[Manyak]

My Thinkpad just arrived last night, and it's pretty sweet

.

Honestly, there isn't a single bad thing I can say about this laptop. It's great in pretty much every way there is, from the components to the build quality. Even intel's new stock GPU built into Arrandale is pretty decent, it can handle Borderlands at 960x600 @ medium settings, or 1280x720 @ low. I never even planned to game on it to begin with, so that's a nice bonus.

- Core i7-620M
- QM57 Chipset
- 4GB DDR3
- 30GB OCZ Vertex
- 250GB HDD
- 14" 1440x900 Matte LED Blacklit Screen
- Intel Ultimate N 6300 w/ 3 antennas
- Bluetooth
- Fingerprint Reader
- 9 Cell Battery (95Wh)
- 9 Cell Slice Battery (another 95Wh)

The slice battery also acts as a stand to tilt it. That yellow USB port right there is always on, so you can charge your phone while you travel

I HATE touchpads!

At least one manufacturer still has some sense not to use a glossy screen

 

[Hoodcom]

Very nice laptop, Manyak! The specs are awesome, and I bet the battery life is awesome!

Lol, not only could you keep a phone charging, but a Nintendo DS too!

Finger Print reader, a great security measure you wanted on there?

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom Very nice laptop, Manyak! The specs are awesome, and I bet the battery life is awesome! Lol, not only could you keep a phone charging, but a Nintendo DS too! Finger Print reader, a great security measure you wanted on there?

lol not really, I just got it for the hell of it

And I'll be testing out the battery life today I think....I'm going to put a movie on repeat and see how long it'll last. That's pretty much the biggest reason I need the battery life anyway....to watch movies on plane rides because the inflight ones are always crap.

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak lol not really, I just got it for the hell of it And I'll be testing out the battery life today I think....I'm going to put a movie on repeat and see how long it'll last. That's pretty much the biggest reason I need the battery life anyway....to watch movies on plane rides because the inflight ones are always crap.

Try a 1080P movie.

I know your screen won't go that high, but still, why not see what it is capable of on battery life on that too.

How's the keyboard for typing, and how good do it's speakers sound to you?

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom Try a 1080P movie. I know your screen won't go that high, but still, why not see what it is capable of on battery life on that too. How's the keyboard for typing, and how good do it's speakers sound to you?

The keyboard is absolutely brilliant, very comfortable to type on. And it's got no flex whatsoever.

The speakers are pretty good, though not the best I've heard on a laptop. But I can tell you for sure that they're better than the Asus UL30Vt, HP dv6t, and the Dell Studio XPS 13". And they're worse than the Toshiba P25 (even though it's an old model). The only catch is that if you change the equalizer in the driver, the volume starts to fluctuate. Which really sucks.

And yeah, I fully plan on doing it with 1080p

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak The keyboard is absolutely brilliant, very comfortable to type on. And it's got no flex whatsoever. The speakers are pretty good, though not the best I've heard on a laptop. But I can tell you for sure that they're better than the Asus UL30Vt, HP dv6t, and the Dell Studio XPS 13". And they're worse than the Toshiba P25 (even though it's an old model). The only catch is that if you change the equalizer in the driver, the volume starts to fluctuate. Which really sucks. And yeah, I fully plan on doing it with 1080p

So is it like a Mechanical keyboard, or what kind does it use?

I think I know what you mean, yeah, that does suck. Though, does it do that with Headphones, even?

What movie do you plan on running through it?

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom So is it like a Mechanical keyboard, or what kind does it use? I think I know what you mean, yeah, that does suck. Though, does it do that with Headphones, even? What movie do you plan on running through it?

Hrm, I haven't tried headphones yet. But changing the EQ through the media player works perfectly fine, so it seems like the problem is coming from the driver and not the card itself.

And no it's a standard Scissor Switch keyboard, but the keys have got a nice feel to them, a lot nicer than most other laptops I've used. Also, they still use the classic cylindrical shape with standard key spacing, not flat tops and oversized chiclet keys that have become the new fad. So it's a lot more natural to type on it than, say, a Mac or Dell or Asus keyboard.

I think I'm going to run 300 on it. It's one of the few movies I left uncompressed when ripping it off the bluray, so it's got one of the highest bitrates (25GB file).

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak Hrm, I haven't tried headphones yet. But changing the EQ through the media player works perfectly fine, so it seems like the problem is coming from the driver and not the card itself. And no it's a standard Scissor Switch keyboard, but the keys have got a nice feel to them, a lot nicer than most other laptops I've used. Also, they still use the classic cylindrical shape with standard key spacing, not flat tops and oversized chiclet keys that have become the new fad. So it's a lot more natural to type on it than, say, a Mac or Dell or Asus keyboard. I think I'm going to run 300 on it. It's one of the few movies I left uncompressed when ripping it off the bluray, so it's got one of the highest bitrates (25GB file).

