Hello,
I own an Alienware M17 R5 AMD Advantage Edition (6900HX, RX 6850M XT, DDR5 16GB×2 4800MHz).
I also use a Hackintosh desktop and a ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 AMD running macOS.
Getting back to the main issue, my M17 R5 is currently running BIOS version 1.26.0.
Since this BIOS version includes USB4 support, the built-in USB ports do not work properly under macOS. I experience the same kind of intermittent USB disconnection issue that has been reported in other threads regarding USB4 on the Legion 7.
For this reason, I downloaded BIOS version 1.3.9, which predates USB4 support, from Dell and attempted to flash it several times using an external ROM programmer.
Unfortunately, every attempt resulted in a non-booting system. The laptop shows the LED error code 2-4, which per Dell's diagnostic table indicates a memory (RAM training) failure, and it does not POST. My RAM sticks are newer production (2023+), so I suspect the memory training code in 1.3.9 predates them.
I eventually gave up and restored BIOS 1.26.0.
At the moment, I am running macOS Ventura using an M.2-to-USB module with the bottom cover removed. It works, but this significantly reduces the portability of the laptop, so I am not satisfied with this setup.
Would anyone who has successfully downgraded to BIOS 1.3.9 be willing to share their working BIOS dump?
If you are currently running 1.3.9, I would also be extremely grateful if you could simply share your RAM part number and manufacture date — that single data point would confirm or rule out my RAM-training hypothesis.
Alternatively, any advice on the correct procedure for downgrading or flashing BIOS 1.3.9 would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
I own an Alienware M17 R5 AMD Advantage Edition (6900HX, RX 6850M XT, DDR5 16GB×2 4800MHz).
I also use a Hackintosh desktop and a ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 AMD running macOS.
Getting back to the main issue, my M17 R5 is currently running BIOS version 1.26.0.
Since this BIOS version includes USB4 support, the built-in USB ports do not work properly under macOS. I experience the same kind of intermittent USB disconnection issue that has been reported in other threads regarding USB4 on the Legion 7.
For this reason, I downloaded BIOS version 1.3.9, which predates USB4 support, from Dell and attempted to flash it several times using an external ROM programmer.
Unfortunately, every attempt resulted in a non-booting system. The laptop shows the LED error code 2-4, which per Dell's diagnostic table indicates a memory (RAM training) failure, and it does not POST. My RAM sticks are newer production (2023+), so I suspect the memory training code in 1.3.9 predates them.
I eventually gave up and restored BIOS 1.26.0.
At the moment, I am running macOS Ventura using an M.2-to-USB module with the bottom cover removed. It works, but this significantly reduces the portability of the laptop, so I am not satisfied with this setup.
Would anyone who has successfully downgraded to BIOS 1.3.9 be willing to share their working BIOS dump?
If you are currently running 1.3.9, I would also be extremely grateful if you could simply share your RAM part number and manufacture date — that single data point would confirm or rule out my RAM-training hypothesis.
Alternatively, any advice on the correct procedure for downgrading or flashing BIOS 1.3.9 would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
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