680i SLI is too expensive? Asus as the solution : P5N32-E SLI PLUS

[Jultsu]

Wolfdale support is maybe the key change in this bios, since it is officially supported in asus 45nm roadmap. However, Yorkfield is not supported by this board

http://event.asus.com/mb/45nm/

[>GSXR<mrbusa]

i tried this bios at my own risk and I am well aware that stuff happens.....
anyhow, i finally messed around with making my own bat file with some switches that i found around the net for force flashing, programming, and clearing setting unattended. there will be a bad checksum error at the end of the flash, but just enter the bios and all is well.
1. format a boot floppy, delete everything but command.dos, io.sys, and msdos.sys.
2. create a text file named AUTOEXEC on the floppy and place this in the first line AWDFLASH.EXE P5N32-EP.BIN /CC /CD /CP /F /R /PY /SN
save the file on the floppy as a txt file then rename it to AUTOEXEC.BAT
3. place awdflash 1.31 and your bios file renamed to P5N32-EP on the floppy with the other files
4. roboot with floppy as first boot device and in a few minute any old version renamed to what i said will force flash and get rid of this crap 1002 bios.

[Radical_53]

I flashed this bios too today, and I had some of the issues as well. My settings were saved only when I set clocks the second time or so. Well at least only 2 times
I couldn't really get anything stable so far, things that worked before, so I did the old DFI trick. CMOS clear setting the jumper, no power to the machine, and let it sit for a while.
After that, I set all my stuff again. Settings were saved directly, and so far the machine seems to be working fine. I'll have to run some more stability tests, but what I tried so far worked flawlessly.

[Jultsu]

OK, changelog is out. Just the usual:

" P5N32-E SLI Plus BIOS V1002
Support new CPUs. Please refer to our website: http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/c...Language=en-us "

So 8xxx is now officially supported.


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By the way, it's looking GOOD. This new bios KICKS ASS! I'm priming 9x400 with blend, for almost 2 hours straight. My Firefox 3.0 beta has crashed a few times, but other than that, no problems. All cores still running. Maybe now I could get working on that 9x450

-----------

I just ran 3dmark06, with prime95 blend still on, with foobar2000 playing some music, adobe photoshop on the background and a couple of file copies going on. Ran beautifully, nothing crashed. I'd say this puppy is STABLE (yay!)

http://www.aijaa.com/img/b/00084/1613684.jpg

[DarkCow]

Well, thats great to hear... I'm very tempted to try this bios out. But after hearing the troubles of the last bios not sticking i'm a bit scared lol.

I've already destroyed a board with a bad flash (not this one) and it costed me 20 odd bucks for a new chip, so I'll wait for someone else who has more money to try it lol. (just bought my self a new graphics block)


I was going to say that if you guys were having trouble flashing bios's with a floppy you could try using windows. Thats how I flashed my bios to 0801, and it has this option that says "Bios Downgradable" havn't tried it yet, dunno exactly what it does.


edit: The mobo is just the weirdest thing ever created by man IMO, on bios 0801 where before I could only boot @ 1.40 NB voltage im now stable @ 1.30 NB voltage.... weird... all I did was run at stock for a little while because of some hard-drive troubles... this seems promising, I'll tell you how it goes after I flash to 1002

[Radical_53]

My machine is running nicely again too. After flashing this bios, just do a CMOS clear with the jumper and take off all power cords from the machine.
It really made a difference for me

[Jultsu]

I'm now running 9x445 = 4005MHz 1.552v, struggling to get it stable. I can run prime95 blend for ~20minutes, after which a BSOD every time. The VTT is more forgiving with this bios, in 0801 you had to have the exact right voltage to boot to windows. With 1002, all VTT voltages boot happily to windows. I'm giving the NB 1.6v, SB 1.5, HT 1.45 and VTT 1.50.

[DarkCow]

lol, ok you guys convinced me, im gonna flash it.

[DarkCow]

daaammmmnnnnnnn.....


it won't boot...

So i flashed it in windows, worked 100%. no errors etc.. then rebooted it.

on the next boot it won't post w/e I do, reset cmos etc.. when it should give me a beep, it just restarts, I get no noise outta it.


any ideas?

[Jultsu]

Pull the battery out. Leave one RAM stick in it. Let it sit for a day. Then try booting it again.

[DarkCow]

Pull the battery out. Leave one RAM stick in it. Let it sit for a day. Then try booting it again.

All right, just did that, I'll try again tommorow afternoon I guess.. hopefully something will happen..

It just feels like the CMOS jumper is constantly set to reset if you know what I mean.. Last time this happend to me I forgot to put the cmos jumper back, once i put it back though it worked.

its [1,2] is normal and [2,3] is reset right?


Some Unnecessary info: Just found a really old dusty compaq computer and shoved a 6600gt, 2 gigs of ram, AMD 2600+ socket A, and a new PSU.. say hello to my new "gamer" lol

[onthepulse]

Anyone tried an E8400 (or other E8xxx) with the new 1002 BIOS?

