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Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

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iModFrenzy
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Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#1 Post by iModFrenzy » Mon Nov 27, 2017 7:55 pm

As the title says , I just grabbed a T61 14” Widescreen for around 44$(I believe). The system has a Core 2 Duo T7300, 2gbs of ram(I got 2x2gb set from my T60), and a NVS 140M. The LCD is 1280x800 , which I will probably upgrade to 1440x900 in the future. 8gbs DDR2 is on the todo list(hopefully the T61 isn’t picky) and I have a Samsung 850 Evo 250gb on the way.

So my biggest worry is that the NVS 140m will fail since many mobile NVidia GPUs failed during this time period, is there any precautions to take to prevent this? According to the description of the T61, the Middleton BIOS is installed on it. Not sure if that will allow me to undervolt or not.

I plan to go to a Penryn CPU as soon as possible, the one in mind is a T9500 as they run at 25w. Does anyone have min/max temps for this CPU in a T61?

Lastly, being this is a 14in WS. Can I use the battery my 15.4 has and it’s 3 cell battery in the optical drive. Is there any compatibility issues?

Thanks!
Last edited by iModFrenzy on Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#2 Post by theterminator93 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:15 pm

Hmmm, did you perhaps buy that from me?? I just shipped one out to New York this afternoon... :)

In any case, the 3 cell ultrabay battery will work fine. The 14.1" widescreen T61 battery is the same as the T400 battery, but otherwise no other models interchange. The T60, 14.1" 4:3 T61, 15.4" T61 all use a different battery (albeit the same between those models).

As far as the NVS... the best way to keep it happy would be to put TPFanControl on it and set a custom fan profile to ramp up fan speeds a little earlier, and (if you can find one) put a GPU undervolting BIOS on it. Regarding the last bit, I did something similar when I modded my T601F for 1066 FSB CPUs - the GPU runs about 5-8C cooler - AND it's overclocked a bit. It's a "not safe date" GPU as well and I've been torturing it for over a year now. TBH all of the nVidia failures on the T61 family I've seen (personally) have been the hotter FX570M chipped models, not the NVS 140 models. And I've had my hands on a LOT more of the NVS 140s.

Addition: I see you are thinking about the T9500. I can't say that you'll experience the same temps since I never had one in a T61 (just my T61p which has a different heatsink design) but with a custom fan profile I would see temps close to 80C under full load. It would usually idle around 55. It would probably run a little cooler in the T61 with the less demanding GPU.
T480 with T25 keyboard | T25 | W520 i7-2860QM·Quadro 2000m·IPS FHD | T601F T9900·NVS 140m·LED AFFS UXGA
T420 IPS FHD | X220 IPS FHD | T61p·T61·43·42p|X13 Yoga G3·220T·301·41T·24·23·22|G41|A31p·22m|i1200|TransNote
600|770Z|770|760XD|760EL|701C|755C

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#3 Post by iModFrenzy » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:33 pm

theterminator93 wrote:
Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:15 pm
Hmmm, did you perhaps buy that from me?? I just shipped one out to New York this afternoon... :)

In any case, the 3 cell ultrabay battery will work fine. The 14.1" widescreen T61 battery is the same as the T400 battery, but otherwise no other models interchange. The T60, 14.1" 4:3 T61, 15.4" T61 all use a different battery (albeit the same between those models).

As far as the NVS... the best way to keep it happy would be to put TPFanControl on it and set a custom fan profile to ramp up fan speeds a little earlier, and (if you can find one) put a GPU undervolting BIOS on it. Regarding the last bit, I did something similar when I modded my T601F for 1066 FSB CPUs - the GPU runs about 5-8C cooler - AND it's overclocked a bit. It's a "not safe date" GPU as well and I've been torturing it for over a year now. TBH all of the nVidia failures on the T61 family I've seen (personally) have been the hotter FX570M chipped models, not the NVS 140 models. And I've had my hands on a LOT more of the NVS 140s.

