Install a 1066MHz FSB CPU on T61 (including Core 2 Quad)

[RMSMajestic]

Greetings from 51nb
Not sure if it's suitable to post this here but apparently notebook review is not showing up properly on my laptop

Anyway, I hope that I'm the first one here to finish this task

Special thanks to Leokim for those two threads that confirmed the possibility of installing a 1066MHz CPU onto 965 chipset
http://forum.51nb.com/thread-1310165-1-1.html
http://forum.51nb.com/thread-1287155-1-1.html

And xiaofei290 for the modified BIOS
http://forum.51nb.com/thread-1062553-1-1.html

After 2 days of work, I figured out how this works. It's a quite complicated task which involves not only BIOS modification, But also modification to PLL, CPU socket, RAM timing and a bit of soldering. Don't be scared

It's not that complicated, for method please see el-sahef's methos on page 2
Special thanks to el-sahef for the quad core mod and highsun for the improved BIOS
el-sahef's Quad Core method: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 30#p728624

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 2381_o.jpg

It might be pointless to do so, especially in the year 2013, which even X9100@3.7Ghz couldn't hold itself against the new i7-3520m, and the graphics card is even more bottlenecking ><, even with 2503 ultrabase and HD7750.

But I can't cope with 16:9 at all..... And T61 is probably the best machine for me..... :/
really love it's SXGA+ screen.... Just hope it could last slightly... longer...




Notice: The following CPUs will NOT post with the xiaofei290's BIOS:
(Tested)T7300, T7500, T7700, (persumably) T7250, T7800, X7800 and X7900

The following CPUs will work without any modifications
(Tested)T7100, T8100, T9300, T6670 (persumably) T6570, T6900, T8300, T9300, T9500 and X9000

The following CPU will work after BSEL modifications:
(Tested)T9550, T9600, X9100, T9900, P8800(SLGLA), E8335 (persumably) all other 1066Mhz FSB Dual Core C2Ds

The following CPU works with further modification:
(Tested)Q9000 (credit to el-sahef)QX9300 (credit to joker4791),Q9100, (persumably) QX9200(ES)



Recommended CPUs (considering performance, heat and cost):
E8335, T9800, T9600, P9600, P8800, P8700

Further notice: 1.Unless you have a X9100 or QX9300, avoid Elpida/Hynix/Crucial 4GB DDR2 as they have SPD locked
2. If you have a T61p with FX570m and you wanna flash the highsun's Nvidia undervolt BIOS, I'd recommend 1.00V at least
3. C0 stepping Q9100 ES (QDRS) does not work on any of the BIOSes, and persumably all C0 stepping Quad Core Engineering samples will not work either
4. If you are upgrading to T9800 or above, I'd recommend 90W psu for T61 with intel graphics, and preferably a 135W for nvidia graphics. (to be confirmed later)


Known problems of Quad-Core mods, apart from overheating:
1. Two cores operates normally, while the other two cores are always running at lowest clock speed(1.6 Ghz)
Temporary Solution: a. Use throttlestop or CPUgeine to adjust the multiplier
b. Just ignore it for the sake of cooling

2. Insufficient total power supply/CPU power supply
When running intensive tasks such as Intel burn test on Quad-Cores, the laptop might suddenly restart/shutdown. Problem more severe on the nvidia graphics machines. elsahef and amwrdfe(51nb) suggested that the CPU current limit is responsible for this. But my testing suggested that the total power limit plays the role. For details please check next few pages

Temporary Solution: use throttlestop or CPU geine to undervolt the CPU, almost all C2Qs are capable of running full speed at lowest voltage(1.05V)

3. Occasional boot failure.
qwerty Andreas and me have both encountered this problem. However I'm not really sure if his problem is really exactly the same type as mine.
Symptoms: sometimes completely black screen, sometimes the thinkpad logo screen shows, one can enter the BIOS but the laptop fails to boot.
Reason: unknown, might be APIC/ACPI/CPU multipliers

Solution: put a 1066mhz FSB Dual core CPUs in, start the laptop and enter the desktop, then shutdown and put the Quad-Cores back in, everything should be okay.

