Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T410s

June 28, 2010

In January 2010, Lenovo announced the ThinkPad T410s 14.1-inch widescreen, which is based on Intel's Calpella notebook platform. The ThinkPad T410s supplants the ThinkPad T400s and is a significant update.

Design and Changes

The ThinkPad T410s retains much of the same basic design of the previous generation ThinkPad T400s 14.1-inch widescreen notebook. A ThinkPad T410s with the multi-touch display weighs approximately 4.5 pounds with a travel weight (which includes power adapter) of about 5.4 pounds (a T410s without multi-touch is about 0.3 pounds less). These weights make the T410s at least three quarters of a pound lighter than any other enterprise class 14-inch notebook.

Information System & Computing (ISC) believes the most significant single change for the ThinkPad T410s is the addition of a discrete video card option. This changes ISC's designation for this model line from a lightweight notebook with a large screen (true of the ThinkPad T400s) to a true mid-weight notebook, but one that is about a pound less than almost all of its 14-inch competition. The T410s' only display resolution choice is a 1440 x 900 LED-backlit display, giving a resolution of 120 dpi.

The ThinkPad T410s is optimized for videoconferencing with dual noise cancelling microphones, low light sensitive cameras with auto white balancing, and a lit microphone mute switch on the keyboard.

The ThinkPad T410s is EPEAT Gold-compliant and Energy Star 5.0-certified. Power usage information for the T410s and other netbooks, notebooks, and desktops in use at the University is available here.

Ordering Notes

Several notes when ordering a ThinkPad T410s:

1. All models of the T410s include Arrandale versions of Intel's recently introduced Core i5 processor.
2. A multi-touch display is optional for the T410s. This is an interesting technology, but is probably not relevant for most users and adds about 0.3 pounds to system weight. Note that this capability is far more effective under Windows 7 than with older version of Windows.
3. ISC strongly suggests purchasing the T410s with a discrete video card if the system is going to be used as as a desktop equivalent. All models of the T410s with a discrete video card support NVIDIA's hybrid graphics, which allows switching between discrete and integrated video for performance and battery life considerations.
4. Having at least 4.0 GB RAM is essential for the optimal functionality of a modern mid-weight notebook.
5. An integrated web camera is optional on the T410s. However, ISC suggests adding the web camera unless there is a specific local policy or security reason to exclude one.
6. Though a 128 GB solid state drive is available with the T410s, ISC does not believe that this is currently an appropriate choice for many users because the cost and capacity trade-offs are too great.
7. As with any mid-weight notebook, ISC suggests that LSPs consider purchasing an extra AC power adapter for the T410s. Providers also may wish to consider Lenovo's range of peripheral accessories, such as port replicators and mini docks.
8. The T410s' connectivity options include 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Gobi multi-vendor WWAN connectivity, WiMax, and Bluetooth 2.1. ISC believes that Bluetooth is a relevant protocol for most notebook users and that WWAN connectivity is useful for many "road warriors".

See ISC's Notebook Purchasing Guide for more configuration hints. As of June 2010, configuring a ThinkPad T410 to the Mid-Weight Notebook specification can be done for approximately $1,700. The University's Computer Connection has multiple T410s configurations available to order.

Windows Performance

ISC tested a ThinkPad T410s with 2.4 GHz Core i5, 1067 MHz 4.0 GB RAM, 512 MB NVIDIA NVS 3100M discrete graphics card, 128 GB solid state drive, and Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. It received a Windows Experience Index base score of 4.9, with individual scores of:

• Processor: 6.7
• Memory (RAM): 5.9
• Graphics: 4.9
• Gaming graphics: 5.9
• Primary hard disk: 6.9

These scores suggest that Windows 7 and Windows Vista performance will be excellent for most users on a ThinkPad T410s configured in this manner.

Analysis

ISC sees the ThinkPad T410s as one of the best (if not the best) mid-weight notebooks available in mid 2010, with its full capability and class-leading weight. Over time, ISC expects most sales of the heavier ThinkPad T410 and its successors to bleed over to the T410s and its successors.

When correctly configured to the mid-weight notebook specification in the Notebook Purchasing Guide, the ThinkPad T410s is approved for general use at the University.

ThinkPad T410s graphic courtesy of Lenovo

--John Mulhern III, Lead for Client Technologies, ISC Technology Support Services (June 28, 2010)