R61i 8932-A17 CPU upgrade failure

[ALPHONSE2501]

I got this ThinkPad R61i 8932-A17 and have intend to upgrade it. BIOS has never updated, so I update R61i's BIOS to official 2.22 then Middleton's 2.22. This update is performed on CPU T5750 with 4GB RAM. Only error I encountered is ERROR 99 and I disabled security chip to flash Middleton's BIOS.

After I swap CPU from T5750 to T8100, power indicator icon does light up but screen keeps dark.

So there have suspects for dark screen:

1) Screws damaged the logic board. I put missing screws with new R61's screw sets. Missing screws are for "1150 Base cover, USB sub card with cable, and PC card/ExpressCard bezel assembly".

2) Improper flashing Middleton's BIOS. I disabled security chip in BIOS setting but I do "load default setting" and save it as old way to update BIOS. It may re-enable security chip.

3) Incompatible CPU. My R61i's logical board does not accepts 800MHz FSB CPU.



Although 3) is very likely cause, I still want to find out other possibility...
Help wanted!

[ajkula66]

What happens when you put the T5750 back in ?

[ALPHONSE2501]

What happens when you put the T5750 back in ?

This part is what I will do tomorrow. This may works, I just afraid if screen keeps dark after put old CPU back.

[RealBlackStuff]

You installed both wrong BIOS versions 2.22.
Your R61i 8932-A17 should first get Lenovo BIOS 2.24/1.08 with the old CPU.
Then install Middleton 2.24/1.08, then install T8100 CPU.

See this: https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Middleton's_BIOS

[ALPHONSE2501]

You installed both wrong BIOS versions 2.22.
Your R61i 8932-A17 should first get Lenovo BIOS 2.24/1.08 with the old CPU.
Then install Middleton 2.24/1.08, then install T8100 CPU.

See this: https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Middleton's_BIOS

Yes, that's what I was done. Original machine's BIOS 1.03 / EC 1.06. Then Lenovo BIOS first, and Middleton's second. All in old CPU.

I put T5250 back and machine is back to work, so I guess I need to re-flash Middleton's BIOS again.

[28CarsLater]

I an hour ago flashed an R61i 14in with MIddleton's 1.08 with no issue in Win7 32bit, I did not attempt to update the 2008 period BIOS already on the machine. I have not attempted to open it up yet, but tomorrow will be the T9400 with some paste, two DDR2 sticks, and a wireless N card from a T400.

[axur-delmeria]

I an hour ago flashed an R61i 14in with MIddleton's 1.08 with no issue in Win7 32bit, I did not attempt to update the 2008 period BIOS already on the machine. I have not attempted to open it up yet, but tomorrow will be the T9400 with some paste, two DDR2 sticks, and a wireless N card from a T400.

That T9400 won't work as it requires 1066MHz FSB, while the T61/R61 only supports 800MHz FSB.

[28CarsLater]

I'm sorry it was the T9300. I have a T9400 I already installed to an R500 and in my head I mixed the two up. Later this evening I will probably be opening that up and installing it, I just have to take apart a broken T400 first.

[onespeedbiker]

You installed both wrong BIOS versions 2.22.
Your R61i 8932-A17 should first get Lenovo BIOS 2.24/1.08 with the old CPU.
Then install Middleton 2.24/1.08, then install T8100 CPU.

See this: https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Middleton's_BIOS

Did you read this? You said, "I update R61i's BIOS to official 2.22 then Middleton's 2.22", RealBlckStuff was telling you, you should have used 2.24/ 1.08 for both the Lenovo and Middleton BIOS. You remarked "Yes, that's what I was done", but that is not what you said you had done.

I have R61i 8932-CTO I updated with the Middleton BIOS and a T-8300 and it is zipping along with 64 bit Windows 7 and a ssd (it even boots a Windows 10 To Go USB; unfortunately only at USB2 speeds). From what I have read, earlier R61i 8932 Thinkpads could not take a Penryn CPU, leaving a max T5750 Merom CPU.

[ALPHONSE2501]

You installed both wrong BIOS versions 2.22.
Your R61i 8932-A17 should first get Lenovo BIOS 2.24/1.08 with the old CPU.
Then install Middleton 2.24/1.08, then install T8100 CPU.

See this: https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Middleton's_BIOS

Did you read this? You said, "I update R61i's BIOS to official 2.22 then Middleton's 2.22", RealBlckStuff was telling you, you should have used 2.24/ 1.08 for both the Lenovo and Middleton BIOS. You remarked "Yes, that's what I was done", but that is not what you said you had done.

I have R61i 8932-CTO I updated with the Middleton BIOS and a T-8300 and it is zipping along with 64 bit Windows 7 and a ssd (it even boots a Windows 10 To Go USB; unfortunately only at USB2 speeds). From what I have read, earlier R61i 8932 Thinkpads could not take a Penryn CPU, leaving a max T5750 Merom CPU.

First I update Lenovo's BIOS to 2.22, and then update Middleton's BIOS. I am sure my R61i has removed whitelist because I put Intel Ultimate-N 6300 and no any error shows.
At the end I can say this R61i is early version and it could not take Penryn CPU. IS the Merom CPU R61i can use must be socket P with 667Mhz FSB?


Side note:
Audio chip inside my R61i is CX20549. It works fine in Windows but not well in Linux.
Also it shows drm-kms-helper-errors during boot.

[axur-delmeria]

If your R61i has a TV-out port, then it's the cause of the drm-kms-helper problem. I ran into a similar issue with a Dell Inspiron 1525 that has a TV-out port as well. The solution that involves adding "video=SVIDEO-1:d" to the grub configuration file is correct. To be specific, it's a bug in the intel xorg driver.

Regarding the T8100, there's the possibility that the processor is defective, unless you have already tested it on another laptop and confirmed that it works.

[RealBlackStuff]

First I update Lenovo's BIOS to 2.22, and then update Middleton's BIOS. boot.

@Alphonse2501:
Which part do you not understand?
You are still on the WRONG BIOS 2.22
The Middleton BIOS 2.22 belongs to an X61, totally different from an R61i.
You need to replace it with Lenovo/Middleton BIOS 2.24/1.08

[ALPHONSE2501]

First I update Lenovo's BIOS to 2.22, and then update Middleton's BIOS. boot.

@Alphonse2501:
Which part do you not understand?
You are still on the WRONG BIOS 2.22
The Middleton BIOS 2.22 belongs to an X61, totally different from an R61i.
You need to replace it with Lenovo/Middleton BIOS 2.24/1.08

I am sorry. All of BIOS I said should be 2.24 but I kept to type in 2.22.

I contacted seller who sold T8100 to me, and I do not have any machine can test it.
So far only slowing my R61i is HDD...

[onespeedbiker]

I am sure my R61i has removed whitelist because I put Intel Ultimate-N 6300 and no any error shows.
At the end I can say this R61i is early version and it could not take Penryn CPU. IS the Merom CPU R61i can use must be socket P with 667Mhz FSB?


Also it shows drm-kms-helper-errors during boot.

Yes, the Merom T5750 should fit a 667mhz P socket.. http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Intel_Core_2_Duo_(Merom)

[unixed]

If you've flashed the 1.24 BIOS then the observed behaviour is correct.
If your BIOS has a 2 before the decimal point and you press the <ESC> key when booting and
(a) the machine boots with a T8100, then you haven't flashed Middleton's BIOS properly or
(b) the machine doesn't boot with a T8100, then your CPU is faulty.

Correctly stating your machine type and BIOS version would help your cause.