Sabertooth X58 Bios mod

[pir8man]

@Lost_N_BIOS thank you for the triple channel info. i was unaware that this board can treat 4 sticks as triple channel.

VaLeRO's memory kit has XMP profile for dual channel, I believe the profile is incorrect when the sticks are being addressed in triple channel mode.

@VaLeRO just stop trying to use the XMP profile and setup manually. or select the XMP and change the memory installation to dual channel. Either way and you should find your MCU needs much less voltage to run your memory at 1600mhz. Personally, I would not expect that XMP profile to work at all when you have the sticks installed in triple channel mode.

Now on to the boot block error. You downloaded my latest from the Gdrive and it is corrupt? drat. Please test the W10R for me also. if both are fuxored, I will rebuild/replace them.
Please test both of the S20 also. I want to make sure I am not putting out bad versions.

[ValeRO]

@Lost_N_BIOS   thank you for the triple channel info. i was unaware that this board can treat 4 sticks as triple channel.

VaLeRO's memory kit has XMP profile for dual channel, I believe the profile is incorrect when the sticks are being addressed in triple channel mode.

@VaLeRO just stop trying to use the XMP profile and setup manually. or select the XMP and change the memory installation to dual channel.  Either way and you should find your MCU needs much less voltage to run your memory at 1600mhz.  Personally, I would not expect that XMP profile to work at all when you have the sticks installed in triple channel mode.

Now on to the boot block error.  You downloaded my latest from the Gdrive and it is corrupt?  drat.  Please test the W10R for me also.  if both are fuxored, I will rebuild/replace them.
Please test both of the S20 also.  I want to make sure I am not putting out bad versions.

I don't use XMP profile anymore, just to show the values from CPU-Tweaker for Lost_N_BIOS.
I will test it after work with dual channel setup.

Yes, I downloaded it from your Gdrive, the file itself is not corrupt, only when I tried to flash the BIOS file.
I will test it for you with the rest of your modified files after work, I saw also that you have the trim version, would you like me to test that too?

*Update:
S20-w10r: successful flashed, black screen when Overclock Ai used, after forced reboot: overclock error message. Back on default settings and works normal. (example, DRAM Frequency on 1333, the rest I didn't touch)
S20-any: successful flashed, black screen when Overclock Ai used, after forced reboot: overclock error message. Back on default settings and works normal. (example, DRAM Frequency on 1333, the rest I didn't touch)
S21-w10r: successful flashed, black screen when Overclock Ai used, after forced reboot: overclock error message. Back on default settings and works normal.(example, DRAM Frequency on 1333, the rest I didn't touch)
S21-any: successful flashed, black screen when Overclock Ai used, after forced reboot: overclock error message. Back on default settings and works normal. (example, DRAM Frequency on 1333, the rest I didn't touch)

Now back on stock BIOS 1402 with working DRAM Frequency 1333mhz.

[Lost_N_BIOS]

You're welcome pir8man! All X58 can do that, but I am not 100% certain all use exact same slot for 4th module. With 5 modules, I don't know what happens, I'd have to setup a board and test sometime

I agree, the XMP is not going to be ideal for this board, 4x4 and 2x2 kits were not designed for this chipset, and usually have too tight of subtimings, which is why I mentioned the major offending ones I did, they're usually the main culprits when kits are designed to be ran on board other than X58. This kit is 1.5v too, so probably made for Z77 or later.

I also agree, while XMP makes things easy for users, since he's here getting help already might as well set a few things manually and be done with it so no more struggling to get stable. 999-24 at 2T should be a breeze for any CPU, even at 1T, but 4x4 puts a strain on the IMC, so a little finesse will be needed I think he will need to manually adjust tRFC, tFAW, and tRRD, along with setting 1.5V memory and 1.2-1.3 QPI/Dram (but stock may be OK at these speeds/timings if he has a good IMC)

ValeR0, please make a new CPU-tweaker screenshot at 1600Mhz, seeing applied settings used at 1333 is no help since you are not planning to use that speed.

[pir8man]

ok, so no bad boot blocks. must have been a glitch...
I just uploaded an S21_TEST rom for VaLeRO.
this has the OROM updates but none of the CPU MicroCode updates of S21 release.
Please let me know if this acts like the OEM 1402 bios for you.