Addition: I see you are thinking about the T9500. I can't say that you'll experience the same temps since I never had one in a T61 (just my T61p which has a different heatsink design) but with a custom fan profile I would see temps close to 80C under full load. It would usually idle around 55. It would probably run a little cooler in the T61 with the less demanding GPU.
Indeed I am in New York haha (also props to you for the fast shipping if it was you!)

And good to hear, I'll probably pick up a 9 cell for it soon

Alright will do, Ill see if I can find a undervolting bios. Only downside is I'd lose the Middleton bios if I do(so SATA II,etc). and 5-8c cooler? very nice! As for the gpu failures, that's good to hear. :)(for the NVS 140M, not the poor FX570Ms)

and hmm when the T61P is idling is the fan running? or is it passive?
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#4 Post by NonesensE » Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:08 am

You don't loose anything with an undervolting bios, the highsun bios does everything the Middleton bios does - and more. Even quadcores become a possibility.
Sometimes coming over from the German forum...
X62s 3rd batch, [s]T61[/s] T70 14" 4:3 1st batch

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#5 Post by wujstefan » Tue Nov 28, 2017 5:46 am

How do you tell fx570m runs hotter?
I have owned a gazilion of nvs units and quite a couple of fx units. In each case fx ran cooler under load, even with T61p fan and revised board from TuuS. I don't think fx are more or less faulty. There was simply no "safe"date" units, and they were rarity even some couple years back.

Undervolting both CPU and GPU would be very important in here. I'd also recommend getting T9300 instead of T9500. Way cheaper, and you won't notice the performance difference. Try to check your GPU stability with RivaTune. If you're lucky enough you will be able to undervolt it while running overclocked for performance boost.

And this has been brought to you by a T61p with somehow working fx570m with idle GPU temps staying at 52C (GPU) and 44C (CPU; P9700). Load (HEAVY LOAD) temps stay at 72C for GPU and 67 for CPU.
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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#6 Post by theterminator93 » Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:37 am

iModFrenzy wrote:
Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:33 pm
Indeed I am in New York haha (also props to you for the fast shipping if it was you!)

And good to hear, I'll probably pick up a 9 cell for it soon

Alright will do, Ill see if I can find a undervolting bios. Only downside is I'd lose the Middleton bios if I do(so SATA II,etc). and 5-8c cooler? very nice! As for the gpu failures, that's good to hear. :)(for the NVS 140M, not the poor FX570Ms)

and hmm when the T61P is idling is the fan running? or is it passive?
Thanks, I always do my best to get things out same day if the post office is open by the time I can pack it up. Looks like you'll get it tomorrow; I shipped it in a factory T460 box. :)

Stock I'd need to load up TPFanControl and see what the temps are as it does its thing, usually the fan is off with the machine idling and it kicks on after it's loaded a while. My guess is it is off until it gets up into the 60s. I usually change that so it's on when it hits 50, and ramps up to full by 65 or 70C, and kicks into overdrive by 75C.

Also I left the recovery partition on that hard disk when I built the OS image. If you don't make the recovery DVDs before you pop in an SSD I can host them for you to download so the OS activates by itself when you install it. I see you also plan to pop in 8 GB RAM, I can host the x64 flavor since what I installed for the image was x86.
wujstefan wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 5:46 am
How do you tell fx570m runs hotter?
I have owned a gazilion of nvs units and quite a couple of fx units. In each case fx ran cooler under load, even with T61p fan and revised board from TuuS. I don't think fx are more or less faulty. There was simply no "safe"date" units, and they were rarity even some couple years back.

Undervolting both CPU and GPU would be very important in here. I'd also recommend getting T9300 instead of T9500. Way cheaper, and you won't notice the performance difference. Try to check your GPU stability with RivaTune. If you're lucky enough you will be able to undervolt it while running overclocked for performance boost.

And this has been brought to you by a T61p with somehow working fx570m with idle GPU temps staying at 52C (GPU) and 44C (CPU; P9700). Load (HEAVY LOAD) temps stay at 72C for GPU and 67 for CPU.
"Safe date" was a unit manufactured after 08/08. I have had a number in my possession and sold several, I have a few still stashed away here in my collection.

I bought a T61p new back in 10/2007 and I watched it go from new, through gaming I put it through to the point where eventually it would start to BSOD if it got too hot under load, to where it would crash randomly if it got hot from high CPU load not doing much with the GPU (at which point I sourced a replacement mobo). That machine has been retired in favor of my W520 but I built a spare FX570m system with a 2010 GPU for my wife.

In short I too have owned a good number of T61p units, and many, many NVS T61s have been (and are) under my service umbrella (at work), so I've seen the typical characteristics of each. The T61p machines with the FX570m I've had tend to idle in the mid 50s, and will peak out in the mid 70s. The T61s with the NVS idle in the low 50s, and will peak in the mid 60s. IME, they run cooler. YMMV with different configs. I merely state my own observations.
T480 with T25 keyboard | T25 | W520 i7-2860QM·Quadro 2000m·IPS FHD | T601F T9900·NVS 140m·LED AFFS UXGA
T420 IPS FHD | X220 IPS FHD | T61p·T61·43·42p|X13 Yoga G3·220T·301·41T·24·23·22|G41|A31p·22m|i1200|TransNote
600|770Z|770|760XD|760EL|701C|755C

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#7 Post by iModFrenzy » Tue Nov 28, 2017 8:11 am

NonesensE wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:08 am
You don't loose anything with an undervolting bios, the highsun bios does everything the Middleton bios does - and more. Even quadcores become a possibility.
Oh thats great, do you happen to have a link to the bios?

And quad cores(as in Core 2 Quad?), I thought that had to be a HW Mod?

Thanks!
theterminator93 wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:37 am
iModFrenzy wrote:
Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:33 pm
Indeed I am in New York haha (also props to you for the fast shipping if it was you!)

And good to hear, I'll probably pick up a 9 cell for it soon

Alright will do, Ill see if I can find a undervolting bios. Only downside is I'd lose the Middleton bios if I do(so SATA II,etc). and 5-8c cooler? very nice! As for the gpu failures, that's good to hear. :)(for the NVS 140M, not the poor FX570Ms)

and hmm when the T61P is idling is the fan running? or is it passive?
Thanks, I always do my best to get things out same day if the post office is open by the time I can pack it up. Looks like you'll get it tomorrow; I shipped it in a factory T460 box. :)

Stock I'd need to load up TPFanControl and see what the temps are as it does its thing, usually the fan is off with the machine idling and it kicks on after it's loaded a while. My guess is it is off until it gets up into the 60s. I usually change that so it's on when it hits 50, and ramps up to full by 65 or 70C, and kicks into overdrive by 75C.

Also I left the recovery partition on that hard disk when I built the OS image. If you don't make the recovery DVDs before you pop in an SSD I can host them for you to download so the OS activates by itself when you install it. I see you also plan to pop in 8 GB RAM, I can host the x64 flavor since what I installed for the image was x86.
Oo very nice :)

but alright, those temps seem pretty good

and I have a Win 7 64 Ultimate install so all is good :) but that would be much appreciated, would the recovery include all the drivers?

Also: would a Intel Core 2 Duo P series processor be installable? Like a P7350 or P9500? The 25w TDP looks nice
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#8 Post by NonesensE » Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:45 am

iModFrenzy wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 8:11 am
NonesensE wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:08 am
You don't loose anything with an undervolting bios, the highsun bios does everything the Middleton bios does - and more. Even quadcores become a possibility.
Oh thats great, do you happen to have a link to the bios?

And quad cores(as in Core 2 Quad?), I thought that had to be a HW Mod?

Thanks!

[...]

Also: would a Intel Core 2 Duo P series processor be installable? Like a P7350 or P9500? The 25w TDP looks nice
Yes, Core2Quad. Correct, you need a hardware mod for this, but also a BIOS mod.

For C2D P-series processors, you need the FSB1066-mod, which is part of the C2Q-mod. See:

/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=110620&start=30#p728624

Which contains a link to the German forum where you can find various BIOS versions from HIGHSUN in a table. They also unlock some FSB800 CPUs that won't work with stock BIOS.

For simply undervolting the GPU on a standard FSB800 system, I'd recommend a non-Q, non-OC (graphics overclocking) BIOS with ASPM support. You'll find them with 1,05V, 1,00V, 0,95V and 0,90V. 0,95 or even 0,90V should work with the nvs 140M. Be shure to flash the latest original Lenovo BIOS before flashing the HIGHSUN BIOS to make shure that you have the latest EC version 1.08.
Sometimes coming over from the German forum...
X62s 3rd batch, [s]T61[/s] T70 14" 4:3 1st batch

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#9 Post by theterminator93 » Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:49 am

The 1066 mod by itself also requires some hardware modifications, but much less intense than the quad modifications. IIRC it's as simple as a cut trace and a soldered wire, although the underside of my system board didn't perfectly match up to their example photos so I had to be extra careful in making sure I cut the right trace!
T480 with T25 keyboard | T25 | W520 i7-2860QM·Quadro 2000m·IPS FHD | T601F T9900·NVS 140m·LED AFFS UXGA
T420 IPS FHD | X220 IPS FHD | T61p·T61·43·42p|X13 Yoga G3·220T·301·41T·24·23·22|G41|A31p·22m|i1200|TransNote
600|770Z|770|760XD|760EL|701C|755C

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#10 Post by iModFrenzy » Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:01 am

NonesensE wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:45 am
iModFrenzy wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 8:11 am


Oh thats great, do you happen to have a link to the bios?

And quad cores(as in Core 2 Quad?), I thought that had to be a HW Mod?

Thanks!

[...]

Also: would a Intel Core 2 Duo P series processor be installable? Like a P7350 or P9500? The 25w TDP looks nice
Yes, Core2Quad. Correct, you need a hardware mod for this, but also a BIOS mod.

For C2D P-series processors, you need the FSB1066-mod, which is part of the C2Q-mod. See:

/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=110620&start=30#p728624

Which contains a link to the German forum where you can find various BIOS versions from HIGHSUN in a table. They also unlock some FSB800 CPUs that won't work with stock BIOS.

For simply undervolting the GPU on a standard FSB800 system, I'd recommend a non-Q, non-OC (graphics overclocking) BIOS with ASPM support. You'll find them with 1,05V, 1,00V, 0,95V and 0,90V. 0,95 or even 0,90V should work with the nvs 140M. Be shure to flash the latest original Lenovo BIOS before flashing the HIGHSUN BIOS to make shure that you have the latest EC version 1.08.
Will make sure of that(that the bios is updated), thanks for the help! I'll look at the BIOSes and figure out which I'll go with.
theterminator93 wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:49 am
The 1066 mod by itself also requires some hardware modifications, but much less intense than the quad modifications. IIRC it's as simple as a cut trace and a soldered wire, although the underside of my system board didn't perfectly match up to their example photos so I had to be extra careful in making sure I cut the right trace!
I hope I'm understanding it right(and its as easy as you say :P)

https://i.imgur.com/wkHMh7q.jpg

So a cut trace and that green wire, no soldering past the black line. Just making sure I understand

Thanks!
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#11 Post by theterminator93 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:10 am

Yeah, pretty much. Cut the one trace and solder in a jumper wire from the end of the resistor on the left to the capacitor on the right.

There are other parts which add to the complexity but most of it isn't too difficult. The biggest uncertainty is whether your RAM will handle being overclocked; if you can write new SPD information to the chips to have them run at slower timings at the higher clock speeds that will help with stability, but again - not all RAM is SPD unlocked. I'd say step 1 would be to identify and reprogram RAM first, then flash the new BIOS, then do the HW mod and install the CPU.

One little tidbit - before I did the mod I had software installed to undervolt the CPU to cut back on heat and save a little power. I had completely forgotten about it until after the mod and new CPU, which was crashing almost as soon as I could log in to Windows. Of course after I realized what was going on and adjsuted the settings to give it the voltage it needed it's been rock solid stable, but... just a heads up to avoid my mistakes.
T480 with T25 keyboard | T25 | W520 i7-2860QM·Quadro 2000m·IPS FHD | T601F T9900·NVS 140m·LED AFFS UXGA
T420 IPS FHD | X220 IPS FHD | T61p·T61·43·42p|X13 Yoga G3·220T·301·41T·24·23·22|G41|A31p·22m|i1200|TransNote
600|770Z|770|760XD|760EL|701C|755C

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#12 Post by Cigarguy » Wed Nov 29, 2017 9:55 am

That's a lot of money, tinkering and work on a 10 year old laptop with marginal reward at best. Install the SSD, upgrade the RAM to 4 GB and possibly a T9300 if you can find it cheap. Load it up enjoy and when it dies due to Nvidia GPU failure move on. The SSD is worth spending on as it's something that will work in a newer machine. IMO, this is the sweet spot of upgrading and not spending too much. A T400/T500 will easily outperform a typical T61 and have native SATA II, DDR3, uses Intel's next gen CPU, don't have Nvidia GPU issues and can be had for about the same price.

Of course if you like tinkering (for marginal gain) knowing full well that the money spent will never be recovered then have at it.

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#13 Post by iModFrenzy » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:07 am

theterminator93 wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:10 am
Yeah, pretty much. Cut the one trace and solder in a jumper wire from the end of the resistor on the left to the capacitor on the right.

There are other parts which add to the complexity but most of it isn't too difficult. The biggest uncertainty is whether your RAM will handle being overclocked; if you can write new SPD information to the chips to have them run at slower timings at the higher clock speeds that will help with stability, but again - not all RAM is SPD unlocked. I'd say step 1 would be to identify and reprogram RAM first, then flash the new BIOS, then do the HW mod and install the CPU.

One little tidbit - before I did the mod I had software installed to undervolt the CPU to cut back on heat and save a little power. I had completely forgotten about it until after the mod and new CPU, which was crashing almost as soon as I could log in to Windows. Of course after I realized what was going on and adjsuted the settings to give it the voltage it needed it's been rock solid stable, but... just a heads up to avoid my mistakes.
Alright great! Seems simple, now as for the ram.

I plan to upgrade to 2x4gb when the time comes, so if I flash my current ram (I have a 2X2gb setup in the T60 that will be transferred). Will have to put the old T7xxx processor to boot and reprogram the new ram sticks? If you know of course, sorry for all these questions!

And I probably will run the T7300(till I do the mod) at it’s normal voltage, but I appreciate the heads up :)
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#14 Post by theterminator93 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:32 am

Reprogramming factory timed 800 MHz RAM's timings to work on a 1066 modded system should always be done on an 800 MHz bus system. If there are any issues with stability, they will most likely crop up when running at 1066 with 800 MHz timings, so you don't want to risk bricking the SODIMMs while reprogramming them while they are running overclocked and undertimed. You can check out all sorts of nitty gritty details in the 1066 FHB thread, here: viewtopic.php?t=110620

FWIW the reprogrammed 2x4GB modules I have in my 1066 modded FrankenPad are PC2-6400 modules made by Axiom.
Cigarguy wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 9:55 am
That's a lot of money, tinkering and work on a 10 year old laptop with marginal reward at best. Install the SSD, upgrade the RAM to 4 GB and possibly a T9300 if you can find it cheap. Load it up enjoy and when it dies due to Nvidia GPU failure move on. The SSD is worth spending on as it's something that will work in a newer machine. IMO, this is the sweet spot of upgrading and not spending too much. A T400/T500 will easily outperform a typical T61 and have native SATA II, DDR3, uses Intel's next gen CPU, don't have Nvidia GPU issues and can be had for about the same price.

Of course if you like tinkering (for marginal gain) knowing full well that the money spent will never be recovered then have at it.
I can't speak for the OP, but in my case, it's not always about practicality. It's about having something uniquely yours, and being proud to be able to say you have what you have because your own hands made it that way.
T480 with T25 keyboard | T25 | W520 i7-2860QM·Quadro 2000m·IPS FHD | T601F T9900·NVS 140m·LED AFFS UXGA
T420 IPS FHD | X220 IPS FHD | T61p·T61·43·42p|X13 Yoga G3·220T·301·41T·24·23·22|G41|A31p·22m|i1200|TransNote
600|770Z|770|760XD|760EL|701C|755C

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#15 Post by Cigarguy » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:46 am

theterminator93 wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:32 am
I can't speak for the OP, but in my case, it's not always about practicality. It's about having something uniquely yours, and being proud to be able to say you have what you have because your own hands made it that way.
As an audiophile I completely understand so long as one is aware. Laptops are just tools for me. My upgrading and tinkering is to bring it to the sweet spot for model X. After that it's use and abuse and move on to the next. Interestingly enough I'm tinker and do a lot of custom work on the desktop side. So much more one can do on a desktop machine. No one ever sees or hear about it as I do it just for me.

