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R50E processor problem.

R30/R40, A30/A31, G40/G50 and Z60/Z61 Series. NOT for AMD-Ryzen.
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FrontBackSide2Side
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R50E processor problem.

#1 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:12 pm

Hi guys, after reading a few threads on here about upgrades for the R50e (1.4ghz Celeron) I purchased a 765 2.1ghz Pentium M. When I swapped the processors over the laptop wouldn't boot. Has anyone actually used one of these processors in the R50e? I'm just trying to ascertain if I have a faulty processor or whether it is incompatible before I try to send it back.

Edit- just to add, I put the original processor back in and it booted fine. I have now put a 1.6ghz centrino in and again, it boots up no problems.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#2 Post by ajkula66 » Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:10 pm

Welcome to the forum!

You might need a BIOS update before upgrading from a Banias CPU to a Dothan one. Installing the latest BIOS with the old CPU installed in the machine would be my first course of action.

Good luck.
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#3 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:37 pm

ajkula66 wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:10 pm
Welcome to the forum!

You might need a BIOS update before upgrading from a Banias CPU to a Dothan one. Installing the latest BIOS with the old CPU installed in the machine would be my first course of action.

Good luck.
Thanks for the reply. I'm struggling to find a way of updating the bios as it seems like Lenovo have taken it off their site now.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#4 Post by davidgurvich » Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:39 pm

Seems to still be on the Lenovo site

Code: Select all

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds013596-bios-update-non-diskette-thinkpad-r50e
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#5 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:58 pm

Ah ok, thank you! I must have been looking at the wrong thing the other day. I'll try this tomorrow. I'm running Linux at the moment so I'll have to install windows to get this done but hopefully it will be worth it 🙂

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#6 Post by ajkula66 » Sun Mar 14, 2021 6:09 pm

FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:58 pm
I'm running Linux at the moment so I'll have to install windows to get this done but hopefully it will be worth it 🙂
No need to install Windows.

Burn the ISO file and boot from it, update, done.

For most of us here that's a preferred method of updating BIOS anyway.
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

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One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#7 Post by kfzhu1229 » Sun Mar 14, 2021 11:57 pm

Also, if you want to, maybe put a picture of your Pentium M 765 up here (as a link).
AFAIK with the unreasonably high prices of Pentium M 765's, there are a LOT of fakes up on eBay... I am wishing you the best not to stumble on one...
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#8 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:42 am

ajkula66 wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 6:09 pm
FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:58 pm
I'm running Linux at the moment so I'll have to install windows to get this done but hopefully it will be worth it 🙂
No need to install Windows.

Burn the ISO file and boot from it, update, done.

For most of us here that's a preferred method of updating BIOS anyway.

Thank you, that sounds like a much easier way of doing it.

I had a look in the "How To" guides and there wasn't anything there to explain this process.

I'm ok with burning iso's and booting from the CD drive but where do you get the iso file from? Obviously the link to the Lenovo site above is for a .exe file and is the update utility opposed to the bios disk file.

Is it a case of searching the internet for the file? if so are there any trusted sites you would recommend?

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#9 Post by RealBlackStuff » Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:59 am

R50e was so low on the totempole, that there are no modded BIOSes or ISOs available.
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#10 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:10 am

I have managed to get the latest bios now so i will try refitting the processor and let you know how i get on. I will also get some pictures of the processor as requested and post a link on here.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Edit-

Here are some links to photos of the processor.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QcEmbF ... p=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QdG3xG ... p=drivesdk
Last edited by FrontBackSide2Side on Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:34 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#11 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:13 am

RealBlackStuff wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:59 am
R50e was so low on the totempole, that there are no modded BIOSes or ISOs available.
Yeah i'm not surprised. When i bought mine brand new it cost me £199 on offer when the cheapest laptop you could get anywhere was £299. I am so impressed its still going all these years later and thanks to Lubuntu and a few mods its still very usable :D

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#12 Post by davidgurvich » Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:47 am

I'm not sure if there is a separate file for the EC. You might also take a close look at the pins on the cpu to see if any are bent. It doesn't look like it from the picture but difficult to tell.
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#13 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:53 am

davidgurvich wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:47 am
I'm not sure if there is a separate file for the EC. You might also take a close look at the pins on the cpu to see if any are bent. It doesn't look like it from the picture but difficult to tell.
Thanks, I'll take a look before I reinstall it. The EC was upto date but the bios wasn't so fingers crossed it was that.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#14 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:51 pm

