BIOS update to support Ryzen 3700x? Helios 500 question

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Answers

  • NiteNinja
    NiteNinja Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    If someone is able to inject the AGESA code, could be possible. Hopefully they know that this laptop doesn't support BIOS flashback and a hardware level tool is necessary.
  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    edited July 2019
    So I edited my previous post - dude is gone from the office now but his explanation to me involved injecting code if necessary, maybe AGESA (don't know what at that is, but sounds right), and few other details that are way beyond my familiarity of what exactly is now happening here. 

    The terminology used to me (which was intentionally dumbed down) was "from a hardware point of view this laptop is 100% capable of using and utilizing this CPU...it may just not know it. There's ways to get it to realize that it can and I think I know how."

    I got what he meant, as simplistic as the explanation was, and it's all BIOS related. 

    Question though - are you saying that IF he screws with the BIOS/injects something and it doesn't work, a hardware-level tool will be needed to return it to normality with the 2700? Or a hardware-level tool is going to be needed regardless for this operation given it didn't plug and play? 

    He has the CPU, the laptop, and my vial of Arctic Silver 5 (and probably tool it is at home), but I'll text him about this if it's critical to the safety of the laptop as I'm already fond of it. 
  • NiteNinja
    NiteNinja Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Yeah a bios flashing tool will be necessary to inject an unauthorized BIOS. If your friend is familiar with this kind of task, they probably have one already. I have one when I was trying to flash my old ASUS GL702ZC to support Ryzen+. It's completely reversible as long as you make a backup of your current BIOS. Which makes it safer than software-level flashing which could be irreversible if you don't have the means to recover it.
  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    I sent that in a text to my friend and his reply was "I just explained that I was going to use one" - guessing he's familiar, hah.

    Now I'm on the edge of my seat, if I'm understanding some general concepts around what he's doing it seems like it has no reason NOT to work, which is actually the most encouraged I've been so far. 

    Thanks for all of the specifics with this - I hope to bring you all good news tonight/tomorrow, and I'll be sure to get pictures of everything regardless so there's something for us to go to Acer with either way. 
  • xapim
    xapim ACE Posts: 7,257 Pathfinder
    edited July 2019
    Yup flashing modded bios you need an spi CH341A + SOIC8 flasher/programmer u need to dump the bios first then someone to mod it then flash it back the same way


    https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/11532543

    UserBenchmarks: Game 43%, Desk 61%, Work 40%
    CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ - 63.5%
    GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti (Mobile) - 41.9%
    SSD: WDC WDS200T2B0B-00YS70 2TB - 71.4%
    HDD: WD WD10SPZX-00HKTT0 1TB - 93.7%
    RAM: Kingston HyperX DDR4 2666 C15 2x16GB - 76.8%
    MBD: Acer Predator G3-572

    I'm not an Acer employee. (just here to help in the best way i can)
    If my answer fixed you issue please accept it for any other users who search for it would find it quickly thanks :)
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    Owner/Admin (HOTEL HERO/Red-Sand/Opoka Opoka)
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  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    OK, I'll look in to that if he's not successful tonight...it's entirely possible that he already has something like that or is getting one. I told him to let me know if there was any cost involved with this adventure, so maybe getting that will be necessary. 

    Heading home now, will update you all when I know. 
  • sairadarmck
    sairadarmck Member Posts: 1 New User
    Yeah, I swap the thermal paste of any new laptop I get but I haven't felt the need for this one.

    Smarthwc.com

  • Nottheseapples
    Nottheseapples Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    BurnsXL said:
    OK, I'll look in to that if he's not successful tonight...it's entirely possible that he already has something like that or is getting one. I told him to let me know if there was any cost involved with this adventure, so maybe getting that will be necessary. 

    Heading home now, will update you all when I know. 
    Omg
    I signed up to this forum just so I can be apart of this post. This is the coolest project! Good luck! 
  • caito
    caito Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    edited July 2019
    Hi @BurnsXL
    any luck with the swap?
    just picked up this laptop from amazon last nite to take advantage of the prime sales, got it for $1299
    super psyched to know how it went for you
    fingers & toes crossed :)
  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Holy cow, you got it for $1299? That's an insane deal. 

