- last edited on by
ROGBot
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UPDATE 29-Jan-18: I recommend to not patch the BIOS until Intel uploads a fixed microcode update.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 16-Mar-18: Intel posted a new microcode update dated 12-Mar-18, so get it while you can.
I patched the BIOS using the tools available in Jan and flashed it, which worked fine. I did it again
with the current version of the tools which also worked fine and have updated this post to reflect that.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 22-Mar-18: Linked to "MMTool 502.0024 Mod" as it is compatible with both Aptio V & Aptio IV BIOSes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 27-Mar-18: DON'T EVEN TRY FLASHING A BIOS YOU'VE PATCHED IF THE MOTHERBOARD DOES
NOT SUPPORT USB BIOS FLASHBACK OR SOMETHING SIMILAR, LEST SOMETHING GOES HORRIBLY WRONG
AND THE PC IS RENDERED UNBOOTABLE. Hasn't happened yet AFAIK, but thought this needs to be made clear.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 9-Apr-18: I have replaced the link to Ashampoo Spectre-Meltdown-CPU-Checker
with GRC InSpectre. The latter provides more info.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 6-Apr-19: I have change the link in 1) to point to version 1.69.16 of UBU because....
"It just works"--Jensen Huang. heh heh.
These instructions are primarily for owners of the original Rampage V Extreme since I have that mobo. I recommend rebooting into CMOS Setup and save the current BIOS settings to a USB drive as a *.COM file.
"Tools" -> "ASUS Overclocking Profile" -> "Load/Save Profile from USB Drive" -> "[F2] Save as a new *.com file"
The settings actually get saved as a *.CMO file, but that works, too. ASUS programmers...
FYI: A quirk that may or may not occur with your R5E. After flashing *any* BIOS on my R5E, the video output defaults to the HDMI port. I disable the "Compatibility Support Module": "Boot" -> "CSM Compatibility Support Module", reboot, and the video outputs to my displayport as it should. Also, without CSM disabled, the PC will *freeze* when trying to load the saved BIOS settings from the USB drive.
Now that the quirky bits are out of the way...
1) Download version 1.69.16 of the "UEFI BIOS Updater" here.
2) Download MMTool version 5.02.0.24 (patched). Extract the contents and remove the version number from the filename.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/406suaf0vsb4x17/MMTool+5.02_patched.zip
3) Download the latest "Linux Processor Microcode Data File" from:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/873/Processors and extract the contents. (Current version: 20180312)
4) Download the latest unpatched BIOS. ( Currently 3801 for the Rampage V Extreme ). I extracted the BIOS image and renamed it R5E_3801.CAP
5) Extract the UBU archive. I extracted mine to the Desktop. Rename the folder "UBU", and place both the BIOS image and MMTool.exe in the UBU root folder.
6) Download CPU-Z. Run CPU-Z. Gather the values for "Ext. Family", "Ext. Model", and "Stepping" in that order. For my Intel i7-5960X they are 6,3F,2.
Now, jot them down in this format: 06-3F-02.
Go to the "intel-ucode" folder inside the microcode folder extracted earlier. Look for the microcode update filename that matches with what was jotted down, and copy it to the UBU folder.
7) In a PowerShell or Command Prompt with admin privileges, make the UBU folder the Current Directory.
For example, I'd enter CD C:\Users\axle\Desktop\UBU into a PowerShell.
😎 Enter: .\UBU
The name of the BIOS image file will appear momentarily at the top-left corner. This is the output I got.
Press any key to continue.
9) Select '7'.
10) Select 'm' and upload your CPU microcode update. In my case "06-3F-02".
11) Select 'Y' to update.
Press any key to continue...
12) To save the updated BIOS image select '0' to go to the main menu, then '0' again to exit, and select '1'.
Done! Just press any key to exit the BIOS updater. The BIOS image file has been renamed R5E.CAP and is ready to flash.
The size of the patched BIOS image and the unpatched BIOS image must be identical. Don't flash the patched BIOS image if different.
Success in flashing a modded BIOS image appears to be more likely when using USB BIOS Flashback. More importantly, should the flash go bad and CMOS setup is inaccessible, the same method can still be used to flash a non modded BIOS image.
"InSpectre" from Gibson Research is a utility that checks for the presence of Spectre/Meltdown
exploit mitigation. https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm
Have a Happy Flash.
