---
title: "How does UEFI differ from BIOS?"  
description: "How does UEFI differ from BIOS?"  
author: "Vijay Shukla"  
published: 2012-12-22  
updated: 2020-09-20  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/1613/how-does-uefi-differ-from-bios  
category: "windows 8"  
tags: ["windows 8"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# How does UEFI differ from BIOS?

The Basic Input/output System (BIOS) served as the OS-firmware interface for the original PC-XT and PC-AT computers. This interface has been expanded over the years as the "PC clone" market has grown, but was never fully modernized as the market grew. UEFI defines a similar OS-firmware interface, known as "boot services" and "runtime services", but is not specific to any processor architecture. BIOS is specific to the Intel x86 processor architecture, as it relies on the 16-bit "real mode" interface supported by x86 processors.

## Answers

### Answer by Vijay Shukla

The Basic Input/output System (BIOS) served as the OS-firmware interface for the original PC-XT and PC-AT computers. This interface has been expanded over the years as the "PC clone" market has grown, but was never fully modernized as the market grew. UEFI defines a similar OS-firmware interface, known as "boot services" and "runtime services", but is not specific to any processor architecture. BIOS is specific to the Intel x86 processor architecture, as it relies on the 16-bit "real mode" interface supported by x86 processors.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/1613/how-does-uefi-differ-from-bios

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