News Gigabyte incorporates 64MB BIOS chip on X870 motherboard to integrate the WiFi driver

[Admin]

Gigabyte now pre-installs the Wi-Fi driver on its Aorus Stealth ICE motherboard.

Gigabyte incorporates 64MB BIOS chip on X870 motherboard to integrate the WiFi driver : Read more

 

[ezst036]

This makes it easier for you to create a Microsoft account for the first time.

Everybody including Gigabyte knows how badly Microsoft wants these controversial cloud accounts. So it makes sense that Gigabyte would respond to these desires. All of this is nothing more than just so Microsoft can serve you more ads in Windows 11 Advertising Edition. It does not benefit the customer in any way. Actually, the reverse is true. You're the customer who is now forced to pay a higher hardware price for a bigger BIOS chip. (What is a 64gb chip, another $5, 10, 20?)

You pay so that Microsoft can make more money. It's the usual song and dance - the rich get richer.

I sincerely hope other vendors DO NOT follow suit. But if enough vendors did do this then it would make it much easier for Microsoft to pronounce the death sentence for local accounts.

More ads! Advertisements everywhere!

 

[coolitic]

Everybody including Gigabyte knows how badly Microsoft wants these controversial cloud accounts. So it makes sense that Gigabyte would respond to these desires. All of this is nothing more than just so Microsoft can serve you more ads in Windows 11 Advertising Edition. It does not benefit the customer in any way. Actually, the reverse is true. You're the customer who is now forced to pay a higher hardware price for a bigger BIOS chip. (What is a 64gb chip, another $5, 10, 20?)

You pay so that Microsoft can make more money. It's the usual song and dance - the rich get richer.

I sincerely hope other vendors DO NOT follow suit. But if enough vendors did do this then it would make it much easier for Microsoft to pronounce the death sentence for local accounts.

More ads! Advertisements everywhere!

*megabyte, and so at most maybe $5. Otherwise I do largely agree.

 

[jlake3]

Ugggghhhh. I hate the Microsoft account angle, but I've got a 2.5g USB ethernet adapter that is not plug-and-play on Win10, and it shows up as a USB CD drive containing the required driver when first connected, which is super helpful. It's never fun getting stuck in the loop of "I can't get online because I don't have drivers/I can't download drivers if I can't get online".

 

[Konomi]

A better use for the space.

 

[yc1]

Cool now updating wifi card drivers have the risk of corrupting your BIOS that's what people wanted :/

 

[Dntknwitall]

It is so funny how people get mad and upset at the inevitable. It's coming sooner or later. If you want to stay on windows this is what Microsoft wants no matter what it's users want, because there are so many that just don't care. Might as well just let them do it now because my guess is that Microsoft will have it all locked down in 2026. Or switch your OS.

 

[Mark Knight]

Wow! They spent their money that way, how about they just atleast make their low/mid range motherboards 8 ply? Phuc windows anyway.

 

[yc1]

It is so funny how people get mad and upset at the inevitable. It's coming sooner or later. If you want to stay on windows this is what Microsoft wants no matter what it's users want, because there are so many that just don't care. Might as well just let them do it now because my guess is that Microsoft will have it all locked down in 2026. Or switch your OS.

I also use Linux but you didn't know that I only use windows on one laptop due to driver issues every other PC has Linux

 

[hurnii]

In addition to MS Windows 11 registration, it would seem the obvious benefit of having WiFi on the BIOS/UEFI EPROM would be flashing said BIOS chip.

How many years ago were USB drives added as a ROM image source for flashing BIOS?
Aren't we about due for an additional source?

With WiFi apparently outnumbering Ethernet connections these days, especially with laptops (which seem to outnumber desktops, and don't even ship with RJ45 connections anymore), it would seem, the next logical step for Flashing the BIOS image, would be using WiFi.

Assuming the motherboard has a CPU, some RAM, and some sort of video out, then, why not enable WiFi, so, can enter the BIOS/UEFI setup screens, perform basic WiFi config (Connect to desired SSID using desired password), then, BIOS/UEFI application can connect to MoBo Manufacturer's site, download latest image, and flash itself?

Unlike Windows 11 install, which (hopefully) is more of a "one off", updating BIOS on a new system may occur several times over the next year or two, especially if there are security updates to address newly discovered vulns.

Trouble is, WiFi integration with BIOS flashing application is much more complicated (meaning: costs more to develop!) than simply providing an onboard driver repo (on the BIOS chip), which is not new.

Of course, there's always the darkside of having an Over The Air update Bricking the system, but hey, that can occur after downloading an image, copying it to a USB stick, booting into BIOS/UEFI, and doing a BIOS update. Making the owner/user reboot into BIOS/UEFI and manually going through the process is probably safe enough. Love me some "Dual BIOS" chip action, with a DIP switch to select which BIOS chip to boot from, "just in case". It's a shame more MoBos don't offer that feature.

 

[KraakBal]

"Hopefully, especially".. Nobody wants this or should want it

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

four times larger than the 16MB BIOS chip that most AM4 motherboards used when it was new.

Don't remind me...first gen Ryzen owners know all about that...

 

[D_mitchell]

A new reason not to get a MB with WIFI included besides repairability and obsolescence.

 

[mrdoc22]

And soon just like Youtube:
"You must see this video before starting Windows" LOL

 

[jp7189]

Everybody including Gigabyte knows how badly Microsoft wants these controversial cloud accounts. So it makes sense that Gigabyte would respond to these desires. All of this is nothing more than just so Microsoft can serve you more ads in Windows 11 Advertising Edition. It does not benefit the customer in any way. Actually, the reverse is true. You're the customer who is now forced to pay a higher hardware price for a bigger BIOS chip. (What is a 64gb chip, another $5, 10, 20?)

You pay so that Microsoft can make more money. It's the usual song and dance - the rich get richer.

I sincerely hope other vendors DO NOT follow suit. But if enough vendors did do this then it would make it much easier for Microsoft to pronounce the death sentence for local accounts.

More ads! Advertisements everywhere!

Microsoft isn't really an ads company. They only get about 5% revenue from ads vs. e.g. Google at 77% and Facebook at 98%.

I know I'll take a bath for saying it (again), but they are many positive reasons for MS to insistent on online accounts. Device password recovery and bitlocker key storage (which enables automatic fde at time of install) are two that float to the top.

 

[ezst036]

Microsoft isn't really an ads company. They only get about 5% revenue from ads

There are two Microsofts in this context.

There is the Microsoft that existed prior to Windows 10, or perhaps Windows 7, which got zero % revenue from ads.

Then there is the new Microsoft, the Windows 10/11 Microsoft. That Microsoft is the adware company.

(Note: I do not know where this 5% number comes from, but I doubt Microsoft provides a breakdown of which ad revenue is from various Microsoft websites, and which ad revenue is exclusively sourced from within Windows OS.. I would like to see a breakdown if it existed.)

 

[jp7189]

There are two Microsofts in this context.

There is the Microsoft that existed prior to Windows 10, or perhaps Windows 7, which got zero % revenue from ads.

Then there is the new Microsoft, the Windows 10/11 Microsoft. That Microsoft is the adware company.

(Note: I do not know where this 5% number comes from, but I doubt Microsoft provides a breakdown of which ad revenue is from various Microsoft websites, and which ad revenue is exclusively sourced from within Windows OS.. I would like to see a breakdown if it existed.)

They do breakout ad revenue on their earnings, but it's conceivable that ad revenue specifically from Windows clients is include in the "Windows" line.