T60 “Upgrade”

[illenic]

Hello friends, I’m curious, are there any other think pad models maybe more recent or more capable than a T60/T60P that I could just swap my ssd into? I know I’d have to change/update some drivers and such but are there any laptops a bit more powerful that this could work with..?

Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

Any Thinkpad before xx90 Series can accommodate 2.5" HDD/SSD.

[illenic]

Ok so I can just swap in my new hard drive and the windows I have and all my programs everything will already work obviously with the new drivers needed for the next computer? Do you have any suggestions for something that is not too much of an expensive price with decent performance it’s not for gaming or anything it’s just for basic computing and watching videos surfing the net stuff like that

[RealBlackStuff]

Each new(er) laptop will most likely require new(er) drivers, but try it first.
Another problem might be Micro$haft, if they re-activate Windows in the new machine, or not.

[zoltan87]

I had no idea that you can just put your ssd with Windows already installed on it, into a completely different machine, and the os wouldn't just die/go haywire. I knew you could do this between similar machines, let's say from a T60 to a T60p, but I am impressed you don't even need to use a laptop from the same series.

I am quite sure I tried something like this as a kid back in the Win98 era, and I didn't have much success at that time.

[kfzhu1229]

Ok so I can just swap in my new hard drive and the windows I have and all my programs everything will already work obviously with the new drivers needed for the next computer? Do you have any suggestions for something that is not too much of an expensive price with decent performance it’s not for gaming or anything it’s just for basic computing and watching videos surfing the net stuff like that

That would depend on the OS version you are using. If you are using Windows 7 chances are swapping the hard drives to a new computer works just fine. Windows 10 the activation won't go through because the activation on Windows 8 and up go by your motherboard...
Windows XP however this is a bit complicated. Over there if you swap between computers that don't have a similar enough hard drive controller, you get a 0x7B bluescreen and I don't know if you can even get around that.
If effortless YouTube video playback is what you want, the minimum is a T61, best cost for performance would be a T400, T500, T410, T510. On a T60 even a high end Core 2 duo T7400 truly struggles with smooth 720p YouTube playback when you have discrete graphics and a high res display. Though oddly enough on the GMA 965 even with a T7250 you can play YouTube better than that T7400.

[illenic]

Wow! Ok thanks guys you’re all awesome! I am currently running windows 7 so that’s ok and i know for sure drivers will have to be changed/updated etc... basically I just want a laptop to do all tasks but of course I’m not going to be gaming or doing any crazy editing maybe just Some light editing and surfing the web on some graphic intensive websites...

[kfzhu1229]

Wow! Ok thanks guys you’re all awesome! I am currently running windows 7 so that’s ok and i know for sure drivers will have to be changed/updated etc... basically I just want a laptop to do all tasks but of course I’m not going to be gaming or doing any crazy editing maybe just Some light editing and surfing the web on some graphic intensive websites...

For that, my knowledge about those machines is like this:
T60 is the absolute minimum and you need a Core 2 duo T7200/T7400/T7600 upgrade to do it well.
T61 does it much more comfortably but the cost can be prohibitively expensive for what performance you are getting
T400/T500 is about the same as a maxed out T61 but significantly easier and cheaper to deal with. No failing graphics plague or basically being forced to use a custom BIOS.
T510/T520/T530 are much faster and a bit more expensive, but unfortunately the build quality on them is disappointing for a ThinkPad if you put it to lots of abuse. T530i is my only machine that I owned since brand new, and even with extremely light use that I put it into the plastic grilles on the exhaust are completely wrecked, and the palmrest starts to get brittle.

[illenic]

Awesome thank you I’ll check out a few of those machines and see what I can come up with, basically looking for something similar to a T60/61 but with better graphics performance.

[P.P.A.]

The T400 and R400 can be had for very little, but be warned that their screens are terrible (with no way to upgrade them either). They have poor viewing angles and an unpleasant LCD backlight with a blue glow, it's a very noticeable downgrade from the T60's.
The T61 is a straight upgrade to the T60 (with worse screens though) and usually costs about the same as the T400, but you need to make sure to avoid those with broken Nvidia GPUs. Upgrading to 2x4GB DDR2 RAM later is prohibitively expensive (later models use DDR3, which can be had much cheaper) and to get the most out of it you need to flash the Middleton BIOS.
I would recommend a X200 or a X201 instead. The X200 is more or less the same as the T400/T500 internally (64-bit Core 2 Duo) while the X201 has a later-generation CPU; both can take cheaper & faster DDR3 RAM and are very small and portable, and you can buy a beautiful IPS display for them for just around 50 € if you're willing to install it yourself.

