Please help fine-tune my Lenovo T60 configuration

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Geeyoff

Member
Oct 17, 2001
63
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Hi. I'm about to buy a Lenovo T60 of some kind. As a soon-to-be grad student, certain deals and discounts are available to me, but only on certain configurations. Therefore, I'm having trouble figuring out how much value I should place on certain specs. What matters most to me with this computer is longevity -- I'm not going to be doing much gaming or CAD or compiling or anything massive, but I'd like it to be a bit future-proof.

For graphics cards, how much of a difference will there be between an ATI x1300 with 64mb ram and an x1400 with 128mb ram? I'm not going to be doing much gaming (maybe a little) but I'd rather not be cursing at an aging piece of techno-junk in twelve or eighteen months' time. I do that too much with my current lappy.

Also, for the processor (all core duos), how much difference will I see between 1.83ghz, 2.0ghz, or 2.16ghz? (Please consider that I'm going to have 1.5gb of memory.)

And lastly, are 9-cell batteries physically bigger than 6-cells? If they're a little heavier, that's fine, but if they'll take up more space in my backpack, then I'm not sure if I'd want it...

Thanks for your help, everyone.
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
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T60 review:
http://www.laptoplogic.com/reviews/detail.php?id=112

The X1300 & X1400 are physically the same, clock speeds and memory amounts differ. For an idea of how the MR X1400 does in gaming, see here:
http://www.laptoplogic.com/resources/detail.php?id=37

My general rule of thumb for the CPU is this: spec everything else out as you want it, then put the rest of your budget into the CPU. The architecture of the CPU is more important than the clock speed; you won't see a huge difference between the 1.83 & 2.0; and the 2.16 has too much of a markup to be worth using.

The 9-cell is physically bigger (see review), but quite worth it. Are you getting the 14" or 15" Whatever you do, make sure to get the SXGA+ screen.

In case this helps, more Lenovo discounts:
http://www.laptoplogic.com/forums/showthread.php?p=17200
 
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Geeyoff

Member
Oct 17, 2001
63
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0
Thanks for your help. I'm getting the 14" screen. I know that it doesn't look as nice, but portability is more important to me. Besides, I've got a decent lcd monitor that I can hook up to the laptop when I'm at home.

From the reviews, I'm leaning towards the ATI x1400. I might not get the student discount with that, though... I guess I'll just spend some time on the phone with Lenovo to see what I can negotiate. In your opinion, would it be worth $50 to get the x1400 instead of the x1300?

One more question -- has anybody installed their own memory into T60s? Your aforementioned review implies that it's a bit tricky. (Halfway down, "Upgrading and Expansion")
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
$50 is definitely worth it.

Yes, upgrading memory is a bit of pain. It isn't hard to install the modules; you just need to remove the proper screws and pop off the palm rest. However re-assembling it and getting the palm rest to properly click back into place is a chore IMO. I could never get it 100% properly put in place, but perhaps another T60 user could share some wisdom or you can visit http://forum.thinkpads.com.

Thinkpad T60 Hardware Maintenance Manual:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site....do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-62733
 
W

WackyDan

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,794
68
91
Never done it myself Tim... And I'm not about to try it on the T60P I have sitting here. :)
 
6

6000SUX

Golden Member
May 8, 2005
1,504
0
0
I got a T60 with the following specs for law school:

1.5 GB RAM (only because I got 512MB free on sale)
14" SXGA+
2 GHz Core Duo (would have been happy with 1.83 GHz)
100GB 5400RPM hard disk
x1400
6 cell and modular-bay battery

The 7200RPM drive is rumored to sometimes cause vibrations and heat, but you can damp these problems down using provided utilities that make it run a little slower but a lot quieter. I didn't get the specs I did for any other reason but that my model was on sale, though.

The 9-cell sticks out quite a bit. 9-cell users on forums sometimes say that it provides a useful handle for picking up the laptop, but I do fine without it. ;) For a little extra money, I got the modular-bay battery and have 9-cell performance but with a smaller total size. I only have the CD/DVD drive in when I'm installing software anyway. I think the 9-cell would be best for someone who really needs maximum battery life, for use in conjunction with the mod-bay battery. In my case with both batteries in I can get over six hours of life if I dim the screen and go off wireless, which suits me fine for taking notes. I figure the battery life will decrease over time anyway, but in a couple of years I should still be getting well over four hours if I don't overuse the battery.

