RX 417 Motherboard

[Elbe]

Who has any information or lead to information about the motherboard used on the RX 417. I´m used to getting all the motherboard details, like specs and user handbook with the purchase of my computer. Not so with this Sony. They leave the customer completely in the dark.

How should someone maintain a mechanically well build unit which actually deserves to be keept on the latest level. Not to mention some improvements or additions to the present configuration.

For example, I need to add a sound card. How do I disable the onboard sound?

I don´t know if I´m asking too much. I certainly don´t think so. I therefore appreciate any information which helps to maintain the unit as well as enables me to make my own technical decisions to that matter.

Thank you
Elbe

[EzDoezIt]

You can usually identify the motherboard by the BIOS ID. Have a look at :arrow: Wim's BIOS for help.

Usually integrated peripherals can be enabled/disabled in the BIOS setup. Press F2 when you start your computer and you see the SONY logo.

[Elbe]

Dear EzDoezit,
thank you very much for your response. The MIDI recommandation was very good and that will be the way I have to go because I don´t have any PCI slots left for a separate sound card.

With the motherboard I´m still in the dark. The award bios doesn´t help me with that. At least I do not know where to find any info about the board.

By the way, on that motherboard is also a "GPR" slot where the modem was installed in. Since I have ISDN, I took the analog modem out and installed an ISDN type into a PCI slot.

It works fine, but I could use the analog modem in another computer. However, I have not seen such GPR slot yet. Is there a way that the modem card could be installed via adapter into a regular PCI slot?

Thanks again for your help.

Elbe

[Sleeper]

I would also be very interested to know the motherboard in the RX417. Does anyone have any information on that?
Thanks for your help.
Sleeper

[EzDoezIt]

Elbe, what is your BIOS ID?

[Elbe]

Dear Eddy, thanks for hanging in there. The trouble is that I can not identify my Bios ID. In the Award BIOS setup it only shows Revision Nr. 1001, I can not obtain the ID number. I also tried to read anything during Boot-up. But it is blanked out. The first thing I see on the screen is the last line of info about the hard drive types, followed by the list of inerrupt assignments. After that XP starts. Now how do I get the ID number?

Appearently, there should´nt be too many motherboards around with that funny GPR slot for the modem. Well, at least I have not seen any yet. Do you know of any? It is like a kind of PCI slot with the same pin spacing but has only 11 and 19 pin positions.

What is so dissapointing that Sony did not provide any hardware documentation, and even worse, does not answer on any of my letters.

But that´s another matterr. Thank you for your help
Have a nice Sunday.
Elbe

[EzDoezIt]

Read the FAQ at the WimsBios site. They talk about a CTBios utility you can use to id your BIOS which you can then use to id your motherboard.

[Elbe]

Hi Eddie,
thanks for the tip. That c´t program worked fine. The BIOS ID is 08/20/2002-Sis651-P4S533VX. That tells pretty much everything. Bios date, chip set and board type. This motherboard is made by ASUS.
Unfortunately, the VX model is not listed on their official homepage. They only have P4533VM boards listed and that spec does´nt mention any special slot for the modem. The VX is probably an offspring of the VM. The VM only has the 3 PCI and 1 AGP slot. I will have to write to them for details about that special extra slot.

Anyhow, thanks again for your help.
Elbe