L502X modded bioses download (GPU voltages and more!)

hi all, probably some of you noticed about the project started some time ago.



more info at this topic

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/632899-modding-l502x-bios-project.html

and finally after some research and the help of other members, I was finally able to relase the first modded bios for the L502X

here you can download currently modded bioses for your XPS 15 R2 (L502X)

note: some users using lower voltage moded bioses reported it fixed the crashes with the stock bios/clocks

the default voltages running with the stock dell BIOS are:

please note that 2D profile is asigned to iddle or low graphic needed task, like surfing, watch videos, very low demanding graphics games like NES emulators ..
and 3D profile is used for high graphics demanding apps, like most games.

following modded bioses include voltage changes for OC or cooler temps, choose the propper one for your needs.

remember to use the version for your card only, i mean to dont download 525m versions for 540m boards or 540m versions for 525m boards, if you flash the incorrect version you can find problems or get no voltage changes at all.

note: those modded bioses doesnt touch frecuency or clocks,they still running stock clocks, so if you are interested in overclocking/underclocking use software like MSI afterburner 2.10 after flash the modded bioses like I did

msi afterburner screenshot



note: all following bioses has been tested by me and/or other forum members without major problem, anyway I dont get responsable of any bad flashes occuring by acidental AC/battery power lose, currupt downloads caused by unstable internet connections,flashing on another laptops or unsuported hardware and stuff like that, those bios are ONLY for the XPS 15 R2 (model number: L502X)

note: Common mistakes
some people get confused with underclock,undervolt,overclock and overvolt, take in mind those are different concepts.

I will explain them a little to clear any doubt.

it you want to lower the temperatures even more while using the modded BIOSes.

here is a list of hardware mods you can do:

* repaste (dell's thermal paste job isn't as good as desired)
* remove Dust filter (by removing the dust filter, the airflow will be greatly improved)

here you have some usefull links about how to dissasembly the unit.

L502X disasembly video
L502X teardown guide + repaste





if you want to check/verify the downloaded bios integrity is correct, you can use checksum apps like Md5Check to verify the RAR package integrity,if the posted checksum code and the checksum code obtained by the tool are identical,your download has been sucessfull, in most of cases, this process is unnecesary, however since bios flashing is not funny stuff, it help to prevent problems.

-------------------------------------------
older versions download
Click on the Spoiler button to access older downloads

Spoiler

only for gt525m card users

only for gt540m card users

Advanced versions


note: advanced bios versions contain extra features not present in default bios like extra menus and advanced options,those bioses still being under testing due the high ammount of changes, only flash this if you know what are you doing!

note: advanced bios versions will be uploaded only by user request!, if you want a advanced bios for an specified bios version and or GPU model with custom voltages not present below, please request it in this format:

example

Code:

Bios version: A12
GPU: gt525m
desired 2d voltage: 0.83v
desired 3d voltage: 0.85v

Advanced versions download

Advanced bios versions download


note: advanced bios versions contain extra features not present in default bios like extra menus and advanced options,
keep in mind many of those bioses still being under testing due the high ammount of changes!

Intel ME firmware update


Info: this update is independent from BIOS update, it doesnt matter what BIOS version u have, including non modded ones, this update update the stock intel Management Engine to the latest version, I didnt found a update package with the previous version, so as for the moment is not posible to downgrade again to the previous version, proceed carefully!

-------------------------------------------

users marked as green color are the brave ones who tested the bios when no one tested it before.


reduced voltages help to reduce heat and power consumition, but can be unstable with very high clocks in most cases.

high voltages are more stable with higher clocks usually (not allways), but also take more power and heat.


I didnt made any changes at the clock or memory speed since every chip have different tolerances. so I suggest you download MSI afterburner 2.10 or any other overclocking software for the gpu and get the desired overclock for your card.

to monitorize the voltage,use nvidiainspector cause MSI afterburner works fine for everything else like temperatures, gpu and shaderprocessor and vmemory clocks, but dont monitorize gt525m or gt540m voltages (yet)


how to flash it:
just download the desired file, if you want to verify the checksum, use Md5Check and compare with the one posted with your desired download file. (the md5 checksum has been applied over the *.rar file)

once you ensured the file is OK,then extract it with winrar, and run the
FLASH_the_modded_bios.bat file.

a cmd window prompt will be opened

ask 'y' when it ask for it and then hit ENTER key,then you will have to confirm two dialog messages from winplash.


then let the system restart and DONT TOUCH ANYTHING, if everything goes nice, the new bios will be start getting flashed after the reboot.


