How difficult is it to add a second DIMM on a T61?

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barrywohl · #1 Post by **barrywohl** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:56 am

If I buy a T61 with one 1 gb DIMM, how difficult is it to add a second DIMM? www.memory4less.com sells the 2 GB DIMM for $198.65 for 3D brand and $287.85 for IBM brand. Lenovo sells the second 2GB DIMM for $430.00 in the ThinkPad T61 configuration page.

What's the down side of saving $140 to $230 by installing the second DIMM yourself? Isn't the IBM Brand part number 40Y8404 the same as Lenovo would supply?

On my R50p, the second DIMM slot is accessable by removing a single screw from the bottom and removing a cover. To access the first DIMM slot you have to remove about a dozen screws and take off the whole keyboard plane and remove two connectors that link the planar board to the keyboard stuff. I'd rate the second slot access as easy and the first as rather difficult.

On the Z61p I recently owned, you could access both DIMM slots by removing four screws and the palm rest. I'd rate that as easy.

As far as I can tell, having a total of more than 3GB of RAM is a waste of resources with 32 bit VISTA or 32 bit XP. Also, as far as I can tell, 64 bit VISTA, at this time, risks not having all the drivers one might desire.

barrywohl · #2 Post by **barrywohl** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:14 am

Here's the link from Lenovo.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-67764

It looks like it is easy to access either DIMM slot by removing the palm rest, just as it was on the Z61p I had.

Sorry for wasting bandwidth.

Tholek · #3 Post by **Tholek** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:23 am

The palmrest must be lifted up to insert new ram. There's a pic of how it's done in the Chinese review thread.

OnnoK123 · #4 Post by **OnnoK123** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:03 am

You just have to loosen 4 srews.
http://picasaweb.google.nl/onnokamer/IB ... 9797510626

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7zj2cW74nM

Tholek · #5 Post by **Tholek** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:12 am

OnnoK123 wrote:You just have to loosen 4 srews.
http://lh5.google.nl/image/onnokamer/Rm ... imgmax=912

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7zj2cW74nM

Both of those links are dead.

jjesusfreak01 · #6 Post by **jjesusfreak01** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:47 am

On newer thinkpads, the screws you need to remove are labeled on the bottom of the laptop with a little memory icon. You should just be able to simply remove those, then pop the palmrest up from the upper left and right corner. Be careful not to pull it off when it comes look, because it is connected to the body of the laptop (by an easily removable plug and play connector).

OnnoK123 · #7 Post by **OnnoK123** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:06 am

Tholek wrote:
OnnoK123 wrote:You just have to loosen 4 srews.
http://lh5.google.nl/image/onnokamer/Rm ... imgmax=912

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7zj2cW74nM
Both of those links are dead.

fixed..

video is currently uploading at youtube.

Tholek · #8 Post by **Tholek** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:20 am

jjesusfreak01 wrote:On newer thinkpads, the screws you need to remove are labeled on the bottom of the laptop with a little memory icon. You should just be able to simply remove those, then pop the palmrest up from the upper left and right corner. Be careful not to pull it off when it comes look, because it is connected to the body of the laptop (by an easily removable plug and play connector).

Hey, do the screws come free, or are they the kind that are grommeted and stay in the holes?

#9 Post by **ryengineer** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:42 am

barrywohl wrote:What's the down side of saving $140 to $230 by installing the second DIMM yourself? Isn't the IBM Brand part number 40Y8404 the same as Lenovo would supply?

IMO there is no downside as most memories today come with a lifetime warranty. Lenovo own IBM's pc division, I'm not sure if they sell pc products separately.

On the Z61p I recently owned, you could access both DIMM slots by removing four screws and the palm rest. I'd rate that as easy.

T61 has same the mechanism, you shouldn't have any problem.

Tholek wrote: Hey, do the screws come free, or are they the kind that are grommeted and stay in the holes?

Comes free.

Tholek · #10 Post by **Tholek** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:09 am

ryengineer wrote:
Tholek wrote: Hey, do the screws come free, or are they the kind that are grommeted and stay in the holes?
Comes free.

Of course...it was stupid of me to ask. How else would they keep selling screws?

steveg47 · #11 Post by **steveg47** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:10 am

Here's a useful link to all the Installation/Removal movies available for Thinkpads.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... PAD-MOVIES

steveg47 · #12 Post by **steveg47** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:13 am

Tholek wrote: Of course...it was stupid of me to ask. How else would they keep selling screws?

Hey, ya know those keeper washers cost money.

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