Since my board is currently removed for Voodoo 3 fixing, I've been thinking of switching the jumper on the iP3 from "auto" to "100Mhz" to see if that has an effect. I've also been considering changing it from 1.55V (where it was set when I got it,) to 1.50V (what the CPU is wanting.)

Sorry for the necro, but do the modded GA-6BXC BIOS images on vogonsdrivers have any special features like larger HDD support or better RAM support?

Edit: And do they work with rev 1.7 boards?

There was little or no documentation with these BIOSes. GA-6BXC_F4c(beta) mentions support for 75GB HDD. The most I ever tried was 40GB.

IIRC the rev 1.7 vs 2.0 difference is:
- 2.0 has AGP Voltage supply jumpers "Voodoo Jumpers", for AGP cards that require more power then the onboard VRM can supply.
- 2.0 has a CPU VRM for coppermine core voltages.
- 2.0 has a turbo jumper with unknown effect.
None of that should matter for the BIOS.

Thanks.

It looks like I already had the latest BIOS on my 1.7.

I put a 400GB IDE drive in it and it shows up as 136GB or so - much better than 75GB!

I had also performed an AGP power mod by running a wire from the bottom of the ATX power socket to one of the voltage regulators next to the AGP slot, but it looks like I cut the wire off at some point to use it for something else.

Hi guys,

In my test the PowerLeap bios can't free up IRQ 9, even you disable ACPI in bios.

According tyuper's post, some bios setting the SMBHSTCFG register to use IRQ 9.

I have check PowerLeap bios chipset register setting and confirm they do that setting.

I modify that register setting from IRQ 9 to default SMI# value, now the PowerLeap bios can be truly free up IRQ 9 for MPU-401.

The UpgradeWare bios keep SMBHSTCFG register as default but hidden "ACPI function" in Power Management Setup page; I also modify UpgradeWare bios to unhide that option.

By now both version of bios can be free up IRQ 9.

File info:
File base on gerwin upload bios in here.

upgware2.bin:
Base on 4)upgware.bin to unhide "ACPI function" in Power Management Setup page.

powleap3.bin:
Base on 6)powleap2.bin to change chipset register 3bd2 from 100 to 000 for free up IRQ 9.

In my test PowerLeap bios seems support LBA 48bit, it can be report 4TB hdd size correctly.

stringray wrote on 2021-05-05, 18:01:

By now both version of bios can be free up IRQ 9.

Thanks stingray! I will surely use those modded BIOS files you provided.

I updated the VogonsDrivers entry for the BIOS collection, to link to your post here. (Unfortunately I don't know how to update the zip file there, without a whole lot of hassle and confusion)

I moved from a v.F3 bios to powleap3.bin and holy what a difference. Now it actually reads my Via C3 type/speed properly, bootup is crazy fast, no mem check, more bios options (better boot order config for example).. and no more random crashing. Thanks, and thanks gerwin for linking it.

Before I flashed powerleap3 I took a dump of the existing BIOS from my Gigabyte GA-6BXC motherboard (bought off eBay). Oddly, the BIOS screen claimed it was v. F3, however I found it does not match any existing v. F3 BIOS out there. I'm uploading it here for the sake of preservation.

Hi, here is another BIOS dump from a different GA-6BXC rev2.0 I bought off ebay. Also seems unique, so uploaded for preservation.

stringray wrote on 2021-05-05, 18:01:

Hi guys, […]
Show full quote

Hi guys,

In my test the PowerLeap bios can't free up IRQ 9, even you disable ACPI in bios.

According tyuper's post, some bios setting the SMBHSTCFG register to use IRQ 9.

I have check PowerLeap bios chipset register setting and confirm they do that setting.

I modify that register setting from IRQ 9 to default SMI# value, now the PowerLeap bios can be truly free up IRQ 9 for MPU-401.

The UpgradeWare bios keep SMBHSTCFG register as default but hidden "ACPI function" in Power Management Setup page; I also modify UpgradeWare bios to unhide that option.

By now both version of bios can be free up IRQ 9.

File info:
File base on gerwin upload bios in here.

upgware2.bin:
Base on 4)upgware.bin to unhide "ACPI function" in Power Management Setup page.

powleap3.bin:
Base on 6)powleap2.bin to change chipset register 3bd2 from 100 to 000 for free up IRQ 9.

