T400 Configuration

Hello,

I am in the middle of configuring a T400 for myself for grad school in the physical sciences (civil engineering/water resources science). I'll be bringing it to campus on a daily basis, and using it for a mix of word processing, web surfing and some AutoCAD/physical modeling programs, although I'll also probably have access to a high powered desktop for much of that.

What I'm wondering is what choices to make for the big stuff: processor, memory, HD size and speed.

1. The current choices for processor are:

-Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W
-Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8700 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) [add $70.00]
-Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8800 (2.66GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) [add $120.00]
-Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9600 (2.8GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2) [add $190.00]
-Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P9500 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2) 25W [add $295.00]
-Intel Core2 Duo processor T9900 (3.06GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2) [add $445.00]

Is the T9600 going to be worth it for the times I want to use AutoCAD or run a large model, or if that's only an infrequent occurence, will the P8800 suffice? What about the P8800 vs. the P8400?

2. Should I go for the 4GB RAM, or will 3GB be enough?

3. Will the basic 160 GB 5400 RPM be sufficient? I don't think I need more space than 160 GB.

I guess the bigger question for me is, which of these 3 do you get the most bang for your buck on, and is worth it for me to splurge? Also, I'm just getting integrated graphics, as I won't be doing any gaming. Would I notice much difference on graphics for the types of work I've described?

Thanks for any feedback. I've been perusing the forums and everyone has been most helpful!

 

What OS will you be running?

From what I've heard there's not going to be a huge increase in performance in regards to the clock speed, but the increased L2 cache would make a difference. If I were you I would get a SSD which should increase the performance greatly.

 

1. If you are going to get the P8800 then you might as well spend the extra 70 dollars for the T9600 (6 mb of cache), if you are not going to jump from P8xxx -> T9xxx then you should keep the P8400. The performance difference between the P8800 and the P8400 is only a few percent at max (most of the time you will struggle to notice the difference), and you could spend your money elsewhere to get a better performance result. AutoCAD is more depended on your GPU, which for a complex model, your ATI 3470 will struggle.

2. You can go with a 2 gig of ram, and then get yourself another 2 gig module aftermarket, which is lot cheaper then if you buy it from Lenovo. In addition, this will not void the warranty on the rest of the systems.

3. Just get the 160 gig for the moment (the lowest you can get from Lenovo), if down the track you need more hdd space. Just get a new hdd from a computer store or from newegg. For a upgrade from 160 to 320 gig from Lenovo it costs 70 dollars, and a new hdd 320 gig from an online store it should be around 60 dollars on average.

P.S. The T400 and the ATI 3470 isn't designed for games, but you can still play many games from the past and medium or low level settings. Regarding CAD, you can do them with satisfactory result as long as your model is not too complex.

 

Okay, so you say the GPU (ATI 3470) is where I should upgrade. Is that the integrated vs. discrete graphics? What should I spend more more money on to deal with this? If the AutoCAD files I deal with are generally 2-D and pretty simple (some raster images) does this matter vs. complicated 3-D models?

I don't even know what an SSD is, yet alone one that would be a real benefit.

Thanks!

 

Unless money is no issue (in which case get the fastest cpu, 8GB ram and a 160GB Intel SDD!), save your money on the cpu, get a 7200rpm HDD, and get 2X2GB ram, and choose 64bit Win7. SDD is Solid State Disk, and replaces a HDD - it speeds up any system hugely compared to a HDD, has no vibration, reduces noise, and reduces heat. It is not mechanical. They are wonderful, but very expensive per GB at the moment. Expect the SSD to be mainstream by 2011. At the moment, it is affordable as long as you are happy with 80-160GB storage, or if you want to combine a SDD with a HDD in another bay (or exterior) for storage.

 

If money is no object then go crazy. If it is then consider the 7200 rpm drives as cheaper alternative option. If you do simple 2D CAD design, then it shouldn't matter since the T43 with ATI X300 could handle them with little problems.

The Intel GPU is integrated into the Northbridge controller chip, and the ATI is a discrete chip.

 

As you can imagine, money is an issue (as it is for everyone else) so your advice is much appreciated. I'm going to order the computer today with the 160 7200 RPM drive and the cheapest (P8400) processor. I'll probably get an extra 2GB memory after market. And I'm planning on running Windows 7 64-bit.

Thanks for the help!

 

I don't think you will be disappointed by the performance, and this will represent the most bang for your bucks.

 

"probably"? If you are going to run 64-bit, have 2x2GB ram - so if you are buying a 1X2GB ram module with your system, also go ahead and buy the third-party additional 1X2GB module, so you can install it as soon as your laptop arrives. But check how much cheaper the ram is compared to Lenovo-provided ram. If it is not much difference, just have it pre-installed. If a big difference, then by all means buy third-party - but do get it; install at the beginning.

 

Okay, was going to place my order, and realized I'm still confused about the graphics. Several people referred to the ATI 3470, which is discrete graphics right? Are discrete graphics really important for my needs? I was planning on getting the integrated graphics, but don't want that to really screw things up if I use AutoCAD.

And by saying "probably" get an extra 2-GB after market, I meant I would either get the 2-GB with the computer from Lenovo or from newegg instead. I've already decided on 4GB total.

 

If Autocad and graphical manipulation is important to you, a dedicated gpu runs rings around an integrated gpu for all graphic tasks. I even switch to my dedicated gpu when using Google Earth! When doing web surfing and word processing, integrated gpu is just fine, and runs cooler. As far as I know (I have a W500), choosing the dedicated gpu in the T400 gives you switchable gpu's - both the integrated gpu and the dedicated. It is great to have both, and to choose the one you need at each moment. The ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 is the dedicated gpu option on the T400. The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD comes standard with all T400's. I know you are not looking at them, but the 15.4" W500's come with a CAD maximized/ ISV-certified
ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 dedicated gpu. See http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-ISV&sitestyle=lenovo.
But if you stay with the T400, I would surely get the dedicated gpu option. It is very nice to have the graphical grunt there when you need it.
Check out http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/1552166/autodesk-autocad-2010.

 

The ATI 3470 is only a slight improvement on the X4500 Intel integrated GPU, the performance difference is around 15% OR SO. I can do simple 2D work on the X3100 (a previous generation of the X4500), so i think the X4500 should be okay for simple 2D design.

get 2 gig from newegg, it is only around half the price of what Lenovo charges.

 

WoW! Is the ATI 3470 that bad?! Interesting. When I switch to my 512MB AMD FireGL V5700 from X4500 Intel on any graphical program I notice a big difference (I don't do tests). But then 2D is not very demanding,eh? I wouldn't want to play a game with the X4500, even less its predecessor...Also any OS that is good at utilizing a dedicated gpu to help out the cpu just flies - especially Ubuntu - is a different beast with gpu helping the cpu share the operations...

 

The ATI 3470 of both the laptop and desktop version are all pretty bad... i had both of them... the only thing good about them is that they are low TDP version and don't chew much power.

I have used in ATI 3470 with the onboard ATI gpu in crossfire mode, and the performance is shocking in complex 3D cad... and the laptop version is just as bad.

But the ATI FireGL card is meant to be a good quality laptop GPU....

The X4500 can do native decoding of bluray movie... which is makes it an excellent choice for budget consumers.

X4500 is like your base mode Holden Commodore Omega, the 3470 is your SV6, and the FireGL V5700 is your Holden SS..