Compaq motherboard - use Intel BIOS update?

[lordsmurf]

I have a Compaq 7000 series that supposedly has an Intel D850GB motherboard in it. Judging from the specs, that is correct, sort of.

Intel's site only talks about using the Intel updates on the boards with a certain number in them (type 86,version 18 .). The Compaq board is not the same (type 18, version 10). The version is the upgrade I want to make, from 10 to 18. But th BIOS type does not match. It does not use the word "type" but rather that is part of the firmware that specifies OEM (or something, doesn't really say what it means, only that the Intel documents are made for "86" only).

Not wanting to fry my board.

Has anybody else out there ever updated an Intel D850GB board, starting with a Dell or Compaq (or somebody else) version?

[lordsmurf]

Like everything else Compaq OEM, the "official" company update from Intel will not work. I did however get the Compaq version to work, and while it was not the newest (version 15), it was new enough to do what I needed.

In case any D850GB owners out there ever google this topic, here you go.

What I needed was the 512kb cache update for P4 CPUs, so I can use the Powerleap PL-P4/N upgrade. An extra 1.0 Ghz worth of power and a larger cache has given my aging system a bit more pep. Not the monuemental leap I'd dreamed of, but I can say that going from almost 2Ghz to almost 3Ghz has made a 33% performance increase in video encoding time, which would match the raw math.

Gateway is the same, must use Gateway version 15A. And then Dell is likely no different, cannot use Intel version, must grab the Dell one. Luckily Compaq is good at keeping driver archives online for past customers.

These were helpful to me:
http://forums.windrivers.com/showthread.php?t=67529&highlight=D850GB
http://www.chiptech1.com/showstats.php?page=Intel_D850GB.pdf
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/standardbios.htm
http://powerleap.com/pdf_files/PL-P4N.pdf
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/swPfinder?query=compaq+7000&tool=softwareCategory&l...n&cc=us&dlc=en