[Request] Microcode Patch for Dell OptiPlex 7070 Micro

Special Topics CPU Microcodes
1

Hi all,
First time poster here, long time reader. I’ve been doing a lot of research and found the excellent thread by Sleinous regarding adding CPU microcode to the Dell 7060 BIOS ([Solved] Adding CPU Microcode to Dell 7060 BIOS). I’m trying to do the same thing for my OptiPlex 7070 Micro.
My Setup:

Dell OptiPlex 7070 Micro
Board: Dell 02N3WF
Current BIOS: Version 1.35.0 dated September 2025
CPU I want to run: Intel i9-9900t ES chip QQC0/QQZ6 (Coffee Lake-S, 8c/16t, 906ED CPUID)
Confirmed working on Z370 platform so chip is healthy

What I Need:
I need the 906EC and 906ED microcodes added to my 7070 BIOS so the ES chip will POST and run correctly. From the 7060 thread I understand the 7070 and 7060 boards are identical hardware and the same microcode patching process should apply.
BIOS Download:
The latest 7070 BIOS v1.35.0 can be downloaded directly from Dell here:

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER13601510M/1/OptiPlex_7070_1.35.0.exe

Recovery image also available:

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER13601532M/1/BIOS_IMG.rcv

My Situation:
I’m running Unraid on this machine so I don’t have Windows installed on it. I do have the service mode jumper on the board is accessible.
I’ve been trying to extract the raw BIOS image from the Dell executable but Dell packages it as a PE32 Windows executable that checks hardware before running, making extraction difficult without a matching Dell machine.
If anyone — especially DeathBringer or Lost_N_BIOS who helped with the 7060 thread — could extract and patch the BIOS with the additional 906EC/906ED microcodes I would be extremely grateful. I’m happy to report back with full results to help others doing the same mod.
Thanks in advance!


Edit by Fernando: Thread title shortened

2

Do you have a your own bios dump?

3

That Adding CPU Microcode to Dell 7060 BIOS is one of the great threads on this board.

In that thread, DeathBringer noted the bios lock inability to add the microcode to the OptiPlex 7060. But I ran the latest Dell BIOS update 1.35 through BIOSUtilities, and the OptiPlex 7070 should support that chip. Breaking down the BIOS update, 2 folders are created, with 2 bios sections. Not sure what the difference is, but both bios section updates contain 906EA, 906EB, 906EC, and 906ED microcodes.

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I’m not sure if I tried it since updating the bios last. I’ll find the chip and give it another go.

My hope was to snag a few es 9900ts and 60/70 optiplex’s to make a cluster as a project. I’m building a website www.emstool.com and wanted to use these for it.

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Doc, I linked the Deathbringer observation above with an edit. That chip won’t work in an OptiPlex 7060.

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I have a few of 7070s xx70

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So if I have updated to the newest I should be able now to run the ES chip on the 7070(xx70) Optiplex’s?

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Start reading at Sleinous’ post 62. I would say that it should, but I downloaded the oldest 1.02 BIOS update, and all 4 microcodes are in there, so they should already be in your bios, including the 906EC.

Too bad you don’t have a Windows partition where you could put the computer into physical service mode, and then dump the whole SPI with FPT, but Koekieezz is right; you really need to dump it one way or another.

These ES CPUs always seem to present problems for Dell owners - I’ve seen this before. That last time, I think LionTamer threw in the towel, and installed a regular production chip.

Good luck

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Sucks because it worked on my unraid server thats running a i9-9900k on a z390. I had put it in to test when i got it and it wasnt working in my 7060, i just got a coucle of 70707s and thought they had to be upgraded so fingers crossed. ill dig in and report back if i have any luck.