Loose Ends

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
Staff member
Joined
May 18, 1997
Messages
55,532
Video on the front page. Let me know if you guys have any questions and I will try to answer them.
 
How come MB manufacturers don't implement a emergency BIOS reset in case of a bad BIOS flash? Something like a self-re-programmable chip that reverts back to last working BIOS by pressing a button.
 
How come MB manufacturers don't implement a emergency BIOS reset in case of a bad BIOS flash? Something like a self-re-programmable chip that reverts back to last working BIOS by pressing a button.

Some Gigabyte boards have this. They put dual BIOS on the motherboard in case you kill one, you can boot the other one and reflash the first. I am not sure why it hasn't really taken off for more boards though.
 
Been a mainstay on many Gigabyte boards for years now. ASUS is also including a dual BIOS feature on some of its latest signature motherboards we have reviewed here. Or you can do it yourself.
 
Hey hardocp, test dfi please, i can tell you this: they have gotten better! in terms of stability.

Its not a motherboard everyone should buy, that i can say for sure, it doesnt have automatic memory settings and such like gigabyte have.

But dfi gotdual bios, and you can hardflash through a cable ;) it got a connector on the motherboard, but unfortuatly they dont deliver a cable with it, but ive tried it, and it works very very well.

i got the 790fxb and the 790gx m2rs MATX motherboard from DFI. and they both are working like a charm clocking a phenom 1 to 3600 mhz on a 4 phase is impressive, i dont know why it has to be 16 phases and such, digital 6 phase is the best pwm i have ever used.
 
The videos you've been making have really upgraded the the experience here. Do you guys have plans to explore further into what you use video for? (such as reviews, behind the scenes, or guides)
 
Good to hear the Gigabyte X58 board reviews will be up soon.
Been running my UD5 for a month now and it's been awesome in stability. Gigabyte's been pushing out beta bioses like no tomorrow too :)
 
Wanted to drop by and thank Kyle for the update.

I think it's great having those video updates -- the content is passed on in a very concentrated and professional manner and the video's quality is very good as well.

Looking forward for more of those on a regular basis if your time and other factors allow it.
Keep up the great work!

Samuel.
 
How come MB manufacturers don't implement a emergency BIOS reset in case of a bad BIOS flash? Something like a self-re-programmable chip that reverts back to last working BIOS by pressing a button.

Many boards out there use dual BIOS ROMs. Also many boards have a blind flash recovery option. All Intel boards for example do this.
 
Hey hardocp, test dfi please, i can tell you this: they have gotten better! in terms of stability.

DFI's support and communication here in North America is non-existent so we will not be covering its product.

Do you guys have plans to explore further into what you use video for? (such as reviews, behind the scenes, or guides)

Just going to be me for now filling in where I think the format works. The HardOCP team is once again spread out across the country so we are not in a single location where we could easily shoot. :\
 
How come MB manufacturers don't implement a emergency BIOS reset in case of a bad BIOS flash? Something like a self-re-programmable chip that reverts back to last working BIOS by pressing a button.
Nearly all BIOS have a boot block. You can flash the BIOS using a specially prepared floppy disk. I've done it before even in a case where there wasn't a flash mishap, to update the BIOS to a version that properly supported the CPU (A64 later stepping).
 
kyle you guys planning to get some AMD boards from xfx? i thinking about grabbing a 4830-50 from them given they rule with the double lifetime warranty and oc (ive had my last 2 cards from them and they've been great for me)

also to stay off topic:

maybe you should have some guest appearances to liven up the videos lol, have steve holding the mobos and gpus and waterblocks when you talk about lol (just sitting there silently with no facial expression switching items)
 
Looking forward to the (gigabyte) x58 reviews. I'm glad you're taking time to get it right ... it forces me to wait for stable bios and price drops.

