BIOS updates have remained my Achilles' heel throughout my two decades of PC building. The idea that a BIOS update gone awry can brick my PC had been drilled into my psyche long ago, and it's precisely why I hadn't touched my AM4 PC's BIOS since the day I built it. A few months ago, however, I dared to take on the challenge. I downloaded the latest BIOS version from Gigabyte's website, started the process the old-school way, and waited with bated breath. As you might expect, everything went smoothly. The update even fixed some weird power issues on my PC, which made me realize I should have done this sooner.

BIOS updates are painless now

You always have a way to come back

The process of updating the BIOS has undergone massive changes in the last 20 years, but my anxiety forced me to ignore the obvious. Features like BIOS flashback and dual BIOS have been around for years, making PC-breaking BIOS updates a thing of the distant past. Even if you somehow lose power or get an interruption due to some other reason, you can simply switch to the backup BIOS. Alternatively, you could use BIOS flashback to retry the process even if you can't boot into the BIOS.

When I gingerly went into my BIOS to update it manually, I was prepared for anything. After the update was done, and the screen went black, the seconds stretched into minutes, and nothing happened. My worst fears almost came true until the Gigabyte logo finally appeared on the screen. Another black screen followed, and this time, it didn't go away — I was stuck for real. After what felt like an eternity, I restarted the PC and prepared myself for a bricked system. To my relief, I was able to enter the BIOS, verify that the update actually went through, and boot to the desktop.

What I learned was that I had been scared of BIOS updates for nothing. I had probably missed out on years of slight performance and stability updates, simply because I just gave in to my anxiety. Updating my BIOS on this PC for the first time even fixed one of the most annoying Windows issues I have ever faced.

It finally fixed Windows' sleep issues

The weird half-sleep state is gone for good

One of the biggest reasons I even thought about updating the BIOS was a weird Windows sleep mode problem. For the longest time, my PC didn't go to sleep properly 7 times out of 10. Either the GPU fans, RAM sticks, or AIO fans kept spinning while the rest of the PC went to sleep. I had given up trying to fix this issue, and finally settled on a BIOS update as a last resort. Needless to say, I should have done this way sooner.

At first, the update seemed to have done nothing to fix the power issues, but things changed after a few power cycles. I noticed that the weird half-sleep state did not return for a few days, which turned into weeks and months. It's been around 6 months now, and I've not faced the same issue even once. The BIOS update seems to have fixed whatever underlying settings were messing with Windows' sleep mode. I might not have noticed it, but the new BIOS version probably fixed a lot of other minor problems on my PC.

Still, not every BIOS version is worth it

You need to prioritize

BIOS updates are crucial for maintaining the stability and optimal performance of your PC. However, you still don't need to jump on every single one released by your motherboard manufacturer. While some BIOS updates patch serious security vulnerabilities like Spectre, Meltdown, and Zenbleed, others can actually introduce more problems. Some BIOS versions have been known to impact performance negatively or give rise to new bugs that weren't present before.

It's not advisable to swear off BIOS updates for years (like I did), but at the same time, you should prioritize which BIOS versions are worth the update. For starters, you should install any update that protects your PC from security threats. Next, if you're preparing for a CPU upgrade, you'll need a new BIOS version to go along with it. Lastly, any updates released to improve teething issues on new CPUs and motherboards should be installed. You can choose to skip some minor updates if there's nothing major to gain, and your system is working fine. It pays to be regular with BIOS updates, but not every single BIOS version is worth it.

I waited too long to update my BIOS, but you shouldn't

I firmly believe in not fixing what ain't broke, but some persistent Windows issues forced me to finally update my BIOS. I was afraid for no reason, though. While not all BIOS updates are worth it, I could have fixed my PC way earlier by jumping to one of the major versions long ago. If you've been delaying BIO updates on your PC out of fear of breaking something, you should rely on features like BIOS flashback and dual BIOS, and go ahead, unafraid, into the long night.