R61i (8932-AEG Frankenpad) memory speed, Bluetooth and LCD

[riobravo]

I've had a 4:3 15" inch ThinkPad R61i (8943-DTG), originally shipped with Vista, but downgraded to XP.
After a 5 years of service, company wrote it off and I got it for free.
I equipped it with more RAM (2GB) and installed Win7-32 bit and later upgraded to 3 GB.
I got free Intel SSD 128 GB (second hand - for doing him some favors to a friend) and installed Middleton’s BIOS and then Windows 10-64bit (fresh install) on upgraded 4GB (2+2).
For home use it worked like a charm.
One of the hinges started to go bad. It was very hard to open it and after a while plastic frame of the screen got broken.

Then I got widescreen 15,4 " R61i (8932-AEG) - again for free
On this "new" machine I upgraded following:
BIOS to Middleton's
SSD from old machine (no Windows reinstall, just transplanting SSD)
Switched touchpad (old machine had Synaptics and their driver allows reverse scrolling-like on smartphone) and keyboard (just to be sure TrackPoint will work)
CPU to T8300 - 3,5 USD from ebay
wifi card to Atheros 811.n (because 2,4 GHz band is quite congested in my building) - 4,5 USD from ebay
memory to 6GB (39 USD for 4GB DIMM – installed today)


I really like my Frankenpad, it is built like tank and reassuringly heavy

The only minor annoyances are:
1. CPU is working on 800 MHz FSB, but memory speed is 667 MHz, although all modules support 800 MHz (2GB Kingston, 2GB Micron & 4GB Crucial). It was 667 MHz in 2+2 GB configuration (but I thought older module is 667 MHz) and now in 4+2 GB (both modules are 800 MHz). I thought chipset can support memory at 800 MHz

2. Bluetooth is not working, not showing in device manager (I think it worked in old machine with Win10, but I am not sure). I googled and I found that Bluetooth Support Service should be started and set to automatic startup – no change after I’ve done this.

3. LCD is 1280x800 and viewing angles are bad (especially vertical). It was bad on the old machine too. Is there any cheap 15.4” widescreen LCD display panel that’s better (IPS maybe) and/or with higher resolution?

Maybe someone can advise how to improve memory speed and make Bluetooth work again.
Or at least explain why is it like that…
Suggestion for LCD replacement is appreciated too.

Big thanks to all the good people helping others and me – without you all above improvements on my Frankenpads would not be possible

[theterminator93]

Your latter question about the screen is exactly why most people prefer the 15" 4:3 systems to start with, because they have UXGA IPS displays - and can be fitted with the new AFFS LED displays from Hydis with relative ease. There are no IPS panels available for the widescreen models, though I understand one of the WUXGA screens available (I can't remember if it was a Samsung, LG, or Sharp panel) on the T61p are among the more tolerable TN screens available, unlike the basic screens like what you have now.

What does CPU-Z say about the SPD configuration on your memory? Try installing only one module at a time to see if it runs at a different speed. Maybe one of them is troublesome.

Not sure about the Bluetooth. Is there any setting in BIOS disabling it?

[riobravo]

Thanks for LCD answer...

There is no Bluetooth settings in BIOS.

CPU-Z always said the same: 667 MHz, timings 5-5-5-15, dual channel: symmetrical. But it does not read SPD information. No matter if I put only 1 DIMM (tried all 3 modules in slot 0-bottom, not working if only slot1-upper is populated), or two DIMMs, I tried all combinations 2+2 GB, 2+2 GB reversed position in slots, 4+2GB and 2+4 GB.
But I was surprised that CPU-Z said dual channel: symmetrical for only one slot populated...

[ThreeIguanasPerSecond]

the GM965 chipset doesn't support a FSB:DRAM ratio of 800 MT/s : 800 MT/s, which is why it's stuck at 800 MT/s : 667 MT/s. like it or not, that's a hardware limitation that can't be worked around unless you overclock the RAM modules.

Bluetooth isn't working? it might be the wireless hardware switch or something close to that, download IBM_ECW from this link: http://bertrand.deo.free.fr/IBM_EC/IBM_ECW.ZIP. run it and click on the 'Power on Bluetooth' text box, it should be working afterwards. my guess is the ACPI subsystem has left it deactivated for unknown reasons.

an 15.4" IPS display... not that i could identify one that's both CCFL-backlit and has an LVDS/FPD-Link connector. for higher resolutions, yes. i recommend the Sharp LQ154M1LW02 panel, but i don't know about the current market prices for it.

it doesn't read the RAM modules' SPD chip because the I/O controller in your R61i has been set to not read the SPD chip. this is a factory default setting in some ThinkPads as far as i am concerned, and there's nothing you can do to fix it. unless you can pin-point and figure out the GPIO settings with RW Everything or perform a BIOS modification, either way works but i'd recommend using RW Everything for that purpose.

[unixed]

The 15.0" R61i has the best screen options -- SXGA+, UXGA and QXGA flexviews (IPS). You may be able to get used instances of the first two relatively cheaply.
It is not the screen bezel plastic breaking that is the problem, but the hinge that has broken. That can either be fixed by the judicious use of a strong metal plate or more easily just replace either the whole lid or only the hinge with that from a 15.0" R60.

If you stick to the 15.4" R61i there are many good quality WSXGA+ and WUXGA TN screens, notably but not exclusively by LG Philips, some even better than the vaunted SHARP WUXGA screens. You have to ensure the pinout is compatible and the screen characteristics such as contrast ratio and viewing angles are satisfactory.