[Problem] Up-/Downgrading GA-Z97X-SOC BIOS

BIOS/UEFI Modding BIOS Modding Guides and Problems
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Anyways managed to flash F5 using the modded version of gigabyte flashing tool with no issues, I can see its now F5, but still can’t get into Windows nor Linux from my usb drive.

Either I need to clear my CMOS or I need to flash F3 (which is what I was using originally) and see if that works.

Edit: ok so I flashed F3 (using qflash) and that works, can boot into Linux from usb drive, but reason why I wanted to upgrade my bios version in the frst place was cause my programs or other programs like handbrake (when using high compression) will just crash my computer at a hardware level, doesn’t matter I use Windows or Linux, doing the exact same thing will crash my computer, doesn’t happen when doing it on other computers, after researhing my cpu is supported in F3 version, only since F5.

yet even F5 has issues not booting into any OS so no idea why this may be the case?

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@turner

After downgrading BIOS it is recommended to clear CMOS and load optimized defaults to remove any remnants of the previous configuration as it can sometimes cause weird issues.

Fast Boot can stop you from booting from USB devices so I would check if it is disabled.

If fast boot is already disabled is CSM enabled or disabled?

Can you please list your full PC specs (including the hard drives, CPU cooler and model/age of the power supply)?

Handbrake will work your CPU very hard, especially if using AVX2. Haswell/Devil’s Canyon has no AVX offset so you will need to monitor your CPU temperature to see if your CPU heatsink is adequate and if there is any CPU throttling. Throttlestop is very useful for monitoring for any type of throttling in real time.

If your power supply is old/cheap it may also be the cause of instability under high load.

Have you checked the voltage rails of your power supply in the BIOS?

Do you have XMP enabled?

Your RAM could also be a source of instability, I would test with XMP disabled and just use the SPD profile to see if the system stabilizes under load.

When you installed Windows did you use AHCI mode or was RST enabled?

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After downgrading BIOS it is recommended to clear CMOS and load optimized defaults to remove any remnants of the previous configuration as it can sometimes cause weird issues.

Got ya

Fast Boot can stop you from booting from USB devices so I would check if it is disabled.
If fast boot is already disabled is CSM enabled or disabled?

Had that disabled already.

Handbrake will work your CPU very hard, especially if using AVX2. Haswell/Devil’s Canyon has no AVX offset so you will need to monitor your CPU temperature to see if your CPU heatsink is adequate and if there is any CPU throttling. Throttlestop is very useful for monitoring for any type of throttling in real time.

I actually doubt that cause the second I run my program it immediately shuts my computer off, I doubt it can raise the temperature in one second. But yeah both uses AVX so yeah.

Can you please list your full PC specs (including the hard drives, CPU cooler and model/age of the power supply)?

For Drives, One is a kingston, another is a samsung, both are ssd and non OS drive is harddisk drive I think brand is WD.

CPU is i7-4790k as stated bios current version does not even support my cpu.

CPU cooler is liquid cooler. I ran the same program on my laptop and a crappy desktop computer with no liquid coolers so that doesn’t crash.

PSU model is RS-A00-AFBA-G1

Have you checked the voltage rails of your power supply in the BIOS?

No but I haven’t modified anything to do with voltage.

Do you have XMP enabled?

Nope nothing is overclocked.

Your RAM could also be a source of instability, I would test with XMP disabled and just use the SPD profile to see if the system stabilizes under load.

Already done a mem86 test on it (if that is suffice) and it passed.

When you installed Windows did you use AHCI mode or was RST enabled?

AHCI.

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@turner Thanks for the info.

I actually doubt that cause the second I run my program it immediately shuts my computer off, I doubt it can raise the temperature in one second. But yeah both uses AVX so yeah.

Liquid coolers can slowly leak over time (including AIO’s) and if there is air in the radiator that gets pushed to the CPU block the CPU can hit 100°C in a split second, I am speaking from personal experience (looking at you Corsair H80). It could be fine - I am just trying to rule out points of failure.

Your power supply is from 2013? This may be the cause of instability. I would definitely test handbrake with a different power supply to rule it out.

Have you tested different SATA ports when the OS won’t boot? It might be worth changing ports just to see if it behaves differently.

CPU is i7-4790k as stated bios current version does not even support my cpu.

The CPU support page is incorrect.

The 4790K shares the same CPUID (and therefore microcode) as the 4770K, which is 306C3 - if there was no microcode support present the motherboard would not boot.

All BIOS versions for this motherboard support Haswell Refresh, although the ME firmware was updated in F5 and later.

There are a few beta BIOS versions for this motherboard, the latest is F9c from 2018 if you want to test it:

Z97XSOCF-9c.zip (9.0 MB)

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Fair enough mate you could be right :slight_smile:

Your power supply is from 2013? This may be the cause of instability. I would definitely test handbrake with a different power supply to rule it out.

No idea actually, this PC was built in 2015, yeah it could be possible the powersupply has issues.

And when runing my software that depends on a library, the other bloke has advised me that his library uses AVX and that slightly raises the voltage to my CPU. So when debugging it, after running a function that uses his library it instantanously crashes so it may be something to do with the powersupply.

Have you tested different SATA ports when the OS won’t boot? It might be worth changing ports just to see if it behaves differently.

I could test it out, but then my USB drive’s ISOs all refuse to even boot as well (regardless of the OS).

The 4790K shares the same CPUID (and therefore microcode) as the 4770K, which is 306C3 - if there was no microcode support present the motherboard would not boot.

Ah right, well I had some other person that actually told me my CPU isn’t supported and showed me this page, didn’t realise they were mistaken.

There are a few beta BIOS versions for this motherboard, the latest is F9c from 2018 if you want to test it:

Thanks for the offer but sorry I don’t really feel like testing it out cause everything is now working and as you suggested its likely the power supply that may be the cause of the instability issues. But thanks anyways for everything, without you I wouldn’t have gotten my computer revived.

Is there a way I can donate to you guys?

1 Like
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@turner I understand if you just want to leave things the way they are, not having a stable/functioning PC can be frustrating.

There is no need for any kind of payment, the members of Win-RAID give their time and knowledge freely to help others, it was my pleasure to help.

I hope you get to the crux of the issue with handbrake, best of luck.

1 Like
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THanks mate :), I was in hell after I did a bios update, its a very expensive computer and it is still pretty good to this day.

There is no need for any kind of payment, the members of Win-RAID give their time and knowledge freely to help others, it was my pleasure to help.

Thanks bro, I actually learnt a lot about how computer’s bios’s work after this incident.

I hope you get to the crux of the issue with handbrake, best of luck.

Thanks mate :slight_smile: