Replacing T61 motherboard with Intel graphics. Is it worth it?

[jpthinkpadfan]

Hey guys,

I have a beautiful and well taken care of T61 15.4" widescreen display with the dreaded NVIDIA graphics board. It was my go to laptop for home until recently when the card went out. It's in beautiful condition and I hate to throw it away. That said, is it worth getting an Intel graphics-only motherboard? I've seen them listed on eBay for $50-$60.

[TPFanatic]

$50 and $60 seems unnecessarily expensive. For $50 and $60 you can get a whole 'nother T61 or T500, and even some much newer ones.

I wouldn't spend more than $20 on a T61 board.

edit: here's T61 15.4" intel boards for $30 or best offer. https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-LENOVO-Thi ... 2030086305

[Screamer]

It is not worth it if you plan to run old, graphically-demanding games on your T61, as the GMA X3100 is horrible for gaming. The GMA X3100 is fine for basic tasks that don't require a lot of graphics processing power, though.

$50-$60? I believe that is the price range for a working Quadro NVS 140M motherboard, which is quite expensive as TPFanatic has stated.

[jpthinkpadfan]

Thanks guys! Not using the T61 for games or anything like that. Just basic Office tasks and web browsing. I just bought one of the mobos from the ebay link. That said, I didn't think about it but how easy is it really to replace it? I've seen a few videos on youtube and it seems complex. Any tips you can give me before I begin surgery?

[Screamer]

It isn't that complex, give the hardware maintenance manual a look. If you were to follow the steps as the hardware maintenance manual has stated, it should be easy. Just remember to keep track of the screws, because you will have a lot of them laying around.

Good luck, and maybe tape the screws onto the parts that they come out of. It might help.

[TPFanatic]

I have't taken apart T61, only its older and younger siblings Z60m, T500, and R500 and it is a straightforward process. Most things are held in with screws, not plastic retention clips, so disassembly is fairly hassle free. Taking out the VGA port screws may need a pliers. Use the HMM as Screamer said and provided, it will provide all the directions.

[jpthinkpadfan]

Thanks everyone for your help! I'll keep everyone posted on how it goes. I'll take a picture of the before/after results. I also ordered one of the 300-piece screw kits on eBay for around $6 in case I lose/misplace some of them.

[jpthinkpadfan]

UPDATE: It appears that I ordered the wrong motherboard. Mine is a 15.4" widescreen model. Does anyone know the part number for this mobo?

[Screamer]

Well, as the hardware maintenance manual had stated: FRU 42W7875. FRU 43Y6885 can be also used, since there is no difference between these 2 part numbers, as far as I know.

Hold on a for a second though, how did you exactly know that you have received the wrong motherboard?

[jpthinkpadfan]

I got the one for a 14.1" model

[wujstefan]

Then it will not fit.