4. Device manager only shows two CPU cores, under both Windows 7 and XP.
Doesn't really matter ╮(╯▽╰)╭

5. If the CPU throttles due to overheating, it will stick at the lowest multiplier until the next restart
Solution: throttlestop or watch the temperature

6. adjusting clock modulation in throttlestop gives a BSOD
Reason: unknown
Solution: N/A, don't touch it

7. disabling "CPU multi-processing" in BIOS will only disable one CPU core and 3 cores still runs
Reason:(guess) Some part of the BIOS are not notified of the additional cores, or some control circuit still needed.
Solution: What? you've done all the work to have a Quad Core running as a single core??!!

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for sharing this interesting and elaborate mod.

Please let us know once the Core-modded T4x board becomes available, some of us here have been dying for something like that for the longest time...seriously.

I can't answer any of your questions, but hopefully someone with more knowledge on the given issues than myself will chime in.

[RMSMajestic]

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for sharing this interesting and elaborate mod.

Please let us know once the Core-modded T4x board becomes available, some of us here have been dying for something like that for the longest time...seriously.

I can't answer any of your questions, but hopefully someone with more knowledge on the given issues than myself will chime in.

The T50 (modified motherboard for T4x) had the last problem (fan control problem) tackled on the 9th of June
http://forum.51nb.com/thread-1360715-1-1.html
However, no information about the production has been released so far
But without any doubt it'll come out soon as making a motherboard is a huge investment and there's demand for it
I don't know if it's possible for you to view the pictures on 51nb with out registering
But I'll try to post the picture here
http://forum.51nb.com/attachments/month ... onAl3W.jpg
First 14" T50
http://forum.51nb.com/viewthread.php?tid=1293492
HOPE's introduction about T50 last year
http://forum.51nb.com/viewthread.php?tid=1232048
T50's fan, motherboard and screen cable modification for high resolution screens
http://forum.51nb.com/viewthread.php?tid=1287287

I'll keep an eye on 51nb and post a thread in the T4x forum if T50 mobo is ready for sale

And please tell me if there's any need for translation
BTW, Could you please tell me how to upload pictures directly? It's pretty annoying if I need to upload the picture to a third party album and then link the picture here

[RealBlackStuff]

People on this forum who can read Chinese?
You can probably count them on one hand...
But I'd say at least 99% can NOT, so a translation would be VERY welcome.
And Google is terrible when trying to translate any Chinese website, the junk that they get out is ridiculous!
So how one could even register on 51nb is an absolute mystery to me!

As to posting pictures, this forum does not have that facility.

5. IF you must add a photograph to your post, PLEASE limit the size to 50k or less and place a warning in the subject line.

Apart from that, you'll need to upload them to e.g. Imageshack or Picasa, and then post a link here.
The reason: there are still lots of people with a modem, as well as lots who check the forum through their cellphone.

A T43-->T50 mobo that presumably has been upgraded with DDR3 RAM, i7 CPUs and mini-PCIe wifi, leaves one or two questions.
Has it been SATA-modded and have a SATA HD-connector?
And maybe even a SATA Ultrabay connector?
Has the uneven level of the GPU, and its memory chips around it, been corrected?
Has the fan been modified to properly contact the GPU?
Can you use more than 2GB RAM on the T50?
Will they be using lead-free solder, which caused the T43 mobos to fail, if even minimally flexed?

[RMSMajestic]

A T43-->T50 mobo that presumably has been upgraded with DDR3 RAM, i7 CPUs and mini-PCIe wifi, leaves one or two questions.
Has it been SATA-modded and have a SATA HD-connector?
And maybe even a SATA Ultrabay connector?
Has the uneven level of the GPU, and its memory chips around it, been corrected?
Has the fan been modified to properly contact the GPU?
Can you use more than 2GB RAM on the T50?
Will they be using lead-free solder, which caused the T43 mobos to fail, if even minimally flexed?

