ThinkPad T430 or T530?

I'm having a hard time deciding between the two - I can't CTO and the hardware offered is basically identical down to the 1600 x 900 screen resolution - the only difference is that the T530 has an i5 3320M whereas the T430 has an i5 3210M.

Also, I'm moving from a desktop to a laptop so I already have all sorts of peripherals including an external monitor.

 

I'd say it's all down to portability, if both laptops have the HD+ screen. If you need the portability that a 14" laptop provides, then go for the T430. If not, go for the T530 and have the additional benefit that its HD+ screen is of better quality.

 

You could choose i5-3320M for both notebooks and the only difference would be the physical size of the screen.

Will the new ThinkPad be mostly mobile or desktop-bound? Will you prefer the larger screen? These are basic questions that may help you decide. From my experience, the T530 HD+ screen has relatively better quality than the T430 HD+ screen (or, to be precise, any of the 3 HD+ screens that Lenovo sources for the T430).

 

Additional portability is always nice, but I have to wonder whether I actually need it or if I'm simply being greedy.

It'll be moving from one part of the building to another every time I have a meeting and need to present something (which I'll probably have to do one or more times a day in my new role), but the laptop would only leave the office once in a blue moon.

This is really hard to say without experiencing each laptop for a week or two. Unfortunately I can't just order one and then return it if it turns out that the other model would suit my needs better

 

The T530 can be carried around easily. I commute a few times a week with a T520 in my bag. If you work on the notebook directly (as oppose to connecting it to, say, a 24" LCD monitor), I'd suggest the 15.6" screen as it can be easier on your eyes. Also, as you can expect, the T530 palmrest is wider.

(I chose the T520 because i wanted both the 15.6" physical size and the 1920x1080 FHD pixel resolution.)

 

It comes with the docking station, so I probably will be connecting it to my 24" monitor whenever I'm at my desk.

 

Using the T420 for a while which is similar to the T430 I do kind of regret not going for the 15.6" notebooks as the OEM displays on the 14" are quite poor for the work I do, but given that you have an external monitor and a dock then it shouldn't be much of a problem for you in this aspect.

The newer ThinkPads are a lot lighter than what they were about 2-3 years ago so I don't think you should have too much trouble carrying the T530 around from one room to the next, I used to do that with my 15.4" R61 without much trouble and that was a tank to carry around all day (it definitely showed when it survived a car crash)!

 

Get the T430, then. You obviously don't need the larger screen of the T530. Plus, the T430 is smaller and lighter.

To push the idea a bit further, heck, I'd get an X230.

 

Aside from display quality issues, they're both basically the same notebook. Portability isn't severely affected by the additional screen area; I carry my W520 around a hilly campus all day and have no problems with this (in a basic bookbag or message bag). Another thing to consider (if you have the extra cash for it or have really good haggling skills), you could get the 1080p display in the T530, something I'd definitely recommend if you can get it.

 

How big is the difference in display quality between the T430's 900p screen and the T530's 900p screen? I hear a lot about the 1080p screen in the T530, but not much about the 900p screen.

I had the opportunity to try an X220. It was uncomfortable even for basic tasks like taking meeting minutes - the Ribbon interface and the Windows taskbar take up so many of the 768 horizontal lines.

I'm not paying for the laptop, so I have no say in what it comes with at all. There's some kind of process for special requests, but I don't want to stick out as being "special" in a bad way because that process involves getting approvals from several levels of management, and those managers are going to be asking uncomfortable questions. It's just not worth it

 

Comparing my 1080p display to a W530 review unit's 900p display, the color quality in the 900p isn't as good as the 1080p (being 95% NTSC color gamut and all), but it's still very good compared to your typical laptop. As for the T430, some people complain about the "screen door effect", though I haven't seen one up close in meatspace so I can't tell you my personal experience with it.

 

It seems that Lenovo has already had 3 different 1600x900 screens on their T430 notebook. To no big surprise, they are not all the same quality-wise.

FWIW I expect to get my new Lenovo ThinkPad T430 by Mon./Tues. next week.

So I've been searching and reading the long T430 owners thread in this Lenovo forum. Just info that I came across while reading. Hope I at least got the essence right!

 

I thought you would be using a 24" monitor with the desk-bound notebook. Anyhow, the T430 HD+ should be good for you.

