Upgrading R51

[Sniper007]

Folks,

I am a new member of this forum. I joined yesterday. I have Thinkpad R51 Type-2887 MQ6 which I want to upgrade to gain speed & also play some decent games which require graphics rendering. The specification of my thinkpad is as below:

P M 735(1.7GHz), 512MB RAM, 60GB 5400rpm HD, 15in 1024x768 LCD, Intel Extreme, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11bg wireless, Modem, 10/100 Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, 6c Li-Ion batt.

I am not looking for hign end graphics but at least I would like to play AOE recent version without any problem. I think upgrading RAM & graphics would do it.

I would like your opinion on whether what components I can upgrade. Will I also have to upgrade motherboard etc?
I am located in Bangalore, India. Hence would appreciate any advise on from where can I get the laptop upgraded.

[Harryc]

RAM, you can upgrade to 2 x 1GB Sticks of PC2700. Video, you'd have to replace the systemboard and you'd still be unhappy with performance on modern games. The fastest GPU that would work in a systemboard replacement is a 128MB ATI FireGL T2. I have no idea what the system requirements are to play AOE...maybe you can research that.

Edit: Below is what is says on a quick google search for system requirements. So it might play ok with a 128MB ATI FireGL T2. I'd ask someone who has one.

Minimum System Requirements for Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs

* Microsoft® Windows® XP
* PC with 1.4 Ghz equivalent or higher processor that supports SSE
* 256 MB of system RAM
* 2.9 GB available hard disk space
* 32x speed or faster CD-ROM drive
* 64 MB video card with HT&L
* Sound card with speakers or headphones
* Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
* 56.6 Kbps or better modem for online play
* DirectX 9.0c or above

On the other hand, on this chart, it says the FireGL T2 handles DirectX 9.0, not 9.0c.

[Sniper007]

Thanks Harry, Can u be more specific as to which systemboard i should go for? Also do I have to change the system board if I go for graphic card. I think the card u mentioned should be sufficient enough. I wud probably go for 2 x 1GB PC2700 333MHz DDR SDRAM SODIMM Memory for RAM. However I am getting confused with graphic card. I do not want to make this a costly upgrade.

[Harryc]

OK, let me make this as simple as possible. You can't change/upgrade the Graphics card (GPU) because it is soldered to the systemboard. You need to physically remove the systemboard from the Thinkpad and replace it with a model that has a better GPU. Now that that's out of the way, you need to look for a T4X/P systemboard, preferably a T42/P or an R50/P board. The downside to using a T4X/P board is that if your R51 has Firewire it will be disabled after the swap. So, to keep Firewire and upgrade the GPU look for an R50/P board with Firewire. Let us know if your currrent machine has Firewire and if you need to keep it. Oh, and if cost is a concern, this is not the upgrade for you, not to mention the fact the R50/P boards may be hard to find.

[Sniper007]

Thanks buddy...I will look out for my options as the sooner I do the better for me or else I might hve to scrap it after a year or two.

[sjthinkpader]

The intel integrated graphic versions are made for office use. We just bought the latest T61 with intel graphics.

You want the R51 183x types with ATI graphics for what you want to do. Personal preference would be a R52 due to their use of DDR2 memory.

Gaming create a lot of heat in the system and frequently run at 60-70 deg C vs 40-50 deg C. My kid uses A31p for gaming and he is on the 3rd machine.