HX500 / HX600 BIOS Manual

NOTE: To enter the BIOS on Helix systems, hold the ‘Delete’ key on your keyboard during boot.

1 - Front Page

Boot Manager

Type

Device Management

Boot From File

Administer Secure Boot

Setup Utility

Intel(R) Management Engine BIOS Extension

InsydeH2O Version

BIOS Version

Build Date

Processor Type

CPU Speed

Number of Processors

PCH SKU

Total Memory

Channel A

Channel B

Memory Speed

Language

System Time

System Date

Numlock

Serial ATA Port X

Platform Trust Technology

Enable Hibernation

ACPI S3 Support

Native PCIE Enable

Native ASPM

Low Power S0 Idle Capability

Type

Speed

L1 Data Cache

L1 Instruction Cache

L2 Data Cache

L3 Data Cache

L4 Data Cache

VMX

SMX/TXT

Intel (VMX) Virtualization Technology

Active Processor Cores

Hyper-Threading

AES

Boot Performance Mode

Intel(R) SpeedStep(tm)

Intel(R) Speed Shift Technology

Turbo Mode

HOB Buffer Size

ECC Support

Max TOLUD

SA PCIe Code Version

VT-d

Graphics Configuration

Stop Grant Configuration

PCIe Spread Spectrum Clocking

VT-d

CHAP Device (B0:D7:F0)

Thermal Device (B0:D4:F0)

GNA Device (B0:D8:F0)

CRID Support

Above 4GB MMIO BIOS assignment

X2APIC Opt Out

IPU Device (B0:D5:F0)

Skip Scanning of External Gfx Card

Primary Display

Internal Graphics

GTT Size

Aperture Size

DVMT Pre-Allocated

DVMT Total Gfx Mem

PCI Express Configuration

SATA and RST Configuration

HD Audio

PCH LAN Controller

Wake on LAN Enable

SLP_LAN# Low on DC Power

EFI Network

Wake on WLAN and BT Enable

PXE ROM

Auto Power-On

PCI Express Clock Gating

PCI Express Root Port <n>

►PCI Express Root Port <n>

PCI Express Root Port Settings

PCI Express Root Port

ASPM

PCIE Speed

Detect Timeout

SATA Controllers

SATA Mode Selection

Serial ATA Port <n>

Software Preserve

Port <n>

Hot Plug

Configured as eSATA

External

Spin Up Device

SATA Device Type

Topology

HD Audio

ME Firmware Version

ME Firmware Mode

ME Firmware SKU

ME Firmware Status 1

ME Firmware Status 2

ME State

Manageability Features State

AMT BIOS Features

AMT Configuration

ME Unconfig on RTC Clear

Comms Hub Support

JHI Support

Core BIOS Done Message

Firmware Update Configuration

PTT Configuration

ASF Support

USB Provisioning of AMT

CIRA Configuration

ASF Configuration

Secure Erase Configuration

MEBx Resolution Settings

CIRA Configuration

Activate Remote Assistance Process

CIRA Timeout

ASF Configuration

PET Progress

WatchDog

OS Timer

BIOS Timer

ASF Sensors Table

Secure Erase Configuration

Secure Erase Mode

Force Secure Erase

MEBx Resolution Settings

Non-UI Mode Resolution

UI Mode Resolution

Graphics Mode Resolution

ME Firmware Re-Flash

PTT Capability / State

Automatic Thermal Reporting

Critical Trip Point

Active Trip Point 0

Active Trip Point 0 Fan Speed

Active Trip Point 1

Active Trip Point 1 Fan Speed

Passive Trip Point

Passive TC1 Value

Passive TC2 Value

Passive TSP Value

Active Trip Points

Passive Trip Points

Critical Trip Points

Active Trip Points

PCH Temp Read

CPU Energy Read

CPU Temp Read

Alert Enable Lock

CPU Temp

CPU Fan Speed

UART Port 1 Configuration

UART Port 2 Configuration

Fan Control

Hardware Monitor

UART Port <n>

Power Over Cable

Mode Select

CPUFANIN

CPUTIN

Mode

PWM/DC Output

Output Buffer Type

PWM Duty Cycle (%)

Fan Control (Thermal Cruise Mode)

The following settings are only available if the Mode option above is set to Thermal Cruise.

