My X61T and 7200RPM HD (PIC Warning) - Going big for my Tab

[Temetka]

So I have a wonderful Thinkpad X61T. I have a list of upgrades I plan on doing to it which includes but is not limited to:

Replacing the LCD with a 1400x1050 LCD from an X60T because I have bubbles in this one.
Adding a 4GB Turbo Memory card to dink around with
Adding a Broadcom HD Decoder Card
Replace the Intel Wifi card with a cooler running Atheros card
Adding atleast 1 but preferably 2 4GB SODIMMS.
Adding a 64GB MicroSD card for additional storage
And finally replacing the internal HD with an SSD

Yes, yes I know. Replace the HD first then RAM. But, Temetka that's a lot to invest in a tablet that old. Well maybe. Sure an i5 would be nice, but I have played with the widescreen tablets and they fail to impress. I could swap the mobo with a 1.8GHz C2D unit, but I have a 1.6GHz C2D and I am very happy with it's performance. The SSD and Wifi upgrades would be to lower heat output and increase battery life. I have a nice (Thanks ajkul66) green 8-cell battery and I would like to keep it that way. I get about 4 hours or so out of it. The Broadcom card greatly decreases CPU usage when viewing various video's. I also have a shiny new tube of AS5 waiting to replace the CPU heat paste for when open this sucker up. The SD card would be for file storage of various files I download a lot and whatnot. Also it gives me place to stick crap that both Linux and Windows can see. I have heard I can alter the driver settings for the 4GB Intel Turbo Memory cards to use it kind of like a RAM drive. They cost $15, so why not dink around with one? I have seen 8GB and 16GB Turbo Memory cards on e-bay but I do not know if they would be compatible with my unit. Yes, Middleton's BIOS is installed.

So I ran the CrystalDisk Benchmark thingamatesterdoodad and I received the following results:



So I am looking for recommendations in the under $200 range for a 356-320GB SSD. I told myself that when I could get a 256GB SSD for less than $200, I would. Well prices have been falling a lot lately and I feel the time to jump is now.

Keep in mind I don't have the cash flow to do all of this at once, but over the next few months.

I think an SSD, 8GB RAM X61T with cooler wifi and the broadcom card would rock. I used to have an X41T and I loved everything about it except for the HD setup. This X61T is the perfect PC for me, and with a few well placed upgrades it can be for many years to come. I have always loved the X Series of machines and the fact that I can draw with it, read e-books in tablet and in general have a killer portable main machine and it being a Thinkpad is just pure awesome.

So what do you guys think of my planned upgrades?

Oh I would also love to get a red and black neoprene sleeve for it with a small pocket for the AC Adapeter. I had one for my Thinkpad T41P. It was like this:

[Saucey]

More and more I am interested in the Broadcom HD Card but I would use it for my x61s...
YouTube plays badly at 720p but I believe its from YouTube itself.
I used Media Player Classic to play an mkv files at 720 off a Cruiser USB, worked better than expected but there would be a slight sound/video hiccup once or twice a minute while viewing.
I don't think turbo boost will help if you have a solid state drive. I have one from an x200 I have yet to install on either of my x series...
I agree on the micro SD card though, its easy to max out a 32gb card with music, but if its for illuatrations, books or comics you might get away with 8gb.
so handy when it comes to editing photos from my camera or phone.

I ordered a laptop sleeve tonight for my system (41U3142) wanted that sling for the shoulder. Better then drilling a hole in the unit near a screw hole and attaching a Kensington lock onto it. Horrible idea I had before I stumbled upon that case on eBay.

[pkiff]

Hey, Temetka,

I've been gradually upgrading my X61T fleet (I now have two in operation, and a third that I haven't decided whether to keep as a spare or sell). And I've also been taken by their combination of features and size.

A couple quick thoughts on your plans.

Broadcom HD Decoder
For the Broadcom card, I would recommend the BCM970015 over the BCM970012. I have both and with the BCM970012 card I sometimes get additional stuttering (especially at launch time, on Youtube) when playing videos, whereas with the BCM970015 I don't. The BCM970015 costs about 3 times as much, but I'm going to be getting rid of my BCM970012 when I have a chance and replacing it with the BCM970015 model. I think the stuttering I sometimes get may be related to the same thing that is described on this page with respect to XBMC compatibility:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Br ... ystal%20HD

HDD
Well, I'm using Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid drives on mine. I wanted a lot of space. One machine has a 500GB and one has a 750GB. They are not quite as fast as a real SSD, but a noticeable boost over standard SATA HDD's.

