Forge's Guinea Pig G51

I really hate mail right now.

Anyway, it was delivered to my house today, but since I was at work and I had bought insurance, they left a pick-up slip and brought it back to the post office.

But starting tomorrow at any time after 9:00 AM, I can pick it up. Then, after work, I can finally try it out.

God this is so messed up.

 

Ah man! That sucks UPS called me today telling me that I have to be at my house tomorrow to sign for my laptop, and thankfully I will be there. I crashed racing motocross this past weekend and messed up my wrist so I can't work! Hello new G51!!! I am eagerly waiting to see what you can do with that QX9300, I can only imagine....I only got a T9800....sigh

 

The problem with the QX9300 versus the T9800 is that the T9800 will work without any modifications. According to some members who are using ES Q9100 CPUs, the BIOS doens't support it yet. I'm hoping that either the ES was messed up or that the QX9300 is just so awesome it will work.


Good news and bad news, not CPU related. I ordered this WD Scorpion Black 320GB @ 7200 RPM HDD. It came today. Thank God for tracking, because the UPS guy had hidden it and I wouldn't have known it was delivered except for the tracking system. Anyway, I popped open my computer, slid it in, closed, and booted up normally. The problem is that I cannot find it. There is no secondary hard drive in
My Computer. Even stranger, HD Tune Pro detects it, but HW Monitor does not. Oh, I can also see it in Device Manager.

When I run the HD Tune writing benchmark, I get this:





Yet I still can't detect it.




EDIT: WAIT NEVER MIND. I just used the Vista disk manager to format it and assign a letter to it. Goddammit I'm so fricking stupid. Why am I trying to put a new processor into my computer again?

 

It sounds like the drive is not set to "active" let alone formatted. Right click on "Computer" ans select "Manage". Then go to "Storage" and then "Disk Management". If you see your drive in there, right click on it and format it and set it to active.

I think that should solve your issue.

EDIT: Just saw your above edit to your post. Glad to hear you got it working.

 

Yeah, it is. Thanks.

For the record though Google helped me first. Good to know people are helpful, though.

Well, I now have the (nominal) space of a G51vx-A1. Now for the processor, tomorrow.

 

are you just running that 2nd 320 as a separate HD or in Raid?

 

Separate hard drive. I don't understand RAID well enough to run it. I'm perfectly happy with lots of standard space.


Anyway, update on installing the QX9300: No go.

I get past POST, but, like the people attempting the Q9100 upgrade, it hangs up on the Vista boot. However, it seems my computer detects it fine. In BIOS, it identifies the processor as an Intel Core 2 Extreme Q9300 [sic] @ 2.53 GHz.

Anyway, I'm waiting for a quad BIOS so I can reinstall. $440 for an OEM QX9300 is ridiculous.



Anyway, thanks to all the people who helped me.




Horrific thought: What if the QX9300 was DOA? Is there a way to check to see if it's completely legit, outside of installing it on another computer?

 

Try running one of the "live" linux distrubutions. You just pop in a CD and it boots from there.

Although, some of the other newer hardware might cause a problem, but you should at least be able to see if the CPU works.

 

I'd rather keep my CPU one-OS only, if I'm understanding you right.

I'm going to assume that it works, just that the BIOS doesn't support it. After all it was identified in the BIOS screen, right?

 

Have you tried to start a clean install with vista dvd just to see if the cpu work properly?

 

I'm note sure how to do that. Any quick links you could throw me?

 

He meant that in order to check if the CPU works, you can use one of the linux distros that can run on a CD.

i.e. no installation.


And AFAIK RAID0 just means the comp is treating both your HDDs as a single entity, so when you install a program, a chunk might be in HDD #1, another chunk might be in HDD #2.
When you load a program, because it's got pieces in both HDDs, both HDD can begin piecing it together, making it a bit quicker to load.

 

Don't you have the dvd that came up with the notebook? vista dvd or restore dvd or whatever it calls, just set in the bios (if needed) primary boot dvd-rom, and press any key when it ask for

 

I do, but I don't know exactly how to test for it. I just replace the procesor, put in the CD, and turn it on?

