ja
bbdcd43e01
- Post-update fio benchmark: random read +12.4%, write +15.9% IOPS - Latency reduced 10-14% for random workloads - SMART health unchanged: 0 media errors, 0 error log entries - Firmware research status updated to complete - Pre-benchmark checklist marked done
13 KiB
description, tags, last_updated
| description | tags | last_updated | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firmware/BIOS update research for all workstation components. Current vs latest versions, update methods, and risk assessment. |
|
2026-04-02 |
Firmware Update Research: mw-pfeddersheim-workstation
Date: 2026-04-02 Purpose: Research latest firmware/BIOS versions for all components and assess update needs.
Summary
| Component | Current Version | Latest Version | Update? | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherboard BIOS | F53 (2025-10-28) | F53 | No | - |
| NVMe SSD (PM9A1) | GXA7401Q | GXA7801Q | Yes (applied) | Medium |
| SATA SSD (840 EVO) | EXT0BB6Q | EXT0BB6Q (EOL) | No | - |
| GPU VBIOS (GTX 1050 Ti) | 86.07.39.00.50 | 86.07.39.00.50 (EOL) | No | - |
| NIC (RTL8111) | rev 0c, r8168 driver | Kernel-integrated | Via kernel | Low |
| CPU Microcode | Kernel-integrated | Kernel-integrated | Via kernel | Low |
| USB Peripherals | Various | Various | No (no LVFS) | - |
Actionable updates: 1 (NVMe SSD firmware)
Detailed Findings
1. Motherboard BIOS: Gigabyte AX370M-DS3H-CF
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Current | F53, dated 2025-10-28 |
| Latest | F53 (no newer version found) |
| Source | Gigabyte Support |
Status: Up to date. F53 from October 2025 is the latest available. The AX370M-DS3H (rev 1.x) is an AM4 board from 2017 - F53 represents a remarkably long support timeline (8+ years). No further updates expected.
Update method (if future versions appear): Q-Flash (BIOS) or @BIOS (Windows/Linux utility).
2. NVMe SSD: Samsung PM9A1 (MZVL2512HCJQ-00B00)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Current | GXA7401Q |
| Latest | GXA7801Q (non-SED, 00B00) |
| Source | GitHub: samsung-nvme-firmware |
Status: Complete 2026-04-02. GXA7801Q is the correct firmware for non-SED PM9A1 drives (model 00B00). Activated and verified. See nvme-benchmark-post-gxa7801q.md for before/after comparison.
Important
: GXA7802Q is for SED drives (model
00B07) only. Our non-SED drive (MZVL2512HCJQ-00B00) requires GXA7801Q. The OVHCloud mirror only hosts GXA7802Q, which was rejected as "Invalid Firmware Image".
Firmware Naming Convention
| Suffix | Type | Model Suffix |
|---|---|---|
GXA***1Q |
Non-SED (standard) | 00B00 |
GXA***2Q |
SED (Self-Encrypting) | 00B07 |
Firmware Changelog (GXA7401Q → GXA7801Q)
| Version | Key Changes |
|---|---|
| GXA7401Q (current) | Fixed Pyrite spec violation (prevented user data erase during TCG revert). Improved write performance drop beyond 70% capacity usage via foreground GC in SSB area. |
| GXA7602Q | Changed LPN per Unmap Range from total device LPN to 1000. Improved free block generation, reduced unnecessary migrations and TLC writes. |
| GXA7702Q | Increased LPN per Unmap Range to 10,000. Introduced side effects: lengthened FW time for Unmap operations, slower free block generation, increased unnecessary migrations. Samsung recommended holding this version. |
| GXA7801Q (latest, applied) | Fixes all GXA7702Q side effects. Non-SED variant. Corrects unmap handling, restores free block generation performance. Released ~Nov 2022 after internal qualification. Overall stability and performance improvements. |
Key benefit for workstation: The GXA7401Q → GXA7801Q jump fixes unmap/TRIM performance regression chain from GXA7702Q intermediate versions. Since this is a root NVMe drive with heavy I/O, improved unmap handling and write stability are relevant.
Note: No official Samsung changelog exists publicly. Information sourced from Samsung internal PDF (gzhls.at), OVHCloud deployment guide, and Win-Raid community.
