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New 3920xm CPU in M17x R4 - Can I update the Microcode?


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Hello all.

I just received a 3920xm CPU for use in my M17x R4. After a bit of standard tinkering it is working great! With the addition of this new CPU, I have some new options visible in my modded A10 BIOS by svl7. The Advanced CPU Control window now shows "Config TDP Configurations" at the bottom. I will post some screenshots of these new options, which I have to do anything with.

post-7271-14494994944474_thumb.jpg

Here's my question: HwInfo64 shows my new CPU's microcode revision number as 10. I'm used to seeing 15 there, as revision 15 is included with the A10 version of the system BIOS. I'd like to load microcode revision 15 onto this new CPU by repeating my original procedure for loading A10 modded BIOS - but I'm not sure if the XM CPU's have a different version of the microcode.

If I attempt to update the 3920xm's microcode with the copy included in the A10 BIOS, will that cause problems? Will I perhaps lose any XM functionality of this CPU?

Sorry if that's a dumb question but this is my first XM CPU!!

post-7271-14494994943576_thumb.jpg

post-7271-14494994944013_thumb.jpg

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Hello all.

I just received a 3920xm CPU for use in my M17x R4. After a bit of standard tinkering it is working great! With the addition of this new CPU, I have some new options visible in my modded A10 BIOS by svl7. The Advanced CPU Control window now shows "Config TDP Configurations" at the bottom. I will post some screenshots of these new options, which I have to do anything with.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6900[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6901[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6902[/ATTACH]

Here's my question: HwInfo64 shows my new CPU's microcode revision number as 10. I'm used to seeing 15 there, as revision 15 is included with the A10 version of the system BIOS. I'd like to load microcode revision 15 onto this new CPU by repeating my original procedure for loading A10 modded BIOS - but I'm not sure if the XM CPU's have a different version of the microcode.

If I attempt to update the 3920xm's microcode with the copy included in the A10 BIOS, will that cause problems? Will I perhaps lose any XM functionality of this CPU?

Sorry if that's a dumb question but this is my first XM CPU!!

XM and non-xm, as well as dual core use the same microcode. Different CPU revisions do however use different microcodes. The retail ivy bridge revision is E1 (stepping 9). I suspect that the 3920xm you received is an ES, likely revision E0 (stepping 8), while your previous CPU was a E1. In this case your system is running the most updated microcode.

You can check your CPU revision/stepping in cpu-z.

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That's great info! Thanks!

And yes my CPU is an ES with stepping E0, so Microcode 10 is the newest applicable revision if I'm reading you correctly.

Now that brings another question - what would happen if I had to for some reason re-flash my A10 BIOS in the future? A10 usually updates to microcode 15, but that doesn't apply to this CPU so would the process just skip that step, leaving microcode 10 intact? I'm trying to verify that if I did re-flash for whatever reason, it would not break anything. Thanks again!

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That's great info! Thanks!

And yes my CPU is an ES with stepping E0, so Microcode 10 is the newest applicable revision if I'm reading you correctly.

Now that brings another question - what would happen if I had to for some reason re-flash my A10 BIOS in the future? A10 usually updates to microcode 15, but that doesn't apply to this CPU so would the process just skip that step, leaving microcode 10 intact? I'm trying to verify that if I did re-flash for whatever reason, it would not break anything. Thanks again!

I'm not really sure what you're concern is. All a BIOS update might do is offer a new microcode for the retail stepping if one is ever released, which is unlikely this far past launch. There will certainly not be any more microcode updates for your stepping 8. The final stepping 8 microcode was probably out even when your laptop was launched, so I highly doubt svl7 needed to update the BIOS's microcode database, so an unmodded BIOS should load a microcode update perfectly fine.

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My concern was that the BIOS flash might fail to recognize my CPU as being the ES stepping (i.e. different from expected/retail) and therefore it might try to update the microcode to something that isn't compatible with my CPU.

I realize that sounds unlikely but since I'm not familiar with the particulars of updating CPU microcode in general, I decided it's better to ask and be sure.

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