R52 mobo into t42 problem

Message

Doug · #1 Post by **Doug** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:43 pm

I recently picked up a R52 motherboard off of Ebay (FRU 39T5646) to put into my 14 inch T42 with detached Radeon 9600. I needed the R52 board because my LCD is 1050 x 1400. I also bought a used Pentium M 740, and 2 gigs of DDR 2 RAM.

I did the "surgery" last night, and ran into an issue: The PC card unit has a different connecter on the t42 than on the R52. I don't use any PC cards, so I left that part out and put the rest of the machine together and tried to boot it up. When I plugged it in and put in the battery, the little battery indicator light lit up green, then changed to yellow, which was encouraging. I hit the power button, and the LCD illuminated but didn't display anything. The HD light blinks a couple of times, and then the machine gives 2 beeps and does nothing. The CPU fan comes on as well. I looked up the beep codes, and 2 beeps means bad motherboard or DIMM.

Could the problem stem from not having a PC card unit plugged in? What else should I try? If I need a compatible PC card unit, which one should I get (R52 or T43?).

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!!

#2 Post by **richk** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:42 pm

You are not going to like my answer. You bought an R52 board with Intel graphics. It doesn't do SXGA+. (none of the T43/T52 boards with Intel support it) Any T40/41/42 board or any ATi-equipped T43/R52 will work fine.

#3 Post by **schen** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:20 pm

richk wrote:You are not going to like my answer. You bought an R52 board with Intel graphics. It doesn't do SXGA+. (none of the T43/T52 boards with Intel support it) Any T40/41/42 board or any ATi-equipped T43/R52 will work fine.

I beg to differ, since I'm in possession of a hybrid R52 with the Intel GPU'd board married to an SXGA+ screen. Now what I've seen from others posting that have tried it is that for some reason, the Intel GPU's T43 MBs don't run the SXGA+ screen, but the one from the R52 does.

ajkula66 · #4 Post by **ajkula66** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:15 pm

I'd tend to think that the truth is somewhere in between...

There are R52 units with Intel boards and SXGA+ LCDs, however...all of these machines are 15". I have never heard of anyone who got an Intel board to drive a 14" SXGA+...why, no clue.

Another thing to consider: R52 units came with a couple of different Intel-based boards. Only the ones that were originally enabled to support SXGA+ LCDs will do so. And the one that OP has acquired doesn't seem to belong in that group...

#5 Post by **richk** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:29 pm

I don't think I've tried a 15" screen.

Doug · #6 Post by **Doug** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:38 am

So is an incompatible sxga+ screen plugged into the board consistent with the two beep code it is giving me?

Should it boot if I unplug the LCD, and try to drive an external moniter?

#7 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:54 am

If the mobo is OK otherwise, then it should boot on an external monitor.
R52s have a combined PCMCIA cage, 1 normal card, 1 PC-Express card.
You can recognize these by looking at the end of the blue push-buttons. 1 of them has an x on it for PC-Express.

#8 Post by **richk** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:56 pm

Since I hadn't tried a 15" SXGA+ screen and had the parts here, I tried it and it does work. (the 14" one still doesn't"

sjthinkpader · #9 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:51 pm

richk wrote:Since I hadn't tried a 15" SXGA+ screen and had the parts here, I tried it and it does work. (the 14" one still doesn't"

There are no R52 SXGA+ cable for 14 inch screens. I also have a intel GPU 15 inch SXGA+ R52.

sjthinkpader · #10 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:57 pm

removed

Doug · #11 Post by **Doug** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:35 pm

Hmmm, so it sounds like I am up a certain creek without a paddle. What would you folks recommend I do? Purchase a 14 inch XGA LCD? Sell the R52 board and abandon the project? It seems like the 14 inch SXGA+ LCD really makes things difficult! I really don't want to replace the board with another ATI GPU equipped one, but it sounds like that might be the only option. I guess I could reflow it again too since I have it all disassembled already...

sjthinkpader · #12 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:54 pm

Review this thread although he used a R51 MB.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... hlight=r52

mwmason · #13 Post by **mwmason** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:26 am

So is there no permanent solution for SXGA+ 14.1" LCDs? I reflowed my t42p in 10/08 and last night it started acting up on me.

It seems my option is buy a R51/52 mobo and purchase an XGA LCD. Is that correct?

#14 Post by **underclocker** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:54 am

I can also confirm that a 14" SXGA+ display assembly from a T4x will NOT work with an R52 Intel GPU motherboard unit even though it was originally configured (and does work) with a 15" SXGA+ display assembly. The LCD backlight does illuminate, but no image is displayed.

I suppose the only option that might work (other than a BIOS modification) would be a cable modification. Either modifying the 14" cable in some way OR using the cable from the 15" SXGA+ assembly. Unfortunately, while the actual connector is identical between all 14" and 15" cables (for all R5x and T4x models), the cable end at the connector varies between the 14" and 15" models. The size is different and the suspend button is in a different location. So some customization would be required if the 15" SXGA+ cable actually does work with a 14" SXGA+ LCD.

Bottom line, 1) no for 14" SXGA+ Intel GPU T4x machines without serious modifications, and 2) yes to 15" SXGA+ Intel GPU T4x machines (maybe UXGA will work, too?)

sktn77a · #15 Post by **sktn77a** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:04 am

Doug wrote:Hmmm, so it sounds like I am up a certain creek without a paddle. What would you folks recommend I do? Purchase a 14 inch XGA LCD? Sell the R52 board and abandon the project? It seems like the 14 inch SXGA+ LCD really makes things difficult! I really don't want to replace the board with another ATI GPU equipped one, but it sounds like that might be the only option. I guess I could reflow it again too since I have it all disassembled already...

I'd probably stick with the R52 motherboard. You should be able to sell you SXGA+ display for more than the cost of an XGA display and, personally, I find the SXGA+ display resolution on a 14" screen way too small for my eyes!

R52 mobo into t42 problem

R52 mobo into t42 problem

consistent with beep code

Re: R52 mobo into t42 problem

sigh

Re: R52 mobo into t42 problem

Re: R52 mobo into t42 problem

Re: sigh

Who is online