Solved How do I manage BIOS content?


desertdad

Well-known member
Local time
7:59 AM
Posts
28
Location
Tucson
OS
Windows 11 PRO 23H2
My objective is to display the status of and track changes to BIOS settings in a Dell Optiplex 7090 MiniTower running Windows 11 PRO. I was surprised when I took a look at BIOS settings to discover over eighty individual settings, many of which I had no idea what they were for. On top of that I find in Dell Community postings that when Dell makes BIOS updates using Dell Update they also set other BIOS settings back to default values. I don't know if that is true, but there are multiple references to that effect in the postings. That means I need to pay more attention to the state of every setting and confirm they continue to be what I expect or have changed for some reason. I also want some method of keeping some sort of value collection and changes over time for debugging purposes and disaster recovery.
Dell does provide a text based active directory page of settings. That really helps
I have a similar challenge with my Dell XPS 8090 tower but on a smaller scale. It would be nice if the answer isn't specific to a 7090.
Any ideas? Utilities? free or pay? recommendations? Am I smoking something? The idea of keeping track of over eighty settings over time is challenging.
 
Windows Build/Version
Build 22000.493

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 PRO 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8950
    CPU
    I5-12400
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S2421HS
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    [1]1TB NVMe, [2] 1TB Samsung SATA SSDs, [1] 2TB Samsung SATA SSD
    PSU
    460W
    Case
    MiniTower
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Elecomm trackball
    Internet Speed
    1G
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Build 22631.3296
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 PRO 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell VOSTRO 5630
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1340P
    Memory
    16G
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16", FHD+
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe
    PSU
    65W
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech trackball
    Keyboard
    onboard
    Internet Speed
    1G
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Build 22631.3296
Photograph of each screen?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
@desertdad

I'm not familiar with how DELL does it, or IF they do it at all.
Check your BIOS on the "Tools" tab, maybe, for something called "Profiles"

The BIOSes on most non-prebuilt computer, motherboards, have a way to Save and/or Export the current BIOS settings.

Image1.png







Also, I would check (from within Windows), for a DELL utility that may offer the same type of options.

I found this, with a quick Google...

 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
My new ASUS board (Q370M-C) has a very weak user manual so I DL the .pdf.
Instead of printing out the .pdf I use it for reference & take photos of all my preferred BIOS settings.
You might do that too if there is nothing else available.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self made in 2023
    CPU
    i7-12900K @ 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX
    Memory
    2/16 GB Critical DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
    Sound Card
    On board sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27 inch LED
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Samsung SSD w/ 3 partitions
    250 GB Samsung SSD for WSE 2016 BU OS
    1 TB Samsung SSD (Storage)
    PSU
    RM850x SHIFT 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - Mid Tower
    Browser
    EDGE
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG gram 15, 15.6" Laptop
    CPU
    Core i5-1135G7
    Motherboard
    LG
    Memory
    16GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated - Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Onboard sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    Full HD 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    512 GB
    Browser
    EDGE
My MSI H410 motherboard has a record facility. With a Flash drive plugged in, you press F12 and it records the screenshot to that, as in this example below. I expect MB manufacturers all have different ways of achieving the same ....

MSI_SnapShot.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-build
    CPU
    Intel I3-10100
    Motherboard
    MSI H410M-PRO
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GT 1030
    Sound Card
    Motherboard default
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 970 NVMe SSD 256 Gb
    Samsung QVO 870 SATA SSD 2 Tb
    PSU
    ATX 450W
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    930 Mb down / 120 Mb up
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Microsoft Office 2021 Plus
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-build
    CPU
    Intel i3-8100
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z370 D3
    Memory
    16 Gb
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia GT 720
    Sound Card
    Motherboard default
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 960 NVMe SSD 256 Gb
    Seagate 2 Tb HDD
    PSU
    ATX 450W
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Keyboard
    Microsoft
    Internet Speed
    930 Mb down / 120 Mb up
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
My new ASUS board (Q370M-C) has a very weak user manual so I DL the .pdf.
Instead of printing out the .pdf I use it for reference & take photos of all my preferred BIOS settings.
You might do that too if there is nothing else available.


I see your BIOS has a Tools tab.
You might want to check there, for a way to "save" your BIOS settings, as well.


This is from one of my very old (15+ years ago?), ASUS motherboard manuals...

