Bios Mods -The Best BIOS Update and Modification Source

Hey there,

I'm the owner of a server rackable motherboard from Supermicro model X10QBL, links are:

http://www.supermicro.com/products/mothe...X10QBL.cfm

The board I believe is running BIOS 1.0B which appears to be an AMI BIOS with UEFI Aptio 5.

Link to the latest BIOS:

http://www.supermicro.com/about/policies...px?ID=3456

Now the problem I'm encountering is that I'm running 4x Xeon E7-4890 v2 "QEFU" (ES) they are Engineering Samples.

With the default 1.0B bios (and probably with the original 1.0A BIOS as well, haven't gotten this far yet), what happens is:

1) The system boots up, mentions IPMI Initialization.
2) Then it displays "System Initializing ..." and the POST code "AF" in the right bottom corner and just hangs there, no access to the BIOS or anything, just a complete system lockup.

According to the official product FAQ available at this URL, it appears to be intended behavior:

http://www.supermicro.nl/support/faqs/faq.cfm?faq=21616

Question:
Motherboard "X10QBL" started up but freezed at boot message "System Initializing ..." with POST code “AF”. 
I have Intel QEFU E7-4890 v2 processor, also tried Samsung & Qimonda memory pairs, but got the same failure. Please advise.

Supermicro's answer:
According to Intel ARK database, this CPU “QEFU” is C0 stepping engineer version, not the production processor. 
Our official BIOS is disabled to support this kind of CPU. Please switch your CPU to production version. 
If you really need to use ES CPU to produce your product, please get legal agreement from Intel, then we can build special BIOS for you.

So, of course I did contact Supermicro's technical support and this the answer I was given by these idiots:

1st: You are using a "QEFU" CPU that is C0 stepping, it's an Engineering Sample CPU, regardless of how you got it (hint: eBay), we don't support ES CPUs.
2nd: We aren't going to discuss it any further with you UNLESS you can get us a legal agreement from Intel to build a special BIOS for you (which Intel will never ever ever give me of course).
3rd: Once you get the legal agreement (which again I will never ever ever get as you guessed it), they will charge me $$$ to create a special BIOS version just for me, that supports the E7-4890 v2 "QEFU" (ES) microcode, engineering work is estimated at $5000 (I am not joking, he really told me it would cost about $5000 USD).

So, since the system boots up but then hangs after the IPMI initialization, during second stage "System Initializing ...", I was hoping you guys could hack the BIOS around for me and re-implement the microcode I need.

I did give an attempt at UBU and this is what I got in the console:

Scanning BIOS... Please wait...
Platform BIOS AMI Aptio 5
Brand Supermicro
Found Option ROM in GUID 365C62BA-05EF-4B2E-A7F7-92C1781AF4F9
Found EFI ASPEED GOP Driver GUID A0327FE0-1FDA-4E5B-905D-B510C45A61D0
Found EFI Intel Ent Raid Controller GUID A0327FE0-1FDA-4E5B-905D-B510C45A61D0
Found EFI Intel LAN PRO/1000 Undi GUID A0327FE0-1FDA-4E5B-905D-B510C45A61D0
Found EFI Intel LAN 10Gb Undi GUID A0327FE0-1FDA-4E5B-905D-B510C45A61D0

 This BIOS on Aptio 5 platform, known issues:
  - It is not supported by the update files in the GUID A0327FE0-1FDA-4E5B-905D-B510C45A61D0
  - There may be problems with updating the CPU microcode

Press any key to continue...

        Select option for update

1 - Intel RST(e) OROM and EFI SataDriver
     EFI IRSTe RAID for SATA    - 4.1.0.1026
  ASPEED OROM VBIOS and EFI GOP Driver
     EFI GOP ASPEED             - 1.00.07
3 - LAN OROM PXE and EFI UNDI - Intel, RTK, BCM, QCA
     EFI Intel 10GbE UNDI       - 4.5.19
     EFI Intel PRO/1000 UNDI    - 6.4.13
7 - Update Intel CPU MicroCode SandyBridge-E/IvyBridge-E
     CPU Microcode 0306E7 IVB-E - 70D
     CPU Microcode 0306E4 IVB-E - 428
     CPU Microcode 0306F2 HSW-E - 05
8 - Other Option ROM in FFS
9 - ME Analyzer
i - Versions, HomePages and etc.
0 - Exit
Press ENTER - Re-Scanning ALL EFI modules.

Enter number:7
This BIOS supprt E7 processors. Please contact me.
Press any key to continue...

Enter number:8

        Other Option ROM in FFS

- OROM_GUID_365C62BA-05EF-4B2E-A7F7-92C1781AF4F9
     Intel® Rapid Storage Technology enterprise - SATA Option ROM - 4.1.0.1026

     Intel® Boot Agent XE v2.3.04
     Intel® Boot Agent GE v1.5.13
     Intel® iSCSI Remote Boot version 2.7.97
     Intel® iSCSI Remote Boot version 2.8.16

Press any key to continue...

Enter number:9

-------[ ME Analyzer v1.4.13 ]-------
            Database r46

Firmware: Intel SPS
Version:  02.03.00.398.1
Release:  Production
Type:     Region
Mode:     Dual OPR
Date:     06/03/2015

Press any key to continue...

Enter number:i

UBU crashes stating "C:\UBU\Modules\Info.mht" no program associated to perform any actions with mht extension files, unknown file type.

And that's pretty much, I'm stuck, don't know what else to do.

I'm totally new to this (heck, I didn't even know such forums existed or that BIOS modding was "a thing") but from what I understand we could probably hex-edit the original BIOS file, switch the microcode hex value for retail Intel CPU to ES CPU matching the microcode I have "recompile it" or at least have a "proper checksum" and then I could flash the motherboard with it.

If anyone with serious technical knowledge could either help me tweak-edit that 1.0B bios or even better yet, throw at me an already fixed BIOS, that would be appreciated.

Thanks a bunch!

Install supported CPU, boot up, make and post screenshots of first (CPU) and third (Mainboard) tabs of CPU-Z.

Hey DeathBringer,

Thanks for your help.

What should I do if I don't have a supported CPU handy?

Without supported CPU you can't mod BIOS.

I'm afraid I'm really new to this whole BIOS modding scene. It was my understanding that once I get a hold of a modified BIOS to support my CPUs, I could stick it on a USB FAT32 formatted disk, boot the system while holding 2 keys and get the BIOS to get auto-updated?

If I find a single E5 retail supported CPU then I manage to boot up and get CPU-Z screenshots for you, how will that help you at all since it won't be the ES CPU we need to mod for?

I just don't get it.

I think you can't update BIOS with your ES CPU.

So I will need to temporarily switch to a supported CPU for a few minutes to get it to boot and perform the update?

What screenshots do you need then? screens from CPU-Z with a single socket populated with a supported CPU?

I need screenshots of first (CPU) and third (Mainboard) tabs of CPU-Z with any supported CPU.

Okay thank you I will start working on "borrowing/loaning" a supported CPU on that board.

Note that it will most likely a Xeon E5-26XX v2 CPU (dual socket) where as what I have are E7-48XX v2 (ES) CPUs (quad socket).

As soon as I have that, I will get back to you.

And if you can boot up your ES CPU on other system then make and post a screenshot of first (CPU) tab of CPU-Z with it.