nforce2 + win98SE = no IDE controller driver

[bythelee]

Having been impressed by the reviews, and checking for Win98SE support both at the nvidia website and various motherboard manufacturers, I bought one.

After a long struggle, the retailer finally extracted the truth from nvidia - the ide controller driver has been REMOVED from the Win98SE driver set, because of "problems". So, I'm left with the default Microsoft controller and single FIFO on both channels (so I can only mount one device on each IDE channel). Data transfer is about 1/10 what it could be with this hardware.

How nice of nvidia to make this clear, and how nice of the motherboard makers to pass on the information. If win98SE is obselete, then by all means pull all support. But don't claim to support it and then cripple performance by leaving out vital components.

nvidia do not plan to release an IDE driver for win98SE in the future, so if like me you see little point in adding to Bill Gate's fortune, then an nforce2 is out of the question.

Just a note to maybe save someone else from falling into the same trap.

 

[Crashman]

I've loaded HUNDREDS of systems with the 98SE default driver, many with 3 or 4 devices, and never had that problem. Enabling DMA has always gotten me reasonable tranfer rates also.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ChipDeath]

I've built 2 win98SE systems on nforce2 boards, with no problems whatsoever.

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<font color=red>The preceding text is assembled from information stored in an unreliable organic storage medium. As such it may be innacurate, incomplete, or completely wrong</font color=red>

 

[speeduk]

Yeah whats the biggy? I have an nforce 2 board with win98se and get 22gb/s with 2 drives on 1 channel. Its faster than my old gigabyte 133 board IDE wise.

<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=7000747" target="_new"> 3D-2001 </A>
<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=1284380" target="_new"> 3D-03 </A>
<font color=red> 120% overclocker </font color=red> (cheapskate)

 

[addiarmadar]

Which Mobo did you get?

F-DISK-Format-Reinstal DO DA!! DO DA!!

 

[chfosmith]

It is the hard drive size that makes the difference.
Build a system with nVidia and drives under 32Gig, no problem.
Build with 80 or 120 Gig, maybe, depending on Manufacturer and Model.
Go 160, 250 or more, real problems.
Regards, Chris
PS On difficult drives force the SETUP into SAFE mode on the first reboot, using F8, and load the Win98SE drivers. Win98SE will give you a message to please reboot in normal mode. Ignore it, and load the drives, then reboot in normal, and finish the setup normally.

 

[theholylancer]

grave digger much? I was shocked when i saw people were still using 98 SE and NF2 now a days (usually XP by now methinks)