Good to know: useful BIOS settings

29.03.2022

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the firmware of a PC – software that is permanently built into the hardware and has already been examined in detail on our blog. In this article, we explain which functions and settings are still available in the BIOS and what you need to bear in mind if you are unsure.

AC Power Loss - in the event of a power failure

Or also: How should the computer behave if the power is (suddenly) lost, for example if the power fails or the mains plug is (accidentally) pulled out. There are various options for this:

The Power On function, which switches the appliance back on automatically.

If the Power Off function is activated, the PC remains switched off.

The Last State function restores the last state the computer was in before the power was removed.

Compatibility for UEFI: CSM support

For backward compatibility, most UEFI implementations also support booting from MBR-partitioned disks via the Compatibility Support Module (CSM), which provides legacy BIOS compatibility. Whether CSM should be activated or not depends on various factors, such as UEFI compatibility of the GPU or the installation of older operating systems. Here you can again choose between activated and deactivated.

What exactly UEFI is and how it differs from BIOS is described in this article.

Wake on LAN

Wake on LAN (WoL) can bring the computer back from sleep if an Internet connection is ensured via a LAN connection. This means that the PC can be started via the built-in network card. The process can be carried out via the local network or via the Internet. Here, too, you can choose between enabled and disabled. You can read more about Wake on LAN in this blog article.

FAN settings for actively cooled systems

In the BIOS of a PC, the fan can also be specifically regulated for an actively cooled system. You can choose between three different settings: low, medium and high, i.e. quite simply: you can choose between quiet, medium and loud. Depending on the system, the fan can also be adjusted continuously or even by temperature.

More information about the importance of cooling in the PC is described in the following article.

Do you have questions about one or more specific BIOS settings or want to know which settings have been made on your system in the BIOS? Please feel free to get in touch with us:

Get in touch with us