What does bios say? Bios Settings - Detailed instructions in pictures

Setting up the BIOS on a computer is a simple process in itself, but it requires certain knowledge and care, because the performance and performance of the PC depends on its result. BIOS is a group of microprograms responsible for interaction between PC components and its further loading. This set of programs is “hardwired” into a microcircuit on the motherboard.

An interesting fact is that the BIOS was developed in 1981 and has remained virtually unchanged to this day. Only in 2005 did UEFI BIOS appear, but it has yet to displace the good old BIOS from the market.

Setting up BIOS on a new computer

You have a new computer in front of you. If this is a branded computer, then most likely you will not need to configure the bios of the new computer. The manufacturer did this for you. If not, take the documentation for your motherboard and see how to get into the BIOS. Usually, during initial boot, you need to press one of the keys: Del, F2, or F10, but there are other options. Now you know how to find BIOS settings on your computer. Let's see what needs to be configured in the BIOS.

For example, let's look at how the BIOS is configured on an Asus computer. This is AMI BIOS version 02.61. We get into the BIOS by pressing the "Delete" key. The MAIN section will open. Here you can set the date and time, as well as configure hard drives and CD-DVD drives. Please note: on the left side of the screen there is a hint which keys can be used to control the BIOS. Left-right arrows switch sections. You can use the up and down arrows to move between items in the section. The Enter key enters the selected setting item. You can save the settings using the F10 key.

1. In the MAIN section we can see information about the processor, BIOS version and RAM size. To do this, you need to enter the System Information item. In the Storage Configuration item, you can configure the operating mode of hard drives. Here you can set the SATA configuration mode to IDE or ACHI. In IDE mode, you can install an old operating system like Windows XP on your computer. To install modern operating systems, ACHI is set.

2. Advanced section. Here we are interested in the USB configuration settings item. In this section, you must enable the USB ports by selecting Enabled and set the highest data transfer speed (HighSpeed). It is better to leave the remaining settings in the Auto position.

3. Another computer setup via BIOS is performed in the Power section. Here we are interested in the Hardware Monitor item. It displays the temperature of the processor, as well as the number of volts supplied by the power supply. Here you need to enable intelligent cooler control. In the CPU Q-Fan Control menu item, select Enabled.

4. Next, let's see how to configure the computer's bios in the Boot section. Here we set the download from a particular device. When your computer has more than one hard drive, you need to select the drive from which to boot from in the Hard Disk Drives item. In the Boot Device Priority item, select the device from which the computer will boot (for example, a hard drive).

5. In the Boot Setting Configuration section, enable NumLock in the Bootup Num-Lock item (select ON). We also select to quickly boot the computer in the Quick Boot section. In the Security section you can set a password to enter the BIOS.

6. Exit section. Here we save the settings. If you configured something incorrectly, you can set the standard settings.

A laptop is built on the same principle as a regular computer. Accordingly, it also has a BIOS. To get into it, you need to press one of the F1, F2, F10, or ESC keys, depending on the motherboard manufacturer. In principle, the BIOS of all laptops is very similar, so it will not be difficult for you to understand how to properly configure the BIOS on a laptop.

According to this scheme, you perform step-by-step setup of the BIOS on your computer. We learned how to configure the bios of an asus computer. In order to better understand what and how to configure, it is recommended to watch a video on how to properly configure the BIOS on a computer.

Setting up BIOS on an old computer

There are no fundamental differences between the BIOS of the old computer and the new one, so setting up the BIOS in the old computer is carried out according to the above scheme. The only difference is that on an old computer you cannot set it to boot from a flash drive - only from a CD-DVD or hard drive.

In order to install an operating system on an old computer, you need to configure the BIOS.

Let's see how to configure the BIOS in pictures for an HP computer. Here we configure the hard drive in the IDE and boot from CD-ROM. That's it, you can start installing the operating system.

Have you reconfigured your BIOS but can't install Windows? The cost of installing an operating system by a specialist can be found here. Read about how to set up the Internet on your computer yourself.

UEFI setup

We looked at how the BIOS should be configured on a computer in its classic form. Modern computers use UEFI - a system that is completely different from the old BIOS, but has the same functions. In fact, UEFI is a simple operating system with a graphical interface, so you can easily figure out how to configure your computer through the UEFI BIOS. UEFI has the same tabs as in a regular BIOS, you can select the Russian interface language, boot order, etc. For clarity, you can watch a video of setting up the BIOS on your computer.

