Who has 4 gigs of RAM in their T61P?

Hey guys, did any of you buy a T61P with 4 gigs of RAM?

If so, do you happen to know what the model of the RAM sticks is?

Or if you installed it yourself, what model is it, what are the specs, etc?

I have been having memory problems with my T61P while gaming and I'm trying to nail it down here and see what memory brands have been working for other people.

By the way - Everything else works perfectly, memory tests always pass, it is only when GAMING that I have memory problems. I would just like to know what kind of memory others are using if they have 4 gigs, if you have any suggestions about the problem I'm having please do that in the other thread, here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=178830

Thanks!

 

I have 4GB in mine, though Vista32 only sees 3GB of it. I'm planning to install Linux or Vista64 on my original hard drive.

Never had memory issues, did have random shutdown issues... a new Planar seems to have resolved that thank goodness. I ordered the T61p (foolishly) (kicks self) with 3GB, and subsequently purchased a 2GB module from Crucial, so I have the original Hynix 2GB module and my Crucial 2GB module. I've been running that configuration since day 1 or 2.

 

So you sent yours in and got a new motherboard?

I just don't know if I should take that step or not, since I haven't had any random shutdowns when not gaming. I only have crashes / nvidia driver errors, and that only happens when playing a game like bioshock that stresses my GPU.

I also don't know if I send it in, if they will even help me, because the RAM is not from Lenovo, they might not support it or whatever.

 

yeah I don't know if getting the RAM from Lenovo is an option... I just looked up the price for my 1gb stick on their website, they have it listed as over $400!! WTF???

That is insane...beyond belief..

Anyways I have been able to reproduce the crashes more easily now using simple 3d graphics testing programs. I read that some people had problems like this that were solved by using different RAM. I am looking at doing an RMA on this RAM and getting a more reliable brand. Any ideas what brands are the best and most compatible?

 

Hellbore,

I have 4GB (OCZ) of memory and the only problem I have is the random shutdown when playing Bioshock demo, other than that I don’t play games. When polling out one memory stick (or in 2x512MB) the laptop is completely stable, when playing Bioshock.
I believe that LaptopGusu’s problem was also related to the GPU (he’s running dreamscene) and memory. It might be that we need to get our board replaced, but I am also waiting to hear from emilio84's experience with his laptop repair.
You can read about it here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=176942&page=5

 

I was clearly having a hardware issue, yours sounds more like drivers or possibly GPU temperature, so I wouldn't bother unless you can consistently reproduce. I was able to get the machine to crash consistently by adding a load.

 

I can get it to crash consistently if I run PC Burn In 3d graphics test. It crashes about 1 minute after I start it. Also it's an impressive crash, a full-on BSOD... And it is 100% reproducable.

I can also make it crash at the same intro scene in Bioshock every time without fail. ALWAYS. 100% reproducable there too.

 

Anyone out there who has a T61P with MORE THAN 2 GIGS of RAM, I would GREATLY appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to try this program which will test and see if you get the error I have been getting.

Here is the program, it is called PC Burn In, designed for finding problems like this:
http://www.passmark.com/ftp/bitpro.exe

This program does some 3d graphics in directx 9 and gives your card a workout.

Here's what I'd like you to do, if you could, if you have time and don't mind, I would be grateful:

1. Download and install the program
2. Run the program, it will say it's a trial, click Continue
3. In the program, go to the Configuration menu, click "Test duty cycles", then in that screen, click the "All Off" button, then check the box for "3D Graphics", so it will only test 3d graphics. Then click OK.
4. In the program, go to the Configuration menu again, click Test Preferences, then click the "3D Graphics" tab, change Window Size to "Full Screen (non-windowed)" Then click OK.
5. Now back in the main program window, click the green triangle button, which makes the test start. Let the test run for maybe 5 minutes or so, see if you get any errors or crashes.

If you could do this I would greatly appreciate it!

If you don't have more than 2 gigs of RAM and just want to try this and see if you happen to have this problem, please feel free, and post your results!

 

I have a T61p with 4GB of RAM. Vista 32-bit only sees 3GB though. I have experienced random crashes while in Ghost Recon, but only when the laptop isn't well ventilated (i.e. on my lap). If I put the laptop on our kitchen table with a glass top so it gets good airflow, it doesn't crash on me. It's definitely a heat-related problem, not a driver issue.

