[GUIDE] Make your T60 with ATI run *cool* (and quiet)

[lab]

Is there a way to somehow change these rpm numbers? Or trick the controller into reading higher numbers than the actual fan speed? I really want to make a quiet first level for the fan where it slightly cools but is inaudible.

Except for a hardware solution I think the only way is to hack bios. Fortunately with T60 it is easy to hack bios and set custom rpm values, detailed instructions are posted in this forum if you search older threads. Also T61 rpm values can be set using a similar bios hack.

[zoltan87]

Oh that's good news! Will do some more searching then. Strange, as I googled quite a lot, but couldn't find anything apart from some german forums.

[lab]

Oh that's good news! Will do some more searching then. Strange, as I googled quite a lot, but couldn't find anything apart from some german forums.

In this thread you find instructions (post #12 and also some posts written by me later in the thread):


viewtopic.php?p=678419#p678419

[zoltan87]

Very interesting thread. Unfortunately those things are way above my skill set ( especially post no.12, it's like reading chinese). Maybe I will come back to it later. It's a shame there is no simple solution to this "fixed rpm" problem.

[iModFrenzy]

I thought I'd share my temps with the T500 Cooler with my X1400 and Core 2 Duo T7200:

So idle temps have been a bit weird, hovering around 40-50 if I'm lucky high 30s. I'm assuming this is from the fan not turning on till it hits a high certain temperature?

My max temps however stay at a 70 with maximum performance and running CPU-Z Stress test for 5-10 minutes.

This is just stressing the CPU though, I'm not sure how to check the GPU's temperature because no software detects a sensor(HWMonitor,SpeedFan,GPU Temp,etc).

Aside from the temps, installing the fan was easy but was a bit tight on the bracket for the GPU. The fan is really quiet as well! Also beware some eBay sellers might be selling a single pipe fan listed as a T500, almost bought one not realizing

[zoltan87]

iModFrenzy You should install ThinkpadFancontrol, that's a small program that lets you read all the temperatures your laptop can measure (like cpu, gpu, battery, etc) and you can also fine tune fan levels at certain temperature tresholds.

[iModFrenzy]

iModFrenzy You should install ThinkpadFancontrol, that's a small program that lets you read all the temperatures your laptop can measure (like cpu, gpu, battery, etc) and you can also fine tune fan levels at certain temperature tresholds.

Wow that’s really useful, works great! I’ll report temps of the GPU later when I get to my T60

EDIT: Temps for GPU below!

So the GPU hasn't gone over 70c during any heavy usage. I played a few heavy games(Halo 2,CS:S,Half Life 2: Episode Two,etc) and some 720p Youtube videos. I then did a FurMark stress with a CPU-Z stress and the temps were around the earlier 60s which surprised me. It seems the cooling is much more efficient

I also ran the fan at full speed and it's not that bad. Combined with ambient noise, I wouldn't even hear it!

[zoltan87]

Just an update:
I have successfully modded the EC firmware with modified rpm values for the fan. Huge thanks for forum member "lab", he helped me out with the checksum modification. The new fan levels are: 1700-2200-2700 (factory values were: 3000-3400-3800). In all fairness I could have started with 1800 or 1900 rpm as level 1, as it would have been still silent (also, maybe because I use a heatsink-fan assembly from a Thinkpad T500, my fan on level 1 runs slightly below the given 1700 value, somewhere between 1500-1650). The difference in indescribable. My T60 has become a perfectly silent laptop, the perfect machine for my needs. Now the only thing that will be left is upgrading the screen backlight with a LED kit , I bough from xiphmont a while ago (still haven't got the time to put it in, and also kinda waiting for the factory ccfl to die).

This is why I love this forum, so many helpful guys here, who share the same love for these old, great machines.

[NonesensE]

Just an update:
I have successfully modded the EC firmware with modified rpm values for the fan. Huge thanks for forum member "lab", he helped me out with the checksum modification. The new fan levels are: 1700-2200-2700 (factory values were: 3000-3400-3800). In all fairness I could have started with 1800 or 1900 rpm as level 1, as it would have been still silent (also, maybe because I use a heatsink-fan assembly from a Thinkpad T500, my fan on level 1 runs slightly below the given 1700 value, somewhere between 1500-1650). The difference in indescribable. My T60 has become a perfectly silent laptop, the perfect machine for my needs. Now the only thing that will be left is upgrading the screen backlight with a LED kit , I bough from xiphmont a while ago (still haven't got the time to put it in, and also kinda waiting for the factory ccfl to die).

This is why I love this forum, so many helpful guys here, who share the same love for these old, great machines.

