I know that many of you could not care less, but this article, BIOS A to Z, was highly recommended to me and might be quite useful for those who like to tinker (or those whose equipment is forcing them to learn.)
The article begins: "The Basic Input Output System – aka BIOS -resides in a small Flash EEPROM memory module on the motherboard. It’s a form of read-only memory, but may be rewritten or programmed when the right tools and techniques are applied. During PC startup, the processor on the motherboard always executes the program stored in the BIOS as its first major maneuver.
"When a PC dawdles through the boot process, the system runs slowly, Windows crashes, or the hardware fails, a badly configured BIOS may be at fault. In this article, we show you how to manipulate the switch center of your PC, to make your system run faster and work better."