Enthusiasts Announce Custom Firmware for Old AMD FX Processors
The AMD FX processors based on the Bulldozer and Piledriver architectures have received custom microcode updates from an enthusiast-community portal. These updates are much-needed since these processors have long been discontinued, opening a range of extended new features to the "ancient" chips.
Key Changes Included in Custom Firmware
For a few more notable fixes, the new firmware for AMD FX and Opteron CPUs will be adopted by the owners of this hardware:
- Error-Free Memory Initialization: Enabling smoother system startup.
- RAM Capacity: The supported memory capacity is raised to 512 GB.
- Boot Time: The developers claim a "steady" 15-second boot on a machine with 256 GB of RAM.
- IOMMU Support: This completes full support for Input-Output Memory Management Unit functionality.
- Modern Security Patches: These patch the speculative execution vulnerabilities disclosed by AMD.
- Expanded PCIe Device Support: Enables support for up to four PCIe devices.
The Goal: Creating Open Systems
The enthusiasts behind the project use officially open-source firmware code from AMD. They argue that the older chips can be used to make a truly open system since they are not limited by new security features related to modern UEFI. Such a platform would be appealing for specialized projects that demand maximum hardware and software transparency.
Supported Motherboards
Currently, the custom microcode is intended for use on a specific list of motherboards. The developers group those motherboards under stable and beta support.
Stable Support:
- ASUS KGPE-D16
- SuperMicro H8SGL
- SuperMicro H8SCM
Beta Support:
- ASUS 2A85-M Pro
- ASUS F2A85-M
- ASUS F2A85-M Le
- SuperMicro H8DG6
- SuperMicro H8DGi
- SuperMicro H8QG6+-F
- SuperMicro H8QGi+-F
