Just got a T61 with nVidia Quadro NVS 140m!

[CrazyTPFan]

Very excited! I was finally able to find a T61 with the NVS 140m! It's also a 2008 model with the revised graphics. Has anyone had a '08 model with graphics failure? I want to be careful with the graphics because it's getting harder to find models with the dGPU and I would hate to have it fail on me.

[theterminator93]

Yes, I've seen 2008 GPU models fail. Only models with manufacture dates of August 08 or later are safe from the GPU design defect. That said I've also seen many, many earlier models that have yet to fail - among them my T601F with an early 08 GPU.

At this point these are all 11-12 years old now, and GPU failure due to age on defective or non defective GPUs is as likely as other types of catastrophic failure, IMO.

In any case, I've seen a handful of T61s with a September 08 GPU, and I've saved one for myself which isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I've still got a few T61s with the NVS on the bench for sale, if you want some for parts... </shameless plug>

[CrazyTPFan]

I know that all computer parts will eventually fail. But, if I can have those parts in my computer last longer I’m all for it! What parts do you have from your T61? I still am waiting for my T61 to come in the mail to get a good look on the condition. I think I’m good GPU wise because the date on it is 07/08.

[RealBlackStuff]

Sorry to disappoint you.
The date on those laptops is in YY/MM format, meaning your 07/08 is from 2007 August.
Improved versions are dated 08/08 or later.
If you'd want a brandnew 2010/2011 T61 motherboard with NVS140M, check with TuuS after reading this.

[wujstefan]

I've seen the old one alive, revised dead and updated 2010/2011 chips dead. 3-digit number of T61/T61p's got through my hands.

I'd strongly recommend getting a board (or two) as spares and live happily. I'm working on a 7/12 T61p for about half a year and a T61 w/board from TuuS for four years or so, never any trouble. I do, however, keep a couple of mobos for those systems just-in-case.

[CrazyTPFan]

I would love to get a spare board, but I'm using that money to get a T420 . And $139 for a almost 11 year old mobo is just too much money for me. Plus, the T61 I bought still works so I'm fine for now.

[CrazyTPFan]

I have some news... It might be a 08' model in a 2007 shell. I looked closer at the pictures and the UUID is all zero's, indicating that the board could have possibly been replaced. There's also ONLY a system board serial number and NOT a system unit serial number in the BIOS. At this point, I'm not even sure if it has the nVidia GPU or not. It has a 2010 BIOS date. If anyone could help me find out the date of the board, it would be greatly appreciated.

[theterminator93]

Clean the thermal paste off the GPU (right and down, diagonally from the CPU). There will be a date code stamped on the die, in the 2nd group of numbers just under "nVIDIA", e.g. 0811A2. The first two are year, the second two are week. Mid 2008 or later (probably by week 30) would likely indicate the revised GPU.

[unixed]

Run "lspci" in a linux shell, it'll tell you which nvidia graphics chip you have, if any. It won't of course date it, that you physically check once you've established you have one.

[CrazyTPFan]

I plan on doing that once it arrives. Hopefully it has the nVidia chip. I think it's a board from 2010 in there, because the BIOS version had 2010 as the date.

[unixed]

If you remove the battery you can usually see the planar FRU which conveys a lot of information, including a dating range. However this is likely a warranty replacement board and it may have a good chip independently of any other indicators besides the chip date.

[CrazyTPFan]

I will check and see when I get the laptop. I really hope that it is a revised nVidia board that it got replaced with. Did the T61 have revised boards from 2010?

[RealBlackStuff]

Did the T61 have revised boards from 2010?

AFAIK only the 14.1" 4:3 (non-widescreen) with NVS140M (available from TuuS).

[unixed]

I really hope that it is a revised nVidia board that it got replaced with. Did the T61 have revised boards from 2010?

You can't infer the graphics chip date from the BIOS date, for example you can flash a 2010-dated BIOS on 2007-dated T61.

[CrazyTPFan]

I know that. I think it’s a replaced board because the UUID is all zeros.

[wujstefan]

Did the T61 have revised boards from 2010?

AFAIK only the 14.1" 4:3 (non-widescreen) with NVS140M (available from TuuS).

I've had both 16:10 14,1" and 16:10 15,4" revised boards in my hands including T61p. They seem extremely rare, but they are somewhere out there in the world.

I know that. I think it’s a replaced board because the UUID is all zeros.

To get sure take a glimpse at the GPU itself - it will have a printed date in year and week format. However, being you I'd prepare a really big beer.

[CrazyTPFan]

I'm going to look once it gets here at the GPU to see the date on it so I can know what I'm dealing with. For now, I have to play the waiting game until it arrives.

[H-Atkinson]

Ive had a safe Fx570m (128 mb) fail on me (in my T601p).

[unixed]

Ive had a safe Fx570m (128 mb) fail on me (in my T601p).

Do you still have this planar?

[H-Atkinson]

No, but I have a safe NVS 140m board with a dead GPU. It was purchased through AliExpress, and I suspect they are forging serial and model numbers over there.

[cadillacmike68]

No, but I have a safe NVS 140m board with a dead GPU. It was purchased through AliExpress, and I suspect they are forging serial and model numbers over there.

You know where ali is based out of, of course?

[H-Atkinson]

I know. I just had hope that it was an old-stock board, as those have shown up in the past (widescreen T61p 15" boards w/ native penryn notably).