Replacement GPU chip for T43p

[poshgeordie]

Following on from this topic I've been trying to find a source of ATI Mobility FireGL PCI Express 216YDJAGA23FHG as used on T43p's.

I need a couple for customers TP's because they are all bonded to the motherboard and the only way to reball them is to grind them off and fit new replacements (why did IBM Lenovo do this useless destructive bonding?).

My source confirms there is nothing available but has suggested that an ATI X600 chip 216XDJAGA23FHG "can be replaced perfectly".

The supplier is normally quite reliable and I'll assume that the BGA layout is OK, but does anyone have any comments about this in terms of performance differences and the obvious one of whether it will work at all?

It's interesting too that the part numbers are only one letter different.

I may buy a couple and try them anyway, but any tech advise / comments are welcome.

[Harryc]

Nick, performance wise the chips would be basically the same.
http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopi ... =2&t=10966
...and there is already driver support
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... migr-61503

[poshgeordie]

Many thanks Harry. I usually do a search first but just assumed this would have never been discussed before - serves me right!

Seems the way to go and I'll now get some in and report back.

[lukee]

Question is, if there is a BIOS support... In some revision of T43's BIOS was released HyperMemory technology support, which might (might not) be compatible with another chip.

[poshgeordie]

Thanks for your comments, but I don't have as much technical knowledge as you in these things!

Could you explain what this means when changing to an X600 chip?

I've done a quick search on "HyperMemory X600" and thre are numerous results that seem to confirm it exists for this chip. Is this OK?

Also I'd be very grateful if you could check out HarryC's link too and comment, since it seems the X600 is the result of chip selection after manufacture:

The x600 is the same part as the V3200. The difference is in the drivers. Some OpenGL acceleration fetures are only available in the drivers for the V3200 and ATI makes it difficult to use the V3200 drivers with an x600. The reason for this is that ATI wants to charge professional users (that supposedly run OpenGL apps and are less price sensitive) more than they charge consumers (who tend to use 3D for games and are more price sensitive). NVIDIA does the same thing.

and

I should perhaps add to my comment above that there is almost certainly some bin-sorting going on. That is, the V3200 is somewhat higher speced than the x600. Coming out of manufacturing, the parts are then tested to check if they meet the V3200 spec and could be marked that way. If not, they are tested for the x600 spec and if passed they are marked as x600. Now, of course, if the process works well more V3200s than needed will be produced, so many of them will be marked as x600s. That is basically why overclocking works with some chips and not with others.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[malch]

The difference between the chips is the gpu bios. Ati flashed the chip to be either a X600 or V3200.
Thats how the catalyst knows which gpu it is providing drivers for.
By the way AFAIK all mobility gpu bios's are locked and I havent found a way to unlock them.

poshgeordie what did you finally get for a substitute for the 216YDJAGA23FHG? There are lots of numbers for X600s.
I'm guessing at the first one: 216XDHAGA23FH or 216XDHAGA23FHG or 216XDJAGA23FH or 216XDJAGA23FHG.

[malch]

I'll make this shorter.
poshgeordie, what did you finally get for a substitute for the 216YDJAGA23FHG? There are lots of numbers for X600s.

[malch]

poshgeordie, what did you finally get for a substitute for the 216YDJAGA23FHG? Did it work?

[Cigarguy]

You might want to PM the OP as this thread was started almost 2 years ago.

[malch]

Naw he is prolly too busy.
poshgeordie, what did you finally get for a substitute for the 216YDJAGA23FHG? Did it work?

[malch]

Naw he is prolly too busy.
poshgeordie, what did you finally get for a substitute for the 216YDJAGA23FHG? Did it work?

He is probably out of business.

[RealBlackStuff]

He is probably out of business.

Stop spreading FUD!
He is just too busy to spend time on the forum!
Contact him here: http://www.reflowrepairs.co.uk/contact/contact-form.php

[malch]

"He is probably out of business.

Stop spreading FUD!
He is just too busy to spend time on the forum!"

There is no fear and there is no doubt.
But I am uncertain.

[ajkula66]

Have you tried contacting Nick at the site that RBS had suggested?

I'd also be very careful about suggesting that someone is out of business without being able to prove it 100%...

[malch]

He is not out of business!!

poshgeordie, what did you finally get for a substitute for the 216YDJAGA23FHG? Did it work?

Something to remember:
[quote="den_el_vegano"]I must say that i find it very curious to have a person that is professionally repairing the flexing problem coming up here and say "be careful with what you do, because you can harm to your material - best you give me (or one of the pros) much more money and we do it good for you". This is not sharing skills - that's just scaring people and keeping one's skills. I would prefer RealBlackStuff telling us how he does it in order to fix the problem (with a little bit of more chances of success). But he won't because he's making money out of it, and so i don't see what he is doing on this thread, if he's not sharing any experience with us! I hate this "professionalism" that wants us to believe that only a professional can do a good job! This is a forum and should not just be a place for advertising!

[RealBlackStuff]

You've been nagging about this for nearly two months.
If you had contacted him you would have received an answer by now (unless he is also fed up with your insistence...).
And as an FYI: nobody here HAS to answer you, posting in this forum is totally on a voluntary basis!
My advice: give it a rest.