considering the T61p

Hey guys
I am going to school for architecture this fall and need a laptop!
Well I've never had a laptop, so I've been talking with some people here about what I should get, and I'm considering the T61p. $1600 is on the expensive side, but I need something to last for about 6 years. Better to put the money in now than to replace the machine later I think.

So I was thinking:
C2D T9300 (2.5 ghz, 800mhz, 6mb)
XP pro
15.4in WSXGA+
Quadro FX 570m (256)
3gb ram
100gb, 7200rmp HDD
~$1,600

Is this a good setup for a architecture laptop (CAD, 3D modeling, games?)
My only concern is that people seem to HATE the screens on these things. Is it because they ordered a 1920x1200 and couldnt read it? Is the screen that bad?
Thanks alot.

 

no,screen is pretty good and its a great laptop for you,Quadro FX is really great for CAD/3d modeling/games!

 

awesome. I am really excited to get a first laptop. Gotta put in some extra hours to save up for it!

 

Screen is good enough for your purpose.

I would go for a bigger hard drive and settle for 1slot 1GB ram. It is much cheaper to buy rams elsewhere. You can also use the paypal coupon to get an extra 10% off.

 

I think expecting the laptop to last 6 years is not realistic. I am not saying that it won't, as I have read many people having them working for that long or longer. But even Lenovo doesn't sell warranties for more than 5 years.

 

I sincerely doubt you need that graphics card unless you're doing some serious 3-D rendering.

I'm a structural engineer so take this with a grain of salt, but I really doubt you'd be doing anything beyond isometric drawing, if that.

Unless you're planning on gaming, I would say you'd be safe with the integrated graphics which is very capable for most 3-D design rendering.

My understanding is architects need massive screen real estate, so I would save the money from the p-series graphics cards and buy a monitor that can push some serious pixels.

 

I disagree, working with 3D drawings can take a toll on integrated graphics cards. In my office, the desktop struggles with 3D AutoCAD drawings (with integrated graphics card) while my T61p waltzes right through them. Given that it's his main stay of the laptop, its not worthwhile taking any chances.

 

Yeah.. Even if you don't play very recent games, having a discrete graphics card will help a lot in your normal applications and video watching. Always go for discrete.

That's the exact setup that I'm going to buy, except that I'm getting 2Gb RAM and 160Gb @ 7200 HD.

 

Configure it with the lowest possible amount of RAM, as upgrading is always a hell of alot cheaper.
U and zephyrus should also consider taking a 320GB 5400rpm drive, as because of the higher data density, its as fast as a small 7200rpm drive, its cheaper and uses less power.

 

That's very interesting. How does having higher data density increase the speed? I'll pick that up instead, then. Thanks!

Just to add, I can buy any 2.5" HD and slot it in the T61p bay, right? How's Western Digital's 320Gb @ 5400 compared to other 320Gb @ 5400s?

 

Hey thanks for the replies.
The two main laptops I've been considering for school next year are this T61p and a Dell Inspiron 1720. The dell has a 17" screen and a geforce card, whereas the lenovo has the 15" and supposedly lousy screen. However it has a workstation card, can be configured with XP, has a better CPU for the same price and is physically tougher. Lets just say I need the strongest laptop I can get because I can't afford a several hundred dollar extended warranty.
Also I have talked with some architecture students and they highly suggest an XP system and quadro card (if not for school, then for when I start working). Also I want to be able to play some games and they can both handle this.

ALSO - thanks alot for the advice about the ram. I can see that I'll save about $60 by setting it up with a 1 gb stick then buying a 2gb stick on newegg for the other slot.

 

It's not a lousy screen. You should not rely on other people's opinions, they are so colored by their personalities. Judge for yourself via direct experience with the screen.

 

About the harddrive: Imagine having a relay race, once with slow runners, but with 1 for every meter of way. Thatd be the 5400rpm.
Now imagine it being just 1 runner for every 100 meters. Although they are faster, theyre slower in the long run.
Check here for detailed statistics: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/hard-disks/average-read-transfer-performance,675.html

Im gonna put a Samsung 320GB drive into mine.

 

Imagine you have a pineapple ham pizza, now how much more ham will you eat if you put twice the amount of ham on that pizza and still eat the same number of pieces per minute?

 

I'd still recommend the T61p. For one, Inspirons are heavy cheap plastic bricks, and don't last very long. I know that, because I have a 1501.

For two, if you buy a laptop with a 17" screen, it means you won't be able to bring the laptop around much, and since it's a Inspiron, it'll weight around 5-6kg?(Not sure how much that is in lbs.) That means portability is naught.
If you have a smaller 15", you still get decent screen size, but still have the option to carry it around.

For three, it's a minor point, but having too big a screen while sitting too close is bad. Your normal vision can't cover the 4 corners, and your eyeballs/head has to keep moving around all the time to cover the corners. If you know what I mean.

As for the screen, I've used a few Thinkpad T4x series laptops, and the screens were decent. Sure, not as bright and vibrant as say, a Vaio's, but, they do the job. If you can, go see one for yourself in a local laptop shop or something, and see if the screen is a make/break. Don't listen to the villagers. It's a personal thing.

Now, those analogies are just... Well, let's just say only NBR people can come up with such awesome examples. (There was a thread in the Linux forum, and people were comparing Linux and Windows to shovels.)

But I get it, thanks. Oh, LinXitoW, why a Samsung one?

 

This is the best thing I have read this week.

zephyrus17: thanks for the long reply - you've helped me make my decision. I was leaning towards the lenovo but you've confirmed some things. The screen quality is not, in fact, make or break for me. The only reason I was concerned was that the T61p screens are discussed often here in the Lenovo forum. However in all the reviews I have read they don't have issues with it, except outdoors, so that's fine with me.

 

Since you need the laptop in fall, why dont you wait a little bit longer to summer? it's pretty sure there are new models (probably more powerful, more battery life etc)...and your budget of $1600 should give you a very good laptop (although thinkpad prices are really attractive now...)

 

Yea, but this says nothing about the pineapple. I'll be chowing along on some ham, and have to stop to wait for the pineapple to finish loading...and the cheese....let us not forget the cheese!

 

When do the new models usually appear on the site? The thing is, I need to have it delivered and in my hands before mid-September, so I don't want to wait so long that it won't arrive on time - however it would be nice to get the latest model available considering I want it to last so long.

edit:
Also - there were some great coupons in the sticky in this forum, but they've expired as of today. Can I expect new coupons to be available later this year?

 

My dear friend, new models come out all the time. You'll never be content with what you're buying if you keep thinking "the newer model will be better". Trust me, Thinkpads are built to last. I had a T42, now in my brother's hands, and it's still working brilliantly.

Plus, the new thinkpads coming out soon will cost a bomb. Sure, you get better battery life, but is it worth it? To me, no. Save the money, and buy something else - like a hawaiian pizza. That's what I'd do.

 

You're right. Best to get it while it's cheap!
Thanks

 

No problem.