ASUS KCMA-D8

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ASUS KCMA-D8
Overview
Introduced2010
ManufacturerASUS
Specifications
Socket2x C32
Northbridge1x AMD SR5670
SouthbridgeAMD SP5100
Super I/OWinbond W83667HG-A
BMCASPEED AST2050 (OpenBMC-compatible)
BMC Flash LocationRemovable Module
Memory8 slots (4 channels) DDR3-1600 ECC UDIMM/RDIMM/LRDIMM
BIOS Flash2 MiB socketed DIP-8 (W25Q16V)
Form FactorSSI CEB, might fit in an ATX case that has 1 cm extra
Power Inputs1x 8-pin EPS
Expansion Slots
  • PCIe Gen2 x16
  • PCIe Gen2 x16 (electrically x8)
  • PCIe Gen2 x8 (electrically x4)
  • 32-bit Legacy PCI (5V)
  • 32-bit Legacy PCI (5V)
  • 32-bit Legacy PCI (5V)
  • ASUS PIKE2008 Interface
Onboard Peripherals
Graphics AdapterAST2050 Integrated VGA
Network Interface2x Intel 82574L Gigabit
Storage ControllerSP5100's SATA2 (3.0 Gbps), no SAS unless PIKE2008 installed
USB ControllerSP5100's onboard USB 2.0
Serial InterfaceOne SIO-provided RS232, one virtual BMC console port
Audio InterfaceNone (ASUS recommended a PCI sound card)

Support for the KCMA-D8 motherboard by coreboot-15h, 15h.org's downstream coreboot variant for fam15h systems, was recently completed.

Open Source Firmware

Open source firmware for the KCMA-D8 is provided by coreboot-15h utilizing AMD's open source AGESA and CIMx releases for platform initialization. The git repository for the firmware can be reviewed here.

coreboot-15h

Supported motherboard variants:

  • KCMA-D8 (Serial Numbers B9S2xxxxxxxx and up)

Unsupported motherboard variants:

  • KCMA-D8 (Serial Numbers B8S2xxxxxxxx and below)
    • These old boards only work with 4100 series Opterons
Release
Notes
Download Options
2026.05.04-v4.11-5d336ff7176
  • Improved power efficiency
  • Improved SATA performance
  • Improved thermal management
  • Enabled PCIe ASPM support
  • Enabled the Power LED
  • SeaBIOS + uCode + VGA-OpROMs
  • SeaBIOS + uCode (text-mode)
  • SeaBIOS (text-mode, blob-free)
2025.12.17-v4.11-582d6f37158
  • Fixed support for the BMC module
  • SeaBIOS + uCode + VGA-OpROMs
  • SeaBIOS + uCode (text-mode)
  • SeaBIOS (text-mode, blob-free)
2025.12.08-v4.11-4bb1cd46931
  • Enabled COM2
  • Fixed COM1/COM2 ACPI Entries
    • Improves OS detection of COM1/COM2 ports
  • SeaBIOS + uCode + VGA-OpROMs
  • SeaBIOS + uCode (text-mode)
  • SeaBIOS (text-mode, blob-free)
2025.11.11-v4.11-61cbef5bdd2
  • Initial v4.11 AGESA release
  • SeaBIOS + uCode + VGA-OpROMs
  • SeaBIOS + uCode (text-mode)
  • SeaBIOS (text-mode, blob-free)

Missing Features

  • SeaBIOS does not respond to keyboards behind a USB hub.
  • Hibernation and Suspend/Resume are unsupported.
  • Opteron 4100 series CPUs are unsupported.
  • ASUS MIO audio cards are untested.

Flashing

To switch from the stock firmware to coreboot, external flashing is required. The DIP-8 flash chip is located at the bottom right corner of the board (labeled BIOS in the motherboard diagram). A 3.3V CH341a programmer can be used to flash coreboot onto the KCMA-D8. When switching to coreboot-15h from the OEM BIOS or coreboot, clearing the CMOS is required.

Clearing the CMOS

  1. Turn off the computer and disconnect the power cord
  2. Move the CLRTC1 jumper (located under PCI Slot 4) to positions 2-3
  3. Wait 20 seconds
  4. Restore the CLRTC1 jumper to positions 1-2
  5. Connect the power cord and turn on the computer

Deployed Systems

Motherboard Diagrams

Motherboard Components

Socket C32

Socket C32 is compatible with AMD Opteron 4000 series processors. All compatible CPUs contain a single NUMA node. CPU coolers designed for Socket F are compatible with Socket C32.

AMD Opteron 4100 Series

Processors in the AMD Opteron 4100 Series were designed with the K10 microarchitecture and are compatible with the C32 socket.

Official Source Code and Documentation

AMD Opteron 4200 and 4300 Series

Processors in the AMD Opteron 4200 and 4300 Series were designed with the Bulldozer (4200 series) and Piledriver (4300 series) microarchitectures and are compatible with the C32 socket.