    Again sorry for the slow update, work is unexpectedly hectic and I keep spacing on making the post. Still no luck as of now, but he didn't spend much time with it apparently...time hasn't been on our side the last day or two, as a super tedious project with immediate turnaround popped up and it's just been a time suck. 

    There will be a conclusive answer today, most likely around 5-6pm PST. I know it's killing all of you to wait on this and I apologize, I really do. 
  • caito
    caito Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    yeah, i got lucky, its been on my wishlist for a while .. . and well at $1299 during the prime day special
    it was a challenge to pass up regardless whether im able to swap out the 2700 or not
    but definitely interested to know how you fair,
    also, did you happen to upgrade the RAM? i think it comes with ddr4 2666 mhz flavoured ram
    but would you happen to know if there are any restrictions or anything to look out for to bump it up to 32GB of 3200 mhz ram sticks?
  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    If you got the Ryzen 2700/Vega 56 model for $1299 with the FreeSync monitor that's an outrageous deal, I would have insta-locked it too. 

    Yes - I added 16gb of RAM to it and a 2nd 500gb SSD. This is the exact RAM I'm using (you not only need "SO-DIMM" RAM that's 2666hz, you need a certain CXX type as well):

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071KP8CGG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    It's just plug and play on the back side of the laptop, pop off the back and plug it in. My understanding is that were you to pay for 3000/3200 SO-DIMM/Laptop RAM (not the same as desktop DDR4 3200hz or whatever) it would work, but only run said RAM at the 2666 speed that is the max supported.

    Thing runs like a beast with the 2700/Vega/32gb/2 SSDs, the BIOS 3700 thing we're about to try makes me nervous...there's nothing SPECIFIC I gain from it, as I'm already working at light speed and getting a steady 200+ FPS/144hz V-Sync (prefer that over non V-Sync despite the 15ms lag). But the world is counting on my experiment, it must be done.

    Hope that helps. 
  • NiteNinja
    NiteNinja Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    It comes with DDR4 2400. It supports up to 2666. Anything higher may or may not work but it's not supported anyway, Ryzen+ limitation. 

    I got mine as an "open box" gamble on NewEgg back in January for $1,465. Only thing that was opened was the power adapter so that worked in my favor. 
  • Nottheseapples
    Nottheseapples Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    Thanks for trying man, it was exciting anyway
  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Oh for sure, I mean from what I've read the performance gains if it had worked would be insane, on an already insane laptop. Part of me thinks it still will happen, but it's more blind optimism than anything.

    Hopefully Acer does the right thing here and releases a BIOS update...if that other more tech-heavy forum is to be believed, it's actually not too difficult at all for them to do. Plus, if I understand correctly the 3700x uses less power than the 2700, which in a limited environment like a laptop means good things all around, right? 


  • NiteNinja
    NiteNinja Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    After all, the Helios 500 was the overclockable laptop, when compared to the severely locked down ASUS GL702ZC I had before. The Vega 56 also got some love with the Adrenalin 2019 drivers (use MSI afterburner to disable ULPS) by unlocking Wattman auto GPU overclocking or undervolting. The 120w TDP of the laptop variant is barely 8% slower than the stock Vega 56. It's truly a desktop replacement machine, which suits my lifestyle. I dock it at home and stuff it in a bag when I am going away.
  • Andy_Da_Ace
    Andy_Da_Ace Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer

    Thank you for trying now we just need to hound Acer by picking up our pitch forks and get to protesting! lol
  • BurnsXL
    BurnsXL Member Posts: 35 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Did a cursory look around the internet again yesterday and it appears that some very tech-savvy people are attempting to make this work (but so far have no achieved the working end result).

    From what I understand it's a purposefully encrypted BIOS mechanic that Acer has in place - the hardware is 100% capable of it. Going to have to wait for Acer to do something I think, which I'm not expecting. 
  • NiteNinja
    NiteNinja Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Yeah there's one forum I went to, a guy who knows how to program hexadecimal code that's required in the BIOS, was really helpful in getting a custom Bios out for my old ASUS GL702ZC that would unlock overclocking, memory timings, etc. However after all that was said and done, the Ryzen 7 1800 in that laptop wouldn't handle anything over 2666mhz memory anyway.