I tried the benchmark program and it ran for several minutes without incident, but my laptop is well ventilated right now...

On a side note, I called Lenovo to inquire about getting Vista 64 bit instead of 32 bit. They said they couldn't help me. I called Microsoft and they told me that my EULA fully supported moving from 32 bit to 64 bit. But get this - they told me they couldn't sell me a disc, and couldn't give me a key. Microsoft actually told me that I would need to go find a neighbor or colleague that had the 64 bit Vista, use their installation media AND KEY, and then just call the activation department and tell them what I was doing. Microsoft ACTUALLY TOLD ME TO PIRATE THEIR OWN SOFTWARE. Unbelievable.

 

This is a problem common to all the T61s (not just the p series), and it doesn't appear to be heat-related.

I have 4GB of RAM in my T61 (non-p). I too get random crashes out of games - some do it more often than others; sometimes it matters how long I've been playing, other times it will crash first time launching CS:S after an over-night cold boot sitting on my desk in my 15C dorm room. I ran MemTest86 through 8 passes without a single error. The crashes occur in every OS I've tried - 64- and 32-bit Vista as well as 32-bit XP (unfortunately, no complete set of drivers exist for 64-bit XP, Linux, or OSX). From my testing, I have concluded the following:
This IS a SOFTWARE problem.

On Vista, the crashes occur with any driver - except the official Lenovo 101.xx drivers available at Lenovo.com. Those, although slow as molasses compared to any newer set from LV2G, NEVER crash. On XP, even the official Lenovo drivers are prone to crashing, however. After installing all the latest drivers, with the 163.75 drivers from LV2G, and the latest BIOS, crashes in Vista x64 decreased substantially but still occurred. Note that the stripped-down version of the nVidia control panel in Vista features no PowerMizer controls - this will be significant later.

Finally fed up with many aspects of Vista, I switched to XP Pro. I tried x64 edition, but was unable to find any network drivers at all that would install successfully - wired Ethernet, WLAN, even the modem all lacked proper XP x64 drivers. Begrudgingly I reformatted with XP Pro 32-bit. After installing all the latest drivers for everything - including the 163.75 set from LV2G - I tried some experiments. Still received crashing in games, with about the same frequency as in Vista x64 (though many other aspects *cough*general system performance*cough* improved as expected). Fairly confident from my previous testing that this was a driver/software issue, I fiddled around with settings in the nVidia control panel and observed the effects. Nothing seemed to effect the stability of the card. That is, until I tried disabling PowerMizer. Viola - no more crashes. Perfect stability across the board. That test program Hellbore mentioned runs without issue for as long as I want to let it. I can play marathon UT or CS sessions without issue. I can now call upon the GPU at any time without worry of it spazzing out and bluescreening.

Edit: Just a quick update, I didn't know that test ended at any point, but it did and I am greeted with a flashing green "PASSED" dialogue. No errors reported, no crashes, nothing.

This presents two problems - 1) Vista will never be stable, unless anyone knows how to wrestle direct power-management control. This would also fix the Flip 3D/maximizing windows slowness on first use after idle, too. 2) With this solution, you do lose a small bit of battery life (and even more if you're using 3D applications).

Obviously, this is an issue Lenovo or nVidia needs to address. My guess would be standard GeForce drivers don't understand how to "PowerMize" correctly on the Quadro cards. As for how this relates to the RAM - I honestly have no clue. Perhaps something to do with TurboCache? If someone with a D630 and above 2GB of RAM could check and see if they have similar problems with various driver sets, that could be a huge help. At least then we'd know who to point our collective fingers at. Also, I haven't heard any reports of it, but does this happen with the X3100 as well? I'd be willing to bet "no."

 

lowlymarine, thanks for taking the time to share your experience, but it is puzzling because there have been others who had the same exact symptomy, but they sent the laptop in to the depot for repair and when they got it back, the problem was gone. The depot says they replaced the planar card (motherboard).

