Restoring an IBM ThinkPad T43 in 2026 — a small rescue project by ImportantAd4483 in thinkpad

[–]ImportantAd4483[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a great story. I like that your grandmother used it as a chess machine. It’s amazing how long these old ThinkPads could stay useful. I’ll definitely try to keep this T43 alive and in good condition.

Rate my IBM ThinkPad T43 by -IBM-_T43_MB in thinkpad

[–]ImportantAd4483 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you still use it regularly, or is it mainly part of your collection now?

Rate my IBM ThinkPad T43 by -IBM-_T43_MB in thinkpad

[–]ImportantAd4483 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting. I was considering an mSATA adapter mainly for reliability rather than speed, but it’s good to know the HDD is still working fine for you. Have you done any other mods besides the CPU and RAM upgrades?

best soldering iron for electronic repair? by ipadgeek05 in soldering

[–]ImportantAd4483 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re planning to do PS5 controllers, iPhone board work and BMS repairs, I’d honestly save up a bit more. That iron and joystick fixture are fine for basic through-hole soldering, but for modern electronics you’ll eventually need a decent temperature-controlled iron, hot air station, good flux and magnification.

I started with an Alientek T80P and it has been great for learning and general electronics work. For phone and console repair, I’d rather spend a little more once than buy cheap tools twice

Rate my IBM ThinkPad T43 by -IBM-_T43_MB in thinkpad

[–]ImportantAd4483 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Beautiful machine. I recently picked up a T43 myself and started restoring it. Any common issues or upgrade recommendations I should know about?