Lenovo used this year's CES to revamp its entire notebook line-up. We already looked at the all-new ThinkPad Edge, which is aimed at style and budget-conscious business users, blending elements from the IdeaPad netbooks with the enduring legacy of the ThinkPad line. The end result was a decent performing machine that boasts a superb design and affordable price tag, but undoubtedly some will be left wanting more.
Today we have something a little more serious on the table for those seeking a more powerful mobile workstation. The ThinkPad T510 is part of Lenovo's classic T series which saw a complete refresh this January along with the popular W series laptops. Our T510 sample (model 4349-24U) came equipped with a dual core Arrandale chip also known as the Intel Core i7 620M that operates at 2.66GHz with 4MB of L3 cache.
Discrete graphics come courtesy of Nvidia's NVS 3100m chip with 512MB DDR3 memory. There's also a 250GB hard drive spinning at 5,400 RPM, 2GB PC3-8500 DDR3, Bluetooth, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 Wi-Fi and a 15.6-inch HD+ anti-glare display with a 1600 x 900 native resolution. The matte display and added real estate compared to the ultraportables and netbooks we've been looking at over the last few months will surely be appreciated by those more interested in a desktop-replacement type of machine.
Looking at this T510 reminds of how things have changed since the IBM ThinkPad days. A T series laptop would usually come at a hefty price premium, which resulted in a serious yet expensive business machine. While this particular configuration we are reviewing currently goes for ~$1400, the base Lenovo ThinkPad T510 actually starts at an amicable $900 if you settle for the default Core i5 520M processor and forgo a handful other features like the discrete graphics in favor of Intel's integrated solution, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The T510 measures in at 371mm x 268mm x 38mm (14.62" x 10.56" x 1.50") with the included 9-cell battery in place, and weighs upwards of 6 pounds. Not the lightest to carry around, but we are eager to find out what kind battery life we can get out of the large 9-cell pack. Read on as we take a closer look at the laptop's features and design.