new owner of a T41 2373-7FU, have questions.

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God_Of_Death · #1 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:55 pm

Hi, I am the new owner of a used T41 2373-7FU and I would like to upgrade some of the components. I already purchased a second 9-cell batt, two slim drive batts and the hd caddy. It also has 1.5gigs of ram. I would like to upgrade the hd and cpu. From what I have been reading, I can upgrade the hd to any 160gig and the cpu to a 2ghz 400fsb cpu. Am I correct so far? I don't have a recovery cd but i like fresh installs of XP better than recovery installs.

So far, I am very impressed with this T41.

Thanks in advance.

#2 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:02 pm

7323-7FU is not a valid product number.

7323-7FU Product Search Results

God_Of_Death · #3 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:06 pm

Harryc wrote:7323-7FU is not a valid product number.

7323-7FU Product Search Results

fixed =/

#4 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:21 pm

Ok, here's your machine, and I will list the upgrades that I am aware of. Temetka will be along shortly to add to the list I am sure

.

Original description: P M 1.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 40GB 5400rpm HDD, 14.1 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD, 32MB ATI Radeon 7500, 16x10x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD, Intel 802.11b wireless(MPCI), Modem(CDC), 1Gb Ethernet(LOM), UltraNav, Secure Chip, 6 cell Li-Ion battery, WinXP Pro

Your P M 1.6 Banias can be upgraded to a P M 2.0 Dothan CPU(400Mhz)

Your 1.5GB RAM can be upgraded to 2.0GB RAM

Your 40GB Hard drive can be upgraded to any sized or speed 2.5" laptop IDE/PATA/ATA6 drive up to 160GB.

Your 32MB ATI Radeon 7500 can be upgraded to an ATI Radeon 9000 with a motherboard change.

Your 16x10x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD can be upgraded to a CD-RW/DVD-RW Muiltiburner

Your Intel 802.11b wireless(MPCI) can be upgraded to an Intel or Atheros (recommended) 802.11g

Your 6 cell Li-Ion battery can be upgraded to a 9 cell.

Your 14.1 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD can be upgraded to a 14.1-inch, ,SXGA+ (1400 × 1050 resolution) TFT LCD

You can add bluetooth

God_Of_Death · #5 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:30 pm

wow

i will surely be upgrading the HD. already looking at newegg.

i will try to buy a used 1gig stick and a used 2ghz dothan on ebay.

i'll keep the 7500 and i guess that means i have to keep the same lcd

i looked at the dvd burners on ebay for this lappy but they are insanely priced. better off buying the cpu.

i like wires and don't use wireless much but if i can spare the cash i will certianly upgrade the wireless.

already have enough batteries

adding bluetooth means i have to disassemble the lcd to install the antenna, right?

#6 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:36 pm

God_Of_Death wrote: adding bluetooth means i have to disassemble the lcd to install the antenna, right?

For your model yes. Some came with the antenna pre-wired. Refer to this parts list.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 46502.html

As far as the CPU, also recently in your situation I chose a 1.8 Dothan because they are reasonably priced and you won't see a tremendous speed/performance increase going to a 2.0 (vs. a 1.8 ). You will get a performance bump going from a 1.6 Banias to a 1.8 Dothan.

God_Of_Death · #7 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:46 pm

i use a usb BT adapter on my old lappy. i might just go that route since the only thing i use BT for is my cell phone and even then it's rarely.

i am looking at ebay and there is a $100+ diff between the 1.8ghz cpus and the 2ghz kind. thats a big diff and i might go the 1.8ghz route.

#8 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:51 pm

God_Of_Death wrote: i am looking at ebay and there is a $100+ diff between the 1.8ghz cpus and the 2ghz kind. thats a big diff and i might go the 1.8ghz route.

Good choice, and good luck!

Stargate199 · #9 Post by **Stargate199** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:13 pm

If you can spare the money, I would upgrade the motherboard to one that had the ATi Radeon 9000 chip (my T41 has it). The 7500 had numerous problems of the GPU becoming unsoldiered and making the computer completely useless. Ask anyone who has had an A31 or a T4x with that chip. I have a friend that has had two computers with that graphics chip and has had the problem with both of them.

I also have a 1.6 Banias and it seems to do just fine for me. If you can find a dothan cheep enough and wish to do a CPU upgrade, then do it.

You can upgrade the LCD with the current graphics chip in your T41. I would look for a complete lid assembly with the SXGA+ LCD already in there instead of just trying to find the LCD itself. It will most likely cost more this way, but it is way easier to install (getting those screw covers off if a real pain). Best of all, you may be able to find one with the bluetooth antenna installed and thus can upgrade to internal bluetooth.

#10 Post by **bill bolton** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:22 pm

Stargate199 wrote:Ask anyone who has had an A31 or a T4x with that chip.

The organisation I work for has a large fleet of T4x ThinkPads with ATI 7500 chips and we haven't had any GPU specific problems with them.

Cheers,

Bill B.

