Thoughts on this $750 Lenovo Configuration

[QueHuong]

I'm helping my sister pick out a laptop for grad school next fall; she'll mainly use Office, watch movies, listen to music, and surf online. I would like to have a reliable system that will last her for the next few years, in terms of hardware durability and in running the latest software efficiently.

I'm using my friend's employee discounts for Lenovo laptops and the total comes to $750 w/ free shipping. Is this a good deal? There's no rush to buy a laptop so we can always wait for a good deal until sept 2013. But she's been using a netbook at home so it's a little painful. Thoughts appreciated.

ThinkPad T430s
• Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
• 14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
• NVIDIA N13M-NS Optimus Graphics 1GB, Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, 2.50 GHz)
• 4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
• UltraNav multi-touch touchpad & TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader
• 500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• DVD Recordable
• 6 Cell Lithium Battery T81+
• Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN
• Mobile Broadband upgradable
• 1 Year Depot/Express Warranty

[fatpolomanjr]

That looks like a great deal. But if you are going to wait until September for a deal, Haswell might be out; to avoid the headache of possible delays on a new product (as with the X1 Carbon), it might be better to get the previous, more readily available, T430s generation of thinkpad.

General advice: "If you can wait, wait. Otherwise buy what you need now with the money you have."

Also consider getting an extended warranty if she plans on keeping it for more than 1-2 years.

[Fayd]

it looks like it's a decent deal.

to the previous poster: the x1 carbon and t430s are same generation.

as far as haswell, it's not something that's going to heavily affect your sister. if she wants a laptop for "Office, watch movies, listen to music, and surf online", then the current crop of laptops is MORE than adequate for the task.

adding in the dedicated GPU is nice if she intends on gaming or using programs that advantage of the cuda cores...but it's just $50 wasted if she doesn't do either. i suppose it's not a terrible waste and will improve the resaleability of it if she decides she doesn't want it later on.

mostly, netbooks are painful to use, and if there's no reason your sister has to suffer through using one for a year (she doesn't), and there's no advantage to doing so for her (there isn't), then why not buy now?

[jaydee]

How much does an SSD add to the build using Lenovo's configuration?

[sm625]

"NVIDIA N13M-NS" omg I feel like I just came out of a coma. What is that gpu?

[kleinkinstein]

Swap the Advanced for the Ultimate. The 3x3 AGN makes a huge difference, for what about $30?

[fatpolomanjr]

Originally Posted by Fayd

it looks like it's a decent deal.

to the previous poster: the x1 carbon and t430s are same generation.

as far as haswell, it's not something that's going to heavily affect your sister. if she wants a laptop for "Office, watch movies, listen to music, and surf online", then the current crop of laptops is MORE than adequate for the task.

I should have elaborated: the X1 Carbon had ridiculous shipment delays, like 1-2 month delays, when it came out in August. If the OP were to wait for a new Haswell laptop possibly coming out around that time then shipment delays could cause headaches if trying to get the laptop by September.

For the OP sister's kind of use, any Core 2 Duo and up generation laptop would probably fit the bill; I only mentioned Haswell because of the supposed efficiency and amazing battery life expected of it, not because of the processing power boost.

[kevinsbane]

Originally Posted by kleinkinstein

Swap the Advanced for the Ultimate. The 3x3 AGN makes a huge difference, for what about $30?

Do the T430 series have the same limitation that the X230 does with the 3x3 antenna? Namely that you can't have 3x3 antenna AND an integrated webcam?

[Fayd]

Originally Posted by kevinsbane

Do the T430 series have the same limitation that the X230 does with the 3x3 antenna? Namely that you can't have 3x3 antenna AND an integrated webcam?

doesn't look like it.

[Fayd]

Originally Posted by sm625

"NVIDIA N13M-NS" omg I feel like I just came out of a coma. What is that gpu?

either an nvidia quadro 5400m or 5200m.

i think in this case it's a 5400m.

[Bonesdad]

Originally Posted by QueHuong

I'm helping my sister pick out a laptop for grad school next fall; she'll mainly use Office, watch movies, listen to music, and surf online. I would like to have a reliable system that will last her for the next few years, in terms of hardware durability and in running the latest software efficiently.

I'm using my friend's employee discounts for Lenovo laptops and the total comes to $750 w/ free shipping. Is this a good deal? There's no rush to buy a laptop so we can always wait for a good deal until sept 2013. But she's been using a netbook at home so it's a little painful. Thoughts appreciated.

ThinkPad T430s
• Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
• 14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
• NVIDIA N13M-NS Optimus Graphics 1GB, Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, 2.50 GHz)
• 4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM)
• UltraNav multi-touch touchpad & TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader
• 500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• DVD Recordable
• 6 Cell Lithium Battery T81+
• Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN
• Mobile Broadband upgradable
• 1 Year Depot/Express Warranty

I picked up a T430 for about $800 a month ago. Exact same setup (with a 3230 CPU). I'm very pleased so far, been rock stable and speedy. I'll likely add another stick of ram at some point and an SSD as my boot drive, then put the 500GB drive in the ultrabay. For now though, I'm happy. I say go for it.