Help me pick a thinkpad!

[%hMa@?b<C]

EDIT: Got the thinkpad. its awesome.

I am going to college next year and going to need a laptop.
So far, I have pretty much all but decided on a thinkpad T series. I am going to be running linux on it, but will be an engineering student (so probably will have to run stuff such as matlab, CAD, etc)
I'm not much of a gamer, save for n64 emulation, and I have a wii so gaming is not a big issue for me, but I would like something that is snappy on things that require a lot of power.
In short, would you recommend the discrete or integrated graphics for someone in my situation?

[Pogeymanz]

I would think integrated would be fine for you. I say this because I have intel graphics on a three year old laptop and it can handle all the Compiz bells and whistles with no problem whatsoever. So, a newer card will probably be even better.

But if the discrete isn't much more expensive, then go for it.

[SerenityKill3r]

If you are using CAD, you will NEED discrete. Anything less than a nVidia GeForce 9600 would be a pain to do CAD work on.

[Pogeymanz]

If you are using CAD, you will NEED discrete. Anything less than a nVidia GeForce 9600 would be a pain to do CAD work on.

Listen to this guy. I don't know crap about CAD.

[SerenityKill3r]

I found the perfect laptop for you:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152086

Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26G
4GB DDR2 RAM
320GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT 512MB

$799 After Rebate.

[%hMa@?b<C]

the t400 has ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
and the t500 has ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 256MB with Intel Advanced Management Technology

I'd prefer the t400 (more portable) but will the 3470 provide enough power for CAD?

Edit: thanks for the link to the MSI, it certainly is one to consider, but I love the thinkpad in terms of its durability (spill-through keyboard, magnesium roll cage) and better battery life. If the discrete graphics on the thinkpad are not going to be enough, I'll certainly consider it!

[SerenityKill3r]

the t400 has ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
and the t500 has ATI Mobility Radeon 3650 with 256MB with Intel Advanced Management Technology

I'd prefer the t400 (more portable) but will the 3470 provide enough power for CAD?

Edit: thanks for the link to the MSI, it certainly is one to consider, but I love the thinkpad in terms of its durability (spill-through keyboard, magnesium roll cage) and better battery life. If the discrete graphics on the thinkpad are not going to be enough, I'll certainly consider it!

Those GPUs aren't really powerful, they are made more for media and 2D acceleration, and also the fact that ATI and Linux have a numerous problems.

I'd definitely opt for the MSI, because I can see you regretting your purchase once you start CAD and CAM work down the line.

[ohbuntu]

If you need Thinkpad reliability, the MSI just won't cut it. IMHO, Thinkpads and MacBooks are the most durable notebooks on the market short of a Toughbook or custom built laptop.

Anyhow, if the HD3470 & HD3650 aren't powerful enough for your needs, how about the 512MB FireGL V5700 that powers the W500? It's basically a T500 with a slightly more powerful GPU and bleeding resolution (1920x1200) for a little more kick.

If you're looking for a 14 incher, check out the ASUS N81. It has a super powerful HD4570 in a compact package that's priced at about 1300 bucks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220510

[%hMa@?b<C]

never really thought about the w series, I'll have to add that to my list. As much as I like the 14 inch, I think that the w500 might suit my needs better than the t400. I dont know much about the graphics chipsets though, is there going to be enough power in the W series or even the T series?

[ohbuntu]

FWIW, the FireGL V5700 is actually based on the Radeon HD3650 that powers the T500, the primary additions being more video RAM (512MB vs 256MB on the T500) and ISV certification that makes is a little more suited toward CAD apps. Although the two cards are based on the same graphics chipset, the FireGL V5700 can use extended workstation features and logic present in the M86 chipset that are not available to the consumer level Mobility HD3650, unless you go the modded software route to patch the Radeon driver. In addition, the FireGL driver has specific enhancements that allow the V5700 to perform significantly faster in ISV applications than a HD3650.

Of course, if you need something that's ridiculously powerful, you'll have to look beyond the realm of Thinkpads. Check out the ASUS F50 that has a 1GB GT120M card on-board. At $1K, it's pretty cheap too, although long-term reliability might be a bit questionable.

Capiche?

[sandstig]

never really thought about the w series, I'll have to add that to my list. As much as I like the 14 inch, I think that the w500 might suit my needs better than the t400. I dont know much about the graphics chipsets though, is there going to be enough power in the W series or even the T series?

How about considering an HP EliteBook 8530w (http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4631)? It comes with a Quadro FX770M (workstation equivalent of a GeForce 9600 GT) and the build quality rivals the ThinkPad T-series.

[%hMa@?b<C]

I got the t400. Everything works perfectly ootb on ubuntu (switchable graphics need to be disabled, but the ATi drivers are good) It feels so solid, and everything is awesome. My only gripe is no 2 finger scrolling, but the trackpoint scrolling makes up for it.