T420s now or wait for ivy?

I'm a CIS student in college and my trusty Gateway P7805u died recently (little brother dropped it) so I'm in the market for a new laptop. I really don't wanna carry around another 17inch 10lb beast so I was looking at 14 inchers, I was looking at a T420 and though I liked the smaller form of the T420s I figured i could save the money and suck it up. Then I realized that only the "s" had USB 3.0 and if I'm buying a highend computer to last several years I might as well go ahead and spend the money to get a machine that will last. I chose Lenovo because I've started using linux as my primary OS and from what I can tell they have the best support for operating in linux. Now my only problem is whether to jsut go ahead and order the t420s tommorrow when I get the rest of my money or to wait for the ivy bridge refresh? From what I can tell its only a 15% increase and minimal battery increase however the HD 4000 seems to be even more powerful than the quadro 4200nvs that comes in the t420s, so I dont know what to do. I have a linux class that starts at the beginning of June so I really wanted to get it by then but Im willing to wait a few weeks. Any opinions or help would be great appreciated! THANKS!

Side note, I plan on installing an mSata SSD if that makes a difference

 

If you can wait, wait. I've read some mobile ivy bridge reviews and it looks like cpu power/battery life/cooling etc... don't give you THAT much of a gain over sandy bridge. The most important part is the graphics, and mostly if you intend on not using discrete graphics. hd4000 is about 50% more powerful than the hd3000, or about as powerful as the integrated a8 graphics I've read. Should be more powerful than the nvs4200 and able to play most CURRENT games at medium settings...

 

Ivy Bridge is just around the corner, having been officially "released" today. DailyTech - Intel Launches Ivy Bridge, Hypes Low TDP to Counter Poor Graphics
I'd wait, as it's only a matter of time now that OEMs will start releasing systems with it.

 

Agreed, the only problems I had were that I really might not benefit from HD4000 as lenovo only offers i7 configurations with the Quadro discrete gfx and that I really wanted to try and get it before class starts at the beginning of June. Of course I can wait as long as its not like August or September.

 

Well, quadros are only for the workstation class thinkpads I believe... (correct me if I'm wrong). Do you need workstation-class graphics processing? Simply put, they are supposed to be a lot more ACCURATE compared to gaming-class graphics, which you really don't need for playing games (both the accuracy and the price =P)

Have you considered an external solution? I see promising solutions with thunderbolt or maybe lenovo might even bring back the advanced dock... or for something a little more "sure" there is the expresscard-based vidock.

 

Accurate??? buahahaha.

 

No, I don't care about the quadro, I just want an i7, however lenovo only offers the i7 as an option on the quadro equiped model.

 

One more thing: do you care about what kind of keyboard you're going to get?

Because if you want the standard keyboard, you need to get the T420s; we can't see any way around that.

If you want the chiclet keyboard, go for the T430s.

 

I thought the chiclet keyboard was the T430u? I definitely dont want an ultrabook as I don't want a ULV processor

 

All 2012 ThinkPads will come with a Chiclet Keyboard.

 

What? Sources please, this is the first I ever heard about it.

 

If you will benefit from a more powerful CPU, it may make sense to wait for IVB, as the 35W-TDP quad core CPUs may become more mainstream options.

What Q-Ball7 is referring to is rumors that the next-generation Thinkpad T-series will use island-style keyboards across the board. If you much prefer the current traditional style, it may make sense to get a T420 now.

If you will be using your computer for heavy CPU/GPU tasks, the T420 would be a better choice than the T420s, with its more robust cooling system. The lack of USB 3.0 is not a big deal, as it's a <$20 upgrade to get a flush-fitting ExpressCard adapter for a USB 3.0 port.

See this thread, where apparently the sky is falling

 

We have pictures, we don´t need sources
X230, W530 and L530

 

Is L530 replacement for T520? I don't understand the L class.

 

All Ivy Bridge ThinkPads will have chiclet keyboards. The Sandy Bridge ThinkPads will retain the standard keyboards. Personally, I didn't think the HP dm4t I saw with the chiclet keyboard was all that bad, but I'm not a speed typist either.

My thought on the i7 would be unless you need to run processor intensive applications frequently, perhaps you do, the i7 is overrated. You do get USB 3, but you lose the powered USB port as well. You can pick up a USB3 expresscard for the slot. It's not quiet as fast as an onboard controller, but still a lot faster than USB 2.

