is this T430s worth it?

[ThinkTech]

I found this T430s for $600 that's seller refurbished but I don't know if it's worth it. Could you guys please tell me if it's wroth purchasing this laptop. I have a R400 atm and it's been good to me but it's time to upgrade.

This are the specs:

Model #: 2355gtu
Lenovo ThinkPad T430s 2355-BR9 laptop specifications:
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3320M (2.60 GHz, 3.30 GHz Max, 3MB L3, 1600MHz FSB) processor
Windows 7 Professional 64 operating system
4GB SO DIMM 204-pin 1600MHz PC3-12800 DDR3, 16GB maximum
128GB Solid State Drive
14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) (250 NITS) display
6 Cell removable battery, up to 7.6 hours of unconfirmed battery life
720p HD camera with face-tracking webcam
Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6205

[ZaZ]

If you're just watching movies and surfing the net, I might suggest you've got better options, though if you're OK with the R400 LCD, then the T430s is about the same, which is to say fair to middling quality wise. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon gets you a better LCD with the same resolution. It's lighter too, though it'll probably cost a bit more. The X220/X230 have a very nice IPS screen option, though you'll lose a bit of resolution with the 1366x768 LCD. They probably cost about the same as the T430s in good condition.

[ThinkTech]

I don't like the x1 carbon since it's not upgradable (can't remove battery, upgrade cpu etc) and it's close to $900. I'm set on the T430s and I just wanted to know if it's worth it at that price. I need the resolution to be at least 1600x900 since I'm so sick of scrolling up and down with my R400 (1280x800) on everyone site i go to.

[ajkula66]

Well, as you've already been told in your NBR thread, it seems like a good deal if one is looking for that specific machine.

And 1600x900 is as good as it's going to get on a 14" ThinkPad from that generation.

Happy shopping.

[ThinkTech]

Well, as you've already been told in your NBR thread, it seems like a good deal if one is looking for that specific machine.

And 1600x900 is as good as it's going to get on a 14" ThinkPad from that generation.

Happy shopping.

Do you know if the screen dimension of the T430s is bigger than the R400? The R400 has a 16:10 aspect ratio and the T430s has a 16:9 aspect ratio so maybe the screen of the T430s is smaller vertically? I'm looking at the T430s and it looks like it has a thick bezel around the screen.

[ajkula66]

The R400 has a 16:10 aspect ratio and the T430s has a 16:9 aspect ratio so maybe the screen of the T430s is smaller vertically?

Of course it is. That's what you get with 16:9 aspect ratio.

I'm looking at the T430s and it looks like it has a thick bezel around the screen.

I'm not quite certain what your point here is...could you clarify?

[ZaZ]

I don't like the x1 carbon since it's not upgradable (can't remove battery, upgrade cpu etc) and it's close to $900. I'm set on the T430s and I just wanted to know if it's worth it at that price. I need the resolution to be at least 1600x900 since I'm so sick of scrolling up and down with my R400 (1280x800) on everyone site i go to.

While I can't argue with anything you've said, given the usage, I don't see a CPU upgrade offering much value, but a better screen that the X1C offers would be a far more tangible benefit. The SSD in the X1C, which the T430s also has, is more likely to make your machine feel faster than the CPU. The X1C gets about six hours of battery when new. If you don't need more than that, it might be worth considering. I've seen X1Cs in good condition on eBay in the $700 range, which is a bit more than the T430s, but not hugely so in my opinion.

[pianowizard]

I don't like the x1 carbon since it's not upgradable (can't remove battery, upgrade cpu etc)

I have owned at least 70 laptops but never upgraded any of their processors -- very few laptops' processors can be upgraded anyway. Many older laptops' batteries degraded rapidly over time, and some would even die all of a sudden (I had a 600E and an X60s that did this), but most newer laptops' batteries seem to stay good for much longer. So, I haven't needed to replace laptop batteries in a very long time. The only potential concern is that the X1 Carbon's RAM cannot be upgraded, but even 4GB is plenty for most users. I am an extreme multitasker, and yet I rarely use more than 4GB of RAM on my primary desktop (3rd gen Core i7, 12GB of RAM, 9TB of HDD storage, 7 monitors totaling 18 megapixels). On my laptops, where I do only light work, I literally never use more than 3GB. You didn't say what you would use this laptop for. How much RAM do you usually need?

