IBM Thinkpad 600E bios mod for processor update

[Dr. Morg]

Dr. Morg,

I looked at the Linux device driver module brokencase did for the L2 cache enable (see earlier posting - this thread). It should be pretty easy to port that code to the DOS and Windows drivers.

That's great!

Can you do it yourself and upload to yuor site?

To be effective it would also need to be called after suspend and hibernate events (since the L2 cache apparently is disabled on both of these events - at least on my TP600 ).

If we find how to enable Deep Sleep Mode and L2 Cache, using only registers of CPU and/or PIIX4, I can try to flash it to the BIOS EEPROM as programm on Assembler!!!
I know how to do it well!

[Carlowdelete]

Hi everyone,

I see this thread has been around for a couple of years, so I must have made a good choice when I selected a used 600E I didn't know it at the time but I'm glad I chose it.

Anyway, in a former life I fiddled with computers, but now I rather do the photography I'm heavily into. With that in mind can someone point me in the direction of an easy "HOW TO" of upgrading my 600E from it's base system of a PII 366MHz with 192MB of RAM? I've read through most of these threads and got totally lost with all the jargon.

I'm looking to increase the CPU to at least 500 - 600 MHz (or more) and the RAM to at least 512. I know I can easily put a PII 450MHz in it but I rather go hire. A PIII would be nice.

Please keep in mind that I would like to only run WinXP (which I already am running with the 366 MHz and 192 RAM). Image editing requires a lot of power so that is what I am need of. I'm not concerned with Speed Stepping or the other fancy stuff.

I hope someone can help me here.

Thanks folks.
Cordell

[brokencase]

Carlo,

1) Get the latest bios for 600e from ibm. This will allow you to upgrade to 512mb
if you do not have a flloppy drive then make a bios update cd on another desktop
machine using nero or some other util.
2) Buy a used mmc-2 PIII module (750mhz is good) off of ebay
3) Install PIII
4) Edit the bios cmos location 21h as posted by Sharedoc early on in this thread.
5) The modification to increase the fsb works well and will get you some more performance.
6) You will need the powerleap utility to turn on the L2 cache when xp loads.

With above you will end up with a 650mhz machine. I would not worry about the speedstep stuff.

all the info is here in the first 5 or 6 pages of this thread

taking apart the laptop is the hardest part.

[Carlowdelete]

Thank you brokencase. These simple steps should make it easier for me. I really appreciate your help. I really want to avoid all the special tweaks and stuff. Not that I am lazy, I'm just getting older and have a little girl that takes more of my time these days.

Should I purcahse a 512mb in single or two 256mb modules? From everything I've read I will have to tweak or solder something on the board to relieve myself of the 32mb that is locked into the board. Am I reading this correct or is it simpler to go with only one 512mb module?

Will other speeds run at their rated speed. For instance, if I pickup a 600 or 650MHz will it run at those speeds? I'm thinking from what I read here so far that SpeedStep CPU will run at the lower speed in the 600E. Right/Wrong??

Does the CPU have to say "MMC-2"? Or, can it simply be another type of Intel/AMD CPU? So many questions came after my search on Ebay. I see a few that say they are for a specific brand which I know may not matter, but I also don't want to waste money I don't already have.

Sorry for so many additional questions.

I have a PDF of the parts manual. Hopefully that will help me take the case apart.

[dezgot]

Er, can I use winphlash or the 16 bit flasher to flash my 600E to an image from IBM's site?

My battery is long dead and IBM's flasher disk requires me to have a fully charged battery to flash.

Thanks for any help.

[Shadetree Mechanic]

I have a 770Z running XP with an 850 CPU running at 850, thanks to Sharedoc's cache tweak to cure the 127 error (this made booting from the XP CD possible - but very flaky - repeated "copy errors", I think due to the lack of L2 cache or overheating?).

I'm re-enabling the L2 via Powerleap's PleapCCP (which is still available at their web site) and switching to a full 850MHz using Sharedoc's hardware mod - as rethought and excellently photographed for a 750MHz by minix01 - and finally kicked into gear by Marcus's deepsleep program.

My sole contribution is in the realm of cooling, I filed down the mounting studs on the CPU cover to make the heatsink come into closer contact with the CPU cover and used arctic silver on the heatsink and fan mounting boss. I also cut out the fan grill; although the grill looks fairly open the "bars" are actually wedged shaped with the wide flat side facing inward. Any grill has a significant affect on airflow, and if you view the TP grill from the inside you'll see that fully 30-50% of the "open" area is plugged by grill material. In a minor fit of madness, I decided that since I had no intention of using a docking station, I'd remove the docking station socket from the motherboard, leave off the docking station cover "doors" and have major airflow right next to the CPU. My first thought was simply to de-solder the socket, which rapidly devolved into simply cutting off most of the socket with a moto-tool and then using an x-acto knife to chisel off flush each of the socket leads, sort of like shaving metal whiskers - slow but it left a remarkably flat surface that I simply covered with a strip of insulating tape (mostly for looks).

