The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

Gonna use it for websurfing, youtube and watching HD Movies/TV Shows, no gaming at all.





And I need either one of them because I am going to continue Studying in france





What made me make this topic is that do I really need an i5? or Core 2 Due is sufficient for me?





Also integrated Intel HD or Discrete ATI or Nvidia is sufficent for me? (Don't want the computer to overheat even if it's for the price of the performance)



Also, T420s is a no-no for me, because it's gonna be above my budget (which is 1100$ maximum).



P.S. as you all know, I am so gonna future-proof it!

Reply 1 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

I don't see a problem with core 2 duo in the foreseeable future, but my T410s is pretty sweet . I think it's probably better if you go with the i5 T410s it's a good enough jump from core 2 duo to justify the upgrade. Core 2 Duo would be fine with what your doing, but why not get something better.

Reply 2 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

Before the X220 got released I was all set to get a T400s or T410s. For me it was a easy decision to go for the T400s. They both have the same screens, chassis and ports. So if you don't need the extra cpu power or graphics capability, it's a no brainer to get the T400s. Battery life is simply useless (for me) in the T410s. Sounds like the T400s is the right choice for you too (my usage matches exactly what you wrote) since the 4500MHD graphics can easily hardware accelerate (decode) all HD content, and the cpu can as well if you choose to do it through software decoding.

Reply 3 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

I like to buy as high as my budget allows I think a t400 might work but the t410 may be easier to resell if needed to upgrade laptops you know one generation old is easier to sell than two.



If you can get a t410s with a i5 or i7 you might be more future proof and get a solid three years of use out of it.

Reply 4 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

I've had both. I bought a T400s from the Microsoft store when the closed them out. It was a great deal but I couldn't stand the performance of the Intel integrated GPU. Returned it for that reason and a couple of others.



Last October I bought the T410s Optimus when I received a decent EPP discount. It's a great little machine. I love the form factor, weight, etc. It's plenty powerful and runs everything I throw at it.



I would buy the T410s with confidence. Enjoy.

Reply 5 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

Quote:

Originally Posted by graycolor I don't see a problem with core 2 duo in the foreseeable future, but my T410s is pretty sweet . I think it's probably better if you go with the i5 T410s it's a good enough jump from core 2 duo to justify the upgrade. Core 2 Duo would be fine with what your doing, but why not get something better.

True that, but it's more like my usage versus the price, where T410s is still to expensive for my budget (Unless the new models and "possibly" the T420s is released).

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinuneuro Before the X220 got released I was all set to get a T400s or T410s. For me it was a easy decision to go for the T400s. They both have the same screens, chassis and ports. So if you don't need the extra cpu power or graphics capability, it's a no brainer to get the T400s. Battery life is simply useless (for me) in the T410s. Sounds like the T400s is the right choice for you too (my usage matches exactly what you wrote) since the 4500MHD graphics can easily hardware accelerate (decode) all HD content, and the cpu can as well if you choose to do it through software decoding.

We're on the same bandwagon .





It's because T400s is also cheap right now especially for a 1.5 years old Thin & Light model, which tend to be expensive and stays expensive for a while.



About the Display, I thought T410s use LED screen versus T400s using something else that's older technology (CTFL, CFLT don't really remember the abbreviation ).

Quote:

Originally Posted by halobox I've had both. I bought a T400s from the Microsoft store when the closed them out. It was a great deal but I couldn't stand the performance of the Intel integrated GPU. Returned it for that reason and a couple of others. Last October I bought the T410s Optimus when I received a decent EPP discount. It's a great little machine. I love the form factor, weight, etc. It's plenty powerful and runs everything I throw at it. I would buy the T410s with confidence. Enjoy.

Can you mention the other reasons you returned the T400s for?



I am so keen into Optimus looking at how it performs, but the main question here for you is: what's your main usage of the computer?

Reply 6 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pochi Can you mention the other reasons you returned the T400s for? I am so keen into Optimus looking at how it performs, but the main question here for you is: what's your main usage of the computer?

GPU performance was a significant downer on the t400s. It just felt sluggish especially considering all of the other ThinkPads I use for work. It was a significant step down from the t61p, t400, and w510 so I could really feel it when I knocked of work and used it for leisure.



The other issue was the t400s I received was supposed to have the 34mm ExpressCard slot. When it arrived, it was the stupid media card reader. That was a deal breaker.

Reply 7 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

Quote:

Originally Posted by halobox GPU performance was a significant downer on the t400s. It just felt sluggish especially considering all of the other ThinkPads I use for work. It was a significant step down from the t61p, t400, and w510 so I could really feel it when I knocked of work and used it for leisure. The other issue was the t400s I received was supposed to have the 34mm ExpressCard slot. When it arrived, it was the stupid media card reader. That was a deal breaker.

Sluggish performance is unacceptable.



But, what were you working at it? I bet some heavy graphical work.

Reply 8 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

I have no trouble watching Blu-ray rips on my X200t with the LV Core 2 Duo and X4500. If that's the most demanding thing you're doing, then the T400s should be fine. If you want good performance, get a SSD and 4GB of memory. I'd vote for a X220 or a X20x with the AFFS mod. A good quality screen is probably a more tangible benefit than a iX CPU.

Reply 9 : The Final Countdown: T400s or T410s

Quote:

Originally Posted by halobox The other issue was the t400s I received was supposed to have the 34mm ExpressCard slot. When it arrived, it was the stupid media card reader. That was a deal breaker.

the T400s/T410s media card reader comes out with a single screw from the inside.   once removed, you're left with a bare expresscard/34 slot.   the card reader FRU is nothing more than an expresscard adapter with an angled bezel to match the chassis profile.