Dell OptiPlex GX520 & GX620: CPU Upgrade to Core 2 Duo & Pentium (Conroe)

[DeathBringer]

I know this mod. But it requires compatible BIOS. Only adding microcode will not help.

[michaelweaser]

I know this mod. But it requires compatible BIOS. Only adding microcode will not help.

So what is more required to get this to work? 

It seems like from reading http://www.xtremesystems.org/ forum about this mod , you only have to add the microcode and processor support to the bios , because someone said this on that forum : 
" Now comes the BIOS.
Without CPU Microcode in the BIOS the motherboard will not POST, if it does post it will not detect the CPU correctly.
The motherboard will Need a CPU Microcode update." 


What I know its possible to add processors  to a version of the Dell optiplex gx620 because of a old forum post on here.  someone tried adding conroe support by using adding the microcode and CPUID of the cpu to the bios along time ago probably without knowing about it only using VRM 10.1 . What I know is the gx520 is similar to the gx620.

this is the old forum post : https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-R...-microcode

[DeathBringer]

It seems like from reading http://www.xtremesystems.org/ forum about this mod , you only have to add the microcode and processor support to the bios , because someone said this on that forum : 
" Now comes the BIOS.
Without CPU Microcode in the BIOS the motherboard will not POST, if it does post it will not detect the CPU correctly.
The motherboard will Need a CPU Microcode update." 

This is a common misconception.

[michaelweaser]

This is a common misconception.

Can you explain on what would be required of the the dell Optiplex gx620 BIOS for this mod to work?  

Can you also explain how some people with certain motherboards with VRM 10.1 get this to work successfully with just the mod and adding microcode / cpuid .

[DeathBringer]

BIOS must have procedures for initialization of CPU series.
If BIOS has suitable initialization code for Conroe series but hasn't microcode for some CPUID then adding microcode will help.
But subject's BIOS hasn't support for Conroe.

[michaelweaser]

BIOS must have procedures for initialization of CPU series.
If BIOS has suitable initialization code for Conroe series but hasn't microcode for some CPUID then adding microcode will help.
But subject's BIOS hasn't support for Conroe.

Is there anyway to mod the optiplex gx620 bios to support initialization of conroe processors? 

I am thinking somehow using  bios code from the dell optiplex that came right after the optiplex gx620 . which is the dell optiplex 320. combining parts of that bios into the gx620 bios. I am also thinking is there a bios port of Seabios which is a open source bios for the gx620, since that could work as well. than if the optiplex 320 won't work maybe if dell has another tower that uses the same chipset and supports conroe processors it might just work.

[DeathBringer]

Is there anyway to mod the optiplex gx620 bios to support initialization of conroe processors? 

It's too hard and too expensive work. Better buy other motherboard. Read this - https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-D...#pid112378

I am thinking somehow using  bios code from the dell optiplex that came right after the optiplex gx620 . which is the dell optiplex 320.

They are have different chipsets.

[CL0UTM4N]

I have been researching on the internet for supported cpu's for GX620 although on this website it said you can still boot with unsupported cpu's by pressing f1 to continue.
I would like know if the Intel Core 2 duo E4500 is supported by the A11 bios I'm pretty sure microcode can make it work if its not because the Intel 945 chip set supports this processor although i don't know anything about bios modding. I would also like to know if someone could also unlock the bios and make overclocking available in the bios I doubt anyone could do the second part because its a dell bios
Thanks for your help in advance...

The Dell Bios that I want modded: https://downloads.dell.com/bios/A11GX620.EXE

[maxextreme]

Hi everyone, I am a new member. I reactivated an old GX520 with pentium 4 3Ghz CPU and 3.50 Gb of RAM works very well except for the fact that Full HD videos sometimes get blocked and the CPU reaches 100X100 and so I would like to upgrade to a CPU with dual core. I read all the threed related to the topic. I updated the bios from A06 to A11 I tried to insert E2160-E2200-E5400 but the PC turns on with a fixed fan without doing anything and a dark screen. I definitely need a CPU upgrade. At this point if I can I would like to put E5400 the best performing cpu I own, whose microcode is 0xA07. I kindly ask you if you can do this for me or specify step by step in numerical order the things to do to extract the rom from the bios and insert the microcode and with which programs to do these operations since I am a programming beginner. Sorry if the English is not perfect but I'm using the Google translation ... Thanks again.

[DeathBringer]

Try to install Pentium D.