Updating Motherboard Bios Drivers

Weezy · December 8, 2021

Is it wise to update the bios drivers? I've heard it can be tricky and isn't easy to do. I checked my bios and there are newer drivers available. Mine was last updated April of this year, a few months before my rig was built, so I'm not concerned, but what about years down the line? Will it help anything or if everything works fine, just leave it as is?

Quackers101 · December 8, 2021

they will only get so long of support in years. update depends. But with new hardware or very old since updating, then a new update could be good but sometimes it's worth to wait, to know if there is another update (for newer hardware) and that its stable. Like at release there might be a lot of issues were 2-3 BIOS versions down the line might be worth updating to it (if you are looking into updating the BIOS).

When in a stable position, you might just need to check what the new BIOS versions are about, to see if there is a need and if there is a reason for you.

As for these drivers? like audio, and so on. Not so sure?

It might be easier to update, something I do sort of often when it comes to intel and their bluetooth/wifi drivers.

Some parts might just react differently when one updates their driver or where you update it from. Might have to ask others about that.

right now there is a lot of new windows 11 drivers which might need to be updated in the future.

It's not always a need, but can help with problems or security risks.

dilpickle · December 8, 2021

First let's get the terminology straight. BIOS and Drivers are very different things. Drivers are software that you install in your operating system (eg. Windows) to run certain hardware.

BIOS is the firmware on your motherboard. If everything is working its not recommended to update it all the time. Unless you need a specific fix like compatibility with a new CPU or OS.

aDoomGuy · December 8, 2021

Well while it's not hard to update BIOS (it's quite easy actually), it often comes with a great risk. If the PC looses power or something else happens that interrupts the update the motherboard will not function anymore.

If everything works fine, it's best not to risk it. If you have to (to install new CPU, fix issues or you have to to install Windows 11) then you have to and some boards come with fetures like dual BIOS and crash free BIOS that may let you restore the BIOS to a working order if the update fails.

Don't fix what isn't broken, is a good rule to remember when it comes to BIOS.