Can a bad BIOS Flash kill a CPU?

[Frescard]

I tried flashing the BIOS of my ASUS motherboard (model P4B533 with a Pentium 4 1.8GHz CPU). The first time I tried it with the latest BIOS version (1015) EZ-Flash told me that the BIOS doesn't match. So I tried the next oldest version (1014 - without rebooting in between) and that read and updated ok. It finished properly, and told me to reboot.

After that, everything was dead...

I tried all the common cures: battery out, shorten reset jumper, removing all cards, moving RAM, etc., but nothing helped.

The CPU fan runs, and the power light on the board is on, but other than that nothing moves (no floppy, no harddrive, no video, no POST beeps).

So I got another motherboard (a used Gigabyte GA-8IE533), moved the CPU and video card, and tried again.

And I got... exactly the same behaviour...
CPU fan runs, but no video, no drive activity, no POST beeps.

I guess that means that my BIOS flash killed my CPU?
How can that be???
I know, the BIOS regulates the voltage, but can it be so far off that it could fry a CPU?

Very confused, and very annoyed...

[misiu_mp]

No your hardware is okay. The bios is incorrect and it doesnt work on your hardware though. Its bios that beeps and activates the videocard - whitout a working bios your computer is a dead piece of metal and silicon.
You have to get the bios out and flush it at some service point - they have special hardware for flushing bioses (ask the seller of the mboard).
There is nothing you can do at your own since your computer will not do anything until the bios is flushed with the correct version.

[NickS]

No your hardware is okay.

I think not:

So I got another motherboard (a used Gigabyte GA-8IE533), moved the CPU and video card, and tried again

Looks like he tried the CPU in another motherboard and it's dead.

[misiu_mp]

I see no reason for why trying on Gigabyte GA-8IE533 would kill the cpu. On the other hand quiet and "dead" system is exactly what a dead bios would do - belive me, ive been there.

You could try hot-flashing if you have the other motherboard availible but thats risky (getting out the bios chip while the system is running) - google for "hot flash bios" (here is a quick description: http://www.rojakpot.com/showarticle.asp ... =62&pgno=0) - there is a lot to consider before doing that (a good tip: you dont have to press the bios all the way in the socket for easier removal; it wont break if its not entirerly connected, but it will if it is connected the wrong way).

If the mbo is new contact manufacturer or reseller...

[NickS]

I see no reason for why trying on Gigabyte GA-8IE533 would kill the cpu.

Let me rephrase what I wrote to clarify what I was trying to point out, that you seemed to have overlooked from the original post : "Looks like he tried it in another motherboard and proved that it was dead". Frescard tried the suspect CPU in a second motherboard and it didn't work in that motherboard either. Nobody said the second motherboard killed the CPU (although it would be wise to confirm that the second motherboard is working with another CPU).

On the other hand quiet and "dead" system is exactly what a dead bios would do - belive me, ive been there.

Of course; you think I haven't? That's why I like socketed BIOS chips. But we have no reason to believe that the BIOS in the second motherboard is dead. There are many possible reasons for a "dead" system; for example, if Frescard didn't connect the CPU fan sensor the same symptoms might be observed. Assuming Frescard has done all that should be done, it seems a strong possibillity that the CPU is dead.