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BIOS and CMOS, am i wrong?
Hi
Is there any wrong with this statement??? 1) I want to understand the BIOS and the CMOS setting.. the BIOS is the software that will do the POST and also has the bootstrap which tells the CPU where can find the OS. While the CMOS settng is another software which is stored in a CMOS chip (different chip of BIOS). The CMOS setting (sometime called BIOS setting) is basically configuration values that the BIOS read before starting doing anything). The CMOS chip need a battery to keep the information stored inside it. 2) Is it true that the new motherboards have both the BIOS and CMOS setting in one chip.. so we do not have one chip to store the BIOS and another chip to store the CMOS setting.. Please correct me if I am wrong.. thanks a lot. |
#2
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"esara" wrote in message m... Hi Is there any wrong with this statement??? 1) I want to understand the BIOS and the CMOS setting.. the BIOS is the software that will do the POST and also has the bootstrap which tells the CPU where can find the OS. While the CMOS settng is another software which is stored in a CMOS chip (different chip of BIOS). The CMOS setting (sometime called BIOS setting) is basically configuration values that the BIOS read before starting doing anything). The CMOS chip need a battery to keep the information stored inside it. 2) Is it true that the new motherboards have both the BIOS and CMOS setting in one chip.. so we do not have one chip to store the BIOS and another chip to store the CMOS setting.. Please correct me if I am wrong.. thanks a lot. 1) is essentially correct. In the BIOS is stored information about all the various chips on the motherboard, to help the CPU communicate with all the other components. Also stored in BIOS is the POST program that the CPU will run to check all those various circuits to make sure that the motherboard (at least) is working OK. Sometimes the user needs to input information into BIOS to allow the CPU to use the motherboard to communicate with hardware components that are not built into the motherboard. Sometimes the user might want to tweak settings ON the motherboard, as well (such as overclockers, for a good example) These user defined settings are stored in CMOS. Most motherboards have their CMOS settings protected with a battery so that the settings are not lost if you unplug the computer or lose power. 2) depends on the mainboard. A lot of current boards combine BIOS and CMOS into one chip, so that is true. |
#3
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Sometimes the user needs to input information
into BIOS to allow the CPU ... user defined settings are stored in CMOS. Isn't this contradictory? If the user is putting info into the bios, then what is the point of the CMOS chip? I thought the bios was programed and that was that. Didn't you have to buy a new chip in the old days and replace the one on the mobo, and now you can flash them to update them. I'm that is so, then how can you input info into the bios chip? Alby |
#4
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Isn't this contradictory? If the user is putting info into the bios, then what is the point of the CMOS chip? BIOS is basic input/output. If all BIOS information could be stored in BIOS, then CMOS wouldn't be needed. I tend to think of the CMOS settings as part of the BIOS, even though this is often two different chips. I know it's confusing. Even I refer to programming the BIOS, when I'm talking about entering information into CMOS, though that's not technically correct. Programming the BIOS would be more like flashing to a different version. -Dave |
#5
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Dave C. wrote:
Isn't this contradictory? If the user is putting info into the bios, then what is the point of the CMOS chip? BIOS is basic input/output. If all BIOS information could be stored in BIOS, then CMOS wouldn't be needed. I tend to think of the CMOS settings as part of the BIOS, even though this is often two different chips. I know it's confusing. Even I refer to programming the BIOS, when I'm talking about entering information into CMOS, though that's not technically correct. Programming the BIOS would be more like flashing to a different version. -Dave Everyone is both right and wrong. It depends on the context. "BIOS" is the Basic Input/Ouput -System- and consists of code and values. You COULD, of course, hard code everything but it's more convenient if some of the values are variables and, hence, changeable. How you store those two things, the code and variables, is simply a matter of technology. I.E. What can do the job. ROM is fine for code, if you're never going to change it. Well, that might be a bad idea so we could use EPROMS, except the typical user doesn't have a U.V. eraser. Flash chips can be electrically reprogrammed a few thousand times before the failure rate goes way up, and they hold data with no power, so that is great for 'not very often modified' BIOS code. Note I said "code," not "the BIOS." What we're doing here is selecting the 'technology' that satisfies the operational requirements but that doesn't mean 'the chip' is 'the BIOS'. It's only a selected component. Variables are another matter. They get changed too often for flash (perhaps not with more reliable flash) so CMOS is used, which, although it requires power, needs VERY little power so small batteries will keep it alive for extended periods (and modern motherboards keep it tickled with power even when 'off', as long as they're plugged in). So they both store a part of 'the BIOS', code and variables. The confusion comes from using 'the BIOS" as a kind of slang term. Some people mean one thing, others another. What's missing is the rest of the description; like BIOS 'code', or BIOS 'data' (variables). The point is, you have 'function' and then you have 'how we implemented it'. For example, I have an old Compaq Deskpro P166MMX machine that has no code in the 'BIOS chip' (as people tend to call the BIOS code flash storage medium) for users to modify things. That code resides on a special diagnostic partition on the hard drive that gets loaded when you push F-10 to do what most folks here call 'go into the BIOS'. It does the same kinds of things (plus a few more) as the code commonly found in the 'BIOS chip' of other machines. It's just done differently. |
#6
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#7
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#8
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BIOS