Bag
I've got a Waterfield "Sleevecase" bag from SFBags:
http://www.sfbags.com/products/sleeveca ... ses-pc.php
It doesn't look like they are listing the X6x series anymore, but mine has the size sewn on it: 23 21. It is a perfect fit for an X61T with an 8-cell battery. Mine has a single pocket on the back which will fit either the 65-watt or 90-watt 20V Lenovo adapters. Though I found that the bulge in the pocket from the battery annoyed me, and eventually I got a Lenovo 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Adapter instead:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_GB/product ... MIGR-72900
This battery is not really any more portable (and might even be slightly LARGER in volume size) than the very compact 65-watt charger that came with the X61T, but it is definitely SLIMMER and you can comfortably slide the whole adapter pouch into the pocket of the Waterfield bag - especially if you leave the car plug charger component in your car, or at home. The one negative about the bag, which you might consider when looking at sizes, is that the back pocket does not fit standard 8.5"x11" papers, so if you've got a couple documents to take with you, you have to stick them inside the main compartment, which means they inevitably get in the way whenever you are trying to pull your laptop out or stick it back in. All in all, though, the Waterfield bag has been outstanding.

Multi-Screen
I'm using a Lenovo USB-to-DVI Monitor Adapter to enable a two-screen setup when docked (VGA-out from the dock and DVI-out from the USB-to-DVI adapter:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/product ... MIGR-72682
There is no point in getting the newer (and better) USB 3 versions, as they will still only run at USB 2 speeds on our X61T's. This model is probably just about identical to all the other various (USB 2 version) DisplayLink hardware packages you can get, but I happened to be able to get the Lenovo version at a reasonable price and I thought it would be nice to stay in-brand. The second monitor is pretty good for email and spreadsheets and notes and static webpages, but it is not so hot for video or active web browsing. I'm running both monitors at 1200x1600.

Happy hunting!

Phil.

P.S. If you find a place to get 8GB (2x4GB) of compatible RAM for under $100 a piece, that will ship to Canada, then send me a PM. I've been waiting for a year.

[Temetka]

Hey thanks for the feedback on my build.

I had been considering the hybrid drives as I favor space over speed. Since you are running one can you comment on battery life? My 2 main reasons for looking at SSD over Hybrid were battery life and heat output.

With regards the Broadcom card, thank you very much. I will change the part # on my list of parts to buy so I can get the better performing part.

With regards to the sleeve I had been looking at one of these:
http://www.sfbags.com/products/muzetto/muzetto.php
But the price of $179 puts me off a bit. I want a leather or suede messenger / should style bag that's mostly tight around my laptop with a pocket for the adapter and a USB flash drive or two.

Regarding RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820226047 is what I have been looking at.

[RealBlackStuff]

I have mentioned this bag a few times: Marware Sportfolio II
Dirt cheap and eminently usable.
I bought mine for my X60s/X61s and am currently using it for my X200s.
http://www.gomacpro.com/sportfolio-ii-c ... -air-11-1/
(there is no Mac/Apple reference on it anywhere, just in case...)

[flyingfishfinger]

I got the Mem-Store RAM. There seem to be several that fit the bill at the moment: Ebay

[Temetka]

I have mentioned this bag a few times: Marware Sportfolio II
Dirt cheap and eminently usable.
I bought mine for my X60s/X61s and am currently using it for my X200s.
http://www.gomacpro.com/sportfolio-ii-c ... -air-11-1/
(there is no Mac/Apple reference on it anywhere, just in case...)

Think it'll handle an 8-cell battery?

[Temetka]

I got the Mem-Store RAM. There seem to be several that fit the bill at the moment: Ebay

Excellent source. Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

Think it'll handle an 8-cell battery?

Yes, My X60s/X61s had an extended 8-cell battery.
It goes in that bag without any problems.

[ajkula66]

Regarding RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820226047 is what I have been looking at.

I've used this RAM in a couple of FrankenBuilds and in one X61T, you have my blessing for marrying it, son...

[Temetka]

Think it'll handle an 8-cell battery?

Yes, My X60s/X61s had an extended 8-cell battery.
It goes in that bag without any problems.

Excellent news, thanks!

[Temetka]

Regarding RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820226047 is what I have been looking at.

I've used this RAM in a couple of FrankenBuilds and in one X61T, you have my blessing for marrying it, son...

Lol, ty.

[pkiff]

I had been considering the hybrid drives as I favor space over speed. Since you are running one can you comment on battery life? My 2 main reasons for looking at SSD over Hybrid were battery life and heat output.

Regarding the Momentus XT Hybrid drives: I haven't run any of my laptops on a true SSD, so I don't have much to compare battery performance against. I do notice that area of the laptop can get hot. I rarely use the laptop on my actual lap, though, and so don't notice the heat except when I pick it up after working. I haven't investigated if I'm getting more heat from the CPU or memory or drive or what - I 've swapped out the original Wifi card for an Atheros card and noticed a drop in the palm rest heat after that, but this laptop generally runs hot and feels hot to the touch on the bottom if I've been doing anything that stresses it much at all. I have the impression that the cooling system is one of the weak points of this model: I think it was an area where Lenovo decided to compromise on in order to provide the specs they wanted in a package built to the size and with the material they wanted based on the tech available at the time. And I sometimes can hear the drive running when I sit in a silent environment, but this doesn't bother me. It's no worse than any other standard rotating disk drive for noise.

