Help! Building 1st system w/ the epox8k7a. Need download info/basic assembly overview

[SirChadwick]

Hey guys! I am building a new computer system and this is my first time. I need all the help I can possibly get from you knowlegable people. Here are all the parts I have:


1-microsoft optical mouse/keyboard=$35 Sam's wholesale
2-altec lansing speakers=$20.00 Sam's wholesale
3-NEC monitor=120.00 Staples.com
4-epox 8k7a motherboard=$131 newegg.com
5-soundblaster live mp3+5.1 sound card=$80.00 Staples.com
6-vantec heatsink fan=$35 kdcomputers.com
7-Megasuper case/400w ps/2 case fans=$51 abilitywholesale.com
8-340w backup enermax ps=$48 alliancepc.com
9-teac floppy drive=$10 ebay.com
10-56k v.90 intel modem=$18 ebay.com
11-ATI 32 mb radeon vid card le= $83 newegg.com
12-western digital hd 30 gig=$75 office depot
13-pioneer dvd rom (slot drive)=69.00 newegg.com
14-philips cd burner 8x4x32x=$70 bestbuy.com
15-crucial 256 mb RAM=$42 crucial.com
16-amd athlon 1.2 ghz 266 fsb processor=$115 bunta.com
17-epson 880 color inkjet printer= $115 Staples.com

I need some info on the overview of basic assembly and I also need to know if there are any files that I need to download. Please post anything helpful! Thanks so much.

--Chad--

 

[Athlon4all]

Well as far as downloads, you will want the latest BIOS from EPoX website, AMD AGP Miniport drivers, and VIA 4-in-1's 4.32 or up(You will not install the VIA AGP driver). For baisc assembly, well go to here. It helped a bit when I built my first a few months ago.

 

[Rafael]

Yeah, download all those things Athlon4All said.
I was going to recomend the same website Athlon4All did.
And just be very careful building your system and flashing the BIOS.
BTW, nice system!

Good luck!

Raf

 

[Sandor]

Sounds good- go with Athlon4all's recomendations. I built recently built a computer with the same mobo and had some problems- turns out the new VIA 4-in-1 drivers were having conflicts with the system (and I didn't install the VIA AGP driver, so I knew it wasn't that). I installed win98Se, ME, 2000, and all had the same problem. Fianlly, I just went with the default drivers from ME, and its been running smooth ever since- It took me awhile to figure out it was the mobo drivers. I haven't heard of this happening to anyone else, and there's a very good chance it won't happen to you (except for the mobo and RAM, everything else is different). But if it starts to act up early on, this could be a potential cause. In fact, I recomend installing those drivers first- if there were to be any problems like I had, they would present themselves quickly.

Also, if you decide to get an Ethernet card in the future, don't get a Netgear- they have some conflicts with the 8k7a board. Good luck.

 

[Thump553]

Excuse me if this sounds really dumb, but I haven't build a system in over a year and am considering this motherboard for a system to be built this month.

My question is why the Via 4 in 1 drivers? I thought this MB uses an AMD chipset. I'd like to get away from 4 in 1 if I can.

 

[Athlon4all]

Most AMD 760 boards use the AMD 761 North Bridge, and the infamous VIA 686B south bridge, and as a result you do need the VIA BusMaster IDE Driver, and everything else in the 4-in-1's, except for the AGP driver, which is AMD's.

 

[QuackQuack]

The Epox website says to only install the AMD AGP driver, VIA IDE, and USB. Why are the 4-in-1's necessary? Here's the link:

http://www.epox.com/html/english/support/motherboard/Get.asp?Article=1502

 

[Athlon4all]

Because the USB, IDE BusMaster are the 4-in-1's, when you take out the AGP driver.

 

[QuackQuack]

The IRQ INF utility is required for the 8k7a? I didn't know the USB driver was included in the 4-in-1.