T60: Determine mainboard revision without Windows

[ohthinker]

Before springing for a T7200 or T7400 processor, and tearing into the machine, it seems like a good idea to confirm that this old girl has a version 3 mainboard. (Thanks to y'all for the alert to that.)

What I've read here says to use CPU-Z to check board version.

Well now, that's a Windows program. The latest version of said OS that I can get my hands on here is Windows 2000.

I may be looking in the wrong place, but I don't see anything on the cpuid dot com website that says whether CPU-Z works with such a moldy old OS. It would be surprising if it did.

Booted live Puppy Linux and tried a couple of other routes to the version answer.

1. The hardware info utility reports DMI Base Board Information, but gives version information as "not available."

It does have a serial number - does that help?

2. dmesg | grep -i dmi returns

DMI: LENOVO 2007WHC/2007WHC, BIOS 79ETD6WW (2.16) 07/13/2007

Again - no board version data.

Should I just cross my fingers and wing it with the T7x00 processor? What's the worst that can happen?

I'll appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

Unless it was replaced, the mobo would be a (4:3) 64MB ATI Radeon X1300.
Look under the RAM modules, what is the P/N or FRU of the mobo?
These I know: 41W1364, 41W1366, 41W1452, 41W1454, 42T0120.
Maybe others I don't know?
AFAIK 42T0120 is Version 3.

[dr_st]

Before springing for a T7200 or T7400 processor, and tearing into the machine, it seems like a good idea to confirm that this old girl has a version 3 mainboard. (Thanks to y'all for the alert to that.)

This "version 3" has always been mentioned, but I think it's only theoretical. I'm not sure anyone has even seen a mainboard that was not version 3.

Should I just cross my fingers and wing it with the T7x00 processor? What's the worst that can happen?

The worst thing? The board will simply not power-on with the new CPU. But as long as you have 2.xx BIOS, I find that extremely unlikely.

It should just work.

[unixed]

If you tell us your current CPU it may be clear to us that you can upgrade it.

[ohthinker]

> If you tell us your current CPU it may be clear to us that you can upgrade it.

Sorry! My fault for being careless. The T60 is a 2700-WHC and it has a T2400 processor.

[ohthinker]

> The worst thing? The board will simply not power-on with the new CPU.
> But as long as you have 2.xx BIOS, I find that extremely unlikely.

Interesting comment, dr_st, raising the question of precisely when Lenovo added C2D BIOS support.

From the version history in 79uj34uc.txt (BIOS 2.27 update) it looks as if it was at version 2.12:

<2.12>
- [Important]
This BIOS contains a critical processor microcode update to
improve system reliability. Lenovo highly recommends that you
apply this BIOS update.
**********
- (Fix) Upgraded to the latest microcode update for Intel Core 2 Duo
processor.

So it appears that in this case, flashing the BIOS from 2.16 to 2.27 before dropping in a T7x00 is optional.

Good to know, as BIOS flashing always has the potential - though small - to leave the machine brain-dead.

[RealBlackStuff]

Always use the .ISO and a USB-stick or CD-drive to update BIOS, do NOT do this under Windows.