Do you know if the screen dimension of the T430s is bigger than the R400? The R400 has a 16:10 aspect ratio and the T430s has a 16:9 aspect ratio so maybe the screen of the T430s is smaller vertically? I'm looking at the T430s and it looks like it has a thick bezel around the screen.

T430s, 14.0" 16:9 screen: 12.20" wide, 6.86" tall

R400, 14.1" 16:10 screen: 11.96" wide, 7.47" tall

The T430s has 900 rows of pixels within a height of 6.86", whereas the R400 has 800 rows of pixels within a height of 7.47", meaning each pixel is quite a bit smaller on the T430s. Specifically, the T430s has 131.13 pixels per inch, while the R400 has 107.05 pixels per inch. Thus, things look much smaller on the T430s. Make sure you are okay with that. I am okay with 1920x1080 on 13.3", but everyone has a different tolerance level.

I need the resolution to be at least 1600x900 since I'm so sick of scrolling up and down with my R400 (1280x800) on everyone site i go to.

Well, if you are "so sick of" scrolling up and down on 1280x800, you would be only somewhat less sick of 1600x900. It's an improvement, but not a huge one. What's the biggest and heaviest laptop that you are willing to consider? If you are willing to go up to 15.6", 1920x1080 would be much better for reducing the amount of vertical scrolling. 14.0" has 1920x1080 as well but things would look really tiny. Again, I would be fine with 14.0" 1920x1080 -- in fact that's ideal for me -- but it would be much smaller than your R400's 14.1" 1280x800.

[systemBuilder]

I own a T430s (from my employer), previously had a T420, and at home have been a longtime 14.1" T42/p thinkpad user (1440 x 1024) - a brother to the R400 - and I still have many of those. This new thinkpad T430s (ONLY) for the first time in many years reminds me of the legendary T4x series thinkpads, EXCEPT for the 1600x900 aspect ratio screen (you lose at least 15 square inches this way). HOWEVER, the thinness is very T4x thinkpad-like, it never gets hot. The screen is way brighter than a T4x. I don't like the chiclet keyboard much but it does has an ultranav and a trackpoint and thankfully the touchpad is WAY SMOOTHER than the T420 (nubby touchpad) I used to have. I am running Ubuntu 12.1 (er-other) on this machine, and it works pretty well.

On the downside, battery life is WORSE than a T4x, a T4x + 9cell + ultrabay (7h) easily beats a T430s + built-in-6-cell + ultrabay battery(5h). We watched parts of the superbowl on this laptop last weekend,so video decode is efficient. The keys are too slick and in the dark I often mistype passwords, perhaps because my fingers slip off the sides of the keycaps.

I have been thinking of purchasing some of these laptops for my family. If I could get something in like-new condition for $600 I would definitely go for it !!! The only disappointment in this laptop is that it won't accept a 9-cell battery, the battery mounts stupidly under the palmrest, like an old A-Series or R-Series (I forgot which).

[ThinkTech]

Well, I waited too long and the t430s is gone. Should I grab a used T430 on eBay or something?

[Brad]

The current T generation has a FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD available.

That would be my choice.

Brad

[ThinkTech]

The current T generation has a FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD available.

That would be my choice.

Brad

The T440s looks nice and all but the touchpad/keyboard is horrible from what I've seen and even if I wanted it, I couldnt afford it. My only options are the T430/T430s or maybe T530 with FHD but those are hard to find for cheap.

My friend says that he knows someone that is selling his W520 used for $500 with the following specs.

i7 2820QM 2.3 GHz
Extended battery
4 GB RAM
250 GB HDD
1920 x 1080 - Full HD
NVIDIA Quadro 2000M

Seems like too good to be true but I should I go for it?

[ajkula66]

Definitely sounds WAY too good to be true but check it out...that's a decent price for W510 with QC and FHD, let alone a W520

[pianowizard]

Well, I waited too long and the t430s is gone.

