[LinuxBIOS] top hat flash - dual-bios-circuit / secrets revealed

[Quux]

David H. Barr schrieb:
>> Probably a lot like the TiVo PROM back-to-back socket.  Basically two
>> plcc32 sockets soldered back to back with a few pin tweaks.  Yet
>> another variation on dead-roaching or piggy-backing a chip.
>>
>> "tivo prom piggy" should get you there as a search query.  I've
>> occasionally wondered how hard it would be to have something like this
>> manufactured, thereby bypassing the whole TopHat / BIOSSavior vendor
>> specific issue.
>>   
>>     
> I 'll keep you guys informed.

here are some of my findings:

the "top hat flash" ( = thf ) does not necessarily brick your board if 
non-Elitegroup.
it does, however, not boot either if the chip types (spare and original) 
do not match. (no display on POST card)
some boards have poorly placed bioses where thf is impossible to hot unplug.

I believe, thf will we useable on a GA M57SLI board with soldered on 
plcc32 bios. Advantage : no need to solder or rewire. 
--Q