Image1.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
I've never actually seen a BIOS update reset the settings to default. I think the people who claimed to have it happen to them had something else wrong.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
BIOS settings in a Dell Optiplex 7090 MiniTower running Windows 11 PRO....
I find in Dell Community postings that when Dell makes BIOS updates using Dell Update they also set other BIOS settings back to default values.
I've never actually seen a BIOS update reset the settings to default. I think the people who claimed to have it happen to them had something else wrong.
I have a Dell Latitude 5410 that has just had its third BIOS update from Dell since the beginning of this year. None of my settings were ever changed.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
I have an Optiplex 7080 purchased last Summer. I have gone through 6 bios updates and never have my settings changed. The individual bios settings are included in the Setup and Specifications guide which you can download from Dell. Support for OptiPlex 7090 | Documentation | Dell US
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
While I commend your desire to learn more, the one thing that came to mind when I read your question was 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Changing settings in the UEFI/BIOS can render your computer unusable. In general, if windows or a piece of software requires a BIOS setting and your computer does not have that enabled, a pop up will appear telling you what setting needs to be changed, and what change to make in that setting. If everything is operating normally, you would be better off just leaving the UEFI/BIOS alone.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
My objective is to display the status of and track changes to BIOS settings in a Dell Optiplex 7090 MiniTower running Windows 11 PRO. I was surprised when I took a look at BIOS settings to discover over eighty individual settings, many of which I had no idea what they were for. On top of that I find in Dell Community postings that when Dell makes BIOS updates using Dell Update they also set other BIOS settings back to default values. I don't know if that is true, but there are multiple references to that effect in the postings. That means I need to pay more attention to the state of every setting and confirm they continue to be what I expect or have changed for some reason. I also want some method of keeping some sort of value collection and changes over time for debugging purposes and disaster recovery.
Dell does provide a text based active directory page of settings. That really helps
I have a similar challenge with my Dell XPS 8090 tower but on a smaller scale. It would be nice if the answer isn't specific to a 7090.
Any ideas? Utilities? free or pay? recommendations? Am I smoking something? The idea of keeping track of over eighty settings over time is challenging.

Practically any BIOS update on any motherboard will reset to default values. THis is becauae changes in the BIOS might invalidate some settings.

If yoiu are interested in seeing a number of BIOS settings, I would recommend HWINFO64. It is free. You can also monitor performance with it and make time series graphs of motherboard sensors. One of the best free utilities out there.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
If everything is operating normally, you would be better off just leaving the UEFI/BIOS alone.
I agree to leave bios as is, as even the smallest change can have negative ramifications unless the user knows exactly what he is changing. Dell configures their bios from the factory for optimal performance. I also agree with @cereberus. If you want to keep record of what the current settings are, take a photo of each page with your cell phone. However, I also think it is a good thing to want to know what the settings actually do. The manual explains each setting in detail without you actually having to be in the bios to understand it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
I agree that you need very good reason to change any value in your BIOS and then only if you have trusted and explicit instructions. Dell is very good at providing detailed documentation [with pictures] and that makes things like installing drives much easier. In this case they, perhaps on purpose, don't say much about BIOS settings. My Optiplex 7090 Tower Setup and Specifications doc dated April 2022 makes no mention of or lists BIOS settings. When you see they first page of BIOS Setup there is a selectable text called 'View All'. Selecting that brings up a single blue screen with a text list of all available settings by category. If you know exactly what you are looking for that is a great tool. They also provide selectable Advanced Setup ON/OFF item. One list is just longer than the other and you get more or fewer settings to deal with. All in all, easy to navigate.
I'm running out of runway personally to do more with this thread. I'll be out of pocket for a couple of weeks. I'll get some pics and post them when I get back.
Thanks for all your feedback and advice so far.
Dick
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 PRO 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8950
    CPU
    I5-12400
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S2421HS
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    [1]1TB NVMe, [2] 1TB Samsung SATA SSDs, [1] 2TB Samsung SATA SSD
    PSU
    460W
    Case
    MiniTower
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Elecomm trackball
    Internet Speed
    1G
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Build 22631.3296
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 PRO 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell VOSTRO 5630
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1340P
    Memory
    16G
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16", FHD+
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe
    PSU
    65W
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech trackball
    Keyboard
    onboard
    Internet Speed
    1G
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Build 22631.3296
Practically any BIOS update on any motherboard will reset to default values. THis is becauae changes in the BIOS might invalidate some settings.

