How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

[Amurtigress]

CPU-World: Microprocessor news, benchmarks, information and pictures and filtered for my chip's CPUID 206D7. I found that even the new 3970X has the same CPUID, and if it's true that the microcode is applied according to the CPUID string, it would mean there might not be a newer microcode revision for our C2 chips, zerowing. It is entirely possible however that this now bigger microcode chunk would run Ivy Bridge-E on my board.

Anyway here's a new BIOS modder for ya. It's relatively easy once you got the chunks of info together...

[zerowing]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

This guy had 70C Microcode Update on i7-3930K C2 many months ago on a cheap ASRock board, Gigabyte never released it to its customers:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEAQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.computerbase.de%2Fforum%2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D340545%26d%3D1368036501&ei=27HjUb6HKvLE4gSxrIGoBQ&usg=AFQjCNEKlsN7r9rzlLeTr0Ejg-MfdM5lLQ

HWiNFO64 Version 4.16-1900

ROBIN-PC ------------------------------------------------------------------

[Current Computer]
Computer Name: ROBIN-PC
[Operating System]
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (x64) Build 9200

Central Processor(s) ------------------------------------------------------

[CPU Unit Count]
Number Of Processor Packages (Physical): 1
Number Of Processors Cores: 6
Number Of Logical Processors: 12

