HP Laptop Project (Join for fun) Disscussion

[Icedragon3413]

Alright I am starting an unknown budget project for an old laptop, This is hopefully going to be quite interesting. What I am going to be doing is making this HP G61 USB 3.0 Compatible. After that I am going to be doing a few things that seem a bit interesting and hopefully the kind people at toms will help out.

So first order of businesses would be getting a USB 3.0 installed into a laptop. how would someone go about doing something like that? well you can go out and buy a PCI-E m card that does the trick and It just so happens the wireless card that was installed in this laptop ran off a PCI-E m slot. Now this slot is only available to compatible wireless cards and the bios freaks out when anything else is put in so that is what I need help with, I need a little insight on how to flash the bios into forgetting that rule even exists.

After that I am turning the USB 2.0 heads around so that they can still be used and I am going to install a Naked wireless card on the USB 2.0. I'm not entirely sure what else I can do with the other (open for suggestions).

 

[g-unit1111]

Simply put: it can't be done. Most motherboard hardware including the USB cards is soldered in, meaning that you can't upgrade or remove it. Laptops are way more difficult to upgrade than desktops are, it's not like you can just install a USB 3.0 bracket in a 5.25" drive bay and be done with it.

 

[Icedragon3413]

Simply put: it can't be done. Most motherboard hardware including the USB cards is soldered in, meaning that you can't upgrade or remove it. Laptops are way more difficult to upgrade than desktops are, it's not like you can just install a USB 3.0 bracket in a 5.25" drive bay and be done with it.

I'm sorry I forgot I am going to farm all of this in I understand the general basis of electrical circuits and with a bit of work anything is possible I just need help with fixing up the bios to boot without the wirelesscard installed in the mini PCI-E slot.

 

[g-unit1111]

Simply put: it can't be done. Most motherboard hardware including the USB cards is soldered in, meaning that you can't upgrade or remove it. Laptops are way more difficult to upgrade than desktops are, it's not like you can just install a USB 3.0 bracket in a 5.25" drive bay and be done with it.

I'm sorry I forgot I am going to farm all of this in I understand the general basis of electrical circuits and with a bit of work anything is possible I just need help with fixing up the bios to boot without the wirelesscard installed in the mini PCI-E slot.

Well in that case have at it, I'm not entirely sure what would go into doing something like this, it's way more advanced than like swapping out a hard drive is.

 

[C12Friedman]

Your BIOS is locked down pretty tight there, I might suggest checking this site to see what they might have http://www.bios-mods.com/ for ideas for your own BIOS mod (or it may exist already)

 

[Icedragon3413]

Thanks C12Friedman this will defiantly help me out greatly and maby even I can build my own bios XD. If you guys want me to update you it will probably be finished in 3 weeks going to anime north this weekend and I am pretty buisy with getting ready to transfer an e-mail and website service over to my local workplace from a remote server.

 

[attk mast3r]

My old toshiba laptop had a usb 2.0 port the was connected to the motherboard by a ribbon cable, it screwed into place and was external from the usb port, maybe your laptop has something like that? if not maybe you can remove 1 usb 2.0 and replace it with a 3.0.

 

[Icedragon3413]

My old toshiba laptop had a usb 2.0 port the was connected to the motherboard by a ribbon cable, it screwed into place and was external from the usb port, maybe your laptop has something like that? if not maybe you can remove 1 usb 2.0 and replace it with a 3.0.

Not quite even if I did place a 3.0 hub on it, it doesn't change the electrical so im actually going to get a PCI card to go in my laptop where the old wifi card was that is why I needed the bios whitelist removed so I plan on wiring that in and removing the bracket off of the usb hubs and inserting them where the dismounted usb2.0 hubs sat and soldering wires onto the old port hubs and solder points to reposition the old usb 2.0 and putting in a wireless card off of one of those.

Anyone know anything I can plug into the other USB 2.0 PORT?

Now Im putting in a 13,000 RPM .80w fan to replace the 1,200 RPM fan drawing approximately 1.2w.

P.S Thank you soo much C12 I found a White list removal BIOS really quickly on that website and it was already all done for me XD

Note, After getting the bios flash I tried out my buddies Intel centruino wireless N 6230 card and it puts all the USB2.0 cards that i have had and all the PCI cards I have to shame and I'm still confused why he cared to even trade me for my wireless card when I gave him my HDD.

 

[Icedragon3413]

Anyone know of some kinda monster card that will put another PCI-e slot into the area because if you do I have room for an extended card and even a spot for an extension part to be put in (like a sister board). One other thing, the plastic around the touch pad is thinning making the touch pad react erratically when ones hands are resting near it. Should I just go to ebay and get a replacement hand rest. the hand rest isn't in too much despair, it has plastic that had rubbed off from the webcam area of the screen case and a slight crack next to one of the buttons from fall damage approximately 1/4" in length.