ASUS A7V133 and the Promise Controler...

[ruther]

I bought a new system, with an ASUS A7V133 and a Duron 750, more a Quantum 30GB LM(only ONE HD). So I have a question: Should I connect this unique HD to the promise controller or to the normal IDE??? What option is the best?

An important detail: I will run Linux RedHat 7.1 in my HD(althoug I´ll run windows 98 too, on another partition...)

Just one more question: I had BIOS 1003A and VIA driver 4.24(2.), Should I upgrade it?

Thanks for any help...

 

[zzzz]

You can put the HD on either controller. Both are ata-100. People use promise to avoid the via controller problems. Also if you have zip drive put it on promise controller.
Redhat 7.1 should detect the promise controller( not sure, but mandrake 8 does)
Update the bios to the latest. 1005
Via 4.32

 

[ruther]

Thanks for your answer zzzz, but I did a search in this forum(General Hardaware and this section - "promise&quot and some people told to connect to regular IDE(VIA), because promise controller was slow and had little problems - Is this right?

Obs1: I cannot see yet if promise works with RedHat 7.1, because my "salesman" didn´t put a jumper on the hd´s pins to make it Master(it´s Slave now!), so it doesn´t work now.

Obs2: I´m a brazilian, so I´m sorry if I wrote something wrong...

 

[zzzz]

no problems with the promise controller for other than the program drive image doesn't work. But I am using raid.
Get some jumpers from local computer shop..
Also if you already have jumpers, you can jumper it to be master/slaove/single drive whatever you want

 

[ruther]

Thanks zzzz! I just got my system yesterday(Friday) and the instalation didn´t work, because of this problem of HD´s jumpers(it didn´t have anyone!!!)...so I got the quantum LM´s manual in the net and I saw the problem was the missing jumpers...Monday I´ll talk with the people who sold me this computer...If I had a jumper now, I already had solved this problem...

But strange this: I´ve heard before(General hardware) that promise controller have problems(and more slow), and you say VIA have little problems!

Anyway, I think I´ll try both and see if it works, at least in instalation...thanks!

 

[Bglad]

There is no reason to use the Promise controllers unless you are using RAID. Then you can disable the Promise controller in the bios so that it doesn't search that bus every time you boot. It speeds booting significantly.

Last, often motherboards come with extra jumpers. Not yours?

 

[ruther]

You are right, there is this problem of boot...I think I´ll connect to VIA IDE, anyway I´ll try both just to see if it works...

>> Last, often motherboards come with extra jumpers. Not yours?

Not mine! I´ll talk with my salesman and I´ll ask some jumpers...

Thanks...

 

[WinWiz]

I have a A7V133 (and Im happy
The Promise Controller is faster than the stand. VIA controller but its NOT trouble free. When installing Win2K after rebooting the install hangs, because win cant write to HD. So I had to connect my HD to the slow VIA controller while installing Win2K. Another problem is the Boot delay. ASUS claims this is a problem with the promise BIOS, or was it driver?, Im not 100% sure on this so you might wanna check ASUS website.

 

[ruther]

>> The promise Controller is faster than the stand

You are sure of this??! I´ve heard differents opinions on this forum...

People! Keep comming...I´d like to read more opinions to "take" a conclusion...

 

[Bglad]

I am positive. I own the board. Don't take my word for it, read the manual. Both are ATA100 but the Promise adds RAID. Hook up to the RAID and try it if you want but I think you will find that the problems and slow boot are not worth any extra speed (which I expect to be little or none).

 

[ruther]

Bglad, and what about upgrade? I am just curious to know what is the difference between 1003A BIOS and 1005, and between VIA driver 4.24 and 4.32. I´ll upgrade but what exactly the difference...was the VIA´s bug fixed?

 

[Bglad]

I haven't looked at the bios upgrades. I know there is a listing on the Asus website that tells you exactly what is fixed in each revision.

Bios updates are always risky if something should go wrong during the update. At least once a week, you'll see a post here from someone asking what to do after a failed bios update. There is some discussion of whether the manufacturer will send a new bios chip or not. I don't know the answer to that. For this reason, I don't do any bios updates unless there is something in the update that specifically adresses a problem I am having. My advice is if you don't need it, don't do it.

 

[Parn]

I have the A7V133 also, and have no problem with it at all.

I have my 75GXP 45GB drive connected to the standard IDE controller.

Just to see if there is any performance difference, I connected the drive to the Promise ATA100 Controller, and it took me to a series of BSOD upon entering windows. Something about missing volume, etc etc, but a never ending line of the blue screens...

HD Tach says my read speed is up to what it's supposed to be (~38MB/s) and I am using the standard IDE controller.