Intel Core i7-3930K -------------------------------------------------------

[General Information]
Processor Name: Intel Core i7-3930K
Original Processor Frequency: 3200.0 MHz
Original Processor Frequency [MHz]: 3200
CPU ID: 000206D7
CPU Brand Name: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3930K CPU @ 3.20GHz
CPU Vendor: GenuineIntel
CPU Stepping: C2
CPU Code Name: Sandy Bridge-E
CPU S-Spec: SR0KY
CPU Thermal Design Power (TDP): 130.0 W
CPU Thermal Design Current (TDC): 200.0 A
CPU Power Limits (Max): Power = Unlimited, Time = Unlimited
CPU Power Limit 1 (Long Duration): Power = Unlimited, Time = 10.00 sec [Unlocked]
CPU Power Limit 2 (Short Duration): Power = 300.00 W, Time = 0.01 sec [Unlocked]
Number of Overclocking Bins: Unlimited
CPU Type: Production Unit
CPU Platform: Socket R (LGA2011-0)
Microcode Update Revision: 70C
Number of CPU Cores: 6
Number of Logical CPUs: 12
[Operating Points]
CPU LFM (Minimum): 1200.0 MHz = 12.00 x 100.0 MHz
CPU HFM (Maximum): 3200.0 MHz = 32.00 x 100.0 MHz
CPU Turbo: 3800.0 MHz = 38.00 x 100.0 MHz [Unlocked]
CPU Current: 3700.1 MHz = 37.00 x 100.0 MHz @ 1.2560 V
CPU Bus Type: Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) v1.1
Number of QPI Links per CPU: 1
Current QPI Link Clock: 3200 MHz (6.40 GT/s)
CPU Bus Type: Intel Direct Media Interface (DMI) v2.0
Maximum DMI Link Speed: 5.0 GT/s
Current DMI Link Speed: 5.0 GT/s
[Cache and TLB]
L1 Cache: Instruction: 6 x 32 KBytes, Data: 6 x 32 KBytes
L2 Cache: Integrated: 6 x 256 KBytes
L3 Cache: 12 MBytes
Instruction TLB: 4 KB Pages, 4-way set associative, 64 entries
Data TLB: 4 KB Pages, 4-way set associative, 64 entries
[Standard Feature Flags]
FPU on Chip Present
Enhanced Virtual-86 Mode Present
I/O Breakpoints Present
Page Size Extensions Present
Time Stamp Counter Present
Pentium-style Model Specific Registers Present
Physical Address Extension Present
Machine Check Exception Present
CMPXCHG8B Instruction Present
APIC On Chip / PGE (AMD) Present
Fast System Call Present
Memory Type Range Registers Present
Page Global Feature Present
Machine Check Architecture Present
CMOV Instruction Present
Page Attribute Table Present
36-bit Page Size Extensions Present
Processor Number Not Present
CLFLUSH Instruction Present
Debug Trace and EMON Store Present
Internal ACPI Support Present
MMX Technology Present
Fast FP Save/Restore (IA MMX-2) Present
Streaming SIMD Extensions Present
Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 Present
Self-Snoop Present
Multi-Threading Capable Present
Automatic Clock Control Present
IA-64 Processor Not Present
Signal Break on FERR Present
Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 Present
Carryless Multiplication (PCLMULQDQ)/GFMUL Present
64-Bit Debug Store Present
MONITOR/MWAIT Support Present
CPL Qualified Debug Store Present
Virtual Machine Extensions Present
Safer Mode Extensions (Intel TXT) Not Present
Thermal Monitor 2 Present
Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 Present
Enhanced SpeedStep Technology Present
L1 Context ID Not Present
IA32 Debug Interface Support Not Present
Fused Multiply Add Not Present
CMPXCHG16B Support Present
Send Task Priority Messages Disabling Present
Performance/Debug Capability MSR Present
Processor Context ID Present
Direct Cache Access Present
Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.1 Present
Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.2 Present
Extended xAPIC Present
MOVBE Instruction Not Present
POPCNT Instruction Present
TSC-deadline Timer Present
AES Cryptography Support Present
XSAVE/XRSTOR/XSETBV/XGETBV Instructions Present
XGETBV/XSETBV OS Enabled Present
AVX Support Present
Float16 Instructions Not Present
Random Number Read Instruction Not Present
[Extended Feature Flags]
64-bit Extensions Present
RDTSCP and TSC_AUX Support Present
1 GB large page support Present
No Execute Present
SYSCALL/SYSRET Support Present
Read/Write FS/GS Base Instructions Not Present
TSC_THREAD_OFFSET Not Present
Bit Manipulation Instructions Set 1 Not Present
Hardware Lock Elision Not Present
AVX2 Instructions Not Present
Supervisor Mode Execution Protection Not Present
Bit Manipulation Instructions Set 2 Not Present
Enhanced Performance String Instruction Not Present
INVPCID Instruction Not Present
Restricted Transactional Memory Not Present
Cache QoS Monitoring Not Present
Deprecated FPU CS and FPU DS Not Present
RDSEED Instruction Not Present
Multi-precision Add Carry Instructions Not Present
[Enhanced Features]
Thermal Monitor 1: Supported, Enabled
Thermal Monitor 2: Supported, Enabled
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep (GV3): Supported, Enabled
Bi-directional PROCHOT#: Enabled
Extended Auto-HALT State C1E: Enabled
Extended Stop Grant State C2E: N/A
Enhanced Halt State C3E: N/A
Enhanced Halt State C4E: N/A
Enhanced Halt State Hard C4E: N/A
Hardware Prefetcher: Not Supported
DCU Prefetcher: Not Supported
IP Prefetcher: Not Supported
Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch: Not Supported
MLC Streamer Prefetcher Supported, Enabled
MLC Spatial Prefetcher Supported, Enabled
DCU Streamer Prefetcher Supported, Enabled
DCU IP Prefetcher Supported, Enabled
Intel Dynamic Acceleration (IDA) Technology: Not Supported
Intel Dynamic FSB Switching: Not Supported
Enhanced Multi Threaded Thermal Management: N/A
Intel Turbo Boost Technology: Supported, Enabled
Programmable Ratio Limits: Supported, Disabled
Programmable TDC/TDP Limits: Supported, Disabled
[CPU JKT/IVT Features]
PCLMULQ Instruction: Enabled
PECI: Enabled
ART (Always Running APIC Timer): Enabled
Segment-Limit Checking 64-Bit Mode: Disabled
GSSE Instructions: Enabled
XSAVEOPT: Enabled
XSAVE: Enabled
AES: Enabled
TSC Deadline: Enabled
SMI Inhibit with Opt-out SMM: Enabled
LT SX (TXT for Servers): Disabled
LT Production: Disabled
SMX: Disabled
VMX: Enabled
VT-x3: Disabled
VT Real Mode: Enabled
VT CPAUSE: Enabled
Multi-Threading: Enabled
LLC Ways: 0.5 M (4 lower ways)
Programmable TDP Limits: Enabled
EP 4S Config: Disabled
EP (1S/2S) Config: Enabled
EN (1S/2S) Config: Disabled
UP (1S/WS) Config: Enabled
Memory Channel Mirroring Mode: Disabled
Memory LT Support: Enabled
Memory Frequency Support: Over-Clocking Supported
Physical Address Size Supported: 46-bit
Soft SKU Feature: Disabled
QoS: Disabled
Extended APIC: Enabled
CPU HOT ADD: Disabled
RAS (Data Poisoning, MCA Recovery): Disabled
DCA: Enabled
QPI Link 1: Disabled
QPI Link 0: Disabled
Thermal Profile: Custom (HEDT)
NTB: Disabled
RAID-on-load: Disabled
PCIe LT SX: Enabled
PCIe LT: Enabled
PCIe Gen 3: Enabled
PCIe DMA: Enabled
DMI: Enabled
Patrol Scrub: Disabled
Rank Sparing: Disabled
LOCKSTEP: Disabled
CLTT: Enabled
UDIMM Support: Enabled
RDIMM Support: Disabled
3N Mode: Enabled
DIR: Disabled
ECC: Disabled
QR DIMM: Disabled
4Gb DDR3: Enabled
8Gb DDR3: Disabled
Memory Channel 0: Enabled
Memory Channel 1: Enabled
Memory Channel 2: Enabled
Memory Channel 3: Enabled
[Memory Ranges]
Maximum Physical Address Size: 46-bit (64 TBytes)
Maximum Virtual Address Size: 48-bit (256 TBytes)
[MTRRs]
Range 0-400000000 (0MB-16384MB) Type: Write Back (WB)
Range 400000000-440000000 (16384MB-17408MB) Type: Write Back (WB)
Range 440000000-450000000 (17408MB-17664MB) Type: Write Back (WB)
Range AE000000-B0000000 (2784MB-2816MB) Type: Uncacheable (UC)
Range B0000000-C0000000 (2816MB-3072MB) Type: Uncacheable (UC)
Range C0000000-100000000 (3072MB-4096MB) Type: Uncacheable (UC)

