BIOS Updates forum

Good evening !
I put a PentiumIII 800MHz/100MHz/1.65V and a Socket370 to Slot-1 adapter on a Biostar M6vbe (not -A) that runs with a 450MHz. Though the M6vbe's doc only mentions a 500MHz/100MHz/2.05V, some users report success with a modified Bios.

My computer doesn't start. All voltages are fine (including 1.65V), fans rotate, but the screen stays black and the buzzer doesn't sound. And the Pentium isn't warm enough.

The Bios is the original one : Award v4.51pg 177748347 (1998) 07/06/1999-692-596-8671-2A6LGB09C-00. The chipset is VT82C693+VT82C596A [NOT 692, though Bios string]

May the Bios cause this? And which Bios may work?
Thank you !

If your Slocket has voltage jumpers try 1.7V or 1.8V.
It may be possible your board is not able to supply the 1.65V your CPU wants to have.
It may be also possible that your slocket is PPGA-only and not FCPGA-compatible or some jumpers are wrongly set.

The last known 693 Bios is the 11/99 version available under patched Bios in my sig.

be sure to check this site for fcpga compatibility of your 370->slot1 adapter. mod it accordingly or just get another one.

First, thanks to both of you for your quick answers.

1.65V: I could check it with a multimeter on the motherboard, it's fine. The Cpu receives its normal voltage and isn't overclocked. The adapter allows to fool the mobo for 1.70 or 1.75V; I will try it later.

The voltage regulator IC is designed for 1.65V and even less, but not necessarily all components of the voltage regulator, especially the flywheel Mos, which sees more current. I wonder if an overcurrent protection may prevent booting although voltages are fine afterwards. I will try to underclock the Fsb to 66MHz, thus drawing less current, and see what happens.

I bought the adapter and the Fcpga in one sale, I hope they fit together. Four other customers, with unknown mobos, are satisfied with that combination. The adapter has few jumpers : voltage and Fsb, all are at "default" up to now - that is, the informations from the Fcpga are to be transmitted to the motherboard.

The 800MHz Fcpga is a PIII Coppermine at 800MHz/100MHz/1.65V, I hope the described modifications hold only for Celeron Tualatin. Would be nice!

Do you believe the Award 4.51pg could provoque such symptoms? And does anyone know which Bios version is sold by www.rd-computer.de and http://stores.ebay.de/Bios-neu-Brennen-vom-BiosProfi , who only guarantee booting with 128GB drives and know nothing about processor recognition?

Your board support at leastr a minumum voltage of 1.8V - please test that first. Without success then please update your Bios.

Do you have any other Slot-1 board around available for testing ? Probably the CPU or the Slocket are damaged.

RD-Computer will not have any other Bios other than the latest 11/99 Bios, I don't know how they patch their Bios. It is too cheap to be a relicense Unicore Bios.

@Denniss: they are just flashing the patched files from this site and the manufacturer bios i guess. at least the selection of their available chips fits this site's bios collection very well. 10.99EUR for a M6VBE..not too bad..maybe i should start reselling some of that stuff on eBay too ;)

@PointerToVoid: PPGA and FCPGA have design differences, too. check the intel spec sheets or here and here. the tualatin mod would have included the fcpga mod anyways. i have some old slot1 boards using the 4.51pg core running fcpga celerons without any problems. so it's not the bios for sure.

Good evening !
It has been a long time without trials, but here are news :

I received more PIII Katmai and tried them on the M6vbe. I couldn't test any processor on another motherboard.

- A 500MHz 100MHz 2V Katmai runs.
- A 550MHz 100MHz 2V Katmai doesn't.
- The 800MHz 100MHz 1,65V Coppermine didn't, though I measured a good core voltage.

This resembles closely what the doc of the M6vbe tells : up to 500MHz 100MHz Katmai.

I will do more tests, but to me, it looks like if the Bios Award 4.51pg doesn't start if the processor is unknown.
Bye !

rom.by has an award bios patcher that will add the higher multipliers in your bios but I don't know if there's some other way of limiting this. You could go that route...