Two manual installs matter on the R9: the BIOS and GPU drivers. The BIOS has an active update history through December 2023 with a documented prerequisite chain — you must flash 1.0.23 before flashing 1.0.24 or later. GPU drivers should always come directly from NVIDIA or AMD, not through Dell's support page or Windows Update.
Everything else — chipset, audio, ethernet, USB, storage — is handled well enough by Windows Update's inbox drivers. The R9 is a 2019 Coffee Lake-S machine and the driver ecosystem around it has been stable for years. Skipping Dell's full factory driver list won't leave you with broken hardware.
The BIOS is the one update that actually affects hardware compatibility and system stability on this platform. The R9 has accumulated a significant number of updates since launch, and the prerequisite chain introduced at 1.0.24 catches users off guard. Read the BIOS section carefully before you flash — specifically the prerequisite note — to avoid an update failure mid-flash.
| Version | Date | Type | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.26 | Dec 2023 | Latest | CVE security patches. Also updates the Intel Management Engine firmware — unusual for a system BIOS update and the reason Dell listed this as a "Critical" update. Most recent release for this platform; no subsequent BIOS has been issued as of this writing. |
| 1.0.25 | Jul 2023 | Security | CVE security patches. Note: this version number was re-used — an earlier 1.0.25 was released in March 2023 and silently superseded by a revised build in July 2023. If you applied the March version, confirm your BIOS date in the F2 setup screen matches the July release before proceeding to 1.0.26. |
| 1.0.24 | Feb 2023 | Security | Fixed the issue where the BIOS update process fails when Windows 11 22H2 cumulative update KB5019980 is installed. Intel security advisories. Prerequisite required: must be on 1.0.23 before flashing this version or later. |
| 1.0.23 | Dec 2022 | Prereq | Security patches. This version is the mandatory intermediate step for anyone below 1.0.23 who wants to reach 1.0.24 or later. Dell's driver detail page explicitly requires flashing 1.0.23 before updating to 1.0.24 or any subsequent version. Do not skip it. |
| 1.0.22 | 2022 | Security | Intel Security Advisories INTEL-SA-00459, INTEL-SA-00464, and INTEL-SA-00463. |
| 1.0.15 | Dec 2021 | Security | Intel security advisories. Multiple users reported the Windows .exe installer returning "Running on an unsupported system" errors on Windows 11 systems — the USB boot method via F12 is the reliable path for this update if the executable fails. |
| 1.0.14 | Sep 2021 | Security | Intel Security Advisories INTEL-SA-00289 and INTEL-SA-00317. |
Multiple R9 owners have reported the auto-updater hanging mid-flash, leaving the board in a no-POST state with amber LED patterns (3,6 or 3,7 blink codes). Dell's built-in BIOS Recovery facility — Ctrl+Esc at power-on with a USB containing the BIOS .exe — is the recovery path, but it doesn't always succeed.
Always flash manually: download the .exe directly from Dell's support page, then either run it from Windows or copy it to a USB and use the F12 boot menu's BIOS Update option. Never use SupportAssist, Alienware Update, or Dell Update for a BIOS flash on this machine.
Several users on Windows 11 found that the standard BIOS .exe download from Dell's site refused to run, displaying either of those error messages at the UAC confirmation stage. The executable failed even when run as administrator with no third-party software running.
The reliable workaround is to skip the Windows executable entirely: copy the .exe to a FAT32-formatted USB drive, boot, press F12, and select the BIOS Update option from the one-time boot menu. This method succeeds where the Windows .exe fails and is the recommended approach for all R9 BIOS flashes regardless of OS version.
When AWCC updates automatically via the Microsoft Store or Alienware Update, it can pull a newer OC Controls package that is not compatible with the R9's platform. The result is the Fusion tab displaying "777" for all CPU and memory values and the Advanced View tab disappearing entirely.
The fix is to revert OC Controls to a compatible version — specifically OC Controls 1.3.6.0 or 1.3.32.1360 paired with AWCC 5.3.x. Uninstall the current OC Controls package via Programs & Features, reboot, then manually download the correct OC Controls version from Dell's R9 driver page rather than letting any auto-updater select the version.
Users on 1.0.19, 1.0.20, or 1.0.22 who attempted to flash directly to 1.0.24 or later received "not compatible" errors from the .exe installer. In some cases the update appeared to begin before failing, which left the BIOS in an inconsistent state requiring BIOS Recovery.
Dell's official documentation for the 1.0.24 release explicitly states: "Ensure that you update the BIOS to version 1.0.23 before updating to version 1.0.24 or later." There is no shortcut — the intermediate flash to 1.0.23 is mandatory.
These drivers reflect the current known state of the Aurora R9's update history. BIOS 1.0.26 (December 2023) is the most recent firmware release issued by Dell for this platform. No further updates have been published as of this writing. All links on this page point to manufacturer websites; CanItUpgrade.com does not host, distribute, or endorse any driver files.
BIOS flashing carries risk. A failed or interrupted BIOS update can render a system unbootable. Do not flash BIOS unless you have a reason to — if your system is stable on its current BIOS version, you are not required to update. If you do update, follow the manual installation method described above, respect the prerequisite chain, and do not use automated tools.
No liability. Driver and firmware installations are performed entirely at your own risk. CanItUpgrade.com provides this information for reference only and accepts no responsibility for data loss, hardware damage, or system instability resulting from following any guidance on this page. When in doubt, consult Dell support or a qualified technician before modifying system firmware.
The R9's BIOS prerequisite chain and AWCC OC Controls version conflicts trip up a lot of owners. If you've hit a flash failure, a new version mismatch, or a Windows 11 compatibility edge case that isn't documented here, submit it. Community reports are how this page stays accurate.