NEVER INTERRUPT THIS PROCESS or the chances your laptop will become an useless brick will be about 99%

to confirm that you are using the new bios, just enter at the setup utility, you should see the bios tittle has been changed.



In this case I was testing a 525m bios mod.

and finally monitorize the desired voltages with nvidiainspector



In this case I got a 0.98v mod running on a gt525m.

note: some users reported unacurrate voltage data reading with nvidia inspector, consider using HWmonitor as alternative to get propper voltage reading, credits to wendiko.

note: dont use the overclocking tab of nvidia inspector!, some users reported voltage issues after messing with that, if you want to OC the card, use msi afterburner, evga precission or another software, but not nvidia inspector!

remember you will get the iddle voltage by dont using any graphics app, and you will get the 3D/game voltage by alt+tabbing from the game or running it in a window.


advanced menus

if you are using the advanced bioses,
some of the recomended options are:

quick boot -> on (boot directly to OS)
diagnostic splash screen -> on (bye bye to dell logo and hi to devices info ^^)
uefi boot -> on
fast strings -> on (performance boost)

and adjust the memory frecuency to the max your memory and cpu support ^^
1600 mhz should be great if your memory modules can handle it

here are some pictures of the advanced menus, however the extra features are too big to take pictures of all of them ^_^



















Big thanks to Kapax7 for the help with the Logo hacking, without his help, this wouldn't be posible.

note: installing windows 7 or 8 with UEFI option enabled may cause issues like crashes while using the BIOS controlled hotkeys such as brightness, keyboard, wiki etc, this has been reported by NeoMesal and agalin, extra info here

BIOS RECOVERY


bricked your bios acidentally by a bad flash? flashed wrong bios file and your L502X doesnt boot anymore?

dont worry, you can get your precious machine back to life

I made a custom CD-rom image, I think this is a must have for l502x users, specially for those ones messing with the bios updates from this topic

features are:

* no usb sticks are needed anymore!, just a CD ^^
* all needed stuff to flash/restore/repair the bios, included little OS, and apps is included at the cdrom image.
* easy procedure ^^

how it works?

by pressing the end key while plugging the power plug, the laptop looks for a file named BIOS.cap from the CD image, then it load the temporal bios to the memory and run it from there, then , by using this pack, it load a small windows xp with the flashing apps.

the cdrom image contains:

- BIOS.cap file, this file is the backup/temporal bios used to boot the system temporally.
- bootable BARTpe with small windows xp, required to flash the BIOS
- winflash with the A06 BIOS original/non modded version plus some scripts to make everything easier at the recovery process

preparation

* get a working PC with internet ,cd burner, burning software to burn ISO file and a emty cdrom.
* download the package
download from mediafire
download from ximenez's site
download from 4shared (mirror by NovaTornado)
download from rapidshare (mirror by NovaTornado)
download from zippyshare (mirror by NovaTornado)
download from MEGA (mirror by NovaTornado)

* extract it from the RAR archive, then burn the ISO to a CD.
* put the CDrom at the bricked l502x optical drive and turn the machine off.

procedure.

1- turn off your bricked L502X laptop and put the recovery cdrom inside the optical drive.
2- unplug the power cord, and press end button.
3- plug the power cable, and then you relase the end button fast. (the machine should start automatically without push the power button)
4- the bios start reading the cdrom, it load BIOS.cap file from the cdrom.
5- you have to hit F12 fast when the dell splash screen is at the screen, it will bring the device boot menu, then select cdrom. (if you didnt hit f12 in time, you will have to power off the machine and repeat the whole procedure again)
6- bartpe - windows xp will start being loaded.
7- when you are at the main screen, click NO on the network message box. then click the GO button and click "Command Prompt(CMD)" open a cmd prompt. and type "repair" without the quotes, that will launch my main script (Dont close the CMD window, it still needed to reboot the system.)
8- follow the script instructions, it is a little modified script from my main custom bioses.
9- since the automatic reboot didnt worked for the winflash in that boot cd, my script will do it, just wait after the winflash window is closed and the system will autorestart.
10- black screen for some seconds and the flashing screen will appear , if the flashing procedure ends correctly, your BIOS should be working back ^^ (this recovery method installs A06 stock BIOS)

