13700k undervolting on B760 motherboards

[VN0RMPG]

Hi everyone!

I bought 13700k and Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WIFI for my future compact build.

At first, I was very optimistic because of many info about easy undervolting on these mobo's. BUT then I knew that the new BIOS version 1220 doesn't support undervolting (even for K cpu's) so I decided to use the previous version 1205 (which contains 140 microcode option and allows to undervolt your cpu). Sounds easy but on the Asus site I saw that before installing 1205, Intel Me version 16.1.27.2176 is required. The whole problem is that it is not available on the website, there is only 16.1.27.2176v2_S.

Now I'm a little confused about how best to update the BIOS and safe undervolt feature. If there are people who recently updated the BIOS on the Asus B760, please tell me how you did it?

Thanks everyone in advance!

[cekeu]

Since version 16.1.27.2176v2_S is the update of 16.1.27.2176 I would update version 16.1.27.2176v2_S then update the bios afterwards. I'm sure this is the right solution.

[VN0RMPG]

Thanks for the advice!
Do you think is it better to update Intel Me and the bios before Windows installation or after? My mobo doesn't have an instant flash option but I think I can do it in EZ Flash (at least, bios update).

[JohnAb · Accepted solution]

If everything is running OK and stable, then you should update Windows MEI drivers, then ME firmware (the latest available on your support page) and finally, the BIOS using EZFlash. Use a USB stick formatted with FAT32 and place the file in the root. The name of the BIOS file does not matter with EZFlash, so no need to rename it, but you can, it doesn't matter.  During the BIOS update, expect some long pauses and restarts. That's normal and it takes a good few minutes, so just be patient. Don't turn off the power or restart yourself. When complete, all BIOS settings will be back to defaults and you'll be asked to press F1. You can then enable XMP and any other settings you want to change. 

The MEI drivers are installed as part of Windows, so if you did a fresh install then you would have to install those again. You can only update ME firmware from within windows, but that firmware resides on the motherboard, as does the BIOS, so once that's done, you can install Windows again and those versions will remain in place. You will be able to see what versions are present by looking at the main screen in your BIOS. 

If Windows is running well now, then after the ME firmware and BIOS update, there should be no need to reinstall Windows. I do find though, that reinstalling Windows every 6 months can be helpful to improve speed and clear out junk if you like to experiment with various software. 

[VN0RMPG]

@JohnAb thank you for a such detailed reply!
Also, I read your guide about updating the BIOS and it was very helpful 🙃