Powerstrip....wierd one this

[fondie]

rage3d tweak is what you want ^

[catattack]

Austin... I am pretty sure my mobo is rev 2.0 but, I had NO idea what that ment lol. Can you give me a step by step way to safely flash my mobo? I do not know whats up with booting with the floppy and all those different things, I though that when you get the zip file downloaded, they will do it all for you. Well thanks for your help.

[Austin]

Some mobos can actually do the flashing from within Windows or automaticly via the web but the risks are a little higher and specific vary though you may want to check on your mobo manu's website (eg Abit). Abit in particular may have a flashing program built in which you can access at POST (when you first switch your PC on and it displays cpu and it counts the RAM). Check your manual or mobo manu's website but again the safest and std way which works for all remotely modern mobos is to create a bootable floppy with the flash program and latest mobo BIOS on, once again it must be a 100% match for your mobo, be certain. Most of the time you still need the latest BIOS on a floppy disk whichever method you choose. Okay bootable floppy method...

1. Insert a blank floppy disk.
2. Go into "My Computer".
3. Right click on 3.5" Floppy.
4. Left click on "Format".
5. Check the box that says "Create an MS-DOS startup disk".
6. Click on the "Start Button".
* You may wish to do a normal format, ie non-quick non-bootable first just to check the floppy disk is fine, you could also scandisk it. Buying a new floppy disk is wise just to help ensure it doesn't have problems, be sure to keep it away from magnetic stuff like speakers.

That will create a bootable floppy but you should remove or rename any AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files from it as you want a totally clean bootup. Those files are simply plain text (ie notpad oe EDIT.COM not Wordpad or Word) which contain a list of commands the PC will run through before giving control to thew user with a 'C:\' or 'A:\' type prompt.

So next you need the BIOS file and flash program, they should come together most likely zipped (eg. BIOSNF72.zip). Go to your mobo manu's website looking under support, update, download or your mobo's model info. For Abit NF7-S v2.0...

http://www.abit-usa.com/

* SUPPORT

* DOWNLOADS

* BIOS (also note UTILITIES)

* AMD ATHLON PLATFORM (also note FLASHMENU which can do it from Windows)

* NFORCE NF7-S 2.0 (rem this is for NF7-S v2.0 not NF7 nor NF7-S 1.x)

* Click DOWNLOAD corresponding to the latest BIOS, currently NF7-S V2.0 BIOS 18 - Released Date: 2003-08-01. (note the FLASH in blue which has a link to the program, the program is inc with the BIOS already though)

[Austin]

Go to where the BIOS file was downloaded (desktop?), 'nf7d18.exe'. I'd rename it to something like 'MOBO BIOS NF7-S V2.0 D18.exe'. Then create a folder (eg. 'NF7-S BIOS') and place the file you downloaded into that empty folder.

Go into the folder and double click the .exe, this will extract the 5 files from the zip archive. Some mobos will need you to run Winzip (or similar).

Move or copy these files (excluding original BIOS .exe file) to the floppy disk.

OPTIONAL BACKUP FUNCTION NEXT: You can create your own AUTOEXEC.BAT (blank text file?) but name it AUTOEXEC.BAK because it's better to do it manually, the AUTOEXEC.BAK can be renamed to AUTOEXEC.BAT after you boot from the floppy, you want to ensure you have a clean bootup (no files loaded). You can put in the AUTOEXEC.BAT a line to auto flash your BIOS with ORIGINAL.BIN (the name you'll save your original BIOS to in a moment). The info should be in the TXT file that accompanies your BIOS. Eg from NF7-S V2.0 D18...

AWDFLASH.EXE ORIGINAL.BIN /py /sn /cd /cp /cc /cks /R

Note that is what you enter in AUTOEXEC.BAT on the floppy disk but again call it AUTOEXEC.BAK and change it just before you flash. Creating this AUTOEXEC.BAT is simply a backup and not necessary, if your BIOS flash goes bad (eg powercut) you should still be able to boot off this floppy and it should auto flash your original BIOS.

Whether you do that backup or not the next step is the same.

1. Note your BIOS filename down on paper, eg. NF7D_18.BIN
2. Restart your PC ensuring A: or floppy is the first boot device (otherwise it will just load Windows from your HD).
3. You should get an 'A:\' prompt (type REN AUTOEXEC.BAK AUTOEXEC.BAT if you created the optional failsafe).
4. Type AWDFLASH.EXE or the name of the flash program.
5. You're then presented with various obvious options.
6. Enter the name to flash (eg NF7D_18.BIN).
7. Tell it to save your current BIOS (eg to ORIGINAL.BIN).
8. Tell it to flash then wait very patiently (30-60 seconds).
9. Exit program (optional) then remove the floppy disk (be sure it has finished acessing).
10. Reboot (preferably CTRL+ALT+DEL) or use the RESET switch (not in Windows so no harm done).
10. ALTERNATIVELY you can power off (press and hold Power Button). Then clear CMOS via jumper on mobo (see manual).
11. At POST enter the BIOS (usually press DEL repeatedly).
12. Load DEFAULTS, you can always set everything nicely later.
13. Save settings and EXIT.
14. You can pause progress of POST by pressing the PAUSE button top right netx to PrtScn. This can allow you to verify you have D18 BIOS with correct release date.

10 - 14 are not necessary but generally best to do.

It isn't actually as complex as it may appear. Steps are:

A. Create bootable floppy and place the latest BIOS and flash program on it.

B. Boot from the floppy disk.

C. Run the flash program and enter the name of the BIOS file (ideally save your current BIOS).

D. Remove floppy disk and restart.

As said there are other ways but this method works for practically all mobos and is the safest way to do it.

