Dell XPS 13 (2014) i7-4650U

[RehabMan]

IOReg of 0xa260006 attached.

The problem is you have no Intel MEI device. OS X requires it.

From your Clover bootlog:

0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:00.00) : 8086 0A04 class=060000
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:02.00) : 8086 0A26 class=030000
0:100  0:000  Found GFX model=Intel HD Graphics 5000
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:03.00) : 8086 0A0C class=040300
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:14.00) : 8086 9C31 class=0C0330
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1B.00) : 8086 9C20 class=040300
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1C.00) : 8086 9C10 class=060400
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1C.02) : 8086 9C14 class=060400
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|02:00.00) : 10EC 8168 class=020000
0:100  0:000  LAN 0, Vendor=10EC, MMIO=E000
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1C.03) : 8086 9C16 class=060400
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|03:00.00) : 14E4 432B class=028000
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1D.00) : 8086 9C26 class=0C0320
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1F.00) : 8086 9C43 class=060100
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1F.02) : 8086 9C03 class=010601
0:100  0:000  PCI (00|00:1F.03) : 8086 9C22 class=0C0500

Note no 8086 9c3a, which is the Intel MEI for mobile Haswell chipset.

You will need to find a way to activate the MEI. Install Windows and try to install the chipset and MEI drivers. Check BIOS (flash update if available). Check BIOS options.

Does it matter weather one inputs 0xa260006 or 0A260006 in to the ig-platform-id injection?

0A260006 evaluates as zero, which causes the default, 0x0d220003 to be used.
0xa260006 evaluates as 0x0a260006.

 

[MAD AUDI SCIENTIST]

You will need to find a way to activate the MEI.

I have Win10 installed on the machine and I attempted to install MEI last night but it gives me an unsupported system error. I already had the chipset installed but i reinstalled it, but still no luck with MEI.

I looked in the BIOS but, I could not find any kind of enable/disable ME options. It says its installed but no ME FW version or SKU.
There are some options under PCH-FW configuration. I'v attached a shot of the bios setting in that section.

Iv downloaded APTIO bios updater tool and I see there are some ME flashing options there, but I don't have a copy of my BIOS. Modding a bios would be a new area of research and understanding for me as I have never attempted it before. I would imagine it would be not as complicated as some other types of BIOS patching, but thats me guessing.

Downloaded some tools on win10 and attempted to extract the BIOS but they all give me errors. So If you would be so kind as to give me some direction as to how to go about enabling ME in the bios.

I did found the manufacturer of the unit in china and will attempt to contact them for a BIOS update to enable the ME, but I think that would be a long shot. We will see.

Thanks for everything.

 

[RehabMan]

I have Win10 installed on the machine and I attempted to install MEI last night but it gives me an unsupported system error. I already had the chipset installed but i reinstalled it, but still no luck with MEI.

I looked in the BIOS but, I could not find any kind of enable/disable ME options. It says its installed but no ME FW version or SKU.
There are some options under PCH-FW configuration. I'v attached a shot of the bios setting in that section.

Iv downloaded APTIO bios updater tool and I see there are some ME flashing options there, but I don't have a copy of my BIOS. Modding a bios would be a new area of research and understanding for me as I have never attempted it before. I would imagine it would be not as complicated as some other types of BIOS patching, but thats me guessing.

Downloaded some tools on win10 and attempted to extract the BIOS but they all give me errors. So If you would be so kind as to give me some direction as to how to go about enabling ME in the bios.

I did found the manufacturer of the unit in china and will attempt to contact them for a BIOS update to enable the ME, but I think that would be a long shot. We will see.

Thanks for everything.

Looks like you have a lot of advanced options, so hopefully you can find a way to flash MEI firmware and activate it.

 

[MAD AUDI SCIENTIST]

Looks like you have a lot of advanced options

Ya the BIOS is fully unlocked as far as I can tell.

so hopefully you can find a way to flash MEI firmware and activate it.

Did a bunch of research and attempts at a few methods and nothing took. I'll will keep at it to see what turns up.

Here is the strangest part for me... the friend who gifted me this machine has the a similar board but with a full desktop CPU and all the bios settings and info are the same except his machine when booted Sees the MEI in the PCI list. Im going to try to borrow the board to do some testing, but I'm almost positive the ME info in the BIOS in both machine is almost exact.

I guess i will do my best to contact the manufacturer to see if they have a Firmware update as this seem the most direct way.

 

[MAD AUDI SCIENTIST]

Thanks for all the help on this, but the manufacturer has informed me that ME firmware is not available on this machine more can they provide any firmware that would activate ME. So it sound like I'm stuck running windows. Either way it was a big learning experience now I know OS X looks for MEI to be active in the bios.

 

[MAD AUDI SCIENTIST]

RehabMan Off topic, but just trying to understand the whole MEI thing better. Is MEI CPU or board chipset dependent? I did a bunch of reading and I'm just confused. When looking at Intel's site from 4th gen to 5th gen mobile cpus the ME support callout just goes away. Its only present in the i7-4650U and not in the i7-5557U. Am i correct?

 

[RehabMan]

RehabMan Off topic, but just trying to understand the whole MEI thing better. Is MEI CPU or board chipset dependent? I did a bunch of reading and I'm just confused. When looking at Intel's site from 4th gen to 5th gen mobile cpus the ME support callout just goes away. Its only present in the i7-4650U and not in the i7-5557U. Am i correct?

MEI is still present in Haswell/Broadwell/Skylake...

 

[MAD AUDI SCIENTIST]

MEI is still present in Haswell/Broadwell/Skylake...

You are correct, When cross referencing chipsets I see ME support noted there, just not on the CPU section of ARK for newer processors.

On a side note, and this is purely a preference question:
If you were to choose from an i5-5200U, i5-5257U or an i5-5300U for a NUC/BRIX like system which CPU would you choose and why?

When comparing specks the i5-5257U has HD6100 and can run 1866ram. While the i5-5300U has only HD5500, but has SIPP support. When looking at ARK i can only see those main differences that might make a difference on the OS X side.

Your input as always is greatly appreciated.

 

[RehabMan]

You are correct, When cross referencing chipsets I see ME support noted there, just not on the CPU section of ARK for newer processors.

On a side note, and this is purely a preference question:
If you were to choose from an i5-5200U, i5-5257U or an i5-5300U for a NUC/BRIX like system which CPU would you choose and why?

When comparing specks the i5-5257U has HD6100 and can run 1866ram. While the i5-5300U has only HD5500, but has SIPP support. When looking at ARK i can only see those main differences that might make a difference on the OS X side.

Your input as always is greatly appreciated.

A system with Iris is always nice... but there are other considerations when choosing from Intel's NUC models... such as whether the unit has replaceable WiFi or not, and whether you have the need for a 2.5" SSD or HDD.

 

[MAD AUDI SCIENTIST]

A system with Iris is always nice...

Yes I was leaning more towards the HD6100 too, as I use OS X for mainly Adobe Products and some minimal 3D modeling on SketchUp.

whether the unit has replaceable WiFi or not

Ya I saw the Intel's NUC with the Intel AC wifi soldered on the board with the 5th Gen CPU with an M.2 for SSD.

Appreciate your opinion.