How to Update Your Minisforum MS-S1 Max BIOS for AI Workloads — Without Windows

Posted: February 27, 2026 to Technology.

The Problem: Windows-Only BIOS Updates on a Linux AI Workstation

The Minisforum MS-S1 Max has quickly become one of the most popular mini PCs for AI workloads, local LLM inference, and Linux-based homelabs. With its AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor (16 cores, 32 threads of Zen 5), 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, and a Radeon 8060S GPU capable of sharing up to 96 GB of that memory as VRAM, it's a serious machine for running models like Llama, Mistral, and DeepSeek locally.

But there's a catch. When Minisforum releases a BIOS update — and you should install them for stability, security patches, and performance improvements — they only provide Windows-based tools. If you're running NixOS, Ubuntu, Arch, or any other Linux distribution, you're seemingly out of luck.

Except you're not. Here's how we update the BIOS on our MS-S1 Max fleet without ever touching Windows.

What You Need

• A USB flash drive (512 MB or larger — any old stick will do)
• A Linux machine to prepare the USB
• The official BIOS update file from Minisforum's support page
• About 15 minutes of your time

The Secret: EFI Shell Is Already Built In

Here's what most guides miss: Minisforum's BIOS packages already include everything you need to flash from an EFI Shell. Inside the download you'll find AfuEfix64.efi (AMI's EFI-native firmware update utility) and EfiFlash.nsh (a shell script that automates the flash). These are native UEFI applications — they run before any operating system loads and have direct hardware access to the SPI flash chip. No Windows. No Linux. No OS at all.

Modern UEFI firmware includes a built-in command-line environment called the EFI Shell. Think of it as a minimal operating system baked into your motherboard. It can read FAT32 USB drives, execute EFI applications, and run scripts. That's all we need.

Step 1: Prepare the USB Drive on Linux

We've published an automated script on GitHub that handles everything in one command, but here's the manual process:

First, download the BIOS update and a UEFI Shell binary:

wget -O SHWSA_1.06.7z "https://pc-file.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/MS-S1+MAX/BIOS/SHWSA_1.06_260104B.7z"
wget -O shellx64.efi "https://github.com/pbatard/UEFI-Shell/releases/download/24H2/ShellX64.efi"

Then partition your USB as a single FAT32 EFI System Partition and copy the files:

# Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device (check with lsblk)
sudo sgdisk --zap-all /dev/sdX
sudo sgdisk -a1 -n1:0:0 -c 1:efiboot -t1:EF00 /dev/sdX
sudo mkfs.vfat -F32 -n "BIOS" /dev/sdX1

sudo mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt
7z x SHWSA_1.06.7z -o/tmp/bios/
sudo cp /tmp/bios/SHWSA_1.06_260104B/{AfuEfix64.efi,EfiFlash.nsh,SHWSA.BIN} /mnt/
sudo cp shellx64.efi /mnt/
sudo umount /mnt

You should end up with four files on the USB: shellx64.efi, AfuEfix64.efi, EfiFlash.nsh, and SHWSA.BIN.

Step 2: Boot into EFI Shell on the MS-S1 Max

Plug the USB into your MS-S1 Max and power on. Press Del repeatedly to enter BIOS Setup. Before you can use the EFI Shell, you'll need to disable Secure Boot — navigate to the Security menu, and you may need to set an Administrator password first to unlock the option.

Once Secure Boot is disabled, look for "UEFI Shell" or "Launch EFI Shell from filesystem device" in the boot menu. If it's not listed, you can add a boot entry pointing to shellx64.efi on the USB drive.

Step 3: Flash the BIOS

At the Shell> prompt, find your USB drive and run the flash script:

FS0:
dir
EfiFlash.nsh

If FS0: doesn't show your files, try FS1:, FS2:, and so on. The script calls AMI's flash utility with the appropriate flags to program the main BIOS area, boot block, and NVRAM while preserving your SMBIOS data and security keys.

The system will automatically shut down or reboot once the flash is complete.

Step 4: First Boot — Don't Panic

This is where many people get nervous. The first boot after a BIOS update can take 5 to 10 minutes while the system performs memory training — recharacterizing all 128 GB of LPDDR5X to ensure stability at 8000 MT/s. You may see a black screen, the power LED cycling, or several reboots. This is completely normal.

Once it boots, all BIOS settings will be reset to defaults. Re-enter the BIOS (Del key) to verify the new version, re-enable Secure Boot if desired, and check your boot order. Your NixOS, Ubuntu, or other Linux installation should still be there — the boot entries are stored in NVRAM, which survives BIOS updates.

Why Keep Your BIOS Updated?

For an AI workstation like the MS-S1 Max, BIOS updates are especially important:

• Memory stability: The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 pushes 128 GB of LPDDR5X at 8000 MT/s. BIOS updates improve memory controller tuning, reducing errors during sustained AI training and inference workloads.
• NPU and GPU performance: AMD's 50 TOPS NPU and Radeon 8060S iGPU get firmware-level optimizations that improve AI acceleration frameworks like ROCm and ONNX Runtime.
• Security: Platform Security Processor (PSP) patches address vulnerabilities in the AMD secure enclave — critical if your workstation handles sensitive data or client models.
• USB4 V2 and PCIe: The MS-S1 Max's USB4 V2 ports (80 Gbps) and PCIe x16 slot benefit from controller firmware fixes that improve external GPU and NVMe performance.

Automate It with Our Script

We've packaged this entire process into a single script that handles downloading, partitioning, and file copying. It includes safety checks to prevent you from accidentally wiping the wrong drive:

git clone https://github.com/capetron/minisforum-ms-s1-max-bios.git
cd minisforum-ms-s1-max-bios
sudo ./scripts/prep-usb.sh /dev/sdX

The full guide, troubleshooting tips, and BIOS version tracking are all in the GitHub repository.

About Petronella Technology Group

At Petronella Technology Group, we build and manage AI infrastructure for businesses — from local inference clusters running on hardware like the MS-S1 Max to enterprise AI deployments with compliance requirements. With over 23 years in the industry, we specialize in making cutting-edge technology practical and production-ready.

If you're building an AI homelab, deploying local LLMs for your organization, or need help with Linux-based AI workstations, get in touch. We've been running NixOS on Minisforum hardware in production and can help you get the most out of these powerful little machines.