In my test PowerLeap bios seems support LBA 48bit, it can be report 4TB hdd size correctly.

Hello,
to stringray
I am using bios powleap3.bin on the GA-6BXC rev board. 2.0. With the VIA C3 Nehemiah 1.2 GHz FSB 133 MHz processor, the board detects the processor correctly, but when I install the Ezra-T 1.0 GHz FSB 100 MHz processor, the board shows 271 MHz 77x3.0. Could I ask you to modify this bios so that the board recognizes it correctly? Thank you in advance and best regards.
Peter

I've got several years ago GA-6BXC rev 2.0 with BIOS with this string:
06/30/2002-i440BX-8671-GA6BXC00C-00

It writes in first starting post screen at the top of the screen:
"6BXC Tualatin Support BIOS........................www.ROM.by" (without dots... had to use them, because vogons removed the gap.... that page is on the right side next to Eenergy star logo)

There is already BIOS with same date code in vogonslibrary
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=727

named:
4)upgware.bin
Source: UpgradeWare Tualatin CPU adapter Slot-T
Package: UpgradeWare GA-6BXC(rt6BXC)
OrigName: rt6BXC.BIN
Version: 06/30/2002 - Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG

Is it the same BIOS or it can be different one and another unique one, although it has same date?
How do I find out?
Is it worth to save and get for preservation. I'm going to sell the board, and now I am retesting it, and found out, it's not so easy with these BIOSes. I've expected, there will be only one from Gigabyte for Tualatins, as tualatin obviously worked , but now when I see, there's no official Gigabyte's for tualatins, and it's complicated. I'm thinking about saving this BIOS as I keep that adaptor that was with it and I have another GA-6BXC with only last official BIOS.

Btw, in the board there was stucked some Tualatin Celeron 1400 Mhz in some green (probably Powerleap) Adaptor.
https://ibb.co/0rgVS3T

What kind of adaptor is that? Is that "Slot-T" adaptor, that is mentioned there on vogonsdriverslibrary?

Edit:
Ok, I've dumped it
here's BIOS version by "www.ROM.by"
download/file.php?mode=view&id=186000

W.x. wrote on 2024-02-20, 20:27:

Btw, in the board there was stucked some Tualatin Celeron 1400 Mhz in some green (probably Powerleap) Adaptor.
https://ibb.co/0rgVS3T
What kind of adaptor is that? Is that "Slot-T" adaptor, that is mentioned there on vogonsdriverslibrary?

That adapter does not look like any Powerleap for which there is documentation on the web. Maybe you can post a full frontal photo of it here ?
It is not an Upgradeware Slot-T = they look like this:

PARKE wrote on 2024-02-21, 14:02:

That adapter does not look like any Powerleap for which there is documentation on the web. Maybe you can post a full frontal pho […]
Show full quote

W.x. wrote on 2024-02-20, 20:27:

Btw, in the board there was stucked some Tualatin Celeron 1400 Mhz in some green (probably Powerleap) Adaptor.
https://ibb.co/0rgVS3T
What kind of adaptor is that? Is that "Slot-T" adaptor, that is mentioned there on vogonsdriverslibrary?

That adapter does not look like any Powerleap for which there is documentation on the web. Maybe you can post a full frontal photo of it here ?
It is not an Upgradeware Slot-T = they look like this:
slot-trev10.jpg

Looks like the PowerLeap SlotWonder 1400C - https://web.archive.org/web/20050205134243/ht … SlotWonder.html

There's one currently for sale on the Bay

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-02-21, 14:52:

Looks like the PowerLeap SlotWonder 1400C - https://web.archive.org/web/20050205134243/ht … SlotWonder.html PL-SlotWonder_QS.pdf […]
Show full quote

Looks like the PowerLeap SlotWonder 1400C - https://web.archive.org/web/20050205134243/ht … SlotWonder.html
PL-SlotWonder_QS.pdf

There's one currently for sale on the Bay

PL-SW.jpg

Yes, indeed. I did not know that one, thanks for posting.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2024-02-21, 14:52:

Thank you for identifying that Powerleap adaptor.

So, the BIOS that was on the board, was maybe asociated with that specific Adaptor?
Will the BIOS work also with previous PowerLeap Adaptors with Tualatin processors? Like The PL-iP3/T ? Or only this adaptor needs to be used with that BIOS in GA-6BXC.