SiS530 @133MHz (GA-5SMM/Soyo 5SSM) setup, benching, tweaking

DonPedro · Post by **DonPedro** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:43 pm

hello folks,

today I wanted to try to build a system based on a GA-5smm but I ran into some trouble: I can not get into the bios. DEL key does not work but I don't know whether this key is the right one

I can't tell because when the machine is switched on I only get a big "compaq" logo but NOTHING else! no information about the cpu, ram installed, etc.

although I have inserted a bootable disk it does not boot from there, the system only "checks" the floppy drive (typical noise, green light for a second or two) but that's it. the logo stays on the screen and stays there forever ....

does anyone know the key-(combination) to call the bios setup?

halfpennies · Post by **halfpennies** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:55 pm

I believe F10 will get you into the bios. That works on the two Compaq's I have.

DonPedro · Post by **DonPedro** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:28 pm

mmh, thanx for the hint, but that does not work either.

meanwhile I think the root of the problem is that the ps/2-connector for the keyboard on the mainboard is damaged. the led on my mouse/kbd - switch stays dark all the time. damn!, I paid a lot for this mainboard, "sure to be in working condition", the ebay-seller promoted this garbage.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:53 pm

You might try going online to Compaq and see if you can find anything there. I had a Compac once which was also a problem to get into the bios. I'll ask Pat at Uptown if he knows how tomorrow. I could originally get into the bios on mine; but I gave the machine to a friend, and by the time she needed to get in there I had forgotten how. Never did get in there again. Could try F5 & also F8. Don't know why but F1 or F2 also ring a bell. Been a long time.

Anyway I went online to Compac; and of course they want to know what kind of Compaq you have to get any info out of them. I wound up in a screen that gave some irrelevent info and asked if it was helpful. Answered no!! and that opened a feedback window which allowed me to send them a message.

Sent : "Have a Compac mobo from unknown machine. Board boots w/ Compaq logo on screen. How do I get into the bios?" --- maybe they will answer.

Uranium235 · Post by **Uranium235** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:50 pm

DonPedro, Good luck getting that board running. Here's what I could find out from the Compaq support site:
Use the following instructions to open the BIOS:
1. Press the Power button to start the computer.
NOTE: Pressing F10 opens the BIOS of Compaq Presario desktops 2001 and earlier.Pressing F1 opens the BIOS of the S3000 series, 6400 series, and 2002 models of Presario desktop computers.

2. Immediately press the F10 or F1 key repeatedly on the keyboard when the logo screen displays.

I recently bought a GA-5SMM off Ebay a few weeks ago to mess with. I installed it and it wouldn't power up-stone dead. I didn't pay alot for it so returning it wasn't an option...I just let it sit for a few days. Then, for the hell of it, I removed the BIOS chip to hot-flash it on my trusty AX59Pro. Flashed the Gigabyte F5 BIOS on it and now the GA-5SMM works perfectly.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:12 am

@ Peter : If in fact the problem is caused by a damaged connecter on the board; and you say you paid a lot for it; you could always return it to the seller. Alternately you could try to repair it either by replacing the connector w/ one from a dead, or at least less desirable board, or by resoldering any broken connections. I did that w/ the keyboard port on one of my DFIs.

DonPedro · Post by **DonPedro** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 1:18 pm

Am I happy to be part of this forum? you bet! You guys are always THAT nice and just there when one needs a hand! thank you all for your efforts! that has to be said once in a while ....

unfortunately this board seems to be kaputt, hazardeous waste.
whatever the bios-key might be, a not working ps2 kbd-port is a wall of iron since I don't own an usb-kbd.

meanwhile I was not lazy and as a last try I changed the kbd and connected it directly to the ps2-port (without the kbd/mouse switching device). the kbd's leds for numlock, capslock, scroll-lock do not light as it is just normal when you turn on your pc (kbd initialization). dead end.

returning the mainboard to the vendor does not pay, shipping costs 5 times the value of the board ....

so I pulled off the mainboard and installed a soyo 5ssm (same chipset as the ga-5smm). and I am stuck again, this time it is the the disk it does not like. the disk is samsung 80gb. the soyo website states, that the board supports disks up to 80gb. so this should be fine. still it does not recognize the disk, worse, the boot process stops at the main screen, displaying cpu, ram and the note to press del to go into bios. going there (with disk attached) is not possible (nothing happens pressing del-key) and with no disk attached does not help. the disk itself is working wonderfully, I tested it on another system.

