Intel D875PBZ and the P4 3.0 ghz processor, 800mhz fsb - do i need a bios update?

[gjk747]

I was planning on building a computer based on the intel D875PBZ motherboard and throwing in the 3.0 ghz 800mhz fsb processor. According to intels website and various customer reviews, the board doesnt ship with a new enough version of bios to support 800 mhz fsb speeds. If i dont have a processor thats 'compatible' with the bios that the board ships with, is there any way to update the bios to support the processor that i want. I have never updated bios before, so i dont exactly know how it works, but what im wondering is if there is any way to update my bios without a processor on the board.

Thanks for any comments
--greg

 

[WaTaGuMp]

If you want an EASY bios motherboard then look into an Asus board. They come with a utility you install that allows you to flash your bios from the internet, no need to make a bootable floppy etc etc.

You just install the mobo CPU get it up and running then install the utility and it walks you right through the process. This cant be easier, you just download it choose the version from the dropdown menu and click flash. This can even be done while saving your bios settings from the origional install.

I have the Asus P4C800-E and flashed mine from the CD that came with the board, and yes it was my first time doing it also. I flashed from version 1007 to 1010 which is the one for my mobo, 1011 is the beta version for my board.

So look at it this way just put the system together just like you didnt need to flash get it stable and flash it your done.

You could also contact the company to see if you can get a mobo that has the newest bios if you still dont think you can do this. But you can if you have basic computer knowledge.

 

[VSEKH]

This was when Intel first released this motherboard. If you buy this motherboard today, it will be compatible with the 3.0C P4 right out of the box.

 

[bozo1]

Originally posted by: VSEKH
This was when Intel first released this motherboard. If you buy this motherboard today, it will be compatible with the 3.0C P4 right out of the box.

However, definitely update the BIOS to the latest revision if it is not already at that point. My 875PBZ that I received about 4 weeks ago (direct from Intel) was running an older BIOS and was plagued with the memory compatibility issues that most 865/875 based boards had. The latest BIOS fixed it right up.

 

[gjk747]

Thanks for the suggestions. I wrote to intel pre-sales support and they responded saying that i would not be able to boot up, pretend i didnt need the bios update, and just update as soon as everything was up and running.

in their words:
"To update the BIOS on the Intel(R) D875PBZ motherboard you need to use a
processor compatible with the motherboard and with the BIOS version currently
installed."

So am i absolutely guaranteed to get one shipped to me with the good bios installed? Otherwise id get screwed sending all this stuff back and paying restocking fees.

If i wouldnt be guaranteed to get one with the new bios and decided to go with a different board, what are your reccomendations? I plan to use this system for video editing, cad, and gaming. I wont be overclocking, I just want a system with rock solid stability that will work with the 3.0 ghz 800mhz fsb processor offered by intel.
Here is the stuff i plan on throwing in this system in addition to the procesor:
SoundBlaster Audigy 2
ATI All in Wonder 9000 pro
WD 120gig 7200 rpm hard drive (parallel ata)
1 gig Kingston HyperX PC3200 DDR (2 512meg modules)
52x24x52 cdrw and a DVD Rom Drive
Everything above is going into an Antec Sonata case (380 watt power supply)

I have heard good things about asus and some other good things about MSI. If my mobo wouldnt ship with the good bios, what model/brand would be right for me?

Thanks for the replies
--greg

 

[bozo1]

Rarely does a motherboard arrive with the latest BIOS. It all depends on how long since the board was made, when the latest BIOS was released, how long the board sat in a warehouse, etc.

The latest BIOS for that board was released 8-22. I think it's highly unlikely that your board would have that version.

Intel BIOS updates are very easy. You can do one of two things:

Go ahead and put your stuff together, install Windows, install the drivers off the drivers CD that comes with the board to get your graphics, NIC, etc., working properly. Go to Intel's site and download their 'Express BIOS Update' from this page. Run that program from Windows and it'll do it's thing. (Read the instructions contained on that page for the exact procedure.)

Your second option is to flash your BIOS before you install Windows. From that same page, download their 'Iflash BIOS Update' on another machine. Have a formatted floppy disk available. Run the program and it will create a flash diskette for you. Boot your new machine with that diskette and it'll do its thing for you automatically.

If you have a problem with the flash, the third utility on that page is their 'Recovery BIOS' which supposedly will undo a bad flash but I've never had to use it.

We flash Intel boards at work all the time and have never had a problem using either method. I prefer the 2nd method I listed because flashing stuff under Windows still makes me queezy.

 

[Nafets]

To run a P4 3.0C on the Intel D875PBZ, the bios version must be P05 or later. Considering that P05 was released on 4/23/03, there is a good chance the board you get will have at least this bios version....