Solved Updating ASUS 8 Series Motherboard Bios

[Boozad]

I've been contemplating upgrading my i5-4670k to an i7-4790k, but to do this I'd have to update my BIOS to take the Devil's Canyon CPU. Now I'm no pro when it comes to BIOS updates, far from it, and I've been trying to convince myself I have the minerals to do it.
I've been reading up on it and came across this from ASUS:





Source

My question is would it really be that easy to update the BIOS, especially in a Windows environment? I've never heard of that before, has anybody even tried it?

 

[oscer1]

i can not comment on other boards but all the dells i have had the bios update were windows based.

 

[Boozad]

I haven't updated a BIOS since my old ASUS M2A-VM with a BIOS flash and that was a hairy experience. If I can update this board's BIOS that easily it will certainly make me feel more comfortable doing it.

 

[essenbe]

I have several Asus boards and I always do it through BIOS. I download the BIOS file, use a USB Flash drive and format it FAT32, extract the bios zip file I downloaded to the USB drive. Go into BIOS and click on the Tools section. There will be a bios update or EZ update category. When you go there select the Flash drive, then highlight the bios file you just put there and press OK. It will ask for a confirmation, press OK and it will start. Do nothing, it will show a progress bar. When finished, it will tell you it succeeded and that you will now reboot to change the bios. When you reboot, it will take a minute or two, so don't think it has gone wrong. That is when the actual bios update is taking place. When it does reboot, go into bios and just like the first time you started the computer, set Optimized Defaults (F5) then set your ram, sata configuration and anything else you usually do, save and exit.

It sounds like a lot in writing it, but it is an easy and pretty quick way to do it. I have done it 1 time in Windows, like you posted above. It worked fine, but I just don't like Windows based bios updates. OEMs do Windows Based because most of their customers would never go to BIOS, so they make it as simple as possible.

I have done it dozens of times the way I described above without one problem. I have flashed a bios backwards and forward with no problem. Asus even has the bios flashback which is done with the computer off. I have only done that once, but it worked OK. Just watch the LED start flashing and when it stops, the bios is flashed.

 

[Layback Bear]

I have also done it on Asus motherboards just like Steve has posted and it has always worked.
I never have tried to do the updates while in Windows. Hell I didn't even know you could.
The new Asus motherboards just need power and the usb stick with the bios update on it. Make sure the memory stick is Fat32 and the bios is unzipped when installed on the memory stick.
Nothing else.

I'm a firm believer in reading the motherboard manual and having it in front of you so you don't make mistakes.

I can't say about all motherboards but it seems like Asus is trying to make bios updates easier. That way they won't have to RMA so many motherboards.

If I remember correctly watching Asus videos the very newest Asus motherboards have removable bios chips with different bios on them. You just replace the chip. Pull one out and slip one in.
That sounds handy to me.

 

[essenbe]

I may be very wrong here, but I think bios updates have gotten a bad reputation from the way it was 10 years ago. There was a time that a bios update was a big risk, but I think the problems have pretty much been worked out. I really think it is fairly safe now.

 

[Layback Bear]

I agree.

Just follow the motherboard manual and things should work fine.

 

[AddRAM]

You can do it through the flash drive or you can do it right through the Asus Suite software installed in windows.

I recommend using the flash drive.

Can`t beleive you have to update the bios just to run the DC cpu, did Asus tell you you had to do this ?

I guess because it`s an Z87 and not a Z97 ?

Nice board though

Motherboards - SABERTOOTH Z87 - ASUS

 

[Boozad]

Yeah the Z87 doesn't support DC so the update is needed. My hesitance was solely down to my past experiences with flashing the BIOS but if the risks are minimal these days that's no problem, I just didn't want to brick a £150 mobo.

Thanks for the input people it's much appreciated, I've given rep out where I can. I need to spread it around more unfortunately.

 

[AddRAM]

I had no trouble flashing my bios using the flash drive method, piece of cake

I`m glad you can do that to install the DC.

I would love to get these 2.

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK1 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com

Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Refresh Quad-Core 4.0GHz LGA 1150 Desktop Processor BX80646I74790K - Newegg.com - Newegg.com

But the Titan X is more important to me.

EVGA - Products - EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN X Superclocked - 12G-P4-2992-KR

 

[Boozad]

That's the CPU I'm going for. The only downside I found to the Z97 Mark 1 is that it only has six SATA ports.

 

[Boozad]

Just a quick update, after a few Hoegaardens and Leffe Blonds last night I was full of dutch courage so went about trying to screw up my BIOS. I downloaded two versions (1901 and 2003) so I could try both methods, I used Steve's method first and applied 1901 with no problems, all went swimmingly. But I was curious about the Windows environment updater so I applied 2003 using that method and it worked very well. At least now I can recommend that tool if people inquire about it, I won't use it again but I had to test it just to know whether it worked or not.

The only thing was under the influence of the Belgian alcohol I didn't notice that 2003 is only a beta version so I need to apply 2004 which I'll do shortly. I may even look into applying a custom boot logo this time.

 

[essenbe]

Looks great, Gav. Well done.,

 

[Boozad]

Learning from the Jedi Master tends to help a lot.

I'm just wondering whether to stick with the beta version (it seems stable enough) or flash it again.

 

[essenbe]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's my Philosophy. As long as you installed the BIOS Updater Tool they keep talking about, you should have no problems. I usually keep up with the BIOS updates though, but I haven't tried any Beta ones. Just watch until it becomes an official one and update to that. That's what I would do. To me, if everything is stable and working right, leave it alone. Look at the QVL list for CPUs and look at the one you want to install, it will tell you which bios has to be installed for it to work. If you have that bios or higher, you should be good to go.

 

[Boozad]

Just installing the official one now.

 

[Boozad]

All done, flashed to 2004. I'm all set for Devil's Canyon.

I might do a quick tut on using the ASUS EZ Updater or whatever it is.

 

[essenbe]

Glad you are all set. Doing a Tut on what I taught you? I deserve an honorable mention, you think?:roflmao:

 

[Boozad]

I'll send you the screenies, you can do it.

 

[essenbe]

nah, you go for it.