Thinkpads Forum

I did a bit of searching on the subject and it seemed as though this was fixed in a BIOS update? Could have fooled me because I am on the latest BIOS and still have the issue.

The PCMCIA slot on this laptop is hilariously slow. I'm using an SSD as the main hard drive, and to give myself more space, I bought a 32GB SD card and a 32GB Compact Flash card, since the x61s has an SD card slot and a PCMCIA card slot. I simply purchased a PCMCIA to CompactFlash adapter.

The SD card/port is speedy as anything. So fast in fact that I've started installing programs to it and they fly open. The PCMCIA/CF drive however is an unbearable joke. If I have to cut and paste to and from this thing my system screeches to a halt and it takes forever. I've had transmission rates as low as 4mbps. Using this "drive" is almost unbearable.

I bought an ultra high speed CF card so I know it's not that. It must be the limitations or whatever Lenovo put on this PCMCIA slot. I'm wondering if anyone could give me advice. I am using Windows 7, 32-bit, and besides this PCMCIA thing, this laptop is a dream. Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice.

DaddyLongLegs wrote:I simply purchased a PCMCIA to CompactFlash adapter.
The SD card/port is speedy as anything. So fast in fact that I've started installing programs to it and they fly open. The PCMCIA/CF drive however is an unbearable joke.

The problem is the adapter. A cheap adapter equals poor performance! I have a fast adapter (Delkin DDCARDBUS-AD, 32bit UDMA, $40). It is VERY hard to find now. They were produced for only a short time and people who bought them hang on to them because it's one of the fastest ever made. There was one other but cannot think of it's name.

If you Google 'UDMA compact flash adapter' and read the various articles you may find another.

Finally, bottom line is you need a 32bit UDMA adapter to interface. I'm not sure the Delkin product which says 'Film PRO' on it is the same adapter (this one does not have 'Film PRO' on the label). Not sure if there is a W7 driver either (driver package lists Vista/XP/W2k/ME/98) so really do your homework before buying.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for your helpful reply. You weren't kidding! These 32-bit adapters are literally impossible to find! The one or two websites that listed them no longer have them in stock, and not even eBay, a place I can find issue 1 of Action Comics, can help me! Dammit!