XPS730x bios information needed.

What exactly are you trying to do?  If you're wanting to update your BIOS, download the update directly from the Dell drivers & support page.  Execute the file by double-clicking on it.  There's no need for a BIOS flashing tool.

Hi PH3N0M,

The standard bios provided by Dell for the XPS730x has several settings disabled or limited. I intent to edit some of these settings, but need the .bin or .rom file that is hidden in the downloadable update.exe. To flash the changed rom back to the bios chip, I need a flash tool or a tool to repack the file back in an update.exe. 

Also the possibility that I make some mistake in the edit and that could brick the bios if there is no recovery option.  Nowadays modern bios chips have an automatic recovery option, but as I do not know what chip is used I can only guess.

Normally the AMI bios have a special sector that allows for a recovery of a bad flash, booting with a floppy with just the update.rom on it, renamed to amiboot.rom. Probably also works on the XPS730x, but I like to be sure.

Thanks for the info.

chi09es.

normally there are very good reasons setting in a Dell bios are disabled or limited. Usually this is to get the best performance out of the system. But if you are willing to trash your motherboard note that there is no recovery. If you mess up the bios then you will more than likely require a new motherboard.

it is highly unlikely or even almost impossible to brick a motherboard by a simple mod of the bios

That is where you are wrong.  In fact, it is easier than you think to render a motherboard useless by messing with the BIOS.  One wrong thing and you can forget re-flashing because the mobo will be toast.  I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt that DELL will cover any problems that arise as a direct result of your tampering with the BIOS.  To reiterate what Davet50 said, there are certain things disabled in the BIOS for a reason.  However, you don't appear to be interested in anyone else's advice and it's your money so, burn it as you wish.

So what exactly have you changed in the bios?

Of course you can kill a motherboard with the wrong settings in the bios, same as you can kill people driving a car. For both however the risk is very low if you know what you are doing. I meant to say it is almost impossible to kill the mobo by flashing the bios, but, of course, be very careful what you flash it with.

Below are my considerations for maybe making some changes, but I would suggest Dell does it so every owner of a XPS730x can benefit.

The XPS730x is performing (very) well after boot-up of the OS (windows), but not in pre-boot. 

At startup you are looking 12 seconds at the Dell logo, waiting for the bios to get ready. This should take no more than 2-4 seconds, enough to give you time to select F2 or F12. Also the indicator bar below the logo starts fluidly, but makes to stops on the way to the end indicating hiccups in boot process. 

If you use a boot manager like SC (System Commander) to enable multiboot, the XPS730x becomes extremely slow, almost impossible to work with. Screens build up line by line and there is an important delay in execution of mouse clicks or keyboard entries. 

If you boot from CD/DVD or USB, for example installing Windows, the reading of the data until Windows steps in (PE in this case) is at least 50% slower than it should be.

The XPS730x has a turbo feature in the bios that ups the cpu multiplier and voltage “as needed”. The maximum (very) save values for the multiplier are 26 for the air cooled and 28 for the H2C machine. But manually you are limited to max 24.

As a result the XPS730x underperforms in benchmark programs and the processor speed indicated is always the stock value, not the over-clocked one.  Look how many people are complaining about the fact that the ordered a factory over-clocked machine and didn`t get one. (In fact their machine is over-clocked as ordered, it just doesn´t show) Now this auto-turbo feature may be very clever and “green”, but I prefer to decide myself when I want maximum performance or not and not let the machine decide for me.

If you experiment (as I do) with various operating systems and reinstall frequently your windows, you have to reactivate Windows on every new install. If you have changed things in the hardware or reactivate more than 10 times, the activation is rejected. So you have to call Microsoft to activate by phone, what is not too much of a problem, but still is a nuisance. As the XPS730x has the OEM code in the bios (SLIC 2.0), you can use that to automatically activate windows as often as you like. For Windows 7 however, the SLIC has to be upgraded to 2.1, as the 2.0 doesn´t work on W7.

In little over 6 months Dell has released 8 bios updates for the XPS730x, indicating that they also have identified some problems and are working on it. (The last update is 1005, but there was a 1003 that was withdrawn after killing some cpu´s and there is also a 1002A and a 1000.)

chi09es.

Hi hbk,

Could you tell me the settings you used to get your i7 965 to 4ghz?

i have the h2c i7 965 factory overclocked to 3.7.

Thanks dude,

Simon.

XPS730x bios revised and updated.

• Boot time < 5 sec. (problem was the cab200-cardreader).
• Slic table updated from 2.0 to 2.1.(Windows 7)
• 1600mhz RAM now available without changing clk. (x12 and x14)
• Fixed max CPU clk now 30. (was 24)

System stable as a rock!.

chi09es.

That is interesting.  I wonder if disconnecting the card reader would speed up my boot time?  I'm going to try it and I'll report my results.

So chi09es,

You have made "fixes" to the XPS 730X that the Dell engineers have not been able to fix?

And how would an individual, like me for instance, who has no personal ability to pull of such a feat as you have get a copy of this revised BIOS?  I personally would love to have a copy for my rig as it is running Win7 and I love to be able to up my CPU clk.

XPS 730X RED H2C, Corei7 965XE, EVGA 295 CO OP Superclock, Win7 64, 6GB Dominator 1600 which I would love to run full tilt.

Best wishes,

Darrell WV

Disconnecting the card reader didn't solve the long boot time.  It's still at 1m 30s, which is ridiculous.  I don't see DELL ever fixing this problem, seeing as how they've discontinued the 730 and 730x altogether. 

So chi09es, You have made "fixes" to the XPS 730X that the Dell engineers have not been able to fix? And how would an individual, like me for instance, who has no personal ability to pull of such a feat as you have get a copy of this revised BIOS?  I personally would love to have a copy for my rig as it is running Win7 and I love to be able to up my CPU clk. XPS 730X RED H2C, Corei7 965XE, EVGA 295 CO OP Superclock, Win7 64, 6GB Dominator 1600 which I would love to run full tilt. Best wishes, Darrell WV

+1

Dell has stopped sales of the XPS730x. So do not expect too many updates from them anymore. Seems like they are unable to program the bios for the custom made MSI board in the XPS730x and have now given up on it. All owners are left with a super machine, working at maybe 60% of its capabilities. What a shame!

I was able to make some improvements to the bios, but it is still far from perfect. Without the specs of the mobo it will be difficult to solve all. Still, the XPS730x has excellent components, just a sub-standard motherboard.

Probably best option is to substitute the board for an Asus or an EVGA. If you do, make sure that is has 6 RAM slots and not 3 like the actual board.

chi09es.