An easy one...

I have an MSI K7D Master (non-L 6501) mobo that I fried the BIOS on with a
bad flash a few months ago. I've been putting off doing anything about it.
I'm WAY beyond my warranty with my vendor, so I'm left with 2 obvious
options: RMA the sucker, or replace the BIOS chip myself...
Here's my question...
How difficult would it be to replace the chip myself? I can get a
replacement for about $20US (let me know if you know somewhere I can get it
cheaper...I'm in Ontario Canada...)...it looks like the chip is socketed as
opposed to directly soldered...any thoughts? I've never even considered
doing this myself until just tonight when a friend recommended it...if it's
easy and relatively risk-free (in terms of damaging the mobo physically),
I'll probably do it myself...
Any responses will be appreciated.
Reply either here or by email to cliffz0rz at hotmail dot com.

Cliff

Hi Cliff,
It's fairly straight forward but you need an Eprom puller, like a pair
of tweezers. When I got a replacement Eprom a couple of years ago,
the supplier (British) supplied a wrist strap and a puller with it so
maybe your 20 dollars includes that.

Replacing the chip is straight forward enough as long as you make sure
it faces the same way as the old chip. Usually there is a dot on the
chip showing the proper orientation to the socket.

One thing on new Eproms, the legs are usually splayed outwards, which
means that as they are not at right angles to the chip, they will not
go into the socket. I just lie the Eprom on it's edge, legs away from
me and press down and forward slightly. Just enough pressure to turn
the legs inwards to give them the proper angle to go in. Do it to
both sides. If you don't straighten the legs then you will have a job
putting the chip in.

I can't remember though, what key you need to press when powering off
the pc, to clear the CMOS, could have been delete but your supplier
should tell you that.

angie

Unfortunately my supplier does not have Eprom pullers or wrist straps...that
sucks...
Anyone know where I can get a pre-programmed BIOS chip for my MS-6501 K7D
Master (non-L), with a puller and wrist strap for $20US or less? If it's $22
I'm okay with that, but dont' want to go to $30 if I can avoid it...
Thanks in advance for any suggestions...

Cliff

<> wrote in message
news:c6igi3$6vm$...
> Hi Cliff,
> It's fairly straight forward but you need an Eprom puller, like a pair
> of tweezers. When I got a replacement Eprom a couple of years ago,
> the supplier (British) supplied a wrist strap and a puller with it so
> maybe your 20 dollars includes that.
>
> Replacing the chip is straight forward enough as long as you make sure
> it faces the same way as the old chip. Usually there is a dot on the
> chip showing the proper orientation to the socket.
>
> One thing on new Eproms, the legs are usually splayed outwards, which
> means that as they are not at right angles to the chip, they will not
> go into the socket. I just lie the Eprom on it's edge, legs away from
> me and press down and forward slightly. Just enough pressure to turn
> the legs inwards to give them the proper angle to go in. Do it to
> both sides. If you don't straighten the legs then you will have a job
> putting the chip in.
>
> I can't remember though, what key you need to press when powering off
> the pc, to clear the CMOS, could have been delete but your supplier
> should tell you that.
>
> angie

In article <Mqnkc.46268$>, "Cliffz0rz"
<> wrote:

> Unfortunately my supplier does not have Eprom pullers or wrist straps...that
> sucks...
> Anyone know where I can get a pre-programmed BIOS chip for my MS-6501 K7D
> Master (non-L), with a puller and wrist strap for $20US or less? If it's $22
> I'm okay with that, but dont' want to go to $30 if I can avoid it...
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions...
>
> Cliff

There are two kinds of EEPROMS I know of, for motherboards.

A dual in line EEPROM (the old kind) has two rows of legs that
run parallel to one another. You don't need a fancy chip puller
for those - sticking a slot head screwdriver under one end, then
the other end, and pry it a bit at a time, will work it loose.

A new dual in line plastic (abbreviated "DIP") device comes with
the legs "splayed". The legs are shaped that way, to make the part
stay in place when it is inserted with automatic insertion equipment
at the factory. As "angie" explained, you need to bend the legs a
bit, so they line up with the holes.
__________ _________
|DIP EPROM | |BENT INTO| (Bend the legs if
--|END VIEW |-- --| SHAPE |-- the new device isn't
/ |__________| \ | |_________| | shaped properly.)
/ \ | |

The other kind is called PLCC or plastic leaded chip carrier.
It is four sided and the legs bend underneath the package. The
leads on a PLCC do not need to be bent for it to work. In fact,
you should try not to bend them when working with them, or the
contacts in the socket it fits in, for that matter.

_______________
--| PLCC END VIEW |-- (Legs bend under)
| |_______________| | Do not change.
|__ __|


+-+-+-+-+
+ o + <-- There is a "dot" to mark the
+ + orientation. Make a note of
+ PLCC + how the original device is
+ (TOP) + fitted, before removing it.
+-+-+-+-+

A proper PLCC chip puller can be purchased at Radio Shack.
(Not sure if a Canadian branch will have one.) This one has
two hooks that fit underneath the diagonal corners of the
device, where there aren't any pins to get in the way. The
PLCC should be pulled straight out, and not wobbled if
possible.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...%5Fid=276-2101

Insertion is just a snap fit and the tool is not used for
that. Again, try to push all sides down at the same time,
so the pins aren't messed about. After a few insertions and
removals, the force required to insert the device will be
reduced a bit.

If you want a wrist strap, there is one here. Place the alligator
clip on one of the nuts on an I/O connector, as they are connected
to the electrical ground inside the board. A wrist strap is not
a complete antistatic solution, but in this case would bring your
body to the same electrostatic potential as the motherboard and
the component you are handling. This is a slight improvement
over no electrostatic precautions at all - an ESD mat would help
also, but the cost would be much more than the cost of a strap.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...%5Fid=276-2397

Hope that helps,
Paul

>
> <> wrote in message
> news:c6igi3$6vm$...
> > Hi Cliff,
> > It's fairly straight forward but you need an Eprom puller, like a pair
> > of tweezers. When I got a replacement Eprom a couple of years ago,
> > the supplier (British) supplied a wrist strap and a puller with it so
> > maybe your 20 dollars includes that.
> >
> > Replacing the chip is straight forward enough as long as you make sure
> > it faces the same way as the old chip. Usually there is a dot on the
> > chip showing the proper orientation to the socket.
> >
> > One thing on new Eproms, the legs are usually splayed outwards, which
> > means that as they are not at right angles to the chip, they will not
> > go into the socket. I just lie the Eprom on it's edge, legs away from
> > me and press down and forward slightly. Just enough pressure to turn
> > the legs inwards to give them the proper angle to go in. Do it to
> > both sides. If you don't straighten the legs then you will have a job
> > putting the chip in.
> >
> > I can't remember though, what key you need to press when powering off
> > the pc, to clear the CMOS, could have been delete but your supplier
> > should tell you that.
> >
> > angie