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What is a Flash BIOS and is it different from a ROM BIOS?

April 26, 2017BIOS different Flash ROM

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What is a Flash BIOS and is it different from a ROM BIOS?

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In early PCs the BIOS was stored on a ROM (read only memory), or more likely an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory). In the past several years a specific type of EEPROM called “Flash” is typically used to contain the BIOS program. These chips are easier to reprogram than the earlier EEPROMs, and many can be reprogrammed without being removed from the PC. The term “Flash BIOS” is used only if the motherboard can reprogram the Flash ROM containing the BIOS while it is on the motherboard. If the design requires removing the ROM to reprogram the part, it is not a Flash BIOS.