T520 vs W520

Hello,

I have been using X61 Tablet for last 2.5 years and it has been working great. However, its processing power is a bit insufficient compared to recent i5/i7 processors, and I decided to buy a new laptop.

The main usage will be running vmware (or virtualbox), writing documents (latex), viewing documents (pdfs), and some programming (MATLAB). My main justification of this purchase will be to maximize my productivity while I travel or attend conferences. (It may sound odd, but I have to write a fair amount of technical papers and proposals, and I prefer to work in front of a big screen instead of small laptop screens. So, I am thinking about using this as a mobile workstation that's as powerful as my desktop.)


Currently, I am deciding between T520 and W520. (I would consider T420 with less preference though.) Here are what I care about:

1. Mobility: ~5 lbs is okay, but I wouldn't want over 6 lbs. (My current X61T is ~4.3lbs, but I can tolerate an extra pound in exchange of bigger power/screen size.)

2. High screen resolution: FHD (1920*1080) is preferred since I have been using SXGA+ (1400*1050). I would like as many vertical pixels as possible (e.g., viewing pdfs in a full screen mode). HD+ (1600*900) is okay, but it's less preferred. (The main reason that I consider T520/W520 is because of the FHD screen.)

3. Less heat and fan noise.

4. Long battery life (over 5 hours, preferably close to ~10 hours)

5. Good processing power (at least i5) as long as it does not compromise battery life or heating/fan noise.


I would like to buy a machine that best serves my purpose while the price is a secondary issue. Given these criteria, would you have any suggestions on which would be the best option? I have a few specific questions:

1. i7 2620m vs i5 2520m
Will i7 2620m consume more power (thus sacrifice battery life) or generate more heat (and fan noise) than i5 2520m? If so, I would probably choose i5 over i7.

Also, would i5 2520m powerful enough for running vmware (e.g., ubuntu as a guest OS that can run roughly with the same (or 80~90%) speed as when it is installed as a host OS)?


2. T520 vs W520 (with i7 CPU)
I don't think I will be using graphics cards/GPUs that much (e.g., gaming or heavy graphics applications). However, the price is not that much different (~within $100), and W520 has USB 3.0 option. How would W520 compare to T520 (with the same i7 CPU, etc. except Intel 3000 vs Quadro GPU) in terms of battery life and heat generation?


BTW, here is my tentative configuration:

ThinkPad T520 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty
Processor Intel Core i7-2620M Processor (2.70GHz, 4MB L3)
Display type 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
System graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000
Total memory 4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)
Camera 720p Camera
Hard drive 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device DVD recordable multiburner
System expansion slots Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader
Battery 9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++
Power cord Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter
Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)
Integrated mobile broadband Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable


If there are any comments or suggestions (e.g., about specific configuration, or if I should reconsider this purchase at all, etc.), I will also appreciate them.

Thanks!

 

I'd recommend that if you get the T520 upgrade the CPU to quad core and the graphics to NVS 4200M (switch back to integrated anytime in the BIOS, just be prepared). If you get the W520, get the integrated color calibrator for the FHD 15" screen. There is Linux support for Optimus, GOOGLE "bumblebee"

 

If you load a T520 with discrete graphics and a quad core, you might as well as get a W520 as it is cheaper.

Ok, I will try to answer as many as I can.

1. Both of them are around 6lb with the 9 cell battery, I believe. If not, at least around 5.5lb. I haven't put my W520 on a scale, but it feels like it's about as heavy as my dad's laptop and that is 5.7lb.

2. There is a $200 premium, but if you are willing to pay, it is fine.

3. The outer casing is pretty close to room temperature doing most things. The internals can run pretty hot (over 90C) if you stress them enough. Try Linpack + Furmark. It's not silent by any stretch, if you are in a silent room, but it is very quiet by my standards.

4. I get 6hrs with Flash based web surfing (YouTube), 7hrs doing random stuff (some Youtube, 720p & 1080p video, and music), and 8.5hrs with light web surfing. I use the factory image.

For your specific questions:

1. As far as I know, the 2620M will not use any more power than a 2520M. It is only marginally faster, so basically, whatever you can do on a 2620M, you can do on a 2520M.

2. Battery life should be about the same (probably within 15 ~ 30mins with Optimus), you can always fully disable the dGPU in BIOS. The W520 probably outputs more heat, but it does have a better heatsink and fan as I understand. Plus, the dGPU is off most of the time so it doesn't really contribute to the heat.

