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SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

SL300/SL400/SL500, L400-L420 and L500-L520 Series
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thealphaoverseer
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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#31 Post by thealphaoverseer » Sat Jul 18, 2020 3:22 am

Ok, so undervolting is not necessary for me. Is overclocking possible?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#32 Post by axur-delmeria » Sat Jul 18, 2020 6:05 am

thealphaoverseer wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2020 3:22 am
Ok, so undervolting is not necessary for me. Is overclocking possible?
To be honest, I think it's a waste of time and effort. You already have one of the fastest mobile Core 2 Duo CPUs, there's not much more you can eke out of it.
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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#33 Post by Screamer » Sat Jul 18, 2020 1:47 pm

No, that is only possible with a Core 2 Extreme X9100 (supported) or a Core 2 Extreme QX9300 (not supported). Those processors have unlocked clock multipliers, which your Core 2 Duo T9600 lacks.

There is a limited form of 'overclocking' that can be done though, but that depends on your SL410k's BIOS. If it does not support Dynamic Acceleration, you would not be able to overclock it in any way.

I suggest leaving it as it is, there is no point in overclocking with such a limited thermal headroom.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#34 Post by thealphaoverseer » Sat Jul 18, 2020 4:27 pm

Ok, thanks!
And I guess a Core 2 Duo Extreme is not worth the money?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#35 Post by Screamer » Sun Jul 19, 2020 5:13 am

For what it offers, it is not worth it in my opinion. As I had mentioned before, the thermal headroom that your SL410k has, is too little to take advantage of the Core 2 Extreme X9100's unlocked multiplier. It makes no logical sense to purchase an overclockable processor for overclocking, when your machine has next to no headroom left to allow for higher clock speeds.

However, since some would justify buying an old notebook for an absurd price, I suppose it is entirely up to you to decide if it is worth your money. I know that it is not for me, but that could be different for you.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#36 Post by TPFanatic » Sun Jul 19, 2020 6:03 pm

Even at its base clock an X9100 won't offer any fundamental improvements over the Pentium already equipped.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#37 Post by thealphaoverseer » Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:04 am

Hi,
I guess my T9600 is up to the job. It came in the post the same day as my new school laptop, and I can't tell the performance difference between the 10th gen i7 and the T9600 unless I'm doing CPU intensive tasks such as video editing. Funnily enough, I still prefer my trusty SL410k. While HP has done a good job getting high end components into a case that looks like a fashion item, the feel of it is terrible. It feels like I'm bashing my fingers on ice when I use the keyboard - the SL410k is miles ahead. The trackpad is one of those one panel versions without buttons, which is ok, because I used to use a Macbook Pro 2012, but still doesn't have a trackpoint. Maybe the only thing I miss in my SL410k is the gorgeous 1080p IPS screen - I haven't used one of those since my W530. All in all, I think the upgrade was totally worth $15 (about 10 USD) and I can't wait for my 8GB of RAM to arrive. :D

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#38 Post by TPFanatic » Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:32 pm

SL410K uses a 16:9 LCD. I wonder if the IPS mods for T420/T430 can possibly work on SL410K.

I imagine HD+ might be possible, you'd need to source the HD+ cable from the SL510, a la this L420 mod. https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... f_hd_l420/

Maybe with the HD+ cable, maybe the IPS adapter could plug into it and work, placement would be a hurdle though. Then you could have FHD or WQHD. But it'd be much more straightforward to just do these on a T420, T420s, T430, or T430s rather than an obsolescent Montevina chipset SL410.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#39 Post by thealphaoverseer » Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:04 pm

I guess upgrading the screen would be too much of a hassle. Just out of interest, does it really support Arrandale processors?
https://support.lenovo.com/au/en/solutions/pd004286
Also, what is the removable plastic bit sticking into a port on the left? It has hexagonal holes in it.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#40 Post by axur-delmeria » Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:32 pm

thealphaoverseer wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:04 pm
I guess upgrading the screen would be too much of a hassle. Just out of interest, does it really support Arrandale processors?
Arrandale? That requires a completely different system board. The Core i series mobile CPUs have a socket that has 988 pins, while the Core 2 Duos have a 479-pin socket.
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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#41 Post by TPFanatic » Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:51 pm

L412, which is closely related to the SL410, used Arrandale processors. Next is L420 which used Sandy Bridge.

At the point that board swaps become hypothetical, IMO the better solution is always just buy a new computer. If you want more laptop, go get a T450 or newer.

