Sis graphic chipset on Fujitsu-Siemens, WXGA 1440x900 issue.

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mradhuber
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WORKAROUND FOR: Sis graphic chipset (SiS650 series, SiS661 series, SiS740, SiS741 series, and SiS760 series) on Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Ax640 (A7640 and A1640), based on Uniwill 255KI mainboard and WXGA+ 1440x900

Some limited knowledge about flashing bios is required for this!

HTML Version of this document is included with the other files - it really looks better than this and there are more working links: http://www.radhuber.eu/component/option ... nfo/id,10/

The SiS chipset on the VGA out currently does not allow for WXGA 1440x900 resolution. So if you want to work with a WXGA widescreen monitors attached to your notebook you run into trouble. However the chipset itself does support 1440x900 resolutions, it's just that the VGA bios, that is integrated in the mainboard bios, literally blocks this possibility, because it's too old and has never been updated.

So for solving that issue SiS ( www.sis.com/support/support_faqs_4.htm ) recommends a BIOS Update, with VBIOS versions higher than 2.28.00 where WXGA has already been implemented from the manufacturer of the notebook or mainboard, which, in our case, would be FSC, then maybe Uniwill.

FSC however is not interested in providing such costumer support, although this would be of little work only.

The only help I can offer you is a workaround for people, who use this notebook primarily with a separate monitor and keyboard attached to it, and thus do not need the notebook LCD display that often. I have merged the new VBIOS version ~ 2.43.00 in the normal BIOS and - as consequence - the VGA out now supports 1440x900. Bad news is that the only VBIOS version available for me is the normal mainboard VBIOS - which only supports one VGA out connector - and therefore the notebook LCD panel won't work with this modified bios. So you will have to switch between bioses! I have asked FSC, Uniwill and last but not least SiS for a new notebook VBIOS version - which would mean about 5 minutes work for them even if they don't yet have one programmed (what I doubt) - but all responses were negative.

Create a bootable USB stick (use HP USB Disk Storage Format tool, e.g.) with DOS system files on it ( http://www.bootdisk.com ), copy my files on it (available here), and use:

flash.exe to flash
original.rom is the original latest FSC bios 1.04c version - for times when you need the LCD panel working
modified.rom is the modified bios that supports 1440x900 on the VGA out, but under which the LCD panel and probably the TV-Out do not work.

DOWNLOAD HERE http://www.radhuber.eu/component/option ... nfo/id,10/

!!!!!!!!!!!!NO GUARANTEE THIS WORKS, USE AT YOUR VERY OWN RISK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It works for me, however. Change the bios every time you need to, but better get a reserve bios chip (from badflash.com, plop.at, biosflash.de, flazh.de or in Linz, Austria, laptec.at) for when you screw the old one up. Changing the bios chip is easily done by yourself if you don't have 4 left hands.

Send an Email to FSC for their terrifying service, and if they don't offer a Bios update with a new VBIOS included soon never again buy a notebook from them!

If you need to implement that workaround for another notebook the 3 things you need for AMI-bios-books are:

MMTool for merging the VBIOS in the BIOS
The mainboard VBIOS version (2.43.00)
The original Bios from your notebook manufacturer's page.

Good luck and mail me if you achieved more progress than I did with my limited knowledge. If anyone has a notebook vbios version for the above chipset please mail it to me! I can't extract phoenix vbios modules, however.
MAIL: http://www.radhuber.eu/component/option ... Itemid,82/

Cheers, Mike
www.radhuber.eu

PS: Why the hack can't I post in HTML here?? I've written that in html on purpose, now everything looks terrible!

---------------------------
FSC Service Protokoll

Sehr geehrter Herr,
wenn Sie ein BIOS Update benötigen, finden Sie dieses auf unserer Homepage zum Download. Suchen Sie bitte unter "Downloads" mit der Seriennummer oder der Produktbezeichnung "7640".
Fujitsu Siemenes Supporthomepage: http://www.fsc-pc.de
Hinweis: BIOS Updates erfolgen stets auf eigene Gefahr.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
[Name entfernt]
-----------------------------------
Ursprüngliche Nachricht:
Das entspricht leider nicht der Wahrheit da die externe Auflösung mit
UniVGA3 momentan bis 2048x1536 möglich ist. Jedoch ist die Option 1440x900 nicht darunter. SiS erwähnt explizit in den FAQ der Homepage dass 1440x900 mit SiS M760 möglich sei, jedoch das Bios zuerst upgedatet werden müsse, und verweist dabei auf den Mainbord-Produzenten.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
-----------------------------------
Sehr geehrter Herr,
mit der in Ihrem Notebook verbauten Grafikkarte ist eine maximale externe Auflösung von 1024x768 Pixeln möglich.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
[Name entfernt]
--
Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH
Technischer Support
Denniss
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http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/topic8989.html

It seems there's already a 2.49 Bios available
cp
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it IS the 2.49.00 bios..just a typo in his posting.
mradhuber
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Sorry. It is the 2.49.00 Bios.
mradhuber
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So today I got a call from and nice and helpless FSC service agent telling me that the responsible 2nd level service technician from FSC told him that the SiS graphics chip was able to support 1440x900 output, but running on that resolution was doing harm to the chip over time. :lol: Never laughed that much.

I told the poor guy to inform his colleagues about the SiS webpage and the things that are written on it http://www.sis.com/support/support_faqs_4.htm#73 , before rendering public such nonsense just because they are not interested in helping. :x

Is it legally ok to say that FSC has the worst and laziest service ever? Never again I'm going to buy a FSC book.

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
spooks
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Hi - I've got a problem similiar to this, so thought I would add it here.

I've got intergrated grahics via the Sis graphic chipset SiS650 series, and according to SiS on their website http://www.sis.com/support/support_faqs_4.htm#73, I can only install the UniVGA2 driver. This doesn't allow the graphics to support my recently purchased LG Widescreen Monitor, and it's optimal resolution of 1440x900. Is it only the UniVGA3 driver that supports this tricky resolution? I updated to the latest BIOS aswell for the motherboard.

Is there any other way to get the integrated graphics chip to support 1440x900 resolution, and if not, can you recommend me a slimline AGP graphics card that will support this resolution. I do have a spare Radeon 9800 Pro card, but it's far to bulky to slot into this small case.

Many thanks if you can assist.
cp
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Location: Germany

can you please post some more information on your mainboard? the driver should support 1440x900 if the bios version is 2.28.00 or later.
spooks
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Hi - Yes, it's a ASUS Terminator P4 533A, It's not my PC, it's just one I have had to clean install and upgrade a little for my nan. I have stuck another 512MB of Ram in, and fitted her a DVD-Writer, but now I am just trying to get this new LCD monitor to be supported.

I checked the VBIOS and it's saying something like version 1.00, I can't seem to get it to upgrade itself to 2.28.00, despite uprading the mainboard BIOS and installing that UniVGA2 driver. Does this mean my goose is cooked?
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