Aurora R16, BIOS 2.9.0, come with microcode 0x129 or no?

it seems bios 2.9 is released in August 2024 on the Dell website.  not sure why yours says 7.2.24

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=hmdp0&oscode=w2021&productcode=alienware-aurora-r16-desktop

Alienware Aurora R16 System BIOSRestart required This package contains the Dell system BIOS update. BIOS is a firmware package that is embedded on a small memory chip on the system board. It controls the keyboard, monitor, disk drives, and other devices. Fixes & Enhancements - Improved the stability of the system. Version 2.9.0, 2.9.0

Release date 08 Aug 2024

@redxps630​ I have no idea. Does the date for the BIOS update on your end because its like that as well when i look at my system info as well. I know it updated for 2.8.0 so I dunno if dell forgot to update the date for this version or not

Dell has not given superuser beta test unit so I do not have a R16 to verify it. 

it seems correct the microcode is 125 and not 129, so that means that Bios 2.9.0 does not update the microcode to 129 yet, hopefully, in their next bios update they fix that. So, the Answer to this question is No, it does not have microcode 0x129 fixes yet. hopefully, the next release will. and even on my bios its listed as 7/2/2024, and not the date they released it for download. So, I guess the file was not updated to the date they released it, or they had it since then and didn't upload it until this month maybe doing more tests with it before they upload it for people to download?

again, it helped me going to the studio NVidia driver to make video games more stable like Death Stranding, otherwise I don't know if it will play ok with OEM drivers or not, since I switched to the official NVidia drivers almost right way, since the Alienware NVidia driver seems a little bit outdated already for our system. and I added that new nvidia app because I want to download updates without having to log into it.

Download NVIDIA App for Gamers and Creators | NVIDIA

I was not sure how to look up the microcode on the BIOS, I had to ask copilot, it pointed me to either CPU-Z or hwi_806 folder and file name of HWiNFO64 or 32 version of that. its listed under this as Microcode Update Revision is 125. I found it with the search box under hwinfo64, typed Mic in it, and it lists that in the image above.

Free Download HWiNFO Sofware | Installer & Portable for Windows, DOS



and the Bios 2.9.0 is dated 7/2/2014 on the desktop itself, when looking at it in msinfo32 on command prompt.

The joys of OEM ownership. I am not really missing it...

Hopefully they update the microcode soon, but I am thinking it will depend on what has changed because the original R10 still runs on rather old AGESA micro code, for a reason I would guess...

I asked copilot about microcode 0x129, below is what it told me, if it's true. anyway, I hope its true, I guess I just have to listen to music a lot, and play less games, or just hope nothing does wrong with the pc, until they get to fixing some of the problems, I still have my older gigabyte with the DDR 3 memory it has an intel i7 processor that came out around the time of windows 8.

Also, I am thinking YouTube in edge and Spotify should be safe to run no matter which microcode this CPU is running on, otherwise I can also listen to Spotify on my older desktop too if need, when I am not playing 3D video games, with gaming controllers on my Alienware pc.

I think, since that's what its bios supports, in any case. I also can play games on my series x console instead of the pc, if it's not as stable as I need until they get around to fixing the problem with it, otherwise, for me so far, the studio driver keeping it stable, I think. below is what I asked copilot about this topic, it seems to think that its microcode is not getting updated to 129 until the end of this month, and not the beginning of it. But, also when I search this question instead of asking copilot it also wrote this on screen, but it seems in any case that bios 2.9.0 does not have microcode 129 but includes 125 for its bios, again I think they created that bios the last month before august and just released it this month, since the bios date says so, it's like they made 2.9.0 in July 7/2/2024 and released or upload it in august, so maybe it went a month of testing before they upload it to their download site. Does that sound about right what I am thinking of how it works?

