Thinkpads Forum

Brace yourself: look at the Chinese 51nb site

I'm kinda curious what I/O they will make for T70.... I'd like a gaming beast I can take somewhere..... Or at least something that it capable of running an external GPU

In "English" using Google Translate --> here.

When I read about the T50 project (an i5-mobo developed for the T4x frame; more info in the thread 51nb.com released T50 (= new mobo for T4x's) in Shenzhen) a couple of years ago, I was very excited - as many other members here. But... we remember how it then went with that project (otherwise see George's T50 revisited: the final review of my own system; Updated 07/02/2016), so I'm probably slightly less enthusiastic now...

Interesting in any case, so thanks for posting!

Johan

51nb projects - not that I have 1st hand experience - seem risky at least. The x62 got to a bumpy start, 1st batch was crappy, 2nd batch is theoretically being distributed, but I don't see so many reviews around, and there should be aplenty. the 'x320' project (putting xps13's diplay into x220) took reddit by storm and then got clusterf.***.e.d, noone saw any of the machines yet. So yes, I'm watching it with hope and curiosity, but distanced.

You gotta be kidding with me!!! I had no idea something like this could even exist! Just wow! And the timing. I have been looking at older Thinkpad T60-s for a while, and just a week ago I managed to buy one 15 inch model finally. Amazing machine, flexview screen, 4:3 aspect ratio, best laptop keyboard I have ever tried, it really is a dream come true to me. But the hardware specs definitely show it's age. Right now I am in the process of upgrading it as much as possible, as it will become my main portable machine/ net machine at home. But even with everything maxed out, it is just fast enough for my needs.

A new motherboard like this would be literally a god send to me. I still can't believe it. I just hope it won't get cancelled, and it will actually work, and be reliable. I will be checking back every day on this project.

If they managed to ship two batches, and now working on a third, of X62 motherboards then I think the T70 will be likely to release. The guys at 51nb have been at this for quite some time since the T50; if anything they are only improving. The X210 is also in the works, immediately following the T70. Personally all my wishes will have been fulfilled after I get a T70. X62 already on the way, so that covers my favorite thinkpads.

fatpolomanjr wrote:If they managed to ship two batches, and now working on a third, of X62 motherboards then I think the T70 will be likely to release. The guys at 51nb have been at this for quite some time since the T50; if anything they are only improving. The X210 is also in the works, immediately following the T70. Personally all my wishes will have been fulfilled after I get a T70. X62 already on the way, so that covers my favorite thinkpads.

Anyone knows anything about the prices of these boards (the previous X62 mobos)? Just so I will be in the ballpark, and I can start to save up . Hopefully they won't cost an arm and leg, like some of these retro niche mods, because it's a no go for me then.

Not to be a Debby Downer here, but the only time that I'll be interested in anything coming from 51nb is when I move to China. Which is highly unlikely to ever happen...

ajkula66 wrote:Not to be a Debby Downer here, but the only time that I'll be interested in anything coming from 51nb is when I move to China. Which is highly unlikely to ever happen...

You never know, maybe you will like it there

RMSMajestic wrote:You never know, maybe you will like it there

If I were your age, my young friend, I could find the idea possibly interesting...not now.

evening_hunger wrote:the 'x320' project (putting xps13's diplay into x220) took reddit by storm and then got clusterf.***.e.d, noone saw any of the machines yet.

A friend of mine got his X330 some time ago.

As long as it's for the 14" widescreen T61, I'll throw my money at this.

*drool*

SaskFellow wrote:As long as it's for the 14" widescreen T61, I'll throw my money at this.

There are no T60 14" widescreen ever built. But left hand port configuration is very strange. More close to 14", 15" 4:3. 14" wide screens have audio sockets on the bottom.

I haven't noticed socket for right usb ports subcard. Not find wireless disable switch. Only one miniPCIe slot (in place of original WWAN slot). 2 M2 slots, but original WiFi antenna wires is too short to move here. Original HSF won't work. No ext. GPU. Only 2 memory slots. AND rotated keyboard socket!!! WHY????? Who is designer of this mess???

FryPpy wrote:

SaskFellow wrote:As long as it's for the 14" widescreen T61, I'll throw my money at this.

There are no T60 14" widescreen ever built. But left hand port configuration is very strange. More close to 14", 15" 4:3. 14" wide screens have audio sockets on the bottom.

I haven't noticed socket for right usb ports subcard. Not find wireless disable switch. Only one miniPCIe slot (in place of original WWAN slot). 2 M2 slots, but original WiFi antenna wires is too short to move here. Original HSF won't work. No ext. GPU. Only 2 memory slots. AND rotated keyboard socket!!! WHY????? Who is designer of this mess???

