Laptop mods and service

[soulofmusic]

Hi All,

I am using my old IBM thinkpad R60 as HTPC... but it needs some upgrades...

Things that I have in mind are:
1. FAN change: Fan has started making noise
2. RAM upgrade: its just a 1GB ram, will add 2GB (3GB limit)
3. Processor upgrade: Not sure if this can be done! (its a 1.6Ghz)

Any additional mods that I can make to use it as HTPC for 50% music, 40% movies and 10% games...???

Can I get digital out with some mod? can I add hdmi? pls. suggest.

ALSO, Suggest me some reasonably priced shops very I can get these changes done in BANGALORE.

Though earlier I was thinking of getting a new HTPC, but then why not use my laptop... its compact and fits nicely below my LCD....

 

[manniraj]

Hi All,

I am using my old IBM thinkpad R60 as HTPC... but it needs some upgrades...

Things that I have in mind are:
1. FAN change: Fan has started making noise
2. RAM upgrade: its just a 1GB ram, will add 2GB (3GB limit)
3. Processor upgrade: Not sure if this can be done! (its a 1.6Ghz)

Any additional mods that I can make to use it as HTPC for 50% music, 40% movies and 10% games...???

Can I get digital out with some mod? can I add hdmi? pls. suggest.

ALSO, Suggest me some reasonably priced shops very I can get these changes done in BANGALORE.

Though earlier I was thinking of getting a new HTPC, but then why not use my laptop... its compact and fits nicely below my LCD....

Hi

Here are my thoughts for each of your queries..
1. Yes you can make the fan change at any laptop service center
2. Yes you can upgrade the ram but there are 2 issues in that your motherboard should support more than 1gb and also laptop ram is costlier than desktops
3. Yes this can also be done but again depends on the motherboard.

Also my advice would be why not build a htpc as upgrading the laptop does not make economic sense as every item in a laptop has been built to the size/usage specific and upgrading it becomes cumbersome and costly. I think as you are trying to upgrade these items it would be more economical if you can build a htpc with slightly higher cost but future proof.

Thanks

 

[gryph0n]

You haven't put much details of your laptop configuration, ports, etc. So our suggestions may or may not be possible, depending on the hardware.

Things that I have in mind are:
1. FAN change: Fan has started making noise
2. RAM upgrade: its just a 1GB ram, will add 2GB (3GB limit)
3. Processor upgrade: Not sure if this can be done! (its a 1.6Ghz)

I'll agree with all that 'manniraj' has put down. For item 3, while changing CPU is possible in theory, in practice it might be difficult to obtain a compatible CPU.

Can I get digital out with some mod? can I add hdmi? pls. suggest.

Your laptop should likely have USB ports. If so, you can either use a USB DAC, or get a USB to SPDIF converter and feed it into DAC taking SPDIF inputs.

I think getting HDMI output won't be possible, as it involves GPU changes. The GPU on laptops is typically integrated with motherboard. At this point, if you start considering changing the motherboard in addition to the CPU, I'd suggest getting a new HTPC/laptop rather than shoe-horning your laptop into something it wasn't designed for.

Though earlier I was thinking of getting a new HTPC, but then why not use my laptop... its compact and fits nicely below my LCD....

A note of caution. Laptop batteries can explode. It would probably be best to remove the laptop battery and run the laptop on UPS backup.

http://www.hifivision.com/portable-audio-players-accessories/21931-can-you-get-killed-headphone-amps-laptops-4.html#post367938

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

1. FAN change: Fan has started making noise

As stated: see a service centre. This is a very important thing to get fixed: if it fails, you could loose the entire laptop.

2. RAM upgrade: its just a 1GB ram, will add 2GB (3GB limit)

You can certainly play music with even less than 1Gb, so you should consider if this is really worthwhile.

What it might (nothing is guaranteed with these things!) get you: faster bootup time, but you only do that once each session. Faster program loading, but you are only going to use music players, probably relatively lightweight.

We made our 7-yr-old Compaq feel like a new machine by upgrading from 256Mb (yes really, and it had been running WinXP, and all normal every day stuff like Office as well as playing music) to 1Gb. For a machine that just plays music, though... I don't think you need bother.

3. Processor upgrade: Not sure if this can be done! (its a 1.6Ghz)

Definitely not worth it.

Really, really low-spec machines can play music quite happily. Do not upgrade anything unless you find a real need to.

Also my advice would be why not build a htpc as upgrading the laptop does not make economic sense as every item in a laptop has been built to the size/usage specific and upgrading it becomes cumbersome and costly. I think as you are trying to upgrade these items it would be more economical if you can build a htpc with slightly higher cost but future proof.

All very true, and also the reason why it is always better to buy a full PC rather than a laptop unless portability itself is a requirement.

 

[rohitmusic]

Your laptop should likely have USB ports. If so, you can either use a USB DAC, or get a USB to SPDIF converter and feed it into DAC taking SPDIF inputs.

Based on reading till now I was thinking this was the main blocker for me. Not having a SPDIF output.

Is the USB to SPDIF converter good enough?
In that way at least I can have a source that can feed to a DAC.

 

[gryph0n]

Based on reading till now I was thinking this was the main blocker for me. Not having a SPDIF output.

Is the USB to SPDIF converter good enough?
In that way at least I can have a source that can feed to a DAC.

One of the popularly converters (Atleast on Headfi) is the M2 HiFace.
http://www.m2tech.biz/hiface.html

From what I remember from discussions on Headfi, the initial batch used a crystal clock which was replaced in later batches. This led to people claiming a degraded SQ on the later batches, while the manufacturer claimed that the replacement was of good quality.

On a desktop, usually the motherboard would have an integrated soundcard with SPDIF capability. Even if it wasn't present, one could add a soundcard with SPDIF IO. However with most laptops, you don't really have a choice given their limited configurability.

