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Strange behavior

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Good evening;
Can anyone tell me why the BIOS flash might become unstable in a 7yr old system?
This system is based on the ASUS P5AD2-E Premium.
I started having strange problems, mostly during boot a couple of months ago.
One problem was that the Intel ICH6R controller was not functioning properly if the 1st Ethernet controller was enabled. I got around this problem by disabling the 1st Ethernet controller, and using the 2nd controller.
Also, the system would not boot from a CD or floppy if the 1st Ethernet controller was enabled.
When I tried to run disk diagnostics on the Ultimate Boot CD, the system would hang when Disk Init started.

This morning, the system failed to boot with the error: CPU has changed... press F1 to run Setup.
After running setup, the system booted normally.

This all seemed like a corrupted/unstable BIOS to me, so this evening I ran AFUDOS and re-flashed the BIOS with the same file that was currently loaded.
This appears to have solved all of the problems.

So now I'm wondering why the BIOS flash became corrupted in the first place, and it this indicated that a failure is imminent.
Considering how old the system is, I suppose that the flash ROM could be ready to fail.

Thanks for your help/advice

FW

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ultrarunner100 said:
Good evening;
Can anyone tell me why the BIOS flash might become unstable in a 7yr old system?
This system is based on the ASUS P5AD2-E Premium.
I started having strange problems, mostly during boot a couple of months ago.
One problem was that the Intel ICH6R controller was not functioning properly if the 1st Ethernet controller was enabled. I got around this problem by disabling the 1st Ethernet controller, and using the 2nd controller.
Also, the system would not boot from a CD or floppy if the 1st Ethernet controller was enabled.
When I tried to run disk diagnostics on the Ultimate Boot CD, the system would hang when Disk Init started.

This morning, the system failed to boot with the error: CPU has changed... press F1 to run Setup.
After running setup, the system booted normally.

This all seemed like a corrupted/unstable BIOS to me, so this evening I ran AFUDOS and re-flashed the BIOS with the same file that was currently loaded.
This appears to have solved all of the problems.

So now I'm wondering why the BIOS flash became corrupted in the first place, and it this indicated that a failure is imminent.
Considering how old the system is, I suppose that the flash ROM could be ready to fail.

Thanks for your help/advice

FW


Sounds like the motherboard is failing, as a bios flash wouldn't be doing that, as the manufacturer tested it to ensure long term stability, I highly suggest to upgrade, as 7 year old computers tend to need to be replaced usually

DComander1x said:
Sounds like the motherboard is failing, as a bios flash wouldn't be doing that, as the manufacturer tested it to ensure long term stability, I highly suggest to upgrade, as 7 year old computers tend to need to be replaced usually


I have to agree. I am just trying to buy a little time, so I can come up with a bit more cash and get what I really want, and not just what I can afford in a new system.
I guess you could say that I have been given the two minute warning! Maybe I can score another TD!

FW

ultrarunner100 said:
I have to agree. I am just trying to buy a little time, so I can come up with a bit more cash and get what I really want, and not just what I can afford in a new system.
I guess you could say that I have been given the two minute warning! Maybe I can score another TD!

FW


Yeah, its definitely a warning its giving you - though some new computers can be bought for around $300 or so for the cheapest, most basic AMD E-350 / E-450 or Intel Atom or Intel Celeron based system, so major cash isn't needed for a simple replacement.

AMD E-350 / E-450 - HP Pavilion Desktop PC AMD Dual-Core Processor E-450(1.65GHz) 3GB DDR3 500GB HDD Capacity AMD Radeon HD 6320 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit $349.99

Intel Celeron - Lenovo ThinkCentre M58 Desktop PC Celeron Dual-Core E3400(2.60GHz) 2GB DDR3 250GB HDD Capacity Intel GMA 4500 Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit $259.99

DComander1x said:
Yeah, its definitely a warning its giving you - though some new computers can be bought for around $300 or so for the cheapest, most basic AMD E-350 / E-450 or Intel Atom or Intel Celeron based system, so major cash isn't needed for a simple replacement.

AMD E-350 / E-450 - HP Pavilion Desktop PC AMD Dual-Core Processor E-450(1.65GHz) 3GB DDR3 500GB HDD Capacity AMD Radeon HD 6320 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit $349.99

Intel Celeron - Lenovo ThinkCentre M58 Desktop PC Celeron Dual-Core E3400(2.60GHz) 2GB DDR3 250GB HDD Capacity Intel GMA 4500 Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit $259.99

If only I could get away with something like that. One of my primary uses for the computer is a game; N3V Trainz TS12, which is very CPU/GPU intensive.

FW

ultrarunner100 said:
If only I could get away with something like that. One of my primary uses for the computer is a game; N3V Trainz TS12, which is very CPU/GPU intensive.

FW


Oh, May I ask what CPU & GPU are you using in the 7 year old system?

DComander1x said:
Oh, May I ask what CPU & GPU are you using in the 7 year old system?

CPU is a P4 @ 3.4Ghz
GPU is NVidia GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB

Not a good system for running games like Trainz. I usually get FPS down to 15HZ or slower when the game gets cranking. I can get as high as 60FPS when nothing is going on (the scene is not changing).

I'm considering a Core i5 2500 or maybe 2400 if I can save significant $$, or an AMD Phenom II when I replace the MOBO.

FW

ultrarunner100 said:
CPU is a P4 @ 3.4Ghz
GPU is NVidia GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB

Not a good system for running games like Trainz. I usually get FPS down to 15HZ or slower when the game gets cranking. I can get as high as 60FPS when nothing is going on (the scene is not changing).

I'm considering a Core i5 2500 or maybe 2400 if I can save significant $$, or an AMD Phenom II when I replace the MOBO.

FW


Ah, and I would suggest once you save up enough, is to get the AMD A8-3870K ($140) - from what I have read on it so far, its good performance on a budget and leaves plenty of room in a low budget for a better GPU, or save up for the Intel, which is better in raw performance, but more expensive at $190 - Intel Core i5 2320 or Intel Core i5 2500 $200

DComander1x said:
Ah, and I would suggest once you save up enough, is to get the AMD A8-3870K ($140) - from what I have read on it so far, its good performance on a budget and leaves plenty of room in a low budget for a better GPU, or save up for the Intel, which is better in raw performance, but more expensive at $190 - Intel Core i5 2320 or Intel Core i5 2500 $200

Right; And if I can wait a few months, I will probably save at least $25 on the CPU, and maybe another $15 or more on the MOBO.
I am planning to keep my GeForce 9800 for now, as I have found it is not the bottleneck at this point.

FW

ultrarunner100 said:
Right; And if I can wait a few months, I will probably save at least $25 on the CPU, and maybe another $15 or more on the MOBO.
I am planning to keep my GeForce 9800 for now, as I have found it is not the bottleneck at this point.

FW


Exactly, and that card isn't a major slouch, as its still able to play many games, considering the GTS 250 is based on it, though in the future, a 560Ti or 570 or AMD equivalent should be enough
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