Someone on the Thinkpad subreddit is trying to fit a Framework board into an X41...

[axur-delmeria]

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... e_putting/

He managed to fit a 3:2 screen (3000x2000 resolution) into the lid and get the keyboard working as a USB device.

Video of the keyboard being tested

[mikemex]

Awesome. They should be careful with using generic interfaces (such as the one used in the keyboard), though. They are usually not as power efficient and will take a hit on battery life.

[Medessec]

Pretty cool. I got an X41 for super cheap recently, and I never realized how light and slick those machines are, they're super neat little laptops. Can definitely see how someone would want one of those to be modernized, even though it's not even close to being in the spotlight as far as Thinkpads go.

Would be curious to see if he can sort out the little things and start posting documentation on his mods. There's a guy in the Thinkpad Discord named "cvbnm90i" who's cramming a FW motherboard into a 15" T60. It's been fun to see his progress, but it is slow going and a lot of technical challenges. Only makes this example more impressive.

[tuff]

This gives me hope that FW mobo into older thinkpads will be a thing very soon
51nb hasnt made a board for many thinkpads and some of their designs are outdated such as the T50, so im holding onto major hope that there will be R5x, T4x, and of course T/X6x mods within the year.

[Medessec]

This gives me hope that FW mobo into older thinkpads will be a thing very soon
51nb hasnt made a board for many thinkpads and some of their designs are outdated such as the T50, so im holding onto major hope that there will be R5x, T4x, and of course T/X6x mods within the year.

It can come off as a little bit wonky at first when looking at blogs and documented posts of the modder going through it, and that can be because some of them are just loosely putting it in there for a rough prototype, for the attention... and not going any further. But "cvbnm90i" is taking a legit approach, building spacers and trying to preserve as much of the original magnesium cage as possible.

It is a real shame about the 51nb boards, a modboard makes so much sense, but they've never had a good enough supply and they have reliability/support problems too. FW motherboards are so much better for that, so I'm actually pretty optimistic as well.

[axur-delmeria]

He posted an update: https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... therboard/

Apparently, he 3D-printed a new bottom chassis, but intends to have a CNC-milled aluminum one as the final version.

[Splank]

deleted their account, would have loved to have seen an update from them.

[surfbro]

Yeah thats a shame, waiting on this new x210ai from Franck