So, I am wondering if your fix of disabling powermizer is just one work-around that can be used, but isn't available in Vista, but perhaps there is a more definitive hardware fix. I have heard from at least 2 others with this problem who had it resolved by having their machine repaired and the planar card replaced.

eric.hill - You want to switch to vista 64 bit right? That isn't a hard thing to do, all you need to do is go to compusa.com and order what is called the "Vista Anytime upgrade DVD" for your version of Vista, but get the 64 bit version. Now, just install it using the CD key that you already have. Your CD key will work on 32 bit or 64 bit. You don't need to "pirate" vista from anyone. In fact it wouldn't really be pirating anyway if you are not using someone else's CD key. I don't know why Microsoft gave you that song and dance, but it's real simple and easy, just order a Vista Anytime Upgrade DVD which is like 5 bucks from compusa.com.

 

What would be a good price for a 4gb kit? Right now I see $169 plus $30 rebate for ddr2-5300 and about $250 for ddr2-6400.

 

If you click on the link in my sig, you'll get a step-by-step guide of how to go from 32-bit to 64-bit.

 

lowlymarine:

Thanks for a good write-up of what you are seeing. Maybe the reason I'm not seeing the problem and assuming it's temperature related is that the PowerMizer isn't trying to kick in until my laptop gets too hot, and that's what's causing the crash.

Hellbore:

Didn't know about that offer from CompUSA, thanks! Why in the world didn't Microsoft suggest something so simple??? I sure did think it was strange they were telling me to use someone else's key.

Stallen:

Thanks for the great info on installing Vista 64 bit. I'm going to order another hard drive for my T61p and just install Vista to that. I already have an external drive cage, so I can move my data over after the new OS is loaded.

 

If you are going to do this, and you need the Anytime Upgrade disk, I would order it right away. Some people have been complaining that it takes 2-3 weeks to get the disk. You can also order it direct from Microsoft. I don't know if they are any faster. The Microsoft link is difficult to find, but I can dig it up if you want it.

 

I found the Vista Anytime Upgrade 64 bit disc on Amazon and they showed it as "in stock, ready for shipping" so I just bought it from there. $4.99 for a disc is fair enough.

 

That's what happened to me, it took 3 weeks to ge the darn thing.

 

Well FYI I sent my laptop in for depot repair. I hope they fix it correctly!

 

I hate to bump "dead" threads, but this one is important as it affects a number of us, and I'd like some more input from the forum community. Maybe even a sticky until the issue is resolved would be nice.

Also, Hellbore, can you report back to us when you receive your notebook again? I'm holding off on sending mine in until I find out if it's actually going to help.

 

I agree this issue is a BIG DEAL. This thread should be stickied or something at least until we know what he heck is going on with the possibly defective T61 line. I also get tired of hearing the same cookie-cutter responses from people who just think I need to install a different version of driver or something.

Since my last post, I have also found more people who had this same problem, some of them got it fixed by having their motherboard replaced at he depot. It amazes me that I have heard so many people with this same issue, yet none of the 6 or so Lenovo support line people I have talked to have any knowledge of this issue, including people at the repair depot support line.

I wonder if they do know, but are instructed not to say anything about it?

Anyways, here is my update: The depot started working on my laptop today. I called for an update just before the closed today. They told me that they replaced the motherboard 2 times already and they still couldn't get the system to POST. Wow. Somehow they have made it worse than when I sent it in...

I hope to get more news tomorrow.

 

This might be worth a shot...

After installing the latest video drivers from LV2G (167.26) and today's BIOS update, I left PowerMizer enabled and did extensive testing (CS:S, UT2004, UT3, WoW, Command and Conquer 3, Burn-in Test) without a single crash.

I'm thinking about retrying Vista now. I'll report back later after more testing.

 

FWIW, I got my Vista "experience" CD from Amazon yesterday, along with my new 200GB Hitachi hard drive. I installed Vista 64 cleanly last night onto the new drive. I installed the base wireless drivers followed by the ThinkPad System Update tool, and subsequently installed 400+MB of updates from Lenovo and 500+MB of updated from Microsoft. Sheesh.

Activation went surprisingly well. I couldn't activate over the internet, so I called the number, entered my system id, was transfered to a foreign individual that verified that I was reloading my computer, and my system was activated in less than 5 minutes.

