Does an ASRock BIOS Update Also Update Thunderbolt Firmware?

If you've ever flashed a new BIOS on an ASRock motherboard and wondered whether that also took care of your Thunderbolt firmware — you're not alone. The short answer is: sometimes, but not always, and the distinction matters more than most people realize.

How BIOS Updates and Thunderbolt Firmware Are Related (But Separate)

A BIOS (or UEFI, the modern equivalent) is the low-level firmware that initializes your motherboard's hardware before your operating system loads. It controls memory settings, CPU configuration, boot order, PCIe lanes, and a long list of other core functions.

Thunderbolt firmware, on the other hand, lives on a dedicated controller chip — typically an Intel Thunderbolt controller — and governs how Thunderbolt devices are enumerated, authenticated, and communicated with. This firmware handles the security model (device authorization), daisy-chaining behavior, and protocol translation between Thunderbolt and USB4 or DisplayPort.

These are two distinct firmware components. They can be updated independently, and whether a BIOS update touches the Thunderbolt controller firmware depends entirely on how ASRock packages that particular release.

When ASRock BIOS Updates Do Include Thunderbolt Firmware

ASRock does sometimes bundle Thunderbolt controller firmware updates inside a BIOS release. This is more common when:

• A security vulnerability in the Thunderbolt controller has been disclosed (such as the Thunderspy class of vulnerabilities)
• Intel releases a new Thunderbolt controller firmware version that improves device compatibility or USB4 interoperability
• ASRock is doing a broader platform update that refreshes multiple firmware components simultaneously

When this happens, flashing the BIOS will also silently update the Thunderbolt controller firmware as part of the same process. You won't necessarily see a separate prompt — it just happens in the background.

When It Doesn't — And Why That Gap Exists

More often, Thunderbolt firmware updates are handled separately from BIOS updates. There are a few reasons for this:

• Controller manufacturers update on their own schedules. Intel's Thunderbolt firmware release cadence doesn't always align with when ASRock ships a new BIOS.
• Not all boards ship Thunderbolt controllers. ASRock produces a wide range of boards, many of which don't include Thunderbolt at all. BIOS updates for those boards obviously won't reference Thunderbolt firmware.
• Separate tools exist for firmware flashing. Intel provides utilities (like the Thunderbolt Firmware Update Tool) specifically for pushing controller firmware updates, which OEMs and end users can deploy independently.

On some ASRock boards, particularly Z-series and X-series Intel platform boards with integrated or add-in Thunderbolt support, you'll see the Thunderbolt firmware version listed in the BIOS itself under an advanced or peripheral settings menu. That version number is your reference point.

How to Check Your Thunderbolt Firmware Version ⚡

Before assuming a BIOS update covered your Thunderbolt controller, check the actual firmware version directly:

• Windows: Open Device Manager, expand System Devices or Universal Serial Bus controllers, find the Intel Thunderbolt Controller entry, right-click → Properties → Details tab → look for firmware version.
• BIOS/UEFI: Some ASRock boards display the Thunderbolt NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) firmware version directly in the UEFI interface under Advanced → Thunderbolt Configuration.
• Intel's Thunderbolt software (if installed) can also surface the controller and firmware version information from within Windows.

Cross-reference what you find with ASRock's release notes for the BIOS version you flashed. The release notes — available on ASRock's support page for your specific board model — will explicitly state if Thunderbolt firmware was updated and which NVM version it includes.

Key Variables That Affect Your Situation

The Practical Difference for Different Users 🖥️

For someone using their Thunderbolt port for a single external monitor over DisplayPort alt-mode, firmware version differences are unlikely to produce noticeable behavior changes. The setup just works at the protocol level regardless.

For someone running an eGPU enclosure, a multi-device Thunderbolt dock, or high-bandwidth storage arrays in a daisy chain, the controller firmware version can directly affect device recognition, bandwidth allocation, and stability. In these setups, being on outdated Thunderbolt firmware while using a newer BIOS can create subtle incompatibilities that are genuinely difficult to diagnose.

Security-focused users — particularly those in enterprise or creative production environments — may also care about whether their Thunderbolt controller firmware includes patches for known authorization bypass vulnerabilities.

Reading ASRock's Release Notes Accurately

ASRock's BIOS release notes use fairly consistent formatting. Look for entries that reference:

• "Update Thunderbolt NVM firmware to version X.X"
• "Fix Thunderbolt device compatibility issue"
• "Update Thunderbolt controller firmware"

If none of those phrases appear in the changelog for your BIOS version, you can reasonably conclude the Thunderbolt firmware was not part of that update. That doesn't mean your controller firmware is outdated — it may have been updated in a previous BIOS release, or may still be current.

What varies is how much any of this actually matters given your specific board, your connected devices, and what you're using Thunderbolt for. Those factors are the missing piece that no general answer can fill in.