2 different model numbers?

[hoax32]

Hi yall!
My T61 that I have bought recently, has 2 different #'s on the back:
7665VBU and 7665CTO - they are on the SAME sticker!?!?!
System info tells me that it's a 7665VBU....
Any idea, whats going on?

[Neil]

ThinkPad T61 (7665-VBU)
Based 7665-CTO: T7100(1.8GHz), 1GB RAM, 80GB 5400rpm HD, 14.1in 1280x800 LCD, 128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M, CDRW/DVD, Intel 802.11abg wireless, Modem, 1Gb Ether, UltraNav, Sec Chip, FPR, 6c Li-Ion, WinVista Business 32

A lot of the CTO (Configured To Order) based machines actually have a type number that defines their configuration. I don't remember ever seeing one with both numbers on the same sticker, but most seem to have CTO on the sticker and the identification type number in the BIOS.

[ajkula66]

Large corporate order. Nothing unusual, even remotely.

Most of 2007-YS3 units that have flooded the market have two stickers, one 2007-CTO and one 2007-YS3...

This "double labeling" became *really* common with T6x series, although it can be seen on some T4x units, albeit rarely.

[hoax32]

Thanks for the reply pals!!!
Yeah I got this 08/08 nvidia unit with a T7300 for 300 bucks - bought it off of a leasing company!
Was the last 08/08 unit they had.....

[ajkula66]

OK, time to enjoy that rare bird...have fun with it.

[hoax32]

OK, time to enjoy that rare bird...have fun with it.

You guys are awesome!!!

[TuuS]

I too have come across quite a few like this, George hit the nail on the head, when they get large orders (1000s perhaps), they assign a new MTM to a batch of CTO units. Be careful when looking up the specs of these though, I've found the lenovo website isn't always accurate. Many list things like bluetooth when it was never installed (for example).

Also one little mentioned thing you have to be careful of when shopping T61 by date. If Lenovo manufactured a unit in June, and for whatever reason it didnt pass quality control and got sent back to be refurbished, it might end up with a model XXXX-CTR 08/08 if it was refurbed in august, but there is no way to know when it was initially built, so in this case could really be an 08/06, so on the case of Lenovo factory reburb units, don't trust the date. By the way, the CTR is a CTO (configure to order) refurb.

This warning doesn't apply to a unit that was refurbed later in it's life, as the serial/label won't be altered.

If you want some more trivia to entertain you, I've gone though well over 100,000 units in corporate databases looking for late model builds, and contrary to some vague rumors that say otherwise, very few T61/T61p units were built after 08/08, and to date, I've only seen 3 units built after 08/09... naturally I grabbed all three. Even people at Lenovo were surprised to hear 08/10 units existed, but where there are 3, there are bound to be more... so if you want to go on a quest, there is your "T61" holy grail.

I'm currently looking at one on my workbench that I picked up from the original owner, looks like new, in original box, original manuals, discs, etc... built on 10-15-2008.

[hoax32]

So how can I tell, if my unit was Lenovo Refurbished?
Warranty Expired August 2011 - 3y Warranty i gues.....

Do refurbished units end with CTR at the end of the unit #?

[TuuS]

So how can I tell, if my unit was Lenovo Refurbished?
Warranty Expired August 2011 - 3y Warranty i gues.....

Do refurbished units end with CTR at the end of the unit #?

The lenovo refurbs I've seen have all been CTR, they also may have a six digit date instead of four, but I'm not certain of all their refurbs are processed that way, however when you lookup the warranty, it will tell you if it was a refurb. If your original warranty was 3year, then it wasn't a refurb unless someone got a warranty extension. Usually only the corporate orders come with a 3yr as standard.

[ajkula66]

Correct.

Lenovo smacks orange "refurbished" stickers on the bottom of the machine as well, and what was once CTO becomes CTR.

Units refurbished by IBM don't have these tell-tale signs.