Need Help To Upgrade Intel Intel D850GB MOBO

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gecko

I have a geographically distant friend who bought a faster CPU he
thought would work on his MOBO. He says Everest shows the his BIOS to
be GB85010A.15A.044. PO4.0011171443. His motherboard is an Intel
D850GB, which is close. He says Intel identifies BIOS versions for the
motherboard as P05 through P18, which is consistent in form but the
number from Everest seems too low (P04).

So I am wondering if he is barking up a wrong tree, trying to use this
faster CPU on what looks like an older MOBO.

Anyone out there have any experience with this MOBO? Or just maybe
might have tried to do what he is doing?

Thanks

Gecko
 
gecko said:
I have a geographically distant friend who bought a faster CPU he
thought would work on his MOBO. He says Everest shows the his BIOS to
be GB85010A.15A.044. PO4.0011171443. His motherboard is an Intel
D850GB, which is close. He says Intel identifies BIOS versions for the
motherboard as P05 through P18, which is consistent in form but the
number from Everest seems too low (P04).

So I am wondering if he is barking up a wrong tree, trying to use this
faster CPU on what looks like an older MOBO.

Anyone out there have any experience with this MOBO? Or just maybe
might have tried to do what he is doing?

Thanks

Gecko
Click to expand...
Here's the list of supported mobos. As far as the BIOS version it should
be announced during board boot. Or he can open the BIOS and it will be
listed there.
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d850gb/sb/cs-013248.htm
 
gecko said:
I have a geographically distant friend who bought a faster CPU he
thought would work on his MOBO. He says Everest shows the his BIOS to
be GB85010A.15A.044. PO4.0011171443. His motherboard is an Intel
D850GB, which is close. He says Intel identifies BIOS versions for the
motherboard as P05 through P18, which is consistent in form but the
number from Everest seems too low (P04).

So I am wondering if he is barking up a wrong tree, trying to use this
faster CPU on what looks like an older MOBO.

Anyone out there have any experience with this MOBO? Or just maybe
might have tried to do what he is doing?

Thanks

Gecko
Click to expand...
Here's the BIOS update page, 17 is the current one.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...ID=486&DwnldID=5326&agr=N&lang=eng&PrdMap=486
 
gecko said:
I have a geographically distant friend who bought a faster CPU he
thought would work on his MOBO. He says Everest shows the his BIOS to
be GB85010A.15A.044. PO4.0011171443. His motherboard is an Intel
D850GB, which is close. He says Intel identifies BIOS versions for the
motherboard as P05 through P18, which is consistent in form but the
number from Everest seems too low (P04).
Click to expand...

The BIOS version is usually reported across the bottom of the screen during
the POST screen - the black and white screen when the memory is 'counted'
and the hard disks are listed. I have seen some Dell's report the BIOS
version at the top of this screen, but normally its listed right at the
bottom.

Even if he already has the latest BIOS update, there would be no harm in
re-flashing it, so why not get him to download the latest BIOS update for
the board (manufacturers website) and just flash it anyway.
 
gecko said:
I have a geographically distant friend who bought a faster CPU he
thought would work on his MOBO. He says Everest shows the his BIOS to
be GB85010A.15A.044. PO4.0011171443. His motherboard is an Intel
D850GB, which is close. He says Intel identifies BIOS versions for the
motherboard as P05 through P18, which is consistent in form but the
number from Everest seems too low (P04).

So I am wondering if he is barking up a wrong tree, trying to use this
faster CPU on what looks like an older MOBO.

Anyone out there have any experience with this MOBO? Or just maybe
might have tried to do what he is doing?

Thanks

Gecko
Click to expand...
I have a computer with the D850GB motherboard and the CPU is a P4
1400MHz. The bios is Version GB5010A.86A.0060.P13 if that helps. I am
not sure if a faster CPU can be installed in it, as I have never tried
and do not have the complete manual in front of me. What speed CPU is
he trying to install?

By the way, in spite of the fact it is only 1.4GHz the Ram Bus memory
makes it perform well.
 
I have a computer with the D850GB motherboard and the CPU is a P4
1400MHz. The bios is Version GB5010A.86A.0060.P13 if that helps. I am
not sure if a faster CPU can be installed in it, as I have never tried
and do not have the complete manual in front of me. What speed CPU is
he trying to install?

