Remove bios chip. Screwdriver ok?

[res0r89p]

Hi, I have to replace a bios chip on a Tyan 1854 Trinity 400 board. It's
about 1/2' x 1 1/2" long. Do I have to use a special tool, or can I use
something like a screwdriver to remove it? Thanks.
Peter Cowie

 

[Dave C.]

Hi, I have to replace a bios chip on a Tyan 1854 Trinity 400 board. It's
about 1/2' x 1 1/2" long. Do I have to use a special tool, or can I use
something like a screwdriver to remove it? Thanks.
Peter Cowie

You can get a chip puller from radio shack. You'll find it in a kit of
computer tools for about five bucks. If you have enough room to work, you
could try to work a very small flat-tip under both sides and try to work it
out a little at a time. BTW, how do you know that the BIOS chip is the only
problem? Bad flash? -Dave

 

[Wes Newell]

Hi, I have to replace a bios chip on a Tyan 1854 Trinity 400 board. It's
about 1/2' x 1 1/2" long. Do I have to use a special tool, or can I use
something like a screwdriver to remove it? Thanks.
Peter Cowie

Assuming this is a dip (Dual Inline Package) a screwdriver works for me,
as does a small blade pocket knife, etc. Just ease it out from the four
corners, or push a large wedge screwdriver through the middle to pop out
both sides at the same time. Common sense applies.

 

[the gnome]

You can purchase chip pullers but personally I use a small flat head screw
driver.

Prise one short side (the one with the indent) a little bit, then the other
a little bit and repeat until it comes loose.

Don't forget to earth yourself, turn off the power and unplug the cable.

Remember which way the one you take out went in so you don't put the new one
in the wrong way round.

If you screwed up a BIOS update, then now is agood time to hunt out a
compatible BIOSsaviour.

the_gnome

 

[res0r89p]

Hi,
Thanks everyone. I actually tried removing the chip with the L shaped end
of an unused pci slot cover, since it looked about right, but the chip is
near the edge of the board and is really tight in there. I could see the
board flexing when I tried to -gently- pry the chip up. I got nervous and
decided to take it to a tech shop where they have more tools and savvy in
this area. I guess you'd say i wimped out, but I was just afraid of breaking
the board. An email I got suggested using a screw jack, but I don't have
one..Radio Shack didn't have a large enough chip puller either.
Peter Cowie
BTW, I I didn't mess up a bios update. I got a Cmos checksum error (after
memory check and successfuldetection of all devices). Tyan said that meant
I needed a new bios chip. We'll see. That computer had been booting up
erratically for a while before all this.

 

[Stacey]

BTW, I I didn't mess up a bios update. I got a Cmos checksum error (after
memory check and successfuldetection of all devices). Tyan said that
meant I needed a new bios chip. We'll see. That computer had been booting
up erratically for a while before all this.

I hate to sound like a broken record, I had a machine that was erratically
giving me bios checksum errors on boot and it turned out to be a power
suppy issue. It's been months since this problem occured, I replaced the
PSU and it's been fine ever since.

 

[-Alby Hewlet]

I had a bad floppy cable causing the same error msg once.