Conclusion

As you can see, setting up a computer through bios is really a simple process. The answer to the question “how to configure the BIOS on an asus computer” is given above. This is also easy to do on computers from other manufacturers. All settings are the same. Also now you know how to properly configure bios on a laptop. It is best to perform BIOS settings using the manual for your motherboard, which describes how to set up the BIOS on your computer in pictures. This article provides recommendations for typical BIOS settings. If something goes wrong, you can always return to factory settings - to do this, you need to remove the battery on the motherboard and insert it back after 10 seconds.

To obtain information about methods for correcting a computer (PC) and increasing its performance, material that highlights Bios settings in pictures and explains in detail the algorithm of actions will help.

The changes made will be protected by a lithium battery built into the motherboard and maintaining the required parameters in the event of a loss of voltage. Thanks to the program, it is possible to establish stable interaction between the operating system (OS) and PC devices.

You enter Bios when the system starts and a message appears on the monitor informing you that the download has begun. You will need to press the F2 key several times to get to the settings menu.

Attention! Some motherboards are adapted to press the “DEL” button - the correct operation is written in the lower corner of the screen.

There are several menu options that have certain differences in the order of the main and additional items. Let's pay attention to the most common version of Ami, consisting of the following key sections:

• Main– determines timing parameters in relation to drives with disks;
• Advanced– changes port and memory modes and helps overclock the processor;
• Power– regulates nutrition;
• Boot– affects boot parameters;
• Tools– special settings.

Attention! The present Boot network configuration section allows you to adjust parameters related to system boot speed and keyboard and mouse settings.

After finishing work or familiarizing yourself with the Bios Setup Utility menu, you need to press the hot Exit key, which automatically saves the changes made.

Section Main - Main Menu

Let's start working with the MAIN section, which is used to modify the hard drive settings and adjust timing indicators.

Here you can independently configure the time and date of your computer, as well as configure connected hard drives and other storage devices.

To reformat the operating mode of the hard drive, you need to select the hard drive (for example: “SATA 1”, as shown in the figure).

• Type - This item indicates the type of connected hard drive;
• LBA Large Mode- is responsible for supporting drives with a capacity of more than 504 MB. So the recommended value here is AUTO.
• Block (Multi-Sector Transfer) - For faster operation here, we recommend selecting the AUTO mode;
• PIO Mode - Enables the hard drive to operate in legacy data exchange mode. It would also be best to select AUTO here;
• DMA Mode - gives direct memory access. To get faster read or write speed, select AUTO;
• Smart monitoring - this technology, based on an analysis of the drive’s operation, can warn of a possible disk failure in the near future;
• 32 bit Data Transfer - The option determines whether the 32-bit data exchange mode will be used by the standard IDE/SATA controller of the chipset.

Everywhere, using the “ENTER” key and arrows, the Auto mode is set. The exception is the 32 Bit Transfer subsection, which requires the Enabled setting to be fixed.

Important! It is required to refrain from changing the “Storage Configuration” option, which is located in the “System information” section and not to allow correction “SATADetectTimeout".

Advanced section - Additional settings

Now let's start setting up the basic PC components in the ADVANCED section, which consists of several sub-items. Initially, you will need to set the necessary processor and memory parameters in the system configuration menu Jumper Free Configuration.

By selecting Jumper Free Configuration, you will be taken to the Configure System Frequency/Voltage subsection, where you can perform the following operations:

• automatic or manual overclocking of the hard drive - AI Overclocking;
• changing the clock frequency of memory modules - ;
• Memory Voltage;
• manual mode for setting chipset voltage - NB Voltage
• changing port addresses (COM,LPT) - Serial and Parallel Port;
• setting controller settings - Onboard Devices configuration.

Power Section - PC Power

The POWER item is responsible for powering the PC and contains several subsections that require the following settings:

• Suspended Mode- set automatic mode;
• ACPI APIC- set Enabled;
• ACPI 2.0- fix the Disabled mode.

It is recommended not to change the APM configuration, but it is quite possible to adjust the general power supply in the Hardware Monitor subsection, which at the same time provides access to temperature conditions and adjustment of cooler speeds.

BOOT section - boot management

Direct booting is controlled using the parameters found in the BOOT section. Here you can determine the priority drive, choosing between a flash card, disk drive or hard drive.

