02-17-2024 11:24 AM
Hello folks
I have a Z690 TUF Gaming Plus Wifi D4 board in a machine I built back in mid 2022.
I'm on BIOS 1304. I've wanted to upgrade for a while but it seems there were some dodgy BIOS versions over the last couple of years - all the more concerning because some of them apparently do not allow you to roll back.
But I get the impression 3101 is generally considered ok, so I'm thinking of giving it a try!
The main thing I'm slightly concerned about is that I have 128GB RAM (4x32 DDR4) and I gather that is something that these boards/BIOS can be a bit sensitive about.
What do you reckon? Safe to give it a try?
If there are problems with 3101, I know I won't be able to roll back to 1304, but which BIOS versions will I be able to roll back to? I want to know I have a few alternative options if 3101 isn't great.
Please let me know what you think!
Thanks
02-17-2024 02:16 PM - edited 02-17-2024 02:36 PM
I'm speaking as a 690 Hero owner - I agree that for most people, BIOS 3101 has been pretty good, although I have heard of issues (as with all BIOS versions). I think you have a tough decision to make, because with 128GB of RAM, I think you are at a higher risk of potential problems.
What I can say is that you'll be able to roll back to 2305, no earlier. That gives you 6 versions to choose from - 2305, 2403, 2602, 2703, 2902 and 3101 (IF these were available for your board, you'll need to check what versions were released). Bear in mind that ME firmware can't be rolled back, no matter what BIOS you use, once upgraded. There are also a couple of beta BIOS versions 2703RC and 2401RC. You could try those as well if they were available for your board, they were for the Hero. I only keep notes for my system. Anyway, avoid 2305, it caused a lot of issues for people.
On balance, I would advise that you do nothing if everything is working for you. The decision, as they say, is yours...
All I can say is that every BIOS version ever released has worked for me, but then I only have 32GB of slow RAM.
NOTE: It is actually possible to go back from 2305 to 2204, but I wouldn't advise it. I undertook that rather complicated process and I lost my motherboard serial number. It has caused no problems for me, but I would advise against it. I was annoyed because I didn't even have a good reason to do it. I just decided to try. It worked, but...
Actually, you may not be able to do that, as I don't know if the patched BIOS files for your motherboard were ever made available. Probably best to forget that I ever mentioned it.
02-18-2024 02:58 AM
Thanks for the reply John AB!
Hmmmm.
Yes, I'm a bit concerned about the 128GB RAM thing.
You mentioned your 32GB of slow RAM - Mine is actually slower than yours, I'm using DDR4 3600Mhz, so maybe there's less risk?
I could stay where I am, but on 1304 the RAM is actually not quite as stable as I would like - occasional XMP problems - and since so many of the updates list memory stability of compatibility improvements, maybe it would be worth moving on from my relatively early BIOS.
I don't know.
But thanks for letting me know that there are still a few alternative BIOS's I can try if 3101 doesn't work for me!
02-18-2024 04:34 AM
I didn't realise that you are using DDR4 (I missed that). In that case, I do think that any risk is reduced. DDR5 is where most problems seem to be. On balance then, I think I would do the upgrade (if it was me). In theory, the later BIOS's should be better for RAM stability.
Impossible for me to recommend a course of action for you though. I'd feel bad if I said go ahead and it didn't work out for you. Please update if you do try.
03-16-2024 03:03 PM
Hello again
Very belatedly I am getting round to this.
I'm going to go for 3101 as reports seem slightly more favourable than 3302.
So 3101...
Is it ok to go straight to that from the old 1304 bios I have currently?
Do I need to install anything else first? ME firmware or anything else?
What's the whole renaming process that I read about sometimes? Do I need to do that?
Anything else I need to know?
Sorry for the rudimentary questions but it's been a long time since I've updated bios!
Thanks