ASUS doubles BIOS size on new AM5 motherboards to 64MB but Wi-Fi drivers may be removed in future updates to support more AMD CPUs
ASUS has confirmed that its new 800-series motherboards for AMD’s AM5 platform now ship with a doubled 64 MB UEFI ROM, allowing for improved CPU compatibility and new setup features. The company revealed the change through an official blog post and later expanded on it in an interview.
According to ASUS, the larger ROM enables out-of-the-box support for the latest AMD CPUs and even includes pre-installed Wi-Fi drivers, eliminating the common hassle of downloading network drivers from another device during a fresh OS installation. The company described this as part of a broader push to make setup “stress-free,” introducing an updated EZ Mode and a simplified Essential Mode in its new UEFI interface.
Here’s another upgrade that will be appreciated by newcomers and veterans alike: we’re doubling the ROM capacity of the latest ASUS AM5 motherboards from 32MB to 64MB. The extra storage space not only gives us the ability to provide out-of-the-box support for the latest AMD CPUs, but it also allows us to include pre-installed WiFi drivers for a more streamlined experience as you install your operating system.
Future BIOS updates might require us to allocate more of this space for CPU support, limiting our ability to store the WiFi driver on-board. But we’ll include the driver as long as space permits.
— ASUS
In the interviewwith Paul’s Hardware, ASUS representatives confirmed that the 64 MB capacity not only helps with usability but also prepares these boards for future CPU releases. The team noted that the increased storage allows space for more CPU microcode updates, which are required for next-generation Ryzen processors expected to appear on the same AM5 socket.
However, ASUS explained that the built-in Wi-Fi driver might not be a permanent feature. If future AMD CPUs require additional firmware space, the company may reclaim part of the 64 MB ROM to store new microcode. “ We will always prioritize CPU support over anything else, ” an ASUS spokesperson said, suggesting that long-term AM5 compatibility could take precedence over the integrated driver feature.
ASUS expects the AM5 socket to remain active for several more years possibly through 2030 and is positioning its new X870, X870E, B850, and related boards to support as many Ryzen generations as possible. The inclusion of the integrated Wi-Fi driver is an early quality-of-life upgrade, but users should be aware it could eventually make way for continued CPU support.
Source: ASUS , Paul’s Hardware (YouTube)
