Subject: Re[2]: [linux-audio-dev] Soundcards: USB, Firewire, PCI, PCMCIA
From: Rick Burnett (burnett_AT_tality.com)
Date: Tue Jan 22 2002 - 20:43:29 EET
Yes, the update did the trick. Let me point out that this wasn't a
linux machine. I was only mentioning it because many people were
unaware of it and knew that it was so incrediblt bad that many other
people might see it. Even though I am going to stick with the board,
the Intel chipset for is better. The PCI throughput goes from 90
Mb/s on the Via to 110 on the Intel. Before the patches and updates
to the bios I was getting around 60. Food for thought :)
Rick
AS> There have definitely been a few issues with those Via KT133/266
AS> chipsets. Seems to be due to some control bits Via did not originally
AS> document, or at least not well enough. But it looks like Iwill updated
AS> their BIOS to deal with what seems to be this problem a few months ago
AS> (I've got the same board, more info below).
AS> A probably related issue was that under Linux, Athlon optimizations in
AS> the 2.4 kernels exposed problems booting on motherboards with these Via
AS> chipsets (fer instance the one that RedHat 7.2 tries to boot after the
AS> initial install, if it detects an Athlon). But .. there was a patch a
AS> few kernels back (2.4.10?) that fixed some cases, and a proper patch
AS> based on info from Via that went into 2.4.18-pre1 (also included in
AS> Jussi Laako's 2.4.17-jl11 low latency patches, which is was I run).
AS> It seems that with a current BIOS and current drivers (or Linux kernel)
AS> that these problems are finally behind us .. though certainly a blemish
AS> on Via's record.
AS> - Ariel
AS> in particular this BIOS update looks impt: (see support.iwill.net)
AS> "KK266 for Product No is 35103A, BIOS Date Code: Apr.26.2001
AS> 1.Fixed system performance lost.
AS> 2.Fixed SoundBlaster LIVE! card are distorted
AS> 3.Fixed files copied from one IDE hard disk to another are corrupted.
AS> 4.Fixed files are corrupted when copying from to/from DVD, CDROM or CDRW
AS> device.
AS> 5.Correct CPUID=0643H ratio table.
AS> 6.Fixed data corruption with 686B."
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Tue Jan 22 2002 - 20:35:07 EET