ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX questions.

R

Ray_Rogers2109

banned
So when I get my computer "usable", meaning I'll be able to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, would I need to use ASUS' website to download the drivers, BIOS and everything else? It did come with a disc for drivers or should I have Windows do auto-detection for driver updates?
Figure I'd ask now before September when I get my computer enabled to install the operating system. Any suggestions or should I wait to see what it says? Here's hoping there'll be auto-detection.
 
BIOS and CMOS are already installed. The only need to download those are if you are flashing to a more updated version.

Once you install 7 you just need to get the GPU drivers for your system and anything else that is extra (card readers, wireless etc...) Most stuff will be plug and play.
 
salvage-this said:
BIOS and CMOS are already installed. The only need to download those are if you are flashing to a more updated version.

Once you install 7 you just need to get the GPU drivers for your system and anything else that is extra (card readers, wireless etc...) Most stuff will be plug and play.
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So just leave everything plugged in which I normally use for a computer and let Windows auto-detect drivers for them? I'm always 100% wired ethernet so it wouldn't matter. Same for keyboards and mice.
Since I'll be buying a dedicated graphics card in September or October, October maybe, the HIS Radeon HD 6950 IceQ X Turbo 2GB, do I also need to update the drivers for it since I won't be using the integrated GPU? I'll be flashing/unlocking it to the 6970 but wondering if drivers would still be a good idea for it. Before I unlock it. Should I have posted this question in the GPU section?
 
Let everything except for the GPU autodetect. Install the drivers if you are missing functionality or are having problems with the hardware.

Do not flash 6970 bios. Use the 6950 with unlocked shaders. the 6970 has memory that is a bit different than the 6950. it can wreck the card. Use the modded BIOS for the 6950 you keep everything at the stock voltages/timings. It just unlocks the extra that is locked for a stock 6950.

EDIT: Use this BIOS to flash:
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/89829/HIS.HD6950.2048.101123_1.html

It will still recognize as a 6950. So the drivers will not change at all.
 
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salvage-this said:
Let everything except for the GPU autodetect. Install the drivers if you are missing functionality or are having problems with the hardware.

Do not flash 6970 bios. Use the 6950 with unlocked shaders. the 6970 has memory that is a bit different than the 6950. it can wreck the card. Use the modded BIOS for the 6950 you keep everything at the stock voltages/timings. It just unlocks the extra that is locked for a stock 6950.

EDIT: Use this BIOS to flash:
http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/89829/HIS.HD6950.2048.101123_1.html

It will still recognize as a 6950. So the drivers will not change at all.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Currently I'm only using the nVidia 8400GS and am gladly welcoming the 6950 2GB shader unlocked to 6970 in Atomik Monkey. Do I need a dedicated PhysX card or should I just download drivers for it? Oh for my current computer with the 8400GS, it's going to be sold in order to pay for the 6950 2GB.

So for unlocking the shaders I already have the link from TechPowerUp but what about the clock to the 6970? Don't worry about it? Finally I'll be able to play FALLOUT 3, BioShock, OBLIVION, WOLFENSTEIN (it's the game which gave me motivation for building a computer) and several other titles on very high settings!
 
You can't have Physx without an nVidia card. I would not worry about it anyway. Unless you are playing games that use it. You do not see any performance from having Physx. Unless I am mistaken, a lot of games have physics but are not coded to use nVidia Physx. It just runs off the CPU.

Here is a list of games that take advantage of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhysX
 
also there is a way to use the another card like that 8400 if it has it for the physx, but i never found out if you just plug it into a second slot or if there's something special you need to do
 
an 8400gs is not all that good for a Physx card. I doubt that you would get any real performance difference from using it.

@jonnyp11 you need modded drivers for it to work. Since they are modded, we can't talk about how to get it working here.
 
salvage-this said:
an 8400gs is not all that good for a Physx card. I doubt that you would get any real performance difference from using it.

@jonnyp11 you need modded drivers for it to work. Since they are modded, we can't talk about how to get it working here.
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I won't even be having the 8400GS in the computer when it's finished. It's staying in the Compaq.
 
Ray_Rogers2109 said:
So when I get my computer "usable" would I need to use ASUS' website to download the drivers, BIOS and everything else? It did come with a disc for drivers or should I have Windows do auto-detection for driver updates?
Click to expand...

About the mb chipset drivers:
Windows won't load that. The mb disc will have chipset - ethernet - audio - Asus Update app, and other drivers/programs like Turbo and Overdrive on it that can be installed individually. But,,, there are going to be newer drivers available from the ASUS website, so use those instead.


You can load the new drivers from AsusTek onto a usb or disc prior to the build, and install them right after Windows is loaded and running. From the mb disc you could get the apps. For USB 3.0 you'll need the NEC driver that Windows will, see you need and guide you to.
 
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Benny Boy said:
About the mb chipset drivers:
Windows won't load that. The mb disc will have chipset - ethernet - audio - Asus Update application, and other drivers/programs like Turbo and Overdrive on it that can be installed individually. But,,, there are going to be newer drivers available from the ASUS website, so use those instead.


You can load the new drivers from AsusTek onto a usb or disc prior to the build, and install them right after Windows is loaded and running. From the mb disc you could get the applications. For USB 3.0 you'll need the NEC driver that Windows will, see you need and guide you to.
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Excuse me, but don't you mean applications? Fixed your post since it's a pet peeve of mine.
So should I still use the ASUS disc which came with my motherboard then? I figure have all the discs ready which arrived with what I ordered then install them after I install Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Then move over all data from the enclosure to the hard drive THEN install the rest of the programs, applications and video games.
Then when that's finished, restarting then looking for video game patches, cracks, NoCds and anything else it needs.
 
Just download the latest motherboard drivers from Asus and burn them, the same for the Video card from AMD. Load them after you install the OS. Then do microsoft windows updates.
 
StrangleHold said:
Just download the latest motherboard drivers from Asus and burn them, the same for the Video card from AMD. Load them after you install the OS. Then do microsoft windows updates.
Click to expand...
After it restarts, THEN move everything over from the enclosure and start installing video games after the programs? Figures I'll have the Blu-ray disc burner driver-disc in the stack also. It's going to be quite a stack.
Don't have to worry about the integrated GPU since I'll download drivers for it anyway. Hopefully I won't get distracted from playing video games as I'm installing them. Knowing the computer when it's finished they'll install quite fast.
I'm even planning on having a few HDDs down the line. So what do I do when the SATA ports are filled up?:confused:
 
StrangleHold said:
You can always get a PCI/PCIe SATA card with interior ports.
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Oh that's a good idea. I fully intend to have six 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 HDDs in the tower and would be a great idea to eventually buy one along with more SATA cables. But I'd literally have no exact idea as to what to order for this and would need to do more research. After I get my computer fully completed.
This?

EDIT: I'm not interested in doing RAID.
 
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Well I made a bit of a mistake. Appears the DVR box I have has a 6-pin Firewire cable port instead of a 4-pin. I'll buy an adaptor from Monoprice. No big loss. Can't even use it until September anyway.
 
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