by Kevin O'Brien
The
new 14-inch T400 ThinkPad is the latest Lenovo notebook based off of
the Intel Montivena platform. This computer offers all new features
such as hybrid graphics, LED backlit displays, and power saving
refinements that let the notebook get extraordinary battery life. With
all these changes taking place, Lenovo has also managed to keep the
notebook looking as boring as ever, just how ThinkPad owners like it.
In this first look we will cover all of the basics, and give you a few
hints of what to expect from the full review that will be coming in no
time.
Our ThinkPad T400 specifications:
- Screen: 14-inch 1440 x 900 WXGA+ LED Backlit (Matte finish)
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.80GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 6MB Cache)
- Memory: 2GB DDR3 RAM
- Storage: 160GB HDD (7200rpm)
- Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW
- Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0
- Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 w/ 256MB (hybrid switching)
- Built-in web camera
- Battery: 84Wh 9-cell and 56Wh 6-cell
- Dimensions: 13.2" x 9.4" x 1.47/1.12"
- Weight: 5.lbs 4.8oz (w/ 9 cell battery)
- Retail Price: $2,189
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Build and Design
The
design of the T400 has changed a bit. The changes are subtle to the
untrained eye, but they are there. The right side is now gently sloped
similar to what can be found on the older T4x series, where the sides
angle inward instead of dropping off flat. The first clue about this is
the optical drive bezel which sports a nice beveled edge. The rubber
feet have also been slightly tweaked, now feeling softer, and you get
an additional springy nub. Moving past the minor case design changes,
the ThinkPad is every bit as boring as all of those preceding it.
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We have the same paint, same rubbery texture, and we still have our ThinkPad logo.
Build
quality is very similar to the previous generation T61, with all of its
strengths and weaknesses. Fit and finish are great with most parts, but
you still have a good amount of battery wiggle in the back, as well as
the cheaper feeling plastic LCD lid. The molded plastic panels
throughout the notebook feel sturdy, with only mild flex near the card
slots. On our particular configuration with the SD-Card reader taking
the place of the PC-Card slot and we get a cheap plastic blank instead
of a spring loaded flap. Without the plastic blank in place the
palmrest does want to bend down at that location under stress. Another
odd trait I noticed was additional flex on the right side of the
keyboard, where my T60 is solid as a rock, but the T400 wants to give
in just a bit. It is still very strong compared to other notebooks, but
not as rock solid as the older model.
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What still works and what doesn't
Those
who have older ThinkPad accessories from the T6x/R6x generation will be
happy to know all of the older docking stations are still fully
compatible with the new notebooks. I can't say for certain that the
older equipment won't be replaced with newer revisions that offer
different connections, but at least you won't need to upgrade.
The
optical bay connections have changed from the previous generation,
moving more towards a SATA style connector, rendering older drive
incompatible. The power connection for use with the UltraBay battery
remained the same though.
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Display
The
display on our review model is a 6-bit LG LED backlit panel. Lenovo's
official spec sheet lists this screen as 300:1 contrast, but the LG
specification is 500:1. Overall the panel is easy on the eyes with even
light distribution and a wide adjustment range for the LED
backlighting. The highest backlight setting is very bright, easy
outshining my IPS FlexView panel by a wide margin. Colors are vibrant,
although the whites do lean heavily on the cooler/blue side. Vertical
angles are better than average, with a modest sweet spot before colors
start to invert and wash out. Horizontal viewing range is better, with
colors washing out slightly, but still staying accurate.
Comparing
this screen to the older WXGA+ screen is no contest, with the newer LED
backlit model being better in many ways. Whites look cleaner, colors
look better, backlight is more even, and best of all is bright enough
to view in sunshine. It is well worth the extra money, and you would be
foolish not to get it if you are configuring the notebook yourself.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The
keyboard layout has stayed the same, with only very minor changes in
the feel of the keypresses. Some of this may be attributed to the
differences in keyboard suppliers (NMB, ALPS, and Chicony) though, as
my T60 came with the "clickier" Chicony keyboard, whereas the T400 is
much quieter. The keyboard strength seems to have changed slightly,
with more flex present on the right side of the keyboard, but I do not
know if it is a keyboard difference or a change in support. As with
older models, the liquid drains are still in place, ready to get your
notebook out of harms way if a stray coffee or soda spills all over it.
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The
touchpad has grown compared to the T61, expanding to the width of the
lower touchpad buttons. With the ThinkPad touchpads always being the
runts compared to other notebook designs, this change was very welcomed
(even if they did paint scroll arrows on it). The texture is identical
to the older touchpad, and sensitivity is just as good.
Performance
Needless
to say, with the Intel T9600 Core 2 Duo processor in our T400
configuration, this system performed very well no matter what we threw
at it. Combined with the speedy 7200rpm system drive, applications
loaded abnormally fast. Synthetic benchmarks also backed this up,
peaking well over 6,000 in PCMark05, and getting scoring around 27
seconds in wPrime. Mild gaming was even possible with this
configuration, with Half-Life 2 getting framerates well above 100
frames per second during low detail scenes and high 30's during action.
Battery Life
I
must say that the battery life of this notebook was the biggest
surprise. Even with the top tier Intel T9600 and ATI 3470 dedicated
graphics the idle power draw of this notebook is lower than ever. With
wireless enabled, screen backlight set to 60 percent, and the power
profile set to balanced the system sips a paltry 10.2w of power. Under
the additional load of rendering webpages or keeping the internet
connection active it jumps up to the 12w range, leaving you with
between 7-8 hours of battery life using the 9-cell battery.
6-cell battery (view large image)
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9-cell battery (view large image) |
Both batteries side-by-side (view large image)
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Expect to see more information covered in our full review that will be up in the next few days, as well as our upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad T500 first look.
