BIOS Upgrade On IBM Mobo! Important!

[slim142]

Hi

I have been sending thousands of emails to IBM regarding my BIOS update and they just say that thats a technician problem and when i try to find the technician problem support, i just cant find it. My system is an Aptiva 2172-62T and i have travel around the world trying to find my bios update but i find nothing. Every program i open to see my BIOS it detects a ACER OEM BIOS. WTF!!! ACER BIOS ON A IBM SYSTEM???!!!. Also my Motherboard is an Intel 440ZX. here is my ID String IBMAF000-I0F-000303-R05-R0 ES .
Well i hope somebody can help me is really important because i heard that updating my BIOS would make my computer a little faster.

Thanks

 

[mpjesse]

440ZX???

Just upgrade man. The days of the Slot 1 CPU's are dead. How old is that thing? Like 1998?

-mpjesse

 

[o1die]

I would use cpu-z to identify your motherboard. If it comes up acer, then you probably have a match. But don't expect too much from a bios flash. If you have any doubts, I wouldn't do it.

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

I used to have an Abit ZM6 once, a Intel i440ZX based mainboard. i440ZX systems where available in Slot-1 and Socket-370 (not FC-370 though, so may lack Pentium-III support). The Abit ZM6 was Socket-370, mostly for Celerons up to 533 MHz. (The P-II based ones that lacked SSE though)

The i440ZX was limited to 256 MB of SDRAM (PC100) off the top of my head. There was also a cheaper i440ZX-66 varient which wouldn't do 100 MHz FSB in all cases without tweaking and alot of luck.

A current sub AU$1000 system (even sub AU$700) would outpeform your PC considerably..... We are talking 4x - 8x improvements in performance (possibly more in some tasks).

================================================

As said above, just upgrade:

If you are a cheapskate (i440ZX implies you are) consider pairing the following components, I don't know your world locality but look up the total price for the following parts from a few of your local vendors.

CPU: Athlon64 3200+ (Socket 939)

MOBO: Foxconn 6150K8MA-8EKRS (most overlooked mobo out there)
http://www.foxconnchannel.com/products_motherboard_2.cfm?pName=6150K8MA-8EKRS
Leadtek Winfast Foxconn - All the same company.

RAM: 2 x 512 MB DDR-SDRAM (PC3200) (Kingmax, OCZ, Kingston, Corsair, etc)

VID: Either use the onboard GeForce 6150, which is more than acceptable to most... (likely much faster than what you have now, which is prob a TNT2m64 / Vanta based card. Or less, a Diamond Viper v550 comes to mind). Can always use the GeForce 6150 no strings attached, then decide if you need more 3D performance and upgrade to a much beefier PCIe x16 video card to suit your requirements if need be.

CASE: Antec TX640 (black) or TX635 (beige) (They have good cooling)
http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=61640
PSU: Antec SmartPower 350 or 400 watt PSU, for futureproofing.

HDD: 160 GB Samsung (7200rpm, 8 MB cache, SATA, NCQ) - They have a good price internationally atm, but also check out Seagate, Western Digital, and what other HDD maufacturers are offering.

Sound (hardware accelerated, unlike older onboard Realtek / Azalia audio) & a rather decent Yukon Marvell Gigabit LAN are both integrated on the mainboard, leaving the PCI slots free for other things. Installing a Creative Audigy 2 Value is a pretty simple sound system upgrade to the above though if audio / EAX support is a concern.

.... and anything else you may need. eg: TFT / CRT Monitor, DVD+/-RW, Windows XP Home/Pro Operating System, etc

If you are in ACT, Australia contact me (details on my website, see my signature far below), can hook you up with some much nicer gear.

If the Intel i440ZX is indeed limited to 256 MB (as I remember it being anyway) then it would be almost antique compared to the above specs and not even cost effective compared to the above*. Your time would be better invested earning the apx AU$1000 (or equiv) to arm yourself which such a huge PC upgrade.

* (Which is the stock system I recommend to people, seeing what they want to change on it tells me what the person is really after, the GeForce 6150 onboard is ample for business and most SOHO users)

I've upgraded many times since my trusty old Abit ZM6, going from such a system to the above, in one step, would show you how times have really changed, you'll also be x64 ready.

 

[mdd1963]

"...because i heard that updating my BIOS would make my computer a little faster.
"

Time for an upgrade...big time!!

 

[mpjesse]

Uhhh no. Especially not a computer that old.

-mpjesse

 

[slim142]

haha well yeah i know is old but still is a nice computer.

Pentium III 600mhz, 512Kb L2 cache, 100Mhz FSB.
384 SDRAM
Ati Radeon 9200
Maxtor DiamondMax 60Gb 5400rpm

This computer has been running since January 1999. Never had problems with it. Even if i buy a new system i would never throw this computer away.

Yes, I got right now another mobo, an Intel i815E (Solano2) with a Tualatin 1.4Ghz. ( Dont laugh, this processors can beat a Pentium 4 with 1.8Ghz) i just need a case and power supply cuz i got SDRAM and hard drives.

Now, I would like to know how much would be a Athlon64 maybe between 2.4 and 2.8Ghz with 512 Ram (including case,power supply,dvdrom,and cheap videocard. a very chep system (less than $500) (excluding monitor)
do you think i still can get a system like that?.

Hope so