BIOS configuration questions

Been reading the motherboard manual and I have three questions:

1. If I have my own sound card, is it necessary to disable the onboard audio in the BIOS? If so, is it still okay to install the drivers for the onboard audio, or will that conflict with the sound card, even if the onboard audio is disabled?

2. There is an option to set the SATA controllers to Disabled (default), AHCI, or RAID. I know I don't want RAID, but should I stick with the default? It says:

Disabled: Disables RAID for the SATA controllers and configures the SATA controllers to PATA mode

AHCI: Allows the storage driver to enable advanced SATA features such as Native Command Queuing and hot plug

Seems like AHCI might be a good thing, but I worry about changing the defaults. Also, it sounds like I would have to install extra drivers during Windows installation if I choose this option. Is it necessary?

3. Another SATA controller question, this one about operating mode:

Disabled: Allows the SATA controllers to operate in Legacy IDE mode (default)

Enabled: Allows the SATA controllers to operate in Native IDE mode

Again, the non-default seems like the "newer" or more "advanced" option, but I don't know if I should mess with the defaults.

Mainly I'm wondering if leaving the default for #2 means that the HDD won't really be operating in SATA mode, but in the less impressive PATA mode, or am I misunderstanding?

And for #3, it too sounds like it would be running in some older, out-dated method instead of the newer way. (It even says that the Enabled option is more for Windows XP/2000, and Disabled is more for Windows 9X/ME).

Thanks!

1)Even with the audio drivers installed for the onboard that would need to be disabled when going to use an expansion card or other sound device to avoid the direct conflict.

2)By default your sata drives will be detected by the board itself. On older models you often needed a driver floppy prepared in order to have the installer for XP or another older version of Windows to properly detect the drive. The disabled option is for creating sata or ide arrays and not separate logical drives if more then one drive is installed.

3)Due to the hardware restrictions on drives themselves a 7,200rpm sata drive doesn't run any faster then an ide model. WD's Raptors are the exception running at 10,000rpm. With most newer boards XP as well as Vista will now detect sata as well as ide drives while the older versions would still need to see a driver disk made up.

PC eye said:

1)Even with the audio drivers installed for the onboard that would need to be disabled when going to use an expansion card or other sound device to avoid the direct conflict.

2)By default your sata drives will be detected by the board itself. On older models you often needed a driver floppy prepared in order to have the installer for XP or another older version of Windows to properly detect the drive. The disabled option is for creating sata or ide arrays and not separate logical drives if more then one drive is installed.

3)Due to the hardware restrictions on drives themselves a 7,200rpm sata drive doesn't run any faster then an ide model. WD's Raptors are the exception running at 10,000rpm. With most newer boards XP as well as Vista will now detect sata as well as ide drives while the older versions would still need to see a driver disk made up.

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So should I just leave everything at default and it will run optimally?

By default the onboard will likely be enabled. The board's manual will provide a good run down on the bios settings for how to see that disabled when adding in a sound card. For Sata drives on the more recent as well as new boards you simply plug them in unless using a Sata I not II type drive.

Those have jumpers on them for mode not cable position changes and are generally left the way they are shipped or removed. Sata II drives on the other hand simply see the data and power cables plugged and are immediately detected by the board. For using two drives as one in an array you then refer again to the manual on that.

1) It is very possible to have two soundcards running at the same time

2 and 3)

AHCI is the native mode of SATA and requires special SATA drivers. Often people sees this when they try to install XP with no such driver, and the setup program cannot detect any harddrives.

Disabled or native IDE mode: in this mode it emulates the old parallel ATA interface, so the system can use its old ATA driver.

You're talking old boards at this point. Some 939 boards along with some Intel models as well needed a driver floppy while the newer AM2 and Core 2 models are no longer seeing the need since the XP installer will readily detect sata as well as ide drives with no changes or drivers loaded.

Vista alleviates all that since the newer version carries it's own generic drivers. With some boards you didn't press F6 but waited until the following screen to press the S key for special devices where you then choose the chipset to see XP then properly detect the one or more sata drives installed.

PC eye said:

You're talking old boards at this point. Some 939 boards along with some Intel models as well needed a driver floppy while the newer AM2 and Core 2 models are no longer seeing the need since the XP installer will readily detect sata as well as ide drives with no changes or drivers loaded.

Vista alleviates all that since the newer version carries it's own generic drivers. With some boards you didn't press F6 but waited until the following screen to press the S key for special devices where you then choose the chipset to see XP then properly detect the one or more sata drives installed.

Click to expand...

So what about my questions? Should I change the default or leave them as is?

For the sound card the onboard will need to be disabled so as not to clash there. The few things that would generally see a change would be the OS 2 support enabled since that is disabled by default while for the drives you simply plug those in for the automatic detection and set the one that will be the default boot device if more then one is used.

What make and model board as far as socket type like AM2, Core 2, or older like a socket 478 or a Socket A, 754, or 939 model? The version of Windows or OS will also play a role while the defaults are still used except for custom setup like Sata/Raid arrays where two drives become one logical drive.

