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770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

Older ThinkPads from the 300, 500, 600, 700 Series, iSeries, Transnote etc.
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j3356
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Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:08 am
Location: Madison, Illinois

770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#1 Post by j3356 » Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:46 am

Hello.
I've recently bought a thinkpad 770x type 9549. And I decided that I wold like to upgrade the hardware in it. And just need a bit of clarification on some things.
So for the ram the most I can do is (2) 256megs pc100 sodimm and removing the onboard stick? Or should I use (2) 128megs sticks and (1) 256meg stick? 512megs total is still the highest possible?
For the cpu, is there any advantages for using a higher clocked cpu than a pentium iii 500mhz? Would it be worth the hassle to get the higher clocked cpu to work?

Also does anyone know where I can get my hands on a selctadock iii and the selectabase 770?

saperkus
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Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#2 Post by saperkus » Thu Jul 05, 2018 4:44 pm

ThinkPad 770X supports up to 320MB RAM. You have a 64MB RAM soldered on motherboard and two SDRAM sockets. Each of them can support 32MB, 64MB or 128MB (66MHz, non-parity, 3.3v) module. Official 128MB module have FRU number 01K1150.

Regarding SelectaBase, I've saw some on eBay. About SelectaBase, look for FRU/PN: 11J8822 or 83H6735.

EDIT: It seems, that information from PSREF is no longer accurate.
Last edited by saperkus on Fri Jul 06, 2018 12:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
IBM 345C(PCDOS7.0+W3.11) | 390X(W95/W98SE) | T23(W2K)
R51(WXP) | Lenovo R61(WXP/Vista)

j3356
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Location: Madison, Illinois

Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#3 Post by j3356 » Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:18 pm

I dont think the ram is soldered because i see the edge of the third one next to the other slots.

pkiff
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Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#4 Post by pkiff » Thu Jul 05, 2018 10:02 pm

The 770X and 770Z both support up to 512MB RAM.

On my 770Z, I use 256MB + 128MB in the main slots and then replace the onboard 64MB stick found in the back, hard-to-get-to slot with 128MB. 256MB chips used to be very expensive and hard to get, so this was the most efficient way to get the max ram. But you can also put 256MB + 256MB, and then the 64MB onboard slot is just ignored.

I think you might need to be careful about which 256MB sticks you get. Maybe they have to be "low density" with 16 chips on the stick? I'd have to doublecheck that.

Here is a historical thread where DK6400Brian and JHEM (James) reviewed and tested max memory options back in 2005:
ThinkPad 770 X/Z Memory matrice ?
X1E Gen 4 · X1T 3rd Gen · W520 · Legacy: P52, T60p, X61T, 600X, 770Z
Nostalgic for: 600X PIII 850MHz in a SelectaDock III with 64MB Voodoo 5 5500 and Sound Blaster Audigy 5.1.

pkiff
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Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#5 Post by pkiff » Thu Jul 05, 2018 10:25 pm

j3356 wrote:
Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:46 am
For the cpu, is there any advantages for using a higher clocked cpu than a pentium iii 500mhz? Would it be worth the hassle to get the higher clocked cpu to work?
If you can get a PIII 750 or 850, then yes, those will make a slightly noticeable difference over a PIII 500 in processor-intensive activities. However, if you get a PIII 650, then it will only run at 500MHz unless you do some fancy soldering (which I've never done). PIII 850MHz is the max, and it used to be very hard to find. I used to have one 770Z running PIII 500MHz and another running PIII 850MHz (running at 700MHz), and I only very rarely noticed any difference at all.

The PIII 650MHz and faster chips are all speed-step enabled, and because the 770X/Z motherboards don't support speedstep, the chips automatically drop down to their lower speed, which is 150MHz less. If you solder the right things, then you can force your chip to always run at its higher speed even in a non-speedstep motherboard like the 770X/Z.
X1E Gen 4 · X1T 3rd Gen · W520 · Legacy: P52, T60p, X61T, 600X, 770Z
Nostalgic for: 600X PIII 850MHz in a SelectaDock III with 64MB Voodoo 5 5500 and Sound Blaster Audigy 5.1.

j3356
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:08 am
Location: Madison, Illinois

Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#6 Post by j3356 » Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:35 pm

Thanks for the info. The only Pentium III 850 one I see is listed for 90. Seems kinda high for a old laptop cpu. Wouldn't I also need to have a better cooler for the 850 if I go that route?

pkiff
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Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#7 Post by pkiff » Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:12 am

j3356 wrote:
Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:35 pm
The only Pentium III 850 one I see is listed for 90. Seems kinda high for a old laptop cpu.
Yeah, that sure sounds high to me, too. But I think only one or two mainstream laptops (no ThinkPads) were built that used them in that MMC forum factor, so not many were manufactured. They used to go for somewhere between $100 and $150 back in the day.
j3356 wrote:
Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:35 pm
Wouldn't I also need to have a better cooler for the 850 if I go that route?
No extra cooling required. If I recall correctly, even the PIII 850MHz ran as cool as the 500MHz, due to improvements in chip design. And if you let your 850 run at its stepped-down speed of 700, then it was actually cooler than a 500.
X1E Gen 4 · X1T 3rd Gen · W520 · Legacy: P52, T60p, X61T, 600X, 770Z
Nostalgic for: 600X PIII 850MHz in a SelectaDock III with 64MB Voodoo 5 5500 and Sound Blaster Audigy 5.1.

j3356
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:08 am
Location: Madison, Illinois

Re: 770x type 9549 - RAM, CPU and Selectadock Questions

#8 Post by j3356 » Sat Jul 07, 2018 7:22 pm

Cool.
I did find a selectabase 770, I think anyway. It's numbers are pn 11J9009 fru 05K7037. The lowest I was able to talk them down from $45 to $35 including shipping. Is this an ok price. Was trying to get it down around $20 or $25 but that didnt happen.

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