PREMA BIOS MOD Review

2 Months for an RMA!!??? What the hell..?

 

Prema do your bios mods have options to disable the internal microphone and the webcam? If not then do you plan on adding in these options?

Only reason I ask is because I know that clevo's have a key on the keyboard to disable the webcam via an FN + key combo, but im not sure if theykeyboard key is a hearware key or software that alows this feature. Also, I have never seen any laptops with the option to disable the internal microphone via a hardware switch or bios option.
Lastly, when a computer gets booted, the first thing that is loaded is the bios in read/write mode so that the user can make changes, and after the bios is loaded the os loads but before the os loads, the bios gets set to a no read/write mode, so anything done in or by the os, the os cant access or change the bios in any way. Or atleast thats how i under stand it.
Having these options implimented in the bios are a security/privacy measure that I would hope to some day be standered in your bios mods, unless ofcource they are already.. I dont own a clevo yet but i will soon (w230ss )

 

The FN key is in fact a hardware key (like ON/OFF switch...). The BIOS switch for CAM doesn't work...not sure if there is one for the MIC...

 

Hi Prema, another happy W370ST owner here, so glad to have my BIOS unlocked and a fan table that isn't 0% or 100% !!!

Donation sent!

One question though, I notice someone back on page 140 mentioned this - the fan seems to run on low all the time - I have clevo control center installed but setting to 'quiet' or 'entertainment' doesn't seem to set the fan to silent when on low/no load? i have control center version 7.0010

love the way the fan smoothly ramps up, and seems to keep the laptop as cool as the clevo fan table but much quieter, just that my leg is getting cold!!!

carbide

 

THX!

Clevo Hotkey has only a partial influence on FAN behavior. Make sure to keep it updated alongside the BIOS.

CLEVO - Download

 

Hey Prema,

I installed your BIOS mod on my shiny new Sager NP8278-S and now my GTX 880M is not detected by Win7. The indicator for the dGPU is on all the time. What did I do wrong buddy?

Also... my keyboard backlight no longer works.

Touchpad works until I log in. Weird.​

UPDATE: I installed a BIOS for the previous model (because I am a nubcake). Prema helped me out by uploading the stock BIOS (because he's *not* a nubcake).

 

Did you install drivers? My p157sm does the same, dgpu indicator on all time, until I install nvidia drivers.

 

I had the system setup and then did the BIOS update so it was working before.

I tried to install nvidia drivers and it fails with "cannot find compatible hardware" or something like that.

Right now in Device Manager it say "standard vga" along with the intel HD graphics.

 

I think this is confusing because:

1) The default in Rufus is FreeDOS

2) Your video shows FreeDOS.

Not smacking you around bud. I paused quite a bit before I settled on MSDOS.

Good work. I sure as heck can't do it! :thumbsup:

 

I decided to do a clean install of Win7.

Touchpad works in Win7 now. nVidia drivers fail to find my 880M. Monday I will email Sager and the the stock BIOS.​

UPDATE: I had the wrong BIOS installed. Installing Windows with the wrong BIOS borks it when you put the *correct* BIOS back.

 

Doh...

880M support does not equal 17xSM-A support. I just figured this out and that explains a lot.

 

So is it at all possible that I'll see a BIOS mod for the P370EM in the near future, that allows support for new GPUs, and/or provides decent BIOS options, as opposed to the current mod, which in use is nearly exactly the same as the Sager BIOS I started with?

I love your work, but considering the x7200's BIOS, I feel let down by the P370EM's.

 

Yeah, LOL...that Mod is for another motherboard...

I have now uploaded stock W230SS, P15xSM-A & P17xSM-A (yours) BIOS on my blog so you can flash the proper BIOS for your board. Mods are in the works...

We will see...

 

The light went on for me when I looked a the file dates. Thank you!

 

Prema Mod for P570WMx updated to v4 and now on the blog.