Okay I'll be a bit careful about the pictures
Here are the original description written by HOPE
该主板完全按照T43(包括T40、T41、T42、T43)进行设计，只需要更换主板、CPU和内存即可将一台T43升级。目前基本验证的主要特点有：
This motherboard is completely designed according to the T4x series, one just need a motherboard, a CPU and RAM to upgrade a T43, the features are
1、使用Intel 酷睿i5系列处理器(i7处理器验证中)；
1. added support for 1st gen Intel Core i5 (i7 to be confirmed later) [i7 620m confirmed in other post on 51NB]
2、支持DDR3-1066/1333内存
2.Supports DDR3-1066/1333 RAM
3、直接支持SATA2接口的硬盘及SSD
3.Supports SATA2 HDD and SSD
4、使用SATA接口光驱硬盘(即T400、T500等机型上的光驱)
4.Supports SATA Optical Drive (like the ones on T400/T500)
5、使用MiniPCI-E无线网卡
5.Supports MiniPCI-E wireless adapter
6、延用T43的外壳，包括键盘、屏幕(上半身)、风扇等
6.Using original T43 covers/casing, including keyboard,screen(top assembly) and heatsink
7、BIOS控制支持Fn+PgUp控制键盘灯及Fn+Home/End控制屏幕亮度、Fn+F3控制屏幕开关等
7.BIOS support of controlling keyboard light with Fn+PgUp, Fn+Home/End for brightness up/down, Fn+F3 for turning the screen on/off
8、支持1024x768/1400x1050/1600x1200等分辨率屏幕(验证中)
8.Supports 1024*768/1400*1050/1600*1200 Res screens (to be confirmed)[later confirmed but some modification on the screen cable/SPD chip is needed]
9、暂时只支持集成显卡，独立显卡的设计正在验证中
9.Temporarily supports integrated graphics only, however the design for discrete graphics cards is under experiment
先期将率先支持Intel 酷睿第一代i系列处理器，基于T4系列构架，第二阶段将推出支持Intel 酷睿第二代i系列处理器，基于T60系列构架。
At the first stage, the mobo will support 1st gen Core i and base on the T4x structure, at the second stage mobo for 2nd gen Core i will be made basing on the T6x

And maybe even a SATA Ultrabay connector?
A:Nope. From the completed assembly on 51NB I can't see the support for ultrabase.

Has the uneven level of the GPU, and its memory chips around it, been corrected?
A:I have no idea but I'll ask HOPE

Has the fan been modified to properly contact the GPU?
A:1.there has not been a discrete GPU version so far
2.As I remember, for the beta version of the motherboard, HOPE polished the heatsink for proper contact between heatsink and CPU

Can you use more than 2GB RAM on the T50?
A:Definitely, Up to 8GB as for all other dual core first gen Core i, but not 16GB

Will they be using lead-free solder, which caused the T43 mobos to fail, if even minimally flexed
A: I'll ask HOPE

Apparently you guys are more interested in the T50 motherboard rather than T9550, X9100 or T9900 on T61 lol. Would it be better if I post another thread regarding T50 only in the T4x forum?

[RealBlackStuff]

This post would indeed be better off in the T4x Forum.
Thanks for that T50 list!
My GPU questions concerned only the T43 ATI boards, because an Intel T43 in its current version is hardly interesting at all.
I have modded about 50-60 T43/T43p ATI mobos for SATA HD or SSD.
The boards with Intel GPU have a different layout, are much harder to mod, and I never could get the HD-LED working.
So I stopped doing Intel boards.

As to your T61 CPU mods:
I have built quite a few FrankenPads (15" T60 with T61 mobo), and sold them to such far away places as Japan and Australia.
Fastest CPU installed: X9000, but this CPU is way too expensive here.
Standard T9300 or T9500 CPUs are more than good enough.

Best mod (for T60/t60p/frankenPad) is still the 15" BoeHydis IPS Flexview HV150UX2-100 with ex-factory LED-backlight.
Tried this LED-mod on a T43p, but the inverter does not supply enough brightness control, only between 5-7.
Any lower, and the screen switches off. And levels 5-7 are too bright really!

[QWERTY Andreas]

This is very, very interesting!

