Will this work, is BIOS update needed?

[greenknight]

I have an old computer built from an iSystems bare-bones kit in 2000. The sticker on the motherboard says it's a Procomp BVK1M V.1.0; apparently it was made by Biostar - the ID number matches the Biostar M7VKA except for the date, which is 10/07/2000 instead of 10/06/2000 like the M7VKA. Here's the info I get from Everest:

Device Description
North Bridge: VIA VT8363(A) Apollo KT133(A)

Motherboard ID 10/07/2000-8363-686A-6A6LMB09C-00

Motherboard Name Biostar M7VKA/M7VKB/M7VKD / Procomp BVK2A

Award BIOS Type Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG

Award BIOS Message K1M1006

Ran BiosAgent Plus for confirmation, it gave the same ID number.

Currently, it's running an AMD Duron 700 Mhz CPU. I've got a Duron 1200 Mhz I want to put in instead. From the research I've done, I think this will work, and without a BIOS update - is this correct? (This is the main thing I want to know).

The only BIOS update Biostar has for the M7VKA doesn't appear to contain anything that applies.

Also, I'm wondering about this chipset. Everest says it's a KT133A, instead of the KT133 that is normally in the M7VKA; CPU-Z and Fresh Diagnose say the same. Could that be right? Could it run faster CPUs that require a 266 Mhz FSB? Are there other BIOS updates it would accept?

[cp]

I've got a Duron 1200 Mhz I want to put in instead. From the research I've done, I think this will work, and without a BIOS update - is this correct? (This is the main thing I want to know).

yes, it should work without an update. as long as the bios doesn't stop the machine from booting everything should be fine.

Everest says it's a KT133A, instead of the KT133 that is normally in the M7VKA

the KT133 and KT133A have the same pci id. they could be distinguished by their (silicon) revision however. afaik there are no offcial documents that say from which revision the chipset is/should be a KT133A. even the Linux kernel doesn't know. but apart from the 133MHz FSB there are no real differences between them.
if you want to know for sure you have to take a look at the chip printing of the northbridge. 8363 is a KT133 and 8363A is a KT133A.

Could it run faster CPUs that require a 266 Mhz FSB? Are there other BIOS updates it would accept?

The KT133 just supports 100MHz FSB for the CPU and will most probably fail if set to 133MHz. some motherboards have PLLs that allow 133MHz FSB with the KT133 but i haven't seen one running flawlessly.

[greenknight]

Ok, thanks. I guess if it doesn't boot, I'll just put the old CPU back in.

I realize that it won't support more than 100 MHz clock if it's actually a KT133. Not planning to do any more with it right now, anyway, except add more RAM. Sometime in the future I may try playing around with it, if so I'll pull it out and see what it really is.

[greenknight]

Got the Duron 1200 installed and it's working fine, running at 1204 Mhz. Now I just need to add more RAM, and this will be a halfway decent computer.

[ddemetrius456]

Ya it should work fine unless the BIOS fails and shuts down the computer.
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