I got an r61i 15''...

[boodi]

My t43p which i've used on the go for my job , for running 1 java app and other few things , is showing signs of age , particularly the graphic card lags and even system freezes on high temperature ; after replacing the thermal paste and removing dust from the fan GPU temperature reaches easily 74 76 degrees

so I got an r61i

PN: 8943-dkg
screen is 15'' , model supposely is quite base , carries a 1024x768 screen
condition is nice no signs or cracks on the lid or case ; no hd at moment



I got it for $40 but have to upgrade it ..cpu , ram and hd

and of course frankenpad it , in this case sould be just a swap of the lcd/lid with a 15'' uxga+ ; which i never did but that should be feasible (?)

this only if and when i will turn it on , verify that it is in good working order
will keep you posted on this

[ajkula66]

so I got an r61i

PN: 8943-dkg
screen is 15'' , model supposely is quite base , carry a 1024x768 screen
condition is nice no signs or cracks on the lid or case ; no hd at moment

T5250(1.5GHz), 1GB RAM, 120GB 5400rpm HD, 15in 1024x768 LCD, Intel X3100, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, 6c Li-Ion, WinXP Pro

I got it for $40 but have to upgrade it ..cpu , ram and hd

You'll need to flash Middleton's BIOS before upgrading the CPU. You've gotten away with a steal, nevertheless. Very similar to machine that became R61FL in my signature.

and of course frankenpad it , in this case sould be just a swap of the lcd/lid with a 15'' uxga+ ; which i never did but that should be feasible (?)

Well, no R6x series were shipped with UXGA LCDs but installing one really isn't difficult.

[boodi]

finally I can attest it works

the pc is very slow .

I guess i have to source 2x2gb ram at least , a new cpu ( this one seems very slow .. the pc is not much faster then the t43 at moment ..), and a t60 lcd sxga/uxga .
Will start to search and source parts tomorrow .

I have a test hd , 5400rpm , with w7+ubuntu on ; both run ok , not blazing fast really . Don't know very much about ubuntu . w8/10 on my t43p doesnt run that slower really , startup and loading to desktop takes much less time on the t43p

I quite do not like windows 7 32bit , not more then w8 or w10 , but could live with that eventually .

I will have to flash the bios to the middleton bios

I much prefer the reduced thickness and overall reduced bulkiness of the slick t43p ; even the screen+lid is much better ( slimmer perimeter and again less bulkiness and thickness on contour ) I will try to adjust to this machine as my work portable machine

[boodi]

ajkula66, is there a fast way to switch on/off bluetooth from keyboard shortcuts ?
wifi?

even if it is premature as i have to flash the bios and then install w8/10, fn+f5 doesn't work at moment

[ajkula66]

ajkula66, is there a fast way to switch on/off bluetooth from keyboard shortcuts ?
wifi?

You need Power Manager, Access Connections and Hotkeys installed in order for Fn+F5 to work. I don't use BT but that's the setup (on W7) that I have for that shortcut.

[boodi]

ok. I'll reserve it for a final os install then, in the case it will be w7
Bios alredy flashed in the meantime, no issues

[boodi]

found this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thinkpad ... Sw95lXFCxZ

price seems convenient
unit sold " as is " though

btw the screen lid/contour doesn't seem an exact match for the r61i one

should i go for the lcd panel only?

[RealBlackStuff]

Judging by the looks of bezel and LCD-cable, that screen is from a 15.4" widescreen T61/p.
Definitely NOT a 15" 4:3.

[boodi]

many thanks RBS .....
I noticed the left alluminium lid belt/link was larger then the one in my r61i , but eventually I thought there was a workaround for it .

thanks
i will search again later then . . .

PS holy $hit what a bulky machine is the r61i ..bit less portable then the t43p .. not to say the t43p is the ultimate notebook for portability ..
I suppose that the ongoing project/s i've spotted to build a new mainboard for the t43p housing have ceased

[boodi]

I wonder what chance i have to source a 15' sxga o uxga from a t60 , with lid
i guess very few

are the sharp panels very different? they seem to be the ones , or only ones , that can be sourced for a decent price .

[ajkula66]

I wonder what chance i have to source a 15' sxga o uxga from a t60 , with lid
i guess very few

Why would you need the entire lid?

are the sharp panels very different? they seem to be the ones , or only ones , that can be sourced for a decent price .

They are very good panels. If you can't afford the real thing, these will do just fine.

[boodi]

I wonder what chance i have to source a 15' sxga o uxga from a t60 , with lid
i guess very few

Why would you need the entire lid?

because from what i read it's more plug and play ? a swap without opening the screen bazel sourcing and changing cables inverters etc things that i've never done ..

are the sharp panels very different? they seem to be the ones , or only ones , that can be sourced for a decent price .

They are very good panels. If you can't afford the real thing, these will do just fine.

the boe-hydis panel goes for 300$/400$ if I'm not wrong ..
or I found this http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Lenovo-42T0 ... SwymxVJDjG but it is CCFL, do not know the build and if i'm better with Sharp maybe (?)

i will look into Sharps panels and post what i find here, I've seen some of them on ebay yesterday; is there a place to look for model/PN compatibility ?

[boodi]

I also noticed the fan of the r61i is a little noisy when gearing up

[ajkula66]

because from what i read it's more plug and play ? a swap without opening the screen bazel sourcing and changing cables inverters etc things that i've never done ..

Nope. You can't mount a T60 lid on a R60 frame.