If there are several hard drives, then in the Hard Disk sub-item the priority hard drive is selected. The PC boot configuration is set in the Boot Setting subsection, which contains a menu consisting of several items:

Selecting a hard drive

The PC boot configuration is set in the Boot Setting subsection,

• Quick Boot– acceleration of OS loading;
• Logo Full Screen– disabling the screen saver and activating the information window containing information about the download process;
• Add On ROM– setting the order on the information screen of modules connected to the motherboard (MT) via slots;
• Wait For 'F1' If Error- activation of the function of forced pressing “F1” at the moment the system identifies an error.

The main task of the Boot section is to determine boot devices and set the required priorities.

Attention! If you want to restrict access to your PC, set a password inBIOS in subsectionSupervisorPassword.

Tools section – Detailed settings of basic parameters

Let's pay attention to the basic points that mainly need adjustment during the operation of the PC.

• ASUS EZ Flash– using this option, you have the opportunity to update the BIOS from such drives as: floppy disk, Flash disk or CD.
• AINET– using this option, you can obtain information about the cable connected to the network controller.

Exit section - Exit and save

Particular attention should be paid to the EXIT item, which has 4 operating modes:

• Save Changes– save the changes made;
• Discard Changes + EXIT– leave the factory settings in effect;
• Setup Defaults– enter default parameters;
• Discard Changes– we cancel all our actions.

The following step-by-step instructions explain in detail the purpose of the main BIOS sections and the rules for making changes to improve PC performance.

If you purchased an assembled computer or laptop, then its BIOS is already configured properly, but you can always make any personal adjustments. When you assemble a computer yourself, you need to configure the BIOS yourself for it to work properly. Also, this need may arise if a new component was connected to the motherboard and all parameters were reset to default.

The interface of most BIOS versions, with the exception of the most modern ones, is a primitive graphical shell, where there are several menu items from which you can go to another screen with already customizable parameters. For example, menu item "Boot" opens the user to the parameters for distributing computer boot priority, that is, there you can select the device from which the PC will boot.

In total, there are 3 BIOS manufacturers on the market, and each of them has a significantly different interface in appearance. For example, AMI (American Megatrands Inc.) has a top menu:

In some versions of Phoenix and Award, all section items are located on the main page in the form of columns.

Plus, depending on the manufacturer, the names of some items and parameters may differ, although they will have the same meaning.

All movements between items occur using the arrow keys, and selection is made using Enter. Some manufacturers even make a special footnote in the BIOS interface, where it is written which key is responsible for what. UEFI (the most modern type of BIOS) has a more advanced user interface, the ability to control using a computer mouse, and also translates some items into Russian (the latter is quite rare).

Basic settings

Basic settings include time, date, computer boot priority, various memory settings, hard drives and drives. Provided that you have just assembled a computer, you need to configure these parameters.

They will be in the section "Main", "Standard CMOS Features" And "Boot". It is worth remembering that the names may differ depending on the manufacturer. First, set the date and time according to these instructions:

Now you need to configure the priority of hard drives and drives. Sometimes, if you don’t do it, the system simply won’t boot. All the necessary parameters are in the section "Main" or "Standard CMOS Features"(depending on BIOS version). Step-by-step instructions using the Award/Phoenix BIOS as an example are as follows:

Similar settings need to be made for BIOS users from AMI, only here the SATA parameters change. Use this guide to get started:

AMI BIOS users can complete the standard settings here, but the developers of Award and Phoenix have several more additional items that require user participation. All of them are in the section "Standard CMOS Features". Here is their list:

This completes the standard settings. Usually half of these points will already have the required values.

Advanced options

This time all settings will be made in the section "Advanced". It is available in BIOS from any manufacturer, although it may have a slightly different name. It may contain a different number of items depending on the manufacturer.

Let's look at the interface using the AMI BIOS as an example:

Now let's proceed directly to setting the parameters from the item :

For Award and Phoenix, there is no need to configure these parameters, since they are configured correctly by default and are located in a completely different section. But in the section "Advanced" you will find advanced settings for setting download priorities. If your computer already has a hard drive with an operating system installed on it, then "First Boot Device" select value "HDD-1"(sometimes you need to choose "HDD-0").

If the operating system has not yet been installed on the hard drive, then it is recommended to set the value instead "USB-FDD".