To help with YouTube playback, you should install h264ify for your browser. It forces YouTube videos into a format which older machines can use hardware acceleration to decode.

[illenic]

Awesome thanks for the info luckily I haven’t bought anything yet I’m going to look into those machines as well thank you!!

[atagunov]

My two T520-s are going strong after 5+ years of use. Nice sturdy reliable machines. And a little less bulky than 15" T60. T420 is more portable.
I have come to like T520/T420/X220 keyboards more than T60.

T440p can be easily upgraded to a modern screen.

[illenic]

Nice! What GPU is in the 520’s?

[unixed]

And a little less bulky than 15" T60.

Use some physical quantities to describe what you are trying to say, otherwise this sounds more like the "real estate" argument when it comes to hi-res 16:9 screens.

[dr_st]

That would depend on the OS version you are using. If you are using Windows 7 chances are swapping the hard drives to a new computer works just fine. Windows 10 the activation won't go through because the activation on Windows 8 and up go by your motherboard...

It's not much different in Windows 7 and earlier...

Windows XP however this is a bit complicated. Over there if you swap between computers that don't have a similar enough hard drive controller, you get a 0x7B bluescreen and I don't know if you can even get around that.

You can get this in modern Windows as well; depending on how it was installed. To work around it, you need to slipstream the IDE/SATA controller driver and enable the service before moving the drive. Vista or later, you may not even need the driver, if you can change to IDE mode and enable the "pciide" service.

Doing it post-swap (if you don't have access to the original system) is quite tricky - it requires offline registry editing (i.e., you boot up the OS from a different source, load the remote registry hive from your original installation (the one that's not booting now), and modify it. I had to do it once, but it was not a pleasant experience.

[atagunov]

Use some physical quantities to describe what you are trying to say

Hey what I meant to say was that I find it a little less difficult to carry around my T520 in a backpack compared to how I was finding it to carry my 15" 4:3 T60 in exactly the same backpack.. My guess is that although T520 is huge and heavy it is still a little less so compared to T60, or at least that's how it feels to me.

P.S. "Use some.." - was that an order, sir? Quite a direct and pointed use of English I would say..

Nice! What GPU is in the 520’s?

I'm a software developer and my requirements are quite modest. I'm very happy with how the GPU built into Intel CPU performs. So it's Intel HD.. something. With a 1920x1200 external screen that is quite sufficient. I don't watch 4k movies, no idea how they'd perform. But for somebody using Linux and doesn't need a powerful GPU I think integrated graphics is preferred - compatibility with video drivers will be better, battery life will be longer. It's just a very smooth ride under Linux.

[kfzhu1229]

It's not much different in Windows 7 and earlier...

Well I for one had huge difficulties when I was merely moving the OS from my ATI based T43 to an Intel based T43 with the 0x7B bluescreen!
As RBS said before this is because a batch of the Intel based T43's use an unique IDE controller that the compatibility is actually quite bad in the first place.
But yeah your suggestion of redoing the IDE correct drivers before hand seems to be correct.
I have no such problems when moving my copy of Windows 7 across.
The same thing happened when I was moving across a copy of Windows XP from my Latitude D800 to Inspiron 5150 but no problems in Windows 7, both have native IDE support. It's a bit frustrating that the point of moving the copy across is so that it also moves across the factory installed apps and such, and reinstalling the OS means I need to reinstall them.

[unixed]

Use some physical quantities to describe what you are trying to say

Hey what I meant to say was that I find it a little less difficult to carry around my T520 in a backpack compared to how I was finding it to carry my 15" 4:3 T60 in exactly the same backpack.. My guess is that although T520 is huge and heavy it is still a little less so compared to T60, or at least that's how it feels to me.

P.S. "Use some.." - was that an order, sir? Quite a direct and pointed use of English I would say..

