CrystalHD decoder on a T60/R60

[86turbodsl]

Gents, be gentle, I already searched.

I've been bitten by the upgrading bug. I have a T60p IPS screen on the way for an upgrade. I'm interested in adding a CrystalHD decoder card to my laptop using the WWAN slot. If that won't work, I'd be interested in moving my WLAN card to the WWAN slot and the decoder in the WLAN slot.

From what i can gather, i need a no-whitelist bios flashed, which on a T60/R60 is the zender bios correct?

What about the pin-taping i've read about? Required only on WWAN slot?

Please set me straight!

[twistero]

The WWAN slot on a T60(p) does not have PCIe lanes connected, only USB lanes. So, the CrystalHD will not work in the WWAN slot, and if you move the original WiFi card there it will not work either.

(A T61 does have PCIe lanes on its WWAN slot.)

[86turbodsl]

Ok, so if that's true, then are there wifi cards available that will work in the WWAN slot?

Or perhaps the other obvious answer is make a frankenpad, but that's a different issue...

[dr_st]

Making a Frankenpad is probably overall the best solution if you already feel stuck performance-wise in some ways, and at the same time want to keep this machine for as long as possible.

There do seem to exist USB-based MiniPCI-e Wireless Cards, e.g:
http://www.sparklan.com/product.php?fun ... rod_id=209
http://www.sparklan.com/product.php?fun ... rod_id=154

No idea if anyone ever tried one in a Thinkpad (whitelisting issues are one possible detriment that comes to mind).

[86turbodsl]

I've been on the fence with the frankenpad idea because it means either i go nvidia and roll the dice, or i go intel and give up any semblance of video performance. The ATI X1400 i have now has been working well with the minimal gaming i do.
I don't have much interest in coddling the nvidia issue, such as minimal power cycling and / or basically making it an always-on pc on a dock or whatever. i probably power cycle this pc several times a day.

i like this r60 because it has a great screen, doesn't make much heat or noise, lasts a long time on battery, does almost everything i want, and was dirt cheap. I just wish it did better with hd video. I sometimes travel overseas (Korea) and would like if i could drop a few movies on the hard drive and play them back without stuttering. I'm a big believer in hardware decoding, so the crystalhd looks like a good solution.