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Asus A8nSLi-Deluxe & Chipset driver version?


KerguelanAvon

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Hi,

I see from the supported devices list that the driverpacks work with the A8N-SLi Premium Motherboard, but there is no mention of the A8N-SLi Deluxe that I have. Furthermore, although the page says that the driver packs work with that board, they don't specify which version of the chipset drivers are included.

I'm currently running my Mobo on the first BIOS version to support my CPU (1007), and want my integrated installation disk to include the latest v6.65 Chipset driver that is apparently required to run this motherboard with any BIOS from 1013. The idea is that I'll be able to update my BIOS, and then run any installs after that from the integrated installation disk, and so hopefully avoid any of the disk corruption problems that the Asus support website talks about when you try to use an older version of these drivers with the new BIOS.

Can someone either tell me whether this version of the driver is included in the current driverpacks, or point me to somewhere that I could find this out for myself, in the event that my attempts to search for this haven't been as exhaustive as they might have been?

Avon.

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The only differences between the Asus A8N-SLI Premium and the Deluxe version are:

  • Premium uses a heatpipe where Deluxe uses a fan to cool the chipset,
  • Premium SLI configuration is in the BIOS where Deluxe uses the traditional SLI-mode card, and
  • Premium has one PCI-e x1 slot and one PCI-e x4 slot where Deluxe has two PCI-e x1 slots.

I posted the Premium as supported back in October using BIOS v1008 (not comparable to your v1007 because of the SLI additions to mine).

DriverPack_Chipset includes v6.70, which is the newest for AMD nForce4 (non-x16) and should work for your motherboard/BIOS.

Edited by 5eraph
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  • 2 weeks later...
The only differences between the Asus A8N-SLI Premium and the Deluxe version are:
  • Premium uses a heatpipe where Deluxe uses a fan to cool the chipset,
  • Premium SLI configuration is in the BIOS where Deluxe uses the traditional SLI-mode card, and
  • Premium has one PCI-e x1 slot and one PCI-e x4 slot where Deluxe has two PCI-e x1 slots.

I posted the Premium as supported back in October using BIOS v1008 (not comparable to your v1007 because of the SLI additions to mine).

DriverPack_Chipset includes v6.70, which is the newest for AMD nForce4 (non-x16) and should work for your motherboard/BIOS.

Actually that is not correct. The Deluxe version has an entirely different and new nvidia chipset, 'nForce4 SLI x16' which also requires an entirely new and different driver. In fact nVidia has an entirely different driver set for this chipset.

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I have owned all 3 motherboards and am now using the A8N32-SLI Deluxe.

If you are using the A8N32-SLI Deluxe then download the 6.85 drivers from NVIDIA's website and follow Fernando1's guide posted in the MSFN forum in the nlite thread to integerate-this is NVIDIA's second driver release for this mobo and is working on mine perfectly-all integrated with nlite.

If you are using the A8N-SLI Deluxe or the A8N-SLI Premium download the 6.70 drivers and install first prior to upgrading your BIOS-system hangs on reboot or shutdown if you do not have the latest nforce4 release. If doing a fresh install, integrate 6.70, again I recommend nlite 1.0rc6, finish the fresh install and then update your BIOS.

Of particular note is you must use the latest AwardFlash BIOS tool-not the one that shipped with the A8N-SLI Deluxe or A8N-SLI Premium-in utilities at ASUS's download website for the mobo. The AMI flash tool to use is AFUDOS v.2.21 for the A8N32-SLI Deluxe-which has no driver prerequisites.

Do not flash any of them using ASUS update, or anything else other than DOS.

Edited by RickSteele
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If doing a fresh install, integrate 6.70, again I recommend nlite 1.0rc6, finish the fresh install and then update your BIOS.

Didn't work for me, I got endless reboots, since I made fresh install with 6.70 drivers and 1011 BIOS at A8N-SLI Deluxe.

And I really don't know if my motherboard is corrupt or I should update BIOS firs :(

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If doing a fresh install, integrate 6.70, again I recommend nlite 1.0rc6, finish the fresh install and then update your BIOS.

Didn't work for me, I got endless reboots, since I made fresh install with 6.70 drivers and 1011 BIOS at A8N-SLI Deluxe.

And I really don't know if my motherboard is corrupt or I should update BIOS firs :(

No!-your system will hang/crash-NVIDIA originally updated the nforce4 for these mobo's to solve this with ASUS BIOS.

Also, when updating the BIOS set it to Default with one exception; if you are running nforce RAID then you must set the nforce RAID-and the HDD attached to it- to enabled in BIOS prior to updating. It defaults to nforce RAID disabled and Siil enabled-this causes BIOS checksum error message to appear; will not permanently harm anything but, by doing the above it is avoidable.

Try it without any bashrat driver packs; just nlite and here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51140

Your nForce4_SLI_6.70_winxp2k_english sataraid folder should contain the following files:

nvuide.exe-copy from sata_ide

idecoi.dll

nvcoi.dll-copy from sata_ide

nvraidco.dll

disk1

nvide.nvu-copy from sata_ide

txtsetup.oem

nvata.cat-copy from sata_ide

nvraid.cat

nvatabus.inf-copy from legacy

nvraid.inf

nvatabus.sys

nvraid.sys

The above will install so that those drivers that are certified will install as signed.

The other alternative is to integrate just the legacy folder-this is identical to that which is copied to floppy for F6 install but, no drivers will show certified-even those that are signed-until you reboot into safe mode and do a manual install using setup.exe.

