Dell/FoxConn can bios be unlocked/updated?

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lakedude

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Dec 31, 2007
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I've got a Dell that uses some kind of FoxConn mother board. Buying from a big OEM has disadvantages including having to put up with a limited bios.

1) How can I identify my MB?
2) Can I upgrade the bios?
3) How?

TIA!
 
Are you sure or are you guessing? If I can find the same MB on the FoxConn website and download their bios instead of Dell's wouldn't that work?
 
Bios can be locked. Keeps stupid people from doing stupid things and all that stuff.

I suspect that Dell locks their Bios such that the only upgrades could be downloaded would be those that came from the Dell site. Basically if the key don't fit the lock will not open.

Secondly, assumiing that FoxConn made the MB for Dell, the MB is made with Dell specified limits, controls and features. What people refer to as a propriatary MB. This means the MB that FoxConn proportedly made for Dell is not the same MB that they sell to the DIY market.
 
StevieD

I just noticed your sig. Are you in the habit of upgrading Dells? I took a cheap Dell 530 and dropped in a better PS, more memory and a 8800GTS. It runs pretty good now....
 
It was possible in the past to flash a Dell mobo with the intel BIOS, but didn't allow overclocking anyway, so it was no reason to do it. Since I left Dell some time ago to build my own systems, now I don't know what's the deal about it.
 
Dude, you got a Dell. :bounce: Your stuck. :cry:
 
I have an aged Dell, mine if of course locked, and don't believe flashing will prove any useful results anyways.

I always recommend Dell to people who want a cheap computer to do everyday tasks.

Main reasons why I wouldn't by Dell f or another corp for gaming:

1) Often cheap, third party-parts
2) Limited BIOS
3) Better price/less wasted resources building separately or from a mass-brand computer builder, such as cyberpowerpc.com
 



I love your method.

I don't "upgrade" per se computers, but yea, most of my office computers start as stripped down, bare bone Dells or HPs. At the bare minimum I add my own RAM. I am cheap and why should I pay a big time premium for 5 minutes of work that I can do myself?

My personal unit is upgraded beyond the "installed a stick of RAM" stage. I just bought a new Dell Precision 390. When I get done with it, Michael's boys would not recognize it.

Actually they would, 'cause the case remains the same. But you get the idea.


The way I look at the $ issue on prebuilts is that I paid Dell to assemble and bench test the core components. The DOA part is their problem. And for the next 3 years Dell gets to provide onsite warranty support for each and every one of those components. Yes, 3 year warranties are standard on the Precision models.

I will add my own upgrades. A lot of upgrades. :sol:

In the end I might have saved a few bucks doing it totally myself. At the same time a business critical computer can not be down just because something is beeping and most importantly I really don't have the time or patience to play mother hen to a firetruckedup MB.

So I bought a Dell.
 
I'm hardly stuck. I've got about $800 total in a Core2Duo system with an upgraded PS, 2GB RAM, a 8800GTS factory OCed to 580MHz and a legit copy of Vista HP. The whole thing was quick and easy to slap together and if/when I want to upgrade the CPU it looks as if that is possible as well. About the only thing I can't currently do is OC the MB/CPU. If I really wanted to do that I could always get a new MB.

There really is no downside besides the overclocking. My newest and oldest systems are both Dells and both are working just fine (the older Dell is nearly 8 years old and still kicking). In between the Dells are 3 homebuilts that were a lot more trouble to get put together and get working correctly. I honestly can't say where the next system will come from. Dell has a pretty good chance of earning my repeat business so long as they make their systems upgradable.




 
Not stuck, not whining, merely curious. Just because a million 14 year old boys agree on something that don't make it so. I like to find out for sure which is part of the reason I have both AMD and Intel based systems and why I have both nVidia and ATI cards in them. I like to know little details. If my mainboard really can't be OCed I want to know. OTOH if it can I want to do it.
 
lakedude, if the Dells work for you and they make you happy, then by all means keep buying them. I don't like any OEM, nothing against dell in particular. I can certainly understand StevieD's position, if you have a bunch of machines to deal with, while your trying to use them to make money, it makes perfect sense to go OEM.
 


Generally you can't upgrade a Dell BIOS with anything other than a newer Dell BIOS. I've heard rumors of hacked Dell BIOSes floating around the web but I've never found one.

If you are trying to overclock and have the Vostro 200 (has a FoxConn board), this may be of interest to you:

I have one of those at my office with an e2160 in it and I thought I'd try the 266Mhz Pin Mod for the hell of it, thinking it probably wouldn't work with the Dell BIOS. But it did work; went from 1.8Ghz to 2.4Ghz per CPU-z and has been working fine for three weeks.
 
You have large stones. It's fun to get over on "the man" isn't it. :bounce:
 
Cool! Thanks Carver, that is the kind of info I was hoping for. My system is an Inspiron 530 and I think it has a Foxconn G33M or similar MB.

It looks a lot like this one:

http://www.foxconnchannel.com/product/Motherboards/detail_overview.aspx?ID=en-us0000319

200705160543230218_G337MA-8KS2H.jpg


...except it lacks the legacy PS2 ports.

Curiosity might kill the cat. I'm dying to know it the FoxConn BIOS will work and what difference it would make but at the same time the system works perfect as is so I really shouldn't mess with it.....At least until it is time to upgrade the CPU.
 

I have nothing against scratch built computers, got 3 in fact. Got one running those fancy 10,000rpm Raptor drives with a software over clockable MSI mainboard. You don't need jumpers and you don't need to get into the bios and tinker around it will OC from Windows in real time. It is about as far from a Dell as you can get. It is fun to hand pick every piece but it is also nice to just slap in a few plugin upgrades and get to gaming. I'm on the fence as to which way is better (for me). For a high end computer you are certainly better off building.
 
You can use a standard mATX motherboard thats what i did with the Vostro 200 same as your Inspiron 530 you have to do a little work on the Dell fixed I/O plate.I dont overclock so i went with an Intel-DG33TL motherboard runing Raptors in raid-0.There is no unlocking the Dell Bios that i know of.

34562066sl0.jpg
 
fx4baja

Thanks

I just bought a case for $30 and I'm eying a $90 motherboard. I'm probably going to end up using the case to upgrade a small HP dual core 4000+ that can't take a full hight video card in its current case. I think I'll wait to seriously upgrade the Dell till the cheap 45nm quad cores are out...
 
Well 3.0 GHz 45nm Core-2-duos are under $200 so I'm seriously eying an upgrade. It looks like the stock Dell MB can take the e8400 but I'm waiting for a confirmation from Dell before the buy button gets clicked.
 
A BIOS update will likely be required, considering how long ago you posted this, there's a decent chance that your current BIOS does not include the needed microcode. If that is the case, the best case scenario is being able to flash the BIOS. Worst case scenario is no POST. Update the BIOS with your current CPU before you put any other CPU in. That's assuming DELL has a BIOS for you.
 
lakedude, did you have any luck getting further info about overclocking that motherboard? I have the exact same one and would love to OC my E6750. If I need to buy a new motherboard though, I'll more likely go for a new system altogether.
 
I found an old Dell in the dumpster in my apartment complex, and a monitor by the dumpster. It didn't work initially, but after I reseated the cards and memory, it works fine. Now I have a free extra computer.

I previously replaced an eMachines BIOS with an Intel BIOS and got more features unlocked, so I thought I might do the same with this Dell. It contains a Foxconn motherboard also. When I figure out which model from the codes and configuration of the motherboard, I'll probably try a BIOS flash. Dell doesn't allow much tweaking in BIOS at all. It would be nice to have some options.
 
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