Lenovo ThinkPad T430: Performance

Performance

Our Lenovo ThinkPad T430 review unit has the following specifications:

• 14-inch anti-glare 720p display (1366x768 resolution, 200 nits brightness)
• Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
• Intel Core i5-3320M dual-core processor (2.6GHz, up to 3.3GHz Turbo Boost, 3MB cache, 35W TDP)
• Integrated Intel HD graphics
• 8GB DDR3-1600 (2x 4GB; 16GB max - 2x 8GB)
• 500GB 7200RPM Hitachi hard drive (7mm single platter; HTS725050A7E630)
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205
• Integrated Bluetooth v4.0
• Integrated HD webcam
• Internal tray-load DVD burner
• 1-year limited warranty
• 9-cell li-ion battery (11.1V, 94Wh)
• Weight: 4.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 13.8 x 9.1 x 1.2 inches
• Starting Price: $849
• Price as Configured: $1,324

Our pricey review unit has almost $500 worth of options. Compared to the base model we have a more powerful Core i5 processor, double the RAM, a 500GB hard drive instead of a 320GB, Bluetooth, a webcam, and a 50% larger battery. Things the T430 is available with but absent on our test model include a brighter, higher-resolution screen (1600x900), a dedicated Nvidia grpahics card, and a backlit keyboard. The 1600x900 screen is the only option I sorely miss; the 1366x768 version as we'll see later in this review is underwhelming.

Performance and Benchmarks

Our review unit came well-equipped with the latest Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, 8GB of RAM and a reasonably fast 500GB 7200RPM hard drive. It's more than capable of handling any standard business task. It's interesting to note the included hard drive is a 7mm single-platter model which consumes slightly less power.

The T430 is available with a dedicated Nvidia graphics card though the integrated Intel graphics of our test unit consume less power and produce less heat as a result.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark Vantage measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

PCMark 7 is a newer benchmark which measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics card performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test: