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

[kasar]

@HairyCube

yeah, I have a hw recovery for the L502X ^_^

(well, I found there are two flash chips at the L502X, the one I modified to be extracted/dumped/flashed is the bigger one 4mbit, there are a smaller size one 512 mbit, I didnt installed anything on that one yet, however I am pretty satisfected with the modifications I made thanks to the HW programer )

oh, and as for the link you posted
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:bd8b50ebfc73b4f0ea53bda4f7f6a1861b1eb19c&dn=leaked%5Fbios
I cant open it with my browser, does it need to be opened with some kind of app?

edit: do you have pics of your recovery method from your L702X? , I'm allways curius in HW modifications

[Sebashi]

someone still alive here?



@timewalker

do you still interested on keep investigating/unlocking overclocking?

maybe if we combine our intel ME firmware and bios hacking knowledge we can get the overclocking menus from the advanced bios setup unlocked

I think you mentionated they were related with ME variables

Hello Kasar
First thank to you, Timewalker and jkbuha for this really deep investigation in that thread
I'm interrested as I've got an unlocked advanced menu that show up "Extented ICC" but even with a tweaked ME firmware, option are still greyed out and don't reflect what I set in FITC....
I get two brick with some wrong settings, but know I think there is someting that interfere and it seems that the ICC profile is not loaded ?
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-UN...VE1712-C5E

Maybe we could compare our ME FW as on my notebook, the bios show icc menu without ME mod.

So one question for you kasar, did you have to change other setting than the FCIM-BTM 11A33 to 11A34 ?
To get it working, I have been forced as it assign SSC3

I have also changed of course the range of the DIV-2S ... bios still show up the exact greyed out menu filled with original values.

The modded ME Firmware I've seen, your's HM67 , a Clevo Z77 and another unidentified one, show similarities that I have copied ... but no success for me.

[kasar]

@Sebashi

hey

oh, I see you managed to unlock your descriptor by doing the pinmod

as for BCLK overclocking, I was able to do only with XTU software after my ME firmware sucesfully mod.
and yes, I changed some others adjustments

give a read to this pdf

http://driveragent.com/c/archive/aa650e5...7.0.0.1144

your should find there what values need to be changed for FCIM overclocking

values needed to be changed usually are on green colour


I also modified some clock ranges

if you want to see my changes here is my modded me patch

http://www.mediafire.com/?tgv2qpll3patc2j

since you dont have my laptop, ignore all the other files and load the l502x_me_overclock_by_capitankasar.bin file on FITC to compare it with yours

---

oh, and as for the descriptor override by doing pinmod, I am interested.

I already modded it via a external programmer, but I am looking for easier ways for people trying to enable OC without desoldering the whole bios chip like I did.

here is a pic of my l502x motherboard, I can see 3 suspicius chips at this one.

do some of these is the one to be pinmodded?

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/1949/dsc0080fi.jpg

[Sebashi]

@ Kasar
Thanks for the reading, got the specific bring up ME 8 pdf

For the pinmod, what says 6 and 7 datasheet chipset series, is that the HDA SDO ( A for Audio) is sampled by chipset.
My ALC269 chip is located just near the line/mic plugs , It is strange that sound chip is related in bootstraps but ...
So I have first checked on ALC269C8C datasheet where were the HDA SDO pin .
On your picture, the JMB389 chip is your combo memory card controller, so not that one, the TPAc chip on the left top , no way, and can't read the right one with 52 pin.
I would suggest to check what is your sound chip exactly.

My first 3 try were unsuccessfull ... the wire is tiny almost as hair and difficult to solder on a tiny pin, and with a soldering too big, what a pain !
That's why I then choose to pick another spot with same potential.
That's also terrific to see that host cpu have suddenly permissions to do what you want
I was almost surrendering before a last try.

Of course now, I have an external SPI programmer ( EZP2010 ) that save me from 3 bricks unrecoverable with usual crisis method ;-p
Removing the Spi is not easy, I'm also getting lazy with this ^^

[kasar]

@sebashi

thanks for the info

never expected I had to look for the sound chip for that

found another pic of my mobo I took while doing the usb internal mod, the suspicius chip is there.
do you think that is the one to tweak?
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/6291/dsc0081rl.jpg

and yeah, soldering can be a pain, I was really frustrated trying to desolder and solder the bios chip and solder the wires to the chip socket I installed, took way long, but finally make it to work

---

do you use also sockets to remove your spi? or do you manually desolder/solder everytime you want to do a spi recover?

oh, and let me know if you can get your ME patch working

[Sebashi]

@sebashi

thanks for the info

never expected I had to look for the sound chip for that

found another pic of my mobo I took while doing the usb internal mod, the suspicius chip is there.
do you think that is the one to tweak?
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/6291/dsc0081rl.

Hmm nope I don't think it is there .. but can't read all ref on chip !
After a quick google, you should have a REALTEK ALC665 chip ...
Datasheet here
   
So it should have the same logo as mine to locate it .
PIN 5 is HDA SDO

and yeah, soldering can be a pain, I was really frustrated trying to desolder and solder the bios chip and solder the wires to the chip socket I installed, took way long, but finally make it to work

---

do you use also sockets to remove your spi? or do you manually desolder/solder everytime you want to do a spi recover?

I'm waiting for them ^^
I have ordered 2, it will be easer

oh, and let me know if you can get your ME patch working

The readings you linked to me is interresting ... it seems I must set SKU ID to HM77 to enable overclocking .
I also test CCT tool and I see that all my ICC registers are locked !
bad ...

[Emy]

I had some problems with the Bluetooth; basically it disappears from tray and Device Manager after a while.
I did a clean install and installed the latest driver; it worked three days and today is gone again.
To have it working, I had to remove the battery and wireless card, put them back and is working fine only for few days.
I also noticed that the Fn+F2, disabling/enabling the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth is not working, all the other Fn + combination are working fine.
Pressing Fn+F2 was not doing anything.
I said, to reflash the Bios to original one to see how it goes, surprise, the Bluetooth is back in Device Manager and tray, also the Fn+F2 is working fine now.
So, it seems that the modified Bios is causing this. Has anyone this problem?
I have N-6235 instead of N-6230.

[kasar]

@Sebashi

thanks

I got the PDF

but still need to confirm the chip is there,I cant take appart my unit now, but I told the notebook review forum guys to take hi ress pictures of all the chips if they can, I'm sure some of them have plans of take it appart in following days, so I will be able to confirm the chip.

oh, another question

in order to get the mod working, all needed is wire the HDA SDO pin to ground?

[Sebashi]

@ Kasar

Not to ground, only to pin 1 of the same chip. But it is really smaaaaaaaaall pin, so if you can follow where the 1 and 5 pins lead (and land) in an easier place to solder, then it will be fine ^^

[kasar]

thanks again for the info ^_^
pins 1 and 5 of the same chip, allright, this will be fun with the help of a multimeter