Target Temperature (°C)

Tolerance (°C)

Fan Control (Speed Cruise Mode)

Target Fan Speed

Tolerance

Fan Control (Smart Fan IV Mode)

Boundary 0 (°C)

Output 0 (%)

Boundary 1 (°C)

Output 1 (%)

Boundary 2 (°C)

Output 2 (%)

Boundary 3 (°C)

Output 3 (%)

Refresh Cycle

Current TPM Device

TPM State

TPM Active PCR Hash Algorithm

TPM Hardware Supported Hash Algorithm

BIOS Supported Hash Algorithm

TrEE Protocol Version

TPM Availability

TPM Operation

Clear TPM

Set Supervisor Password

Boot Type

Network Stack

PXE Boot Capability

Add Boot Options

USB Boot

UEFI OS Fast Boot

EFI

Note: The EFI boot order configuration in this menu can only be changed if the Add Boot Options option above is set to First or Last.

In this menu, you set which devices the system can boot to, as well as change the order in which it attempts to boot. Highlight a boot device and press Enter to enable or disable booting to it. Use the F5 and F6 keys to move the boot device up and down the list.

Exit Saving Changes

Save Change Without Exit

Exit Discarding Changes

Load Optimal Defaults

Load Custom Defaults

Save Custom Defaults

Discard Changes

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology used to stitch multiple storage drives together into a single volume for a variety of purposes. The Intel Q470 chipset on the Helix platform features Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST), an integrated firmware-level RAID utility for SATA disks. Intel RST on Comet Lake chipsets is only supported in Windows; Linux users will need to use a dedicated hardware RAID solution or a software-level RAID utility such as mdadm.

Because the RAID volumes are maintained at the firmware level, the disks in an array do not need to match perfectly. However, the timing parameters of all disks in a certain array, such as write speed, will be limited by the chipset to the lowest value among those disks.

On the Helix platform, the M.2 B-Key, M.2 M-Key, and both cabled SATA connectors can be configured in RAID arrays.

Different types of RAID arrays are referred to as “levels”. Intel RST on the Helix platform supports four RAID levels:

RAID 0 (Striped): In a RAID 0 array, data written to the volume is split between two or more disks. Each disk’s storage space is divided into blocks, the size of which can be set by the user. When writing data to the volume, the SATA controller will rotate block-by-block between the disks. This methodology can provide noticeable improvements to read and write speeds; however, if one disk in a RAID 0 array fails, the data on the entire volume will be lost.

RAID 1 (Mirrored): In a RAID 1 array, the SATA controller mirrors all data between two or more disks. The primary benefit of this methodology is that if a drive in the array is disconnected or fails altogether, the volume will continue to function as normal. If an OS is installed on the volume, it will not be interrupted by a failing drive. A drive can then be reconnected or replaced, at which time the SATA controller will rebuild the volume (note that the rebuild process can take several hours or even days for larger volumes). This RAID configuration has no noticeable effect on write speeds but typically improves read speeds, as the system can read from multiple disks simultaneously.

RAID 5 (Striped with Parity): A RAID 5 array functions similarly to a RAID 0 array in that it stripes data across multiple disks; however, for each set of blocks, it also writes a block of parity data that can be used to recover a block on another disk if it loses that data. Thus, you can achieve some of the performance gains of a RAID 0 array while being able to withstand a single disk failure. This methodology requires at least three disks.

RAID 10 (Striped and Mirrored): A RAID 10 array combines two RAID 1 arrays in a RAID 0 array. This allows you to achieve the performance gains of a RAID 0 array while still maintaining the fault tolerance of a RAID 1 array. Data is striped between the two RAID 1 volumes, which are able to withstand and rebuild after a failed disk. This methodology requires at least four disks. This RAID level is also sometimes referred to as RAID 1+0.

