IBM R40 Motherboard Issue

[bpopilek]

Hello all! I have a question I hope somebody can answer because Yahoo & Google are not much help!

I have a IBM R40 laptop model 2681-J8U that has a bad motherboard. Actually it has a bad video chip to be specific, and I was tired of the screen going haywire all the time.

I ordered a replacement motherboard off of eBay and installed it into the case. Everything went very smooth and I did not encounter any problems.

Now when I turn on the laptop, the unit turns on and the fans spins for a second, but nothing else. I have made sure that all the cables are plugged in, tried the ram in both slots, removed the HDD & the CDRW, but still no display. I have also tried an external monitor, no luck.

I know all of the parts connected to the new board are good as they worked on my old board.

My question is this. The FRU on my old board was 93P3568, and the new board is a FRU 93P3580. I have been able to find out that the new board came out of a R40 2722 vs my original 2681. I also have found that the 2722 ships with a slower CPU than my 2.2 P4M. I need to know if the CPU is compatible with this new board, or if I need to get a slower one to post it and possibly flash the BIOS to support a faster chip.

The other bit of information I just found is that the new motherboard has the on-board security feature, and my old one did not. Is there an additional chip that could be missing for the security causing it not to post, or could the parts I connected to it not be programmed into it's security?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated as I need to get this working by the end of next week for Summer semester at school. Thanks!

[clickpoint]

From the HMM

2681, 2682, 2683
v Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 processor- M 1.8/ 1.9/ 2.0/ 2.2/2.4GHz, L2 512 KB cache v Mobile Intel® Celeron® Processor 1.6/ 1.8GHz, L2 256KB cache

2684, 2685
v Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 processor- M 1.8GHz, L2 512 KB cache v Mobile Intel® Celeron® Processor 1.7/ 1.8GHz, L2 256KB cache

2722, 2723, 2724
v Intel® Pentium® M Processor 1.3/ 1.4/ 1.5GHz, L2 1MB cache

They use different processors.... the 2681 uses either a P4M or Celeron, while the 2722 uses a Pentium M processor.....

U probably just need to get a Pentium M processor for the motherboard

[schen]

My question is this. The FRU on my old board was 93P3568, and the new board is a FRU 93P3580. I have been able to find out that the new board came out of a R40 2722 vs my original 2681. I also have found that the 2722 ships with a slower CPU than my 2.2 P4M. I need to know if the CPU is compatible with this new board, or if I need to get a slower one to post it and possibly flash the BIOS to support a faster chip.

Actually you got lucky. The later R40 came with the P M CPUs which although clocked slower, are more powerful chips running software faster while running cooler. You can look in the HMM to be sure, but I believe you can run processors up through the Dothan core which makes a very robust machine for everyday uses. I recently picked a R40 for a family member and spent extra time sifting through the various ones on ebay till I found a P M version. These later machines actually spec very similar to the newer R5x Series. You can easily find a mid-range (1.5 - 1.7) P M CPU for sale in the $20 to $30 range.

[bpopilek]

So in other words, the new board I got is an older version that doesn't have the capacity to go with a faster CPU?

Also, what is HMM?

Thanks for the assistance!

[Chris001]

Also, what is HMM?

Hardware Maintenance Manual - The Hardware Maintenance Manual (HMM) contains information regarding hardware installation and removal; diagnostics and troubleshooting; hardware interfaces; and field replacement unit (FRU) service part numbers.


http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-39298

[clickpoint]

So in other words, the new board I got is an older version that doesn't have the capacity to go with a faster CPU?

Also, what is HMM?

Thanks for the assistance!

No the board you got was the newer board which supports the PENTIUM M chip, which runs at a slower clock speed, but is actually a better chip.

As SCHEN stated "The later R40 came with the P M CPUs which although clocked slower, are more powerful chips running software faster while running cooler."

[schen]

So in other words, the new board I got is an older version that doesn't have the capacity to go with a faster CPU?

Also, what is HMM?

No: actually, quite the opposite! The early R40s (which if I'm reading your original post correctly, is what I believe you HAD) took the P4-M line of processors. The clock speed on those were usually in the 1.7, 1.8 and 2.0Ghz range. This line of CPUs were replaced by a newer line of processors (the P M), that not only were more powerful, but could run at a slower speed (which helps keep it cooler.... a very good thing). If I remember right, they also ran on a faster bus as well. Although, these CPUs were clocked at typically 1.3, 1.5, on up to around 2.x, they are much faster at doing the work than the P-4Ms. It's kinda like a V-8 motor vs. a L-4; to do the same work, the 4 cylinder has to run MUCH faster and generates a tremendous amount of heat. Although it's an imperfect analogy; it'll work.

So, your new MB is what I think it is, and you put the correct P M processor in it..... something like a 1.5 or 1.6Mhz, you'll have a far faster machine than before even though the lower clock speed might indicate otherwise. There's more to it than that, but that's the short version. There are others on this forum that are experts on CPU that can give you more info.

As far as the HMM; it stands for Hardware Maintenance Manual. There's one for every ThinkPad that can be found on the Lenovo Support site. But if you do a quick search through the forum, you can probably find a link that someone has posted for your model. If no, let me know and I'll find it for you.

[bpopilek]

Wow! Thanks for all of the replies! Would any of these be what I specifically need? Don't want to waste money on the wrong part.


http://cgi.ebay.com/1-4ghz-PENTIUM-M-Ce ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/INTEL-PENTIUM-M-CEN ... dZViewItem

Thanks again!

[pjm99au]

The last one should definitely be compatible

[bpopilek]

Well, lets hope so! I just bought one last night for $20 and I will find out for sure when it arrives! Thanks for all the help, I'll post my results when I get it.

[pjm99au]

Good Luck. Don't forget that you should apply a thermal paste such as artic silver between the processor and the heatsink when you put it all together

[Terrahawk]

How did you manage to fit a Pentium 4-M chip into a Pentium-M socket? Despite both being socket 478, they aren't supposed to fit in each other's sockets....

Hope everything works out well!

[bpopilek]

Well I just got back from vacation today and my chip arrived in the mail. I popped it into the laptop, and IT WORKS! Thanks for all the advice! Now I have XP installed and working on the rest of the apps. You all rock!