Thinkpads Forum

Hello everyone

here is a question about what can one install in the left part of your T61s and T601Fs

this is what is written on the detailed specification sheet of the t61

Bays

One integrated, easy-loading modular Ultrabay
One ExpressCard slot and one PC Card (Type-II) slot
One PC Card (Type-II) slot and one Smart Card slot
4-in-1 reader (MultiMediaCard, Mem Stick PRO, Secure Digital, xD-Picture Card™)

first question, are the 2 slots identical, or each has different capabilities?

I saw may people install USB 3s but the speeds are less then stellar, not much greater than what the machines natively provides with its USB 2s, so I dont know if its worth the hassle, but beyond that what else can be installed? are there any adapters that have HDMI or USB type C ?

NOTE: I know the expansion slot can be used to run an external GPU, but this was discussed to death in another post, so please keep this out of this thread. thank you.

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:23 am

One ExpressCard slot and one PC Card (Type-II) slot
One PC Card (Type-II) slot and one Smart Card slot

These are 2 versions of the "double" slots.
First one has one flap to cover both slots, second one has a small flap to only cover the top slot.

RealBlackStuff wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:15 pm

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:23 am

One ExpressCard slot and one PC Card (Type-II) slot
One PC Card (Type-II) slot and one Smart Card slot

These are 2 versions of the "double" slots.
First one has one flap to cover both slots, second one has a small flap to only cover the top slot.

Interesting
Anyway, I have several t60/1s with a big cover for both slots.

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:23 am

I saw may people install USB 3s but the speeds are less then stellar, not much greater than what the machines natively provides with its USB 2s,

You can get 3-4 times the speed with USB3.0 over ExpressCard compare to native USB 2.0 of the T60, unless the flash is the limiting factor.

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:23 am

beyond that what else can be installed? are there any adapters that have HDMI or USB type C ?

Aside that eGPU you do not wish to discuss, not as far as I know. Even if there was a USB-C ExpressCard, it would just give you standard USB 3.0 capabilities in a different-shaped port.

dr_st wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 3:41 pm

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:23 am

I saw may people install USB 3s but the speeds are less then stellar, not much greater than what the machines natively provides with its USB 2s,

You can get 3-4 times the speed with USB3.0 over ExpressCard compare to native USB 2.0 of the T60, unless the flash is the limiting factor.

I meant in the way that some people reported slow speeds from such devices bought on amazon or ebay. not on par with actual usb 3 speeds.

dr_st wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 3:41 pm

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:23 am

beyond that what else can be installed? are there any adapters that have HDMI or USB type C ?

Aside that eGPU you do not wish to discuss, not as far as I know. Even if there was a USB-C ExpressCard, it would just give you standard USB 3.0 capabilities in a different-shaped port.

how about 4 in 1 card readers, Ive been scouring several amazon stores and I can only find some stupid compact flash expresscard adapter for some old mercedes -benz models.

USB 3.0 is faster than Expresscard, so it won't be as fast as true USB 3.0, however Expresscard is faster than USB 2.0.

TPFanatic wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 9:28 pm

USB 3.0 is faster than Expresscard, so it won't be as fast as true USB 3.0, however Expresscard is faster than USB 2.0.

This is something that I wish people never said, because, while true in some cases, such as the T60, it leads people to the exact erroneous conclusion that it's not a good upgrade. No USB device ever reaches its theoretical maximum bandwidth anyways.

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 5:26 pm

I meant in the way that some people reported slow speeds from such devices bought on amazon or ebay. not on par with actual usb 3 speeds.

Don't trust blindly what people report. A lot of them are clueless. To see the actual speeds you can get, in a T60, no less, go no further than my own benchmarks:
viewtopic.php?t=110163

And what is "actual USB 3 speeds" anyways? Surely you are not talking about the 5Gbps theoretical limit? Why don't you find me a single USB 3.0 device, in the fastest computer imaginable, that comes close to that?

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 5:26 pm

how about 4 in 1 card readers, Ive been scouring several amazon stores and I can only find some stupid compact flash expresscard adapter for some old mercedes -benz models.

Yes, you can do that. Lenovo's own 04W1701 adapter (which was used in the T420s/T430s as an option) is one example. There are also USB2.0-based ExpressCard adapters, which are much slower.

Again, I've benchmarked these:
viewtopic.php?t=123727

In a T61 you can actually have a card reader already installed as an option. For maximum compatibility in a T60, you can get a (slower) CardBus-based card reader and a USB 3.0 ExpressCard adapter. Or you can get a fast PCIe-based card reader and forget the CardBus.

MIne didn't came with 4 in 1 card reader, none of my t60s, and it's really pissing me off that I can't find one to buy. Express or card bus.

Tried eBay? Plenty of 04W1701 available there as we speak.

dr_st wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:02 am

Tried eBay? Plenty of 04W1701 available there as we speak.

wow dude thanks
had no idea about the fru, and a standard saearch for media card reader express card would give me a gazillion of BS items.

thanks alot

P.S> I see alot are for the T420 series, are they als compatible with T61?

I tested it on my T60. You can check my benchmark thread. All this has already been mentioned in my earlier post...