A7V133C - 512 Dimm not running

[Pasquale Imbemba]

Hello,

I own the A7V133C and bought a 512 Dimm from Kingston, after consulting
their memory dimm product finder they have on their website.

However, how hard I try: My A7V133C doesn't accept that Dimm. Whatever I
do: just use the new one or mix it with other two older Dimms, I just
get the acoustic bios signal: long beeps in an endless loop. The manual
tells me that this error code means "No DRAM installed or detected".

While Googling I found this:
http://www.all-about-pc.de/english/discussion panel/eintrag_anzeigen.asp?hardware&9869*002

It says that I should update my BIOS to version 1009. Is this true?
Moreover, I am not 100% sure which motherboard version I own: manual
says A7V133/A7V133C; somewhere on the motherboard box their was a
sticker which read "A7V133C".

Is there any tool I can 100% define which board version I have and so
not to mess up with Bios update? I killed one machine years ago... :-(

Thanks for any help
Pasquale
--
===
"Behind every great fortune, there is a crime."
- Balzac
===
Linux Registered User #260336

 

[CeeBee]

alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus:

Is there any tool I can 100% define which board version I have and so
not to mess up with Bios update? I killed one machine years ago... :-(

http://www.cpuid.com/ (CPU-Z)

discontinued, but still available at places, like:
http://www.sofotex.com/AIDA32-download_L9326.html (AIDA32)


--
CeeBee


EMH Mark I: "Stop breathing down my neck."
EMH Mark II: "My breath is merely a simulation."
EMH Mark I: "So is my neck. Stop it anyway."

 

[Eric P.]

The version number of your A7V133-C motherboard is printed on the board
between the last two PCI slots.

 

[Pasquale Imbemba]

The version number of your A7V133-C motherboard is printed on the board
between the last two PCI slots.

Okay, I had a look and found the sticker there, which reads A7V133C.
Besides, BIOS update 1009 is the same for A7V133 and A7V133C.

Problem: I had a look at my BIOS data (with Aflash utility from floppy
disk) and it seems like I have 1009 already. It reads:

Flash Memory: EON EN29F002T
Current BIOS Version: Asus A7V_133 ACPI
BIOS Revision: 1009
Bios Built Date: 04/23/02
Bios Model: <A7V133>

And there is an odd thing: how come Bios Built is 23 April 2002, when
1009 on asus' website says that it has been released 2 May 2002 ?
Here's the link in case:
http://www.asus.it/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=A7V133-C

Any hint?

Pasquale

 

[Eric P.]

At the same place you should find the version number of your
motherboard, like 1.05
The Bios for the A7V133 and the A7V133-C are NOT exactly the same.
The former contains Promise code, the A7V133-C doesn't but has contained
other extra (I believe for NIC ???) in the past.

I got my Bios'ses in the past from the German Asus website, presently
I'm using 10101b on my A7V133.
Below the link for your A7V133-C board.
ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/Socket_A/VIA_Chipset/Apollo_KT133A/A7V133-C/index.txt

<version> A7V133-C 1009 Final
<release-date> 30.04.2002
<path>
/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/Socket_A/VIA_Chipset/Apollo_KT133A/A7V133-C/1009c.zip

OR

<product> A7V133-C
<version> A7V133-C 1010-01B Beta
<release-date> 11.02.2003
<path>
/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/Socket_A/VIA_Chipset/Apollo_KT133A/A7V133-C/1010c01b.zip

http://tinylink.com/?KNLTpyWuWr has A7V133-C (Beta) Bios'ses available
on the Taiwanese site.

I wouldn't wonder too much about Bios release dates, they were different
between the various Asus websites anyway.
But I would use the latest available Bios for the right board.

 

[Nikolaos Tampakis]

Okay, I had a look and found the sticker there, which reads A7V133C.
Besides, BIOS update 1009 is the same for A7V133 and A7V133C.

As mentioned already in the other posts, it is not, but even if you
accidentally flashed the BIOS for the A7V133 this wouldn't do any harm
as the core hardware is identical, at the very least you would be able
to boot just fine and reflash with the correct BIOS.

Problem: I had a look at my BIOS data (with Aflash utility from floppy
disk) and it seems like I have 1009 already. It reads:

Flash Memory: EON EN29F002T
Current BIOS Version: Asus A7V_133 ACPI
BIOS Revision: 1009
Bios Built Date: 04/23/02
Bios Model: <A7V133>

And there is an odd thing: how come Bios Built is 23 April 2002, when
1009 on asus' website says that it has been released 2 May 2002 ?
Here's the link in case:
http://www.asus.it/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=A7V133-C

Any hint?

Pasquale

You already answered your own question: 23 April 2002 is the "BUILD
DATE" while 2 May 2002 is the "RELEASE" date. It's natural it would be
released slightly later than was built.
Keep in mind that a 'production' BIOS is actually just the last one in a
series of beta code, so an official BIOS is identical to the last beta
in this series. For every beta BIOS the algorithm is simple:
a) build new code
b) test new code for a number of days
c) if code is found to work well, release it as either beta or official
(depending on remaining bugs, assumed maturity of code, number of
existing betas in this series, product support status blah blah blah).

Regards
Nikos

 

[Pasquale Imbemba]

At the same place you should find the version number of your
motherboard, like 1.05

Yes, that is what I read on the sticker on the BIOS chip.

The Bios for the A7V133 and the A7V133-C are NOT exactly the same.

Hmm, strange, because on Asus website, the update page links to the same
file for both.

I got my Bios'ses in the past from the German Asus website, presently
I'm using 10101b on my A7V133.

Yes, I saw that the German site works better and makes use of Asus
LiveUpdate. BTW, is this safier than doing by DOS? I am asking, because
I messed up already a PC once and the idea to update BIOS again doesn't
make me feel comfortable.

Thanks,
Pasquale

 

[Eric P.]

As far as I know the motherboard version number is printed on the board
itself, it might be a sticker.
The number on Bios chip normally is the Bios version.

On all Asus websites I have visited there is a different Bios for the
A7V133 and the A7V133-C available, maybe you should have another look.

Personally I would NEVER use LiveUpdate to update the Bios of my A7V133.
Simply don't trust it and I have seen to many failures in this group
through the years.

The procedure using a Dos flop is very simple.
Don't forget to study the procedure beforehand, especially the part that
says to set Bios Defaults just before and directly after the flash.

After completion you can set your own preferences again.