Which BIOS vendor to choose

[Nachiketh]

Hi Folks,
We are a hardware manufacturer currently looking for a Intel BIOS vendor to go with our hardware. Please let me know in your opition which would be the most flexible and cost effective BIOS vendor to go with. AMI is one of them, but I would like to know other options as well.
Thanks & Regards,
Nachiketh

 

[tambeshakunt]

AMI and AWARD are the two main ones I know.

 

[junkeymonkey]

American Megatrends Inc. (AMI)


AMI has been around for quite a while now and has earned itself a name (with me anyway!!!) as one of the easiest to use BIOS's because of usually great documentation supplied by the motherboard manufacturers. (These are admittedly USA and European manufacturers - but a few 'Far East' companies (like Fujitech / Octek of Singapore) have excellent BIOS manuals!) Identifying your motherboard from an AMI BIOS is relatively easy if you take a look at the section at AMI's site called just that!! You can also get a similar but slightly simplified version of this page from Wim's BIOS Page.
A lot of Intels' motherboards use the AMI BIOS and details about how they are identified (as well as some of the OEM's who use Intel motherboards) are in the Intel section below


Award

Award state on their BIOS page - "Do not contact Award Software for BIOS upgrades or BIOS technical support" - but a lot of useful information can be gleaned from their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) on their Web site. They also have a how to identify your motherboard section from an Award BIOS number for motherboard manufacturers worldwide. Again you can get a similar but slightly simplified version of this page from Wim's BIOS Page
For all end-user technical support and BIOS upgrades for Award Software BIOS products contact Unicore Software Inc.. Their e-mail address is support@unicore.com.


MR BIOS

Microid Research Inc. manufacture the MR BIOS for various chipsets and are available as upgrades for most motherboards. If you have an Intel based pciset (formerly called 'Triton') click here to see if your motherboard is included. If your pci chipset is NOT Intel then click here They also have a very informative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) section.
A third party company handles MR BIOS upgrades


Phoenix Technologies

Identifying a Motherboard with a Phoenix BIOS could be difficult, the reasons being as follows (quoted from Phoenix's FAQ's):
"If you cannot find the maker's name on or in the computer, in the copyright notice displayed during POST, or in the owner's manual, then you are out of luck. Phoenix does not make computer systems. There is no reliable way for Phoenix to determine the original manufacturer. The numbers listed on the BIOS sticker on the motherboard do not identify the BIOS version or the manufacturer of the system." They "are sequence numbers used to count stickers. They do not identify the BIOS nor the computer manufacturer. Our customer list is highly propriety information."
All is not lost however companies like Intel have upgrades for the Phoenix BIOS's used on their motherboards.
Phoenix Technologies Homepage
Phoenix Technologies Technical Support