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    CF-29 Everyone told me not to do it!

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by Azrial, Jan 14, 2010.

  1. NTTD

    NTTD Notebook Evangelist

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    But I want the goose that lays the golden egg NOW! ;)

    Sage advice TC. You are quite right. I was just hoping someone would chime in with "brand XX works fine" and that would be one of the on sale ones. I will end up going the smart route.
     
  2. Toughbook

    Toughbook Drop and Give Me 20!

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    I buy mine from Newegg and get it in 3 days as well.
     
  3. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Yes, Veruca. :cool:
     
  4. NTTD

    NTTD Notebook Evangelist

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    Yep had it on my wish list on the egg, but now they're sold out.

    Will by direct like TC did.
     
  5. jjfran01

    jjfran01 Newbie

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    I just tried to install the crucial memory in my CF-29NDLGFBM and got an extended memory error. I have 256MB on the motherboard. I did happen to have another 2gb memory stick which I tried and it worked. It was a Adata DDR2 667 2gbx16 sodimm. Part number A025667B2G5-2. So, far the computer boots normal and operates as expected. Any ideas?
     
  6. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Leaving the second SODIMM in place comes to mind. ;)

    If you read this entire thread you would have noticed that a base-256MB Toughbook is "touchy" about the 2GB DDR-2 SODIMM used.

    Apparently it didn't "like" the first one you tried (even though it was Crucial). :(

    Congratulations on your " 2nd Chance" success. :)

    ps: What is the Model Number of the Crucial 2GB DDR-2 SODIMM you tried first?
     
  7. db04p71

    db04p71 Notebook Deity

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    I can confirm that the Crucial CT25664AC667 that I first tried in my 256mb Mk4 works in my CF-29NDLGFBM just fine. Using it now with Win7 Pro.

    Glen
     
  8. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    As for you, the Crucial #CT2566AC667 M16FJ3 2Gb 200-Pin DDR2 SODIMM 256Mx64 PC2-5300 (quoting my Crucial Technology invoice) is working just fine in my Mk5 CF-29NDLGFBM.
     
  9. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    I would like to point that Rob, of Toughbook Talk Fame, reports that he tried a 2GB stick of DDR1 in his 256MB momboard CF-29 Mark 3 without luck. This modification seems the sole province of the Mark 4 and 5.
     
  10. boomtown

    boomtown Notebook Consultant

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    Just adding my 2cents. A fellow "biggdaddy93" on ebay is selling CF-29, 1.6GHz. This is the one with 1GB RAM on board. Ebay item #170493618224.
    Regards, Voytek.
     
  11. bigtrey37

    bigtrey37 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I was thinking on board video but I could be wrong

     
  12. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    Thanks, but these mysteries have been unraveled. ;)
     
  13. Toughbook

    Toughbook Drop and Give Me 20!

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    It sure helps when people read the WHOLE thread before commenting... ;)
     
  14. Rob

    Rob Toughbook Aficionado

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    Ohh EFF THAT! Who reads these days!? :D (Especially 17 pages!!!!)
     
  15. Mil3

    Mil3 Notebook Consultant

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    I've got my 2GB Crucial today. I must say I didn't read the whole thread.
    I have CF-29NTQGZBM with WinXP SP3. Didn't work.

    Reads in BIOS 1536MB and then give mem error on boot.

    On the front:
    CT25664AC667
    Crucial 2GB 200pin DDR2 SODIMM 256MX64

    On the back:
    2GB 2RX8 PC2-5300-555-13-D0

    Q. Does it work only with Win 7?
     
  16. Driller

    Driller Notebook Evangelist

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    I think it only works on mk4's and mk5's with on board ram of 256mb, that woul be the L and V in the third letter of the model number. I have several of both of these with the 2GB crucial ram upgrade made famous by Azrial and verified by a good number of the wiser forum members AKA sages. it should work in xp and 7...... oh heck here we go again 7...my mind wanders late at night........assimilate me......resistance........ NO, Driller
     
  17. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Here's the reason:

