[SOLVED] Can I use/mix any drivers from 2 motherboards if both motherboards share the exact BIOS firmware version?

[timeToSleepNow]

Hi there! Let's say I don't know (and there is no way to check) which of these 2 motherboards I have:

1. ASUS PRIME H310M-C
2. ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM

, but I checked up and both motherboards use the same BIOS firmware, for example BIOS firmware version 3202, which comes as file PRIME-H310M-C-SI-3202.zip. This file can be found on these respective pages for both motherboards:

1. 3202 - ASUS PRIME H310M-C
2. 3202 - ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM

Where PRIME-H310M-C-SI-3202.zip has the checksum for SHA-384 as: 2656c94abd7e31271e079030d4db7d44d274c460857fadca5c0140d08c88b611ee8c6a1263dca95cb1ebcb6b06158e48

Since both motherboards share the same firmware, does that mean I can use/mix the drivers from any of the two motherboards, for example for W10 64?

For example, let's say I have an ASUS PRIME H310M-C mobo, where the latest chipset driver for ASUS PRIME H310M-C is newer than the latest chipset driver for ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM. Hence I'll be using the chipset driver from ASUS PRIME H310M-C for ASUS PRIME H310M-C. Then let's say the latest LAN driver for ASUS PRIME H310M-C is older than the latest LAN driver for ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM. Hence I'll be using the LAN driver from ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM for ASUS PRIME H310M-C.

Would this procedure be possible, installing these 2 drivers on ASUS PRIME H310M-C in the manner I described above?

Thank you!

 

[Lutfij]

So long as the chipset is the same, you can use the drivers from practically any board makers site, it's only the audio that tends to be revised with their own, proprietary, features. As for BIOS, no you don't flash the BIOS of another board onto another unless they are identical. FYI, you look for chipset drivers using Intel's driver tool/support site. I'd stick to your board's support site as opposed to shoehorning another board's drivers...unless ofc your platform is undergoing issues.

 

[timeToSleepNow]

Thank you!

Both mobos have the same chipset, Intel® H310, as I have noticed.

The problem is that I'm experiencing image freezing, and I think this might be happening because it is possible I installed the wrong drivers (for now I'm using ASUS PRIME H310M-C drivers exclusively) , as I can't tell for sure which motherboard I have. Asus is so confusing about this, and I can't figure out exactly which mobo I have.

If it is not too much to ask, would you mind having a look at this thread I made about the image freeze issue, perhaps you might figure out which mobo I have?

 

[Lutfij]

^ I'd remove that URL, we don't take well to diverting traffic to another forum.

Welcome!

You can just pop off the side panel and read off the PCB's labelling, instead of applying guess work.

Let's say
On a piece of paper we can doodle our way to space, without putting on any protective gear. In reality, that's not the same.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Hi there! Let's say I don't know (and there is no way to check) which of these 2 motherboards I have:

You can use CPU-Z - motherboard section to check motherboard model name.

 

[timeToSleepNow]

@Lutfij
Ah, sorry!

I did that and despite the label on the PCB saying it's ASUS PRIME H310M-C, I found out that there's 2 motherboards that have the exact name, which is really confusing:

1. ASUS PRIME H310M-C
2. ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM

, as it can be seen in the picture of both motherboards in the links above, in the "Overview" section. That's why I addressed the question in the title of the thread.

The link I just removed was having more info about the things I've done related to identifying which mobo I have. But I can post here all the things that I have tried.

@SkyNetRising

CPU-Z, HWinfo64, MyAsus report it as being ASUS PRIME H310M-C, but at this point I don't trust them, since I've used 2 sites that store the specs of the PCs the users have submitted, and none of them have ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM, but have instead ASUS PRIME H310M-C, which is very strange. Which it's highly likely that ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM shows up as ASUS PRIME H310M-C in the software.

After installing ASUS software for installing drivers and there it has shown as being PRIME H310-C, and it has shown all the drivers for PRIME H310-C, it has also provided me with an S/N. Using that S/N I contacted ASUS tech support on Facebook to double check, and indeed it is a PRIME H310-C mobo.

The S/N I got in the ASUS software was J4M0CS216962.

I'm still wondering what if the Asus software reports ASUS PRIME H310M-C/CSM as being ASUS PRIME H310M-C, hence showing the drivers for ASUS PRIME H310M-C , and what if the Asus tech support sees it the same as the software does?

There's also no "CSM" silkscreened on the PCB.

"CSM" (“Corporate Stable Model” ) come with a license for ASUS Control Center Express, but since I bought the mobo as second hand, I don't know if that was the case for it.

All the fuss about the drivers is that I get image freezing and I assume that there's a chance of that happening due to using the wrong drivers...