IBM Thinkpad 240X Upgrade Questions

[sloomy]

Hi

In a week, i will become my used IBM 240X ,; so here are the questions about my upgrade plans:

Can i resolder a 128 or 256 mb memory instead of the 64 mb memory, and so use the extra upgrade slot ? What is the maximum limit the chipset can use ?

Should i also change the bios specification ?

What is the screen FRU of the IBM 240Z model ? Is this screens only available in Japan ? Are any other brand notebook, which is also using this screen ? So, maybe i can find it and change ?

What about the memory ram ? If i will solder a 4 mb instead of 2 mb. should i also have to change the bios ?

Can i use the IBM 240X also without battery just with PSU , if i'M at hom , for saving the battery life ?


Thanks for all answers and ideas.

sloomy

[whizkid]

No one has ever tried upgrading either the fixed main RAM or video RAM in a ThinkPad and posted results.

My guess is that it will not work. For several reasons. 1) The circuit board has to have the extra address lines, which is IMO unlikely. 2) The BIOS has to be ready for larger memory. Again, unlikely, but hackable. 3) The more capacious memory has to be pin-compatible with the existing chips, and the existing part has to have one or two unused pins in the exact predicted spot. This means the exact larger part should have already existed at the time, and it just wasn't used.

You are certainly welcome to sacrifice your machine, your time, your money on parts and report the results. I know I'd love to hear it. Or you could just buy a more capable machine in the first place and save the effort and expense.

[shined]

See
http://illuminati.stderr.org/pipermail/ ... 13147.html

[whizkid]

If that page says what I think it does, somebody removed the memory from his ThinkPad, and that allowed the user to put in a 256MB part in a 240-something.

That's a first step, and an excellent project, but I still think it would take a lot more to actually increase the installed memory.

[sloomy]

but check this topic:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=6565

I think, the notebook still does work with 320mb or maybe higher rams. But the change the 64 rams with 256 ones will be a hard work.

But it is still worth to try.


another Question:

What is the default power supply, IBM has shipped it's notebook with ? Whcih one was it ? The one with 2,2V output, or 3,36 , 4,5 or more ?

thanks

[shined]

Hi, Sloomy.
Sorry to say that you are out of luck

but check this topic:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=6565

This thread is for Thinkpad 240, not 240X. These are different machines.
The chipsets of 240 and 240X are 440BX and 440MX, respectively.
440BX can handle up to 1GB but 440MX can do only upto 256MB.

See other posts in the thead I gave. For example,
http://illuminati.stderr.org/pipermail/ ... 13160.html
http://illuminati.stderr.org/pipermail/ ... 13167.html

I think, the notebook still does work with 320mb or maybe higher rams. But the change the 64 rams with 256 ones will be a hard work.

Nope, the limitation of the max memory in 240X is due to the architecture
of 440MX chipset. There is no way to get around. For more info, see
the Intel datasheet.
ftp://download.intel.com/design/chipset ... 529201.pdf

[sloomy]

you are right shined, i have also checked the Intel side..

What do you mean, if i will also change the chipset chip on the moterboard of the 240X with a intel 440x chipset ?

What should i also modify if i want to make these changes ?

That is reall not understandable, that IBM have used a worse chipset in a higher model notebook..

can please someone answer also this question ? :

another Question:

What is the default power supply, IBM has shipped it's notebook with ? Whcih one was it ? The one with 2,2V output, or 3,36 , 4,5 or more ?

[JHEM]

That is reall not understandable, that IBM have used a worse chipset in a higher model notebook..

They didn't. The 240 was built on the 440DX chipset, not the 440BX.

Regards,

James

[shined]

To James.
There are two different versions of TP240, one is based on 440BX and
the other is on 440DX.

440BX based 240
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.ws ... p0-01fa48e
440DX based 240
http://www-6.ibm.com/jp/domino04/pc/sup ... P0-01FA8BF

The difference between these chipsets is that 440DX does not have AGP
bus and guaranteed to work at only 66MHz FSB freq. All other
functionarities are basically the same.
http://www.intel.com/cd/channel/reselle ... /35986.htm
So regarding the maximum memory, it does not matter which chipset is
used in TP240, 440BX or DX.
And we are talking about TP240X which is 440MX based. It can handle
only up to 256MB. There is no question about it.


To sloomy
The chipset is directly soldered onto the system board and therefore
not replaceable. You have to live with 440MX limitation, or buy anothere
machine.

In terms of the maximum memory, 440MX is inferior to 440BX/DX, but
superior to them in terms of power consumption, chip size (440MX is
a single chip so it needs less space) and cost. So IBM's decision is
understandable to me, I don't like to have such a limitation either though.

BTW, I think TP240X comes with an AC adapter of 16V and 3.36A, but
I'm not totally sure about that.

[sloomy]

Mabe i will try to solder a 128 mb ram, instead of 64 mb

Does someone know, the serial /model number and brand of the Displays, which were build in the IBM 240Z notebooks ?

[ragefury32]

Well, what you can do is drop a 256MB piece of memory into the slot (The same 16 chip memory used in the 240/320MB hack), and then add a line on boot.ini in 2k/XP to limit it to use only the top 256MB.

I believe googling for maxmem=256 will probably get you some results.

[shined]

Well, what you can do is drop a 256MB piece of memory into the slot (The same 16 chip memory used in the 240/320MB hack), and then add a line on boot.ini in 2k/XP to limit it to use only the top 256MB.

I believe googling for maxmem=256 will probably get you some results.

In fact, I have once tried this trick but it was not successful.
I saw two more guys tried this but they failed. So this option does not
seem to work on TP240X.

This trick seems to work on TP-i1200 though. For more info, see,
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SweetHome/19 ... y_256.html

[sloomy]

OK the Battery problem has been solved.

But now if i start the notebook, i get that error (?) message:



what does that means ? what should i do to solve this problem

Thanks

sloomy