[Solved] Dell Optiplex 780 Quad-Core Support

[DeathBringer]

https://nextcloud.cloudspire.net/index.p...arc5J5JGzK

It's original BIOS. You haven't flashed my mod.

[pengc99]

https://nextcloud.cloudspire.net/index.p...arc5J5JGzK

It's original BIOS. You haven't flashed my mod.

I found the problem, the machine is not flashing the BIOS on reboot. Every time I try to flash, it gives error "BIOS Update Failed! The firmware image failed one or more consistency checks."

I checked the checksums of the HDR file are good and tried many different ways to flash, including using Dell client configuration utility from old Windows 7 machine to generate an exe, and also using Linux and dellBiosUpdate program.

The machine is on A15, I will try to downgrade BIOS to older version and see if that works.

edit: I see your mod is labeled A15, so I think I am already on the correct revision. I will try flashing factory HDR and then modified HDR again.

[pengc99]

I have determined that apparently this machine has Signed Firmware Updates option enabled, and will not accept modified firmware. I am looking for a solution to disable this feature.

[pengc99]

Signed Firmware Updates cannot be disabled after it has been enabled. Luckily motherboards are $6 on eBay with shipping. After I purchased another motherboard, I made sure Signed Firmware Updates was not enabled and I was able to successfully flash the mod, and it is now running with a Q9550S. Thank you!

[tonelopes]

Hi everyone, I have bumped into this thread on the weekend and being an owner of an 780 USFF I have decided to try the 4c bios and I have ordered a Q9400.

The issue that I have is that the machine is now giving several errors at post (bios error / memory error / power error - seems to be kind of random), but it does boot some times to the OS (i would say 20% of the times) and when it boots the OS reports as the CPU being dual core.

Oddly enough the first time I have booted it showed the 4 cores but then it crashed watching a youtube video and since then it only reports 2 cores.

Do you think this could be a bios issue or is it rather a faulty CPU?

Thanks in advance for your help

[DeathBringer]

Did you flashed my mod?
If you didn't then your message is offtopic here.

[tonelopes]

Hello DeathBringer

Thank you for replying.

Yes I did use your mod (V3) from the thread and I have used the linux method to flash.

Also, I did it twice just to be sure and on both ocasions I got a success message from the flashing tool.

For info, with my old CPU (Pentium E6700) the modded version works fine.

[DeathBringer]

This motherboard has weak power subsystem.
Try to use CPU with TDP=65W.

[tonelopes]

Thank you. This could be the problem yes, but I assumed it would work since other users reported in the thread that they used a Q9400 and even a Q6600 with the USFF model.

Thank you for your help!