IBM ThinkPad T43 & T43p
The ThinkPad T43 is a Pentium M-based laptop that was released in 2005, with the T43p being a higher-end version of the same laptop. Both were available in two cases - one with a 14.1" display, and another with a 15.0" display. The T43 is the last laptop in the T4x series of ThinkPads, and is the final T-Series ThinkPad to be designed by IBM directly. However, much of the T43's production run was done by Lenovo. The T43 was officially discontinued in 2006, but select units were manufactured all the way into 2007.
Specifications
| Spec | T43 | T43p |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Pentium M "Dothan" @1.6, 1.73, 1.86, 2.0, 2.13, or 2.26GHz | Intel Pentium M "Dothan" @1.86, 2.0, 2.13, or 2.26GHz |
| Chipset | Intel 915GM (iGPU models) or 915PM (dGPU models) | Intel 915PM |
| RAM | 2x PC2-4200 DDR2 Slots - 256 or 512MB Standard - 2GB Maximum |
2x PC2-4200 DDR2 Slots - 512MB or 1GB Standard - 2GB Maximum |
| Hard Disk | IDE 2.5" - 40, 60, 80, or 100GB Standard |
IDE 2.5" - 60, 80, or 100GB Standard |
| Display Options | - 14.1" TN LCD @1024x768 - 14.1" TN LCD 1400x1050 - 15.0" TN LCD @1024x768 - 15.0" IPS (FlexView) LCD @1400x1050 |
- 14.1" TN LCD @1400x1050 - 15.0" IPS (FlexView) LCD @1600x1200 |
| GPU Options | - Intel GMA 900 w/ shared VRAM - ATI Mobility Radeon X300 w/ 64MB VRAM |
- ATI Mobility FireGL V3200 w/ 128MB VRAM |
| Audio | AC97 Compatible | |
| Main Battery | Lithium Ion | |
| CMOS Battery | Proprietary Lithium | |
| Power Supply | Standard 16V barrel jack | |
| Disk Drives | UltraBay Slim with one of the following drives: - DVD-ROM - DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo - DVD+RW |
UltraBay Slim with one of the following drives: - DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo - DVD+RW |
| PC Cards | - 1x PCMCIA/CardBus Type II Slot - 1x ExpressCard/54 Slot |
|
| Networking | - Modem (Standard) - Gigabit Ethernet (Standard) - WiFi (Optional) - Bluetooth (Optional) |
- Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth all standard |
| Other I/O | - 1x Parallel - 1x VGA Out - 2x USB 2.0 - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Line Out - 1x Mic In |
|
| BIOS | IBM BIOS | |
| Pointing Device | Ultranav (TrackPoint + Trackpad) | |
Resources
 Drivers |
 Service Manual (iGPU models) |
Service Manual (dGPU models) |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
Solder Failure
T43s commonly suffer from motherboard failures caused by broken solder joints on the large BGA chips. The most common chip to encounter this issue on the T43 is the Southbridge IC, located below the trackpad. This chip runs much hotter on the T43 than it does on previous T4x models. The GPU would be the second most failure prone chip. Fixing this properly requires removing the offending chip and reballing it. A reflow with a hot air rework station or even your oven can serve as a temporary repair.
The issue may be somewhat mitigated via installing a copper shim that acts as a heat sink, redirecting heat from the southbridge onto the PCMCIA slot.
Error 2010
If you install a non-original hard drive into a T43, you will likely encounter BIOS error 2010 on POST. If you update the BIOS to the latest release, you should be able to bypass this error and use the drive as normal.
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 11/16/2024
Update Reason: page formatting updated
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