[Thinkpad] 240X 256MB memory compatibility?

[Kev]

Hey guys. Does anyone know if the Simpletech STC4003/256 memory unit will
work on the 240X? Can someone with a 240X at 320MB please report which
memory would work on the chassis.

[Shingo Tamaru]

Hi, Kev

Post by Kev
Hey guys. Does anyone know if the Simpletech STC4003/256 memory unit will
work on the 240X?

No, it doesn't.
TP240X adopts 440MX chipset so it cannot go any
higher than 256MB. Because the system board already
has 64MB, putting a 256MB DIMM just causes access
conflict.

Post by Kev
Can someone with a 240X at 320MB please report which
memory would work on the chassis.

No, as I said, TP240X cannot go to 320MB.
It can go up to 256MB by either one of the two ways.

One is to put a 192MB DIMM. This Japanese company
sells such a special DIMM.
http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~vertexm/products/VN10S-192M.html
However, I don't think this is available in US. And
the price is quite high. So you need to buy it in Japan
and import to the US. This solution is very costly.

The other way is to simply remove the onboard 64MB RAM.
This guy removed the onboard RAM and put a 256MB DIMM
into his TP240Z.
http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~ayase/tp/tp240z.htm
I heard that this modification also worked in a TP240X.

I don't recommend either of these dubious modifications
unless you are reckless enough.

Shingo

[Kev]

Post by Shingo Tamaru
No, it doesn't.
TP240X adopts 440MX chipset so it cannot go any
higher than 256MB. Because the system board already
has 64MB, putting a 256MB DIMM just causes access
conflict.

OH CRAP. So basically the 440MX can only do 128 per slot or 256 in 2?

Post by Shingo Tamaru
No, as I said, TP240X cannot go to 320MB.
It can go up to 256MB by either one of the two ways.
One is to put a 192MB DIMM. This Japanese company
sells such a special DIMM.
http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~vertexm/products/VN10S-192M.html
However, I don't think this is available in US. And
the price is quite high. So you need to buy it in Japan
and import to the US. This solution is very costly.
The other way is to simply remove the onboard 64MB RAM.
This guy removed the onboard RAM and put a 256MB DIMM
into his TP240Z.
http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~ayase/tp/tp240z.htm
I heard that this modification also worked in a TP240X.

Wow. Either one of those solutions are quite insane. So basically, what
you're telling me is that when I upgraded from a Celeron 300/320MB to a
500MHz 240X, I am basically downgrading overall system performance due to
the memory count reduction? Which IBM Rocket Scientist came up with this
PoS configuration?

So can I assume that either this:

http://www.satech.com/laptop-memory-ibm-notebook-memory-ibm-thinkpad-memory-ibm-thinkpad-240x-2609-5xx-memory.html

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31575&item=6704232899&rd=1

Is completely bullshit?

Is there a way to turn OFF the onboard memory through clever BIOS
modifications?

[Shingo Tamaru]

Hi, Kev.

Post by Kev
http://www.satech.com/laptop-memory-ibm-notebook-memory-ibm-thinkpad-memory-ibm-thinkpad-240x-2609-5xx-memory.html
or
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31575&item=6704232899&rd=1
Is completely bullshit?

I would assume so.
But these pages explicitly state that TP240X can take a 256MB DIMM,
I'm curious if which side is wrong.

If I'm proven wrong and TP240X can actually go to 320MB, it should
be a real breaking news for other 240X users.

Post by Kev
Is there a way to turn OFF the onboard memory through clever BIOS
modifications?

I don't know if BIOS tweaking can disable the onboard memory or not.

Instead, let me give you one more piece of crazy idea. It is possible to
overclock the Celeron of a TP240 (not TP240X) from 300MHz to
450MHz. This guy succeeded in this modification.
http://monkung.hp.infoseek.co.jp/tp240/cup/cpu_450d.htm
(top page) http://monkung.hp.infoseek.co.jp/
This modification involves two processes. One is to change the FSB from
66MHz to 100MHz. The other is to raise the core voltage to the point
where Celeron works at the faster speed. (In this example, he changed
the core voltage from 1.60V to 1.65V but this should depend on
each individual processor.)

Again, I don't recommend this since this is obviously a VERY
DANGEROUS modification. Only if you are reckless enough,
can collect information and understand what you are doing from
the images of this page, you can be successful.

If you are successful, you will get a TP240 having a Celeron running
at 450MHz and memory up to 320MB.

Good day.
Shingo

[James H. E. Maugham]

Post by Kev
OH CRAP. So basically the 440MX can only do 128 per slot or 256 in 2?

AFAIK the 240X will work just fine with a 256MB PC100 lo-density SO-DIMM and max
out at 320MB.

The eBay listed one you gave in your post should work just fine.

Regards,

James

[Kev]

Post by James H. E. Maugham

Post by Kev
OH CRAP. So basically the 440MX can only do 128 per slot or 256 in 2?

AFAIK the 240X will work just fine with a 256MB PC100 lo-density SO-DIMM and max
out at 320MB.
The eBay listed one you gave in your post should work just fine.

