Question Connecting power to Motherboard to check bios version

[jimmybog1]

I'm about to begin building a new PC, but first I need to check if my CPU (Intel Core I5 12400 - stepping H0 (S-Spec SRL5Y)) is supported by my motherboard (MSI B660M Mortar Wifi DDR4). MSI support page says that stepping H0 is only supported with bios v12. Thus I need to check whether the factory installed bios will support my CPU. So I just want to install the CPU into the motherboard and check if it posts into the bios (without connecting any heatsink, peripherals, fans, memory etc). I'm guessing I need to connect the power supply cables of ATX_PWR1 and CPU_PWR1 /CPU_PWR2. But are there any other cables I need to connect ? I will connect the motherboard to a monitor with an HDMI cable (CPU has onboard GPU so should hopefully work). Thanks

 

[kanewolf]

I'm about to begin building a new PC, but first I need to check if my CPU (Intel Core I5 12400 - stepping H0 (S-Spec SRL5Y)) is supported by my motherboard (MSI B660M Mortar Wifi DDR4). MSI support page says that stepping H0 is only supported with bios v12. Thus I need to check whether the factory installed bios will support my CPU. So I just want to install the CPU into the motherboard and check if it posts into the bios (without connecting any heatsink, peripherals, fans, memory etc). I'm guessing I need to connect the power supply cables of ATX_PWR1 and CPU_PWR1 /CPU_PWR2. But are there any other cables I need to connect ? I will connect the motherboard to a monitor with an HDMI cable (CPU has onboard GPU so should hopefully work). Thanks

BAD idea. You need a full configuration, CPU, coolers, RAM and power just to get to the BIOS. Don't think that you can "get by". Either build it up and test it sitting on cardboard, or take the board to a shop where they can boot it with a known supported CPU.

 

[Nighthawk117]

Sometimes you can flash without a CPU and RAM if it supports bios flashback. Not clear to me you can do this on that board though. Have you only just bought the motherboard and CPU?

If you have then I would just build up the machine, I would have thought it would have a recent enough bios by now. Also nicely chosen board.

 

[jimmybog1]

Thanks everyone:

1. I followed kanewolf's advice and installed the cpu cooler and ram as well as the CPU. Managed to post into the bios and then update it. Suprisingly, even though the bios was on a version that supposedly does not support my CPU, I was still able to get into it. All good now though.
2. Nighthawk, the board does not have a bios flashback button. I bought the board a few weeks ago but from the serial number I can see it was manufactured back in December. Once I got into the bios, it was the original version v10 from November 2021.

 

[Nighthawk117]

Thanks everyone:

1. I followed kanewolf's advice and installed the cpu cooler and ram as well as the CPU. Managed to post into the bios and then update it. Suprisingly, even though the bios was on a version that supposedly does not support my CPU, I was still able to get into it. All good now though.
2. Nighthawk, the board does not have a bios flashback button. I bought the board a few weeks ago but from the serial number I can see it was manufactured back in December. Once I got into the bios, it was the original version v10 from November 2021.

I would have been surprised if the CPU hadn't worked at all. That's good your in then, should be relatively straightforward to update the bios now.