What controls Turbo Core in Xeons?

[katlen]

I built a budget gaming fig for my nephew a few years back with a i5 4460 and a ASRock Z87 board (I believe). If I delete the microcode from the BIOS there is there a strong possibility the multiplier will be unlicked? And if it works and apply an updated microcode thru the OS will the setting stick like they do for the Xeon exploit?

To bad he lives an hour away or I would experiment with his PC.

Again thanks for all the info.

Well i think you can but probably will need to edit MSR registers, i base this on remembering there are some motherboards that let you overclock even NON-K processors. There are some people who did it google it , "overclocking non-k processors".

 

[fromax]

@fromax Here's a portable hex editor that can be used. https://mh-nexus.de/downloads/HxDen.zip

Run HxD then use ctrl+o to open the BIOS file E7885IMS.1D0

Use ctrl+g and type in the first offset F0C69E, hit OK then type 05 to overwrite 03. Use ctrl+g again and type in the next offset F0C6E6, hit OK then type 01 to overwrite 03. Complete the last two offsets then save the file with a suitable name. Attempt to flash and see if it works. If not you could try contacting user svl7 (IIRC) on the MSI forum. Good luck.

Thanks alot! @Dufus It worked! System can boot but working at base clock 2.4 no help here from bios settings

Spoiler

Since my Windows 7 installed in legacy mode my only way apart from reinstalling windows is MSR editing, right?
So, trying to understand MSR editing method but I`m not far from openning RU.exe and switching to MSR CPU part) Any help on this please, step by step instructions or guide?

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[vadimkara]

I have Asrock Taichi with 1.40 bios.After i remove microcodes from ubu or from mtool then save with ubu my bios doesnt boot with postcode 79. Dufus you also have taichi how you removed microcodes from you bios??????

 

[katlen]

I have Asrock Taichi with 1.40 bios.After i remove microcodes from ubu or from mtool then save with ubu my bios doesnt boot with postcode 79. Dufus you also have taichi how you removed microcodes from you bios??????

You can switch to BIOS B from the switch located on motherboard, and try to recover bios A , feature you need to do this is called "Secure Backup UEFI".
Did you followed someEEguy post?
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/what-controls-turbo-core-in-xeons.2496647/page-3#post-38703348

Also , did you removed broadwell microcode? You are just supposed to remove haswell micrcode and leave broadwell intact.

Edit:
Try to use this bios , its for taichi ver 1.40, I use it and it works (also have taichi)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_ZQtaxTWt-QdGNGSnA5U0UtMkU/view?usp=sharing
Put it on a FAT32 usb drive and update from bios.

 

[vadimkara]

You can switch to BIOS B from the switch located on motherboard, and try to recover bios A , feature you need to do this is called "Secure Backup UEFI".
Did you followed someEEguy post?
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/what-controls-turbo-core-in-xeons.2496647/page-3#post-38703348

Also , did you removed broadwell microcode? You are just supposed to remove haswell micrcode and leave broadwell intact.

Edit:
Try to use this bios , its for taichi ver 1.40, I use it and it works (also have taichi)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_ZQtaxTWt-QdGNGSnA5U0UtMkU/view?usp=sharing
Put it on a FAT32 usb drive and update from bios.

No the same thing black screen and 79 postcode csm initialization

 

[Soarer]

Hi! I'm new to the mmtool and not quite sure what to delete there. Could anyone upload a modded bios for asrock extreme 4? It would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dufus]

@GTZ no ratio overclocking for that CPU so this bug will not unlock the i5 -4460 unless perhaps one can write microcode. Best that you can probably hope for is all cores at 3.4GHz if set with a microcode version of 0x7 or less.

@fromax legacy mode should not matter, try running the shell driver in test mode first and from there exit to W7 or are you already able to do that? If it's a case that you are successfully booting W7 but stuck with base clock then please post a CPUZ txt report. First time I ever heard of RU is when The Stilt posted it so he may be able to give a few pointers. The MSR settings are already noted in the thread, V3.EFI was just meant as a crude way to apply those settings.

@vadimkara my microcode is not removed but modified similar to post #101. If it's not posting with default settings (no OC / FIVR defaults) then perhaps that CPU / BIOS combo relies on something being fixed from the microcode. Do note for that CPU it will be microcode with CPUID 306f1? not 306f2.

@Soarer while waiting you could go through the steps fromax took to modify his BIOS and possibly try something similar.

 

[vadimkara]

@GTZ no ratio overclocking for that CPU so this bug will not unlock the i5 -4460 unless perhaps one can write microcode. Best that you can probably hope for is all cores at 3.4GHz if set with a microcode version of 0x7 or less.

@fromax legacy mode should not matter, try running the shell driver in test mode first and from there exit to W7 or are you already able to do that? If it's a case that you are successfully booting W7 but stuck with base clock then please post a CPUZ txt report. First time I ever heard of RU is when The Stilt posted it so he may be able to give a few pointers. The MSR settings are already noted in the thread, V3.EFI was just meant as a crude way to apply those settings.

@vadimkara my microcode is not removed but modified similar to post #101. If it's not posting with default settings (no OC / FIVR defaults) then perhaps that CPU / BIOS combo relies on something being fixed from the microcode. Do note for that CPU it will be microcode with CPUID 306f1? not 306f2.

@Soarer while waiting you could go through the steps fromax took to modify his BIOS and possibly try something similar.

How i can find offsets to modify i have stock asrock taichi bios 1.40. Open file with hex editor but sefrch for 306f1 doesnt find anything.

 

[fromax]

@Dufus Yes, I`ve got it done, your are genius Don`t really understand how offset trick works though I`ve made uefi windows installation.
http://valid.x86.fr/cg8snn
The only downside I have is that in Corona render I`ve got only 3.0 multiplier instead of maximum 3.1. Corona render uses AVX as far as I know. Not a big deal but have you any thoughts on this?

 

[vadimkara]

http://rgho.st/6BvmgJSSn Modede with hex editor taichi bios can some body test it?

 

[vadimkara]

Some one know how to convert bin microcodes to dat? I have ES microcodes in bin but i cant load them under windows cause wmware utility uses dst format.

 

[Soarer]

Ok, i've managed to do it. If anyone needs a modified asrock extreme 4 bios, here it is: https://www.sendspace.com/file/9jm96i
Thanks for such a great thread and all of your instructions guys!

 

[Dufus]

@fromax would be nice to eliminate it but idk how.

Some one know how to convert bin microcodes to dat? I have ES microcodes in bin but i cant load them under windows cause wmware utility uses dst format.

See if this works. https://www.sendspace.com/file/orsalk

 

[vadimkara]

@fromax would be nice to eliminate it but idk how.



See if this works. https://www.sendspace.com/file/orsalk

Thanks but i allready wrote script on python to convert it, have the same file. I edit bios manually and chaged CPUID as you wrote at post 101, tried to flash it and get signature error, reopen it with ubu flash again, and got the same 79 post code and black screen, whats wrong i am doing?By the way 79 pos code its an issue in CSM initialization

 

[Dufus]

Looks like the inbuilt flasher doesn't like the mod. Try system tools v9.1 from here http://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-Management-Engine-Drivers-Firmware-amp-System-Tools.html

If you want to keep current settings then backup first with 'fpt?? -D mybiosbackup.rom -BIOS', modify the backup and save to mybiosmod.rom then flash with 'fpt?? -F mybiosmod.rom -BIOS'. Or you can use the modified file you posted if not bothered. fpt?? will be replaced with proper executable name, for Windows64 that's fptw64.exe, for DOS it's fpt.exe etc.

 

[vadimkara]

Looks like the inbuilt flasher doesn't like the mod. Try system tools v9.1 from here http://www.win-raid.com/t596f39-Intel-Management-Engine-Drivers-Firmware-amp-System-Tools.html

If you want to keep current settings then backup first with 'fpt?? -D mybiosbackup.rom -BIOS', modify the backup and save to mybiosmod.rom then flash with 'fpt?? -F mybiosmod.rom -BIOS'. Or you can use the modified file you posted if not bothered. fpt?? will be replaced with proper executable name, for Windows64 that's fptw64.exe, for DOS it's fpt.exe etc.

