BIOS for Beginners

Unless you are a geek, the BIOS for the motherboard is very intimidating. Not only is there the off chance that something can be messed up, you really have no business messing with it unless you know what you are doing, anyway. Well, perhaps today is a good day to learn something new about that mysterious BIOS interface.

The Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) is an essential set of routines in a PC, which is stored on a chip on the motherboard. It acts as an intermediary between a computer’s hardware and its operating system. Without the BIOS, the PC’s operating system would have no way to communicate with, or take control of, the hardware.

In other words, the BIOS is a crucial component of any computer. If its options are set incorrectly, the BIOS could slow your computer down by as much as 40%. Unfortunately, as new processors and motherboard chipsets are released, BIOS options continue to get even more confusing. As a result, many seasoned technicians are still baffled by the jargon-laced and confusing options available in a modern computer’s BIOS setup program. [Read the rest]