Thinkpads Forum

Can someone clarify somethings for me. Do you need the cable AND a specific BIOS or just the cable and display? I haven't seen BIOS mentioned too often. Also where would I get the BIOS?

Hi guys, it's been a while but I'm back. I have been real busy with work in real life.

I'm here to bring good news to X61 users, fresh from July 27, cdy241175 from bios.net.cn released a SXGA BIOS that has the SATA 1.5Gb/s limitation removed, unleashing the true performance of newer hard disks or SSDs you use in your X61! Send me a PM or Google "X61 SATA2 modified bios pastebin" without the quotes for a link to the BIOS.

Regarding HV121P01 panels and cables, China seems to be strictly enforcing their export laws on electronics recently, I can no longer ship them from Hong Kong. I am looking for a way to ship them from China, and will let you know when I find a source of the panels.

That is great news indeed!!!



Don't know how to thank you enough. And whoever made the BIOS must be a super guy, putting all this effort into something he gives away for free. We could all learn something from that.

Just as another heads-up, middleton from NBR forum (the original SATA-II modder) has released the ultimate BIOS for X61SXGA+ with SATA-II, SLIC 2.1, and white list. Download and flash at your own risk:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo- ... ost6501443
According to people, the modder from China used the mod from middleton without donating for his efforts, so if you can, please donate.

AvalonXIII wrote:According to people, the modder from China used the mod from middleton without donating for his efforts, so if you can, please donate.

where do you suppose middleton got the SXGA+ mod?

the SATA II mod requires changing a hexidecimal 10 to a 20 plus another byte for the image compression module size.   the SXGA+ mod requires all new code inserted into the BIOS.   in terms of complexity, SXGA+ is MUCH more difficult yet i never saw anyone falling over themselves to pimp donations to leokim for his efforts.

food for thought.

That is true.

A related question is how come the QXGA-mods for the T60/T61 machines required the screen EDIDs to be updated while the SXGA+ mods for the X60/X61 machines require an updated BIOS?

the short answer is that the X61 BIOS did not contain the SXGA+ microcode and needed it added.   conversely, the T6x BIOS already contained the microcode needed to drive UXGA, WUXGA, and QXGA internally.

the QXGA panel EDID needs updating because the T6x BIOS is coded to look for specific EDIDs.   if it doesn't see a compatible ID then it won't work.   the R50/R50p BIOS is pre-programmed to look for the QXGA panel EDID where the T6x isn't.

this has been known to happen with some X200 AFFS and X61 SXGA+ upgrades although it's rare.   because EDIDs can cause conflicts, i recommend using panels with Lenovo/IBM FRUs whenever possible.   the QXGA panel is a unique case.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate leokim's work. I just find it sad that people don't reward developers for their efforts, at least once in a while. Believe me, if leokim accepts donation, I would donate as well. Also, regardless of how easy it is to change the value, nobody has ever attempted it. I'd like to think that pioneers should be rewarded for their efforts (if they want to be rewarded, of course )
Lastly, it seems that leokim is more concerned with the fame than helping the community, which I view unfavorably (for reference, refer to his mod for X40/X41 series to accept 1.8" uSATA drives, which he offers no instruction to do). Furthermore, he ignored me on numerous occasions with regards to asking for modded BIOS through email and messages. At least have the decency to decline, instead of ignoring someone.

Food for thought.

EDIT: Some final thoughts. Middleton himself never urges people to donate continuously, so I don't know where you get the impression that he "pimps for donation". If you get that impression from my thread, then you misunderstood something. I just want people to know that there is a patch to help them out.

erik wrote: where do you suppose middleton got the SXGA+ mod?

the SATA II mod requires changing a hexidecimal 10 to a 20 plus another byte for the image compression module size.   the SXGA+ mod requires all new code inserted into the BIOS.   in terms of complexity, SXGA+ is MUCH more difficult yet i never saw anyone falling over themselves to pimp donations to leokim for his efforts.

food for thought.

regarding leokim, i can't speak for him but do know he is VERY busy with his day job.   he may not always post instructions on mods in public but i can assure you he isn't stingy with his knowledge with those he trusts.

fwiw, i've lost count of the PMs i've received since 2008 requesting detailed instructions on building X6x SXGA+ systems, building cables, help requests, etc.   as much as i intended to make instructions, i never got around to it.   does that make me a glutton for fame or some kind of jerk?   perhaps some would see it that way but i assure you they'd be incorrect.   sometimes 60~80-hour work weeks, other hobbies, and a lack of motivation get in the way.   being "famous" for a mod isn't always what it seems.

