Max Hard Drive Size for x41 Tablet

[comcap]

I Have a Thinkpad X41 Tablet machine # 1869 5CU

I have only a 40gig Primary Internal HDD and would like to upgrade the internal hard drive to a bigger one.
Can't get a straight answer from Lenovo on what the max gig size allowed is and what specification are needed. I'd be happy to buy a third party drive if I new it would fit and work.

Can you offer any assistance

Thanks

[WarMachine]

Hello,

I think the chipset could handle 250, 320 GB drives or even more, if those ones weren't 1.8" HDDs.

It will be relatively easy to find 60 GB HDDs.

I don't think you'll find bigger disks.

W.

[comcap]

Thank, but I'm still confused as to what particular hard drives I could use.

If I want to go to 60gig what specs do I need, and do I ned to worry about having the correct firmware on the drive.

Where might I look for well priced compatible drives

I'd love to go bigger than 60 -- Not sure what you mean by it could handle 250 gb etc of those ones weren't 1.8" - don't I need 1.8" PATA??

Thanks again

[SteveS]

The X40 series uses a 1.8 inch PATA drive, with the standard 44 pin laptop PATA connector. Hitachi Global Storage Technology is the ONLY company that built drives in this format, and I don’t believe then still make them. So the supply of new drives is limited to whatever inventory dealers might have in stock.
The drives only came in 4200 RPM speed, and 60 GB was the largest ever built. The X41 came with either 40 or 60 GB, and the older X40 started with 20, 30 or 40 GB models.

The HGST part number for the 60 GB drive is: HTC426060G9AT00. Be prepared for sticker shock – the new ones I have found are priced about the same as a used X41 on e-bay!

One member reported that Lenovo is shipping a replacement which uses a different style of drive with an adapter cable. It the cable were available separately, this would be great news.

[WarMachine]

Not sure what you mean by it could handle 250 gb etc of those ones weren't 1.8" - don't I need 1.8" PATA??

Excuse me for my not so clear answer. (French boy inside... )

You do need a 1.8" P-ATA drive.

Those drives, as SteveS said, are made by Hitachi, and their maximum capacity is 60 GB.

If the X4x series were able to accept 2.5" drives, you could afford the biggest hard drives currently available (ie the chipset would accept them), but unfortunately, you're limited to 60 GB, because the biggest 1.8" P-ATA drives have a capacity of 60 GB.

I hope my explanation is better.

W.

[DiGiTY]

can a hard drive be used in the dock? if so, 2.5" or 1.8"? PATA or SATA?

[ragefury32]

Nope - I don't believe that you can put a second drive in the Ultrabase X4 (this is from memory, though).

As for the drive - I think you can do some pretty creative stuff using a sheets recovered from a styrofoam envelope (like the stuff that Thinkpad parts come packed on), a Toshiba/HGST/Samsung/Seagate Lyrion 1.8" drive (make sure that they are under the 9.5mm height limit in the X4 HDD bay with room to spare) and one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0211429655.

The idea goes like this -

a) Attach the ZIF connector to the 1.8" drive
b) Attach the IDE connector to the motherboard
c) Wrap the entire thing in padded envelope, assemble a custom caddy

If the wiring is done right everything should "just work". I would recommend using a 1.8" drive from a broken iPod to see if it's feasible first. I am sure that it is - Dell is basically using that trick on the shock mounted ATG machines.

Hm. Who knows. if this hack works the X4s might go up in value - Toshiba just announced 5400rpm 1.8" drives - the perf gap should narrow between the X3s and the X4s.