Hello,

My question is for the experienced people of this forum with regards to the BIOS. I am planning to upgrade the CPU on a MSI MS-6524/G motherboard with the SIS 650 chipset from an Intel Pentium 4 Willamette 1.7GHz 400Mhz FSB to an Intel Pentium 4 Northwood 2.6GHz 400Mhz FSB and then add a nVidia 7600 GT 512mb AGP 4x/8x graphics card in. The current system has 512mb of stock system RAM (1gb may be added) and is not a custom build although it has had it's 400w PSU replaced with a 600w one. This is a very old computer I know but my money is going to be spent on a new Macbook Pro rather than on a new desktop.

Now I just want to make sure that if I require a BIOS update when putting in these new parts, I have the correct knowledge to do it. My BIOS is Award Modular BIOS v6.00 PG. I have searched the MSI website and found some BIOS update files according to the motherboard model but I'm not sure if they are exactly correct seeing as this is a factory built computer that isn't built by MSI. It just has their motherboard and such and it also came with a manual that appears to be the official MSI one. Link to the files: MSI Global ? Computer, Laptop, Notebook, Desktop, Mainboard, Graphics and more

I do not know my current BIOS version so if anyone knows how this info can be obtained, it would be great to let me know. Also it would be much appreciated if someone could helpy verify that version 1.7 could be flashed onto my factory built computer which wasn't built by MSI. I read that if you flash the wrong BIOS, you can end up with a dead motherboard thus why I'm after help. If any further info is needed just let me know.

Thank you.

Hi gunot12 and Welcome. According to MSI your motherboard can be updated using Live Update Online - that assumes the PC maker simply put their brand name on the case and did not make any special modifications - you really should check the PC makers site.

BUT - I think you are wasting your money getting a new CPU if you will be replacing this soon. You will get much more bang for the money by upgrading your RAM, then graphics card.

You can use Belarc Advisor to determine your current BIOS version, and more.

Thank you for the welcome

I saw that Live Update Online option but though it was just some advertisement Thank you for that. As for the PC makers website, it seems like they don't have one. I bought this computer back in 2003 if I remember correctly, for a lot as well The manufacturer is Ipex ITG. I can find their location address but so far no website. From what I can see, there doesn't seem to be any special modifications to the motherboard. It even came with a manufacturers manual for most parts of the computer (not sure if this is a standard among other manufacturers though).

My main reason for upgrading the CPU is that I have read that the Willamette (first gen Pentium 4) is too weak. Reading the same article also states that no matter how powerful the graphics card, the Willamette is too slow to help produce decent results (not sure if this is true). The price of the new CPU isn't too bad as well, going for about $95AUD. As for the RAM, it is hard to find the RAM for this though I have came across a few 512mb RAM sticks (seller selling 2, each seperate) on eBay which look perfect but are on the expensive side for just 1GB total, about $100AUD together. I may consider if the results aren't as I expected. The rest are just cheap high density counterfeits I would assume. I will take note of your advice though. This computer's video is currently powered by it's intergrated SIS 650 chipset which is total rubbish. I mainly use my laptop which is what is getting replaced. This computer is just for general usage and maybe some gaming among family members.

Reading the same article also states that no matter how powerful the graphics card, the Willamette is too slow to help produce decent results (not sure if this is true).

That may have been true when this CPU was new, but today, EVERYTHING is much more graphics intensive, AND graphics cards today are much more capable of processing graphics tasks. So anything the CPU can hand off to the GPU for processing the better, and it takes little CPU horsepower to hand off tasks. I am not saying a faster CPU will do not good, I am just saying you will see a bigger performance boost for your money with more RAM and a better graphics card. The deal about more RAM is important because more RAM means the OS and CPU will not have to spool out data to page file on the slow hard drive near as often. This is especially apparent if starting with on-board graphics, which steals a large chunk of system RAM for graphics.

I have seem to found what I was looking at. It was actually a guide on some forum more than an article. I have been mistaken (didn't really remember), the "slow FPS" was actually for a PCSX2 emulator saying it was too slow to produce decent framerates, even with 8800 GTX's in SLI. I will take your advice into serious consideration though. The prices of the RAM are high at about $70-80 per 512mb sticks at other online stores apart from eBay. I don't want to be spending too much on this computer because if the price ends up too high, I might as well just upgrade the motherboard and get cheaper prices. Thanks for your help, greatly appreciated.

Good luck.

I like Newegg. They have good prices & a powerful search engine. I agree that having sufficient ram is essential. The problem is that MS doesn't make even their recommended amounts high enough and so if you get a computer that just meets that once you tack on the demand for your computer's resources by 3rd party software it will eventually have poor performance. Everyone I've talked to that doesn't have enough ram complains that their computer is slow. You have a decent CPU for "light computing" such as email, internet, word processing, light games, etc; my first XP machine was a 450 mhz pentium 3 and at the time that kind of stuff was all that I did with it. With XP 1 gb should be more than sufficient for a secondary computer doing what you described. Anymore 512 mb is pushing it because 3rd party applications are getting more resource intensive. So with an upgrade of ram and a sufficiently power graphics card and you should be good to go. Thats more money to go towards that mac that you want.

Thank you both of you, I really appreciate your help I have thought it through and I will leave the CPU for now and see what prices I can get for the RAM