P5Q DEluxe + Q9550 (updating BIOS?)

[discopanda]

Hi,

I'll be ordering a P5Q deluxe and a Q9550 soon. Will both the C1 and E0 stepping work out of the box or do I need to do update the bios? Will the board even post if the bios is old? i.e. even if its old bios can I build a bare spec system from scratch, load Vista and update the BIOS and I'll just have a 'crippled' system until I update it? Or will it simply not boot?

I guess my other question is 'should I care if I get a C1 or an E0 if I'm not going to overclock it?'. Are there any advantages? I heard that the E0 runs a bit cooler. True?

Thanks in advance!

[alexp999]

Taken from the asus site:

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz,1333FSB,L2:12MB,rev.C0,4 cores) ALL 0204

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz,1333FSB,L2:12MB,rev.C1,4 cores) ALL 0204

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (rev.E0,2.83GHz,1333FSB,L2:12MB,4 cores) ALL 1003

So if you get a E0, it may not boot. My board came with 0503.
in any case I would recommend updating to the latest bios. might be worth getting a cheap celeron or something to allow you to boot and update the bios.

[discopanda]

Taken from the asus site:

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz,1333FSB,L2:12MB,rev.C0,4 cores) ALL 0204

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz,1333FSB,L2:12MB,rev.C1,4 cores) ALL 0204

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (rev.E0,2.83GHz,1333FSB,L2:12MB,4 cores) ALL 1003

So if you get a E0, it may not boot. My board came with 0503.
in any case I would recommend updating to the latest bios. might be worth getting a cheap celeron or something to allow you to boot and update the bios.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like its going to be hit or miss. I was thinking of borrowing someone's spare processor but might be the better option to get hold of a cheap chip. Does anyone know what the cheapest cpu would be that would allow me to install vista?

[alexp999]

Pick up one of these:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=736339

Cheapest one on scan. Will allow you to boot, install vista, then update the bios for your new chip.

[TAKTAK]

DO NOT flash the BIOS from inside windows... (i'm guessing thats why you want to install vista before flashing)

just use the cheapy proccy to get into the BIOS and flash from a USB stick or floppy using ASUS EZFlash that is in the BIOS

(you need to download the ROM on another computer, but you can get a complete walkthrough if required)

it is much safer than doing it in windows (last time i checked, asus' windows flash program had a 20% success rate...)

you can always get in touch with the retailer and ask them to flash it for you before it is sent out...

[alexp999]

Agree with TAKTAK. Update BIOS, then install windows. i always use a usb drive and EZ-flash to update my bios.

[discopanda]

Excellent advice, thanks all