W700 in Canada. Is this price a good deal?

There's a 25% coupon ending August 3rd in Canada.

Here's an exemple on a W700 config:

1
2757CTO ThinkPad W700 - 1 Yr Depot Warranty
Ships within 11 bus. days**
$5,059.00
$4,283.00

$5,059.00
$4,283.00


Processor1 Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9900 (3.06GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2)
Operating system12 Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate 64
Operating system Language Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate 64 - English
Recovery DVD Genuine Windows XP Recovery CD English NA
Display type 17" WUXGA TFT
System graphics NVIDIA FX3700 1GB
Total memory8 4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 DIMM)
Keyboard Language US English Keyboard
Fingerprint Integrated fingerprint reader
Pointing device Ultranav + Fingerprint Reader + Pantone Color Sensor + WACOM Digitizer
Camera Integrated Camera Module
Primary Hard Drive4 250GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Second Hard Drive 250GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
Intel Turbo Memory hard drive cache Intel Turbo Memory 1.6, 2GB
Optical device5 DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Enhanced
System expansion slots Exp Card & Exp Card Slots
Bluetooth Integrated Bluetooth PAN
WiFi wireless LAN adapters Intel WiFi Link 5300
Modem Yes - AMoM
Battery60 W700 9 cell Li-Ion Battery
AC Adapter, Power Code 170W AC Adapter; NA, LA, (2pin)
Publication Language English US Publication

41C9709 ThinkPlus 3 Year Onsite 9x5 Next Business Day Warranty and Maintenance Option
$299.00
$254.15

$299.00
$254.15

Subtotal: $5,358.00
Sale Price: $4,537.15
[CAPLONGWEEKEND] -$1,070.75
Estimated total: $3,466.40*
Savings $1,891.60


I'm will use the Laptop for Multimedia/Photo/Business purposes. Right now I have an old Dell XPE M1710.

Other possibilities are the XPS studio 16 or M6400 or HP HDX18t.

Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!

Oliver

 

W700 heat dissipation / cooling is much better than the Dells, especially the awful Studio 16. I would stay with the W700.

 

Oliver, Hi. Yes, that's pretty good, especially because you got the 3700M w/ 1GB of dedicated VRAM, and a RAID configuration. I also used a 25% coupon. Does your purchase include Canada's VAT?

antskip is right about the cooling aspect. The W700 has two powerful, yet quiet fans on opposite sides. You can always get a cooling pad, or a fan device that cools it from the bottom. This has been highly effective on my (always) hot T60p.

Hey, did you get your SSD (the one in your sig., the W500) from Lenovo?

Congrats!

 

That's pretty expensive IMO. You can easily upgrade your memory and HDD yourself. Turbo memory is pretty useless since you have sufficient memory. You'd be better off with a smaller SSD like the Gen 2 Intel 80GB and a 500GB 5400RPM drive.

The Dell Precision M6400 and HP Elitebook 8730w are comparable in terms of build quality and features with the Lenovo W700. But usually Canada is pretty expensive in general for notebooks.

 

I was going to add that as well, but I figured coldcase wanted the RAID configuration. You CAN do the RAID yourself if you know what you're doing.

 

Lenovo only uses Samsung SSD I believe, not OCZ's, so antskip must have gotten it after market. It does use a Samsung controller though, so there's almost no difference between his SSD and Lenovo stock SSD.

 

Yes. Laptops are more expensive here in Canada than in the US. I might be able to get a US one shipped to me. Getting tired of being screwed by manufacturers when they sell cheaper just south of the border.

The HP8730w is pretty expensive also....and use DDR2...not really cutting edge for the money. I can get a loaded HP HDX for $2300. Might go that way because all "business workstation" are $3000 + which I'm able to pay but if I can save some money getting a "gaming/multimedia" laptop than I sure won't mind paying less. I've been using a XPS M1710 for the last 3 years and it has served me well.

 

What are you using the notebook for? Any particular applications? The notebooks you've listed are for totally different purposes. Workstations use the more expensive GPUs for CAD/OpenGL and stuff like that. If you are gaming, you should consider a gaming notebook and not a workstation.

Also, IMO DDR2 is still better than DDR3 for workstations. No current notebook can utilize DDR3's extra bandwidth, so it's just wasted potential. For workstation purposes, a lot of work programs can utilize 8GB of memory, which DDR2 is far cheaper and will continue to be cheaper than DDR3 for the next year easily. The HP HDX has poor build quality compared to any business notebook. The Lenovo, Dell Precision, and HP EliteBook are all pretty much equal in terms of build quality and features from my experiences.

 

I use my Laptop mainly for my multimedia business and pro photography using Photoshop, Flash etc..I don't do CAD. I do so gaming once in a blue moon. Nothing a good workstation or gaming laptop won't be able to handle.

So I need a good video card and a powerful processor. 17" + since I'm not a super mobile user and have the space to use a big laptop.

DDR2 may be cheaper than DDR3 but there's no way I'm paying +3000$ for a laptop with DDR2 when it is on it's way out. Anyway the best offerings on the market right now have switched to DDR3 anyway.

Tomorrow I'll call Dell and see what they can do on a M6400 and make my decision from there.

 

W700 weight 10+lbs, omg .like a tank.

DDR2 800 and DDR3 1066 are not significant different in performance (<5%)

Dell use ddr2 can reduce the cost of machine.

