T61 -- 4 in 1 card reader support SDHC?

[Muse]

I'm looking at used T61's and want SDHC support. Does the T61 factory supplied with the 4 in 1 card reader support SDHC?

Also, I intend to install 4GB DDR2 and Windows 7 64bit Ultimate. Is there a driver for the card reader that will support SDHC? Are there any other issues I should be aware of regarding my Windows 7 64bit Ultimate plans for this machine? Can I get a version of Thinkvantage and software to support the optical drive and etc.? TIA...

[RealBlackStuff]

Yeah, if that machine has nVidia graphics, RUN AWAY.
It's guaranteed to fail, due to a production-error in the graphics chip.

[Muse]

Yeah, if that machine has nVidia graphics, RUN AWAY.
It's guaranteed to fail, due to a production-error in the graphics chip.

Oh, drat. It has 128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M. Is that truly a show stopper? The product ID is 64574UU

Can you link me to something? Some documentation? Thanks!!

[richk]

I think "guaranteed to fail" is a bit of an overstatement. There have certainly been failures, but I have seen many intel-based boards fail with problems in their power circuitry.

[sysiphus]

Oh, drat. It has 128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M. Is that truly a show stopper? The product ID is 64574UU

Can you link me to something? Some documentation? Thanks!! [/quote]

Yes, it is a a TOTAL show-stopper. nVIDIA's run of GPUs during that time (for everybody, not just Lenovo) was faulty. They just settled a class-action suit with Dell and Apple over it (see http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/nvid ... ing-apple/). Support from Lenovo on this was obtainable during the warranty life of the hardware, but it's not a question of if it will fail, but rather ~when~. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but better to know now than later. If you want a reliable T6x, it'll either be a T60 (the T60p runs VERY hot but is functional, too) or a T61 with Intel graphics.

richk: No, it's precisely on target. The chips left the factory as ticking time bombs; the primary way to push the expiration date up is to run the machine hot all the time, but it'll happen eventually almost no matter what. (My buddy with a T61p has been through 3). What Intel boards do or do not do is entirely beside the point. This isn't a matter of a lemon in every batch.

[Muse]

Thank you, much appreciated for all the comments. I was sooooo hopeful this was the ideal machine for me and now I'm forced to think it's unlikely. Well, I'll see if I can find a T61 with Intel graphics, I think I saw one yesterday and will try to find it. Even so, I'm scared. I just read over 20 reviews on CNET and the vast majority of the T61 buyers are very unhappy customers and a great many of the experiences are horror shows complete with devastating experiences with Lenovo support. The machines I'm looking at presumably have 2 months of warranty support remaining, but the stories about Lenovo support make it sound like waiting for a train to hit your stalled car! How could the T61 possibly be an excellent choice? Link:

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo- ... 903-1.html

I think I'm going to have to modify my strategy in getting a replacement laptop. I think I should do a lot of online research to get reassurance that the machine I'm contemplating is apt to really be satisfactory. My T60 has been great, but it will not support over 3GB of RAM. Maybe I should accept that limitation and just get a used T60. Would a T60 run 64 bit Windows 7?

[Muse]

I'm concerned about one thing at the moment:

The T60 I have now has a 14.1" screen with integrated Intel 950 graphics and is displaying at 1400 x 1050. I'm looking to buy a T61. The specs I'm seeing for the Lenovo T61 765912U I'm looking at now, also with a 14.1" screen, but with integrated Intel Intel GMA X3100 graphics, has resolution listed as 1280 x 800. Isn't that significantly inferior? That's two steps down the available resolution chart in my T60's display settings.

[Radioguy]

Three responses to the OP, and no one answered the original question about the card reader.

In case you still wondered, yes, it does support SDHC.

[sysiphus]

I'm concerned about one thing at the moment:

The T60 I have now has a 14.1" screen with integrated Intel 950 graphics and is displaying at 1400 x 1050. I'm looking to buy a T61. The specs I'm seeing for the Lenovo T61 765912U I'm looking at now, also with a 14.1" screen, but with integrated Intel Intel GMA X3100 graphics, has resolution listed as 1280 x 800. Isn't that significantly inferior? That's two steps down the available resolution chart in my T60's display settings.

Yes, the screen on the T61 you're looking at is awful by comparison. First off, it's a 14" widescreen, which is significantly smaller than a 14" 4:3. More to the point, you'll have about 40% less pixels on your screen--1280x800 is going to feel awful when you're used to SXGA+. (Take it from me--I go back and forth all the time, because my mother's Z61t has the same screen you're looking at, and my T60 has the same screen yours does). No way I'd go for something that low. Sadly, the market trend seems to be 16x9 widescreens (catering to movie watching/crossover in LCD panel production with small TVs), at relatively low resolutions. 8 years ago, I could buy a laptop with a 1600x1200 15" screen. Today, it's impossible to touch that. Sad. But I digress.

And to answer Muse's question, yes, a T60 can run Win7 64-bit, provided it has a Core2Duo in it (If it has a Core Duo, it's a small job to swap in a C2D if 64-bit is critical to you). I can run Win7 32 happily on the T60 in my sig, and am confident it could do 64 if necessary should I chose to do a processor swap. To put it in perspective, my mother's SLOOOOOW ~1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo with only 2 gigs of RAM does fine on Win7 64.

[dr_st]

Yeah, for a 14" widescreen you want WXGA+ (more simply does not exist in current Thinkpad offerings). There are some WXGA+ Intel GPU T61s out there, but they are rare - it is easier to find a T400 which does not have a known defective graphics chip, but then there is pricing to consider.