The X9100 CPUs, that have been installed as far as i can see, have a TDP at 44W. This would open up for quadcores up to the QX9300.

The Core-I series in the T6X is very interesting too, as this would open up for some really neat machines. I hope theyll make them with dedicated Graphics too.
The T50 (or whatever they are called) probably won't have Quadcores avaible until later, since the 1st gen quadcores doesn't have Integrated Graphics.

But does anyone have a clue about the Price on those boards? It must be very high!

@RBS; From what i can read, this is Whole new boards. Not modified boards. Correct me if im wrong...

Best regards

[axur-delmeria]

From what i can read, this is Whole new boards. Not modified boards. Correct me if im wrong...

You are correct. Just looking at the picture is enough to confirm that.

1. Mini-PCIe wifi card --> impossible on a T4x board

2. solder pads between the Heatsink and Ultrabay --> provision for VRAM for dedicated graphics; T4x had the VRAM inside the Radeon's Multi-Chip Module (MCM)

3. The T4x southbridge didn't have the die exposed like the one in the pic --> this is a newer PCH (Platform Controller Hub)

I find this "T50" endeavor quite exciting. Imagine, enough people love their old Thinkpads so much that someone was convinced that it was worthwhile to put time, effort, and money in developing an upgrade board.

I hope it's not too expensive when it finally comes out. I might be tempted to get one.

Now, if someone does a similar upgrade to the legendary 701c Butterfly... I think I'll cry happy tears.

[RMSMajestic]

This post would indeed be better off in the T4x Forum.
Thanks for that T50 list!
My GPU questions concerned only the T43 ATI boards, because an Intel T43 in its current version is hardly interesting at all.
I have modded about 50-60 T43/T43p ATI mobos for SATA HD or SSD.
The boards with Intel GPU have a different layout, are much harder to mod, and I never could get the HD-LED working.
So I stopped doing Intel boards.

As to your T61 CPU mods:
I have built quite a few FrankenPads (15" T60 with T61 mobo), and sold them to such far away places as Japan and Australia.
Fastest CPU installed: X9000, but this CPU is way too expensive here.
Standard T9300 or T9500 CPUs are more than good enough.

Best mod (for T60/t60p/frankenPad) is still the 15" BoeHydis IPS Flexview HV150UX2-100 with ex-factory LED-backlight.
Tried this LED-mod on a T43p, but the inverter does not supply enough brightness control, only between 5-7.
Any lower, and the screen switches off. And levels 5-7 are too bright really!

T50 is a totally new motherboard based on the T4x stucture, QWERTY Andreas is correct
T9500 still goes for about 50 GBP on ebay, while this price is enough for a T9800. besides from my personal experience the penryn for GM45/PM45 undervolts way better than penryns on 965
also X9100 overclocks better than X9000

BTW is there a 14" UXGA/QXGA IPS or AFFS screen for T61?

[RealBlackStuff]

Sharp made a 14.1" UXGA screen, that could be modded to fit in a 14.1" NON-widescreen T60 (and same size T61).
See also http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=69978

[RMSMajestic]

This is very, very interesting!

The X9100 CPUs, that have been installed as far as i can see, have a TDP at 44W. This would open up for quadcores up to the QX9300.

The Core-I series in the T6X is very interesting too, as this would open up for some really neat machines. I hope theyll make them with dedicated Graphics too.
The T50 (or whatever they are called) probably won't have Quadcores avaible until later, since the 1st gen quadcores doesn't have Integrated Graphics.

But does anyone have a clue about the Price on those boards? It must be very high!

@RBS; From what i can read, this is Whole new boards. Not modified boards. Correct me if im wrong...

Best regards

I'm not entirely sure but although X9100 and Q series have same TDP, X9100 has higher peak voltage and Q series has much larger current. On the motherboards that supports Q9000,Q9100 and Qx9300, there are three chokes (? not sure if this is the right name for the grey squarish component near CPU) whereas there are only two on T61/T400/T500/W500

So I guess the support for Quad Core CPU is still a dream but not entirely impossible cos they are PIN comaptible with their dual core brothers

[RMSMajestic]

Another picture
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 9760_o.jpg

P.S. all discussion about T50 please goes here
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=110787

[RMSMajestic]

T9900 success!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 7127_o.jpg

[RMSMajestic]

P8800 on T61 success!!!! If any1's still interested

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 7781_o.jpg

[banhammer420k]

I wish there was a way to do this without soldering to the T61 mobo...

Also 51nb is an unbelievably slow image host, those pictures are taking ages to show up, please re upload them to a better image host!

[Worzyl]

2 questions:

1) Will we see an ATI T60p version of this?
2) Is it possible to mod to use the Ultrabay Plus *"Numeric Keypad"?


I've managed to view 1 picture so far, but most of the links dont work for me and keep crashing out...

[SaskFellow]

I like my 14.1" 16:10 T61...

Would be awesome if something like this came along for the Widebody versions.

[RMSMajestic]

I wish there was a way to do this without soldering to the T61 mobo...

Also 51nb is an unbelievably slow image host, those pictures are taking ages to show up, please re upload them to a better image host!

All the picture regarding to this mod is reuploaded to facebook

soldering was grounding pin 7 on the PLL chip in serial with a 10k Ohm resistor for stability, totally optional
this step can be ignored, but sometimes you might have your CPU running on 200 MHz external clock after resuming from standby

just a pin mod on the CPU socket and BIOS mod is sufficient

PIN mod
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 9784_o.jpg

[RMSMajestic]

2 questions:

1) Will we see an ATI T60p version of this?
2) Is it possible to mod to use the Ultrabay Plus *"Numeric Keypad"?


I've managed to view 1 picture so far, but most of the links dont work for me and keep crashing out...

1)The answer is NO. 945 chipset machines uses a different socket (socket M), the definition for pins is similar to that of 965 chipset and GM45 chipset (socket P), but there has been NO successful cases so far. However it is possible to put a T61 motherboard into T60with just slight modifications
2)No idea about what you are talking about sorry

most links are now fixed

[RMSMajestic]

I like my 14.1" 16:10 T61...

Would be awesome if something like this came along for the Widebody versions.

lol why don't you get a 16:10 T400
T400 supports 1066mhz CPUs straight
it also takes much cheaper DDR3, runs a lot cooler and doesn't have the nVIDIA GPU problem
you'd also get dual graphics
Besides, it also support wifi cards with wimax, and SATA optical drive (possible to get a blue ray)

My suggestion is: unless you are rigid 4:3 lover like me, get a T400 or T410 instead

[SaskFellow]

I've just overhauled my T61, and I really do like the machine. I may get a T410 in the future, but right now this little machine does everything I need it to, and then some.

It also runs very cool with the upgraded cooler, and a T9300 instead of a T7300.

[FryPpy]

2) Is it possible to mod to use the Ultrabay Plus *"Numeric Keypad"?

Ultrabay Plus is 12+mm thick, but T60 and T61 have 9mm "thin" bay slot.

The answer is NO. 945 chipset machines uses a different socket (socket M), the definition for pins is similar to that of 965 chipset and GM45 chipset (socket P), but there has been NO successful cases so far.

I have to agree. I have made "BSEL mode" on old T60 mainboard to make FSB 667 -> 800. I have worked on PLL side of mainboard (not on socket). In 800 MHz "mode" TP starts cooler spins for couple seconds and stops. Battry and "working" (Z) leds glows. But screen is empty and no beeps. If i press power button again TP shuts down (battery and (Z) leds goes off). I uses native 800MHz DDR2 memory. I think that T60 BIOS works against this mode. But maybe 945 chipset have some "hooks" against this mode.

and BIOS mod is sufficient

What is a BIOS mod? May be such mod can be apllied to T60.

I saw fine pictures of your PLL mod in this thread but they disappeared. Why?

