Since this place is mostly for BIOS too, let me ask a question. About two years ago I happened to fry and cook my Asus VX-97 BIOS chip when doing hot-flashing. (Please don't ask why, it's embarassing! ) Later, when I obtained a broken TX-97 board too, and peeled out the sticker of its BIOS chip, I found that it's the SST 29EE010 chip. However, I'm not sure of the VX-97 since I have already ended this chip into the dustbin. Did a Internet search about VX-97's BIOS chip, but I could get some vague info about it, and also, I begin to suspect that both boards use the same chip. Are these chips really the same anyway, with the same model number? I'm pretty sure there are small numbers beneath the model-number, but are they significant?
Usually anything really small is a manufacturer ID. When it was made, what plant made it, ect. Obviously, the smaller the chip, the smaller the printing. I wouldn't be surprised if they used the same chip, but it's what information is contained in the chip that matters. I could be wrong with any of this information, but that's how just about everything else works in the technology world of ID's.
Thanks for the advice. Fortunately I didn't dump the broken chip - I intend to keep it as a souvenir so that to remind people that when flashing goes awry. They are EXACTLY the same chip, same name, same model number and all the other things are identical... ...except the very last number. I'm not sure whether it's the manufacturing date, or how mant -th chip is this or something else. Rest of them is the same, except the strange micro-serial number.
No problem. It could also be BIOS maker as well. There are a number of thing it could be, as I think it would be a lot cheaper to mass produce a chip that can hold any BIOS programed into it.
Thanks for the info too. I'll try flashing the bios later this week - I'm now in the search for AT power supplies... hey, there's ONE in my closet!
Yeah, both BIOS chips should be the same. You will have to hotflash it to install the VX BIOS in it though.
Did it just now. Flashed the VX-97's BIOS on the TX-97 board first, then got my fingers crossed, then transferred the chip into the vacant slot of the VX-97's BIOS. Goodness gracious me, it worked! Just like a resurrection, it just worked! The chips are the same, and it works the same! The VX-97... is reborn after 2 years of dormancy. Now I gotta turn it into some kinda Linux box or a cute mini jukebox. Or my PIC programmer's area. Or whatever it is. edit: Haven't fully tested yet - but I'm very confident that the chip will work comfortably with the board. Tomorrow or next day I'll try putting some IDE HDD for these.
