dropzone@cgocable.ca

Hi, my CPU recently fried and my P4C800 deluxe tells me: "system fail,
CPU test", so I'm buying a new CPU on ebay. The thing is, I saw that I
need to upgrade the bios to rev. 1016 in order to make the new CPU
work. How can I do that now that I don't have a CPU to flash my bios?

Is it possible to do it without CPU?

Or will the motherboard at least let me flash the bios with the new
CPU even if it's not sure what is the CPU?

(the new one is a Pentium 4 Extreme edition)

thanks

Marco

Paul

dropzone@cgocable.ca wrote:
> Hi, my CPU recently fried and my P4C800 deluxe tells me: "system fail,
> CPU test", so I'm buying a new CPU on ebay. The thing is, I saw that I
> need to upgrade the bios to rev. 1016 in order to make the new CPU
> work. How can I do that now that I don't have a CPU to flash my bios?
>
> Is it possible to do it without CPU?
>
> Or will the motherboard at least let me flash the bios with the new
> CPU even if it's not sure what is the CPU?
>
> (the new one is a Pentium 4 Extreme edition)
>
> thanks
>
> Marco
>

Your options would be:

1) Buy the cheapest processor known to be compatible with that motherboard.
Go to support.asus.com and look in CPUSupport for the list.
Install the cheap processor, then flash the BIOS. Remove cheap processor
and install expensive processor.

http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/c...4C800%20Deluxe

2) Go to badflash.com or a similar BIOS chip seller, and order a replacement
BIOS chip. Badflash would need to find a new blank chip of the appropriate
size, and then they will flash it to 1016 or whatever version you specify.
Typically companies charge $25 for a new chip.

When the package arrives, you take a "chip puller", to remove the old
chip from the socket. Badflash is only an option if the BIOS is socketed
and removable. Some Gigabyte boards have the BIOS chip soldered right
to the motherboard, and so Badflash cannot help with those. You seat
the replacement chip with your thumb, and the following tool is only
used for "pulling" and not "pushing".

PLCC chip puller - or use a sharp pointed object to ease the chip out.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062619
http://sp1.mm-a5.yimg.com/image/3141286323 (side view of a puller)

A tool with a sharp point, can also be used to ease the chip out,
alternating between diagonal corners of the chip. I've pulled a ton
of them, this way, without using the $10 tool. The proper tool helps
prevent damage to the chip being removed (and you may not really care
about that -- I used to reflash the removed chips, so I was careful
with them).

http://www.indiana.edu/~libpres/manu...images/awl.jpg

3) There is a procedure called "hot flashing", where you take the BIOS chip
from your motherboard, and stuff it into another motherboard while the
power is on and the other board is booted into an OS. Effectively that
uses the second motherboard as an EEPROM flasher. A lot of things
have to go right, for this to work.

4) Find someone who owns an EEPROM programmer, and get them to do the flash
for you.

(3) and (4) are highly unlikely, and hardly worth me typing into messages
any more. But I mention them for completeness.

With regard to your whole premise, you got a "system failed CPU test",
but how do you know for sure, that it isn't the motherboard that is
fried ? That motherboard has an ICH5 family Southbridge chip, and the Southbridge
could have gone into latchup and burned. Check the motherboard and look
at the Southbridge for physical damage. Maybe you could try something
like this FSB400 Celeron as a cheap test chip ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-SL6VU-Cele...QQcmdZViewItem

This is what a burned ICH5 looks like.

http://onfinite.com/libraries/179057/2ea.jpg

Paul

dropzone@cgocable.ca

Alright, think you are right about the motherboard, another friend
told me that, he also said to check the condensers to see if they got
bigger (that means they fried and trashed the motherboard). Do you
know something about it?

I will check what you told me about the southbridge when I get home,
but do I have to remove a heatsink to check the southbridge?

by the way, thanks, you gave me like the most complete answer I never
saw!

Marco

DaveW

You HAVE to have a CPU installed to flash the BIOS.