UPDATE 29-Jan-18: I recommend to not patch the BIOS until Intel uploads a fixed microcode update.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 16-Mar-18: Intel posted a new microcode update dated 12-Mar-18, so get it while you can.
I patched the BIOS using the tools available in Jan and flashed it, which worked fine. I did it again
with the current version of the tools which also worked fine and have updated this post to reflect that.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 22-Mar-18: Linked to "MMTool 502.0024 Mod" as it is compatible with both Aptio V & Aptio IV BIOSes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 27-Mar-18: DON'T EVEN TRY FLASHING A BIOS YOU'VE PATCHED IF THE MOTHERBOARD DOES
NOT SUPPORT USB BIOS FLASHBACK OR SOMETHING SIMILAR, LEST SOMETHING GOES HORRIBLY WRONG
AND THE PC IS RENDERED UNBOOTABLE. Hasn't happened yet AFAIK, but thought this needs to be made clear.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 9-Apr-18: I have replaced the link to Ashampoo Spectre-Meltdown-CPU-Checker
with GRC InSpectre. The latter provides more info.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 6-Apr-19: I have change the link in 1) to point to version 1.69.16 of UBU because....
"It just works"--Jensen Huang. heh heh.
These instructions are primarily for owners of the original Rampage V Extreme since I have that mobo. I recommend rebooting into CMOS Setup and save the current BIOS settings to a USB drive as a *.COM file.
"Tools" -> "ASUS Overclocking Profile" -> "Load/Save Profile from USB Drive" -> "[F2] Save as a new *.com file"
The settings actually get saved as a *.CMO file, but that works, too. ASUS programmers...
FYI: A quirk that may or may not occur with your R5E. After flashing *any* BIOS on my R5E, the video output defaults to the HDMI port. I disable the "Compatibility Support Module": "Boot" -> "CSM Compatibility Support Module", reboot, and the video outputs to my displayport as it should. Also, without CSM disabled, the PC will *freeze* when trying to load the saved BIOS settings from the USB drive.
Now that the quirky bits are out of the way...
1) Download version 1.69.16 of the "UEFI BIOS Updater" here.
2) Download MMTool version 5.02.0.24 (patched). Extract the contents and remove the version number from the filename.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/406suaf0vsb4x17/MMTool+5.02_patched.zip
3) Download the latest "Linux Processor Microcode Data File" from:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/873/Processors and extract the contents. (Current version: 20180312)
4) Download the latest unpatched BIOS. ( Currently 3801 for the Rampage V Extreme ). I extracted the BIOS image and renamed it R5E_3801.CAP
5) Extract the UBU archive. I extracted mine to the Desktop. Rename the folder "UBU", and place both the BIOS image and MMTool.exe in the UBU root folder.
6) Download CPU-Z. Run CPU-Z. Gather the values for "Ext. Family", "Ext. Model", and "Stepping" in that order. For my Intel i7-5960X they are 6,3F,2.
Now, jot them down in this format: 06-3F-02.
Go to the "intel-ucode" folder inside the microcode folder extracted earlier. Look for the microcode update filename that matches with what was jotted down, and copy it to the UBU folder.
7) In a PowerShell or Command Prompt with admin privileges, make the UBU folder the Current Directory.
For example, I'd enter CD C:\Users\axle\Desktop\UBU into a PowerShell.
😎 Enter: .\UBU
The name of the BIOS image file will appear momentarily at the top-left corner. This is the output I got.
Press any key to continue.
9) Select '7'.
10) Select 'm' and upload your CPU microcode update. In my case "06-3F-02".
11) Select 'Y' to update.
Press any key to continue...
12) To save the updated BIOS image select '0' to go to the main menu, then '0' again to exit, and select '1'.
Done! Just press any key to exit the BIOS updater. The BIOS image file has been renamed R5E.CAP and is ready to flash.
The size of the patched BIOS image and the unpatched BIOS image must be identical. Don't flash the patched BIOS image if different.
Success in flashing a modded BIOS image appears to be more likely when using USB BIOS Flashback. More importantly, should the flash go bad and CMOS setup is inaccessible, the same method can still be used to flash a non modded BIOS image.
"InSpectre" from Gibson Research is a utility that checks for the presence of Spectre/Meltdown
exploit mitigation. https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm
Have a Happy Flash.