[boodi]

ok.
do you know where to search for the sharp dedicated sxga /uxga 15'' panel model number ( one that fits the r61 ) , or what number it is ( LQ150U1LH21 ? )
will they come with the appropriated cable and converter ?

i start to feel I've gone rogue with the r61i 15'' , as for the upgrading process , whereas a t43p was a much safer and foremost ready choice

[boodi]

this one should work , supposely an original 15' t60 lcd ?
http://www.ebay.de/itm/IBM-Lenovo-Think ... SwhOVXckJJ

I wonder if a screen pulled from a t43p works , or if it doesn't , or if it needs additional modding too
http://www.ebay.de/itm/15-SXGA-Display- ... xyaTxTUpaD
or i.e. what to ask or to look , to know what build it is

or if I am better with a Sharp panel , in this case again what cables and mod should I do ..

more in general , is there a place where do i find all the info , that is : compatible screens , cables and inverters product numbers , additional modding required :
for modding it without screwing it up ?

[boodi]

other question , after the middleton bios flash any 2.5'' SSD will fit and work ?

[RealBlackStuff]

The screen from that German T60-lid will fit, using your own R61i LCD-cable and inverter.

The T42-screen might work, provided it has an EDID-chip.

Never seen a 15" Sharp SXGA+ screen.

For building/modding, reading the forum about 15" T60/T60p and Frankenpads would help...

With or without M's BIOS, any 2.5" SATA HD or SSD will work.

[boodi]

many thanks, RBS
I just sent a message to the t60p screen seller .

found also this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hydis-Viewiz-EC ... SwM0FXIdNI
are they legit ( BOE - Hydis )? would they need additional cable and converter ?

[ajkula66]

found also this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hydis-Viewiz-EC ... SwM0FXIdNI
are they legit ( BOE - Hydis )? would they need additional cable and converter ?

They look like the real deal but the condition is "unknown"...ugh.

Your current cable and inverter will do just fine.

[boodi]

Will any 2 & 4gb Sodimm ddr2 800mhz ram module work ? Should I stick to some brands over others?
If I go with 6gb (2+4gb) do the different size of modules change performance ?

[brchan]

800Mhz modules will work fine, but will just downclock to 667Mhz speeds. Any brand will work, but it is good to stick to ones like Crucial, Corsair, Hynix, and Samsung.

Mismatching the ram sizes will not allow you to run the memory in dual channel mode.

[ajkula66]

Mismatching the ram sizes will not allow you to run the memory in dual channel mode.

Not completely true.

While the DIMMs of the same size/speed will run in synchronous (AKA symmetric) dual-channel mode, when the sizes are mixed (e.g. 4+2 GB) the DIMMs will run in asynchronous (asymmetric) dual-channel mode which is still faster and preferable to the single-channel mode.

[boodi]

ok, thanks for the info..
to both

i found better prices for 800fsb modules , but will look into branded one now

I guess the downclock doesn't make much difference as for memory bandwith that the notebook needs or would need for cpu/gpu max loads and max data exchange
(or does it ?)

in both cases it will be light years faster then the t43p I currently use

[ajkula66]

I guess the downclock doesn't make much difference as for memory bandwith that the notebook needs or would need for cpu/gpu max loads and max data exchange
(or does it ?)

Theoretically, 800MHz DIMMs should run slightly cooler.

in both cases it will be light years faster then the 15' t43p I use

All other things being equal, yes.

[boodi]

did I say CPU-z and another memtest failed to tell me how many banks of ram there is inside ?
( it is 2gb , this is sure , but it seems i have to open the pc to know if it is 2x1 or 1x2 )

the current HD is an unfortunate Samsung 5400rpm 200gb

[ajkula66]

the current HD is an unfortunate 5400rpm 200gb samsung

Well, that one needs to be replaced...I have a SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD in my R61FL and it makes a world of difference...

[boodi]

yes.
SSD: I'm eyeing this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kingston-SSDNow ... Sw2GlXDmgX
and this http://www.ebay.com/itm/HARD-DISK-SOLID ... SwKIpV~YH7

memories: I'm bidding these http://www.ebay.com/itm/MEMORIA-RAM-2-G ... Swvg9Xa~BI , or buying these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hynix-4GB-2x2 ... SwR0JURqJb

as for cpu I still need to decide

I will open the r61 later to check ..is it easy and any similar to the t43p? ( just follow the icons / screws of the bottom )
I don't know if it is normal the frizzy noise that comes from the fan , only when it ramp up rpm ( it is like a sbutle ball-bearing noise )
or if I should look into it

[boodi]

scheduling things , another thing I'd need to know , it is painless to get hd, ram and cpu upgrades before - then install windows ( w8pro ), then upgrade/mod the lcd screen later ?

or would be best to do the w8 install after all the upgrades ?

[ajkula66]

yes.
SSD: I'm eyeing this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kingston-SSDNow ... Sw2GlXDmgX
and this http://www.ebay.com/itm/HARD-DISK-SOLID ... SwKIpV~YH7

Both of these are sheer junk, not to mention *way* too small. If you're going to get an SSD, do it right: SanDisk Extreme Pro, Intel 730 or Samsung Pro series.

memories: I'm bidding these http://www.ebay.com/itm/MEMORIA-RAM-2-G ... Swvg9Xa~BI , or buying these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hynix-4GB-2x2 ... SwR0JURqJb

Hynix would be my pick.

is it easy and any similar to the t43p? ( just follow the icons / screws of the bottom )
I don't know if it is normal the frizzy noise that comes from the fan , only when it ramp up rpm ( it is like a sbutle ball-bearing noise )
or if I should look into it

Download the HMM from the link on the top of this page. Clean the fan, re-paste and check whether the noise goes away.

scheduling things , another thing I'd need to know , it is painless to get hd, ram and cpu upgrades before - then install windows ( w8pro ), then upgrade/mod the lcd screen later ?

or would be best to do the w8 install after all the upgrades ?

It doesn't really make much of a difference. Whatever is more convenient for you is the way to go.