Solved X58 Chipset Update

[AirPower4ever]

Sorry if this is in the wrong posting area, but I think it is in the correct one.

So I read in an earlier post that the proper way to update the chipset of your board is to use the run command with -overall at the end.

So I just got some new SSD's and have them in RAID0. So I started loading all my drivers, but I may be slipping here. Asus P6T Deluxe v2, I thought there was an entry in the Device Manager called QPI or something like that.

Q1 - After this new install I do not see it so I am wondering; am I losing it?

I did check ALL the Intel entries and they all had Microsoft drivers 6.1.7601.17514. I got the latest chipset for the board which is 9.3.0.1019. I did what the instructions said on how to install and now I have more questions.

Q2 - After install, shutdown then restart, in the device manager I see that only the Intel 5520/5500/X58 I/O Hub items got changed. Should the Intel ICH10 items have changed too or no?

Q3 - After the install, when I checked on the driver version for all of the I/O Hub items, they say 9.1.1.1026 dated 2-8-2010. The driver package I used was 9.3.0.1019 dated 5-3-2012. Did something go wrong? I got this version 9.3.0.1019 from the Intel website and I check the "this applies to" which the X58 is an Intel 6 series.

Q4 - Does anyone else have this board and had this problem? Or is this not a problem?

Q5 - Whoever has this board, what latest chipset are you using? Is it the same I got?

I look forward to your responses, I have read other posts not only here, but other sites as well and there seems to be some sort of installation issue, but I am coming here because in the past, this is where the answers to my past computer issues were solved. Thanks to all of you.

 

[Saltgrass]

I will help if I can, but my P6T is probably revision 0 and the last chipset drivers were from 2009..on the ASUS site.

QPI shows on the side of the box but I don't see anything in device manager. Any specific directions as to where I might look?

If you are running SSDs, you might want to check for Bios updates in case one of them may help in that area. I suppose the latest SATA drivers are fairly important.

But if want specific info, you need to give me specific instances of whatever.

 

[AirPower4ever]

Thanks, yes the QPI, I think was listed, is not listed under Device Manager under System devices. I thought it was there from my old mechanical hard drives. I should have kept those just in case, but I erased them already.

I got the latest BIOS for the mobo and the firmware from the SSD's is the latest.

If you go to your Device Manager and go under System devices you should see some entries like Intel ® 5520/5500/X58 I/O Hub Control Status and RAS Registers - 3423, what is the driver version and date you have? The next 7 or 8 items that are just like this entry, just wondering what the versions are.

For my RAID I am using 10.8.0.1003 for the SSD's

 

[Saltgrass]

Of the 8 listing under your heading, all say 6.1.7601.17514 6/21/2006

Ports 1,3 and 7 say 6.1.7600.16385 pci.sys

The rest all show no drivers needed from the Driver Details button.

I have not updated this system for a while, so I cannot guarantee I have the latest.

I don't run RAID so it probably would not be relevant.

 

[AirPower4ever]

Yes, those are the Microsoft drivers. Those are the old ones, if you get the ASUS ones, they are more up to date.

I am interested to see if anyone else can answer my 4 questions because when you update, you are going to be in the same situation as myself, the differences in the numbering and versions. How is one to know if you are really up to date if nothing matches.

I have tried third party software to tell me what's out of date, not one works near 100%. So doing this manually has been my only way. This chipset thing is another discovery for me and as I read on in forums, there is a hidden way to do these updates the manual way and to make sure your updates stay.

Hence why I am asking here to see what anyone else knows. There is a post here from 2009 that has a lot of info on this, but they are talking about an out dated chipset driver in regards to today.

Thanks again and I hope I am helping as well.

Edit: Here is what I have. The yellow highlighted ones are the ones that got changed to the now weird version number. The ones with a red dot are the ones I am asking if those should change during the installation as well or does the ones with the red dots get updated with what driver?

 

[Layback Bear]

You all got me confused. The only place I have ever seen QPI is in the bios of a Asus board. Sometime QPI is use to help clock your Dram voltage. Does QPI mean something else I'm not aware of?

 

[AirPower4ever]

My first question is "IF" it is suppose to be there, under the device manager under system devices. I am not sure anymore, I thought (and a big thought) it was, but I could be wrong. So I am asking if anyone else who has this board can check and tell me my gray matter is overworked or not.

 

[AirPower4ever]

I made a mistake on the series I mentioned early, X58 is not class 6 series, it is 5 series.

@Saltgrass - If you want to update your chipset, best way I have read is download the latest (9.3.0.1019 from Intel) or Asus for your board (9.1.1.1014).

open the run command, clear any contents in the field

drag the set up program to the field and it will add the entry

then at the end of it, add -overall so mine looked like this (there is a space between the " and the -;
"C:\Users\username\Desktop\Setup.exe" -overall

The update did fix a couple of new issues that arose about 1 month ago, my speakers were making a popping sound during shutdown and boot up. Also I had this weird "brrr" every now and then. It even carried over to the new SSD's full clean install. I checked grounding from the case, power supply, the pins to the plug, etc and all was grounded. Now with the update, these two issues are gone. So from that I am happy, but many questions as you can see from the first opening thread.

 

[Saltgrass]

Intel does not seem to have updated drivers for this board. I have had it since before Windows 7 came out.

The ASUS drivers appear to be the same as I have.

Chipset on the update is described as Intel 5 series/3400..

I think my system is about as up-to-date as I can make it. Sorry I can't help.

