T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

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kajencik · #1 Post by **kajencik** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:00 pm

As the subject says, I tried this today and it works great! There are however some issues:

a) no battery connector in ultrabay - I'm not using this frequently so never mind

b) only one PCMCIA slot - same as above

c) missing miniPCI slot - there is soldering on the board but no plastic cage for the card - this is main issue for me, as I don't like the idea to have PCMCIA wifi.... is it possible to swap the cage from the failed T41 board? It seems very difficult for me now, as I'm only average in soldering. Anybody has any ideas?

sjthinkpader · #2 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:35 pm

Are you sure it is missing the miniPCI slot and not the dock connector? This is under the touch pad?

kajencik · #3 Post by **kajencik** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:41 pm

Yep, I'm sure, the dock connector is missing too, but I don't use it anyway, there is place under the keyboard, where should be the minipci slot, there are all the pins ready on the board that the mini-pci card has, but no cage for it, the R50e was 1834-2LG:

Code: Select all

Original description: Celeron M 320, 256MB RAM, 30GB 4200rpm HDD, 15 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD, Intel Extreme, 24x24x24x/8x CD-RW/DVD, Modem(CDC), 10/100 Ethernet(LOM), 6 cell Li-Ion battery, WinXP Pro

sjthinkpader · #4 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:07 pm

Wow, this type/model number is not even listed in the Service Parts List for system boards.

ajkula66 · #5 Post by **ajkula66** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:07 pm

Well...it doesn't even say "wireless upgradeable" so there you have it...R50e units are funny beasts...

#6 Post by **underclocker** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:20 pm

Nice work!

Some R50e motherboards did not have (specifically, the Celeron CPU models);

-mini-PCI slots
-wifi antennas

All R50e motherboards (both Pentium M and Celeron CPU models) were functionally limited as compared to T4x motherboards these ways;

-support for only one PC Card slot
-no dock/port replicator connector
-no internal microphone
-mono speaker output
-no S-video out port (TV out)
-no ifrared port
-no touchpad support
-no hot swappable optical drives or eject lever (not an UltraBay, but drive is cold swappable)
-no support for the UltraBay slim battery (no internal connector)
-no IBM Active Protection System (no motion sensor) Note: T40 mobo didn't have the APS sensor either.

sparta.rising · #7 Post by **sparta.rising** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:06 pm

Hah, wow, didn't even notice those things in the R50e I have sitting in my "to be fixed" pile... but now that I look at it, its kind of hilarious because it has all the traces on the motherboard for the mic and the ultrabay batter, the second pcmcia. I didn't even notice it didn't have a trackpad! Luckily this one has the mini-PCI slot. Funny little machines.

I'm guessing e stands for economy...
p is for premium?
t is for tablet
T is for Titanium
W is for Workstation
What is R for?
(S must have been for sexy)

(I know I skipped X and Z)

kajencik · #8 Post by **kajencik** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:48 am

OK, interesting information

But still - do you think it's possible to swap the minipci cage from the T41 board? Has anybody tried to solder anything like this? How could it be done?

juhpal · #9 Post by **juhpal** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:16 am

kajencik wrote:OK, interesting information But still - do you think it's possible to swap the minipci cage from the T41 board? Has anybody tried to solder anything like this? How could it be done?

Soldering would be quite hard - not impossible, but hard. It would most probably need some kind of reflow soldering (check reflow in the Google). I have worked in a power supply manufacturer and usually when there is one feature missing from the system board, the IC:s and other components for it are missing too. This is because of cost saving reasons.

The R-series is the value series of thinkpads and they cost less than T-series. The cost-savings have been done so that less features, less components in the mainboard. That is why I think that there is missing electronically more for the miniPCI slot than just the connector. However it is possible that I am wong

You have to compare the board to one that has miniPCI.

juhpal · #10 Post by **juhpal** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:28 am

kajencik wrote:As the subject says, I tried this today and it works great! There are however some issues:

a) no battery connector in ultrabay - I'm not using this frequently so never mind

b) only one PCMCIA slot - same as above

c) missing miniPCI slot - there is soldering on the board but no plastic cage for the card - this is main issue for me, as I don't like the idea to have PCMCIA wifi.... is it possible to swap the cage from the failed T41 board? It seems very difficult for me now, as I'm only average in soldering. Anybody has any ideas?

For the PCMCIA wifi, check the 3com X-jack -models. They go inside the PCMCIA slot, nothing coming out!

kajencik · #11 Post by **kajencik** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:55 am

juhpal wrote:
kajencik wrote:As the subject says, I tried this today and it works great! There are however some issues:

a) no battery connector in ultrabay - I'm not using this frequently so never mind

b) only one PCMCIA slot - same as above

c) missing miniPCI slot - there is soldering on the board but no plastic cage for the card - this is main issue for me, as I don't like the idea to have PCMCIA wifi.... is it possible to swap the cage from the failed T41 board? It seems very difficult for me now, as I'm only average in soldering. Anybody has any ideas?
For the PCMCIA wifi, check the 3com X-jack -models. They go inside the PCMCIA slot, nothing coming out!

Interesting little thing, but the 802.11g version seems to cost about 1/3 or more of the value of the laptop (about $90) and using 802.11b version would degrade my home wireless network significantly, I'm not planning to go much more than $20 for the wireless conectivity, so I gues I have to stick with the antena outside....

sparta.rising · #12 Post by **sparta.rising** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:42 am

I just bought an 802.11b x-jack pcmcia card from ebay and apparently it was defective because it wouldn't get any reception. The ebay seller sent me another, same story. Looking at his feedback a lot of people had the same issue. Eventually got a refund.

kajencik · #13 Post by **kajencik** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:50 am

I saw it too - seems to be almost the only one on ebay, but it's still unusable for me, because it's 802.11b only

j00j4nt200 · #14 Post by **j00j4nt200** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:59 am

I have dead T40 (gpu dead), and working R50e.
I was thinking is it possible to insert motherboard from R50e in T40case and connect with T40 devices?

If I understand, even if mb fit there are issues:
- no svga out, no Docking
- wireless - maybe?
- BT - Can I connect bt to R50e mobo?
- Touchpad - Can I connect touchpad to R50e mobo?
- Are LCD displays the same or T40 have better LCD?

#15 Post by **underclocker** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:42 am

These two threads should help you;

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=36003

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65505

I am not sure about BT support, but I'm pretty sure that if it works, you'll need a BT adapter from an R51 or T42, the T40/T41 adapter probably won't work.

The LCD's and inverters are the interchangeable. It is luck of the draw regarding which LCD model is installed in which T4x or R5x, they're all good - at least when new! ONLY XGA WILL WORK WITH THE R50e MOBO.

T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

Re: T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

Re: T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

Re: T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

Re: T41 (14" XGA) GPU problem fix - R50e motherboad

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