Transitioning from Windows 10: A Challenge for Gamers
As the countdown to the end of Windows 10 support ticks down to eight months, a palpable sense of unease is settling among PC gamers. The impending transition poses significant challenges, particularly with the introduction of AMD’s latest graphics cards, the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, which mandate the use of Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) over the traditional BIOS.
UEFI represents a modern evolution of the pre-boot BIOS setup that many users have become accustomed to. For those who have built or upgraded their PCs within the last decade, it’s likely that UEFI is already in play. However, the terms UEFI and BIOS are often used interchangeably, even by seasoned tech journalists, leading to potential confusion.
AMD recently confirmed that all graphics cards from the 9000 series onward will feature “UEFI-only support,” a detail highlighted by VideoCardz.com. While a significant portion of PC users have transitioned to UEFI—especially since Windows 11 requires it for Secure Boot and enhanced security features—there remains a substantial segment of the gaming community still operating on Windows 10, which is compatible with older BIOS systems. Current data from Steam indicates that over 40 percent of its users are still utilizing Windows 10, raising concerns about compatibility as the industry moves forward.
VideoCardz also notes that AMD’s announcement does not explicitly state that the new 9000-series cards will be incompatible with motherboards running BIOS or those equipped with the Compatibility Support Module (CSM). However, the lack of guaranteed support and performance on these older systems, even with CSM enabled, is a critical consideration for gamers contemplating hardware upgrades.
For those who choose to remain on Windows 10 beyond Microsoft’s designated end-of-service date, upgrading to a new motherboard while continuing to run Windows 10 is still an option. Yet, as the deadline approaches, the likelihood of encountering compatibility issues is expected to increase, prompting gamers to weigh their options carefully.
