Aurora R7, upgrade to i9-9900K?

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@amstel78 wrote:

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@amstel78 wrote:

@Alienware-Eimy 

Can you please ask engineering if they're planning to release a BIOS update to allow R7 owners the ability to use 9th gen CPU's?

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1. Dell is always strangely quiet when I bring up this question...

2. I guess profits really are more important than long-term owner loyalty.

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1. Agreed.

2. It's just a guess, but I think the reasons are more like:

a. They would have to pay the ODM Engineers to re-write the BIOS and micro-code.
b. They would basically be allowing and supporting (possibly un-trained) DIY processor swaps ... often on  warranty-ed machines .

c. They would be expected to start offering that new processor as a pre-installed option.

d. This list goes on ... 

What I see from the Bios History is a commitment to pay ODM to write new firmware like clock-work, 9 versions over 9months (1 per month avg.) which abruptly 'stops' the minute Gen9 launches: here a mthrbrd that reliably 'needed' new firmware once-per-month that just 'stops' cold, all support halted; it's peculiar, since, I might be tempted to say it could get a Bios update the past 4months for some 'fix', even if Bios update was sans micro-code for Gen9 & just 'fixed' something anyways; odd that monthly updates halt at exact moment they 'need to'

Another unusual step I noticed was that the Gen8 was being sold along-side Gen9; that either implies Gen8 (8400/8700/8700k/8086) buyers were shipped what I'll call 'surplus' R7 mthrbrd (IPCFL-SC) which itself can't update to Gen9 (no Bios update), or, those new Gen8 buyers have been shipped the newer R8 Gen9 refresh mthrbrd (IPCFL-SC/R) which is backwards compatible

Given that 51 R5 buyers got their Gen9 update, I don't know how to square all this:

a. They would have to pay the ODM Engineers to re-write the BIOS and micro-code.
b. They would basically be allowing and supporting (possibly un-trained) DIY processor swaps ... often on  warranty-ed machines

c. They would be expected to start offering that new processor as a pre-installed option.

A & B is the perk u get from buying the (Gen8) 51 R5 desktop in a chipset/socket Intel had planned for a later Gen9 upgrade path (and supposedly the same perk should be had for Aurora R7 buyers since socket 1151 has a green light from Intel); C appears to still be in progress as either Dell continues to sell an R7 (in R8 clothing or under an R8 banner on sales page, if that makes sense) or the R7 CPUs are simply pre-installed now but in the R8

That R8 buyers have the perk that they can run the R7 CPU & the R8 CPU, but not the other way around is of course the rub;

Look at how the Gen8 7800x is sold along-side the 9800x in 51 R5, see how they got a Bios update?

So all this is compounded by 51 R4 & 51 R3/R6 buyers tossed under the bus for a long time now too: AMD promised 4 upgrade paths for socket AM4 ... 51 R3 & R6 buyers can't even get past upgrade #1, they'll be out 3 upgrades & that's quite a shame if all you're wanting is just one if push came to shove

Obviously Lisa Su as CEO & President of Advanced Micro Devices, I'm sure she was happy with the deal she struck to have ThreadRipper inside a 51 in an attempt to grab up sales of those chips, but, without a simple Bios update the Aliens have worked here to in fact harm sales of newer chips, I may have to tweet at her soon

Depressing stuff

Amstel, I'd say if no Bios update by April, none is in the works. What would be truly odd is if R7 simply never gets a Bios update ever again, that all clock-work updates ceased as of last Oct for reasons we know the why of but can't exactly comprehend as consumer-friendly but the opposite ...

Edit to new reply:

As with Gen8 Aurora CPU sold along-side Gen9 (R8), A51 R4 CPU sold along-side R5, the R3 & R6's 1950x / 1920x is still sold along-side the 'R7' 2950x; the R7 chipset is backwards compatible with the Zen CPU, while the opposite is also true: Zen CPU can both fit & run in the Zen+ socket & with its chipset with a Bios update. All three desktops have choice to run older CPU, while 'older' desktop buyers can not run newer CPU. The obvious question is who is benefitting here & who isn't

With AMD, when Zen2 launches this summer, what?, 51 R8 buyers can / will run 3 CPU choices? Socket TR4 has 4 CPU instances to its life; as you observed, 51 buyers pay more, but Threadripper buyers in theory & in practice pay the most of all

Last we have the matter of the Twin Desktop, the XPS 8930, which got its Bios update last November 1.1.3 ... it & Aurora were 'literally' getting 'same' updates on same day / same week, same clock-work schedule, see below

Aurora R7 owners have collectively been tossed under the bus, while lesser paying XPS owners have not ... pay more or pay less, u get & got better support

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@Cass-Ole wrote:

 

1. That Aurora-R8 buyers have the perk that they can run the R7 CPU & the R8 CPU, but not the other way around is of course the rub;

2. Given that Area51-R5 buyers got their Gen9 update,
Look at how the Gen8 7800x is sold along-side the 9800x in Area51-R5, see how they got a Bios update?

3. So all this is compounded by 51 R4 & 51 R3/R6 buyers tossed under the bus for a long time now too: AMD promised 4 upgrade paths for socket AM4 ... 51 R3 & R6 buyers can't even get past upgrade #1, they'll be out 3 upgrades & that's quite a shame if all you're wanting is just one if push came to shove

 

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1. Interesting how that worked out. I would not have expected this on the Aurora (basic Alienware gaming desktop). 

