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New BIOS for Core 1 Duo m5550 owners, which allows for a Core 2 Duo upgrade

post #1 of 16
9/6/06 at 11:52pm
Thread Starter 
Alienware has posted their upgraded m5550 BIOS (v2.03W), which allows the Core 1 Duo laptop owners to upgrade to the Core 2 Duo cpu.

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post #2 of 16
9/6/06 at 11:58pm
Are they selling CPU upgrades yet? If the price was right, I might get the 2.33.
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post #3 of 16
9/7/06 at 12:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metal-Box
Are they selling CPU upgrades yet? If the price was right, I might get the 2.33.

I haven't checked.

I won't be ugrading for a while, but when I do, I plan to go for the 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo myself.

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post #4 of 16
9/7/06 at 6:55am
I have asked Alienware SEVERAL times via email-ing the support@alienware address, and have never gotten same answer twice.

I would be very interested in knowing if there is ANY kind of price break if I mail in my 2.0 ghz Core 1 Duo that is less than 1 month old in exchange for a 2.0 ghz Core 2 Duo.

They have not given me a straight answer. Anyone else who has been talking to them, please keep us informed.

I'll probably upgrade the BIOS anyway, maybe there are some other tweaks in there worthwhile for Core 1 Duos.

PS. Where did you find the BIOS update? I have had terrible time navigating the Alienware support site. Its not as simple as it should be
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post #5 of 16
9/7/06 at 8:02am
I have the 1.6 Core 1 Duo. It's kind of slow. If I upgrade, I want to get the fastest possible at the time.

Yeah Skypine, I'm in the same boat as you. I got mine a few weeks before they announced C2D. It doesn't really bother me, but I wish I got a faster proc when I originally ordered. I was being a cheapskate. Now I'm regretting it.

That would be cool if AW would offer price breaks to us folks. I'd definitely upgrade if that was the case.
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post #6 of 16
9/7/06 at 10:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by skypine27
I have asked Alienware SEVERAL times via email-ing the support@alienware address, and have never gotten same answer twice. I would be very interested in knowing if there is ANY kind of price break if I mail in my 2.0 ghz Core 1 Duo that is less than 1 month old in exchange for a 2.0 ghz Core 2 Duo. They have not given me a straight answer. Anyone else who has been talking to them, please keep us informed. I'll probably upgrade the BIOS anyway, maybe there are some other tweaks in there worthwhile for Core 1 Duos. PS. Where did you find the BIOS update? I have had terrible time navigating the Alienware support site. Its not as simple as it should be
http://support.alienware.com/Support...anu=8&item=885 .
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post #7 of 16
9/7/06 at 2:59pm
Thanks man. I will flash my BIOS, even though I still have a Core 1 Duo, and see if I can get a price quote on a Core 2....
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post #8 of 16
9/7/06 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by skypine27
I have asked Alienware SEVERAL times via email-ing the support@alienware address, and have never gotten same answer twice.

I would be very interested in knowing if there is ANY kind of price break if I mail in my 2.0 ghz Core 1 Duo that is less than 1 month old in exchange for a 2.0 ghz Core 2 Duo.

They have not given me a straight answer. Anyone else who has been talking to them, please keep us informed.

I'll probably upgrade the BIOS anyway, maybe there are some other tweaks in there worthwhile for Core 1 Duos.

PS. Where did you find the BIOS update? I have had terrible time navigating the Alienware support site. Its not as simple as it should be

Though Alienware has offered upgrades in the past, they've never to my knowledge had an exchange program for used parts. They have no use for a used processor.

If they do offer processor upgrades, under warranty you'll be charged their vendor cost for the hardware, shipping one way, Alienware covers the labor and return shipping, and they return the system run in as new.

Regarding the bios, they usually list them in the drivers and download section of the support site. You should know that flashing the bios without notifying tech support may void your warranty. Improperly flashing the bios can render your machine useless, so if you run into an issue without tech support witnessing it, you will be SOL.
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post #9 of 16
9/7/06 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by skypine27
Thanks man. I will flash my BIOS, even though I still have a Core 1 Duo, and see if I can get a price quote on a Core 2....