 

[AirPower4ever]

Sorry I cannot help you either. I have an e-mail going on at Intel as well. So far it does appear that the last version could be the 9.1.1.1026 and that the one Intel provides (9.3.0.1019) are for the new chipsets like the x79 and what not. I still covers the older chipsets, but I am asking for them to confirm my theory.

So some files do get updated, I have 9 system device entries updated. I was able to check the files too. Originally the files were version 6.1.7601.17514 for these 9. Now they are version 9.1.1.1026

Also I checked and the 6.1.7601.17514 were from Microsoft and they were a file called OEM12. When I updated, a new OEM17 was created and the version is 9.1.1.1026 from Intel. The old OEM12 is still there for some of the other items in the system devices. In other words, if the OEM12 took care of (let's say) 40 items in the system devices, with the update 9 are removed and they now have their own file (OEM17). But the OEM12 file still needs to exist because it is now handling the remaining 31 items. Not sure if that is clear, sorry if not.

Anyways, I think I am getting somewhere though. At least updating fixed my issues. I'll follow up with Intel and get back here with the answer.

Edit - I know this seems futile, but I have seen weird things. Example, client of mine tried running Microsoft Security Essentials and it would get about halfway or almost done and then BSOD. Spent hours, to feel better I started to look for updates. I updated his BIOS and viola, MSE did full scans. I ran it 18 times (9 quick scans, 9 full scans) and never a BSOD. Who would have thought the BIOS to fix that!!! 2 months later, client can still run MSE without BSOD's, system is fine.

 

[sygnus21]

You're worrying about nothing here. All you need to do is load the latest drivers and let them do what they do. Don’t worry about what device manager has to say about version numbers. Furthermore unless you are having problems with your board, you really don’t need to update them all the time. I’m an update nut and even I’ve stop worrying about those.

BTW I do have an X58 chipset – Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD5.

As to the latest drivers – you should check your motherboard’s website to see what were the last ones released for that board.The latest ones Intel has are here - Intel® Chipset Device Software (INF Update Utility). The Release notes state they support the 5 series chipset (X58)

Now what you might want to do seeing that you have an SSD drive is make sure your board is set the AHCI if your drive supports it. AHCI should be set in the BIOS if the setting is there, which it should be for an X85 board. You may also want to make sure you have the latest Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST). Get them here

And "QPI" (Quick Path Interconnect) is a BIOS thing only. In the simplest terms it basically allows for a quicker path the memory. I’m sure someone here will correct me/expand on it, but that’s it in a nutshell. At any rate you won’t see that setting in device manager.

Good luck

 

[sygnus21]

Fyi...

 

[Layback Bear]

Sygunus you hit the nail on the head. They are making things way to complicated. My understanding is the OP only wants suggestion from people that have his/hers exact motherboard. Their computing life would be a lot nicer if they take heed to your post.

 

[AirPower4ever]

I am not worried, I am asking why the differences. You can ask and not worry and that's where I am at.

That's what I am doing, just loading the latest when I saw this. I got two new SSD's, tossed the old mechanical ones and RAIDed, but I had to do a full install; hence why I saw all this occurring. I do not update them all the time, just when I have to wipe out my drive and re-install the whole O/S.

As for Intel, yes my theory was correct. Even if you see the version number, it does not mean that will be the version you get so the highest (according to Intel) for X58 is 9.1.1.1026, there is nothing higher than that. The 9.3.0.1019 is for newer boards so again, my theory was correct, they are just bundling everything.

Thank you for contacting Intel Technical Support.
What you have being reported in your system is completely normal and your theory correct.


Sincerely,

========
Intel Customer Support
Diego


I do not need ahci; as I stated that I am in RAID 0 for my drives, BIOS has been set correctly since day 1.



Thanks for the QPI info. I just could not remember. Thanks.

 

[Layback Bear]

Do you realize that when you use 2 SSD's in Raid you will loose Trim.?
The reading I have done I shall summarize.
1. SSD's in Raid will loose Trim.
2. When first installed in Raid their is a very slight increase in speed.
3. After awhile when the drive start filling they will slow down.
You might want to do a little more home work on that Raid thing.
This might be of some help.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storage/display/kigston-hyperx-ssd-raid0_7.html#sect0

 

[AirPower4ever]

Yes I knew that. Please, you might want to do "your" homework. Using Crucial M4's which have the greatest Garbage Collection, built for RAID. You need to leave your system at "idle" to have GC start. I had a great discussion with the Crucial engineers, you really need to have your PC at idle! No A/V in the background, no sort of any activity on the drive; reads or writes.

Have these in another computer for 2 months, still not seeing any performance hit; Testing ATTO, CrystalDiskMark, HD Tune, AIDA64, PCMark Vantage hard drive and data tests, AS SSD and a couple more. All show a downward performance hit when no GC, machine being used then shutdown. Let system idle, when GC is done, performance is less than .1% of when I got the drives new.

That article only covers SandForce controllers and why they suck at RAID, however the new Intel RAID drivers (version 11 something) will have TRIM pass through RAID so not sweating that. X79 boards are suppose to be able to handle this, but issues are arising. But I am confident they will work this out and you will be able to have TRIM pass to the SSD in a RAID setup. Crucial on the other hand has the Marvell controller, built for data protection, hence GC to cover RAID set ups. They are better and there is no need for TRIM, unless you have a single drive which Crucial also has that built in.

Thanks for the article though, I do skim that websites reviews

 

[Layback Bear]

I hope it works out for you. Intel is constantly making improvements. I have Marvell SATA 3.0 and I wish I didn't. It's junk. Intel use to use it but no longer does, they have there own SATA 3.0 now. A least according to my Intel dealer.