Also in Award and Phoenix in the section "Advanced" There is an item regarding settings for entering the BIOS with a password - "Password Check". If you have set a password, it is recommended to pay attention to this item and set a value acceptable to you, there are two of them:

Setting up security and stability

This feature is only relevant for owners of machines with BIOS from Award or Phoenix. You can enable maximum performance or stability mode. In the first case, the system will work a little faster, but there is a risk of incompatibility with some operating systems. In the second case, everything works more stable, but slower (not always).

To enable high performance mode, from the main menu, select "Top performance" and put a value in it "Enable". It is worth remembering that there is a risk of disrupting the stability of the operating system, so work in this mode for several days, and if any failures appear in the system that were not previously observed, then disable it by setting the value "Disable".

If you prefer stability to speed, then it is recommended to download the secure settings protocol; there are two types:

To download any of these protocols, you need to select one of the items discussed above on the right side of the screen, and then confirm the download using the keys Enter or Y.

Setting a password

After completing the basic settings, you can set a password. In this case, no one except you will be able to access the BIOS and/or be able to make any changes to its parameters (depending on the settings described above).

In Award and Phoenix, in order to set a password, you need to select the item in the main screen "Set Supervisor Password". A window will open where you enter a password up to 8 characters long; after entering, a similar window opens where you need to enter the same password for confirmation. When typing, use only Latin characters and Arabic numerals.

To remove the password, you need to select the item again "Set Supervisor Password", but when the window for entering a new password appears, just leave it blank and click Enter.

In AMI BIOS, the password is set slightly differently. First you need to go to the section "Boot", which is in the top menu, and there you can already find "Supervisor Password". The password is set and removed in the same way with Award/Phoenix.

After completing all manipulations in the BIOS, you need to exit it, saving the previously made settings. To do this, find the item "Save & Exit". In some cases you can use a hotkey F10.

Setting up the BIOS is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. In addition, most of the described settings are often already set by default as needed for normal computer operation.

After publishing a series of materials on overclocking computer components, we began to receive questions from readers revealing ignorance of basic things related to setting up the BIOS of motherboards. We mentioned that you should approach overclocking already having initial theoretical knowledge in this area. However, apparently, many PC users are interested in getting a free performance boost (and more).

This material is intended to help beginners navigate basic system setup.

The article will discuss fairly simple concepts related to working with the configuration of motherboard firmware. To begin with, let's decipher the abbreviation BIOS - Basic Input/Output System (basic input/output system). This is a kind of software recorded in a chip with non-volatile memory, which allows for initial initialization of PC components and configuration of their operating modes. The BIOS contains the microcode needed to control the keyboard, video card, disks, ports, and other devices. For the average user, BIOS is identified with a visual shell that allows you to change computer settings if necessary.

We also note that the answers to most of the questions raised in this material can be found in the motherboard manuals. Alas, few users who want to know everything at once pay attention to the brochures supplied with these products. Sometimes the manuals are quite sparse, but nothing prevents you from familiarizing yourself with those devoted to other lines of boards from the same (or another) manufacturer - the basic BIOS options are standard, and what is applicable to one firmware is often suitable when working with another. Mastering this material is also facilitated by knowledge of the English language - a banal translation of terms will help you navigate the search for the necessary parameters.

What types of BIOS are there?

The differences in firmware come down not only to the abundance of settings and adjustment ranges of individual parameters. First of all, this is the microcode of a certain developer, which ultimately determines the visual shell. For example, the BIOS of ASUS motherboards is based on code from AMI (menu with blue symbols on a gray background), most manufacturers use Award/Phoenix (blue background, yellow letters). Recently, extensible firmware interfaces EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface), distinguished by an extraordinary graphical interface, have become widespread. They allow navigation using not only the keyboard, but also the mouse, and menu items have become even more intuitive.

How to get into BIOS

To enter the BIOS, you must press the corresponding button on the keyboard while initializing PC devices (going through the POST procedure). If the motherboard firmware is based on microcode from AMI, it will be F2, Award - Del. In order to get into the BIOS of some laptops, you will need to activate the F8 key. However, even if you don’t know what microcode the board’s firmware is based on, during the device initialization process, a hint message will definitely appear on the screen (for example, Press F2 to Enter Setup - “Press F2 to get to the settings section”). If the monitor does not light up in time, after turning on the PC, regularly and often press the required button or, if you are not sure which one, try Del, then F2.