What did you adjust on the EQ, the one with the audio drivers.

Man, more I learn, the more I want one of those for myself too. Lol

I seen the specs say it has three antennas for the wireless, does it help boost the signal over... what ever is normally available?

Going to use the full brightness of your screen?

 

[ZealotKi11er]

I have a T400 and i love it. Its light, cool and long battery life.

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom What did you adjust on the EQ, the one with the audio drivers. Man, more I learn, the more I want one of those for myself too. Lol I seen the specs say it has three antennas for the wireless, does it help boost the signal over... what ever is normally available? Going to use the full brightness of your screen?

I tried everything on the EQ. Only bass up did it, only treble up did it, and only mid down did it.

I'm not sure exactly how much better the signal is over my old laptop because my AP is pretty good to begin with (its a Cisco small business model). But I can tell you that I have 5 bars all over the house, while the last laptop did go down to 4 in certain rooms. But I'll be taking it to college in 2 weeks, and the signal over there is bad enough that sometimes I don't get it at all. So I'll know then

And no I won't use the full brightness, but it won't be really low either. 10/15 seems to be bright enough for a plane trip where the lights are off, so I'll be using that. I'm also going to keep the wireless and bluetooth off, so that it's pretty much the same configuration as on the plane ride.

I do wish there was a way to drop the bclk though, because even at the lowest power saving state it still draws a lot of juice. Maybe I should have stuck with an i5

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZealotKi11er I have a T400 and i love it. Its light, cool and long battery life.

Yup, these things are great

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak I tried everything on the EQ. Only bass up did it, only treble up did it, and only mid down did it. I'm not sure exactly how much better the signal is over my old laptop because my AP is pretty good to begin with (its a Cisco small business model). But I can tell you that I have 5 bars all over the house, while the last laptop did go down to 4 in certain rooms. But I'll be taking it to college in 2 weeks, and the signal over there is bad enough that sometimes I don't get it at all. So I'll know then And no I won't use the full brightness, but it won't be really low either. 10/15 seems to be bright enough for a plane trip where the lights are off, so I'll be using that. I'm also going to keep the wireless and bluetooth off, so that it's pretty much the same configuration as on the plane ride. I do wish there was a way to drop the bclk though, because even at the lowest power saving state it still draws a lot of juice. Maybe I should have stuck with an i5

Huh, how odd. I guess you could just use what the media player has then.

So what other advantages does the wireless offer over the stock choice of what was selected by default, on the T410?

Doesn't some planes offer a way to plug your laptop into power too? Just curious.

What is and what does "bclk" do?

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom Huh, how odd. I guess you could just use what the media player has then. So what other advantages does the wireless offer over the stock choice of what was selected by default, on the T410? Doesn't some planes offer a way to plug your laptop into power too? Just curious. What is and what does "bclk" do?

Yeah like I said, I'm pretty sure it's a driver problem. And since the media player ones work I'm not too worried about it.

The wireless card supposedly has better reception and is faster (up to 450Mbps, assuming your AP supports it).

And yeah some planes have that, but I've only ever seen it on domestic flights. Never seen it on a flight to Europe.

bclk is the base clock. CPU speed = base clock * multiplier, and speedstep only drops the multi.

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak The wireless card supposedly has better reception and is faster (up to 450Mbps, assuming your AP supports it). And yeah some planes have that, but I've only ever seen it on domestic flights. Never seen it on a flight to Europe. bclk is the base clock. CPU speed = base clock * multiplier, and speedstep only drops the multi.

That's something I would like, for sure, though I have no honest clue what our AP supports nor offers. Just some Westell DSL Modem/Router/Wifi thing.

lol

Whoa, I didn't know you travel that far!

What do you do there?

I have read that they can clock up higher, the i7-620M can go as high as 3.33GHz according to this lovely chart:

I am not sure how much difference power drainage would be between the i5 and i7 mobile processors, (Ones available for the T410), but unless I am missing something, it looks to be the power drainage is not much different...

Though please correct me if I am wrong... all I know is the wattage on those CPUs and their speeds. lol

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom That's something I would like, for sure, though I have no honest clue what our AP supports nor offers. Just some Westell DSL Modem/Router/Wifi thing. lol Whoa, I didn't know you travel that far! What do you do there? I have read that they can clock up higher, the i7-620M can go as high as 3.33GHz according to this lovely chart: I am not sure how much difference power drainage would be between the i5 and i7 mobile processors, (Ones available for the T410), but unless I am missing something, it looks to be the power drainage is not much different... Though please correct me if I am wrong... all I know is the wattage on those CPUs and their speeds. lol

Well TDP isn't the same as power draw...that's how many watts of heat can be put out.