You probably wouldn't have liked it anyway, since 1600x900 may still be too low for you. I think you should look into getting a 15.6" 1920x1080 laptop. Some of them are under 5 lbs, and the lightest ones are around 4 lbs.

My friend says that he knows someone that is selling his W520 used for $500 with the following specs....Seems like too good to be true but I should I go for it?

It's heavy, weighing over 6 lbs.

[ZaZ]

It's heavy, weighing over 6 lbs.

Dropping the optical drive and hard drive in favor of the mSATA would be an option if you want to lower the weight.

[ThinkTech]

Well, I talked to this person who is selling his used W520 for $500 and it's no gimmick. He even dropped the price to $450 because the laptop has a long crack that stretches from the touchpad to the end of the laptop. He says it's in perfect working conditions and the crack doesn't affect the laptop's performance at all. Should I still go for it? The only reason why I'm interested in this laptop is because it has a FHD screen with 95% color gamut and has amazing viewing angles. Not only that but it has the old keyboard with 7 rows.

[ajkula66]

i'd say "yes" but it's your money to spend.

personally, i'd buy it in a heartbeat, presuming that the machine is fully functional.

[ThinkTech]

i'd say "yes" but it's your money to spend.

personally, i'd buy it in a heartbeat, presuming that the machine is fully functional.

I'm worried about the weight. I mean my R400 is (I think) ~4.7lbs so the W520 will be close to 6lbs so it's an extra ~1.3lbs which might be too much for me but at the same time this is an amazing deal that I will most likely regret later if I don't go for it. If I use a 6 cell battery and remove the optical drive, how much weight will that save me? I'd like to bring it closer to 5lbs if it's possible. I use my laptop on my lap so I will defiantly feel the extra weight. And what should I do about the crack that it has? Is it possible to replace the chassis or the part where it's cracked?

[Cigarguy]

I'd investigate further the cause of the crack. If it's due to it being abused, I'm concern about a crack MB which can be expensive. However, if the crack is trivial then that's a great price for that machine. It is a little on the heavy side as W series were built to be desktop replacements than portability. If it was me, after some more examination of the unit, I'd jump on it.

[pianowizard]

I'm worried about the weight.

If you get a 6-cell battery, and swap out the optical drive for a travel bezel, the weight of a 1366x768 unit drops to 5.40 lbs according to Lenovo's ltwbook. For FHD, it's probably a little bit heavier -- a good estimate would be 5.5 to 5.6 lbs. But you should also consider how heavy the charger is. I think the W520's charger is huge.

[ThinkTech]

I'm worried about the weight.

If you get a 6-cell battery, and swap out the optical drive for a travel bezel, the weight of a 1366x768 unit drops to 5.40 lbs according to Lenovo's ltwbook. For FHD, it's probably a little bit heavier -- a good estimate would be 5.5 to 5.6 lbs. But you should also consider how heavy the charger is. I think the W520's charger is huge.

I won't be traveling with my laptop so the charger doesn't really bother me. Plus, if I do travel somewhere, the W520 should be able to last 5hrs on battery at least. The way I see it is this, a used T430/T430s will probably cost me somewhere in the $600 range but compared to the W520 that I could get for $450, it just doesn't make sense to go for the T430/T430s. My gf says to go for the sleek, thin, portable machine (no wonder) but the specs of the T430s seem garbage compared to the W520. The guy that is selling me his used W520 seems desperate and wants to get rid of his machine as quickly as possible and he even dropped the price to $400. LOL. Something smells fishy in this deal. A high end W520 for $400? I think he might not be telling me everything about the condition of the laptop.

[ajkula66]

Just make sure that you guys sign some bill-of-sale type paperwork just in case...that the machine got damaged falling off the truck...

Good luck.

[RealBlackStuff]

If all you want is some extra height on your screen, so you need to scroll less,
have you considered upgrading your R400 screen to WXGA+ (1440x900)?
And maybe go from CCFL to LED, depending on your current config?
That would be a lot cheaper!