Mobo replacement for T42 15" SXGA+

[BruceDickinson]

My T42 (2373-NC1) blue-screens sometimes when I move it around. Pressure on the GPU has helped, but not cured it.

I might replace the mobo w/ one w/ Intel graphics. Reading around the forum, I've gathered that a R52 mobo w/ 915 graphics will drive a 1400 x 1050 Flexview. My questions...

1) Are any T43 mobo's in play here? Any R51's?

2) Will I need any additional parts besides the mobo, cpu and RAM?

3) Will a mobo w/ Firewire require me to doctor the T42's shell?

Thanks very much. This community has always been so generous with its help.

[Neil]

Well...let's see here:

1. There are T43 boards with Intel graphics, but I don't think any of them shipped with SXGA+ displays, so don't know for sure if they would work. R51 Intel boards are out...certainly won't drive SXGA+. R52 Intel boards are know to work, and were shipped from the factory with 15" SXGA+ panels.

2. Yes, you would need the CPU and RAM from a R52 to go with the motherboard. T42 parts are not compatible.

3. No. You would simply unplug and remove the Firewire port from the motherboard before installation.

All in all, a lot of work to preserve a rather old T42, IMHO. Might be better to find an ATI powered T43 with a broken screen and just swap lids. The ATI GPU solder joints are much more reliable in the T43 than the T42.

[Orclas]

RealBlackStuff over at The Board Room has a T43/R52 Intel 915 motherboard in stock, located in PA even ^^

[BruceDickinson]

Thanks for your help, Neil and Orclas.

Neil--Can I swap my T42's Flexview into any 15" T43? Also, do you have any sense of the relative reliability of T43 boards vs. R52 Intel boards?

[ajkula66]

You'd be able to swap your screen into a 15" R52 but would need the proper cable, though. Your current one is too short to be used in a R5x machine.

Also, you could swap your entire lid onto a 15" T43 base.

If you're going that route, a SATA-mod should be considered as well. It makes a tremendous difference in machine's performance.

R52 board with Intel graphics is likely the safest bet around.

Happy upgrading.

[BruceDickinson]

George-- Thanks for the advice. If I were doing anything more than word processing and web surfing, I'd probably go for the SATA mod.

* * *
I'd like to swap an R52 mobo in there, but according to [url=http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=70813//url], there are some differences between the PCMCIA "connectors" (T42 vs R52). Is this really an issue? If so, how to work around it?

Thanks as always.

[ajkula66]

You'd have to use the PCMCIA cage from R52.

If you end up buying a board from RBS I'm certain he'd set that up for you...