Unknown PCChips Mobo

How-to identify your motherboard ?
ruelnov
Master Flasher
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Hi,

Please help me ID my board so I can hotflash the BIOS:

Version 1.4D
Slot 1 & Socket 370
GFXcel Northbridge, SIS 5595 Southbridge
1 PCI, 1 ISA, 3 DIMM, 0 AGP
ATX Power Connector
HT8738AM/PCI Audio Chip
W83194R-81 Clock Gen. IC
IT8770F Super I/O
DM9102F LAN Chip (Davicom)

I've tried flashing the BIOS with M748LMRT and other BIOS variants of this model, NO GO.

Thank you for your help.
Denniss
BIOS Guru
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Try the Pcchips Lottery -> ... Do not know ....

http://www.stud.fernuni-hagen.de/q3998142/pcchips/
ruelnov
Master Flasher
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Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 2:11 pm
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Yes, I have tried the PCChips Lottery. But the closest model is M748LMRT. I did not find any exact match when it comes to motherboard component layout.

AJZCHIPS: please help.
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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Location: Madrid, Spain

Sure it's 3 DIMM slots? Have you written down its BIOS ID string?
ruelnov
Master Flasher
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Yes, it's 3 DIMM slots.

But I haven't written down the BIOS ID string since the entire bios image is corrupted and so the board can't boot.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
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Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

If it's GFXcel it should be M75x not M74x,
according to http://www.pcchipsusa.com/support-pcchips-bios.asp
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
ruelnov
Master Flasher
Posts: 172
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 2:11 pm
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Yes, the Northbridge heatsink is marked GFXcel which means that it is SIS 630 chipset.

But I doubt that it is SIS 630 northbridge because the southbridge chipset is SIS 5595. As far as I know, SIS 630 chipset has the southbridge already integrated into it and so does not need any southbridge on the board.

And so the northbridge heatsink may have been replaced (bought this board from a friend) and the northbridge could actually be SIS 620 which means it is M74x board.

I had attempted to remove the nortbridge heatsink to get the exact chipset model, but did not pursue it as the heatsink was glued very securely.

Had tried flashing the BIOS chip with M741xx bios images, NO GO. So definitely it's not M741xx or M748xx board.

Any more ideas?
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

You say ATX power connector, but there's a difference between an AT and ATX board, so it's not hard to differentiate between the M741 and M748.
ruelnov
Master Flasher
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It's an ATX board.

It's more like an M741 than an M748, and maybe I just need the exact bios image for Revision 1.4D board. Where do I find this bios image?
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Found it... there were 2 "families" of the M741LMRT... V1.4x and V3.x.

http://mobokive.dyndns.org/PcChips/686_M7xx/M728_M744/

Grab the manual there.

The BIOS is the same for both versions, so it can't be a "NO GO" as you've mentioned previously.
ruelnov
Master Flasher
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To ajzchips:

Thank you very much for this link.

Reading through the manual in that link you suggested, I'm pretty sure now that my board is M741LMRT.

But the system still can't boot after flashing the bios with the latest bios update for m741lmrt.

I'm now stucked and don't know what exactly is preventing this board from waking up. Maybe you could help me with this, and here are the things I've done so far:

1. Set the jumpers correctly according to the manual,
2. Tried known good and working and supported processors at Slot 1 and also at Socket 370,
3. Tried known good and working memory modules,
4. Measured the CPU Vcore, I/O voltage, Flash ROM voltage, and power supply voltages, and found all to be within range,
5. Replaced all suspected bad capacitors with new ones,
6. Tried several known good flash ROMs loaded with M741LMRT bios image,
7. Replaced the CMOS battery with new one, and had cleared CMOS everytime a new hardware is attached,

But everytime I attempt a power up, my POST Diagnostic Card simply doesn't show any indication that the BIOS code is run (I mean, no POST code displayed). The processor LED, BIOS LED, Clock LED, and Oscillator LED are all telling me that these components are fine. Also, the board responds when RESET button is pressed.

So this board is behaving like any normal board at the early stage of powering up, except that the processor doesn't seem to execute the bootblock code.

Help, please!
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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Location: Madrid, Spain

Maybe something else is damaged.
ruelnov
Master Flasher
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Alright, but what specific part or chip maybe at fault here?

Actually, this is not the first time that I've encountered similar problem with other boards from other manufacturers. But it helps if we know what specific part or chip is causing this problem.
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
Posts: 3048
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Are you sure the BIOS chip is OK, retaining its contents correctly?

I've had some SST chips flashing correctly (even with an external programmer), but that wouldn't retain anything.
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
Posts: 3145
Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 10:34 am
Location: Thames Valley, UK

ruelnov wrote:6. Tried several known good flash ROMs loaded with M741LMRT bios image,
Tested patched BIOSes. Untested patched BIOSes.
Emails *will* be ignored unless the subject line starts "Wim's BIOS forum"
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