GA-P55A-UD4 new build and some questions please???

[Searcher1]

Hi All

New to this forum but not totally to Gigabyte motherboards  

I have waiting to be built the following:-

GA-P55A-UD4 rev 2.0
i5 760 (as not gaming will be using the Intel stock cooler)
RAM G.Skill - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3
Graphics Card - Palit nVidia GTS450 Sonic Platinum
Optical Drive - LG GH22LS50 DVDRW
PSU- Corsair HX 650W modular
HDDs - 2 off 500GB WD Caviar Black and 1 off 1TB WD Caviar Black (NB this is a SATA3 model)
OS - Windows 7 64 bit
Note - all drives including the optical are SATA

My planned build is to use one of the 500GB drives partitioned into two during OS install this being for the OS on one and programs on the other, the other 500GB will be for scratch and possibly the Page File (though I have read that Win7 plays nicer if the Page File is on the OS drive is that so???) & some data, the 1TB will be purely for data.

I will be uisng my old Lian Li case (currently housing my old [now defunct] Gigabyte 845e chipset board system)

So to my questions  

1) I have downloaded all the current drivers (and most of the utilities) also the manual - now the drivers I have selected are of course those that specify Win7 but note that the manual is still rev 2001 and no mention of Win7 is made.  It has been out a while so why has the manual not been updated to reflect the possibly unique installation procedures etc for Win7?  And is there a Win7 install guide I can download?

2) Talking of drivers - the included CD has "Xpress Install" but as I have downloaded the most current versions please tell me the best order to install these in following the OS install?

3) ref SATA control - the default is IDE but I have read that even when not using RAID that AHCI has some benefits such as hotswapping of eSATA drives not that I have any such drive yet.  I have read mixed reviews of how well AHCI installs go and that sometimes on an AHCI setup SATA optical drives sometimes have strange problems!  For the record I was during the build only going to install the OS with one physical drive connected and connect the other two after OS setup and use the "Disk Management" to sort them out.  So is AHCI worth the possible hassle in a non RAID system???  And talking of the manual, mention is made of needing a floppy with the drivers but this is for XP & Vista and as I understand Win7 natively supports AHCI so no driver floppy needed espcially as I was not going to include a floppy in this build.

3a) I was going to connect the 1TB to the SATA3 port so anything I need to be especially aware of doing this???  Such as maybe connecting it to a SATA2 port first i.e. shift to the SATA3 after I have installed the SATA3 drivers???

4) @BIOS feature & usage - as I will not be installing a floppy drive, how relaible is the @BIOS method of updating the BIOS bearing in mind at this stage thought eh motherboard is brand new I have no way yet of knowing version of the BIOS it has onboard?

TIA for any guidance and feedback etc

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome to the Gigabyte Forum and my first question. What took you so long to get here?

1) I have downloaded all the current drivers (and most of the utilities) also the manual - now the drivers I have selected are of course those that specify Win7 but note that the manual is still rev 2001 and no mention of Win7 is made.  It has been out a while so why has the manual not been updated to reflect the possibly unique installation procedures etc for Win7?  And is there a Win7 install guide I can download?

You do not need a manual. If you have managed to install XP and Vista then you should find Windows 7  a breeze.

2) Talking of drivers - the included CD has "Xpress Install" but as I have downloaded the most current versions please tell me the best order to install these in following the OS install?

I don't like Xpress install as I like to only load what I am going to be using. I would suggest the chipset drivers first and then the others.

3) ref SATA control - the default is IDE but I have read that even when not using RAID that AHCI has some benefits such as hotswapping of eSATA drives not that I have any such drive yet.  I have read mixed reviews of how well AHCI installs go and that sometimes on an AHCI setup SATA optical drives sometimes have strange problems!  For the record I was during the build only going to install the OS with one physical drive connected and connect the other two after OS setup and use the "Disk Management" to sort them out.  So is AHCI worth the possible hassle in a non RAID system???  And talking of the manual, mention is made of needing a floppy with the drivers but this is for XP & Vista and as I understand Win7 natively supports AHCI so no driver floppy needed espcially as I was not going to include a floppy in this build.

Again I wouldn't use AHCI unless you need the hot swap capabilities as the speed  increase is negligable and I have found IDE to be more stable and definitley better for optical drives. If/when you install a SSD then it might be worth considering for that.