Just an update, I have reinstalled the 765 and tried it with the updated bios, still no luck. I'm really thinking this is a duff processor, either faulty or fake.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#15 Post by ajkula66 » Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:20 pm

FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:51 pm
Just an update, I have reinstalled the 765 and tried it with the updated bios, still no luck. I'm really thinking this is a duff processor, either faulty or fake.
It sure sounds like a problematic CPU. Good luck with returning/replacing it.
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#16 Post by kfzhu1229 » Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:06 pm

FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:51 pm
Just an update, I have reinstalled the 765 and tried it with the updated bios, still no luck. I'm really thinking this is a duff processor, either faulty or fake.
Unfortunately on a ThinkPad they don't do a good job indicating whether it's the CPU fault or not. It's quite hard to tell without you getting something like a Pentium M 755 and verify it works with the BIOS perfectly.
When I received a dud for Pentium M 765, the Dell machine I tried it on will just switch on for a few seconds with keyboard lock LEDs stay solid and then shuts off. If it were a BIOS issue, it turns on but doesn't shut off, and displays an error code when you press the fn key.
Maybe you seriously should consider a Pentium M 755 instead. It's just a hair slower but I got mine for about 5-7 bucks each in bulk and that was great price.
Upon inspection on your picture, if it isn't the camera angle, the bottom printing on the black label seems slanted. That might indicate a new label being printed on top of the original one, so a fake.
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
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T23 PIII 1.13ghz 1gb W7
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#17 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:32 pm

Thanks for the replies, I have ordered a 755 to see how I get on with that.

The seller of the 765 is adamant it was tested prior to sending out and is saying it must be some compatibility issue so I don't think I'm going to get anywhere with that.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#18 Post by kfzhu1229 » Wed Mar 17, 2021 3:07 pm

FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:32 pm
Thanks for the replies, I have ordered a 755 to see how I get on with that.

The seller of the 765 is adamant it was tested prior to sending out and is saying it must be some compatibility issue so I don't think I'm going to get anywhere with that.
Well if a Pentium M 755 works but not a Pentium M 765, then it's impossible to be a compatibility issue.
Wait till your Pentium M 755 arrives and see if that works on your system.
Also unfortunately, I had just had a look online, Pentium M 755's have literally doubled in price, if you can find it at all!
A year ago I bought 3 of them for 15 quid plus 4 quid postage to Canada. (yes this seller listed this in British pounds but came from Hong Kong)
Unfortunately, the same seller now sells one for 10 quid and even then it's completely out of stock now!
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
600 PII-266 416mb 40gb WXP
T23 PIII 1.13ghz 1gb W7
Precision M4300 X9000 8gb 160gb WUXGA Ultrasharp fp W10
T530i 15.6" i7 16gb fp W10
UXGA:
A30p PIII 1.2 1gb W7 (IDTech)
T43p 2.26 2gb fp W10 (Sharp)
Lat C840 P4-2.5 2gb 60gb W7 (Ultrasharp)

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#19 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:33 pm

I have bought one, unfortunately it it coming from China and I paid £25 :(

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#20 Post by ajkula66 » Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:03 pm

FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:33 pm
I have bought one, unfortunately it it coming from China and I paid £25 :(
If it's ebay/paypal, open up a dispute regarding the PM 765.
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#21 Post by kfzhu1229 » Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:38 pm

ajkula66 wrote:
Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:03 pm
If it's ebay/paypal, open up a dispute regarding the PM 765.
Think he's talking about spending 25 quid for a Pentium M 755, which is kinda crazy considering how little I spent just a year ago. Opening up a dispute just hoping to get some refund back for its price being high is quite despicable if the item works perfectly fine :roll:
But yeah as for the dispute, I recommend getting the 755 and make sure that works and then at the same time that 765 does not work, then you can open a dispute with a strong case.
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
600 PII-266 416mb 40gb WXP
T23 PIII 1.13ghz 1gb W7
Precision M4300 X9000 8gb 160gb WUXGA Ultrasharp fp W10
T530i 15.6" i7 16gb fp W10
UXGA:
A30p PIII 1.2 1gb W7 (IDTech)
T43p 2.26 2gb fp W10 (Sharp)
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#22 Post by RealBlackStuff » Thu Mar 18, 2021 1:16 am

That CPU is costing more than the whole R50e is worth.
I'd try to cancel that order and get the money back.
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
Lenovo: X240, X250, T440p, T480, M900 Tiny.

PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#23 Post by kfzhu1229 » Thu Mar 18, 2021 1:44 am

RealBlackStuff wrote:
Thu Mar 18, 2021 1:16 am
That CPU is costing more than the whole R50e is worth.
I'd try to cancel that order and get the money back.
Yeah I agree on this point.
In my opinion, while you definitely shouldn't abuse whatever laptop you own, you also can't throw infinite amount of cash on it as if you are raising your own child.
There comes a point where going beyond that is spending too much. That point used to be between Pentium M 755 and 765, and now I think we have to lower it to 745 and 755 thanks to this pandemic!
For higher end exotic processors, I find better luck fishing them off job lot of ThinkPads or Latitudes with confirmed type number or service tag that confirms the existence of a high end processor. Then refurbish the entire machine and sell the machine with whatever CPU you have lying around as downgrade.
So far, I fished off a T9300, T9900 and a T7400 from those machines, as well as a Pentium 4-M 2.5Ghz fitted onto a defective A31p.
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
600 PII-266 416mb 40gb WXP
T23 PIII 1.13ghz 1gb W7
Precision M4300 X9000 8gb 160gb WUXGA Ultrasharp fp W10
T530i 15.6" i7 16gb fp W10
UXGA:
A30p PIII 1.2 1gb W7 (IDTech)
T43p 2.26 2gb fp W10 (Sharp)
Lat C840 P4-2.5 2gb 60gb W7 (Ultrasharp)

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#24 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Thu Mar 18, 2021 1:51 am

I don't mind spending a bit of money on it for sentimental reasons. I know it's never going to be a speed demon or whatever but I'm just enjoying tinkering as well.

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#25 Post by kfzhu1229 » Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:06 pm

FrontBackSide2Side wrote:
Thu Mar 18, 2021 1:51 am
I don't mind spending a bit of money on it for sentimental reasons. I know it's never going to be a speed demon or whatever but I'm just enjoying tinkering as well.
Well if you used to own the exact same model then fair enough.
Otherwise, the same processor is gonna much better serve higher end machines like the R50p or T42p...
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
600 PII-266 416mb 40gb WXP
T23 PIII 1.13ghz 1gb W7
Precision M4300 X9000 8gb 160gb WUXGA Ultrasharp fp W10
T530i 15.6" i7 16gb fp W10
UXGA:
A30p PIII 1.2 1gb W7 (IDTech)
T43p 2.26 2gb fp W10 (Sharp)
Lat C840 P4-2.5 2gb 60gb W7 (Ultrasharp)

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#26 Post by FrontBackSide2Side » Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:28 am

It's not only the same model, it's the same laptop I have had from new. My first ever laptop 😂

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#27 Post by MikeHatz » Fri Jul 23, 2021 5:49 am

Hey there, do you have any update with the 755!
I am quite interested.
Back in 2012 I upgraded my 1,5GHz Banias to 745 1,8GHz Dothan after the BIOS update and it worked smoothly!
I wouldn't like to upgrade it any more but I saw the 765 at about 25$ on ebay the other day and I got hooked :bouncing-bird:
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Re: R50E processor problem.

#28 Post by kfzhu1229 » Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:57 am

MikeHatz wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 5:49 am
Hey there, do you have any update with the 755!
I am quite interested.
Back in 2012 I upgraded my 1,5GHz Banias to 745 1,8GHz Dothan after the BIOS update and it worked smoothly!
I wouldn't like to upgrade it any more but I saw the 765 at about 25$ on ebay the other day and I got hooked :bouncing-bird:
Be careful as for Pentium M 765 there are an awful lot of fake CPUs! Those are dead CPU's with their model number printings altered to look like a 765 but they don't work at all and is a waste of your time!
Dell Lat CP MMX-233 64mb 40gb W2k
600 PII-266 416mb 40gb WXP
T23 PIII 1.13ghz 1gb W7
Precision M4300 X9000 8gb 160gb WUXGA Ultrasharp fp W10
T530i 15.6" i7 16gb fp W10
UXGA:
A30p PIII 1.2 1gb W7 (IDTech)
T43p 2.26 2gb fp W10 (Sharp)
Lat C840 P4-2.5 2gb 60gb W7 (Ultrasharp)

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Re: R50E processor problem.

#29 Post by MikeHatz » Fri Jul 30, 2021 2:54 am

kfzhu1229 wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:57 am
Be careful as for Pentium M 765 there are an awful lot of fake CPUs! Those are dead CPU's with their model number printings altered to look like a 765 but they don't work at all and is a waste of your time!
Yeah, I guess it's better to stick with the 745 of witch I am quite happy with! :wink:
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