GA-N650SLI-DS4 and E6750: BIOS woes

[valgatiag]

I'm working on building a new system, and I went with the 650i board because I liked the option of SLI without the expense of going 680i. The board seems great for me, except for one thing - its specs say that it supports 1333MHz FSB processors, but further inspection shows that it only does so with a BIOS update.

So it seems I'm in a catch-22: my processor isn't compatible without a BIOS update, but (I assume) I can't flash the BIOS without a working processor. I asked Gigabyte tech support for clarification, and the response was as I feared, they claim the board will not post with a chip like the E6750 without the F7 BIOS.

So what are my options, and what seems like the best way out? For reference, I have the board on hand and I placed an order for an E6750, but it hasn't shipped yet so I may be able to cancel.

Here's what I can think of:
1) Try the E6750 anyway, maybe the CS rep didn't know what they were talking about. Doesn't seem likely though. Or figure out a way to flash the BIOS with an incompatible CPU. Again, I don't imagine this'll work.
2) Get a compatible LGA 775 chip, use it to flash the BIOS, then never speak of it again. To do this I'd probably have to buy a chip from somewhere, plug it in for the 10 minutes or so I need and then return/RMA it. Seems immoral somehow, though.
3) Cancel the 6750 and settle for something like the 6600. Or spend ~$100 more and get a Q6600. I'm not fond of either option.
4) Return the board and get a P35 board, perhaps the P35-DS3R. I lose my SLI and second IDE port, but at least I know it's guaranteed to be compatible with the 6750. I think if there's no easier option, this is what I might go with.

Any opinions or advice, especially if anyone's been in a similar situation, I'd greatly appreciate.

 

[Spikke]

Do you plan on SLIing? If not, I would go the P35 route personally.

 

[DXRick]

they claim the board will not post with a chip like the E6750 without the F7 BIOS.

Well, I would not doubt it if they say so. But I thought faster CPUs could always be run at slower bus speeds. It may be a voltage thing though, and if the BIOS can't tell what kind of CPU it is it may fry it (or just not post at all to prevent that from happening).

So, unless you can get your paws on a current C2D, you can't use that mobo. Besides, there is little reason to get the Penryn unless you are getting a P35 or G33 mobo. So, just get the E6700 and be happy.

 

[valgatiag]

Do you plan on SLIing? If not, I would go the P35 route personally.

I went back and forth on this issue a lot, and in the end I figured the P35 boards would be better for a future processor upgrade, while SLI would make for an easy graphics upgrade. I can see myself needing a graphics upgrade more than cpu, so I prefer the SLI-capable boards. It's not a necessity though, and switching out to a P35 board is something I wouldn't feel too bad about doing.

So, unless you can get your paws on a current C2D, you can't use that mobo. Besides, there is little reason to get the Penryn unless you are getting a P35 or G33 mobo. So, just get the E6700 and be happy.

6x50 isn't Penryn, it's just 1333 FSB and G0 stepping, which seem to be cheaper and run cooler than 6x00s. If anything, I'd probably get a 6600 since it's only a little more expensive than the 6750. 6700 is around $300, right? A bit beyond my budget.

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

You could just get a <$50 Celeron D processor then sell it cheap. All you need it to do is post. You have to figure any restocking or shipping fees for your CPU and or Motherboard.
Newegg has the Celeron D 331 for $42.99 and free 3 day shipping. Return it within 7 days for a refund minus a 15% restocking fee. Total cost around $6.45 + shipping.

 

[valgatiag]

You could just get a <$50 Celeron D processor then sell it cheap. All you need it to do is post. You have to figure any restocking or shipping fees for your CPU and or Motherboard.
Newegg has the Celeron D 331 for $42.99 and free 3 day shipping. Return it within 7 days for a refund minus a 15% restocking fee. Total cost around $6.45 + shipping.

Thanks for the info, this does seem like my best option. I almost feel like I'm being shady doing it, but then again I'll be paying $6-10 for a processor that I only need to use for 10 minutes. Do you know if Newegg refunds are actual cash back or something like store credit?

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

Newegg will give you your money back.
http://www.newegg.com/CustomerService/ReturnPolicy.asp#5

 

[DXRick]

6x50 isn't Penryn, it's just 1333 FSB and G0 stepping, which seem to be cheaper and run cooler than 6x00s. If anything, I'd probably get a 6600 since it's only a little more expensive than the 6750. 6700 is around $300, right? A bit beyond my budget.

Ooh! I just checked out the specs on Intel's site. You are right! I am going to build a new PC soon, but am going to wait until I actually see the prices before deciding and ordering anything.

Good luck!

 

[Ldarax]

I had no problem booting up with a E6750 and rev. F4 bios, used the Q-Flash utility to flash the bios to F7 the first boot. Problem is that temps are still way of, my board show 10 to 15 degrees C core temp with Air cooling and room temp at 20 degrees C (sp)

Ldarax