Chicken or the egg, mother board bios problem

daven68

Reputable
Jul 23, 2014
7
0
4,510
Hi again guys.

I am at a real loss at trying to figure out a possible dead mobo or cpu or both problem. I previously asked a question here:
( http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2231291/dead-motherboard.html#xtor=EPR-8809)
and in the mean time received a new rma`d board , a ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0 , which is doing the same thing, no post. I took the board and had it tested with known good cpu, psu, memory and videocard and still no post. I seriously doubt i got 2 dead boards in a row although it is possible . so not knowing what else to do I rma`d this board and I am waiting for store credit at new egg.
So now as i research boards again I was looking into Gigabyte`s when I see on their website that in order to use an fx series chip on their boards it needs a bios update. So I called their tech support and they tell me unless the bios is ver 4 , it DOES have to be updated to work. , new egg says it`s luck of the draw and there is no way for them to tell before shipping. so I ask the gigabyte tech, how can I upgrade the bios if I can`t access the bios??? He tells me I have to buy a athlon II and use it to flash the bios.
now I am wondering if that was the trouble with the two Asus boards all along , although I had both boards tested at a pc repair place (not much to choose from at my local) and I know he used a athlon II x 4 that he looked up on the boards compatibility list and was Known good.
so here is my question, does anyone know of a reliable board that is fx compatible 8120 or 8350 out of the box without requiring a bios update first ? preferably one new egg caries since I will have a store credit there.

thanks
 

daven68

Reputable
Jul 23, 2014
7
0
4,510
hmmm.... thats interesting. gigabyte tech sounded like it was in India, had a little trouble understanding him. Perhaps i misunderstood. thanks for the info. looks like gigabyte is going to be the one to try.