3a) I was going to connect the 1TB to the SATA3 port so anything I need to be especially aware of doing this???  Such as maybe connecting it to a SATA2 port first i.e. shift to the SATA3 after I have installed the SATA3 drivers???

By all means connect the SATA3 drive to the Marvell SATA3 port but don't expect to get SATA3 6GBs throughput or even anywhere near. In fact you quite probably might get better speeds from the Intel Southbridge ports which are SATA2

4) @BIOS feature & usage - as I will not be installing a floppy drive, how relaible is the @BIOS method of updating the BIOS bearing in mind at this stage thought eh motherboard is brand new I have no way yet of knowing version of the BIOS it has onboard?

DO NOT BE TEMPTED. If you want to update the BIOS use QFlash a BIOS utility. You can use it in conjuction with a USB pendrive. The @BIOS program is very risky as it runs through the OS which just means there is another layer to go wrong and often it does!

[Searcher1]

Hi DM

Ah! well when I built that 845e system there were if I recall no questions arising    For the record it started as a Win98se and then dual booted with W2k Pro SP4

Thanks for the feedback:-
1) ref XPress install drivers ~ I will do them manually starting with the Intel inf 'set' and as no RAID intended just leave them off, so Audio; Realtec LAN driver; USB3 ; Marvell SATA3 Console should be all I will need???

1a) What of the range of Utilities are good to use ~ Smart 6 sounds interesting???  Any others worth the drive space???

2) ref AHCI vs IDE ~ not eSATA yet so to avoid "issues" I will likely go IDE especially with the advent of USB3 devices becoming available!

3) ref SATA3 ~ you suggest that there is no speed advantage?  The 1TB dive is SATA3 capable so an I not likely to see improved read/write when this is attached to the SATA3 port???  Will need I surmise the Marvell Driver installed to even see a drive on those ports?

4) ref Q-Flash ~ thanks for the heads up as to best to use to BIOS flashing when no floppy drive

Now a slightly more general question about OS installation:-

In the past I have installed the OS loaded the dirvers as needed then at the very least loaded my AV & Internet Security software (NOD32 used now) before allowing the PC to talk to the outside world but on another forum the post was made saying as the W7 likes to phone home as part of the installation to just let it do so to get the updates available because AV software could interfere with the updates!!!!

So what is good best practice with W7 installtions???

TIA for the added guidance & feedback 

[Searcher1]

Just a quick question ref the drivers dowloaded???

I see they are all incon'ed 7z and the maker is Igor Pavlov, just seemed a little odd as afterall this is a major company called Gigabyte why aren't they "Gigabyte drivers"

[Dark Mantis]

Just a quick question ref the drivers dowloaded???

I see they are all incon'ed 7z and the maker is Igor Pavlov, just seemed a little odd as afterall this is a major company called Gigabyte why aren't they "Gigabyte drivers"

It is just the zip encoding system that Gigabyte uses....no problem.

Reference your question about being connected when you are installing. Personally I prefer to play safe and not connect until I have the firewall and Anti-Virus software up and running. Win 7 will connect and call home afterwards.

[Searcher1]

Just a quick question ref the drivers dowloaded???

I see they are all incon'ed 7z and the maker is Igor Pavlov, just seemed a little odd as afterall this is a major company called Gigabyte why aren't they "Gigabyte drivers"

It is just the zip encoding system that Gigabyte uses....no problem.

Reference your question about being connected when you are installing. Personally I prefer to play safe and not connect until I have the firewall and Anti-Virus software up and running. Win 7 will connect and call home afterwards.

Good evening DM

Many thanks again for the supporting feedback and your user experience 

Not related to using Gigabyte Motherboards ~ I noted you mention on another thread that you use a UPS system would you care to share what make & model you use and any usage experience of such a device???

[Dark Mantis]

Sure thing, no problem. It's an APC 1500VA UPS SmartUPS. I was running a 650VA one but sort of outgrew it so that is now used for the secondary system. To be fair in the UK we don't have a lot of power outages and so really it is more used for power smoothing and over/under voltage.

[Searcher1]

Sure thing, no problem. It's an APC 1500VA UPS SmartUPS. I was running a 650VA one but sort of outgrew it so that is now used for the secondary system. To be fair in the UK we don't have a lot of power outages and so really it is more used for power smoothing and over/under voltage.

