Wanted: Step-by-Step AMD X2 Installation Instructions!

[GTaudiophile]

I will be building my first AMD system soon. An AMD X2 4400+ will be used on a Epox 9NPA+ Ultra. I am a little concerned about the order of operations for the software installation. Please correct me if I'm wrong:

0) Should I update the BIOS before I begin?
1) WinXP PRO
2) Install SP2 (no, I am not going to slip-stream)
3) Install latest X2 CPU driver from AMD web site
4) Install latest Forceware drivers from nVidia web site*
5) Install drivers for remaining hardware
6) Run Windows Update

*I am concerned about Forceware. I have heard bad things about nVidia's IDE driver and some of their firewall software. I assume, when you download the latest Forceware drivers from nVidia that they contain everything you need, including drivers for nVidia graphics cards like the 7800GT? When you run the Forceware package for the first time, can you then pick and choose which drivers you want installed? For example, if I do not want to install nVidia's IDE driver, can I simply un-check a checkbox for that?

Lastly, since I will be downloading all the latest software from the Internet, can I more or less ignore the driver CD that comes with the motherboard?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Varun]

Upgrade the BIOS before you do anything - this will ensure that the motherboard recognizes the X2

Install XP Pro and SP2 with the computer disconnected from the net

Be sure to have all of your drivers downloaded and burnt to CD beforehand - AMD driver, Forceware, Video drivers etc.

No forceware does not include video drivers.

I've had no problems with the Nvidia IDE drivers, however I have heard thier firewall isn't very good.

 

[ribbon13]

1. Buying new from any sort of vendor that moves any amount of stock (newegg, zff, monarch), the Epox board being a popular model and all, it will likely already have an X2 compatible bios.

2. Why no slipstreaming?

3. Drivers linked for random reader convenience

4. Ditto

5. Yep.

6. Yep.

nForce chipsets and thier GPUs are each thier own product with thier own drivers. You need to download both of them

Forceware for GPU
nF4 drivers

older nVidia nF2 IDE drivers did have issues, but the latest is WHQLed, so it should be fine.

Yes, you can pretty much ignore your driver cd

 

[GTaudiophile]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[mechBgon]

If you do want to stick with standard Microsoft IDE drivers, it's just a matter of declining the nVidia SW IDE drivers when you see this prompt.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
If you do want to stick with standard Microsoft IDE drivers, it's just a matter of declining the nVidia SW IDE drivers when you see this prompt.

Well, back in the days when you use to install Intel's application accelerator, I noticed a BIG difference in performance.

Would the NVDA IDE drivers do the same?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: mechBgon
If you do want to stick with standard Microsoft IDE drivers, it's just a matter of declining the nVidia SW IDE drivers when you see this prompt.

Well, back in the days when you use to install Intel's application accelerator, I noticed a BIG difference in performance.

Would the NVDA IDE drivers do the same?

I'm afraid I'm not the best guy to answer that question :evil: My best firsthand data is this: On my mom's ATA-equipped Duron 1.8GHz system, when capturing analog video from her Sony Hi8 HandyCam, the CPU usage is routinely in the 60% area (it doesn't have a nice hardware-encoding capture card like a PVR-150 or anything). Using the SW IDE driver instead of the Microsoft driver made the CPU usage go up a bit, maybe 5%-10% in my eyeball estimation.

 

[bgc99]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
If you do want to stick with standard Microsoft IDE drivers, it's just a matter of declining the nVidia SW IDE drivers when you see this prompt.

Do you decline by hitting cancel or is there another screen after you hit "Next" to decline installing the driver?

BGC

 

[Capt Caveman]

I do the following After updating the bios:
1. Install Windows XP
2. Run Windows Update
3. Install AMD X2 driver and Windows X2 hotfix
4. Install nForce4 chipset drivers 6.70 or 6.82 (No Audio, NAM/Active Armor)
5. Install GPU drivers
6. Everything else

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: bgc99

Originally posted by: mechBgon
If you do want to stick with standard Microsoft IDE drivers, it's just a matter of declining the nVidia SW IDE drivers when you see this prompt.

Do you decline by hitting cancel or is there another screen after you hit "Next" to decline installing the driver?

BGC

In the picture above, you would click the Next button. Then a standard Windows diagogue box appears, asking "Do you want to install the SW IDE drivers?" and you can click Yes or No as desired.

 

[GTaudiophile]

I'll be building next weekend. Anyone want to suggest changes?

 

[rbV5]

Make sure XP firewall is enabled if you venture online prior to installing SP2.

 

[Mem]

3. Install AMD X2 driver and Windows X2 hotfix

Hotfix is only needed if you still have problems,the Epox board in my experience runs great with just the X2 driver.I did read probably Service Pack 3 for XP will have the proper update fix rather then the temporary hotfix you can download.

The Epox board is very easy to setup,the Nvidia SW IDE driver with my Epox 9NPA+ Ultra works ok ,so bottomline up to you if you want to install it or not.

The Epox CD is not needed,well in my case I never bothered since I had all the latest updates from the web for Nvidia drivers etc.

Only thing I would not install is the Nvidia firewall.

 

[Mem]

Upgrade the BIOS before you do anything - this will ensure that the motherboard recognizes the X2

Any BIOS for this board after end of June supports X2 cpu,so he will definetly have a later date BIOS that will have X2 support,so no worries there.


Nvidia SW IDE driver speed wise,people have reported both faster and slower then the Windows default driver so trial and error with benchmarking is probably the best bet.