Rampage V Extreme. Instructions for updating the BIOS file CPU microcode.

[Axle Grease]

I just updated the RVE BIOS 3902 with the latest mCode dated July 4 2018. The instructions on the first page worked flawlessly. Just building up the gumption to install it. Not sure if I feel like re-doing all my BIOS settings again, may wait a while before installing or do it next weekend.

Edit: Cannot seem to install the update. The BIOS and USB flashback methods don't work. Invalid BIOS file :-(
It's the exact same size as the original so not sure what is going wrong for me.

The most recent microcode data file I can find on Intel's site is dated July 3 2018, and it's for Xeons only.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...code-Data-File

[CMDRZOD]

The most recent microcode data file I can find on Intel's site is dated July 3 2018, and it's for Xeons only.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...code-Data-File

Well whoops then. In any case a new linux microcode update was released by intel a few days ago. The mCode for my processor (6950x, 06-4f-01) is in the folder named "with caveats".

I wonder if its safe to install. I compared it to the last mCode and this one is 2kb larger.

[Axle Grease]

Well whoops then. In any case a new linux microcode update was released by intel a few days ago. The mCode for my processor (6950x, 06-4f-01) is in the folder named "with caveats".

I wonder if its safe to install. I compared it to the last mCode and this one is 2kb larger.

I patched BIOS 3801 with the latest mcode for the i7-5960X last weekend. The caveats for the 6950X only matter if you're running Linux. I don't find it strange that the size of the 6950X mcode has been increased ( in fact by 1024 bytes ). Improved protection against exploits may require more code. However, it is strange that no change is mentioned under the Detailed Description for the latest release.

I'd patch and flash. It is mcode specifically for the i7-6950X.

[CMDRZOD]

I've used your excellent instructions from the first page to mod the 3902 Beta BIOS with the latest 6950x mCode. USB Flashback worked flawlessly. Seems to be working fine so far, AIDA64 shows my microcode update revision at 2eh.

I wonder what the rest of the modules inside the BIOS are and if they can be updated?

[Axle Grease]

I've used your excellent instructions from the first page to mod the 3902 Beta BIOS with the latest 6950x mCode. USB Flashback worked flawlessly. Seems to be working fine so far, AIDA64 shows my microcode update revision at 2eh.

I wonder what the rest of the modules inside the BIOS are and if they can be updated?

There's a multitude of stuff related to hardware initialization. You can load a BIOS image into MMTool.exe or UEFITool.exe and find very tersely worded filenames, but updating anything other than the CPU microcode was never of any interest to me. So, that's where my knowledge ends. I just wanted to plaster over the spectre exploit. There are people on the Win-RAID forum and BIOS-Mods forum who have updated other BIOS modules.

[pottzman]

Just want to ask a question here. I have followed this guide and have success. I flashed the latest ASUS 3902 bios. It contains revision 3C for 5960X (306F2) mCode. However there is now a revision 3D for this cpu. I have since modded the 3902 bios with revision 3D mCode and the system is running fine however using Inspectre as guided by OP it tells me there is a microcode update available. searching google I came across this page https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rocode-updates that shows the 5960X as having a CPUID of 40661 and a revision of 19. surely this is a typo right. However this site https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-conten...e-guidance.pdf also has the same CPUID and revision and it seems to be from intel themselves......... whats going on here and why does inspectre tell me there is a mCode update available? can't make sense of it

[Axle Grease]

Just want to ask a question here. I have followed this guide and have success. I flashed the latest ASUS 3902 bios. It contains revision 3C for 5960X (306F2) mCode. However there is now a revision 3D for this cpu. I have since modded the 3902 bios with revision 3D mCode and the system is running fine however using Inspectre as guided by OP it tells me there is a microcode update available. searching google I came across this page https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rocode-updates that shows the 5960X as having a CPUID of 40661 and a revision of 19. surely this is a typo right. However this site https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-conten...e-guidance.pdf also has the same CPUID and revision and it seems to be from intel themselves......... whats going on here and why does inspectre tell me there is a mCode update available? can't make sense of it

I queried the developers of CPU-Z about this. The reply is as follows:

"The 5960X is well an Haswell-E, and the CPUID reported by cpuz is what is
expected on tha chip, as you can see here :
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_i...Extreme%20Edit
ion.html

Note that the CPUID (Family/Model/Stepping) are read directly on the CPU,
and not hardcoded.

