So... I have a Thinkpad?

[stevo1210]

I somehow decided to bid on an item on eBay without remembering, then won it!
It was a 99c auction so I slapped down a few extra dollars a few days ago... forgot about it and came back today to see that I had won an IBM Thinkpad T43 for $39 (paying for shipping only).
Anyway, it has a 1.86GHz PM CPU, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 15" 1400x1050 SXGA screen, Intel Wireless, ATi X300 graphics and a 40GB HDD... no power brick and also no OS. Has been tested to be working properly by the seller
I am aware that quite a few T43's (also T40, 41, 42 and R50/51) made it out of the factory with some motherboard flexing issue? Anyone care to enlighten me on this...? Motherboards are plentiful and cost peanuts for a T43 on eBay so doing a motherboard change doesn't hurt if this one has "the flexing" issue.

What I originally intended to do was to bid for a Dell Latitude D630 to replace my aging Toshiba Tecra M2.... instead I saw this IBM a few days ago for 99c and thought why not put something stupid down... didn't realise I'd win it. lol.

P.S. I heard IBM (not lenovo) thinkpads were built like tanks {what I need!} ... anyone able to confirm this?

[Scenic]

EVERY T4x has motherboard flexing issues. It's not a specific board series/model or limited to a specific production run.

It's a question of when it happens. Not if.
First symptoms are glitchy USB ports (only working in 1.1 mode or not at all). Once the USB problem appears, it'll quickly evolve into complete system lockups when you move the laptop.
The models with ATI graphics also get GPU BGA problems, which might also cause the laptop to lock up.

I'd personally try to stay away from any Thinkpad T4x series. Unless you've got a mainboard which has been reballed or professionally reflowed, it's a ticking timebomb.

Thinkpads are generally pretty damn robust. Even the newer Lenovo Thinkpads. Everything else from Lenovo (mostly the Ideapads and in-house series) are junk though.
The T4x series are unfortunately a problem child..

Some notes on the T43:
- you can't use non-IBM/Lenovo HDDs (BIOS lockout) -> link
- the southbridge/WiFi card area has no cooling, so the trackpad area on the palmrest can get very hot -> link
- The CPU fan can go bonkers due to firmware bugs ->link
- Max. RAM is only 2GB (no POST/blackscreen if you put more than 2GB in)
- You can't easily upgrade to non-IBM/Lenovo MiniPCI WiFi cards (BIOS Lockout) -> link and link
- The northbridge is running without any cooling (no heatsink) in models with ATI GPUs -> link


General overwiew, tips, tricks, mods etc.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T43

When they work, they're damn nice notebooks, despite all the BIOS lockout BS. When they don't work, they can get expensive pretty damn quick.. (reflow/reball or new mainboard)

[stevo1210]

So basically IBM screwed up a whole T series? Might explain the el-cheapo price too. :/
This is also the first time I've heard of the lockout thing in the BIOS, damn tight asses!
Anyway, is this the reason why Lenovo bought them out?

When it arrives at my door, I'll let you guys know how I fair out... either I just lost $30 odd dollars for shipping (no biggie I suppose because that's what I spend on weekend dinner outings) or I scored something HAHA.

[vinceroger69]

i agree had a few problems with my t42 i brought of ebay as you described it either went of when picked up or booted up black screen, probs a bad gpu/bga problems i brought a secondhand board but this one had the gpu with red dots of glue? on each corner this board has been ok for well over a year with no issues at all so dont know if they re designed the gpu issue or the board was reballed.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

The red glue is epoxy, it's there from the factory, i've had it on my HP board. A reballed board won't have the glue.

[vinceroger69]

hopefully then the board i have in it then has had little use and will last me a while longer (the board did come out a unit with a bad invertor board) maybe they did not want the cost of repair.
i wonder if they redesigned the gpu issue as i had 3 different t42 board only the 1 has the red epoxy on i wonder if they found adding this helped to solve the issues?

