T440 or L440 for a student - not sure which to buy!
I'd like some opinions please...
I am a student in the UK looking to buy a laptop around late August/early September 2014. I will require the following from it:
Haswell i3 or i5
8GB RAM
1600x900 or 1920x1080 display
Windows 8.1 64-bit
Good build quality
Not too big or heavy, so a 14" display would probably be more ideal than a 15.6"
A touchscreen may be nice, but is not essential
I will be doing a lot of programming on it, so a good keyboard is a must, and I will be doing photo editing and web design on it too, so it needs to be powerful.
I would really like this laptop to last for a long time (and by that, I mean around 5-6 years) and to be well-built. I don't particularly have a budget, but the T440 specced out below comes to £835 and I'd say that is the very top of my budget.
I am keen on a ThinkPad (used to own an A31 and an R40) and looking specifically at the L and T series. I'd like to buy something new and with a Haswell processor.
I've specced out the following machines, do you think it would be worth paying the extra for the T440? Or would the L440 be perfectly adequate and last me as long as I'd like it to last?
L440 - £653
Intel Core i3-4000M Processor (3MB Cache, 2.40GHz)
Windows 8 64
Windows 8 64 MUI EMEA WE (EN FR GR IT NL)
14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
Intel HD Graphics 4600
8 GB DDR3L - 1600MHz (2 DIMM)
Keyboard - UK English
Ultranav with Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
6 Cell Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery 56.16Wh
65W AC Adapter - UK
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 BT Combo (2x2 AGN)
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
Publication - WE (FR/GE/IT/DU/EN)
1 Year Depot or Carry-in
I could possibly buy a 256GB SSD for this to speed it up, or upgrade the i3 to an i5 4200M (but I think the only difference between the i3 4000M and the i5 4200M is the slightly higher stock speed on the i5 and the turbo boost?)
T440 - £835
4th Gen Intel Core i3-4010U Processor (3MB Cache, 1.70GHz)
Windows 8 64
W8 64 WE MUI
T440 14.1HD+ WWAN
Intel HD Graphics 4400 with docking connector
8GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600MHz SODIMM
Keyboard - UK English
Fingerprint Reader
720p HD Camera
500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
ThinkPad Battery 3 cell Li-Polymer (23.2Whr)
ThinkPad Battery 6 cell Li-Ion (47Whr) Cylindrical
Country Pack United Kingdom with Line cord & 45W AC adapter
ThinkPad Wireless 2 x 2 BGN with Bluetooth
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
Publication - WE (FR/GE/IT/DU/EN)
3 Year On-site
I don't think I can spend more than this on a laptop.
My only worry is with buying the T440 is that it may draw attention and I may risk getting it stolen. I'll need to think about that.
Is there any massive reason to buy a T series over an L series?
I have looked that the L540 with a 1080p display, but I'd prefer to stick to the 14" laptops for portability's sake.
I am genuinely interested to see which you think would be better.
Thanks!
I recently acquired a T440s so I may be able to speak on some points, maybe not on others.
My specs:
i5 4200
4gb RAM upgraded to 8gb
Win7 64
256gb SSD
Integrated 4400 graphics
1600x900 HD+ screen
3 cell battery (plus internal 3 cell)
Other stuff..
I do not do anything worth mentioning with photo or video editing, but I do quite a bit of programming, typing, circuit simulation, etc...
The keyboard is very good. I have an R61 with what I always considered to be one of the best laptop keyboards I've used. This one is 99% that good. The trackpoint/trackpad combo works very well for precision visual programming like LabVIEW. The new trackpoint/trackpad setup is a point of contention among Thinkpad users, but I personally like it just fine. It is still WAY ahead of most cruddy touchpads out there no matter what you think of it.
Even though everyone raves about the new IPS 1080 screen on Thinkpads, the 1600x900 HD+ screen suited my needs fine, and I used to funds that would have been put towards the FHD screen to an external 23" IPS 1080 monitor. I will say, the 1600x900 TN screen really doesn't have the best color reproduction. I would not want it for photo editing. I would say either spring for the 1080IPS FHD display on the T440, get an external monitor, or both.
The i5-4200 with 4400 graphics has never left me wanting for more. It does all that I ask of it in simulations without any problems. The only CAD that I do is the occasional circuit board mockup so I can't speak to the effectiveness of the integrated graphics for your needs. I would look further into whether or not the integrated 4400 would be acceptable.
I am very glad i got the SSD. I picked up an external 500GB hard drive to handle backups and excess media. It's kind of a personal taste type thing. If you are OK with spending the extra money for less storage and a little pickup in speed then go for it. The fact that the SSD is not susceptible to damage from moving the computer around was important to me.
I find the computer extremely portable and light, though I am coming from a ~5.5lbs R61 that necessitated carrying around a 2lb power adapter due to nonexistent battery life. I get at least 5 hours out of the battery, usually more like 6 or 7 if I'm not doing simulations.
I don't know what it is like there, but I don't worry about theft in my college atmosphere. I guarantee if you put a Macbook next to a Thinkpad and walk away, the Macbook gets stolen. The Thinkpad is just an under the radar machine, and most students don't seem familiar with them. That said, my computer is never out of my eyesight. If you must leave it in a dorm room, get a good lock for it.
It's possible to save ~$40 and upgrade the RAM yourself. This procedure is not fun, but doable on the T440s. I have heard that the T440/T440P are easier to deal with.
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