That is a fair bit of UPS sized kit, I surmise that a 650VA one would cover me for the build outlined above Incidently with a UPS can you share the USB shutdown connection?  The reason I ask is that my NAS has that function via its USB port but that would make two devices connected to the UPS for auto shutdown.

Why I would/have considered a UPS in the past is that we have an outage approx every 12 - 18months, the infrastructure round here (in Surrey believe it or not  )  also and though I do not expect issues as the system has been checked, we had a new consumer board fitted and the electrician remarked that MCBs are less forgiving of "faults" and will fire where the old style fuse would hang in there.  So  UPS would be an added precaution against any inhouse oddities happening???

Oh, can you give me any further feedback in my post above items 1 and 3 (drivers needed and SATA3 usage)

[Dark Mantis]

Sure thing, no problem. It's an APC 1500VA UPS SmartUPS. I was running a 650VA one but sort of outgrew it so that is now used for the secondary system. To be fair in the UK we don't have a lot of power outages and so really it is more used for power smoothing and over/under voltage.

That is a fair bit of UPS sized kit, I surmise that a 650VA one would cover me for the build outlined above Incidently with a UPS can you share the USB shutdown connection?  The reason I ask is that my NAS has that function via its USB port but that would make two devices connected to the UPS for auto shutdown.

To be honest I would agree for most people now that CRT monitors are a thing of the past and LCDs use a lot less power. Actually I have a lot of equiptment connected to mine that doesn't really need to be. I have never connected more than one computer to the USB port at one time but in theory I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. My UPS has dual connection options anyway.

Why I would/have considered a UPS in the past is that we have an outage approx every 12 - 18months, the infrastructure round here (in Surrey believe it or not   )  also and though I do not expect issues as the system has been checked, we had a new consumer board fitted and the electrician remarked that MCBs are less forgiving of "faults" and will fire where the old style fuse would hang in there.  So  UPS would be an added precaution against any inhouse oddities happening???

Hes quite right. The ELCBs are much more sensetive than the old style fuses and in theory you should be able to touch a live connection and the breaker should cut before you feel the shock. However I wouldn't advise putting this to the test. The UPS will of course  be useful for conditioning the power supplied to your system as well as a backup in case of outages.

Oh, can you give me any further feedback in my post above items 1 and 3 (drivers needed and SATA3 usage)

Yes pretty much for 1) Unless you have any USB3 devices there is no need to install that driver either. It really isn't that important anyway as you can always add any necessary drivers afterwards.
Regarding 3) The SATA3 ports were a let down and didn't live up to expectations (Marvell chip issue not Gigabyte). You would not get any better speed from using the SATA3 ports for a SATA3 drive in fact often the Intel ICH10 SATA2 ports returned a better speed than the Marvell controlled ones in our tests.

[Searcher1]

Hi DM et al

My planned build was delayed ~ decorating following electrical work, floorboards leveling, carpet laying, and wardrobe delivery.......phew all done now though still in a bit of chaos 

However, a step closer to finally getting on with the build so have discovered I need a little more feedback.

Ref The various fan headers as noted in the manual:-

1) CPU fan ~ no brainer this one

2) Sys Fan 2 ~ as this is a four wired plug it has fan speed control by the BIOS so any of the case fans I want to be controlled would be fine attached here???

3) SysFan1/Pwr_Fan ~ now my Corsair PSU has its own internal thermal solution and AFAIK has no need for externally connected fan, so again this one is for any case fans.

4) PCH_FAN chipset fan header ~ well I have no idea about other P55 boards but this one has a passive heatsink on the P55 chipset, doesn't it???  Therefore if needed can I connect any case fan to this header???  Why a P55 board even has a designated chipset fan header is very odd 

Now for the record my Lian Li case has the following fans
a) a pair on the front for blowing over the HDD cage. This pair are connected to a 3 position switched speed controller. Currently connected to a fan header on the 845e baord.

b) a rear panel exhaust fan ~ this has a speed reducer resistor and is connected to a fan header on the old 845e chipset motherboard

c) a top panel exhaust fan ~ currently connected to a Molex off of the PSU

So basically as I have need to connect 3 fans can I just go ahead and use all the motherboard headers (apart from the dedicated CPU one  ) to run the fans I have avoiding the need to plug via an adaptor to the PSU molex.

