Updating BIOS for Kaby Lake WITH incompatible CPU installed?

[WAZ]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but in my head I've created a loop:

I'm building my PC with a Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 3 and a new Kaby Lake i7-7700K.

Out of the box, the Z170X is NOT compatible with the Kaby Lake processor, but there is a BIOS update that will make it compatible. Of course I only have the ("incompatible") processor to install and start it up with.

Can I install my Kaby Lake, but it will still let me load/flash the BIOS via USB BEFORE it reads/recognizes it as an incompatible processor? Or will it not even boot to the BIOS screen unless I use a Skylake or earlier to flash it with? Thanks!

 

[JimKiler]

I just upgraded a PC to Kaby Lake but my mobo was Asus and i had to buy a second 1151 CPU non kaby lake from Micro Center and use that to update the BIOS then I was able to install a i5-7500. I am returning the non Kaby Lake CPU later today. Thank goodness for no restocking fees!

 

[WAZ]

Well, crap.

 

[KompuKare]

Well there are some motherboards which flash a BIOS without any CPU which is best option.
Gigabyte call this feature Q-Flash Plus, and Asus USB BIOS Flashback. AFAIK, neither ASRock or MSI offer this feature.
I imagine both Gigabyte and Asus use a custom chip for this, but this is really a feature which Intel and AMD should build into their chipsets. Some licensed ARM with USB support would be nice.

 

[LTC8K6]

G3900 celeron is probably the cheapest.

 

[WAZ]

Yeah, I checked mine and it has Q-Flash, but not the cpu-less Q-Flash Plus.

My brother has an i5-6600 in his H110 kit... I may have to take his apart, do all new thermal compound and use his to boot mine to flash the BIOS.

 

[psolord]

Why don't you instruct the store to flash the motherboard to the newest BIOS, before shipping it to you?

 

[JimKiler]

Why don't you instruct the store to flash the motherboard to the newest BIOS, before shipping it to you?

Microcenter will charge to do it, so i said i will do it myself since you have no restocking fees.

 

[hojnikb]

You can buy a 2$ spi programmer and flash bios directly. Thats the cheapest option really.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fre...lt&btsid=73362051-ea0d-4f57-a6ce-31c9c8833c21