BIOS update help

ambro25

I'd like to update the BIOS for my Asustek 'Diablo' board (K8N8X LE or LA), but can't seem to find a BIOS update anywhere else than on eSupport for $30 :eek:

Board was made for HP (Pavilion t540uk), I believe socket 754 (for an AMD64). I've trawled HP support and Asustek support and can't find zilch - and getting a bit mad because it's just over a year old, for C's Sake!

As an aside, I've never updated the BIOS yet (anaetema, I know - kick away !). Any of you very knowledgeable people know where I can find the BIOS update for...erm...free ?

Khannie

Bios updates should defo be free O' charge. Asus do have free bios updates, I've downloaded them before.

I wouldn't update the bios unless you need to for some reason though.

ambro25

Khannie wrote:

Bios updates should defo be free O' charge. Asus do have free bios updates, I've downloaded them before.

I know they do - just can't find my mobo in the relevant section (maybe because it's OEM)

Khannie wrote:

I wouldn't update the bios unless you need to for some reason though.

My Radeon 9700 Pro is still not working quite right (still getting sporadic VPU recovers, but much much less now that I've upgraded PSU 250W>400W).

I had a look in BIOS, which was set as PCI for primary display driver - I changed it to AGP and things are much better now (less VPU recovers still, but still a few, nonetheless).

However, I understand (from mass of info gathered through Google) that AGP management has been improved in a subsequent BIOS release, and so I'd like to try that and see if it can make things better.

Khannie

Found this page which says that bios's must come from HP or esupport.

$30 is around 25 euro. A lot for a poxy bios update.

Ok, did some more googling....this page mentions the "K8N8X-LA (Diablo)" motherboard and has a link to bios download.

ambro25

Much thanks for that, Khannie

I had actually already been there yesterday and followed the steps/links all the way to the BIOS update download (SP26386.exe), but all I was getting was a broken d'l link, whence I found the eSupport thing & then posted this thread...

'turns out the link works this afternoon, after all - Yay!

unkel

Let us know if there is improvement after the flash

BTW is your PSU a QTEC? If so you're asking for trouble with a fairly heavy user such as a 9700 pro. 400W means nothing unfortunately. Should the BIOS not work out, try (lend) another PSU and see will that make a difference

ambro25

[shudder] It is a QTEC [/shudder]

(Inquitus' QTEC, Forum deal from about a week or so ago)

Still, better than this one

odie

This Bios update for you PC t540uk downloaded OK from the HP website when I tried it

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software4/COL8793/pv-22976-2/SP26386.exe

It's on this page

HP BIOS Update for K8N8X-LA Motherboard

ambro25

Thanks Odie, but managed it yesterday:

ambro25 wrote:

Much thanks for that, Khannie

I had actually already been there yesterday and followed the steps/links all the way to the BIOS update download (SP26386.exe), but all I was getting was a broken d'l link, whence I found the eSupport thing & then posted this thread...

'turns out the link works this afternoon, after all - Yay!

Ran the BIOS auto-updater last night and left the BF2 demo to run on 800x600 32 bit medium-everything for several hours... no bother whatsoever (just one hiccup) and the card fan is a bit noisier for some reason (thinking of after-market VGA-cooling it anyway, to be safe) - so, fingers crossed, all good so far

@ unkel - not running much off that QTEC, if it makes any difference(mobo-CPU(3000+/64)/card/1xHDD/2xdiscs/floppy/multi-card reader), and I next-to-never use trays/floppy/card reader anyway.

unkel

Seems like the BIOS update is working for you then

ambro25 wrote:

@ unkel - not running much off that QTEC, if it makes any difference

It does. I would have no problem myself using a Q-TEC in a low end system but I wouldn't touch it for an A64 system with a power hungry gfx card myself tbh

You might still be ok if you don't O/C. Try and run a gfx benchmark such as 3Dmark2005 for a few hours and see if it is stable

FWIW, I've seen too many posts from people that had other components damaged while using a Q-TEC PSU

ambro25

Fair cop.

But note that the rig's been running everything (except the 9700 Pro) on a Chinese-made ('Bestec' ) 250W PSU for just over a year, with never a bother... well, it was an off-the-shelf HP with a 9200SE

So I see 400W (QTEC or otherwise) as a distinct improvement, where stability is concerned (I only ever got issues with the gfx card once I upgraded, never once had any issues before that). I'm not considering O/C-ing it at all - I do use it professionally as well, so I can't really afford to *mess* about with it too much (upgrading a "turnkey-rig" with off-the-shelf components is about the extent I'm willing to go - and have any free time available for, tbh).

All things considered - as and when things are on the up and I get more disposable € for all things PC and, more importantly, more free time, then I'd probably build a really rather good gaming PC with 'best' components in mind. For now, this runs BF2, LFS2 and GTL(demo) at a reasonably good res/detail/fps, and that's about all I have (very limited) time for, these days

unkel

ambro25 wrote:

But note that the rig's been running everything (except the 9700 Pro) on a Chinese-made ('Bestec' ) 250W PSU for just over a year, with never a bother...

It is a fairly common misconception that rated wattage is relevant. I would be happy to run your rig on an Enermax or Fortron 300W PSU (or any other quality PSU) including the 9700pro. As I said, I wouldn't be too happy with the 400W Q-TEC

But you'll probably be ok