There is no KB2685811 available for Windows 8/8.1 x86/x64, but nevertheless ASRock has put the notice into its driver support page for Windows 8.1. Look here:
[[File:ASRock ME driver warning.png|none|fullsize]]
I recently flashed v9.1.2.1010 onto my B85 motherboard. According to the first post in this thread, I should have flashed v9.0.31.1487 (1.5MB) .However that one refused to flash. What’s more, the old.bin that the flasher generated is 3.88MB in size. Did I flash the right firmware?
The old one: https://mega.co.nz/#!ydhByJJA!yd_Fw26OJk…CnqT29wruzHO8qU
@ Mangix:
As long as you don’t have any problems with the ME9 Firmware v9.1.x.xxxx, I do not recommend to “downgrade” to v9.0.x.xxxx.
What does the MEInfo tool show?
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Intel(R) MEInfo Version: 9.1.2.1000
Copyright(C) 2005 - 2014, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Intel(R) ME code versions:
BIOS Version: P2.10
MEBx Version: 9.0.0.0011
Gbe Version: 1.3
VendorID: 8086
PCH Version: 5
FW Version: 9.1.2.1010 H
LMS Version: Not Available
MEI Driver Version: 10.0.20.1258
Wireless Hardware Version: Not Available
Wireless Driver Version: Not Available
Not sure if anything else can be updated in that list. This seems to work fine though.
Then I recommend to let everything regarding Intel ME as it is now.
@lordkag or @Fernando - I have carefully read through this thread for the last couple days hoping to find the answer without having to ask. our answer on post #143 is the closest I found but need to verify … here goes the "ask".
I have (HP workstation) ME 7.1.60.1193 installed and want to upgrade to 8.1.52.1496 (or latest) so, can this be done with the ME 7.x tools. I have tried the ME 8.x tools and I get errors just as @Proman28 found.
@ Malet:
Weilcome at Win-RAID Forum!
Why do you want to upgrade the Intel ME Firmware version branch from v7.x.xx.xxxx to v8.x.xx.xxxx? Do you have any problems, which may be caused by your current ME Firmware?
No, you cannot change the Intel ME version from ME7 to ME8 by using any of the official ME Firmware installers.
By the way: Your question has aready been asked within this Forum. Look >here<.
Regards
Fernando
@Fernando - On one of my HP workstations has ME 7.x.xx.xxxx and I have to disable the ME/AMT functions via a jumper on the motherboard to allow it to work with Ivy Bridge (V2) XEONs. As long as the ME/AMT is enabled it will not go through POST, just sits there like a brick. I have a second workstation with the same exact motherboard and BIOS but it came with ME 8.x.xx.xxxx. On that workstation the Ivy Bridge XEONs work perfectly.
There must be a utility (albeit, confidential) since the same physical board comes with either v7 or v8 ME versions. I could just disable the ME/AMT via the jumper and move on but as a tinkerer I just can’t let this go 
Are you sure, that both computers are using the same mainboard model (incl. Revision) and the same BIOS version as well?
Since I have never tried to "upgrade" the Intel ME version to another level (your example: ME7 > ME8), I cannot really help you. Have you already tried to contact HP as your workstation manufacturer?
By the way: I just found >this< thread about the same topic, but I don’t know, if it will help you.
@Fernando - Yes it is the same motherboard revision and BIOS. I did contact HP and confirmed that they do have a utility to update the ME but it is proprietary and will not release it. So it can be done
Thanks for the link to the thread. If I come up with a process, I will let you know.
Hi Fernando I’m new around here, first I want to say ty and congratz for your hard work here. Veo q por tu nombre supongo q hablas en español originalmente no?
I have an asus p8z68-v pro, i5 2500k and a Vertex 4 (ahci mode) as my system drive. Yesterday I made a fresh OS install of win8.1 64bits. I’ve read this thread and installed the Intel MEI drivers v10.0.20.1258 WHQL via device manager and update the firmware to v8.1.52.1496. Is it OK??
Ty and let me know if u speak spanish, so I can stop writing in my poor english haha.
@ Algy:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!
