Compaq Mobo Problem.

[Phoenix]

Hi Peeps.

I'm building a machine for a "financially challenged" friend, resurrecting
spare hardware.
I have a Compaq micro atx mobo from a 5541, SIS530 chipset, onboard sound
and agp video.
This was removed from a machine where the atx psu failed, and stored.
As built, this machine had Win98 installed and worked properly prior to psu
failure.

The problem.
When assembled, I plugged the monitor into the mobo onboard video connector.
On first boot, BIOS beep code indicating video problem and nothing on
monitor screen.
I installed a PCI graphics card and plugged the monitor into that, bingo,
boot and graphics drive.
I cannot find a graphics driver for this *Compaq bastardised* SIS board that
supports XP.
A *standard* SIS 530 board driver will not work with this board.
Therefore cannot use the onboard agp chipset and the mobo has no agp slot.
PCI only.

The question.
How do Compaq initialise the machine like this?
You can't use the agp video until the driver is installed, this comes AFTER
OS install.
Did they use a PCI card to get it running and then take it out?

 

[kony]

Hi Peeps.

I'm building a machine for a "financially challenged" friend, resurrecting
spare hardware.
I have a Compaq micro atx mobo from a 5541, SIS530 chipset, onboard sound
and agp video.

Sis + socket 7 + integrated video + Compaq = yuck
If you had something else, I'd suggest a different board.

This was removed from a machine where the atx psu failed, and stored.
As built, this machine had Win98 installed and worked properly prior to psu
failure.

Well I suppose there could be some board damage from the PSU
failure, has this been ruled out?

The problem.
When assembled, I plugged the monitor into the mobo onboard video connector.
On first boot, BIOS beep code indicating video problem and nothing on
monitor screen.

Did you try a different memory slot?
Resetting/clearing CMOS?

I installed a PCI graphics card and plugged the monitor into that, bingo,
boot and graphics drive.
I cannot find a graphics driver for this *Compaq bastardised* SIS board that
supports XP.
A *standard* SIS 530 board driver will not work with this board.
Therefore cannot use the onboard agp chipset and the mobo has no agp slot.
PCI only.

Are you certain there isn't a separate video driver and/or
that you had the right Sis video driver? I find their video
drivers to be crap, maybe it's just not installing right or
???? Did you try the last/newest one available on Sis'
website? Or do they even offer it anymore?

The question.
How do Compaq initialise the machine like this?
You can't use the agp video until the driver is installed, this comes AFTER
OS install.
Did they use a PCI card to get it running and then take it out?

Insufficient data to determine what's going wrong but I
seriously doubt they added a PCI card, the video should
work right away at POST, not needing a driver first. Did
you check around the board for jumpers?

 

[Phoenix]

"Insufficient data to determine what's going wrong but I
seriously doubt they added a PCI card, the video should
work right away at POST, not needing a driver first. Did
you check around the board for jumpers?"

You cannot completely disable the onboard video either by jumper or BIOS
setting.
All you CAN do is reduce the amount of memory that the onboard agp chipset
robs
from system RAM, (2,4 or 8Mb).
The BIOS video options also allow you to initialise AGP or PCI first, it was
set to PCI.
Changing it to AGP produced no video from the PCI card.
I cleared the CMOS and was back to the previous situation.

I also felt that the agp video chipset should drive the monitor at POST
without a driver.
That's why I wondered how Compaq had done it.
I had considered that damage might have been done but was putting it to the
back of my
mind as everything else seems to work, including the onboard audio (for
which I HAVE
found a driver). I also found a driver for the generic Ambient/IBM PCI
modem.

I have trawled SIS and Compaq for drivers and tried every one I can locate.
Oh well, I just wondered if I had missed anything. :-(

 

[kony]

I also felt that the agp video chipset should drive the monitor at POST
without a driver.
That's why I wondered how Compaq had done it.
I had considered that damage might have been done but was putting it to the
back of my
mind as everything else seems to work, including the onboard audio (for
which I HAVE
found a driver). I also found a driver for the generic Ambient/IBM PCI
modem.

I have trawled SIS and Compaq for drivers and tried every one I can locate.
Oh well, I just wondered if I had missed anything. :-(

Did you try the memory in a different slot?

 

[kony]

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 11:05:55 -0000, "Phoenix"

Some (all of?) Compaqs boards from that era were made by FIC
& Mitac, you might search for socket 7 Sis based boards from
those two, perhaps hints at a driver or a manual can be
found.

 

[Phoenix]

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 11:05:55 -0000, "Phoenix"

Some (all of?) Compaqs boards from that era were made by FIC
& Mitac, you might search for socket 7 Sis based boards from
those two, perhaps hints at a driver or a manual can be
found.

I'll try moving the dimm's around just to see what happens.
The board is fundamentally a Gigabyte GA-5SMM panel.
The pdf manual for the Gigabyte board I have. It appears identical to mine.
I even have a bios flash upgrade for the GA-5SMM.
I haven't had the guts to use it, in case the ARE minor differences and
won't boot.

 

[Phlexor]

I'll try moving the dimm's around just to see what happens.
The board is fundamentally a Gigabyte GA-5SMM panel.
The pdf manual for the Gigabyte board I have. It appears identical to
mine.
I even have a bios flash upgrade for the GA-5SMM.
I haven't had the guts to use it, in case the ARE minor differences and
won't boot.

Good call. You /should/ be able to find the information as well as bios
update for your compaq online. Use your search engines and just hunt around.
I know this stuff can be hard to find, but it is out there. I used to work
as a tech at an autorised compaq repare center. I hate compaqs...