The mainstream Intel 6 series chipset mother boards (manufactured by Intel or other manufactures) designed for use with Intel Sandy Bridge processors using the 1155 socket, are also capable of using Intel Ivy Bridge processors that share the 1155 socket. A UEFI/BIOS update is required for the 6 series chipset boards to be compatible with Ivy Bridge processors. An update to the Intel Management Engine firmware, and Intel Management Engine software is also necessary.
Intel X79 chipset boards designed for use with Sandy Bridge E processors using the 2011 socket, will soon be able to use the new Ivy Bridge E processors. The X79 mother boards made by Intel and others will also require a UEFI/BIOS update for Ivy Bridge E compatibility, as well as updates to the Intel Management Engine firmware and software.
IMO, there remains several questions about the special Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge (mainstream and E) processor compatibility UEFI/BIOS and IME components updates. While Intel's own information on this topic is better than that of the other mother board manufactures, it is still ambiguous on a few key points.
I know that Intel must be the definitive source for answers to the following questions, while I realize that the other mother board manufactures do not always "play by the rules". So what should be so, and what is so, can be different. Regardless, I would like to know the following from Intel's perspective:
NOTE: in the following, compatible is defined as functioning in an identical manner, without any quirks or side affects. That includes the capabilities of 'K' processors.
1. If a 6 series (P67, Z68, H67, etc) chipset mother board has its UEFI/BIOS updated to an Ivy Bridge processor compatibility state, including IME components, is that mother board no longer compatible with Sandy Bridge processors?
2. If a X79 chipset mother board has its UEFI/BIOS updated to an Ivy Bridge E processor compatibility state, including IME components, is that mother board no longer compatible with Sandy Bridge E processors?
3. Is it possible for a user of a 6 series chipset board, or X79 chipset board, that are not changing to an Ivy Bridge processor, to not apply or skip the Ivy Bridge processor compatibility update, and apply any following UEFI/BIOS updates to their board?
(I've seen the flowchart Intel provides to help owners perform this update on Intel's own 6 series chipset boards, which mentions the "transition BIOS", the IME firmware check, and I believe a BIOS update to perform the IME firmware update, IIRC. At least some of the other mother board manufactures don't seem to follow this model, which may lead to a different final result.)
4. Another way of asking question 3, does the update of a mother board model to an Ivy Bridge Processor compatible state, signal the end of BIOS/UEFI updates for the users of Sandy Bridge processors with that model board?
Some users blindly update their board's UEFI/BIOS to the Ivy Bridge compatibility versions, but still use Sandy Bridge CPUs. They then have issues for various reasons, some obvious, and others caused by inadequate documentation. This seems to be worse on the 6 series boards, than on X79 boards, although the X79 updates for IVB-E are just recently being released by mother board manufactures. The X79 board issues seem isolated to one problem. Yes, users are updating to the IVB-E compatibility state, while IVB-E processors are not yet available at retailers.
The bottom line is, I have never seen definitive statements made about this subject by any mother board manufacture, including Intel. Since Intel produces the processors being used, who knows better than they do? Some users/owners may not be happy with the facts about this update, but at least we know what the truth is.
Mother board manufactures other than Intel provide varying degrees of little to no information on this subject, and leave the users to fend for themselves. They also create support headaches for themselves, as well as customer grief and anger. Why they do this to their customers and themselves, I will never understand.