Should I update BIOS for Z390 board?

[_dawn_chorus_]

Should I? There are 2 newer versions for this board, one that makes the BIOS menu "more intuitive" lol.
I am using an 8700k in this board and I have heard you can potentially brick a board by flashing new BIOS. I have had some interesting issues and thought since it is a brand new chipset perhaps I should update.
Currently I have the first version of the bios. Is it really that risky to update?

 

[geofelt]

Newer motherboards are much safer.
They offer such recovery options like dual bios chips.
It is good to read the bios flash procedure carefully and follow it exactly.
Normally you should not update unless there is a fix for an issue that is impacting you.
Sometimes new bios updates are not correct the first time and need a bit of time to mature.

That said, a new motherboard will often need a bios update for such issues as ram compatibility or enhanced overclocking.
If you should have an issue, it is much easier to tolerate on a new build that is not yet in production.

If you do flash, do not let the process get interrupted.
A power outage can be a problem.
Similarly, do not get antsy and stop the process.
It will look like nothing is going on for several minutes be patient.

My recommendation:
If you have a running system with no problems, I would not flash.
On a new build in process, I would.

 

[The Original Ralph]

PERSONALLY i'd wait and research the newer BIOS release to see if folks are reporting issues

i just bricked my Asrock Z390 Taichi updating to the latest BIOS that promised "increased OC performance" and "it removed a power limit". The BIOS had been released 4 days earlier, i had just built the system with a i9-9900k and it may or may not have damaged my CPU - it won't show anything on the monitor when it hits POST. That board is winging it's way home to the mothership for reprogramming of the BIOS chip.

After it happened i did some research and came across 2 other posters reporting issues with that P1.51 release, but they'd been able to revert to an earlier release. I don't know if it corrupted while downloading or if it was corrupted to beging with.

Another poster on this forum reported when he went to the latest BIOS, it threw voltages way high so he reverted back to an earlier BIOS -

I ordered a new mobo, a Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master, and noticed on the BIOS page they recommend using a download manager program - of the two they recommended, i downloaded GetRight, as the other was no longer available

fwiw

 

[_dawn_chorus_]

Newer motherboards are much safer.
They offer such recovery options like dual bios chips.
It is good to read the bios flash procedure carefully and follow it exactly.
Normally you should not update unless there is a fix for an issue that is impacting you.
Sometimes new bios updates are not correct the first time and need a bit of time to mature.

That said, a new motherboard will often need a bios update for such issues as ram compatibility or enhanced overclocking.
If you should have an issue, it is much easier to tolerate on a new build that is not yet in production.

If you do flash, do not let the process get interrupted.
A power outage can be a problem.
Similarly, do not get antsy and stop the process.
It will look like nothing is going on for several minutes be patient.

My recommendation:
If you have a running system with no problems, I would not flash.
On a new build in process, I would.

Firstly thanks for the reply.

Secondly what kind of problems might I find that would stem from the BIOS? I have had some unusual problems with this build, so I am wiping it tomorrow and starting over from the ground up. I doubt they are from the BIOS but I figured I might as well while I am starting over.

So if I wipe it should I do the BIOS flash immediately after installing windows? Before I do any other drivers or anything from the disk that came with the board, or after?

 

[_dawn_chorus_]

PERSONALLY i'd wait and research the newer BIOS release to see if folks are reporting issues

i just bricked my Asrock Z390 Taichi updating to the latest BIOS that promised "increased OC performance" and "it removed a power limit". The BIOS had been released 4 days earlier, i had just built the system with a i9-9900k and it may or may not have damaged my CPU - it won't show anything on the monitor when it hits POST. That board is winging it's way home to the mothership for reprogramming of the BIOS chip.

After it happened i did some research and came across 2 other posters reporting issues with that P1.51 release, but they'd been able to revert to an earlier release. I don't know if it corrupted while downloading or if it was corrupted to beging with.