What Bios should i Flash? Edited with hex with secure check error? Or moded with UBU with black screen and 79 post code??? And its normal that rom backed up with ftp smaller size then the orignal and cant be opened in UBU?

 

[Dufus]

The one with secure check error that doesn't flash.

 

[vadimkara]

The one with secure check error that doesn't flash.

Sadly the same 79 post code could it be caused by my old video card that does not support uefi natively and run in legacy mode?

 

[Jann]

So, I have kind of succeeded with my Asrock X99 WS and E5-2686V3 (QS).
I only get 28 multiplier max on all cores.
Any ideas what I might check or try to improve this?

edit: HWiNFO64 was showing the multipliers all over. CPU-Z shows stable 28x during rendering both in Cinebench and Corona Render.

 

[Dufus]

@vadimkara my video card runs legacy and csm. It seems possibly that your 306f1 CPU requires some fix for the BIOS to post. In this case your options are either re-write a lot of the BIOS (not very practical) or try replacing the microcode with the oldest 306f1 one you can find rather than removing it and hoping it fixes the errata that is causing failure to post while not fixing the errata which allows all cores to run at maximum turbo.

@Jahn try running a CPUZ bench and at the same time see how the ratio's look in HWiNFO64, how much does the MT bench score?. Check if there is any throttling taking place, are current and power settings sufficient? At 28x ratio all cores how much is your highest core VID? Check that you are requesting max performance. Note also that AVX2 does cause down clocking if used (Corona ?)

 

[vadimkara]

@vadimkara my video card runs legacy and csm. It seems possibly that your 306f1 CPU requires some fix for the BIOS to post. In this case your options are either re-write a lot of the BIOS (not very practical) or try replacing the microcode with the oldest 306f1 one you can find rather than removing it and hoping it fixes the errata that is causing failure to post while not fixing the errata which allows all cores to run at maximum turbo.

@Jahn try running a CPUZ bench and at the same time see how the ratio's look in HWiNFO64, how much does the MT bench score?. Check if there is any throttling taking place, are current and power settings sufficient? At 28x ratio all cores how much is your highest core VID? Check that you are requesting max performance. Note also that AVX2 does cause down clocking if used (Corona ?)

Its the only microcode exist 2013/10/20 its very old i try to load your driver without deleting microcode but it sign me 'Microcode present" and in windows no i have no turboboost on all cores.

 

[Jann]

@Jann try running a CPUZ bench and at the same time see how the ratio's look in HWiNFO64, how much does the MT bench score?. Check if there is any throttling taking place, are current and power settings sufficient? At 28x ratio all cores how much is your highest core VID? Check that you are requesting max performance. Note also that AVX2 does cause down clocking if used (Corona ?)[/USER]

In CPUZ the MT bench scores 24523 with highest core VID 1.044. I don't see a reason for throttling, as temperatures stay below 50 during any short bench, and around 55 when rendering for a longer period.
When rendering though, multi drops to 24x. Still higher than before, but not by that much.
Any ideas if this is ok, or is there more to try?

 

[escksu]

Someone in another forum show me this screenshot and said it is possible to trick the Xeons. I am not sure how he did it but 50K score is way above anything I achieved. 2.8GHz is around 39-40K only.

 

[fromax]

When rendering though, multi drops to 24x. Still higher than before, but not by that much.
Any ideas if this is ok, or is there more to try?

It was known issue for xeon v4 and corona.
And with unlocked turbo it is now affecting v3, i guess
https://corona-renderer.com/forum/index.php/topic,12018.msg80645.html#msg80645
TDP limitation?

@The Stilt
Could you run coronabench test and say what`s you turbo
https://corona-renderer.com/stuff/Corona1.3.Benchmark.zip
And please someone with 2683 v3 unlocked test it also

Someone in another forum show me this screenshot and said it is possible to trick the Xeons. I am not sure how he did it but 50K score is way above anything I achieved. 2.8GHz is around 39-40K only

dual cpu system unlocked?

 

[fromax]

I also registered because of this topic. Going to give this a go with the dual Xeon motherboard that I ordered. Should be fun. I still need to order the Cpu's and ram tomorrow. I have everything else already. This is an upgrade from my dual E5 2670 build.Yes it does have the AMI Aptio UEFI bios tho.

Any progress on that?