AvalonXIII wrote:EDIT: Some final thoughts. Middleton himself never urges people to donate continuously, so I don't know where you get the impression that he "pimps for donation". If you get that impression from my thread, then you misunderstood something. I just want people to know that there is a patch to help them out.

perhaps what i said was misunderstood.   my point has nothing to do with middleton.   what i said was that he wasn't the first BIOS pioneer (think zender, leokim, et al.) yet this is the first time i've seen forum members fall over themselves to suggest donations.   everyone seems to forget about years of no-1802/1804/1805 hacks, SXGA+ mods, etc.   i'm just a bit disappointed, that's all.   in no way am i discounting middleton's efforts or middleton himself.

Points taken. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he simply doesn't have time to reply. There's a difference with your SXGA+ post, though, as it at least details some kind of instructions, unlike leokim's post, which show the setup and the benchmark, which is quite irritating.
Also, I appreciate zender's and leokim's work, too. It's just that while referring people to the other forum, I give them a (friendly ) reminder to donate, which can hardly be called "falling over," in my opinion. Be assured that if I'm referring people from the other forum over here, I'll remind them to donate to zender too

erik wrote:regarding leokim, i can't speak for him but do know he is VERY busy with his day job.   he may not always post instructions on mods in public but i can assure you he isn't stingy with his knowledge with those he trusts.

fwiw, i've lost count of the PMs i've received since 2008 requesting detailed instructions on building X6x SXGA+ systems, building cables, help requests, etc.   as much as i intended to make instructions, i never got around to it.   does that make me a glutton for fame or some kind of jerk?   perhaps some would see it that way but i assure you they'd be incorrect.   sometimes 60~80-hour work weeks, other hobbies, and a lack of motivation get in the way.   being "famous" for a mod isn't always what it seems.

perhaps what i said was misunderstood.   my point has nothing to do with middleton.   what i said was that he wasn't the first BIOS pioneer (think zender, leokim, et al.) yet this is the first time i've seen forum members fall over themselves to suggest donations.   everyone seems to forget about years of no-1802/1804/1805 hacks, SXGA+ mods, etc.   i'm just a bit disappointed, that's all.   in no way am i discounting middleton's efforts or middleton himself.

Can I use this on my X60s?

Is it brighter than the old LCD?

I finally installed an sxga+ screen on my x60. Thank you to everyone on this forum who shared their knowledge, experience, and parts sources.

The install went smooth, it took me about 4 hours. The lid does not close as easy as before but I will live with that for now.

The bios install did not go as smooth. I think I am missing part of the instructions. I used the 51NB bios and I ran the WINPHLASH program. The program flashed the bios and restarted automatically. I restarted again, booted into the bios to see if it worked and yes the bios was changed to sxga+. I thought I was done, but the screen is split into four sections as if the bios was unchanged. I would appreciate it if anyone can share their experience using the bios mod.

Thanks

John H wrote:Can I use this on my X60s?

Is it brighter than the old LCD?

Yes, it's doable on an X60s - but I haven't noticed that the SXGA+ panel is any brighter than the original XGA panel.

IRN wrote:I would appreciate it if anyone can share their experience using the bios mod.

YGPM re: BIOS images.

I installed a different adapter cable and I now get a full screen with maximum resolution of 1280 by 1024, still not 1400. My split screen must have been caused by a faulty adapter cable not the bios mod. I assume there is still something wrong with the cable I am now using since I am only getting 1280 by 1024.

I am interested in a SXGA screen for my X61 laptop. How many short are you now?

For anyone interested in a premodded laptop - I will soon be issued with a new Macbook Pro at work, and as such will be selling my SXGA+ X60s (using one of Erik's cables). Current spec is in my signature but when I get around to listing it for sale I'll be quite flexible in terms of configuration options.