Testing
I tested the RD1 with several Mainboards fitting the RD1-2M. One
of them (ASUS P2B) proved not compatible at first, although it was
reported by 8 people as being compatible according to the IOSS
compatibility list. After reverting to an older flash
tool (Aflash 1.27) the error disappered.
So, the RD1 is compatible to all tested mainboards
Conclusion
The principle seems sound. As soon as you have the RD1 installed,
flashing a new BIOS is not risky any more. Especially with the A7V
series, flashing new BIOSes can sometimes be like russian roulette,
so it would be adviseable to get a RD1 if you ever plan to flash
your BIOS.
Also, if flashing already went wrong, instead of getting a new
BIOS chip, you might want to get a pre-programmed RD1. Thus you
solve two problems: Your mainboard works again, plus in future you
can recover by yourself.
The third interesting point is that using an RD1 a hot-flash procedure
is a lot easier than without. You simply insert the faulty BIOS
chip on top of the RD1, boot from the RD1, switch to the faulty
chip and flash it. So you can easily help friends to recover - or
even earn a bit of money by offering recovery services to other
people.
Last but not least, you can easily switch between different BIOS
versions by programming RD1 and the original chip with different
versions. You can even stack several RD1, which gives you some BIOS
versions to choose from. You should be aware that clearing the CMOS
or loading setup defaults after each BIOS change is recommendable,
as different BIOS versions might interpret CMOS settings differently.
One drawbach is there: The IOSS compatibility
list doesn't seem to be updated any more. The last entry is
from 2001 - so if you have a recent mainboard, you can't check if
it's supported. The japanese
counterpart is still updated. You can use the selection
chart, however. This should tell you if your mainboard qualifies.
The only remaining question is: Is the RD1 worth the money you
pay for it?
First of all, what does it cost?
I searched the internet, here are several shops that have the RD1:
Shop
|
DIPP 1Mbit
RD1-1M
|
DIPP 2Mbit
RD1-2M
|
PLCC
2Mbit
RD1-PL
RD1-LPC2
|
Intel FWH
2/4 Mbit
RD1-8X2
|
Programming
(Ony needed if your BIOS is dead already)
|
Shipping
(Europe)
|
|
€19,89 (€24,86)
|
€26,22 (€32,78)
|
€27,78 (€34,74)
|
€27,78
(€34,74)
|
€11,11
(€13,89)
|
€11,11
(€13,89)
|
|
€40,90
|
€40,90
|
€50,90
|
€50,90
|
-
|
€6 - €15,50
|
|
€40,79
|
€40,79
|
€50,99
|
€50,99
|
-
|
€8,49
|
Now, what do you have to pay for a new BIOS chip if you buy it
online:
Shop
|
New BIOS chip, preprogrammed
|
Shipping to Europe
|
|
€15,66
|
Free (in germany)
|
|
€28
|
included
|
|
€17
|
4,50€ (Germany: €2,20)
|
|
€16
|
€2
|
|
$19
|
$6
|
|
$19,99
|
?
|
|
€40
|
€6/8/10 (France/Europe/World)
|
(If you know of more shops, feel free to send
me details)
A pregrogrammed RD1 costs quite a bit more
than any programmed chip you might buy. But: It will help you recover
many times without having to do a hot flash. Plus, you don't have
to wait for your maiboard being repaired or until a new chip arrives.
So you have to decide for yourself wether the RD1 is worth it's
money. I think it is, and if it wasn't for the Recovery BIOS that
my mainboard has, I would have bought one ...
>> Next Page
<< Previous Page
Page1: The Problem
Page2: What you get / how it works
Page3: Testing / Conclusion
Page4: Addendum: Testing Procedure
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