Foxconn RS780 CPU Support (Added link)

[Minler]

I am going from an AMD Phenom X4 9550(2.2GHz) to a AMD Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition 3.2ghz. I know I am new here and probably not high priority but Gateway really screwed me by having a miss-dated bios on their site that was actually older than the one I had and I really want to make use of my new processor.

EDIT: Just read the Important Information Regarding requests, here is a link to the bios I got from gateway, not sure if it will help http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?id=22002&dscr=Foxconn%20%28Bengal%29%20RS780%20Motherboard%20BIOS%20UpdateVersion%207B3P081G&uid=309658331

[TheWiz]

Hi Minler,

All members here are high priority to us.This particular upgrade might be doable, but there are a couple things to note.
If the BIOS supports Phenom I, it will boot a Phenom II even though it may in some cases show as an "Unknown Proccessor", in which case we could update the AGESA module as an easy fix. You shouldn't have a pronlem doing a straight CPU swap and upgrading, except for the fact that the technical specifications on this motherboard show the TDP of the socket to be 95W, and the Phenom II 955 is normally a 125W CPU. Now, if you underclocked it a tiny bit and made sure it ran stable this may not be a huge issue (by ensuring cool and quiet is enabled etc.) but if you are doing any gaming or high CPU activity for extendied periods that increase your voltage and heat, you may damage the motherboard. As long as you keep the voltage within reasonable spec, you should be able to make the switch relatively safely.

Thanks,
TheWiz

[Minler]

Thank you for the response. I think I can live with underclocking it a bit as long as it means it works better than it is. Right now the computer thinks it is 800mhz instead of 3.2ghz. I do a lot of gaming, infact it is about all I do, so what would you recommend I clock it at? (Also it came with a pretty nice heatsink, one of those part copper ones, though the fan seems a tad smaller than it could have been...)

[TheWiz]

I would try to clock it aroud 3.0ghz with a 1.3 average voltage if possible. The 800mhz to 3200ghz is a classic issue that either your motherboard doesn't support the phase design for (why its clocking to 800mhz and has to be manually set) or you have Cool and Quiet interfering with your clock speed as my six core idles at 800mhz with cool and quiet enabled. As long as you can manually set the clock speeds and voltages though, you should be alright. I'd see what 3.0ghz and 1.3v gives you temperature wise, and post back your CPU-Z and temperature readouts.

[Minler]

I'd love to change the clock speed but currently I cannot, or atleast, I cannot with AMD Overdrive. Every time I try I just get blue screened. After some reading around, I was left with the impression that it was due to the BIOS not recognizing the CPU which is why I came here. Is there method other than AMD Overdrive I should try?

[TheWiz]

Do you already have the Phenom II chip installed then (I thought you hadn't made the upgrade yet) When you boot your system, do you see "Unknown CPU" or is it properly detected?

[Minler]

Yeah, my last processor died so I had to put the new one in. It does say Unknown CPU.

[TheWiz]

That is probably why you cannot use AMD overdrive then. I have corrected the Unknown CPU issue on several ASUS boards, I will see if I can find a compatible AGESA and MEMINIT for your model board.

TheWiz

[TheWiz]

Notes:

Motherboard chipset specs: http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Sh...Rsp2.shtml
BIOS-Type: AMI 1024KB
Needs updating: AGESA and AGESA_CSEG in 1B module

[TheWiz]

Hi Minler,

This is generally a very risky procedure unless you can remove your BIOS chip and have it reprogrammed, but the Foxcoon retail equivalent of this OEM motherboard has full Phenom II support built in, and would be a strong BIOS candidate for your CPU if it can be flashed successfully.

http://www.foxconnchannel.com/product/Mo...-us0000371

Also, your current BIOS has all of your memory timing options hidden, which can also be unlocked.

If you think you have time to spend on this board, and could risk either getting a spare chip for a few dollars or have it reprogrammed to the original in the event of a failure, then this may be a very worthwhile thing to try out. Please look over the comparison between your board and the retail board I posted and let me know what you think.

TheWiz