I am assuming you are using nforce RAID and have no other HDD attached to your system other than the RAID array-no USB, Siil....etc.

If this is not the case then detail your system in next post.

Go here first http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51140

and here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=89

Edited by RickSteele
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Thanks allot!!!

Yes, i have nforce RAID 0 system and no other HDD. So, I must flash my ASUS BIOS first with your method and then integrate right nvidia drivers.

No!-you must upgrade your drivers first and then your BIOS.

If you read the qualifier at ASUS's download page for your mobo you will see-Drivers first, BIOS second

Edited by RickSteele
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Thanks allot!!!

Yes, i have nforce RAID 0 system and no other HDD. So, I must flash my ASUS BIOS first with your method and then integrate right nvidia drivers.

No!-you must upgrade your drivers first and then your BIOS.

If you read the qualifier at ASUS's download page for your mobo you will see-Drivers first, BIOS second

Sorry, I meant: and then install new windows with right drivers. Otherwise it should be not possible to install Windows with new BIOS and new drivers.

I will do following:

1. Delete windows partition C with Partition Magic

2. Upgrade BIOS with Phoenix Award BIOS flash tool

3. Install Windows with right nvidia 6.70 drivers

Am I right?

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Thanks allot!!!

Yes, i have nforce RAID 0 system and no other HDD. So, I must flash my ASUS BIOS first with your method and then integrate right nvidia drivers.

No!-you must upgrade your drivers first and then your BIOS.

If you read the qualifier at ASUS's download page for your mobo you will see-Drivers first, BIOS second

Sorry, I meant: and then install new windows with right drivers. Otherwise it should be not possible to install Windows with new BIOS and new drivers.

I will do following:

1. Delete windows partition C with Partition Magic

2. Upgrade BIOS with Phoenix Award BIOS flash tool

3. Install Windows with right nvidia 6.70 drivers

Am I right?

No. Do like this:

1. Delete windows partition C with Partition Magic

2. Install Windows with right nvidia 6.70 drivers

3. Upgrade BIOS with Phoenix Award BIOS flash tool

OR-if you already have WinXP installed and it is working fine for you do this instead:

1. reboot into safe mode

2. install 6.70

3. reboot normally

4. reboot again and set up BIOS defaults-with one exception-enable nforce RAID and the HDD attached

5. save changes and reboot to floppy

6. update to the latest BIOS

7. reboot to WinXP bootable floppy again

8. reboot again and enter BIOS setup to customize it as you wish

9. save changes and reboot to Windows normally

10. you're done

The BIOS update is driver dependant, but the drivers are not BIOS dependant

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I'm sorry, but I don't understand, why I should install windows first. You mean that I cant install windows with BIOS 1016 in the future???

The BIOS update is driver dependant, but the drivers are not BIOS dependant

See here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51140

You only will succeed with the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers, if you have

- an up-to-date mainboard BIOS (actual nVRaid drivers may need a Raid Bios v. 4.84 or higher)

...

I have already 6.70 installed and I think it was not correct, because I got no raid tool for example.

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I'm sorry, but I don't understand, why I should install windows first. You mean that I cant install windows with BIOS 1016 in the future???

See here: http://support.asus.com/download/download....SLanguage=en-us and choose A8N-SLI Deluxe; notice also the Phoenix Award BIOS flash tool version 1.16 on this page and in the A8N-SLI Deluxe download section is the 1017.004 beta BIOS

You would now make a new F6 floppy disc using the 6.70 for any future F6 installs; you copy all of either the legacy folder or the modified sataraid folder to it,

or

integrate the modified sataraid folder-and any other drivers-using nlite1.0rc6 and make a new WinXP install CD/DVDROM.

The BIOS update is driver dependant, but the drivers are not BIOS dependant

See here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51140

You only will succeed with the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers, if you have

- an up-to-date mainboard BIOS (actual nVRaid drivers may need a Raid Bios v. 4.84 or higher)

...

I have already 6.70 installed and I think it was not correct, because I got no raid tool for example.

Now, update your BIOS to 1016-the latest release, or 1017.004, the latest beta-and your done. If you had updated the BIOS before updating your drivers your system would crash-it would neither shutdown or reboot-you would have to use your case reset button to reboot or shut down using the case power switch.

I found that more often than not if I upgraded the BIOS with no os installed for some reason the system was unstable in certain situations-this should not be the case but........

Edited by RickSteele
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  • 4 months later...

Hello,

It is a very useful thread indeed, thanks to all!

I ran into basically the same problem:

Got a new PC (a8n SLI Deluxe, 1 SATA WD raptor HDD, 2 SATA Seagate Barrakuda 320Gb HDDs) =>

Flashed to BIOS 1016 =>

Set the 2 Seagate HDDs as RAID 0 (black SATA slots 3 and 4 on the motherboard) in nVIDIA RAID controller =>

Started WinXP Pro installation on WD raptor HDD

The problem was that I could either get running WinXP without nVidia RAID drivers (and obviously no RAID disk) OR nVidia RAID drivers with WinXP crashing on boot.

I have tried the drivers-from-diskette via F6 during set-up, and nLite with integrated RAID drivers as well.

No good, same result.

From this thread I have got an impression that you CANNOT install WinXP with SATA RAID if you have BIOS 1016 and no OS installed. It this correct? Do I have to flash the 1007 BIOS back and install WinXP via nLite?

Regards,

Boris.

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