Hi out there !
I am trying to upgrade my Pentium II (400MHz) system on a Biostar
mainboard (2A69KB0C/ Bios V4.51 PG 10/08/1998) by installing a
Powerleap PL-iP3/T. I am not too much into these things and am
currently wondering whether a BIOS update really is necessary. What
could happen if I tried without doing so ?
Well, there are a few possibilities. First is that the old BIOS might
simply work as is. If PowerLeap says that it won't work though, this
possibility is pretty slim. Second possibility is that it will work
but at a reduced speed and/or reduced feature set, possibly running
VERY slowly (sometimes old BIOSes will run the chip with both L1 and
L2 cache disabled, which turns the latest and greatest processors into
a chip not much faster than an old 486). Pain in the butt but not
really that big of a deal. The third option is that it just won't
boot. This is probably the most likely option. No harm done, though
nothing gained here. Put the old processor in, flash the BIOS and try
again.
The forth and final option is the only one to worry about. In
*extremely* rare cases and outdated BIOS might cause some problems
with the voltage detection and provide too much voltage to the module.
I believe the Powerleap adapter you bought has a voltage regulator
on-board, so even here this shouldn't be a problem. However,
worst-case scenario, this could fry something (either the processor or
the voltage regulator on the module). The chances of this happening
are very, very slim though.
All that being said, if Powerleap says that you need to update your
BIOS, do it! It only takes a couple minutes to do. Just follow the
instructions provided with the BIOS update and it should be working in
no time. If you don't have a suitable bootdisk for BIOS updates you
can get one at:
www.bootdisk.com
I use the one listed as "DR DOS 7.x Disk for BIOS Flashing". Works
like a charm.