Another poster on this forum reported when he went to the latest BIOS, it threw voltages way high so he reverted back to an earlier BIOS -

I ordered a new mobo, a Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master, and noticed on the BIOS page they recommend using a download manager program - of the two they recommended, i downloaded GetRight, as the other was no longer available

fwiw

Thats harsh.. sorry to hear. I had reservations about buying a Z390 since they were so new, but I wanted to keep the upgrade path open. I have the Aorus Pro Z390. I am a newb OC'r but I when I put the vcore voltage in I could see in HWInfo64 it was fluctuating WAY above the limit I set. It was at 1.32 and I was spiking into the 1.45 range.I took the overclock off until I know more what I am doing. I think I need to adjust the LLC, but more research is needed.I think that is likely user error..lol

Can you link me where you saw this?
"noticed on the BIOS page they recommend using a download manager program - of the two they recommended, GetRight i downloaded, as the other was no longer available"

I did not see that and I am not sure what download manager they might be referring to.

 

[geofelt]

Do not use the windows option.
A internet interruption may cause the flash to be incomplete.
Use the usb option instead.
Download the bios to a usb fat32 formatted stick.

The usual procedure is the bios will have some sort of a qflash tool.
When you power on and select the flash took, it should find the usb stick, verify that the bios is compatible and ask if you want to continue.

I would avoid any sort of download manager.
If you want an update, download it explicitly yourself.
You really do not want any more monitoring apps than you can help.

As to overclocking, asrock sponsors an overclocking forum(I forget the address)
Perhaps gigabyte does too.
That is a good place to look at any potential bios issues.
I ran with the initial bios on my asrock z370m pro4 for the longest time.
I was not getting the oc that my binned 8600K chip was capable of.
But, all was stable and the 8600K was plenty fast enough.

In time, I checked on the latest bios and flashed to currency.
The result was a much easier overclock so it was worth it.

 

[_dawn_chorus_]

Do not use the windows option.
A internet interruption may cause the flash to be incomplete.
Use the usb option instead.
Download the bios to a usb fat32 formatted stick.

The usual procedure is the bios will have some sort of a qflash tool.
When you power on and select the flash took, it should find the usb stick, verify that the bios is compatible and ask if you want to continue.

I would avoid any sort of download manager.
If you want an update, download it explicitly yourself.
You really do not want any more monitoring apps than you can help.

As to overclocking, asrock sponsors an overclocking forum(I forget the address)
Perhaps gigabyte does too.
That is a good place to look at any potential bios issues.
I ran with the initial bios on my asrock z370m pro4 for the longest time.
I was not getting the oc that my binned 8600K chip was capable of.
But, all was stable and the 8600K was plenty fast enough.

In time, I checked on the latest bios and flashed to currency.
The result was a much easier overclock so it was worth it.

I downloaded it to an external hard drive already but I really need a Fat32 formatted usb? I have a 64gb thumb drive will that work?
So I should do all this at POST? before I install windows?

 

[The Original Ralph]

PERSONALLY i'd wait and research the newer BIOS release to see if folks are reporting issues

i just bricked my Asrock Z390 Taichi updating to the latest BIOS that promised "increased OC performance" and "it removed a power limit". The BIOS had been released 4 days earlier, i had just built the system with a i9-9900k and it may or may not have damaged my CPU - it won't show anything on the monitor when it hits POST. That board is winging it's way home to the mothership for reprogramming of the BIOS chip.

After it happened i did some research and came across 2 other posters reporting issues with that P1.51 release, but they'd been able to revert to an earlier release. I don't know if it corrupted while downloading or if it was corrupted to beging with.

