Thinkpads Forum

I just picked up a $50 X61 notebook from the 'bay w/a 2.0 ghz proc. Hinges are tight, case is clean and w/out blemish.
I'll be travelling next week and want to keep working on a software project I'm in the middle of w/out hauling one of the T61 dreadnoughts.

What kind of maintenance other than replacing thermal paste should I look at doing? Are there any upgrades/mods that I might want to consider?

SSD would probably be the one to start with, then look at another wifi card if heat by palm rest is an issue.

The WD Black² if you need more space, might be worth a look. It's a 120GB SSD and 1TB platter drive slapped together, which will cost a lot less than a 1TB SSD.

ZaZ wrote:The WD Black² if you need more space, might be worth a look. It's a 120GB SSD and 1TB platter drive slapped together, which will cost a lot less than a 1TB SSD.

Oooh, that is massively interesting. My daily driver T61 has a 1TB HD in the ultrabay and a 250gb SSD in the slot, making for a very usable combination. The new X61 has a 250gb HD in it that I had kicking around.
Question: Is it possible to partition the WD Black SSD and platter-HD separately? Thanks.

ZaZ wrote:The WD Black²

Did you tested it with 6x era Thinkpads?

If i understand technology (and Intel's specs) right it is using SATA port multiplication. But it is realized only from ICH9M chipset (from x00 era thinkpads). I have read post on this forum that ICH8 can have PM feature but haven't found more confirmations in the Net.

If the Black^2 actually requires port multiplication, you might be out of luck. I was trying to get my dual HDD setup working using such a chip but as I read someplace that it wouldn't work I didn't try it that way (since I was going to design a PCB to try it, would have been a waste if it didn't work). However, I could be wrong and it may work...
If it does, I'd love to know!

R

It works in X61T, so no reason it should not do so in X61.

LInk (in German): http://thinkpad-forum.de/threads/19962- ... ost1839814

That Western Digital Black^2 hard drive does not use port multiplication. It uses proprietary drivers to allow the OS to communicate with each part of the drive separately. Without the drivers, only the SSD portion is accessible.

portsample wrote:Is it possible to partition the WD Black SSD and platter-HD separately?

I used one in my Dell desktop because it only has drive bay. It's a bit of an odd duck. When you install the OS, Windows sees it as one big drive. After installation, you have to install the WD software, which then separates the drives and puts everything in order. I didn't attempt to partition it, but I would assume it's possible. I ended up sending it back because it was more expensive when I bought it, so it was cheaper to buy a smaller SSD and a 1TB external notebook drive.

Very interesting, I will look into the WD Black as a drive option. Thanks.
Another Question: Has anyone here upgraded the 1024x768 display to something higher? How difficult is this to do? I've swapped displays on T61s with no problems.

portsample wrote:Has anyone here upgraded the 1024x768 display to something higher? How difficult is this to do

Very, you need to construct a new cable and hack the BIOS.

and hack the BIOS.

"Flash a modified BIOS" is a more accurate term.

But yes, it's a very difficult mod, since it also entails modifying the LCD frame.

If the panel you got is from an X61T and still has the protective glass, it becomes infinitely more difficult because you have to deal with one of the gooey-est adhesives I've ever encountered.

Rats. I'd hoped that I could use hardware from an X61 tablet and install a 1400x1050 as it was an option on those units.