Seeing your configuration, I'd say just go for a W520, it probably comes out to be about the same price if not cheaper.

 

recsp2010: I think from your brief, your configuration is spot-on - except you don't mention an SSD. Maybe you are going to get a third-party one later, or have one on hand? But if you worry about heat, noise, speed, whatever - think SSD.

 

Thanks for all your replies.

Here is one more question: How do you think about the following configuration? It's a downscaled version with the 6 cell battery to reduce the weight.


ThinkPad T520 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty
Processor Intel Core i5-2520M Processor (2.50GHz, 3MB L3)
Display type 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
System graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000
Total memory 4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)
Camera 720p Camera
Hard drive 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device DVD recordable multiburner
System expansion slots Express Card Slot & 4 in 1 Card Reader
Battery 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
Power cord Country Pack North America with Line cord & 65W AC adapter
Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)

antskip: Thanks. I am considering to purchase SSD later as an option (especially if I am not satisfied with 7200rpm HDD).

Alternatively, I also have been using three SSD's in my other desktops/laptops, so I could just exchange one of them with T520's when I turn out to use this machine more frequently over other machines.

 

recsp2010: I always prefer the smaller 6cell batteries - but I am seldom far from the mains.

By the way, I had a similar brief to you, but went for the quad-core i7 with the nvidia optimus gpu that is always bundled with the T520 quad - I do not know whether or not that is a better option than the dual core i7 or i5 with no optimus of your specs. I wanted the extra reserve grunt of the quad cpu and the nvidia external gpu, and hope that despite the higher TDP of the quad that the system will still run cool and quiet doing mundane things. Optimus should ensure that the intel gpu will be in use most of the time; and as i do mostly mundane computing, the quad should adjust to a low rating. Others have assured me that is the case. I will soon find out for real (smile)!

The other option I was considering was exactly your first specs - the T520 dual-core i7-2620M with no optimus gpu. Going the dual core way and no external gpu should guarantee the lowest power use, but at the expense perhaps of extra grunt in reserve (towards your "mobile workstation that's as powerful as my desktop"? - if that is what you really want, then the W520 is way to go!). The advice I have received is that the dual i7-2620M is also an extraordinary cpu (with the i5-2520M losing little in comparison). If there is little price difference, I would suggest going with the i7-2620M rather than the i5-2520M. There would definitely be no down-side in that choice, as there might or might not be with moving onto the quad plus optimus, as I have done.

 

@Antskip how much did you get the T520 for?

 

Thanks, maybe my expectation about "mobile workstation" is not that high. I was thinking that i5-2520M dual core may not be too bad if it supports hyperthreading (then it would support 4 threads concurrently).

FWI, here is my current laptop:
Model: X61 Tablet
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU L7500 @ 1.60GHz
Memory: 3.00 GB
HDD: SSD Kingston 120Gb

Here are comparisons of several CPUs (from PassMark Software - CPU Benchmark Charts)

Intel Core i7-2720QM @ 2.20GHz 7,354
Intel Core i7 920 @ 2.67GHz 5,564: my current desktop
Intel Core i7-2620M @ 2.70GHz 3,926
Intel Core i5-2520M @ 2.50GHz 3,576
Intel Core2 Duo L7500 @ 1.60GHz 911: my X61T

So, I will get ~4x CPU power even with i5-2520M, which might be good enough.

 

40% off - seems to be the norm much of the time now - including the rest of this weekend. I ordered it last Monday and today got e-mail saying it has been shipped. I have been torturing myself whether I should have gone with the quad or the dual, but will find out soon!

There is not much difference really, is there? But if there is little price difference (especially spread over time), then why not go for the slightly faster? Especially as some have more level 3 cache. As the intel gpu uses the cache as well as the 2 cpu's, I think the 33% more L3 cache of the i7-2620M over the i5-2520M is a bigger deal than a slightly faster clock speed.

 

The 6 cell battery will drop the battery life to something around 4 ~ 5hrs on average, and the weight difference is quite minimal.

 

I'd recommend that you upgrade to the i7-2820QM because that will allow you to be future proof for a while. This processor supports 64 GB of RAM (16GB of RAM per DIMM).

 

Configuring the T with a i7-2820QM doesn't appear to give the option of more than 8GB. I guess 16GB is W-series only?

