Where Is the BIOS Chip?

[lb1947]

This is related to my other current post, "BIOS Flash Crash", but not directly so I thought I'd ask this question via a new thread.

I have a Gigabyte GS-P35-DS3L Rev 1.0 motherboard. I am currently going through steps suggested in my other post re: recovering from a bad BIOS flash, but I suspect I am going to end up having to buy a new BIOS chip and hope that will solve my problem. If I get the currently installed BIOS chip working, then I'll just have a spare BIOS chip in case I ever need it.

So my question is: Where the heck is the BIOS chip located on my motherboard? Granted, since my motherboard, having been in use since 2007, is installed in its computer case, I've had trouble sticking my head in there trying to see what's on the mobo. I've looked at the manual but on the mobo illustration, it doesn't point to an object and say "This is the BIOS chip". On the schematic, it shows how the different pieces relate to each other, but doesn't imply that those pieces are physically located as shown. Could someone please tell me where the BIOS chip is? Also, I am correct in thinking that the BIOS itself is an Award BIOS aren't I? (That little bit of information, after looking at the Gigabyte manual and their website, isn't as specific as I hoped it would be.) And, as stated in my other post, my computer doesn't POST after I flashed the BIOS so I can't read on the monitor screen who the BIOS manufacturer is.

Thanks.

[profJim]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

The attached photo shows the P35-DS3L bios chip location, in the red circle.
Given the cost of a replacement chip and installation labor cost, your best bet would be to buy a low end EP45 mobo if you can't get your P35-DS3L working.

Let us know how you make out.
Good luck.

**edit** The bios chip has 8 connections and all connections are soldered to the motherboard.

[lb1947]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

ProfJim -- Thanks for the reply; I never would have guessed that that was the BIOS chip. My thought in replacing it was, if the chip isn't soldered in, I would get a replacement chip from BIOSMAN.Com or the like for around $20 and pop it in myself. But it looks like it is soldered in.

So plan 'B' is to replace the motherboard as you suggested, AND get a replacement chip for the old one. Then I'll try soldering the new chip in myself -- if I fail, there's no loss; if I succeed, I'll have a spare motherboard that I might buy parts for (memory, etc) as I run across them cheap and maybe have another system operating on that GA-P35-DS3L motherboard.

[profJim]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Most recent mobos use soldered bios chips.
My P35-DS3L is excellent as my backup machine.
It's not in the same league as the EP45 but it works well with recent 775 processors with the F9 bios.

Let us know how you make out.

[Chike]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Isn't your board still under warrenty?

[warren300]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

thers also ways of shorting the bios chip by touching two or more contacts but i have no idea which ones you touch,pm lsdmeasap he will have better knowledge on clearing bios,and i would rma the board if its still under warranty

[profJim]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Shorting the bios chip pins sometimes works with a true dual bios chip setup.
The P35-DS3L has a single bios chip that uses a "dual virtual bios" and I don't think that this will work with a single chip setup.

If successful, jumpering the correct pins on the MAIN_BIOS chip will copy the bios from the BACKUP_BIOS chip to the MAIN_BIOS chip.

This procedure is used only as a last resort!! I have the link to Lsdme's bios trick thread or you can use the forum search function to find it. As I recall, the search term is bricked+dead.

[lb1947]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Again, thanks to all for you inputs and suggestions.

Chike -- it's funny about the warranty on this motherboard; I can't find a warranty statement anywhere in either the User's Manual or the Gigabyte website. Searching on the GA-P35-DS3L via Google, I see references to "1-year" warranties, "2-year" warranties, and "3-year" warranties. If the board actually is covered for 3 years, then mine may still be under warranty. But even if it is, do you think Gigabyte will fix it under warranty even if it was my action that rendered it inoperable? (I do kinda feel like I'm not fully to blame since I followed the instructions for flashing the BIOS, but that's another story. Also, I used Q-Flash, but I may have used the routine embedded within the compressed BIOS update I downloaded had anything been mentioned about it on the download page. Though it's strange that, after making a bootable floppy disk, there isn't enough room left on a 1.44mb disk to add the flash routine much less add the new BIOS file.)

I don't see very much on the internet about replacing BIOS chips if they are soldered in. Is it pretty much accepted that soldered in BIOS chips just aren't replaceable?

And ProfJim, I liked your suggestion of replacing my mobo with something along the line of an EP45 but I am not sure all the parts on my P35 will transfer over (from the Core2 Duo CPU to my 4GB of Crucial Ballastix RAM), and I would have to use up at least one PCI slot to install a combo parallel/serial board to provide those 2 I/O ports -- I still use these older technologies to support use of a LaserJet 5L (parallel interface) and an old CalComp graphics tablet with a serial interface. One of each of these ports came built onto the P35-DS3L. To be honest, until I tried to update its BIOS, I liked my P35 motherboard. So what I am now planning to do is find another GA-P35-DS3L for sale and try to buy it. There are a couple of new ones on eBay but they're asking what I think is too much for them ($90), and one "refurbished" one which I also think is overpriced ($72). Each seller of the ones I was looking at had a "Make an Offer" option, but my offers of $75 for the new ones, and $60 for the refurbished one were rejected. Does anyone know of a good source for discontinued motherboards, preferably new ones? Do you think $90 is a good price for a new "discontinued" GA-P35-DS3L?

[Chike]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Gigabyte does recommend not to flash BIOS unles you experiance problems, but it is a recommendation. You used GB provided tools to flash.
I'd try and get RMA, there's nothing to lose.

