(Question)T43 with sata mod.

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c4warrior · #1 Post by **c4warrior** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:46 am

I'm curious, is there a tangible price for a T43 with the sata mod done?

hunterman223 · #2 Post by **hunterman223** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:54 am

It probably will be fairly difficult to find one that is pre-modded, and probably pricey. Your best bet would be to post here to buy a standard one, and see if the seller will do it for a few bucks, or get one of eBay and see if you can send it to someone on here.

91011 · #3 Post by **91011** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:25 am

The OP is asking if an already SATA modded T43 would be worth more when selling and, if so, an estimate/guess as to how much.

craigmontHunter · #4 Post by **craigmontHunter** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:42 am

It is very much a supply and demand thing, and the quality of the mod. RBS did an excellent job on his, it looks and works like the origional drive. If you need to dissasemble the laptop or solder the drive, that would lower the price quite a bit. as usual, it also depends on the overall condition of the machine.

Overall I think it may raise the price a little bit, but not a whole lot.

hunterman223 · #5 Post by **hunterman223** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:50 pm

craigmontHunter wrote: Overall I think it may raise the price a little bit, but not a whole lot.

My thoughts exactly. How much can you have it done for? Probably not very expensive. It would be a good selling point for convenience sake, i would say add $10-20.

Sorry about my previous post, but it wasn't totally clear.

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ajkula66 · #6 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 2:09 pm

It's NOT about what parts cost.

It IS about the skills required and the risk incurred in the process...

That being said, I have no clue on how I'd value it in $$$...

hunterman223 · #7 Post by **hunterman223** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 2:16 pm

ajkula66 wrote:It's NOT about what parts cost.

It IS about the skills required and the risk incurred in the process...

That being said, I have no clue on how I'd value it in $$$...

Still, I or most anybody could ask around on this forum and follow guides online and achieve the same thing. If it was done for me it would be quicker and more convenient, but if i invested a little time I could get the same results. Therefore i wouldn't pay a lot.

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ajkula66 · #8 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:07 pm

I would tend to seriously doubt the "most anybody" part...

Question of valuing one's own time and labour is up to each individual...

That being said, if I were selling a properly tested T43/p with a given mod, I'd be asking at least $100 more than a standard version with otherwise matching specs goes for...

Mods/Admins, I'm really uncertain whether this one should stay in the Marketplace, or be moved to T4x forum...please advise...

hunterman223 · #9 Post by **hunterman223** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:21 pm

"Most Anybody" was slightly exaggerating, should have said "someone with some previous knowledge of electronics". Personally I think $100 is too much, but that's just me. If I was not able to do the mod then yes, i would readily pay $100.

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emtee3511 · #10 Post by **emtee3511** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:30 pm

Not all Forum members are qualified geeks

I would like to be, but at sixty I just don't learn as quickly as I used to -- and even when I was younger I was probably a little slow in the electronics department --

While pricing on any of our ThinkPads is relative, there are many on this Forum who happily pay a reasonable surcharge for a machine with a mod we are unable to do ourselves -- i.e. Thank you Harryc for my X200 w/AFFS-glossy, and to underclocker for my T41 w/R51mobo -- could not have done either mod myself --

hunterman223 · #11 Post by **hunterman223** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:43 pm

Like I said, many people will pay to have things done they can't or don't want to do themselves. Likewise, many people will not pay $100 because they could do it themselves instead.

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c4warrior · #12 Post by **c4warrior** » Sun May 01, 2011 4:25 pm

Yeah... knowledge of electronics doesn't get you the equipment needed to do this mod, let alone the patience or understanding. If you want to do it quick, ugly, and not-so-thorough, you can just cut tracers with a knife and such... crude and works, but not really what I'm talking about here.

What I'm talking about here is a clean job, hassle free. It was a question as to how much people would not only pay to have the mod done but how much extra for a t43 that has it done. I'm sorry to disagree, but 10-20 dollars is laughable. You don't just break out your $13 weller and get started. I actually used a microscope for the data soldering, though you can strain to do it without one, that's just how tedious it is.

