T61 Intel X3100 mainboard failures

[tjwasiak]

Just got 7661-W2Y machine - nothing special, T7100 CPU, Intel X3100 mainboard, 14.1" wide screen in mint condition. Unfortunately it seems mainboard is broken.

It will just flash power light briefly if tried to power on with LCD connected. After disconnecting LCD cable from mainboard it will power on. D-sub output works and you can even install OS (right now I am writing from Vista X86 installed on this machine). Unfortunately it will power off itself when starting graphics mode after installing graphics driver (it does not matter if it is a driver from Windows Update, newest Intel generic driver or Lenovo driver).

I will try later if it will run under Linux but I suppose it will not.

It is not only machine with such issues. I hard about few more... What is going on? I thought T61 Intel graphics mainboard are secure...

[dr_st]

No hardware is 100% safe against failure.

[axur-delmeria]

1. Have you checked the heatsink yet?


2. Have you tested the RAM?

[tjwasiak]

RAM tested, already tried different sticks (removed from other working ThinkPad).
I am going to replace thermal paste this weekend but I am not sure if it will help as I can run CPU stress test without any issues as long as I am using standard VGA driver... Just after installing graphics driver it will not even start Windows.

[TuuS]

If you do find you need a board I have a brand new NOS board with original IBM box and manual. I just finished testing it and installed middleton bios on it. It has Intel graphics and native Penryn support and of course it will run your T7100 merom chip too.

However before you condemn your board I'd do a static discharge, remove battery and AC and cycle the power button ten times while holding a few seconds each time and 30 seconds on the last, then replace battery and power. If no change, try booting from a Linux live CD and see if it acts normal under linux, if it does then you may have a driver problem or some other software issue. If it behaves the same under linux, try removing everything you can, hdd, cards, all but one ram module and repeat. If you still have the same error then it's likely your board has failed however I don't recall ever seeing the Intel X3100 gpu failing from natural causes and I've owned a few hundred of them. They are one of the most reliable graphic systems in my opinion.

ps. If you need a board you can send me a PM, I also have some cpu chips so I'd at very least go with a T7300 as it has twice as much cache memory and they are so cheap it's almost funny, but if it was my machine I'd go with a Penryn cpu, the T8100 is a huge upgrade and they are very reasonably priced.

[tjwasiak]

(...) However before you condemn your board I'd do a static discharge, remove battery and AC and cycle the power button ten times while holding a few seconds each time and 30 seconds on the last, then replace battery and power.

Already tried that.

If no change, try booting from a Linux live CD and see if it acts normal under linux, if it does then you may have a driver problem or some other software issue. If it behaves the same under linux, try removing everything you can, hdd, cards, all but one ram module and repeat.

It is not working under Linux It will work if you use standard text mode (non framebuffer) console mode (or generic VESA/uvesa framebuffer) and switch off if you try to use intel framebuffer or start X server using intel driver.
Already tried stripping it without any change.

If you still have the same error then it's likely your board has failed however I don't recall ever seeing the Intel X3100 gpu failing from natural causes and I've owned a few hundred of them. They are one of the most reliable graphic systems in my opinion.

I thought same way but in last month heard of at least 3 Intel X3100 GPU equipped T61 ThinkPad having more or less same issues with mainboards.