#11 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:36 pm

Here's a nice price on a 1.8 Dothan -

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=46235

lilserenity · #12 Post by **lilserenity** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:43 am

bill bolton wrote:
Stargate199 wrote:Ask anyone who has had an A31 or a T4x with that chip.
The organisation I work for has a large fleet of T4x ThinkPads with ATI 7500 chips and we haven't had any GPU specific problems with them.

Cheers,

Bill B.

Personally I have been running my T40 for some time, with its 'lowly' Radeon 7500 32meg GPU but for the work I do (very rarely any 3d based apps, all productivity based) it has worked really very well, and no problems.

Also I really recommend the Hitachi 5k160 drive, I just got one for my T40, the 160GB 5400RPM 8MB cache drive is a superb buy. Lots of storage and a nippy drive to boot--literally.

Also I have yet to find the P-M 1.5GHz 'slow' but it depends what you want to do on your T41.

Vicky

whizkid · #13 Post by **whizkid** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:35 am

If you can use the 2.0GHz PM755, you should also be able to upgrade to the 2.1GHz PM765, which is no doubt outrageously priced.

There was a hard drive limit of 132GB, and since you can take a 160GB drive, you can take anything you can buy for years to come, as long as it's a PATA drive. 160GB may be the largest today, but if you're not shopping today, keep it in mind.

To the gang: Is there an 1802 issue with third-party hard drives in this machine?

#14 Post by **Harryc** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:44 am

whizkid wrote: To the gang: Is there an 1802 issue with third-party hard drives in this machine?

No, there is no 1802 error problem in a T41...T43's yes there is.

pianowizard · #15 Post by **pianowizard** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:48 am

God_Of_Death wrote:i will try to buy a used 1gig stick and a used 2ghz dothan on ebay.

Get a 1GB PC2700 for $54.99 shipped on Outpost. Even used sticks on eBay rarely beat this price.

#16 Post by **Harryc** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:57 am

pianowizard wrote:Get a 1GB PC2700 for $54.99 shipped on Outpost[/url]. Even used sticks on eBay rarely beat this price.

Has anyone used this exact stick or RAM in a T4X machine? 2 of them? Results?

SteveS · #17 Post by **SteveS** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:45 am

IMO, the FIRST upgrade I would make is to swap the display to the SXGA+ one with 1400 x 1050 resolution. To me, this makes ALL the difference in the T40 series. As others have posted, the best way to do this is to replace the entire lid assembly. Finding a reasonable priced used one can be hit or miss however….

As far as changing a motherboard to get a new display adapter…. It is a lot of money and a lot of work, as you need to disassemble the entire computer. For the most part, only gaming applications really push the capability of the graphics processor. I have no experience with T41 graphics processor reliability problems, although there does seem to be a large number of T41 and T40 units sold on e-bay “for parts only” with reported graphics processor problems. Perhaps this was a large run with reliability problems that had been corrected in later units.

You do have a large shopping list of upgrades. If you really want to max out the machine, you may wish to look and wait on e-bay until a model comes up for bid that is already equipped close to what you want. While it is possible to upgrade a ThinkPad successfully, there is always a risk of damage to the PC. ESD damage is not always immediately catastrophic, but can degrade a component that fails months later. IBM/Lenovo uses special nylon coated screws to prevent them from loosening from vibration. The nylon feature can only be used once. To get the same vibration resistance, you need to replace the screws. At the factory, all of the screws are installed with calibrated torque drivers, assuring precise tightening to avoid stressing or warping plastic parts. You can never duplicate this at home.
Sure you can rebuild the computer successfully – I have done so with several T4x units. But inevitably the reliability will be somewhat impacted by doing so. You may never see a problem, but the chance that the unit will fail at an inopportune time is greater the more times it has been disassembled.

#18 Post by **underclocker** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:12 am

Stargate199 wrote:The 7500 had numerous problems of the GPU becoming unsoldered and making the computer completely useless. Ask anyone who has had an A31 or a T4x with that chip. I have a friend that has had two computers with that graphics chip and has had the problem with both of them.

All of the ATI GPUs on T40-T41-T42's are prone to coming loose. I had a T41 w/9000 GPU and a T41p with 9600 (Fire GL) GPU, both came loose.

This thread discusses the issue at length -> http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=33952

SteveS wrote:IMO, the FIRST upgrade I would make is to swap the display to the SXGA+ one with 1400 x 1050 resolution. To me, this makes ALL the difference in the T40 series. As others have posted, the best way to do this is to replace the entire lid assembly. Finding a reasonable priced used one can be hit or miss however….

This swap is relatively painless and quick. ANY T4x GPU will drive this display - 7500, 9000, or 9600 (or any T43 GPU, too).

SteveS wrote:As far as changing a motherboard to get a new display adapter…. It is a lot of money and a lot of work, as you need to disassemble the entire computer. For the most part, only gaming applications really push the capability of the graphics processor. I have no experience with T41 graphics processor reliability problems, although there does seem to be a large number of T41 and T40 units sold on e-bay “for parts only” with reported graphics processor problems. Perhaps this was a large run with reliability problems that had been corrected in later units.

