ThinkPad R500

*Specifications*
Manufacturer	Lenovo
Name	ThinkPad R500
Released	2009
Chipset	Intel Cantiga GM45
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo (Penryn/Merom family) or
Celeron M (Merom L family)
Graphics	Intel GMA 4500MHD (or ATI Mobility Radeon HD
3470 on some models)
Display	1280x800/1680x1050 TFT
Memory	512MB, 2GB or 4GB (Upgradable to 8GB)
Architecture	x86_64
EC	Proprietary
Original boot firmware	LenovoBIOS
Intel ME/AMD PSP	Present. Can be completly disabled.
Flash chip	SOIC-8/SOIC-16/WSON-8 4MiB/8MiB (Upgradable
to 16MiB)

W+: Works without blobs; 
N: Doesn't work; 
W*: Works with blobs; 
U: Untested; 
P+: Partially works; 
P*: Partially works with blobs

*Features*
Internal flashing with original boot firmware	N
Display	W+
Audio	W+
RAM Init	W+
External output	W+
Display brightness	P+

*Payloads supported*
GRUB	Works
SeaBIOS	Works
SeaBIOS with GRUB	Works

Dell Latitude E6400

If you haven’t bought an R500 yet: the Dell Latitude E6400 is much easier to flash; no disassembly required, it can be flashed entirely in software from Dell BIOS to Libreboot. It is the same hardware generation (GM45), with same CPUs, video processor, etc.

Introduction

This board as basically identical to the T500, and has very similar disassembly. You must take it apart and flash the chip externally.

The chip is 4MiB NOR flash (SPI protocol) is SOIC8 form factory.

Refer to the following guide:
Externally rewrite 25xx NOR flash via SPI protocol

Unlike other GM45+ICH9M thinkpads in libreboot, the R500 doesn’t have an Intel PHY (for Gigabit Ethernet). However, libreboot still includes an Intel flash descriptor, but with just the descriptor and BIOS region. The ich9gen program supports this fully.

Therefore, you do not have to worry about the MAC address. The onboard NIC for ethernet is made by Broadcom (and works in linux-libre).

Refer to T500 disassembly guide. The R500 disassembly procedure is almost identical.

Markdown file for this page: https://libreboot.org/docs/hardware/r500.md

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