Tweakers.net reviews MSI's EFI

**ownage** · 08-09-2008, 06:07 PM

Many of us already seen some thing about EFI and know what it is capable off, but I'll post this anyway. Why? Because if you ask me this is one of the biggest real innovation we've seen in the last 10 years along with SSD. Apple uses EFI for a few years already but still we have not seen any other brand other then MSI using EFI.

EFI

EFI is divided into 2 parts. The first part has to be flashed into the motherboard. This part is the basic to run the motherboard. The other part containts tools which are not nececeraly needed and doesn't need to be flashed into the motherboard. The second part can be put onto another medium, harddisk are cd-rom.

Flashing with EFI

Flashing an EFI ready board is not so much different then flashing a Bios. Only the flash tool is different.

The EFI GUI

EFI is graphical and can display detailed screens at higher resolutions then we where used too with BIOS. You can even use the mouse in the bios, or should I say EFI?

Settings in EFI

The MSI EFI bios contains 5 different sections:
-Setting
-Utility
-Eco
-OC

-Game

Most settings are comparable with the ones you had in the old Bios. The 3 biggest innovations we see are:
-Language support
-Tools
-Games

Most brands probably won't put games into there EFI bios's but nevertheless it shows what EFI is capable off.

Some Screenshots:

Some benchmarks

OS boot time:
Bios = 45 sec
EFI = 43 sec

Superpi 1m
Bios = 15,394 sec
EFI = 15,409

Tweakers.net Conclusion

EFI works fast and stable.

Pros
-Userfriendly interface
-Multilanguage support
-Higher resolutions possible
-Extra tools are possible.

Cons
-No Port 80 information (needed for debug cards)
-No POST
-Looks to fancy.
-Games are not needed.

Source

I don't know how much impact EFI has for overclockers. Probably not much but maybe we will see some good OC tools for EFI. Who knows

**Mad1723** · 08-09-2008, 06:25 PM

Most of the cons can be fixed with time if some companies decide to invest some time and money in this technology. I hope sincerely that they will, because this is at last a real evolution in BIOS in years. Overclocking with a mouse and a scroll down menu in BIOS, what a pleasure

**zanzabar** · 08-09-2008, 06:30 PM

i dont realy like the idea of this since its stored on the flash rom, if it was its own mlc/slc chip then maybe but this implementation seams dangerous

**AnXioZ** · 08-09-2008, 06:38 PM

This is the future like it or not. EFI offers more benefits and potential than BIOS and it was about time someone in the PC market to implement it.

**Swatrecon_** · 08-09-2008, 06:51 PM

First thing I think of when I hear EFI is Electronic Fuel Injection.

**The0men** · 08-09-2008, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Swatrecon_

First thing I think of when I hear EFI is Electronic Fuel Injection.

Same lol

Anyway, It certainly is nice to see something new and not so bland and boring as the old blue screen white text.

Certainly a waste of time having the games though, and especially if it takes them time to develop and we are paying for something we don't want.

It does look way to fancy pantsy, just needs to look clean and profesional, not neccesarily like a BIOS, but not so kiddy.

Anyway, a change is as good as a holiday.

**Cooper** · 08-09-2008, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by zanzabar

i dont realy like the idea of this since its stored on the flash rom, if it was its own mlc/slc chip then maybe but this implementation seams dangerous

huh ?
So we all must be scared to death then cos all current boards use ROM to store BIOS

Seriously how long we've seen this on game consoles and only now it appears on PC

**lowfat** · 08-09-2008, 11:45 PM

Still 43 seconds to boot up? That still seems pretty damned slow. It takes like a second or two at max for my Mac to start loading the OS after power up, I guess I just expected more. Still a definite step in the right direction.

**G80** · 08-09-2008, 11:58 PM

Its nice. Even if you cant boot into windows you could still play games lol

**TRG** · 08-10-2008, 12:56 AM

I guess the games are more an proof-of-concept of the possible capabilities of EFI. If user are free to develop there own tools, I can predict some nice OC plugins or other tools coming up.

**Shintai** · 08-10-2008, 01:16 AM

The BIOS is also a horrible 16bit realmode legacy. I for one dont miss it and all its limits. Welcome EFI.

However I wish the EFI partition could be standardlized to be on some flash etc. Instead of a partition on the HD.

Originally Posted by lowfat

Still 43 seconds to boot up? That still seems pretty damned slow. It takes like a second or two at max for my Mac to start loading the OS after power up, I guess I just expected more. Still a definite step in the right direction.

43 seconds is to load the OS and everything.

**bowman** · 08-10-2008, 01:45 AM

Apparently in x64 Vista with SP1 rolled into the installation (incidentally what I have

) it is possible to access EFI directly from the desktop environment, which means that stable OCing is possible from the desktop without using software overclocking.

