Final answer:
The non-volatile firmware for hardware initialization during booting is the BIOS. It tests and initializes hardware components and leads to the loading of the operating system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The non-volatile firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process is the BIOS, which stands for Basic Input/Output System. This firmware is built into the computer system on a chip and is responsible for booting up the computer by providing a set of instructions that the computer follows to start up. The BIOS conducts tests and initializes all the necessary hardware components like the CPU, RAM, and GPU before loading the operating system from a hard drive or other storage device into the computer's RAM.