Motherboard limitations

[danielson_zx3]

Hi all, thanks for your help in advance.

I have a TP R51 2887 cu2, I had some issues all of a sudden with powering on, it would power up then if I pushed on the lower left side of the keyboard it would instantly shut off. That tells me, since I had a tendency to lift the laptop with one hand from that corner, that I have bent and cracked the mobo. Well So I imagine I need to replace it, my question is, what mobo should I use, do I have to stick with whatever mobo is in my TP? or can I say buy a t43 mobo, or another with better graphics, and put that in.

That example is just that, if you have any advice, please, let me know.

Thanks

[sjthinkpader]

Yes, you might have a solder crack. Since this is an intel integrated GPU MB, examine the larger power components such as inductors for a loose joint.

[danielson_zx3]

I dont know, I tore this thing apart and examined it with a magnifying glass and I couldnt see anything wrong with it, I guess I just need to replace the board, unless it could be something else? What I wanted to know is what board to replace it with? does it have to be the same as whats in it? or can I get a similar board, and it will work the same?

thanks

[RealBlackStuff]

You could use either another R51 board, or the board from a T41, T42 or R50.
Look for a board with integrated Intel graphics (called Intel Extreme).
If yours has Firewire, that's not always available on all other boards.
14" and 15" models use the same motherboards.
T43 (and R52) boards use different RAM, have different CPUs (with FSB=533) and require T43/R52 approved hard disks, otherwise you get error 2010.
Addendum/Correction 05/01/09: R52 PCMCIA slots are different from the rest. As long as you replace the cage, it's OK. (thanks, richk)

[seaweedsl]

I've swapped out a few of these. They are common on Ebay and very inexpensive nowdays. One seller I've had good luck with is Sunnking.

You can use any R51 board, but yep, the advice is to get with integrated graphics. All the Sunnking ones I've seen were. I'm not convinced that it's that terribly important at these prices though. I'm starting to consider motherboards for thinkpads like tires for cars. They wear out or break, they need replacing but don't cost that much.

It does not matter if you get a board from a 15" or 14" they both work - there is an seperate extender plate to lengthen it for 15" frames. However, it's convenient to buy one in a it's base as that saves a lot of time swapping it out. You do need the same base (14" or 15") as your existing to take advantage of that shortcut.

Sunnking does not have any listed at the moment, but there are plenty of others:

http://computers.shop.ebay.com/items/Mo ... =&_udhi=60

Steve

[danielson_zx3]

Awesome, thank you guys, I never realized how much I depended on that [censored] (apparently I meant DARN) TP. I have 4 computers on my network, one of them is a beefed up gaming pc hooked up to my 42" lcd, and two of them are crappy old computers for file transfer, and then the TP, and now that I dont have it, I am constantly finding out how much I depended on that old workhorse. I actually hate surfing the net on my 42"lcd, it was so much more convenient using the TP and its mouse system, and the thinklight, what an idea! It shows they care and are trying to make a great product, Its why I will never buy another laptop, unless its ibm/lenovo!
Oh, btw, where can I figure out the differences between mobo's? I am looking at 39T5510 and 42T0145's mostly on ebay, brand new for 45 bucks. I just wondered whats the difference in all the mobo's, and which to get, I should have looked when I took my TP apart to see what mobo it had, but If another model will work without sacrificing speed or anything, that will do fine.
thanks again

[seaweedsl]

I am looking at 39T5510 and 42T0145's mostly on ebay, brand new for 45 bucks. I just wondered whats the difference in all the mobo's, and which to get,

I see that the 42T0145 has gigabit ethernet and the 39T5510 is 10/100 but they are both Intel integrated it seems.