Overview of BIOS Features
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In addition to the appliance-like speed that benefits end users, fast booting systems can also
increase an OEMs manufacturing line throughput.
3.9.1 Peripheral Selection and Configuration
The following techniques will help speed system boot:
• Choose a hard drive with parameters such as “power-up to data ready” less than eight seconds
to minimize hard drive startup delays. The Western Digital Caviar AA or BA series are
examples of drives that meet this parameter.
• Select a CD-ROM drive with a fast initialization rate; variations can influence POST times.
• Eliminate unnecessary features such as video-company-logo displaying, screen repaints, or
mode changes. These all add time in the boot process. The Plug and Play communication
between the video BIOS and the monitor shows time variances.
• Try different monitors. Some monitors initialize more quickly, thereby enabling the system to
boot more quickly.
3.9.2 Intel Rapid BIOS Boot
There are several BIOS settings which, if adjusted, can reduce the execution time of the POST:
• Set the hard disk drive as the first boot device. As a result, the POST will not seek a diskette
drive (saving about one second from the POST time) or a CD-ROM drive (saving about two
seconds).
• Make sure that Quiet Boot is disabled, to eliminate the logo splash screen. This could save
several seconds of painting complex graphic images and changing video modes.
• Make sure the Intel Rapid BIOS Boot option (in the Boot menu of the BIOS Setup Program) is
enabled (this is typically the default setting). This feature bypasses memory count and floppy
seek.
• Disable the LAN feature PXE (Preboot eXecutable Environment) if it will not be used. Doing
so can reduce up to four seconds of option ROM boot time.
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NOTE
It is possible to optimize the boot process to the point where the system boots so quickly that the
Intel Logo Screen (or a custom logo splash screen) will not be seen. Monitors and hard disk
drives with minimum initialization times can also contribute to a boot time that might be so fast
that necessary logo screens and POST messages cannot be seen. If this should occur, it is possible
to introduce a programmable delay ranging from 3 to 30 seconds using the Hard Disk Pre-Delay
feature in the IDE Configuration Submenu of the BIOS Setup Program.
For information about Refer to
IDE Configuration Submenu in the BIOS Setup Program Table 69, page 106
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