Thinkpads Forum

Hi all,


was reading a thread and someone posted the same deal i got in canada for the US...it actually looks like a bigger discount: Valid from 01/01/2010 to 06/30/2010


http://usa.visa.com/personal/discounts/ ... pageId=197

thank gzlatin for the find...

enjoy!

+ they offer 8% off Code: USXNEWYEAR

No problem...i ordered my system yesterday after I found that deal. Got the whole thing for $1,218.60 plus tax. That was the biggest discount I could find out there. You have to use a Visa though.

Here is what I ordered:

1 2516CT CONFIGURED SYSTEM
02/04/10 $1,218.60 $1,218.60
45M4818 SBB Core I5.POP2 2.XXGHZ XMBL2
45M3090 VBB GENUWIN7PROFES.64
45M4918 SBB G.WIN.7PROF64US ENGLISH
45M4798 SBB 14.1WXGA+TFT,W/LEDBACKLIG.
45M4788 SBB IN.GR.M.A.5700MHD-AMT,TPM
42X6309 VBB 4GBPC3-8500 1067MHZ2DIMM
45M4839 SBB KEYBOARDUS ENGLISH
45M4802 SBB U.N.T.POI.+T.PADW/FINGER.R
45M4834 SBB CAMERA SUBCARD
45M4827 SBB 320GB HARDDISKDRIVE7200RPM
45M4820 SBB DVDREC8XMAXD.L.U.SLIMS.ATA
45M4816 SBB 9CELLLI-ION BATTERY
41W1787 SBB CPK NORTH AMERICA
45M3043 SBB BLUETOOTH W/ANTENNA
45M4804 SBB IN.CENT.ULTIMATE-N 6300
44C7950 SBB INT WRLSSWDAREANTWRK UPGR

It says it's shipping on Feb 2nd. I can't wait!!!

I'm just about to pull the trigger myself. Few questions though,

Is there any reason to not get the LCD w/ the WWAN antenna? (Does not cost any extra, though I will not ever be using WWAN in all likelyhood)

Also that coupon code does not seem to work when using the link in this thread still a helluva deal.

Also, is the graphics core in the i7 Chip much faster than those in the i5's? I'm happy with the CPU power of the lower clocked i5's but if the graphics core is significantly better in the i7 I'll go for that. As much as I dislike integrated graphics, I'm still a little peeved about losing my T40p due to discreet graphics chip failure.

EDIT: I found a definitive answer to my GFX question by browsing the white-papers at Intel's website. http://download.intel.com/design/proces ... 322814.pdf Check out page 17 for all the specs on the mobile i5/i7 CPU's.

Basic gist of it is this:

• i7-620M -- 4M L3 Cache / Base clock 2.66GHz, Turbo Clock 3.06GHz/3.33GHz (2 cores / 1 core) || GFX Core Base 500 MHz, GFX Core Turbo 766 MHz
• i5-540M -- 3M L3 Cache / Base clock 2.53GHz, Turbo Clock 2.80GHz/3.06GHz (2 cores / 1 core) || GFX Core Base 500 MHz, GFX Core Turbo 766 MHz
• i5-520M -- 3M L3 Cache / Base clock 2.40GHz, Turbo Clock 2.66GHz/2.93GHz (2 cores / 1 core) || GFX Core Base 500 MHz, GFX Core Turbo 766 MHz

No difference between CPU's except clock speeds, and -1M L3 cache on the i5's (which I really doubt will affect performance all that much)
[/color]

Well I did it, spent all night researching everything I could find trying to decide whether to get a cheap new T400 from the outlet, or go for broke (literally ). I took the plunge and ordered me a brand spanking new T410 (using the above link) with the following:

• Intel Core i5-540M Processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
• Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64
• 14.1 WXGA+ TFT, w/ LED Backlight [ At least it's 16:10 still. (Miss ya 4:3) ]
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD - AMT [ As long as it plays C&C Zero Hour, we're cool. ]
• 4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
• UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
• 250 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [ Went cheap, as I expect to upgrade to an SSD in a year or two as prices level off. ]
• DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
• 6 cell Li-Ion Battery [ Sorry 9-er. you just weren't in the budget this time. ]
• Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300
• Extra ThinkPad and Lenovo 65W AC Adapter - with US/Canada/LA Line Cord [ Only $26 with the discount. ]
• Price: $1,159.71 after tax [ Hello there, Ramen Noodles. ]

Est. Ship date Feb 8th

It's been a long time since I dropped that much all at once on a computer... In fact the only other time I've dropped over $1K on a computer purchase was for my departed T40p this is replacing ~6 years ago which I scored for $1,200 on eBay (a great deal in its time). All I can say is this new system has some big shoes to fill.

Congrats phaxmohdem. That seems to be a great machine for years to come. Only thing I might do is to add the fingerprint reader option, as this version can take you directly from bootup to your desktop in 1 pass. If money is really tight, I would just get the i5-520m instead of i5-540m. You probably won't feel the difference in terms of processing power.

I gave serious thought to the finger reader but in the end decided against it, primarily due to the location of it on the pictures I saw of the unit. I have an HP 6515b at work with a finger print reader, and while very nice if you're in a rush, My palm occasionally brushes over it causing annoying pop ups and noises to emanate. The location of the Thinkpad reader looks to be right underneath where I typically rest my palm when I'm typing, and I don't want to deal with that.

Plus, finger print scanners are pretty easy to trick if you have some spare time and a desire to unlock something... (not that I've ever done that before... )

I just got an eMail from Lenovo saying:

Dear Customer,



Thank you for choosing Lenovo!



All or part of your order has shipped. In some instances your order may be

shipped from more than one location, which will result in multiple

notifications. You will only be invoiced for products that have shipped.

Please visit our online status tool to view the latest information on the

status of your order:

I've never ordered anything from Lenovo's website before so I don't know the process. The email had a link to check order status, which still says it will be shipped Feb 8th (est)... and no tracking information was given. Will this come later on?

EDIT: Never Mind, The tracking info just posted to the site... They are sending my my extra power adapter, but the laptop is still in waiting. That's borderline torture