Lol, I must admit I didn't really study those pictures in depth, if you are right about these things, then hopefully they will work on/change these things for the final revision. I really want to buy one (or even two) of these boards, but only if I will be able to put together a functional laptop.

Looks like they're replacing the PCMcia/Express Card bay with usb ports. Not a bad idea in my opinion since PCMCia is dead to the outside* world.

FryPpy wrote:

SaskFellow wrote:As long as it's for the 14" widescreen T61, I'll throw my money at this.

There are no T60 14" widescreen ever built. But left hand port configuration is very strange. More close to 14", 15" 4:3. 14" wide screens have audio sockets on the bottom.

I haven't noticed socket for right usb ports subcard. Not find wireless disable switch. Only one miniPCIe slot (in place of original WWAN slot). 2 M2 slots, but original WiFi antenna wires is too short to move here. Original HSF won't work. No ext. GPU. Only 2 memory slots. AND rotated keyboard socket!!! WHY????? Who is designer of this mess???

It's a prototype so one should not expect perfection, but your points are valid. I think you should post these on 51nb forum.

FryPpy wrote:

SaskFellow wrote:As long as it's for the 14" widescreen T61, I'll throw my money at this.

There are no T60 14" widescreen ever built. But left hand port configuration is very strange. More close to 14", 15" 4:3. 14" wide screens have audio sockets on the bottom.

I haven't noticed socket for right usb ports subcard. Not find wireless disable switch. Only one miniPCIe slot (in place of original WWAN slot). 2 M2 slots, but original WiFi antenna wires is too short to move here. Original HSF won't work. No ext. GPU. Only 2 memory slots. AND rotated keyboard socket!!! WHY????? Who is designer of this mess???

That's true, but it's why I was hopeful.

I actually have come to prefer the 16:10 display ratio over the 4:3 panels. I still daily a 19" 4:3 desktop LCD monitor.

How hard would it be to add a ZIF socket? Also some modern graphics would be nice. Anything that plays Halflife 2 and CS:S hell the integrated graphics could probably pull that off

Fascinating. I wish them luck in this endeavor.
Let's hope that they can build these little boards sturdy, with current amenities, and sell as an upgrade kit at a reasonable cost that will pay for their work.

Yes, hats of for their ingenuity and efforts to *hopefully* keep our classics up to date hardware wise. Let's just hope they make this board available to the western world and that these boards will have a more even build quality than the T50 boards apparently had.

Pardon my ignorance, but are we discussing a new, more powerful MOBO
that can be put into a T60P chassis? Does it have a discrete, modern GPU?

Crazy if true.

I don't see anything about dedicated graphics, but yes, it's a brand new mainboard + current-ish generation CPU. Same as the X62.

A 15" six pound notebook, even with a UXGA LCD, doesn't do much for me in 2017, but that's just my 2¢.

I'd like to see it to fit the 14" 4:3 or 15" 16:10WS T61s These were the more popular systems and I have a couple 15" WS that I would definitely like to get a fresh mobo in them. Not so much the 14" 4:3 because I was able to get good IBM mobos for the nvidia models i have.

I wish there was a flexview option for the 14" T60.. Or a X62 with a M2 slot.

So it seems like they'll use the x700hq Sky/Kaby CPUs. I really wished for an Iris Pro one, and hope there might be a second batch with it. Maybe a T71 or T80 later on.

As fas as availability goes, who do you need to contact?

I'd like to see a modern GPU.

Will it support the rare QXGA screens used in some Frankenpads?

Will it support original PATA optical drives in Ultrabay, or the newer SATA drives (including BluRay) from T4x0 series?

Is it too much to ask for the new motherboard to also connect to the docking station like the oem motherboard? I prefer to wear out the connectors in the docking station and save the connectors (power, 3.5mm in and out, Ethernet, etc.) in the T61p for true mobile use only.

E350 wrote:Is it too much to ask for the new motherboard to also connect to the docking station like the oem motherboard? I prefer to wear out the connectors in the docking station and save the connectors (power, 3.5mm in and out, Ethernet, etc.) in the T61p for true mobile use only.

Interesting idea, but then what about wearing out the docking connector? If your answer to that is the relative frequency of un/plugging peripherals compared to the dock, then you only have to consider a subset of the ports (just the 3.5mm in and out of your example list) and using interposing extenders would suffice. If for some reason you also need to frequently un/plug the power you can use something like the ultra/slim 90W power adapters with detachable tips.

cadillacmike68 wrote:I'd like to see it to fit the 14" 4:3 or 15" 16:10WS T61s These were the more popular systems and I have a couple 15" WS that I would definitely like to get a fresh mobo in them. Not so much the 14" 4:3 because I was able to get good IBM mobos for the nvidia models i have.

You can get the same for your couple of 15.4" WS T61p's as for your 14.1" T61's.