A05 Bios for Optiplex GX110

If the check is done the same way as the GX1 speed limit, a timing loop is used - if the loop executes too quickly (too fast a processor), the code continues to two "HALT" instructions, otherwise it skips round them to carry on running the bios.

 

However, the issue is that the bios is in a proprietary compressed encoded form which is uncompressed when the bios loads, and does not seem to be compatible with any of the common compression schemes, so that tools for other bioses do not seem to work.  It is therefore difficult to recode exactly the correct bytes appropriately.

 

If it were easy, it would have been done many, many years ago when users started to first encounter this inhibit!

 

Thanks for the very informative reply.

 

I suspected as much; whose proprietary compression scheme is it anyway, Intel or Dell?

 

Wouldn't it be great if they offered an uninhibited version for users who wanted it?

 

Any warranty liabilities for these vintage computers shouldn't be an issue anymore and such a bios would help Intel sell remaining CPU inventories that may be in danger of being recycled and make a lot of users happy that they could upgrade CPUs and enjoy the advantages of the newer bios versions too.

Seems like PowerLeap etc. would have come up with a solution in order to sell more adapters.

They use to do that stuff way back before Dell began. Not anymore. dell would have to sign off as they own it and they would prefer you give them lots of money for a new machine than give someone else money to keep the old one alive.

And intel isn't making as much saving old cpus from the landfill.

Several people here even say buy a new or practically new machine from dell when you don't IMO need or want one. I have several dells and not one of them was new when i got it 

tr4:

 

I'm planning on updating to a newer Dell within the next 6 mo. or so but as far as keeping an old one alive I've become so impressed with this GX 110 that I've decided not to part with it even if it totally dies tomorrow.

It's sort of like having a classic car etc.

Outstanding models like the GX 110 don't happen that often in the computer arena.

Don't get me wrong, mine does have some negatives like the booby trapped power supply wiring, finicky ram requirements and problems with non-pci universal cards but nothings perfect.

(PCI Universal cards have 2 notches in the PCI connector strip)

About land fills; computer parts recycling has become a major business now and there's no excuse for putting them in a land fill.

 

Back to the A09 bios; I'd like to see Dell make a version available that will allow use of the higher speed CPUs like the A05 bios.

The objective of preventing the use of non-standard high speed CPUs in the GX 110 has been defeated by using the A05 bios so why keep penalizing loyal Dell users by making them revert back to an older bios?

If using the high speed CPUs after the warranty has long expired is a problem why haven't all the older bios been modified to stop that workaround?

Dell could justify a modified A09 bios by considering it as promoting good customer relations with the GX 110 users. 

By helping keep the GX 110 alive, Dell could use it as a powerful advertising promotion by pointing out the longevity of their products.

How many of Dell's competitors have a significant number of a model still in use as long as the GX 110s?

 

Anyone wish to post their vote for a Dell model they think is or will be the next outstanding model like the GX 110?

 

 

I guess you could jut get the bios file and modify it yourself or have someone do it.  You could not release it unless you got the graces of dell to sign off. If you plan on upgrading, I'd skip the powerleap, get an 866,933 or 1gig and use the A09. I had a couple of them this way and they were pretty good. They will be useless once XP is gone. I got rid of mine and the GX115 due to the video limitation. I had a dimension that had a celeron 1.3, same memory and video limitations and it was no faster than the GX110.

I have a certain respect for the GX110. My replacements are GX270's. I have them in all cases. The cap issue will keep them out of any hall of fame but they run pretty good. Have soldering iron, can afford to fix them.

 

The rambus pc's run pretty good but the memory problem will keep them out.  I don't think they'll have any classics out of the newer pc's. Though as far as your classic car reference, I remember how most people laughed at people buying hemi street cars in the late 60's, early 70's. They ran terribly, and the torque made the unibodies creak and squeek.

 tr4:

 

If you plan on upgrading, I'd skip the powerleap, get an 866,933 or 1gig and use the A09.

 

That's a great idea!

Do you happen to remember the part # for the 1gig CPU you used with the A09 bios?

My GX 110 has the PIII 533 slot 1 CPU.

