ASRock Releases UEFI Updates for Next Generation Intel Processors for its 600-series Motherboards

[TheLostSwede]

ASRock has released UEFI/BIOS updates for at least 47 of its 600-series chipset based motherboards, which will add support for the next generation of CPUs from Intel. The new CPUs are of course Intel's 13th gen Core CPU's, codenamed Raptor Lake, even though ASRock doesn't specifically mention this anywhere in the text on its portal site. We're expecting to see similar announcements from the other motherboard makers in due time. ASRock doesn't go into any kind of details as to which CPUs are supported and the company doesn't appear to have updated its CPU support lists yet, which is a shame, but not entirely unexpected, since the Raptor Lake CPUs aren't expected to launch until later this year.

However, ASRock has implemented what the company calls Auto Driver Installer or ADI in this UEFI/BIOS update for the boards and this is likely to be an unpopular addition, as it means drivers will be automatically be downloaded and installed if the system is connected to the internet. Presumably there will be an option to disable this feature, but it appears to be enabled by default, which has proven to be an unpopular option when other companies have done it. Admittedly it could be a handy feature during a new build or OS reinstall, but it's also a potential attack vector for malware.



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[Muser99]

A shame then that ASRock hasn't done the same for AMD boards, so many still dont have the latest AGESA!

 

[bobbybluz]

I ran the latest BIOS update to one of my two Z690 Steel Legend WiFi boards this evening and have no complaints. That ADI has been included since those mobos were first released late last year. In the earlier BIOS there was an option to turn the notification off. In the latest the option appears to be gone but I got the driver update offer after rebooting into Win 11 the first time, said no and so far it hasn't reappeared after several reboots for tweaking the BIOS and benchmarking.

In the earlier BIOS the ADI showed up after using the driver install DVD. I manually downloaded all drivers for my second build and it's never appeared on that PC. I'm going to update the second rig in a few days after comparing benchmarks.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I ran the latest BIOS update to one of my two Z690 Steel Legend WiFi boards this evening and have no complaints. That ADI has been included since those mobos were first released late last year. In the earlier BIOS there was an option to turn the notification off. In the latest the option appears to be gone but I got the driver update offer after rebooting into Win 11 the first time, said no and so far it hasn't reappeared after several reboots for tweaking the BIOS and benchmarking.

In the earlier BIOS the ADI showed up after using the driver install DVD. I manually downloaded all drivers for my second build and it's never appeared on that PC. I'm going to update the second rig in a few days after comparing benchmarks.

So no option to disable it in the UEFI?

 

[bobbybluz]

So no option to disable it in the UEFI?

Not that I was able to locate if there is. I'll look further before updating my second mobo. It was extremely annoying nagware until I turned it off in the original BIOS.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Not that I was able to locate if there is. I'll look further before updating my second mobo. It was extremely annoying nagware until I turned it off in the original BIOS.

Not liking that at all. This is unfortunately a potential attack vector for all kinds of malware opportunities and as such, it should be possible to disable.