My first ThinkPad, well almost (T61)

[MacAoidh]

Hi all, first post from The Kingdom Of Scotland

I'm currently bidding on a T61 on an auction site I don't know the actual model number as yet, isn't listed, so all the info i have is this -

SPECIFICATIONS
Processor: Intel Core2Duo T8300 2.4GHz
Memory: 2Gb RAM
Hard drive: 150Gb 7200rpm
Optical: DVDRW/CDRW
Screen: 15.4" Wide
Connections: LAN, Wireless, Modem, Bluetooth
Ports: 3 x USB, VGA Out, Audio out, Mic in, PCMCIA

Mains charger and Battery Included

Laptop is in good condition.

Is there any questions i should ask the seller and how much should i pay as a maximum ?

My first ThinkPad as you have already probably guessed

Also, i have 8gb ram, 2x 4gb ddr2 800mhz SODIMM ram (Mr Memory) and a 1tb 5400rpm HDD (Samsung Spinpoint M8) sitting waiting to be transplanted from my old rig if they are compatible. The HDD has Windows 7 64bit already installed, will it run well OR will i need to replace with 32bit ???

ANY help greatly appreciated

Mac

[Tasurinchi]

Welcome to the Forum!

Well, the 1 Mio. dollar question would be if the machine has an Intel or an Nvidia GPU. But first things first:

- Ask for the 7 digit model number, which can be found at the bottom of the laptop
- Click here and enter the model number on the "quick path" box

You will see the machine specifics. If it's a model with Intel graphics it's a safe bet

If it's a model with Nvidia graphics, you should ask the manufacturing date, which can be found at the right of the 7 digit model number. If the date is 08/08 or later then it's a safe bet. Otherwise stay away from the machine...

Happy hunting!

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
First question to ask: does it have Intel graphics or nVidia graphics?
If Intel it's fine.

If nVidia, ask for the production date.
Production date is on the bottom on a label, following the Serial No. (S/N).
An IBM/Lenovo label looks like: TYPE 6738-4AG S/N L3-12345 07/11
In the above, 07/11 (in format YY/MM) is the production date 2007/November.
If 08/08, 08/09, 08/10 or higher, it's fine. (08/August, Sept. Oct. etc.)
If older, HANDS OFF!

Your RAM and HD will work in a T61.

Not knowing European prices or the European market, a price is difficult.
Those machines are quite a bit cheaper in the USA.

What is the eBay auction you are bidding on, that will give us a bit more info.

[MacAoidh]

Thanks for the help

This is the item no. ***************

[Cigarguy]

The number above doesn't tell us anything.

As stated above, we need the 7 digit machine TYPE and date code. Knowing the type of graphics and built date will go a long ways as to how much a T61 cost. Something with Nvidia graphics and date code older than 08/08 (Aug 08) is worth substantially less than something with a newer date or Intel graphic set.

Be warned that Nvidia graphics of this vintage was prone to premature failure. Do some Googling, there's lots said about this.

The 8 GB of RAM is a nice upgrade but the best upgrade you can do is a SSD. 128 GB SSD with the 1 TB Samsung in the Ultrabay (via an adapter) plus the upgraded RAM and you'll still have a very much capable and sweet system.

[MacAoidh]

The number above doesn't tell us anything.

As stated above, we need the 7 digit machine TYPE and date code. Knowing the type of graphics and built date will go a long ways as to how much a T61 cost. Something with Nvidia graphics and date code older than 08/08 (Aug 08) is worth substantially less than something with a newer date or Intel graphic set.

Be warned that Nvidia graphics of this vintage was prone to premature failure. Do some Googling, there's lots said about this.

The 8 GB of RAM is a nice upgrade but the best upgrade you can do is a SSD. 128 GB SSD with the 1 TB Samsung in the Ultrabay (via an adapter) plus the upgraded RAM and you'll still have a very much capable and sweet system.

