What I understand is that in January BIOS, you do not have dGPU option but in other BIOS version, it exists. I can confirm you that I have dGPU option in my laptop. Could you keep us update on this issue. Same as you, if it doesn't exist, I will send it back
Ionico 17 review
- Thread starter Macco26
- Start date
What I understand is that in January BIOS, you do not have dGPU option but in other BIOS version, it exists. I can confirm you that I have dGPU option in my laptop. Could you keep us update on this issue. Same as you, if it doesn't exist, I will send it back
barlew
Godlike
Yeh this doesn't surprise me. That is just as bad as the old Vyper 17 was. That is a horrendous screen.
Macco26
Expert
You were lucky enough to have the BIOS build of 21 january 2021, isn't it?
Macco26
Expert
no, January build is OK. 26th February build is the culprit.
Ok and yes, I was lucky to have the January build. But not so lucky with several issues
Greenman
Enthusiast
Pretty obvious question but the old Vyper was also TongFang?
TheMash
Bronze Level Poster
Yep, it was Tongfang.
I've the 15.6" model, maybe I can share a picture of the display backlight to make a comparison.
barlew
Godlike
It would be interesting if you could. I saw many people complaining of the backlight bleed problem on the 17 inch version I cant recall any saying it was bad on the 15inch?
I've just sent PCS an email regarding dGPU and MUX not being available in the BIOS, but if you hear anything, do let me know. Did you manage to get a link for Control Centre 3.0? If so, would you be able to share it? Once we install Control Centre 3.0, should we uninstall Control Centre 2.0 in case of interference?@barlew Yeah, a guy ( @Romain337 ) who received the Ionico 2 days before mine had the same Feb 26th BIOS and utterly disabled MUX. Exactly as mine. I was prepared to this thing and launched BIOS as soon as I unpacked the laptop to only confirm the bad thing happening to me as well.
Any 21th January BIOS equipped laptop is perfect though. Be a 17 or 15 sized Ionico.
About the Thunderbolt it's a known decision for every Tongfang this early 2021. Their plan (but also from MSI, etc.) is to offer Tigerlake as soon as it's being released by Intel. TGL has embedded TB4.0 controller into the CPU, no need for wiring an external controller on the motherboard.
Probably our motherboard is already made for TGL in mind. So 10th gen can't output TB, while next gen in a couple months will be able to.
Plus, TB requires to pay a licence fee for every model. Tongfang cheaped out on these early 2021 ones, they know they won't last more than 4-5 months at most. This is a recurring thing for almost every OEM with Intel (MSI, etc.). Only Clevo is offering TB in 2021 so far.
TB wasnt' a problem for me. MUX is. Especially because it was offered in the first incarnation of this PCS Ionico. So no excuses here. I'll contact again PCS today to know if they have news about that. Returning window time is ticking.
Macco26
Expert
@kshnnnn
A guy who asked before shared with me this link. For the Ionico. Use it under your responsibility
(I've used it positively)
About the MUX, they shared by email with me that they've asked Tongfang to provide a new BIOS with the functionality back. But at this moment they don't know what's the answer of the ODM and when will be done.
I've told them I'll contact them back in 7 days from today, almost reaching the final 14 days returning period. If they have some more positive answers (as an example: Tongfang is working and will provide new BIOS by date XXX) I might keep it and hope for the best.
A guy who asked before shared with me this link. For the Ionico. Use it under your responsibility
(I've used it positively)
About the MUX, they shared by email with me that they've asked Tongfang to provide a new BIOS with the functionality back. But at this moment they don't know what's the answer of the ODM and when will be done.
I've told them I'll contact them back in 7 days from today, almost reaching the final 14 days returning period. If they have some more positive answers (as an example: Tongfang is working and will provide new BIOS by date XXX) I might keep it and hope for the best.
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't want to mess anything up 😂 So how could I possibly use this negatively? Did you remove Control Centre 2.0 afterwards?@kshnnnn
A guy who asked before shared with me this link. For the Ionico. Use it under your responsibility
(I've used it positively)
About the MUX, they shared by email with me that they've asked Tongfang to provide a new BIOS with the functionality back. But at this moment they don't know what's the answer of the ODM and when will be done.