note: I noticed I was unable to get this working by conecting the cdrom via the Esata port, so I had to remove the second hdd caddy I installed and plugged the dvd-rom drive in its original location, then it worked like a charm

if you preffer images rather than a guide, there you go

















PLEASE, if this recovery method helped you, plz, let me know.thank you ^^

and if you are using my modded bioses, leave feedback too plz

special thanks and credits to: jkbuha , AHMED HOSSAM ,TimeWalker ,Kapax7 and all the people who helped me and/or followed the topic giving me hopes to acomplish this

More Advanced mods

warning: following mods involve hardware modding of the unit, and require at least basic electronic knowledge, if you cant meet those requirements dont proceed and keep using the non hardware mods from this topic (modded bioses)

following mods allow to:

* unlock descriptor settings (all locked flash contents will be now accesible from software including a powerfull app named FPT wich is able to read and write the whole chip without the need of a external hardware programmer)
* enable overclocking
* backup , mod and restore the whole machine flash contents (Descriptor, ME, BIOS and hardware settings of the machine)
* ability to mod further the unit, for example, this is required to enable general overclocking.
* unbrick full bricked L502X machines that my recovery CDrom cannot recover.
* remove password (still need to figure how to do it..)
* reset anti-thieft feature setting (still need to figure how to do it..)
* change permanently the serial number and other unique hardware ids ...etc


procedure

1 - buy or build a chip programmer (schematics to build a cheap/easy but functional one is included at this topic)
2 - take appart the whole laptop and remove the bios chip
3 - optional - install sockets on motherboard and programmer side, make everything easy and higly recomended if you are going to make more than 1 flash.


equipment needed:


* 2 x SOIC 8 SMD ZIFF Sockets one is used for the programmer, and other will be installed at the motherboard where the old bios was.
* some extra compatible BIOS chips for testing and replacement if something goes wrong with the other ones, or just for faster tasks (programing and using at the same time)
* 1 homemade programmer, you will need , 1 x male parallel port, 4 x 100 ohm resistors, 1 x battery holder for the battery, and the battery itself (3.3v), you will obiusly also need some wires for the connections and a soldering iron, and you can use optionally a board to connect it and give it a better looking
* soldering tools and skills

here is the schematic, I didnt used the capacitor on mine and it worked fine anyway ^^



if previous diagram didnt worked for you to detect and read your SPI chip, try with following one



here you can see my v1 and v2 programers, first one didnt included the socket, thats why my chip got fried/damaged after several soldering/desolderings

v1



v2


comparision



BIOS chip and location at the l502x motherboard


it is a Winbond 25Q32BVSIG wich bave a 4 Mb storage size

to remove the original chip from the motherboard I suggest using a small sewing pin.

then use it to leverage to lift each leg meanwhile you apply heat with the soldering iron (dont lift the leg too much or it will break, and dont apply heat during a lot of time, or the chip will get damaged like the first one I had after several solderings and desolderings)

it will need to be removed so you can install the socket instead for easy chip swaping ^^



(ignore the yellow and blue wires at the motherboard from last pic, they are from another mod )

take in mind the chip have a big dot in a corner, that indicate the correct position, connecting the chip in a incorrect position will cause damage to the chip and maybe to the other hardware such as programer or motherboard.

remove a small plastic square at the cover under the palmrest is needed/recomendable if you are going to install the socket, you can see how I modded the plastic at the case on previous images to let the new socket fit.

here you have aditional images






well, as for the software I used , SPIPGM and FLASHROM

you will need to make a DOS bootable USB stick, and copy this package I used to a folder inside your bootable usb device.

yes, it need to be an usb device because you will need to dump your chip image first before doing anything,

backing up the chip before it got damaged is basically what saved my machine

you will also need a PC with parallel port for this, preferably a desktop PC


to test your programer hardware and chip conections and to identify the chip, do

Code:

SPIPGM.EXE -i

to backup your bios, do

Code:

SPIPGM.EXE -d backup.rom

to verify/compare your bios from a file

Code:

SPIPGM.EXE -v file.rom

to flash and program the chip

Code:

flashrom.exe -p rayer_spi -w FILE_TO_FLASH.ROM

the chip image is 4096 kb , it contains descriptor, BIOS , ME, and other stuff such.


at this point, you should be able to backup your chip image.

however, you will need to mod it.

get a hex editor, and look for this HEX string

00 00 0B 0A 00 00 0D 0C 18 01 08

and change it to

00 00 FF FF 00 00 FF FF 18 01 08

then save the file.

this will unlock the descriptor

once you get the descriptor patched and flashed back at the chip, put the chip back into the motherboard with the socket or solder it directly if you dont have sockets installed.

if your machine boot without issues, you can continue and proceed to enable OC.

to enable Overclocking do following.