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#16 Post by thinkpadcollection » Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:47 am

The T500 fan minus the heatsink with high count blades is direct swap to T61/R61 heatsink's original fan, no mods needed. That fan design was created to cool 35W CPU in addition to HD3650 GPU which can peak more than 20W. I have seen more than 30W total pumped out even more on monitoring battery utility.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#17 Post by NonesensE » Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:28 pm

thinkpadcollection wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:47 am
The T500 fan minus the heatsink with high count blades is direct swap to T61/R61 heatsink's original fan, no mods needed. That fan design was created to cool 35W CPU in addition to HD3650 GPU which can peak more than 20W. I have seen more than 30W total pumped out even more on monitoring battery utility.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection
Probably not on this one as it's a 14" wide model. But a T400 fan may fit.
Sometimes coming over from the German forum...
X62s 3rd batch, [s]T61[/s] T70 14" 4:3 1st batch

NonesensE
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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#18 Post by NonesensE » Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:33 pm

iModFrenzy wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:01 am
NonesensE wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:45 am

Yes, Core2Quad. Correct, you need a hardware mod for this, but also a BIOS mod.

For C2D P-series processors, you need the FSB1066-mod, which is part of the C2Q-mod. See:

/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=110620&start=30#p728624

Which contains a link to the German forum where you can find various BIOS versions from HIGHSUN in a table. They also unlock some FSB800 CPUs that won't work with stock BIOS.

For simply undervolting the GPU on a standard FSB800 system, I'd recommend a non-Q, non-OC (graphics overclocking) BIOS with ASPM support. You'll find them with 1,05V, 1,00V, 0,95V and 0,90V. 0,95 or even 0,90V should work with the nvs 140M. Be shure to flash the latest original Lenovo BIOS before flashing the HIGHSUN BIOS to make shure that you have the latest EC version 1.08.
Will make sure of that(that the bios is updated), thanks for the help! I'll look at the BIOSes and figure out which I'll go with.
theterminator93 wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:49 am
The 1066 mod by itself also requires some hardware modifications, but much less intense than the quad modifications. IIRC it's as simple as a cut trace and a soldered wire, although the underside of my system board didn't perfectly match up to their example photos so I had to be extra careful in making sure I cut the right trace!
I hope I'm understanding it right(and its as easy as you say :P)

https://i.imgur.com/wkHMh7q.jpg

So a cut trace and that green wire, no soldering past the black line. Just making sure I understand

Thanks!
Beware, that pic is probably from a 4:3 or a 15,4" wide model, the 14" wide layout is a bit different. I think I saw pics for this mod on a 14" wide T61 somewhere, but I'm not sure. You may have to locate the correct connections by yourself.
Sometimes coming over from the German forum...
X62s 3rd batch, [s]T61[/s] T70 14" 4:3 1st batch

iModFrenzy
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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#19 Post by iModFrenzy » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:23 am

theterminator93 wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:32 am
Reprogramming factory timed 800 MHz RAM's timings to work on a 1066 modded system should always be done on an 800 MHz bus system. If there are any issues with stability, they will most likely crop up when running at 1066 with 800 MHz timings, so you don't want to risk bricking the SODIMMs while reprogramming them while they are running overclocked and undertimed. You can check out all sorts of nitty gritty details in the 1066 FHB thread, here: viewtopic.php?t=110620

FWIW the reprogrammed 2x4GB modules I have in my 1066 modded FrankenPad are PC2-6400 modules made by Axiom.
Cigarguy wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 9:55 am
That's a lot of money, tinkering and work on a 10 year old laptop with marginal reward at best. Install the SSD, upgrade the RAM to 4 GB and possibly a T9300 if you can find it cheap. Load it up enjoy and when it dies due to Nvidia GPU failure move on. The SSD is worth spending on as it's something that will work in a newer machine. IMO, this is the sweet spot of upgrading and not spending too much. A T400/T500 will easily outperform a typical T61 and have native SATA II, DDR3, uses Intel's next gen CPU, don't have Nvidia GPU issues and can be had for about the same price.