I actually travel all the way to Lebanon most of the time. So it goes JFK->somewhere in europe->Lebanon. It usually takes anywhere from 14hrs to 20hrs, depending on how long I have to sit in the airport in Europe. I just go there for vacation TBH. To see family and friends and stuff. But at the same time, the people over there are pretty crazy about their nightlife and going to the beach and stuff, so it's always really fun. Here people usually go clubbing at like 8 or 9 and they stop serving drinks at 2AM - there the party doesn't even start until midnight, and they don't close until like 8AM, sometimes later.

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak Well TDP isn't the same as power draw...that's how many watts of heat can be put out. I actually travel all the way to Lebanon most of the time. So it goes JFK->somewhere in europe->Lebanon. It usually takes anywhere from 14hrs to 20hrs, depending on how long I have to sit in the airport in Europe. I just go there for vacation TBH. To see family and friends and stuff. But at the same time, the people over there are pretty crazy about their nightlife and going to the beach and stuff, so it's always really fun. Here people usually go clubbing at like 8 or 9 and they stop serving drinks at 2AM - there the party doesn't even start until midnight, and they don't close until like 8AM, sometimes later.

Oh, so how big of a power draw difference is there between the i5 and i7 dual cores?

Wow, no wonder you need the battery life! With otu a computer for trips, I'd be bored to death... part of why I have to have a Harddrive, not a Solid State drive for all the data. lol

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom Oh, so how big of a power draw difference is there between the i5 and i7 dual cores? Wow, no wonder you need the battery life! With otu a computer for trips, I'd be bored to death... part of why I have to have a Harddrive, not a Solid State drive for all the data. lol

Honestly, I have no idea lol. I don't think it's actually been measured on any sites, but I could be wrong.

And well, the airlines always have 4 or 5 in flight movies to pick from, but usually only one is actually good and then you watch another really crappy one just to pass the time. And another thing to do: never sleep the night before the trip. This way when you get on the plane you pass out like a baby for at least 12 hours.

 

[pale_neon]

I always loved the look of the Thinkpads. and the TrackPoint pointing stick always felt the best.

How does the touchpad feel? it looks textured.

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak And well, the airlines always have 4 or 5 in flight movies to pick from, but usually only one is actually good and then you watch another really crappy one just to pass the time. And another thing to do: never sleep the night before the trip. This way when you get on the plane you pass out like a baby for at least 12 hours.

Lol, wow, that's a pretty darn good idea!

Oh, and have you tried anything with the TurboBoost yet or seen it hit 3+GHz?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pale_neon I always loved the look of the Thinkpads. and the TrackPoint pointing stick always felt the best. How does the touchpad feel? it looks textured.

I don't think he's even bothered to touch it.

lool

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pale_neon I always loved the look of the Thinkpads. and the TrackPoint pointing stick always felt the best. How does the touchpad feel? it looks textured.

It is, but you barely feel it (at least much less than the Asus EEE and UL series - the only other textured pads I've tried). The surface is actually quite nice too, there's very little static friction so you don't drag your skin on it like on those glossy HP ones for example. And multitouch works nicely on it too.

But I only used it for a minute or two just to try it when I first got it, and now it's turned off, lol. I much prefer the trackpoint, and I can't stand the cursor jumping everywhere when I type.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoodcom Lol, wow, that's a pretty darn good idea! Oh, and have you tried anything with the TurboBoost yet or seen it hit 3+GHz? I don't think he's even bothered to touch it. lool

LOL nah I did try it out a bit, just to see

And nope I haven't done any performance testing yet. But it'll all come in due time. Right now I've got it resetting the battery meter - there's actually an option for it, where you leave it plugged in and it'll automatically charge, discharge, and recharge the batteries and measure it so that it can correct the meter (they get really inaccurate over time, and I figure I want a good reading before testing it out). It even tells you exactly how many Wh are left, what the battery voltage is, and how much current is being drawn from or passed through it. As it degrades over time it even tells you what the new maximum capacity (in Wh) is. And if you normally leave the laptop plugged in when you use it, there's an option to not fully charge the batteries, this way their life gets extended because they don't lose as much of their charge over time.

It's just...brilliant lol.

 

[Hoodcom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manyak LOL nah I did try it out a bit, just to see And nope I haven't done any performance testing yet. But it'll all come in due time. Right now I've got it resetting the battery meter - there's actually an option for it, where you leave it plugged in and it'll automatically charge, discharge, and recharge the batteries and measure it so that it can correct the meter (they get really inaccurate over time, and I figure I want a good reading before testing it out). It even tells you exactly how many Wh are left, what the battery voltage is, and how much current is being drawn from or passed through it. As it degrades over time it even tells you what the new maximum capacity (in Wh) is. And if you normally leave the laptop plugged in when you use it, there's an option to not fully charge the batteries, this way their life gets extended because they don't lose as much of their charge over time. It's just...brilliant lol.

That's a pretty nice feature, wish this laptop had it... it might have been able to save my battery. lol

I meant to ask this, but does your laptop pull from one battery at a time, or it pulls power from them both at the same time?

Also does it show it has only one or both batteries?