Identifying Flash Components - ISpillMyDrink/UEFI-Repair-Guide GitHub Wiki

A few words on how to identify different flash components on any given board.

Non-Shared Storage / Separate EC and UEFI ROM

The following shows an Acer Aspire 5 mainboard (LA-E891P) where UEFI/BIOS is stored on a single, non-shared ROM (XM25QH64AHIG) with a capacity of 64 MBit close to the CPU/PCH package. Firmware for the Embedded Controller (ENE KB9022Q-D) is stored in its internal 1 MBit flash.

On this board a corrupted or missing ROM would still allow the system to enter S5 and begin the S5-to-S0 sequence.

Shared Storage / Common EC and UEFI ROM

The following shows a Dell Vostro 15 mainboard (Vegas/Turis SKL/KBL 15341-1) where UEFI/BIOS aswell as EC firmware are stored on a single, shared ROM (MX25L12873F) with a capacity of 128 MBit close to the Embedded Controller (MEC1404-NU). On EC power-up the EC executes its internal Boot ROM code, enables power to the shared ROM, and mirrors its OEM-defined firmware into embedded SRAM.

The firmware for the Embedded Controller is stored within the first filesystem of the BIOS Region containing the raw file with GUID "05CA0203-0FC1-11DC-9011-00173153EBA8".

On this board a corrupted or missing ROM could stop the system from beginning the S5-to-S0 sequence.