I will say that my computer is running significantly better than it was. I'm not sure if it's because of the 64 bit OS, the hard drive with more cache, or lack of all of the preloaded stuff on the OS. I do know that this machine runs way better and I'm way happier now

I'll be installing Ghost Recon tonight and trying to see how long it will run. I'll post back with updates as I find out more.

FTR, I bought a Sandisk Extreme III 2GB SD card to keep in the front SD slot as ReadyBoost memory. I set the SD slot to "optimize for performance" in the device manager instead of "optimize for removal" to get some more speed. Additionally, I enabled the "enable advanced performance" on the hard drive.

Hope this helps.

 

Just a quick question: I got 2GB of PC-5300 RAM with my T61p. Will PC-6400 work? Is there a noticeable performance increase going from 5300 to 6400? I'm trying to decide between getting 4 GBs of these two:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=325699

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=336021

I do use my laptop for gaming, so any performance increase would be useful.

 

There are 2 things you need to know, the first one I can tell you: PC-6400 is definitely not going to run any faster than PC-5300, because the T61p will not run higher memory speeds than PC5300. So, IF the PC6400 memory works at all, it will work by running at the slower PC5300 speed.

The second thing you need to know is if you can even run PC6400 at the slower PC5300 speed. That I don't know, but I would guess that you could, since most memory seems to work at slower speeds than it is rated for.

This might be a moot point though, because PC6400 is probably more expensive than just buying PC5300 memory, so even if it would work, there would be no point at all to paying extra for the PC6400 since it would just behave as if it was PC5300 in your machine.

 

Cool, thanks for the info! Saved me 90 euro!

 

Yes, agreed. I have read from several other users that 800 mHz RAM WILL work just fine, but it runs at 667 mHz. Also, it is very unlikely that 800mHz RAM will ever be supported on the T61 (or any laptop with the Santa Rosa chipset). At one time I speculated that a BIOS upgrade my support it, but upon further reading I found that 800mHz RAM will be supported on the next generation chipset (Montenova coming in mid 2008). History shows that RAM support does not change until the next generation. Basically, you have to buy a new laptop to get the chipset support since it is part of the planar/motherboard. And this alone wouldn't be enough of a performance boost for most people to consider buying a new laptop.

 

Wasnt there a jump like this in the past with the pc2100 to pc2700 for the T40 series? I've been debating of which 4GB set-up to go with, either the 667mHz for $129.99 after rebate or the 800mHz at $197.99. Even if you dont get the full speed out of the 800mHz right now, it would be a good investment it case changes are made in the future. It should keep you from having to get rid of 667mHz in the future at a time when no body wants it.

 

Except, by the time you buy your next laptop, they might be using DDR3 by then, or some new form factor instead of SODIMM

 

The T40 has an Intel 855PM Chipset which by Intel specification supports PC2700 staring from stepping B1. In other words the, if the T40s had an older stepping, then it could not support PC2700, but if it had stepping B1 (or higher) then it could support PC2700. Now you might want to consider that the jump that you were referring to might have been a bios update to allow PC2700 on a B1 chipset.
On the other hand the current Intel PM/GM965 (T61) specification shows that it supports memory @ up to DDR2 667: http://compare.intel.com/PCC/showchart.aspx?mmID=28116&familyID=7&culture=en-US.

If the PM/GM965 will support DDR2 800, it most likely be introduced in a new stepping, which will require new hardware.

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread with the original topic, but...

Apparently I spoke too soon. I partitioned off 25GB and reinstalled Vista Business x64. In less than 24 hours I've gotten 2 bluescreens, both of which cite the nVidia drivers as the cause, and both upon initial boot. Stability is still greatly improved over the previous installation, and performance has seen a slight bump as well. I ran a lot of gaming tests and other uses of the video card - synthetic benchmarks, video playback, etc. None of that induced a crash - though I haven't tried Burn-in Test on Vista yet - I've only experienced crashes on boot. This is a change, as previously I could get a pretty repeatable crash out of launching CS:S, C&C3, or UT2004 multiple times that is no longer present. In fact, it seems perfectly stable if it actually boots completely, but of course you'd ideally want it to boot successfully all the time. "60% of the time, it works every time!" is not a particularly good motto for a business-oriented computer.

But the oddest thing is I have no problems at all on XP, and I have PowerMizer enabled now. I'll wait until the 167.xx series is available for Vista x64 and try those before sending the machine back to Lenovo, but I have a feeling there will be problems off and on for the life of the computer if I don't send it in.

I'll keep you all posted.

 

It's true that they may come out a newer, better memory by the time most of us plan to get a newer laptop. I just got my T61p so it should last me for a while, I hope. Whatever way you get to 4GB on your setup should be good, as long as you didnt get the memory from the factory and overpaid: I ordered the OCZ 4GB 800mHz kit today but i'm getting hassled on the shipping address so I might have time to reconsider to whole purchase.

 

I did get my memory from Lenovo so I paid about double the street value

I have my reasons though. I just happen to have more money than time lately. The Lenovo RAM is 100% supported for 3 years, the same as the waranty / accidental coverage plan on my laptop. If I have strange issues, Lenovo can't refuse to help me due to my using "3rd party RAM". Also, I have it on good authority that the Samsung RAM that Lenovo sells right now is VERY good stuff. I don't know enough about the technical reasons to say why, except that I did notice it has better timings than any other 2gig sticks I have seen for cheaper: The Samsung from Lenovo has 5-5-5-12 vs. the 5-5-5-15 I have seen on almost every other 2gb stick.

At this point in my life it's just a matter of peace of mind. This sounds strange, but I have found that sometimes higher quality (and higher priced) memory can actually perform with more stability than bargain RAM.... here's the funny part...even if both brands of RAM pass all the memory tests and theoretically work correctly, in the REAL world, with differing heat and stress situations, sometimes the higher quality ram actually is more stable. Just my 2 cents.

I should say however that I have had good luck with OCZ in the past, as well as Crucial and the overclocking models of Geil RAM (but not so much luck with the value Geil RAM).

 

I ran the previously mentioned pc-burn in test and although it doesn't crash, it periodically "pauses" during the 3d test. After a while, it completely freezes and after 10 seconds or so the screen goes white and it comes back to the desktop with a "the video driver stopped responding and was reset".

This is with 4Gb of RAM (from lenovo), Vista 32bit... all stock latest drivers.

Anyone see this symptom? Oddly enough I see similar symptoms under Linux playing 3d games (which definitely seems to indicate hardware issues).

Just got machine a few days ago... this issue is not very promising.


James

 

Quick update: I just finished running Burn-in Test. Passed with no errors. This is the damndest thing. I haven't had any more crashes since earlier today. Both of those times I was battery, so maybe I'll unplug, reboot, and run the test again. I'll keep you posted.

 

Trust me, the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 120m isn't a good chipset and you are probably seeing baggage from it in the 140m. The Dell Latitude D820 and D830's also use the same video chipsets. Lots of bad history there.

There is a big difference in it and the 570m. I'm placing my bet on the 140m as being the issue.

 

Not likely, because there are many reports of the T61p having the same problems. In fact, the OP has a T61p, and has the same issues.

Update: I did some testing and found my problems during boot were only present when booting on battery. I checked, and sure enough "Hybrid Hard Disk Power Savings Mode" was set to "Enabled" for battery. After setting it to "Disabled" I seem to have vanquished the last of my crashing issues. I ran a full Burn-in Test on battery without issue, and played a few games of CS:S. Also, weird HD-access related problems seem to have decreased with the change to this setting.

I'm still going to use XP as my primary OS, of course. But it's good to know I seem to have performance and stability available for Vista if I need it.

So in conclusion, here is what to try:
1) Turn off "Hybrid Hard Disk Power Savings Mode" in the advanced power options.
2) Flash the latest BIOS.
3) Reseat the RAM (I did this, too, I don't know if it had any effect).
4) Update nVidia drivers.
5) Update all other drivers.

If none of that works, then call up Lenovo. But it seems likely the issue was addressed with the latest BIOS and driver updates.

Good luck to you all! If I get any more problems, I'll be sure to let you know.

 

Good luck proving it.