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

Rage 3D tweaker is what you want for Rad 9600 Pro.

I use it on my connect 3d one and it works a treat! Breeze to use and simply loads the o/c settings when windows boots.

[Zak33]

Thanks blokes

[catattack]

UHGGGG HEADACHE HEADACHE!!! Sorry there Austin. I'm completly Bios flasher illiterate! I'm gona keep studying the post you gave me, but I don't think i'm going flash the bios right now until I got it all known. But thanks for the post!

[Austin]

No problem, no sense in doing something you may not need or have full confidence in doing. I'd like to think many other folks would benefit from the post anyway so it was well worth my time.

[SilentDeath]

latest omegas have radlinker with it which is imo a much better idea than powerstrip etc...

linkage

[Theo]

I have one of the ATI jobs, so I'm guessing a bios upgrade is a good direction? Any help as to where to get this would be appreciated :>

[Austin]

Theo are you talking flashing the ATI's BIOS to enable o/c'ing? Which model is it?

[Theo]

Tis an ATI 128MB Radeon 9600 Pro, with a red pcb - bought from aria.co.uk.

Bios info on adapter properties is:

BK-AMI VER008.011.001.002

Clock speeds according to Rage3DTweak are:
324.00 MHz Core clock
202.50 MHz Memory Clock.

Looking to push the card as far as it'll go stabley (hopefully). Planning on incorporating it into the watercooling system I'm building at the moment. So it'll be off with the noisy little stock heatsink as soon as it's ready

In the meantime, I'd like to get a grasp as to what the card is capable of

[SilentDeath]

wots the pci device id or one of theother things, should be somming like 4x44e or something remoteley similar.
bios of the card has timings for mem and locks/unlocks it - if u flash u have to make sure the haxed bios will work with ur card - same type of mem etc.. its easy to kill a card from bios update, but good thing its sooo easy to flash it back to get it working

[Austin]

Theo that's a Rad9600nonPRO, the 9600PRO runs at 400/300 (400/600 when you factor in DDR). The 9600PRO gives you GF4TI4200 speeds but with better AA+AF and DX9. The Rad9600 gives perf below a Rad8500/GF3TI500 (but with better AA+AF & DX9). You should find the core hits 380-500 but the RAM is unlikely to get more than 250 (500 in DDR). At 500/250 you'll only be comparable to a true stock Rad9600PRO ... where did you buy the card from again?

Anyway if it is a true ATI (BBA) then you may find the clocks are locked and AFAIK there isn't a BIOS to flash to it or a known edit. However IIRC quite a few people find experimenting with the diff o/c'ing tools out there can sometimes find a way of making an o/c stick even with a locked BIOS (sometimes). Best of luck!

[SilentDeath]

The Rad9600 gives perf below a Rad8500/GF3TI500

Austin i defiantly dont agree with that! havent used a 9600p/np b4 but both are defiantly faster than a ti4200!

afaik its only sapphire that factory onlocks 9x00s, my 9700np was unlocked, and he can fnd out by going to disply propertys->settings->options tab->details. it is the pci device id that will say if its unlocked. iirc it should say 4e45 for a locked card (9700nonpros are suppost to have this), 4e44 for unlocked, mine is 4e44 (the string used for pros, mine is a nonpro that was set to this when i bought it). this might also change for the 9600's
ive not tryed setting it to boot overclocked, i only tryed clocking yesterday. i recommend radlinker for clocking 9x00s - it comes with omega drivers aswell.

[Austin]

I'm pretty sure all non ATI Rad9600PRO's are unlocked.

9600PRO VS GF4TI4200:

Rad9600pro is superior hw to GF4TI4200 but 'all' you're really getting for a 50% price increase on the 9600pro is better AA+AF and DX9. However the 4200 easily keeps pace with the 9600pro (and FX5600ultra), sometimes the 4200 is ahead and other times the 9600pro is ahead but unless you get into AA+AF or DX9 the 9600pro certainly doesn't pull away. So long as the 4200 stays away from 4xAA or high AF it still delivers very good perf, the GF4TI were all designed with 2xAA in mind and for high quality but slightly slow AF. Let's take a look at some reviews then...

http://www.techreport.com/reviews/20...o/index.x?pg=7
Q3A = 4200 6% faster
Q3A 4xAA+8xAF = 9600pro 57% faster
JK2 = 4200 4% faster
JK2 4xAA+8xAF = 9600pro ahead by 37% in each res
Commanche4 = 9600pro roughly 3% faster
Commanche4 4xAA+8xAF = 9600pro 60% faster
Code Creatures = 9600pro 6% faster
Code Creatures 4xAA+8xAF = 4200 5% faster
UT2003 = 9600pro is 21% faster across all 4 tests (mostly due to DX8.0 not 8.1/9 which offer better efficiency not borne out in real games yet)
UT2003 4xAA+8xAF = 9600pro is between 2 and 3 times faster (110-210% faster)
Ser Sam SE = 4200 30% faster
Ser Sam SE 4xAA+8xAF = 9600pro 21% faster
3Dmark2001SE = 4200 is 5% faster
3Dmark03 = DX7 the 9600pro is 17% faster, DX8 the 9600pro is 90% faster, DX9 only 9600pro can run it
SpecviewPerf = 4200 between 7% and 53% faster in all tests except UGS where 9600pro is almost 5 times faster

If you check the other reviews they tell an almost identical story...

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1812&p=4 (shows TI4600 so you can see how the other GF4TI cards fit in too)

http://www.tomshardware.com/graphic/...n_9600-07.html