@Fernando
I would do it but not sure what tool to use. The UBU tool did not detect any SataDriver and GopDriver inside the BIOS module, does that say something?
Yeah, the board should detect the EFI module inside the video card and display some output.
Just as I thought regarding the SataDrive module and AHCI mode.
Yes, this verifies, that they are not present within the BIOS.
Why would I need those two anyway? I use AHCI (no need for the EFI SataDriver) and use a discrete graphics card that has a UEFI BIOS (no need for the Intel GOP driver).
Your current system cannot use and doesn’t need the Intel SataDriver and the Intel iGPU GopDriver, that is true.
So that means that the PCI ROM Priority option is useless?
This BIOS option is actually useless for your special currently used system, but may be interesting for other Intel 6-Series Chipset users, who have access to a mainboard BIOS, which contains the required EFI "Driver" modules.
I understand. But what I don’t understand is what EFI “Driver” modules does a 6-series chipset BIOS need (in general, not my BIOS) for it to work with EFI boot?
My point is I don’t need the GOP Driver and SataDriver because I don’t use them, so why is the BIOS looking for those? Why is not looking for just the GOP driver inside my discrete GPUs?
AFAIK the EFI "GopDriver" module for the graphica adapter is absolutely required, if the user wants to install the OS in "pure" UEFI mode ("Compatibility Support Module" disabled).
Since the BIOSes of Intel 6-Series Chipset systems don’t have the option to disable CSM, users with such system are not able to install an OS in "clean" UEFI mode. Nevertheless they may be able to get Windows installed in UEFI mode using the modern "GUID Partition Table" (GPT) instead of the LEGACY MBR one.
For details you may look >here<.
When you power on your computer, the system knows nothing about your hardware configuration and the related BIOS modules. That is why everything has to be checked according to your BIOS settings within the "BOOT" section. That is why you should use the "LEGACY ROM" and not the "EFI Compatible" BIOS option, because otherwise the system will search for both sorts of BIOS modules (LEGACY and EFI), which will prolong the boot time.
If you want the shortest possible boot time and the best boot security for your system, you have to install the OS in "clean" UEFI mode, but this would require a new mainboard with an Intel Chipset from 7-Series up and an OS, which fully supports the related UEFI features.
If the graphics adapter doesn’t have the GOPDriver module in but I install Windows in UEFI mode using GPT (I was already able to do this in the past with this board), what advantage am I getting compared to the traditional MBR installation? And with this setup (not-pure UEFI), can I already use the EFI Compatible PCI ROM Priority option since it will already detect an EFI HDD/SSD instance?
Yes but then my GTX 670’s have a UEFI BIOS and the BIOS (when set to EFI Compatible) should see the GOPDriver inside the cards, right?
@ kevindd992002:
Regarding the differences between GPT and MBR please look >here<. The benefits of GPT vs. MBR are layed down >here<.
I think, that you will have to enable the "EFI Compatible" setting, if you want to get an OS installed in UEFI mode.
Yes, but the OS installation in UEFI mode should work even if there should not be an appropriate GopDriver within your graphics card BIOS.
Oh ok, I get what you’re saying. So the advantage would be it being GPT and nothing else because GPT needs a UEFI installation.
When I installed my Win7 OS in a GPT partition before, I kept it at Legacy OROM and it did install fine. I also confirmed with diskpart that it is indeed GPT and I have that “Windows Boot Manager” in my Boot options. I’m not sure if I can install it in EFI Compatible mode because I can’t even go to the BIOS if I choose that option, remember?
Ah, so the GOPDriver in the graphics card is only used during boot time to hasten boot speed and the OS doesn’t care about the card if it is UEFI or not.
@Fernando
It seems that I’m having the same issue that the OP in this thread had before flashing over a modified vBIOS to his cards: [Solved]Problems to get inserted SataDriver working in EFI mode
I see that you have the same board before and you knew about the “PCI ROM Priority” based on that thread. I guessed you just forgot over time, lol.
If I send you a copy of the vBIOS of my GPUs, would you be able to tell if it has the GOP driver inside it or not?
The mainboard BIOS and the BIOS of a discrete graphics card are different things.
If you should mean the BIOS of your discrete graphics card(s), I will probably not able to answer this question.
Yes, I know that the mainboard BIOS and the GPU vBIOS are two different things. The OP in that thread has a 7970 that had a “UEFI BIOS” according to the manufacturer also but he was having problems (black screen) when he switch the PCI ROM Priority to “EFI Compatible”. What he did was to flash a modified BIOS from another forum and that fixed the problem.
I just noticed in that thread that you did have the same board before and you were familiar with the PCI ROM Priority option also, I guess you just forgot about it already that’s why you forgot about it in your post in this thread: LEGACY/UEFI Boot BIOS settings , right?
Yeah, I was referring to the vBIOS. I’m just wondering if the GOP driver inside a vBIOS is easy to find and confirm that it’s there.
My currently used mainboard is an ASRock Z97 Extreme6 and this mainboard doesn’t have the "PCI ROM Priority" option and I indeed didn’t remember, that one of my formerly used mainboards (ASUS P8Z68-V and ASUS P8Z77-V) had it. Additionally I was wondering about the name "PCI ROM Priority", because it indicates a loading order between the different PCI ROM modules, but it means the priority between the LEGACY mode (Option ROM) and the EFI mode BIOS modules (SataDriver, GopDriver etc.). The EFI mode BIOS modules are no PCI ROM modules.
No, it is not easy. You cannot open a Video BIOS like a mainboard BIOS by using UBU or the MMTool.
Exactly. And I think the only problem I’m having is that somehow the vBIOS of my GTX 670 does not really have a GOP driver that’s why it cannot do a full EFI boot.
Since my Intel onboard GPU doesn’t have GOP driver too, I guess I’ll be experiencing the same problem if I try removing my discrete graphics card and use the onboard just for troubleshooting purposes, right?
Are you sure about that? This is easy to verify by using the UBU tool.
Yes, I already did. And I get "EFI GOP Driver - Not Present".
@kevindd992002
Can you upload a copy of each VBIOS? I can take a look at the GOP version and update it, if you want. If you have more than one, than you could easily test one before jumping to the other?
Sure. Well, I have two cards of the same type but they use different vBIOS revisions as recommended by Gigabyte. The one needs the F5 vBIOS and the other needs the F13 vBIOS.
Here’s the F5: http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/BIO…70oc_2gd_f5.exe
And here’s the F13: http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/BIO…670o2gd_f13.exe
They can also be found here: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product…x?pid=4211#bios and all changelogs are stated there.
Thanks.