 

They will be useless once XP is gone.

 

 Why? Is the A09 bios not compatible beyond XP?

 

BTW, do you happen to have a good leftover Nvidia video card like I'm looking for?

 

Nvidia GPU (XFX Geforce if possible)

PCI Universal (two notches in the pci connector tab) 

128 or 256 bit (bus width)

DVI-I (output port to the monitor)

Fan cooled (not just a heat sink)

 

Mine were socket 370's so cpu's are easier to find. A local recycler could probably sell you one inexpensively or you could have someone ship you a motherboard and cpu.  I deal with one near me, my source for dead lcd's.

The reason I said XP was the last as the pci bus video and the 512mb limit would make newer OS's not very practical.  

If I had the card you were looking for, I'd probably would have kept it. For the price of the card I bought a dead GX270. 

 

Do you remember the part # for the 370 CPUs you were using?

It would save me time figuring that out because there seems to be quite a few different types of those CPUs.

I wouldn't mind using the adapter to install the 370 CPU with it's fan into the slot 1 slot.

I saw a great picture of that setup somewhere in these forums.

 

The video card I'm looking for is in the $50 to $80 range now whereas the same card cost over $150 new.

 

I don't do gaming but do run some graphic resource hogs occasionally so Windows 2000Pro is still working for me. 

 

I have the time now to try upgrades etc. and any performance boosts from easy drop-ins like CPUs, more ram and a better video card are top priority.

 

 

I don't think it matters. Since you can do a 133fsb, you're open. I had many GX110's, I just kept the fastest so I did not but a cpu.   As far as cards is the nvidea 5500 ok?. There is a guy auctioning them off 1 or 2 a day. I'll send you a link. One is ending in a few hours

Send me the link, I'll check it out but the card has to have the features posted earlier.

 

Thanks a lot!

Not yet; but here's one I'll probably get....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290224710524&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

 

About CPUs, what was the highest speed CPU you used with the A09 bios?

Thats the same card. The other guy was selling cheaper. Since you are not gaming, I don't know if you'll ever use that much memory.

Mine were 933, I've seen 1gig. There is a faster model, think 1.1 but may be impossible to find 

 

Hi, tr4

 

Sorry to be so late replying to you too.

 

Here's the card I finally bought....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300218551086 .

 

It's the same card, same seller, but in a retail box.

I didn't want to take the time and trouble to bid for it so I just paid the Buy It Now price totaling $52.90, which is a bargain to me after the two 64 bit cards were shipped to me without my knowledge or consent.

That was a total waste of time etc. getting refunds and sending them back.

You're right about using that much memory and most of the other performance features but I had to take all that to get a card with the basics I wanted.

The brand of the eBay card is axle3d, and it's part # is AX-55/256D1C8CDT at  http://www.axle3d.com/e/product/product_detail.asp?sku=44
I checked out axle3d's home page to find out a little about them because I'd never heard of them.

They've been in business since 1988 I believe and their products have been sold mostly in the European/International market which may account for their lack of brand recognition to me.

Anyway the card I bought looks just like the XFX 5500 card and may be a "knock-off" copy of it. (Which the Chinese are noted for)

I'll be able to give a better assessment of the card soon I hope.

Here's another post I replied to with a little more about this video card...

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=Desktops_Workstation_Optiplex&message.id=7096#M7096

 

About the GX 110s you've had; the 933s did have the A09 bios, right?  

 

I did have the A09. Dell sold them with the 933 so it had to be covered. The pentiums are all ok. It's the cpu's thast are newer, the ones 1.2 and above that don't work. I guess they realized that a lot of people would not justify giving up the GX110 and buying something faster when a cpu upgrade would work. Since the A05 worked. it was not a hardware issue but a marketing decision.

I have many dells, they make a good machine but they are as most corporations more about themselves than the customer. That's why I get humored by some of the dell jelouts. It's the ford vs chevy argument for geeks.

Why don't you modify your A09 and offer it to them to post. Since the GX110 cannot ruin their marketing of new machines now, they should be glad to post it.

Glad my find of card works for you.  Since you'll be relying on nvidea for drivers, you don't have to worry about mfg support.