[>GSXR<mrbusa]

i am curious to what people actually think a mobo does with the battery removed sitting off for a whole day?
i played around with the 1002 bios more now that i have an emergency floppy for 0803, 0805, 0901. i got different results each time i flashed this unstable 1002 version. one thing in common with the few flashes i have done is the fact that at least on my e6600 the clock settings will not stick no matter how many times i reboot or clear cmos via the jumper or within the bios. one time the bios just freaked out and my clocks were changing on there own while i was watching from within the bios. back to 0805 for me and all is good. of course i am not doing some insane overclock that is going to lower my mobo life expectancy to a disposable life span.

[lesterLL]

ey guys.. hehe.. been busy this past few weeks... wow!! a new bios!? hmmm.. so.. how was it so far?? am still using 0801 bios... any suggestions?? hahaha


anyone tried e8xxx on this board?? been thinkin if i would shift from q6600 to e8400... hehehe or should i need to flash 1002 bios so i can have e8xxx proc working??

thanks

[Jultsu]

i am curious to what people actually think a mobo does with the battery removed sitting off for a whole day?

I really have no idea, but it has worked in the past The battery IS an energy source (same as your power supply), so some components are still "active" if you know what i mean. Removing that battery will cause all board components to shut down. The capacitors still reserve some enegry, even when the power supply and battery are removed, so therefore a day or more is needed for them to completely empty out.

[Radical_53]

I think the capacitors can be "emptied" by a fair amount by pushing the power button several times when all power cords are removed. If you let it sit there afterwards for a while, everything should be ok.

[DarkCow]

Thats what I thought too, whenever I mess around inside my computer I always unplug it, then hit the power button a few times. I'll get back to you on what happens though when I get home.


Do you guys know of any good bios chip people (like a company that'll ship me a new chip with a working bios on it) for cheapish.. I did just get another paycheck so all is well.

[Jultsu]

Just let your mobo rest for a while. I think it's gonna be ok. I've had THREE (3!) accidents with water in the last 12 months with this board, and it's still alive and kicking. I've had water completely fill the RAM slots, fill the SB, fill the PCI-E etc. etc.. I've just let it dry properly and no harm has been done.

[DarkCow]

Just let your mobo rest for a while. I think it's gonna be ok. I've had THREE (3!) accidents with water in the last 12 months with this board, and it's still alive and kicking. I've had water completely fill the RAM slots, fill the SB, fill the PCI-E etc. etc.. I've just let it dry properly and no harm has been done.

omg... it actually worked... booted fine. thanks a ton Jultsu


edit: now im getting trouble making the FSB stick, even multiple cmos clears arn't doing it, might revert back to 0801.

edit2: Had a lot of trouble reflashing this bios, Windows nor EZ flash would work. But i tried this method.

i tried this bios at my own risk and I am well aware that stuff happens.....
anyhow, i finally messed around with making my own bat file with some switches that i found around the net for force flashing, programming, and clearing setting unattended. there will be a bad checksum error at the end of the flash, but just enter the bios and all is well.
1. format a boot floppy, delete everything but command.com, io.sys, and msdos.sys.
2. create a text file named AUTOEXEC on the floppy and place this in the first line AWDFLASH.EXE P5N32-EP.BIN /CC /CD /CP /F /R /PY /SN
save the file on the floppy as a txt file then rename it to AUTOEXEC.BAT
3. place awdflash 1.31 and your bios file renamed to P5N32-EP on the floppy with the other files
4. roboot with floppy as first boot device and in a few minute any old version renamed to what i said will force flash and get rid of this crap 1002 bios.

Thanks a lot mrBusa, your method worked perfectly! just a little edit tho, its not command.dos its command.com, but its pretty obvious which ones you need to keep. but thanks again, your work saved my overclock!

[lesterLL]

ey... how's the 1002 goin? any good news or whatsoever?

[Radical_53]

@jultsu: You're so right about that. I can't understand how people trash their stuff with watercooling. If you rush it and don't let it dry, then it'll be a problem, but not if you clean it and have it dry out completely.

@lester: It's really running perfect over here. Haven't had a problem ever since day one, which was fixed with a complete CMOS clear.

[Snyxxx]

Does anyone know if the same ol' FSB holes are still there with the 1002 bios?

[>GSXR<mrbusa]

I wonder why it isn't working for me?
I have flashed from floppy, ezflash, and windows and cleared the cmos through the bios, by jumper, and by removing the battery with total shutdown for over a day. Still I get the same results with the clocks either not sticking or freaking out and acting buggy while I am in the bios.

[DarkCow]

I wonder why it isn't working for me?
I have flashed from floppy, ezflash, and windows and cleared the cmos through the bios, by jumper, and by removing the battery with total shutdown for over a day. Still I get the same results with the clocks either not sticking or freaking out and acting buggy while I am in the bios.

yea, im in the same boat as you, can't seem to get it to work right. 0801 is working much better over here.

[onthepulse]

I had the same problem when I tried to switch multis. I can only use 1002 at the top (default) multi. In my case that's 10x.

The good thing about 1002 for me is that I had never previously had success at 10x multi, but now it runs flawlessly and very stable.

My experience was:
- Flash
- Set voltages
- Get some ROMSIP table updating message
- Set to 'unlinked' and set clocks
- Then I am free to set everything... Except when I try to turn the multi down to 9x, it won't stick...