My ThinkPad T40

[ThinkPad560X]

So I just took my T40 out of the collection box wishing I could use it again. I bought my T40 brand new in 2004. I posted about the problem along time ago and it is the faulty ATi graphics card problem. I was wanting to send it in to get fixed. But I don't know where to send it, as some places will strip parts out or even give you a completely diffrent T40. The board I have in it is its 2nd one brand new. and only had it in for a few months before it did the same problem. I was thinking of buying another good working board off ebay, but what will keep this from happening again? I like using my Slim ThinkPad T40 out of the others I have and its been a year since I last used it. even still have the new WD 160GB HDD in it I replaced with the original 40GB.

Or is it better to send it to a tech place, or would lenovo even fix it?

[ajkula66]

For what Lenovo would charge you to fix it, you could likely get five used T40s...

My suggestion:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=90207

Even if you have to get on the waiting list...buying a planar on feebay is always a hit or miss and more likely a miss nowadays...

My $0.02 only...

[frankiepankie]

I would buy an R51 mainboard instead of fixing the T40 board. With the R51 board you are sure that the problem won't ever happen again, because the Intel onboard graphics doesn't suffer to the symptoms of the GPU failing.

[ThinkPad560X]

What about the T43? I always heard the T40,T41,T42 failing.
And if not that, what about the R52?
I would get a T60 board but the ports will not line up.

[ThinkPad560X]

Okay I just bought a good working no DOA R51 board for $38.00

[ThinkPad560X]

Will this board lineup and everything in my T40. my T40 is a 14" model and the R51 board I bought said 14" too. the only diffrence would be the Intel Graphics and not ATi right?

[ajkula66]

Just make sure that the R52 board has Intel graphics indeed...some of them had ATi...and you'll lose one PCMCIA slot...

[pianowizard]

Okay I just bought a good working no DOA R51 board for $38.00

What's the screen resolution of your T40? The R51 board with Intel graphics supports only 1024x768, but not 1400x1050. I hope your T40 is the former so that it can take ths R51 mobo, although if it's only 1024x768, it probably has very basic specs and may not be worth repairing.

[ThinkPad560X]

heres what the listing showed about the board.
IBM ThinkPad R51 MotherBoard 27K9925 Type 2883

[pianowizard]

IBM ThinkPad R51 MotherBoard 27K9925 Type 2883

Strange, on lenovo.com I couldn't find "27K9925", but could only find 27K9920, 27K9921, and 27K9922, all of which have ATI graphics instead of Intel. To avoid the loose GPU issue, you need an R51 modo with Intel graphics. But like I said, you also need to check the LCD panel type that your T40 has. Specifically, is the native resolution 1024x768 or 1400x1050? An R51 board with Intel graphics can only output 1024x768, not 1400x1050.

[RealBlackStuff]

27K9925 is the predecessor to 93P4201
10/100 Ethernet, Intel Extreme graphics

[ThinkPad560X]

So the board I got is Intel Extreme graphics?

[ajkula66]

Yes. That was the only Intel graphics option on R51 models. Not spectacular when it comes to performance but very reliable.

[ThinkPad560X]

well thats good, don't have to worry about the ATi, My A30 has the problem too I think with its card. no display when power on and sometime have to press down on the upper palmrest below the screen for it to display fine on a external display or if it shows on the laptop LCD its dark, meaning the light isn't on but can see the background

[thinkpad1]

So I just took my T40 out of the collection box wishing I could use it again. I bought my T40 brand new in 2004. I posted about the problem along time ago and it is the faulty ATi graphics card problem. I was wanting to send it in to get fixed. But I don't know where to send it, as some places will strip parts out or even give you a completely diffrent T40. The board I have in it is its 2nd one brand new. and only had it in for a few months before it did the same problem. I was thinking of buying another good working board off ebay, but what will keep this from happening again? I like using my Slim ThinkPad T40 out of the others I have and its been a year since I last used it. even still have the new WD 160GB HDD in it I replaced with the original 40GB.