given that the information at the soyo site is correct I am wondering if something is wrong with bios installed. at the top of the boot screen (under the award bios message) the bios version is displayed, "correctly" (according to the info from the soyo's site) stating the latest bios number SSM-2DB1. according to soyo the 2DB1 bios is from 2000-09-18. but the last line on the bios screen gives the date 1999-12-16. on the soyo site it says that bios version before the latest is 2CB5 and is dated 1999-12-23. ???

so I guess that somehow something is wrong with the bios. I downloaded the latest version and flashed. unfortunately the result is the same. what else can I do?

a note to uranium235, just out of curiosity: how is it technically possible to flash a bios for a sis-chipset on a via (or is it ali?) system like the ax95pro?

edit: I just stopped by at steunebrink's site. he lists the 2db1 bios as of being from 1999-12-16. now I am confused

Uranium235 · Post by **Uranium235** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:28 pm

a note to uranium235, just out of curiosity: how is it technically possible to flash a bios for a sis-chipset on a via (or is it ali?) system like the ax95pro?

DonPedro, the only thing the BIOS utility, Uniflash, cares about is that the BIOS chip is the same size, the BIOS file is the same size and that it is an Award BIOS.

BTW, if you can't get any of those boards working. I have a good spare SiS530 board you can have if you want it.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 3:19 pm

After flashing the bios, I would not think it was necessary; but as a last gasp hope, you could try clearing the bios. I have encountered several boards that somehow seem to keep a record of what hardware is installed on them; and they are unable to cope w/ hardware changes unless the bios is first cleared.

DonPedro · Post by **DonPedro** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:10 pm

@uranium235
how do I get knowledge about the size of the bios-chip?

@jim
I did clear the cmos, but that did not help either.

anyway, since my plan was to use this weekend to dig into into the 133mzh issue I will leave the hd-issue 80gb issue and decided to use an old 20gb maxtor instead. it works and currently is being formatted .....

I will keep you updated on the findings to run 133 mhz on both fsb and ram.

DasMan2 · Post by **DasMan2** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:15 pm

Not only clear the BIOS but get back into it at boot-up and set the BIOS to default settings or optimum and reboot again. Then set your new settings in the BIOS.

Many BIOS updates require the Bios to be reset to to default for the BIOS to accept the NEW updated Bios file changes properly.

DasMan2 · Post by **DasMan2** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:16 pm

Not only clear the BIOS but get back into it at boot-up and set the BIOS to default settings or optimum and reboot again. Then set your new settings in the BIOS.

Many BIOS updates require the Bios to be reset to to default for the BIOS to accept the NEW updated Bios file changes properly.

DasMan2 · Post by **DasMan2** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:18 pm

Reset BIOS updated files to Default or optimum to assure getting the BIOS update to accept the proper new Bios file changes.

DonPedro · Post by **DonPedro** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 6:22 pm

@DasMan2

yeah, I got your idea! could you tell me one more time!?

after flashing the bios I went into it, chose "load setup defaults", saved, quitted, went into bios again and set it to my needs. but this also did not help to solve the hd-80 problem.

anyway, installation with my lowly 20gig drive is proceeding. the first old hd did not make either, scandisk encountered so many errors after formatting it that I had to take another drive (also 20gb maxtor).

now win98 setup is almost through! knocking on wood ....

DonPedro · Post by **DonPedro** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 7:10 pm

win98se installed without any problem.

since I am a curious person I took the 80gb hd, jumpered it as slave and added it to the system. guess what?, suddenly the boot screen displays it correctly! and the machine continues with starting win98! but just before going into graphic mode it tells me that something is wrong, last sectors can't be read, maybe LBA mode has to be configured. I should set it up in the bios!!

but it finally boots into windows and I can access the drive and read from it (it is partitioned into 3 logical disks, with the 3rd partition starting from 17th gb up to the limit - 74gb.

so I went back into the bios and had it checking the disks attached. it now reports the samsung 80gb (contrary to when it is connected as master), BUT it reports it as a 32gb disk. HA!!! this much to soyo's claim that hds up to 80gb are supported. leaving the bios the first boot screen correctly displays it with the correct model identification (80gb).

so the errormessage I get when windows is about to start seems to make sense. the bios reports a size of 32gb, but this limit is somewhere in the middle of the third partition.

after reaching the desktop windows reports the 80gb harddisk as "expected". it shows all 3 logical drives and reports the third partition as being 59gb in size.

I wonder what will happen if I fill the third partition crossing the 32gb limit. will it work?

another problem is showing up. I am using a d-link netcard (EDIT: it actually is a surecom 320xr) which works perfectly in all my other systems. here on the soyo 5ssm it does not even show up in device manager. I already changed pci-slot but with no success.