I've told them I'll contact them back in 7 days from today, almost reaching the final 14 days returning period. If they have some more positive answers (as an example: Tongfang is working and will provide new BIOS by date XXX) I might keep it and hope for the best.
Last edited by a moderator:
barlew
Godlike
I just want to throw it out there for anyone with an Ionico who is reading this. If TongFang do supply you a BIOS (my opinion is they probably wont) do not use it without the express permission of PCS. Whether you use an official TongFang BIOS or not flashing your laptop without prior permission of PCS will invalidate your warranty.
Martinr36
MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Well said
Macco26
Expert
No worries. I'm asking PCS to provide a new BIOS. They asked Tongang to provide a newer version with the MUX unlocked. But we don't know if:
- Tongfang agreed to do that
- In what timeframe
Surely it is something I'll get thru PCS.
@kshnnnn I formatted my partitions (OS not bought by PCS) so never seen any CC 2.0 but I think CC 3.0 at the beginning asks to uninstall any previous version.
barlew
Godlike
Surely they already have a BIOS with the MUX unlocked if other people already have it?
Bhuna50
Author Level
Is it possible these have been provided by TF with the BIOS already flashed and therefore they need the files from TF or TFs approval to issue the file in case they need to claim any warranty issues from TF?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is the screenshot below CC 3.0 or 2.0? This was already on my laptop, so if it's 3.0 then I'm all good.
Attachments
barlew
Godlike
Honestly In this I am completely ignorant. I thought the BIOS was either configured by PCS or to their specification. The fact that the early customers received laptops with superior BIOS configurations i.e. the MUX was enabled sounds like a mistake. I cannot see PCS would just turn the MUX off.
Bhuna50
Author Level
I might be wrong as I have no idea too. Lol. But I know when my first order (Intel build) failed QC testing they had to go back to and wait on TF so assumed that some elements are supplied and dependent on TF. I changed the order to AMD then and that worked [emoji3]
Presume it depends on supplier / client contracts.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Macco26
Expert
Both BIOS are made by Tongfang upon specifications of PCS, but PCS admitted to me they barely send some feedback, so generally is a genuine Tongfang version 100%, that's all.
First bios was 1.04PCS, second one (with MUX) disabled 1.07PCS. PCS today admitted also they didn't tell anything to TF about any reason to remove this. They got the new BIOS as it is. And used for their laptop unaware of this lack.
Why did it happen? We don't know. That's why I want a minimum of reassurance TF is working on a newer version. Because if at 14+1 days from my delivery I get a response like "sorry, TF decided the MUX wasn't reliable enough, they are not readding it" I would be screwed.
PCS also told me they don't have files for the 1st BIOS. Because it came inside the laptops. They only have 2nd BIOS on update files.
Plus I don't know if reverting a BIOS is an easy task. Sometimes the app does check and progress only if it sees a newer version to be applied. So TF should AT LEAST refactor the 1.04PCS BIOS to let be no less than e.g. version 1.08PCS.
Plus, and I'll stop, we don't know what other changes they did in 1.07PCS. Maybe they don't want to get rid of those. So we need a 1.07PCS BUT updated because the MUX is back.
First bios was 1.04PCS, second one (with MUX) disabled 1.07PCS. PCS today admitted also they didn't tell anything to TF about any reason to remove this. They got the new BIOS as it is. And used for their laptop unaware of this lack.
Why did it happen? We don't know. That's why I want a minimum of reassurance TF is working on a newer version. Because if at 14+1 days from my delivery I get a response like "sorry, TF decided the MUX wasn't reliable enough, they are not readding it" I would be screwed.
PCS also told me they don't have files for the 1st BIOS. Because it came inside the laptops. They only have 2nd BIOS on update files.
Plus I don't know if reverting a BIOS is an easy task. Sometimes the app does check and progress only if it sees a newer version to be applied. So TF should AT LEAST refactor the 1.04PCS BIOS to let be no less than e.g. version 1.08PCS.
Plus, and I'll stop, we don't know what other changes they did in 1.07PCS. Maybe they don't want to get rid of those. So we need a 1.07PCS BUT updated because the MUX is back.