If I had to put my money down:

• On a desktop, I would use a soundcard, because I think PCI/PCIe to be a better interface than USB.
• On a laptop, I'd go with the M2Tech simply because there are no other options for SPDIF.

I think it retails for ~ USD $150. Not too much of a sink by 'audiophool' terms But then again, you'll also find many USB DACs retailing for even lesser. I think Fiio E10 (DAC + Headphone Amp) retails at ~USD $80.

Whether USB DAC or SPDIF converter is a decision you'll have to make. The Hiface goes upto 24/192, while USB DACs (including E10) typically only go upto 24/96. NwAvGuy's review found that 24bit audio on the E10 isn't very great, but 16bit data seems to handled fine.

NwAvGuy: FiiO E10 DAC

Unless you have Hi-Res audio, the Fiio E10 (and other USB DACs) should also be on your radar.

 

[Audiodoc]

My laptop has an optical spdif output. You can check if yours has one. It is usually configured into the headphone out.

Though the are accounts of laptop batteries exploding, it is rare. My 3 year old netbook has be running 24 x7 for the last 2 years. I use a very robust power adapter as well as a laptop cooler.

 

[gryph0n]

Though the are accounts of laptop batteries exploding, it is rare.

Cases of electrical surges or lightning strikes are also rare, but don't we attach all our household equipment to a surge protector or voltage stabilizer

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Based on reading till now I was thinking this was the main blocker for me. Not having a SPDIF output.

Is the USB to SPDIF converter good enough?
In that way at least I can have a source that can feed to a DAC.

Unless your machine is so old as to have USB 1.0, rather than USB 2.0, I think you should not regard this as a problem at all.

It seems to be the case that some DACs with multiple input formats give better sound from one format than from another. This has to do with the implementation of the formats and the quality of the circuitry.

Just get a known-to-be-good USB DAC, or one with a known-good USB input.

My laptop has an optical spdif output. You can check if yours has one. It is usually configured into the headphone out.

That's a good point! How can one tell? The light can be seen from SPDIF Optical, but I guess something has to be configured to output SPDIF first?

I used to do quite a lot with SPDIF (TOSLINK, is the specific optical interface IIRC?) but its been a while now.

 

[gryph0n]

That's a good point! How can one tell?

Product manual :lol: It wouldn't be easy to figure this out with plain eyeballs

I used to do quite a lot with SPDIF (TOSLINK, is the specific optical interface IIRC?) but its been a while now.

Indeed, TOSLink is the optical SPDIF implementation. However TOSLink has a reputation for introducing jitter, so usually a digital coax is preferred.

TOSLINK - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Hee hee Good idea. I was assuming that, for an old machine, it was probably lost --- and forgetting the wonderful internet!

Coax has a reputation for carrying Electromagnetic intergerence; TOSLINK has a reputation for causing jitter. As they say, What to do? :lol:

I've never tried coax digital: I used to get good results with TOSLINK, except on one occasion when something was pushed too far back, and the fibre got bent against the wall.

 

[soulofmusic]

You guys are rite... wud juz be upgrading the RAM (from 1GB to 3GB) and fixing the Fan.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Just fix the fan. The ram upgrade is something you can probably do yourself, or the shop can do at the counter. I doubt that you need it, though.

Did you tell us, what OS are you running? WinXP?

For WinXP, it might be worth turning off some unnecessary services etc, but research this carefully, and take exact notes of every single thing you change so you can back it out, and do it in small batches: one WinXP service turned off can stop a whole heap of things working.

There's a paper knocking around the internet on optimising XP for sound. It is hard to find, not having a particular home, just someone posts it somewhere from time to time. You only need to do a percentage of what it says, but it is worth a read. Very vague recommendation, can't even remember the name: will post if it comes to me.

Personally, for an old machine I advise against later, more power-hungry versions of Windows, but admit that I do so principle only, having never used them. They may not be installable anyway.

 

[soulofmusic]

Thanks Thad... RAM upgrade will be DIY, but FAN I will have to get fixed by a service center... though i must say, I am itching for a DIY for that also...

I have XP installed as of now, but was abut to upgrade it to Win 7.... that's y that extra 2GB.... Also, i was facing shuttering issues while trying to play 1080p files thru VLC or mplayer, infact even XMBC.... so thought RAM upgrade will help...

BTW... for music, which will be better, Win 7 or Win XP with mods that you are talking about?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Don't know. I left Windows at XP, and I ain't never going back! :lol:

The way that Windows handles sound changed, I think, with Vista, but that information will have to come from someone up to date with MS stuff.

Music and audio places little demands on a computer. Video, on the other hand, is much more intensive.

In principle, I'd stick with the older, lighter OS, and not go for one where you have to increase the spec of the machine just to get the OS to run.

 

[manniraj]

Thanks Thad... RAM upgrade will be DIY, but FAN I will have to get fixed by a service center... though i must say, I am itching for a DIY for that also...

I have XP installed as of now, but was abut to upgrade it to Win 7.... that's y that extra 2GB.... Also, i was facing shuttering issues while trying to play 1080p files thru VLC or mplayer, infact even XMBC.... so thought RAM upgrade will help...

BTW... for music, which will be better, Win 7 or Win XP with mods that you are talking about?

I think the stuttering issue might be because of the software decoding if you have not used the hardware decoding (DXVA). So for playing back high resolution movies it is important that you have a comfortable GPU processor like Nvidia GT440 where you can use the DXVA and I can confidently say that with my own experience thru xbmc my cpu usage is around 6-7% for a 1080p movie playback. The DXVA would be better, less power consumption when compared to the cpu intensive software decoding.

Thanks