    CF-29NTQGZBM DESCRIPTION:
    Intel Pentium M 778 1.6GHz Lv (Centrino), 13.3" Touch XGA, 512MB RAM, 80GB HDD, Intel 802.11a+b+g WLAN, WIN XP SP2, TPM1.2, no optical drive
    :eek:

    Too much "base RAM": must be one of the NON-Touchscreen, 256MB base RAM models. :(

    Works great on my CF-29NDLGFBM Mk5. :)
     
  18. toughasnails

    toughasnails Toughbook Moderator Moderator

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    The OFFICIAL Panasonic CF-29 Toughbook Thread !.....71 Pages
    <<< The "Official" CF-30 Thread >>>.....13 Pages
    The CF-28 F.A.Q. - Read me before posting .....13 Pages

    I read every EFFIN page and had a blast doing it. Lost my coffie a few times :laugh: :laugh: . Learned that you never have anything in your mouth when
    mnementh has something to say :D . How many can say they read a post by gravitar (may he rest in peace) ??? and before anyone says anything :) yes I still have a lot to learn . By reading all the threads you not only learn a lot and forget a lot .... you get to know everyone on here....find many new friends like Rick in Maryland or Teo out west . I know the younger generation wants the answers and the quick fix the easy way but by doing a few hours of reading it could and will save you $$$$$ and you might have a little fun doing it. :p
     
  19. SHEEPMAN!

    SHEEPMAN! Freelance

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    What he said.
     
  20. Rob

    Rob Toughbook Aficionado

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    Why is this thread still alive?!?!?! LOL
     
  21. mnementh

    mnementh Crusty Ol' TinkerDwagon

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    I blame the dolphin over there, very clearly downloading dolphin pr0n on his ToughBook... "That's right... show me that fin... Ooooh, baby... you KNOW what I like..."

    mnem
    Here I thought I had ALL THE PR0N...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
  22. dysondiver

    dysondiver Newbie

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    well , i swapped my cf29 mk2 with a gig and a bit of memory for a 1.6 with a 7200 spin sata hard drive and a new touchscreen mod done , its only got 256 on the board , so , now its time to order a 2g memory stick ,,, thanks for the info guys
     
  23. Allu D.

    Allu D. Newbie

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    The kingston KVR667D2S5/2G does work too, it gets over 2GB, atleast on Mk5
     
  24. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    We KNOW that this 2.25 GB upgrade only works with Mark 4 and 5 Motherboards with 256MB of on-board RAM. :D You can get 2GB with the rare 1GB Motherboard models.

    The older chipset is what prevents the earlier machines from working. JB007Rules tried the 2GB stick in the earlier Mark1-3 and reported failure.

    ! I came up with it, but thanks to "wiser forum members AKA sages" my work was verified? :laugh: J/K!

    Of course, whether an OS can use all the RAM has nothing to do with whether it is there or not and recognized by the BIOS.

    Win7 Pro32 is still running strong on my machine. :D
     
  25. Driller

    Driller Notebook Evangelist

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    hey AZ, you is now officially RE-Cog-Nized as one of the SAGES! you are now entitled to all the benefits and recognition and status associated with said title. However, rumor has it you are supposed to buy the moderators a bottle of Jack, Jim or Johnny before formally being inducted into the hall of techno-wizardry........From a lowly barely beyond newbie.....Driller
    (I knew him before he found the theory of Gig-A-Bite!)
     
  26. db04p71

    db04p71 Notebook Deity

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    Ditto, Win 7 Pro on a CF-29 Mk5. It works better than on my CF-30 Mk2, which I've tried numerous times and always ended up buggy.