Selecting and changing firmware settings

BIOS settings are controlled exclusively from the keyboard. To move the cursor, use the arrow block (Up, Down, Right, Left). To change the desired parameter, highlight it with the cursor, press Enter and select one of the available modes. If the board's BIOS is based on microcode from AMI, you will have to use the “+” and “-” buttons for the same purposes. Setting certain values ​​can be done directly from the numeric keypad (for example, if you need to change the system bus frequency from 266 to 320 MHz, hover the cursor over the appropriate position, enter 3, 2, 0, then Enter). To go up one menu level, press the Esc key, exit the BIOS - perform a similar operation in the root directory. Often it also provides explanations of options for managing firmware settings. When exiting the BIOS using the Esc key (without saving the settings) or F10 (with saving the settings), a window will definitely appear asking Do you want to exit/save the settings? To confirm, press the Y (Yes) button, to cancel - N (No).

BIOS Basics in Pictures

The system is undergoing initialization procedure (POST). To get into the BIOS, at the moment you need to press the Del key (this is indicated by the inscription in the lower left part of the screen)

The main BIOS menu of one of the motherboards manufactured by Gigabyte. Below are brief tips - descriptions of the purpose of individual keys

The section devoted to fine-tuning the operating modes of the main system components (processor, RAM) can be called differently. In this case it is MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)

Standard CMOS Features- a menu item available in the BIOS of any board. Allows you to set the date and time, as well as view a list of FDD, IDE and SATA devices connected to the system

Advanced BIOS Features, or Options, is one of the most important sections related to system configuration. In our case, it is possible to control boot priority, individual CPU technologies and the visual design of the splash screen

In the section Integrated Peripherals functional blocks implemented on the motherboard are activated (network card, audio codec, IEEE 1394, USB ports, IDE and SATA controllers), their operating modes are set

Power Management Setup- control computer power, turn on/off without using a button Power system unit

In subcategory PnP/PCI Configurations has nothing interesting for the average user. System addressing settings are hidden there

System monitoring section - PC Health Status. Allows you to monitor the operating temperature of PC components, main supply voltages, and control the number of revolutions of system fans

In this BIOS, control of parameters important for overclocking a PC is concentrated in one section. Things may be different with the settings of boards using firmware from AMI - similar options are sometimes located in different subcategories of the main menu

BIOS updates - is it worth doing?

By the time a certain motherboard model is announced, manufacturers do not always have time to develop optimal firmware for it. Therefore, over time, BIOS updates are released and available for download from the manufacturers’ official websites. A list of improvements that a particular firmware version has is often given in the description. Should you constantly update your motherboard BIOS? If the PC works well, and overclocking the components is not limited to the board, then there is no need to do this. The firmware should be changed only if there are significant changes in certain parameters, expansion of functionality, and sometimes the introduction of support for new processor models.

Information on how to update the firmware is also available on the manufacturers' websites. Owners of modern products do this directly from within the OS, using specialized utilities. To update the firmware of older boards, you need to get a disk drive. When upgrading the BIOS, be extremely careful - a power failure, pressing the Reset button prematurely before the operation is completed - and the motherboard will have to be sent to a service center. There may be freezes caused by defects in utilities from manufacturers. So don’t overdo it in the pursuit of each new BIOS version, because good is not a good thing.

After changing the settings, the computer does not boot. What to do?

A typical situation that accompanies the activity of overclockers is the inability to boot a PC after setting incorrect parameters in the BIOS. Many modern motherboards implement reset technologies in such cases. However, they do not always work, and not all boards are equipped with them. But this is not a reason to get upset, panic and say that the computer is broken. Any motherboard has a special jumper to force all settings to be reset to Default mode, which is often designated as CLR_CMOS (or Clear CMOS). Its location must be indicated in the board's instruction manual. The jumper can take the form of a special button located on the rear panel (a similar solution is found on top ASUSTeK boards), or it can be soldered in the area where the battery is located. If it has three contacts, two of which are closed by a jumper (a similar circuit is used in most products), you need to move the jumper from one position to another for a few seconds while the computer is turned off (say, 1-2 → 2-3) and back. Sometimes a jumper has only two contacts (often found on Gigabyte boards), then they need to be connected with a conductive object (for example, a screwdriver).

