Which T42 RADEON graphic card is the coolest?

[ssd_thinkpad]

There are this gpus available for T42:

32MB ATI Mobility RADEON 7500
32MB ATI Mobility RADEON 9000
64MB ATI Mobility RADEON 9600
128MB ATI Mobility FIREGL T2 (this it hot )

Which of the first three ones is the coolest or has best performance / coolness ratio ? Thanks.

[ajkula66]

The key question here is what the machine is going to be used for...

For simple web browsing, Office and stuff like that, there won't really be much difference between 7500/9000/9600. Be forewarned that 7500 likely has the biggest chance of failure.

Now, if you're intent on doing a lot of video-intensive stuff, your best bet in the respect of heat/performance ratio is likely 9600.

My $0.02 only...

[aaa]

Heh... performance to coolness ratio? With video cards? No way.

You can only pick one. Determine how much 3D performance you actually need. If it's alot, you will have to live with the heat.

[Marin85]

Well, at least one can say that the more powerful card will perform better for the same amount of produced heat

[dr_st]

The 9600 is the sweetspot for me. Same GPU as the T2. The reduced RAM compared to the T2 will be noticed in some tasks, but not in others. Also apparently lower chances of the GPU failure (especially in a 15" chassis).

[ssd_thinkpad]

The 9600 is the sweetspot for me. Same GPU as the T2. The reduced RAM compared to the T2 will be noticed in some tasks, but not in others. Also apparently lower chances of the GPU failure (especially in a 15" chassis).

I want to run T42 fanless. And of course I am aware of the GPU freezing issue. I hope that the 9600 will be cool enough. So I am looking for a model with a 9600.

[thinkpad1]

Do the T42p series have less or more of a chance of having the dreaded GPU problem?

I found, online though, a T42p with the specs: ATI FireGL T2 15.1 with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 ( UXGA ). Is the T2 based on the ATI 9600? I think it might be.

I was wondering if it's too much of a risk to take a chance on a laptop from online in which you can't inspect it in person, though.

However, I'm mostly only finding the Thinkpads with the ATI 7500 chips and resolutions of 1280 x 800 or 1024 x 768. There isn't a lot to choose from, locally, where I am unless you are willing to pay more or what I consider, over paying.

The ATI 7500 GPU is a potential problem in any Thinkpad? Should I stay away from it? I want to go with a 'cooler-running' GPU, too, and the T42 series is an okay price. I just can't find a version with ATI 9600 and 15" screen. Most I find are 14" screens.

Anyway, sorry to interrupt the discussion a bit.

[sktn77a]

The lower the number, the less heat generated. All of the T42s have the same basic motherboard (minor component differences) so they are all likely to have the same ultimate failure rate (although one poster suggested that the failure may be aggravated by greater thermal shifts). I dont think the radeon 7500 has any inherent flaws. I have a both a 14" T41/7500 and a 15" T42/9600 that had this problem so I don't know if the 15" computers really have a lower failure rate (?)

And by "fanless" I presume you mean on the GPU, not the CPU? These computers won't boot without the CPU fan fully operational and they didn't come with GPU fans (just extended heat sinks for the 9600/T2).

[ssd_thinkpad]

And by "fanless" I presume you mean on the GPU, not the CPU? These computers won't boot without the CPU fan fully operational and they didn't come with GPU fans (just extended heat sinks for the 9600/T2).

I am planning to disable cpu fan by software. I am looking forward to buy a T42 with ATI 9600 and hope it is possible to cool it fanless.

[poshgeordie]

I am planning to disable cpu fan by software. I am looking forward to buy a T42 with ATI 9600 and hope it is possible to cool it fanless.

I don't think you'd be able to run your T42 CPU fanless as it stands since it will overheat even running Linux.

Are you thinking of some ultramodified heat pipe arrangement? I'd be very interested to see what you come up with and how you'd arrange natural air convection etc through the TP chassis.

I would like you to prove me wrong on this!!

[aaa]

You can't completely abandon the fan. You can delay it's turning on, which would result in you hearing it less often.

[ssd_thinkpad]

I really plan to let it run completely fanless. If I buy one, I will try I will continue to buy any thinkpad until I find someone who's quiet. Hope that's not a longer journey

[underclocker]

The ATI 7500 is the coolest, I do not think the 9600 will work, however, it is the best performance/heat trade off available.

