can bios upgrade allow you to use different cpu's than originaly allowed?

[cookie3]

I have a asus p2l97 with a 440lx chipset. I have heard that this chip set will allow celerons. but the manual says PII 333 max.

ps this mobo came out before celerons.

 

[dennilfloss]

Dunno about your specific mobo but, for example, a P3B-F post rev. 1.03 can use a coppermine P3 or celermine with a bios update (needs 1.004 at least I think). My P3B-F is rev. 1.01, so updating the bios would not work for me in that respect. I suggest you check ASUS' site for specs.

http://www.asus.com/Products/Motherboard/Pentiumpro/P2l97/index.html
http://www.asus.com/Products/Motherboard/bios_slot1.html#p2l97

P2L97 (ATX )

- BIOS Upgrade and Road Map :

lx2i1009.zip

P2L97 ACPI BIOS Version 1009. 11/05/99

Fix Microsoft Pre-OS test failure
Support IDE hard disk larger than 32G bytes.
Fix Russian Y2K test program failed.
Revise Y2K patch.
Fix boot failure with some boot managers installed.
Update Symbios BIOS to Rev 4.12.
No system node report for LPT when it's Setup disabled. (LPT disable in Windows when it's Setup disabled)
Upgrade microcode update for Celeron mA0 stepping (CPUID=660) to revision 0A.
Microcode update upgrade for PII 653, 672, and 673. 653: 00A->010; 672: 00B->00C; 673: 007->00A. *Maybe someone can use this to answer your question; looks like celerons are OK*
Fix serial port failure running Windows 2000.
Add keyboard wakeup item with three choices of key combinations.
Fix FDD Write Protect function failed with 'format a: /u' command.

lx2i1008.zip

P2L97 ACPI BIOS Version 1008. 02/12/99

Add Processor Serial Number item.
Remove CPU L2 cache turbo mode item.
Add new P6 processors recognition. *ditto*
Fix the system cannotboot from 3Com 3C900-TPO LAN card if no floppy is drive attached.
Fix AGP/MDA support failure for AGP Onboard models.
Fix NT 5.0 installation failure for models with PIIX4 ID=7.
Removed parallel port 3BCh/EPP combination.
Remove "disabled" option in ECP DMA item when ECP selected.
Fix Accel Galaxy52 boot failure.
Fix boot virus false alarm for PCI-L101 lan card.

 

[damien6]

Yes, depending on the motherboard and the bios update that are available for it. I had a pre-celeron LX board once that worked w/celerons only after the bios was flash updated.

 

[cookie3]

dennilfloss. in your message you said: -Upgrade microcode update for Celeron mA0 stepping (CPUID=660) to revision 0A.Microcode update upgrade for PII 653, 672, and 673. 653: 00A->010; 672: 00B->00C; 673: 007->00A.

I had allready read this from asus web site. But to be honest I didn't know exectly what that meant. it says upgrade for PII 653, 672, and 673. I didn't think they made such cpu's. I was hoping someone could clear it up.

-Add new P6 processors recognition. *what is a P6 processor?

 

[Ulysses]

Usually the BIOS upgrade description should tell if new CPU's are being supported by the new BIOS, since that is so basic. The LX chipset is pretty dated now, of course.

I may be wrong but my interpretation of the BIOS upgrade description is that you can use a Celeron of the mA0 stepping, which tops out at 400 per:
http://support.intel.com/support/processors/sspec/icp.htm

Note:
"P6: The Intel code name for the Pentium Pro, which is optimized for 32-bit applications. The P6 generation includes the Pentium Pro and Pentium II."

By extension the Celerons and P3's are included, but the above definition is just talking about the very core architecture. That doesn't mean any P6 will run in your board.

 

[Jakki0]

Motherboards are usually built based on the architecure(excuse spelling) of the CPU supported. Within each arc. there are a varying amount of chips (eg. PIII = celeron, coppermine, katmai. K7= atlon, thunderbird, duron) boards built to accomodate the spefic chips will allow mixing or interchangability. Don't know if this is what you had in mind with the original post but you can't have a PII on a PIII board.

 

[Jhhnn]

My previous mobo was a P2L97 with p2-266. About 9 mos ago, I built it into amachine for my sister, and by flashing the bios at that time was able to run a celeron 400, 466 was tops then, as I recall. So yes, it can be made to work with some celerons, for sure up to 400. And just maybe for newer processors as well. Asus actually provides some decent support for older boards. You may (I stress MAY) get a reply to email from their support staff, can't hurt to try. EDIT.... Just checked the Asus site (it gives me fits) and found a reference that P2L97 bios revisions 1009 and higher support 533 ppga celerons. Now you get to fight your way through that@#$%^&*site on your own. Goodluck!

 

[cookie3]

thanks! Jhhnn By the way what did you set for the jumpers controling the multiplyer? manual says my P2L97 only goes up to 5x. and what did you set your frequency at?

 

[Jhhnn]

I set the bus frequency at 66mhz, and I think that I found a place on the Asus site that described how to set the multiplier higher, I don't remember that part real well at the moment. It may not be necessary at all, Intel processors pretty well set their own multiplier, and balk at being set too high. I'm not really sure. Are you having fun navigating the Asus site?