Flexview model with integrated graphics and DVI

[ssd_thinkpad]

I am searching for a silent Flexview model and therefore looking for a model with integrated graphics. The T4x series has no such model. Is there one model available on T6x series? Some T60 models use Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (Intel 945GM). In the T6x series all models should provide DVI over Docking, is that true?

[Harryc]

There are no integrated GPU Flexview T60's either. There may be a modified T60 out there somewhere, but it did not come from Lenovo that way. As far as DVI pass-thru to a dock, that is correct, all T6X machines would be capable of that.

[emconuk]

I am in the process of installing a T61p motherboard with integrated graphics into a T60p shell with a 15" UXGA Flexview screen.

3 weeks until completion. I will report back what happens

[basketb]

... a T61p motherboard with integrated graphics ...

Is this for real?

[emconuk]

I hope so. I ordered 42W7648 from IBM Parts.

Got a T61p fan too so hopefully I can cobble something together.

emconuk

[Harryc]

I think what basketb is questioning is whether a T61P was ever produced with an integrated Intel graphics chipset. I'd have to say that my initial thoughts on the subject are that it was not. Plenty of T61's out there with integrated graphics, but I believe all T61P's have discrete graphics. I'd love to be proved wrong though and I'd also like to see the integrated Intel GPU drive a 15" UXGA Flexview screen.

[emconuk]

Sorry basketb - missed your point. thanks Harryc for pointing it out.

The only reason I can think for the 42W7648 not being able to drive the UXGA is a video BIOS hardcoding, similar to the x61s and 1024x768.

I'll report back if/when it arrives and I try it out.

[Johan]

I am in the process of installing a T61p motherboard with integrated graphics into a T60p shell with a 15" UXGA Flexview screen.

3 weeks until completion. I will report back what happens

Holy Molly!! This is about the most interesting ThinkPad-project I can think of; I am highly interested in hearing about the outcome of this project since I have for some time been thinking about exactly the same - as discussed in the thread Parts for the ultimate 15” T60 UXGA FlexView w/T61(p) mobo? Please keep us posted here - also about the specific CPU you've chosen, as well as which fan you picked? Thanks very much in advance for an update here, once you're ready for it.

Best of luck with this project - I keep my fingers crossed for success!

Johan

[emconuk]

Well I can certainly tell you that I am going to be using a T7600 from my T60p and the fan is FRU 42W2820. I am hoping it will fit with some help.

Will keep this thread posted. 2 week lead time on the fan but planar and other parts I've ordered are in stock. May arrive sooner.

[ajkula66]

There were (supposedly) a bunch of CTO models offered with integrated graphics and IPS LCDs on T60 units, if the page linked below can be trusted, under # 8:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 62806.html

Any model starting with 19xx equals Intel graphics, so they should be out there...although I have yet to see one.

[emconuk]

Interesting. IBM parts just cancelled my order for 42W7648 and said I should order 42W7872 instead.

There is a price hike and I'm not sure this will fit into a T60p housing.

oh well, I've gone and ordered the 42W7872 and there is no leadtime on the fan assembly as it's now in stock.

So here is what I am about to do.

1) Install a T61 planar (FRU#42W78720) into a T60P housing (2007-FBG).
2) Install a T7600 (4MB Cache 2.33 Ghz 800Mhz FSB)
3) Install the 4GB of RAM from my T60P
4) Boot to BIOS and then onto a Live Linux CDROM where I shall check everything works etc.
5) if all is OK then reinstall my HDD and boot into WindowsXP. It might be driver hell but I'm going for it.

With the leadtime gone I should have this done by sometime next week.

Wish me luck !

[ZaZ]

2) Install a T7600 (4MB Cache 2.33 Ghz 800Mhz FSB)

Wouldn't you need a Santa Rosa or Penryn CPU, not Merom like the T7600, for a T61 board?

[dr_st]

Yeah, you would. In fact you could go as high as a P9500/T9600.

[Johan]

Wouldn't you need a Santa Rosa or Penryn CPU, not Merom like the T7600, for a T61 board?

Yeah, you would. In fact you could go as high as a P9500/T9600.

(- red color added by me, to emphasize why the following is asked).

@dr_st: Please inform whether what you state here is a fact (and kindly provide link(s) to evidence), or whether this is only belief/speculation/assumption??

