[Problem] BIOS Issue with Acer Predator Helios 300 15-53

[lokii]

Hello,

I’m facing some performance issues with my Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53. I had bricked the BIOS, so I sent it to get fixed. The reason it was bricked was because I updated the BIOS, which tanked my performance (I didn’t know if the temperature changed because I wasn’t tracking it at the time). I sent it to a friend of a friend, and it came back booting, but applications still failed to load assets and stuttered. So, I tried to roll it back, and to my surprise, it came back with a different BIOS name.

it was flashed with bios for a different variant of the laptop . The laptop originally came with a 2060 GPU(FH53M103), but the bios id (GH53M) with some light research its seems to be this variant PH315-53-17n4 model with a 3060 GPU.

Problem Details:

While the laptop still works for the most part, I’m experiencing significant graphical performance issues.
High temperatures 24 regardless of anything I’m doing ,
Games that ran fine before now stutter constantly and are unplayable.
Things don’t load correctly the first time.
I’m wondering if downgrading the BIOS to the previous version might resolve these performance issues, as the laptop was functioning well before the BIOS update.

Additional Info:

I can’t find the BIOS file for my specific model (3060 version) on the Acer website.
If downgrading is indeed the right course of action, I’d also like to know if there’s a way to modify the flash tool that Acer uses to ignore not only the older version check but also the GPU model check so that I can flash the correct BIOS.

my laptop :
Predator Helios 300 PH315-53:

The suspected laptop

I’d appreciate any advice on how to proceed with downgrading or flashing the correct BIOS, and if anyone knows where to find the correct BIOS file for the 2060 version.

Thank you in advance for your help!


Edit by Fernando: Thread moved into a better matching Category and thread title shortened/customized

[MeatWar]

By my understanding, this product presentation page and the NH.Q7XEK.001 support page (user didnt provided additional system IDs for exact identification…), contains a global download for all the sub-models with diffrent gpu’s, and not a “wrong bios flashed”
The same page provides 2 kinds of GPU firmware updates for discrete NV cards, have you checked them and your current system vbios?

1rst firmware link info:

[VBIOS Settings]
;;GN20-E3 = 0x2520
DeviceID1 = 0x2520
EXE1      = GN20_E3_v101.exe
Version1  = 94.06.19.00.67
;;GN20-E5 = 0x249D
DeviceID2 = 0x249D
EXE2      = GN20_E5_v101.exe
Version2  = 94.04.43.00.83
;;GN20-E7 = 0x249C
DeviceID3 = 0x249C
EXE3      = GN20_E7_v101.exe
Version3  = 94.04.43.00.84
;;GN20-E7 = 0x249C

2nd firmware link info:

[VBIOS Settings]
;;N18P-G61-A = 0x1F9D
DeviceID1 = 0x1F9D
EXE1      = N18PG61A_v101.exe
Version1  = 90.17.73.00.84
;;GN20-E3 = 0x2520
DeviceID2 = 0x2520
EXE2      = GN20_E3_v101.exe
Version2  = 94.06.19.00.66
;;GN20-P1 = 0x25A0
DeviceID3 = 0x25A0
EXE3      = GN20_P1_v101.exe
Version3  = 94.07.2A.00.F4
;;GN20-E7 = 0x249C

and… usually when we see notes like this in a bios vendor update…

it means indeed the systems runs hot…they dont want to get a bunch of RMA’s of failed systems due to so and they now have implemented automatic undervolt/underclock, leading users to see a decreased gpu gamming performance… my opinion only.
Being a laptop system…have you ever done regular thermal maintenance to it?
Such systems, as they run most of the time close to the edge on their internal temperatures, to prevent a possible trigger point on undervolt/underclock, plus system board damage, if they are not thermal otpimised and ventilated, will indeed behave like the described symptoms.

EDIT: Oh… you forced the flash, just great…theres your result.
Dont tell us now that the Insyde flasher didnt checked the board ID…

Link to the reported SNID NH.Q7YAA.001 on your capture, that if correct its the files you’re looking for.
Now at your risk, force it to flash, if possible or get an IC SPI flash programmer.
Nothing more to ad, good luck.

[lokii]

I didn’t expect a response so soon, but I updated my question plz give it a read over since the AI assistant kinda butchered it. Mb, Regarding the thermal check: I regularly clear the fan, but the thermal paste hasn’t been replaced for a while

update
“Oh… you forced the flash, just great…theres your result.
Dont tell us now that the Insyde flasher didnt checked the board ID…”

Thank you for responding so quickly, but I’m confused by your recent edit. I didn’t claim that the Insyde flasher didn’t check it. That’s actually why I’m here. The Insyde flasher does check it, and with my limited knowledge, I can’t figure out how to force it to not check or force a flash . The BIOS was “force-flashed” (pretty sure he flashed the bios chip directly ) by the repairman, and I just wanted to understand if there was any alternative solutions that i could do instead. Not sure how you came to that conclusion.