IBM Thinkpad 600E bios mod for processor update

[alintolea1]

PIII-modules select 100MHz FSB automatically.
What kind of memory you have?

Actually, I don't believe that is a universally true statement.

I replaced my P2/300/66MHz with a P3/500/100MHz, disabled the onboard RAM and the L2 cache. The newer CPU seems to be running at 66MHz.

My first thought, of course, was that I didn't have a real P3. The L2 cache, enabled via a Linux device driver, is 256KB in size. Then there is this perception of the processor by the Linux kernel:

Code: Select all

# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 6
model           : 8
model name      : Pentium III (Coppermine)
stepping        : 1
cpu MHz         : 330.975
cache size      : 32 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse
bogomips        : 651.26

So it seems that I really do have a non-Speedstep P3 (which is what I wanted) yet it is running at 5x66MHz, not the expected 5x100MHz.

As mentioned in prior posts this is on a 600E 2645-57U with the most recent BIOS installed.

FYI.

Now that you mention is, mine looks worse! It's a PIII 600, but looking at /proc/cpuinfo, it shows a cahce size of 16mb (which is all right, because that's at boot time, when the L2 cache si disabled) and a processor speed of 125 Mhz! And bogomips around 300 or something...
I will post the whole output tonight.
Plus, the machine doesn't seem that much faster that it was when I had the PiII 366 Mhz in it.

Something is definetly wrong

Alin

ok, i got home and try mine. this time I booted the machine on AC power (and I had to boot 5 times ).
However, here's what I get from my /proc/cpuinfo :processor : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 8
model name : Pentium III (Coppermine)
stepping : 3
cpu MHz : 498.476
cache size : 32 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 2
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat p
se36 mmx fxsr sse
bogomips : 992.87

So my speed is not 6* 66 mhz (which would be 396 ). But it's close to 500 mhz, which is the speed I think all speedsteps work unless you make the speedstep mod on the MB.

Can anybody else confirm what I said here? (about the 500 mhz thing ?). I will be reading earlier posts to see what speed the unmod PIII 750s were working..

Alin

[swsnyder]

So my speed is not 6* 66 mhz (which would be 396 ). But it's close to 500 mhz, which is the speed I think all speedsteps work unless you make the speedstep mod on the MB.

Alin

The thing is, though, that the output of your /proc/cpuinfo doesn't show Speedstep as a supported feature. If the processor was SS-capable you'd see "ss" in the features flags.

My CPU lacks the same "ss" feature flag, so that shouldn't be a factor in my detected 5x66MHz processor speed.

[alintolea1]

The thing is, though, that the output of your /proc/cpuinfo doesn't show Speedstep as a supported feature. If the processor was SS-capable you'd see "ss" in the features flags.

My CPU lacks the same "ss" feature flag, so that shouldn't be a factor in my detected 5x66MHz processor speed.

Are there PIII 600s out there with no speed step? Or is the bios just not detecting that the cpu is speedstep enabled? I guess that's what you meant.

Sharedoc, what do you think, is is possible that swsnyder runs at 5x66 mhz instead of the rated 5x100?
Now, swsnyder, we know there are two types of 600Es. According to the IBM website, only 600Es produces later than a certain date can take 256mb pc100 memory per each slot, i.e. 100 mhz memory. Thus the difference in BIOSes (the H and N). I have two thinkpads, an old and a new one, i replaced the processor in the "new" one, so did sharedoc.

Maybe the "old" 600e-s simply force fsb to 66 mhz, regardless of what the processor wants.
Not sure if what I said makes any sense now.
Also, it's worth noting that my "old type" 600e, actually TOOK 2x256mb pc100 memory, but I don't know if it actually ran at 100 mhz, since I have not replaced the processor in that one..

Alin

[Sharedoc]

Alin & Sws,

Don't know if IBM actually made two kind of motherboards for600E and the older ones not supporting 100MHz fsb

If so, them maybe it is possible still to hack the clock generator to enable 100MHz fsb.

Take alook here for the clock generator spec. Please check if you have the same kind of clock generator (IMISG577). Equivalent spec can be downloaded

http://www.standardics.philips.com/prod ... ck2000.pdf

Please check pin#25 (sel100/66) when power is on: 0V=L=66MHz, 3,3V=H=100Mhz. If it keeps low (0V), you can cut the folio and tie it to 3,3V with a 1kohm resistor. That shoud force 100MHz.

For pictures, take a look http://mav.nifty.com/ahp/textview.cgi?b ... +28067+106

[alintolea1]

I'm starting to think I'm cursed. In the ideea if trying a non-speedstep processor, I purchased a 600x with a PIII500.
Just to remind you, I have a 600e whose processor I upgraded to a PIII 600e . And I had boot problems (it would only boot 1 out of 3-4).

Well, I got the PIII500 yesterday. And I procedeed to the processor swap. I know all the conectors by heart now..

But very unpleasant surprise. After the processor swap, NONE of the would boot anymore.
I replaced the processor in the 600x with the original one. STILL NO BOOT. The fan goes on, but nothing else happens, blank screen.

I am desperate, I'm doing something wrong and have no ideea what. no ideea. what the heck am I doing wrong?
Did I just ruined 3 thinkpads?

