BIOS Updates on P4C800E DEL

[jime]

I it a good practice to keep your mobo at the latest BIOS level?

 

[Ghostrider]

I it a good practice to keep your mobo at the latest BIOS level?

A perfectly good adage to follow: "If it ain't broke, don't
fix it." However, if one is considering updating components,
then there would be no harm updating the bios. Just read up
on what would be a trouble-free bios revision and how to do
the upgrade properly.

 

[Paul]

I it a good practice to keep your mobo at the latest BIOS level?

Do a cost/benefit analysis. Does the new BIOS claim to fix a problem
you are having ? Could a flash go bad and disable the computer ?
That is the potential benefit and the potential cost.

If the flash goes bad, you can either plan in advance, by buying a
BIOS Savior for $25, and then you can flash as much as you want.
Or, you can flash all you want, until the board dies, then go
to badflash.com and pay them $25 to ship you a new chip. So, the
cost is only money and inconvenience, not permanent destruction.
If you own more than one computer, it might only take you a few
minutes to switch over to another computer, until badflash.com
delivers a new chip.

I'm still using the 1014 BIOS that shipped with my P4C800-E
Deluxe, and while the BIOS doesn't always do the right thing
with the RAM settings, it is working just fine now as we speak.
So I have no incentive to upgrade. Besides, many BIOS releases
only add new CPU types to the supported list, and I'm still
stuck with my old Northwood.

Paul

 

[DaveW]

NO! Only upgrade the BIOS on a motherboard if you need a specific fix that
that upgrade cures. Upgrading the BIOS is a good way to destroy an
otherwise working motherboard if the upgrade fails.