Thinkpads Forum

Last week I was able to "revitalize" my old friend x61s with a new used motherboard, which I payed just 20€... I'd like to enhance it with a ssd drive, but I read here it it would be better to install a custom bios for enhanced data transfer (SATAII 3gb/s). I have some concerns about the other fixes that the custom bios introduces. I'm referring to dual ida... I don't like to increase the cpu temp or to risk the cpu. Is it safe? and in this case how do you enable it? I'm using linux... I mean: there must be a reason for intel not implementing it in the first place...
Last but not least: is the middleton bios fully compatible with the docking station and so on? do you recommend to install it instead of the stock 2.22 bios?

thanks

In Middleton's BIOS Dual IDA is not automatically enabled by itself, so there's no worry about it.
Under Linux, you can enable it as per info here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows ... ost7717709
Use M's BIOS anywhere, no compatibility problems whatsoever.
You can and should install M's BIOS: http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/ ... ost6501443

OK, at the end I decided to give it a try...

as you all can see:

Oct 16 20:54:53 donzaucker kernel: ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)
Oct 16 20:54:53 donzaucker kernel: ata1: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 300)
Oct 16 21:03:44 donzaucker kernel: [ 0.823071] ata1: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Oct 16 21:03:44 donzaucker kernel: [ 0.824079] ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)
Oct 16 21:03:29 donzaucker kernel: ata1: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Oct 16 21:03:29 donzaucker kernel: ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)
Oct 16 23:25:54 donzaucker kernel: [ 1.235082] ata1: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Oct 16 23:25:54 donzaucker kernel: [ 1.236067] ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)


I just grepped sata link from /var/log/messages

the latest boots claim 3.0 sata speed...

I have anyway noticed that the fan is spinning more than it used to, or is it just a wrong perception?

I think you have a Linux problem rather than a BIOS problem.

k0NRaD wrote: I have anyway noticed that the fan is spinning more than it used to, or is it just a wrong perception?

I've measured power consumption of 15 Fedora Linux X61T machines with regular BIOSes that were then upgraded to Middleton BIOS. There was no increase in average loaded or idle power consumption over a 10 minute testing period.