Prerequisites¶

Before you start, make sure you have everything you need. Missing a critical component will block your progress.

Essential Hardware¶

The Board¶

AMD BC-250 Board

Where to buy: AliExpress, eBay
What to look for: Any BIOS version is fine (P2.00, P3.00, P4.00, P5.00)
Avoid: Boards without heatsink or obvious physical damage

Power Supply¶

12V PSU with PCIe 8-pin connector

Minimum requirements:

Wattage: 300W+ recommended (250W minimum)
Connector: PCIe 8-pin (6+2 pin)
Voltage: 12V rail with adequate amperage

Power draw by use case:

Idle: 70-85W (with governor), 85-105W (without governor)
Light gaming: 100-150W
Heavy gaming: 150-200W
Maximum load (RT on): Up to 235W (can exceed 250W+ with GPU frequency patch)

Recommended PSUs:

Budget: Flex ATX 500W
Compact: FSP500-30AS
Ultra-compact: MeanWell LOP-300-12 (bare PCB, requires knowledge)
Full ATX: Any 400W+ ATX PSU you have lying around

6-pin Adapters

Some users report success with 6-pin to 8-pin adapters, but this is NOT recommended. The board CAN draw more than 150W (the 6-pin limit).

Cooling¶

High Static Pressure 120mm Fan(s)

The stock heatsink is passive and designed for rack-mount chassis airflow. You MUST add active cooling.

Minimum: 1x 120mm fan Recommended: 2x 120mm fans in push-pull

Best fans (by community testing):

Arctic P12 Max / P12 Pro - Best value, 6.9 mmH2O static pressure (P12 Pro more readily available)
Noctua NF-A12x25 - Premium option, quieter
Arctic P14 Max - Larger option if you have space

Fan Requirements

You NEED high static pressure fans (3+ mmH2O). Standard case fans won't push enough air through the dense fin array.

Heatsink modification: Required for axial fans

Straighten bent fins (they're often bent from manufacturing/shipping)
OR cut top of fin array for easier airflow (advanced)

Full cooling guide →

Display Connection¶

DisplayPort Cable or Adapter

The board has NATIVE DisplayPort output.

Options:

Best: Native DisplayPort cable (1080p/1440p/4K, audio works)
Good: Passive DP to HDMI adapter (1080p/1440p, audio works)
Avoid: Active DP to HDMI adapter (video works, audio broken)

Audio Limitation

Native DP audio is partially broken in Linux. Use passive adapters for best results, or USB audio as workaround.

Display troubleshooting →

BIOS Flashing¶

FAT32 USB Stick (any size)

For flashing modded BIOS
Any cheap USB 2.0/3.0 stick works
Must be formatted as FAT32

Essential Software¶

Linux Distribution¶

The BC-250 requires Linux for GPU support. Windows has NO drivers.

Recommended (easiest setup):

Fedora 42 or 43 Workstation - Most tested, good documentation
Bazzite - Gaming-focused, works out-of-box

Also work well:

CachyOS (best performance, harder setup)
Manjaro
Arch Linux (for advanced users)
Ubuntu (with Mesa 25.1.5+ PPA)
SteamOS (now has updated Mesa)

Avoid:

Kernel 6.15.0-6.15.6 and 6.17.8+ (GPU driver issues)

Full distribution comparison →

Modded BIOS Files¶

Download from: bc250-bios repository

Required files:

BC250_3.00_CHIPSETMENU.ROM - Main BIOS file
BIOS flashing utility (included in repo)

BIOS flashing guide →

Highly Recommended¶

Thermal Management¶

Thermal Paste

Stock paste is old and dried out
Recommended: Arctic MX-4, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
Budget: Any non-conductive paste
Advanced: PTM7950 phase-change pad (best temps)

Thermal Pads (for VRAM)

The backplate gets hot (GDDR6 chips underneath).

Size: 1mm or 1.5mm thickness
Option: Add heatsink to backplate for passive cooling

Storage¶

M.2 NVMe SSD

The board has one M.2 2280 slot (PCIe Gen 3 x4).

Minimum: 256GB for OS + a few games
Recommended: 1TB for comfortable gaming library
Note: USB 3.0 port can handle external SSDs (limited to ~1 GB/s)

Connectivity¶

USB WiFi/Bluetooth Adapter

The board has NO built-in wireless.

Budget: Any USB WiFi dongle
Recommended: Realtek RTL8822BU chipset (in-kernel driver as of 6.12+)
Alternative: USB-C DAC/headphones for audio

Case/Mounting¶

The board is bare PCB, so you'll want some kind of enclosure or mounting.

Options:

3D printed cases - Many designs on Printables
GPU enclosures - Some fit the BC-250
DIY: Standoffs + acrylic/wood sheet
Rack mount: Original use case (need compatible chassis)

See the BC250 Discord for community case designs and 3D printable options.

Optional but Useful¶

Tools¶

Phillips screwdriver - For mounting, cable management
Thermal paste applicator - Or use credit card
Multimeter - For troubleshooting power issues

Recovery Tools¶

CH341A BIOS Programmer

For BIOS recovery if flashing fails (rare but possible).

Clips onto BIOS chip for external flashing
Only needed if you brick the BIOS (uncommon)

Monitoring/Tuning¶

These are installed via Linux package manager after setup:

nvtop - GPU monitoring
sensors (lm-sensors) - Temperature monitoring
mangohud - In-game FPS overlay
CoolerControl - Fan curve configuration

Before You Order¶

Check You Have¶

From existing hardware:

Plan Your Build¶

Where will it go? (desk, TV console, rack)
How will you cool it? (fan placement)
How will you mount/enclose it?
Audio solution? (passive adapter, USB DAC, or DisplayPort)

Ready to Order?¶

Once you have everything on this list, you're ready to proceed:

BIOS Flashing - First step after hardware arrival
Quick Start Guide - Fast-track setup
Full Linux Setup - Detailed installation guide

Community Tip: Order the BC-250 first (longest shipping time from AliExpress), then order everything else while you wait.