Not enough is known about these SL and L series to discuss parts interchangeability between the generations.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#42 Post by thealphaoverseer » Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:45 am

Yes, I found it odd that Lenovo listed it on their very own website. Maybe because that page covered the entire SLx1x series. Anyway, what do you reckon that plastic hexagonal-holed object is?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#43 Post by Screamer » Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:22 am

That might be the ExpressCard/34 slot, as far as I know.
TPFanatic wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:51 pm
Not enough is known about these SL and L series to discuss parts interchangeability between the generations.
I guess that I should give a summary on the parts interchangeability, considering that not a lot of people know about the SL series and the L series:

SL300, SL400, SL400c, SL500, SL500c - these models were the first to show up, but they are also the worst in the SL series model line-up (due to a design flaw). They have parts that are not interchangeable with the newer models, as they utilize a completely different design.

SL410, SL410k, SL510, SL510k - design refresh, and additionally fixes the left hinge's design flaw that was present in the previous generation. These were the last in the SL series line-up, before they were shifted into their own series, the L series.

L410, L510 - the beginning of the L series; the aforementioned models are simply rebranded SL410 and SL510 models. There are no known differences between their SL series counterparts, as they share the same components, which also allows part interchangeability.

L412, L512 - Calpella refresh. They are not visually different when it comes to their design language, but some of the ports have been changed or removed. Due to that, some of the parts are no longer interchangeable as the port layout was revised in these models. They were also the first L series to feature a docking port, as the previous generation did not have them.

L420, L421, L520 - Huron River refresh. Again, not any different but they do have some port layout differences. One of the most notable changes found in this generation, is that they swapped the ExpressCard/34 slot with a ExpressCard/54 slot. With this change in place, part interchangeability is once again affected.

L430, L530 - Chief River refresh. These models' designs have been completely changed, removing all possibilities of part interchangeability. One striking feature of these models however, is that they re-use the W530, T430, T530, or the X230's keyboard. This opens a possibility of swapping the keyboard with the classic 7-row keyboard, but that is something which no one has tried yet (to my knowledge).

I could go on in detail with the parts that can be interchanged, but that would be technically going off-topic.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#44 Post by thealphaoverseer » Fri Jul 31, 2020 6:09 am

Hi,
What is Lenovo 'enhanced experience'? I've still got the original sticker. Was this a special feature on some models or was it just a marketing gimmick?
Also, what does the blue Thinkvantage button do?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#45 Post by Screamer » Sat Aug 01, 2020 4:52 am

It is an old marketing gimmick that could be compared to Intel's Centrino 2 'umbrella' brand; just a bunch of features (mostly useless) branded under that specific name.

It launches the ThinkVantage toolbox, that is if you have it installed. If you don't have it installed, it would not launch anything.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#46 Post by thealphaoverseer » Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:17 am

The 8GB of RAM I ordered just arrived (costed about 30 USD at the current exchange rate)! :D Now it is on par with a decently specced W500. (slightly worse CPU, worse screen, equal RAM, equal data transfer, better graphics). I'm thinking battery next. An aftermarket CPU costs around $30, but I've heard they only last around 2 hours. Still, it's better than 3 minutes. Also, is it worthwhile installing the Thinkvantage toolbox? Is it part of the OS or the BIOS?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#47 Post by TPFanatic » Mon Aug 03, 2020 7:34 pm

What graphics does your SL410 have? W500's FireGL V5700 (Radeon 3650 equivalent) isn't bad.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#48 Post by thealphaoverseer » Tue Aug 04, 2020 4:03 am

Oops, sorry. They're about the same performance. If I recall correctly, only the 'k' models of the SL410 had an option to have Radeon graphics. I have an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500.
Also, how do I connect a secondary display? I'm using HDMI, but Windows won't give my TV any input. It shows as 'duplicated' but the TV still shows 'no signal'. Am I missing some drivers?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#49 Post by Screamer » Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:00 am

thealphaoverseer wrote:
Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:17 am
Also, is it worthwhile installing the Thinkvantage toolbox? Is it part of the OS or the BIOS?
If you need the ThinkVantage button to be functional, yes. Otherwise, no.