Doesn't a 8 cell stick out the back?

 

No, I meant that when Samsung or some other RAM manufacturer creates the 16GB RAM sticks (not happening for a while), you could just pop it in the T520 and the processor would handle it w/ no issues.

It is a 9 cell battery (not 8), and the 9 cell comes standard w/ the W520. If the 9 cell contains ~6.5 hours w/ a Quadro 2000M (55 Watts), and the NVS 4200M is less power consumptive. Using the conditional statement, the NVS 4200M would have > 6.5 hours of battery life (w/ 9 cell battery).

 

I guess the big difference to be aware of is that only the quad W's come with 4 ram slots rather than 2.

Sorry, 8 was a bad typo! In Australia, the "standard" (default choice) for all the 520's is 6 cell, even for the W series. But it looks like for the USA the 9 cell is the default for the quad W's. Interesting point. I wondered why so many USA W520's on ebay come with the 9 cell!

 

I originally ordered a t520 because of a supposed weight differential until some here told me there was none. Withouting opening it, I returned the T520 for the W520 and I'm glad I did. The salesperson did not charge a restocking fee. What I have now is one fine machine.

Renee

 

I am curious what specifically was available in your W520 configuration that was missing in your T520 configuration? The usb3? 4 ram slots rather than 2? The specific gpu? cpu?

There is a lot of overlap between the T and W lines. Some W's are less able than some W's - but all W's come with usb3 and more powerful gpu's. Here in Australia, a similarly configured W520 to my choice of T520 (except for stronger gpu, usb3 and bigger brick) would have set me back another 35% in cost! - I am aware that the price differentials, as when gets to the upper end of the T's versus lower end W's, are not so different in the USA, so making the W more attractive. Hence USA ebay W520's have a good market in Australia (I bought my present USA-originated W500 a couple of years ago on ebay. But back then I went for the W over the T because only the W offered WUXGA. Now the FHD screens are also available on the T's. )

 

Thanks for all your replies.

I have one more question (which might be a little controversial): It seems that there are two options for me: (1) buy a cheaper one ($1200), use it for ~two years, and buy a new, better one afterwards. (2) buy a future proof one and use it over 3 years.

option 1: ~$1170+100 (3 year warranty)
ThinkPad T520 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty
Intel Core i5-2520M Processor (2.50GHz, 3MB L3)1
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 6412
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 3000
4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)8
UltraNav with TrackPoint & touchpad
500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD recordable multiburner5
9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++60
Bluetooth 3.0
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)10
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable65
4239 : 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7

option 2: ~$1600+100 (3 year warranty)
ThinkPad W520 - 1 Yr Depot Topseller Warranty
Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor (2.20GHz, 6MB L3)1
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 6412
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory
4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM)8
UltraNav with TrackPoint & touchpad plus Fingerprint reader
500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
DVD recordable multiburner5
9 cell Li-Ion Battery - 55++60
Bluetooth 3.0
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN)10
Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable65
4270 : 1 Year Depot Warranty - TopSeller7

For a user who has been accustomed to 12 inch tablet, T520 and W520 are both fairly heavy (close to 6lbs with 9 cell battery) although I like the FHD screen size, and I am not sure how much I will be willing to bring this to every meeting and trips.

My hope is that sometime in the next few years, a much better model will be out (either thinner, lighter, cheaper, etc.) in the market, so I will just need to buy another $1200 laptop which would be probably much better than current quad core ones. (I bought 2k Tablet PC 2.5 years ago, and its processing power (core 2 duo 1.6 Ghz) is not even better than most 500~700$ laptop these days.) So, I am feeling that spending $1200 (with some good deals) three times over the next six years would be better than buying two $1800 ones over the same period.

Do you have any comments or opinions about this?

Thank you.

 

The question is do you want to have the external gpu, quad core cpu and usb3 at a cost over 3 years of $140 per year?
There is no future-proofing.

 

The thing with future proofing is that there will ALWAYS be something better as time passes. I believe that you should just get a machine that will meet your requirements when you need it, and replace it when it can no longer meet all your requirements. Also, I think you can get better deals than those. I got my W520 for $1091.30 before taxes. A T520 similar to your config would've cost me about $1050 at the time. I ended up going with my W520 because I figured that a 1600x900 screen would be easier on my eyes, as well, since I'm going into computer engineering, I wanted a CUDA capable card to screw around with. I will also probably play some semi-intensive games, so I wanted a somewhat capable GPU.