--
---------------------
DaveW

---------------------
<dropzone@cgocable.ca> wrote in message
news:1193327435.895294.327450@e9g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
> Hi, my CPU recently fried and my P4C800 deluxe tells me: "system fail,
> CPU test", so I'm buying a new CPU on ebay. The thing is, I saw that I
> need to upgrade the bios to rev. 1016 in order to make the new CPU
> work. How can I do that now that I don't have a CPU to flash my bios?
>
> Is it possible to do it without CPU?
>
> Or will the motherboard at least let me flash the bios with the new
> CPU even if it's not sure what is the CPU?
>
> (the new one is a Pentium 4 Extreme edition)
>
> thanks
>
> Marco
>

Paul

dropzone@cgocable.ca wrote:
> Alright, think you are right about the motherboard, another friend
> told me that, he also said to check the condensers to see if they got
> bigger (that means they fried and trashed the motherboard). Do you
> know something about it?
>
> I will check what you told me about the southbridge when I get home,
> but do I have to remove a heatsink to check the southbridge?
>
> by the way, thanks, you gave me like the most complete answer I never
> saw!
>
> Marco
>

I have one of those Southbridge chips on my board (P4C800-E), and it doesn't have
a heatsink on it. I don't think the ICH5 needs one, which makes inspecting
for the burn mark a bit easier. Usually the ICH5 is in the lower right hand
corner of the motherboard. In my case, I can take the side off my computer
case, and easily see it without moving any cables out of the way.

Paul

Acedrew

Dont worry - a number of Asus boards suffer this bug with the Post Reporter.

Just disable it in the BIOS.

<dropzone@cgocable.ca> wrote in message
news:1193327435.895294.327450@e9g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
> Hi, my CPU recently fried and my P4C800 deluxe tells me: "system fail,
> CPU test", so I'm buying a new CPU on ebay. The thing is, I saw that I
> need to upgrade the bios to rev. 1016 in order to make the new CPU
> work. How can I do that now that I don't have a CPU to flash my bios?
>
> Is it possible to do it without CPU?
>
> Or will the motherboard at least let me flash the bios with the new
> CPU even if it's not sure what is the CPU?
>
> (the new one is a Pentium 4 Extreme edition)
>
> thanks
>
> Marco
>

Arno Wagner

Previously dropzone@cgocable.ca wrote:
> Hi, my CPU recently fried and my P4C800 deluxe tells me: "system fail,
> CPU test", so I'm buying a new CPU on ebay. The thing is, I saw that I
> need to upgrade the bios to rev. 1016 in order to make the new CPU
> work. How can I do that now that I don't have a CPU to flash my bios?

> Is it possible to do it without CPU?

No.

> Or will the motherboard at least let me flash the bios with the new
> CPU even if it's not sure what is the CPU?

Not necessarily.

> (the new one is a Pentium 4 Extreme edition)

What you can try is to get a replacement BIOS chip. There
are numerous small companies that will flash you any BIOS you
like to a new FLASH chip for a moderate fee.

Google should help locating one.

Arno

dropzone@cgocable.ca

Well, you were right Paul, the motherboard is dead, There is no
evident burns or anything with the condensers, but I took my CPU to a
store and had it tested and it worked perfectly. So I decided to
change my system, but now I have a new problem: I don't think my old
power supply works with the new motherboard:
motherboard: Asus P5KC
Power supply: Mutant Mod reactor ATXPOW480BLU

What I mean by not compatible is that the P8P9 connector (I don't know
if it's still called like that, but it used to be), not the ATX, but
the other one, has 20 connectors on the power supply and 24 on the
motherboard. I can plug it right, but there are 4 connectors with
nothing in it on the Motherboard. How do I know if it's safe?

Marco

Ghostrider

dropzone@cgocable.ca wrote:

> Hi, my CPU recently fried and my P4C800 deluxe tells me: "system fail,
> CPU test", so I'm buying a new CPU on ebay. The thing is, I saw that I
> need to upgrade the bios to rev. 1016 in order to make the new CPU
> work. How can I do that now that I don't have a CPU to flash my bios?
>
> Is it possible to do it without CPU?
>
> Or will the motherboard at least let me flash the bios with the new
> CPU even if it's not sure what is the CPU?
>
> (the new one is a Pentium 4 Extreme edition)
>
> thanks
>
> Marco
>

Install the new CPU. It might allow the motherboard to start POST, at
which time perform the ASUS EZ Flash update to the bios. If not sure
about this method, read the P4C800 Motherboard User Guide.

After bios has been updated, computer will re-start POST. Re-configure
the bios settings at this time. Save the settings and the system should
boot normally.

dropzone@cgocable.ca

Forget it, found out it's ok, thanks everyone!