That's the eBay item no. and yeah what you have said is very much the plan of action, looking at the Intel SSD 335 OR 520 ? Unsure, better getting a rig FIRST i guess

[Cigarguy]

Problem with eBay, seller is not willing to disclose this info. Which in of itself tell you something about the seller. It's always a crapshot on eBay. Lots of great Thinkpads from reliable sellers here on this forum in the marketplace.

[RealBlackStuff]

Go for a Samsung 830 or 840 instead, they are better than Intel.
I'm always leery of "seller refurbished" items, especially if you don't know the seller.
And this seller is a bleedin' noob with only 3 feedbacks on eBay!
My advice: hands off, and look in our Market forum instead.
You'll be buying properly described items from knowledgeable sellers with a reputation to lose!

Not just to blow my own trumpet, but look at my 'signature' (text at the bottom of my post).
A T601FL is a Frankenpad, made of the hull/chassis of a T60/p Thinkpad, the motherboard of a T61 with Intel graphics, and a 15" IPS Flexview LCD with LED-backlight. They don't come any better than that!
Your RAM and HD will fit perfectly in this!

[MacAoidh]

Go for a Samsung 830 or 840 instead, they are better than Intel.
I'm always leery of "seller refurbished" items, especially if you don't know the seller.
And this seller is a bleedin' noob with only 3 feedbacks on eBay!
My advice: hands off, and look in our Market forum instead.
You'll be buying properly described items from knowledgeable sellers with a reputation to lose!

Not just to blow my own trumpet, but look at my 'signature' (text at the bottom of my post).
A T601FL is a Frankenpad, made of the hull/chassis of a T60/p Thinkpad, the motherboard of a T61 with Intel graphics, and a 15" IPS Flexview LCD with LED-backlight. They don't come any better than that!
Your RAM and HD will fit perfectly in this!

Sorry for the late reply, managed to get myself locked out due to improper location settings (SORRY Bill). Anyways,

1 - What is the difference in performance between the Samsung 830-840 & 840 Pro whilst installed in a T61 ? Is it enough to justify the extra wonga for the Pro or should i just get the 830 256gb ?

2 - Whilst your offer of a FrankenPad is very tempting, i would pretty much like to have a crack at it myself as i have got a bit of history stripping laptops and upgrading the 1 with all the good bits so i'm not afraid of getting the tools out. PLUS i live in Scotland not the USA so i don't know how much the total price would come to including postage ? What were you thinking, out of curiosity ?

Mac

[MacAoidh]

I asked a few ebayers for the model numbers and so far 1 has got back to me with this -

type 8898-6dg s/n l3-d0112 08/03

Also in the pic of it's BIOS it says - BIOS Version 2.26 (7LETC6WW) - Is this Middleton's BIOS ???

How much would this be worth if i were to bid for it, bearing in mind i've already got a bid in for the first 1 i have no idea about

Thanks

Mac

[Fixed_Rider]

Personally I cruised eBay and looked at every T 61p available a few months ago. I narrowed down the list of possibles by seeing if they had a pic of the bottom where it displayed the manufacture date and I only found one at they time that had 08/08 or later. Be very careful

Hope this helps.

[MacAoidh]

Personally I cruised eBay and looked at every T 61p available a few months ago. I narrowed down the list of possibles by seeing if they had a pic of the bottom where it displayed the manufacture date and I only found one at they time that had 08/08 or later. Be very careful

Hope this helps.

I will be, thanks, i've messaged the seller numerous times with no reply so the last message i threatened to withdraw my bid if the info was not provided, to cover my own butt through eBay for non payment if i win

[RealBlackStuff]

This is the ex-factory status:
T61 (8898-6DG)
T7250(2GHz), 1GB RAM, 160GB 5400rpm HD, 14.1in 1024x768 LCD, Intel X3100, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, 6c Li-Ion, WinXP Pro
This is a low-end standard 4:3 machine, going in the US for ca. $200.-
It could be the base for a Frankenpad, moving its motherboard into a 15" T60 machine.

