Thinkpad T400 -> Desktop

My 2.5 year old Thinkpad's LCD screen died so I took the machine apart and turned it into a desktop.

http://shengster.imgur.com/laptop__desktop#AM4PM

 

a nice full power Thinkpad keyboard, you can get a new LCD fairly easily.

 

I've been considering doing this very thing, but for different reasons. Thanks for the pics, it helps me to visualize what to expect.

 

I bought this machine back when I was still in school and it served me well. I was pretty rough with it, which is probably why the LCD screen died. Since graduating, I've received a Core i7 Macbook Pro from work, so that effectively replaces the Thinkpad for most things. I probably wont replace the LCD.

 

Just a question. Were the antennas soldered to the wireless card?

 

No, they're not soldered to the wireless card. The antenna is soldered to the LCD screen frame, but it has wires that go to the wireless card and those are detachable.

 

I meant the antenna cabling. Thanks a lot though, I'm very intrigued now. My original idea was to remove the lcd, and get a port replicator so I could have a dedicated power button, and remove the keyboard for better cpu ventilation (since mine overheated twice before while gaming).

 

Ah, the cabling is soldered onto the antenna in the LCD frame, I believe. The cabling to the wireless card itself is not soldered. That's removable. I had some issues with overheating in the past. Try undervolting your CPU, that worked really well for me. Reapplying thermal paste will help too. The problem with removing the antenna is that you wont be able to use your wireless anymore unless you are very close to the hotspot.

In fact, even without the antenna, I can still pick up my router's wireless signal, but it's very faint. I prefer to use ethernet anyway as it's more stable.

Another disadvantage of removing the LCD is that you don't have a webcam, nor the status buttons that tell you whether you're in sleep mode or have the caps lock on. There've been a few times where I've had caps on and I didn't even know.

 

Anyone want an lcd panel? hehe.

 

whoa you already took to taking off the LCD on your T410, epic.

 

Why on earth do people do things like that...?

I would never do that to my T410s.

 

Wow, that's pretty cool. I'm surprised you went ahead with it, haha.

 

In my case, the T400's screen was dead anyway and I had an external LCD screen.

 

I did it because I can, because I'm bored with it, to learn and experiment, and lastly because I use an external monitor anyhow and can't stand the crappy thinkpad lcd. I might actually be getting a desktop, at which time I'll put my T410 back together and just give it to my brother. It's served me well, but I'm getting quite bored of it, and tired of the nitpicky stuff, especially the fan noise.

 

Luckily the poster didn't have a post saying how to blow up your Thinkpad in 60 secs.

@Roger, if you have used some IPS external monitors then you would probably be struggling with most of the laptop monitors.

When i had my HP laptops, this is was how i used the laptop after the hinge failed (the screen was still usable).

 

An Apple keyboard, Microsoft mouse, ASUS external LCD, and butchered ThinkPad. I think I am going to hurl.

 

Haha, well, I put the thinkpad back together this morning. The apple keyboard, asus monitor, microsoft mouse, it is what it is.

 

i have several Apple keyboards that i am using with the laptops... and i usually use them with Microsoft mouse... not the prettiest combo.

 

+1 for Thors.Hammer. Especially for the Apple keyboard with a ThinkPad. Son, I'm disappoint.

 

Sorry to disappoint you, but I beat my own drum, so live with it.

 

XD [ 10 char ]

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the microphone for the T400 is attached to the screen. I figured this out after accidentally trolling people on Google voice several times.

 

LOL. Yes, it is.