 

I configured from this website (with 10% discount):
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/laptops

Is there a better way to get a deal? Also, W520 configuration with i7 quad core starts with $1,479.00 (before 10% discount), and then adding FHD, etc. easily adds up over 200~300$. Is there something I am missing here? (I live in USA.)

I think I will like the i7 quad core, but I won't need any external gpus. I also don't care too much about usb 3.0. My feeling is that the current T520/W520 lineups are quite pricey (especially adding FHD screen) compared to Dell or Sager.

If there is a lenovo model that is powerful (i7 quadcore), light (under 5 lbs), thin (under 1 inch), and has FHD (15 inch), I would be happy to pay 1700~2000$. My main problem is that I would like to travel with this laptop but they are a little too heavy and bulky, so I am not sure if I want to pay 1700 for machines that I am not too enthusiastic. (In contrast, I was very enthusiastic when I bought my X61T for $2000 2.5 years ago.) Maybe I should consider just giving up FHD and go with T420 instead.

Thanks.

 

A small difference between the W520 and the T520 is that the W520 offers a integrated color calibrator and a more powerful graphics card. But, the T520 (NVS 4200M) can support 4 displays simultaneously which the W520 can't. The Thinkpads are suppose to be bulky, as they sustain damages other laptops can't (such as a short flight in midair at 35MPH towards a wall).

 

I'm surprised if indeed the NVS 4200M can support 4 monitors while the W520 cannot, since it utilizes pretty much the same chip (non-workstation version with only half the shaders, akin to the 520M). I wouldn't call the Thinkpads bulky, maybe boxy, but they're definitely equal or lighter than their competition (Dell Latitude E6520/Precision M4600 and HP Elitebook 8560p/w). Though in terms of build quality, they're around the same as the other notebooks, and maybe slightly less.

 

I think the size and mass are fine. It's definitely comfortable for lap usage, in my opinion (much more so than a netbook). I live in Canada and got mine with a 30% discount. Try calling a rep or waiting for a better sale, I'm 100% positive that you can get a much better deal than that. I believe there are things like the Visa marketplace and Mastercard stuff which give you more discounts. I'm not too sure, though.

 

10% is sort of the default for Thinkpads, and not very good. I got 40%. You just have to look out for a few days and wait for a decent %. In Australia that seems to happen at night later in the week, or over the weekend.

If you don't want external gpu/optimus, you are confined to the T520 without quad - you can still have the excellent dual-core i7 (2620M).

I had a similar scenario to you, but with much higher W520 prices in Australia than the USA they were out of the equation (other than via ebay).

My solution was:
1) wait for discount of at least 30%
2) choose T520 with quad and optimus.

However my other option was dual i7 T520 with just the Intel - and I have no idea if that would have been better.
The quad i7-2630QM/optimus T520 is due to arrive soon, so we shall see!
Even if I am happy with my choice, I am sure I would have been no less happy with the dual i7-2620M/no optimus or dual i5-2520M/no optimus!

 

In terms of build quality, few laptops can survive this.

 

^^^ Whatever. Back up regularly!

 

For travel it becomes a hassle to use anything larger than a 14" display on most airline tray tables. Sure, a 15" or even some 17" units will "fit" but they won't leave room for anything else. I decided to go with the T420 for that reason.

That and go look at a 15" screen at 1920x1080. The pixels are damned small. At some point it gets pretty hard on the eyes when the dpi starts getting too high. I tried using a Sony at that resolution and was surprised how much harder it was to read (even with their arguably terrific looking displays). So don't try to convince yourself FHD is "necessary" until you really try using one. I was all ready to insist on it until I tried it. That said, it'll be connected to the dock and a 24" LCD at 1920x1200 when it's in the office or at home.

 

You are correct that few laptops would survive a test like that but the Dell and HP business lines are very comparable and numerous users can attest to their survival.

 

My dad has an HP business laptop that his work gave him, and I've used it a few times. I have to say, next to the ThinkPad, just about everything feels inferior on it. Though, it does have a 1680x1050 screen. I also think the ThinkPad looks better, but then again I am one of the minority that think that ThinkPads are like the best looking laptops available. I don't know, something about the boxy and traditional design of it appeals a lot to me.

