How to Upgrade the American Megatrends BIOS

If the time comes where your American Megatrends motherboard needs to be updated, you will most likely need to upgrade the BIOS powering this hardware. Fortunately, an American Megatrends BIOS update can be accomplished without much difficult by computer users of moderate to expert skill level.

Although your computer's motherboard is arguably the most powerful piece of hardware sitting inside of your device, the time may come where it needs to be updated or retooled. The Basic Input Output System is a specific piece of software that interacts directly with the motherboard during the boot process. In fact, BIOS is the primary software element that oversees your computer's boot process and ensures that all of the necessary hardware peripherals are initialized.

If you have never heard of your computer's BIOS before, this is likely due to the fact that this particular element of the startup routine remains largely hidden from view. In fact, you will not be able to customize any BIOS settings on your computer unless you specifically navigate to the BIOS Setup Utility.

Your computer's BIOS is commonly stored on a small chip embedded on the motherboard itself. Your BIOS will continue to function as intended regardless of which specific Windows operating system you choose to use.

A properly functioning BIOS will ensure that elements of your computer setup, including the keyboard, mouse, hard drive etc., are all initiated properly and ready for user interaction. When a BIOS is not properly updated, users may experience various elements of hardware failure during this startup.

BIOS is considered a fundamental element of your computer's infrastructure. Unlike operating systems, which can be purchased and switched out on a discretionary basis, BIOS comes included with your device and cannot be removed without experiencing massive hardware failure.

There are countless actions and operations that can be customized using your system's BIOS. Many of these processes are considered to be an integral and indispensable element of computer use. For example, your system's BIOS can tweak the performance of your hard drive, modify the amount of voltage traveling through your device, change fan speeds and a variety of other adjustments.

Although it may seem like your BIOS should be constantly monitored to ensure your computer is functioning properly, this is generally not the case. The preconfigured settings in your BIOS will ensure that your device runs smoothly the vast majority of the time, barring equipment malfunction.

American Megatrends makes it relatively easy for individuals to upgrade their BIOS. To get started, visit the company's website and located the AMI Firmware Update tool. This software operates via the command line and streamlines the process of programming BIOS. In fact, the majority of users can simply execute the firmware update and allow the utility to complete the process.

For network administrators, a remote BIOS tool is also available, which allows individuals to modify BIOS settings without having to work directly on the computer in question. Network sharing tools ensure that BIOS updates are dispersed across multiple platforms rapidly.

Although BIOS has long been a de facto industry standard, newer protocols, such as the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or UEFI, are expected to eventually replace it. In fact, Intel has announced that BIOS will be replaced by UEFI in all of their chip sets by 2020.