Thinkpads Forum

Hi there,

I have here for sale what I would consider an almost "fully loaded" Thinkpad T61 14.1" Widescreen model. Here's a rundown of the specs of this beast of a machine:

Thinkpad T61 14.1" Widescreen model 7662-CTR running latest Middleton BIOS
T9300 CPU (2.5GHz)
2GB DDR2 RAM
Intel 40GB SATA-2 SSD
128MB Nvidia NVS 140m Graphics
14.1" 1440x900 Widescreen Display (highest resolution available on this model)
Integrated Camera (RARE)
CD-RW/DVD-RW Multi Drive
Fingerprint reader
4-in-1 card reader (RARE)
Intel 4965 ABGN Wireless
Built-in Bluetooth
4-cell battery
Windows Vista COA included and valid
Comes with docking station (P/N 42W4631) and 90W Power Adapter

Some notes about the system:
There are no dents/scratches on any of the plastic parts of this laptop. These laptops (as you probably know) are almost indestructible, but this one in particular is in great condition. The only cosmetic defect is the bottom front left of the screen's front bezel has a small crack in it. This prevents it from being fully screwed in. This causes no problem to the laptop, and is not noticeable. I have opened up this system for inspecting the insides and cleaning the CPU/GPU. It has only been opened once, with nothing missing inside. I cleaned the CPU/GPU with Arctic Cooling MX-2 paste, which significantly helped with temperatures.

The screen is an upgrade from the original (1280x800). The screen has an upgraded resolution for more work space and also includes the integrated camera. The only problems with the screen are 2 scratches near the middle of the screen. Also the brightness on this screen isn't fully bright (this is normal with use). A brighter 1280x800 screen assembly without a camera is available for an adjusted (lower) price.

4 cell battery still holds a pretty good charge. With Wifi on and the screen brightness pretty high, I can get a solid hour out of the battery.

Why am I selling this computer? As stated in the title, this PC is perfect for running the latest version of OSX (Mountain Lion) as a hackintosh computer. I followed this very guide here on these forums to get it running: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 36&start=0 With this computer, all major functions work on OSX: CPU w/Speedstep, GPU w/acceleration, bluetooth, sleep mode (sleep and wake with no issues!), audio, brightness, etc. Read the thread for more details. Anyways, I am selling because I think it's finally time I upgrade to a real mac (sorry thinkpad community!)

Asking price: $250 $200!! (plus cost of shipping, or free local pickup) This laptop is pretty much fully loaded and doesn't have any major cosmetic defects. Pictures are available upon request. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them here. Thanks for looking!

EDIT: I know I'm fairly new on this site, and I've never sold anything to this community. However, I'm an experienced online seller, as per my 100% positive feedback eBay account: http://myworld.ebay.com/linkinskt If you would like, I can send you an eBay message to verify that it is me.

EDIT 2: The system build date is 08/06/03 (which I believe is June 3, 2008). The motherboard is original and has not be tampered with. The GPU is the "A2" model, and has date code 0801.

EDIT 3: Swapping the standard HDD for an upgraded 40GB SSD which maxes out the speed of this machine!

Can you please list the production date that follows the serial number on bottom label, and if the unit has the original systemboard.

Good luck with your sale

TuuS wrote:Can you please list the production date that follows the serial number on bottom label, and if the unit has the original systemboard.

Good luck with your sale

Good idea, I added it to the first post. Thanks for looking!

You're welcome. Most T61 units have a 4 digit date code yy/mm, a six digit usually indicates it's a lenovo refurb unit.

TuuS wrote:You're welcome. Most T61 units have a 4 digit date code yy/mm, a six digit usually indicates it's a lenovo refurb unit.

Really? I'm fairly confident that this machine was purchased new...however, I could be mistaken. Is there another way I could check for sure? I'd like to get the facts straight so the buyer knows what he/she is getting. I'm not trying to fool anyone or rip anyone off here...

Can you send me a photo of the bottom label? I might be able to figure out more info about it.

After seeing the label I can say for certain it's a refurb unit. The model is 7662-CTR. The CTR (Configure To order Refurb) is a relabled CTO (Configure To Order). It's impossible to know the original production date of a refurb unit, but if it originally shipped with the T9300 cpu, then we know it was made sometime in 2008. Many of the CTR systems were CTO units that the sale was never completed or cancelled, but some could have been used and returned. When initially sold they were valued less, but now, several years down the road it makes little difference other than the fact that it's difficult to tell when it was manufactured.

TuuS wrote:After seeing the label I can say for certain it's a refurb unit. The model is 7662-CTR. The CTR (Configure To order Refurb) is a relabled CTO (Configure To Order). It's impossible to know the original production date of a refurb unit, but if it originally shipped with the T9300 cpu, then we know it was made sometime in 2008. Many of the CTR systems were CTO units that the sale was never completed or cancelled, but some could have been used and returned. When initially sold they were valued less, but now, several years down the road it makes little difference other than the fact that it's difficult to tell when it was manufactured.

That's interesting. Thanks for your input.

I'll admit I'm not the original owner of this system. I was told that the system was purchased in early 2009 (which I suspected was incorrect information). However, now I'm thinking it might be correct (maybe this was purchased from Lenovo's Outlet program as extra, old stock?).

Another thing TuuS brought to my attention was the Nvidia GPU problem. I actually started reading about this yesterday. When I re-pasted the CPU and GPU, I noticed that the GPU was the "A2" revision with date code 0801. I guess this makes it suspect. However, I'd like to remind you that it's lasted this long without any issues (I can confirm that I was the first to open up the system, I could tell by the security screws and the condition of the inside, plus the CPU/GPU paste had the original OEM paste on it before I put on MX-2).