New computer on its way....

[Gamingphreek]

Well my new computer is on its way and i haven't really been worried about installation and what not.

First off:

To get Windows to recognize over 133GB i have to install then update to SP2 and then use disk management to merge the 2?

Next, this is going to be a SATA2 HDD connected to the Nvidia SATA2 ports. When i hit F12 what do i supply. Do i download the drivers in advance, or get them from the CD contained with the board. I have only had to install with my old SATA drive using the SIL 3112A drivers, never the Nvidia drivers?

What do i need to do to enable NCQ on the drive. I know Intel boards have to instal the application accelerator, does the Nforce 4 chipset require anything?

-Kevin

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
To get Windows to recognize over 133GB i have to install then update to SP2 and then use disk management to merge the 2?

Only if you're installing WinXP without SP1. If you have SP1 or higher on the CD, it should be able to see the full size of the drive. It's possible to install the 48-bit LBA fix without going up to SP2 at all (although I think you do need SP1).

Next, this is going to be a SATA2 HDD connected to the Nvidia SATA2 ports. When i hit F12 what do i supply. Do i download the drivers in advance, or get them from the CD contained with the board. I have only had to install with my old SATA drive using the SIL 3112A drivers, never the Nvidia drivers?

It's F6 (not F12), and either the drivers will be on one of the CDs that come with it (and you'll need to copy them to a floppy), or they'll provide a floppy with the drivers. If you are using the onboard SATA ports and they're not in RAID mode, you may not even need a driver.

What do i need to do to enable NCQ on the drive. I know Intel boards have to instal the application accelerator, does the Nforce 4 chipset require anything?

I think you need to install the chipset drivers. But it's not like NCQ does much for single-user performance anyway...

 

[Gamingphreek]

Thanks Matthias:

Only if you're installing WinXP without SP1. If you have SP1 or higher on the CD, it should be able to see the full size of the drive. It's possible to install the 48-bit LBA fix without going up to SP2 at all (although I think you do need SP1).

Nah i didn't slipstream anything with my CD, so i guess i will have to update. Is the process i stated above the correct way?

It's F6 (not F12), and either the drivers will be on one of the CDs that come with it (and you'll need to copy them to a floppy), or they'll provide a floppy with the drivers. If you are using the onboard SATA ports and they're not in RAID mode, you may not even need a driver.

Well they didn't give an Nvidia floppy only a SIL 3114 floppy (which is not included on the UT Ultra-D). The Nvidia SATA drivers on a CD. I dont have a floppy drive on my computer, should i dust off the old one from the closet and copy the files to a floppy?

I think you need to install the chipset drivers. But it's not like NCQ does much for single-user performance anyway...

I tend to do some multi-tasking without realizing it?

-Kevin

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Only if you're installing WinXP without SP1. If you have SP1 or higher on the CD, it should be able to see the full size of the drive. It's possible to install the 48-bit LBA fix without going up to SP2 at all (although I think you do need SP1).

Nah i didn't slipstream anything with my CD, so i guess i will have to update. Is the process i stated above the correct way?

Well, unless you have a very early copy of WinXP, chances are you have SP1 on there and will be OK. If you don't, you'll need to install (partitioning up to 127GB of space), patch your system, and then you'll be able to format the rest of the space through Disk Management. Not sure about merging the space through Disk Management; I've always used something like PartitionMagic for that, or installed with SP1 on the CD.

It's F6 (not F12), and either the drivers will be on one of the CDs that come with it (and you'll need to copy them to a floppy), or they'll provide a floppy with the drivers. If you are using the onboard SATA ports and they're not in RAID mode, you may not even need a driver.

Well they didn't give an Nvidia floppy only a SIL 3114 floppy (which is not included on the UT Ultra-D). The Nvidia SATA drivers on a CD. I dont have a floppy drive on my computer, should i dust off the old one from the closet and copy the files to a floppy?

I lost you in there somewhere. Do you already have the MB? I haven't done an NF4 build, but I thought you didn't need extra drivers if you were just using the onboard SATA and you were not using RAID. But maybe that's only if you have WinXP with SP2 on the CD or you slipstream the drivers.

If you need to provide extra drivers during installation, you will need a floppy drive. Windows' archaic installer doesn't handle multiple CD-ROM drives, nor does it allow you to swap out the CD you booted from to read files from another one. The documentation for the MB should tell you which files you need (ie, RTFM ).

I think you need to install the chipset drivers. But it's not like NCQ does much for single-user performance anyway...

I tend to do some multi-tasking without realizing it?

Yes, but if you look at the benches over at StorageReview, you can see it only has a strong positive impact at rather high queue depths. High enough that you're unlikely to be hitting them on a single-user desktop unless you have some very unusual workloads.

 

[Gamingphreek]

I HATE UPS!!! They came buy dropped off a QVC package for my mother, and then went on!! Does more than one truck go through a neighborhood (I work tomorrow so i wouldn't have time to work with it until late late saturday).

Well, unless you have a very early copy of WinXP, chances are you have SP1 on there and will be OK. If you don't, you'll need to install (partitioning up to 127GB of space), patch your system, and then you'll be able to format the rest of the space through Disk Management. Not sure about merging the space through Disk Management; I've always used something like PartitionMagic for that, or installed with SP1 on the CD.

Trust me, SP1 isn't on it. SO that means that ill have to buy software to merge the two together.

I lost you in there somewhere. Do you already have the MB?

No, it is out for delivery. The one with the SIL 3112A is my current board.

I haven't done an NF4 build, but I thought you didn't need extra drivers if you were just using the onboard SATA and you were not using RAID. But maybe that's only if you have WinXP with SP2 on the CD or you slipstream the drivers.

Hmmm, well we have computers lying around with floppies, so if worse comes to worse, ill just use their floppy drive.

Yes, but if you look at the benches over at StorageReview, you can see it only has a strong positive impact at rather high queue depths. High enough that you're unlikely to be hitting them on a single-user desktop unless you have some very unusual workloads.

Nah, my workloads are Chatting with friends, browsing the web, listening to music, and encoding media. It will be nice to be able to listen to music and play a game

-Kevin