BIOS Flashing?

[Ika]

So I have an old Dell Dimension 4500, with a Pentium 4 1.8ghz Northwood. I can't overclock my CPU because something is locked. Would a BIOS flash be able to overcome this clock lock? also, what are success rates for BIOS flashing and is it a good idea? I believe my current bios is an Award Revision A02. Not sure if it really is Award though.

EDIT: chipset is i845E, voltage is 0.368v, L2 cache is 512kb, FSB is 100MHz, Bus speed is 400MHZ, multiplier is x18.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I cannot verify this for you -- companies change their sources for parts and how they produce OEM systems.

But Dell and Gateway had used Intel motherboards for a long time in their systems. In turn, it was only in 2003 with the D865PERLx mobos that Intel allowed BIOS features which allowed any over-clocking, and this only provided percentage boosts from a menu without allowing for manual fine-tuning. That was a system with an 800 Mhz FSB -- later than whatever board Dell chose for that Dimension of yours.

OEMs, like the CPU manufacturer, don't feel eager to let their customers OC their computers. Or to put it another way, if I were a businessman, and I were offering a product with a warranty agreement, I would use my quality control statistics off the factory floor to calculate an expected value for the number of RMA'd products, use the distribution of failed parts and parts-costs to estimate my OEM-system prices and extended warranty charges. If I allow my customers to OC their computers, I'm facing all sorts of uncertainties there.

So I would build machines with mobos and BIOS versions that don't over-clock. The way you would get around that would be using some "custom" BIOS file that DID allow OC'ing a particular mobo, and flash the system with that BIOS. Then again, who would manufacture and guarantee that BIOS? Where is it coming from? How would you know that it was without flaw, or that revisions would be forthcoming?

ASUS and other mobo makers equip their systems with BIOS's that bare the over-clocking features. They would warranty the board, provided you don't epoxy heatsinks to the board components (which I do). But it's less likely you will find such a board in a machine from an OEM manufacturer like Dell. You're more likely to find it in those $4,000 systems from Alienware or less-known OEM's that are rated in Maximum PC Magazine.

But at least with a Dell, you're not going to pay above $3K for a system, unless it's their flagship. Some of their systems, like Costco "e-Machines", cost less than $500.

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: guoziming
Would a BIOS flash be able to overcome this clock lock?

Don't think so, not a BIOS update from Dell. It's my understanding that Dell locks down certain settings in the BIOS to keep support calls to a minimum, so that a significant number of people don't go in there and screw something up.

what are success rates for BIOS flashing

Very good. However, there is still potentially high risk.

is it a good idea?

Allegedly the worst case of a failed BIOS update is that you have an unusuable computer. However, I have messed up the BIOS on an Intel board, but was able to recover with a recovery BIOS. I guess the chief danger is having a power outtage while the BiOS update is in progress.

It used to be that you had to create boot diskettes in order to flash the BIOS. Now you can often do it from the OS. Your computer is so old, however, that I think you would have to create a boot diskette.

 

[Ika]

Bumping up an OLD thread. Is there ANYTHING I can do to allow this computer to overclock? I'm not afraid to do soldering to the motherboard if necessary.

 

[stevty2889]

You could try clockgen, it won't give you any voltage options, or memory divider options, but it's about the only option that might work with the Dell. If the options aren' there, the options aren't there, you can't do anything about it, other than attempt hard mods.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
You could try clockgen, it won't give you any voltage options, or memory divider options, but it's about the only option that might work with the Dell. If the options aren' there, the options aren't there, you can't do anything about it, other than attempt hard mods.

Tried clockgen through and through; I've also tried CPUFSB. Do you know of any links to tutorials to hard-mod?

Oh, and what's with my CPU FSB being 100? Is that quad-pumped to 400?

 

[996GT2]

Yes, if you have a 400 FSB Northwood. The 533 FSB versions have a 133 FSB natively.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
Yes, if you have a 400 FSB Northwood. The 533 FSB versions have a 133 FSB natively.

That makes more sense. Any idea if I could just pop in another 400 FSB northwood?

 

[996GT2]

You can most likely pop in another 400 FSB model with no problems. If you go for a 533/800 model you most likely need a new BIOS.