    Also, just got a CF-51 Mk3LL. Win 7 Pro runs great on this one, too. Now I've got to get me one of those T7200 cpus. ;)

    Glen
     
  27. Driller

    Driller Notebook Evangelist

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    Not trying to beat a dead horse, but I lucked out on a buy of some crucial 2GB ram for the cf-29,cf-51 upgrades I've been doing but this time I got some crucial( what the sticker says on it) PC2 6400 variety ram. I know it should be backward compatible with the 5300 variety ram and it is 800 rated instead of the 667 of the 5300 brand. It worked in the mk 4-5's cf-29 and cf-51 core duo's as well. I was able to get these for about 15 bucks per stick and got 9 of them. I went into cpuz and did a check to see if it was crucial ram ,it came up micron technologies or something like that(I'll check when I get home to be sure). I don't know what the price is running now-a-days for ram but if prices are dropping for the 6400 ram, no matter who the manufacturer is if they work in the cf-29 mk 4-5 and cf-51 core duo to core 2 duo upgrades then why not look to see if this can save some money for members who do the upgrades on their own units. Any body out there who purchases this 6400 ram aware of pricing drops on this particular ram or any issues using it on their toughbooks? let me know. Tributes to Azrial for the pathways he's lead us down as do the many other sages..........Driller
     
  28. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Not to worry, Driller; Crucial and Micron are one in the same. :)
     
  29. Alleytom

    Alleytom Notebook Enthusiast

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    Finally got my 2gb stick and I'm up and running...
     
  30. xboxhaxorz

    xboxhaxorz Notebook Evangelist

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    i found a 256mb unit, i plan on giving it a go. found the RTA info in your sig, ill have to do some research on that. i assume its for home theater calibration?
     
  31. xboxhaxorz

    xboxhaxorz Notebook Evangelist

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    i got a cf 29l mk4

    it had a gig of memory = 1.25 i got a 2gb hynix chip from a friends dv6000 to test and it gave me 2.25gb so i offered him $15 for it

    i was prepared to by the crucial that was mentioned, but since this worked i find no need. just wanted to post even cheapo memory works.
     
  32. r1nick

    r1nick Newbie

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    Forgive me if this has already been answered (it's late, long day, blah blah, will read tomorrow :) )

    Trying to spice up my CF29NTQGZBV-BP with the Crucial memory (same as on page 2), but not having much luck. I can't get past post screen, however it is seeing at least 1.5gigs. There are some more numbers after the main model number (see attached pic) and I'm having a hunch that this latest revision for this model number just plain isn't compatible.

    Any advice is appreciated.
     

    Attached Files:

  33. toughasnails

    toughasnails Toughbook Moderator Moderator

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  34. Alex

    Alex Super Moderator

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    It will fail ,as adding 2GB to your mk-5 touchsceen 512MB RAM O/B model will not work
    As it's been pointed out throughout this thread that the magic happens only with a mk-4/5 256MB O/B non-touchscreen model

    A 1GB module will work fine ;)
     
  35. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    Wow! Over 20,000 views! :D
     
  36. Driller

    Driller Notebook Evangelist

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    those cf-29 mk 4-5's with the 256mb onboard are said to be "rare". I don't think they are that rare as they probably were the "lower priced" base models and as luck would have it were Azrialized with the 2GB crucial ram. Among other brands that work as well, but so far no failures using either the 5300 and 6400 ram with the crucial........Driller
     
  37. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    Absolutely! These were the "cheaper" CF-29s! Which is the real reason that these models don't come from the factory with Touchscreens.

    However Gork! has proved that they can be retrofitted later and it had no effect on the RAM.
     
  38. r1nick

    r1nick Newbie

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    Thanks for the help, I should have kept reading :p

    I see the 256mb boards have the Intel 855 Chipset, is mine different? Or just more memory and touchscreen?

    It would be cool if I could disable half my memory for this upgrade, kind of like how ATI disabled some of the graphic pipe lines on the ATI X850 XT to make them into the X850 PRO models :)
     
  39. mnementh

    mnementh Crusty Ol' TinkerDwagon

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    It's been attempted on a couple models; no joy. :(

    mnem
    Yer pipes are broken!
     
  40. stumo

    stumo Notebook Consultant

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    So... Has anyone tried using SPDTool to turn their 2GB sodimm module into a 1.5GB module, so that you still get 2GB total on a 512MB internal board?

    Even better, make it 1.75GB then the video RAM will use the unusable 256 above 2GB and leave you with a full 2GB for OS.
     
