[REQUEST] Gericom Extreme - Adding RAM settings to bios

[AaronZ]

I have a Gericom Extreme laptop from 2004 which uses desktop DIMMs. The bios has no RAM options even under AMIBCP. The speed and timings are set automatically. I bought some "gaming" ram to use (DDR-400 PC3200 with timings of 2-2-2-5). Unfortunately the bios will set the speed to DDR-333 (memtest86+ shows DDR-320 2-2-2-5). I want to be able to force DDR-400 2-2-2-5. Please help, this ram would be a nice boost for it.
  BIOS.ROM (Size: 512 KB / Downloads: 1)

[Maxinator500]

How are you going to install the rom file if I add the setting for DRAM frequency?

[AaronZ]

Well, there's two ways although only one is available to me currently, there is a flashing utility Gericom provided that runs under DOS, booting into it via CD or USB.

The other is that the bios chip is a PnP chip, you can remove it and use a programmer but I don't have one and I'm not sure which one I would need since the laptop is from 2004, I'm not sure if I would need to find an older programmer for it.

On another note, did you find anything regarding the GPU? Because that is also removeable and I own an ATI Mobility 9700 which plugs into it but there's no picture output, not sure if there's a whitelist in the bios. The GPU module may be faulty but it does get power / heats up.

[Maxinator500]

did you find anything regarding the GPU?

I don't think there's a whitelist. From my experience, to run a different MXM card you have to change video bios, which is often embedded into main bios as oprom.

Here's your rom file with DRAM and DMA settings added: AaronZ.zip.

[AaronZ]

That works great thank you very much.

I'm not sure if the GPU predates MXM and is some other standard but it's probably the same kind of thing, it has these 3 connectors on the bottom rather than a slot in type of card


I did dump the GPU vbios with GPU-Z but not sure if anything can be done, plus I'm unable to flash the vbios on the ATI one without actually being able to boot with it.

  NV36 M.rom (Size: 64 KB / Downloads: 1)

One other thing with this laptop is there's no CPU temperature in HWinfo, I'm not sure if that can be added somehow in the bios? I have a similar laptop to this one which has a CPU and Motherboard temperature sensors. It's just a peace of mind thing.
https://i.imgur.com/xmu4Owh.png

Thanks for all your help though, I didn't think much could be done with the RAM timings in general.

[Maxinator500]

NV36 M.rom

I found this file as oprom module in the bios file you provided. This means you can flash a new vbios by replacing it in the main bios. Which is risky because new vbios for ATI card you can download from web may not suit. Since flashing vbios can brick the device, I suggest to get a chip programmer before continuing.

there's no CPU temperature in HWinfo, I'm not sure if that can be added somehow in the bios?

Sadly, I cannot add this. String for this doesn't exist in the bios.