Alin

[alintolea1]

But very unpleasant surprise. After the processor swap, NONE of the would boot anymore.
I replaced the processor in the 600x with the original one. STILL NO BOOT. The fan goes on, but nothing else happens, blank screen.


Alin

Just to be clear, the 600x was working before I took the processor out and then reinsert it

[alintolea1]

I'll be damned.
put the 600 PIII back in the 600e. and this time i was very carefull not to overtighten the processor screws.

guess what. perfect cold boot, on ac and battery. wow.

and my /proc/cpuinfo gives me, on battery boot:
(processor : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 8
model name : Pentium III (Coppermine)
stepping : 3
cpu MHz : 498.477
cache size : 32 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 2
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat p
se36 mmx fxsr sse
bogomips : 290.81


gotta reopen and resit the processor in the 600x now...

alin

[alintolea1]

I'll be damned.
put the 600 PIII back in the 600e. and this time i was very carefull not to overtighten the processor screws.

guess what. perfect cold boot, on ac and battery. wow.

....

gotta reopen and resit the processor in the 600x now...

alin

Well, I did reopen it, re-sat the processor, close it back again, three times, to no avail. computer seems dead.

And the worse part. I tried to put the old PII processor in my other thinkpad 600e (the "old" one).
That one is dead too, doesn't wanna boot anymore.

sharedoc, have you encountered this problem in your many cpu in/out cycles? what goes wrong?
anybody else? HELP!!

Alin

[Raceboy]

Hi, I'm new here.

I've read this topic for a while now, and I upgraded my 366MHz 600E to 750MHz PIII, I did no SpeedStep mod, no overclocking, just error 127 mod and everything works perfectly, L2 cache needs to be enabled in Windows obviously, but with Cache Utility it's no problem.

Alin, when I swapped PIII in, I didn't put in ALL SCREWS, and it didn't POST. I didn't understand what was the problem, did put the PII back, still didn't post . Ok, took it out, put the PIII in again, tightened ALL SCREWS and put everything as it supposed to be and it did POST and worked OK. So, if you didn't already, I suggest you put everything as it supposed to be (PIII inside ofcourse ) and see what happens.

[alintolea1]

Hi, I'm new here.

Alin, when I swapped PIII in, I didn't put in ALL SCREWS, and it didn't POST. I didn't understand what was the problem, did put the PII back, still didn't post . Ok, took it out, put the PIII in again, tightened ALL SCREWS and put everything as it supposed to be and it did POST and worked OK. So, if you didn't already, I suggest you put everything as it supposed to be (PIII inside ofcourse ) and see what happens.

Thanks for the reply raceboy.
All my screws are in place (i suppose you meant the case/keyboard screws, not the processor screws). It crossed my mind that it might be some kind of contact I need to close.
I will reopen the thing tomorrow, take the proc out, put it back again, check every single contact and screw and then pray.
I just wish this whole thing wasn't so darn random...

So, anybody else out there with the same problem?

Alin

[Sharedoc]

Alin,


Propably the problem is with MMC2 connector pins. Check that the pins are straight in lines both on motherboard and MMC2 processor module, and that these are no containment. When you insert the module push with two fingers on the corners of the heat transfer plate on the BX chip which is exactly on top of the MMC2 connector on the MMC2 processor module.

When you take off the mmc2 module from the mainboard, use small screwdriver and lift the bottom-right corner first.

Also check that there is no extra particles or solder spinoffs on the motherboard.

Sometimes bios battery removal for a few minutes can bring a knocked-down motherboard back to business.

Hope this helps.

[Smeghead]

Has anyone performed any benchmarks to see how much of an improvement the P3 upgrade makes or the preformace effects of the L2 cache situation?

[alintolea1]

Alin,
Propably the problem is with MMC2 connector pins. ...
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply sharedoc.
I tried reseting the bios, didn't work.

I reopened the 600x , took the processor out examined processor and mmc-2 conector on the MB with a magnifier, all seem to be in good shape and with the right shape. No bent conectors.
I reset the processor like you and the hardware maintenace manual says, closed the machine.
Still no boot....

Is it so hard to set the processor in the proper way? I now believe that I got very lucky when re-assembling the 600e with the PIII upgrade...

The 600x now just makes faint chirping sounds at boot time.

Is i possible that I burnt the MB somehow?
Is there a way I can check?

Alin

[Sharedoc]

Basically you have known-to-work motherboard and processor.

You can use your known-to-work 600E motherboard to test each of the processors if they work. After each test, try with the known-to-work processor that the motherboard still works. This is how you can eliminate faulty processors.

With the known to work processors you can then try the other motherboard if it works with any of the processors. If not, it is faulty.

[alintolea1]

With the known to work processors you can then try the other motherboard if it works with any of the processors. If not, it is faulty.

! Very good news . The 600x is alive again! I decided to remove the keyboard and take out/put back the processor several times, and test every time. Well, after the 3-rd time, I had a boot! I realized I was simply not putting the processor back the way i should have. All happy now!
Thanks for enduring my endless lamentations !

Now I have hopes fo fixing the "other" 600e.

Alin