T500 motherboard

[fje]

Hi, I own a T500 Thinkpad Type 2089-CTO Product ID 2089WAS that suddenly seems to have the motherboard damaged (1 long beep, 3 short beeps, 3 short beeps, 1 long beep = Main Storage DIMMs / System Board damage, I interchanged the DIMMs and same result .

Looking at the service manual, it seems that the System Board should be 42W8129, but I also find some other ones starting with 6Y.... Finding the 42W8129 is not easy or they are too expensive for investing in this old machine.

BUT... looking at the laptop I found under the battery place a small tag with : 43Y9236, that Google tells it is a T500 motherboard. More confusing Which one should look for?

Is there any place where I could find not only the "initial" FRUs /Part Numbers but also possible equivalent o replacement ones? I found a Lenovo site where that information for other Thinkpads as the T440S is available, but is there also any place for an old one as the T500?

Thanks and kind regards

Javier

[Brad]

Sorry you are having trouble.

For the newer ThinkPads you can see the parts list with the serial number lookup.

Even so though another FRU could have been substituted. The FRU could be different because of the manufacturer or revision.

Brad

[TPFanatic]

I feel like functionally any T500 motherboard will substitute. Your model specs say yours is an Intel GFX only model, so get one like that and swap in.

T500 base assembly is easy to disassemble to the motherboard, just clear a workspace, get a screwdriver set, follow all the steps in the HMM and it'll be a breeze.

T500 is quite old and at least in USA quite inexpensive consider the possibility that you can buy a working base section including motherboard to just swap your lid assembly onto, or a complete replacement machine, or even a newer machine for comparable price if you so desire.

[fje]

Thanks for your answer.

Yes, I fully agree T500 is an old one, it is with me more than 12 years, but I m used to it and, even I got a newer one, a T440S, I usually work with the T500, one of its main advantages is the possibility of having a second disk in the place of the DVD.

I found that its current MB is 43Y9236, and I found in a couple of MHH manuals two other that might be compatible with it, 42W8129 (older maybe) and 60Y3771 (newer probably), both are "System board assembly, Intel Integrated graphics 4500MHD, AMT, TPM for T500" . What I cannot find is if the current 43Y9236 full specs are the same, is there any place I could find them?

Talking about prices, I found the same MB from 68USD till 255USD A big difference, I should say. I am ready to invest on my T500, but, of course, and as you said, not so much, taking into account that I have to add shipment cost to Spain and possibly taxes....

Regards

[RealBlackStuff]

Here's an Intel T500 mobo quite cheap: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/263254709270

[fje]

Here's an Intel T500 mobo quite cheap: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/263254709270

Thanks, and really very interesting, provided it is compatible with my current 43Y9236. The 63Y1429 in the eBay seems to be similar to 60Y3763, that has TPM, but no AMT and no V-Pro, and I am not sure if my current one does have that features. Would it be any place where I could find 43Y9236 features? I found a couple of MHH (initial release, version 3 and version 4 but it is not in any of them...

I have a friend to who I am meeting this afternoon.... And he has a T500 exactly as mine, I suppose same MB, is any way I can look at the features of the MB his T500 has? Device Admin?

Edit: I had a look to my T500 and it has the label "Intel Centrino vPro", so, it seems that the MB does have that feature of vPro. I feel TPM should also be there, I am not sure about AMT. What I am not sure is if I really need those features (AMT and vPro) and if my installed Windows 10 Pro system (the SSD disk is OK at least) will directly work with a MB that doesn't have those features.

Thanks again and regards.

Javier

[fje]

Thanks, but I should tell a great news.... after a couple of weeks not using it and half an hour without the CMOS battery, the T500 "resurrected" asking for the correct date and time....

I did it, changed a couple of things in the BIOS and.... voilá.... I am writting this message using it...

Thanks anyway for the ideas, I will keep them for the case the problem arises again.

Best regards.

Javier