  41. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Not for the faint of heart! :eek:

    SPDTool

    SPDTool can be used to modify the contents of the SPD EEPROM on memory modules. This allows improved performance and compatibility.

    Please note that this is an application designed for experts - improper use can lead to memory modules which will not boot.
     
  42. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    Never heard of it till today, but if it works, this could be the first real advancement in this trick!

    This software has been around and upgraded for over 6 years. I do notice that once it is done, and done right, that the settings can apparently be saved so others will just have to repeat the process. But what are a few Hero's Toughbooks when it comes to advanceing the state of the art?

    Regretabley, I have a 256MB Motherboard so I will not be allowed the oppurtunity to once again risk my Toughbook and my sanity for the benefit of my fellows here on such a noble endeavor... :cry:

    So, who goes first? :biggrin:
     
  43. Shawn

    Shawn Crackpot Search Ninja and Options Whore

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    You have "A" 256mb. What about the others? You can't have just one!

    Toughbooks are like Lay's potato chips. You can't have just one!
     
  44. Driller

    Driller Notebook Evangelist

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    you are right, you can't stop with just one...............Driller
     
  45. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    I am the rule-breaker, otherwise this thread would not be here. ;)
     
  46. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Previously there was no "rule" that you couldn't use the 2GB DDR2 module with the 256MB Mk4/Mk5 CF-29s; just an incorrect assumption.

    You have set "The Rule" that you can. :)
     
  47. stumo

    stumo Notebook Consultant

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    Well since I came up with this hair-brained idea it seems only fair that I give it a go. Its not like you're risking the mobo, its just the RAM stick at risk, since the mobo doesn't have an SPD for the onboard RAM, so you couldn't screw it even if you wanted to.

    I'm in a bit of a catch22 though, because the only DDR2 laptop I have here that allows SPDTool to run is my CF-18K. And it can't boot XP with a 2GB module installed.

    So I'm trying with a 1GB module as a proof of concept.

    So far I have found that decreasing the "Number of Row Addresses on this assembly" cause the module to brick, same with "Number of DRAM Ranks".

    Fortunately I have found a way to unbrick it. Just boot without the module installed, then suspend, and install the module, then unsuspend and run SPDTool on it. Luckily it works. EDIT: Actually this trick may allow me to get a 2B module in there for modification.

    So I'm all out of ideas now, its probably a combination of changes that are required.

    So if there are any DRAM experts on here that can think of what needs changing to decrease the RAM then I'm all ears. Otherwise its trial and error
     
  48. Azrial

    Azrial Notebook Deity

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    Since your plan requires modifying the auxiliary stick of RAM, why not do so on a 256MB board and then move the now modded stick to a 512MB board so that total system RAM never exceeds 2.25GB?
     
  49. toughasnails

    toughasnails Toughbook Moderator Moderator

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  50. TopCop1988

    TopCop1988 Toughbook Aficionado

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    Here's how we stand as of this posting:

    View Poll Results: Select Your Favorite Nominee in the NBR Amazing Content Contest

    Content Title - Votes Cast - Percent of Votes Cast

    3820TG Owner's Lounge - Part Two 11 4.03%
    Asus RMA and Warranty Guide - 0 - 0%
    Asus Utility and Bloatware Guide - 4 - 1.47%
    DIY eGPU experiences - 82 - 30.04%
    How to Unlock the Core 2 Extreme Multiplier in Windows - 3 - 1.10%
    *HP EliteBook 2530p Owners Lounge* - 7 - 2.56%
    *HP HDX 9000 DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 2* - 18 - 6.59%
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    Notebook Coolers : A Buyers Guide - 2 - 0.73%
    Notebook Travel Guide - 1 - 0.37%
    PLL Pinmod Overclocking Methods and Examples - 7 - 2.56%
    The "Undervolting" Guide - 14 - 5.13%
    The OFFICIAL Panasonic CF-29 Toughbook Thread! - 49 - 17.95%
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    ViciousXUSMC's Ultimate G73JH Review - 7 - 2.56%

    Get with it guys: VOTE!
    :yes:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
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