(UEFI) Dell XPS 15z L511z modded BIOS - and HOWTO

[jkbuha]

I like this approach TW. Sure we cannot use variables for now but it does the job. I've plugged it into my DSDT and the fan is noticeably quieter in OSX, particularly on web browsing & light apps.

We really need to find out how a compiled AML can be integrated back into the BIOS. Windows would *really* benefit from this.

Great job mate.

[TimeWalker]

Please be advised, that in order to re-parse these settings by ACPISpensors any of the software that utilizes SMC keys and thus reparses DSDT methods is requires to run (iStat Pro, Nano or HWMonitor), otherwise you fan may stuck in off mode, especially with second approach.

I had to replace separate 1 bit registers meant for fan control with a single 1 byte register at offset 0x60 to be able to override it properly, not sure what's the deal there..
Replace:

Code:

FCNT,   1,
                        FTST,   1,
                            ,   3,
                        FADJ,   1,
                        TCTL,   1,
                        FATO,   1,

with just:

Code:

FORD,   8,

1.
This will result in fan spinning at around 2800RPM constantly thus cooling your machine and eliminating the erratic fan behavior that is normal for our class of machines. I prefer it this way because it used to be like that on my old Asus laptop - the fan would constantly spin at round 2.5k rpm and increase speed only when temps reach 65C during some mid-to-heavy load.

Code:

Method (FANC, 1, NotSerialized)
                    {
                        If (LAnd (LGreaterEqual (^^EC.FLVL, One), LLessEqual (^^EC.FANO, 0x02)))
                        {
                            If (LAnd (LGreaterEqual (Arg0, 0x0CAA), LLessEqual (^^EC.DTS1, 0x37))) //if temp dropped below 55C, but fan is still above 3242 rpm
                            {
                                Store (Zero, ^^EC.FLVL) //make fan drop speed gradually
                                If (LAnd (LGreater (Arg0, 0x0900), LLess (Arg0, 0x0B00))) //is speed dropped to about 2800 rpm
                                {
                                    Store (Zero, ^^EC.FORD) //override auto mode, make fan stay at 2800 rpm
                                }
                            }
                        }

                        If (LAnd (LEqual (^^EC.FLVL, 0xFF), LGreaterEqual (^^EC.DTS1, 0x41))) //if fan is in manual mode and temps reach 65C
                        {
                            Store (0x40, ^^EC.FORD) //reenable auto mode
                        }
                    }

2. This will keep the fan off at most times, but will allow EC to kick in when temps reach certain temp. This is the way it is supposed to work when setting trip temperatures for high and low in BIOS.. but they don't seem to work... at all.

Code:

Method (FANC, 1, NotSerialized)
                    {
                        If (LAnd (LGreaterEqual (^^EC.DTS1, 0x28), LLessEqual (^^EC.DTS1, 0x44))) //if temp is in 40-68C range
                        {
                            If (LAnd (LGreaterEqual (^^EC.FLVL, Zero), LLessEqual (^^EC.FLVL, 0x04))) //if fan is off or at any operation level
                            {
                                If (LEqual (Arg0, Zero)) //if fan is off
                                {
                                    Store (Zero, ^^EC.FORD) //we sue want to keep it like that
                                }

                                If (LGreaterEqual (Arg0, 0x0CAA)) //if fan seed is above 3242 rpm
                                {
                                    Store (Zero, ^^EC.FLVL) //we want to make it drop gradually
                                    If (LAnd (LGreater (Arg0, 0x0B00), LLess (Arg0, 0x0C00))) //if it has dropped between 2816-3070 rpm
                                    {
                                        If (LLessEqual (^^EC.DTS1, 0x3C)) //and temp has dropped below or to 60C
                                        {
                                            Store (One, ^^EC.FLVL) //we want to shut off the fan this very instant
                                            Store (Zero, ^^EC.FORD) //and override the auto mode to keep it off
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        Else
                        {
                            Store (0x40, ^^EC.FORD) //if tems are higher than 40-68C range we need auto mode to kick in
                        }
                    }

[newname]

Hi everyone,
I am new to modding. I'm trying to mod my dell n5110's bios to enable uefi booting. The latest bios version is A11.
I have got these pieces of software: phoenix tool 202, MMtool 4.5, Windows grep, Hex Editor neo. And I'm running windows 8 pro x64.

