How to update Silicon Image sil3114 motherboard BIOS

[ghostgunna]

Hi guys.

I noticed some people in this group know a lot about RAID & I am hoping
that they may be able to help me.

I want to use the RAID5 functionality that has been added to the newer
sil3114 BIOS. There is no update for this on my motherboard website
http://www.chaintech.com.tw/tw/eng/Download/dl_desc.asp?DCSNo=4&PISNo=206.

The BIOS is on the Silicon Image website.
http://www.siliconimage.com/support/supportsearchresults.aspx?pid=28&cid=15&ctid=2&osid=0&

The BIOS update utilities on the page are for addon cards only, not
motherboard onboard chipsets.

Is it possible to update the sil3114 BIOS?

Thanx 4 looking.

 

[J. Clarke]

Hi guys.

I noticed some people in this group know a lot about RAID & I am hoping
that they may be able to help me.

I want to use the RAID5 functionality that has been added to the newer
sil3114 BIOS. There is no update for this on my motherboard website
http://www.chaintech.com.tw/tw/eng/Download/dl_desc.asp?DCSNo=4&PISNo=206.

The BIOS is on the Silicon Image website.
http://www.siliconimage.com/support/supportsearchresults.aspx?pid=28&cid=15&ctid=2&osid=0&

The BIOS update utilities on the page are for addon cards only, not
motherboard onboard chipsets.

Is it possible to update the sil3114 BIOS?

Thanx 4 looking.

This sort of thing has been done in the past but the links I used to have
are all broken now. I've never heard of it being done with Silicon Image
but it has been done with Promise--basically you have to find the
appropriate code in the BIOS image, replace it with the new code,
recalculate and apply the checksums, reflash the BIOS, and pray that you
haven't trashed it beyond redemption.

Before trying anything like this you might want to obtain a BIOS Savior
<http://www.ioss.com.tw/web/English/RD1BIOSSavior.html>

 

[Eric Gisin]

I added the LSI SCSI bios (a 64K ROM file) to my system bios 3 years ago.
The one ROM file works in either case. I forget if I used cbrom or other.

Here is the general process I used: http://hardware.mcse.ms/archive69-2004-9-68910.html

 

[Egil Solberg]

This sort of thing has been done in the past but the links I used to
have are all broken now. I've never heard of it being done with
Silicon Image but it has been done with Promise--basically you have
to find the appropriate code in the BIOS image, replace it with the
new code, recalculate and apply the checksums, reflash the BIOS, and
pray that you haven't trashed it beyond redemption.

Before trying anything like this you might want to obtain a BIOS
Savior <http://www.ioss.com.tw/web/English/RD1BIOSSavior.html>

Yes it has been done with siliconimage. I run a modded BIOS (by reddwarf)
for my A7N8X Deluxe rev2 with latest silimage 3112A BIOS added.
Found it on www.nforcershq.com.

 

[Jim]

I use to do this as well a few years ago w/ my Abit KT7A-RAID. Abit had a
nasty habit of NEVER updating the Highpoint RAID BIOS whenever they updated
the mobo BIOS. That's the problem w/ integrated mobo features, the mobo
vendor just doesn't give a crap about these other components. They stick w/
what's known to work, then stop.

The way it usually works is, the various sub-components that use a BIOS of
their own are combined into the mobo BIOS. Using the proper utilities, you
can disassemble this BIOS, or assemble your own. For my KT7A-RAID, it
required a program called CBROM. I learned how all this worked and even
built my own BIOS updates using this utility thanx to the KT7A FAQ.

As others have mentioned, you need to VERY careful. Screw up the BIOS
update, and well..., as you can imagine, very easy to kill your mobo.
That's why going outside your mobo vendor has its risks. If you insist on
pursuing it, it's best to refer to those who are most likely to be
interested in the same updates. So check the Chaintech NGs, FAQ's, etc.
This is one area where you're far better off speaking to those ppl, since
they will be familiar w/ any idiosyncrasies w/ that mobo, and will probably
already have a BIOS build you can dl (and trust). Simply venturing out on
your own is probably not a good idea, just too easy to screw it up.

Jim

 

[J. Clarke]

Yes it has been done with siliconimage. I run a modded BIOS (by reddwarf)
for my A7N8X Deluxe rev2 with latest silimage 3112A BIOS added.
Found it on www.nforcershq.com.

Hmmm. Thanks for the steer. I might give that a try myself.

 

[hackbox.info]

I want to use the RAID5 functionality that has been added to the newer
sil3114 BIOS

Do you realise that it is only an IDE controller with software raid
slapped on in the drivers (and bios)?

 

[Eric Gisin]

Do you realise that it is only an IDE controller with software raid
slapped on in the drivers (and bios)?

You should read this review of 8-port SATA RAID:
http://www.tomshardware.com/storage/20051031/index.html

The highpoint is software - it has no processor or cache, yet performs very well in RAID 5.
A desktop CPU of 1Ghz with DDR is capable of doing parity at over 1GB/s.

Yes, I know Tom's storage reviews are incredibly bad.
You might find a better one at xbitlabs.com or anardtech.com.

 

[Odie Ferrous]

You should read this review of 8-port SATA RAID:
http://www.tomshardware.com/storage/20051031/index.html

The highpoint is software - it has no processor or cache, yet performs very well in RAID 5.
A desktop CPU of 1Ghz with DDR is capable of doing parity at over 1GB/s.

Yes, I know Tom's storage reviews are incredibly bad.
You might find a better one at xbitlabs.com or anardtech.com.

I bought the Areca 1220. It's not bad.

Broadcom are sending me an evaluation of their equivalent - will be
interesting to see which is better.


Odie

 

[GhostGunna]

Thanx 4 all your replies guys.

I've posted in the Chaintech & BIOS groups which I didn't know existed.
And I'll look into CBROM.