A note on BIOS upgrade / resets

megamaced · 23-05-2006, 01:52 PM

Although a BIOS upgrade can in some circumstances be benefitial, it is not the solution to every conceivable computer problem. It's very risky and if it goes wrong the computer will no longer boot properly.

A BIOS upgrade should only be performed in the following cases:

A faster processor is available, but only after a BIOS upgrade
A bug has been discovered in the ROM
A new BIOS feature has been added
Larger Hard Disk Capacity has been introduced

A BIOS reset should also be issued with care. Held within the CMOS are important CPU and memory settings. Should these settings be erased, this could lead to an incorrectly clocked processor, bad memory timings and unconfigured hard drives/CD-ROM drives.

A BIOS reset should be performed when the following is true:

The CPU has been overclocked and the computer won't boot
The memory has been overclocked and the computer won't boot
Other CMOS settings have been altered and the computer will not boot.

If the computer is able to boot, only one or two settings may need altering. Just remember that when a BIOS reset is performed, everything gets reset!

Big B · 23-05-2006, 03:49 PM

That's one reason I love the CMOS Reloaded Feature that DFI came up with. I've got my specific defaults set the way I want, so should some OC go down the toilet, I can start at the stable settings for my hardware rather than tweak everything back via trial and error.
...but yeah, you're definitely correct in not updating BIOS unless you need the fix or update.

23-05-2006, 01:52 PM	#1 (permalink) Top
megamaced Geek Geek Geek! Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 24 Male Posts: 3,411 Times Helpful: 346 My Mood: Shocked Status: Offline My Computer	A note on BIOS upgrade / resets Although a BIOS upgrade can in some circumstances be benefitial, it is not the solution to every conceivable computer problem. It's very risky and if it goes wrong the computer will no longer boot properly. A BIOS upgrade should only be performed in the following cases: A faster processor is available, but only after a BIOS upgrade A bug has been discovered in the ROM A new BIOS feature has been added Larger Hard Disk Capacity has been introduced A BIOS reset should also be issued with care. Held within the CMOS are important CPU and memory settings. Should these settings be erased, this could lead to an incorrectly clocked processor, bad memory timings and unconfigured hard drives/CD-ROM drives. A BIOS reset should be performed when the following is true: The CPU has been overclocked and the computer won't boot The memory has been overclocked and the computer won't boot Other CMOS settings have been altered and the computer will not boot. If the computer is able to boot, only one or two settings may need altering. Just remember that when a BIOS reset is performed, everything gets reset! __________________ "A computer is like air conditioning: it becomes useless when you open windows". ~Linus Torvalds Last edited by megamaced; 03-06-2006 at 12:44 AM. Reason: Updated

23-05-2006, 03:49 PM	#2 (permalink) Top
Big B HWF Godfather Join Date: Dec 2001 Age: 27 Male Posts: 9,588 Times Helpful: 584 My Mood: Devilish Status: Offline My Computer	That's one reason I love the CMOS Reloaded Feature that DFI came up with. I've got my specific defaults set the way I want, so should some OC go down the toilet, I can start at the stable settings for my hardware rather than tweak everything back via trial and error. ...but yeah, you're definitely correct in not updating BIOS unless you need the fix or update. __________________ Hardware Forums\|HWF Rules\|My DVD's\|PSU FAQ\|HWF Folding Team\|2CPU

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