Motherboard ---------------------------------------------------------------

[Computer]
Computer Brand Name: Unknown on Noname
[Motherboard]
Motherboard Model: ASRock X79 Extreme3
Motherboard Chipset: Intel X79 (Patsburg)
Motherboard Slots: 2xPCI, 5xPCI Express x1, 1xPCI Express x8, 2xPCI Express x16
PCI Express Version Supported: v3.0
USB Version Supported: v3.0
[PCH Features]
USB Port Count: 14 ports
RAID Capability: RAID0/1/5/10
SATA Ports 2 and 3: Supported
SATA Port 1 6 Gb/s: Supported
SATA Port 0 6 Gb/s: Supported
PCI Interface: Supported
PCI Express Ports 5 and 6: Supported
USB Redirect (USBr): Supported
Intel Anti-Theft Technology: Not Supported
PCI Express Ports 7 and 8: Supported
PCH Integrated Graphics Support: Not Supported
Data Center Manageability Interface (DCMI): Supported
Node Manager: Supported
[BIOS]
BIOS Manufacturer: American Megatrends
BIOS Date: 02/27/2013
BIOS Version: P2.40
EFI BIOS: Capable
Super-IO/LPC Chip: Winbond/Nuvoton NCT6776

[zerowing]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Here some guys were discussing about Asus motherboards and microcode updates for overclocking purposes.