2. This I was hoping for, since the Area51 is the top-of-the-line gaming desktop, and traditionally it has enjoyed a longer life-cycle for enthusiasts . They get more because they paid more.

3. My guess is that it is because of AMD CPU and chipset which makes it a totally different machine. I would guess ... completely separate ODM time/work/money etc.

I hope I got all that right. I don't really follow Intel CPU and chipsets like the old days. I'm all Intel/Nvidia these days so definitely don't know that kind of info about AMD CPU/GPU (and what is even possible).

I saw the new Bios the day it landed, but was waiting for others to comment, no one has, so I'm gonna call it & say R7 owners have been tossed under the bus

If money is a component of who gets what, I'd say Alien buyers payed more than XPS buyers & still got the shaft; as did 51 R3 R4 R6 buyers

Below, when XPS & R7 owners get a Bios update on same day for same 'fixes', where we think of them as 'twin' desktops or close relatives, the absence of no microcode for Gen9 Intel in November which XPS did get, & no microcode since then?, now new Bios without any?, that settles it for me. I said if u get no update by March it is because you aren't supposed to get one; the below lame update looks like the nail in the coffin --> your desktop has been dead-ended while the XPS gets to live on --> tweet the head of XPS & Alienware @AzorFrank if u object or wish to go on record as disgruntled for obvious reason

Dell sometimes does not update the release notes appropriately.

Do we know if we the microcode is not included in the Aurora R7 update?

I have both XPS 8930 and an Aurorar R7. I do have a 9th gen i5 running in the XPS. I wonder if there is way to compare without actually trying to swap the processors.

It is true that they're lax at times on updating the true nature of any fixes & enhancements written into new Bios updates, but in my experience with their top two desktops since 2009 (51 + Aurora), when next-Gen-CPU microcode is embedded into the new firmware (as your CPU upgrade support mechanism) it is always mentioned, always. Feel free to test the new March Bios w/a Gen9' I for one predict it to fail; I did the side-by-side, when XPS was approved for Gen9 support in November the Bios version changed from 1.0.x to 1.1.x

Below, XPS is now on 1.1.4 while R7 is still stuck in the 1.0.x (.18) convention; this isn't by accident or oversight, not to me it isn'tYou may get Gen9 support 5minutes after I post this, maybe next week, or more likely --> never --> because the product's EOL & met its unnatural untimely death without explanation. Note however that while Moderator-Employee input has been asked for in 2019 that none have chimed in, regardless the amount of times this post gets pushed back to the top of Today's Page1 News??? That's not by accident either: they're too embarrassed to say that which they already know out loud ... same goes for the Area-51 R4/R5 post, same for the 51 R3 R6 post, they have no comment over how four of their top-selling products which could easily be made to run next-Gen CPUs have been left to wither on the vine

Now that Intel 10-core 14nm+++++++++ CometLake is in the news we might expect new R8 buyers to get tossed under the bus next if / when the R9 launches in socket 1151 dress, so there's that 

Were it my decision, my company to run, I'd be cool about it & let everyone upgrade, because to cease support in the attempt not to 'lose out' on new buyers is to invite your old buyers to say 'never again' and thus invite losing out on buyers & returning-buyers anyways once word gets out, while ruining your reputation along with it instead of solidifying it with your customer base; that XPS can upgrade but the Alien can not, must be a bitter taste for those who bought into the 'easy future upgradeability' con

Aurora R5, when it launched with Z170 (6700k etc), the GM of Alienware on launch day said they want their customers to get 10years of use out of it & isn't it lucky we've taken extra-care in our design which allows 'easy upgrades'; it was dead-ended shortly there-after without a Bios update for 7700k, thus putting the lie to the '10years of service' meme he used to wrangle in all those hopeful R5 buyers: socket 1151 was brand new when R5 launched & had at least one more upgrade planned for it by Intel, but not by the Aliens who had other intentions ... none of this is good news & smells of corporate greed, it acts like a duck quacks like a duck etc

Well, this is the last Dell I buy for sure.

SO disappointed. I was happy at first buying the R7 thinking I can upgrade it later, and have been itching for a core i9-9900K. But seeing this, this will be my last $1000+ pre-built ever.

1st and last for me too. Should have trusted my gut and built my own. 

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@moe9992 wrote:

 Should have trusted my gut and built my own. 

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If you need to swap-out your (already high-end) main processor after only a year or so ... I agree. 

That, plus the fact that I didn't expect such a highly touted, marketed and expensive purchase would be end of life after 6 months of me swiping my credit card.

Don't get me wrong... Love the PC, performs great, but the whole point of this propeller head purchase was to capitalize on a solid build, that would be modular enough to support the next gen CPU (when available). It's unfortunate that Dell chosen to end the life of this model via shortsighted Bios supportability decisions.

Obviously everyone is motivated differently. This business decision does not support my needs.  

This will be a quick gift for my nephew and I will simply continue my search for a platform that does. 

So, so disappointing.... 'course that's what I get for not building my own for once.

I found this thread when trying to figure out my upgrade path for an R8 I took delivery of on Friday. System was of cheapest config, default i5-9400 and Radeon 560. Only upgrade was 850W with liquid cooling for said upgrade path.

Now I’m not even sure anymore if I can drop in an i5-9600k and get native OC support in bios and awcc. I’ll pick up the phone to talk to tech support tomorrow but not very hopeful to get definite answer based on my last few interactions with the support teams (order and tech).