PS
My Q-mode and 500 is steel stopped

[RMSMajestic]

I have to agree. I have made "BSEL mode" on old T60 mainboard to make FSB 667 -> 800. I have worked on PLL side of mainboard (not on socket). In 800 MHz "mode" TP starts cooler spins for couple seconds and stops. Battry and "working" (Z) leds glows. But screen is empty and no beeps. If i press power button again TP shuts down (battery and (Z) leds goes off). I uses native 800MHz DDR2 memory. I think that T60 BIOS works against this mode. But maybe 945 chipset have some "hooks" against this mode.

and BIOS mod is sufficient

What is a BIOS mod? May be such mod can be apllied to T60.

I saw fine pictures of your PLL mod in this thread but they disappeared. Why?

PS
My Q-mode and 500 is steel stopped

Try underclock from 200Mhz to 166Mhz (setting BSEL[2] to low, BSEL[1] and BSEL[0] to high), if it works you will be able to feel the heat generated by CPU. Don't try overclocking first because your RAM will be overclocked to 888Mhz @5-5-5-15, which is way too high for most of DDR2s.

As you know all conponents in a computer runs at the same clock (external clock). you will have to get both CPU and chipset to run on the same clock speed and detects the same external clock

If the CPU starts generating heat then you are almost half way there, the screen might still be black

You will definitely need a BIOS mod (adding new CPU microcode) and this website might help
http://www.endeer.cz/bios.tools/bios.html

By the "BIOS mod is sufficient" I meant just flashing the modified BIOS with new CPU microcode (plus BSEL mod) is sufficient for the support of 1066 FSB CPUs.But it's not perfect cos T9900 and X9100 will run at 2.3GHz

I've just checked datasheet of 965 and 945 chipset, apparently some PINs are different, for example D[25] and D[26] But there might be some way to get around this on the MB. God luck


P.S. just tried Q9000 on my modified T61, simply didn't even let any current go through it (didn't warm up at all)Maybe it's because Q series CPUs don't support 200Mhz mode(according to datasheet)?

[FryPpy]

I have done mod on T60 (i945) mobo because it is unused after swapping it.

Try underclock from 200Mhz to 166Mhz (setting BSEL[2] to low, BSEL[1] and BSEL[0] to high)

It is originally 166MHz clocked (with T7200 CPU). So i put BSEL0 down (with 10k resistor) to get to 200MHz.
When i revert to 166MHz all works ok.
It was the first step. Not for CPU upgrading (677 -> 800 -> 800 45nm), but for practicing and getting higher core | fsb frequency. And Socket P and M are not fully compatible.

P.S. just tried Q9000 on my modified T61, simply didn't even let any current go through it (didn't warm up at all)Maybe it's because Q series CPUs don't support 200Mhz mode(according to datasheet)?

How your thinkpad starts with Q9000? Fan starts and stops? Battery and (z) leds goes on?
How CPU understand that it is in 200MHz mobo? Your pinmod makes it fill like it in normal 266 mobo.
May be CPU microcode for Q9000 absent in bios?

[SaskFellow]

Intel has said that the 965 mobile chipsets do support the C2Q chips, but that support would have to be enabled by the manufacturer.

I would bet, that the quad core support is either disabled or missing from the BIOS, since Lenovo probably had zero intentions for putting the quads into these machines.

[RMSMajestic]

How your thinkpad starts with Q9000? Fan starts and stops? Battery and (z) leds goes on?
How CPU understand that it is in 200MHz mobo? Your pinmod makes it fill like it in normal 266 mobo.
May be CPU microcode for Q9000 absent in bios?

fans always on, no beep,battery and (z) LED was on, just like when you turn on your T61 without the CPU or with a socket M CPU
The BIOS has microcode from W700---- definitely contains C2Q microcodes....
I guess the CPU "felt" that it was in a 200MHz mobo and refuse to work
1066Mhz Dual core CPUs are capable of working with 200Mhz mobos. My pin mod actually makes the CPU feel that it's in a 200Mhz mobo--- not it's "preferable" 266Mhz
However it seems that the quad core ones lacks capability of 200Mhz according to intel datasheet

[el-sahef]

I want to give this a try on a 14,1" 4:3 T61 and have some questions:

If I just want to get the Thinkpad to POST and to get into the BIOS with a CPU made for 1066 MHz FSB, is it sufficient to just flash the modified BIOS (soldering and pinmod would be done afterwards)?

