09-26-2016, 11:08 AM
I've tried to search both google and here, and I'm sure the answers are out there but I don't know the correct search terms. A little help getting me on the right track would be appreciated.
My problem is that I have bought an Asus Q87M-E (for use as an ESXi host). I've been fighting the reseller for 6 months now sending the card back and forth, but the problem remain the same. The motherboard they supplied me had a BIOS version from 2013 (version 0408) which only supports CPU's that's hardly sold anymore. I have none of these, so updating it isn't viable. I've tried to get the reseller to do it without luck, it's safe to say I won't be purchasing anything from them again, the last e-mail I got from support was that from now on they wouldn't reply to my e-mails.
That leaves me with a brand new, non-working motherboard. My only other option than to suck it up is to file a lawsuit, which really isn't worth it (and the reseller knows that). The BIOS chip is in a socket, and from what I can find out it's a DIP8 chip. The only thing I can read of the chip is "Winbond". There is a number ther as well, but I can't read it even with 10x magnification - it has a very weak print.
I figure that what I have to do is to get a programmer and use that to flash the chip with a recent BIOS version. Preferrably USB, but I do have a Win 7 computer with a serial port as well. This is where I get lost. I've tried to figure out what hardware and software I need, but it's just left me in a confused state. I'd like for the programmer to be relatively cheap, as buying an expensive one to avoid wasting the motherboard doesn't make a lot of sense. I don't expect to experience this very often. At the same time, when I buy a programmer it would be nice if it could do a little bit more than program just that one chip.
There's loads of BIOS programmers available e.g. on e-bay, but very little details offered. On the electronics forums I've ended up at, there's too much details and for me unknown terms. Can anybody here give me a bump in the right direction, recommend a programmer or at least tell me what to search for?
My problem is that I have bought an Asus Q87M-E (for use as an ESXi host). I've been fighting the reseller for 6 months now sending the card back and forth, but the problem remain the same. The motherboard they supplied me had a BIOS version from 2013 (version 0408) which only supports CPU's that's hardly sold anymore. I have none of these, so updating it isn't viable. I've tried to get the reseller to do it without luck, it's safe to say I won't be purchasing anything from them again, the last e-mail I got from support was that from now on they wouldn't reply to my e-mails.
That leaves me with a brand new, non-working motherboard. My only other option than to suck it up is to file a lawsuit, which really isn't worth it (and the reseller knows that). The BIOS chip is in a socket, and from what I can find out it's a DIP8 chip. The only thing I can read of the chip is "Winbond". There is a number ther as well, but I can't read it even with 10x magnification - it has a very weak print.
I figure that what I have to do is to get a programmer and use that to flash the chip with a recent BIOS version. Preferrably USB, but I do have a Win 7 computer with a serial port as well. This is where I get lost. I've tried to figure out what hardware and software I need, but it's just left me in a confused state. I'd like for the programmer to be relatively cheap, as buying an expensive one to avoid wasting the motherboard doesn't make a lot of sense. I don't expect to experience this very often. At the same time, when I buy a programmer it would be nice if it could do a little bit more than program just that one chip.
There's loads of BIOS programmers available e.g. on e-bay, but very little details offered. On the electronics forums I've ended up at, there's too much details and for me unknown terms. Can anybody here give me a bump in the right direction, recommend a programmer or at least tell me what to search for?