* if you didnt installed the ME update from this topic, do it and reboot the computer (this is needed because I made the patch for the latest version of the ME, It can cause issues with older versions)
* now , download this file L502X_OVERCLOCKING_PATCH_BY_CAPITANKASAR.rar
* extract the package and Run L502X_ME_PATCH.bat file, that will use my modded ME settings image to patch your ME firmware.


now:

* open a cmd window and type :

note, if you use winxp, that will not work, you will need to edit boot.ini instead and add /usepmtimer to the active entry.
* reboot
* download and install XTU-Setup 3.1.201.5.msi
* make changes at the BCLK going over 105 mhz may cause inestabilities or crashes, you will need to find your propper OC
* download WinTimerTester 1.1
* run wintimer tester for 2 or 3 minutes until the time ratio is 1.0000

have fun



note: if after doing all the steps, you did not gain BCLK slider on intel XTU software do following:
* reflash your favorite modded A12 bios
* reflash the 7.1.52.1176 intel ME update from this post
* flash the overclocking patch
* reset the bios SETUP configs to default settings and save
* reboot the machine and enter XTU again.
* if you gain overclocking, you can go again to bios setup and set your configs again.

Descriptor Securiy Override

this will allow to bypass descriptor security without the need of a homemade programmer and remove bios chip, however, if you brick the laptop by FPTW flashing, you will still the programmer to bring it back to life

the procedure is pretty easy, just locate this realtek chip and bridge pins 1 and 5



after doing this mod, make sure you make a dump/backup of your entire chip with FPTW before flash anything, and save that backup in a safe place outside your laptop, because if things goes wrong while flashing, you will need that dump plus a programmer to get your laptop back into working status.

this mod should fully unlock FPTW and other software functionality to access your whole chip and flash mods like the ME patch wich enable overclocking

Cooling system Improvements

the system temperature have a big impact on system stability and durability, this means a good cooling system will let your system perform better and also will handle better overclockings.
for that reason, improving the cooling system or at least keep it efective will be good.

Dust filters removal

take appart the whole unit, and remove all those dust filter stickers, there are some of them at the expansion door, howver the most important one is under the system Fan, vy remove that, the airflow will be greatly improved




Add heatsinks to the voltage regulators and repaste

the voltage regulators feed the system parts with the voltages they need.

however they can get very hot.





thanks chris89 for providing such usefull info

extra info and original post

feedback and how to videos thanks to thenriques45

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...wnload-gpu-voltages-more-258.html#post9525100


Fan Management

this laptop just have one fan, for that reason it is really important to keep it working properly and at the correct speeds to keep the system stable and cool.


1 - download this file RwPortableX64V1.6.5.zip
2 - Run RW.exe
3 - focus Embedded Controller
4 - Double Click at the 0x60 register (the one from the picture)



by default it is on 40 (auto)

values:

40 - auto
02 - 100% (5284 RPM)
00 - manual mode? (some people claim the can use fan software to control it with this mode on another laptops)


dont forget to close RWE after make changes,because RWE is constantly polling data from EC and creating lag.

more info about the fan and RWE. here

update

Timewalker Developed an app to control the fan wich works with our L502X machine




you can find the details here

 

I would give a disclaimer about the voltages, 0.83v might not work for some people if they're unlucky, and with bios it's not just a simple reboot if it doesn't work.

 

Great work dude

EDIT : I just want to add that you should make an undervolted version , this is will be called overvolted since you've overvolt it from 0.95 to 0.98v , this will add about 4~5C to load temps and reduce idle temps as well ( Due to the 0.83v ).

 

If anything goes wrong , Intel GPU will takeover.
0.83v will work with 2D clocks I guarantee.