Of course if you like tinkering (for marginal gain) knowing full well that the money spent will never be recovered then have at it.
I can't speak for the OP, but in my case, it's not always about practicality. It's about having something uniquely yours, and being proud to be able to say you have what you have because your own hands made it that way.
TheTerminator93 nailed my response plus I just find this fun :)

As for the ram, I found some Axiom modules and will try to purchase them soon. I picked up a P9500 for around 15$, so once I get the ram I can start. Thanks!
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

iModFrenzy
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Location: Huntington Station, New York

Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#20 Post by iModFrenzy » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:29 am

NonesensE wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:28 pm
thinkpadcollection wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:47 am
The T500 fan minus the heatsink with high count blades is direct swap to T61/R61 heatsink's original fan, no mods needed. That fan design was created to cool 35W CPU in addition to HD3650 GPU which can peak more than 20W. I have seen more than 30W total pumped out even more on monitoring battery utility.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection
Probably not on this one as it's a 14" wide model. But a T400 fan may fit.
thinkpadcollection wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:47 am
The T500 fan minus the heatsink with high count blades is direct swap to T61/R61 heatsink's original fan, no mods needed. That fan design was created to cool 35W CPU in addition to HD3650 GPU which can peak more than 20W. I have seen more than 30W total pumped out even more on monitoring battery utility.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection
I thought I asked about this, turns out I did not. But my T60 has a W500/T500 heatsink installed into it, so Ill compare them and see if its possible to install into my T61(arrives today :D )

I just want this ThinkPad as cool as possible and to have the best battery life possible, running 9 cell + 3 cell configuration.
NonesensE wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:33 pm
iModFrenzy wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:01 am


Will make sure of that(that the bios is updated), thanks for the help! I'll look at the BIOSes and figure out which I'll go with.



I hope I'm understanding it right(and its as easy as you say :P)

https://i.imgur.com/wkHMh7q.jpg

So a cut trace and that green wire, no soldering past the black line. Just making sure I understand

Thanks!
Beware, that pic is probably from a 4:3 or a 15,4" wide model, the 14" wide layout is a bit different. I think I saw pics for this mod on a 14" wide T61 somewhere, but I'm not sure. You may have to locate the correct connections by yourself.
Thanks for the tip! I'll keep a sharp eye out for the trace, and try and find some pictures.
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

iModFrenzy
Posts: 24
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Location: Huntington Station, New York

Re: Just bought a T61, few questions *PICS*

#21 Post by iModFrenzy » Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:25 am

theterminator93 wrote:
Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:32 am
Reprogramming factory timed 800 MHz RAM's timings to work on a 1066 modded system should always be done on an 800 MHz bus system. If there are any issues with stability, they will most likely crop up when running at 1066 with 800 MHz timings, so you don't want to risk bricking the SODIMMs while reprogramming them while they are running overclocked and undertimed. You can check out all sorts of nitty gritty details in the 1066 FHB thread, here: viewtopic.php?t=110620
I just received a ThinkPad X61 7769-A22(L7500 C2D), could this be a good machine for reprogramming the ram and then transferring it to the T61 when complete? I'm assuming T/X 61 series are similar and the X61 runs on a 800mhz bus.

I am only asking because it might be a bit before I grab 2x4gb DDR2 sticks, 4GB is plenty for now.

(Also received the ThinkPad T61, great machine!)