If, after resetting, the system goes through the POST initialization procedure, but does not boot into the OS, make sure that the hard drive is displayed in the BIOS and is listed as the first number among the available boot devices. When using an HDD with an IDE connector on modern motherboards, you will probably have to configure the operating mode of the external controller (Configure SATA Interface as IDE). After carrying out the described manipulations, the system should boot successfully, except in cases where the OS fails (such complications are possible, especially when playing for a long time with memory timing settings, but they occur extremely rarely).

Basic BIOS sections - where to look for what

It is absolutely not necessary for a novice user to thoroughly study every item of the firmware in order to configure the system. Therefore, we will briefly talk about the main features available in the BIOS of all boards.

From the basic sections we highlight Standard CMOS Features, Advanced BIOS Features And Integrated Peripherals. The first of them displays the current date and time, the amount of RAM, and displays a list of IDE- and SATA-compatible system devices. You can also change the clock settings through the OS, so the value of this section lies in the initial diagnostics of the PC: here it is monitored which drives and hard drives are connected and determined at the hardware level, and which are not. In Advanced BIOS Features (or the Boot menu, if the firmware is based on code from AMI) the boot sequence priority is set. There are cases when the operating system on the HDD is not initialized only because the FDD containing the floppy disk or the CD-ROM with the boot disk is selected first in the list of devices. Until you remove the media, don't expect to see the OS. Immediately install the hard drive first - you will never go wrong. The Integrated Peripherals section is interesting because it allows you to disable controllers soldered on the motherboard, thus managing the functionality of the PC. If there is no sound in your system when the speakers are connected correctly, check whether the audio codec is activated (the submenu value should be Enabled or Auto). The situation is similar with the network controller, IEEE 1394, etc. Pay attention to the paragraphs dedicated to USB. Be sure to activate the appropriate controller and enable USB keyboard and mouse support. Depending on the positioning of the motherboard and its features, the Advanced BIOS Features and Integrated Peripherals sections may contain different system settings. You should pay attention to a brief study of the settings proposed in them.

Of the sections available in the BIOS of most boards, we will also highlight the sections for system monitoring (PC Health Status), power management (Power Management Setup) and configuring data bus addresses (PnP/PCI Configurations). The last two are of no interest to most. The most valuable thing for the average user is the monitoring section, which displays the temperatures of the main PC components (CPU, chipset) and the current voltages supplied by the power supply, and also has the ability to control the fan speed. However, you should not trust these sensors unconditionally - their readings can be inaccurate.

Settings that determine the performance of the PC and the operating modes of the main components are located in one or more adjacent subsections of the BIOS. It is possible that they may not be there at all - don’t expect to find options on a cheap motherboard for an office computer to seriously increase the supply voltage, set RAM timings, or control CPU parameters. We talked about the relevant points in more detail in the materials devoted to overclocking a PC, so we won’t dwell on them now.

Most of the parameters that can be changed through the BIOS can be installed directly in the OS using specialized utilities. However, this method is often inconvenient - every time you boot the computer you need to launch additional software and activate certain settings. When you reinstall the system, they will be lost. Therefore, if you want to be on friendly terms with your computer, you will have to study the motherboard BIOS.

Afterword

Perhaps this material does not describe all the nuances of working with the BIOS that beginners would like to know. However, do not be upset if you have not found the answer to the question you are interested in - first of all, remember where the instruction manual for the motherboard is located, and carefully study the section on firmware. If there is no brochure or the description is too sparse, you can download an extended version from the official website of the motherboard manufacturer for a specific product, or simply find a good manual from a third-party manufacturer. It is likely that the settings mentioned there will be largely similar. If you are not sure, ask again on specialized forums of thematic resources, although we do not see anything wrong with studying the BIOS on your own by trial and error. The “magic” CLR_CMOS jumper for resetting settings is available on any board, and it is almost impossible to damage any component without radically changing the power parameters (for example, increasing the voltage on the processor by 80% of the nominal value).

If, after carefully examining the BIOS of the motherboard installed in your PC, it suddenly turns out that certain settings are missing, do not be upset. On Gigabyte products, to activate the section responsible for fine-tuning the memory subsystem and CPU operating mode, after entering the BIOS you need to press the key combination Ctrl+F1. In other cases, it is quite possible that some options really are not there. A similar situation is typical for budget motherboards. In their firmware, sections on fine tuning and power management of PC components are either very scarce or completely absent. However, it is likely that the required parameters can be changed from under the operating system using specialized utilities.

