ThinkPad T40 stopped working, Freezes

[luca9903]

Hi,

I was using my TP yesterday evening and suddenly it froze on WIN desktop. I tried changing HD, RAM and CPU but it turns on and then freeze or only does not. I noticed that if I plug the AC Adapter it stucks, if I run on battery it works for few minutes. (I tried with/without battery) I tested the Adapter on a X41 and it works.

What can I do?

P.S. does a T42P mobo fit in a T40 with XGA screen?

Thanks in advance, waiting your answers.

Best Regards.

[kfzhu1229]

that seems like a southbridge failure or short circuit to me. I think you should try to boot it off the battery without palmrest and minipci card and try the temperature of the southbridge. My A31p motherboard has the same issue and you can feel like the southbridge is reaching to boiling hot before it freezes.
Yes a T42p motherboard will fit if you don't care about the fingerprint sensor but why would you use XGA display for that motherboard?

[luca9903]

that seems like a southbridge failure or short circuit to me. I think you should try to boot it off the battery without palmrest and minipci card and try the temperature of the southbridge. My A31p motherboard has the same issue and you can feel like the southbridge is reaching to boiling hot before it freezes.
Yes a T42p motherboard will fit if you don't care about the fingerprint sensor but why would you use XGA display for that motherboard?

I try it now.

I would use a XGA because it is the Screen I have. I use this TP on torrent and photo storage... so the screen is not important to me.

I'll let you know. Thanks.

Edit: I'm Trying now it seems it goes, i'm using it without palmrest but gave problem at the startup...

I'll tell you if it freezes

Thanks

[kfzhu1229]

For my A31p, every time before it freezes the southbridge got boiling hot so just a reminder be careful about the contact if you are using your finger to try the temperature (I suggest you to try it with a piece of cloth so that it does not directly burn you)

[micrex22]

For my A31p, every time before it freezes the southbridge got boiling hot so just a reminder be careful about the contact if you are using your finger to try the temperature (I suggest you to try it with a piece of cloth so that it does not directly burn you)

Yeah, netburst bus chips get pretty hot (and usually cooled with heatsinks that are too small). What a shame.

[kfzhu1229]

Yeah, netburst bus chips get pretty hot (and usually cooled with heatsinks that are too small). What a shame.

I know that fact. The netburst southbridge get hot to the touch, but it is not hot enough to burn your hands. And that's even true to my OptiPlex GX520!
What I was trying to say was my motherboard was just defective. The southbridge heats up to just the same burning hot and stops charging battery even if you leave it as a battery charger!

[luca9903]

Yeah, netburst bus chips get pretty hot (and usually cooled with heatsinks that are too small). What a shame.

I know that fact. The netburst southbridge get hot to the touch, but it is not hot enough to burn your hands. And that's even true to my OptiPlex GX520!
What I was trying to say was my motherboard was just defective. The southbridge heats up to just the same burning hot and stops charging battery even if you leave it as a battery charger!

Thank you all for answering. I'm attempting to make it works. I tried as you said, the chip next to CPU heats up and the one under the Wireless Card does not. I have been using this T40 with 2 stick 2x1 GB PC3200 DDR-400 and it worked, If use use them now it surely freeze... I put in his original 512 MB stick and it seem it is not freezing but sometimes it doesn't boot up (Black Screen). I also put in his 1.6 GHz CPU instead of my Pentium M 725 but I think it is not the issue.

Have I to change the mobo or I can try other things before ?

Edit: Maybe CMOS Battery can affect?

[micrex22]

I know that fact. The netburst southbridge get hot to the touch, but it is not hot enough to burn your hands. And that's even true to my OptiPlex GX520!
What I was trying to say was my motherboard was just defective. The southbridge heats up to just the same burning hot and stops charging battery even if you leave it as a battery charger!

Thank you all for answering. I'm attempting to make it works. I tried as you said, the chip next to CPU heats up and the one under the Wireless Card does not. I have been using this T40 with 2 stick 2x1 GB PC3200 DDR-400 and it worked, If use use them now it surely freeze... I put in his original 512 MB stick and it seem it is not freezing but sometimes it doesn't boot up (Black Screen). I also put in his 1.6 GHz CPU instead of my Pentium M 725 but I think it is not the issue.

Have I to change the mobo or I can try other things before ?

Edit: Maybe CMOS Battery can affect?

Why don't you run memtestx86+?
http://www.memtest.org/

There could be defective memory. If not, then one of the BGA chips is at fault and has a poor connection (which would explain the intermittance).

[luca9903]

Thank you all for answering. I'm attempting to make it works. I tried as you said, the chip next to CPU heats up and the one under the Wireless Card does not. I have been using this T40 with 2 stick 2x1 GB PC3200 DDR-400 and it worked, If use use them now it surely freeze... I put in his original 512 MB stick and it seem it is not freezing but sometimes it doesn't boot up (Black Screen). I also put in his 1.6 GHz CPU instead of my Pentium M 725 but I think it is not the issue.

Have I to change the mobo or I can try other things before ?

Edit: Maybe CMOS Battery can affect?

Why don't you run memtestx86+?
http://www.memtest.org/

There could be defective memory. If not, then one of the BGA chips is at fault and has a poor connection (which would explain the intermittance).

I'll try Memtest. Now I pushed on the GPU and SouthBridge and seem it is working... maybe theese component are not more soldered well.

[kfzhu1229]

Well then it is for certain that you have one of the dreadful southbridge desoldering problems. You are looking at reflow (which will not return the motherboard to good as new state) or motherboard replacement. You are better off using your T42p motherboard in this case. Your old T40 motherboard can still be used as a charger if you wish
Btw as for parts swap your existing RAM, HDD and CPU (if Dothan core) will work in T42p just fine

[luca9903]

Hi, after many days I am here.

I Think The T40 is Dead, nothing to do. Planning to buy the T42P MOBO with FireGl T2, I want to be sure it is compatible with the XGA screen of the TP T40, do you confirm?

Thanks all for your replies, waiting your answers.

Best Regards.

[RealBlackStuff]

The XGA screen will work with any T4x/R5x variant.