Hi
I picked up this motherboard cheap and found it has an old BIOS which I don’t even know if it supports 266/1066 or 333/1333 FSB “Core2” processors. Mfr is no help. Current BIOS is Phoenix/Award - I cannot seem to extract that BIOS to back it up with Phlash… Any ideas, short of installing Windows and then using WinPhlash?
@Methanoid - Do you have a BIOS download link?? The way you wrote that is confusing, extract a BIOS to back it up, not sure if you have a BIOS file, or not
I can help you make a copy of the current BIOS on chip possibly, but you would need windows installed. Use this - disable virus/spyware stuff first, run as Admin, click read and then wait (you can’t move window), once it’s done you can click backup
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details…up_toolkit.html
It may be this one, not sure
https://www.dieboldnixdorf.com/en-us/sup…g41-motherboard
Thanks, yeah that G41 was the BIOS i thought was an update (before I editted my post) - its AMI not Phoenix and I think for a different G41 (with more than 1 slot, mine is iTX with one x4 slot)
Windows it is then
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I have got a backup of the Rom now… its Award/Phoenix as indicated. I was easily able to remove old CPU microcode and replace with 775/771 code (rom below)
https://easyupload.io/pk3blw
Is there anything more I could usefully do (no chance of a new BIOS from mfr) - any point in updating VGA or LAN rom parts? Anything that can be unlocked in BIOS?
@Methanoid - Nice to see you sorted all that out. Yes, that is Award/Phoenix BIOS, not much to do there except update microcodes. The LAN module is only loaded if you use Wake on LAN or PXE/Boot to LAN
VGA, too old, I wouldn’t even remember where to start looking for such old roms and even if we found, then probably all dead links etc.
Looks like almost everything in BIOS menus should be visible to you already.
@Lost_N_BIOS don’t suppose you know whether adding support for all 775/771 CPUs also means I have support for FSB 400 (1600) CPUs as well? I’m wondering about whether I can persuade an E8400 (3Ghz, 9x333) to be a 3.6GHz (9x400) CPU or am I gonna have to stick to chips up to 333 FSB (G41 officially supports 333 but most mobo vendors say 400 is fine but OC)
@methanoid - Sorry, no, I can’t remember for sure, but I think that is limited to certain chipsets, at least at the stock level. Simply adding microcodes does not always add CPU compatibility.
I see this BIOS has CPU N/2 Ratio option and it’s enabled, so it does support the CPU’s with the 0.5 multiplier, but I can’t even remember which speeds all those are by default.
Do you see FSB option in the BIOS? I don’t remember if I noticed it when looking or not, if it’s there then you can set 400 FSB if it wont run by default.
@Lost_N_BIOS don’t suppose you know whether adding support for all 775/771 CPUs also means I have support for FSB 400 (1600) CPUs as well? I’m wondering about whether I can persuade an E8400 (3Ghz, 9x333) to be a 3.6GHz (9x400) CPU or am I gonna have to stick to chips up to 333 FSB (G41 officially supports 333 but most mobo vendors say 400 is fine but OC)
Thanks, can I also ask how you are viewing BIOS options (no CPU FSB selections but some adjustment with a 200FSB you can adjust from 200-233 FSB
EDIT: For the record, I BSEL-modded my E5300 to 266FSB for 3467MHz and you can overclock to 300FSB manually but doing so caused a Windows BSOD at any multiplier (even 6x) so maybe the chipset isn’t happy above 266 … I am tempted still to get an E7400 and see if that BSEL mods to 3.5 GHz just so I know a 333FSB is okay. Its a fun project