Thinkpads Forum

Hi to everyone,

I plan to buy a T410, and I have some questions...

And the main one is: is it reliable and well built ? The fact is that I have a T61 which the Nvidia GPU card just failed, after only 3 years. For a 3000 euros machine (4000 USD), that was still working perfectly including in terms of performance under Windows 7, I'm not very happy...

Also, what should I know before buying, to get and to avoid as options ? Is Smartcard replacing Express Card slot ?

Thank you for all your advices !

Fred

The nvidia cards used in the T61 and R61 have higher than normal failure rates. This is due to poor a manufacturing process on nvidia's part. I don't know that you can blame Lenovo on this one, but they could have handled it better in my opinion. One other possible option would be to buy a used board and replace it yourself. It would be a less expensive option than getting a new notebook if your T61 is meeting your needs otherwise. I would suggest a board with the Intel GPU unless you need the better GPU, but if you put in another nvidia board, it's an accident waiting to happen. I'm afraid I don't have much to add about the T410. Good Luck.

Thank you for your answer.

Although it is not the subject, my T61 is currently in a service center to replace the motherboard by a new one with an Intel GPU.

But as I can't work without my laptop, I decided to buy a new one, too. That's why I would like some informations on the T410, reliability, + and -, and what to take and to avoid... (the nVidia GPU ??).

Thanks.

Fred

No known reliability issues with T410 have been reported.

However, as the laptop is fairly new (less than 1 year on the market), it's too early to know.

A very satisfied T410 user, upgrading from old T42 Thinkpad

My only beef about it is, "downgrading" from my T42 LCD resolution 1400x1050 down to T410 resolution of 1440x900, I just wish I have that old 4:3 LCD extra vertical resolution... but alas, guess it's not possible anymore...

(Guess in this respect, I should be grateful I still have the 14:10 ratio of T410, one of the few remaining 14:10 screens around in the PC world...)

Big jump to go from a T42 to a T410 ! Note that me, I went from a R51 to a T61, and finally, the R51 is still working perfectly (although no more powerful enough for business).

Some (too much ?) questions...:

- Did you take Intel Wimax with 2x2 antenna ? If yes, is the WiFi range still working correctly ?
- is Gobi 3G card un-simlocked ?
- did you get Smard Card reader option ? If so, is it possible to remove it so that we can access the Express Card slot ?
- is it possible to manually control the video card that should be used, with the nVidia Optimus technology, or is it always automatic ?

Many thanks.

Fred

hi s-fredo,

tks for your reply, my T410 is model# 2522-RW2, powerful enough for business use
(Win7-Pro 32-bit English, i7-620 dual core, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, it even had the minor upgrade to 512 MB Nvida discrete card).


~3x3 WiFi, no i do not use my WiFi (see below).
~Gobi 3G card is unlocked from my T410 that I bought from Hong Kong; it works like a charm
~No, did not get the smart card option.
~Since I got my T410 just a few months before Optimus technology arrived, my T410 with discrete Nvida card does not have Optimus, and I cannot "switch off" the discrete graphics card to save battery power


Anyways, lack of Optimus is not the end of the world, but I do wish that the T410 had USB 3.0 for quicker external USB data backup!

Anyways, a very satisfied T410 owner overall

You can still get great battery life with Discrete only.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 72#p574372

Refer to the section on NVidia System Tools (nTune).
My friend with a T510 gets 7 hours on a 9-cell with discrete.

Went from a T5010 (Fujitsu) to a T410. The build quality was it bit better on the Fujitsu but I could not afford the same specs I got on the T410. The T410 keyboard is better. I actually like the 1440 X 900 display on the T410 better. Not as bright but clearly easier on the eyes. I have noticed no fan noise or other negative items. I am getting 5.5 - 6.5 hours battery life with out major tweaking (9 battery).

For the screen, I will get the WSXGA+, although I will always regret the 4/3 screen of my T61. Why laptop manufacturers don't suggest at least one 4:3 laptop series ? Maybe I'm too old fashion...

So, I'm pretty convinced by the T410. I still hesitate between for Wireless card: 6250 with Wimax or 6300 ?

And again, thank you for all your answers !

Fred

Notebook makers get the lowest prices on widescreen LCDs. For them to use anything else would cost more money, making their notebooks more expensive. In today's market, where cost is the preponderant factor for most buyers, not enough people care about this to make it worthwhile for notebook makers to pursue it.

Although the T410 is not 4:3 it is 16:10 which is still much better than 16:9.

The battery rattles and the plastic on the palm rest flexes and squeaks when I handle my T410. It presents itself as flimsy. The screen isn't the prettiest (my Mac has a much nicer screen) but, for a portable computer it's OK.

I bought mine with Windows 7 Professional (32 Bit) and, about once a week, the desktop goes unresponsive and I get a dialog box saying the Windows Explorer has stopped working. I choose an option to restart it and all is well for awhile.

--- CHAS

HIPAR wrote:The battery rattles and the plastic on the palm rest flexes and squeaks when I handle my T410. It presents itself as flimsy. The screen isn't the prettiest (my Mac has a much nicer screen) but, for a portable computer it's OK.

Counterpoint: the battery fits snugly in my T410, the palmrest fits every bit as well as on my T43p (and flexes less). The screen is perfectly fine for a business notebook.

I bought mine with Windows 7 Professional (32 Bit) and, about once a week, the desktop goes unresponsive and I get a dialog box saying the Windows Explorer has stopped working. I choose an option to restart it and all is well for awhile.

That sounds like a software issue to me. I doubt it has anything to do with the ThinkPad hardware itself.

w0qj wrote:A very satisfied T410 user, upgrading from old T42 Thinkpad

My only beef about it is, "downgrading" from my T42 LCD resolution 1400x1050 down to T410 resolution of 1440x900, I just wish I have that old 4:3 LCD extra vertical resolution... but alas, guess it's not possible anymore...

(Guess in this respect, I should be grateful I still have the 14:10 ratio of T410, one of the few remaining 14:10 screens around in the PC world...)

Yeah, my T410 is durable enough, but it just doesn't have the fit and finish of my T41.

I have the 6250, but ultimately did not choose to activate WiMax (cable internet here is just so much faster). Anyway, the WiFi works well enough.