DELL Precision 690 microcode update

[xMerySoul7842]

Has anyone had any luck with getting that microcode for the e5400 series added? I have tried to do so myself, however I am unable to flash my modified ROM. The only way to update the BIOS is using the Windows or Linux updater. I am also unable to repackage my ROM into the EXE since it is generated and not stored.

[DeathBringer]

I've analysed latest BIOS (A8) for DELL Precision 690 and found block of microcode on offset=0x52DB5 of hdr-file.

Code:

CPUID Offset Core (Stepping)
0F61  0070   Dempsey (B0)
0F62  0840   Dempsey (B1)
0F63  1010   Dempsey (B2)
0F64  17E0   Dempsey (C0)
06F1  5320   Woodcrest (A1)
06F4  62F0   Woodcrest (B0)
06F5  23B0   Woodcrest (B1)
06F6  3380   Woodcrest (B2)
06F7  72C0   Clovertown (B3)
06FB  8290   Clovertown (G0)

Only two bytes are used for CPUID. And all microcodes haven't headers.
Note: Dempsey - Xeon 5000-series, Woodcrest - Xeon 5100-series, Clovertown - Xeon 5300-series.
P.S. I think this motherboard don't support 45-nm core CPU.

[xMerySoul7842]

I've analysed latest BIOS (A8) for DELL Precision 690 and found block of microcode on offset=0x52DB5 of hdr-file.

Code:

CPUID Offset Core (Stepping)
0F61 0070 Dempsey (B0)
0F62 0840 Dempsey (B1)
0F63 1010 Dempsey (B2)
0F64 17E0 Dempsey (C0)
06F1 5320 Woodcrest (A1)
06F4 62F0 Woodcrest (B0)
06F5 23B0 Woodcrest (B1)
06F6 3380 Woodcrest (B2)
06F7 72C0 Clovertown (B3)
06FB 8290 Clovertown (G0)

Only two bytes are used for CPUID. And all microcodes haven't headers.
Note: Dempsey - Xeon 5000-series, Woodcrest - Xeon 5100-series, Clovertown - Xeon 5300-series.
P.S. I think this motherboard don't support 45-nm core CPU.

Thank you for taking the time to look at this.

I am not sure whether using a ROM or HDR file would be easier for this, but I have been using a ROM file. I have attached a ROM file that has the microcode I need. I put the microcode for cpu00010676_plat00000004 into the ROM at address 0x670B1. The microcode file has a much larger header (0x0 - 0x8F) than the 06F6 microcode (0x0-0x2F) as well as some extra information at the end of it (after 0xFEB) when compared to the 06F6 microcode, however since the ROM should be the exact same size, I just took the values from 0x30-0xFFF and pasted it over an existing microcode block. I think that's what to do, but I could easily be wrong. Microcode downloaded from here.

I just need a way to flash the BIOS with it. I tried to use PH1614, PHLASH16, and blind flash the BIOS, however none of these have been successful. The only way to flash the BIOS that I can see is to use the EXE that Dell has provided, and I haven't found a way to get the EXE to use my ROM.

I think that the ROM and HDR files that you can get from the EXE are generated, not directly stored, by the EXE. I am not confident enough to directly modify the EXE in this way. I will step through the EXE with a debugger and see if I can get it to use my ROM file, but I do not know if I will be able to accomplish this. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

The motherboard has an Intel 5000X chipset and the same socket, which, as far as I can tell, should be able to support the processor I have (E5405). Is there anything else that would indicate that it doesn't support the processor besides random people on Dell's forums saying it won't? As for the 45nm vs 65nm lithography, isn't that just the size of some internal components in the processor (and really shouldn't affect the motherboard)?