Yes, now your Intel 6-Series chipset system has the latest Intel MEI Firmware and the latest Intel MEI driver.
My mother tongue is German, but my Forum is an English language one. I do not accept any posts, which were written in another language (not even German ones). The sense is, that all visitors of the Forum should be able to read and understand all posts (provided, that they know a little bit English).
Regards
Fernando
Yes, now your Intel 6-Series chipset system has the latest Intel MEI Firmware and the latest Intel MEI driver.
My mother tongue is German, but my Forum is an English language one. I do not accept any posts, which were written in another language (not even German ones). The sense is, that all visitors of the Forum should be able to read and understand all posts (provided, that they know a little bit English).
Regards
Fernando
Thanks for the reply Fernando! I’ll post in other section some doubts about the SATA drivers.
For your name I thought you were from a spanish country haha, anyway thanks for clear my mind about this IME thing!
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here again. I’m transitioning to using Windows 8.1 x64 now and I wanted to know which is the best firmware/driver for my setup. Fernando, if you remember I’m using these:
Asus P8Z68-V/GEN3 board
Plextor M3 SSD in AHCI
I do overclock my system’s CPU and GPU. What is the best MEI firmware and driver for me? And what RAID OROM driver should I be needing? I’m using it’s best to use the latest BIOS version for my board?
Thanks for your help.
With my ASUS P8Z68-V running Win8.1x64 I had the best results after having flashed the Intel ME8 1.5MB FWUpdate v8.1.52.1496 and installed just the attached HECI driver v9.0.0.1287 dated 05/14/2013 from wihin the Device Manager. According to my experience the newer Intel MEI TEE driver doesn’t work as stable with Intel 6-Series chipset systems. Nevertheless you may try to install the latest Intel MEI Drivers v10.0.20.1258, which are part of the complete Intel MEI Set v.10.0.25.1048.
As long as you are running your Intel SATA ports in AHCI mode, the Intel RAID ROM version of the BIOS doesn’t matter, because it will not be used by the OS. If you should plan to create a RAID0 array at any time, I recommend to insert eiter the Intel RAID ROM v11.2.0.1527 (best RAID0 performance in combination with the RST RAID driver v11.2.0.1006) or v12.9.0.2006 (most recent good working combo with the RST(e) RAID driver v12.9.4.1000).
Yes!
Great. Do these affect overclocking capability at all though?
If I decide to go with RAID0, which is better between the v11.2.0.1527 and v12.9.0.2006 that you recommended?
And other than those two drivers, are there any firmware (inside the BIOS) like Intel Gigabit LAN firmware that I need to update to get best performance?
EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded quoted text removed to save space within this thread
Probably yes, if you should switch to a RAID0 system. You may be able to do some overclocking with a RAID0 system as well, but you will reach a limit at an earlier point than with an IDE or AHCI system.
You will get the best performance with the v11.2.0.1527/v11.2.0.1006 OROM/driver combo.
You can update other OROM modules of your BIOS, but you will not realize any performace boost.
By the way: The LAN OROM has no function unless you are using the Wake-on-LAN feature.
How does hard drive speed correlate with CPU/GPU overclocking? Do they really affect each other?
I think you mean 11.2.0.1527/11.2.0.1006 OROM/driver combo, right?
What are all OROM modules available for my BIOS?
Yeah, I actually do use WOL so I might as well update the LAN OROM also? Not sure how though.
Try it yourself. As long as I had overclocked my CPU (I don’t do it anymore), I could do it only while running in AHCI mode. As soon as I switched to a RAID0 configuration, my system became extremely instable with the previous OCing settings.
I think you mean 11.2.0.1527/11.2.0.1006 OROM/driver combo, right?
You are absolutely right - it was a typo, which has already been corrected by me.
I do not really know what you mean, but the most important, not AHCI/RAID related OROM modules are listed within the first post of >this< thread.
The easiest way is to let UBU do the job for you.
Oh ok, I thought it was the other way around, more overclocking stability with RAID0 compared to AHCI.
Alright then. Who is UBU? Is he a member in these forums as well?
EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded fully quoted text removed to save space