ThinkPad T43 Death Prevention

[centrino]

I currently have no problems with my ThinkPad T43. The graphics card runs at about 40 degrees Celsius, which I consider acceptable and am aware that these machines have south-bridge problems. The area under my track pad gets quite hot, running ThinkPad Fan Control the PCI (which I believe is the south-bridge) runs anywhere from 39 degrees to 43 degrees.

I have recently purchased a genuine optical drive and battery for the system and it preforms great. I would like to at least get a few more years out of it.

Also, the ThinkPad is just used for word processing and the occasional DOSbox session, with the WiFi turned on only when I have to transfer something to it over the network.

Any advice on how to prevent the south-bridge failure would be highly appreciated.

[Adda]

Go to the 'ThinkPad Utility Work Area' subforum, find the thread about IBM_ECW and start researching the possibilities.

IBM_ECW can undervolt the CPU, control the fan, control video card clocks and power modes and more.

[centrino]

Would that cool down my sough-bridge though?

[ajkula66]

Would that cool down
my sough-bridge though?

Yes, at least to a degree.

The key for preventing BGA failures - including SouthBridge ones - is to minimize heat cycling. Keeping the machine on 24/7/365 and only turning the LCD off when not in use is the way I go about it.

[Adda]

Would that cool down my sough-bridge though?

Yes, as Ajkula66 mentioned it will affect SB temps to a degree.

Keeping the CPU and especially the GPU cool, will make the SB cooler as well, as the GPU is right next to the SB.
Putting the GPU in to the 'Max Battery' or 'Balanced' mode and then overclocking it, will make is run much cooler, compared to the default 'Max Performance' profile.

Also, getting a more modern wireless card with lower power consumption, will keep the SB cooler, also a low profile card will improve airflow around the SB.

What makes the biggest difference though, is removing the aluminum shield from the GPU, make a small square of aluminum or copper, to cover the GPU core and even out the height difference between the core and GPU memory.
And then bending the cooler to fit the lower profile of the GPU, this will make it run much much cooler.
But, strangely, it doesn't affect SB temps all that much, I think it's because heat transfer from the GPU to the cooler is improved, adding more heat to the cooler, which disperses inside the chassis, keeping SB temps up.

Removing the pad on top of the CPU section of the cooler, will increase CPU and GPU temps a little, but lower NB and SB temps a bit too, and keep the keyboard cooler.

If you are running 3D graphics, like old games, use IBM_ECW to limit the CPU speed to something around 1.2 to 1.6GHz, this way the SB can be kept below 50C while the GPU is running in the 'Max Performance' mode and overclocked quite a bit, I wouldn't overclock the video memory though.

My T43p stays below 60C on CPU and GPU and SB below 50C while playing old games, like Spellforce fx, if the CPU runs 1.2GHz@~0.8v and the GPU at 500/250MHz in "Max Performance" mode.

[centrino]

Thankyou for the help. I will take out the wireless card later today and make a small heatsink for the southbridge and underclock the CPU. If possible I will also underclock the GPU. I will post the temps I am getting later today.

[centrino]

Do I lower the voltage and the CPU speed, or just the CPU speed?

[ajkula66]

No.

Just the voltage.

[Adda]

Do I lower the voltage and the CPU speed, or just the CPU speed?

That depends, during normal usage, like web browsing and video watching, I just undervolt the CPU and lets it frequency scale to fit the load, and put the GPU in to 'Balanced' mode clocked at 300/200MHz.

But if I run 3D graphics, I underclock and undervolt the CPU, and overclock the GPU.
If I load the CPU and GPU at the same time, I have to do something to keep the SB cool, if I don't I'll approach 60C after the table has heated up below the laptop.

If I don't play games or use 3D graphics, I put thew GPU in to 'Balanced' mode and overclock is at much as it can, if you have a X300, it'll probably max out at around 300/200MHz.
Don't worry too much about GPU heat from overclocking, it won't change temps much, but putting it in to 'Balanced' or 'Max Battery' mode does, and the X300 doesn't run very hot to begin with.

Putting the GPU in to 'Max Battery' mode will slow it down though, so much so that you can feel it when web browsing.