Hey there,

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

http://www.supermicro.com/products/mothe...C600/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...le.aspx?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(R) Rapid Storage Technology enterprise - SATA Option ROM - 4.1.0.1026

Intel(R) Boot Agent XE v2.3.04
Intel(R) Boot Agent GE v1.5.13
Intel(R) iSCSI Remote Boot version 2.7.97
Intel(R) 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.

Option 7 really states "This BIOS supports E7 CPUs. Contact me".

I'm totally new to this (hell, 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 understands what needs to be done, please tell me. Thank you. ;)

Bro,

You got the wrong motherboard. The motherboard you have is for E7 4890 v4/v3

You are running around with a E7 4890 v2.

You need THIS motherboard:

https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/mothe.../MNL-X10QBi.pdf

This reference server below uses 4x W7 4890 V2 CPUs:

https://www.supermicro.com/products/syst....cfm?parts=SHOW

The motherboard you have clearly states that its for versions v3 and v4 only. Look again:

http://www.supermicro.com/products/mothe...C600/X10QBL.cfm

But if I have learntanything - its that 'wtf' happens way more than we expect. That said, have you already solved your issue?

Wow, old bump I guess? @x10qbl - if you still need updated BIOS clarify the above, which board/BIOS you have/need and I can update for you... Of course, charge will be $4999 J/K, price will be.... $free.99

and what about me?

@aviator007 - Sorry, I thought you were telling the original poster he had some info wrong. Do you need a BIOS microcode update?
If yes, what motherboard do you have and what CPU (CPUID and stepping) do you need update for?

Hello...
I wanted to chime in on this, I know its a pretty old post but ....

The X10DBT-T seems to be the only board Supermicro has to support the E7-4890v2
Says to call them to confim the cpu sku's so I did, they told me the same thing
ES QFJY isnt supported in the BIOS.
Is there any way to get these things working ? was wanting to build plex serves with them.

I can put in microcode for that CPU if you want. Do you already have board and CPU? If yes, please also link me to a known working motherboard for that CPU so I can get ES microcode from it.
This may not work, but its the best place to start, and often is the main thing holding back CPU from working. Sometimes Intel ME version matters too, if that needs changed then you may need flash programmer (in case recovery after edit ME is required, since not many updated tools for these kinds of ME)

How can we achieve this? Even if its a BIOS that supports only 2 settings -"stock" and the "overclocked" version where its hard coded to be 25% or 50% faster (say). I will be continuously phase cooling the CPUS, to take care of excess heat.

Can you help, please?