I hope all that makes and look forward to your guidance

TIA 

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

Most of what you have assumed is correct so I won't go back over everything and only deal with the points that are required.

The Sys_Fan2 is set to half speed of the CPU_Fan. Why this is we are not sure but as long as you are aware of it that is the main thing.

PCH_FAN can be used for any fan and no you don't require a dedicated chipset fan but you might find it usefull if you ever do change from the stock CPU cooler as often third part coolers are more efficient but don't also cool the chipset at the same time.

Top panel fan. If this is a large fan as is often the case it is a good idea to run it straight from the PSU via a molex connector.

[Searcher1]

Hi

Most of what you have assumed is correct so I won't go back over everything and only deal with the points that are required.

The Sys_Fan2 is set to half speed of the CPU_Fan. Why this is we are not sure but as long as you are aware of it that is the main thing.

PCH_FAN can be used for any fan and no you don't require a dedicated chipset fan but you might find it usefull if you ever do change from the stock CPU cooler as often third part coolers are more efficient but don't also cool the chipset at the same time.

Top panel fan. If this is a large fan as is often the case it is a good idea to run it straight from the PSU via a molex connector.

Hi DM 

Ref Sys_Fan2 running at half speed ~ could be usefull for the rear exhaust fan

Ref PCH_Fan ~ interesting note about using it for non Intel CPU fan/cooler.  Do I take it this header is indeed unregulated and runs full speed 100% of the time

Ref my top panel fan.  It is a standard size 80mm one not one of the leter 120mm jobs

So many thanks for clarifying the situation for me i.e. with the caveat of the half speed running of Sys_Fan2 and to beware of higher rated fans I can use the headers as & if needed.  Not using the PSU Molexs to run fans will make for neater wiring 

[Dark Mantis]

Ref Sys_Fan2 running at half speed ~ could be usefull for the rear exhaust fan

Yes ideal in your situation I would say.

Ref PCH_Fan ~ interesting note about using it for non Intel CPU fan/cooler.  Do I take it this header is indeed unregulated and runs full speed 100% of the time

Yes as far as I am aware.

So many thanks for clarifying the situation for me i.e. with the caveat of the half speed running of Sys_Fan2 and to beware of higher rated fans I can use the headers as & if needed.  Not using the PSU Molexs to run fans will make for neater wiring

Of course if you want to make it really neat and still maintain control of the fans you could use a multi fan controller panel. Look nice and complete control.

[forumjoe]

Searcher1,

If your board is anything like mine (a P55-US3l), don't bother trying to use Sys 2 fan header. That particular header is a proverbial pain in the backside. Use Pwr Fan header instead. I spent a long time recently investgating my fan headers and working out how best to use them.

Unless you're happy to leave it to your BIOS to determine the speed of your CPU fan (where it will probably set the speed to something you don't like and where it'll push the speed up and down automatically with temperature), I'd suggest you forget about Smart CPU Fan Control in the BIOS and disable it and use something like a Fanmate 2 speed controller (costing a few pounds) instead. You'll still be using the header, it's just that you yourself will be able to set the fan speed rather than the BIOS. I'd suggest you use a separate Fanmate on each fan you use. Don't worry about connecting a 3-pin Fanmate connector to a 4-pin connector if that transpires, as you'll be able to easily cut away the side of the 3-pin connector to allow them to mate. You just have to be careful to use the correct pins in the through-connection.

On flashing a new BIOS, I can confirm that doing so using Q-Flash is very quick and straighforward. The Q-Flash exe is already probably built into your BIOS and all you'll need do is to download and decompress the new BIOS file and put just the binary on to a USB flash pendrive, as already suggested by DM. Make sure you enable USB devices and also any legacy ones in the BIOS, and just to be sure disable the Drive A in the BIOS. Then follow the procedure for the flashing. It'll probably be described in your user manual. Watch out that the downloaded BIOS update exe might have a Windows security block on it, so right-click it and have a look at its Properties before transferring the binary file to the pendrive. If it says it may be blocked, unblock it.

[Searcher1]

Hi forumjoe

Many thanks for summarising and sharing your insight & experience