lasa168
04-25-2000, 10:38 PM
I have heard that you can flash your bios from 5-7 times. After that, the chip will not be able to handle another flash. Is ther any truth to this? Thanks.
Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : How many times can you flash a BIOS
MR COMPUTER
04-25-2000, 10:52 PM
I have flashed the same chips more than that. I dunno what the real limit is. Seen discussions of the chips limit being a thousand flashes. In don't think you will reach a limit in normal bios upgrading... http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
Mntsnow
04-25-2000, 11:41 PM
I have personally flashed a couple of boards over 15-20 times and they are still running today. I have yet to encounter a bios that has "worn out" due to flashing.
Mntsnow
Mntsnow
Gene C.
04-26-2000, 04:55 AM
not to sound smart here. but, the only time you can't do a flash. is when you can't find an upgrade. or aleast this is my opnion from the years that I have been doing it.
but, the only time I do. do one, is when it will bring it up to date or make it more usefull to me. like to accept a bigger chip.hardware or software upgrades.
but, the only time I do. do one, is when it will bring it up to date or make it more usefull to me. like to accept a bigger chip.hardware or software upgrades.
tonym
04-26-2000, 05:55 AM
lasa168,
You can flash the BIOS as many times as you like and you won't damage the EEPROM on your motherboard. Electically-erasable devices are normally specified for 100,000+ program/reprogram cycles byt their manufacturers before a 10% shift is observed in the threhsold voltage for the internal MOSFET transistors. (I'm presently looking at an AMD/Vantis data book that has 150,000 cycles, minimum!)
The main wearout phenomenon for such a device is "hot" electrons that get trapped on the floating gate structures or within the insulating oxide barrier, making the transistor immune to programming. But htis process takes hundreds of thousands of programming/erasure cycles and/or very high storage temperatures (>200C).
I'm confident that you don't have enough spare time to flash your motherboard's BIOS EEPROM to failure!!
Tony
You can flash the BIOS as many times as you like and you won't damage the EEPROM on your motherboard. Electically-erasable devices are normally specified for 100,000+ program/reprogram cycles byt their manufacturers before a 10% shift is observed in the threhsold voltage for the internal MOSFET transistors. (I'm presently looking at an AMD/Vantis data book that has 150,000 cycles, minimum!)
The main wearout phenomenon for such a device is "hot" electrons that get trapped on the floating gate structures or within the insulating oxide barrier, making the transistor immune to programming. But htis process takes hundreds of thousands of programming/erasure cycles and/or very high storage temperatures (>200C).
I'm confident that you don't have enough spare time to flash your motherboard's BIOS EEPROM to failure!!
Tony
BEOR999
04-27-2000, 03:21 PM
Now that sounds like a challenge http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
Szech
04-28-2000, 12:12 AM
Yep, I just learned that in class today. Right when I woke up, he was talking about EEPROMs, and how after ~100,000 flashes, they lose quality.
SysOpt.com
Copyright Internet.com Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright Internet.com Inc. All Rights Reserved.