Bios versions

GEEK420 · Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:01 pm

Hi! I am new to your fourms. I have a Asus a7n8x deluxe, and I have noticed that there are several updated versions for this motherboard. Do I need to use every update , or do the new version include the eairlier versions also?

Borg Number One · Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:27 pm

Hi,

I have got the same mainboard too.
Normally new versions of BIOS updates includes old bugfixes.
So you just need to update your BIOS currently with the BIOS update-file ver.: "1008D".

Ritchie · Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:41 pm

When you flash a BIOS I believe you overwrite it completely. Therefore you have no choice but to pick a BIOS image and accept what it gives you.

Agreed latest is usually best.

Borg Number One · Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:16 pm

Ritchie wrote:When you flash a BIOS I believe you overwrite it completely.

Yes that is true, but this was not the question.

Normally the developer of BIOS Update files take the previous BIOS update files(or the scripts/sorurces of them) which have allready new features/solved bugs and then they add further features/bugfixes.

So the developer do not practise to publish single parts of BIOS update files which would contain the solved bugs/have new features.

So the latest BIOS update file (normally) contains the bugfixes and features of the previous BIOS update file(s)

So you just need to download the latest BIOS update file and flash it to your EEPROM ("BIOS CHip").

Amiboot · Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:59 pm

Hi,

Yes, please note that BIOS updates are cumulative (each new release will contain all features of the previous release).

However, you shouldn't update your BIOS if it's not neccesary.
Update only if the new BIOS has something that's worth risking your mainboard.

(and yes I'm saying that while I'm updating BIOS one thousand times a day, but ok above is just the advice to "normal users").

Borg Number One · Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:09 pm

Cumulative was the verb I looked for.

Ritchie · Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:23 am

Well, as per the original question, the bottom line is this:

To install the latest BIOS you need only flash the latest BIOS only.

The latest version will include everything the manfuacturer has intended to be included.

BiosMan · Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:36 pm

To refine that...

"The latest version will include everything the manfuacturer has intended to be included."

The manufacturer can also choose to remove items, if space is an issue, for adding other components, or to speed up boot time. An HP BIOS I have removed SMART Monitoring at a savings of 200 mS! (Note - I did not install it.

)

Ritchie · Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:46 pm

Hi KachiWachi

I agree with your refinement - I was thinking that myself but I wanted to keep my post simple. Though you did a good job of making the point.

I was thinking more along the lines of if there are ten BIOS revisions for example, in release 8 they may make changes that introduce bugs or that are unpopular, so in release 9 they may reverse those changes or fix the problems introduced by them. This line of thinking is why I used the term "intended to be included" rather than "includes all previous releases".

BiosMan · Fri Nov 05, 2004 2:50 pm

Ah! on the "intended"...good choice of words.

However, I've also seen this in the release notes -

"Added CPU Microcode... ...It turned out that the X.XX release did not include the update."

So go figure...

Amiboot · Fri Nov 05, 2004 10:41 pm

making thins easy for GEEK420 ...

BIOS updates are IN GENERAL cumulative.
In the case of the A7N8X(Deluxe)series you can just use the latest BIOS to include all (previous) features that turned out to be ok