ASUS tech support never emailed back

[signmeuptoo]

I emailed ASUS tech support asking about whether any of the current
versions of BIOS for my motherboard, the ASUS A8V, will support the new AMD
Venice version of the 64 CPU. I wanted to know in case I had to send in my
BIOS chip before I bought the CPU when it comes out or even have to send in
the entire motherboard.

I also asked if, since there is the number 1008 on the BIOS chip, if that
is what BIOS version is on it, it would support Venice (those were two
seperate questions).

I also had a couple other questions, but ASUS, now over a week and several
days later, still has not shown the courtesy to reply. Does anyone know
the answers to any of these questions? I see by my serial number that my
board was produced in December...

I don't yet have a CPU and I don't intend to get a CPU other than the
Venice chip when it comes out, so I need answers.

Oh, and btw, I don't have the ability to call them right now so I am very
dissapointed that they don't show the courtesy of an email reply. I even
gave them more than one email addy, my mailing addy, and my phone number.
No response. Is this typical of ASUS?

Also, I see that they don't sponser a forum like Abit does...

 

[Paul]

I emailed ASUS tech support asking about whether any of the current
versions of BIOS for my motherboard, the ASUS A8V, will support the new AMD
Venice version of the 64 CPU. I wanted to know in case I had to send in my
BIOS chip before I bought the CPU when it comes out or even have to send in
the entire motherboard.

I also asked if, since there is the number 1008 on the BIOS chip, if that
is what BIOS version is on it, it would support Venice (those were two
seperate questions).

I also had a couple other questions, but ASUS, now over a week and several
days later, still has not shown the courtesy to reply. Does anyone know
the answers to any of these questions? I see by my serial number that my
board was produced in December...

I don't yet have a CPU and I don't intend to get a CPU other than the
Venice chip when it comes out, so I need answers.

Oh, and btw, I don't have the ability to call them right now so I am very
dissapointed that they don't show the courtesy of an email reply. I even
gave them more than one email addy, my mailing addy, and my phone number.
No response. Is this typical of ASUS?

Also, I see that they don't sponser a forum like Abit does...

Perhaps the phone would work better ?

There have been comments in the past, that Asus is inundated
with spam at their TSD address.

I've never been through the process, but maybe you can create
an entry for yourself on the Asus computer system here:

http://helpdesk.asus.com/logon.asp?URL=/Default.asp

Then phone and ask your question. As they will have your
phone and email address, maybe they'll be able to get
back to you with an answer. A question like this can only
be answered by the factory, as your support question is about
a future product (Venice). I doubt the phone support
are going to know the answer.

The link off theinquirer.net mentions:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Rev_change_1_UK.pdf

http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Rev_change_2_UK.pdf

http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Rev_change_3_UK.pdf


"The new version is pin-to-pin compatible with the current version, and
will function in existing platforms based on 939-pin AMD Athlon 64
processors, but a new BIOS will be required to recognize the new CPU
id (CPU Id 00010FF0h will change to 00020FF0h). Therefore, we recommend
you consult your motherboard vendor for the latest BIOS version."

And I think you can guess what this will mean. I've never seen a
BIOS released yet, which was ahead of a processor release. Be
prepared to do some cursing :-(

Paul

 

[Bob Knowlden]

Another poster offered good advice, but as regards a specific question:

I believe that 1008 on the label on the BIOS chips is the version that
shipped, as you thought. (On my A8V D., Rev 2., purchased more than six
months ago, it was 1006.)

While you won't get information there on an unreleased CPU, I suggest that
you visit Asus' CPU support page:

http://www.asus.com/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

(I'd link directly to the page for the A8V, but the page isn't set up to
permit that.)

Note that some of the newer CPUs aren't supported by 1008; they require
1009, which is the latest released version. (The most recent beta BIOS
available is 1011.05. Asus usually does not publish information on the
contents of beta BIOSes. I'm using 1010.03.)

A question I can't answer: can an A8V have its BIOS upgraded using an
unsupported CPU? My guess is yes, maybe helped by using a single DIMM in
the single-channel mode (Slot B1), and using the EZ Flash utility (p. 4-4,
manual E1642), which appears to invoke the BIOS recovery manually.

(The safest course would be to boot the machine using a Newcastle CPU, but I
won't offer to lend you mine.)

Failing that, Asus may sell you an EEPROM containing an updated BIOS when it
becomes available. I dimly recall reading of people having done that, to fix
the results of a BIOS flash that went wrong. The cost may have been about
$25 in the US. Whether Asus would send out the chip as a free upgrade to
support a CPU that wasn't on the market when the mainboard was sold, only
they can tell you.

Good luck.

Bob Knowlden

Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

 

[Mini Me's Dad]

They won't call or email you back. I went through this with my mainboard.
They told me it was definitely the bios chip had to be reflashed. $10 later
and reflashed chip after a 2 week wait and now it cost me $18 to ship them
the board (6 weeks old). Had to call California ,then Kentucky , then
California again. Still have no idea when I'll get the board back. They
aren't too bright and not very polite at all! Put your hands in your pockets
and hold your breath should be they're motto ) Better get on the phone.

 

[Beemer Biker]

They won't call or email you back. I went through this with my mainboard.
They told me it was definitely the bios chip had to be reflashed. $10 later
and reflashed chip after a 2 week wait and now it cost me $18 to ship them
the board (6 weeks old). Had to call California ,then Kentucky , then
California again. Still have no idea when I'll get the board back. They
aren't too bright and not very polite at all! Put your hands in your pockets
and hold your breath should be they're motto ) Better get on the phone.

I sent in an A7N8X-DLX and put a "tag" on the spot where one of those big
capacitors blew and I had clipped the remains off. They returned it "as is"
saying it was tested and worked fine. I had asked them before I sent it (
was still under warranty) if the capacitor was needed and they said it was.
Not sure if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.

They also told me a pair of mobile XPs would not work in a A7M266-D and I
proved them wrong.

 

[Peacekeeper]

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

Shows bios versus cpu combinations

Asus support rarely replied to my emails and I was a mod for them, that's
why they allowed me a pipeline direct to their TW support group.

Of course that was 2 years ago so now I feel they get such a large flood of
emails they they are a tad overwhelmed.
Peace