 

One doesn't look at the pixels, but at artifacts made out of pixels. The more pixels that can be used to make screen artifacts, the denser/clearer/more details/"less pixilated" those artifacts will be, if properly managed by software - and the easier on the eyes! I have been using 133-147PPI screens for more than 10 years, 10+ hours a day, and never get eye strain. The iphone has 326PPI! Give me 96PPI and I will get eye strain! The future of computer and mobiles is towards higher PPI, not less (though HD Thinkpad 520 screens are going slightly the other way! - back from 147 to 141PPI)...properly managed by software.

 

Indeed. But Windows is pretty bad at it, though. I personally like screens about 120 DPI. Then again, I place monitors like 2 feet away from me.

 

In my experience and opinion, I think there is nothing future proofable when it comes to computer hardware. This is why I came to the conclusion for myself that when buying computers or any technology, always get the middle of the pack specs because the next technology that comes up will crush the highest end of today.

Basically I just keep in mind to not spend too much and just upgrade to the new model when it becomes that much faster as to trying to squeeze out 3 more years from the highest end technology that I can buy today.

But if money is no issue for you, I also say just go for the high end stuff.

 

Agree! But gradually things are improving with each new OS. And Internet Explorer 9 is the first Microsoft web browser than can manage high PPI screens adequately...the signs are there! Linux distros have managed PPI so much better for years. OSX not so well, apparently... I think the Thinkpad HD factory setting for Win-OS PPI setting is 125. I set Win-OS PPI @ 120.

 

What you're displaying is certainly affected by the PPI. True, when rendering hidef video more pixels helps decrease the appearance of pixelization artifacts. Vector graphics apps on a phone don't quite make the some comparison as office/web work on a computer screen. That and the mismatch of PPI vs software DPI (how the fonts scale and how text reflows) often make for a singularly unpleasant experience.

The good part is there's choice. My advice is make an informed decision before (pun intended) blindly going for higher PPI.

 

Actually if there is anything at all better with the "modern" 16:9 laptop screens, it's their usability on a tray table. T410 (with 16:10) has exactly the same screen height as T/W520, and either is quite usable.

As to display size, the choice IMO should be made based on the application where user must work productively when on the move. DPI / PPI settings hardly matter nowadays for any kind of applications, and 1600x900 leaves significantly less space for content than FHD. For example, it's day and night difference in applications like software development/web design tools, video editors etc.

However, all this matters only if one MUST use the laptop screen. In a "normal" environment, when there is a dedicated working space, using laptop screen does not make sense. It was different 7-10 years ago, when an average monitor was 15-17", but now compared to an external display pretty much any laptop screen is way too small (15" FHD is exactly half the size of the $250 Dell U2311H), and has significantly worse color reproduction/viewing angles.

With Thinkpads, which can connect to 2 monitors even w/o dock, and the screen hinge construction allows using the laptop body as a keyboard w/o the built-in screen getting in the way, external monitors are particularly easy to use.

So I'd rather choose between W520 and T520 based on whether quadcore CPU and lots of RAM is required (T520 is effectively limited to 8GB RAM). And, if getting highest possible performance is optional, and there is no need to work as productively as possible while away from the desk, I'd get a T420s or even X220 / X220 tablet + dock. Smaller, lighter, tablet is more fun too.

 

Clearly you've not put up with font scaling and text reflow issues when trying to use larger font scaling on a small high-res screen. It's less than pleasant in most applications on Windows.

It's a bit ridiculous to say "and there is no need to work as productively as possible while away from the desk". It's all a matter of what your work productivity actively requires. There are certainly going to be some folks running apps that will actively utilize a quad core process. I'd argue, however, those are the minority when considering the typical mobile worker. There not much a quad core processor is going to do that'll speed up running office apps or web browsing. There's certainly enough of a difference in the prices to make it a questionable purchase. Add the decreased battery life and it really starts to look lame.

Yes, there are certainly reasons to consider the W520 vs the T520, just not ones that would valid for a great many users.

 

Well, I meant that there are hardly any applications that do require having precisely 96ppi on the screen, or else.

As font scaling issues, it really depends on whether the application was actually tested with non-default font sizes. Windows itself, Office and many other apps do work fine most of the time. Many third-party "quick-hack-and-done" apps, mixing together absolute pixel sizes and relative font-size related sizes, start to have issues.