By the way, in spite of the fact it is only 1.4GHz the Ram Bus memory
makes it perform well.
Click to expand...


1.8 P4.
 
More on the MB:
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d850gb/sb/CS-013248.htm
Click to expand...

It seems your friend's board simply has a bios old enough
that Intel isn't offering it anymore, or at least not
linking it (might be on a FTP server they have somewhere).

The new processor might work w/o a bios update, but since
there have been so many bios revisions since then, and since
a bios flasher should identify whether the bios is correct
for the board and not flash it if not, after confirming it
is the same board model I would flash the latest bios.

I think this processor upgrade is not going to be very much
of a performance boost, it might be time to spend even a
mere $150 on a board, processor and memory, but of course
that entails a lot more time to install the parts and
reconfig or reinstall the OS.
 
It seems your friend's board simply has a bios old enough
that Intel isn't offering it anymore, or at least not
linking it (might be on a FTP server they have somewhere).

The new processor might work w/o a bios update, but since
there have been so many bios revisions since then, and since
a bios flasher should identify whether the bios is correct
for the board and not flash it if not, after confirming it
is the same board model I would flash the latest bios.

I think this processor upgrade is not going to be very much
of a performance boost, it might be time to spend even a
mere $150 on a board, processor and memory, but of course
that entails a lot more time to install the parts and
reconfig or reinstall the OS.
Click to expand...

I agree,

Thanks, all, for your responses. I forwarded all of them to my buddy.
I personally would have bought another MOBO/CPU combo a long time ago,
but he likes to 'play'.

Gecko
 
gecko said:
I have a geographically distant friend who bought a faster CPU he
thought would work on his MOBO. He says Everest shows the his BIOS to
be GB85010A.15A.044. PO4.0011171443. His motherboard is an Intel
D850GB, which is close. He says Intel identifies BIOS versions for the
motherboard as P05 through P18, which is consistent in form but the
number from Everest seems too low (P04).

So I am wondering if he is barking up a wrong tree, trying to use this
faster CPU on what looks like an older MOBO.

Anyone out there have any experience with this MOBO? Or just maybe
might have tried to do what he is doing?
Click to expand...

The manual from Intel is pretty clear:

| Use only the processors listed below. Use of unsupported
| processors can damage the D850GB board, the processor,
| and the power supply. See the Intel® Desktop Board 850GB
| Specification Update for the most up-to-date list of
| supported processors for the D850GB board.
|
| The D850GB board supports a single Pentium 4 processor
| with a system bus of 400 MHz. The D850GB board supports
| the processors listed in Table 4. All supported onboard
| memory can be cached, up to the cachability limit of the
| processor. See the processor’s data sheet for cachability
| limits.
|
| Table 4. Supported Processors
| Type Designation System Bus L2 Cache Size
| Pentium 4 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB

It's apparently a little conservative, though, as I bought one of those
boards from Gateway that has a 1.7GHz Pentium 4 in it. What processor
is he trying to use?
 
It seems your friend's board simply has a bios old enough
that Intel isn't offering it anymore, or at least not
linking it (might be on a FTP server they have somewhere).
Click to expand...


My friend's reply:
Exactly. That's the problem. Intel does not service their motherboard
this old. Even the information available doesn't admit to ever having
used the P04 BIOS. Intel information starts with !.3G with P05 BIOS or
greater. The BIOS update downloaded from Intel reports the P04 as
"invalid." But the P04 BIOS is obvious the predecessor to the P05,
which Intel lists. The question is whether or not proceed with
flashing Intel's update to P10 or greater, which the 1.8G processor
requires.
The new processor might work w/o a bios update, but since
there have been so many bios revisions since then, and since
a bios flasher should identify whether the bios is correct
for the board and not flash it if not, after confirming it
is the same board model I would flash the latest bios.
Click to expand...

My friend's reply:
The new processor will NOT work w/o a BIOS update and the latest BIOS
(Express Windows version, not DOS) declared the existing P04 BIOS
"invalid." That's why this issue is on the table. I have no reason to
think that the DOS update won't run. The question is whether or not it
will kill this motherboard
I think this processor upgrade is not going to be very much
of a performance boost, it might be time to spend even a
mere $150 on a board, processor and memory, but of course
that entails a lot more time to install the parts and
reconfig or reinstall the OS.
Click to expand...