 

thank you all ^_^

well, my intention was to make a all in one version, reduced voltage when not using the true card potential to reduce the heat and battey drain, and in the other hand overvolt the card when it get demanded by higher overclock.

this mod is like

2D profile: minimal heat/battery drain <->3D MAXIMUM stability performance while overclocking


however if you want I relase a version with custom voltages, just tell me wich ones you want for the 2D and 3D profiles.

 

I don't own a L502x , But I'm really impressed by your work
N5110 is stable with 3D clocks undervolted to 0.86v and GT525M overclocked to 672/1344/900!!

Some people want to reduce load temps.

 

thanks :3
ah ok (though you wanted one)

@all

I think I will relase the bioses by request for now (only for L502X bios), just ask them with following format

2D PROFILE desired voltage: (posible values: 0.83v,0.85v,0.95v,0.98v)
3D PROFILE desired voltage: (posible values: 0.83v,0.85v,0.95v,0.98v)
card model: (GT525M or GT540M)

note, I Cant fully test the mods for the GT540m, so I apologize if the GT540m mod dont work as expected, anyway like MPIXAPP said, you should still be able to use the intel card in case something dont work with the modified nvidia vbios)

 

Great job! Was really enjoying your original bios mod thread! If you've got time to develop one for the 540 that would be super! I'd love my 502 540 to run a bit cooler...but no pressure, Stirling job already!

Have you done anything to modify fan profile etc?

TY!

 

thank you ^_^

well, for the moment I just know how to edit the voltages for the cards,dont know how to edit the fan yet, I think I will focus next on doing the splash image mod, but need to investigate on it first.

also, I noticed the L502X uses the same heatsink and FAN for the CPU and GPU, so I dont think it will be a good idea.

anyway I can tweak the voltages for you if you want ^_^, just tell me the values in the form I posted on last post

 

Coordinate the topic and add the part of the custom voltages

 

done, added the info at the first post :3

 

added undervolted version for the gt525m card
2d profile: 0.83v
3d profile: 0.85v

I'm testing/using it right now
DL link and info at the first post ^_^

 

+1

2D PROFILE desired voltage: 0.83v
3D PROFILE desired voltage: 0.98v
Card Model: GT540M

Keep up the good work!

Cheers

 

on the way ^_^

however take in mind I cant test the ones for the 540m, so tell me if there are any issue.

also, when I opened the stock 540m Vbios from the A07 dell updte, nbitor reports it seems to be running 0.83v and 0.98v already

however I also noticed I can set also 1V (540m only) (also noticed 0.95v is missing from the 540m table)

are you interested on the 1V on the 3D profile?, or you want I try to set the one you requested (even it seems to be already running at the vbios?)

 

I'll be a beta tester and try the 1V for 3D. - seems odd that the voltage settings are different when both the 525 & 540 are essentially the same chip I believe.

 

The 540 has higher clocks, so has a higher power requirement.

 

jsut installed the undervolted one, didn't destroy the world so that's a plus
testing will commence
Edit: not an insane difference, but furmark does seem to heat up a little slower. no word on battery life yet. fps seems unaffected

 

0.83v , 1V version is out for the GT540m, as allways DL from the first post.
need feedback from GT540m users!! ^_^

 

well, using undervolted bios usually get the temperature as the most noticiable event.
reducing the voltage may affects the battery too, but minimal, battery life depends on a lot of things, most significant ones are gpu ussage, lcd brigtress, cpu ussage, wireless.... etc, if you turn off unnecesary devices, uses a low consumition windows plan, low brightress etc... , you will get longer battery time per session.

as for the fps, I didnt modified the clocks cause every user chip will handle the overclock different,I just modified the voltages, so the fps should be the same, if you want more fps, do what I said, with the moded bios installed , download msi afterburner or any other overclocking software, and adjust the GPU core at the highest STABLE clocks, testing overclocking require patience and a lot of tests, if a configuration crashes the card, try again by lowering 10 mhz the core until you get a stable configuration, overclocking the memory too much can also cause artifacts or crashes.

 

I'm aware there are no clock changes. I'm just saying that the lowered voltages do not seem to effect fps

 

@nomygod

roger that ^_^

then thanks for the feedback :3

@all

any word about the gt540m bios mod?, someone?
(<- have no gt540m card to test ^-^)

 

GT 540M modded BIOS works fine! Reports 1.0V and overclocks nicely. (Stability & heat are another issue to remain cautious about; temps are a few degrees higher than normal)

I had to revert to an old BIOS to get around an error that stated an equivalent version was already installed during the flash process (is this normal?):
BIOS A07 -> A06 -> Modified A07

Works for me!

