New T43 owner - Upgrades?

[olliecampbell]

Hello,

I've just inherited a T43, I have to say that I love these Thinkpads, built like tanks!

What updates/upgrades can I do?

So far:
Win 7
Latest BIOS's etc
Thinkpad fan control (a brilliant little app!)
Model 2668-44G
1.86Ghz
2Gb of RAM (single stick)
Upgraded to 60Gb Hitatchi HD
ATI Mobility Radeon X300
1024x768 screen

Things I'd like to do:
-Upgrade the built in CDRW to a DVDRW, what part numbers will fit?
-Can I upgrade the screen to get a higher resolution? Or does it require a graphics card replacement?

I've replaced loads of parts on laptops before so think I'm fairly handy with a screwdriver! Are there any other cool/handy bits I can do? Replace fans to make it quieter etc etc.

Apologies for all the questions but I guess I'm a little over excited!

[Harryc]

You can upgrade to a 14.1" TFT display with 1400x1050 resolution with the same GPU.
Multiburner - you want a curved front bezel Ultrabay slim drive - FRU 39T2729
You need to do some research. There are many, many, threads here concerning T43 upgrades. Do a forum search.

[papollonia]

I just bought a T43 1871-4CU

What a nice system.. to one of the nicest Thinkpad i have owned..
Have t40, but there was and still is lots of issues with it.
Got a few T23's for the kids..

But this T43 is off limits to them and wife!!

[olliecampbell]

Ok, so after doing lots of research here's what I'm going to do/try:


- Firmware update my new 60Gb as it's complaining on boot
- 3Gb RAM installed (only 2Gb used by Win7 though I believe)
- 2.13Ghz chip on it's way from a ebay
- Hunt down the relevant screen. Will I need a new video cable/invertor as well?
- If I can find one, install a long CPU heatsink. What's the other chip on the right hand side of the short heatsink? I presume this is going to get covered/affected by having a lump of metal above it.
- Upgrade to an N wireless card if I can find one that works without problem.

All on a budget too, so far spent - £25 for the cpu upgrade.

[ajkula66]

You already have a long fan (M24) all T43s with ATi graphics do.

The chipset limitation of the motherboard is 2GB and that's all the RAM your machine will ever be able to use.

You will need a different LCD cable and inverter if you go for a SXGA+ screen.

You will need a modded BIOS in order to use any "N" card on that T43.

BTW, all T43s natively support fingerprint reader, so you can order a new palmrest if you're interested in that upgrade.

[olliecampbell]

You already have a long fan (M24) all T43s with ATi graphics do.

The chipset limitation of the motherboard is 2GB and that's all the RAM your machine will ever be able to use.

You will need a different LCD cable and inverter if you go for a SXGA+ screen.

You will need a modded BIOS in order to use any "N" card on that T43.

BTW, all T43s natively support fingerprint reader, so you can order a new palmrest if you're interested in that upgrade.

Ok thanks, so an updated list of what I want to do:

- Firmware update my new 60Gb as it's complaining on boot
- 2.13Ghz chip on it's way from a ebay
- Hunt down the relevant screen with cable and invertor.

Is the LCD cable the one that goes from the base of the screen to the motherboard?

[Bruce Guttman]

You can buy complete top sections with the SXGA+ screen, WiFi antennas, cable, plastics, etc. They show up pretty regularly on Ebay. I did the exact same thing with a T43 and it works fine. Mine even had a Bluetooth antenna and I hooked it up to a Bluetooth version of the Modem. Still don't like the way Bluetooth works, but it's there nonetheless.

The cables for XGA and SXGA+ are different and they are coded to tell the Graphics card which display is connected, so simply buying an SXGA+ LCD and using an XGA cable won't work.

Good luck.