Trying to decide on specs and upgrades on a T61p

Hey guys.

I recently ordered a T61p. With the sales going, I got an excellent deal. However, now that my unit has shipped I've had second thoughts about the specs I got, and am trying to decide if it is worth upgrading.

The three parts I am deciding on are the CPU, hard drive, and wireless card. The laptop I have already ordered has:

* T8100 processor (2.1GHz 800MHz 3MBL2)
* 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
* Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG

I was looking at prices and for about $150 more, I could upgrade to:

* T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2)
* 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
* Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (supporting Centrino Pro)

Obviously that is a faster CPU with double the cache, more hard drive space, and maybe most importantly, support for 802.11n. I ask you, is it worth it? I figure if I'm spending the money I would like to get the most bang for the buck. If I hadn't already ordered the other laptop I would do it anyway, but if I change my mind now I have to send the other laptop back. I don't know if I want to do that because that means Lenovo or someone else is going to end up with an old albeit unused computer. Plus it is a hassle for me.

I am currently thinking that I will keep the computer I have ordered IF it is easy to upgrade all of these components later. Down the line I should be able to get a better CPU and hard drive for cheaper, and I don't even really need 802.11n right now. But that all depends on if upgrading is easy. Does Lenovo make it easy to access these components and does it void the warranty if you open the laptop up? Also I've hard conflicting reports on whether the third antenna is already in the laptop if I upgrade to an 802.11n card later. Does anyone know?

I apologize for the long post, just going through the thought process here. To sum it all up, should I keep what I have and upgrade later or send the unopened box back when I receive it and upgrade the specs on a new order?

Thanks for your time. Oh and for the record: no matter what I get I am amazed at how good of a computer I am getting for the money. The equivalent Macbook Pro would cost me an extra $500 as would notebooks from several other manufacturers which from the sounds of it don't have nearly as high quality. I am surprised more people (especially gamers) aren't jumping on such a powerful computer for such a low price.

 

I think you made the right decision. I wouldn't bother upgrading. You won't notice the performance increase with the CPU. The only benefit with the hard drive would be that you would have more storage space, but 100GB is pretty big. Unless you have a wireless n router I wouldn't worry about upgrading. The CPU and the hard drive are easy to upgrade yourself (hard drive being the easiest and CPU a little harder). This will void your warranty though if you install the CPU. I honestly wouldn't bother though. You will use this laptop for 4-5 years at most and by then the technology will be completely different. Save your money.
Tim

 

Mind explaining?

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

Hoping to get a few more opinions while the 25% sale is still ongoing.

Oh, and will having a lesser processor actually help battery life?