BIOS mod for ASUS C90S for 1066Mhz Wolfdale!

Does anyone know if anyone can mod the BIOS for ASUS C90S to enable 1066Mhz FSB Wolfdale (45nm) CPUs, e.g E7200, E7300, E7400...

If I were to mod the BIOS myself, which tools are needed to inject CPU-ids for 45nm CPUs?

If installing a E7300 ES with latest 1002 BIOS gives "CPU microcode load error" on POST... the CPU is correctly identified, but CPU microcode error halts the boot process... any advice would be appreciated?
.......
Later:
I was able to find the right tools to inject an updated CPU-list extracted from the AsRock Conroe945-DVI beta BIOS 1.91 available from a German website.

The updated CPU list is injected into and replaces the CPU-list in the standard Asus BIOS 1002. I then boot with my standard E6600 installed with a flash-usb drive with the modded bios named c90s.rom in the root of the drive. Power up and press ALT+F2 to start auto-recovery flashing using EZ-flash which will search optical and USB-drives for a bios file (c90s.rom).

Reboot, enter BIOS, load setup defaults, save.

Tested working with E5200 and E7300 ES.

PM me for a copy of the updated BIOS, I call it 1003, or go to
http://www.xtremesystems.org/Forums/...d.php?t=217199

edit: added link to download moded bios:
http://rapidshare.com/files/196495036/C90S1003.rar.html

 

Hi,

Seems to be great.
But the link doesn't work, please, could you check about ?

edit : I asked myself for a biosmod on xtremesystems
Could you send me your 1003 bios ? Or giving a link for dl ?

Is it possible to have a biosmod to set by myself the ram timings ?

Thanks alot.
@+

 

I've uploaded the modded BIOS in a RAR-archive on RapidShare; it can be downloaded 10 times from there, according to RapidShares info. Anyone got a site to host the file?
http://rapidshare.com/files/196495036/C90S1003.rar.html

I do not know if it is possible to mod the bios timings; isn't there software to do that on the fly in Windows?

 

Awesome! I really want the e7300! Can you please send me the new bios To install it is just as easy as updating bios normally from cd? Thanks so much.

On another note does turbogear work as it is practically the same as a e6700 which can get to 2.93ghz on "gaming" setting, also does the C90 supply the correct (reduced) amount of voltage to the CPU?

 

Cheers have it! Can it be burned to cd and boot from that?

 

With the E7300 ES the TurboGear crashed. Note, the CPU is an S (Engineering Sample) so your results may vary. The E5200 works fine with TurboGear.
Note, the bios does not recognize .5 multipliers, only integer numbers work, ie the E5200 has a 12.5 multi, but is recognized as 12 multi.

Note, the E5200 gives you a warning that 800Mhz CPUs aren't supported. However, it works fine.

 

Interesting! I was considering a e7300 as an upgrade over a e6700 but was hoping on turbogear functioning. So this means a e7200 would be recognised as a 2.4 ghz processor @9x then too.

 

Download RAR-archive of modded 45nm enabled BIOS here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/196500446/C90S1003.rar.html

 

Thanks I downloaded it already Can you confirm whether I can burn it to cd and escape at post logo screen and install new bios that way?

 

#9
Press ALT+F2 at POST to start EZflash utility. Rename the actual bios-file to c90s.rom. You don't have to use a CD-ROM, you can just place the rom-file in the root of a USB-flash drive.

 

I used the BIOS utility called MMTool_3.19_Mod_21FiX available from your fav google search/torrent site.
The Asrock beta BIOS was downloaded from here:
http://www.pctreiber.net/download_kategorie_23.html

and the Asrock BIOS CPU list extracted with the MMTool utility and saved. Then used the utility to open the original C90S 1002 bios and then I replaced the Asus CPU microcode list with the Asrock beta CPU microcode list (injected).

 

Maybe someone has an E7400 or e7500 they can test?
Perhaps it is also possible to mod or replace the voltage ID (Vid) part of the BIOS to enable cooler running?

Anyone?

 

Hi,
dl done.

Yes, I'm currently using memset to tweak ram settings in Windows.
But that should be better to tweak the bios. And Cas can't be modified in windows. Only with bios.

@+

 

#7
An E7300 is recognized and runs at 2.66Ghz. Game-, normal, and power-saving mode works with TurboGear, but Overclocking doesn't as that would exceed 2.93Ghz which seems to be coded into the BIOS as the max clock speed?!?! SetFSB seems to let you go higher, so the limit may be only in TurboGear?!

 

That is great news. That was the main reason I want the e7300 as gaming OC gives it a continuous higher voltage and should be enough to push it above 3ghz stable with clockgen!

 

First off great job colombodk!

As for pushing the clocks higher, it's been done a long time ago using ClockGen. Check these threads to push your new processors higher:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=205300

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=205374

Great job modding the bios colombodk!

