Check out what the ME disable stuff does. It just removes some of the binaries from the thing's uKernel that are the non boot services. The ME is required for system bringup.

> However, while Intel ME can't be turned off completely, it is still possible to modify its firmware up to a point where Intel ME is active only during the boot process, effectively disabling it during the normal operation, which is what me_cleaner tries to accomplish.

https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner

EDIT: Also, the ME is inside the PCH, so I'm not really sure why you're making a distinction there.

> The ME is required for system bringup

Because Intel makes it required, or is it technically required?

My understanding is that it's what controls power sequencing, QPI bringup, and RAM bringup, so the main cores can't come up without it or something like it.

Just like the similar cores you see in pretty much every ARM SoC.

Can't completely disable ME. There are still essential modules that we have no idea what they're doing.