Following the howto on page 1 of this thread, I'm having these problems:
1. I cannot find the *.WPH as instructed in 'HOWTO hack your own BIOS'.
2. I used phoenixtool to open the original bios and now I've got a DUMP folder. I use window grep to search the files in the DUMP folder for the string 'AdvancedSetup.efi'. That string doesn't exist.

I know this thread is for dell 15z, but I do hope that you can help.

Thank you a lot.

[jkbuha]

Hi and welcome aboard. At the moment, as your bios is AMI not Phoenix and we currently have not found any way to unlock the features.

Hopefully we'll also be able to unlock this BIOS soon as well.

[newname]

Many thanks jkbuha, for I won't have to waste my time searching for a way.

regards,

[TimeWalker]

Turns out there's a kext and even an app to control fan is OSX on Dell machines.. there are even sources published for it, which need minor tweaking.
Search for i8kfan.kext and i8kfanGUI.app by PotatoSalad and or i8k.kext by tweakbsd. Both of these solutions are based on i8kutil code from linux.
The later implementation from tweakbsd is able to override automatic BIOS mode but doesn't work with the GUI app.. he hasn't published sources though so how he does thus through DELLDIAG is unknown. For me it behaves erratically - it will freeze the system for half a second every couple of seconds because it accesses SMI on 0xB2 to get and set data.. not sure if it is the case with Inspiron and Latitude machines for which this stuff was originally written in Windows back in 2003 I believe. It was ported to linux in 2005, first ported to OSX in 2007 and now updated this autumn of 2012.

I'm bloody tired of waiting for my HDD caddy to arrive, so I'm holding away installing the SSD. Probably will repaste while i'm in there ..
@kasar did your laptop drop temps significantly after repasting?

[kasar]

yeah, after repaste and dustfilter removal the temps droped significally ^^

that plus the undervolted bioses make the laptop like a fridge


oh, will you pinmod the machine to bypass the descriptor wehn you take it appart? ^^

it would be fine if someone else confirms ME firmware mods working on their machines

as far I know I was the only able to get it working here.

http://forum.techinferno.com/general-not...ptops.html

moral hazzard tried but did not gained BCLK overclocking, I guess I am a lucky guy or just the most mad to take the freaking chip out (several times)

[kasar]

hey guys, give a look to this topic

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps...os-34.html

"followme" managed to backup and flash the bios from the shell on his L702X, he also have another interesting ideas like replace the diagnosis tool with a external uefi shell, I think that should be more usefull than just diagnosis tools since we seems unable to just enable the internal efi shell directly ^^

[TimeWalker]

Nothing really new there besides the idea of swapping ePsa for shell, which is somewhat useful. The uefi unlocked from factory and enabled BIOS for xps17 is a private case, which allows the user of a given model to launch uefi stuff from recovery capsule, for us this is not the case. In a retrospective there a clue to setting uefi mode as always enabled in the a19 BIOS of xps17. Comparing old and new versions of the setup advanced module can lead us to a byte that needs flipped. Regarding the flasher from the capsule - I had it launched from shell before, but there is virtually no point in this for us because uefi is disabled as an option and as you mention it, setting it enabled will unload capsule from memory.

---

@kasar
try swapping:
00 5B 0D 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 5B 0D 01 00 00 00
with
00 5B 0D 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 5B 0D 01 00 00 01
in PlatformSetupAdvanced to see if this sets UEFI boot as enabled by default ...
I won't be around my laptop till tomorrow evening.

[t6590]

@jkbuha how did you OC your cpu i have same computer with the exception of the cpu being core i5
2540m running at 2.5ghz(3.1 turbo)...i'm not sure i understand your previous post on the matter.
maybe let me see your clover config file or something.

and also do you get any trackpad issues using clover....since i moved from chameleon its all over the place.