Determine your motherboard make/model and pull up the site for it
Run the System Information app from Windows start menu
Ctrl+C Copy the line “BaseBoard Product” and paste it in google search.
The correct result is the first non-sponsored result from the domain of the manufacturer.
Once there, you can find the BIOS located under the support section.
Download the most recent BIOS.
Insert a spare USB thumb drive, it must be formatted as FAT32. Some systems can read the BIOS file directly from the hard drive. If so, then extract the BIOS to your C:\ drive instead and skip step 5.
Extract the BIOS you downloaded in step 3 to a USB thumb drive.
Reboot the computer then press the Del key repeatedly until the BIOS menu appears.
Navigate to the BIOS update section. It is named differently depending on what company manufactured your motherboard: Asus: EZ Flash Gigabyte: Q-Flash MSi: M-Flash
Navigate to the BIOS update file you extracted in step 5 then press enter.
The BIOS flash begins. It can take up to 10 minutes. Do not interrupt the process in any way, the system will automatically reboot itself when it completes or show a reboot prompt.
This pre-built PC is one of the worst systems we’ve ever tested. It’s impressive how MSI combined software & hardware incompetence to create this abomination.
NOTICE: These instructions apply to both Intel and AMD boards.
Most boards include a feature called BIOS Flashback that will allow the BIOS to be updated prior to booting up for the first time.
Most can complete BIOS flashback without having a CPU, RAM, or video card installed.
AMD AM4 boards:(B450, X470, B550, X370, X570)
Need to have the BIOS updated prior to being able to boot any 5000 Series Ryzen.
AMD AM5 boards:(B650, B650-E, X670, X670-E)
Need to have the BIOS updated prior to being able to boot any 7000X3D Series Ryzen.
Intel LGA1700 boards: (B660/Z690/Z790)
Need to have the BIOS updated prior to being able to boot 13th or 14th Gen Intel CPU.
If your board does not support BIOS flashback, you will need to have the BIOS flashed with a SPI programmer or a spare older generation CPU temporarily to boot and update.
No other components are necessary except CPU + power.
Make sure file name extensions are enabled in Windows Explorer
Format a USB thumbdrive as FAT32. If you can’t FAT32 format with windows, use Rufus with boot selection set to Non Bootable
Download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from the ASUS® website.
Extract all contents to a folder.
Run the BIOSRenamer.exe as admin to rename the BIOS file for flashback.
Place only the BIOS file on the root of the USB flash drive.
Insert the USB storage device to the Flash USB port (the USB marked on the I/O shield) then press the BIOS FlashBack™ button for three seconds to automatically update the BIOS.
Once the flashing BIOS process is 100% completed, the LED will be off simultaneously.
Build and boot.
ASRock (Taichi Only)
No other components are necessary except power.
Make sure file name extensions are enabled in Windows Explorer
Format a USB thumbdrive as FAT32. If you can’t FAT32 format with windows, use Rufus with boot selection set to Non Bootable
Download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from the ASRock® website.
Extract all contents to a folder.
Rename the BIOS file to CREATIVE.ROM
Place the file on the root of the USB flash drive.
Plug the USB flash drive that contains the ROM file into the Flashback marked USB Port on the rear I/O panel.
Press the BIOS Flashback Switch for about three seconds. Then the LED starts to blink.
Wait until the LED stops blinking, indicating that BIOS flashing has been completed.
Build and boot.
Gigabyte
No other components are necessary except power.
Make sure file name extensions are enabled in Windows Explorer
Format a USB thumbdrive as FAT32. If you can’t FAT32 format with windows, use Rufus with boot selection set to Non Bootable
Download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from the Gigabyte ® website.
Extract all contents to a folder.
Rename the BIOS file to Gigabyte.bin
Place the file on the root of the USB flash drive.
Plug the USB flash drive that contains the Gigabyte.bin file into the Flash BIOS marked USB Port on the rear I/O panel.
Press the Flash BIOS Button to flash BIOS, let go when the button LED starts flashing.
Once the flashing BIOS process is 100% completed, the LED will be off simultaneously.
Build and boot.
MSi
No other components are necessary except power.
Make sure file name extensions are enabled in Windows Explorer
Format a USB thumbdrive as FAT32. If you can’t FAT32 format with windows, use Rufus with boot selection set to Non Bootable
Download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from the MSI® website.
