Lenovo Thinkpad T410 Owner's Lounge

I use it on my lap all the time in bed and I feel that it works great until you start playing 3d games haha.

 

Anyone who ordered during the recent 35% off have any updates on their order yet?

 

When you use it on your lap for just say, browsing and maybe youtube, does it get warm? room temp? a little warmer than the room?

 

My T410s is so cold, it scares me. I can only assume the T410 will be cooler with its larger chassis.

 

I'm curious about pricing and if this is a good deal or not:

$899 (no shipping, no tax)

Core i5 540M at 2.53GHz
Integrated graphics
4GB DDR3
320GB 7200RPM HDD
Bluetooth
Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000
Integrated Webcam 2.0 Megapixel
6 Cell high capacity battery
1 yr depot warranty

Here's what I use my laptop for every day: Word, Adobe Acrobat, iTunes, surfing, & chatting online. I occasionally use PhotoShop or watch a movie, but mostly use Word, Acrobat, & Firefox.

Please share your thoughts on the above price.

This is from a vendor. (I won't buy on Lenovo's website because I hear they take forever to ship and I'm only going to be in the US for a couple weeks so the laptop must arrive during my visit.)

 

The reason I ask is because on notebookcheck, they show the T410 getting up to 110F (45C) degrees on the bottom, while the T400 only got up to 98F (37C) degrees under full load.

My current laptop (dell vostro 1400) gets up to 102F (40C) maximum under full load.

However, I am in the process of returning a Dell e6410 because it gets up to 98F/37C as soon as you turn it on (idle) and then 112F/45C under load on the bottom... it is completely unusable on my lap, and that's where I do the majority of my work. According to notebookcheck the T410 starts much cooler but ends up just as hot under load. The problem is I do not know how much load editing word docs, browsing the internet, gmail, music, and youtube is going to bring the heat to.

It seems this new generation of processors simply run very hot, as indicated by the t410 being so much hotter than the t400 according to notebookcheck.

Relevant links (heat maps 2/3 down review):
Vostro 1400 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Vostro-1400-Notebook.7316.0.html
T400 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Lenovo-Thinkpad-T400-6474-19G-Notebook.15861.0.html
T410 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Lenovo-Thinkpad-T410-2522-3FG-Notebook.25368.0.html

And I hate to say it, 21T, but notebookcheck shows the T410S getting to 122F/50C on the bottom which in my opinion is completely crazy!

Does anyone know what lenovo's return policy is? There is simply no way to test my major use case without getting my hands on one. Thankfully Dell does refunds no questions asked with no restocking fee, but I have heard lenovo is not so kind.

 

To be honest, it's completely usable on your lap if your just browsing the web and using word but once you play 3d games, it starts getting pretty hot. I'm actually quite surprised at how cool it stays since I used to have an HP dv6000 which overheated whenever I would be on it for over 2 hours. You may notice it get a bit hot if you use it for a prolonged amount of time but, frankly, it only gets really hot when it's under full load but when are you really under full load unless your running a benchmark?

 

Lenovo has some sort of restocking fee, around 15% I believe. Once you order there's loads of links taking about returns (interesting...). I've definitely never had the T410s get that hot on my lap. In fact, I don't think it's ever been warmer than my lap itself.

 

Laptop mag also cited it getting to 103F on the bottom while watching hulu.

Lenovo T 410 Review - Keyboard, Touchpad, Heat

 

Ok, believe what you want but I'm telling you, if you're not planning on doing resource intensive tasks on this laptop then it will stay cool. I can't test Hulu since I'm not in the US but it certainly doesn't get that hot when I'm watching flash videos.

 

bradsh,
I watched 6 episodes of LOST (in 720p on the ABC website) back to back (watching one episode while letting another buffer) and the bottom of my T410 did get warm but nowhere close to a 103F. It was still very comfortable and I could have continued to operate without any problem for hours more.
I am really surprised how laptopmag managed to get it to 103F watching hulu when the highest video quality they offer is 480p which is less tough on the machine compared to 720p video.
EDIT: Like Jonnyinter above I come from a dv6000 and this thing is miles ahead of that. I also have a dell inspiron 600m which heats up like crazy so I know what HOT is and the T410 runs anything but, hot.
EDIT: By the way I have the integrated graphics.
Though machines with discreet graphics are generally known to produce more heat than their integrated brethren I still can't imagine them producing unbearable amounts of heat while doing basic stuff such as surfing, listening to music, word, excel, youtube, watching online videos etc....