Not to mention having a SATA drive on a T43 is... amazing. The drive choices are so much better.

Anyway, the reason I ask is because I actually got that soldering itch while doing this project and set up the full station in my house. So I'll more than likely be purchasing T43s to do the mod and resell them or offering the service to owners of T43s.

I initially thought something around $100 was fair. Thank you for all your input!

hunterman223 · #13 Post by **hunterman223** » Sun May 01, 2011 5:16 pm

Again, that's your choice. If I already have the equipment and the materials required, why would I go out and buy a $13 weller? I wouldn't. So that being said, it this was someone in my situation I would pay, $10-20. Maybe more depending on how I feel at the time.

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#14 Post by **Harryc** » Sun May 01, 2011 5:33 pm

This thread really doesn't belong in Marketplace. Moved to the T4X forum ...

#15 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun May 01, 2011 5:34 pm

@hunterman223: your record is starting to sound worn out.
OTOH, good luck trying to find someone to do this mod for your measly $10-20

hunterman223 · #16 Post by **hunterman223** » Sun May 01, 2011 5:41 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:@hunterman223: your record is starting to sound worn out.
OTOH, good luck trying to find someone to do this mod for your measly $10-20

Yes, it is. My measly $10-20 will be plenty for me to do it myself. If i were someone else as I have said numerous times, and I will say again (here's that broken record again) I am sure they would pay the $100 happily if they wanted SATA functionality in their T43. My record is done playing now.

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poshgeordie · #17 Post by **poshgeordie** » Sun May 01, 2011 6:11 pm

OK, as THE person in the UK that can do it (@Hunterman I run Reflow Repairs up in Newcastle), it's not about simply getting a paintstripper heatgun from B&Q and then heating the chip up etc.
I can virtually guarantee that this method in the wrong hands is going to destroy a perfectly good board - see this sticky thread about this.

What would we charge? How do we put a value on what's basically just removing one chip?
Our equipment costs us many thousands (no it's not cheap Chinese rubbish) to start off with.
The process of removing the chip isn't a simple matter of heating it up - there are other parts of the process to enable it to be removed and our skill in doing the work, and preparing the board for soldering on the wire connections.

Moving onto making up the SATA connector, removing the old ATA one etc, again there's a lot of work involved in this, together with sourcing a suitable connector, and you're probably looking at a good hour's work there alone.

Add that to removing the chip and you're going to have to pay more than $10 from us... more like £60 I'd think, with at least £30 for removing the chip only.

That my friend is the real world.

davetop · #18 Post by **davetop** » Sun May 01, 2011 8:13 pm

Yeah I'd have to say just from experience in the Radio world of electronics having a mod like this done would most certainly be worth $100 to be proper. Does that mean you think it's worth less, maybe... but it's a marketplace and it comes down to what someone will do it for. Not only that, someone you trust with a proven track record will charge. Might be less, might be more.

Take care,
Dave

PS. If ya find anyone to do it let us know! Sure there's more than one interested in it.

poshgeordie · #19 Post by **poshgeordie** » Mon May 02, 2011 2:32 am

Not sure if this has been said elsewhere, but these boards (T43, T43p) do suffer from unsoldered GPU and Southbridge chips so MUST be handled with great care.

Also to remind people, that if either chip does fail many of them are glued to the board with clear epoxy and we've not yet found a practical way of dissolving / softening this stuff before removing the chip for reballing.

I think the time has come to do further work on this, so that we can offer the ultimate boards with reballed GPU and SB and modified for SATA too.

Now what would one of those boards be worth?!

c4warrior · #20 Post by **c4warrior** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:56 am

davetop wrote:Yeah I'd have to say just from experience in the Radio world of electronics having a mod like this done would most certainly be worth $100 to be proper. Does that mean you think it's worth less, maybe... but it's a marketplace and it comes down to what someone will do it for. Not only that, someone you trust with a proven track record will charge. Might be less, might be more.

