Hi Lost, I have an SPI programmer on the way, CH341A for 24 and 25 series (photo attached). Anticipate deliv Sep 1st I looked at the numbers on my chips and not sure if this device I bought will cover the serial #
AMI BIOS SN AI1316-A0-1719 (AMI BIOS claims that is a vendor serial and only ASUS would know how they have configured the BIOS)
Winbond 25Q256FVFQ 1733 (photo attached)
Are there any other chip # that would be important? Can get photos if needed.
At first I was hoping it was just blockage code that ASUS may have added in BIOS, or CPU IDs that were not in a catalog. But if it was that simple I suppose BIOS/Firmware wouldn’t be too secure:)
Thanks for following this rabbit hole, I’ll stick with it and try anything you & Pluto decide is worth trying
I am lost on your question, but if you are asking if the BIOS code itself can be put onto a 25Q256FVFQ chip yes, that wouldn’t matter. However, that chip is not physically compatible with the motherboard, remember you can only reprogram this board via SPI header, so no chip needed data from PC via USB over SPI to header on the board. If you meant to temporarily put BIOS code into the 25Q256FVFQ chip, to then push out via SPI cable to header that would be OK too, but it’s not needed as you can write directly from saved file/buffer in program to SPI header.
As an aside, but possibly also what you were asking, these are the flash chip ID’s programmed as “Compatible” into the BIOS code flash descriptor (Chips IDs in FD are not always required or the only compatible ones you can use though) 1F4700 (Atmel AT25DF321) EF3016 (Winbond W25X32) BF2541 (Microchip SST25VF016B) 1F4700 (Atmel AT25DF321) 1F4501 (Atmel AT26DF081A) 1F4600 (Atmel AT26DF161) C22014 (Macronix MX25L80) C22015 (Macronix MX25L16) C22016 (Macronix MX25U16) C22017 (Macronix MX25L64) C22018 (Macronix MX25L128) 9D7F7A (Unknown) BF258E (Microchip SST25VF080B) BF2541 (Microchip SST25VF016B) 208015 (Micron M25PE16) EF3014 (Winbond W25X80) EF3016 (Winbond W25X32) EF3017 (Winbond W25X64) EF4017 (Winbond W25Q64) EF4018 (Winbond W25Q128) EF4019 (Winbond W25Q256) EF6017 (Winbond W25Q64) EF6018 (Winbond W25Q128)
No, no progress yet due to risky testing, waiting on assured ability to recover from bad flash before trying any edited BIOS. And they are also trying to contact Asus directly in many ways to nudge them into fixing too.
Hey guys I have the same problem… Error code 66, I have dual QS QMS6 Xeon’s same microcode as retail. Tried the USB BIOS flashback option to update the bios… Not successful. These processors should be supported by BIOS 0303. The memory I currently have is not in the AVL list. Wondering if I should try some different memory? On YouTube a guy shows his QS dual CPU setup on the C621E running great! Would be really cool if you can figure out a workaround for the B0’s
Wow there are a surprising amount of people that are interested in getting this working. I think right now as mentioned before, we are waiting for maxdata to get the SPI programmer before continuing (or at least waiting for it to arrive), hopefully a breakthrough is made at some point. While I have returned my board, I am still keeping a close eye on this thread.
Asus social media needs a good blast from everyone following, seems like more people each day and probably some users haven’t made account here to mention they are waiting on fix too!
Not yet, it’s possible some of the BIOS mods I’ve made would work, but no one has SPI header cables yet to be able to confidently recover if there is an issue and the mod BIOS fails. Thanks for jumping in, please join the pestering on social media too, it may help! https://www.facebook.com/ASUS/ https://www.facebook.com/ASUSROG/
Do you have SPI header cables to use with a CH341A or other flash programmer?
maxdata here, I still have one of these boards. First spi programmer was lost in mail, Another one is on the way, has 10-pin spi cable which is needed.
LOST 'N BIOS has all the actual expertise. Still excited about trying Lost’s fix, still no help from ASUS from many contacts. ASUS still hasn’t even been able to tell me how to safely use the SPI port on their board - I asked them to provide the pinout, and tell me under what conditions to reprogram from SPI- CPU in or not, battery in or out, power on or not,
And on top of all that, the only response I get from them on the BIOS is that it will not support B0 CPUs. No apparent interest in providing a fix - yet. Maybe their share of the workstation market is so small they don’t care about losing it to Supermicro - X11DP boards work OK with B0.
Sorry I haven’t been faster- deadline for LLC and S-corp extensions is Monday. Tax time. Next week will be better
I suspect we are many, afflicted in silence, crippled by this ASUS work of art. All because we just wanted a 10% performance boost. Is that so wrong?
But we have Lost and Pluto on our side, there will be a solution.
Hey @maxdata - I’m not sure if I sent you BIOS, but I can make several ways, I sent one test method to someone in this thread but forgot who (probably you). Anyway, letting you know once your programmer arrives, don’t worry if first BIOS fail, it may not mean that’s all and give up, I can make several more BIOS testing different things/methods etc.
Be sure though, once your programmer arrives, that before you write anything to the BIOS chip, you get a confirmed verified backup dump using the programmer (read, verify then if main memory/buffer match chip = verified), then save.
Since Asus wont even reply to you with info or confirmation about the pinout (Lame!) you’ll have to go ahead and see if the current pinout images you have work to get a backup, if they do then all is good!
For the dump, you can do it with CPU in or out, doesn’t matter (any CPU, or no CPU). Hopefully we can get it fixed for you, and there is not some missing hardware limitation (like tiny 0201 or 0402 resistor missing or in wrong place or something silly small like that)
Hi Lost As soon as that programmer gets here, I’ll be right on it! Thanks for keeping this C621E thing in mind, I know there are other zillions of firmware problems just as significant and very few with the expertise to navigate it. Thanks!!
You’re welcome! Hopefully we can figure it out, since Asus does not seem to want to help you guys. I only wish someone with more BIOS editing experience would also jump in here with me, not now but speak up so I know I can reach out later if needed I mean.
My main concern which I cannot find/not familiar with locating or editing is some allow/disallow CPU QVL type list in BIOS, I’ve ran into similar issue on overclock.net forum with someone for the Intel Skulltrail D5400XS
I noticed a new bios 3002 was released a couple weeks ago, but then Asus pulled it, not sure why. I finally got my system to boot up, it was a memory issue for me. Email me @ [email protected],if you would like a copy of the bios, probably won’t be much help if you have b0’s.
BIOS ver 3501 will not flash on my system, and neither will any of their previous versions - your 0801 is the only one that would flash on my system, with or without RAM & other hookups. Still waiting for correct cables to arrive,
I briefly had hope with that BIOS 3501 update but it won’t flashback. Tried lots of .CAP name combinations in addition to the normal WSC621ES that their manual says. In attempting to flashback, every version of the BIOS I tried does 6 flashes then steady light(failure), and post still stops at 66.
ASUS claims to be working on my updated support request, after I have for the nth time sent them all data they requested, same as 2 months ago. Still have heard only from product support, not any response from engineering. Could it be time for them to grab a tricorder and check for signs of life in the BIOS engineering tower Just sayin’
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