EDIT: The ram is PC-5400 2x2gb sticks by Samsung, I'll read the thread to see if theres any info about them

EDIT 2: Anyone have a source to get the Middleton bioses? I only found this page http://www.ecoshop.biz/?action=review-0337 and was able to get one for my X61 / T61, just afraid to flash it on my X61
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

iModFrenzy
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:42 am
Location: Huntington Station, New York

Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#22 Post by iModFrenzy » Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:52 am

NonesensE wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:45 am
iModFrenzy wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 8:11 am


Oh thats great, do you happen to have a link to the bios?

And quad cores(as in Core 2 Quad?), I thought that had to be a HW Mod?

Thanks!

[...]

Also: would a Intel Core 2 Duo P series processor be installable? Like a P7350 or P9500? The 25w TDP looks nice
Yes, Core2Quad. Correct, you need a hardware mod for this, but also a BIOS mod.

For C2D P-series processors, you need the FSB1066-mod, which is part of the C2Q-mod. See:

/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=110620&start=30#p728624

Which contains a link to the German forum where you can find various BIOS versions from HIGHSUN in a table. They also unlock some FSB800 CPUs that won't work with stock BIOS.

For simply undervolting the GPU on a standard FSB800 system, I'd recommend a non-Q, non-OC (graphics overclocking) BIOS with ASPM support. You'll find them with 1,05V, 1,00V, 0,95V and 0,90V. 0,95 or even 0,90V should work with the nvs 140M. Be shure to flash the latest original Lenovo BIOS before flashing the HIGHSUN BIOS to make shure that you have the latest EC version 1.08.
If the Middleton bios is already installed, do I still need to flash Lenovo's bios to go the HIGHSUN BIOS? As I'm assuming you need to update to the latest bios for the Middleton one, so that step would be done?

Thanks
Thinkpad T61 1.9Ghz P9500, 4GB, NVS 140M, Samsung 850 EVO 256GB, HIGHSUN BIOS undervolting GPU to 0.95V, Windows 7 x64 Ultimate

Daily Driver: MacBook Air 2015 1.6ghz i5-5250u,8gb RAM, Intel HD 6000

NonesensE
Sophomore Member
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon May 29, 2017 6:28 am
Location: GF/BS/OHA, Germany

Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#23 Post by NonesensE » Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:38 pm

iModFrenzy wrote:
Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:52 am
NonesensE wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:45 am

Yes, Core2Quad. Correct, you need a hardware mod for this, but also a BIOS mod.

For C2D P-series processors, you need the FSB1066-mod, which is part of the C2Q-mod. See:

/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=110620&start=30#p728624

Which contains a link to the German forum where you can find various BIOS versions from HIGHSUN in a table. They also unlock some FSB800 CPUs that won't work with stock BIOS.

For simply undervolting the GPU on a standard FSB800 system, I'd recommend a non-Q, non-OC (graphics overclocking) BIOS with ASPM support. You'll find them with 1,05V, 1,00V, 0,95V and 0,90V. 0,95 or even 0,90V should work with the nvs 140M. Be shure to flash the latest original Lenovo BIOS before flashing the HIGHSUN BIOS to make shure that you have the latest EC version 1.08.
If the Middleton bios is already installed, do I still need to flash Lenovo's bios to go the HIGHSUN BIOS? As I'm assuming you need to update to the latest bios for the Middleton one, so that step would be done?

Thanks
Yes, do it, just to be sure. You don't know which version the seller installed.
Sometimes coming over from the German forum...
X62s 3rd batch, [s]T61[/s] T70 14" 4:3 1st batch

theterminator93
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Re: Just bought a T61, few questions

#24 Post by theterminator93 » Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:50 pm

NonesensE wrote:
Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:38 pm
Yes, do it, just to be sure. You don't know which version the seller installed.
What was installed was this: http://www.mediafire.com/?f9w4kv0k36vpg ... .08%29.rar

From here: https://t61.wikispaces.com/
T480 with T25 keyboard | T25 | W520 i7-2860QM·Quadro 2000m·IPS FHD | T601F T9900·NVS 140m·LED AFFS UXGA
T420 IPS FHD | X220 IPS FHD | T61p·T61·43·42p|X13 Yoga G3·220T·301·41T·24·23·22|G41|A31p·22m|i1200|TransNote
600|770Z|770|760XD|760EL|701C|755C

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