My friend's reply:
He may be correct that this upgrade from 1.3 to 1.8G may not result in
an impressive improvement in performance. But this is exactly why I'm
reluctant to risk destroying this motherboard with a futile quest to
squeeze as much as can economically be accomplished. $25 for the CPU
didn't seem too much to risk at the time.


Thanks

Gecko
 
gecko said:
My friend's reply:
Exactly. That's the problem. Intel does not service their motherboard
this old. Even the information available doesn't admit to ever having
used the P04 BIOS. Intel information starts with !.3G with P05 BIOS or
greater. The BIOS update downloaded from Intel reports the P04 as
"invalid." But the P04 BIOS is obvious the predecessor to the P05,
which Intel lists. The question is whether or not proceed with
flashing Intel's update to P10 or greater, which the 1.8G processor
requires.


My friend's reply:
The new processor will NOT work w/o a BIOS update and the latest BIOS
(Express Windows version, not DOS) declared the existing P04 BIOS
"invalid." That's why this issue is on the table. I have no reason to
think that the DOS update won't run. The question is whether or not it
will kill this motherboard


My friend's reply:
He may be correct that this upgrade from 1.3 to 1.8G may not result in
an impressive improvement in performance. But this is exactly why I'm
reluctant to risk destroying this motherboard with a futile quest to
squeeze as much as can economically be accomplished. $25 for the CPU
didn't seem too much to risk at the time.


Thanks

Gecko
Click to expand...

There is a way to go higher than that :-)

First, start with a S478 to S423 socket adapter.

http://www.powerleap.com/PL-P4N.jsp ($59.95)

Add a 2.8GHz/FSB400/512KB Northwood, which is the fastest
FSB400 made. This page will take a few moments to load,
and the Northwood in question should be in the upper
right hand corner.

http://www.powerleap.com/Processors.jsp ($249.95)

Review article here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/08/30/performance_injection/index.html

For the BIOS issue, you can get badflash.com to flash a brand
new BIOS chip for you. They charge somewhere in the vicinity of
$25 for the service. All you have to do, is give them a pointer
to the file to be burned. (The file should be in a form that they
can use - a binary style installer that has the BIOS image hidden
inside wouldn't be good enough. The file should be just the
data necessary to flash the EEPROM.)

As long as the BIOS chip is socketed, you can remove the old one
and install the new one. In that way, there is no danger of
a BIOS flashing tool failing. You still have to orient the
BIOS flash chip properly (note the arrow on the socket and dot
on the chip). Then put the new one in exactly the same way as the
old. If you get it wrong, two pins on the chip will get red hot,
and your $25 prize will be fried.

BIOS chips come in DIP (dual inline package) or PLCC (plastic
leaded chip carrier ?). DIP you can extract with your favorite
pointed tool - I used to use a staple remover with a flat and
rounded head. It did an excellent job. For the PLCC, the
extraction task can be done with one of these. (For insertion,
just use your thumb to put the PLCC in place.)

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062619&cp

The PLCC extractor hooks underneath the diagonal corners of a PLCC,
and allows you to pull straight up, without bending or ruining any
pins. If the upgrade doesn't work out, you can then put the original
BIOS chip back into the board.

Of course, this upgrade is not economic at this point in time, and
is merely to illustrate the possibility of going higher. The BIOS
could still be an issue. Powerleap used to have a database, which had
a few user comments in it, and sometimes you could get BIOS version
info from there. You could always contact Powerleap, and find out
what BIOS version they consider to be a working one. It looks like
the Tomshardware article, did the upgrade to your board, and they
mention a particular BIOS version there. Apparently the BIOS identifies
the processor as "Pentium 4", so is not able to ID the processor
properly - but it still works.

