SOLD: T61p 15.4" planar/systemboard post 08/08 1104A2 dated 256 MB NVIDIA FX 570M

[unixed]

Sold to a forum member.

For sale is a 15.4" T61p systemboard with a 256 MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M graphics chip.

This particular chip is sought-after since it was manufactured in the 4th week of 2011, well past the last manufacture date of the infamous faulty nVidia chips, which spawned the post 08/08 dated machine hunt.
This board originally was refurbished stock for a regional IBM centre.

The excitement about these boards is that the graphics chip has 256 MB of video ram, twice as much as the non-workstation class T61's with NVIDIA NVS 140M GPU's and also the 14.1" standard screen T61p. This can have a big impact on performance and this chip can deliver the performance of a W500, but without the concerns of that GPU chip failure raised on the German thinkpad forum, and with the ability to make the most powerful 14.1", 15.0" and 15.4" frankenpads.

You can use a penryn C2D in this or any other T61 systemboard, but using Middleton's modified BIOS means you don't have to press the ESC key on startup - he undoes that redundant CPU digital thermal sensor annoyance the same way he handles the mPCI card whitelist. It also uncripples the SATA bus, etc.

P/N: 43Y9068
FRU P/N: 43Y9048
T61p 15.4" planar/systemboard
1104A2 dated graphics chip
256 MB NVIDIA FX 570M
Servicable Used Part

I opened the packaging to read the graphics chip date. I've also flashed the Middleton modified BIOS, reflecting the sensible preferences of the buyer of a previously sold board.
These boards were used by IBM as warranty replacements and their System-Unit Serial No. and UUID's reflect that. Normally the Tech who swaps the boards resets these to those of the replaced boards, which relates the machine-specific MTM and S/N, explaining why warranty replacement boards are like this.
You have several non-exhaustive options:
(1) Do nothing, only Lenovo/ThinkVantage System Update requires this reset to function;
(2) Change it yourself, I'll provide you with the means to do so;
(3) I'll change it for you to that of your machine's or
(4) I'll set it to that of a T61p and sell you the complete machine.

xxx USD + postage costs

via PayPal, using option "Send money to friends or family".
If that option is unavailable, add 4% to cover PayPal fees.

[E350]

Quick question since you likely know the answer, I am looking at T61p with a date of 08/02 on the sticker. Does that mean it was manufactured in 2008, February? Or in 2002, August?

And what is the cutoff date for the bad chip?

[RealBlackStuff]

08/02 = 2008, February

Anything 08/08 (2008, August) or newer should be fine.

[E350]

Thanks RBS!