 

i have a question
if i install e6750 with this mod... this CPU can be worked correctly?
"wow "my" great english )"

 

no, only cpus with 1066mhz FSB (front side bus) will work.... E6750 has a 1333mhz FSB

 

hey you guys!
new here at the site, but ive been a proud owner of the C90S for quite some time now
anyway, since my 8600M GT just abandoned me couple of weeks ago, I upgraded to a 9600M GT and a E7500 CPU. CPU works perfectly fine after the BIOS flash, is recognized running at 2,93Ghz AND TurboGear works! It downclocks the FSB to 175Mhz, thus letting the CPU run at 1,6Ghz. VID and Multi stay the same, but its no problem to push them down to x6 and 1.1V (Stock: 1.225V) with CrystalCPUID, thus letting it run at 1.05Ghz. The Temp readings of this CPU are downright amazing, even oced with ClockGen at 3272Mhz (prime-stable) i barely reach 60 degrees on 100%load! Plus, the battery life is extended by around 15-20 minutes I can only recommend to upgrade to E7xx series...

Thanks, by the way, to NightWalker, got some pretty nice inspirations from ur 9600M GT Upgrade Thread ;-)

 

Good work. Post some 3D mark 06 scores! Should be up there with some G50's

 

benchmarks with the new processor? temperature? anyone? Im thinking about making the purchase tonight ... just need a bit more info.

 

I have tried to do this but nothing happens. Just get a CMOS bad checksum page after it re-boots and options to either press f1 to load default values or f2 to enter the bios (which remains unchanged). What am I doing wrong? A step by step guide for bios flashing newbies is needed

 

bumpdizzle

 

Hmm, doesn't do that on my E4500. It worked out of the box on the first BIOS.

 

bump seconded

 

Bump .

 

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3640013#post3640013

Prepare a flash-usb drive with the modded bios named c90s.rom placed in the root of the drive; insert into usb port on c90s.
Power up and press ALT+F2 to start auto-recovery flashing using EZ-flash which will search optical and USB-drives for a bios file (only files called c90s.rom are looked for). bios-update should begin... wait until complete... when done, then:

Reboot, enter BIOS, load "Setup Defaults", save.

Tested working with E5200 and E7300 ES.

 

Thanks for posting details again but I have no success with this method (either with usb stick or cd). I think ALT+F2 only works on some asus laptops.

I have asked ken at gentech to convert the rom file to iso cd install and will post that up when I get it.

+rep for bringing this upgrade to the table

 

I made the ISO at work per your request, however, I forgot to upload it to our server when I was at work, I'll upload it on Monday.

 

That is great news. Thank you for your efforts Ken!

 

BIOS mod ISO:

http://www.gentechpc.com/Asus/C90S-Mod-BIOS.zip

Boot to the CD and type update at A:\ prompt to update BIOS.

Also thanks to colombodk for the BIOS mod.

 

Another cool mod, I would assume that these cpu's run a bit cooler but you may hit a FSB wall for your overclock sooner than the old ones. So its possible to end up with a lower final overclock or even an unstable normal speed if your unlucky and your motherboard cant handle the higher FSB.

 

Thanks for the upload Gentech.
The fsb is the same as the E6000 at 1066. I think fsb wise most C90S are capable of 307x4(15% OC mode), which would be a possible 3.377 ghz with the e7500 heat forbidding lol

 

colombodk is the man.

 

E7500 chip arrives tomorrow!!

Will post all the above as well as max OC, if not then it didn't work

 

King of Interns? did it work? report, please!

 

colombodk how's the eyesight?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=360322

Hah!

 

Yeah, it did! I forgot to link the above thread where I benchmarked the upgrade thoroughly. Cheers for your hard work.

 

Has anybody else carried out the upgrade?

Personally have an issue from time to time where sometimes laptop crashes while on battery but otherwise golden.

 

i have just done the bios mod on my c90s which is running a e6800 (es) at the moment and i was updating the bios ready for my e7500 arrival.
now when i turn the laptop on it says
intel CPU uCode loading error

tell me i havnt bricked my mobo

 

no one got any ideas then ?

 

sorted


king of interns has your laptop died ? if so what killed it ?

 

What did you do jase?

 

i think it was the mod,d code what didnt like my e6800 cpu so i kept turning the laptop on and of till it let me into the esc boot menu. so i could load the original 1002 asus bios

 

Sold my C90S and got a C90P instead The machine is sound just the SSD died the other day which is nice! The E6800 is a horrible processor for the C90S. It runs hot and doesn't overclock stably at all beyond 3ghz. Good choice in getting the E7500, now OC that baby to 3.25ghz . Sold mine with the E7500 included so stuck with the E6600 but can get it to around 3.2 ghz stable so not unhappy till I get a Q9650
You ought to try the E7600 it might work!

 

That's very good news . . . .

 

i though the c90s couldn't do half steps for the multiplier? the 7600 is a 11.5x after all...

 

The first NBR member Jaybee83 who installed the e7500 in the C90S found that you could get it to recognise half multi's by using either RMclock or crystalmark and forcing it into its full multi. Last time I heard from him he was thinking of getting one to try. Maybe shoot him a PM and see what he says.

 

Yes, I found that : http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4504824&postcount=6

If a E7600 works as a E7500, there is no interest to buy a E7600.
I think so, but perhaps colombodk could find another biosmod to make this possible ? Dream ...

edit : PM sent.

@+

 

hot isnt the word mate :O it was 94 degrees under load with the e6800
i have sucessfully fitted the e7500 and mod,d the bios with no probs and it runs at 40 idle and 60 under load at 2.93ghz so well happy and i can put it on my lap now.
just a question isnt the e6800 an x6800 ?
how do i overclock the cpu ? do i use a program to do it ?
oh and the e7500 cpu,s are a cheap upgrade i sourced mine boxed of ebay for £40