Another poster on this forum reported when he went to the latest BIOS, it threw voltages way high so he reverted back to an earlier BIOS -

I ordered a new mobo, a Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master, and noticed on the BIOS page they recommend using a download manager program - of the two they recommended, i downloaded GetRight, as the other was no longer available

fwiw

Thats harsh.. sorry to hear. I had reservations about buying a Z390 since they were so new, but I wanted to keep the upgrade path open. I have the Aorus Pro Z390. I am a newb OC'r but I when I put the vcore voltage in I could see in HWInfo64 it was fluctuating WAY above the limit I set. It was at 1.32 and I was spiking into the 1.45 range.I took the overclock off until I know more what I am doing. I think I need to adjust the LLC, but more research is needed.I think that is likely user error..lol

Can you link me where you saw this?
"noticed on the BIOS page they recommend using a download manager program - of the two they recommended, GetRight i downloaded, as the other was no longer available"

I did not see that and I am not sure what download manager they might be referring to.

there are two z390 aorus pro's listed - i picked one,
go to support, then scroll down and clik on BIOS, and what you'll see at the bottom of the page, in red, is:

#1. Download speed may be varied in different region. If you have experienced lower download speed, please try other region download sites.
#2. Please download from the region "Asia" if the file you wanted to download does not exist in other region.
#3. If you have encountered problems or cannot find the file after following #2, please feedback to our Technical Service for further help.
#4. For better download quality, it is recommended to use software like Flashget or Getright to monitor your file download status for saving your treasure time and efforts.


here's a link to the aorus pro i found https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/Z390-I-AORUS-PRO-WIFI-rev-10#support-dl-bios but they all have the same warning
all the motherboard mfgrs post the same warnings re BIOS release and flashing being risky

and as geofelt said, download, see if they want it renamed after you extract it from the zip file
i'd wipe the usb stick 2 or 3 times, then format FAT32 and then move the file to the stick and follow the procedures in your manual

but it really would be smart to wait a bit before downloading and flashing - the Z390 chipset is still relatively new - i'd check on the gigabyte motherboard forums, and the Z390 forum if they have one, and see if folks have posted about issues with any of the BIOS releases

 

[geofelt]

Do not use the windows option.
A internet interruption may cause the flash to be incomplete.
Use the usb option instead.
Download the bios to a usb fat32 formatted stick.

The usual procedure is the bios will have some sort of a qflash tool.
When you power on and select the flash took, it should find the usb stick, verify that the bios is compatible and ask if you want to continue.

I would avoid any sort of download manager.
If you want an update, download it explicitly yourself.
You really do not want any more monitoring apps than you can help.

As to overclocking, asrock sponsors an overclocking forum(I forget the address)
Perhaps gigabyte does too.
That is a good place to look at any potential bios issues.
I ran with the initial bios on my asrock z370m pro4 for the longest time.
I was not getting the oc that my binned 8600K chip was capable of.
But, all was stable and the 8600K was plenty fast enough.

In time, I checked on the latest bios and flashed to currency.
The result was a much easier overclock so it was worth it.

I downloaded it to an external hard drive already but I really need a Fat32 formatted usb? I have a 64gb thumb drive will that work?
So I should do all this at POST? before I install windows?

Your 64gb thumb drive is a usb stick. You only need a minimal 2gb drive.
Put the unzipped file on the usb stick.
Plug in the usb stick with the new bios.
Yes, at post when you are looking at the bios display, there should be a tab that gets you to the flash utility.
It should detect the bios usb stick and you can go from there.

Due diligence would google for any issues on your motherboard with the new bios level.

 

[The Original Ralph]

i'll emphasize what geofelt said, the only way to flash your newer BIOS is with a USB stick (thumb drive) - it's the safest way

DO NOT USE WINDOWS, OR AUTO INTERNET TECHNIQUES - TOO RISKY

Take a look at your manual - section 2-9 or page 41 (manual linked below)
https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/Z390-I-AORUS-PRO-WIFI-rev-10#support-manual

it's not the best instruction set but should serve, otherwise check your motherboard's support page and then check FAQ section

and last, like i said earlier and geofelt said above, research (google) and your motherboard manufacturer's forums to see if there have been any issues with the BIOS updated releases. YOU DON'T NEED TO BE IN A RUSH TO UPDATE IF YOUR COMPUTER IS FUNCTIONING

I got a little too comfortable flashing BIOSs - i probably flashed my Asus Z97 mobo 20 times, my Asrock X99 5-6 times, and never had an issue. Having to take the mobo out on my Z390 board, then packaging & shipping it, spending time on phone with Asrock Tech Support etc, was not fun and time costly

the internet "wisdon" on BIOS updates is, if it isn't broken don't fix it - don't update unless you know for a fact it's going to correct an issue you're experiencing

 

[_dawn_chorus_]

Ok well thank you geofelt and The Original Ralph for all the help and thorough answers. I greatly appreciate it. I'll give it a little time to see how the latest version unfolds and see if after a full wipe I am having any issues with this version. And good luck to you Original Ralph on the new board!

