AMD AGESA 1.0.0.3ABA Buggy, Company Pulls it from Motherboard Vendors

btarunr · Jul 19, 2019

The latest version of AGESA ComboAM4 microcode that enables 3rd generation Ryzen support on AMD 400-series chipset motherboards has been deemed buggy and pulled from motherboard vendors. AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.3ABA (not to be confused with 1.0.0.3AB that's being widely distributed), was originally released to fix an application crash noticed with "Destiny 2." The microcode inadvertantly destabilizes PCI-Express on motherboards, with users of ASUS motherboards complaining of stability issues with the latest BIOS updates that include 1.0.0.3ABA.

Peter "Shamino" Tan from ASUS commented that the company was under a tight schedule to push 1.0.0.3ABA out as BIOS updates, and didn't have the time to properly validate it. "We just got told to pull (was undergoing validation prior) 1003 ABA version," he said, adding the root cause of the problem being "that PCIE speed of BXB-C downgraded from gen4 to gen2,..." He comments "so its not surprising that bugs emerge since the source has hidden bugs that only gets unraveled with thorough testing. combine that with trying to get firmwares out in a tight time frame, kinda damn if you do (release firmware quickly) and damn if you dont (dont release firmware quickly) situation." It's interesting to note that in their BIOS update change-logs, quite a few motherboard vendors omit the full version string of AGESA. You may encounter ComboAM4 1.0.0.3AB being referred to simply as "AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.3."

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biffzinker · Jul 19, 2019

Nothing out of the ordinary for me with AGESA Combo-AM4 1.0.0.3

Primary PCIe x16 v3.0 slot

R00kie · Jul 19, 2019

biffzinker said:
View attachment 127200

Nothing out of the ordinary for me with AGESA Combo-AM4 1.0.0.3

Primary PCIe x16 v3.0 slot
View attachment 127201

Is that the ABA variant though?

silentbogo · Jul 19, 2019

I've upgraded customer's PC to 1.0.0.3AB yesterday, and so far so good. PCIe speeds are normal.
Haven't had a chance to upgrade my AORUS Ultra board to F41a, but I'll test it out later this weekend.

biffzinker · Jul 19, 2019

gdallsk said:
Is that the ABA variant though?

Doesn't say if ABA but I'm still on chipset B350, and Pinnacle Ridge.

Mussels · Jul 19, 2019

i'm on 1.0.0.3AB on my x370 and getting VERY CONFUSED by all these names

xkm1948 · Jul 19, 2019

Intel’s security bugs and AMD’s launch problems. Man.....

bug · Jul 19, 2019

Well, that's unfortunate. The same problem that's causing for Destiny 2 is also preventing up-to-date Linux+systemd installs from booting

I'm sure it will be fixed sooner rater than later, but I wouldn't be one of the early adopters.

Xaled · Jul 19, 2019

Is it really buggy or is it a "way" to cut backward compatibility?

bug · Jul 19, 2019

Xaled said:
Is it really buggy or is it a "way" to cut backward compatibility?

How does a missing firmware version cut into backward compatibility?

silentbogo · Jul 19, 2019

Xaled said:
Is it really buggy or is it a "way" to cut backward compatibility?

Definitely buggy. UEFI is so bloated and overcomplicated that bugs are pretty much inevitable at this point.
That machine I mentioned earlier had a nasty bug too (B450 Aorus M): if I do a clean UEFI windows installation, then the GTX1070 would lose all monitors as soon as I install any version of NVidia driver (can't read EDID and outputs black screen, even though GPU functions properly). On CSM install - no problems whatsoever. Other boards - also no problems (tested on B150, B350, Z170, X470). Spent whole day yesterday trying to figure it out, until I've decided to connect to machine remotely via RDP chasing a wild guess.

Xaled · Jul 19, 2019

bug said:
How does a missing firmware version cut into backward compatibility?

"...AGESA ComboAM4 microcode that enables 3rd generation Ryzen support on AMD 400-series chipset motherboards.."

3rd gen ryzen's backward compatibility

bug · Jul 19, 2019

Xaled said:
"...AGESA ComboAM4 microcode that enables 3rd generation Ryzen support on AMD 400-series chipset motherboards.."

3rd gen ryzen's backward compatibility

That's already provided by the currently available versions, not a new feature.

aQi · Jul 19, 2019

Looks like Amd does not want PCIe 4.0 onto older chipsets. Lol they were not pleased when asus deliberately enabled it on B350 TUF and tested to be perfect.
And i guess x570 sales are below average :pimp:

Mussels · Jul 19, 2019

Aqeel Shahzad said:
Looks like Amd does not want PCIe 4.0 onto older chipsets. Lol they were not pleased when asus deliberately enabled it on B350 TUF and tested to be perfect.
And i guess x570 sales are below average

pci-e 4 on older chipsets is working on plenty of boards, this one particular update (of many!) is just FUBAR.

bug · Jul 19, 2019

Aqeel Shahzad said:
Looks like Amd does not want PCIe 4.0 onto older chipsets. Lol they were not pleased when asus deliberately enabled it on B350 TUF and tested to be perfect.
And i guess x570 sales are below average

Users don't want PCIe 4.0 onto older chipsets either, but they're too dumb to realize it. I think AMD is just (rightfully) playing it safe here.

Older chipsets can only run PCIe 4.0 to the first PCIe x16 slot (the video card) and one additional M.2 slot. It's been benchmarked here on TPU that video cards don't give a rat's ass about PCIe 4.0. And SSDs haven't been bottlenecked by sequential transfers in ages. What good would PCIe 4.0 do for you under these circumstances. Plus, users that are unable to grasp this, won't understand why PCIe 4.0 is confined tot hose two slots and would complain anyway.

Mistral · Jul 19, 2019

Can someone explain why you have to do a microcode update to fix one game, instead of that game getting a bloody patch?

bug · Jul 19, 2019

Mistral said:
Can someone explain why you have to do a microcode update to fix one game, instead of that game getting a bloody patch?

Because you botched the implementation of a hardware instruction that's supposed to generate random numbers. And because, you didn't test properly because releasing.

And it's not one game, as I posted above, it also renders many recent Linux distros unable to boot.

Dave65 · Jul 19, 2019

Is this affecting x570 any or just x470?

bug · Jul 19, 2019

Dave65 said:
Is this affecting x570 any or just x470?

That particular bug is in all Zen2 CPUs, it doesn't matter which motherboard you stick it into. The good news is this instruction being new, it's not used by many programs yet.

Turmania · Jul 19, 2019

AMD with zillion bugs at launch they never learn do they?

voltage · Jul 19, 2019

If Intel did crap like that the internet would bash the heck out of them. double standard

TheGuruStud · Jul 19, 2019

Asus can STFU. I just updated to newest on c6h (still 1002) and CPU is locked at 360 MHz. Idiots. They literally never even tested it lol

Morons pretending they actually try to test anything is laughable.

bug · Jul 19, 2019

TheGuruStud said:
Asus can STFU. I just updated to newest on c6h (still 1002) and CPU is locked at 360 MHz. Idiots. They literally never even tested it lol

Morons pretending they actually try to test anything is laughable.

Any reason you must jump on the most recent firmware so close to release (and then be surprised it's buggy)?

TheGuruStud · Jul 19, 2019

bug said:
Any reason you must jump on the most recent firmware so close to release (and then be surprised it's buggy)?

Bc it's not new AGESA and the original update for zen 2 works fine. They broke a working version.

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AMD AGESA 1.0.0.3ABA Buggy, Company Pulls it from Motherboard Vendors

btarunr

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