Graphics Issue on T410s using Dock and 2 24" monitors

[jisaac]

Hey all,

Lenovo, via CDW, shipped me a T410s with i5 2.4GHz processor, 3GB ram, 128GB SSD HD running WinXP. Due to seriously dated servers and a few other internal issues I was stuck running XP rather than Win 7. And when I ordered switchable graphics was not an option (March).

So I've got the integrated graphics card and according to the Tech I spoke with at Lenovo, I would have no problem running my two Philips 24" monitors at 1920 x 1200 using the smart dock. However, I've got snowflakes flying across my screens (little white specs).

Although I've spent most of my time outside of the office I am in the office more often now. When I was using the notebook mobile for a while I was shocked at how poor the battery life was. I had to keep the brightness around 3-4, bluetooth off and wireless when I wasn't using it just to reach 2.5 hours.

Questions:
Can I upgrade my graphics card to the switchable?
Are snow flakes a commmon issue? Is there a way to get rid of them?
the poor battery life I've seen, is that common?

Appreciate any feedback you all may have. I love the size/weight of the notebook compared to my previous notebooks, but almost coming to blows with my IT guy to get something other than HP may have been a mistake despite my prior positive experiences with ThinkPads.

[jisaac]

Sorry, I have 4GB ram not 3GB. All drivers and firmware are current according to scans and occasionally I get stripes going up and down my screen when undocked - sometimes different colors and sometimes solid white.