New Bios 3504 - Page 6

03-21-2013 04:26 AM #60
R4E3960X
R4E3960X is offline
ROG Guru: Orange Belt


[ATTACH]6006[/ATTACH]


According to SiSoft Sandra 2013 recently beta and Intel developer forum document. The most update microcode for X79 platform is "70E".

Hope next revision of RIVE BIOS we could have the lastest microcode for all.

[zerowing]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

The latest SiSoft Sandra 2013

SiSoftware

reports MU062D0710 so microcode update 710 is the latest available for i7-3930K C2 that Intel gave to OEMs.
Gigabyte left its customers with 70B and doesn't care.

[Amurtigress]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

OK. Problem is MMTool extracts the microcode section of ASROCK Bios files. But it can't replace them in the Gigabyte Bios files because of the stupid MMTool crashing in the microcode tab. How does one convert this to module format so I can replace it in MMTool?

Any help with this? Stasio?

Also, any ways of extracting that from ASUS' .cap BIOS files?

Edit: I took my Gigabyte-BIOS and deleted all modules in it that had no filename. That was to prevent the microcode tab from crashing.
Once I did that, I imported the microcode patch module that Stasio pointed me to-apparently he messed up 206A7 and 206D7! And I found that there is simply no microcode update included for CPUID 206D7. They are all 06A* , prolly only for Ivy Bridge. The file is labelled wrongly!

We definetly need to figure out a way to convert what we get out of for example a ASUS BIOS and a way to import it into MMTool.

And no you CANNOT use a microcode for a socket 1155 CPU on socket 2011... <facepaws> Almost killed my primary BIOS with that last night...


Edit 2:
<Prof. Hubert Farnsworth> Good news everyone!

My system is now running on microcode 070D! This microcode update came from Intel's Linux Kernel microcode update file released in March 2013. The 070D microcode file however has a date going back to May 2012. Currently my BIOS mod contains microcodes for CPUID 206D6 and 206D7. I am not sure if that covers all available Socket 2011 chips but I will check that out. Anyway, I can always do the same patch for UD3 boards, too.

[SolidBladez]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

It's actually very easy to see which CPU patches Gigabyte incorporated. In MMTool, click on Extract tab and you'll find two GUID listed as "17088572-377F-44EF-8F4E-B09FFF46A070". One is listed at volume 01 / index 00 and the other is further down at volume 02 / index 00 (taken from X79-UD3 F12 BIOS). Highlight the second one and click Extract UnCompressed. You can save the module as anything you want. After you click the Extract button, go to Replace tab, highlight the first GUID, and click Replace and Save Image. You should now be able to view the CPU Patch tab without it crashing.

[Amurtigress]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

@SolidBladez: Two thumbs up dude, thanks a bunch! That really helped.

A bit of an update. I've made me a BIOS now that has as many CPUIDs covered.

F13s-Amurmod1 supports CPUIDs 206D1-206D3 (Engineering samples?), 206D5-206D7 (Most Xeon E5 and i7s), and 206E2 (unknown). ASUS BIOSses also support 206E4, also unknown but MMTool has it's limits.

A word to Zerowing here: I was going through quite some forums. An ASUS employee stated that not all microcode updates they receive are introduced in their release biosses, but only if they improve overclockability. Even their latest biosses (I checked!) are still at 070C for our processors. 070C might even be better for us, given that CPU specimen plus microcode version plus analog properties of a different board model might make it an entirely different story than reducing it to "The newer the better"...Also, 070D is the newest that Intel officially released for the Linux community. I suspect we won't notice much, if anything, unless we are going to the very limits, like >5 GHz or trying to overclock with as little voltage as possible for a given clockspeed.

Still I can make you a BIOS supporting 070D for you, or 070C. At your own risk, however, since I have no means to try that BIOS out without a UD3 board.

