New T420 - Which Graphics?

T400/410/420 and T500/510/520 series specific matters only
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lpenner
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New T420 - Which Graphics?

#1 Post by lpenner » Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:17 pm

Hello-

I'm getting close to ordering a new T420.

I don't know which graphics to get, the 1600 x 900 or the 1366 x 768?

In my desk setup (using a T400), I have two 20 inch monitors that are currently running 1680 x 1050.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Larry

600E > 390X > A22 > A31 > T42 >T400 > T420i

wolfman
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#2 Post by wolfman » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:27 pm

I'd get the 1600x900 myself. It's a relatively inexpensive upgrade. Good luck.
Thinkpad T420 | Core i-5 2520M | 16gb RAM | 120gb Intel 520 SSD + 750gb 7200 RPM | 6300 N | Ubuntu 12.04 x64
Desktop: AMD FX-8350 (8 cores) | 32gb ECC RAM | 240gb Intel 530 SSD + 1tb 7200 RPM | Ubuntu 14.04 x64 | HP ZR24w
Previous Thinkpads: A21m, R40, X61, T410

FunkyRes
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#3 Post by FunkyRes » Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:14 am

on my t520 I went lower res because with higher res screens, I either have to increaese the font size or use a non native resolution.
And bitmap images, can't increase them.

Maybe your eyes are better than mine, but something to consider.
Current: T520 (Win 7 Pro), T410 (Fedora 18)
Previous: T20 (CentOS 5), 600 (Debian Sarge), PB 540c (Mac OS 7.5.5)

wolfman
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#4 Post by wolfman » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:02 am

lpenner wrote:Hello-

I'm getting close to ordering a new T420.

I don't know which graphics to get, the 1600 x 900 or the 1366 x 768?

In my desk setup (using a T400), I have two 20 inch monitors that are currently running 1680 x 1050.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Are you replacing the T400 with the T420? Are you planning to use the T420 in the dock most of the time? Given the resolution of your monitors, do you think the text is too small, just right or too big?

You might want to compare the PPI of each resolution using a DPI calculator (like this one: http://members.ping.de/~sven/dpi.html). You can plug in the monitor resolution and size and see the PPI and based on your current monitor you might be able to draw a conclusion that is right for you. Good luck.
Thinkpad T420 | Core i-5 2520M | 16gb RAM | 120gb Intel 520 SSD + 750gb 7200 RPM | 6300 N | Ubuntu 12.04 x64
Desktop: AMD FX-8350 (8 cores) | 32gb ECC RAM | 240gb Intel 530 SSD + 1tb 7200 RPM | Ubuntu 14.04 x64 | HP ZR24w
Previous Thinkpads: A21m, R40, X61, T410

ThinkRob
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#5 Post by ThinkRob » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:39 pm

1600x900, no question.

Unless you want less screen space and a lower quality panel... :D
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lpenner
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#6 Post by lpenner » Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:37 pm

Yes, the T420 will be a replacement for the 400.
And yes it will be docked during the day in the dual monitor setup.
In the evening it will dock at home where I have an Acer 18 " running 1280 x 1024.

The screen res and ont sizes on both setups seem to be satisfactory.
Regards,
Larry

600E > 390X > A22 > A31 > T42 >T400 > T420i

jayton4
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#7 Post by jayton4 » Mon Apr 02, 2012 5:19 am

I would get new contacts or eyeglasses if vision was a problem with me. The higher res screen is my only requirement when shopping for a thinkpad. If I was looking to buy right now, I would not even consider a 1366x768, no matter what the rest of the specs or price comparison was. That is probably the only feature that I am not flexible on.
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Current models/upgrades:
T410 2518X01- 8GB, Corsair Force GT 120GB
T410s 2901A3U- 8GB, Intel 6300 WiFi, Crucial m4 mSATA 256GB SSD w/ microSATA adapter
T420s 4174PPU- 16GB, Intel 520-series 7mm 180GB SSD, Crucial M550 512GB mSATA SSD, Intel 6300 WiFi
and a few classics in storage

dasein13
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#8 Post by dasein13 » Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:00 pm

For future resale value, you might as well get the higher resolution screen now.

Since the laptop is going to be docked most of the time, I don't think readability issues will be a concern. Besides, you could always change the resolution setting to 1366x768 for those times when the laptop is not docked (this is what I do with my 1600x900 work laptop).
Current: T430s with FHD IPS mod - T420 - x220

lpenner
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Re: New T420 - Which Graphics?

#9 Post by lpenner » Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:04 pm

Thank you to all. It seems that 1600 x 900 is the smart choice.
Regards,
Larry

600E > 390X > A22 > A31 > T42 >T400 > T420i

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