If you see the thread mentioned above Parts for the ultimate 15” T60 UXGA FlexView w/T61(p) mobo? you will therein find links to several threads discussing specific CPU's used with various T61 motherboards, including this citation:

The ability to run a Penryn-based T8xxx or T9xxx CPU on your T61/p will depend on your motherboard and doesn't have anything to do with the BIOS. To start go to the IBM warranty page here http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...LOOK-WARNTY#sw and enter your type and serial number. You'll then get a page detailing each component in your system with a FRU number. Scroll down and look for 'SYSTEM PLANAR'. Mine states 42W7652 as the FRU.

From my reviews of what people have got to work on their systems and the maintenance manual I've concluded the following:

Merom-based T7xxx CPU's will work on the following motherboards:

- 42W7651,
- 42W7652,
- 42W7653, and
- 42W7875.

Penryn-based T8xxx and T9xxx CPU's will work on the following motherboards:

- 42W7876, and
- 42W7877.

Moreover, in this post the following question is asked:

c) What CPU is recommended?? (wanting the muscles, for peak-power applications, but also and even more wanting it to be quiet and low-noise under idle/light use). This question perhaps more or less answer itself… the T61’s coming with GMA/X3100 according to the ltwbook support (at least) T5270, T7100, T7300, T7500. The newer T8100 & T8300 seems to require 14.1 wide-screen mobo’s with the PM965 (as what I have been able to detect from the ltwbook and various announcement letters). On the other hand, some T61u (yes, ”T61u” whatever the ”u” means?) also uses the GM/PM965 chipset and support both T8300 and T9300!! According to the Personal Systems Reference - Intel PC Processors, December 2008 - Version 349 both the e.g. T7300, T7500 (page 7) and the T8300 and T9300 (page 8 ) are ”Socket P/Micro Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array (Micro-FCPGA) requires 479-pin surface mount Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket (mPGA479M socket) or Micro Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array (Micro-FCBGA) for surface mount (479-ball)” and are all supported by the ”Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset family” – and all are 800 MHz FSB and 35 W TDP so this could seem to indicate that a 14.1” GM965 motherboard will actually work with Penryn T8300/T9300’s (and perhaps even T9500) – does anybody know whether this hold true or not??

... but since the very attractive low-power P9500 (as well as the 35 W TDP T9600) runs with 1066 MHz FSB, then are you really sure that they would work in the T61 which only runs with a 800 MHz FSB motherboards??

All comments to the above, preferably based on either actual personal knowledge or solid evidence are very welcome!

Johan

[emconuk]

ok - I am definately going to need a new CPU.

The parts list for the non-WS 14" T61 states only socket P Meroms :

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... R-68208#19

whereas the Penryns are stated in the WS socket P models.

The Santa Rosa compatible Merom was released May 07.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core_2#Merom
http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupId=29762

So my existing T7600 is not going to work. Looks like I need a 800Mhz FSB T7700.

*BUT* what is interesting is why IBM could not sell me the 42W7648 planar and why is it different to the 42W7872. I will be checking all ICs on the board for model numbers etc before I fit it.

keep you posted.

[dr_st]

Actually, Johan, you are right. The 1066MHz Penryns won't work. So the highest you could go would be T7800/T9500 (2.6GHz, 800MHz FSB).

[emconuk]

keep you posted.

I've cancelled the parts order and my 128GB SSD order. Just can't justify buying a new CPU as well.

oh well. Here's hoping a laptop vendor wakes up and makes a laptop for a coder because I sure as heck can't build one myself.....

Thanks for all the input everyone.

[ssd_thinkpad]

I've cancelled the parts order and my 128GB SSD order.

From newegg you can get the fast samsung 64gb slc ssd for around 180 $ now which is really cheap. The parts from ibm/lenovo directly are priced roughly, though.

[emconuk]

From newegg you can get the fast samsung 64gb slc ssd for around 180 $ now which is really cheap. The parts from ibm/lenovo directly are priced roughly, though.

I was going for the G.SKILL 128GB MLC.

http://www.memoryc.com/storage/solidsta ... lcssd.html

seems cheap enough for a SATA II but with speeds more aligned with SATA I capability.

I might still get this at somepoint but to be honest I am rapidly getting fed up with laptops and their vendors not supporting my needs. I need some time to cool down about this

[ssd_thinkpad]

I might still get this at somepoint but to be honest I am rapidly getting fed up with laptops and their vendors not supporting my needs. I need some time to cool down about this

Thats exactly why I lowered my expectations for my thinkpad and bought an all-in-one x301 with bad display.