I asked copilot about this, I asked it when will alienware get microcode 0x129 

please note above on the subject, I only plan on replying once, on the subject of the end of August, the first post I had edited, and it vanished on me,  so I created a second post with only text on this matter, for some reason my first post has shown back up on the subject, but yesterday it was not there seemed to of been hidden or deleted as I was not sure; in any case, I hope that info helps as it seems that our pc's will not see the microcode 129 until next month if I am reading it correctly, and that's if and when they release a new bios and either we manually update it or if SupportAssist does it for us. As I had to write this since we cannot delete or edit our posts for some time such as it has gone by the editing period in which we are allowed to do so. that is the way it works it seems on this forum.

Next month? I would hope that they don't sit on their hands with this. Damage is being done each day.

BIOS Update 2.10.1 is available and contains the microcode 129: Alienware_Aurora_R16_2.10.1_x64.exe

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER11956991M/1/Alienware_Aurora_R16_2.10.1_x64.exe

@bluebay1987​ That's the stuff! Instantly checked the microcode, and it's what we're expecting.
Shame 2.8.0 bricked the memory. Was wondering (hoping) this bios update would fix the memory controller, but alas not.

@bluebay1987​ That's Great, thanks for the info, I went to download it today, and updated the bios tonight to 2.10.1 version when I turned on my pc, also noticed two other new updates to download now on the website for the Alienware R16 model desktop pc's :)

it did have to be manually downloaded and installed the check for updates, doesn't seem to do it for you, or if they add it to these it has not been added yet, I guess that normal. do the Alienware bios always have to be manually updated or does that website, or SupportAssist App on windows 11, ever include the bios updates, or do they expect the home users to download them and manually install each update, since I am new to how Alienware does this, my first Alienware pc, I do not know if its normal to have to manually download the bios updates?


Also after doing this update, is there any real reason why I should switch back to OEM nvidia drivers, with this Bios update? or can I stick with the offical studio nvidia drivers, and the nvidia app? any real reason to download the OEM nvidia drivers released on Aug. 16 2024, since their OEM nvidia driver, and the bios was released on the same date,


my current NVidia driver version is 560.81 of the studio nvidia driver, is that newer or older, since official NVidia studio driver was released Aug. 8 2024. and the new driver has a build version of 32.0.15.5612, A00 for the OEM driver, how do you read its version, since they seem to change how its showing, it I could download and install it, but is that newer than the official NVidia driver, or the about the same version, also can the OEM Alienware NVidia driver work with NVidia new app or not? if I am reading it correctly, 556.12 is the OEM driver version did I convert its version name correctly, since I am guessing, it should show a normal version when installed, if I am reading the OEM NVidia driver correctly its older than 560.81 for the studio driver since there has been no new builds on the official NVidia website since? I don't know for sure how to read the long version name they seem to give them, so I am guessing how to convert it, so it looks like the other versions on the official website if that makes any sense or not, I don't know. I extract it to see if the download OEM driver, has any normal version inside the .exe file, to a folder, so that way I can try to make sense out of its versioning process, I am guessing how to read it with the official NVidia builds versions.

also, there new NVidia app is still listed as a beta software program, so I don't know if or when it might be included with the OEM NVidia drivers for Alienware R16. it's not like you can set the automatic downloads to use OEM NVidia driver instead of Gaming driver or Studio driver, I think the official driver you can only pick one or the other one, but not OEM driver with their app, when setting which one it downloads and installs, when it has updates.

Download NVIDIA App for Gamers and Creators | NVIDIA

Download Beta (nvidia.com)

so, I installed the NVidia OEM driver, which seems to be based on the gaming NVidia driver, so if I upgrade the driver to the current official NVidia gaming version which is 560.81 using the NVidia beta app if I am correct, games like death stranding should not cause a power failure and reboot the pc now right? since BIOS Update 2.10.1 should of fixed that problem with its game, it was not rebooting on me with the older bios while using the NVidia studio driver, but I did have a problem with the official gaming driver, and not the OEM version? unless Alienware puts patches into the official version that fix stuff like that. anyway, I will reboot the pc, now that its updated, and test the video game with the gaming driver, if any problems during the games loading screen, I go back to using the studio driver instead. But I am hoping that the new bios update fixes that problem.

Download NVIDIA App for Gamers and Creators | NVIDIA
Download Beta (nvidia.com)