Netbooks - I picked up a Dell Mini-9 running ubuntu. Works like a champ - but it's not a notebook. The small keyboard takes some getting used to and the dell right shift key if even smaller than a normal key, but it works just fine for me and i use the right shift almost exclusively. Next I'll be picking up a a wireless broadband card.
 
kyle you guys planning to get some AMD boards from xfx?

maybe you should have some guest appearances to liven up the videos lol, have steve holding the mobos and gpus and waterblocks when you talk about lol (just sitting there silently with no facial expression switching items)

Yes, we are trying to get some XFX boards ASAP.

I live in Texas, Steve lives in Alaska. :\

Have you tried HOT swapping the bios chip?

It is not removable.

What kind of chair is that, it's kinda cool.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1222357
 
Any plans on testing the Biostar TPower x58 board?
 
I'm curious, you mention in the vid that you are seeing a trend where CPU is starting to come into focus a little more then being dependant on GPU? Considering your testing methodology who would really even see such a real world difference? Or is it strictly for synthetic results? Because once you hit over 50 to 60fps (minimum frame rate) does it really matter if the CPU plays part? I really don't see consumers would see any real impact in games cause how much powerful the GPU is.
 
Nice video Kyle. I have QX 9650 might be long time before I upgrade due to costs and getting laid off work. Always appreciate forums and reviews.
 
Any plans on testing the Biostar TPower x58 board?

None at the moment.

I'm curious, you mention in the vid that you are seeing a trend where CPU is starting to come into focus a little more then being dependant on GPU? Considering your testing methodology who would really even see such a real world difference? Or is it strictly for synthetic results? Because once you hit over 50 to 60fps (minimum frame rate) does it really matter if the CPU plays part? I really don't see consumers would see any real impact in games cause how much powerful the GPU is.

Yes, that is what I mention.

High end computer hardware and gaming enthusiasts.

No.

Not to me personally.

Noted on what you don't see. I would suggest not reading our article when we publish it as it does not sound like something you would like to be exposed to.
 
Am real impressed with you guys, holding off on your reviews until they get it right equals “Integrity” gentlemen, something we don’t see every day……….. In a mad rush to stay on top of technology it’s nice to have someone looking above the fog.
Would personally like to thank Kyle and everybody working their ass off at the Hardocp. :D:)

Happy Holidays,
Mario
 
Some Gigabyte boards have this. They put dual BIOS on the motherboard in case you kill one, you can boot the other one and reflash the first. I am not sure why it hasn't really taken off for more boards though.



yeah my biostar 780g has the dual bios flashing as well..


and thanks for the update Kyle.. was wondering if we were ever going to see those reviews on the last few previewed motherboards..

and have a good christmas everyone
 
Personally I would like to see some lower end tests like the ATi HD4830 in game performance.
 
I also had to stop in and say thanks for the video previews/reviews and updates on upcoming information.

The videos are very well done, even though it's just you and a camera. I look forward to all the upcoming articles and want to say thanks for all your hard work and getting things "right" the first time.

Happy holidays to all at the [H] and [H] posters as well.


Joe
 
another great video Kyle. i like the format. i'd also like to echo marzzes' comment that you folks have some real integrity, not just for taking the time to get it right, but also for taking the time to keep your reading audience up to speed about what you're working on.
 
Personally I would like to see some lower end tests like the ATi HD4830 in game performance.

We have spent money on testing sub-$150 cards in the past and nobody reads the articles. So we can spend our resources writing something that 100,000 people will read fairly quickly, or an article that 7,000 are going to read. :(



Thanks for all the kind words guys. Keep telling us what you need and we will keep our ears open, even if we can fulfill your needs all the time.
 
Kyle,
So what exactly happened when you flashed the EVGA board? Also, any word on the new bios / motherboard yet? I have the EVGA and just want to make sure the bios flashing doesn't have any "loose ends" no pun....
 