Update procedure (Linux, no Samsung Magician needed):
# 1. Install nvme-cli
sudo pacman -S nvme-cli
# 2. Verify current firmware
nvme list
# 3. Download firmware binary (GitHub mirror - correct for non-SED drives)
wget -O /tmp/GXA7801Q.bin \
"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lolyinseo/samsung-nvme-firmware/main/PM9A1/ASUS/GXA7801Q/GXA7801Q_20221102.bin"
# 4. Apply firmware (ensure NVMe is /dev/nvme0n1)
sudo nvme fw-download --fw=/tmp/GXA7801Q.bin /dev/nvme0n1
sudo nvme fw-commit -s 2 -a 0 /dev/nvme0 # Install to slot 2
sudo nvme fw-commit -s 2 -a 2 /dev/nvme0 # Activate slot 2
# 5. Reboot to apply
sudo reboot
# 6. Verify after reboot
nvme list
Update applied: 2026-04-02 10:51 CET. All three nvme-cli steps succeeded. Reboot completed, GXA7801Q verified active. Random IOPS improved +12-16% post-update.
Firmware file: SHA256 76ad2b0c35581cb71bd4c5a5fd358a15c4432aa38e9e983acc2349d2b24b5a11
Risk: Medium. NVMe firmware update can brick the drive if interrupted (power loss). Original firmware GXA7401Q preserved in slot 1 as fallback.
Pre-firmware benchmark: See docs/tech/nvme-benchmark-pre-gxa7802q.md
3. SATA SSD: Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Current | EXT0BB6Q |
| Latest | EXT0BB6Q (EOL - no updates since ~2015) |
| Source | Samsung Semiconductor Tools |
Status: No update available. The 840 EVO (released 2013) has reached end-of-life. EXT0BB6Q is the final firmware. No further updates will be released.
Note: This drive is 12+ years old. Consider monitoring health via smartctl and planning replacement if reliability degrades.
If update were needed: Samsung provides bootable ISO firmware utilities, but none exist beyond EXT0BB6Q for this model. Samsung Magician is Windows-only.
4. GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Current VBIOS | 86.07.39.00.50 |
| Latest VBIOS | 86.07.39.00.50 (EOL) |
| Current Driver | 575.64.05 |
| Latest Driver | ~580.81 (final for 10-series, end of 2025) |
| Source | NVIDIA Drivers |
Status: No VBIOS update available. NVIDIA ended Game Ready driver support for GTX 10-series at end of 2025. No VBIOS updates have been released.
Driver note: Driver 575.64.05 may be close to or past the final supported version. Check mhwd or pacman for the latest NVIDIA 10-series driver available in Manjaro.
Update method (drivers only): sudo pacman -Syu nvidia or via Manjaro Hardware Detection (mhwd).
5. NIC: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 (rev 0c)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Driver | r8168 (proprietary) |
| Kernel Module | r8168, r8169 (alternative) |
| Firmware | rtl_nic/rtl8168h-2.fw (linux-firmware) |
| Source | linux-firmware.git (kernel.org) |
Status: Managed via kernel/firmware packages. No standalone firmware update needed. The NIC firmware blob is part of linux-firmware package.
Update method: Keep linux-firmware package updated via normal pacman -Syu.
Note: Currently using r8168 (Realtek proprietary driver). The in-kernel r8169 driver also supports this chip and may be preferable for simpler maintenance. Both are loaded as kernel modules.
6. CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Zen+ / Pinnacle Ridge)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Microcode | Kernel-integrated (ucode_amd.bin) |
| AGESA | Applied via BIOS (F53 includes latest for this board) |
| Source | linux-firmware.git, kernel.org |
Status: Managed via kernel/BIOS. AMD CPU microcode updates are delivered through:
- BIOS/UEFI (AGESA updates) - already at F53 (latest)
- Linux kernel (early microcode loading) - updated via
linux-firmwarepackage
Verify current microcode: dmesg | grep microcode after boot.
Update method: Keep kernel and linux-firmware packages updated.
