Arch Linux

ioky

Member

Registered: 2008-06-19

Posts: 93

Can anyone of you who own a Thinkpad R61 Share your experience?

I Just get a Thinkpad R61, and it freeze on Windows Vista 3 time out of 6 boots, and it is making a high pitch noise. I do a few test with it before I return to the dealer for replacement. I didn't even bother to install Linux on it because if it is a hardware problem, it would be waste of time, and might get reject for replacement --.--!

Here is what I get:

I try it with xubuntu 8.04, (the closest Live CD I can get). The high pitch sound still occurs, however, everything else seem working fine. NO freeze, no nothing.

I boot up into Windows Vista safe mode with network(wifi). Everything work fine and no high pitch noise. I would be really happen if it stay like this every time I boot my system.

I took the laptop apart in to a point where wouldn't effect the warranty and boot my system into both normal and safe mode with network. The Fan is not moving, the CD-rom is not moving, and the HHD is moving however not the one who make the noise.

I do a CLI ram test, and doing the whole thing, no high pitch noise is made.

At last the most making sense test, put my ear right in front of the speaker, and none of them are making any sense. in fact, I hear less noise when I do that.

So clearly, sense many people say it is one of the most silent and coolest laptop ever make in the Thinkpad R series. The high pitch noise is not one of the feature I offer. And Sense this noise is not make by any move part, The only two possibility is the audio chip or the graphic chip. It can't be any of the moving part because they also work under safe mode which make no high pitch noise. And it is not the CPU, RAM, or Battery making the Noise, sense they work the same under safe mode, and CLI mode. The only thing that is power up that is not power up in safe mode or CLI mode are the Sound chip, and the Graphic acceleration. Sense I can't really take those thing apart without avoid the warranty. I don't really know which of the one is making that high pitch noise. You might think I am crazy to think that non movie part is making noise, but it is true. Any that is my story. hehe

I hear all over the place that Thinkpad are great laptop, but it really doesn't give me a good first impression. So How's your experience with your Thinkpad R61?

Last edited by ioky (2008-10-04 10:31:33)

Garns

Member

Registered: 2008-05-28

Posts: 239

Re: Can anyone of you who own a Thinkpad R61 Share your experience?

Some Thinkpads are known for high pitch noises, with many newer models it seems to be related to running on battery. See here for details. I have this problem on my T61, but as I have it plugged in most of the time I didn't really care.  I had problems with the preinstalled vista as well, no freezes, but I couldn't get wireless to work. Apart from that, I'm really happy with the laptop, the build quality is just great, it has this rock solid feeling to it and it works like a charm with Arch. The pre installed windows was clearly below my expectations, but I'd buy this machine again any time.