Or is it better to send it to a tech place, or would lenovo even fix it?

I'd get a new laptop. Not sure why you would want a T4x laptop. They're garbage!

[ajkula66]

@thinkpad1:

Please refrain from calling an entire generation of ThinkPads garbage since I'd bet my last penny that you haven't seen - let alone used - more than a dozen of them.

Every laptop - every human invention if you want to look at it in a broader sense - has its weak spots and ThinkPads are no exception. That doesn't necessarily qualify them as garbage.

Some of us around here are very keen on our T4x units and have the intent of keeping them running until Kingdom Come...

[ThinkPad560X]

I like the T4 series more than some of the others. there like a X300 very slim with a CD Drive.

The R51 board I got I think im going to put it into my Real R51 as the board maybe dead, Its still under work and I wanted to test it out. and by the way it has the ATi Radeon 7500 on it too. So it probably is messed up. I'll just get a T43 board for my T40. they made very good improvements on the T43 right?

And as a collector the ThinkPad T40 isn't garbage. witch I think is a very great machine still. and that is why im fixing it. And I do have a new laptop, ThinkPad SL500

[ajkula66]

Do bear in mind that the CPU, fan and RAM from a T40 can't be used on a T43...

[ThinkPad560X]

is it DDR2?

[ajkula66]

Yes, and 533 Mhz FSB vs.400 Mhz on previous T4x units...

[ThinkPad560X]

with any luck I'll find a T43 board with the fan and CPU on it. don't mind looking for RAM

[ThinkPad560X]

okay I bought this one for $34.00

This auction features an IBM Thinkpad T43 laptop motherboard with CPU, encompassed by its base plastic housing. It handles the 14 inch screen. (On the underside of the base plastic there is a windows XP product key code). It comes with a Pentium M 1.8GHz processor, 64MB ATI Radeon X300 video, 56K modem, sound, video, Dual USB port, wifi card port, 10/100/1000 (1Gb) NIC and serial and printer port.

[Temetka]

Well then you should be good to go.

I believe the screens between the T4x machines are mostly interchangeable.

If it is a complete base unit, then all you should have to do is pull the LCD and housing assembly from the T40 and slap it on the T43 base.

Get some DDR2 RAM such as this from Newegg and you should be all set.

[thinkpad1]

@thinkpad1:

Please refrain from calling an entire generation of ThinkPads garbage since I'd bet my last penny that you haven't seen - let alone used - more than a dozen of them.

Every laptop - every human invention if you want to look at it in a broader sense - has its weak spots and ThinkPads are no exception. That doesn't necessarily qualify them as garbage.

Some of us around here are very keen on our T4x units and have the intent of keeping them running until Kingdom Come...

You're biased, though.

Considering all the documentation and reports of flaws, components/hardware/parts failing, I think I can be safe asserting they're garbage.

Yes, they are old but other than the frames, the components are inferior garbage prone to failure. There's a business to repair the parts and that's why many users claim they're good products.

The Thinkpad series is overrated and prone to many problems. The older ones in particular like the T4x series is full of issues. When IBM sold out to China with Lenovo, that pretty much crushed that line. Overrated junk based on hype.

[Harryc]

When IBM sold out to China with Lenovo, that pretty much crushed that line.

The entire T4X line was produced while IBM still owned the PC Division. One of the most reliable Thinkpads, the T60, was built and sold by Lenovo.

[GomJabbar]

The Thinkpad series is overrated and prone to many problems. The older ones in particular like the T4x series is full of issues. When IBM sold out to China with Lenovo, that pretty much crushed that line. Overrated junk based on hype.

I am still quite happy using my T42 ThinkPad (over 5 years old).

I don't see this discussion going anywhere constructive. Locking this thread.

[tfflivemb2]

You're biased, though.

And so are you, based on one machine. I have an entire army of thinkpads in my basement, including many from the mid-90's that are still running strong.

Please get sell off your thinkpad to someone else, and move on...please.