Ga-ma78gm-s2h F5 BIOS. Anyone have success yet

nanohead · 07-08-2008, 08:52 PM

Was wondering if anyone did this upgrade yet, and if so, how did it work out. This one actually includes new AMD AGESA code (for booting, board initialization, etc) and could change the behavior of the board for real.

I have 2 of these boards, and want to upgrade, but.....

nanohead · 07-08-2008, 09:43 PM

Answered my own question. It worked on one board, and bricked the other. Oh well, another dead ma78gm. I've been through 6 to get 2 working ones.. Maybe I should have tried another brand... argh.

Overdraught · 07-08-2008, 09:55 PM

Flashed f5 on 6/27 with no problems. In fact, it appears to have resolved a minor problem involving boot order that I mentioned in an earlier post.

On your "brick" board - have you tried clearing CMOS then flash using Q-Flash? Avoid the @Bios utility.

OD

MyJoy · 07-09-2008, 12:52 AM

I updated with f5 the moment it was avalaible, it worked perfectly, the board appearently runs smoot, I've no compalins (apart from NB? temp). Since everybody is repeating it, I shoud do it to; NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use the @Bios, use a USB stick with QFlash!

nanohead · 07-09-2008, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Overdraught

Flashed f5 on 6/27 with no problems. In fact, it appears to have resolved a minor problem involving boot order that I mentioned in an earlier post.

On your "brick" board - have you tried clearing CMOS then flash using Q-Flash? Avoid the @Bios utility.

OD

Yep. But I get no video on the bricked board. It looks like the CD is trying to do something, I've made 4 different variations of CDs including boot block ones, with the BIOS files on them. Nada so far.

I never use @BIOS, learned my lesson once. This time, Qflash hung and then when I did a reset, no video.... argh.

The system starts, runs, fans spin, etc, but no video. Maybe Xpress Recovery is trying to do something, but I'm not sure what the CD should have on it.

**Lsdmeasap** · 07-10-2008, 01:19 AM

Do you have a floppy drive already installed and setup on the dead board?

nanohead · 07-10-2008, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsdmeasap

Do you have a floppy drive already installed and setup on the dead board?

I can... will that do something? Will it look there?

**Lsdmeasap** · 07-10-2008, 01:36 AM

No, not now since you did not have it installed before it will not already be set as the first boot device.

If you did, which by your comment wording I dont think is the case, you could try a Blind Flash >>>
Award 6.0 BIOS - BootBlock Recovery

But like I said you had to already previously had a floppy installed and set in the BIOS as the first boot device

What you may be able to do though, is take a OS/Boot hard drive out of one of your WORKING boards and stick it in the first slot (Also try the same one being used now if this differs) of your dead board and turn it on and let the BIOS try to recover the BIOS from the HPA out of that drive

nanohead · 07-10-2008, 06:38 AM

Thanks... but I think its roached completely. While it does search the CD at boot time, it kind of goes into this repeating pattern regardless of what I do.

I tried the floppy, but it didn't work. Interestingly, I did have a floppy installed on that board before, but have it mounted on a bench now. I did NOT though have it in the boot order, so maybe its marbles are forever screwed up. Too bad these don't have removable ROM chips, as that would be preferable to an RMA, but alas, I think its RMA time for me.

**Lsdmeasap** · 07-10-2008, 12:05 PM

Yeah, the floppy must have already been installed previously when it was working and set in the BIOS as the first boot device for it to even attempt to work

Yeah, sounds like RMA is in order. That would be GREAT, and likely save them a TON of cash due to RMA's if they used Dual/Quad actual removable chips on the boards instead of the "Virtual" non removable chips they use now