Packard Bell 790 Mobo, really just stripped intel 4A3NT0X0

[Treker]

I was looking through Intel's site and I found that the first set of lettters/numbers of my bios matched up with an old intel mobo..

So I looked up more information about it, found some scematics, ect..

Wow..
my Packard Bell 790 is nothing but a Intel 4A3NT0X0 with out intergrated sounds, and one less pci slot.

Everything else matches up perfectly, I even have room on my board and unsoidered spots where the missing parts would be.

Weird.. My guess is PB just bought a specail striped down OEM version of the Intel 4A3NT0X0 board and poped them in there computer, I have noticed that a few Packard bell boards.. although marketed as different, are exactly the same, with just differnt processors, and some times differnt Bios'.

Go Figure. its packard bell.

Just something intresting to note
Im gonna try adding the missing componates to my board and flashing it with an the Intel Bios for it, my bios number and intels almost match perfectly except for the Verison .P09. and .P10. Identifer strings.

Also my Bios is at 3/98 Intels is at sept/98 , hence the higher bios version number.

This will be fun to mess around with

Laters,

-Trek

 

[Tim-]

Adding the missing stuff probably won't buy you much. You can probably flash the bios as it sits. The problem is that the Intel bios is almost assuredly overclocker unfriendly. They have never put any kind of control in the bios for any Intel board I've ever seen or heard of.

 

[Treker]

Ya, nothing really to gain, was just hopping for some softmenu features in the new Bios, but really all packard bell bios's are is a fancy screen with a PB logo on it, and intel Bios.

No wonder why pb's suck.

I was tempted to chuck it, then I realized its the only mobo I have that WORKS still, and I just bought an adapter for it to get it past the 233 jumper pin limit, and up to 400.

I should have it around monday, it will be nice, but I'll need a new processor.. and I kinda cracked/chipped this one.. trying to get that got damn heat sink off, that retainer is a loaded s.o.b.
..

*Had to press really hard.... Crunch*

Oh Sh*t..

*Looks small crack, crimps it, down, puts it back, boots it up and crosses fingers *

*watches screen and almost screams when it works*

Whew.

That's basically what happened.

*note to self, don't f*ck with the processor if you don't need to*

hehe
laters all, I just updated my web page, kewlies!

-Trek
Founder http://www.OmegaGamer.com