Changelog:

- Rebased to BIOS v1.03.05 & EC v1.03.03 (GTX8x0M / R290x support)
- Intel Boot Agent GE updated to v1.5.53
- Intel Gigabit LAN updated to v6.2.08
- Added C-State configuration options
- Added Chipset Menu (VT-d, LAN, AC Power Restore, Audio, PCIe, USB, DIMM Info)
- CPU Microcodes updated & added:
E4 416 > 424
E6 > 600
E7 > 703
D1 103 > 106
D2 20A > 20C
D3 302 > 304

ENJOY!

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/8268851

 

Thanks for the hard work

 

Is there a way to somehow tweak P370EM fan profiles? Which are like 0% - 20% - 100%. And from 100% goes down only directly to 0% when temps are cool enough...

 

Prema Mod v1 for W230SS released and now on the blog.

Changelog:

- Updated:
Realtek LAN to v2.59 UEFI PXE to v2.026
Intel Sata Driver and RAID-ROM to v13.1.0.2030
Intel UEFI vBIOS updated to v5.0.1037
Haswell CPU Microcodes to v17 (651,6C3)
ME Firmware to modded v9.0.31.1487 (use standalone update to keep up-to-date)
- Enabled NON Win8 UEFI boot mode
- Activated option to disable bootlogo
- Added CPU Current, Voltage and Power/Time Control for Intel XTU & Throttlestop
- Added full RAM OC functionality (Clocks & Timings) up to 2667Mhz
- Added RAM XMP OC Profile support
- Added tons of additional menu items (CPU OC, iGPU OC, disable cores, HDD Password...etc)
- Unlocked GTX860M Overclocking Limit & removed throttle
- Added option to disable dGPU (OS X support, not a power saving measure)
- Added fully customizable PCIe ASPM options (incl. proper Linux support)
- Added dGPU C-State option
- Additional power saving tweaks
- Enhanced external GPU Support (TOLUD & PCIe Control)
- Added BCLK OC functionality
- Prema Mod Style v3.1
- A little polish here and there

ENJOY!

 

YOUHOUHOU ;-)

Thanks for your job !

 

I am dying here waiting for the P170SM-A / NP8278 prema bios mod.. Any word on when it might be coming out?

 

Prema did you get my PM by any chance?

 

I'm curious of how much battery life improvement the W230ss can get with the BIOS mod.

 

Any ETA on a Prema BIOS for the Sager NP9377?

 

Depends on the usage. The additional ASPM features have the biggest impact when components are idle in between...you may see very little till an hour or more savings...

No ETAs allowed.

 

I'm sure if they hired you on full time and paid you a salary that could be arranged

 

If the industry wouldn't have overcharged for software/media for centuries people would surely have a different appreciation towards DONATIONWARE today.
It's still balancing time and 99% of the user just "hit & run"...


@ALL P150SM-A, P151SM-A, P157SM-A, P170SM-A & P177SM-A Mods are now in the OP!

(change-logs will follow)

ENJOY!

 

Just shot a donation your way, Prema. Can't wait to see what you do with the 9377! Glad to be a tester

 

I am the 1%

 

That makes two of us.

 

Awesome, now I can finally truthfully say: We are the 1%

 

Hahaha! Yes indeed!

 

Well I've been using Prema's BIOS mod for the NP9377 and I'm very impressed with it. Lots of features that I won't ever touch (because I have no idea what they do) but thanks to the CPU controls, I was able to find out what kind of stable overclock I can get when disabling cores/hyperthreading, mess with TDP values, directly modify voltages, etc. Very powerful.

No issues flashing it. Couldn't have been more straightforward.

Prema has also been helping me actually tweak things with the system.

Donation well deserved! If you're nervous about flashing a new BIOS... just make sure you read. Its idiot proof if you can follow basic instructions. If you can't follow instructions (or you're just a contrarian person who refuses to do so), this isn't for you.

I can tell you I've seen a lot of BIOSes in my day and I've never seen so many options in one haha. Just when you think you're seen it all, you find a new menu with even more options.