About the memory: perhaps someone can answer whether the laptop will operate in dual-channel mode with two 1GB sticks in? I have read of problems in the past with 2GB in the T60, but the problems may have been ironed out now. You might want to read up on thinkpads.com to help you make some of your decisions.

I love this laptop so much that I will probably keep it for as long as it's viable, even after law school. It's just so solid.
 
M

masteraleph

Senior member
Oct 20, 2002
363
0
71
I like the 9 cell on my computer. The again, I have a significant amount of time when I'm working in a building without easy access to electrical outlets. With the 9-cell and screen at minimum brightness (but with wireless on), I can hit 5 hours or more, which suits pretty well. They are, however, significantly bigger.

The x1400 is probably worth it just for the extra 64MB alone, so that you don't have to share system memory.

The processor really isn't something you'll notice, especially because anytime you're on battery it'll be speedstepped anyways, so the only time that you'll hit a wall is when you're doing something that requires full processor power. With even the 1.83 core duo, that can be a little bit hard. You won't hit it in games (even the x1400 will hit a wall way before the cpu will), so it's only an issue for other CPU intensive tasks, if you plan on doing any.

I've been debating adding a second GB of RAM to my 1GB, but haven't yet. Of course, if you feel like funding it, I'll make sure to note the difficulty or lack thereof with replacement.
 
D

Deleted member 4644

What I am running for law school
1 GB RAM
15" SXGA+
2 GHz Core Duo
100GB 5400RPM hard disk
x1400
6 cell and modular-bay battery
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: 6000SUX
The 7200RPM drive is rumored to sometimes cause vibrations and heat, but you can damp these problems down using provided utilities that make it run a little slower but a lot quieter.
Click to expand...
Where is this rumored? Noise and vibration have never been an issue with any of the multiple 7200RPM drives I've used.
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
$50 is definitely worth it.

Yes, upgrading memory is a bit of pain. It isn't hard to install the modules; you just need to remove the proper screws and pop off the palm rest. However re-assembling it and getting the palm rest to properly click back into place is a chore IMO. I could never get it 100% properly put in place, but perhaps another T60 user could share some wisdom or you can visit http://forum.thinkpads.com.

Thinkpad T60 Hardware Maintenance Manual:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site....do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-62733
Click to expand...
I asked Lenovo about the palm rest difficulties and they said they're aware of it. Should be fixed in the Fall refresh of T60's.
 
6

6000SUX

Golden Member
May 8, 2005
1,504
0
0
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: 6000SUX
The 7200RPM drive is rumored to sometimes cause vibrations and heat, but you can damp these problems down using provided utilities that make it run a little slower but a lot quieter.
Click to expand...
Where is this rumored? Noise and vibration have never been an issue with any of the multiple 7200RPM drives I've used.
Click to expand...

There have been references to it in the forums on thinkpads.com . I haven't seen any report of vibration or noise issues with the 5400 RPM drives, although I don't spend a lot of time there any more. Again, I said "sometimes" and "rumored", which doesn't equal "in your case".
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: 6000SUX
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: 6000SUX
The 7200RPM drive is rumored to sometimes cause vibrations and heat, but you can damp these problems down using provided utilities that make it run a little slower but a lot quieter.
Click to expand...
Where is this rumored? Noise and vibration have never been an issue with any of the multiple 7200RPM drives I've used.
Click to expand...

There have been references to it in the forums on thinkpads.com . I haven't seen any report of vibration or noise issues with the 5400 RPM drives, although I don't spend a lot of time there any more. Again, I said "sometimes" and "rumored", which doesn't equal "in your case".
Click to expand...
Just asking where you heard it. In terms of the drives themselves, a 7200RPM spindle speed doesn't automatically indicate more noise. If the notebook vibrates more, that is a flaw with that particular notebook.

I hope no one believes the old wives' tales about 7200RPM drives using more battery and stuff like that ;)
 
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