I haven't run any real CPU temperature checks, so I can't confirm that this is a sensible option - from the amount of work it took I'm not sure it is - but it certainly offers a massive improvement in airflow around the CPU and even the possibly of installing a secondary fan at some point if needed.

I don't know how close the layout of the TP 600's are to the TP 700Z, but I assume they have an equally large "docking station" connector that is similarly close to the CPU. Removal (at least on a 700Z) is possible - just tedious - and does provide significant airflow improvement. For cosmetic reasons you could (I'm not going to) cover the docking bay hole with a "safety" grid, but if you do, use one with very fine "bars" and a 1/4" (6mm) or better spacing - grids really do cut down on airflow!

Now, if one (or more) of the resident geniuses would please get back to work and figure out what BIOS tweak will get all three sticks of my of 256 MB (IBM PC100) memory to show up and be useable, I'd be in hog heaven and eternally grateful.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thanks to all for the great info in this thread...

[jac0b]

I have a Celeron 366 in my TP 600E 2645-8AU. Can I still upgrade to a PIII processor? Which would be better to upgrade(if I can) with a 800Mhz or 750Mhz? And also would just putting in the PC100 memory make it run at its specified speed (ie. 800Mhz will run at 800Mhz) or do I have to mod something on the board.



Thanks for the help

[DK6400Brian]

....Now, if one (or more) of the resident geniuses would please get back to work and figure out what BIOS tweak will get all three sticks of my of 256 MB (IBM PC100) memory to show up and be useable, I'd be in hog heaven and eternally grateful.

This is exactly what I too are looking for.
When using SiSoft's Sandra, it tells me, that there are 3 usable DIMM-slots, with all 6 banks individually numbered.

Kindest regards
Brian

[Raceboy]

Eem, would you guys mind to read the topic from the start and ask less questions?
Celeron or PII, no difference concerning upgrade to PIII.

[jac0b]

Thanks Raceboy

[Carlowdelete]

Is everyone who opened the 600E replacing the nylon screws with new ones or simply using the originals? I ask because the Maintenance Manual says to always use new screws and a torch drive because they are nylon to plastic screws.

If you are using the original screws have you had any problems with them coming loose over time?

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Carlowdelete about re-using Thinkpad screws:

My Thinkpad experience has been with a 770Z, but it's manual says the same thing about "nylon-coated" screws that "should only be used once". Nylon coating is just a form of vibration damping used to keep the screw from backing out under use.
The common real world (non IBM) solution to this problem is to use a "thread locker" solution on the screw before re-installing it. I used and like Locktite (brand name) Thread Locker medium strength Blue ( don't get Locktite RED which is a sticks forever stud thread locker).
Just put a small drop of Locktite on the threads before you screw it the screw. In the absence of air Locktite will harden into a solid that fills in the void between the screws threads and the sockets threads thus preventing vibration induced movement, i.e. un-threading.
When you remove a Locktite coated screw - after you've allowed the Locktite to harden (a couple of hours or overnight) you'll find that it comes out harder than a non-coated screw and appears to be coated with a bluish white crust. This crust is soft and can be cleaned off with a fingernail. To reuse a Locktite treated screw again just clean this crust off and re-coat with Locktite before re-installing. Locktite can be purchased at hardware and automotive supply stores.

[KachiWachi]

I'll throw in my 2 cents...

Nylon screws insulate, so they will not provide a ground connection to the chassis...if one is available where they are used.

Nylon screws stretch, so the threads *can* get damaged either by overtorqing or by other carelessness.

[Shadetree Mechanic]

KachiWachi, I'll up your 2 cents with another 2 cents... The screws are not nylon, they're standard steel screws with a dollop of nylon on the thread area - the Thinkpad manual says "nylon-coated" screws, but that coating can only be found on part of the thread area. If the 600 does have some all nylon screws then it's totally different from the 770, and all bets are off .
Carlowdelete you can check your screws material type easily enough with a magnet, but I think you'll find all the Thinkpad screws are steel. Nylon is used in some applications for insulation, but structurally it's a pretty weak compared to steel.

[Carlowdelete]

Okay, so I picked up a used 2x DVD player for my 600E. Works great with everything except DVD's that I burn I know that some/many older DVD players can not play "self-burned" DVDs, so does anyone know of a DVD model I can pickup that will? The problem I seem to run into is the players on the net do not always say what type of connection they have or which notebook computers they work in.

Please help.

TIA