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Bios and Cmos

  • 06-03-2006 2:38am
    #1
    chopster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 266 ✭✭


    Ok , with fear of being labeled a thickie what are the main differences between the two ?

    I remember seeing a thread about this a long while back but couldn't find it .

    I understand the bios holds info on the booting process etc and the cmos holds the system settings , correct ?
    So is the bios screen really the cmos screen ?

    Looked all over but couldn't really find a definitive answer , they all seem to describe both chips as kinda functioning in the same manner.

    :confused:


Comments

  • #2
    Snowbat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭Snowbat


    http://kb.iu.edu/data/annl.html wrote:
    Many people use the terms BIOS (basic input/output system) and CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) to refer to the same thing. Though they are related, they are distinct and separate components of a computer. The BIOS is the program that starts a computer up, and the CMOS is where the BIOS stores the date, time, and system configuration details it needs to start the computer.

    The BIOS is a small program that controls the computer from the time it powers on until the time the operating system takes over. The BIOS is firmware, which means it cannot store variable data.

    CMOS is a type of memory technology, but most people use the term to refer to the chip that stores variable data for startup. A computer's BIOS will initialize and control components like the floppy and hard drive controllers and the computer's hardware clock, but the specific parameters for startup and initializing components are stored in the CMOS.

    The Setup program is provided by the BIOS to allow the user to configure the variables stored on the CMOS battery-backed RAM. At least that's the way it used to be - these days you might find both on a single flash chip instead.


  • #3
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    thanks I was interested in knowing that too


  • #4
    chopster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 266 ✭✭chopster


    Thanks , so basically the bios is a flash rom with a set of instructions on how to boot up the pc prior to handing over to the os ? And that the cmos holds the settings from which the bios needs to accomplish this ?


  • #5
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    <begin nerdy talk>

    Technically, cmos is a method of chip making (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor). The BIOS chip (and most chips within a modern computer) is made using cmos. These types of chips lose all contents when the power is removed, hence the need for a battery to keep the data within the chips.

    So in this context, the BIOS and CMOS settings are the same thing.

    More recent BIOS chips, however, are made using flash chips, which don't lose their contents when the power is removed.

    </end nerdy>:D


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