At the moment, we haven't receive updates of our systems to run this new feature from Nvidia. You will need to wait for firmware or Bios updates that could open the possibility of using the resizable BAR.
The response from support was optimistically speculative.
At this time, we do not know if the Alienware platform team is going to support Nvidia RTX 30 series Resizable BAR. All you and we can do is periodically check the specific Alienware model driver page for video card vBIOS and system BIOS updates. If they do appear, the notes should specify that they are for Resizable BAR.
All that to say if you see a new BIOS update released, do not assume that it is for Resizable BAR.
Your Alienware team does not need to support it. The OEM where you get your video cards from needs to support it. It's them you need to push, not your own team.
Your team does not make the video cards. I believe MSI custom makes them for Dell.
Agree that MSI would be involved from a hardware level. But it is the Alienware platform team who dictate policy to the OEM, write the PC BIOS, and modify the Nvidia reference driver.
I agree with that. But the Vbios is made by the OEM. All your team has to do is tell them to get it done. Nvidia has already made the required bios files available to their board partners, including MSI.
You are correct DELL still has to update the MB bios for both versions of the R10 motherboards to ensure BAR support is available in the MB bios.
As for the Nvidia driver, nothing needs to be done there. The latest Nvidia driver that you can download directly from Nvidia has all the required options already enabled. I already have it installed and ready to go. Never understood why OEM's insist on providing their own "validated" Nvidia or AMD video card drivers, which are based on those drivers anyway.
So in short what is left to do:
1. MSI update the RTX 3000 vbios to include support for BAR.
2. DELL to update MB bios for both R10 motherboards to include BAR support.
In this case DELL does not have to worry about validating the boards for BAR supports, because resizable BAR support is part of the PCIe specs that pre-dates the release dates of both R10 boards. Since both boards confirm to the PCIe specs it has already been included in the original validation. There's no need to do everything twice.
DELL-Chris M Its also worth noting that if dell chooses not to spend the small amount of time to make this available to its customers a lot of people will be pretty upset. Certainly wouldn't show a strong effort to give your customers the best available support.
"All you and we can do is periodically check the specific Alienware model driver page for video card vBIOS and system BIOS updates. DELL-Chris M"
* I went to the Aurora R11 driver page * I clicked, "Find drivers" * I clicked, "Show All" * I pressed Ctrl + F and searched for GeForce which showed me = NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Firmware Update Utility NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Firmware Update Utility
Yikes ! That maybe a headache for me. I can’t even update by bios through the dell support page from 1.0.3 and then 1.0.4 to get to 1.0.5. I tried all 3 three and it seemed like it went well and restarted and everything but in the sys info and bios it’s still showing 1.0.3. Also in the dell support the 1.0.3 is label “ URGENT “ the 1.0.3 on my side has a different date “ Later “ date then what Dells 1.0.3 is
I tried it twice so I just give up.
mako64
2 Intern
•
676 Posts
1
March 31st, 2021 16:00
From tech support if anyone is interested.
Hi there!!
Thank you for contacting us today.
At the moment, we haven't receive updates of our systems to run this new feature from Nvidia. You will need to wait for firmware or Bios updates that could open the possibility of using the resizable BAR.
Quin69
1 Message
0
April 2nd, 2021 05:00
Thank you
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
•
56.9K Posts
2
April 2nd, 2021 06:00
The response from support was optimistically speculative.
At this time, we do not know if the Alienware platform team is going to support Nvidia RTX 30 series Resizable BAR. All you and we can do is periodically check the specific Alienware model driver page for video card vBIOS and system BIOS updates. If they do appear, the notes should specify that they are for Resizable BAR.
All that to say if you see a new BIOS update released, do not assume that it is for Resizable BAR.
mako64
2 Intern
•
676 Posts
0
April 2nd, 2021 06:00
Okay thanks Chris.
Vanadiel
6 Professor
•
7.1K Posts
0
April 2nd, 2021 12:00
Your Alienware team does not need to support it. The OEM where you get your video cards from needs to support it. It's them you need to push, not your own team.
Your team does not make the video cards. I believe MSI custom makes them for Dell.
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
•
56.9K Posts
1
April 3rd, 2021 06:00
Agree that MSI would be involved from a hardware level. But it is the Alienware platform team who dictate policy to the OEM, write the PC BIOS, and modify the Nvidia reference driver.
Vanadiel
6 Professor
•
7.1K Posts
2
April 3rd, 2021 11:00
I agree with that. But the Vbios is made by the OEM. All your team has to do is tell them to get it done. Nvidia has already made the required bios files available to their board partners, including MSI.
You are correct DELL still has to update the MB bios for both versions of the R10 motherboards to ensure BAR support is available in the MB bios.
As for the Nvidia driver, nothing needs to be done there. The latest Nvidia driver that you can download directly from Nvidia has all the required options already enabled. I already have it installed and ready to go. Never understood why OEM's insist on providing their own "validated" Nvidia or AMD video card drivers, which are based on those drivers anyway.
So in short what is left to do:
1. MSI update the RTX 3000 vbios to include support for BAR.
2. DELL to update MB bios for both R10 motherboards to include BAR support.
In this case DELL does not have to worry about validating the boards for BAR supports, because resizable BAR support is part of the PCIe specs that pre-dates the release dates of both R10 boards. Since both boards confirm to the PCIe specs it has already been included in the original validation. There's no need to do everything twice.
ArsenJ
8 Posts
0
April 9th, 2021 18:00
DELL-Chris M Its also worth noting that if dell chooses not to spend the small amount of time to make this available to its customers a lot of people will be pretty upset. Certainly wouldn't show a strong effort to give your customers the best available support.
ArsenJ
8 Posts
0
April 18th, 2021 13:00
any updates on this?
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
•
56.9K Posts
0
April 28th, 2021 06:00
ArsenJ,
Per my previous reply =
"All you and we can do is periodically check the specific Alienware model driver page for video card vBIOS and system BIOS updates. DELL-Chris M"
* I went to the Aurora R11 driver page
* I clicked, "Find drivers"
* I clicked, "Show All"
* I pressed Ctrl + F and searched for GeForce which showed me =
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Firmware Update Utility
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Firmware Update Utility
mako64
2 Intern
•
676 Posts
0
April 28th, 2021 14:00
Vanadiel
6 Professor
•
7.1K Posts
1
April 28th, 2021 15:00
No, it is not. This is what the updated addressed:
Fixes & Enhancements
mako64
2 Intern
•
676 Posts
0
April 28th, 2021 16:00
I tried it twice so I just give up.
Scotty_Bot
8 Posts
0
May 20th, 2021 11:00
2 Months later... Nothing from megacorp about a release? I am regretting my purchase every day that passes...
Daugvolf
64 Posts
0
May 20th, 2021 12:00
It's been listed as a feature on the sales page for at least a few weeks now. Might've always been there, but I didn't notice.