Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

[Samail]

Hello everyone

Recently I bought brand new MoBo Asrock X79 Extreme4. I have i7-4820k Intel LGA 2011 CPU and Sapphire Radeon 7950 Vapor-X VGA. When i try to enable PCIE Link Speed to Gen3 in the BIOS, after save the changes in the BIOS configuration, my PC makes 5 beeps with error d6. If i back the PCIE Link Speed to Gen2 - everythings work solid fine. My CPU and my VGA both Supports PCIE 3.0. Please to advice me about this issue - any help would be appreciated.

[parsec]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Do you know what BIOS version your board has? You must use version 3.20 from your board's download page, for your IVB-E CPU to be compatible with your board. There is also a different INF/chipset installation program that must be run, and a new version of the Intel IME software that must be installed.

If you did all this already, there may be a problem with that BIOS update, or an unknown compatibility problem with your video card.

The D6 error you have is: No Console Output Devices are found, which means a video source failure. Currently setting the PCI-E speed to 3.0 causes a failure of the board to communicate with the video card.

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

My BIOS version is 3.20 ( bought the Mobo with it already installed). These INF\chipset installation program and Intel IME software must be run through Windows right ? Will they affect somehow the BIOS to allow it to enable PCIE 3.0 without problem ? Or they are for Windows compability issues ?

Update* : I reflash the BIOS with the file i downloaded from the Asrock site, ran all the install packages through Windows, but the problem still exsist :(

[parsec]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

What am I thinking, I forgot about an important step... but since your board had BIOS version 3.20 on it from the factory, I don't understand why the following should make a difference.

We learned from the earlier BIOS updates for the standard Sandy Bridge (SB) to Ivy Bridge (IVB) processor compatibility, on the Intel 6 series chipset boards, that the BIOS update also performed an IME firmware update on the board. The instructions to perform this BIOS and IME firmware update were not clear to many users. The following is from an ASRock FAQ about the SB to IVB BIOS compatibility update:

Note: If you use a USB flash drive to update BIOS, after new BIOS image has been written to the chip, please
press any key to restart system. At this moment, please do not remove the USB flash drive. Intel ME firmware
update procedure will proceed automatically if it is required.

Again, I don't understand why your board would need the IME firmware applied, and even if there is a difference in IME firmware on your board.

I was going to suggest clearing the CMOS/BIOS on your board, but if you performed an update to 3.20 (again), the CMOS should have been cleared.

If you try the Auto setting for the PCI-E speed, can you check if the board switches to 3.0 speed while in use?

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

I don't have the option "Auto" in my PCIE Link speed options for the separate PCIE slots - the options are Gen1, Gen2 and Gen3. The default option is Gen2. When i reflashed my BIOS with 3.20 again I was keep in mind, that i don't have to remove the USB drive in case, that IME update is required. On the USB drive I was copied only the BIOS file i downloaded. The other 3 softwares listed in ASRock > X79 Extreme4 ( AXTU , Intel ME, INF Driver ) I installed through my OS - Windows 7 x64 Ultimate. Did i have to copy any other files to my USB drive, along with the BIOS update file ?

[parsec]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

I don't have the option "Auto" in my PCIE Link speed options for the separate PCIE slots - the options are Gen1, Gen2 and Gen3. The default option is Gen2. When i reflashed my BIOS with 3.20 again I was keep in mind, that i don't have to remove the USB drive in case, that IME update is required. On the USB drive I was copied only the BIOS file i downloaded. The other 3 softwares listed in ASRock > X79 Extreme4 ( AXTU , Intel ME, INF Driver ) I installed through my OS - Windows 7 x64 Ultimate. Did i have to copy any other files to my USB drive, along with the BIOS update file ?

No, you do not need to copy any other files to the USB flash drive with the BIOS file. The IME firmware is in that file, it is a part of the 3.20 BIOS file itself, nothing else needs to be put on the USB drive.

You are doing everything right, according to what you wrote, including leaving the USB drive in the PC after it restarts. The INF, IME, and AXTU updates are all Windows programs, just as you said, that is all correct. You have not done anything wrong, or missed something you should have done, it all seems perfect, given what you have told us.

Assuming that you did everything right, and since your board came with BIOS 3.20 anyway, it should have the correct IME firmware from the factory anyway, then your issue seems to be either a problem with the BIOS itself, or the board is not 100% compatible with your video card. I hope ASRock sees this thread and tests this with your video card and mother board/CPU.

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

I hope so too :) Thank you very much for the kind advices and assistance. Will wait until Asrock release new BIOS and will try with it - hope that will fix my issue. That was my first Asrock product i buy - hope it will not be the last. And if anyone else have the similar problem and found how to fix it it or want to help with advice - please post in this thread.

[profJim]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

I have sent a private message to ASRock TSD - Emily and asked her to check out your thread.
Hopefully ASRock will be able to test with an identical system to verify the problem.

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Thank you for the quick assistance - will wait response from ASRock TSD - I hope they will find solution of my problem.

[ASRock TSD - Emily]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Dear Samail,

I'm checking this issue and will update the result to you later.

Thanks for the detailed verification!

Have a nice day
ASRock TSD
Emily

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Thank you for the response. Will await your further instructions and support.

[ASRock TSD - Emily]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Dear Samail,

Because we don't have Sapphire HD7950, I did the test with HD7970.
Below is my test config.
CPU: i7-4820K
Memory: DDR3-2133 8GB
VGA: HD7970
OS: Windows 7 64bit
BIOS: P3.20

The VGA card can work at Gen3 normally.

Please follow below suggestions to try.
1. Load BIOS default settings and only set PCI-E speed at Gen3 to try.
2. If possible, please test another Gen3 VGA card on system to verify.
3. If possible, please test your VGA card to another system to check if the card can work at Gen3 normally.

Thanks!

Have a nice day
ASRock TSD
Emily

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Thank you for the information. I did step 1) from your suggestions many times through my tests. On Saturday will test my VGA on another PCIE 3.0 ready Mobo and another PCIE 3.0 ready VGA on my Mobo. Will post the updated info then. If you have any other suggestions or advices - please be welcome to share!

[Samail]

Re: Major issue with enabling PCIE Link speed GEN3

Updated info!

Hello


I found the source of the problem after i set my VGA on another PCIE 3.0 ready Mobo with PCIE 3.0 ready CPU. The card didn't start at 3.0 again. The VGA BIOS is 015.025.000.099.000000. A friend has exact same VGA as mine, but his BIOS is 015.034.000.005.000000. I extract his BIOS through GPUZ and load it on my VGA through ATI Winflash. Now my card works with PCIE 3.0 but now nor my drivers, neither GPUZ shows my current clocks, pixel fillrate, texture fillrate and bandwidth. So I create Sapphire Support Ticket and request proper BIOS for my VGA Card model. Hope they will respond soon and send it as soon as possible.