Thinkpads Forum

I recently got a 600E from eBay and want to upgrade the cpu to a P3. I've read the upgrade sticky thread and I've read Katch's website detailing the upgrade. I found a deal on eBay for a P3 500mhz MMC2 cpu ($14 shipped!).

So, if I'm reading correctly, all I have to do is install the cpu, change the byte to disable L2 cache (and possibly the onboard memory) with the BIOS hex editor, then re-enable L2 cache with Powerleap. Is it really that simple?

Does anyone have a good link to the Powerleap program? The link in the other thread goes to a Chinese site and I can't tell what to download. Is there any other program that can be used instead of Powerleap?

So, if I'm reading correctly, all I have to do is install the cpu, change the byte to disable L2 cache (and possibly the onboard memory) with the BIOS hex editor, then re-enable L2 cache with Powerleap. Is it really that simple?

Yep,thats all... I just upgraded a 600x I had to a 600mhz..So I took the 500 from the x and put it in a 600e...Disable the L2 and the onboard 32 RAM...Load powerleap and you're done...

Where do you get Powerleap? Is that link to the Chinese site good? I went to the Powerleap web site and all I saw was an Upgrade Configurator that they have. Maybe it's a different Powerleap. I'll search the web and see what I can find.

Also, does Powerleap work with Win 2K Pro?

http://www.powerleap.ca/Products/CPU%20 ... 0Panel.htm


On the right side of the screen there's a brief discription of the software with a 'HERE" link...Click on the 'here'...And yes it works with WIN2000...

Thanks! I just found that by doing a Yahoo search. It was the second link listed. However, I get an error when trying to install the program. I get "An error occurred during the move data process." Any idea what that means? I've tried installing it on two different computers and still get the error (one with Win 2K Pro and one with Win XP Home).

Update: I found another thread here on Thinkpads.com regarding the same problem. Someone posted a link, which is the same one I used, however, I opened the application from the location rather than downloading and opening and it installed fine. Now I just have to wait to get my P3 cpu.

Nope,I never saw that error before...But what you should try is to shut down all processes and services ,spyware,antivirus,MS office,etc. then try to install the control panel again...

Also make sure you have admin permission and/or the folder isn't corrupt..

Now I just have to wait to get my P3 cpu.

Ok,there you go...

3 heads up....

1) make sure to have removed all the keyboard screws..There's 1 on top and about 8-10 on the bottom..There's arrows pointing to every screw that has to be removed for the keyboard removal..Also remove the battery,CD ROM and RAM first..

2) VERY important..Once the keyboard is loose look at the keyboard and the sound cable carefully and observe which way the plugs come out..And pull from the plug,not the cable like I did the first time and I had to spend $35 to get a new KB and sound cable..

3) remove all the screws from the fan assem. and CPU board first,then remove the fan assem. Part of the fan is under the CPU board so it won't come out until the CPU board is loosened...

Good Luck

BillD wrote:

Now I just have to wait to get my P3 cpu.

Ok,there you go...

3 heads up....

1) make sure to have removed all the keyboard screws..There's 1 on top and about 8-10 on the bottom..There's arrows pointing to every screw that has to be removed for the keyboard removal..Also remove the battery,CD ROM and RAM first..

2) VERY important..Once the keyboard is loose look at the keyboard and the sound cable carefully and observe which way the plugs come out..And pull from the plug,not the cable like I did the first time and I had to spend $35 to get a new KB and sound cable..

3) remove all the screws from the fan assem. and CPU board first,then remove the fan assem. Part of the fan is under the CPU board so it won't come out until the CPU board is loosened...

Good Luck

Thanks alot!

I'll report back how it goes.

I'll report back how it goes.

Ok,report back...

It's really an easy upgrade. Again,good luck.....

SUCCESS!!

Everything works fine. Thanks BillD for the tip on the keyboard cables.

The only hangup was byte 20 in the bios was not 02 like all the posts I've read. It was 00 so I was a little reluctant to change it to 0A, but I did and it booted without a 127 error. I didn't even disable the onboard ram and no problems so far.

It does run a little warmer than the 366mhz, but I read another thread from someone else that did the upgrade and they have no problem using the stock 600E fan.

That's great to hear of your success, congrats.

RE: Byte 20 in the CMOS being 00 instead of 02
Someone working with a 770X ran into a similar situation when upgrading their MMC-2 CPU to a PIII: 770Z CPU Upgrade Problems - PIII 500, 100MHz Mem, 127 Error (middle of thread).

Of course, the 770X is not a 600E, but nevertheless the observations may be of value.

Phil.

SUCCESS!! Very Happy

Everything works fine. Thanks BillD for the tip on the keyboard cables.

Great news...I'm glad everything worked out for you. It is fun,isn't it??... I have too many 600 series laying around the house,the wife is starting to 'complain'..Time to start Ebay'ing them...

About the keyboard,some of us have to learn the hard way!!!

bosco wrote:SUCCESS!!
I didn't even disable the onboard ram and no problems so far.

If you want to make sure the internal ram works correctly at 100mhz you can try memtest86.

Yeah,at first I disabled the onboard 32 MB after I upgraded my 600e..But then I read a few posts here that it might work at PC100..So I enabled it again,and it works fine...

right ive just got a 500MHZ PIII cpu with 256kb cache from ebay, £15, not bad. I just have a few questions, do i need the latest bios version in order to do the upgrade? im not sure if mine has been upgraded or not, and i dont have a working battery!

then its just a case of whacking it in, fiddling the bios with the hex editor and reenabling the cache with powerleap?

thanks

Do you need the BIOS updated to do the CPU upgrade? I don't see why you would,but I highly recommend doing the BIOS update,either before or after the CPU upgrade...Check IBM's web site,that will tell you if you have the latest BIOS..

As for your 2nd question,yep,just read over this thread and thats it,you should have a smooth running 500mhz machine...

Hmm... bosco may not have had the latest BIOS, which could be the reason for the difference in hex values. Just note that if you upgrade the BIOS after the upgrade, you'll have to make the hex changes again.

Bosco, what model/type was your 600E? There was a series of 600E that had a different BIOS and refused to do some of the things that the other 600Es would do. For example, I had a 2645-55U that wouldn't cooperate with the changes. It always read less than what it was supposed to read with the Higher CPU.

I have a 2645-8AU and had the most recent bios before upgrading the cpu. I bought another 600E for my wife and received it today. It's a 2645-5AU and I upgraded to a P3 500mhz in that one also. I updated the bios prior to putting in the P3 and that model did have 02 in byte 20.

I've now upgraded two 600E's successfully to a P3 500mhz cpu.

The 8AU is a perfectly fine model. I have rebuilt several of them.

I just double checked the BIOS file matrix and saw that the ones with the problems are the 2645-55x and the 2645-A5x models.