 

The 15.6" T530 has gained my interest now that I've cancelled my T430 order. (Due to it being limited to only having a max 7mm thick drive in the main bay.)

I took a long look at the T430u (and lead_org's excellent review of it) since it permits a 9.5mm drive in the main bay (surprise for an ultrabook). But the killer for me is the 1366x768 screen limit. Whereas I want at least 1600x900, which the T430 has as an option but the T430u does not.

So I see that the 15.6" T530 now has the option of a 1920x1080 screen (for an extra $250 over the standard 1366x768), which is worth it to me.

Do you think the T530 would be OK with a mid-level i5 (with HD4000) for heat and noise?

 

The T530 should remain cool and the noise level should fairly low for the i5 and HD 4000. Good choice. I prefer the T530 over the T430, especially the screen.

 

T530 with i5-3320M, HD 4000, 8GB RAM and FHD screen is a nice config that runs cool and quiet.

 

The T530 case is the same as the W530, right? Why pick the T over the W? Price?

 

That depends on the country the person is buying the laptop from. In Australia the W530 with dual core i5 is cheaper than the T series of same CPU class.

But some people may just want the integrated gpu and the smaller 65 watts adapter as opposed to the 135 watts of the W530 with dual core i5.

 

If you need a "moderate" 15.6" FHD ThinkPad with i5, integrated graphics, max 2x8GB RAM, 6-cell battery and smaller power adapter, T530 is likely the answer.

 

That just seems wrong on so many levels.

 

With that kind of cryptic wisecracks, you seem aspired for "ultimate moderator."

Failing that, try selling fortune cookies.

 

Hey Thors, this is what?

Some kind of inside joke?

To my mind the one other question is how is the T530 for maintenance?

I mean I'm a software guy who likes to tinker.

But for that you really have to be careful what you pick when it comes to notebook computers. And ultrabook coputers require even more care with regard to after market parts that you buy yourself.

 

I already have a W510 and will likely order a W530 or W540 next. It's my work supplied portable workstation and it handles pretty heavy duty. So IF I am going to consider that chassis, I am going to load it up. That means quad core, 32GB of RAM, at least two storage devices, etc. There's no way I'd ever buy that chassis with a dual core and limit it to 16GB of RAM.

I understand why people do, I'm just not going to.

Giving me mod control would be a bad idea !!!

I would go on a ban rampage immediately.

 

You cannot project your personal needs and preferences onto "right" and "wrong."

"Loading up" is not the only way to justify anything. A user may prefer the 15.6" FHD screen and have absolutely no need for a quad-core or the feeble NVIDIA card, and by not "loading up" that chassis, that user's choice is suddenly "wrong on so many levels"?

Your 32GB is wrong.

Without the proper context, things sound irrational, if not plain stupid. Sorry, I'm not of the age to play the "mine is bigger than yours" game.

 

I use the 32GB for the virtual machines I need to run. I use the quad core for encoding video. Trust me, I would load it heavier if it was possible because I can actually use every bit of the resources available on a pretty regular basis. For those reasons, the W530 is a better fit for me.

 

Right or wrong? To whom? By which criteria?

 

Linux running virtual machines is about the only real reason to have 32GB of memory on a notebook computer.

Without actually checking, I assume you can load up a W530 notebook with 32GB of memory?

How many memory slots on the W530?

If only 2 slots, that must be 2 very expensive sticks of memory, given they'd be 16GB each.

I'm pretty sure the T530 can run 16GB of memory (2 sticks of 8GB each).

Can the T530 run 32GB of memory?

 

If you ordered quad-core, there would be 4 RAM slots. 4 x 8GB = 32GB. No right, no wrong.

The T530 is wrong so many levels.

 

OK.

LOL!

Too funny.

But not sure if that's a yes or a no.

But doesn't matter to me as at most I'd only want to run 16GB of memory.

Not even sure I'd want to run anything more than 8GB as it only puts a bigger energy suck on the puny battery, even one of the 9 cell batteries.

 

Not giving a direct answer is part of myth building.

 

According to intel specs the dual core ivy bridge can support a maxmium of 32 gigs when the 16 gigs modules come out.

While dual core w530 hqve 4 ram slots, with 2 of the slots filled with dummy cards. Basically the dual core and quad core w530 share the same mb, unlike the previous w520 machines.