Will C2D work with this motherboard?

[wrangler]

My in-laws have a Gateway 840GM. Currently has a Pentium D 830.

CPU-Z says the motherboard is a i945G/GZ. Bios date is 7/7/05.

When I go to Intel website they say 945 chipset supports C2D BUT did they support them from the beginning or was a bios update neccessary. I have searched the web and Gateways website looking for a bios update and nothing to be found.

Thanks for looking.

 

[AMDfreak]

Found a BIOS update...

Go to ftp.gateway.com and browse to /pub/hardware_support/bios/pentium/pb94510j/

Readme's don't say anything about support for new CPU's though.

I think you're fine for Duo's, but not Quads. I went and looked at the CPU support list for a Gigabyte mobo with the same chipset. It supported the C2D from the original PCB revision and BIOS from what I could tell. On Asus's site, all but the very first 945G board supported C2D's.

I know it's still not a 100% answer, but it's something to go on.....

 

[wrangler]

wow

Too cool man. Thanks I'll go check it out.

Guys over at had me convinced no hope. Kinda convinced myself too.

 

[wrangler]

How did you find that?

That was the actual update for this motherboard.

I now have a bios date of 4/20/06. But like you said, it makes no mention of adding support for new CPU's. Just a flash drive bugfix.

I think I have a shot now though.

Maybe pick up a cheapy C2D off of FS/FT and see what happens?

 

[renethx]

The essential requirement is the volatge regulator module meets the specification VRM 11.0 that was released in June 2006. Needless to say, 840GM is too old to meet VRM 11.0.

 

[wrangler]

Went on wikipedia to look up the release date for C2D and sure enough there was a reference to the VRM 11.0.

BAH!

I really thought they came out before July 06 but I guess not.

But isn't motherboard support usually built in way before the proc releases?

 

[renethx]

Here is Voltage Regulator-Down (VRD) 11.0 Processor Power Delivery Design Guidelines. The official initial release date is June 2006. Core 2 Duo was released on July 27, 2006.

There are many motherboards with chipset released before June 2006 (e.g. 945G/P) but that support Core 2 processors. All of them were manufactured after June 2006 with new VRM. For example, MSI 945PL Neo does not support Core 2 Duo with PCB 1.x but supports it with PCB 2.2. There are also plenty of 945 motherboards that do not support Core 2 (VRM 10.0/10.1!).