Did a BIOS update lower your notebooks performance?

Has anyone ever had a BIOS update make their notebook less powerful?

I'm wondering if it's possible that after updating my BIOS I could get less performance.

Most notebooks with the faulty nvidia G86 and G84 cores have a BIOS update that increases the fan speed, but does it also ruin GPU performance?

 

I think their BIOS updates only modifies the FAN EC to spin more at lower threshold.
In modern BIOS they don't do anything much.
They simply initializes the devices and handover control to the OS.

 

I've had a couple of systems where the BIOS updates did increase the performance significantly (enough to notice without benchmarks).

This was with an Acer TravelMate 8200 and with a Dell desktop system (can't remember the model). In both cases, the changes the BIOS update made were to the Video subsystem and improved the time it took for the drivers to load (this reduced flickering and full cycle on/off times of the screens).

On the most recent one, the TravelMate 8200 - the computer was easily 10 to 15% faster just from the BIOS update alone.

So, if they can increase performance, I guess a BIOS update can also decrease it too (maybe to provide more/better stability?).

However, I vote that all updates are performed eventually, because even if performance goes down in one area, there may be significant benefits in another.

Computer manufacturer's never tell us all that is fixed with a driver, software or BIOS update. Overall, most updates are for the better.

 

They do a lot of whitelisting and other bad stuff. If I were the manuf I would underclock the GPU to make less people take their money back.

Anyway I hope you're right.

 

If there are performance improvement it could be original buggy firmware as well.
If I am not wrong they don't usually touch the VGA BIOS modules and certainly only for integrated graphics do they have VGA BIOS modules contained inside the main BIOS chips.
AFAIK discrete cards have their own VGA BIOS modules and manufacturers almost certainly never touch them.

 

weinter,

pretty sure discrete graphics (on the 8200), but effectively integrated if soldered onto the MB, right?

 

OK I post my findings.
For my 9100M G integrated Graphics Laptop, VGA BIOS is inside the main Phoenix BIOS as a module called OPROM00.bin
For my desktop with integrated Graphics 8100, VGA BIOS is inside the main AMI BIOS also as a Module.
When I attempt to read the BIOS using Nibitor it will return an error as there is no separate VGA BIOS Chip.
As for HP Laptop "discrete graphics 8600M GT" that is soldered onto the motherboard I am really not sure because I don't have any experiment time with them.
The best test is to use Nibitor or GPUZ to attempt to read the VGA BIOS Chip, if it fails chances are the VGA BIOS is a module inside the Main BIOS Chip.

 

weinter,

Sorry, all over my head. lol

What should I pick up from that?

 

Download and run Nibitor or GPUZ (You have to launch Nibitor with admin permission because you are going to do a low level system operation like reading BIOS).
In Nibitor there is a Read BIOS from chip option just play around and you will find it.
If it reads the BIOS successfully then there is a separate VGA BIOS Chip.
For GPUZ there is a small save BIOS icon click on it, if you can save the VGA BIOS successfully then there is a separate VGA BIOS Chip.

If either of the above return an error that can't read any device then chances are the VGA BIOS exist as a integrated module on the main BIOS.

If the VGA BIOS exist as a integrated module you have to extract it for modding using Phoenix BIOS Editor for Phoenix BIOS or MMTool for AMI BIOS.

 

Thank you for the additional info.

I don't have either of those old systems right now, but I may put these new (to me) tools to work in the future.

Happy Holidays!

 

No, never had any problems updating BIOS. Currently using version that was even not officially released. No problems whatsoever.

 

Specifically for the faulty NVidia cards I believe they were donwclocked through a BIOS update - else I don't think you get a perfomance loss - except maybe if there was an overheating issue...

 

BIOS has control over lots of things.. I know for a fact that the Alienware M17x BIOS allows control over the FSB and RAM clocks, so it follows to reason that that these things are all controlled by the BIOS.

That said, if a BIOS update DID gimp the clocks (not likely), the OEM would certainly ---- off a lot of the userbase. Also, you can always flash back if you decide that you don't like the new bios for whatever reason.

 

It's hard to flash back when you have a toshiba BIOS.

 

No you can't, you risk ending up with a dead BIOS

 

As far as I'm aware, you risk bricking your computer due to a bad flash just the same whether you're flashing forwards or backwards.. I've never heard of a BIOS that doesn't allow downgrading. I've done it multiple times myself and have read of people doing it hundreds of times.

 

To downgrade preferably flash using a DOS bootdisk
BIOS offer setting of Unlock CPU multiplier and FSB for premium line.
Even so it is not hardcoded, instead they offer you a few values and store the selection in the NVRAM (Non Volatile RAM) so it will be there even if you reboot.
However VGA BIOS settings is hardcoded and on discrete VGA Chips even if you reflash main BIOS, VGA BIOS is untouched as it is located on another separate Chip.

 

Ok, I will update my BIOS.
But it seems one person did vote "Yes". Was it a joke?

 

even if not, chance is too low to worry. even if, just revert to the old.

 

That's what i was saying, but some are saying that some makes of laptops don't like to have their BIOS downgraded. I've never heard of it, but then again I've never heard of a lot of things.

To the OP, yeah just go ahead and flash. You have nothing to lose, BIOS updates are (in my experience anyway) ALWAYS improvements.

 

I heard that too but I was able to successfully downgrade for a lot of laptops i have handled.
No issues flashing in DOS Mode.
I rarely if ever do Windows Flashing

 

A BIOS update locked my BIOS settings by a password (?)! -.- (/Again, Toshiba...)
But a new update removed it!