Help please Is Intel Chipset BX or LX ??

[Guzman]

Hi all
I am looking to upgrade my system BIOS but have a chipset Question
Is it Intel BX or LX type ??
I am unsure about because, retail books and receipts that I got with the system give it as 440bx but on booting up screen give BIOS as follows

Award BIOS date 10/20/98
BIOS v4.51pg
w6156 ZXMS v1.3 041599
Id string 10/20/98 i440BX-W977-2A69KM4G6-00

This was confirmed by running Unicore Chip Detect v0.56
With added info of Chipset Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3

Problem comes when looking in the pdf Msi Mobo manual in a Addendum page as
"Quote"

"Note: How to distinguish BX chipset from ZX chipset and vice-versa.
During system bootup, the BIOS version will show:
W6156 ZxMS V1.01.
If the underline part show ZxMS the chipset is ZX. If only MS
appears, then its BX chipset."

Mine shows ZXMS NOW THIS HAS ME REALLY CONFUSED !!! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/confused.gif
The upgrades on their web site give both chipsets I would like to download a newer type In case I get problems.
With larger HDD and Video upgrade to my system but which chipset??

"Old boy scout-be prepared !!) .
Existing system specs
450 MHz Pentium 3 INTEL(R)440bx???? chipset
Micro Star MS 6156 VER 1.0 BX7 motherboard 100 MHz bus 256mb ram
13 Gigs Fujitsu Hard rive MPD 3130AT Ultra-DMA66 ATA ( 7g free)
DVD/ROM drive Toshiba SDM 1212 6x 32x IDE
CD-RW drive Freecom 12x10x32 IDE
Iomega usb zip
Graphics ATI All -in wonder 128 pro card
Main board Audio Creative(R) WS1371
2 PCI slots free
Running 98 se

Upgrade to come
Maxtor VL40 30.7GB 9.5ms 5400rpm UDMA100 2MB r HDD
PYRO Digital 1394DV card & PanaDVin

Thanks for the time spent reading this ..

Cometh the moment -- Cometh the man
Guzman

[tjaymadison]

There's no mention of "LX" in your BIOS ID string.

Click here (http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/440ZX/) for info on the Intel 440ZX AGPset.

------------------
"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[Paleo Pete]

According to the BIOS ID String posted it looks like it's a ZX chipset. w6156 ZXMS v1.3 041599 is in the ID, and according to what you posted, that means it's the ZX. SO I looked up the board through the BIOS ID string.

2A69KM4G6 is the part of the ID string used to look up the board.


A look at Wim's BIOS (http://www.wimsbios.com/) and I see that the LX chipset would be 2A69Jxxxx. The BX chipset is listed as 2A69K, which matches yours, but no 2A69KM4xx is listed. The site does not list the ZX chipset at all.

If you look it up at Wim's, and click the "Award Numbers" link, it identifies it as a Micro Star board, it's in the list but you'll have to scroll down and find it. I looked at the link from Wim's to Micro Star, and then to their BIOS update page, and they do not have the ZX chipset listed, so apparently no BIOS update is available as of yet for the ZX chipset.

------------------
So many idiots, and only six bullets...
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[tjaymadison]

The page I find at Wim's shows this:

2A69K Intel 440BX/ZX chipset (Pentium II/III based chipset)

Intel calls the 440ZX a 'mature' chipset -- no longer supported.

It is limited to 256M RAM, and will support only up to ATA-33 hard drives.

From Intel's web site:

Supported Processors

The Intel 440ZX AGPset is optimized for the Intel Pentium® II processor, bringing 100 MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) bandwidth to entry level performance PCs. This product is designed for use with processors in the SECC package type, and does not support processors in the PPGA 370-pin socket.

The Intel 440ZX-66 AGPset is optimized for the Intel® Celeron™ processor in the PPGA 370-pin socket. It will not support processors in the S.E.C.(SC242 connector) package type.

System Bus Speeds
The Intel 440ZX AGPset supports 100 MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) i.e., host/DRAM frequency. The Intel 440ZX-66 AGPset supports 66-MHz Front Side Bus (FSB)only i.e., host/DRAM frequency.

Comparison to the Intel® 440BX AGPset
The Intel 440ZX/ZX-66 AGPset is a full featured 440BX AGPset with the following exceptions:

Support for a maximum of two DIMM sockets (256MB memory)
Maximum of four PCI slots
No dual processor support
No ECC support
No Mobile support
No Registered DIMM support

It appears from this that the ZX is a subset of the BX chipset.

I think you either made a typo or misidentified your CPU as a P-III,
because this states above that the ZX is optimized for the P-II,
and designed for the SECC form factor, which is a slot-1 processor.

------------------
"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[This message has been edited by tjaymadison (edited 06-15-2001).]

[mjc]

Tjay,
There is a 450 MHZ PIII slot1.....Edgemicro (http://www.edgemicro.com/category.asp?cartId=763IPWNS88&cc=CPUP3S2&prevcc=&tpc=)

Plus I think you're right about it being a subsey.

------------------
mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/highrise/11/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[tjaymadison]

Correct -- my goof.

Regardless, you need the BIOS upgrade for the ZX, not the BX.

You will also need to install a separate expansion card
HD controller in order to use that Maxtor HD at ATA-100.

------------------
"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[This message has been edited by tjaymadison (edited 06-15-2001).]

[Guzman]

First of all thank to all for imput and links
Cometh the moment -- Cometh the man (men) http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif


Rechecked i/d string at boot up also again with Unicore Chip Detect v0.56

And is correct as:
BIOS Date: 10/20/98
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 10/20/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4GC-00
Chipset: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: Winbond 977TF rev 0 found at port 3F0h

Boot also states 100Mhz bus and Pentium 111-MMX Processor I also ran MaCfee Discovery. Which confirmed main Processor as above plus Model 3 stepping 7

So it looks like ZX AGP set but running a Intel Pentium111-MMX

For what it is worth I took a look in device manager and found the following
Intel 82371EB PCI to ISA bridge
Intel 82371EB power Management Controller
Intel 82443BX Pentium (r) 11 Processor to AGP Controller
Intel 82443BX Pentium (r) 11 Processor to PCI Controller
Which seems to link with Intel's ZX AGP web page http://developer.intel.com/design/chipsets/440zx/index.htm
It also seems that the person who packaged the system placed the wrong information manuals with it as I have got the LX INFORMATION SHEETS!! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/mad.gif
Will the upgrade to 2nd HDD at UDMA100 run at 66 speed as current HDD is ATA66
I just hope that the board will support this (Maxtor VL40 30.7GB 9.5ms 5400rpm) if no BIOS update are available?

Any way thanks again to you all
and please remember us BRITS are still in the STONE AGE!! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif With this type of thing!

Cometh the moment -- Cometh the man
Guzman