FYI folks, if you use AntiVir antivirus like I do, you may not be able to see the video. The WebGuard seems to have recently added viddler.com to the naughty list of blocked sites. I had to add www.viddler.com to the exception list in order to see the video again. Damn AV products grr!
 
Great video.....am really enjoying this addition to HardOCP. I have been reading the H since practically day one, and you guys just keep getting better and better. Am looking forward to the upcoming X58 articles, as it will soon be upgrade time. :D
 
I'm very anxious to see the Gigabyte reviews, thanks Kyle.

On a side note, I was just looking at Gigabyte's website and note that they have a total of SIX X58 motherboards. This has to be the manufacturer with the most models of X58 boards at the moment. NewEgg stocks three of them presently. I hope the reviews show that Gigabyte have been doing their homework.
 
Kyle,
So what exactly happened when you flashed the EVGA board? Also, any word on the new bios / motherboard yet? I have the EVGA and just want to make sure the bios flashing doesn't have any "loose ends" no pun....

Just BSOD'd in middle of the flash. I was using WinFlash, as a Dos flasher would not work for me.

Kyle, any plan to review the HD 4850 X2? It is now very cheap.

No.
 
I noticed the X25-E SSD is listed on Intel's website, and is available in Australia of all places. Are you going to do a review of that? I understand it is not in your usual product range, and it costs a helluva lot, but if Intel could send you one, quick benchmarks could show how much fast SLC is compared to MLC from the same manufacturer. Do they use the same controller?
 
I'm very anxious to see the Gigabyte reviews, thanks Kyle.

On a side note, I was just looking at Gigabyte's website and note that they have a total of SIX X58 motherboards. This has to be the manufacturer with the most models of X58 boards at the moment. NewEgg stocks three of them presently. I hope the reviews show that Gigabyte have been doing their homework.

It's so confusing to see which board supports what feature. I know the Extreme and UD5 is basically the same cept the additional northbridge heatsink. DS4 and UD3R doesn't support tri-sli, UD3R has 4 DDR3 slots etc etc.

Dual GBit LAN, more pci-e 1x slot, more pci slot, better audio for various models.
It looks like they put out a new model for a small change on the board lol
 
Great video, Kyle. Thanks for keeping us informed as to the inner workings of [H]ardOCP. :)

Personally, what I would like to see is the impact that the higher ended SSD drives would have on the high-end Enthusiast class of gamers, video editors or content creators. I've fielded quite a few inquiries as to what the newer class of SSDs has to offer.
 
Unusually good quality video.

And hey... there's that mesh chair I busted on 6 months ago!
 
LOL!!! You said reach around!!!

Family Guy moment over. Great video. Keep em coming.
 
It's so confusing to see which board supports what feature.
Here's what I've determined -

UD3R - 4 DIMMs, 16GB DDR3 2000, Crossfire Only, no eSATA, 2 PCI-E @ x16
UD4 - 6 DIMMs, 24GB DDR3 2000, Crossfire Only, with eSATA, 2 PCI-e @ x16
DS4 - 6 DIIMs, 24GB DDR3 2100+, Crossfire Only (3-way), eSATA, 12+2+2 phase power, 3 PCI-E (16/8/8)

All of the above have ALC888 audio, Realtek 8111D 1000Mbit LAN, and 1394. With the above boards, there are some subtle differences relating to number of SATA ports, legacy PCI slots, etc.

UD4P - 6 DIMMs, 24GB DDR3 2100+. SLI & Crossfire (3-way), 12+2+2 phase power, 3 PCI-E (16/16/8) with ALC889A Audio, 1 x 8111D LAN, and 1394

UD5 and the EXTREME are the high end boards with 12+2+2 phase power, ALC889A, Dual 8111D LAN, 1394, etc. Only difference between the UD5 and the EXTREME appear to be the inclusion of the "silent pipe" cooler and water block on the EXTREME.

The only board that has an onboard TPM chip is the UD4P. All six boards have (fake)RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, JBOD
 
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