Basic Input Output System essentially a type of program stored on a chip.(Software) CMOS Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. (Hardware) The integrated circuit chip itself. The BIOS is stored in the CMOS chip. "Dave C." wrote in message ... "esara" wrote in message m... Hi Is there any wrong with this statement??? 1) I want to understand the BIOS and the CMOS setting.. the BIOS is the software that will do the POST and also has the bootstrap which tells the CPU where can find the OS. While the CMOS settng is another software which is stored in a CMOS chip (different chip of BIOS). The CMOS setting (sometime called BIOS setting) is basically configuration values that the BIOS read before starting doing anything). The CMOS chip need a battery to keep the information stored inside it. 2) Is it true that the new motherboards have both the BIOS and CMOS setting in one chip.. so we do not have one chip to store the BIOS and another chip to store the CMOS setting.. Please correct me if I am wrong.. thanks a lot. 1) is essentially correct. In the BIOS is stored information about all the various chips on the motherboard, to help the CPU communicate with all the other components. Also stored in BIOS is the POST program that the CPU will run to check all those various circuits to make sure that the motherboard (at least) is working OK. Sometimes the user needs to input information into BIOS to allow the CPU to use the motherboard to communicate with hardware components that are not built into the motherboard. Sometimes the user might want to tweak settings ON the motherboard, as well (such as overclockers, for a good example) These user defined settings are stored in CMOS. Most motherboards have their CMOS settings protected with a battery so that the settings are not lost if you unplug the computer or lose power. 2) depends on the mainboard. A lot of current boards combine BIOS and CMOS into one chip, so that is true. |
#9
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Timothy Drouillard wrote:
BIOS Basic Input Output System essentially a type of program stored on a chip.(Software) CMOS Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. (Hardware) The integrated circuit chip itself. Well, it is a type of integrated circuit and one of it's features is low power consumption. The BIOS is stored in the CMOS chip. If you mean the BIOS code, no. That's usually stored in flash memory these days. Other places have been ROM, PROM, EPROM, and even the hard drive. The BIOS parameters are usually stored in a CMOS device because, due to the very low power consumption of CMOS circuits, a small battery can keep them alive for extended periods of time while retaining the ability to easily change them. "Dave C." wrote in message ... "esara" wrote in message . com... Hi Is there any wrong with this statement??? 1) I want to understand the BIOS and the CMOS setting.. the BIOS is the software that will do the POST and also has the bootstrap which tells the CPU where can find the OS. While the CMOS settng is another software which is stored in a CMOS chip (different chip of BIOS). The CMOS setting (sometime called BIOS setting) is basically configuration values that the BIOS read before starting doing anything). The CMOS chip need a battery to keep the information stored inside it. 2) Is it true that the new motherboards have both the BIOS and CMOS setting in one chip.. so we do not have one chip to store the BIOS and another chip to store the CMOS setting.. Please correct me if I am wrong.. thanks a lot. 1) is essentially correct. In the BIOS is stored information about all the various chips on the motherboard, to help the CPU communicate with all the other components. Also stored in BIOS is the POST program that the CPU will run to check all those various circuits to make sure that the motherboard (at least) is working OK. Sometimes the user needs to input information into BIOS to allow the CPU to use the motherboard to communicate with hardware components that are not built into the motherboard. Sometimes the user might want to tweak settings ON the motherboard, as well (such as overclockers, for a good example) These user defined settings are stored in CMOS. Most motherboards have their CMOS settings protected with a battery so that the settings are not lost if you unplug the computer or lose power. 2) depends on the mainboard. A lot of current boards combine BIOS and CMOS into one chip, so that is true. |
#10
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"David Maynard" wrote in message ... Timothy Drouillard wrote: BIOS Basic Input Output System essentially a type of program stored on a chip.(Software) CMOS Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. (Hardware) The integrated circuit chip itself. Well, it is a type of integrated circuit and one of it's features is low power consumption. True. I was just simplifying things. Yes there are many type of IC's, CMOS is just one type. I was just pointing out that CMOS is referring to the chip the information is being stored in. The BIOS is stored in the CMOS chip. If you mean the BIOS code, no. That's usually stored in flash memory these days. Other places have been ROM, PROM, EPROM, and even the hard drive. The BIOS parameters are usually stored in a CMOS device because, due to the very low power consumption of CMOS circuits, a small battery can keep them alive for extended periods of time while retaining the ability to easily change them. Again you are correct, and again, I was just trying to keep things simple. I was simply pointing out that too many people use the terms CMOS and BIOS interchangably, when they are actually two different things. The BIOS settings that people change in their motherboard setups are stored in a CMOS chip on the motherboard. "Dave C." wrote in message ... "esara" wrote in message . com... Hi Is there any wrong with this statement??? 1) I want to understand the BIOS and the CMOS setting.. the BIOS is the software that will do the POST and also has the bootstrap which tells the CPU where can find the OS. While the CMOS settng is another software which is stored in a CMOS chip (different chip of BIOS). The CMOS setting (sometime called BIOS setting) is basically configuration values that the BIOS read before starting doing anything). The CMOS chip need a battery to keep the information stored inside it. 2) Is it true that the new motherboards have both the BIOS and CMOS setting in one chip.. so we do not have one chip to store the BIOS and another chip to store the CMOS setting.. Please correct me if I am wrong.. thanks a lot. 1) is essentially correct. In the BIOS is stored information about all the various chips on the motherboard, to help the CPU communicate with all the other components. Also stored in BIOS is the POST program that the CPU will run to check all those various circuits to make sure that the motherboard (at least) is working OK. Sometimes the user needs to input information into BIOS to allow the CPU to use the motherboard to communicate with hardware components that are not built into the motherboard. Sometimes the user might want to tweak settings ON the motherboard, as well (such as overclockers, for a good example) These user defined settings are stored in CMOS. Most motherboards have their CMOS settings protected with a battery so that the settings are not lost if you unplug the computer or lose power. 2) depends on the mainboard. A lot of current boards combine BIOS and CMOS into one chip, so that is true. |
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