I'm building a new PC with an ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-H motherboard and a Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor. A compatibility checker warned that the motherboard might need a BIOS update before it will recognize the CPU. I don't have another computer available to download the BIOS file. Should I assemble everything and hope it works, or should I take the motherboard somewhere to have it updated first?
2 Answers
You don’t need a fully assembled system for the update. Put the BIOS file on a properly formatted USB drive, use the motherboard’s dedicated BIOS FlashBack port and button, and wait for the indicator to finish. Since you currently can’t create the USB drive, getting access to another computer first is less risky than building everything and potentially having to disassemble it later.
That motherboard supports BIOS FlashBack, so you can update the BIOS without installing the CPU, memory, or graphics card. Download the correct BIOS file to a USB flash drive, plug it into the dedicated BIOS USB port, connect motherboard power, and press the FlashBack button. It’s best to do this before installing the processor.
That sounds like the safest approach, but I don’t have another computer to download the BIOS file. I may have to take the motherboard somewhere or use another computer for that step.
Yeah, I figured FlashBack was the way to go. I’ll probably take the motherboard somewhere or find a computer I can use to prepare the USB drive.