[DeathBringer]

Offset of block of microcode in rom-file is equal 0x62d61. It has special header which describe CPUIDs are supported.
To modify BIOS correctly you must edit this special header and only then overwrite microcode without first 0x30 bytes. But only two bytes are used for CPUID, so you can't add 0x010676 to it.
Read page #20 in Intel® Workstation Board S5000XVN User Guide:

Support for one from the following list:
• Up to two Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors 5000 or 5100 sequence with a 677-, 1066-, or 1333-MHz front side bus
• Up to two Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processors 5300 sequence with a 1066- or 1333-MHz front side bus
• Up to two 45nm 2P Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors. Product code S5000XVNSATAR and S5000XVNSASR only
• Up to two 45nm next generation Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processors. Product code S5000XVNSATAR and S5000XVNSASR only

So even Intel's motherboards have different revisions for supporting 45nm cores.
P.S. You can't flash Dell's BIOS by PH1614, PHLASH16, etc.

[xMerySoul7842]

It's unfortunate that the 45nm processors have more than four-character CPUIDs and probably won't work with this board. I am still going to try and flash the BIOS and see if it works -- if it doesn't work or even bricks the mobo, I will get a T5400 board, which supports the E54xx series. I think that I will just use 0676 as the CPUID.

I found the sections you were referring to. The only thing I really can't figure out is what the third and fourth bytes in each heading are. I see F6 06 80 33 00 00 32 42 43 57 -- F6 06 is the CPUID, 80 33 is ???, 00 00 is constant, 32 42 is the stepping, and 43 57 is the family/core. I just don't know what to put in those two bytes.

Do you have any suggestions for how to flash the BIOS with a modified ROM/HDR? I am currently at a loss.

[DeathBringer]

F6 06 is 0x06F6 - CPUID
80 33 00 00 is 0x00003380 - offset of body of microcode (without 0x30 bytes header) from begin of block (0x62D61 for rom-file and 0x52DB5 for hdr-file)
32 42 with bytes swap is a string "C2" - stepping C2
43 57 with bytes swap is a string "WC" - core Woodcrest
Phoenix Tool allow to edit some modules in Dell's BIOS ("Advanced" button), but can't edit microcode.
If you'll find other tool for it then overwrite microcode for useless CPUID=06F1 (for engineering simples). It has 0xFD0 bytes length, so you can overwrite it using 0x30-0xFFF bytes from cpu00010676_plat00000004_ver0000060f_date20100929.bin
Update: I have one idea. Please tell me S-spec of your 45 nm CPU.

[xMerySoul7842]

Processor S-spec is SLBBP.

[DeathBringer]

Processor S-spec is SLBBP.

It has CPUID=01067A, not 010676. Can you run it on other system and post CPU-Z text report?
Update: Found info in Internet:

Code:

Number of cores        4 (max 4)
    Number of threads    4 (max 4)
    Name            Intel Xeon E5405
    Codename        Harpertown
    Specification        Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5405  @ 2.00GHz
    Package (platform ID)    Socket 771 LGA (0x6)
    CPUID            6.7.A
    Extended CPUID        6.17
    Core Stepping        E0
    Technology        45 nm
    Core Speed        2000.5 MHz
    Multiplier x Bus Speed    6.0 x 333.4 MHz
    Rated Bus speed        1333.7 MHz
    Stock frequency        2000 MHz
    Instructions sets    MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, EM64T, VT-x
    L1 Data cache        4 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
    L1 Instruction cache    4 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
    L2 cache        2 x 6144 KBytes, 24-way set associative, 64-byte line size
    FID/VID Control        no

I'll write about results later...

[DeathBringer]

Have you any 45 nm Xeon (socket 771) with CPUID=010676? Microcode for CPUID=01067A has size 8K and I can't safely use it.

[xMerySoul7842]

Unfortunately, I do not have any 10676 processors to try it with.

I am guessing that there are others who would like a microcode update. As such, I'm willing to try and flash my motherboard with a modified BIOS that might support an 10676 CPU and see if it posts and boots to OS with my current processor. I also think that we can at least try to put the 1067a microcode in and overwrite two microcode sections, even though it will likely fail -- at first glace, the T5400A11 ROM seems to have variable-length microcode sections, and while it's unlikely that the 690 BIOS would support it, I'm willing to brick my motherboard to find out.

At the very least, how were you planning on getting the BIOS flashed? I'd like to be able to modify the T5400 BIOS, and it has basically the same BIOS update software.