I think if you need a standard voltage CPU, durability, portability and a good screen, that's the X220. Sure, you give up the HD+, but the difference between HD and HD+ is in my opinion so small it's not worth mentioning. Plus the X220 screen is much better and the stick is very easy to scroll on.

 

USB 3.0 is standard in the T420s. No need for the i7 at all.

 

I probably don't need the i7, I run virtual machines a lot. I might be fine with an i5. The x220 is too small for me. 14 inch is the absolute smallest im willing to go. I dont mind the chiclet keyboard, I'm not much of a typist. I actually kinda like the one on my moms dv6. I guess if I wait for ivy bridge then the t420 (t430) will probably be updated with USB3.0 anyway and then I can get it with the better thermal profile and cheaper than the t420s?

 

I see...

 

FWIW USB 3.0 will very likely be standard on all x30-series machines because Intel finally got that functionality built in to the 7-series chipsets (so no more 3rd-party ports are needed); which is a bit of a better option than the ExpressCard.

 

No L was a replacement for the old R/Z series ThinkPads, same with SL but it also greatly deviates from T/W/x series now.

I say, buy what you need with what you have. If you NEED a computer now, then buy it. Ivy Bridge is AROUND the corner, but it could be months before OEMs get supply levels up to get good prices.

 

Yes, this. From what you're saying, OP, it seems you'll be needing a computer before you can probably get your hands on an IVB Thinkpad. For your purposes, personally I would recommend either the T420 or X220 (the latter especially if the GPU doesn't really matter, as you seem to say). With both, you can easily add a flush USB 3.0 ExpressCard.

 

Heh iunno taht's what I read somehwere... and it sounds like it makes sense.

I'm sure it isn't as simple as just more 'accurate'... probably extensively tested drivers, validation, parts binning, branding, perceived value and, of course, the "just because we can charge more" difference.

Paraphrased from somewhere I read online: If you're playing a game and your graphics card makes an error.. no problem. There are probably many graphical glitches that you don't notice or don't even care about. However, if you're rendering a 3d model of a building during a presentation in front of potential clients... an error might mean your building is suddenly missing a floor and you are suddenly missing some clients.

I have a t520 with a usb 3.0 expresscard and it isn't working out too well for me... Maybe something wrong with my card or drivers? Anyway, sometimes it refuses to reconnect after sleeping (which disconnects it) and, when I tried copying a large file (5gb) it kept freezing so I ended up using my usb 2.0 slots. That's when I figured out that my hard drive can barely even max out a usb 2.0 port... and the usb 3.0 port was completely overkill for my needs.

So I was just wondering what the OP needs usb 3.0 for anyway... if it is just an external spinning hard drive you probably won't need usb 3.0...

 

Disable the power saving features for the ExpressCard (in Device Manager) and see if that fixes your issues. I have a friend who has no problems with his USB 3.0 card in his X220.

I too see little use for USB 3.0 at the moment; most people are getting it only for "future-proofing" as far as I can see. If you do massive data transfers every day from a fast external hard drive, it might be useful, but I personally don't think the lack of USB 3.0 makes any machine less "future-proof."

 

Not anymore, the new L-Serie will come with standart ThinkPad hinges and the same keyboard. It is much nearer to the T/W/X than the past SL-Series (it also uses better materials than this series).

 

Hmm not sure if I did it right... all I see (under USB) is Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host Controller... in the advanced tab there is a box to disable usb 3.0 power management functions but it has already been checked. The other one (Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Root Hub) doesn't have any settings I can change...

 

Same delimma here. I think the keyboard is a huge disadvantage of the IB thinkpads which makes the old generation more attractive to me.

 

I talked to a rep and he said it could be anytime between june and september, but that they IVB models will be more expensive than i can buy a SNB right now for, especially when I factor in student discounts so I think im just gonna jump on the t420s

 

I would get the T420 over the T420s. Too many problems with the 's' right now.

 

could you please elaborate on issues with the s?

 

High heat output, fan noise, LCD screen blotches to name a few. Check out the T420s owner's thread.

 

In terms of quality, is the 1600*900 option on T420 much better than the 1366*768 or similar?

Is i3-2350M alone powerful enough to play DVD and Blu-ray?

 

Quality of the LCD will be very similar, if not identical (which means NOT GOOD). The i3 should have more than enough power for Blu-ray/DVD.