VOGONS


First post, by Dan386DX

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First an apology, I've been spamming this place with Socket 7 related woes.

I have yet another PCChips motherboard, this time a M598LMR V5.0 Socket 7.

and ST 6x86 133MHz and 64MB 133MHz RAM. The chipset is SiS 530.

It works but as soon as I install the driver for onboard graphics, then restart the system as normal, Windows won't load - throws a "Windows protection error. You need to restart your PC" - further restarts will sometimes actually get through to Windows, and under display driver in Device Manager, SiS 530 is shown and appears to be working. Except it's stuck in 256 colour mode at 640 x 480. Attempts to change these fail.

I've tried different RAM, different BIOS settings, and both Win 95 and Win 98. The problem remains the same.

The driver I'm using is 1.08 from theretroweb but I've also tried 1.06 and had identical results.

So, am I looking at a faulty chipset IGP? Anything else I can try?

Also, if somebody could link a flash utility I could try with the final BIOS for this board, I'd be grateful. It's AMI but my version of AFUDOS doesn't like the rom.

Thank you!

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.

Reply 1 of 16, by Repo Man11

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Do you have another CPU you can try? Many years ago I was given a Cybermax computer that had a Biostar VX chipset motherboard and a Cyrix CPU. I needed a PCI video card, and bought one from a nearby shop. That video card (I don't know what it was, I only remember that it had 16 megs of memory) wouldn't work with the Cyrix with the drivers provided - installing them ended in an error much like what you're describing. I ended up returning it an buying a used PCI video card that only had one meg of memory (some model of Trident I suspect).

Uniflash may do the trick for the BIOS.

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"I'd rather be rich than stupid" - Jack Handey

Reply 2 of 16, by Dan386DX

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Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-25, 20:01:

Do you have another CPU you can try? Many years ago I was given a Cybermax computer that had a Biostar VX chipset motherboard and a Cyrix CPU. I needed a PCI video card, and bought one from a nearby shop. That video card (I don't know what it was, I only remember that it had 16 megs of memory) wouldn't work with the Cyrix with the drivers provided - installing them ended in an error much like what you're describing. I ended up returning it an buying a used PCI video card that only had one meg of memory (some model of Trident I suspect).

Uniflash may do the trick for the BIOS.

Thanks for the suggestion, and the utility!

I'll try out a K6-2 and a Pentium 75.

Heh, I too am tempted to just throw in a cheap PCI card and call it quits 😁

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.

Reply 3 of 16, by kingcake

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My experience with IGP, especially earlier IGP like this is that they are super ram sensitive.

I'm assuming you are using SDRAM. Was it single rank? Dual rank? etc?

I would still run memtest86+ on it for a few hours despite trying another ram stick.

Reply 4 of 16, by Dan386DX

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kingcake wrote on 2024-05-25, 21:17:

My experience with IGP, especially earlier IGP like this is that they are super ram sensitive.

I'm assuming you are using SDRAM. Was it single rank? Dual rank? etc?

I would still run memtest86+ on it for a few hours despite trying another ram stick.

Thanks for the tip, yes single rank SDRAM. I will experiment with others when I can get the system running again; flashing to the last BIOS from 2000 appears to have bricked it; the actual flash went well, but now it reports CMOS checksum bad, and gets stuck trying to enter the BIOS. CMOS clear does nothing, battery is brand new.

Damn PCChips.

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.

Reply 6 of 16, by Repo Man11

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I'm assuming that "Version number" is PCChips speak for revision number? They list three BIOS for that board: https://web.archive.org/web/20061020193248fw_ … ios.asp#M598LMR

Edit: I read your initial post more closely so there is actually only one BIOS for the 5.0. Easily fixed if you have a programmer, next up would be doing a hot swap BIOS flash. IIRC you said that you picked up more than one of these motherboards? If so, you could just borrow the BIOS chip from another one and use this board for the hot swap.

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Reply 7 of 16, by Repo Man11

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I don't think the Retro Web has that version/BIOS information so one of us should be sure to email them and let them know.

"I'd rather be rich than stupid" - Jack Handey

Reply 8 of 16, by Dan386DX

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Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-26, 03:28:

I don't think the Retro Web has that version/BIOS information so one of us should be sure to email them and let them know.

You're absolutely right, it looks like the retroweb BIOS downloads sections for that board a has a mixture of roms, some of which are there erroneously as they're intended for different variants of the board. I really should have checked first, looks like I've probably flashed a ROM intended for a different board version, compatible enough to POST, but boots no further.