 

Is there any chance that it will be P170em for “CPU Configuration (CPU Core & Cache Voltage… ” and “Fine Tuning” as other laptops?

 

I guess I'll have to hex & brick myself through that one sometime...


@ALL Prema Mod v1 for P370SM-A & P377SM-A released and now on the blog.

ENJOY!

 

Prema is it possible to disable the iGPU? I have P170SM with AMD 8970M

 

That won't be possible unfortuantely. The dGPU is routed through the iGPU and so not possible to disable.

 

Oh crap. I have a issue with AMD driver and Windows 8.1.1 logonui.exe. Basically, driver crash every time when I boot the system (After i enter the password it shows the desktop and then crash and recover. Event log shows issue with logonui.exe and AMD driver). I reinstalled the driver without AMD px profiles and I can boot without a issue. I think issue is switch-able (Enduro) graphic related.

Do i really need px profiles?

 

Prema Mod v1 for W35xSS & W370SS as well as v1.1 for W230SS released and now on the blog.

All 3 come with an enhanced GTX860M OC Mod (higher optional voltage, core & vRAM OC).

Your turn to show us some real Maxwell benchmarks!

ENJOY!

 

Plus DONATE to Prema if you like the mod. It's a lot of work to get something like this working properly. This mod includes both the Prema MOD BIOS as well as the 860m vBIOS update.

Just as a note to use 860m higher voltage, core, and vRAM, you still need to use your favorite OC program like Afterburner or nVidiaInspector. I have not been able to get Afterburner to adjust voltage, but I can with nVidiaInspector. If you crank the voltage slider all the way to the right, it will bump the vCore voltage to 1.2V max, despite what the slider shows. Stock is 1.15V, so little concern for any damage to your GPU. But it should let users push another 20-50 MHz on the GPU (maybe more) compared with a stock voltage core OC. This vBIOS also opens up the ability of the vRAM to run faster, because timings are relaxed a little bit, allowing probably +400 to +450 (or more) on the vRAM, compared with +200 to +250 with a stock vBIOS.

I will post a video "how to" soon. I can't say I understand all the functions in the Prema BIOS yet but I can at least give a brief tutorial on how to flash your system with the Prema BIOS/vBIOS and show some basic advantages. I did some beta testing for both the BIOS and the vBIOS so have a little advanced knowledge on it.

 

That will be great!
i am looking for all this information in one place. + real change with\without this mod.
in that case i will donate both of you.

 

If nVidiaInspector allowed even more voltage I wonder just how high the Maxwell 860M can go.

 

1.2v is already the hardware limit. If you want more you need to mod the board physically.

 

Here's results based on Prema's vBIOS released yesterday (GPU Core +280MHz / vRAM +420 / Voltage +1.20V = 1378MHz / 5850MHz / 1.2V) on W230SS:

3DMark11 P6459 (graphics: 6199): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7 4900MQ,Notebook W230SS

3DMark11 X2080 (grpahics 1870): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7 4900MQ,Notebook W230SS

3DMark FireStrike 4662 (graphics 5064): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7 4900MQ,Notebook W230SS

Here's temps and peak GPU info throughout the testing and nVidia Inspector settings:

Spoiler

 

Wow, beats a 680M at stock and runs 10C cooler even with +50mV overvolt! Can't wait to see what flagship Maxwell can do. (although knowing nVidia, they'll probably release the 880MX, then the 980M 6 months later, and then the 980MX another 6 months later )

 

I added benchmark results to the first post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...667818-prema-bios-mod-review.html#post8572869

 

Any chance of voltage mode for the w370ST with 765m

 

Prema? How far with bios for P150EM?

CEG - Clevo Extreme Gaming

 

When it's done. He is not committing to ETAs.

 

Wow everything's come such a long way since the first W110er Prema Mod.
I might look to retire that machine and get a W230ss to see what the fuss is about.
We should do a kickstarter to get Prema a lab, some lab monkeys and his own StarBucks.

 

How high were the temps on GPU and CPU after running these tests in overclocked mode?