Which is why I use the standard font size on FHD. Sure, it's small font in some dialogs (fonts and sizes of menus, documents, web-pages are configurable w/o changing screen DPI, and Fn+Space works too). But it's just a bit smaller than on 1600x900, yet provides noticeably more working space when mobile. And either font size is ridiculously tiny compared to an external monitor.

I'm not suggesting getting a quadcore for everyone. Just that if the best mobile performance is required, W520 has slightly better video and more RAM slots for the same money, or less, than a quad-core configured T520.

All I was saying is that screen resolution does have effect on productivity in many applications. With FHD can see a lot more of the document being worked on without fighting the system, hiding panels, taskbars, ribbons, excessively scrolling etc. If highest possible productivity is needed when mobile, FHD screen is important.

If neither quadcore nor highest possible screen resolution when mobile are required, T420(s) and X series should be considered. Just as fast, same keyboard, smaller and lighter when it matters, and connects to external screens just as well (even X220 got 2 outputs on the laptop body) when behind the desk.

 

Oh, I'm not arguing that more pixels isn't better. I'd sooner go back to pen and paper than give up having a 24" 1920x1200 (or better) desktop. My point was cramming that many pixels into a 15" screen isn't as great as some might think. Especially if you're going to be looking at a lot of text where the accuracy of the content is critical (as in, authoring documents, content or code, not just surfing web pages). It's just a lot harder on the eyes.

All of the other reasons to consider a W520 vs the T520 are spot-on. If they made a W420 I'd have been all over it.

 

I guess that is where I disagree with you. I find high PPI screens just wonderful for reading and writing text, etc (e.g.Microsoft Word). Its low res screens that give me eye strain (e.g. compared to a 15.4" WUXGA, a 24" WUXGA is decidedly low res!). Their weak point to me is mostly to do with the reading of web pages that are not designed for such screens. Anyway,we all have a choice....

 

"In my experience and opinion, I think there is nothing future proofable when it comes to computer hardware. This is why I came to the conclusion for myself that when buying computers or any technology, always get the middle of the pack specs because the next technology that comes up will crush the highest end of today."

I agree on future proofing as I've made the same point here. But I have a top-of-the-line T61 and nothing has crushed ut.

Renee

 

Agreed, Renee. Although I'm shopping for a replacement for my three-year-old T61, I wonder whether all these new computer purchasers would be better served simply by dropping an SSD into their two year old computers. I'd like to see a test of which is faster: a T500 with a Vertex 3, or a new T520 with a 7200 rpm HDD. [Gamers have a different formula]

I suspect a lot of new computer purchases are irrational. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting a new shiny object.

 

There's nothing wrong with my T61p. A SSD breathes new life into it even though it can't take full advantage.

There is however a big difference in performance between the T7500 in it and the i7 quad in my W520. So it isn't just the shiny stuff on the outside.

 

Just thought I'd chime in on the subject. I have found via research that the w520 is pretty well recommended when compared to the t520. I am personally going that route too. However, I want to wait it out/figure out how to get some of the discounts others on the forums have seen. Best I've seen is 10% lately, but even in this thread we've heard talk to 30-40%. Thats amazing! I pm'd one of you just to not clutter up the thread, but antskip, how did you manage to do it (if I could pm you I would ).

 

There are always discounts - they just ebb and flow. Some minimal (10%), some much better (30-40%). With patience and watchfulness, a good % will happen. Higher % more likely with higher prices...The discounts seem to vary in annual cycles, monthly cycles, weekly cycles, and even during a 24 hour period. In my case i found end of financial year (June), evenings and weekends good.

Just watch the specials come and go! Like watching the tides at a beach.... I missed out on a good one, and was very upset. But it taught me the price I was prepared to pay - and what I was not prepared to pay. I figured Lenovo knows that sort of thinking amongst their potential customers too! If they are willing to sell at a certain price one day, I figured they they would do so again, not before too long. And that would be my day to buy. One just has to watch and wait (if one can).

I have stopped watching, as it can be bad for the health (there are always better discounts after one buys! )

flyinonice4 - sorry - I have enabled pm now.

 

I guess what I am asking is where are you checking? Just the lenovo main website or the tons of coupon code places online (if the tons online, where specifically did you end up going?) You ended up getting it done right, so you would be the person to ask. For instance, I've been checking since the beginning of this month for deals and have yet to find anything better than 10%.

 

I am in Australia, and found the "latenight" deal I finally used referred to on the whirlpool notebook forum - http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/130.