It is factory-installed in all modern ThinkPads as far as I know, so it is part of the operating system.
thealphaoverseer wrote:
Tue Aug 04, 2020 4:03 am
If I recall correctly, only the 'k' models of the SL410 had an option to have Radeon graphics.
The ordinary SL410 had the ATI GPU as an option too.
thealphaoverseer wrote:
Tue Aug 04, 2020 4:03 am
Also, how do I connect a secondary display? I'm using HDMI, but Windows won't give my TV any input. It shows as 'duplicated' but the TV still shows 'no signal'. Am I missing some drivers?
I would try updating its graphics drivers if I were you, although I feel that is probably not the real problem here.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#50 Post by TPFanatic » Tue Aug 04, 2020 10:44 pm

You don't need ThinkVantage toolbox to use the button. You can assign functions to the button using the registry. There is also a nifty tool which I think comes from here... https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic ... l#14669246 ...called ThinkPadHotkey which easily lets you reprogram lots of Fn combos, and the ThinkVantage button.

I have uploaded ThinkPadHotkey.exe to my google drive for convenience. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10w88Qj ... EMyrR/view

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#51 Post by RealBlackStuff » Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:03 am

(Maybe non-related) ThinkPadHotkey info-snippet:
Fn+F8 actually does work, to open the Ultranav properties requires getting the tpfnf8.exe from an install of Hotkey Features for non-T430 and registering Fn+F8 to tpfnf8.exe with ThinkpadHotkey.exe.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#52 Post by thealphaoverseer » Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:25 am

Hi,
Yes, I have the drivers installed.
No, AMD ended support for the HD 4500 after Win 8. Win 10 installs a basic driver.
I still have no idea what the ThinkVantage toolbox actually does, but it sounds like optimisation software.
The ThinkVantage button launches the BIOS directory at startup - "Press the blue ThinkVantage button to interrupt normal startup". I could probably use Sharp Keys to assign something like Num Pad 1 to it. It might come in useful when keybinding in games - you'd be surprised how quickly I run out of keys. :mrgreen:
Thanks for your advice!

PS Just out of curiosity, what are the steps of installing Win XP on say, a disk partition? Win 10 feels more 'plug and play' than Win 7, so I thought XP would require some tinkering.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#53 Post by thealphaoverseer » Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:31 am

Oops, sorry, my bad. The ThinkVantage button is detected as 'enter' when keybinding without special software.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#54 Post by thealphaoverseer » Thu Aug 27, 2020 11:46 pm

Hi,
Are there any interesting uses of the WWAN mini PCIe slot? I don't need WWAN and it seems that mSATA doesn't work either.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#55 Post by TPFanatic » Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:32 pm

With whitelist-removed you can use it for an internal usb device, like sd card adapter for more storage.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#56 Post by thealphaoverseer » Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:14 pm

Hi,
Are you sure the slot is data transfer enabled? I saw a similar thread where someone tried to put in a mini PCI-e SSD but it wasn't recognized. Also, I put in my W530 ultrabay and now it won't come out - are ultrabays supposed to be cross compatible?

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#57 Post by axur-delmeria » Sat Aug 29, 2020 11:11 am

thealphaoverseer wrote:
Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:14 pm
Hi,
Are you sure the slot is data transfer enabled? I saw a similar thread where someone tried to put in a mini PCI-e SSD but it wasn't recognized.
The WWAN slot on the SL410 is wired for PCIe and USB. mSATA is not supported, as it didn't exist at the time-- mSATA support only appeared in the T420 and T430 generations.

The card mentioned by TPFanatic is basically a USB SD card reader that plugs into the WWAN slot.
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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#58 Post by thealphaoverseer » Sun Aug 30, 2020 12:29 am

Aha, thanks! I already have an SD card reader and I don't use it, so I see no point getting another one. Also, the ultrabay works fine, except that I have to attach a string to it before I put it in and use the string to pull it out.

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#59 Post by TPFanatic » Sun Aug 30, 2020 12:28 pm

I doubt SL series even have an "Ultrabay" in the original meaning of the term, I think it is practically just an optical drive slot like any other. Ultrabay is supposed to feature quick release for easy modularity of the slot. SL410 doesn't have this. According to Wikipedia it actually has "Fixed Ultrabay" which is a ridiculous oxymoron. :roll: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_UltraBay

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Re: SL410K - Fun Times Ahead!

#60 Post by thealphaoverseer » Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:13 am

Hi,
My laptop would not boot up to OS anymore. It boots to BIOS fine, but gets BSOD after the Windows loading screen. It gives me a stopcode 'Boot device inaccessible'. However, it looks like a graphics card issue to me, because the screen sometimes has bars and flickering. Any ideas?

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