SOLD!: My "Nuclear FrankenPad" the most powerful 4:3 ever

[ajkula66]

Yeah, this one...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=109360



specifications:

X9000 Core 2 Extreme Penryn CPU 2.8GHz and 6MB L2 cache
8GB matched Crucial RAM
15" UXGA (1600x1200) AFFS FlexView LED LCD
nVidia FX570M GPU
DVD RW multiburner
300GB Intel 320 SSD (Lenovo FRU 45N8329) *
Atheros abgn wireless card
Bluetooth
NO MODEM
Gigabit Ethernet
UltraNav
Security Chip
Fingerprint reader
Middleton's BIOS
Win XP Pro COA
9-cell genuine Lenovo battery in "green"
90W genuine Lenovo AC adapter
Lenovo Advanced Mini Dock


Trying to generate some interest here, before I throw this unique piece of FrankenPadding history on feebay where similar units have sold well in the past...

Here's the bottom line: this is as maxed-out as *ANY* 4:3 ThinkPad will EVER get. You could throw in a bigger SSD or a different wireless card if you felt the need to do so, but that's it.

Why am I getting rid of this monster to begin with, you might ask?

I'll answer that question in a somewhat roundabout way: most of my ThinkPads and FrankenPads will be gone before the summer's here. One way or another.

A lot of time and effort - not to mention $$$ - has gone into this particular machine, and I'm extremely happy with the result. Whoever ends up buying this spectacular unit will be a proud owner of an utterly unique and difficult to replicate FrankenPad.

* The Intel SSD listed above will come in a sealed Lenovo box - since I can't legally sell this machine with anything apart from XP which wouldn't allow the buyer to enjoy the full power of 8GB RAM - you may as well enjoy the process of unpacking yourself. If you can provide a valid COA for Vista, W7/W8 or would like some flavour of Linux included, I have no problem installing the OS of your choice on this drive.

More pictures to follow...stay tuned...

PM or email me directly to tataslonATaol.com with any questions/concerns.

[JeffCullen]

Wow, George! I can't imagine it was easy to decide sell this beast after all the time, money and effort you've put into it... it really is The Ultimate 4:3 Machine! On the other hand, I find the lion's share of the fun is in the assembling and building... hope you are moving on to other fun stuff in your life! Best of luck with the sale!

[Atreides]

That thing is nuts. I lurk frankenpad threads all the time (one of my favorite topics here), and this is probably the craziest I've seen.

Seriously, best of luck with the sale. It'd be nice to see someone here pick it up.

[TuuS]

This is very similar to one of my frankenpads, awesome machine. I spent a small fortune putting mine together but it was more about sport then need. This is for the serious thinkpad fan, not a daily driver by any means. You definitely want to keep an eye on temps when running an X9000 cpu, but with a properly installed cooling system that's finely tuned then can run efficiently, and I have no doubt georges is well tuned.

@george, maybe we can get ours together so the crowds can stare and gawk lol

[bwaldow]

There's an ATI GPU sticker on it...

[friedrich-eugen]

It is a beautiful machine ...

chapeau!

[RealBlackStuff]

There's an ATI GPU sticker on it...

I'd call that "poetical license".
Removing such a sticker often leaves a nasty dark spot, so it was left there on purpose...

[TuuS]

I'd call that "poetical license".
Removing such a sticker often leaves a nasty dark spot, so it was left there on purpose...

Exactly, and if you want you can get a nVidia Quadro sticker for about 99cents to replace it. You can also replace the windows sticker to match your version of choice or avoid the pane altogether and opt for your favorite penguin My advice if you using windows is go with Vista 64 or Seven 64, either will use the full ram and have SSD support and if the buyer needs a coa for vista let me know, I'll donate one. My good friend george has done no less for me on many, many occasion.

[JeffCullen]

I hate those stickers with a passion and would rather live with a dark spot than an advertisement for some functionality I've already purchased. One of the major things I like about (old...) Thinkpads is the understated, purposeful styling. The stickers are ridiculous baubles which have no place in my field of vision. I guess if the resulting mark were brutal enough, one could purchase a replacement wrist rest...

I'm also disappointed in the increasing size and prominence of the LENOVO logo on the lids of the newer machines. The T61 seems to be the last to have made out without this... my W500 and X301 have one which is at least of a reasonable size... the T530 I was setting up for a client yesterday had one the size of Texas.

I like how Apple manages to get away without putting "Intel !!CORE!! i99999^72 Energy Star NVidia WhizBang Flux Capacitor Vegetable-Powered Graphics Extravaganza" stickers all over their machines. Probably Steve Jobs or Jony Ive telling the OEMs to go pound sand...

[TuuS]

I agree about the stickers, but you can't even buy a genuine new palmrest for one of these at the moment, I even tried to get them in china but seems only knock-offs are being sold, or reprocessed parts (best translation I could get, or perhaps refurbished), so it's either stickers or sticker residue.

[JeffCullen]

My T61p and W500 recovered from the stickerectomy operation very nicely. Same with my boss' Frankenpad. Just got apply a bit of heat and remove them reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally slowly.

Sadly, I can't say the same for the X301...

[ajkula66]

This unbelievable machine is now pending sale outside of the forum...will update the thread accordingly.

[jedisurfer1]

nice machine gl

[ajkula66]

Sold.