Contact tech support before flashing the bios if you want to keep your warranty intact.
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post #10 of 16
9/7/06 at 4:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead
Contact tech support before flashing the bios if you want to keep your warranty intact.
Good point. They state that right in the literature w/the BIOS download. Also make sure that your Core 1 Duo will run w/the new BIOS, until you get your Core 2 Duo. Tell us how it goes. .
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post #11 of 16
9/7/06 at 4:13pm
If any of you think flashing a motherboard BIOS is actually difficult, I'm pretty unimpressed. I have flashed almost MONTHLY the BIOS on every ASUS motherboard I've had in my desktop for YEARS now. It takes about 5 minutes, and is a no brainer.

Anyway, in this case it might not offer much of an upgrade. See my other thread entitled "bad news for m5550 Core 1 Duo owners...."

Alienware wont sell you a Core 2 Duo at any kind of a discount. You'll have to pay full price on amazon, or from these guys:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=Intel
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post #12 of 16
9/7/06 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by skypine27
If any of you think flashing a motherboard BIOS is actually difficult, I'm pretty unimpressed. I have flashed almost MONTHLY the BIOS on every ASUS motherboard I've had in my desktop for YEARS now. It takes about 5 minutes, and is a no brainer.

First... You're not listening. It's not hard to flash a bios, but if you have an issue during the flash like losing power, you can permanently render the motherboard useless. I was just trying to tell you Alienware will void your warranty if you have an issue flashing the bios without their assistance.

And there is no reason whatsoever to flash a bios anyway unless a specific issue you're having is resolved in an update.

Quote:
Anyway, in this case it might not offer much of an upgrade. See my other thread entitled "bad news for m5550 Core 1 Duo owners...."

Alienware wont sell you a Core 2 Duo at any kind of a discount. You'll have to pay full price on amazon, or from these guys:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=Intel

I really don't think the upgrade would be worth the money, the core duo is an excellent processor. Then again you've always got the option. It's possible AW may offer processor upgrades in the future if there is enough call for it, but I wouldn't count on it.

I've upgraded my desktops, but never a laptop. It always seems to be too much cost and not enough benefit...
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post #13 of 16
9/8/06 at 12:27pm
Hammer:

Sorry for my snotty comment about "if you think flashing a BIOS is complicated....". I was a bit drunk at the time!

Anyway, to all interested. I flashed my m5550 (with original Core 1 Duo CPU), BIOS today to the new 2.03W.

Very easy flash process. Just double click the ISO file, I have Roxio installed and it burned the CD.

Reboot with CD in the drive, and enter "runme" at the prompt.

Flash went fine, computer runs fine. Of course there is no change in anything that I can see, since I stll have the old Core 1 Duo CPU installed.

NOW, if Alienware would just give me a damn discount on a 2.0 ghz Core 2 Duo...
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post #14 of 16
9/8/06 at 3:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by skypine27
Hammer: Sorry for my snotty comment about "if you think flashing a BIOS is complicated....". I was a bit drunk at the time! Anyway, to all interested. I flashed my m5550 (with original Core 1 Duo CPU), BIOS today to the new 2.03W. Very easy flash process. Just double click the ISO file, I have Roxio installed and it burned the CD. Reboot with CD in the drive, and enter "runme" at the prompt. Flash went fine, computer runs fine. Of course there is no change in anything that I can see, since I stll have the old Core 1 Duo CPU installed. NOW, if Alienware would just give me a damn discount on a 2.0 ghz Core 2 Duo...
You didn't have Technical Support assist you, for warranty reasons? If you didn't, weren't you taking the risk that if the Flash had failed, you'd be stuck w/a dead laptop that Alienware wouldn't fix or replace? .
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post #15 of 16
9/8/06 at 8:24pm
Quote:
If you didn't, weren't you taking the risk that if the Flash had failed, you'd be stuck w/a dead laptop that Alienware wouldn't fix or replace?

Yup, I did it solo. I've been flashing motherboards for years on my home built systems, and never had a flash go bad during the middle. I realize there is of course the 1/2 of 1% chance that something bad could happen, and I'd be left with a 2600 dollar paper-weight. But thankfully everything worked out OK, and the new BIOS supports the original Core "1" Duo CPU just fine.

PS GoHack, have you tried new versions of the NGO drivers and benchmarked them?

Thanks man.
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post #16 of 16
9/11/06 at 10:05am
Good to hear that the new BIOS works fine. Thanks!
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