Official Source Code and Documentation

DDR3 Memory

The vast majority of UDIMM, RDIMM, and LRDIMM DDR3 modules are expected to work without issue. So far only one module has been found to be incompatible with the AGESA. The maximum RAM supported is 256 GB per CPU socket. RDIMM modules are recommended for motherboards that support them. The following is an incomplete list of tested modules. Review the deployed systems list for well tested hardware configurations.

Product ECC Type Capacity Speed Tester
Actica ACT4GHU72D8H1333S Yes UDIMM 4 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Actica ACT8GHR72Q4H1600S Yes RDIMM 8 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
ASint SLA302G08-GGNHC No UDIMM 4 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
ELPIDA EBJ81RF4BDWD-DJ-F Yes RDIMM 8 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 No UDIMM 2 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Crucial CT16G3ERSLD4160B Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Crucial CT32G3ELSDQ4186D Yes LRDIMM 32 GB 1866 MHz mrothfuss
Hynix HMT42GR7AFR4A-PB Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1600 MHz pkubaj
Hynix HMT84GL7MMR4A-H9 Yes LRDIMM 32 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Kingston KVR13N9S8/4 No UDIMM 4 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Kingston KVR16E11/8I Yes UDIMM 8 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Kingston KVR1333D3D4R9S/4G Yes RDIMM 4 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Kingston KVR16R11D4K4/32I Yes RDIMM 8 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Micron MT36KSF2G72PZ-1G4E1 Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Micron MT36KSF2G72PZ-1G6E1FE Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Micron MT36KSF2G72PZ-1G6N1KF Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Nanya NT4GC64B8HG0NF-DI No UDIMM 4 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M393B1K70DH0-YH9 Yes RDIMM 8 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M393B1G70QH0-YK0 Yes RDIMM 8 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M393B2K70DM0-YF8 Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1066 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M393B2G70BH0-CK0 Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M393B4G70BM0-YH9 Yes RDIMM 32 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M393B4G70DM0-YH9 Yes RDIMM 32 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M386B4G70DM0-CMA Yes LRDIMM 32 GB 1866 MHz mrothfuss
Samsung M386B4G70DM0-YK04 Yes LRDIMM 32 GB 1600 MHz sbrudenell
Samsung M386B8G70DE0-YH93 Yes LRDIMM 64 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Super Talent W1333UB4GS No UDIMM 4 GB 1333 MHz frantic
Super Talent W1333EB4GS Yes UDIMM 4 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss
Super Talent W16RB8G4S Yes RDIMM 8 GB 1600 MHz mrothfuss
Super Talent W13RC16G4H Yes RDIMM 16 GB 1333 MHz mrothfuss

The KCMA-D8 provides an external method to override the BIOS DDR3 voltage. BIOS control is configured to select a voltage that maximizes performance for all DIMM modules attached to a socket. Forcing a different voltage may cause stability problems. Use the default jumper setting (1.5V / BIOS control) when using coreboot-15h.

PCIe 2.0 Slots

Slot Width Wired Lanes Notes
PCIe1 x16 x16
PCIe3 x16 x8
PCIe5 x8 x4 Disabled if PIKE is occupied.

PIKE Slots

The two PIKE slots, PIKE1 and PIKE2, are used together to attach an ASUS PIKE card to the KCMA-D8. This is required to utilize the 8 onboard SAS ports.

The PIKE2008 card is recommended for most cases. This card offers 6Gbps SAS2/SATA3 support, which is faster than the 3Gbps SATA2 provided by the SP5100. The card can be flashed to IT Mode, which allows the host operating system to access the drives individually. Other PIKE cards provide 3Gbps SAS1/SATA2 support.

The family of ASUS PIKE cards are just PCIe SAS host bus adapters with a proprietary PIKE connector. PIKE cards have no onboard SAS/SATA connectors. The motherboard's SAS ports are wired to the PIKE slots, and function as a proprietary wiring harness for the PIKE card. PIKE cards use common HBA chips (LSI or Marvell) supported in the Linux kernel.

PIKE cards are low-profile, and fit in a 1U chassis. The PIKE connector has a latch which anchors the card to the motherboard, so the card does not need to be fixed to the chassis. The PIKE slot is placed at the bottom of the motherboard, leaving space for e.g. an additional full-height card in a 90-degree riser.

SeaBIOS has limited support for SAS adapters including the PIKE2008. It cannot boot from them, unless the card's option ROM is executed. Option ROMs are disabled in the pre-built releases of coreboot-15h. LinuxBoot or other payloads may be able to boot from these cards.

Note: On the KCMA-D8, The PIKE slot is shared with PCIe5 (only one may be used). So a standard HBA may be used in PCIe5 instead of a PIKE card, which may be better depending on your use case.

