Hello Tom's community,
I am in the process of updating a very old Gateway Solo 9100 for a Linux distro. Now, I am a complete noob at this, so please - go easy on me. This is the first laptop that I have ever disassembled without a guide!
From the research I did, I found that the Solo 9100 uses an Intel 440BX motherboard, and it had a Pentium II processor with an MMC-1 configuration. Further research revealed that the highest processor speed I could get was 466 MHz (I have a 66 MHz FSB) on MMC-1. The original processor was a 266 MHz 66 MHz FSB. Now the 466 MHz is extremely rare, so I got a 400 MHz new for real cheap.
So here's where I'm at and I hope you can help me.
1.) I never flashed BIOS, and when I installed the new processor to see if it worked, the startup screen only reports a 300 MHz speed, when it's supposed to be 400 MHz. So I guess I need to "flash the BIOS." How do I do that and what file do I use. My BIOS version on there now is 8.43 Phoenix, and Gateway just goes to 8.47.
http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?id=13112&dscr=Solo%209100%20Flash%20BIOS,%20version%208.47&uid=334744230
2.) Do I need to put the old processor back in in order to flash the BIOS or can I leave the new one in there? If I do that's ok, I still have the laptop disassembled.
3.) I have read several posts about "overclocking." What is that exactly, and can it be done with this motherboard? If so how can I do it? Does it use "jumpers" or is this in software? One of my friends said that the 440 BX can handle 1 GHz speeds (???).
4.) Assuming that the processor issue works out and I get the 400 MHz speeds (or higher depending on what you all say), the next issue is memory. Now, Gateway says that the maximum RAM the system can handle is 384 MB (so 128 MB per slot since the board has 3), but I've read elsewhere that 256 MB or higher can be used in these slots. So, how can this be done? Is this related to overclocking?
Thanks!
VV5
I am in the process of updating a very old Gateway Solo 9100 for a Linux distro. Now, I am a complete noob at this, so please - go easy on me. This is the first laptop that I have ever disassembled without a guide!
From the research I did, I found that the Solo 9100 uses an Intel 440BX motherboard, and it had a Pentium II processor with an MMC-1 configuration. Further research revealed that the highest processor speed I could get was 466 MHz (I have a 66 MHz FSB) on MMC-1. The original processor was a 266 MHz 66 MHz FSB. Now the 466 MHz is extremely rare, so I got a 400 MHz new for real cheap.
So here's where I'm at and I hope you can help me.
1.) I never flashed BIOS, and when I installed the new processor to see if it worked, the startup screen only reports a 300 MHz speed, when it's supposed to be 400 MHz. So I guess I need to "flash the BIOS." How do I do that and what file do I use. My BIOS version on there now is 8.43 Phoenix, and Gateway just goes to 8.47.
http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?id=13112&dscr=Solo%209100%20Flash%20BIOS,%20version%208.47&uid=334744230
2.) Do I need to put the old processor back in in order to flash the BIOS or can I leave the new one in there? If I do that's ok, I still have the laptop disassembled.
3.) I have read several posts about "overclocking." What is that exactly, and can it be done with this motherboard? If so how can I do it? Does it use "jumpers" or is this in software? One of my friends said that the 440 BX can handle 1 GHz speeds (???).
4.) Assuming that the processor issue works out and I get the 400 MHz speeds (or higher depending on what you all say), the next issue is memory. Now, Gateway says that the maximum RAM the system can handle is 384 MB (so 128 MB per slot since the board has 3), but I've read elsewhere that 256 MB or higher can be used in these slots. So, how can this be done? Is this related to overclocking?
Thanks!
VV5