[Request] Lenovo M93p Tiny BIOS with i7-4980HQ Support

BIOS/UEFI Modding BIOS Modding Requests
1

Hello, everyone!

I kindly request for anyone skilled to add Intel Core i7-4980HQ microcode into Lenovo Thinkcentre M93p tiny BIOS. I am running latest BIOS update (mid-2022) code FBKTE0A. I have searched thoroughly and couldn’t find any resources nor already modded BIOSes.

Thank you very much in advance!


Edit by Fernando: Thread title shortened and customized

2

@ykaj
Two variants.
Original
https://support.lenovo.com/us/ru/downloads/ds035753-flash-bios-update-thinkcentre-e93-m73p-m83-m93-m93p-thinkstation-e32-p300
Lenovo_Thinkcentre_M93p_BIOS_mod.zip (8.3 MB)

3

Thank you so much, this is great!
I’m trying to flash this later when I’m back home from work.

Meanwhile, I have two questions:

  1. I see there are two similar files in the .zip you linked: one that adds “only-microcodes”, and another that has “microcodes-and-video”. What are exactly the differences between the two files? I get that I should choose one of them, but I don’t understand what does the “and-video” suffix refers to.
  2. As for the flashing: if I download the EFI flashing tool from Lenovo and replace the IMAGEFB.ROM in that package with one of the IMAGEFB*.ROM from the .zip you provided, is this a good way of flashing?

Thank you once more!

4

@ykaj

Second file - updata GOP and OROM video with microcodes.

Yesss, only rename IMAGEFB_only-microcodes.ROM to IMAGEFB.ROM

1 Like
5

sorry for late reply. I tried to flash bios using the EFI flashing tool from Lenovo (which apparently uses AFUDOS), but received Error:

18 - Error: Secure Flash Rom Verify fail.

Looks like my BIOS is protected against flashing mods. I appreciate if anyone can point me in the right direction on what to do. I have seen some guides posted into this forum but I don’t think I understand them thoroughly enough to go ahead and unlock my bios by myself.

Best regards!

6

Always expected…rare are the cases that regular flash tools will allow to write firmware modified files into to system… After all the bios vendor (AMI) doesn’t want complaints from the OEM (Lenovo) and the same doesnt want to see their end-user’s costumer’s (You and all the world) having their systems breached.

Lessons aside…
Besides an SPI IC programmer as option, the other way that may work, is using the ME_DIS jumper and write bios_region with Intel FPT tool v9… for both options you need to read and learn.
Look for CSME tools threads and bios mod flash/recover on the Tiny M family desktop systems.

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7

Thanks for that!

Let me see if I’m getting this correctly: do I have to do both steps (physically using the jumper in my motherboard and writing bios_region with FPT)? Is this the topic I should look for?

At this moment everything is working fine with my m93p, as nothing was actually flashed and I’m running on another CPU which is well supported by stock BIOS. So, no pain so far :slight_smile:

But I look forward to understanding which steps I should take so as to proceed with flashing with reasonable safety. If you have any other reading material that would be relevant to this case, I appreciate if you can point me in the right direction.

Thanks for your friendly support.

8

No such thing when requesting/engaging in such operations… the less trouble file mod share would be the one from a user and confirmed methods/successful applied mod.
The material for reading is all in the forum, as i advised you to search for, there’s no specific/dedicated guide for the use of each system jumpers and expected same behaviour.
The search box in the forum is your “friend”, bedtime here for me, good luck and wait for any tips from Michael.

9

Reading several topics that involve the m93p (especially this one which is lengthy and detailed), I understand that there is no way to unlock BIOS flashing using the most common tools (AMIDecoder, IFR extractor etc), at least not directly, unless there is knowledge on what to search and how to edit the proper fields and variables with a hex editor or another suitable tool. Also, no one seemed to succeed flashing modded BIOS using only standard software (AFUDOS or FPT, for example), and the only way that seemed to succeed was getting external equipment (CH341A) to physically dump, edit/program and flash BIOS from/into the exposed motherboard with properly shorted ME_DIS jumper.

Perhaps I can buy one of these shortly, but it still takes time for the equipment to arrive to this corner of the world, and some more to learn how to use it. I’m interested in learning and think this can be a nice challenge.

In the meantime, if I am missing any other obvious thing or alternative solution that went over my head (which is perfectly possible :grimacing:), I appreciate if you call this out.

For now, everything is working with stock BIOS and I have my backups handy. You all have been so helpful and I hope I can put Michael_Code’s valuable work into use ASAP. It just seems a little too much above my skill level at this point. Let’s see what comes out of this. Thanks a lot!