T61 buying advice on another project build

[Hans Gruber]

Is this the correct and latest middleton bios for the T61?

http://www.mediafire.com/download/f9w4k ... .08%29.rar

[ajkula66]

Yes. That's the only one there is for T61/p.

[Hans Gruber]

The T61 bios mod seems pretty straight forward. There are 3 different bios mod .iso files. The Bios +CT has bios #1 and bios #2 .iso files. Are both self executing .iso that will boot if I set the CD-ROM to the 1st boot position. There is another file that is a bios file. 7luj27uc.iso that is just a bios file.

Of the 3 .iso files, which one should I use?

[ajkula66]

One of those files is a BIOS mod that includes the Fn/Ctrl key swap. Proceed accordinglky depending on whether you want that change or not.

And yes, they are self-bootable.

[Hans Gruber]

Have any of you noticed a difference in speed between the 2ghz processors and the processors 2.4ghz and up to 2.6ghz? The T61 is an older model and the speedstep technology back then wasn't as advanced as some of these newer i5 series CPU's with turbo mode and cutting speed in half much of the time. The T9300 has @ 2.5ghz has 6mb of cache vs 3mb for the lower speed processors.

[ajkula66]

Have any of you noticed a difference in speed between the 2ghz processors and the processors 2.4ghz and up to 2.6ghz?

To answer your question in a somewhat roundabout way...

You'll notice - at load - the difference between T7300 and T7700.

Right now, I have the following systems running in my house:

Code: Select all

15.4" T61p with 256MB FX570M + T7700

15" Intel-based FrankenPad +  T9300

15" FrankenPad with NVS140M + X9000

15" FrankenPad with 128MB FX570M + X9000

Compared to a 1st generation Arrandale (T410/510) all of these CPUs benchmark lower BUT the nVidia cards beat the living daylight out of Intel's integrated graphics found in Core i.

Performance-wise, it really depends on what one is interested in achieving. Intel + T9300 = cool and quiet office machine. FX570M + X9000 = beast even without overclocking but you get to hear the fan quite a bit once the machine is pushed hard.

In reality, short of gaming/video rendering/heavy math applications the similarity in performance is very present.

The T61 is an older model and the speedstep technology back then wasn't as advanced as some of these newer i5 series CPU's with turbo mode and cutting speed in half much of the time.

Meh...Arrandale was a step up from Penryn, but a much smaller one than the Sandy Bridge was from Arrandale, in just about any given respect.

I still stand by my statement that T9300 is the best bang for the buck for this platform, especially on machines with Intel integrated graphics, since Penryns were the first CPUs that were actually capable of helping with the video performance of the system. Meroms are worthless in that respect.

[Hans Gruber]

George, I will give you my two cents on processors. I think you are right about the T9300. I have primarily been a PC builder myself over the years. The Pentium M processors were better than the Core Duo junk. The Core2Duo stuff is when Intel finally took the lead over AMD in processors again. That is why I won't touch a T60, because of the Core Duo chip. I have an old laptop with a Core Duo and it's junk. During the gaming days they were using Pentium M chips modded for desktop PC gaming rigs over the Core Duo chips. The Pentium M was a very potent single core CPU.

I agree once Sandy Bridge was introduced they got rid of that QPI link in the bus that was always confusing in the Nahalem/Arrandale first i3/i5/i7 series.

The only reason I got a T61 was because I like the Core 2 technology. I used to have a Q6600 2.4ghz quad core that I ran at 3.6ghz on a gaming rig. I still have it but it's been retired to 3.3ghz and a backup computer.

[ajkula66]

That is why I won't touch a T60, because of the Core Duo chip.

You do realize that any T60/p is perfectly capable of running a Core 2 Duo - Merom only - with a recent BIOS? I have two of them in the house...and another one ready to go in the box...

[MrMaguire]

I'll second the recommendation for the T9300 Core 2 Duo. I've got a couple coming to upgrade a few systems. Should be a noticeable improvement over the T7100s and T7250s.

The Pentium M is probably my favourite processor. I have four of them that I still use today. Much better than the Pentium 4 ever was...

I always got along with my Core Duos. Yeah, they're not 64 bit, but it's not like that actually matters very much.

[Hans Gruber]

My first build was an AMD system. I had a Dell with a Pentium 3 before that. It wasn't until the Core 2 Duo that I switched back to Intel. Back in those days prior to the Core 2 Duo architecture people were modifying their systems to use Pentium M's instead of the Pentium 4. I was using AMD 64 X2's at the the time of the Pentium M.

T61 should be here by the end of the week. I ordered the Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN PCIe Mini Card for a little over $3. I know George is not impressed with the Intel wireless cards but these are old systems not worth putting much $$$ into. I was looking at ram prices and said to myself, 3GB will have to do for now. I do intend to get a T9300. I have 3 or 4 1GB DDR2 ram sticks and only one 2GB DDR2 ram stick.

The T61 Middleton bios is ready to go.