Nope. I asked the seller to calrify and he/she explicitly stated that IT
DOES NOT WORK. Besides, I have a piece of low density 256 that worked on
the 440BX powerd 240, and it didn't work on the 240X. Somehow I think
that I am frankly out of luck here.

[Kev]

Post by Shingo Tamaru
I would assume so.
But these pages explicitly state that TP240X can take a 256MB DIMM,
I'm curious if which side is wrong.

Well, the eBay one is proven false pretty much.

Post by Shingo Tamaru
If I'm proven wrong and TP240X can actually go to 320MB, it should
be a real breaking news for other 240X users.

Useful breakthrough, too. Dammit, a Win2K machine with 320MB of RAM and
the 240's size would be extremely useful.

Post by Shingo Tamaru
Instead, let me give you one more piece of crazy idea. It is possible to
overclock the Celeron of a TP240 (not TP240X) from 300MHz to
450MHz. This guy succeeded in this modification.
http://monkung.hp.infoseek.co.jp/tp240/cup/cpu_450d.htm
(top page) http://monkung.hp.infoseek.co.jp/
This modification involves two processes. One is to change the FSB from
66MHz to 100MHz. The other is to raise the core voltage to the point
where Celeron works at the faster speed. (In this example, he changed
the core voltage from 1.60V to 1.65V but this should depend on
each individual processor.)

Oh yeah, I know of Monkung's little Thinkpad experimentation page. The
dude is quite insane. I think he pushed a Thinkpad 310E to K6-3/400MHz
and got some amazing performance out of it. Hmm...The way I understand
it, he actually burned out quite a bit of his "franken-240s" doing the
450MHz treatment. He basically stated that it's a ridiclously risky
operation.

[James H. E. Maugham]

Post by Kev
Nope. I asked the seller to calrify and he/she explicitly stated that IT
DOES NOT WORK. Besides, I have a piece of low density 256 that worked on
the 440BX powerd 240, and it didn't work on the 240X. Somehow I think
that I am frankly out of luck here.

First, the 240 is built on the 440DX chipset running at 66MHz, not the 440BX.

The 240X is built on the 440MX running at 100MHz. Is the 256MB stick you have
PC100 or PC66?

Is your 240X a Celeron or a PIII?

Regards,

James

[Kev]

Post by James H. E. Maugham
First, the 240 is built on the 440DX chipset running at 66MHz, not the 440BX.

Damn damn damn. I thought the BX came in 66MHz variants.

Post by James H. E. Maugham
The 240X is built on the 440MX running at 100MHz. Is the 256MB stick you have
PC100 or PC66?

PC100 16 Chip, 256MB. It's a piece of Dell certified Micron memory,
MT16LSDF3264HG10-EE4D, PC100-2-2-2-620. Seems to be CL2 memory.

Tested well, good and reliable on a Celeron 300 Thinkpad 240.

Post by James H. E. Maugham
Is your 240X a Celeron or a PIII?

It's a 2609-62U, so it's the P3/500 model.

[Kev]

Post by Shingo Tamaru
The other way is to simply remove the onboard 64MB RAM.
This guy removed the onboard RAM and put a 256MB DIMM
into his TP240Z.
http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~ayase/tp/tp240z.htm
I heard that this modification also worked in a TP240X.
I don't recommend either of these dubious modifications
unless you are reckless enough.

'
Hey Shingo, thanks for the headsup. I've decided to TRY to get the 64MB
of onboard memory off the 240X motherboard to see if it'll work with the
256MB memory unit of mine. Can you read that page through and tell me what
I would need to pull it off? I can't quite conprehend the Japanese. Did
he or she succeed in getting the 240Z to work with the 64MB of memory
stripped off? Any BIOS errors? What tools were used and what type of
techniques did he use? I have this desire to simply snip the wires on the
side of each memory unit.

[Shingo Tamaru]

Hi, Kev.

Post by Kev
Hey Shingo, thanks for the headsup. I've decided to TRY to get the 64MB
of onboard memory off the 240X motherboard to see if it'll work with the
256MB memory unit of mine. Can you read that page through and tell me what
I would need to pull it off? I can't quite conprehend the Japanese.

OK. I'll try.

Post by Kev
Did
he or she succeed in getting the 240Z to work with the 64MB of memory
stripped off?

Yes, he was successful.
I heard that another guy succeeded in the same
modification on his TP240X.

Post by Kev
Any BIOS errors?

No bios error. He says everything works just fine.

Post by Kev
What tools were used and what type of
techniques did he use?

Unfortunately, there is no comment about
the detail of the removal technique.

Post by Kev
I have this desire to simply snip the wires on the
side of each memory unit.

I don't think it's a very good idea. I once did it
and found that the circuit patter cannot hold
when I snipped a wire. So there is a high
probability that you damage the circuit
patten if you just snip them.

I suggest you first obtain a junk circuit board
having a similar chip on it and practice using it.

I hope your success!
Shingo