Getting ready to install new bios chip...

[psychobob]

Okay...I was on here awhile back asking for help and came to the conclusion that if it isn't the bios chip the the board is just plain fubar'd. After much deliberation...or maybe the proper terms would be "f'ing with the bios chip every which way before I broke down bought an extraction tool," I got the chip out, and I'm getting ready to put in the new one ordered from badflash.com.

 

Is there anything I need to know before I do this? I was told to clear out the cmos before and set things to load optimized defaults once I get it booted...but do I need to start the board up with cmos cleared or anything like that? Do I need to do anything funky like knocking on wood three times, spill salt and throw some over my shoulder, and say an incantation to the gods of the cyber-underworld???

Seriously, do I need to do ANYTHING special before and after I put this chip in?

 

I'm going to be booting this with fairly simple periferals and components, beings how I already have most of my good shtuff in a backup PC.

 

Booting With:

Duron 1.4

Modified Thermaltake HS w/ Tornado 80MM fan (known as my vaccuum cleaner because of the noise)

512 2700 Buffalo DDR

AOpen MX440 64 meg video

480W Antec TrueBlue PSU

 

*edited subject*

[RGone]

cmos and replace the cmos jumper to the 'run' position and not the clear position to try and boot.

 

Is that an old 100mhz duron? The board does not like them.

 

RGone...

[psychobob]

Originally posted by RGone

Is that an old 100mhz duron? The board does not like them.

 

It should be a 266 (or 133, however you want to look at it). I don't have the chip in front of me because I'm at work, but I swear when I bought it, one of the reasons why I did was because it was similar to the 1600 chip, except about half the price because it was on sale. I THINK that the 1.3 was the last 100 mhz FSB chip that they made for Duron, but I'm not possitive on that. I googled it and the only things that came up for the 1.4 chip is a 266 fsb.

[psychobob]

If I can get this board working again, I'm going to need a new CPU since I built a backup system. The mobile 2400 is like $25 cheaper than the mobile 2600. According to some of the reviews that I've seen, they can both be overclocked to AROUND 2500 mhz, with the obvious higher speeds going to the 2600 chip, but I'm not seeing that most people are clocking it much higher than they can get the 2400 up to. One guy said he had the 2400 chip at around 2550 and the highest I saw anyone running the the 2600 was only about 100 mhz higher than that.

 

Is there much of a difference in your oppinion?

[Col.Howard]

I went for the Mobile 2600+ becuse I'm not a HUGe overclocker....I've got mine at 2.1 right now, unitl I get a btter heatsink. My only guess is if you want to overclock ALOT and save money, a mobile 2400+ would work, a good number of ppl on this board have had sucess with them. If you arn't huge with overclocking, or are new at it, (like me) I got a 2600+ so I wouldnt have to OC it alot, but still have a good amount of horsepower under the hood. I think RG has said numerous times that any of the mobile 24/25/26 have had a good bit of success. My only experience with a desktop processor was a faulty 3200+....but a mobile processor works, and WILL be unlocked.

[Oldfaht]

I have used both the mobiles in question here and my experience was that they both overclock very well, but the 2600 that is in my sig. just runs up high "easier" and more stable than my 2400.

 

I got both "Toaster" certified, but 10.5x240-245 w/2400 was really pushing it. The 2600 runs like a dream 10.5x245 all day/all night no probs. and it tops out these days at 10.5x253 when I really push it.

 

For my money it has been really well worth it to go with the 2600.

Just the other day I was looking over at excaliber and they have the stepping I have back in stock for $110(guaranteed stepping). I've seen a lot of rigs using IQYHA 0352 (X)pmw running real high (X=various letters)

 

Just thought I'd give a little input to help with your decision, as with all things in 'puterdom YMMV......different setups, different results. Whatever, with these rigs the mobiles "are" the way to go if you want to get the high numbers.

 

Good Luck geting where you want to go.

 

Oldfaht

[Emil]

This may be slightly off but I would like to share my bios extraction tool, which made removing the bios chip easy.

 

I used a 4-inch safety pin. With a long nosed pliers, bend the free tip by 1-2 mm, forming an inverted "L" tip. Since a 4-inch safety pin is made of hard steel, you have a strong tool.

 

All you need to do is to insert that curved tip underneath the bios chip in one of the corners (upper right or lower left, if you can read the chip markings; not inverted), and give a good pull ....NO PROBLEMA !! that chip will give way.

 

And in flashing a blank bios chip, I like putting 2 strands of dental floss, taped at the back of the chip in an X configuration with the strands exiting in the corners of the chip. In this way you avoid interfering with the contacts and can use the strands to pull out the chip after flashing w/o fear that it will fall off because it is taped.

[Mott13]

Like I said to you in a previous post Buy a mobile 2600 you wont be disapointed...super eazy oc'r

[psychobob]

Well...your bios extraction tool could have saved me $11.00 if I would have asked a week ago. I tried the toothpick method and all I ended up doing was breaking toothpicks. I even tried sewing needles like someone else had mentioned in a post, I broke those too. It's not because I was trying too hard...it was simply because that chip was WEDGED in there. I mean, it even took me like 5 tries with the chip extractor to get that thing out of there.

And as far as the Mott13's post goes...I know that it's a good chip. I was asking if the extra 25 bucks is really justified. If this was 1997 and I was building my first computer again, then yes, 25 bucks for an extra 100 mhz would be WELL worth the money. Now days, 100 mhz would only be worth the extra money if we were talking about the difference between not being able to play Doom3, and being able to. And I can already play Doom3, so.....

[Mott13]

Yes I believe its worth the extra 25 just for the simple fact that

I have seen more 2500+ oc's with the 2600 than the 2400...

But dont take my word for it do some research for yourself:)

[psychobob]

The monster is alive...HE'S ALIVE!!!

 

I think my old bios chip is completely dead.I still don't really understand how swapping out a harddrive could have done it in...but, thus is life sometimes. Granted, I've never done a hotflash before, but I found a post explaining how to do and used their directions exactly, and the old chip wouldn't work. Oh well...I would go invest in a Bios Savior, but frankly, I don't think that I'm going to be swapping out much more on this board. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to install the mobile 2400 chip in there, put in the new video card, and the seal this classy lady up for good!!!

 

And yes by the way, I went with the 2400 chip. No offense, but just saying "I think it's worth it" doesn't really justify it. I already had a non-mobile unlocked 2100 chip that I got over 2200 from but it's now in my backup system and I can only overclock the FSB on that board...so all I really want is 2400 mhz stableif I get 2500 then GREAT...if not, 2400 seems to be what everyone else has that chip at...so...

[Angry_Games]

I already had a non-mobile unlocked 2100 chip

 

less likely to encounter problems on a cpu like this than a mobile also (tho for the most part mobiles are great now)

 

if your 2100 is one of these

 

 

it will (should!) do 2400Mhz without any problems