looking to go with an older thinkpad

[Whitieiii]

The A30p board will work in the A31p? I don't know how much they go for... does the extra vram make much difference? If not than i don't need the A30p... i was gonna put 512mb and 256mb sticks of regular ram in it anyways

As for the extra VRAM, I didn't notice much difference. Just the number looked more pleasing to my eyes,,,
The casing for A30 series and A31 series are the same, just the thermal sponge under GPU and northbridge is a bit different.
Also what kind of thing are you going to do with it? I think A3x's ATI Radeon GPU is slower in Windows 98 than even in Windows 7 and I have 3DMark01 benchmark results to prove that.
If you want something that looks vintage, go for 390X or the numbered series. A3x is basically the transition from vintage to modern while a numbered series (other than 240 series) cannot even be turned on by today's people (power button is on the side lol)

Anyways if you still want A30,
I think you REALLY should check this out:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/IBM-ThinkPad-A30 ... Sw4DJYjp6Y
This computer is likely to have the higher SXGA+ resolution which is good but finding a Windows 98 driver that supports that resolution takes a pair of keen eyes.
If you are in luck, F9 in the BIOS setup or unplugging devices may fix the resource conflict problem. Otherwise I think this down below will be cheaper than my offer for motherboard replacement if you understand Italian (I spent around $40 on mine because the shipping took 3/4 of that price!):
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/IBM-Lenovo-Think ... Sw2xRYfJQ5

You see the thing is it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to get A30p or A31p motherboard on eBay. I was only lucky last time because that seller marketed my A30p board as A30 motherboard (they only had 4, I ordered 2, another forum member ended up getting the other two which turned out to be defective)!

I think this depends on you. The eBay one is definitely cheaper but if you are not experienced with disassembling these models (even with IBM's manual in the HMM page), I or someone else in this forum may be the one to go.
I can also offer you 2x256mb sticks for free if you decided to go with my unit.

Just bought that computer and want to know what power adapter will work with it? I don't know what is the correct voltage, wattage or plug size

[kfzhu1229]

Any IBM adapter from that era will do. I am personally using the one from my T42 and T43 and it works just fine.
It is the 16V barrel connector that you typically see in almost all ThinkPads (Except for G series) from that era...
Also you can try docking it into a port replicator or dock if you simply CANNOT get the correct adapter.

[Whitieiii]

Any IBM adapter from that era will do. I am personally using the one from my T42 and T43 and it works just fine.
It is the 16V barrel connector that you typically see in almost all ThinkPads (Except for G series) from that era...
Also you can try docking it into a port replicator or dock if you simply CANNOT get the correct adapter.

ok like this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-IBM-Len ... Swo4pYMQzQ

[kfzhu1229]

I would suggest you buying them in bulk if you decide to hit eBay.
Before buying that one, I would suggest you to go to some kind of local theft store or recycling center and see if they are trying to discard a ThinkPad or something and you may be able to find an adapter for free!

[Whitieiii]

I would suggest you buying them in bulk if you decide to hit eBay.
Before buying that one, I would suggest you to go to some kind of local theft store or recycling center and see if they are trying to discard a ThinkPad or something and you may be able to find an adapter for free!

true... but will that one work for now?

[kfzhu1229]

https://1drv.ms/i/s!At7-rt1KJ7WviMtsVN9Y-0w1u-IF2Q
These are the adapters I am using all the time. 4 adapters with 3 different PNs lol...
Yes I have one adapter out of those four with the same PN in your eBay result