Updating Motherboard - Dazed and Confused: HELP!

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Thank you to all those who help! :)

I am updating my Asus Gene VI motherboard, on Asus' website. Since I just built my first PC ever, and have never manually updated a motherboard on a manufacturer's website, I am very confused. I see the different options, such as: BIOS, SATA, Audio, Chipset, Hotfix etc., but I have no idea what to download. Maybe only BIOS? Or maybe BIOS and Chipset? Or maybe every category listed? There are many others, such as Utilities, BIOS-Utilities, and the list goes on...

Also, on top of that, each category, such as "BIOS" for example, lists out even more options. I can't tell if each download is completely separate from the other, or if just one listing is "newer" than the other? In short, under BIOS, there are two options - are they different, or do I just figure out which update is the newest and download that one? I can't even tell which one is newest, if that is the case, which is why I am so baffled.

Here's an example:

BIOS (2) - See how it lists TWO different options?


Download Option 1:

Version 0615
Description MAXIMUS VI GENE BIOS 0615
1.Improve system compatibility
2.Support new CPUs. Please refer to our website at: http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us
File Size
5,2 (MBytes) 2013.07.02 update
Download from
Global (DLM) Global P2P

Download Option 2:

Version 0606
Description MAXIMUS VI GENE BIOS 0606
First release Bios
File Size
5,19 (MBytes) 2013.06.03 update
Download from
Global (DLM) Global P2P

* Here's the the page I see on their website, for my motherboard:http://support.asus.com/download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=MAXIMUS%20VI%20GENE&p=1&s=45&os=36&hashedid=rppozhc3zpbQrHmi

** If it helps, I am using this PC for Multi-Media, Gaming, and basic PC functions, such as Internet and eMail.

I am running Windows OS 8.
 
Solution
jossrik
You can usually tell the newest version by the version number. Every option will have a date and version number along with what each update adds.

Also. On motherboards, you ONLY UPDATE THE BIOS TO ADD NEEDED FUNCTIONALITY. For example, new processors come out, and you want to upgrade, you may need a bios upgrade for the new processor to work correctly. In the olden days of computers, it was pretty easy to brick a motherboard by updating the bios, and the computer I'm using right now has a referb motherboard in it cause my little brother tried to update the bios and bricked it, and I'm running a fairly new board.

Consoles update the bios frequently, but rarely necessarily, usually to add a DRM scheme, in that respect, you'd...
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I was told by many to update my Motherboard, right after I get it installed. Just like I already did with my graphics card. If I had not done so with my graphics card (GTX 770SC), I would still be staring at a crappy resolution on my TV, when my PC is connected. In short, everyone from Micro Center to my friends at work whom build PC's have said this.



 
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I can do that, but what signifies the latest version? Whether it's the BIOS or SATA option, etc. ? Many seem to have the exact same date...

Thanks.

 
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jossrik

jossrik

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You can usually tell the newest version by the version number. Every option will have a date and version number along with what each update adds.

Also. On motherboards, you ONLY UPDATE THE BIOS TO ADD NEEDED FUNCTIONALITY. For example, new processors come out, and you want to upgrade, you may need a bios upgrade for the new processor to work correctly. In the olden days of computers, it was pretty easy to brick a motherboard by updating the bios, and the computer I'm using right now has a referb motherboard in it cause my little brother tried to update the bios and bricked it, and I'm running a fairly new board.

Consoles update the bios frequently, but rarely necessarily, usually to add a DRM scheme, in that respect, you'd update often to try and stay ahead of the pirates. Luckily, the pirates are pretty quick. :) Anyway. In general, your friends are right, you want the latest and greatest firmware, but with hardware, especially older hardware, there's very little reason to keep up with firmware updates, especially the motherboard.

NOW DRIVERS, that's a different story, update the drivers as often as available, update the programs as often as possible, usually, those are the good updates, that add, rarely take away, add stability, add usability, and sometimes add function or content.
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

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Jun 5, 2013
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side note on the above comment: "ONLY UPDATE THE BIOS TO ADD NEEDED FUNCTIONALITY" this is incorrect, at least in my opinion, it's generally best to keep the BIOS updated, what little you see next to an Update that is available is but the 1 or 2 major points of an update, most all updates are filled with various DRAM and other other updates, often ones you need, but they don't want to list as it might show a problem with the previous versions or they have added a software fix for hardware defects....if you follow mobos you might see a trend with one haveing trouble over and over with SATA or DRAM or whatever, then .... Poof all of a sudden you don't hear about it anymore...but low and behold, when the problem ended there was a BIOS update that came out....yet...that fix isn't mentioned in the summary....they are sort of slick about this
 
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