Does removal of MiniPCI on T20 cause an operational problem?

[frangelica]

I've got a question for you all....I've got a T20 2647-64u. It heats like gangbusters at the Mini PCI card and the DIMM/Hard drive area.

Since I'm running a D-Link PCMCIA wireless card, do I NEED the Mini PCI Card? I don't use the modem or the ethernet connection at all. Would the system do something screwy if I took the Mini PCI Card out, or would it still function properly?

[nrj45]

Should work without the internal card, but why the heck do you use an external wifi card if you have one built in ?

[frangelica]

The T20 Mini PCI card supports the 56k modem and an ethernet connection---no wifi.

Anyone?

[brainpicker]

I don't see why it would hurt. I'd first uninstall the modem and 10/100 card from the Device Manager, then shut down and then physically remove the card. It shouldn't cause a problem that way in my opinion.

Yak

[dokein]

Maybe disable Integrated Ethernet/Wifi via Bios prior to physially removing components as well previous.

[Bob Collins]

The T20 does not have built in wireless.

As brainpicker wrote, uninstall the network adapter and modem in device manager then shut down. Physically remove the Mini PCI and reboot. Should be good.

As for heat, my T22 gets awefully hot too. The Mini PCI location is near the CPU heat exhaust port. I think mine gets more hot at the bottom of the exhaust location and rather warm at the HD area. I think this is normal for the Thinkpads of the T-2x series.

Also, I do get a good amount of heat below the Dimm/HD area but I think this is HD heat unless you really are working the heck out of the Dimms. I shall try to take a temperature there in a few minutes. I can report back what I get, although I think my accuracy may be a bit off.

I would not worry too much about it, as it seems to me to be normal operation.

[Bob Collins]

Here is the follow-up reply for temp. I scientifically placed a cooking thermometer between my thigh and Thinkpad where the Thinkpad gets hotest.

It registers a whopping 118 farenheit.

Hope this helps....

[frangelica]

HA! Well, then I don't feel so badly. I went ahead and disabled everything suggested, and then removed the card. It DOES cool down a bit in that area, but it's still the Hard drive/DIMM area that is the real cooker. At least I'm not the only one with that problem.

Bob, I love your scientific method. Far more accurate than mine. I just know that I've actually used this thing as a heating pad on my tummy, lying on the couch. It's very effective.

However, ths is a sweet little machine, regardless of the heat. Thank you, everyone!

[frangelica]

Incidentally, anyone want this Mini PCI card? I'd be glad to wrap it up and drop it and the heat spreader that was with it in the mail to anyone who needs it....

[Bob Collins]

Frangelica, you like my "scientific" method, eh? Funny, I had not really thought of measuring the temp until your post.

Then I was wondering how would one measure such a thing, and then it hit me, use the cooking thermometer. hehehehe

I did know for sure that this beast ALWAYS gets darn hot on my left leg and not the right. I am glad I measured it, now I know why it feels so hot, it is hot!

[MadeInJapan]

Why in the world would you want to get rid of the mini-pci card. You never know when you'll need it. I know several times when I was away on business that the only way I could connect to the internet was through dial-up. Not ideal, but when you have to, you have to. I'd keep it in a safe place for such times, or if you ever decide to sell it or pass it on to someone else. I have tons of parts laying around that I won't get rid of just for this reason.

[frangelica]

Agreed, if I were to be using this for business, I'd have left it in, but this laptop is strictly for playing on the net and checking email while I'm sitting in the living room, and I'm too lazy to walk upstairs to the desktop in my office. I'm just trying to find a way to delete some heat! And it HAS helped a little bit. Not as much as I'd hoped, but what the hey...

I've also got a company laptop provided for travel...and boy, isn't it a royal pain to get stuck with dialup when broadband has been spoiling you? Hard to believe that 56K seemed tremendous after having a 14.4 modem in the early nineties