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Entry created
2025-07-10

Translation(s): none

Models covered
?ThinkPad T510

Sub-models (4384-xxx) options :
- Processor: First-gen Mobile Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Dual-Core
- Graphics: Intel GMA HD (w/o dGPU), Nvidia NVS 3100M (non-switchable), or Optimus
- Display: 15.6" 1366x768 HD TN, 1600x900 HD+ TN, 1920x1080 High-Gamut TN
- Network: RJ11 modem, Intel 82577LM Gigabit Ethernet, mPCIe Wireless (Intel or Broadcom, whitelisted), and Bluetooth
- RAM: 2x DDR3 SO-DIMM up to 8GB (4GB sticks must be dual-rank)
- Storage: 9.5 mm 2.5" SATA II bay and optional Ultrabay 2.5" SATA caddy (no mSATA slot)
- Optical: SATA Ultrabay drive
- Ports: 3x USB 2.0, ?DisplayPort out, VGA out, 1394 ?FireWire, eSATA/USB 2.0 combo, combo 3.5 mm audio jack, 34 mm ?ExpressCard, SD/MMC multi card reader, ?SmartCard reader (optional)
- Internal ports: mPCIe (no SATA lanes), half mPCIe - Optional Peripherals: Webcam, Fingerprint Reader
- Battery (no whitelist): 6-cell 63 Wh ("55+" and "70+") or 9-cell 94 Wh ("55++" and "70++"), optional slice and Ultrabay batteries
- Goodies: Latched display, ?ThinkLight, Hardware wireless switch, Kensington lock

Overall Status

~-Legend :
= OK ; Unsupported(No Driver) ; = Error (Couldn't get it working); [?] Unknown, Not Test ; [-] Not-applicable
= Configuration Required; = Only works with a non-free driver and or firmware

Important Note

The T510 BIOS does not support UEFI. Use MBR for the boot drive.

If the Intel ME state is set to Disabled in the Management Engine BIOS extension, the BIOS Config menu will be very unresponsive and the journal will be filled with messages about an unresponsive ME. A workaround is to disable AMT from the BIOS.

Configuration

Display

• - Models with Intel integrated graphics should work without issue.
  

  - Early variants with the nVidia NVS 3100M dGPU but without Optimus do not have an option in BIOS to use integrated graphics only. The dGPU will always be active.
  

  - The NVS 3100M is under the NV50 Tesla family, with codename NVA8 (GT218). The last proprietary driver to support this card is nvidia-legacy-340xx-driver, which is unavailable in Debian Stable. The open-source nouveau driver supports most features including hardware acceleration on the NVS 3100M, but is presently crippled by the lack of power management. The GPU core will always remain in its lowest power state.
  

  - Manually reclocking via /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/pstate does not appreciably affect gaming framerates using nouveau.

  Using XFCE (may also be relevant to other desktop environments)
  - If the Display settings dialog comes up whenever resuming from suspend, simply go to the Advanced tab, click to create a new profile with any name, and apply.
  - Window decorations may be garbled upon a cold boot. One possible workaround is to create a keybinding for xfwm4 --replace which can simply be used whenever garbled window decorations are noticed.
  - To prevent unwanted screen blanking or locking after inactivity, add an entry for xset s off -dpms to Session and Startup:

Audio

• Works well with PulseAudio out of the box. If using PipeWire, the speakers may unmute themselves when resuming from suspend.
  

  Add modprobe.blacklist=pcspkr to the list of kernel parameters to disable the speaker beep.

Mouse

• Works well out of the box.

Power Management

• The ?ThinkPad T510 comes with a 90 W charger. A 65 W charger also works, with automatic throttling.
  

  Resuming from suspend may briefly reveal the contents of the desktop. This can be alleviated with the following configurations.
  For systems with Intel integrated graphics, create the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf with contents:

Section "Device"
 Identifier  "Intel Graphics"
 Driver      "Intel"
EndSection

• For systems with the Nvidia dGPU using the nouveau driver, create the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nouveau.conf with contents:

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Nvidia card"
    Driver "nouveau"
EndSection

WiFi

• The stock BIOS has a wireless NIC whitelist. All models on the whitelist require a nonfree driver such as firmware-iwlwifi. However, there is a modified BIOS (https://www.mediafire.com/file/ciqxv4p2n6tz0w7/Lenovo_ThinkPad_T510_NWL.zip/file) that eliminates the whitelist, allowing for blobless wireless cards. The person who started this device page has not tested such a modified BIOS yet.

  Otherwise, WiFi and the hardwire wireless switch work well.

Modem

• (not covered yet)

System Summary

lspci

$ lspci -nn

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller [8086:0044] (rev 02)
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Core Processor PCI Express x16 Root Port [8086:0045] (rev 02)
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller [8086:3b64] (rev 06)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation 82577LM Gigabit Network Connection [8086:10ea] (rev 06)
00:1a.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b3c] (rev 06)
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio [8086:3b56] (rev 06)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:3b42] (rev 06)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 [8086:3b44] (rev 06)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 5 [8086:3b4a] (rev 06)
00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b34] (rev 06)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev a6)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation QM57 Chipset LPC Interface Controller [8086:3b07] (rev 06)
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller [8086:3b2f] (rev 06)
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller [8086:3b30] (rev 06)
00:1f.6 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem [8086:3b32] (rev 06)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GT218M [NVS 3100M] [10de:0a6c] (rev a2)
01:00.1 Audio device [0403]: NVIDIA Corporation High Definition Audio Controller [10de:0be3] (rev a1)
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6200 [8086:4239] (rev 35)
0d:00.0 SD Host controller [0805]: Ricoh Co Ltd MMC/SD Host Controller [1180:e822] (rev 01)
0d:00.1 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5U2xx (R5U230 / R5U231 / R5U241) [Memory Stick Host Controller] [1180:e230] (rev 01)
ff:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers [8086:2c62] (rev 02)
ff:00.1 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder [8086:2d01] (rev 02)
ff:02.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 [8086:2d10] (rev 02)
ff:02.1 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 1st Generation Core i3/5/7 Processor QPI Physical 0 [8086:2d11] (rev 02)
ff:02.2 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 1st Generation Core i3/5/7 Processor Reserved [8086:2d12] (rev 02)
ff:02.3 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 1st Generation Core i3/5/7 Processor Reserved [8086:2d13] (rev 02)

lsusb

$ lsusb

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 17ef:480f Lenovo Integrated Webcam [R5U877]
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 147e:2016 Upek Biometric Touchchip/Touchstrip Fingerprint Sensor
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub

$ sudo lsusb -v 2>/dev/null | grep -E '\<(^Bus|iProduct|bDeviceClass|bDeviceProtocol)'

USB Host controllers entries (without OHCI, UHCI, EHCI) are removed too.

Resources

Attachments

Some configuration files and sample outputs.

Other reports

• Debian installation report

• Linux hardware database probe

• Installing Linux distro foo on computer bar

Useful Links

https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/PowerManagement.html

Credits