 

Yes, if it not ask to press any key to start installation, just change in the bios the boot driver priority, and set dvd drive first.

 

All right, thanks for that. What do I look for to see if it's working properly?


Well, in any case that's for tomorrow. I'm a little weary of opening the computer and pasting and screwing and all.

Oh, and will this clean install mess with my computer's settings?

 

Well this process is to format the notebook, but I'am saying to just enter the vista instalation, i don't need to do the process you know, just for testing the cpu, if it load the vista installion setup the cpu is ok, or any linux cd live.

 

Ah, hell with it. I'll back up what little I have on this computer and try out the Vista load test.

 

My q9100 doesnt boot cant boot the vista install disc.

So i doubt it will boot on yours as well, given its the same behavior with hanging on vista load. Might try as well, but dont have your hope's up.

 

Well, is that indicative of a bad processor then? I'd rather not mess with it more if it's futile.

Also, if the BIOS simply doesn't support it the boot CD wouldn't work, right?

 

No it's not, at least from what i know.

I checked the g60 bios using the mmtool, there are only 7 entries in the CPU patch, whereas the g71 bios has 39.

I believe Asus just hasnt include all cpu microcode just yet.

 

The live cds don't install anything on your computer. They load from the cd and create a ramdisk in memory, nothing is written to your hard drive. Read here for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_CD

I just suggested it because you say that it POSTs fine, but Vista won't boot, so I thought it was worth a shot.

 

It may be worth a shot if Forge didnt replace the cpu back with his stock one.
If he did, then I don't think it's worth awhile to redo the process again just to test the live cd.

Given from my own experience that the Q9100 won't boot with the vista installation disc, there's only a slim chance for it to work with the disc.

And I would think the live CD is used more oftento fix hard disk failures, not CPU.

 

Well, I do want to test to see if I'm running into the BIOS problem or if I have a bum processor.

I'm assuming the processor is fine, but the BIOS just can't handle it.


Also... any news when the quad-equiped G51 laptops are coming out? I'm anxious to try out the QX9300.


And, in a tiny part of my mind, I'm wondering if I should just ebay this CPU and get a kickass c2d instead, like a T9900 or a X9100.

 

I would stay away from the X9100. It runs the same speed as the T9900 but has a higher TDP, 44W vs 35W.

 

That is because it is an extreme processor...

 

Still, heat is heat and power draw is power draw. I'm sure I can safely undervolt it.

Still, I'll wait and see for a BIOS update.


Quick question: What exactly is the warranty seal for Asus? Is it that yellow sliver of tape on top of one of the heatsink screws?

 

Yes that's correct.

 

And how exactly is the warranty voided in relation to the sticker? I'll have to double check to be sure, but all I did was lift a tiny portion of it and I was able to unscrew the heatsink. To my eyes, it looks like no one ever touched it.

 

Forge have you tried bios v203? its finally been put up on the asus support site on the g51vx(bestbuy) page

im about to flash mine from 202 right now

 

I just did. Just like opening up the computer and replacing a processor, flashing a BIOS with EZ flash is really easier than it seems to be.

I really should get to sleep right now, since I have work tomorrow... but that QX9300...

 

Only issue i had after the flash was getting the raid-0 back online. After flash the 2nd hard drive wasnt being recognized until i plugged the 1st drive into the 2nd slot

 

Forge is extremely unhappy to report that the situation has no changed.

With BIOS versions 203 installed along with the new processor:
-Computer will not enter POST on battery power
-On AC power, computer enters POST, but hangs up on Vista loading screen.
-Bios setup confirms the processor as a Intel Extreme Quad Q9300 @ 2.53 GHz.
-Computer can be used after reinstalling old processor.

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

 

that blows

no changes in temps from 202bios

 

So there's no issue flashing the 203 bios onto the G51?
I guess this proves the G60 does indeed use the same internal components.

 

I will be really intrigued to learn how the G51VX-A1 will be able to use a quad processor with the same BIOS. I think that it must have a different version or something.

 

asussuckslols


anyways, i feel bad for you :[