From the BIOS version you cannot tell which BIOS has been applied, because Lenovo and Middleton have the exact same version numbers for BIOS and ECP.

[MacAoidh]

From the BIOS version you cannot tell which BIOS has been applied, because Lenovo and Middleton have the exact same version numbers for BIOS and ECP.

That will explain why i kinda recognized the version number then

I'll see what i goes up to, if i can pick it up cheapish i will

Thanks again

Mac

[MacAoidh]

From the BIOS version you cannot tell which BIOS has been applied, because Lenovo and Middleton have the exact same version numbers for BIOS and ECP.

That will explain why i kinda recognized the version number then

I'll see what price it goes up to, if i can pick it up cheapish i will

Thanks again

Mac

[Cigarguy]

1 - What is the difference in performance between the Samsung 830-840 & 840 Pro whilst installed in a T61 ? Is it enough to justify the extra wonga for the Pro or should i just get the 830 256gb ?

Mac

Speed difference on a machine that have SATA III is minimal on benchmarks. You'll never notice it in real life usage. Being that all T61 is only capable of SATA II speed with Middleton's BIOS, any SATA III SSD drive that you buy will saturate the SATA II interface.

[Cigarguy]

When I was stockpiling T61 a few months ago, I'd go as high as $180 Cdn for a run of the mill stock Intel T61, $100 for a Nvidia T61 of suspect origin and as high as $300 for a T61p with known origin. Lots of baked or falsely labeled T61 on eBay so factor that in.

I manage to luck out on my daily T61 machine with have Nvidia graphics and 1680x1050 screen. Came with a good 9 cell Panasonic battery. It was bought from the local Kijjiji (classified) ad so I had time to play with it before buying. I paid $80 Cdn fully expecting to swap out the MB but so far after some extensive testing and usage it's working great. So there are deals to be out there and sometimes you get lucky too.

[MacAoidh]

Mac[/quote]

Speed difference on a machine that have SATA III is minimal on benchmarks. You'll never notice it in real life usage. Being that all T61 is only capable of SATA II speed with Middleton's BIOS, any SATA III SSD drive that you buy will saturate the SATA II interface.[/quote]


830 it is then, no point paying the extra for no real noticable difference in performance

Thanks for the help

[MacAoidh]

So this is the T61 im bidding on - TYPE 6460-D6G S/N L3-G7725 08/01 and it does have a nVidia card ???

Should i pull my offer/bid ???

[Cigarguy]

Depends on the price and how much you trust/know the seller? If you don't have a good feel for the seller then run away. With that date code (Jan 2008) and nVidia graphics, just assume you'll need to replace the MB. If you don't need to replace the MB then you got a bargain. Regardless, this is eBay we are talking about, it's a crapshoot at best.

[MacAoidh]

Depends on the price and how much you trust/know the seller? If you don't have a good feel for the seller then run away. With that date code (Jan 2008) and nVidia graphics, just assume you'll need to replace the MB. If you don't need to replace the MB then you got a bargain. Regardless, this is eBay we are talking about, it's a crapshoot at best.

I've already sent an email asking to cancel anyways, i don't know the seller. By replacing the MB do you m ean the RAM or the MB on the graphics card ???

I've found a sweet looking T61p for £209+£9.99 postage - Type - 6460-EEG - eBay item no. 160918929220


2.5 Ghz Intel Centrino Core Duo 2 (Intel T9300) with 6mb cache - VERY FAST

3 GB RAM

120 GB Hard Drive

15.4 Inch Widescreen



DVD/RW dvd/cd player/writer



3 x USB



Microphone port

Headphone port

Modem

Firewire port



VGA port



1 RJ45 (Ethernet)



NVidia Quadro FX 570M graphics

1920 x 1200 screen resolution

Bluetooth

SD Card slot

Fingerprint reader and IBM software


Im currently waiting on a reply regarding the production date from the seller

Mac

[RealBlackStuff]

