Re: [TCLUG:18492] AMD vs. Intel

[<Nick.T.Reinking@supervalu.com>]

No, the KX133 and the Apollo Pro133A are _not_ motherboards -
they're they name of the north-south bridge combination.  The
north bridge is commonly called the same name as the chipset,
but it's really not.  The 686A south bridge does indeed handle
the ATA 33/66 communication, and it is fully supported under
Windows 2000.  The problems with PIO on the WD drives was a
WD problem, not a chipset problem, I believe.

I've had both an 13GB IBM ATA/66 drive (their first gen ATA/66
drives) and a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 40 drive (40GB).  Both
worked in Win2k and Win98 as UDMA mode 4 (UDMA66)
flawlessly.  The Maxtor drive is _fast_, very _fast_, also.

Nick Reinking





veldy@veldy.net, on 06/01/2000 09:23:59 PM
To: tclug-list@mn-linux.org @ PMDF
cc:  
Subject: Re: [TCLUG:18492] AMD vs. Intel


> Ummm... the VIA "4-in-1" drivers are integrated right into
> Windows 2000.  I'm running my ASUS P3V4X (VIA Apollo
> Pro133A) board on Windows 2000, and I have ATA/66,
> USB, etc, etc, without any problems what-so-ever.
>

Integrated, sure - but they are broken for some VIA chipset/hard drive
combinations.  It is very common on the 686A chipset and with IBM or Western
Digital UDMA66 drives for them to be recognized as PIO instead.  Since
Microsoft was so nice as to create a dropdown combo with the option "Auto
Detect" and then they disable the dropdown - there is no way to force
detection.  Yes, all my hardware is correct (drive is set to DMA66 and I
have the 40-pin 80 conductor cable).  Like I said - various free operating
systems get it right.  And it works wonderfully under Windows 98.  Just not
2000.

VIA *IS* aware of the problem but has not seen fit to address it.

> I used to remember looking at VIA's website before, and seeing
> "No updates needed for Windows 2000 as all drivers are
> on the Windows 2000 installation CD."  They have new updated
> AGP/USB/chipset drivers these days, but I ran Windows 2000 for a long
> time (at a high speed) with just the default Windows 2000 drivers.
>
> But yeah, the two VIA chipsets supporting UDMA66 (the KX133 and
> Apollo Pro133A) work great with Windows 2000, and I'm running
> just fine myself in UDMA Mode 4.

The chipsets you mention are actually motherboards.  I believe one of them
has the same [Southbridge] chipset I have, the 686A.

I am glad it is working for you - I wish I were so lucky.  What kind of hard
drive do you have anyway?  I don't suppose it is not a IBM or Western
Digital?

Tom Veldhouse
veldy@veldy.net




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