Take care,
Dave

PS. If ya find anyone to do it let us know! Sure there's more than one interested in it.

I can do it and I was considering doing it for cash, if it seemed worth it to me. I set up a workstation specifically for this to do it for some of my friends so I figured I could do a service to the community and making some extra cash.

I'd do it for $100, that sounds fair. Again, I would never even consider it for $20.

I'm going to make a thing with all the info so if anyone wanted to pay to have it done, they can. In the meantime, I guess it's time to buy a machine, mod it, and resell it

hunterman223 · #21 Post by **hunterman223** » Mon May 02, 2011 7:22 am

c4warrior wrote:Again, I would never even consider it for $20.

Are you almost done with that idea? I am no longer the only one sounding like a broken record. Here is a clearer explanation if my previous ones were not getting through.

If I were looking on eBay for a T43, this is someone who is all setup to do the mod himself, he would not pay $100 extra for a T43 when he could achieve the same results himself. Depending on how lazy said person feels, he may pay so he doesn't have to spend his time.

Along comes another person who does not have the equipment or the required technical knowledge. He say "$100 for a T43 with a SATA mod, wow! That's a great deal, since I could never do that kind of thing myself, let alone for $100! What a steal! *presses buy it now*

Hopefully I have now better explained myself. Hunter out.

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c4warrior · #22 Post by **c4warrior** » Mon May 02, 2011 7:29 am

hunterman223 wrote: Are you almost done with that idea? I am no longer the only one sounding like a broken record. Here is a clearer explanation if my previous ones were not getting through.

If I were looking on eBay for a T43, this is someone who is all setup to do the mod himself, he would not pay $100 extra for a T43 when he could achieve the same results himself. Depending on how lazy said person feels, he may pay so he doesn't have to spend his time.

Along comes another person who does not have the equipment or the required technical knowledge. He say "$100 for a T43 with a SATA mod, wow! That's a great deal, since I could never do that kind of thing myself, let alone for $100! What a steal! *presses buy it now*

Hopefully I have now better explained myself. Hunter out.

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I was avoiding directly responding to this aspect of the post... but ok.

If I were selling oil by the barrel and asked for a collective response on price, you'd be the guy saying "Meh, it's only worth the price of the actual barrel that is holding the oil, because I can just go dig it up myself." Sound silly? Exactly.

The fact that you can do it doesn't affect my question in the least and frankly, you're kind of rude / snobby for responding with such a [censored] number in the first place. Realistically, you will not find anyone that isn't doing you a favor to do this for $10-$20, I don't care how you explain it.

I assumed we were all here to help each other so I didn't draw guidelines on my question. Either way, we've got an answer and we're moving on.

Thanks again for all the input.

hunterman223 · #23 Post by **hunterman223** » Mon May 02, 2011 7:43 am

You are still not understanding. I'll try another approach. Say I was you. You have all the required equipment, I not assume that you do. Would you, if you had all of the necessary equipment and materials go out and drop $100 on something you could do? Not unless you either didnt want to do it yourself, even though you were all set up to do it, or if you were supporting the person who did the mod.

I don't see how this relates to drilling for oil either, and no I am not some snobby / rude person for posting my opinion. I am trying different scenarios to better explain myself. This is a forum after all. One other thing. I and everyone else who has replied has kept their language civil, and I imagine the mods expect you too as well.

Hopefully this time I did not come across as "rude" or whatever that filtered thing was that you referred to me as.

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#24 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon May 02, 2011 7:52 am

Give it a rest!

#25 Post by **Harryc** » Mon May 02, 2011 8:13 am

Thread locked because it is going nowhere. @c4warrior, lets keep it civil here. Calling a member rude or snobby for posting an opinion is considered a personal attack and is a ban-able offense. Attack the ideas, not the people. Consider this a warning.