  • Use another PCIe HBA if you want a mini-SAS connector
  • Use an AHCI PCIe HBA if you want to boot from SATA3 drives (with SeaBIOS, without oproms) -- this is untested but should work
  • Use a PIKE card if you are constrained on chassis space (if you need both an HBA and another full-height card in a 90-degree riser)

DIP-8 Socket

The DIP-8 Socket houses the mainboard's BIOS ROM. The following DIP-8 chips are known to work with coreboot on the KCMA-D8.

Model Size (MB) Size (Mb)
W25Q16BVAIG 2 16
W25Q64BVAIG 8 64
W25Q128FVIQ 16 128

ASPEED AST2050

The AST2050 chipset is an Integrated Remote Management Processor introduced by ASPEED Technology Inc. It is a high performance and highly integrated SOC device designed to support various management functions required for server platforms which require baseboard management, virtual storage functions, and/or KVM-over-IP functions.

Open source support for the AST2050's VGA output (text-mode only) was implemented in coreboot by Raptor Engineering[1]. Full VGA output support requires ASPEED's closed source VGABIOS to be included in the coreboot rom. A rudimentary port of OpenBMC was also developed by Raptor Engineering[2].

Official Documentation

Remote administration features on the AST2050 are only activated when a firmware module (ASMB4 or ASMB5) is attached to the KGPE-D16 mainboard (BMC_FW1 slot).

AMD SR5670

The AMD SR5670, formerly known as RD870S, is a versatile system logic designed for the latest server/workstation platform, supporting AMD's next-generation CPUs. The chipset features 34 PCI Express® (PCIe®) lanes, with 30 lanes dedicated to external PCIe devices and 4 for the A-Link Express II interface to AMD's Southbridges like the SP5100 (formerly SB700S). Utilizing HyperTransportTM 3 and PCIe Gen 2 technologies, the SR5670 offers high performance and reliability in a compact 29mm x 29mm package. [3]

Official Source Code and Documentation

AMD SP5100

The AMD SP5100 is a versatile Southbridge designed to complement AMD's server Northbridges, integrating essential I/O, communication, and other features for advanced server platforms into a single device. [4]

Official Source Code and Documentation

Part Numbers

  • AMD 218-0660013
  • AMD 218-0660024
  • AMD 218-0660026

Winbond W83667HG-A

The Winbond W83667HG-A is a member of Nuvoton’s LPC Super I/O product line for desktop PCs.

Official Documentation

Nuvoton W83795G

The Nuvoton W83795G/ADG can be used to monitor several critical hardware parameters of a system; including power supply voltages, fan speeds, and temperatures.

Official Documentation

Kill-a-Watt Power Draw

User:Sbrudenell performed some power draw tests of the KCMA-D8 in various configurations. The following setup was used:

  • Firmware: coreboot-15h 2026.05.04-v4.11-5d336ff7176
  • Power was measured using a kill-a-watt in "watts" mode
  • PSU: Supermicro PWS-351-1H (350W 1U 80 Plus Gold)
  • DIMMs: M386B4G70DM0-YK04 (32GB 1600MHz ECC LRDIMM)
  • CPU: 4365 EE
  • No case/CPU fans (an external box fan was used for cooling)
  • No PCIe or USB peripherals, except PIKE2008 as noted
  • An ASMB4 module using OEM firmware was used
  • DIMMs distributed evenly across memory channels
  • Host booted to alpine linux liveusb (kernel 6.18.35)
  • Default cpufreq driver and governor acpi-cpufreq and schedutil were used
  • k10temp measured CPU temperature(s) at 25-30C at idle. After 10 minutes stress, they measured 40-45C
  • CPU was stressed using `stress-ng --matrix 0`, and measured at different amounts of time since being idle
  • The fam15_power reading in all cases was 15.47W per CPU at idle, and ~40.09W per CPU under stress
  • With host power off (but ASMB4 online), the kill-a-watt read 4W in all cases
  • The PIKE2008 module was used, but no drives or backplanes were connected.
Kill-a-Watt Power Draw
CPUs DIMMs PIKE2008 Idle (W) CPU Stress 10s (W) CPU Stress 10m (W)
1 2 N 39 71 ?
2 2 N 61 125 ?
2 4 N 66 130 ?
2 8 N 72 138 142
2 8 Y 79 145 148

Board View

Board views are available for the KCMA-D8. These files can be opened with OpenBoardView.

File:Asus KCMA-D8 1.02 Schematics.zip

References

  1. ↑ https://review.coreboot.org/c/coreboot/+/11937
  2. ↑ https://www.raptorengineering.com/coreboot/kgpe-d16-bmc-port-status.php
  3. ↑ https://theretroweb.com/chips/5697
  4. ↑ https://theretroweb.com/chips/5699
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