Recovery: Intel Rapid Recovery Technology creates a special RAID 1 array where instead of two equivalent disks, one disk is designated the “primary” and the other the “secondary”. Data is written to the primary drive, then copied to the secondary drive as a backup. This allows you to decide if you would like the mirroring to occur continuously or only on request; in addition, the time it takes to rebuild the array after a disk failure is decreased. However, the read speed improvements of a typical RAID 1 array are not seen here, as the SATA controller will typically only read from the primary drive.

Note: Creating a new RAID array will erase all filesystems and data on all the disks used.

From the main menu, select “Device Management”. You will be greeted with the Device Manager options pictured below. Select “Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology” to continue.

Note: The Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology menu will only appear if you have set the SATA Mode Selection option to Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration. This option is located in the main BIOS setup under Advanced > PCH-IO Configuration > SATA And RST Configuration.

This menu will list all existing RAID arrays, as well as all SATA disks that are not currently in an array. Select “Create RAID Volume” to continue.

The following menu will give you the option to specify the name of your RAID volume, the RAID level of the configuration, and which disks will become part of the array. Begin by specifying the name of the volume if desired and selecting a RAID Level.

Then, select which SATA disks will be used to create the array. Note that any disks being used in a different RAID array will not be selectable. If you are creating an array with the RAID level “Recovery”, you will need to select which drive is the primary (M) and which is the secondary (R).

For RAID 0, 5, and 10 configurations, you can specify the strip size if desired. The strip size options vary depending on the RAID level of the configuration. In addition, you can set the capacity of the volume if you would like it smaller than the maximum available. If you are creating a “Recovery” array, you can also select if the slave drive is synchronized with the master continuously or only on request.

Select “Create Volume” to return to the Device Manager menu. You should now see your new volume listed in the menu; hit F10 to save your new settings and Escape to return to the main BIOS menu.

Your RAID array is now created and ready for use.

The latest BIOS updates are available within Software & Firmware section of the HX500 / HX600 Product Documentation space.

Revision History

Opens the list of detected bootable devices, allowing you to manually select a device to boot, such as an OS or PXE

Opens the Device Manager menu which includes a configuration menu for Intel Rapid Storage Technology and a Network Device List (if RST and Network Stack are enabled)

Allows you to boot from a UEFI bootable file

Opens the Secure Boot configuration menu

Opens the primary BIOS configuration menu referenced in sections 2 through 6 of this manual

Opens the Intel Management Engine BIOS Extension (MEBx) configuration interface

Displays current InsydeH2O BIOS Framework version

Displays current BIOS version

Displays the BIOS build date in MM/DD/YYYY

Displays model number of installed CPU

Displays base frequency of installed CPU

Displays core and thread count of installed CPU

Displays model number of PCH

Displays total capacity of all memory installed in system

Displays capacity of memory installed in Channel A

Displays capacity of memory installed in Channel B

Displays base frequency of installed memory

Selects the current default language used by the BIOS

Displays the time in HH:MM:SS. Valid range is from 0 to 23, 0 to 59, 0 to 59. Use +/- to increase/decrease

Displays the date in MM:DD:YYYY. Valid range is from 1 to 12, 1 to 31, 2000 to 2099. Use +/- to increase/decrease

Configurable Setting

Advanced Page > Boot Configuration

Sets state of Num Lock key when system is booted

Advanced Page > SATA Configuration

Displays model number of device installed in each SATA Port

Advanced Page > Chipset Configuration (Intel PTT)

Enables or Disables Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT).

Configurable Setting

Advanced Page > ACPI Table/Features Control

Enables or Disables hibernation state (ACPI Sleep State S4) support. This option may not be effective with some OSes

Configurable Setting

Advanced Page > ACPI Table/Features Control

Enables or Disables ACPI Sleep State S3 support

Configurable Setting

Advanced Page > ACPI Table/Features Control

Enables or Disables Native PCIe, allowing the OS to control PCIe configuration

Configurable Setting

Advanced Page > ACPI Table/Features Control

Enables or Disables Native Active State Power Management (ASPM)

Configurable Setting

Advanced Page > ACPI Table/Features Control

Enable or Disable ACPI Lower Power S0 Idle Capability (mutually exclusive with Smart Connect). While this is enabled, it also disables 8254 timer for SLP_S0 support.