Bottom line, swapping the planar (IBM codeword for motherboard) is effectively buying a new machine. It's best to avoid the 2 hour hassle. If you want a new planar, just sell your old machine and buy a new machine. You'll be glad you did and you might pick up some warranty, too.

God_Of_Death · #19 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:47 am

wow, you guys are a wealth of info.

i did the numbers and i had enough cash to upgrade and HD to a hitachi 100gig 7k rpm drive. newegg was sold out of the 160gig hd's =(. i also bought a second 1gig stick

i also bought a 2ghz dothan off ebay. i know that it was insanely priced but i love maxing out laptops =)

i don't want to upgrade the mobo.... X_x

i didn't know about the LCD upgrade and right now i am looking through ebay for one

Temetka · #20 Post by **Temetka** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:01 pm

God_Of_Death wrote:wow, you guys are a wealth of info.

i did the numbers and i had enough cash to upgrade and HD to a hitachi 100gig 7k rpm drive. newegg was sold out of the 160gig hd's =(. i also bought a second 1gig stick

i also bought a 2ghz dothan off ebay. i know that it was insanely priced but i love maxing out laptops =)

i don't want to upgrade the mobo.... X_x

i didn't know about the LCD upgrade and right now i am looking through ebay for one

Well it sounds like you are well on your way to owning a rather nice Thinkpad. As harryc pointed out, I have come along to point out a few other upgrades that you can make to your machine.

However you already have the HD adapter, slim batteries and the 9-cell. Considering the RAM, HD and CPU upgrades you are getting (and considering) everything appears to be nearly complete.

I have found one other upgrade which has not yet been mentioned in the thread. You can pick up a DVD burner that will fit in the ultrabay slot. I would NOT get one though. You can pick up a nice external dual layer burner with lightscribe and just connect it via USB. This way you still have your HD's and / or 2nd battery sill installed.

You can also get the travel bezel to reduce carrying weight if you like.

I also strongly recommend that you do the LCD upgrade. Moving up from XGA is awesome. You gain more desktop real estate and I think it is actually easier on the eyes.

Congrats on your purchase and on your upgrades. Your machine will run the heck out XP and even Vista so long as you don't care about Aero and are willing to take the minor hit in performance and/or battery life. Considering the GPU you have though I wouldn't even bother.

Linux will also run like a chihuahua on a frappacino binge on your machine.

God_Of_Death · #21 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 5:08 pm

finding the correct lcd is rather difficult. all i am seeing are 14inch lcd's and the 15inch lcd's that i do see are xga

i guess this will have to be an ongoing search.

Temetka · #22 Post by **Temetka** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 5:23 pm

You can always to a:

WTB: T4x SXGA+ LCD Panel Wanted

in the marketplace forum and see what turns up...

God_Of_Death · #23 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:05 pm

after almost 5 months my T41 is complete. the SXGA screen was hard to find and I came across the BT adapter by accident.

would I do it again......no. But it sure was fun.

At least I have a lappy that will last me for many years to come. if the ati chip doesn't come off that is.

*off to drool on the T41*

God_Of_Death · #24 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:14 pm

just had to post my sig

#25 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:32 pm

Congrats, and good luck with your T41.

dr_st · #26 Post by **dr_st** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:36 pm

Why don't you just save yourself time and money and purchase a brand new T60/T61, with a three year warranty. It will cost you one half of what it would cost you to get all these upgrades to a hugely outdated machine, that will just make it slightly less outdated.

God_Of_Death · #27 Post by **God_Of_Death** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:38 pm

dr_st wrote:Why don't you just save yourself time and money and purchase a brand new T60/T61, with a three year warranty. It will cost you one half of what it would cost you to get all these upgrades to a hugely outdated machine, that will just make it slightly less outdated.

holy crap....didn't expect that

and how the hell is this lappy "hugely outdated"? how do you know how much i spent? anyone can buy a lappy but whats the fun in that?

i traded old desktop parts for this lappy. i spent $100 on batteries and ultrabay stuff, $130 on the screen, $100 on the ram, i think $100 on the hd, $40 on the bt adapter and $170 on the cpu. i had a lot of fun doing this and it cost me $640. the only thing that the T61 has me beat on is the cpu.

i just went on lenovo's site and costomized a T61 with similar specs with the exception of the cpu and screen and it rang up as $1,161.75. the only thing that i liked about the T61 is the cpu. what i didn't like was the WXGA screen. everything else is the same.

i don't need a new lappy. i love tinkering, upgrading, taking things apart only to make them better.

besides, if i did want to buy a new laptop then it would not be a T61 and it would not cost a lowly 1K. it's a moot point.

new owner of a T41 2373-7FU, have questions.

new owner of a T41 2373-7FU, have questions.

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