 

That is a good deal panyan. I paid the same amount for my T410 a couple of months ago with a slightly lesser config (520M processor, no bluetooth, 250gb HDD)

 

I had it on my lap for 3 hours before first feeling some sort of heat. Even then, it wasn't a "omg it's burning!!!" reaction, but more of a "huh...it's been 3 hours already? damn this thing is cool!"

so I say, unless you are keeping your laptop on your lap for 10 + hours, it is very comfortable.

 

Since I bought the T410 I installed an intel X25-V SSD and have been using that as my primary HDD for the last couple of months. I decided that I wanted more storage so I bought an Ultrabay Slim adapter off Ebay and put the original HDD into it. The problem is that the drive is not recognized in the bios, so it is never enabled. I have the SATA set to AHCI in the BIOS because this is what is required for the intel SSD. If I switch it to compatibility mode it will not boot beyond the Thinkpad screen.
I tried switching the drives so that the SSD was in the Ultrabay and the HDD in the main bay. Booting with AHCI resulted in Win 7 booting but SSD not recognized. Booting in Compatibility Mode resulted in the light on the Ultrabay flashing for a second, but the BSOD on boot. This might be because I think Win 7 was originally installed with AHCI. It looks like it might be necessary to install Win 7 in compatibility mode to get both drives recognized. Has anyone gotten an SSD with an HDD in the Ultrabay working, either with AHCI or Compatibility Mode?

 

Thank you, miliranga. I've bought it! Can't wait to unpack it once I get back to the US next month.

Will post my experience after using it.

 

You guys have convinced me... now, does anyone know where to find some good coupons on the T410?

 

Use USPLENOVO527


Laptops
Additional discount with eCoupon
ThinkPad SL Series 5%
ThinkPad Edge 5%
ThinkPad L Series 5%
ThinkPad T Series 10%
ThinkPad W Series 15%
ThinkPad X Series 15%

Restrictions:
Sale ends May 31, 2009; valid while supplies last. Limit five per customer. Offer valid from Lenovo in the US only.

*Customers using eCoupons at checkout are not eligible for 20% Bing Cashback.

 

Did anybody have their computre delivered recently? Mine was shipped on 18 May, but till today, I have not got it. On 22 May It arrived in US, then it is like dead. No updates, nothing at all. If it can not be delivered before this saturday, which is 9 business days for the delivery (it should arrive within 3-5 business days), I will have to return it since I will travel on next monday. At least avoid ground if you really want to buy directly from lenovo website. Hope this could be useful for those are considering.

 

Does anyone know the exact panel type listed for the WXGA+ display in device manager hardware ID?

 

I got mine yesterday. I chose the free 2 day shipping when i ordered it on the 13th, i got a shipping notification email on Sunday and it was delivered before 10am on Tuesday.

 

My guess, something got messed up with the customs papers. It seems to happen fairly often.

 

DisplayPort HDMI Sound Problem?

This is my audio driver/card: Conexant 20585 SmartAudio HD
I connected a DisplayPort adapter to a HDMI cable to my TV and the video works but I can't get sound to come through the TV. I checked the control panel for sound but can only find the original audio card there and no HDMI audio output as some other sites have suggested.

Can anyone help me?

 

Thanks for sharing the information. Is the 2 business day shipping free? I thought it is $25, that is why I chose the ground.

 

Yeah, it seems to be. It is a very bad experience. I was thinking of taking the new computer to have some meetings during travelling next week. But I don't think they can make it. If it happens very often, then that is a issue they should really take care.

 

They use the World Ease service, which unfortunately means they've done as much as they can do. This stuff is out of their hands.

 

I think they chose a wrong service, or unfortunately I chose the wrong service. I bought this during the mother's day promotion, maybe I can get it when my mom becomes grandmother . I have seen one post saying it took 3 months to get delivered.

 

When you check the UPS tracking number, what does it say for a delivery date?

 

No, in transit. No delivery date. The only thing I have is

CN 05/18/2010 8:53 P.M. RECEIVED INTO UPS SCS POSSESSION
05/18/2010 8:31 P.M. DEPARTURE
US 05/22/2010 4:18 P.M. ARRIVAL
05/18/2010 8:08 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

 

Weird. Have you called UPS yet? I have a delivery date in the ups tracking and the origin scan wasn't until the morning of the 27th China time.

 

Wow, I priced one out 6 hours ago and now it is $200 more all of the sudden... thanks lenovo. Guess I will hold off on purchasing

 

I have, they said it is the custom, the package is somewhere in the US..., I don't think they know anything. 8 business days passed, they still did not clear the custom? I am very suspicious. The custom should only take 1-2 days. There must be something wrong. I am now very frustrated and disappointed.

