DELL Precision 690 microcode update

[DeathBringer]

What is your current processor? Please tell S-spec.
Two microcode sections have size 2*0x0FD0=0x1FA0 bytes, but we need 0x1FD0 bytes for 01067A microcode.

[xMerySoul7842]

Apparently there are two -- SL9RR and SLABH. Both are 06F6 CPUID and have almost the same spec. I'm guessing it's SLABH since cpu-world lists it as a 40w TDP and the other is a "low-power" processor. HWInfo picture here

There is a block of 0-filled bytes from 0x60-0x8F in the 1067a microcode that you could remove to trim it down to size, though I doubt it's a good idea to do that.

[DeathBringer]

Apparently there are two -- SL9RR and SLABH. Both are 06F6 CPUID and have almost the same spec.

OK. So rewriting microcode for CPUID=06F6 is impossible.

There is a block of 0-filled bytes from 0x60-0x8F in the 1067a microcode that you could remove to trim it down to size, though I doubt it's a good idea to do that.

It's a very bad idea!

[henriquepena]

What is your current processor? Please tell S-spec.
Two microcode sections have size 2*0x0FD0=0x1FA0 bytes, but we need 0x1FD0 bytes for 01067A microcode.

Hi, I have this:
CPU: Intel Xeon 5410@2.333MHz (Harpertown) / FSB 1333
S-Spec: SLANW
CPUID: 10676h
Core stepping: C0
Core voltage (V): 0.95 - 1.225

And I has tried two modded bios by chris89 (A07: https://mega.nz/#!m1ongaKI!U3_9kLi30zohI...B3WBHVxcdE and A08: https://mega.co.nz/#!39hkGYoA!SilzMg6jq8...iAiCX7UZTY)

and aftermath:
Power ON
NO video
NO keyboard Led
LEDs 3 and 4 Solid + Power LED Green Solid.

but I can try other versions. =D

[DeathBringer]

henriquepena
Thanks for your info!
I'll check modded BIOS (by chris89) and write later.
P.S. Does your native CPU work with chris89's mod?

[henriquepena]

henriquepena
Thanks for your info!
I'll check modded BIOS (by chris89) and write later.
P.S. Does your native CPU work with chris89's mod?

Yes

[xMerySoul7842]

Power ON
NO video
NO keyboard Led
LEDs 3 and 4 Solid + Power LED Green Solid.

I have the same result with my CPU when I put it in. Default BIOS, revision A07. BIOS does not even POST. It's entirely possible that modding the BIOS to support the E54xx CPUs will be much more difficult than before, if not impossible.
For clarification, there is zero output. No video, no sound. No BIOS post. No "incompatible CPU" message. I thought that was just how the BIOS handled incompatible CPUs, but it might be a different issue entirely.

[DeathBringer]

I've made own mod of BIOS. But I think it will not help, cause it's very similar to chris89's mod.
Note: 010676 only.
Update: I think my mod is useless, so I've delete it.

[sbergeron]

I'm probably posting a duplicate of some obscure info somewhere, but in quite a bit of searching I haven't found anything that directly addresses my dilemma.

I have a dell precision 690 with an 0MY171 motherboard that is revision A00, and currently I have the A08 bios installed. From hours of research, I've found a couple places where people have said that quad core x53XX CPUs do not work at all on this specific motherboard revision, even though they can be made to work somewhat on older motherboard revisions and the A02 revision of my board model. It appears as though the hardware should be completely able to support the CPU I'm hoping to use, but the bios doesn't have the correct microcode for it. I have no idea where to begin on this, and haven't exactly found a huge amount of info on how to add microcode to a bios image or get it onto the motherboard even.

What I'm looking to do is add microcode for an Intel Xeon x5355 CPU such that I can actually get 8 threads on this thing. Thank you so much in advance for any pointers or other help.

[DeathBringer]

Post screenshots of first (CPU) & third (Mainboard) tabs of CPU-Z.

Motheboard:
Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
Model: 0MY171 Rev: A01
Chipset: intel 5000X Rev: 12
Southbridge: Intel 6321ESB Rev: 09

BIOS Properties
BIOS Type Phoenix
BIOS Version A08
System BIOS Date 04/25/08
Video BIOS Date 09/26/09

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.

What's kind of X5355 you have? Please tell S-spec of it.
Did you try to boot system with this CPU?