For another interesting option, that I know will work, at least it has for me, is to put an Intel-based GPU mobo from an R51 into the T4x chassis. See this thread for much more info --> http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65505

I recently put an SSD in it and the fan does not turn at all - well, it hasn't in three weeks. It rarely turned on with a Samsung drive in there either.

Finally, I am not sure that any of the ATI chips are more prone than any others, but since there must be at least ten ATI 7500 GPU's to every other type, more ATI 7500's have failed. I've had every type of T4x ATI GPU in it's failed state, included models found in T43's.

[ssd_thinkpad]

I would underclock the GPU to make it cool. But not using the fan is really important for me. Hope that it will work with an ips thinkpad model. Otherwise its time to go superlight with x301.

[aaa]

Hope that it will work with an ips thinkpad model.

No, the SXGA ips screens will not work with an Intel chipset.

[ajkula66]

aaa wrote:

No, the SXGA ips screens will not work with an Intel chipset.

This is a very debatable issue...on a 14" unit, definitely nothing but XGA works. However:

Some R51 units had the combination of Intel chipset and 15" SXGA+ IPS LCD.

Some testbed/custom T43 units had the same combo, although these are quite rare.

Some T60s were configured in this way as well.

Personally, I don't see that OP will be able to underclock any ATi GPU enough to enable fanless operation. I completely agree with underclocker that Intel-based board would be the way to go.

[aaa]

I meant the Intel 855 chipset. So apparently there's an exception with certain R51s?

[sktn77a]

The BIOS will not let you run the computer without a fan plugged in. I forgot to re-connect the fan plug once and immediately on switching on got a "Fan Error". I was unable to get passed this to boot the machine.

[ssd_thinkpad]

I see. So only an intel on board gpu would give me a more or less fanless thinkpad. But unfortunately the T4 / R5 series with integrated graphics can not provide dvi through docking station.

So it seems T4 Flexview series is not meant for me

I asked in T6 series forum about whether there is a T6 model which has 1. integrated graphics 2. flexview 3. can provide dvi through docking station (all integrated should provide dvi, after my research), but I do not have so much hope.

[Johan]

The threads XGA upgrade and WTB and FS discuss the likelyhood that Intel-GMA T4x's and T60's would support SXGA+.

The thread Thinkpad T42p - with P-M 735 1.7GHz and Radeon 9600? contain a couple of links to T42 FlexView-reviews (with photos!) - those should make you reconsider dropping the 15" SXGA+ FlexView T42 option!

Finally, the thread Advice please - $700-$800 TP for college student contain many references to a low-noise FlexView T60... you might want to consider the X1300 T60, although you in such case would probably have to accept that the fan would come "on" a bit, from time to time. This machine seems to aong the lowest-noise "natural born" FlexView's. An advantage of T60's (over T42's) is that there is a wider selection of SATA SSD's available, while PATA SSD's (for use in T42's) are fewer.

The ultimate ThinkPad? Well, in my opinion that could be the one discussed in the thread Parts for the ultimate 15” T60 UXGA FlexView w/T61(p) mobo?. The key question here (still unanswered, unfortunately) is whether a T61 motherboard with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (GMA X3100) will actually support an internal UXGA LCD? If anybody could provide a definitive answer to this question (not speculation, but fact based on actual evidence!), I would be able to continue that dream-project.

Johan

[ssd_thinkpad]

I am used to absolutely silent computers (passive cooling with ssd) and best ips screens on market (high-end eizo). Passive cooling is only possible if there is either "no" heat or the heat is cooling by going up in the air. I have not found any notebooks where vertical "hot air goes just out the notebook" cooling is practiced. And of course that meant a dropped coffee would make its way right down to cpu passive cooling chip which also is not a good solution.

As it seems that T4 and T6 series do produce heat, they are not so good for my purposes. As they would work in a docking station at home, this will increase heat as from bottom there would not be so much air coming through the notebook.

Then I have to go other-than-ips solution which is a hard decision. As far as I know x301 does not produce much heat with its integrated gpu and its 10 watt already undervolted ulv processor. T400/T500 also run cool with integrated gpus. At home I can plug in my eizo and everything will be silent. On the road my the usual longer battery life and maybe lower weight are great, but my eyes would be missing an ips panel