Thanks!

 

when has update problems, dell warranty avoid or not ? such as missing windows slip 2.1 problems ? thanks.

 

Is undervolting the cpu possible?

 

Hi Captain sorry for late reply - time zones and all that! I'll happily test the 540 mod but ive only got my iPhone till mid next week (hols).

From subsequent posts, I've got a couple of concerns, I'm more interested in undervolting the gpu so not sure if I dare overvolt the gpu due to heat stuff. Also I'm using a quad core i7 2630qm. Will this have any effect? I notice you're using an i3 - is this important to consider when bios modding? I guess not as the mod is focused on the gpu but just thought I'd ask anyway..

Finally, and just a suggestion, in case bios modding leads to any unexpected problems it might be worth including a couple of tips in how to revert back in your original post. Up to you tho! Great work Captain!

 

thanks for the testing and experience sharing

well, as for the flashing error asking that bios is already flashed, I think it can be fixed by changing the flashing the flashing parameters:
I think i ussed those parameters while I had the same issue you had, is just that I forgot to include those parameters at the batch file and used the stock ones, I will use following one on next bios relases

Code:

WinFlash /all /sa /sn /sd /sp /svs /sv /cvar BIOS.WPH

this should skip the version checks if I'm correct

oh, just curius, what is the max stable gpu clock speed you can get with the 1V bios mod?

I didnt modified that, while using the bios tools, I preserved those features, so it should be ok.

Code:

 Offset     Valid Address Range    SLP OEM String

000FE076    000FE076 - 000FE086    Dell System

anyway, I cant confirm this dont avoid the warranty, flash at your own risk

not sure, but currently I didnt found an easy way to do it.

thank you sevenofnine

well, if you re worried about heat, I suggest using a undervolted version.
I dont recomend the overvolted versions unless you are looking for a high OC.
yep, i3 usually runs at cooler temperatures than i7 as far I know.

but take in mind, undervolted gpus may not be stable while running high clocks, just tell me what are your desired volts configuration and i will build a bios for you

relating flashing problems, I didnt found too much on the net, for the uefi, securecore tiano recovery disks,I made some recovery usb sticks, but not fully sure they will work properly for this.

even those new laptops have more secure recovery systems.
as far I know there are still chances to brick the systems, so allways make sure the laptop is fully battery charged, plugged in, and NEVER, interrupt the flashing process under any cirscustance.

cause I dont know any way of recover 100% a corrupt flash for this laptop, I asked at the bios-mods.com, and seems the required files for the securecore tiano files bios recovery are not avalible on the net yet.

since I am just modifing the nvidia gpu vbios and some other minor details, the only troubles I found were unusable nvidia card, but I were able to still being able of using the intel card so I were able to reflash and get the nvidia card working again.

 

Had a nice overclock of 860/1010, stable for SCII. Fantastic!

However, I have reverted back to the original A07 BIOS as the temps are a worry for me. I only have the stock cooling (haven't repasted) and during Furmark, the max temperature increased from 79C to 91C (with 1V & no overclocking)

Works well, but afraid I probably won't be able to comfortably use it until I do a repaste or something.

Many thanks for the hard work

 

thank you, and nice overclock , good luck with repasting, consider also remove the dust filter from the case under the cpu fan, It really improved the airflow for me

my GT525m refuses to work at higher clocks than 670 , the burn tests works in higher clocks with no artifacts, however the games such as dead space 2 crash with higher clocks, not sure why, but it does, so I am running 670 core speed with 0.85v atm. underclocked and and overclock to the highest stable speeds seems to work fine, didnt tested the memory overclock so much anyway

 

Hi Captain,

Thanks for the feedback and clarification on bios restoration. I think if I was to request a bios, I would go for:

2D PROFILE desired voltage: 0.83v
3D PROFILE desired voltage: 0.98v
card model: GT540M

But! from an earlier post you said that these voltages are what the 540 are running at already? So I guess this wouldn't make much sense? Basically I'd like my laptop to run cooler when it's running off Intel HD graphics (browsing the web, MS Excel etc). Based on that, do you think there's much reason to do:

2D PROFILE desired voltage: 0.83v
3D PROFILE desired voltage: 0.85v
card model: GT540M

because this would fairly cripple 3D performance? Or have I got it allllll wrong?