 

Here is my time spent in Louisville...

LOUISVILLE, KY, US 05/27/2010 4:06 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
05/27/2010 12:18 A.M. IMPORT SCAN
LOUISVILLE, KY, US 05/26/2010 11:28 P.M. WAREHOUSE ENTRY CLEARANCE DETAILS, NECESSARY FOR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE, HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FROM THE RECEIVER / RELEASED BY CLEARING AGENCY. NOW IN-TRANSIT FOR DELIVERY
05/26/2010 12:21 P.M. IMPORT SCAN
05/26/2010 12:06 P.M. IMPORT SCAN
05/26/2010 11:20 A.M. WAREHOUSE ENTRY CLEARANCE DETAILS, NECESSARY FOR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE, HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FROM THE RECEIVER
LOUISVILLE, KY, US 05/25/2010 8:52 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN

Oddly enough, things going through Alaska do NOT require customs clearance...

 

Really? Which configuration are you thinking of purchasing because I just checked and specced out mine which came out to be the same price (but mine was cheaper because of a coupon )

 

The SPP discounts disappeared today, and then they jacked the price up about $10-20 to boot. There is currently no discount for SPP on T series. This is probably because of their memorial day sale

EDIT: The SPP discounts have reappeared. Maybe their website was broken for a few hours.

 

lucky you! I even do not know where my computer is..., just checked, still IN TRANSIT, no estimate delivery time, no update. Just wonderring how to file a complain, I did not find anywhere that I could file a complain on lenovo website.

 

I think the people you need to complain to are UPS, no Lenovo.

 

I think both. Lenovo chose a bad service, and it happens quite often, then they should realized this issue long time ago, yet they did nothing to improve it. Speaking of UPS, they should be condemned. I am working on that. It really ruined my whole plan. Now I have to buy another one, troublesome.

 

I would also like to know if the T410 can pass audio through the display port. I recall reading the T400 couldn't so I held off purchasing one.

 

Yes, audio on displayport works, at least with my Nvidia discrete it does. I've read that it works with the Intel integrated also. If it doesn't, you may need to download the latest drivers directly from Intel, as the Lenovo ones are a bit old.

 

Purchased:
i5 520m
2 gb ram
camera
WXGA+
bluetooth
9 cell batt
nvidia 3100m
320gb 7200rpm
intel 6200 wifi
3 year basic warranty
$1,023.06

estimated ship date 6/14/10

 

So i finally got around to setting up my 410i. I got mine with Core i3, 2GB ram + 2GB from Amazon, 128GB SSD, WXGA+

Loaded up Windows 7 Ultimate and here are the experience scores:

processor - 6.2
memory - 5.9
Aero - 4.5
Gaming graphics - 5.2
Hard disk - 6.9

I'm thinking of purchasing an antivirus since my kids will hop on this from time to time. I'm thinking of actually buying AVG since i've used their free product in the past o getting NOD32...what do you guys think?

 

NIS 2010 would be my recommendation. I'd make sure the parental control features are enabled.

 

Does anyone have a picture of a t410 with the Slice battery? I want to see how much it sticks out

 

The slice battery will likely double the thickness of the back of the T410.

 

So would a displayport to HDMI adapter give audio out or not?

 

Jonnyinter: According to reviews of the product on Amazon, it should. But I am curious on this as well. If I get an adapter, I will try to post my findings.

 

Others have reported in a few threads here that all of the new T410, T510, W510 systems work with audio out on the displayport and when converted to HDMI.

 

I just use the free anti-virus provided by Microsoft Security Essentials. I used Norton for 2 years before switching to this free one. It works GREAT. It does not slow down my computer like Norton did, and it's managed to catch a lot of viruses, so I have no problems with my computer.

I live in China and frequently have to plug in USB drives into my computer... most of these drives have been having relationships with other Chinese computers WHO DO NOT USE VIRUS PROTECTION so the drives are frequently infected. As soon as I plug in a drive, MS Security Essentials pops up to fix the virus, spyware, etc.

It has also caught viruses that were my fault due to downloads.

I highly recommend it.

www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

 

Hey guys
I don't know if any of you could help me with this but, on my T410 when I hit fn+f3 (power manager) and from the options select "power off display" my display turns off for a second but turns right back on again without any sort of prompting from me. Normally when I turn off the display in this manner, until I touch the touchpad, or hit a few keys the display remains turned off.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

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