Thanks for the response -- I'll go ahead and update before installing the OS with a bootable stick then.
I got the board today -- there's a flyer inside marked "Attention" which has among other things information about driver and BIOS updates which concludes with "Intel recommends that you download and keep your system updated with the latest BIOS."
The download center says however: "Update the BIOS on your computer only if the newer BIOS version specifically solves a problem you have. We do not recommend BIOS updates for computers that do not need it."
I'm definitely inclined to leave it alone if I get it all working OK.