Abit IX38 QuadGT Bios Update?

[Infected]

Hello all, especially the Abit BIOS programmers,

Is this forum still alive? I've sent 5 mails using the Technical Form on
abit.com.tw and I've sent mails to sales@abit.com.tw and so on, but
I didn't get any reply back yet. Now I recently found out that Abit has
stopped producing motherboards and that this forum exists in return!
Very nice !

So.. What's the question? I recently downloaded the last bèta bios
"m704b" from the "BIOS updates for Intel E0 stepping"-thread. And
that BIOS works very nice for my Xeon Quadcore X3370 (aka Q9650 E0).
Thank you very much already, even Virtualisation Technology and the
CPU temperature reading is working correctly now!

Ok the question, sorry... Would it be possible to add one more 'feature' to that
"m704b" BIOS for the Abit IX38 QuadGT motherboard? A feature that would
greatly reduce the huge voltagedrops (referred as Vdroop from now)?

My idea is to monitor the ACTUAL CPU Core Voltage (from the uGuru Voltage
Monitoring menu) and the SET CPU Core Voltage (from the main uGuru menu).
Now knowing this two variables (i suppose you can declare variables in a BIOS ?)
The Vdroop can be solved if the CPU Core Offset voltage would be (dynamically) set to:
SET CPU Core Voltage - ACTUAL CPU Core Voltage = CPU Core Offset Voltage, which
can be negative if the ACTUAL CPU Core Voltage > SET CPU Core Voltage.

For example if a voltage of 1,40V is set in the BIOS and uGuru reads a voltage from only
1,33V (what is happening in my case when the CPU is under load), the CPU Core Offset
Voltage would automatically increase/decrease until SET = ACTUAL? Is this a possible
implementation?

Now I'm running my Xeon at 4x 4GHz with a Core Voltage set to 1,425. In idle the CPU
gets an actual voltage of 1,40-1,44V, which is not needed at all, but only 1,34-1,36V at
full load, and that's not enough to be 100% stable ! Setting a voltage higher than
1,425V would become dangerous as this CPU's max Vcore = 1,45V. So actually I've still
some headroom left if it wasn't for the huge Vdroops :-(

Can the Abit programmers please help me?

[BUFF]

abit hasn't made a mobo for a year & as far as support is concerned only rump warranty replacement seems to exist anymore.
there is no official abit presence here anymore either - only a few users trying to help.

as for Vdroop it's actually an Intel design requirement ...

[Infected]

But but but ... You're saying that this can't be fixed? :-(
And the 'user' who provided a bèta BIOS with E0 support?
Can he help me maybe? :-$

[BUFF]

And the 'user' who provided a bèta BIOS with E0 support?
Can he help me maybe? :-$

was an abit rep (abit_Nl) but look when it was provided ...

No doubt it could be fixed but there is no will & no resources to do so.

[Infected]

was an abit rep (abit_Nl) but look when it was provided ...

Ouch ! I really hope Abit_NL will return to this forum sometimes, he's probably the only one
with sufficient knowlegde :-O !

Anyway maybe I could do a Vdroop mod on the board?

Anyone who did the Johnny Bravo Vdroop mod on the Abit IX38 QuadGT ?

[Infected]

Not one person who can help me? :-(

[Dizel]

try mailing EU support

[Blitzen]

try mailing EU support

Even though they are closed?

[Infected]

I did send an email to the EU support already and they've send me the last bèta BIOS for this motherboard back, greatly appreciated, but it didn't resolve any Vdro(o)p issues.

I noticed them, and now they've send an email to the headquarters so that they are aware of this problem.
Maybe (1% chance) they will actually fix this problem, but probably not.

Greetingz

EDIT: Link to lastest official beta BIOS for Abit IX38 QuadGT Update 11-01-2010 : Download

[Dizel]

Please send me this beta bios, i have problems with Q9550 E0 i wrong temperature readings even wiht this E0 stepping bios from this forum...

[Infected]

See edit ;-)

[Dizel]

And how you flash this beta without awdflash.exe, abitfae.bat and runme.bat? Renaming bin file or?

[Infected]

I flashed using a bootable floppy with those files you mentioned, but opened runme.bat and edited it to use the new bios file. (change filename).

Can't upload those files i'm sorry because i'm not @ home)

[Dizel]

Ok, this means that i have to rename only name of the bios that is called by abitfae?

@echo off
cls
ECHO !-------------------------------------------------!
ECHO ! !
ECHO !Please DO NOT run this batch file under Windows! !
ECHO ! !
ECHO !-------------------------------------------------!
pause
call abitfae.bat M704B_14.BIN

Replacing with number 15 and works fine?

[Infected]

Yes correct, that's all ;-) It worked for me :-)

Make sure your PC does NOT lose power when flashing BIOS => corrupt motherboard
=> will never boot again :-D

[BUFF]

EDIT: Link to lastest official beta BIOS for Abit IX38 QuadGT Update 11-01-2010 : Download

do you reckon that's the same as 16?