Motherboard BIOS Question's

[Workaholic]

Okay guys as a result of a virus attack, I've had to re install my OS after erasing everything and whilst on the hunt for newer drives for all of my hardware I stumbled across a BIOS update utility.

After reading the change log, which states problems with USB boot device was solved I decided to go ahead and apply it. However after running the tool, the final step states it restarts the computer and after 3 minutes the system should be back to normal in the OS. For the next 15 minutes or so the monitor's off receiving no signal, and only the case's power led is on, with no HDD activity. Oh crap I thought, I've buggered up my once top of the range motherboard.

I then hit the power LED and it sparked to life and applied the update, before going back to windows, Phew.....

I then tested restarting the system, and the USB boot option works (previously all I could do was find the name of the device in the BIOS, but it simply wouldn't boot!!)

The splash intel loading screen has also been changed and boot time has now been cut down from OVER 30 seconds (to show the Intel screen) to about 7!!!!
That's right, the update shaved off 23+ seconds!!!

Only issue is that the "Auxilliary Power Output Connector@ option has been cut from the BIOS setup screen, no worries as I only have lights running from this which I can split from another molex elsewhere!

For reference the motherboard is Intel D955XBK (won in a previous Hexus compo, again cheers guys...
And the version of the BIOS's are as follows:
OLD BK95510J.86A.1452.2005.0430.1606
NEW BK95510J.86A.2049.2007.0213.1654

Now the Q's..

1) What exactly does a BIOS do? Add support for more CPU's etc
Shouldn't this made the overhead bigger = slower loading times.
2) Share your stories and let us know of your successes and any time trials it's beaten!

[BUFF]

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bios1.htm