The first place to look for any board when going to install anything is in the board's manual. You can't go wrong following the manufacturer's own information found there since that will explain any need to change from the defaults for both installing a sound card as well any setting chnages needed for installing sata drives.

PC eye said:

What make and model board as far as socket type like AM2, Core 2, or older like a socket 478 or a Socket A, 754, or 939 model? The version of Windows or OS will also play a role while the defaults are still used except for custom setup like Sata/Raid arrays where two drives become one logical drive.

The first place to look for any board when going to install anything is in the board's manual. You can't go wrong following the manufacturer's own information found there since that will explain any need to change from the defaults for both installing a sound card as well any setting chnages needed for installing sata drives.

Click to expand...

It's the GA-EX38-DS4, E8400, Windows XP, no RAID configuration. The manual is where I got the question to begin with. It explains what the options do, but not whether I should change them or not.

It *seems* like I would want to change the defaults for #2 and #3, but then again, I don't want to mess with too much if it will be okay as it is.

When simply plugging in both power and data cables on a sata drive it will be listed on the post screen during those tests if all is well. That is with the factory defaults seen.

The only thing that would be any problem would be the onboard sound when going to install a separate card. Without any arrays being set up you would simply leave the onboard controllers the way they are.

this is a good site that covers alot of topics on bois tweeking http://techarp.com/freebog.aspx

nyhk said:

1) It is very possible to have two soundcards running at the same time

2 and 3)

AHCI is the native mode of SATA and requires special SATA drivers. Often people sees this when they try to install XP with no such driver, and the setup program cannot detect any harddrives.

Disabled or native IDE mode: in this mode it emulates the old parallel ATA interface, so the system can use its old ATA driver.

Click to expand...

1. What are you going to use, your onboard and a sound card. Yes you can do that. Just set one as default for windows.

2/3. You can do it either way. When you boot if windows does not detect the Sata drives just do the F6 and install your Sata drivers or you can just do the Disable/Native IDE in the bios, after you install the OS and drivers change it back to enable.

StrangleHold said:

1. What are you going to use, your onboard and a sound card. Yes you can do that. Just set one as default for windows.

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Probably I'll just rely on my sound card, so I won't need the onboard audio. But at what point do I disable it? Before I install Windows? Or should I wait until I install the sound card drivers and know that the sound card is working before I disable onboard audio?

I'm thinking there might be a window of time between when I disable onboard and when the sound card works properly that I won't have any audio. As long as having them both enabled for a short time doesn't hurt anything, then maybe I'll wait to disable onboard until after I'm done installing Windows, drivers, etc.

Install the card and just disable the onboard in the bios before you install the OS. As soon as you load the drivers for the card after you install the OS you will have your sound back.

StrangleHold said:

Install the card and just disable the onboard in the bios before you install the OS. As soon as you load the drivers for the card after you install the OS you will have your sound back.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

If you going to be staying with XP and not Vista make sure to get Net framework 1.1 and 2.0 on before installing the software/drrivers for your video card. If an ATI model that will preven the MOM implementation error from being seen.

If the sata drives there are Sata I not II a driver floppy may be useless if the Windows installer fails to see the drive. That will depend on the chipset. For VIA in particular you simply bypass the F6 option on the first screen in order to press the S for special devices option seen later and choose the name of the chipset closest to what the board has. If the drives are jumperless then that step won't be needed for Sata II.

PC eye said:

If you going to be staying with XP and not Vista make sure to get Net framework 1.1 and 2.0 on before installing the software/drrivers for your video card. If an ATI model that will preven the MOM implementation error from being seen.

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Good call. I'm using an nVidia card, but I didn't think about the .Net frameworks at all. Probably a good idea to get them!

You will see those automatically as part of the updates after first activating Windows and seeing the Windows 3.1 installer go on. Once your copy of Windows is verified then you get the some 200+mb of updates piled on you fast if you have the auto update option left on.

I've been going through enough of that lately seeing XP reinstalled a few times for beta testing a new program and trying out IE 8 beta. Part of the fun there. 3.5 is also available once the rest is on.

JohnJSal said:

Good call. I'm using an nVidia card, but I didn't think about the .Net frameworks at all. Probably a good idea to get them!

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You dont have to worry about it if your running a Nvidia and only necessary with ATI if you install the Catalyst Control Center. Unlike what was said above if your installing XP then you press F6 to install your Sata drivers, its a fuction of the installer has nothing to do with the chipset you have.

StrangleHold said:

You dont have to worry about it if your running a Nvidia and only necessary with ATI if you install the Catalyst Control Center. Unlike what was said above if your installing XP then you press F6 to install your Sata drivers, its a fuction of the installer has nothing to do with the chipset you have.

Click to expand...

Oh really? When a friend tried all efforts to have the XP installer recognise a Sata I type drive using the F6 option and repeat downloads for driver disks the installer couldn't find the drive. When going past that and using the press S for special devices option and simply choosing the closest chipset to one seen on the Asus A8V 939 board later the installer suddenly saw the drive and Windows went on.

With the AM2 model here no driver floppy F6 or press S option is even needed to see XP go right on. That's due to being a Sata II type not Sata I type drive. The drive type as well as the chipset can easily play a role there.