t500 screen options

Seeing how there is a nice discount as of late, I want to get a T500. I went and checked out a friends T400 and the resolution on it was perfect, and I really like the LED backlight. However, the only option for the T500 is the 1280x800 which i might think is too small(however, I am now using a 1024x768 on a 12in ibook) or the 1650x1080(i think) which lacks LED backlight. While the review said that the higher resolution screen are not as bright as the LED backlight, the data sheet both stated that both are 200nit. So shouldnt this mean that both are equally as bright? Also, I was wondering if someone can take a pic of a15in 1280x800 and of a 15in 1650x1080 for comparison.

on a off note, is the P8600 worth the $50. The laptop is going to last me through college, so something a bit future proof is nice. While we are at is, is the TXXXX's 6mb cache a worthy investment?

Thanks!

 

If they are both 200 nit, then they are supposed to be equally bright.

Also, is the p8600 worth $50 over what other processor?

What are you going to be using the computer for?

 

Although on paper it is suppose to be equally bright, it maybe not be in real life.

I was thinking about the P8600 or the standard P8400. I am using the computer for occasional games(TF2, L4D, WC3, and maybe some others) and school stuff.

Reason for going with the T500 is that the graphic card is better, so that it is more future proof than the T400, and the extra dimension and weight wont bother me that much hopefully, and as of now, there isnt a LED screen.

 

If you want to really get into the nitty gritty about the processors, check out this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=347907

If you want to know more about the L2 cache, check out this thread:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cache-size-matter,1709.html

 

Thanks for the info. Guess I will stick with the P8400 since the jump of GHz isnt that much. But what about the screen? Can anyone share some insight?

 

Here's a comparison that helped me out with the LED screens.

Example: Two rooms, both equally bright. One is using white light or fluorescent lights while the other uses yellow bulbs. Use enough yellow bubs and you'll be as bright as the room with the white light, but, to most people, the room with the white light will still seem brighter. You might as well consider the LED as the white light.

I personally feel like anything less than 1280 x 1024 isn't enough for me. The 1680 x 1050 on my W500 isn't extremely bright but the resolution is great. I'll see if I can post a pic of it here soon.

 

Oddly enought, according to the Tabook, the WXGA LED screen on the T500 is only 190 nits. Conversely, the WXGA & WSXGA+ CCFL screens are 200 nits. In addition, the WSXGA+ screen has a higher contrast ratio (500:1 vs 300:1).

As a result, I would recommend the WSXGA+ CCFL screen unless you feel that the resolution would be too high. Also note that the LED version will use slightly less power.

Regarding the processor. The difference between the P8400 and P8600 is small, but it may be worth it. However, I would not suggest the T9400 as the performance gain is small, price increase tends to be large, and the T9400 has a higher TDP (runs hotter, uses more power) than the P8600.

You should also look at preconfigured models (look up configs in the Tabook) as you can sometimes get a better deal vs. speccing a model out from Lenovo.