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Firmware and microcode aren't the same thing.
by wmf 2y ago
Firmware and microcode aren't the same thing.
- jeffbee 2y agoVery true and that's why it is odd that microcode has been mentioned here. Surely they mean PCU software (Pcode), or code for whatever they are calling the PCU these days.
- wmf 2y agoI assume Intel's "microcode" updates include the PCU code, maybe some ME code, and whatever other little cores are hiding in the chip.
- jeffbee 2y agoWell, do they? The operating system can provide microcode updates to a running CPU. Can the operating system patch the PCU, too? When I look at a "BIOS update" it usually seems to include UEFI, peripheral option ROMs, ME updates, and microcode. So if the PCU is getting patched I would think of it as a BIOS update. I think the ergonomics will be indistinguishable for end users.
- nicman23 2y agofirmware can include microcode though