MP5,1: New firmware on 10.13.4 MAS full installer: MP51.0085.B00 **OBSOLETE**

[tsialex]

People please let this thread die, we had 5 BootROM updates after MP51.0085.B00.

This thread is totally obsolete.​

Hey, anyone seen this too? Started to install 10.13.4 final, via USB pendrive on my SSD and the installer asked to install a new firmware.

Edit:

Confirmed. New firmware on Mac App Store 10.13.4 full installer: MP51.0085.B00 ​

• No release notes or more news about what changed on the new firmware. CPU microcode still not updated for mitigation of Meltdown/Spectre.

• You can download the full installer on MAS and run it to just update the firmware, without reinstalling or installing High Sierra. You will need a Mac EFI supported GPU to update the firmware.

Note:

If you try to update the firmware with createinstallmedia pen drive, seems the installer has a bug and can't bless the firmware and shutdown the Mac Pro to kickstart the firmware update, at least on on my two Mac Pros. To be safe, run the installer on macOS to upgrade the firmware.

 

[h9826790]

Did you ever install High Sierra on your 5,1?

 

[PowerMike G5]

If you haven't installed any version of High Sierra on your machine, then this will come up. It's been there and final since the original 10.13 installer I believe.

 

[tsialex]

Did you ever install High Sierra on your 5,1?

Yes, previously was testing 10.13.4b7.

 

[h9826790]

Yes, previously was testing 10.13.4b7.

Thanks for the info.

I've heard that there is a firmware upgrade from the full installer, but no reliable source yet. I will try to download that and see what happen.

 

[bsbeamer]

did you ever install a non-beta version of High Sierra?

 

[chrfr]

I'm getting prompted to update firmware if Iaunch the 10.13.4 installer on a 5,1 that's running non-beta 10.13.3. I'll do a test on a different system to see the before and after versions.

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for the info.

I've heard that there is a firmware upgrade from the full installer, but no reliable source yet. I will try to download that and see what happen.

I think the firmware installed, I’ll boot with other disk to check the version.

did you ever install a non-beta version of High Sierra?

Yes, all versions since 10.13.0.
[doublepost=1522424403][/doublepost]

Installed the firmware, I’ll boot with other disk to check the version.

Weird, maybe I did something wrong but seems it didn’t upgrade the firmware, still on MP51.0084.B00. I have a RAID array, I’ll try again without it.

 

[bsbeamer]

Humm... is this just something people with 4,1>5,1 machines are running into, or also happening with authentic 5,1? Do you have an EFI GPU installed?

Will not be updating my authentic 5,1 until the NVIDIA web drivers are out. Will have the GTX 680 Mac Version on standby...

 

[chrfr]

The firmware version goes from MP51.0084.B00 to MP51.0085.B00, but only from using the full installer, not updating.

 

[h9826790]

Confirmed there is a firmware update. My current firmware is MP51.0084.B00.

May be this is the reason why my appstore update failed. (I am now running with a non-flashed 1080Ti.

 

[chrfr]

Humm... is this just something people with 4,1>5,1 machines are running into, or also happening with authentic 5,1? Do you have an EFI GPU installed?

Will not be updating my authentic 5,1 until the NVIDIA web drivers are out. Will have the GTX 680 Mac Version on standby...

This is on a real 5,1 with an OEM Apple card in it.

 

[LightBulbFun]

indeed theres a new Firmware update with 10.13.4 I wonder what it brings? im going to boot into windows in a Bit and check if they updated the Microcode to patch spectre/meltdown

interestingly I did the 10.13.4 update via the MAS and it did not prompt me to update the BootROM at any point, but downloading a full 10.13.4 installer and opening it, prompted me to update my BootROM before allowing me to continue.

 

[tsialex]

Humm... is this just something people with 4,1>5,1 machines are running into, or also happening with authentic 5,1? Do you have an EFI GPU installed?

Will not be updating my authentic 5,1 until the NVIDIA web drivers are out. Will have the GTX 680 Mac Version on standby...

My HD7870 has EFI, worked well on previous firmware updates.

Changed to my 4,1>5,1 without RAID array and with Apple GT120 GPU, starting now.

 

[bsbeamer]

This might be related to the Intel Xeon firmware fix for Spectre/Meltdown.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/spectre-meltdown-firmware-for-cmp.2111240/

Guessing we'll need to use EFI GPU to install?

 

[Mumford]

Confirmed. Updated from 10.13.4 beta to non-beta, no firmware update. Ran the HS installer and it prompted me to update the firmware. Went from 51.0084.B00 to 51.0085.B00. No idea what's new/fixed, but I know boot screens for RX 560 wasn't part of it.

 

[LightBulbFun]

Booted into windows and Ran a CPU-Z validation

http://valid.x86.fr/gazlkh Old BootROM

http://valid.x86.fr/hgeui0 New BootROM

sadly it seems the Microcodes are the same between them so im not sure what has changed in this BootROM update

I did notice my CPU-Z benchmark score is slightly lower on the new BootROM but that could be due to to a number of things.

(I wonder if they fixed the Boot selector USB bug, i noticed in the Boot Selector if I unplugged a Bootable USB stick and plugged it back in it would not show up again in that USB port I wonder if anyone else has/had this issue?)

 

[h9826790]

May be it’s related to the Meltdown and Spectre

 

[tsialex]

Same problem, if I run the installer via USB boot on a createinstallmedia pendrive, it dosen't shutdown by himself - tested this time on my vanilla 4,1>5,1 with GT120.

Something is wrong here, I'll try running the installer from macOS.

May be it’s related to the Meltdown and Spectre

Let's dream: NVMe boot…

 

[h9826790]

Firmware updated. Seems nothing wrong.

 

[tsialex]

Same problem, if I run the installer via USB boot on a createinstallmedia pendrive, it dosen't shutdown by himself - tested this time on my vanilla 4,1>5,1 with GT120.

Something is wrong here, I'll try running the installer from macOS.

Didn’t work from USB boot via createinstallmedia pendrive, but worked on both my 4,1>5,1 running the installer directly from macOS.

Even with my AppleRAID 4-disk array present.

Maybe the USB installer have some blessing/shutdown problem with my Mac Pros.

 

[LightBulbFun]

BTW out of curiosity has anyone tried booting from an NVMe drive with this Firmware Update? one can always be hopeful

 

[Susurs]

Any benchmark differences with new FW?
...Geekbench CPU scores before and after?

 

[h9826790]

I will say no performance hit. My computer was not 100% idle when running this GB4, I can clearly see the time machine backup in progress. So, the multi cores performance may be tiny bit lower than the max we can see. But this tiny difference should be well within normal error zone. So, my personal conclusion is no performance hit for both CPU and GPU.

 

[Susurs]

Good to hear this!
Thank you!