Also why most motherboards (not off the shelf ones) don't allow loading a saved bios to be loaded after a bios update.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 5600
    Motherboard
    MSI B550 Tomahawk
    Memory
    Patriot Viper 4 Blackout Series 3600 2x8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire RX 5600 XT
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 278E1A
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    XPG SX8200 240GB M.2 PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe
    Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB
    Seagate 500 GB
    WD Black SN750 500GB
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G3
    Case
    Deepcool CK500WH
    Cooling
    Deepcool Castle 280EX, plus 3 140 MM case fans (2 in front, 1 in rear)
    Keyboard
    Logitech G213 Prodigy
    Mouse
    Logitech 305
I'd wonder how many users who over-clock their computers aiming for faster performance will allow for BIOS updates which may undo all their settings.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Also why most motherboards (not off the shelf ones) don't allow loading a saved bios to be loaded after a bios update.

I already addressed that. Old settings may not be valid in an updated BIOS.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
I'd wonder how many users who over-clock their computers aiming for faster performance will allow for BIOS updates which may undo all their settings.
I do, as do other over-clockers.. I generally revert back to an earlier BIOS if I loose performance, as long as it is still secure to my satisfaction.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
The computer I'm using to type this post is a HP business model (mobile workstation) or laptop.
It has HP software that displays the BIOS settings.
When windows is in use the BIOS settings can be viewed and modified.

The laptop is approximately 10 years old.
It has an old version of HP Performance advisor.


The newer HP computers have newer versions of HP performance advisor.


When you contact Dell ask them about their software.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
Here's a couple of pics. One is what you see with just F2 and one is what you see when you select View All at the top right corner of the native F2 Bios Setup. My Dell 8950 tower desktop doesn't have anything like View All.
 

Attachments

  • F2 tiny.jpeg
    F2 tiny.jpeg
    202.6 KB · Views: 3
  • View All tiny.jpeg
    View All tiny.jpeg
    273 KB · Views: 3

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 PRO 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8950
    CPU
    I5-12400
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S2421HS
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    [1]1TB NVMe, [2] 1TB Samsung SATA SSDs, [1] 2TB Samsung SATA SSD
    PSU
    460W
    Case
    MiniTower
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Elecomm trackball
    Internet Speed
    1G
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Build 22631.3296
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 PRO 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell VOSTRO 5630
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1340P
    Memory
    16G
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16", FHD+
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe
    PSU
    65W
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    air
    Mouse
    Logitech trackball
    Keyboard
    onboard
    Internet Speed
    1G
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Build 22631.3296
Ahhh, Welcome to the world of the Bios :) and ElevenForum :) Glad to have you as a new member.
You could spend weeks in there and still not understand what everything does.
I could only imagine how undesirable a Dell Bios could be.
Why aren`t you updated to .675 yet ?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Skylake Special X299
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 9900X
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix X299-E Gaming II
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z RGB 32GB 3600 16-16-16-36 (F4-3600C16Q-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 3080 12GB FTW3 Ultra Gaming (12G-P5-4877-KL)
    Sound Card
    Supreme FX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PG279Q
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 500GB x2, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2, Western Digital Black 4TB x1
    PSU
    EVGA 1200 P2, EVGA Black Custom Braided Cables
    Case
    Thermaltake View 31 Tempered Glass Limited Edition
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910 Orion Spark
    Mouse
    Logitech G700s, Asus ROG GX860 Buzzard
    Internet Speed
    Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway 75/75
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes 4.5.2
    Other Info
    Thermaltake Riing Duo 14 x3, Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 x2, Corsair HS70 Pro Wireless Headset
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Skylake Special Z170
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 6700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z RGB 16GB 3600 16-16-16-36 (F4-3600C16D-16GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC x2, EVGA Pro SLI Bridge
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC G2460PG
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 870 Evo 500GB, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2
    PSU
    EVGA 1000 P2, EVGA White Custom Braided Cables
    Case
    Corsair Vengeance C70 Gunmetal Black
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i v2, Corsair ML120 x2, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
    Mouse
    Logitech G500s
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum
    Internet Speed
    Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway 75/75
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes 4.5.2
    Other Info
    Corsair SP120 x4, LG Blu-ray Drive, Durabrand HT-395 100 Watt Dolby Digital Amp

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