 

Got the wonderful OCZ Summit from a third party. I chose the Samsung controller as a conservative option, and OCZ for a reasonable price (3X a good HDD). I would rather an Intel, but at the time of purchase (2 months ago) they were not a reasonable price. They are now. As for W500: it is also wonderful. With a SSD and running the integrated gu, it is totally silent. If the W700 came with switchable gpu's, I would have gone with the W700. A W700 with two SSD's in RAID would be pretty good!

 

A tank yes compared to a 13" laptop but like I said in my first post, this is a desktop replacement. Meaning it will be on my desk 90% of the time. The remaining 10% will be when I take it in my car on the weekend so portability is not a priority at all....I'm not a student roaming the city with my laptop on my back all day. The current XPS M1710 that I have is 9 pounds so not light either.

 

Get out. Really?? DDR3 sure makes things more expensive still. 4GB sticks are $500.

 

Everyone is talking about the Intel SSD's as being the best, and supposedly Intel MLC's outperform other manufacturers' SLC ones. Are the Intel ones considered better than Samsung SSD's as well?

Thanks!

 

Yeah businesses can save a lot by sticking with the same type of memory that they currently use/order (DDR2). Most consumers don't need that much anyways. Cheapest retail price for 1x4GB DDR2-800 can go for $150, while 1x4GB DDR3-1067 is around $300. While 1x2GB DDR2-800 can be $20 or less, while 1x2GB DDR2-1067 is around $30.

Depends how you define best. Overall performance, Intel can't be touched, especially due to it's super fast random R/W. Samsung is still slightly better in terms of power consumption and price per GB. Performance wise, while MLC can be better at some tasks, SLC is usually reserved for enterprise SSDs where high performance while maintaining reliability is key and hence why I still believe those SLC drives are a lot better than the Intel MLC drive.

 

I get 85-95Mbps read speeds with my Samsung.Intel''s supposedly gets upward of 160Mbps...all read speeds...

 

You must have a gen 1 drive. The gen 2 drives are a bit faster, though sequential speeds are doubled (not that big of a factor though unless you transfer a lot of files).

 

Some nice info:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/ocz-vertex-120-gb-ssd-review/1

http://www.techspot.com/review/160-solid-state-drive-roundup/

 

Most users may notice little difference amongst a wide range of current SSD choices, especially as compared to significant differences in size and price -and even more so compared to moving from any HDD to one of the SSD's. The older Intels were ridiculously expensive, though excellent performers. The new Intels are also brilliant performers, and much more competitive in price, but restricted to 80GB and 160GB sizes. However, other makes and models are also excellent, and come in 120GB and 250GB, etc. I have never regretted getting a Samsung-driven OCZ Summit with 120GB storage and 120MB cache. In fact I have been stunned by the difference compared to the best available 7200rpm HDD. I now have a completely silent machine and almost instantaneous operations. Would I be stunned also, if I had swapped an HDD with an Intel SSD of the same price and the same price? Yes! - I am sure I would have. More stunned? Not so sure.

 

coldcase/amtskip: That was a great read. Thanks for the links!

Well, I actually had the original X25-M right when it came out, but it corrupted files after only 3 weeks usage, so I sold it for the same price that I bought it for, as the drive wasn't bad, and I wasn't that amazed at its performance. This could have been a case of too high a expectations . That was Gen 1 then, I assume. When did the X25-M Gen 2 hit the market?

I also have a 1.8" 80GB one from Intel, which I just got in July. I'm still waiting for my second 1.8" --> 2.5" converter cable comes. I'm using the 128GB (also 1.8") for now, and this baby does perform basically two and a half times faster than one of my 5400rpm drives, and it is about twice as fast at reading from a 7200.

Being that I got it in July, does that mean I have Gen 2?? When did Gen 2 come out?? If that bad boy is as good as everyone (seems) to claim it is, I'll test it out tooooo-day!

This would be the X18-M then, I take it? Any difference in performance between it and its bigger brother, the 25-M? I never read about the X18-M, except in footnotes.

Thanks again! Oh, and I'd be glad to write a report with plenty of benchies for everyone. Take care.

 

The Gen 2 x-25 only came out about a month ago and there are plenty of Gen 1 models still in the channel. Additionally, I don't believe the Gen 2 1.8" models have been released yet. As far as I know the 1.8" and 2.5" Models will perform identically if from the same generation.

 

The G2s aren't out yet. They were supposed to come out about a month ago, but there was a problem with the firmware and setting passwords, so they held off. It's now been fixed, and they should be coming out Real Soon Now (tm).
http://www.thinkpads.com/2009/07/27/new-intel-34nm-ssd-manufacturing-on-hold-pending-firmware-fix/
http://www.thinkpads.com/2009/08/11/firmware-fix-for-corruptable-intel-ssds-now-available/

 

Ok, thanks guys. Alright, so what will be the difference for Gen 2 anyway? Just because I had a problem with the 2.5" model I bought for $550 in the same month it was released doesn't mean it's a bad drive. I sold it for 500 Euros the following week.

In fact, I keep reading reviews as to how much faster it is than SLC's from other manufacturers. How is it so much better? Here are two benchmarks I ran using HD Tune and Crystal Disk Mark, for the 128GB Samsung MLC:

 

I know Intel has said the G2 will get a firmware update for TRIM support once it comes out in Windows 7. I'm not sure if the G1 (or other drives) will support this.

In my mind, there are also other differences between drives besides pure read/write speeds. In particular with SSDs, good caching/wear-leveling is key, but most important (IMHO) is the perfomance on a *used* drive, over a brand new one. It's been reported in a number of places that some drives appear to become slower over time. An interesting article for you:
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3531&p=1