Sadly the only programmer I own is a modern CH341A, and the other PCChips boards I have are both M571LMRs which are slightly different.

Probably I will sell this system on cheap, and just be honest that the BIOS needs fixing.

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.

Reply 9 of 16, by Repo Man11

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If you want you could mail the BIOS chip to me and I could program it for you no charge. I got tired of doing hot swap BIOS flashes and bought a programmer a little over a year ago.

"I'd rather be rich than stupid" - Jack Handey

Reply 10 of 16, by Dan386DX

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Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-26, 21:02:

If you want you could mail the BIOS chip to me and I could program it for you no charge. I got tired of doing hot swap BIOS flashes and bought a programmer a little over a year ago.

That is amazingly kind of you man, thank you! In this case I'll decline, because mailing from UK > USA then back again is probably too much work for a motherboard that has a potentially failing chipset IGP, but I appreciate the offer and I'll keep you in mind if I screw up another BIOS 😁

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.

Reply 11 of 16, by kingcake

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Dan386DX wrote on 2024-05-26, 21:54:
Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-26, 21:02:

If you want you could mail the BIOS chip to me and I could program it for you no charge. I got tired of doing hot swap BIOS flashes and bought a programmer a little over a year ago.

That is amazingly kind of you man, thank you! In this case I'll decline, because mailing from UK > USA then back again is probably too much work for a motherboard that has a potentially failing chipset IGP, but I appreciate the offer and I'll keep you in mind if I screw up another BIOS 😁

What type of EEPROM is it? I probably have one in stock I can burn. I have access to commercial shipping. Sending a tiny EEPROM to the UK will cost me little. No round trip required.

Reply 12 of 16, by Repo Man11

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I wonder if this (probable) BIOS mismatch was the reason why you were having an issue with the AMI flash utility? Or was the issue something else?

"I'd rather be rich than stupid" - Jack Handey

Reply 13 of 16, by kingcake

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Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-27, 03:43:

I wonder if this (probable) BIOS mismatch was the reason why you were having an issue with the AMI flash utility? Or was the issue something else?

Sorry I didn't mean to step on your offer. I just want to see the mobo revived 🤣

Reply 14 of 16, by Repo Man11

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kingcake wrote on 2024-05-27, 04:52:
Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-27, 03:43:

I wonder if this (probable) BIOS mismatch was the reason why you were having an issue with the AMI flash utility? Or was the issue something else?

Sorry I didn't mean to step on your offer. I just want to see the mobo revived 🤣

No, that's fine, I'm just wondering out loud if the reason he had to use Uniflash was that the AMI flash was detecting a mismatch?

"I'd rather be rich than stupid" - Jack Handey

Reply 15 of 16, by Dan386DX

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kingcake wrote on 2024-05-26, 22:38:
Dan386DX wrote on 2024-05-26, 21:54:
Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-26, 21:02:

If you want you could mail the BIOS chip to me and I could program it for you no charge. I got tired of doing hot swap BIOS flashes and bought a programmer a little over a year ago.

That is amazingly kind of you man, thank you! In this case I'll decline, because mailing from UK > USA then back again is probably too much work for a motherboard that has a potentially failing chipset IGP, but I appreciate the offer and I'll keep you in mind if I screw up another BIOS 😁

What type of EEPROM is it? I probably have one in stock I can burn. I have access to commercial shipping. Sending a tiny EEPROM to the UK will cost me little. No round trip required.

My goodness, I'm so sorry - I didn't mean to shun this offer. Didn't get notified. In the end I listed it cheap on eBay - surely nobody would buy it unless they had the knowledge to replace the EEPROM! It's otherwise in excellent condition so I'm sure will live on.

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.

Reply 16 of 16, by Dan386DX

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Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-27, 04:54:
kingcake wrote on 2024-05-27, 04:52:
Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-05-27, 03:43:

I wonder if this (probable) BIOS mismatch was the reason why you were having an issue with the AMI flash utility? Or was the issue something else?

Sorry I didn't mean to step on your offer. I just want to see the mobo revived 🤣

No, that's fine, I'm just wondering out loud if the reason he had to use Uniflash was that the AMI flash was detecting a mismatch?

Good point, could well have been that. I don't know how 'brute force' uniflash is, but it didn't prompt me that it might be a bad fit.

90s PC: IBM 6x86 MX 233MHz. TNT2 M64. 256MB RAM, 2GB CompactFlash.
Boring modern PC: i7-12700, RX 7800XT. 32GB/1TB.
Fixer upper project: NEC Powermate 486SX/25. 16MB/400MB.