Vostro 3750 and problem with AES-NI (which is pretty useful for Truecrypt)

[eskaban]

I have Vostro 3750 laptop with CPU :

Name Intel Core i7 2630QM
Codename Sandy Bridge
Specification Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM CPU @ 2.00GHz
Package (platform ID) Socket 988B rPGA (0x4)
CPUID 6.A.7
Extended CPUID 6.2A

This CPU supports AES-NI, but this option is not available in truecrypt.
Here in wikipedia (AES instruction set - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) i readed this :
Though the Intel web pages originally listed the 2630QM and 2635QM as not supporting it, those web pages have been updated to indicate that they do.[4][5] Several vendors have shipped BIOS configurations with the extension disabled,[6] requiring a BIOS update to fix..[7].

So do you know when DELL will make a new BIOS update for my laptop ? My BIOS version is A05 (the latest one).

Thx

PS: Could you please somebody ask on dell support on this topics ? In my country i do not have online/email/phone support from DELL (eastern europe)

[eskaban]

Up.......

[eskaban]

up ....

[kizwan]

Your notebook BIOS have older microcode update for i7-2630QM (CPUID 0206A7h). BIOS have microcode update revision 14 for CPUID 0206A7h (2000h bytes). Latest revision is 1B (2400h bytes). Looking at the size, AES-NI instruction/data might now available in latest revision.

[eskaban]

Originally Posted by kizwan

Your notebook BIOS have older microcode update for i7-2630QM (CPUID 0206A7h). BIOS have microcode update revision 14 for CPUID 0206A7h (2000h bytes). Latest revision is 1B (2400h bytes). Looking at the size, AES-NI instruction/data might now available in latest revision.

It`s true that my CPU Revision = 14 now. How i can edit DELL BIOS, because i got exe file from installation package - Could you recommend me any tools for that ? I googled for 'dell bios modding' - i found some rapidshare links but you know ... its not safe until somebody confirms that it really works


Thanks.

[kizwan]

When you run the exe (3750_A0x.exe) file, it will extract the BIOS file in temp folder. Just grab the WinFlash folder from temp folder.

Temp folder in Windows 7 (replaced kizwan with your login name/account):-

C:\Users\kizwan\AppData\Local\Temp

[kizwan]

Hi eskaban,

I checked Vostro 3750 BIOS A05, I don't see any lock in it that can cause AES-NI to disabled/unavailable. The microcode for CPUID 0206A7h in the BIOS is old revision. So, I did modded the BIOS with latest revision of microcode update. The modded BIOS is properly done but since the BIOS structure is new, I sent it to a friend for second opinion.

I have to remind you, even though the BIOS is modded properly & it is very unlikely to bricked your notebook, if you decided to use the modded BIOS, you're going to use it at your own risk.