A few words must be said about the new interface - EFI - which will replace the classic BIOS. Undoubtedly, a pleasant graphical shell will appeal to some users, but the convenience of its implementation should be judged only by testing the corresponding products. In the meantime, experienced overclockers are quite satisfied with the available options, in which a complete setup of the motherboard BIOS to optimize the parameters of all components and overclock the PC takes from several tens of seconds to a minute. Too fast? Not at all. Learn the basics of working with firmware configuration, expand your own knowledge, and it is possible that over time you yourself will become specialists in this field.

You have heard about BIOS, its errors or motherboards with dual BIOS, but it is almost impossible to understand these terms on your own.

The abbreviation sounds kind of strange. Therefore, to answer what it is, what its role is, why it is needed and to obtain many other useful information, this guide has been created

What is BIOS

It represents the first level software - the first program that runs when you turn on your computer, laptop, tablet, and so on.

To better understand that this software is the first level, you should know that the programs installed on your system such as browser, media player or office suite are the last level programs.

The operating system is a middle tier because drivers interact with system resources, while the BIOS directly controls the hardware.

It provides certain services that allow users to configure settings for and obtain information from last-level programs and components.

How the BIOS works and how to interact with it

Bios is a relatively small program, with a maximum size of 16 MB. Modern BIOS systems are equipped with a user interface in which the user can configure hardware settings, set the current time and other minor settings such as the boot order of storage devices.

The most modern motherboards offer several options for settings, for example, changing the frequency or voltage of the processor, shared memory between the processor and video card, RAM and others.

Setting up the BIOS is complex and can be dangerous; if the user does not know the exact impact of each parameter, he may select incorrect values ​​for components that have a number of limitations.

For example, setting the processor frequency to a very high value can cause it to overheat, thereby causing the computer to run non-stop.

To ensure that the changes you make are safe, make sure you are familiar with the hardware settings you want to change.

Another parameter that relates to BIOS is saving settings when the system (computer or laptop) is turned off.

To do this, the BIOS has a small CMOS memory capacity that is powered by a battery, as in the image below.

When it comes to computers, CMOS is what the memory chip stores the settings of your computer hardware.

If the CMOS battery is low, the BIOS will use the default settings rather than the ones specified by the user.

Why do you need a BIOS?

The most important task that the BIOS is responsible for, when you press the power button, is to turn on the computer or laptop, start the fans, check the voltage levels in the system, run several tests to assess the condition of the system components, and then load the drivers and start the operating system boot process.

If any errors occur during this process, the BIOS will display a message informing you that something went wrong. In the picture below you can see an example of a possible error.

Before BIOS was invented in 1975, the operating system was the first program that ran when the system started.

This meant that the computer could only run one operating system, which was built-in. In addition, if the operating system crashed, the entire computer became unusable.

Using a BIOS provides additional flexibility, allowing users to install any operating system they want or restore the current one if errors occur.

What is Dual BIOS

The BIOS on the board has a memory chip. You can see this chip in the image below.

Dual technology is equipped with two microcircuits - the main one and the backup one. If the main memory chip is damaged, the BIOS will not be able to boot. Therefore, some manufacturers use dual chips.

If the main BIOS becomes damaged, reboot the computer and the backup chip will be used to boot the system.

What is UEFI

UEFI is a program that can be considered a modern and powerful BIOS.

It plays the same role as the BIOS, but has some advantages, such as encryption, remote diagnostics and repair of the computer, even if the operating system is not installed.

UEFI became popular after the release of Windows 8 as it was the first operating system to offer native UEFI support to a large number of users.

Like any other traditional BIOS, UEFI is configured by the manufacturer of the motherboard you are using.

For tablets and laptops, UEFI will show a small number of settings. In the picture below you can see how this works on Microsoft's Surface Pro 2 tablet.

For computers, UEFI has more settings than those on the standard one.

Conclusion

As you can see by reading this article, the BIOS is a core component of any computer, and knowing how to use it can provide greater flexibility and performance.

More advanced users and IT professionals can use it to get the most reliable experience for a specific computer or device.

I hope this tutorial was helpful. If you have questions or some ideas, feel free to use the comments section below. Good luck.