Thanks Captain!

 

Guys..

3D Profile is when you GAME , 0.98v for 3D will lead to HIGH temps.
2D Profile is not important, it will decrease idle temps.

 

@sevenofnine

yep, you are right

2D voltage: 0.83v
3D voltage: 0.98v

are default value for the 540m

I did the 0.83v - 0.85v you requested, more info at the first post for download, keep in mind I cant test the 540m modded bios with by myself since I have a 525m, so flash it at your own risk.

also if your card become unstable while game, it means 0.85v is very low voltage for the 540 speeds.

however this should reduce the temps while gamming :3

feedback apreciated/needed from this bios!!!


@MPIXAPP

yep, you are right

2D profile are for idle or low graphic consumition apps
3D profile are for games/high graphic demanding games.

@all

happy new year guys

 

I used the undervolted (0.83-0.85) on a gt 525m OC'd to 540 speeds. No problem, just played around 2 hours of TF2.

 

hi i see you say to just click on the flash the modded bios.bat i was just wondering can i click this from running windows 7 or do i have to run this from something safer like command prompt but no windows 7 loaded

 

jus to let yous know i worked it out and the bios flash went great used 2 get a buzzing sound after a while on games like skyrim after using clocks over the 800 mark but i can now use over 800 wif this and the problem has gone thanks for your work everyone involved

 

I would say that the 2D Clock ist almost irrelevant, unless you are using the hdmi output or using the 2D Clocks for playing Videos. Otherwise my experience is: Gaming->3D Profile, Idle-> Intel Gpu.
Good Job (as i have mentioned before ) but can you please provide some checksums? Like .sfv or .md5? (Using Programs like quicksfv). I wait with flashing when it will be possible to reduce the cpu voltage =) Which will reduce the fan and heat problem quite i bit during normale using (surfing, mail, music).

MFG Jubeltrubel

 

hi capitankasar jus wanted 2 say great job and also if u need me to do any testing even if it is risky id be willing to test the 1.0v on are gt525m cards so if u feel u want to do that give me a message on this n id be happy to test out any future bioses keep up the gd work

 

I asumed you flashed the gt525m 0.83v - 0.85v , and then you OCd the card with software.

thanks a lot for the feedback ^_^

the flashing process is quite simple, download the rar file, extract it, under windows run the bat file.
the bat file will call winflash, afterclicking ok sometimes, the system will reboot, the screen will turned off for some seconds, and then the flashing app will start flashing, its important to NOT interrupt the process under any cirscustance.

glad the bios mods helped you.
thanks for the feedback

what card version did u used? 540m or 525m, and what voltages?

thanks for the comment.

as for the checksums, I already were adding them at the first post, the checksum of the rar file is under the download.

as for the cpu voltage, I dont have the knowledge to do it and I dont know if that is posible using modded bioses.

I recomend you give a try "ThrottleStop" software, I use it a lot for the cpu, it allow keep max power on battery mode, but it also allow to reduce the cpu multiplier, wich result on lower clocks, also noticed the cpu voltage decrease with lower mhz.

I think that is what you need

thank you for those kindly words

well, as for the moment I just know how to modify the voltages mentionated at the first post, and I noticed the 1.0V is not avalible at the 525m card highest voltage suported is 0.98v (just the 540m allow 1V as far I know) , maybe it is posible to overvolt it with more in deeph HEX hacking at the vbios, but I'm not sure about how to do it.

if I find something I will let you know


did someone tested the gt540m 0.83v - 0.85v version?
I want to remove that ugly and scaring red text from it xDD

 

yes my card is the gt525 i have ur 0.98v bios installed with my clock speed set to 802 my shader is 1601 and my memory is 915 with these settings before i got an annoying buzzing sound loop crash whilst playing games like skyrim and need for speed the run but since the bios voltage change its alot more stable and that crash hasnt happened since thats what makes me keen to see if there would be a 1.0v change as i feel there is plenty more potential in my card yet as my temperatures dont go over 77