These are the specs ex factory:

T61 (6460-D6G)
T8300(2.4GHz), 2GB RAM, 160GB 5400rpm HD, 15.4in 1680x1050 LCD, 128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn wireless, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, FPR, 6c Li-Ion, WinVista Business 32

T61p (6460-EEG)
T9300(2.5GHz), 2GB RAM, 250GB 5400rpm HD, 15.4in 1920x1200 LCD, 256MB nVIDIA Quadro FX 570M, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11agn, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, 6c Li-Ion, WinXP Pro

Your last one has the best specs, but having WinXP probably also makes it an older machine from ~2007

Hands off both I would say.
Buy on our forum instead!

[MacAoidh]

How often do T61/T61p's come up for sale ???

I'm looking for one with a fast processor, not too bothered about the HDD or RAM as i have upgrades sitting waiting plus i'm going to add both SSD and WIFI. It has to be in great condition though, not scratched up or alot of keyboard wear.

Bearing in mind i live in the UK also

Mac

[RealBlackStuff]

Put a WTB (want to buy) ad in the Marketforum, with your wishes.
What you may want is a barebones T60p, T61 or T61p, 15.4" widescreen.
You don't need RAM
You don't need HD (but want HD-cover/caddy/rails/screws)
You want DVD/CDRW or DVDRW/CDRW (a.k.a. DVD-Multi)
You want 90W AC-Adapter
You want WSXGA+ or WUXGA LCD.

Right now I can offer you a 15.4" T60p [8745-UN7] with ATI FireGL V5250 (256MB VideoRAM), WSXGA+ (1680x1050), DVD-Multi and T7200 (2.0GHz, 4MB cache) Core 2 Duo CPU.
No HD (but incl. HD-cover/caddy/rails/screws) and no RAM.
This machine is limited to 4GB RAM, of which ca. 3.25GB usable. Other than that, it has all you want.
It is in excellent condition. Can be yours for $250.- shipped to Scotland.

I can also build you a T601FL Frankenpad from a 15" T60/T60p with a T61 mobo (Intel graphics), T8100 Penryn CPU (or better), new IPS Flexview LCD with LED-backlight, HD-cover etc., DVD-Multi, 90W adapter, NO HD and NO RAM, but your 8GB and SSD will nicely fit in there. The keyboard is also brand new.
PM me for the price and further specification details, if you are interested.

[MacAoidh]

Put a WTB (want to buy) ad in the Marketforum, with your wishes.
What you may want is a barebones T60p, T61 or T61p, 15.4" widescreen.
You don't need RAM
You don't need HD (but want HD-cover/caddy/rails/screws)
You want DVD/CDRW or DVDRW/CDRW (a.k.a. DVD-Multi)
You want 90W AC-Adapter
You want WSXGA+ or WUXGA LCD.

Right now I can offer you a 15.4" T60p [8745-UN7] with ATI FireGL V5250 (256MB VideoRAM), WSXGA+ (1680x1050), DVD-Multi and T7200 (2.0GHz, 4MB cache) Core 2 Duo CPU.
No HD (but incl. HD-cover/caddy/rails/screws) and no RAM.
This machine is limited to 4GB RAM, of which ca. 3.25GB usable. Other than that, it has all you want.
It is in excellent condition. Can be yours for $250.- shipped to Scotland.

I can also build you a T601FL Frankenpad from a 15" T60/T60p with a T61 mobo (Intel graphics), T8100 Penryn CPU (or better), new IPS Flexview LCD with LED-backlight, HD-cover etc., DVD-Multi, 90W adapter, NO HD and NO RAM, but your 8GB and SSD will nicely fit in there. The keyboard is also brand new.
PM me for the price and further specification details, if you are interested.

Currently in talks with another forum member over a T61, thanks

[MacAoidh]

T61 sourced from another forum member, awaiting delivery