Great work! Would you mind to elaborate on how you did this? I guess, other people might be interested, too, considering there once was a device to fake the fan signal and make the fan turn slower on these laptops. I certainly would be interested hadn't I just upgraded my T61 to a T70 (I know, T61 and T60 are just similar, not the same).

[zoltan87]

Just an update:
I have successfully modded the EC firmware with modified rpm values for the fan. Huge thanks for forum member "lab", he helped me out with the checksum modification. The new fan levels are: 1700-2200-2700 (factory values were: 3000-3400-3800). In all fairness I could have started with 1800 or 1900 rpm as level 1, as it would have been still silent (also, maybe because I use a heatsink-fan assembly from a Thinkpad T500, my fan on level 1 runs slightly below the given 1700 value, somewhere between 1500-1650). The difference in indescribable. My T60 has become a perfectly silent laptop, the perfect machine for my needs. Now the only thing that will be left is upgrading the screen backlight with a LED kit , I bough from xiphmont a while ago (still haven't got the time to put it in, and also kinda waiting for the factory ccfl to die).

This is why I love this forum, so many helpful guys here, who share the same love for these old, great machines.

Great work! Would you mind to elaborate on how you did this? I guess, other people might be interested, too, considering there once was a device to fake the fan signal and make the fan turn slower on these laptops. I certainly would be interested hadn't I just upgraded my T61 to a T70 (I know, T61 and T60 are just similar, not the same).

It's quite complicated (at least it was for me), here is the thread where I read about this modification, the two important posts are number 12 and 53.

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=101788

After carefully reading those posts and watching a youtube tutorial video about hex editors, I was able to change the rpm table in a hex editor program called HxD with the help of the windows calculator (programmer layout, that can display and convert hex and decimal numbers), but I had no idea how to do the checksum after that change, so a forum member called "lab" helped me out with that.

[128MB]

Hi guys

been looking all days at threads for copper shimming the GPU on a T60p but for the love of pete cant find the right thickness ?

Don't want to spend anymore on another heatsink ...

[128MB]

Update.

I did the copper shim and new thermal pads and some power managing, now i doesn't go over 72

[zoltan87]

Update.

I did the copper shim and new thermal pads and some power managing, now i doesn't go over 72

I tried out the copper shim method on my T60 (Ati X1400), but I didn't really like the idea that heat was transferred to the bottom of the keyboard. Now I don't have those shims, but the temperatures stayed pretty much the same. But I have modded quite extensively my laptop (see earlier posts here, T500 heatsink, and undervolting).

[Thedarkb]

What is the FRU of the W500 ATI heatsink?

[Screamer]

45N5492, or 45N5493, or 42X5115, or 42X4777. If you did not know, the T500 (ATI) and the W500 both share the same heatsink.

[vorob]

Don't wanna say that I'm lucky or smth, but my R60 with X1400 and Intel Core Duo Processor T2400 doesn't heat to smth horrible. I never had more than 75C on GPU and CPU has even lower temperatures. Am I missing smth?

[600X]

Don't wanna say that I'm lucky or smth, but my R60 with X1400 and Intel Core Duo Processor T2400 doesn't heat to smth horrible. I never had more than 75C on GPU and CPU has even lower temperatures. Am I missing smth?

The R60 has taller cooling fins and a thicker fan, so it has improved cooling to boot compared to the T60.

[sentabrina]

Hi,

can you please reupload your old images please?
I am going to build same T60 just waiting for the X1400 mobo and W500 heatsink.

[600X]

Use the Wayback machine if you want the pics, I'm not going to spend any time on this when this forum doesn't even support the most basic feature of uploading images.

[sentabrina]

Yeah, I understand you mate.
I ordered W500 heatsink cause hopefully I'd be able to use T60 bracket 26R9633 to fix it, otherwise i'll use T61 bracket like you did.
By the way. Out of your experience, would you recommend the W500 heatsink or T61p heatsink?

[600X]

If I remember correctly the T61p fan is slightly better but the W500 heatsink is slightly better. Or maybe it was the other way around. It's been a while... Some people combine both parts. I know for sure the T61p heatsink is easier to install.

Personally I would just install whatever you can get your hands on that's genuine/in better condition.

[sentabrina]

T61p heatsink and W500 fan is best combo, but it causes too much unusable trash.

Do you still have your T60 up and working

It would be so nice of you if you could show pic of the original T60 bracket on top of your W500 heatsink over the GPU. Would it be possible? Please

[600X]

I've basically gotten rid of most of my machines, but I still have a couple from my signature. Sorry, I left the ThinkPad hobby years ago, I can't really help anymore.