What is the equivalent of an R52 in an X-series Thinkpad?

[emeraldgirl08]

Hi guys. I've been thinking alot lately and have been seriously considering a trade. I have an "on-the-road" laptop which is my R52. It's in very nice shape and has the Intel-graphics. I haven't been using it much lately... and perhaps I'm just bored

I've always found the X-series appealing but don't know too much about each types strengths and weaknesses. I feel drawn towards the X32 series but am wondering how hot the 1.7 Dothan is in that model. I don't think I'd go any higher than that in that type b/c of the heat! I certainly am impressed by the X6x series but they seem a little too pricey for me just now. The X4x series have that little itty-bitty Creative Zen hard drive that I don't want. Well maybe not exactly a Creative Zen hard drive but it might as well be DDR2 would be nice as I have the RAM in my R52 that I could swap it with.

So that's where my mind is at right now...besides wondering how well I did on my test yesterday . Any advice for an X-series that would be reasonable for a trade?

[The Spirit of X21]

The X32 came out a month after the R52, so they tend to have similar specs...

The X3x series can run quite warm, but with Pentium M machines (X31/X32), you can always use Notebook Hardware Control to ramp the speed down. The case plastics around the keyboard and palm rest tend to fracture, but overall the machines are solid.

I really enjoyed my X40, particularly because it ran quite cool and could use 8-cell batteries. You can upgrade the hard drive using a ZIF-IDE adapter. These machines tend to develop white pressure spots on the LCD more easily than other models.

As far as DDR2 RAM goes, you'll have to get an X60, as the X4x machines used DDR, as did the X3x (except for the X30).

[sjthinkpader]

The X41 does use DDR2. The 1.8 inch HDD/SSD situation is not too bad.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 1&start=30
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... =selecting

[dr_st]

Chipset-wise, X41 is the equivalent of R52, and like said, the only pre-X60 X machine with DDR2 RAM.

X4x have their appeal - they are very slim and light. My personal preference is the X32 though. Better battery life with the standard battery (6-cell vs 4-cell), faster CPUs, not soldered RAM, does not generally run hot, good hard drive performance without having to mess with a very limited choice of aftermarket drives. But then again, they use slower and more expensive DDR.

[proaudioguy]

The X32 with 2GHz processor doesn't run hot at all during normal use and assuming the fan is not defective. I did have an occassionaly shut down until I called it in and they replaced the fan. I never would have guessed it was a fan issue since the fan was functional, but apparently there can be flaws in the heat sink. I have been extremely happy with it. Of course all of the above is only an issue during heavy use. During web surfing 95% of the time it just sits at 600MHz and runs very cool and quiet. The 2.0 is a tiny bit faster than the 1.7, but either one is fine. There is also a 1.8. I'm of the opinion if you want to run at 1.7 to keep the heat down you are better off with the 2.0 and NHC.

[Temetka]

While the X31x series are fine machines in their own right I can't comment on them beyond their specs.

I do know based on others reports here that they have issues with the case cracking in certain areas.

As an owner of an X41t my vote goes there. The issue with the HD is not that big of one considering that I can upgrade the HD to 120GB. That is plenty for me in a laptop. I have USB 2.0, Intel graphics which are better than the 16MB ATI chip in the X32 and I have DDR2.

The prices for the X6x line seem fine for me but of course your budget is different than mine.

If I was purchasing a machine it would be an X60 series of machine. I got my X41T by trading it so I can't really call it a purchase.

[emeraldgirl08]

Hmm... the X41 series eh.

I like the X6x series more though. Better processor, better integrated graphics, SATA HDD, and faster FSB.

At this point I'd settle for anything above an X41... but maybe...just maybe take an X32 if it already had the RAM maxed out (as my R52 does). I'm not sure how W7 performs on the the X32 though. Linux is wonderful for some (depends on hardware) older machines which is what I prefer using these days anyway.

Something to note though is that the W7 ATI 7500 performance, at least for me, was different from the R40 and the T30 when I installed RC7100 on both. I still don't get why but the T30 seemed to perform better. They both had the same 16mb Video RAM GPU. The Windows Updates picked a decent video driver for my T30 automatically and yet for the R40 I had to hunt for one.

[Tasurinchi]

I've always found the X-series appealing but don't know too much about each types strengths and weaknesses

Well, I'm prowd owner of both series you are considering (see my sig).

I use them basically for browsing, storing fotos and checking emails when I'm on the road. For these tasks I don't see big differences in performance between both. I slightly prefer my X41, as it is slicker and lighter than the X31. I find it to be more solid built too. I cracked the X31 in the keyboard bezel and overall I feel the case slightly "queeks" everywhere.

If you plan to use Linux, go for the X41. I've got very dissapointing video performance with Karmic in my X31, what made me go to Win7 Ultimate, which is working great with minor glitches in the wireless and video side. Karmic in the X41 is working really

The 1.8 inch HDD/SSD situation is not too bad.

I'd second that. At first sight looks like the X41 HD upgrade can be a pain in the neck, but you'll found that there are many ZIF HD options being sold in the web with an adapter and ready to plug in. So the situation is really not that bad. SSDs prices go slowly down as well.

Of course, if budget-wise you can find a X6* series I would go for them. Check also the Lenovo Outlet store, you can get good prices there too...

just my 0.02 cents...

Cheers

[The Spirit of X21]

The X41 does use DDR2. The 1.8 inch HDD/SSD situation is not too bad.

Oh dear... quite right

For you X41/T owners: don't you get a "2010 error" when you upgrade the drive, as you would with a T43?

[sjthinkpader]

Yes, you do get a 2010 error at boot. Someone reported older BIOS may not report this error but I never tried.

[systema]

For you X41/T owners: don't you get a "2010 error" when you upgrade the drive, as you would with a T43?

Also, if you opt with the Lenovo SSD option, there is no 2010 error also

[The Spirit of X21]

Also, if you opt with the Lenovo SSD option, there is no 2010 error also

I'm guessing the SSD has special firmware on it from Lenovo?