T400 - buy now or wait for T410?

I notice that Lenovo Canada is having a pretty darn good sale on the T400, so that I can get an essentially fully loaded model with 3-year onsite warranty for $1500 Canadian, versus the "starting price" of that configuration for $2690.

But I know the T410 with better specs -- and a higher price -- is just around the corner.... Aggh, decisions!

 

Mhm, I'm wondering whether I should replace my T61p now with a fully loaded W500 ($2000CAD TopSeller) or wait for the W510.

 

You should consider whether that T410 is going to give you utility equal to the 1200 CAD difference, if not then buy the T400. If you need a faster processor and better graphics card, you could use that money saved and buy a desktop, i am sure that is going to blow most laptop away in speed and GPU processing ability at 1200 CAD.

 

Oh, I'm already set on desktops... but my current laptop is going on 4 years old and starting to feel a bit slow. The only thing I don't like about the T400 (besides the slightly dated graphics card) is that it doesn't have HDMI output... but we don't know whether the T410 is going to have that either.

Otherwise my choice is a Sony Z series.

 

t410 is not going to have hdmi output - it will be displayport

 

Well, that's nearly as good. Could be converted to HDMI... though without audio. At minimum it's good for a monitor connection.

 

Technically, DisplayPort should have audio-out as well, which I hope will be the case on the Tx10 generation.

Although, just to make a point: right now, you can get a T400 + an Advanced Dock, which has DVI-out, for quite a bit less than a T410 will probably sell for at launch.

 

I think the T410 is probably inferior then the T400 batterywise if you look at the specs the battery will probably suck.

 

Then buy. One generation to the next is almost never a huge leap in performance.

 

depends on what your needs are, anything graphics or processing intensive would be better on the T410, but if that stuff doesn't matter, then I'd go with the T400. Also the T410 is rumored to have a 16:9 display, if that matters to you, although I guess if you are considering the Vaio Z then it won't be an issue for you.

 

If it has switchable graphics, which is pretty likely I think, then it should be about the same as the T400.

 

While the Sony hardware is pretty, they are quite proprietary and, unlike Lenovo, very infrequently update their drivers. I once owned a Sony Z—and while, unlike the T400, the keyboard was rock solid—I will not make that mistake again.

Assuming this will be using the new Intel Core processors, you will likely be wrong.

 

And why do you think that?

TDP for P### Core 2 is 25W which is the lowest you can get in the T410. TDP for GM45 is 12W. TDP for HM55 (along with all the other mobile Arrandale chipsets, but I bet T410 will use this) is 3.5W. Arrandale processor going in the T410 is 35W TDP.

Combined TDP for GM45/P### Core 2 is 37W. Combined TDP for what will go in the T410 is 38.5W. Keep in mind the same figures with a T#### Core 2 Duo is 47W (which is what you have BinkNR). Oh and Arrandale will definitely be faster, especially considering the addition of Turbo Boost for apps that don't leverage a dual core CPU will definitely make it faster.

So explain to me how the T410 will have worse battery life using the Arrandale processor? Oh and the new processor isn't based on the Core architecture. It's the Nehalem.

Sorry but the numbers don't match your speculation on worse battery life.

 

I didn’t say it would. Someone else did.

 

well there should be i7 processors available in the T410. Some i7s are 25 watts and some are 35 watts. The leaked models listed aren't necessarily going to be every model (though you are correct about the i5 models.)

 

It all depends on what you do on the laptop. There are already i7 mobile vs C2D/C2Q reviews/comparisons so unless you need a little more power then why not get the t400. Remember just because the market and status quo deems something obsolete does not mean it actually is. Heck my dell is is from early 2008 using the original penryn technology and it is still more then usable. We have had an over abundance of processing power the past 3 or so years that allow older machines to last longer.

 

my Thinkpad T40 (built in the 2003) with a Dothan CPU is still very useable for watching movies, net surfing, word processing/excel and even some photoshop works (nothing massive obviously). So i doubt that the T400s will be superseded anytime soon.

 

The T400s also have eSATA, so you are pretty much set.

 

Exactly my point. Granted I would love to have an i7 17in mobile workstation to replace my dell so I could improve compile times and multitask more. But when it really comes down to it the dell still works out perfectly so on my desk it stays.

 

These i7 reviews are about the old 45nm Clarksfield, not the 32nm Arrandale. They should be the same when it comes to processing power, but are on 45W TDP, not 35W or 25W like the Arrandale ones. So don't even think about comparing both systems by their power draw/battery lifetime...

Did you know there is something like the "Great Moore's Law Compensator"?

@lead_org: The Dothan is pretty much affected by the GMLC right now. Just view some fullscreen flash content and CPU usage hits the roof. Same with all 1080p, 720p at higher bit rates and most 720p when using hard disk encryption. I guess 2010 will be the EoL for a Dothan-based "main" system, as you will really notice the lack of processing power and cores compared to a i3/5/7-based notebook.
Additional components are pricey as well, think of PATA hard disks (largest one is a 320GB at 75€, no current SSDs available) or the maximum of 2 GB DDR1 RAM at 60€.
Time for an upgrade, huh?

 

It could be end of life if i upgrade the laptop to the Win 7 and i watch a lot of flash content and HD movies. But i tend to do a lot of word processing, since i like the keyboard feel, so i am too worried about it been superseded.

A lot of people upgrade their computer to play latest games, but some people buy and upgrade computers according to their need and usage, which is quite modest at most times.

Since i have a few recently purchased spare laptops and a new Thinkstation D20 desktop, i am not too worried about been underpowered for the upcoming transition in softwares.

I will keep the T40 and use it as long as it works.

 

All the current Nehalem (Core i#) are quad-core. Mobile and desktop. The Arrandales are all dual-core. Comparing a quad-core/dual-core in performance and/or power consumption is an apples to oranges comparison because they obviously belong to different classes..

Also I highly doubt the T410 will ship with the lower TDP Arrandales, because IBM/Lenovo (and a lot of other manufacturers) slap them into smaller notebooks with a higher price tag. So the successor to the T400s, X200, etc.

"Did you know there is something like the "Great Moore's Law Compensator"? "
Yeah there's also something in the line of "we want your money, AGAIN!"

 

I heard the new Ts have Core i5s
edit or i7s

 

I knew I forgot another important detail
So just forget about i7 benches at all...!


@Lawcheehung: Sure. Just google for some shops or read http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5666541

 

I just purchased a T-400 with the P8600 (Still in the box). A T410 with the i5 and similar specs is about $200 more. Is it worth the cost to return the 400 for a 410 with the i5?

Thank you

 

Depends on the specs and what you are already paying for the t400

 

I would. The T410 will be technologically relevant for longer.

 

After getting the T400s, I realized that vanilla T400 is not a very good laptop. It is a bit bulky, the keyboard is vastly inferior to that offered on T400s, touchpad on T400s is way superior, and the quality on vanilla T400 just wasnt there. After getting T400s, I barely ever use my old T400, which will now be sold to make room for W510 when I finally decide to order one.

If anything, i'd recommend picking up a T400s on closeout price. If not, just wait for T410 which will have the superior T400s keyboard, chassis and touchpad.

the only thing vanilla T400 has going for it over newer stuff, is the high nit panel, which is extremely good, much superior to any other 14" panels i've seen in recent years.

 

Vanilla T400 is the same as the T61 with the 14.1 inch widescreen, good enough for most uses.