Microcodes for Spectre & Meltdown Discussion

If use hwinfo64 please open the sensor tab and play a game like battlefiled.
After 30 minute what says in windows hardware section (whea)?
example
-http://cdn.overclock.net/d/d9/900x900px-LL-d9efb6a8_1.jpeg

You can try to read events in event logs. Run Event Viewer, locate log "Applications and Services Logs => Microsoft => Windows => Kernel-WHEA". There are two views there "Errors" and "Operational". Also you can check "Windows Logs => System"



I did not say it is not slower if you don’t overclock, I said that I didn’t see any WHEA errors in limited testing with no overclock. 23h has WHEA internal CPU errors where 22h does not, even when not overclocked but under load. I only bench marked overclocked but I expect 23h is slower than 22h no matter the clock speed. I got 9% slower on realbench @ 4.7 GHz

It’s kinda easy to update the tool so the user gets prompted to choose the correct microcode version (Example Socket 1151):

1. Add the Microcode file to > \UBU\Modules\mCode\1151


2. Rename the files so they look the same as the others example:

cpu000906E9_plat2A_ver0000007C_date03-12-2017.bin (Kabylake Microcode)
cpu000506E3_plat36_ver000000C2_date16-11-2017.bin (Skylake Microcode)

3. And then edit the bacthfile under \UBU\Modules\mCode\Sel1151.bat


Kabylake:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
 
echo		Select Microcode for CPU Kabylake (LGA1151)
echo.
echo 34 Version 34 Date 10-07-2016
echo 3A Version 3A Date 22-08-2016
echo 3C Version 3C Date 05-09-2016
echo 3E Version 3E Date 16-09-2016
echo 42 Version 42 Date 02-10-2016
echo 48 Version 48 Date 15-11-2016
echo 58 Version 58 Date 09-03-2017
echo 5E Version 5E Date 06-04-2017 - Bug fix HT
echo 7C Version 7C Date 03-12-2017 - Spectre Update
 


Find:
1
2
 

if /I %ec%==5E (set mc1=1151\cpu000906E9_plat2A_ver0000005E_date06-04-2017.bin) && goto mn_skl
 


Add After:
1
2
 

if /I %ec%==7C (set mc1=1151\cpu000906E9_plat2A_ver0000007C_date03-12-2017.bin) && goto mn_skl
 


Skylake:


Find:

1
 
echo 	BA Version BA Date 09-04-2017 - Bug fix HT
 


Add After:
1
2
 

echo C2 Version C2 Date 16-11-2017 - Spectre Update
 



Find:

1
2
 

if /I %ec%==BA (set mc2=1151\cpu000506E3_plat36_ver000000BA_date09-04-2017.bin) && exit /b
 


Add After:

1
 
if /I %ec%==C2 (set mc2=1151\cpu000506E3_plat36_ver000000C2_date16-11-2017.bin) && exit /b
 


Procces is the same for other sockets with there own microcodes!

Cheers!



Details about the method for utilizing the said VMWare driver can be found in this forum, too - see this thread

Hi all, 1st message on this forum :slight_smile:

This tool+BIOS is compatible with my ASUS z97 PRO GAMER? I wanna update my BIOS to get the last patch for Spectre vuln. but I’m not sure if this is the correct thread.

Anyone can confirm? Thanks! :slight_smile:

This is my current system:

Thanks for the modified tool. Worked like a charm on my MB (ASUS MAXIMUS VII FORMULA)…

ASUS MAXIMUS VII FORMULA.jpg



Hi, can you post the steps you followed to update your BIOS?

New microcode.dat
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/downloa…e-Data-File?v=t

PS Hey, my granddad IB-E 4930 received updated microcode: 428 => 42A!

Do you recommend updating microcode with Vmare tool under windows ?
https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmware-cp…e-update-driver



It depends on the CPU. My IB-E has no HW support for mitigation against BTI, but new microcode brings that HW support, and it happens that Windows kernel is loaded before VMware driver and it sees that there is no HW support and disables the mitigation. Only after I patched the BIOS file and flashed it Windows enabled the mitigation. So if your CPU has HW support for BTI mitigation (with current microcode) then you can use VMware driver.

Microcode r23 works perfictly on maximus hero VII with devils cpu i can even oc to 4.8 with no issues and its more stable. MIX with windows updates. I have Me firmware updated to latest so no issues.

It seems that Westmere will also get a microcode update on January 26 (or earlier) - as the HP Z400 Workstation uses it and will get a BIOS update on that date according to: https://support.hp.com/de-de/document/c05869091

It seems that Westmere will also get a microcode update on January 26 (or earlier) - as the HP Z400 Workstation uses it and will get a BIOS update on that date according to: https://support.hp.com/de-de/document/c05869091

Computerbase reports, that the VMWare driver method actually doesn’t work on Windows because the driver gets loaded too late for the Windows Kernel check to enable the mitigations.

I am confused : on Intel website I can find CPU microcode update for my i7 2600k dated 20180108 but it is taged as a Linux thing.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/downloa…e?product=52214
Can I use that inside UBU to update my cpu microcode ?



You can. File "microcode.dat" is a container with microcodes. Microcodes can be extracted as bin-files and used with UBU. If UBU supports the platform (socket) of your CPU then you can just select freshly bin-file (UBU offers menu item for that) and it will be written into BIOS file.



I can confirm that. But this is a problem only if CPU has not HW support for mitigation. So for such CPUs UBU is the way.

There is no new microcode for ivy and sandy, in the .dat file the microcodes are 1C (2015-ivy) and 29 (2013-sandy) … :frowning:



yep, I have discovered that too…

The big winners in the end : Intel, AMD, Google…

hi, i have an i7 6700k on an asus z170 sabertooth s. can you make a download for my system, i know how to use ubu but nit how to update the microcode, last ubu microcode is ba and i need it to be c1. hope you understand what i need. thanks.