Migrate from MICRON to WINBOND SOP8 SPI flash

[gagarasta]

Hello guys, I need some advises.

I'm buying used Elitebook 840 G1 laptop with EC & Main BIOS chip in it. The EC is Winbond 25Q16BVSIG and the Main chip is Micron N25Q128A. My laptop randomly crashing with glitched screen and static sound, and then it won't turn on with 3x5 blinking capslock (which I know it's board failure).

Then I tried to reprogram these chips with different softwares. I'm using CH341A, default CH341A software for winbond and using asprogrammer for micron (since micron chip cannot be reprogrammed using default software). It's work and my laptop normal again.

The chips looks like ever been desoldered before. My first question is whether the laptop crashing because the bios chips are damaged?

If I want to replace the Main chip can I use Winbond 25Q128FVSG instead? (micron chip not available in my country).

I also attach a document found from internet, not sure if it helps. I don't really understand about technical thing so I need your help.

thank you

[piernov]

Re: Migrate from MICRON to WINBOND SOP8 SPI flash

Random hardware crash is not caused by the BIOS. This is just a coincidence. More likely to be a RAM issue for example.

As for replacing the chip by another model, it may or may not work. Depends if the board and the BIOS were designed to support different models or not.
One thing is the ME region has a VSCC table of supported chips. If the chip you use is not in that table, it'll cause problems.
Better to use the same model as the original chip to avoid issues.

[SMDFlea]

Re: Migrate from MICRON to WINBOND SOP8 SPI flash

The 25Q128FV is supported.You can open your bios with UEFITool to see the VSCC table.The bios ID is EF4018 ,search on google for Winbond EF4018 or Winbond EF 40 18

I agree with piernov,a random hardware crash is not caused by the BIOS.

[gagarasta]

Re: Migrate from MICRON to WINBOND SOP8 SPI flash

Random hardware crash is not caused by the BIOS. This is just a coincidence. More likely to be a RAM issue for example.

As for replacing the chip by another model, it may or may not work. Depends if the board and the BIOS were designed to support different models or not.
One thing is the ME region has a VSCC table of supported chips. If the chip you use is not in that table, it'll cause problems.
Better to use the same model as the original chip to avoid issues.

Thank you for reply, and just as I thought I never know about this VSCC table. I want to stick with the same chip model but I can't find anywhere in my country, so I have to find alternative.

I may take your advice, it may be not the bios chip, it may be the ram or something else, I'm using diferent RAM brand with the same spec, only the timing slight different. What makes me to think it is the motherboard was the blinking count.

The 25Q128FV is supported.You can open your bios with UEFITool to see the VSCC table.The bios ID is EF4018 ,search on google for Winbond EF4018 or Winbond EF 40 18

I agree with piernov,a random hardware crash is not caused by the BIOS.

Thank you SMDFlea, I feel very reassured now and yes I'll let my laptop run for a while. I hope the problem doesn't occur again because it's very troublesom to reprogram the chip again.

Thank you guys for your informations