Extract and Rename the BIOS file to MSI.ROM
Place the file on the root of the USB flash drive.
Plug the USB flash drive that contains the MSI.ROM file into the Flash BIOS marked USB Port on the rear I/O panel.
Press the Flash BIOS Button to flash BIOS, let go when the button LED starts flashing.
Once the flashing BIOS process is 100% completed, the LED will be off simultaneously.
Intel’s high-end 12th-generation Core processors use a lot of power and generate a lot of heat, but Asus’ ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard takes things to the next level. A “potential reversed memory capacitor” in some boards can cause them to catch on fire.
When you reach out to support, they may attempt to claim the warranty is void even though it was a manufacturing error.
At nearly $700, this iBUYPOWER Element Mini is among the cheapest systems we’ve purchased for review this year. Unfortunately, most the specs were incorrectly listed, and the GPU is… old.
At nearly $700, this iBUYPOWER Element Mini is among the cheapest systems we’ve purchased for review this year. Unfortunately, most the specs were incorrectly listed, and the GPU is… old.
To enable the latest DisplayPort 1.3 / 1.4 features, your graphics card may require a firmware update.
Without the update, systems that are connected to a DisplayPort 1.3 / 1.4 monitor could experience blank screens on boot until the OS loads, or could experience a hang on boot. The NVIDIA Firmware Updater will detect whether the firmware update is needed, and if needed, will give the user the option to update it.
If you are currently experiencing a blank screen or hang on boot with a DP 1.3 or 1.4 monitor, please try one of the following workarounds in order to run the tool:
-Boot using DVI or HDMI Boot using a different monitor
-Change boot mode from UEFI to Legacy; or Legacy to UEFI.
-Boot using an alternate graphics source (secondary or integrated graphics card)
Once you have the tool downloaded, please run the tool and follow the on-screen instructions.
When purchasing a power supply, it’s important to know this component, if chosen correctly, should last you for several generations, easily over 10 years. Target the considered wattage around double what your load will be:
To determine your load wattage, just use PC Part Picker to add all your components and see the total system wattage. Gamers use less than this figure, but the system must be prepared to be able to be fully loaded without shutting off.
In other words, knowing the demand is lower and getting a not so great power supply in an attempt to save money is not a worthwhile endeavor.
By going overkill on the power supply, you’ll use less power than what a overloaded lower end unit would require for the same load, and being cognizant to install it in the correct orientation so that it’s fan can draw fresh air in from outside of the case is imperative, you can help ensure your power supply purchase will last through several builds. It’s also critical to clean the case filter that covers the intake fans regularly.
If you are planning a big graphics card upgrade down the road, or would rather not buy a new power supply every generation, overkill is good in this category, check how much wattage it will use using the tool–it’s always cheaper to be prepared by choosing a higher rated unit compared to buying another power supply or overloading a insufficient unit.
Thermaltake doesn’t get anymore chances to improve its marketing or basic design flaws. We’ve been trying to privately inform Thermaltake how to improve for years, but they haven’t listened.
Thermaltake doesn’t get anymore chances to improve its marketing or basic design flaws. We’ve been trying to privately inform Thermaltake how to improve for years, but they haven’t listened. Sponsor: Buy Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut on Amazon (https://geni.us/1D8Eeq) or Hydronaut paste (https://geni.us/Fsray) Thermaltake’s latest virtual Computex showcase featured the Tower 100 mini-ITX case, the Divider 300 TG ARGB, new power supplies, and the Floe RC. Some of these products are actually promising, but Thermaltake frustratingly botches the final stretch of details that would take it from “almost really good” to “actually really good.” We’re tired of trying to help Thermaltake improve its products via emails and discussions at tradeshows, so hopefully this will help the company wake up to some of its frustrating, repeat shortcomings and mistakes. We want Thermaltake to get better. Good people work at the company, but word isn’t making it high enough up the chain. The products are so consistently close to competitive that it’s painful to see them miss on often easily fixed issues or quality control problems.
It’s as simple as searching up “ransomware protection” in the start menu, and ticking the box for “controlled folder access“, which doesn’t seem to be enabled by default as you’d expect.
It’s an aggressive defense feature that stops unfriendly applications from making changes to your files, folders, and memory.