What am I gonna do next? Adding oroms? ^.^

[rickfabio]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Hi there

Been going nuts trying to flash the me firmware. I've tried everything, from all the mod bioses, stock bioses, creating a bin with fitc like some suggested.....nothing works.
If i use the fptw64 method it keeps giving me messages that the size of the file will be truncated to fit the writing area due to it being smaller in size. If i say yes, it hangs the pc....
If i use the fwupdlol64 method it gives me error about unable to check current firmware paramaters.
could you link me to the firmware and app you used as well as what bios and me driver that was installed when you were successfull?
Much appreciated

[Amurtigress]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Hello,

I am not sure anymore. It must have been the standard V7 driver tho and the V8 flasher from the 8.1.40.1416 ME package....Not every build of the ME firmware works however, you should use this package from Station-drivers. Other flashers/versions have failed on me too that weren't suitable for X79 boards. My BIOS back then was the F13s for X79-UD5, not UD3!

intel drivers pour chipsets
Scroll down to:
Firmware Version 8.1.40.1416(1.5Mo)
Alternate link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ekdb56cb9g0d5df (Taken from Virtualfred's signature)

I flashed it with the FPT flasher for Win64 version 8.1.10.1286 included in the ME package, same version number as the ME after the flashing will have despite build no. 1416 in the file name. I copied the ME binary file over tot he flasher directory, renamed it to me.bin and used the meupdate.bat to flash.

... hope that helps. Let me know!

On a side note:

The ME and GBE areas of the BIOS are SKIPPED by the flasher built into the BIOS and the Windows flasher. This is to have the GBE and ME persist across BIOS updates.

The restore.bat of that package CAN be used to overwrite both, but a bit of a warning here: Using a regular BIOS file with restore.bat WILL overwrite the MAC adress of your onboard LAN and set it to 88-88-88-88-87-88. The only way to fix this is to change the MAC adress of the GBE firmware within the BIOS editor to your board's original MAC (search for 8888888788 in your BIOS file with a hex editor, should be at offset 1000h and replace it with the original MAC) and then use restore.bat with that mac-modified BIOS file!

[stasio]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Thanks Amurtigress,for explanation.
Btw,

Alternate link: ME_8.1.40.1416 Firmware.7z (Taken from Virtualfred's signature)

is also here (same link):

http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/30530-latest-overclocking-programs-system-info-benchmarking-stability-tools.html

[rickfabio]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Thanks a million guys.....

In the end it was all my fault......like a right royal noob i have always used @bios to flash my board.....unbelievably at least 10 times, with no apparent issues till now. I figured something wasnt right with the bios flash (f14mod2) as the release notes claimed an ME fw upgrade to 8..... while mine was still showing 7..... and the fpt flash kept throwing me firmware check errors.
Anyhoo....a qflash (as per the sticky) and all went through flawlessly.

On another note, i reall someone mentioning the Gbe Fw upgrade to 1.5.....any tips on that?
Thanks again!!

[Amurtigress]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Thanks a million guys.....

In the end it was all my fault......like a right royal noob i have always used @bios to flash my board.....unbelievably at least 10 times, with no apparent issues till now. I figured something wasnt right with the bios flash (f14mod2) as the release notes claimed an ME fw upgrade to 8..... while mine was still showing 7..... and the fpt flash kept throwing me firmware check errors.
Anyhoo....a qflash (as per the sticky) and all went through flawlessly.

On another note, i reall someone mentioning the Gbe Fw upgrade to 1.5.....any tips on that?
Thanks again!!

I found the ME8 actually being in the latest F13t BIOS for the UD5 board, but as I found out when updating my GBe firmware, that neither the ME region nor the GBe regio are flashed with Gigabyte's flashtools.

As for the GBe: See here, just posted today

http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/53618-x79-intel-gbit-lan-gbe-firmware-update-howto-also-socket-1155-1150-a.html

[rickfabio]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

LOL

Im actually just finished following your instructions....
just about to flash....

[rickfabio]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

wooooohoooooo



Thanks a heap Amurtigress!!!

And on another note....
whats with the not so random math to post quizz:)

[Amurtigress]

Re: How to upgrade mei on my ga-x79-ud3

Yer welcome Rick!

Confirmed: Works on X79-UD3. Check!

Isn't it nice to beat stubborn hardware into submission? ^.^