 

[The Original Ralph]

Ok well thank you geofelt and The Original Ralph for all the help and thorough answers. I greatly appreciate it. I'll give it a little time to see how the latest version unfolds and see if after a full wipe I am having any issues with this version. And good luck to you Original Ralph on the new board!

it occurred to me, what might be confusing to you (and was and actually still is to me) is that in a number of motherboard manuals, the mfgrs instruct you to be sure to download the latest (and greatest) BIOS, then on their website, you see those warnings in red, that flashing BIOS is risky. I've grown suspicious of why they would design and supply automatic internet download app in their BIOS as well as one to be used in windows - basically that's like lighting a match in a room full of gasoline cans. I suspect they enjoy some extra motherboard sales, not sure, but part of my paranoid nature

2nd tip - do not bother using any motherboard mfgrs' "EZ Tuning app" for OCing, or even performance monitoring. The few i've used invariably caused instability in BIOS (Asus' AI Suite III), or extremely high voltages in OCing (Asrock's F-Streaming)

THey seem to write those apps on the fly, in a rush to get the motherboards out in the market and never come back to correct them

just a suggestion

 

[geofelt]

Perhaps by instructing you to download the latest BIOS, they mean that one should always go with the latest, which includes all of the previous updates.
Not to try to do them incrementally.

As to the windows option, some installations will not permit the use of usb drives so some way must be had to have a central site download updates, including BIOS.

Since these motherboards are made in Chinese speaking countries, the manual text sometimes gets less than a perfect translation to English.

As to avoiding the EZ tuning, I agree with you there.

 

[The Original Ralph]

Perhaps by instructing you to download the latest BIOS, they mean that one should always go with the latest, which includes all of the previous updates.
Not to try to do them incrementally.

As to the windows option, some installations will not permit the use of usb drives so some way must be had to have a central site download updates, including BIOS.

Since these motherboards are made in Chinese speaking countries, the manual text sometimes gets less than a perfect translation to English.

As to avoiding the EZ tuning, I agree with you there.

not exactly sure what or WHY you are disagreeing with that first part - the focus of my point to the OP was that on the one hand the mobo mfgr instructs the user to update BIOS (no mention of doing it in steps or jumping to the latest greatest) and then on their website giving red text warnings that updating is risky. Jeez, USAFRet, push away from the tree and see the forest or are you just speed reading thru and responding?

2nd - as they design, mfgr and ship the mobo, why would they offer software based BIOS downloading options with a board they know can handle USB updating?

Geofelt, i swear it's like you look to dissect my posts to argue with them

 

[The Original Ralph]

Ok well thank you geofelt and The Original Ralph for all the help and thorough answers. I greatly appreciate it. I'll give it a little time to see how the latest version unfolds and see if after a full wipe I am having any issues with this version. And good luck to you Original Ralph on the new board!

i updated to the F6 Bios release this afternoon, with no issues

 

[_dawn_chorus_]

Ok well thank you geofelt and The Original Ralph for all the help and thorough answers. I greatly appreciate it. I'll give it a little time to see how the latest version unfolds and see if after a full wipe I am having any issues with this version. And good luck to you Original Ralph on the new board!

i updated to the F6 Bios release this afternoon, with no issues

Nice!! How does the BIOS interface look menu wise? If you get a chance post an imgur pic.

 

[The Original Ralph]

it's still as rudimentary as F5 was - can't see any major improvements

i'm using XTU (intel's Extreme tuning utility) and it's not optimal but will serve