REQUEST Bios Flash for ROG ASUS Apex XI Z390

@lost_n_bios.
i actually have a z390 board it is the eatx version of fr33thys board. so u say that now theres no need to do the mods as in this thread since it is all automated (too good to be true :blush:) ?
im just very careful, my last bios usb flashback made big problems and screwed up my intel ethernet mac id which luckily was still saved in router…

i need to phisically solder cpu pins btw?

@philsrb -Sorry, I misunderstood and though you meant you needed to make that CPU work with this board, and it didn’t originally, so I thought you meant Coffee mod type edits

Please make a list of exactly what you want done. And, if your Board does not have USB Flashback, give me your BIOS region FPT dump
If your board has USB Flashback, link me to the stock BIOS version you want edited.
Please also tell me which exact microcode version you want inserted

my board has usb bios flashback yes…as for microcode versions, i dont really know, on without spectre and meltdown as it seems those yield better performance and lower temps.
currently i run https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LG…E-ASUS-1005.zip

if you could mke a custom bios for me that would be great. also, if u would show me how it is done, i could make custom versins for a few of the available bioses and make em available for testing…for example running 1105 (next verdion after the one i use now) broke hackintosh compatibility for some reason.
to be precise, i would wanna make a modded version for 0805, 1005 and 1305
to compare them feature/peformance/hackintosh wise

@philsrb - I can make you BIOS, but if you want microcodes changed you need to tell me what CPUID (or what CPU you have) and what version you want them changed to (this is not something I choose/decide about)

For MAC/OSX, you need to modify the BIOS again probably, CFG lock and or MSR 0x02 edit, and disable VT-d. But, since you use MAC/OXS, I assume you already know about these things and how to edit them, correct?

I don’t really have time to make a stack of BIOS versions for no good reason. And Yes, I could show you about editing the BIOS to make settings visible, but to do microcode edits can be very involved so I don’t have time to show that, we already have a few guides on this here and how to fix FIT once you are done.

alright ill get into it to see which microcode.i will also see if latest bios is ok so if it is ill prefer that one modded. my cpu is intel core i9 9900k, it is model 9e stepping c revision p0

so i tested the newest bios version and it wouldnt work with clover osx boot…acpi errors. i guess they changed something there.
so i will go with 1005.
https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LG…E-ASUS-1005.zip
now, regarding microcode, i really dont know.i want to get rid of the software patches for spectre and meltdown, thats main reason for me patch for me.

@Lost_N_BIOS @chinobino many thanks for sending cpu MCs not sure which one would be better between 6A and 6E but both looks very interesting since they’re before security patches, also Lost I sent you my bios dump check your inbox and thanks man :slight_smile:

Here’s another microcode for 906EA before being patched for Spectre V1, cpu906EA_plat22_ver00000070_2017-08-23_PRD_711B866C.bin

cpu906EA_plat22_ver00000070_2017-08-23_PRD_711B866C.rar (93.1 KB)

Thanks man, do you have any changelog for these 3 2017 mcs?
I’m mostly leaning towards ver 6A which should be the oldest one, but not sure which one will perform better, also at this point I’d just exclude microcode 80 because it’s already patched.

So please if you know what changes between these 3 2017 MCs please tell me and many thanks for uploading them

It will just be some errata fixes.

Skylake (ergo Kaby Lake/Coffee Lake) has had more errata patches than any previous Intel CPU.

Thanks for the explanation man, so in your opinion which one should I try?

Probably the latest before Spectre patches, so 70.

@chinobino
do you have any idea hich microcode pre spectre i could try for my 9900k?

Once you guys both decide I can make you BIOS.

@Lost_N_BIOS to be honest I’d like to try all of those MCs, so if you can make 3 same bios but with one of those different MC each would be great, otherwise if it’s too much time consuming let’s just try 70 as chinobino suggested

id also try either 70 or go 80 just as fr33thy does.

-------------

i dont know how much the bioses from apex vs extreme differ…probably not intervhangeable since then we couldve switched between then

-----------------------
@lostnbios if you could make me a bios with .80 me version just like fr33thys that would be relly nice. unlocked and microcode 80. is it possible to add a mei toggle for switching it on or off also?

I can make one BIOS with all three separately, which BIOS do you want used for that test?

I’ve mentioned this 10 times here, FR33thy’s BIOS does not have microcode 80, no BIOS anyone has ever sent to me from him has this. Only the same ucodes in the BIOS I made for him are originally there, and I don’t even think I changed any in the edit I made for him either.
So, he must have made an edit after I sent him BIOS, but then never sends this BIOS to any of you guys, always same old BIOS each time I check it for someone.

So to avoid continued confusion, everyone stop saying “Fr33thy’s BIOS” because it does not have 80 microcode in it, unless someone has a copy he edited and has checked and confirmed it has 80 in it, then you can mention this again
Plus, we don’t need that mysterious BIOS no one has now anyway, because I have a copy of the 80 microcode thanks to Chinobino

So, now that I have all these microcodes, lets wrap this up
What BIOS do you want edited, with what microcodes exactly (Don’t say “all three” be exact). Then I will make BIOS with one each of those three
+ HPET + TCO + SPD Write on all and then separate copies for Cancretto with his board details back in there

@Cancretto - for your details to go back in you’ll probably have to FPT flash the BIOS region, I’m not sure USB Flashback writes these areas since they are meant to be left in place so not overwritten
So, this means unlock your BIOS Lock and or SMI lock now via grub/setup_var

Yeah ME option would also be really nice to have but I was told that shouldn’t be possible at all, but I can be wrong

Edit:
Didn’t read your message Lost, anyways if you can do multiple bios, with different MCs to test them would be great, with all 3 I mean those that chinobino sent so 6A 6E and 70
Anyways resuming everything, the modded bios should have tco and hpet unlocked as fr33thy’s bios does + 70 mc and if there’s a way to toggle ME would be a nice extra

@Cancretto - ME Option?? No, you can’t toggle ME, you can disable it or not. Sounds like you guys both need to make up your minds what you really want and or need here. I know you need your board details back in there before anything else, to other chip correct?
Then you can USB Flashback BIOS again and not have to always FPT, but I guess either way is just as easy and quick once you unlock stuff for FPT.

Sorry for not mentioning this sooner, but you can fix your main chip with your FPT dumps from the second chip. Switch to main chip, unlock BIOS lock/ SMI Lock
Then >> FPTw.exe -gbe -f gbe.bin
Same for BIOS >> FPTw.exe -bios -f biosreg.bin
Then both chips match and you are back at square one with your BIOS details and 0805 BIOS in both chips. Then, always USB Flashback mod BIOS

yeah…id just stick with the above and the 1005 bios version from this link.
https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LG…E-ASUS-1005.zip

lostnbios i have one question which might sound stupid. can i run me version which were released before my cpu or is that just not possible? i do not exactly know what these microcodes run there in the background. intel me is quite mysterious
only article i could find was this one.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13659/ana…are-mitigations

Yeah super nice idea to recover IDs Lost, didn’t think about that, anyways I was just guessing about ME.
I just want to keep tco and hpet unlockdd as on fr33thy’s bios I sent you + new MCs so 70/6A/6E,