T21 - Worth Upgrading RAM to 512MB?

[graya25]

Hello everyone!
I have a T21 that has 384MB RAM right now and its running alright with Windows Vista (surprisingly enough) and running well with XP (I have both dual-booting). Anyway, would you think that it would be worth it to upgrade the RAM in the T21 to 512MB? Would I get any significant performance boost to justify the purchase?

On an unrelated note, I have horizontal lines stretching across my screen. These are an LCD problem, not the graphics card's, as I connected the T21 to an external display and there were no lines. Is there any way that I could repair this myself, or do I have to buy a new screen? I also have a dead 600E that has good parts if they can be transplanted into the T21.

Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

You can never have enough RAM and 512MB will certainly see an improvement over 384MB. Just swap the 128MB for a matching 256MB.
Besides, RAM is a cheap upgrade.

The horizontal lines could well be a graphics problem, as the internal wiring for the LCD is not the same as goes out to the VGA port.

Someone else could hopefully tell you if the 600/T21 LCDs are interchangeable.

Download the Hardware Maintenance Manuals for both and compare size and part numbers. You may be lucky.

[joester]

Welcome to the forum!

I happen to have both a 600E and a T21 as well.

Comparing just the physical fit tells me they are not interchangeable. The hinges and cables don't seem similar enough.
I could be wrong, but the FRU numbers are different too.

Hmmm.... dead 600e eh? I'm kinda looking for a dead one for parts....

Joe

[tfflivemb2]

Unfortunately, the only thing that is outright exchangeable is the hard drive. In some cases, the ram, too. The ram will depend on whether the ram in the 600E is PC66 or PC100. The T21 uses PC100. and MAYBE low density PC133 ram...but that seems to be hit and miss for some people.

[Harryc]

I've upgraded the RAM in several T21's and I'd recommend (2) 256MB sticks -

1.) IBM P/N 33L3069, FRU 33L3070 IBM Branded PC100

2.) Kingston KTM-TP390X/256 PC100

Anything else you're just going to have to try. For PC100, minimally make sure it is low density ( 8 ) chips per side, total of (16) chips per stick. The T21 has to be the most finicky machine as far as RAM compatibility I've ever seen. The main problem with the parts mentioned above is that they are not in production and are in limited supply, thus they're expensive...up to $35 to $50 per stick on EBay, more elsewhere. I've tried PC133 in T21's without success. Some may seemingly work, but will fail Memtest86.

[beeblebrox]

I've upgraded the RAM in several T21's and I'd recommend (2) 256MB sticks -

1.) IBM P/N 33L3069, FRU 33L3070 IBM Branded PC100

2.) Kingston KTM-TP390X/256 PC100

Anything else you're just going to have to try. For PC100, minimally make sure it is low density ( 8 ) chips per side, total of (16) chips per stick. The T21 has to be the most finicky machine as far as RAM compatibility I've ever seen. The main problem with the parts mentioned above is that they are not in production and are in limited supply, thus they're expensive...up to $35 to $50 per stick on EBay, more elsewhere. I've tried PC133 in T21's without success. Some may seemingly work, but will fail Memtest86.

I agree, memory for the T22 is a pain in the b...!

I had the same situation for my father. I decided to sell the whole thing on ebay and get a nearly mint T23 without memory for the same price.
PC133 is way cheaper and the T23 is way faster with a better chipset.

Full upgrading of the T20-T22 doesn't make sense anymore.
256MB PC100 SDRAM stick costs around $50
512MB PC133 SDRAM stick costs around $50
1024MB PC333 DDRAM stick costs around $50
2048MB PC667 DDRAM2 stick costs around $50

So you see the sweet point when you need to upgrade.

[zern]

Upgraded my T21 to 512Mb a few months ago. Well worth the effort.

[vanaya]

I have also upgraded my T21 in sig. What I have found on the memory is aslong as it is CL2 (CAS or latency) the pc133 sticks have worked for me, ofcourse low density and 16 chips per stick. A month ago I got a matching pair of sticks for cheap. I tested them in all of systems in my stable and had zero problems. Even on the plain 600 (2645-51U) it was recognized as a full 256mb in the 2nd slot.

I have only had 1 stick of 256mb pc133 CL3 and it was before my stable multiplied. So I didn't get a chance to test on T21 only on one 600E. And it didn't like it!!

[WarMachine]

Hello,

About the screens :

The T21 has a 14.1" LCD display.
The 600E has a 13.3" one.

So, it will not be interchangeable.

You could try to find another dead T21 with a working LCD on eBay, for example, to change your current display.

I did so with my T23, because :

- I had one dead pixel,
- The keyboard was a little worn out,
- The paint under the laptop, where you put the RAMs, was worn out too.

I paid 50€ for the T23, without HDD, CPU and RAM, and not booting.
I now have sort of brand new T23 fully functional.

If you want to upgrade RAM, it can be interesting if you like to use multiple applications at the same time. If you only use basic appications, and not 2 or 3 or more at the same time, 384 MB is fine.

You can tweak your OS to save resources.

If you can find a cheap 256 MB stick, then upgrade your laptop. Upgrading the RAM is the best thing to do to boost a PC. If you have more money, you could also put a 5400 rpm or a 7200 rpm HDD. That'll give another boost to your T21.

W.