T43 flaky motherboard; Should I replace it?

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that1nerd · #1 Post by **that1nerd** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:13 am

My T43 (2668-J2U) is acting quite flaky.

It refuses to boot from USB at all, and scrolling through the BIOS menu is quite sluggish. (It's running the latest "vanilla" BIOS version.) But only when I started getting the infamous "USB power surge" popup in Windows XP, was when I started to consider the fact that, maybe, the motherboard's dying.

It's looking like the obvious choice is to replace it, but I just wanted to get a second opinion before I posted a WTB in the marketplace.

ajkula66 · #2 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:14 pm

That sounds like a SouthBridge chip going south.

Swap the board.

that1nerd · #3 Post by **that1nerd** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:57 pm

ajkula66 wrote:That sounds like a SouthBridge chip going south.

Swap the board.

Figured as much...

This isn't a big surprise, considering that this thing was a high-hour laptop to begin with. The backlight's quite dim, and the original keyboard's glossed over. (As in, I could literally see my reflection in the keys, glossed over.

)

Has anyone attempted a reflow of the southbridge before, or is it a fruitless endeavor?

Neil · #4 Post by **Neil** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:27 pm

So...what reasons do you have for even considering a replacement motherboard? I mean, with that much wear on all the other parts, seems like a dead (or at least dying) motherboard, is as good a reason as any to just scrap the old T43 and move on. You are not relying on it for anything special, are you?

ajkula66 · #5 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:55 pm

^^^^^^^

Neil has a very valid point here...I presumed that the machine was in fine shape apart from a sickly planar...if it's not, then just bury it with honours...

that1nerd · #6 Post by **that1nerd** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:41 pm

Neil wrote:So...what reasons do you have for even considering a replacement motherboard? I mean, with that much wear on all the other parts, seems like a dead (or at least dying) motherboard, is as good a reason as any to just scrap the old T43 and move on. You are not relying on it for anything special, are you?

ajkula66 wrote:^^^^^^^

Neil has a very valid point here...I presumed that the machine was in fine shape apart from a sickly planar...if it's not, then just bury it with honours...

That thought's crossed my mind. One side of me wants to just cut-and-run, and sell it for parts, but I can't seem to let it go.

I've already got new parts in it, including a new CCFL and NOS keyboard. (I was trying to stress that it was a high hour unit. Forgot to mention that earlier.) Plus, it came fully loaded from the factory, for a 14" T43, and its in decent shape cosmetically. (If it were a base model, I would have parted it out already.)

Even so, there comes a point where it's too far gone. I just have blinders on and can't seem to figure out where that point is.

Keyhole · #7 Post by **Keyhole** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:38 pm

I just recently brought a motherboard on ebay for $20.00 plus free shipping for my ThinkPad T43 laptop with 15 inch display screen. The video chip (ATI X300) on the old motherboard gave me crazy color patterns. The seller offer 60 days money back guarantee if I pay the return shipping if I have any issue with it. Right now I'm using my Thinkpad T43 as I type. The item number is "251677115699, IBM-ThinkPad-T43-Intel-Motherboard-39T5636" Just put the item number in the ebay search field and the past listing will show up.

that1nerd · #8 Post by **that1nerd** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 11:43 pm

Just got one for $30, including shipping. It's a Radeon X300 board, just like the one that's in my T43 currently.

According to the seller, it's a working pull, but we'll see...

smashkenazi · #9 Post by **smashkenazi** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:47 am

Reading this thread has convinced me I'm not the only crazy one.

I will start trolling ebay and replace my T43p main board.

Will the same Windows 8 CD and license install on a machine with a new motherboard?

#10 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 9:02 am

It might, if you match TYPE and S/N, as well as the mobo's info the way your old mobo has it in BIOS.
You'd need the HMD to read out and write down the current info, then put that into the new mobo's BIOS before you put in W8 again.

that1nerd · #11 Post by **that1nerd** » Mon Dec 01, 2014 3:58 pm

Here's an update, if anyone's interested...

The new board was an almost perfect drop-in replacement. I say "almost" because one of the pins in the second RAM slot was bent, shorting out against the one next to it. (I assume that the seller is to blame, although it was most likely unintentional.)

The laptop went together without a hitch, but when I powered it on, I only got blinking lights and four long beeps. When I removed the RAM stick from the second slot, it would boot normally. That's when I happened to notice, by chance, that two pins in the RAM slot were bent, shorting together. Took my Buck pocketknife, straightened them out, and voila! Boots with both RAM sticks now.

It's currently running Lubuntu 14.04 with no problems. Within the two weeks that I've been using it, it's proven to be quite stable, and reasonably powerful (For a Pentium M). While most would have written this thing off, I decided to save it. Probably because I have a soft spot for Pentium M laptops. Especially the 14" T43s.

T43 flaky motherboard; Should I replace it?

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