[emconuk]

It makes my blood boil. I have not met another coder in the entire world that likes hot, noisy, glossy screened widescreen laptops.

[tgun603]

I have successfully installed the 42W7872 motherboard (T61 14.1" with integrated Intel GM965 graphics) in T60p case with QXGA LCD (IAQX10N).
Here is my system:
- T60p 15" body (everything less modem board, LCD, HDD, RAM, CPU and T6x parts mentioned below)
- T61 motherboard (42W7872)
- T61 heatsink (42W2821)
- T61 PC-card/ExpressCard slot (42W3436)
- IAQX10N 15" QXGA LCD
- Intel T9500 CPU (SLAZA)
- 2x4G DDR2-667 RAM
- Intel X25-M G2 160G SSD

For parts, manuals, BIOS, and drivers search I used the 8897-03U Lenovo model numbers on their web-site:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ry=889703U.
I upgraded BIOS to the latest official version, which is v.2.26-1.08 (2009-05-26).

The T60p's hardware maintenance manual helped a lot during disassembling/assembling:
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc ... 844_04.pdf.

In order to make the T61 motherboard fit in the T60p body perfectly I had to get rid of the modem board and file 2 holders it was screwed to (I used Dremel for this).
DO NOT TRY TO DRILL/ENLARGE HOLES IN THE T61 MOTHERBOARD TO MAKE IT FIT (I learned this lesson hard way which cost me $260 for another motherboard)!

The system is very cool and quiet, most of the time the fan is not even spinning.

Note about installing QXGA LCD:
I tried to reprogram the LCD with registered version of the PowerStrip as it was suggested in this thread: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=77733.
However it did not work (tried 2 different systems (T60p and T61)), it could not even detect EDID.
So I bought the LCD cable on eBay ($7) and built simple I2C programmer (http://www.lancos.com/e2p/easyI2Cbus.gif).
You don't need the part to the right of the I2CBus box (http://d00m.net/projects/t61-qxga/easyI2Cbus_qxga.gif). I used +5V from USB port.
Here is the LCD connector pin-out: http://users.cybercity.dk/~dsl35822/edidconnection.jpg.
Then I was able to reprogram the LCD with PonyProg v2.07c BETA (http://www.lancos.com/ppwin95.html).
Here is the binary version of the EDID (the PonyProg does not accept the PowerStrip formatted files): http://d00m.net/projects/t61-qxga/qxga.bin.
Most of the LCD programming related info I found in these threads:
- http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=66257;
- http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=76519.

[ilakast]

Has anyone actually tried driving an UXGA IPS T60 LCD with an T60 19xx (Intel GPU) mobo after all? I'm looking towards the direction of replacing my mobo for a silent fan, any personal experiences most welcome.

[ajkula66]

Has anyone actually tried driving an UXGA IPS T60 LCD with an T60 19xx (Intel GPU) mobo after all? I'm looking towards the direction of replacing my mobo for a silent fan, any personal experiences most welcome.

Yes. It has been done.I

[TuuS]

Has anyone actually tried driving an UXGA IPS T60 LCD with an T60 19xx (Intel GPU) mobo after all? I'm looking towards the direction of replacing my mobo for a silent fan, any personal experiences most welcome.

If you go with a T61 Intel board and a T61p fan, the passive cooling alone should suffice for light use and if you run the fan constant at a very low setting you may be able to get it virtually silent. I've built several such machines and I usually end up stressing them just to force the fan to engage so I can test the cooling.

The T60 intel board would probably be at least as cool if using a properly fitted T61p fan, however I think you'd be better off with the x3100 graphics used on the T61 and you could also go with a much cooler cpu like the T8100.

[lab]

Has anyone actually tried driving an UXGA IPS T60 LCD with an T60 19xx (Intel GPU) mobo after all? I'm looking towards the direction of replacing my mobo for a silent fan, any personal experiences most welcome.

Yes, I have had both the led and the ccfl version of Hydis uxga ips display with an integrated graphics motherboard in my T60p. If you wan't a silent laptop you'll have to hack the bios rpm settings, not very difficult task though. A ssd is also nice since with a silent fan you will here the noise from the hdd.