[stevo1210]

Got my T43 today... and it works perfectly. USB ports work fine, everything works so far. I installed Windows 7 and got it up and going... just gotta figure out the sound drivers now.
Even the battery holds a good charge!

[stevo1210]

Originally Posted by stevo1210

just gotta figure out the sound drivers now.

Figured this bit out!

Anyway, thanks c_hegge, $6 down on eBay and I should get a fan... I hope :P Hopefully it isn't a bitch to open this thinkpad :S

[Scenic]

Originally Posted by stevo1210

Hopefully it isn't a bitch to open this thinkpad :S

depending on the hardware revision..

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/deta...cID=MIGR-58837 (1xxx models)
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/deta...cID=MIGR-58791 (2xxx models)

Below the hardware specs there are a bunch of useful links (including the above 2)
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T43

Originally Posted by vinceroger69

just a thought as mines a t42 uses dimm memory i think? i will have to look i also use viper antivirus and safari browser so may try to upgrade to 2gb if possible.

The T41 and T42 use DDR RAM (SO-DIMM 200pin) as opposed to DDR2 RAM in the T43. Maximum is 2GB. Speed needs to be at least DDR333 a.k.a. PC2700.
How much RAM you need to buy depends on how many modules you currently have installed (your laptop has 2 slots.. could be one 1GB stick or two 512MB sticks for a total of 1GB RAM).

[stevo1210]

JUST discovered something... very minor.

Fan is worn and rattling just like my HP TC4200 a few days ago. Now what I want to know is... can I replace the fan as a single fan or is this fan like moulded into the heatsink...?

[c_hegge]

^
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New...item20c5ad360d

looks like you can just replace the fan

FWIW, I have a thinkpad T60 and I love it. One reason I love thinkpads is because few other laptops have trackpoints. My T60 also feels quite solid as well.

[GnatGoSplat]

Originally Posted by c_hegge

FWIW, I have a thinkpad T60 and I love it. One reason I love thinkpads is because few other laptops have trackpoints. My T60 also feels quite solid as well.

X2. Once accustomed to the Trackpoint, it's really hard to go back to a touchpad. I've become a Thinkpad snob and won't even consider anything else since they don't have Trackpoints.

[ratdude747]

Originally Posted by GnatGoSplat

X2. Once accustomed to the Trackpoint, it's really hard to go back to a touchpad. I've become a Thinkpad snob and won't even consider anything else since they don't have Trackpoints.

Dell Latitudes D series and later have both trackpoints and touchpads...

[vinceroger69]

i am thinking about putting windows 7 on my t42 do you find it ok running 1 gb of ram as i need to order some for mine.i only realy use it for car repairs ie auto data and fault code reading so nothing to major.

[stevo1210]

Originally Posted by vinceroger69

i am thinking about putting windows 7 on my t42 do you find it ok running 1 gb of ram as i need to order some for mine.i only realy use it for car repairs ie auto data and fault code reading so nothing to major.

1GB of RAM is do-able for Windows 7. But I'm going to go 2GB soon. I've got Google Chrome and Panda AV in the background and I have 377MB of RAM left for use. I suppose for your purpose, 1GB RAM will be enough.

[vinceroger69]

just a thought as mines a t42 uses dimm memory i think? i will have to look i also use viper antivirus and safari browser so may try to upgrade to 2gb if possible.

[ratdude747]

Maybe he could get lucky and score a junker with good DDR in it (I got a kingston 1gb 333 module that way).

[stevo1210]

True, I have one too... but it's not the same as the trackpoint on the thinkpad. The trackpoint by IBM is softer to touch and larger too... makes it a bit easier to use I suppose.

[c_hegge]

The Hell Latitude trackpoints also don't have a middle scroll button and they are too sensitive for me. At least that's what I've found with D620s and 630s. My D531 doesn't have a Trackpoint at all.

[ratdude747]

It's still a trackpoint...

I never was that good with pads or points... I personally use a microsoft wireless mobile mouse 6000 (although I have had to RMA it twice and the scroll is way too sensitive by default)