• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

VIA Busmaster vs Microsoft IDE drivers under Win2k SP2...which give best HD/ATA100 performance?

NFS4

NFS4

No Lifer
I've been having this annoying problem with my Iomega (Plextor) 12/20/32 CDRW drive dropping back to PIO mode from Ultra DMA for no particular reason and at random. I was wondering if the IDE drivers that come with Win2k SP2 could be causing this?

Anyway, I didn't installed the IDE Busmaster portion of the 4-in-1 drivers b/c I heard that the MS drivers were sufficient. Would the VIA Busmasters solve my CDRW problem and would they offer me any increased IDE performance? Also, is ATA100 enabled with the latest 4-in-1 drivers?
 
i'm sure their performance is equal...i've only run sisoft sandra disk benchmarks w/ the via bus master 3.11 and win2k sp2 ms drivers and they perform identically...

i use the via ones because they fixed a few problems i've had w/ DMA modes on my older 8.4gb maxtor drive, otherwise, i would've just stuck w/ the MS ones...

i recommend u download the via drivers and see if it fixes your problem (i assume it will)..if it doesn't work, uninstall them using the via setup program...it'll revert to your previous drivers.
 
I had the same question and after tring every possible driver for VIA-W2k and they all perform the same. The only difference is that according to HD tach, the VIA drivers cause higher CPU uti.11.9 % compared to the Microsoft supplied drivers which the CPU uti. is 8.2%
 
Ace, I was wondering the same thing like two weeks ago so i did several benchmarks with via 4.32 installed with HDtach. Then i formatted my computer and did a fresh install with a w2k cd slipstreamed with sp2. Installed a few drivers etc and HDtach and than ran the benchmarks.

the performance between latest via busmaster and the w2k sp2 ide drivers are very very close.

So i'm sticking with the w2k ones.
 
NFS4:

You could try a couple things. First off, I'm successfully using the same drive (Plextor 12/10/32A) under Win2K SP2, using the VIA BusMaster drivers. Are they better performing than the Mickey$oft ones? I don't really know. I just figure I may as well use a VIA driver 🙂

You might also want to try throwing a jumper on the "reserve" pins on the back of the unit. You should be able to operate in ATA/33 instead of PIO 4 and I've heard this can help enable DMA on units and in configurations where it won't otherwise. Worth a try 🙂
 
uhm, actually, if u really wanna fiddle around w/ your (ultra)DMA/PIO modes in an easy way, use the 3.11 bus master drivers which can be found as an independent install from viahardware

the utility provided allows u set any mode u want (i.e. udma 1, 2, 3, etc. depending on what you ide controller & drive supports)...

i use them simply for this utility (though i've actually used the utility with other bus master versions and it works also) because my back up sh1te drive doesn't work in udma mode 2 (ata 33), but it does in udma mode 1 (ata 33 still)...meaning, i don't lose performance cuz i can keep dma enabled, as opposed to the win2k drivers which allow only udma mode 2 or PIO mode 4...garbage.

apparently, my maxtor drive works in udma mode 2 on intel chipsets however...go figure.
 


<< NFS4:

You could try a couple things. First off, I'm successfully using the same drive (Plextor 12/10/32A) under Win2K SP2, using the VIA BusMaster drivers. Are they better performing than the Mickey$oft ones? I don't really know. I just figure I may as well use a VIA driver 🙂

You might also want to try throwing a jumper on the &quot;reserve&quot; pins on the back of the unit. You should be able to operate in ATA/33 instead of PIO 4 and I've heard this can help enable DMA on units and in configurations where it won't otherwise. Worth a try 🙂 >>


I'm already using the &quot;reserve&quot; feature with ATA33/Ultra DMA mode and it would still flop back to PIO mode with the MS drivers. I'll just have to check and see if these drivers do it.
 
Hey Pabster that trick works wonders. I had to do that to my Iomega when i was running a CUSL2-C and Cel566. It wouldn't let me out of pio4 mode then i heard about that trick jumped it and whala got ata/33 on the next cold boot. I'm having a problem with my Iomega)plextor and win2k right now. Drive works fine just won't burn with any software i throw at it.
 


<< so, did they do it? >>


It normally takes a few days for the Iomega CDRW drive to &quot;works itself loose&quot; to drop back to PIO mode. So I'll wait in see.

As far as Sandra and HDTach, the scores are the same with the VIA IDE drivers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top