How to Check Your BIOS Version (Windows, Mac & Linux)

Knowing your BIOS version is one of those quietly useful pieces of information — it tells you whether your firmware is current, helps you troubleshoot hardware issues, and is often the first thing tech support asks for. The good news: checking it takes less than a minute on most systems. The method that works best for you depends on your operating system and how comfortable you are with system tools.

What Is the BIOS Version, and Why Does It Matter?

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It's the firmware embedded on your motherboard that runs before your operating system loads — handling hardware initialization, boot order, and low-level system settings. Modern systems often use UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), which is technically the successor to legacy BIOS but still commonly referred to as BIOS in everyday use.

Your BIOS version is a string — something like F5, 1.40, or 3602 — assigned by your motherboard or PC manufacturer. Manufacturers release updates to fix bugs, improve hardware compatibility, add CPU support, and patch security vulnerabilities (like Spectre/Meltdown mitigations in past years).

Before updating BIOS firmware, you always need to know what version you're currently running. And even if you're not planning an update, your BIOS version can explain compatibility quirks or performance behavior that no amount of Windows troubleshooting will fix.

How to Check BIOS Version on Windows 🖥️

Method 1: System Information Tool

This is the easiest, no-command-required approach.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog
2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter
3. The System Information window opens — look for BIOS Version/Date in the right-hand panel

This shows your BIOS version along with the manufacturer name and release date. No admin rights required.

Method 2: Command Prompt (WMIC)

For users comfortable with a command line:

1. Open Command Prompt (search cmd in the Start menu)
2. Type the following and press Enter:

wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion 

The result returns your BIOS version string directly. Quick and scriptable if you're checking across multiple machines.

Method 3: PowerShell

PowerShell offers a slightly richer output:

Get-WmiObject win32_bios 

This returns the full BIOS object, including version, manufacturer, serial number, and release date. Useful if you want more context than just the version string.

Method 4: DirectX Diagnostic Tool

1. Press Windows + R, type dxdiag, press Enter
2. On the System tab, look for BIOS under System Information

This method works well on Windows 10 and 11 without touching the command line.

How to Check BIOS Version on macOS

Macs don't use BIOS or UEFI in the traditional sense — Apple uses its own firmware architecture. However, you can find equivalent firmware version information:

1. Click the Apple menu (top-left corner)
2. Select About This Mac
3. Click System Report (or More Info, depending on macOS version)
4. Under Hardware, look for Boot ROM Version

The Boot ROM version on a Mac is the functional equivalent of a BIOS version — it's the low-level firmware Apple uses for system initialization. Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3 chips) use a different firmware model than Intel-based Macs, so the terminology and structure vary slightly between generations.

How to Check BIOS Version on Linux 🐧

Linux offers several methods depending on whether you want a GUI or terminal approach.

Using dmidecode (Terminal)

sudo dmidecode -s bios-version 

dmidecode reads hardware data from the DMI/SMBIOS table — the same underlying data source Windows uses. It requires root or sudo privileges.

For a fuller picture including release date and vendor:

sudo dmidecode -t bios 

Checking /sys filesystem

Some systems expose BIOS information through the virtual /sys filesystem:

cat /sys/class/dmi/id/bios_version 

This doesn't require sudo and works on most modern Linux distributions.

Using inxi

If you have inxi installed (common on many distros):

inxi -M 

This returns machine info including the BIOS version in a clean, readable format.

Factors That Affect Which Method Works for You

Not every method works identically across all setups. A few variables determine your best path:

What to Do With the BIOS Version Once You Have It

Once you know your version, you can cross-reference it against your motherboard manufacturer's support page (for custom builds) or your PC/laptop manufacturer's support page (for pre-builts like Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS). Most manufacturers list available BIOS versions alongside release notes that explain what changed.

The comparison typically looks like: your current version vs. the latest available version. If you're running an older version, the release notes tell you whether the update is relevant to your situation — a security patch matters more urgently than a minor stability tweak for a specific CPU you don't own.

One important note: BIOS updates carry real risk. A failed update can leave a system unbootable. Whether an update is worth doing depends on what's changed, what hardware you're running, and how stable your current system already is — and that calculation looks different for every setup.