*** I’m posting this to General Discussion because I’m looking for responses from The Community, not Support with whom I’m already engaged. ***
Any Razer Blade 15 2023 owners out there applied the 26 Jan 2025 Customer Firmware Updater, updating the MCU to 1.03.00 and the vBIOS to 95.06.15.40.81? Or any brave souls fancy doing so? If so, please let me know if you can still control your Razer Logo light via Synapse 3 and/or 4 after the update. I suspect applying the firmware update broke my ability to control the logo light as the MCU controls the logo lighting.
Razer Blade 15" (2023) Customer Firmware Updater | RZ09-0485x
The same issue may apply to the Razer Blade 15 2022 which had the same version of MCU firmware update to 1.03.00 come out the following day, 27 Jan 2025. I think both laptop models (years) use the same MCU chip.
Razer Blade 15" (2022) EC and Keyboard Firmware Updater | RZ09-0421x
*** Continue reading if you would like some background to my query ***
I think the two models use the same MCU chip because I sent my 2023 laptop in to Razer as a RMA to have the Razer Logo functionality restored. The laptop was returned to me with a working logo light, but with a MCU lifted out of a Razer Blade 15” 2022 Advanced model running firmware version 1.02.
My 2023 laptop now thinks it is a 2022 model in Synapse, along with 2022 drivers, because the MCU is reporting the wrong PID (Product ID). My laptop as now gone back to RMA to see if Razer can program the correct PID into the MCU, and if not put the correct 2023 MCU into my laptop. I suspect they simply forgot to program the MCU with the correct PID when they moved MCU from a 2022 model to my 2023.
I suspect that the root cause of the logo light breaking is MCU firmware version 1.03. I think Razer Warranty Support assumed it to be a faulty physical MCU (which it could be), rather than faulty firmware, and replaced the MCU, then unfortunately forgot to program the correct unique PID (product identifier) to the MCU.
In my opinion, a bad firmware update is much more likely than the physical chip failing.
My friend bought the same 2023 15” laptop as me (as I recommended Razer to him). He didn’t update to MCU version 1.03 (remaining at version 1.02) and his logo light works.
So, has anyone else applied the MCU 1.03 update?
For those who don’t know, the MCU (Microcontroller Unit) is like a mini-computer installed on your motherboard. It is where the Razer virtual BIOS lives that makes your Razer laptop a Razer laptop.
Here’s CoPilot’s definition: The MCU (Microcontroller Unit) on a Razer Blade laptop typically manages low-level hardware functions. This includes controlling the keyboard's RGB lighting, managing power states, and handling other system-level tasks that don't require the main CPU. It's like the laptop's behind-the-scenes coordinator, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
So by Razer Warranty Support lifting the MCU (brain) out of a 2022 Blade and putting it into my 2023 Blade without reprogramming the Product Identifier (PID), my laptop thinks it is a 2022 Blade inside a 2023 RTX 4070 Blade body. For those who watch Disney films, think “Freaky Friday”.
Unfortunately, the misreporting PID causes all sorts of supportability problems. MCU firmware updates refuse to install because the PID doesn’t match what the installer package expects. I can probably get around this by directly installing the 2022 MCU firmware update, bypassing the installer package. However, if anything goes wrong, I will be outside of support. I do not want that whilst I’m still in warranty.
I’ve requested Razer Warranty Support to put the correct MCU into my laptop, or program the PID appropriately. I think they simply forgot to program/update the PID. I will find out once I receive the laptop back. As an in-warranty customer, I merit receiving back a laptop as functional and supportable as I bought less than a year ago, not a laptop with an identity crisis.
I’m looking for community evidence that MCU firmware version 1.03 is faulty and Razer needs to release a version 1.04. I may be wrong about the firmware but it fits all the evidence.
A confirmation from any Blade owners that have applied the 1.03 firmware update would be much appreciated.
If it isn’t the firmware, do not ask me how my MCU suffered a physical failure within the one-year warranty period. My laptop is plugged into multiple layers of surge protection.
btw: The 1.03 firmware update was originally released to Razer’s Support Website prior to January 2025. The previous 1.03 installation package required turning off Windows Driver Signature Enforcement temporarily to apply the firmware. The January release removed that requirement, making firmware installation more straight-forward.