Finally I make my QM67 chipset mainboard IVB compatible.

I have an X9SCV-Q MODT mainboard manufactured by Supermicro with QM67 chipset. It uses mobile processors for which I decide to post this thread here other than DTR forum.

After the release of IVB, I tried many times modifying the bios to make it compatible with 22nm processors. At that time I thought it would be as simple as adding microcodes and upgrading the vbios in MB bios. But things turned out to be much more complicated, therefore all my efforts were just in vain. After accepting that fact, I bought a 2860QM in late 2012.

Several months ago, I noticed a new bios(X9SCVQi3.729 exactly, finished on July 29th, 2013) for X9SCV-Q released on the official website of Supermicro. I checked it using AMIBCP and found that not only does it have a different structures compared to previous version bios, but it also intergrades 306A9/8/6/5/4/2 microcodes which are for IVB processors.

Digging further, I found Supermicro had announced that their X9SCV-QV4 could support 3rd Gen processors up to 35W but for REV 2.01 board only.

Spoiler

My MB is of REV 1.01 and X9SCV-Q is slightly different from its QV4 brethren.

Despite that, I tried to flash the new bios to it and was stopped by a ROMID mismatch. I also tried flashing with other version of afudos and /x parameter to skip ROMID check but no success. In the end, I embraced the last resort, using the bios programmer.

As you see, X9SCV-Q (QV4 too) has a design of removable bios chip. I can easily pull out the chip without any soldering involved.

Spoiler

In the end, I managed to upgrade my MB to the newest bios. For caution, at first I purchased a Celeron 1000M which is the cheapest IVB processor within my reach. It worked on my QM67 MB. Inspired by this success, I decided to test further using 45W IVB processors, a 3740QM exactly(It is of BGA version but transferred to PGA) and it runs flawlessly on my QM67 mainboard now.

Spoiler

Here are some benchmark.

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BTW: The default heatsink provided by Supermicro is weak while finding a 3rd party compatible heatsink is quite hard as the X9SCV(and all the other MODT boards of socket PGA988B) uses those of 51mm x 51mm mounting holes pitch. What I apply on it is not a CPU heatsink at all. You can just guess what that heatsink is originally designed for actually.

Spoiler

 

so....did you find out what the differences where between the two bios files? Perhaps this could be incorporated into all sandy bridge systems to upgrade to ivy bridge processors.

 

Not only BIOS update required but ME Firmware as well. Nothing to do with microcode., A CPU should work with out a microcode update, all that does is fix errata / change features of the CPU.

 

Too many differences that I can say the latest version bios is almost rewritten as a QM77 bios. Unlike
The latest non-IVB bios can be found at a South Korean reseller site.

Spoiler

Some one may be interested in comparing it to X9SCVQi3.729.

AFAIK, ME firmware v8 has nothing to do with the IVB support either according to a guy who claimed having modified his MODT board NC9B-HM67's bios to IVB compatible.BTW: He didn't respond to those who asked for sharing that bios so I'm not sure whether he told the truth.

 

Meh. I was hoping that adding the ivy bridge microcodes would make ivy bridge cpus work in the QM67 chipset.

 

It has a lot to do with IVB support. Previously you would have had ME7 (7.x.x.x) now if you check it should be version 8, probably 8.0.3.1427

 

In progress ...