Before I go further, let’s first clarify the difference between the BIOS and vendor-specific code like AMD’s AGESA. AGESA (AMD Generic Encapsulated Software Architecture) is a firmware component that’s inside the motherboard’s UEFI, and it’s responsible for handling AMD CPU and chipset initialization. To update AGESA and similar components, you need to update the whole BIOS, so, for simplicity, I’ll refer to all this as “BIOS updates” from here on.

Enthusiasts already know that BIOS updates can unlock performance, efficiency, and compatibility improvements, which is why they stay on top of them. But what exactly can a BIOS update do for your system?

For starters, you might not even be able to use your new computer without a BIOS update. This is because stuff like RAM, NVMe SSDs, and even the CPU itself aren’t always plug-and-play. Even if they’re physically compatible and can even boot into Windows, you sometimes need a BIOS update that adds support and ensures the hardware works correctly.

For instance, AMD’s X3D chips equipped with 3D V-Cache, which are often released months after the mainline. The most notable example is the Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which launched in June 2025, nearly five years after the Ryzen 5000 Series debut.

Despite using the same AM4 socket as many predecessors, the 5500X3D isn’t compatible with older B350, B450, X370, and similar motherboards without a BIOS update. In fact, due to being released so late in the cycle, even newer compatible motherboards likely require a BIOS update before they can recognize the CPU.

As for performance, stability, and efficiency, a new BIOS can sometimes bring small but important benefits, especially in the first few updates after a new motherboard chipset launches. For example, the underwhelming launch of the Ryzen 9000 Series was partly addressed through BIOS updates such as AGESA PI 1.2.0.2, which added a 105 W cTDP option for the Ryzen 7 9700X (up from 65 W) to deliver a drastic 10% performance boost.

Another case is the unstable Intel 13th and 14th Gen K-Series, which received several BIOS updates containing new microcode to improve thermal throttling behavior and voltage control. These changes helped reduce crashes and improve stability. For an older example from the early Ryzen days, a BIOS 1.3 update on X370 motherboards significantly improved performance by refining memory timings and stabilizing power delivery.

Features that directly or indirectly improve performance or quality of life are sometimes added with BIOS updates as well. For instance, Gigabyte’s X3D Turbo Mode significantly improved performance on Ryzen 7000 Series X3D and all Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs. You’d think this is yet another 3D V-cache-related fix, but some of the most impressive results actually came from the 9000 Series non-X3D chips, which saw an 18% improvement.

If you look closely at these examples where BIOS updates improved performance and stability, you might notice a pattern—the updates often fix bugs that prevent the CPU, RAM, or part of the motherboard from working as intended. That makes sense, as ensuring all hardware starts and runs correctly is a core part of the BIOS’s job.