 

ah, ok
nice clocks you are running dary, specially if you got such low temps.
sadly my 525m card dont want to go over the 540m clock speeds even with higher voltage..., it did before with stock voltage, but idk, it just seemed to say goodbye to the OC good times
for the moment running 670/1340/915 stable with the 0.85v mod
I will ask at the bios mod forums if is posible to volt mod the 525m up to 1V , like the 540m, will be difficult to know if it us really running at 1V cause the driver is the one who report the voltage to the OS as far I know

 

Theoretically it should be fine, since the GT 525m and GT 540m run on the same chip
source:

Code:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-525M.43889.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html

The overvolted bios shows a few points temp rise in furmark. I am going to play around with the overvolt and see what I can see. If gaming temps are still acceptable I'll probably stay with the overvolt. Hopefully your momentum doesn't stop. Excellent work!

 

ty

yep, they both use the same chip (GF108), but the board is different I think.

the gt525m uses the board 1079df50
and
the gt540m uses the board 1079df40

I were able to see it while hex editing the bioses, using nbitor, and on the driver identifiers at some sites.

also, at least on the L502X, the gt540m comes with twice memory ammount than gt525m, so is there a chance the voltage regulator settings are different in hardware.
I have suspects even hexediting the advanced vbios values of the card firmware, driver hacking would be required too, at least to report the correct voltage output since the voltage profiles seems to be different per each cards.

also it seems a lot of headache just for an extra 0.02v (1v = 0.98v + 0.02v)

if my gt525m (wich seems to dislike to be OCed a lot) and other ppl 525m cards run them at gt540m clocks easly even an the 0.85v undervolted voltage, overvolting to 0.98v should be enough in most cases

 

Ok, I have flashed the undervolted version for the GT525m (0.83-0.85 profile) and am wondering where I can check to see if the graphics card is using the right voltage?

 

Have flashed the undervolted GT 540M BIOS - Reports the 0.85v 3D and works fine for me (still needed to revert back to A06 to install)

There is a noticeable drop in temperatures; on average about a 5-7C in Furmark, max of about 74/75C. - Remember this is without a repaste or cooling pad! Very cool if I say so myself (no pun intended). Still need to test stability & oc, if it works fine I might stay with this mod.

Feel free to remove that red text that you despise

Thanks again

 

Download Nvidia Inspector from this link:

nvidiaInspector.rar

You can also use it to control overclocking if you want

 

Hey Matix,

I hope to give the undervolted version a go later in the week too, thanks for dipping your toe in the water first! Did you find the temps dropped whilst non-gaming too, i.e. fan comes on less frequently?

 

thank you for your feedback, red text removed
I need to check why it keep asking u to revert to A06 first, I flashed several A07 modded bioses again and again and didnt found any message asking version issues.

are you using the batch file? or are you flashing it manually with winflash?
I allways use the batch file to use the advanced flashing parameters and avoid clicking on the winflash interface buttons (save some time)

thank you a lot for testing the 540m version

 

Hey kasar

Did you manage to get a newer version of the vbios firmware to work on your machine?

If not - I have another idea. Did you try to modify the subsystem id of the bios using NiBiTor? It's a slim chance but might just work.

On a related note I'm going to be working on the BIOS hidden menus next. Hopefully we should be able to see some results very soon!

Cheers
jkbuha

 

Hidden menus yay! *chants* fan control! fan control!

FYI I switched back to undervolted with OC to 540m and everything is still stable.

 

hey mate

nope, all my tries to flash the newer vbios working on l502X resulted in a failure, leaving the card unusable , the device apeared with problems on the device manager, thats why I didnt posted any modded bios with the newer firmware, I just got the current formware from the stock bios working with the modifications.

and yep, I also tried to change the subsystem ID to the one the current l502x vbios have, and still no success.

maybe If I get a chance to obtain a clean image of the newer firmware with no modifications by anyone ,I can try again to flash it again.

in the other hand, working on menus, and splash image would be nice!, since the xps 15 R2 and the 15z are really similar laptops, I think we can keep working togheter, sharing and posting the usefull information and the sucessfull tests.

glad to know
what are your GPU clocks and voltage used? I asume you are using the 0.85v 3d profile version

 

GPU 672/1344/900
2d 0.83
3d 0.85
I'll do a 10 minute furmark test on a tabletop to determine my heat. Note that with new paste, stock bios and stock gpu clocks, that temp was 75. Will post the new temp in an edit
Edit: 75C again. Not sure what that says, but data's data