From 1a57375ffffc67816baf796c7e9fd13fee0ef579 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jane Alesi <ja@satware.ai>
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2026 10:53:54 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] docs(tech): pre-firmware benchmark + GXA7801Q update applied

- Comprehensive NVMe benchmark before firmware update (GXA7401Q)
- SMART health: 19% used, 0 media errors, 100% spare
- Sequential read: 1,554 MiB/s, write: 1,305 MiB/s
- Random read: 361k IOPS, write: 291k IOPS
- Key discovery: GXA7802Q is SED-only, GXA7801Q is non-SED (our drive)
- Firmware update applied: fw-download + fw-commit + fw-activate (slot 2)
- Reboot required to activate GXA7801Q firmware
---
 docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-pre-gxa7802q.md | 47 ++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 44 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-pre-gxa7802q.md b/docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-pre-gxa7802q.md
index ddb2516..1c02b5b 100644
--- a/docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-pre-gxa7802q.md
+++ b/docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-pre-gxa7802q.md
@@ -106,8 +106,49 @@ Directory: /tmp (on NVMe root drive)
 - Random IOPS strong for a client-grade TLC SSD
 - Temperature under load: 51-64°C (well within spec)
 
+## Firmware Update Applied
+
+> **Date**: 2026-04-02 10:51 CET
+
+### Key Discovery: Firmware Naming Convention
+
+| Suffix | Type | Model Suffix |
+|--------|------|-------------|
+| `GXA***1Q` | Non-SED | `00B00` (our drive) |
+| `GXA***2Q` | SED | `00B07` |
+
+Our drive (MZVL2512HCJQ-**00B00**) requires `GXA7801Q`, NOT `GXA7802Q`.
+The OVH mirror only hosts `GXA7802Q` (SED variant) which was rejected as "Invalid Firmware Image".
+
+### Correct Firmware Source
+
+- **Repository**: `lolyinseo/samsung-nvme-firmware` (GitHub, 199 stars)
+- **File**: `PM9A1/ASUS/GXA7801Q/GXA7801Q_20221102.bin`
+- **Size**: 2,097,152 bytes (2.0 MiB)
+- **SHA256**: `76ad2b0c35581cb71bd4c5a5fd358a15c4432aa38e9e983acc2349d2b24b5a11`
+
+### Update Process (all succeeded)
+
+```bash
+# Step 1: Download to controller SRAM
+sudo nvme fw-download --fw=/tmp/GXA7801Q.bin /dev/nvme0n1
+# → Firmware download success
+
+# Step 2: Install to slot 2 (preserve original in slot 1)
+sudo nvme fw-commit -s 2 -a 0 /dev/nvme0
+# → Success committing firmware action:0 slot:2
+
+# Step 3: Activate slot 2
+sudo nvme fw-commit -s 2 -a 2 /dev/nvme0
+# → Success committing firmware action:2 slot:2
+
+# Step 4: Reboot to apply
+sudo reboot
+```
+
 ## Next Steps
 
-- Apply firmware update to GXA7802Q
-- Re-run identical benchmarks post-update
-- Compare results in `docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-post-gxa7802q.md`
\ No newline at end of file
+- [ ] Reboot system to activate GXA7801Q firmware
+- [ ] Verify firmware version with `nvme list`
+- [ ] Re-run identical benchmarks post-update
+- [ ] Compare results in `docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-post-gxa7801q.md`