Ease of transport in your backpack is not a universal measure of "bulkiness". Your observation is that it is easier to fit a laptop with less depth into your backpack -- not the basis to make a recommendation to someone and label the T60 as more bulky:
T60:
For systems with 381.0-mm (15.0-in) TFT display:
Width: 329 mm (13.0 in) to 334 mm (13.2 in)
Depth: 268 mm (10.6 in)
Height: 31 to 36 mm (1.2 to 1.4 in)
Configured system weight:
With travel bezel: 2.54 kg (5.6 lb)
Configured system: 2.71 kg (6.0 lb)

T520:
For systems with a 396.2-mm (15.6-in) HD display:
System:
Width: 372.8 mm (14.67 in)
Depth: 245.1 mm (9.65 in)
Height: 31.8 to 35.6 mm (1.25 to 1.4 in)
Configured system weight: Starting at 2.54 kg (5.61 lb)

Clearly I did need to preface my statement with "Try" since you couldn't produce the above comparison, but it was redundant because "describe what you are trying to say" implies that your efforts to do so are insufficient and I was giving you the means to improve that, sir.

If you read the linked post I provided above you'll see that the price you pay for being able to more easily place your T520 in your backpack is less screen area than a T60 with only about the same screen height as an X60/X61 and less lateral space for things other than your laptop. The logic flow of a program is vertical. The space above your laptop is generally available, the space next to it at a premium. Your posture benefits from the geometry, too.

[atagunov]

Your observation is that it is easier to fit a laptop with less depth into your backpack -- not the basis to make a recommendation to someone

I view personal observations as exactly the right basis for giving recommendations however.
I had retired my T60 due to limited capabilities (3Gb RAM first and foremost) and dim screen 5 years ago.
Happy to report that T520/X220 work perfectly as a replacement and I find both easier to transport.

Yes, I have a new 1600x1200 screen in a box and several T60 bodies, but I'm really not sure when I find time to work on returning them to life in some shape and form. I view it as possibility that I will only take them out once I retire and I don't expect it happen sooner than in another 15-20 years..

[unixed]

If your backpack were wider and lower, then the T520 would stick out and prevent the backpack from closing -- then the T520 would be more bulky by your standards. Your determination of more or less bulky is dependent on the size and shape of your backpack. Not only does the OP not know those, but he does not even know that your definition of bulky has anything to do with your backpack. It isn't your personal observation that is the problem per se, it is the nature and communication of it.

[atagunov]

It isn't your personal observation that is the problem per se, it is the nature and communication of it.

The interesting bit here is that you perceive there being a problem..

[dr_st]

Guys, please stop bickering. Particularly, you, unixed. It seems that you disagree with atagunov's personal experience, and you have taken offense that he did not go to sufficient lengths to explain that it is merely a personal observation?

This is an open conversation, not scientific analysis. We do not set standards for how rigorously one has to define "bulky" to warrant a forum post.

FWIW, as far as I know, a similarly configured T520 is about ~100gr lighter than a similarly configured T60 15". I don't know if someone can feel this difference, more so in a backpack (I probably cannot, but some swear that they can).

[unixed]

It isn't your personal observation that is the problem per se ..

[TPFanatic]

I recommend Jansport backpacks. They have lifetime warranty and importantly my T420 fits perfectly.

[kfzhu1229]

I recommend Jansport backpacks. They have lifetime warranty and importantly my T420 fits perfectly.

Really? I never knew that. I have a Jansport backpack that's worn down to hell and I am curious if I can get a replacement with lifetime warranty...
For the longevity sake, I think it's best to avoid using extended 9 cell batteries when you are using it for a laptop. I used to carry T43p with it a lot and it has an extended 9 cell, and as a result one side of the laptop pouch inside this backpack is now literally tearing off

[TPFanatic]

I think normal wear isn't enough for a successful warranty replacement. Back in the day I only paid $29 for a new one on eBay, ran with it for 2 years but have hardly used it since lockdown culture, at some point that it gets worn out I'd be happy to buy another one at that price or better....

[zoltan87]

For the 15 inch 4:3 T60 I use a Targus Drifter backpack, its laptop compartment fits it perfectly with the standard 6 cell battery. With the 9 cell battery it's on the limit, but you can still just about fit it in. Honestly it's a great backpack with tons of space, I have been using it for years when I travel.

[cadillacmike68]

backpacks = jr high

Real men use a briefcase or attache.

[atagunov]

backpacks = jr high

Quite right! In actual fact I feel as if I never graduated.. So a good match for me

[zoltan87]

backpacks = jr high

Real men use a briefcase or attache.

I actually have a few of those older leather IBM briefcases, but none of them would fit the 15 inch T60. But I prefer backpacks anyway, so my hands stay free, and also I don't feel the weight that much this way. Now that I think about it, I can't see any upside to briefcases. They carry considerably less, and they make you carry the load in your hands, so it's extremely tiring.