[lb1947]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Chike - I decided you're right; I may as well go ahead and see if Gigabyte will give me an RMA. I looked up my paperwork and I bought this mobo in September 2007 so it should still be under warranty if the warranty is for 3-years. I don't look forward to having to wait several weeks for this to all transpire, but my system has been out of service for several weeks now already -- this all started with me trying to rid my computer of a tenacious malware or virus it picked up. I'll start the RMA process tomorrow.

On a side note: Is there some place where all of my computer specs can be saved as a "post" signature or do I have to copy it from a previous post every time? Also, once in the body of a post reply, is there anyway to indent just the first line of a paragraph? The indent function in the tool bar indents everything from that line on; I like to indent the first line of my paragraphs, but not the whole paragraph.
__________
There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those who understand binary and those who don't.

Motherboard: GA-P35-DS3L Rev 1.0 S-Series
LGA 775, Intel P35
ATX Intel Motherboard

Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Model EA-500,
500 Watts Max

CPU: Intel Core2 Duo E6320 LGA 775
1.86GHz, 4mb L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB

Memory: 4 sticks, 1GB each of Crucial
Ballistix BL12864AA804.16FD3
240-pin unbuffered DIMM 128MX64 DDR2
PC2-6400 CL4 EPP

Graphics: PNY-Verto GeForce 8500 GT
512mb DDR2 PCI Express

SCSI Adapter: Adaptec AHA-2940/2940W PCI
SCSI Controller

Hard Drive 1: Maxtor Diamondmax 20, 160GB, NTFS,
8mb cache, 7200 RPM, SATA II/300

Hard Drive 2: Western Digital WD Caviar SE WD1600,
1600GB SATA, NTFS, PN=WD1600JS-00MHB0

Hard Drive 3: Western Digital WD Caviar EIDE, 80GB, NTFS,
with Rosewill RC-204 IDE-to-SATA mini
Vertical Bridge installed

CD/DVD: MadDog Lightscribe Multimedia Internal DVD-RW,
Model MD18XTL1 (TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-S182M)

CD: LG CD-RW CED-8120B

Floppy +
Card Reader: ULTRA All-in-One USB2.0 internal Digital
Media Reader, No. 348479355B
(NOTE - floppy drive connects to mobo's
FDD plug.)

OS: WinXP Pro SP3 (build 2600)

Case: Antec Sonata III

[profJim]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

List your system components in your signature.
--> User CP tab (upper left corner of web page)
--> select Edit Signature
--> enter your hardware components (brand, model, etc.)
--> include your bios version
--> preview
--> Save when complete
Be sure to include your bios version, motherboard version, power supply, cpu heatsink/fan setup and the model numbers of all components.

For several years, the standard Gigabyte mobo warranty has been:
3 years (parts)
2 years (labor)
The warranty is based on the manufacture date of your mobo, not the purchase date. Full information is in the RMA Service web page.

The U.S. Gigabyte Technical Zone allows you to contact tech support via email.
Gigabyte End User RMA Service has information dealing with the RMA procedure.

The EP45-UD3P mobo has headers for com and serial ports, so you would only need to install an I/O bracket and plug the cables into the appropriate headers.

Chapter 1 in the mobo manual lists the product specifications and includes a diagram that shows the location of all mobo connections. If you are going to buy a new mobo, download the mobo manual and verify that a prospective mobo has all of the features you need. Some features will not be available with lower cost boards.

Good luck, let us know how you make out.

[profJim]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip? [ep45 prices]

Check out Newegg EP45 mobo prices.
The UD3P and UD3L both have rebates that expire at the end of February 2010.
The EP45T models only use DDR3 memory.
Other major web retailers might still have similar models for sale.

[lb1947]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

ProfJim -- thanks (again) for all of your helpful inputs. Today I started the RMA process using the online method. Apparently Gigabyte would now prefer that you fill out and send them the form online instead of calling a technician first -- I couldn't find a toll-free number to call a technician anyway, and I didn't want to call one long distance and speak for any length of time since I have to pay a fee to call long distance.

Regardless of what happens with the RMA, I think I'm going to do a hybrid of my Plan B and go ahead and buy one of the mobos you suggested; I'll install it when it arrives. I'll need to do some more close studying before purchasing to make sure my other parts which attach to the mobo will play nice with the new mobo. I like the sound of the EP45-UD3P, but I can get the EP45-UD3L about $27 cheaper. (Secretly, I'm hoping to find a compelling reason to get the more expensive one since it is probably more capable.) If Gigabyte will RMA my existing mobo and fix it under warranty, my cost should be only what it takes to ship it to them -- that would be worth it to me in order to have a second useable mobo which I can add necessary pieces to as I find good deals.

I'll post more as things progress.

By-the-way, with my PC's current condition (essentially DEAD), I cannot know for sure what its BIOS version is. I never paid any attention to it back when it wasn't important to me; in fact, I hardly ever saw it as what appeared almost instantaneously on my monitor was the full screen "S-Series" splashscreen. I THINK my BIOS was version F4, and I was trying to update it to F9. I'll update my signature with the BIOS version of whatever mobo I end up with once I get it installed.

[Chike]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

If you don't need the RAID and CrossFireX or intend some extreme overclocking you'd be just fine with the UD3L IMO.

[lb1947]

Re: Where Is the BIOS Chip?

Thanks for your insight, Chike. I don't even know what CrossfireX is, I don't use RAID, and I'm not much for gaming so I don't need to overclock. Looks like the UD3L would be the best bet for me.