This should be a Requiem for a K7S5A but for some reason it still works

I just tried to do the multiplier mod and I totally disconnected the leg(as far as I can tell) of what appears to be the transistor mounting point for FID1 between the PCI1 & 2 slots. The board still works but I have no idea if I try and use the mounting points for the FID0-3 on the underside of the cpu socket whether it will work.

I just thought of a worse problem. Does anyone know how the multiplier is read on this board? Is it everytime the board boots up or does it read it from the CMOS after the intital bios setup. If thats the case if I reset my CMOS I'll be screwed if it can't read the multiplier anymore.

Any help will be appreciated.

Mike

The multiplier is set during the bootup of the system. If there is no other influence, it uses the default set by the CPU.
In your case, did you completely desolder the component, or did just one leg of it come loose.
here is a link to Kevin Cribbs's image:

PIC

And this is what mine liooks like:


If you can reconnect the component then the multi change device should work. Frankly I am surprised that it does work.

Frankly I am surprised that it does work.
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PDL, you're not the only one. It appears that the leg is totally gone, but at least I should be able to reset the cmos if necessary since it's read on bootup which makes sense. There's nothing left to reconnect, I tried a big ball of solder to reconnect it, but I seem to have somehow ripped off both the connection to the component and the metal layer on the motherboard(at least I was thorough).

My latest and greatest crackpot theory is that it still works because the leg would be used to carry a signal from the FID1 only when its pulled to vcore, my multiplier of 9 should be pulled to ground for FID1 so maybe no signal is being read as just that. I've for the moment decided to be happy with the status quo. In the future I might try throwing in a faster processor, with an FID1 pulled to ground of course which limits me to specific multipliers.

Mike

oooooooooo...I feel your pain!!

There still may be hope but only if you get to the point where you feel the need to try again. If the pad is gone from the mainboard and there is no hole there, it is a surface connection, meaning it does not go to one of the other layers.
Now, this happened to me when I was working on something called a PLL-mod. However, in my case I discovered that the pad that seemed to have melted away was actually connected to a cap next to it. Under a strong magnifying glass i could see the thin foil trace. I soldered my wire on that pad and all was fixed.
So, if and when you want to try again, you can check out the components next to it and try to find such a spot. Of course then there is also the problem of the leg on the component. That too could maybe be salvaged if you can get a small wire soldered to it and make the connection with 2 short wires. Be sure to immediately glue on any wires as soon as they are soldered as that small of a connection is easily torn off.
Keep in mind too that if you switch to an XP or Morgan core Duron, or later processor, the connections to the FID0-3 are not necessary.