MANF closed down, unable to upgrade BIOS!

[Adam]

I have a CTXEzbook700E(notebook), configured with 200MHz MMX CPU,64MB SDRAM,2.1GB HDD. I want to have a faster CPU, but people told me I have to have a newer version of BIOS before I can upgrade the CPU. I then tried hard to find a way to upgrade my BIOS.

Unfortunately, I found out that the manufacturer of the motherboard closed down one year ago. Their website ftp://ftp.veridata.com.tw, where the newest version of BIOS were kept, also closed.

Information about my BIOS: SystemSoft BIOS for Intel 430TX Version 1.01(2482-00)/SystemSoft BIOS for Intel 430TX, Sub-Version 1.23.04

Questions: Can they (the BIOS in my computer) be "flashed" up to a newer version? If not, technically, is it possible to find a physical BIOS chip of newer version to replace it? Where can get a new BIOS chip?

Help!

Adam

[Paleo Pete]

I doubt if a BIOS flash would help, since it doesn't add jumpers to the motherboard to allow a higher multiplier for the faster CPU. If the bus speed is 66MHz and the highest multiplier is 3X, then you'll never be able to use a 233MHz CPU even if you flash the BIOS every day for the next 4 years.

What you need is a motherboard manual to tell you what CPU the board will handle. (The Intel 430 series chipset, including your 430TX will only cache 64MB RAM, so if you add more RAM you'll slow the machine down. Just letting you know before you waste money on memory that won't help...)

Get the BIOS ID string and write it down, it's the long number usually at bottom left while the memory counts up. The [Pause] key will hold the screen long enough to write it down. Then go to my site, posted below, and look for Trish's Escape from Hardware Hell, and look in the Motherboard/BIOS section, you'll find links to identify the motherboard and find a manual. That will tell you what CPU's are supported, and the jumper settings used for voltage, system bus speed, and multiplier.

If the company's website is closed down, you might still be able to find a manual somewhere, but it will be a tough search.

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[Adam]

Dear Mr.Paleo Pete,

Thanks for your prompt reply! I'll come back to you with more information.

Regards,
Adam
Originally posted by Paleo Pete:
I doubt if a BIOS flash would help, since it doesn't add jumpers to the motherboard to allow a higher multiplier for the faster CPU. If the bus speed is 66MHz and the highest multiplier is 3X, then you'll never be able to use a 233MHz CPU even if you flash the BIOS every day for the next 4 years.

What you need is a motherboard manual to tell you what CPU the board will handle. (The Intel 430 series chipset, including your 430TX will only cache 64MB RAM, so if you add more RAM you'll slow the machine down. Just letting you know before you waste money on memory that won't help...)

Get the BIOS ID string and write it down, it's the long number usually at bottom left while the memory counts up. The [Pause] key will hold the screen long enough to write it down. Then go to my site, posted below, and look for Trish's Escape from Hardware Hell, and look in the Motherboard/BIOS section, you'll find links to identify the motherboard and find a manual. That will tell you what CPU's are supported, and the jumper settings used for voltage, system bus speed, and multiplier.

If the company's website is closed down, you might still be able to find a manual somewhere, but it will be a tough search.