AMD San diego Might be a problem

[darrensen]

Hi all,

Just got off the phone with Scan computers (UK). I asked them if the AMD San Diego CPU would work with the Asus A8N-SLi (Standard). They said that the mobo would need a bios update. (fair enough) but.......... i asked how am i supposed to do a bios update if i cant get my cpu (san diego) to work with that mobo???? He said i looks like to be a bit of a catch 22 situation!!!!! arghhhh!!!!

What should i do guys? Should i buy the San Diego or go with the 3800 venice? Is there going to be that much difference with the 512 cache vs the 1mb? Or can anyone advise me on what to do if i was to buy the San Diego cpu? OR EVEN BETTER is anyone using the San diego cpu with this mobo?

Cheers all.

Darren

[Rave]

I imagine that the venice would have the same issue TBH, the cores are very similar with the cache size being the only difference.

[darrensen]

Hmmmm so what do you think my options are?

[RDL]

Borrow someone elses S939 chip, shove it in, update the BIOS and get the San Diego/Venice (your choice). Or take it to your local computer store, only downer is it will cost you. Or...how old is the motherboard?

[darrensen]

brand new! havnt got it yet, im at the ordering stage.

[Ruggerbugger]

If they're generous, and you're persuasive, perhaps someone at Scan would do it for you?

[darrensen]

If they're generous, and you're persuasive, perhaps someone at Scan would do it for you?

ok i'll ask them, will let you know the results

[ozzyo99]

If the people at Scan knew what they were talking about then they would have told you what im about to.

1. Download the latest BIOS for that motherboard.
2. Unzip the file.
3. Open the folder and make a copy of the BIOS file.
4. Rename the copy of the file to A8N.ROM
5. Place ROM onto Floppy Disc.
6. Hold ALT+F2 (keep it held) and power up.
7. The Mobo should boot from the ROM and from there goto Windows and use Asus Update to flash your BIOS fully.

Then phone up Scan and tell them they need to get educated

Adios and enjoy your SD, mine is currently running at 3200mhz @ 11x295 @ 1.7v

[Agent]

If the people at Scan knew what they were talking about then they would have told you what im about to.

1. Download the latest BIOS for that motherboard.
2. Unzip the file.
3. Open the folder and make a copy of the BIOS file.
4. Rename the copy of the file to A8N.ROM
5. Place ROM onto Floppy Disc.
6. Hold ALT+F2 (keep it held) and power up.
7. The Mobo should boot from the ROM and from there goto Windows and use Asus Update to flash your BIOS fully.

Then phone up Scan and tell them they need to get educated

Adios and enjoy your SD, mine is currently running at 3200mhz @ 11x295 @ 1.7v

You've actually done this then ?

[JohnS]

If the people at Scan knew what they were talking about then they would have told you what im about to.

which "sales" member of staff working for a reseller (any reseller) is going to suggest to a random body on the phone, a manual bios flash? to inform him that the bios "may" need updating is sensible but the customer on the end of the line may be a 13 year old boy whos buying his first system as a project, and you say that Scan dont know what there doing because they didnt recommend to afore mentioned 13 year old, to manually flash the board? they cannot and do not recommend that any customer flash the bios as should this go wrong depending on circumstances the customer may well void his warranty this is why they do not and thus did not recommend a manual flash, if any customer wishes to flash there bios most mainstream boards now come with some form of live update for the bios.

on the other hand someone like yourself can advise whatever you like under some pseudonym can tell someone to flash it with an old P2 bios happily with no comeback your so brave

[darrensen]

If the people at Scan knew what they were talking about then they would have told you what im about to.

1. Download the latest BIOS for that motherboard.
2. Unzip the file.
3. Open the folder and make a copy of the BIOS file.
4. Rename the copy of the file to A8N.ROM
5. Place ROM onto Floppy Disc.
6. Hold ALT+F2 (keep it held) and power up.
7. The Mobo should boot from the ROM and from there goto Windows and use Asus Update to flash your BIOS fully.

Then phone up Scan and tell them they need to get educated

Adios and enjoy your SD, mine is currently running at 3200mhz @ 11x295 @ 1.7v

Do i just need to copy them unzipped files onto the floppy or do i need to make the floppy a boot disk as well?

In other words, will the unzipped files contain the boot section?

[Jonny M]

Alt+F2 tells the board to look on the floppy.

[darrensen]

Just downloaded the file required, and its a .bin file. Is that the only file i need to copy onto the floppy?

[darrensen]

ok so i dont need to create a bootable floppy......cool never knew that!! nice one

[kinkladze10]

I was thinking of getting this combinatuon as well but why do you need a bios upgrade ?

why cant you just plug the chip as normal ?

[darrensen]

Becuase the CPU was made after the mobo was made. Mobo doesnt know what it is until the update has been done.