Motherboard & CPU Capability

I have an uninstalled motherboard (D845HV) that will support a P4 chip up to 1.8GHz with the current BIOS. This same motherboard will support a P4 chip up to 2.6GHz with A BIOS upgrade, according to Intel's website. I know if the motherboard was installed I could flash the BIOS. My question is how do I install the motherboard and get the BIOS updated if I can't install the 2.6GHz chip because I need the upgraded BIOS. This a little like which came first the chicken or the egg. Can anyone help me with this problem?

 

I'm not going to suggest you do this without first contacting the board manufacturer (Intel)... But you may be able to install the 2.6 CPU and run it at a lower speed so you can boot enough to allow a BIOS update. Then change the settings (via jumpers or in the BIOS) using the recommended settings. Providing the voltage requirements are correct with the old BIOS then you won't damage the CPU. But you'll need to do some research.

You will need to research the voltage requirements of a P4 1.8 and compare with a 2.6.

 

Here is another riddle for you. Below are the specs for the motherboard (D845HV) that I am talking about:

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor D845HV

Processor Speed Bus Cache BIOS Version

2.60 GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P12 or greater
2.50 GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P12 or greater
2.40 GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P09 or greater
2.20 GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P07 or greater
2A GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P07 or greater
2 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater
1.90 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater
1.80A GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P07 or greater
1.80 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater
1.70 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater
1.60A GHz 400 MHz 512 KB P07 or greater
1.60 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater
1.50 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater
1.40 GHz 400 MHz 256 KB P04 or greater

Riddle me this.... The motherboard's BIOS without upgrade will support 1.4 to 1.8. With BIOS upgrade up to 2.6. The info above tells me that for the motherboard to support 1.4 to 1.8 it must come with BIOS version of P07 or greater, right. So if this is true why wouldn't the motherboard support the other speeds listed at the P07 version.

One last question. Do motherboards ship with the BIOS installed?

 

Yes

 

"Holy Intel CPUs mattman, it's the Riddler!"

My guess (since I have not researched it specifically) would be that the BIOS program is able to "understand" a certain series of processors (that were available at the time of release).
So...
If you installed a 2.6Ghz processor, but only had a P04 BIOS, the BIOS would set it at the highest level of it's capabilities...thus it would run it as a 1.9Ghz.
If you had P07 BIOS, it would run the 2.6 as a 2.2. PO9 BIOS...2.4Ghz, etc.

Matt