Thanks,
Franck
"

It's good enough for me knowing the software is reading directly from the chip.

As to the mcode update; it also confused me. I grabbed this off the GRC Inspectre webpage:

"Release #8 — Now shows whether an Intel microcode patch is (ever) available for Spectre.
Intel has finished designing microcode update patches for its processors. On April 2nd, 2018, they announced that processors that have not yet been patched will never be patched. Their full statement is available in this PDF document. In that document, Intel specifies which of their many processors do have patches and which of their more recent processors will never receive updated firmware. Now that the industry has this information, this 8th release of InSpectre incorporates that list of CPUIDs and displays whether microcode firmware updates exist for the system's Intel CPU."

I take this to mean that Inspectre shows Intel having an update available for the CPU, not necessarily a newer update than the one you've patched your BIOS with.

[Flintstone-314]

Can´t thank you enough. After the Windows 10 update ruining my OC, I made a custome Bios based on 3504 (the one that worked best for me) inc. mCode for 6950x. A normale flash wouldn´t work but a flash from USB worked fine.
Thanks a lot!

[Eikonic]

I came across this thread when trying to get a bit more info on using the Bios Flashback button on the back of the board. I've used it before successfully, but that was years ago, and I've always been hesitant about flashing BIOS. Now i see this thread and Im even more hesitant as I need to do this stuff myself. How come Asus have not released a new bios for this board in almost a year? Is it because each system would need a bios specific for its chip... so bios updates are now just abandoned? I have always found this system to be flakey, and I was gathering up the nerve to finally flash to a much more recent BIOS... this is kinda scaring me again.

To clarify, the link to the new microcode says Linux. My chip is listed, and has been mentioned about, the 5960x. Im in Windows10. Im not somehow missing some fact that this is NOT meant for windows users? The post above me says win10, so im guessing its fine.

Why i started searching in the first place was to see if any special preparations were needed for the USB stick... format type, etc.... Can i just format to fat32 and then start the instructions on page1 here?

Finally, the new UBU 1.71 seems to have changed its menu options. I cant find the options for the steps in the first post. Can you update those steps so I know how to do this? I tried some 'logical' choices based on the available options, but couldnt find an update option.



Thanks

[Axle Grease]

I came across this thread when trying to get a bit more info on using the Bios Flashback button on the back of the board. I've used it before successfully, but that was years ago, and I've always been hesitant about flashing BIOS. Now i see this thread and Im even more hesitant as I need to do this stuff myself. How come Asus have not released a new bios for this board in almost a year? Is it because each system would need a bios specific for its chip... so bios updates are now just abandoned? I have always found this system to be flakey, and I was gathering up the nerve to finally flash to a much more recent BIOS... this is kinda scaring me again.

To clarify, the link to the new microcode says Linux. My chip is listed, and has been mentioned about, the 5960x. Im in Windows10. Im not somehow missing some fact that this is NOT meant for windows users? The post above me says win10, so im guessing its fine.

Why i started searching in the first place was to see if any special preparations were needed for the USB stick... format type, etc.... Can i just format to fat32 and then start the instructions on page1 here?

Finally, the new UBU 1.71 seems to have changed its menu options. I cant find the options for the steps in the first post. Can you update those steps so I know how to do this? I tried some 'logical' choices based on the available options, but couldnt find an update option.



Thanks

I've updated 1) in the guide which now links to 1.69.16 of UBU. To skip the UBU stuff and flash an already patched BIOS for the Rampage V Extreme with an intel i7-5960X then get it here.

Support for consumer grade Asus motherboards slowly die off after a couple of years. It's normal. Unfortunately, BIOS 3902 which is already patched with a version of the microcode update for Spectre mitigation is left hanging in beta.


Intel made the archive available for Linux users. However, any CPU microcode patch is OS agnostic since it goes into the BIOS. The only difference is the tools and methodology in getting it there. So, yes, Win 10 is fine to use. I've been using Win 10 all along for this.


There is nothing special about the USB format. Formatting the drive to FAT32 before following the guide will work fine.

Have a happy flash.


Update: I gave in to temptation and am trying BIOS 3902 beta. Seems stable enough, just like trusty ol' 3801.