7. USB Peripherals
| Device | USB ID | Firmware Update? | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jabra SPEAK 510 | 0b0e:0422 | Maybe | Jabra Xpress (Linux) |
| Genesys Logic microSD Reader | 05e3:0727 | No | N/A |
| Pixart Imaging Mouse | 093a:2510 | No | N/A |
| Microdia Terra HD1080PC Camera | 0c45:636b | No | N/A |
| CHERRY Mechanical Keyboard | 046a:00b0 | No | N/A |
Status: No LVFS/fwupd support for any of these devices.
Jabra SPEAK 510: Jabra Xpress (v49.0.1.2, Dec 2025) is available for Linux. Could check for firmware updates if audio issues exist. Download from Jabra Support.
All others: No firmware update mechanisms available. These are simple HID/USB devices with no user-serviceable firmware.
fwupd Status
Installed: fwupd 2.1.1 (2026-04-02)
Detected Devices (7 total)
| Device | Type | Current Version | Updatable via LVFS? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MZVL2512HCJQ-00B00 | NVMe SSD | GXA7401Q | Yes (flag) / No update published |
| SSD 840 EVO 500GB | SATA SSD | EXT0BB6Q | Yes (flag) / No update published |
| Ryzen 7 2700X | CPU Microcode | 0x0800820e | No |
| AMD TPM 2.0 | TPM | 3.8.0.3 | Yes (flag, signed payload) |
| Unknown (PNP:WOR) | Display (?) | - | No |
| Unknown (PNP:BNQ) | Display (?) | - | No |
| Unknown (PNP:WOR) | Display (?) | - | No |
LVFS Update Check Result
No updatable devices
Samsung does not publish PM9A1 or 840 EVO firmware on LVFS. The NVMe firmware update to GXA7801Q (see §2) must be done via nvme-cli with firmware from the samsung-nvme-firmware GitHub repo. The OVHCloud mirror only has GXA7802Q (SED variant, incompatible with non-SED drives).
New Discovery: AMD TPM 2.0
fwupd detected an AMD TPM 2.0 device (version 3.8.0.3) not in original inventory. This is the firmware TPM (fTPM) built into the Ryzen processor. It supports signed payload updates via fwupd/LVFS. Currently no update is published.
fwupd Verification Commands
fwupdmgr refresh # Refresh metadata from LVFS
fwupdmgr get-devices # List all detected devices
fwupdmgr get-updates # Check for available updates
fwupdmgr update # Apply available updates
Recommended Action Plan
Immediate (Low Risk)
| # | Action | Command | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Install fwupd | sudo pacman -S fwupd |
Done (fwupd 2.1.1) |
| 2 | Update linux-firmware | sudo pacman -Syu linux-firmware |
Pending |
| 3 | Check NVIDIA driver version | pacman -Q nvidia |
Pending |
Scheduled (Medium Risk - Requires Maintenance Window)
| # | Action | Risk | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Complete 2026-04-02. GXA7801Q active. +12-16% random IOPS. |
No Action Needed
| Component | Reason |
|---|---|
| Motherboard BIOS | Already at latest (F53) |
| SATA SSD | EOL, no updates available |
| GPU VBIOS | EOL, no updates available |
| CPU Microcode | Managed via kernel/firmware |
| NIC Firmware | Managed via kernel/firmware |
| USB Peripherals | No update mechanisms |
Risk Assessment
NVMe Firmware Update (GXA7401Q -> GXA7801Q) - APPLIED 2026-04-02
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Power loss during update = bricked drive | Use UPS, verify battery backup |
| Data corruption | Backup critical data first |
| Incompatibility | Verify model match (MZVL2512HCJQ-00B00) |
General Considerations
- Production workstation: All firmware updates should be scheduled during non-critical hours.
- Rollback: BIOS has dual-BIOS; NVMe/SATA have no rollback mechanism.
- Testing: After any firmware update, run
smartctl -aandnvme smart-logto verify health.
References
- Gigabyte GA-AX370M-DS3H Support
- OVHCloud PM9A1 Firmware Guide
- Samsung SSD Firmware Tools
- NVIDIA Drivers
- Jabra Xpress for Linux
- linux-firmware.git
- Samsung PM9A1 Firmware PDF (gzhls.at)
- Win-Raid PM9A1 Discussion
- GitHub: samsung-nvme-firmware (correct GXA7801Q source)
- GitHub: samsung-nvme-firmware issues