There are many neat things about EFI. It's also coded in C rather than assembly (and of course there's more space for more stuff) which means there are a lot more people around to innovate in terms of EFI functions. As soon as mobo makers get their thumbs out of their butts and really get their EFI trains going we should see much more interesting and relevant things than little games.

**ahmad** · 08-10-2008, 02:02 AM

They gotta fix the post. I like to see numbers and letters when I turn on my computer, not some fancy logo

**FischOderAal** · 08-10-2008, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by lowfat

Still 43 seconds to boot up? That still seems pretty damned slow. It takes like a second or two at max for my Mac to start loading the OS after power up, I guess I just expected more. Still a definite step in the right direction.

Yupp, I'm disappointed as well. My MacBook boots frickin fast even with a 2,5-inch hdd with 5.400 rpm. The OS is already loading on the notebook when my PC is still posting...

Maybe it'll improve with new releases *hopes*

Nevertheless it's good to see the BIOS is finally being replaced, but I fear problems as Vista w/o SP1 doesn't work with EFI. That's a damn shame Microsoft didn't implement that right on...

**bowman** · 08-10-2008, 02:07 AM

Originally Posted by FischOderAal

Nevertheless it's good to see the BIOS is finally being replaced, but I fear problems as Vista w/o SP1 doesn't work with EFI. That's a damn shame Microsoft didn't implement that right on...

It does, actually, but with reduced functionality. It ends up working like a BIOS, few perks.

**FischOderAal** · 08-10-2008, 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by bowman

It does, actually, but with reduced functionality. It ends up working like a BIOS, few perks.

Ok, thank you for clearing up that one!

So installing Vista shouldn't be a problem

**Kingcarcas** · 08-10-2008, 02:30 AM

Graphical BIOS, brilliant! Why did this take so long

**Sly Fox** · 08-10-2008, 02:33 AM

I don't think it's particularly more useful overall, but I like the aesthetics. As long as it isn't noticeably gimped compared to standard bios, I wouldn't mind it.

**bowman** · 08-10-2008, 02:56 AM

Originally Posted by FischOderAal

Ok, thank you for clearing up that one!

So installing Vista shouldn't be a problem

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/05...date-in-july/1

One thing we had serious reservations about was the supposed “Vista x64 SP1” limitation – what happens on EFI-based board when you install or use an OS that isn’t Windows Vista x64 SP1? Do you need to streamline SP1 into a Vista x64 DVD or revert the BIOS every time?

Fortunately, no! You can use EFI and install any operating system you want, however you can’t use any in-Windows tools to see the BIOS options (including stuff like CPU-Z, temperature monitoring or clock-gen tools) if you don’t use Windows Vista x64 SP1. You can still use and overclock that board via the new EFI BIOS though if you want to stick to XP.

This is awesome news – one of the concerns was that only Vista x64 SP1 could use and see it at all, but since that isn’t the case we can see a much, much wider take up of EFI this year which should make things far more user friendly.

So there are some limitations as you can see. Personally I have x64 SP1 so I just want them to bring it on already.

**Shintai** · 08-10-2008, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by FischOderAal

Yupp, I'm disappointed as well. My MacBook boots frickin fast even with a 2,5-inch hdd with 5.400 rpm. The OS is already loading on the notebook when my PC is still posting...

Maybe it'll improve with new releases *hopes*

Nevertheless it's good to see the BIOS is finally being replaced, but I fear problems as Vista w/o SP1 doesn't work with EFI. That's a damn shame Microsoft didn't implement that right on...

Your macbook is usually in a sleepstate. Also, unlike MS. You dont have support for a trillion devices and legacy on your mac.

**ownage** · 08-10-2008, 03:12 AM

I don't know why both Bios and EFI boot time is so high, but it is only a comparison between EFI and Bios. I can boot Mac OS within 25sec on my Atom system and Windows in 35 seconds

**~~Katanai~~** · 08-10-2008, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by Cooper

huh ?
So we all must be scared to death then cos all current boards use ROM to store BIOS

Seriously how long we've seen this on game consoles and only now it appears on PC

You do know what ROM stands for no? And yeah his was a valid concern that I had too when I saw the live update button in one of the screens. If it's too easy to flash it maybe someone will develop a virus for it that actually updates itself every time you start the comp. Now that would be a hard beast to kill...

**RaZz!** · 08-10-2008, 03:51 AM

i like the idea, but wtf, WHAT did the graphics artists do to the interface. it has too much anime/asian style for my taste

**Calmatory** · 08-10-2008, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by lowfat

Still 43 seconds to boot up? That still seems pretty damned slow. It takes like a second or two at max for my Mac to start loading the OS after power up, I guess I just expected more. Still a definite step in the right direction.

Your mac sucks in everything else. Besides, other OS' can hibernate also.