Help with AM3+ support on Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H v 2.1

[Jumbix]

Hello

I could use some help with my Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3 version 2.1.If possible of course.

I am trying to make the Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3 ready for new FX CPU-s.Had a bad experience with a 970A-UD3 so i will not spent money on a AM3+ board again to soon.

It s version 2.1 of the 890GPA-UD3 ,and in spite of the white socket does take AM3+ CPU-s and also has received in 2011 Bulldozer ready beta BIOS-es.

Practically they have released 2 beta BIOS-es ,one was FGc and one called FGf ,for which Gigabyte stated Bulldozer ready ,then ,after a while they have removed the statement and finally the beta BIOS-es as well (as they put on the market a version 3.1 of the board ).

This beta BIOS-es for version 2.1 ,due to limited CMOS space (8 megs bios chips) have 2 things removed ,the LAN ROM and the capability of unlocking for Phenom 2 CPU-s.I don t mind not having them as changing to FX no unlocking is available and never used the LAN ROM boot anyway.

I want to buy a FX 6300 to replace my Phenom 2 X4 975BE (lower heat ,better performance and even lower power consumption in idle or web browsing ),i really need latest AGESA in there to be able to use a newer FX with it.


Now there are 2 possibilities that i think of.

Either i change the Agesa/CPU code in the FGc or FGf BIOS files ,that were meant for version 2.1 ,or i remove something in the latest beta BIOS for version 3.1 of the 890GPA-UD3 ,board that has only one thing changed it seems ,the Realtek audio chip.
But even if we remove something from the 3.1 version BIOS i would still need to update AGESA for FX Vishera to work properly.Also it seems the BIOS image is 2 megs instead of one.


I have tried on a XP installation to use the CBROM 1.98 with the /D command ,but it always refused to open BIOS files i tried ,saying file not found.Tried the bios files both with initial file extension and with .bin.
So i wonder if this BIOS-es are really modable.

This are the beta BIOS files for Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3 2.1 that should support FX/AM3+ :

FGc -> http://www.sendspace.com/file/95yk0p
FGf -> http://www.sendspace.com/file/xskyzu

The CPU code in this ones is old though and does not cover BSOD issues that was fixed with new code somewhere in march 2012 for other boards

My board 890GPA-UD3 2.1 page -> http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3516#sp

Practically the donor BIOS would be , for full Bulldozer ( ONLY first FX AM3+ generation) support ,the versions 3.1 beta BIOS.

->Donor 1 890GPA-UD3 version 3.1 beta bios http://www.sendspace.com/file/5s0ghm

BIOS-es prior to this ones have BSOD cases with FX in some games and Steam apps.

For FULL AM3+ support including Vishera (2-nd FX AM3+ generation) ,in this category we have the FX 6300 (that i want to buy) and the good FX 8320/8350 ,the donors might be the Gigabyte Hybrid AWARD BIOS based boards from 9xx AMD chipset series.

As per datasheet the RD 890(890FX chip) seems to be compatible with RD 990(990FX chipset) i think this board could be good donors for AGESA 1.5.0.0
like this board -> http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3894#bios

->Donor 2 beta BIOS - GA-990FXA-UD3 (rev. 1.0) F10 b - > http://www.sendspace.com/file/54hml8
or F9 bios -> http://www.sendspace.com/file/zmm08l

Version 1.x of this AMD 990 chipset based boards have Hybrid AWARD BIOS-es like the 890GPA-UD3.

Thank you in advance!


Some CBROM pictures with BIOS-es modules :


890GPA-UD3 2.1 FF


890GPA-UD3 2.1 Fgf


890GPA-UD3 2.1 FGc and a part of 990FXA


possible donor 890GPA-UD3 3.1 F5h


Any hint on what modules should be replaced for AGESA ?!NCPUCode seems to be identical in the FF BIOS compared to the newer BIOS from 990FX board though ,while the betas have a different one and no GV3 module

[Jumbix]

I have created a thread there also ,posted more info -> http://www.win-raid.com/t79f16-Help-with...CPU-s.html

It seems that NCPUCODE file is useless in my case as it s the same in the official FF old BIOS as in the latest BIOS-es from Gigabyte AMD 9xx chipset based boards.

Studying the 890GPA-UD3H FGc and FGf BIOS-es i have discovered the the NCPUCODE is empty also.

On the other hand the Phenom 2 X4 975BE CPU is working just fine with FGf beta BIOS so there is cpucode.

Anyway it seems that what i would need for full AM3+ compatibility would be to replace HOLE 4 and HOLE 5 modules ,AGESA modules ,which seem to contain AM3+ AGESA code as their name states

At hex analysis we can see the AGESA number in those modules.The FGf BIOS seems to contain AGESA 0.0.7.5 as it comes out of the HOLE4 and in HOLE5 there is some AMD CPU nomenclature as well.But it s a very old AGESA for Bulldozer.

I also wonder if only replacing HOLE4 could get the job done.

The problem is that even though I would have 2 DONOR BIOS-es for this newer AGESA modules ,the 890GPA-UD3H 3.1 with it s latest beta (for full Bulldozer,FX first gen ) and the GA-78LMT-USB3 rev. 4.1(for latest AGESA 1.5.0.0 Piledriver) the HOLE 5 module doesn t get out fully at extraction or it gets compressed.

So i can extract HOLE4 just fine ,but HOLE5 is incomplete or compressed.
Is there other way to get it out ,move it to the FGf beta except HEX editing ?!
A hidden CBROM option ?!

I also wonder if replacing only the HOLE4 module could get the job done ?!
I intend to get a FX 6300 to replace the X4 975BE..