[Temetka]

Thanks for the feedback on the Seagate drives. I have been reading some reviews on the hybrid drives and a lot of users state that it takes about a week or 2 for the SSD cache to "learn" the users habits and after that time has passed is when they really notice the speed improvements in boot and application load times. However they are basically 5400RPM drives. I typically use 7200RPM drives because I try to squeeze the last ounce of performance from my machines. But with this machine I am trying to maximize battery life and minimize heat output.

I am thinking of adding a copper plate to the heat sink tubing to help dissipate heat more from the bottom of the unit. I am not sure of that type of glue to use to bond it though. I was thinking of using either 2 part epoxy or gorilla glue.

WRT the wifi card, I have heard from many users both here and elsewhere that swapping the Intel card out for an Atheros card can really help on the palm rest heat. I will admit that this is the first laptop that I have ever considered doing that to. I can actually feel the palm rest heat up, especially if I am doing some heavy downloads or network file transfers. So I can very easily see an Atheros card in my future. Ajkula66 suggested a nice card to me and since I trust him, that's the card I will purchase once funding has presented itself. Like a lot of people, my money is very tight right now.

I like the looks of the Marware bag that RealBlackStuff suggested and it's $8. Nice. I can afford that. I do have a bag now, but it's huge. It'll hold a 15" laptop with about 2 inches available on either side of it, so my little X61T practically swims in it. I don't like it moving around inside the bag.

I'm also thinking of picking up a 4 cell battery for when I don't need a lot of battery life and want to reduce the travel weight even further. I checked around on Lenovo's site and it looks like I can still purchase OEM batteries. I don't trust re-filled or chinese clone batteries. I've had some bad luck with them and read way too many horror stories.

[RealBlackStuff]

They also have that same bag in all black for only $5.77
http://www.gomacpro.com/sportfolio-ii-c ... ok-air-11/
And when you get on their website, on the left is a coupon for $5.- off your purchase if you sign up for their mailing list!
$0.77 for a new bag, try to beat THAT!

[Neil]

$0.77 for a new bag, try to beat THAT!

Plus $11.25 up to $73.50 for shipping depending on method chosen.

Edit: Tried to use the $5 off offer...signed up to receive junk email from them, the entered the discount code only to receive the error "The coupon code you entered has been disabled so it can't be used." Not worth the trouble, if you ask me. Plus, was going to use their Live Chat to ask, what's up with that? But, Live Chat was off-line! Lot of good that does.

[RealBlackStuff]

Stop being so negative!
I bought mine from them (they had it on eBay) in May 2011, $5.77 for the grey bag, plus $10.20 shipping.

[E350]

Temetka: I just opened my X61T to put in the Intel Model 622ANXHMW WLAN 2-antenna card which I mistakenly bought for my X61 3-antenna setup. And I noticed that even though the X61T (as George said is a 2-antenna setup) I had previously installed a third antenna for the Intel 3965AGN 3-antenna card I had previously installed. It is a Tyco antenna which I just laid on top of the mother board.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tyco-Internal-W ... 5d44b76944

I have done this before in some of my "X61s" (the thinner X61) and it seemed to work fine. So you may want to buy a Tyco antenna and use a 3-antenna card like I did (and buy my Atheros AR9380 3-antenna to try for $5 and $2 mailing) or not buy the Tyco antenna and buy my Intel 622ANXHMW 2-antenna card (for $10 and $2 mailing).

I was going to try the Intel 622ANXHMW in my X61T just for giggles, but it is a half-height card (with an extension) and I didn't want to disturb the tape where the black antenna is anchored to the motherboard since I know I will probably be trying a 3-antenna Intel 6300 series which may be available in a full-height version.

Anyway, I haven't read through your entire thread, so forgive me here if I am restating the already covered or the obvious, but make sure that you use the Middleton's BIOS for X61 TABLET. It is different than the BIOS for the regular X61.*

[*On my X61T I mistakenly tried to use the Middleton cd which I had used to flash my X61 and it couldn't find the BIOS file (duh). tjwasiak specifically warned about this in the other thread, however, I missed that warning. I usually do the right thing after I have exhausted all the alternatives...]

[RealBlackStuff]

If Temetka doesn't want that Atheros AR9380, I'd be happy to take it!

[E350]

No word from temetka, so sold to RBS!
PM sent.

[Temetka]

Dang.