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T430 HD vs T420 HD+

T430-T490, T530-T590 Series
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vngr
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:28 pm
Location: Singapore

T430 HD vs T420 HD+

#1 Post by vngr » Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:40 pm

I'm a happy owner of a X220 and I'm looking at picking up a second thinkpad with a larger screen. I'm currently considering between the following: (a) T430 (HD screen, i5-3210M, 4GB RAM, 180GB SSD) and (b) T420 (HD+ screen, i5-2540M, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD). The prices are about the same and I'm leaning towards the T430 for being a newer model with better battery life and USB 3 ports.

Is the HD+ screen on T420 significantly better than HD screen on T430 to go for T420 instead? I'll be using the laptop for emails, web browsing, watching youtube and not for gaming. Thanks in advance for any advice!

TPFanatic
Senior ThinkPadder
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Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:29 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Re: T430 HD vs T420 HD+

#2 Post by TPFanatic » Wed Dec 21, 2016 8:53 pm

If you get the T430 and you're comfy with modding you can still upgrade the screen later to a decent screen, see here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=122381

These are the viewing angles you're looking at with stock HD+, I presume HD would be a little worse. But they're 14" TN panels, so there's really not much to expect anyway.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/ ... 1b7977.jpg
http://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/ ... 420_bw.jpg

brchan
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Location: West Lafayette, Indiana

Re: T430 HD vs T420 HD+

#3 Post by brchan » Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:45 pm

Do not get the HD (1366x768) screens because they are very low quality. The HD+ screen is decent, but nothing worth writing home about.
Current Thinkpads: W530 (functional classic keyboard mod), X301, T61, T60, T43, A31p, T23, 600X, 770
Other: mk5 Toughbook cf-19, mk1 Toughbook cf-53

vngr
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:28 pm
Location: Singapore

Re: T430 HD vs T420 HD+

#4 Post by vngr » Thu Dec 22, 2016 7:40 pm

TPFanatic & brchan: Thanks for the helpful advice! I think I'll look around some more for a T430 with HD+ screen.

kony
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Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: Poland

Re: T430 HD vs T420 HD+

#5 Post by kony » Tue Dec 27, 2016 5:00 am

I had the HD screen in my T430 and replaced it with T420's HD+. Both suck, but the HD+ has better brightness and slightly better colors. However, the viewing angles are terrible. I guess HD+ is a better choice, because HD was just too dim to use during daylight even indoors. If you'll be using external monitor most of the time, get T430, if not, then I'd choose the T420 with HD+.
My T430 with GTX 560 Ti (Now with GTX 670)
T430: i5-3320m, 8 GB, SSD + HDD, 1600x900.

SaberX
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Location: St John's , Newfoundland , Canada

Re: T430 HD vs T420 HD+

#6 Post by SaberX » Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:51 pm

kony wrote:
Tue Dec 27, 2016 5:00 am
I had the HD screen in my T430 and replaced it with T420's HD+. Both suck, but the HD+ has better brightness and slightly better colors. However, the viewing angles are terrible. I guess HD+ is a better choice, because HD was just too dim to use during daylight even indoors. If you'll be using external monitor most of the time, get T430, if not, then I'd choose the T420 with HD+.
Hi.
I have a T430 with the HD screen. I’m looking at just getting the HD+ screen for it.
I know I need the lcd itself and the HD+ cable.
You say you used the HD+ screen from the T420S? What about the video cable? Did you use the HD+ cable from the T420S on the T430?

Bill Wheeler
Great White North
Thinkpad T61 , T60p , T430
[Donor]

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