So as I understand things, when gaming, bad **** happens. So you're only seeing issue under GPU load, DX9 takeovers, etc. Correct?

 

Okay then, here you go:

So it is on the p as well. Hell, the topic name is "Who has 4GB of RAM in their T61 p?" The issue is almost definitely related to the motherboard, and seems to be very prevalent. It is feasible that it was quietly fixed with a BIOS update. As for why they wouldn't mention the fix - well, if it's still officially an "unknown problem", mentioning a fix for it in the changelog would mean they lied about that to thousands of customers.

 

Two questions:
Will the lenovo automatic update tool grab the latest bios and other drivers or should I try to pull them from the Lenovo website?
Are folks running the lenovo graphics drivers or newer ones direct from nvidia?

Thanks for the tips! Hoping to get all this resolved... other than these issues I dig my new machine.


James

 

The Lenovo update will grab the latest updates, but it might be slower than just grabbing them. I have the tendancy to just grab them when I see them in the RSS feed.

http://tools.4dots.com/thinkpad/

The link above will let you subscribe to an RSS feed for your drivers for your model of thinkpad it is awesome.

 

Lowlymarine is correct I was having the same problems as him, but my machine is a T61P with the Quadro FX 570M.

I did tons of testing with different memory sticks and OS's and finally decided that it was probably a hardware issue, after reading posts from other T61p owners who sent theirs in for these same type of errors and had the machine come back fixed.

My machine is currently at the depot being repaired. They have replaced the motherboard and CPU and are shipping it back to me. Do you think they would waste money replacing parts if they didn't find a hardware problem? I might get it today, might get it tomorrow. I'll let you guys know if they fixed the problem.

Uh oh, sounds like you might have the same problem too...

 

Upon more investigation... problem occurs identically under linux (20 seconds of UT2004 = crash). This would seem to indicate that it is most likely hardware related.

I took out one of my sticks of memory... now no crash at all.

So it sounds like I do have the same issue as others here. Any tips on what I should tell lenovo to get fixed up? Will it take them long to repair it? (this is my work machine...)

Thanks for all this info... it would have taken me a lot more fooling around to figure this out without this forum


James

 

I have 4 gigs on my T61P.

 

I have 4 gigs on a T7800 with 32 bit Vista and it's as stable as it can be with discrete graphics and turbo memory.

 

Can everyone post what BIOS versions they're using? Arsenix, can you update to the latest BIOS (if you haven't already), reseat your 4GB, and see if you still get crashes?

I'm crash free on both XP x32 and Vista x64 after all updates for a couple days now.

 

Just to throw my exp into the mix. I have a T61P with 4 gigs of RAM. My laptop will shut down when i am trying to play World of Warcraft. The amount of time is random could be 1min could be an hour. I have BIOS version : LENOVO 7LET56WW (1.26 ), 10/18/2007

I have updated all the drivers, even tried the 8600 drivers to see if that helped. One thing i tried which seems to have helped ( not completley fixed it ) is i used the power mngr to drop the CPU speed down to the minimum it would let me. I doubt the issue is overheating cuz various utilities show me at about 78 celcius under max load.

This is my work laptop so they wont send it in due to in shutting down while playing games on it, go figure

 

"I doubt the issue is overheating cuz various utilities show me at about 78 celcius under max load. "

What ?!?!?!?! That's an extremely high temperature for a cpu. I become converned if my cpu goes to 60 degrees C.

 

WOW! I really think you do have the same issue as me.

My machine is still at the repair depot. Tomorrow marks day 8 since I sent it off. They have replaced the motherboard and CPU and still it isn't fixed. I think they have made some mistakes or something. It has been a major cluster F***.

Just out of curiosity what brand memory are you using?

They have escalated my repair case twice now, hopefully tomorrow they will finally fix the damn thing, we'll see...

 

If I bought a new Mercedes and within the first year of ownership the engine and transmission had to be replaced I would not be happy. It doesnt matter there is a warranty, as engines should not be replaced. The CPU and motherboard are like the heart and the brain of the computer. Gosh.

 

My T61p is my personal machine, but I was able to reproduce by loading a number of apps at once... Push the box as hard as you can with your business apps and reproduce it! A new planar fixed things wonderfully, no problems since.