Will the BIOS also work with the 800 MHz FSB CPUs that the machine is originally equipped with? Does it contain support for SATA2 and bypass of the whitelist checks like the Middleton BIOS?

To flash the BIOS, I have to boot to bare DOS (e. g. via USB-Stick with the files go.bat, phlash.exe and BIOS.ROM on it) and run go.bat from there. Is that correct?

[RMSMajestic]

@el-sahef
Yes

Not for T7300 and T7700, persumably T7500, T7250, T7800, X7800 and X7900 won't work as well.
Yes for T8100 and T7100, T6670 works with modified BIOS but not with the original BIOS

It's better to boot to bare DOS and flash the BIOS. You can try to flash the BIOS under windows but only windows XP. And I haven't tried to flash the BIOS under windows

[el-sahef]

RMSMajestic,

thank you for your explanation.

Everything went well although the flash tool complaint about a wrong checksum before flashing. I proceeded despite this warning and the E8335 E0-stepping I bought on Ebay worked after forcing the FSB down to 800 MHz. Now I have to wait for my DDR2-800-RAM modules to arrive here and probably reflash these to DDR2-667, so that I can set the PLL to 1066 MHz. I can confirm that the T7500, that was installed previously, did not work with the new BIOS.

I also tried a Core 2 Quad Q9000 and after some minor modifications it works, but only two cores are activated by the BIOS. I hoped that not only the microcode, but also the APIC initialization code had been taken from the W700 BIOS, which does support quad core CPUs, but this does not seem to be the case.

BIOS-Screen with Q9000 installed (500kB external image hoster link):
http://abload.de/img/bios_t61_q9000_el-sahmifg2.jpg

CPU-Z Windows with Q9000 installed (500kB external image hoster link):
http://abload.de/img/cpu-z_t61_q9000_el-sa4ofrk.jpg

T61-BIOS activates only 2 APICs of 4.

To support quad-cores, the BIOS would have to be modded further, so that all APICs get activated (see APIC.dsl in the zip file) and all four cores are notified to the OS in the DSDT table, as it is done in the W700. Unfortunately, I do not have the knowledge to do BIOS mods.

ACPI tables with the Q9000 installed: http://www78.zippyshare.com/v/65381180/file.html

A last thing I will try is if it is able to let the OS recognize the two additional cores by editing the ACPI tables and override them with the GRUB2-bootloader (there is an ACPI command that can do this). I wanted to try this already on a T500 mainboard, but there the BIOS had a bug that prevented ACPI table overriding by GRUB2. On a x61t it worked, so I think that it should also work on the T61, since they are from the same thinkpad generation.

On the T500 mainboard, the problem was even worse: There I had to disable "core multi processing" in BIOS to be able to get past the POST and to boot an OS, so that even only one core was activated.
You can read more about it in this thread at post 18 and 23 (actually, the thread is about fitting an R500 mainboard in an R60, but the idea with the quad core came up there):

http://thinkpad-forum.de/threads/169412 ... h%C3%A4use

Its in the german thinkpad forum, but I think google translate will do a sufficient job in this case.

To get the CPU to post, one needs to insulate pins D8, AA7, AA8, AC8 and AE8. I also connected a 1k resistor to VCC1R05B and pin D22 and a 2k to pin D22 and GND to supply GTLREF to the second core, but this is optional. Maybe it would be mandatory, if the BIOS would activate all four cores.

[FryPpy]

To get the CPU to post, one needs to insulate pins D8, AA7, AA8, AC8 and AE8. I also connected a 1k resistor to VCC1R05B and pin D22 and a 2k to pin D22 and GND to supply GTLREF to the second core, but this is optional. Maybe it would be mandatory, if the BIOS would activate all four cores.

Cool!
Great job. Some time in past i tried Q9000 on W500 and failed. I don't understand what pin mod needed to start it.
And why your Q9000 runs at 1.5GHz. What is blocking top multipiers?