Purchase advice for T520

[fastson]

Greetings, this will be my first post here. Hopefully not the last.

I have an old IBM T30 that gave up a few months ago, the second RAM module is no longer recognized by the system. I liked to use the computer even if it was old because of the fantastic keyboard and the great trackpad. From the T30 I have obviously owned other laptops, Lenovo 3000, Sony VAIO. But now I want to return to Thinkpads.

I have more or less selected the T520 for my future Thinkpad (I want the 2nd gen CPUs). But the question is, what model?

I have been eyeing two different models.

Lenovo ThinkPad T520 4240 - Which has the following specs
Intel Core i5 2410M / 2.3 GHz
PCI Express x16 - NVIDIA NVS 4200M / Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dedicated 1GB RAM
4GB DDR3 RAM
500GB 7200rpm HDD
1600 x 900 ( WXGA++ ) LED TFT

The other one is the Lenovo ThinkPad T520 4243 - Which has the following specs
Intel Core i7 2620M / 2.7 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology
4GB DDR3 RAM
500GB 7200rpm HDD
1600 x 900 ( WXGA++ ) LED TFT

There are some other differences in specs, but the biggest are. The i5 version comes with two cards, nVidia NVS 4200M/Intel HD 3000, the other PC obviously has the i7 processor.
Now, is having the nVidia card more desirable over having the i7 processor? How does GPU switching work on the i5? Is that configuration more demanding on the battery?

Right now I am leaning a bit towards the i5 configuration, because to me it seems more desirable to have the separate nVidia card. Or should I just go all out on the CPU, and not think too much about the GPU since gaming isnt priority 1?

As to what I will use the PC for. Mostly surfing, some video editing with Sony Vegas 10 and of course Photoshop editing of RAW files. I will not be playing any games, but if it happens it will probably be Minecraft or one of Paradoxes strategy games.

Thanks for any advice. Looking forward to posting more here once I have bought a T-model.

[redhook]

I would go with the system with Optimus graphics and customize it. There are usually some cheap or free upgrades and you will want to upgrade to the FHD (Full HD, 1080p) display. I have it on my T510 (it's the same panel) and I do not know how I could live without it, the brightness and color reproduction are excellent. I would also add on the next day on-site warranty with ThinkPad Protection, it is only $99 for the first year and gives you accidental damage protection. You also will not have to ship the system to a depot for repair if it has any issues. Other than that you might want to upgrade the wireless card if you plan on getting a wireless-n router that does 2.4GHz and 5GHz simultaneously, as this will give you faster speeds on your local network. And possibly the Gobi 3000 card if you will want to have mobile broadband. One other thing you will want if you will be using it on battery often is the 9-cell battery.

[fastson]

I would go with the system with Optimus graphics and customize it. There are usually some cheap or free upgrades and you will want to upgrade to the FHD (Full HD, 1080p) display. I have it on my T510 (it's the same panel) and I do not know how I could live without it, the brightness and color reproduction are excellent. I would also add on the next day on-site warranty with ThinkPad Protection, it is only $99 for the first year and gives you accidental damage protection. You also will not have to ship the system to a depot for repair if it has any issues. Other than that you might want to upgrade the wireless card if you plan on getting a wireless-n router that does 2.4GHz and 5GHz simultaneously, as this will give you faster speeds on your local network. And possibly the Gobi 3000 card if you will want to have mobile broadband. One other thing you will want if you will be using it on battery often is the 9-cell battery.

Sadly I dont live in the US. The notebooks are sold as is, in the stores so there is no way to customize them.
I found the FHD display on the model named 4243, but it costs about $3300, which is too much. I would love to have that display though. I wonder if its possible to install it by yourself if you can find one?

According to the site/store it has a 3G modem.. I'll investigate further though. I was thinking of getting a SIM-card as a backup, one of those where you pay for a day/week/month pass and not a subscription.

9-cell battery is already on my "to-do"-list.

Thanks for the advice redhook. Looks like I will be ordering the 4240 on sunday, unless someone else has an objection.