboard. It simply isn't good, unlike the magical X301 keyboard. Material quality is horrible as well. The plastic feels very cheap and build quality is lagging behind the X301 as well.

The T410s is obviously much cheaper than the X301. About half-price, and it really does show.

[TonyJZX]

Well HDDs are kind of old hat. Our market is full of 2.5" 7mm SSDs. I dont think you can find 1.8" SSDs? msata and the new m2 ngu whatever format isnt uncommon but they're never cheap unlike the 2.5" size.

I beleive the 400s/410/410s all use the same kbd which is fine by me.

I dont have a 410s (may buy one later) but I have 410 and the 420 and they both feel a bit cheaper and less sold than the 400, I dont expect them to approach the X300 series. But I find the 400/410/420 and the X200/201s to be quite well built and tough enough.

Speakers I dont care too much as I have suffered the mono sound from many ultraportables and I use headphones anyway.

I dont see many X301s, its a bit of a holy grail.

[600X]

By HDD's I also mean SSD's. People often use these terms interchangeably. (even though it can be confusing) If I search eBay for 1.8" SSD, I get tons of results. Luckily, they are quite common here. For my X301, I bought myself a new Crucial C300 128GB 1.8" SSD for 70€. That was in 2012. My T410s was rocking a 256GB Toshiba SSD which came as standard. It doesn't support trim though, so sometimes I used a new Crucial P400e 1.8" SSD 64GB which cost me only about 30€.

Here is a list of some 1.8" SSD drives (taken from ThinkWiki):

Code: Select all

 Crucial C300 1,8" (64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
 Crucial C400 1,8" (64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB)
 Intel 320 1.8" (80GB, 160GB, 300GB)
 Intel DC S3500 1,8" (80GB, 240GB, 400GB, 800GB)
 Intel DC S3700 1,8" (200GB, 400GB)
 Intel X18-M G1 & G2 (80GB, 160GB) [1]
 Kingston SSDNow KC380 (60GB, 120GB)
 Kingston SSDNow V+ 180 (64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
 OCZ Vertex 2 1,8" (40GB, 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB, 240GB)
 OWC Aura Pro (240GB, 480GB)
 OCZ Deneva 2 C 1,8" (80GB, 180GB, 360GB)
 Micron C400v (64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB)
 Micron P400e (50GB, 100GB, 200GB, 400GB)
 Transcend SSD18S (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB)
 IBM SG9XCS1F (50GB, 200GB)
 Mushkin Chronos Go Deluxe (60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB, 240GB, 480GB)
 Toshiba THNS128GG4BAAA (128GB)
 KingSpec SSD mSPK-SF12 (4GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
 Mach Xtreme Technology MXSSD2MMSK (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB)
 Super Talent Master Drive KX3 (32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB)

You can't compare the T410 and T420 to the T400. They all use a different chassis. The T400s and T410s on the other hand use the same chassis.

X301's used to be quite common until about mid 2013. Then they started to disappear from the market.

[automobus]

Here is my fleaBay µSATA search string, maintained in ThinkWiki:

Code: Select all

(µSATA, uSATA, microSATA, micro SATA, 1.8 SATA, RJF, VJF, XJF, MZUPA, 
G8MPP, G8MUP, G8MXP, GTDXP, GTMUP, GTMXP, BAAA, BNAA, GAMJ, GSG, GSGF, 
GSL, SSDSA1, SSDSC1, KC380, SKC380, CTFDDAA, MTFDDAA, SG9XCS1, TX21B, 
GSSD18, CSD1, G818H, MKNSSDCG, M8PSB1, M16CSD1)

How does T400s/T410s screen compare to that of X300/X301? I wanted to know, but I was too afraid to ask. Because if someone said 'X300 is undeniably worse', then I would have been tempted to acquire a T400s.

2016-04-21 add: BNAA

[ajkula66]

How does T400s/T410s screen compare to that of X300/X301?

Both options are atrocious...my take is that the panel found in X30* systems has worse contrast and viewing angles, BUT suffers less from the usual PWM-side-effects when not at full brightness...

[TonyJZX]

using this t400s for a while my opinion has changed on the screen. Its actaully not bad, I believe the x300 was ccfl and the 301 was led?

Heres the 400s screen:

Compatibility:
Samsung LTN141BT08-001
Size: 14.1-inch WideScreen (12"x7.4")
Resolution: WXGA+ (1440x900)
Surface Type: Matte
Backlight type: LED
Video signal connector: LED 40 pin LCD type 3

Its a typical business grade screen. Its not as bad as the T420/420s 900p but its acceptable.

[600X]

The X300 has the same LED display as the X301.

Avoid the T400s Samsung display at all costs. Apart from being worse than the Toshiba display, it will suffer from stripes at some point during its life-cycle.

[RealBlackStuff]

I dont see many X301s, its a bit of a holy grail.

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