Paul
 
There is a way to go higher than that :-)

First, start with a S478 to S423 socket adapter.

http://www.powerleap.com/PL-P4N.jsp ($59.95)

Add a 2.8GHz/FSB400/512KB Northwood, which is the fastest
FSB400 made. This page will take a few moments to load,
and the Northwood in question should be in the upper
right hand corner.

http://www.powerleap.com/Processors.jsp ($249.95)

Review article here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/08/30/performance_injection/index.html

For the BIOS issue, you can get badflash.com to flash a brand
new BIOS chip for you. They charge somewhere in the vicinity of
$25 for the service. All you have to do, is give them a pointer
to the file to be burned. (The file should be in a form that they
can use - a binary style installer that has the BIOS image hidden
inside wouldn't be good enough. The file should be just the
data necessary to flash the EEPROM.)

As long as the BIOS chip is socketed, you can remove the old one
and install the new one. In that way, there is no danger of
a BIOS flashing tool failing. You still have to orient the
BIOS flash chip properly (note the arrow on the socket and dot
on the chip). Then put the new one in exactly the same way as the
old. If you get it wrong, two pins on the chip will get red hot,
and your $25 prize will be fried.

BIOS chips come in DIP (dual inline package) or PLCC (plastic
leaded chip carrier ?). DIP you can extract with your favorite
pointed tool - I used to use a staple remover with a flat and
rounded head. It did an excellent job. For the PLCC, the
extraction task can be done with one of these. (For insertion,
just use your thumb to put the PLCC in place.)

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062619&cp

The PLCC extractor hooks underneath the diagonal corners of a PLCC,
and allows you to pull straight up, without bending or ruining any
pins. If the upgrade doesn't work out, you can then put the original
BIOS chip back into the board.

Of course, this upgrade is not economic at this point in time, and
is merely to illustrate the possibility of going higher. The BIOS
could still be an issue. Powerleap used to have a database, which had
a few user comments in it, and sometimes you could get BIOS version
info from there. You could always contact Powerleap, and find out
what BIOS version they consider to be a working one. It looks like
the Tomshardware article, did the upgrade to your board, and they
mention a particular BIOS version there. Apparently the BIOS identifies
the processor as "Pentium 4", so is not able to ID the processor
properly - but it still works.

Paul
Click to expand...


Thanks Paul
 
The manual from Intel is pretty clear:

| Use only the processors listed below. Use of unsupported
| processors can damage the D850GB board, the processor,
| and the power supply. See the Intel® Desktop Board 850GB
| Specification Update for the most up-to-date list of
| supported processors for the D850GB board.
|
| The D850GB board supports a single Pentium 4 processor
| with a system bus of 400 MHz. The D850GB board supports
| the processors listed in Table 4. All supported onboard
| memory can be cached, up to the cachability limit of the
| processor. See the processor’s data sheet for cachability
| limits.
|
| Table 4. Supported Processors
| Type Designation System Bus L2 Cache Size
| Pentium 4 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB

It's apparently a little conservative, though, as I bought one of those
boards from Gateway that has a 1.7GHz Pentium 4 in it. What processor
is he trying to use?
Click to expand...


1.8
 
gecko said:
My friend's reply:
Exactly. That's the problem. Intel does not service their motherboard
this old. Even the information available doesn't admit to ever having
used the P04 BIOS. Intel information starts with !.3G with P05 BIOS or
greater. The BIOS update downloaded from Intel reports the P04 as
"invalid." But the P04 BIOS is obvious the predecessor to the P05,
which Intel lists. The question is whether or not proceed with
flashing Intel's update to P10 or greater, which the 1.8G processor
requires.


My friend's reply:
The new processor will NOT work w/o a BIOS update and the latest BIOS
(Express Windows version, not DOS) declared the existing P04 BIOS
"invalid." That's why this issue is on the table. I have no reason to
think that the DOS update won't run. The question is whether or not it
will kill this motherboard


My friend's reply:
He may be correct that this upgrade from 1.3 to 1.8G may not result in
an impressive improvement in performance. But this is exactly why I'm
reluctant to risk destroying this motherboard with a futile quest to
squeeze as much as can economically be accomplished. $25 for the CPU
didn't seem too much to risk at the time.


Thanks

Gecko
Click to expand...

For what it is worth, Intel and IBM are perhaps the most well written
bios flash programs I have encountered. Most every one I have seen will
refuse to flash a bios chip unless the hardware etc. is proper, and thus
prevent messing up the MB. As you well know there is always that
possibility, but I would flash it if it were my MB. And yes, I would do
it from DOS.
 
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