Component companies are constantly upgrading their protocols and AMD is no different. The brand, known for its graphics cards, is transitioning its latest 9000 series GPUs to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware standard. This means shifting away from the pre-boot BIOS setup that has been the customary way of performing various system tasks for many years.
PC World noted that many computer enthusiasts may believe that UEFI and pre-boot BIOS are interchangeable. However, AMD detailed in support documentation that it is moving forward with UEFI as its sole firmware standard for graphics cards including the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, for several reasons. These include improved security, interoperability for different interfaces, swift firmware updates, support for large hard drives, support for new PC hardware, Windows Secure Boot compatibility, as well as faster shutdown, startup, sleep, and resume times.
Though AMD is secure in its decision, some PC users could find themselves in a sticky situation, especially if they are still running Windows 10 and have a computer with an older motherboard. PC World noted that most computers that are at least 10 years old should have motherboards that support UEFI. Even so, many Windows 10 users seem content to ride the legacy OS support wave until well after October 14, 2025, when Microsoft is set to end support for the system.
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The publication noted that stats conducted by the gaming platform Steam indicate over 40% of users are operating PCs running Windows 10, which could put them at risk of having their computer hardware incompatible with Windows 11. There’s no way of testing whether a PC motherboard is up to standard with UEFI or is BIOS per Steam’s statistics.
This may be AMD’s effort to help promote the push to Windows 11. However, the publications noted that users can employ a workaround by upgrading their PC motherboards and continuing to run Windows 10.
However, down-with-the-ship users can expect more efforts to urge them to abandon the legacy software. Notably, Microsoft has indicated that it plans to charge a fee for Extended Security Updates (ESU) to those who maintain Windows 10 beyond the end-of-service date.