T400 / T500 and newer T series ThinkPad Laptops

[#1]

Yes, the original post also said:

"T400

Short answer - the batteries are the same on T61 and R61: "

And I'm going by your post that says a little bit later: "7-cell: 41U3197" for the T400.  That 9-cell you referred to seems to be not available anywhere I looked.  If you know of somewhere it is available, I'm sure folks reading here would be interested.  In the meantime, the 7-cell seems very available.

[#2]

Hi Tim,

Great thread.  Have a few questions/thoughts:

1. I am getting a T500 (LED) with T9400 processor, 160/7200 rpm disk and a AMD M86M graphic chipset

2. I want the battery to flush (hate the battery sticking out).

So my qustions are:

- Can I get a 6 cell battery for this customization?

- Can I buy extra 3 cell batteries? (Part #?)

- Do these extra batteries fit in the Ultrabay, or is there a special connection for them? (picture appreciated).

- Am I compromizing with this soluton - it's a solution built on estetics :-)

Thanks

[#3]

creds - I'm glad you found the post useful.

The T500 does support a 6-cell battery which sits flush. Whether there are configurations available with that in your area is a whole other story - I would recommend calling Lenovo or a business partner in your area directly to find out what options there are.

I forgot entirely about the 3-cell Ultrabay batteries. Yes those are still around and you can buy them separately. They do replace your optical drive in the Ultrabay. Please note that when you have a main battery and Ultrabay battery inserted, the system will drain the Ultrabay battery first. Some people don't find this advantageous for their uses, so I want to make sure you are aware of that.

I'm looking into the specific info on those batteries now - stay tuned.

[#4]

I thought I saw a demo with an extra battery inserted in a "port" (excuse my non technical) at the rear left end of the laptop - hidden behind a rubber cover.  Or is this just in the docking for charging? 

Could you say anything about the battery life I would get with the config I suggested and with 6 cells?

(They default with 9 cells in my area, and I figure there is a reason.  But I am not travelling a lot with the laptop, so extreme battery life is not the big issue for me).

Thanks again.

[#5]

creds,

The Ultrabay battery part number is 43R9250 and is good for 29.16 Wattage hours. Think of it as nearly doubling the run-time with a 6-cell battery for a T/W/R500.

Unfortunately I don't have any estimates on battery life for you. You can view our official numbers in the datasheet, but real world usage tends to be less than that. I'd suggest reading around some threads and get other users' estimates. I'm really just not as personally experienced with the new systems, and in particular the hybrid graphics.

http://shop.lenovo.com/ISS_Static/merchandising/US/PDFs/t400_and_t500_datasheet.pdf

[#6]

When I ordered my T500, the 9-cell battery was not available so I settled for a 6-cell. I just returned from a trip and was very disappointed with the battery life of the 6-cell. I didn't carefully track it but don't think I got 3 hours out of it. That is not enough for me so I'm looking for solutions. A second primary battery or an Ultrabay battery seem like a viable options but I have a couple questions:

1. If purchased an additional primary battery, would I be able to swap batteries without powering down the laptop?

2. I have a half dozen Ultrabay batteries for my A31 ThinkPad but they don't fit in the Ultrabay of my T500. If I shop for an Ultrabay battery, how do I distinguish which Ultrabay size I need for the T500?

[#7]

creatively - welcome to the forums!

If you purchase an ultrabay battery, as long as it still has a charge you can remove your main battery to swap it for another. Here's the catch though: as I detailed above, when you have a main battery and an Ultrabay battery in the system, the Ultrabay battery drains first.

Your A31 uses what was called the Ultrabay 2000 - a different design from today's Ultrabay. The best way to ensure compatibility is to shop via the part number, which I posted above.

Hope this helps

[#8]

Tim, thanks for the quick reply.

1. If I want to swap main batteries (with no ultrabay battery) I'd either have to power down or hibernate the system, right?

2. Ebay has many batteries listed as Ultrabay Slim. Is Ultrabay Slim yet another Ultrabay format that is incompatible with the T500?

[#9]

Creatively - Here is my understanding of Ultrabay's. I'll be getting an in-depth review in the morning, but I think this part is certain:

There are two Ultrabay formats today. Ultrabay Slim and Ultrabay Enhanced. Slim is the 9.5mm format used on our thinnest systems: all T Series (T400/T500/T61), R400 & R61 14.1" widescreen, and in the X61/X200 docks. Enhanced is the 12.7mm format used in our R500 and R61 - as the name implies, this is a thicker design based around the 12.7mm optical drives. You can use Slim (9.5mm) devices in the Enhanced (12.7mm) bay, but not vice versa.

Again, I would search by part number rather than name. And I would be wary of eBay batteries as an aside - unless they are sealed genuine batteries, you are taking a risk with generic batteries. You also don't know the age or cycle count, which can be determined with the Power Manager utility once you plug it in to the system.

I'll report back tomorrow with more details on the Ultrabay systems - likely as a whole new post as I expect a rather in-depth review of them. Learn something new every day!

[#10]

Hi 

Does a T400 with 9 cell battery fits in a bag as big as 10.2" x 14.2" x 1.5”  ?

Thanks