Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios

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#1 | Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Wed May 06, 2020 3:08 pm

Hi all,

i recently began tinkering with my old socket a system. I'm able to mod new options into the bios, change romsips etc. I wondered if there is a possibility to update the cpu microcode. I tried to use MCExtractor v1.42 on various Nforce 2 based bios, but the extractor won't find any microcodes. Isn't MC Extractor able to extract these on Award 6.0PG based bios? I tried the MCE Extractor on Asus A8M32-SLI bios files and it showed the microcodes as expected. So i assume my usage of MCE is correct.

The hardware in question is Asus A7N8X, Abit NF7, DFI Lanparty Ultra B and similar boards. All Nforce 2 based and with Award 6.0PG bios.

Is there any known incompatibility or is there just no Award v6.0PG support built into MCE?

Thanks in advance!

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#2 | RE: Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Wed May 06, 2020 11:03 pm (Last edited: Wed May 06, 2020 11:05 pm)

For AWARD BIOS, you probably need to use Award BIOS Module Extractor first to get the microcode blob and then parse it with MC Extractor. Putting things back though will require the use of CBROM or whatever that tool was called. There are some AWARD related sticky BIOS guides on the BIOS Modding section of the forum.

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#3 | RE: Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Wed May 06, 2020 11:12 pm

Athlon XP for Socket A hasn't any microcode, has it?

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#4 | RE: Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Thu May 07, 2020 12:39 am

I was talking in general but I think some of them do have microcodes as they were K7 based.

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#5 | RE: Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Thu May 07, 2020 12:18 pm

Tzk

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Posts:	3
Registered since:	05.06.2020

Zitat von plutomaniac im Beitrag #2
For AWARD BIOS, you probably need to use (link to github) first to get the microcode blob

That seems to be my problem. Here's the output of cbrom v1.98 for the Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe 1008 Bios. cbrom doesn't display any microcodes at the bottom and there's no CPUCODE.BIN or NCPUCODE.bin module in the bios. I even extracted all modules and opened them one-by-one with MCE. Still no microcodes found.

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cbrom198 V1.98 [08/27/08] (C)Phoenix Technologies 2001-2008
 
              ******** c18E1008.bin BIOS component ********
 
 No. Item-Name         Original-Size   Compressed-Size Original-File-Name
================================================================================
  0. System BIOS       20000h(128.00K)  12BFEh(75.00K)  a7n8x-e.bin
  1. XGROUP CODE       0C750h(49.83K)   087D0h(33.95K)  awardext.rom
  2. ACPI table        046AFh(17.67K)   018A6h(6.16K)   ACPITBL.BIN
  3. EPA LOGO          0168Ch(5.64K)    002AAh(0.67K)   AwardBmp.bmp
  4. YGROUP ROM        06D70h(27.36K)   044A4h(17.16K)  awardeyt.rom
  5. GROUP ROM[ 0]     05A40h(22.56K)   026E6h(9.72K)   _EN_CODE.BIN
  6. PCI ROM[A]        0A800h(42.00K)   055B5h(21.43K)  4227.BIN
  7. PCI ROM[B]        10000h(64.00K)   07593h(29.39K)  NVPXES.NIC
  8. PCI ROM[C]        0F800h(62.00K)   088F5h(34.24K)  Marvel.BIN
  9. OEM0 CODE         08B90h(34.89K)   006F9h(1.74K)   BSMICODE.ROM
 10. LOGO BitMap       4B30Ch(300.76K)  1A275h(104.61K) A7N8X-E0.BMP
 11. Flash ROM         0A0E7h(40.23K)   057DEh(21.97K)  AWDFLASH.EXE
 12. VRS ROM           02280h(8.63K)    014BBh(5.18K)   ANTI_VIR.BIN
 
  Total compress code space  = 5D000h(372.00K)
  Total compressed code size = 5A4ECh(361.23K)
  Remain compress code space = 02B14h(10.77K)
 
                          ** Micro Code Information **
Update ID  CPUID  | Update ID  CPUID   | Update ID  CPUID   | Update ID  CPUID
 
------------------+--------------------+--------------------+-------------------
 

Zitat von DeathBringer im Beitrag #3
Athlon XP for Socket A hasn't any microcode, has it?

I fear that's the issue. Still i wonder why DFI stated "To include the micro codes of mobile CPUs." on their 2004/6/19 Bios for the Lanparty Ultra B and what exactly was changed.
Can't post a link to the changelog yet, seems new users are blocked from inserting link in their posts. Anyways, it's stated on lejabeach.com

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#6 | RE: Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Thu May 07, 2020 2:19 pm

Zitat von Tzk im Beitrag #5
I fear that's the issue. Still i wonder why DFI stated "To include the micro codes of mobile CPUs." on their 2004/6/19 Bios for the Lanparty Ultra B and what exactly was changed.

Those BIOS do not seem to contain microcodes no matter what the changelog says

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#7 | RE: Extracting and updating microcode on Athlon XP with Award 6.0PG bios datum

Thu May 07, 2020 3:15 pm

Thanks! I was expecting this, but still wanted to make sure it's not me using the tools in a wrong way. So i need to find the other changes DFI may have made...

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