[ValeRO]

ok, so no bad boot blocks.  must have been a glitch...
I just uploaded an S21_TEST rom for VaLeRO.
this has the OROM updates but none of the CPU MicroCode updates of S21 release.
Please let me know if this acts like the OEM 1402 bios for you.

This did the trick, now I can use Overclock Ai without issue.

[ValeRO]

You're welcome pir8man!  All X58 can do that, but I am not 100% certain all use exact same slot for 4th module.  With 5 modules, I don't know what happens, I'd have to setup a board and test sometime

I agree, the XMP is not going to be ideal for this board, 4x4 and 2x2 kits were not designed for this chipset, and usually have too tight of subtimings, which is why I mentioned the major offending ones I did, they're usually the main culprits when kits are designed to be ran on board other than X58.  This kit is 1.5v too, so probably made for Z77 or later.

I also agree, while XMP makes things easy for users, since he's here getting help already might as well set a few things manually and be done with it so no more struggling to get stable.  999-24 at 2T should be a breeze for any CPU, even at 1T, but 4x4 puts a strain on the IMC, so a little finesse will be needed  I think he will need to manually adjust tRFC, tFAW, and tRRD, along with setting 1.5V memory and 1.2-1.3 QPI/Dram (but stock may be OK at these speeds/timings if he has a good IMC)

ValeR0, please make a new CPU-tweaker screenshot at 1600Mhz, seeing applied settings used at 1333 is no help since you are not planning to use that speed.

Alright, see screenshot with dual channel setup (on suggestion of pir8man).

I didn't touch the tFAW & tRRD because I don't know what the value should be (don't have enough knowledge to understand the right value).
With the tRFC, I can't go higher then 160 in the BIOS. So for now it's on Auto mode, until you recommend otherwise.
Setting is still on 1.5V memory and 1.25 QPI/DRAM.

[pir8man]

Okay, we found the problem...  The CPU Microcode updates are changing your CPU setup to not work with that memory's XMP profile.  I am not surprised since it was not installed proper for the XMP profile itself.  It is surprising that it even works with the XMP profile with the older microcode though.

I still have not read if installing the memory correctly for the XMP profile will allow it to work with the newer CPU microcodes for you. (?)

[Lost_N_BIOS]

Please upload image of CPU-tweaker with all the memory installed, since that is your goal. That way I can see what the board is applying via auto and can advise you on setting manually.

Ouch! 160 limitation in tRFC, that's going to be a huge problem if it's solid. I saw 200soemthing in a previous image, so hopefully that limit changes once you have all memory installed again. Otherwise, to run stable you may be limited to 3x4GB

pir8man - seems like one of the microcodes didn't like his CPU, try 2015 version instead if you were using 2018 before.
Ohh, I see you commented this later!

[ValeRO]

Okay, we found the problem...  The CPU Microcode updates are changing your CPU setup to not work with that memory's XMP profile.  I am not surprised since it was not installed proper for the XMP profile itself.  It is surprising that it even works with the XMP profile with the older microcode though.

I still have not read if installing the memory correctly for the XMP profile will allow it to work with the newer CPU microcodes for you. (?)

I don't know either to be honest, here is the link to the product website: https://www.gskill.com/en/product/f3-12800cl9q-16gbzl

[ValeRO]

Please upload image of CPU-tweaker with all the memory installed, since that is your goal. That way I can see what the board is applying via auto and can advise you on setting manually.

Ouch!  160 limitation in tRFC, that's going to be a huge problem if it's solid.  I saw 200soemthing in a previous image, so hopefully that limit changes once you have all memory installed again.  Otherwise, to run stable you may be limited to 3x4GB

pir8man - seems like one of the microcodes didn't like his CPU, try 2015 version instead if you were using 2018 before.  
Ohh, I see you commented this later!

I just saw on their website of my RAM module and saw a crucial thing....it isn't compatible at all with X58, this is a huge mistake I made. See: https://www.gskill.com/en/product/f3-12800cl9q-16gbzl

I will leave it for now as it was, with everything on Auto. Until I can afford to buy another RAM set which is compatible with X58. Oh stupid me!