Abit KT7-HPT UDMA 60% CPU Load

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MeanGene

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When I run the HD Tach 2.61 it is running about 60% CPU Utilization. The Ultra 133 Maxtor HD is connected to the HPT 370 controller as the primary with nothing else connected. On my previous MB CPU Utilization ran about 4%. This setup is a dog.

Set to UDMA5 in HPT BIOS
Running VIA 4.37a drivers
XP driver result is the same
80 wire insulated cables
HD set to cable select
 
Originally posted by MeanGene
When I run the HD Tach 2.61 it is running about 60% CPU Utilization. The Ultra 133 Maxtor HD is connected to the HPT 370 controller as the primary with nothing else connected. On my previous MB CPU Utilization ran about 4%. This setup is a dog.

Set to UDMA5 in HPT BIOS
Running VIA 4.37a drivers
XP driver result is the same
80 wire insulated cables
HD set to cable select
I'm just curious to know why your drive is set to cable select?
 
Lonman, what about the statement on the driver web site...

Updated Device Drivers


Note: HighPoint BIOS updates for motherboard/HPT IDE controller combinations must be obtained from the motherboard manufacturer.
 
Yes. you can't use Highpoint's flash utility on your KT7-Raid. Get your latest KT7 bios, v64, this will bring your hpt bios up to 1.11.0402 i think. Then get the 1.11.0502 driver.

You can actually find modified bios' to install the most recent highpoint bios in conjuntion with the KT7_64 bios, but i haven't noticed any performance difference between those and the older ones. I don't think Abit will release the next bios generation until they figure out why these onboard raids aren't performing up to their potentional (personal theory).

I have the KT7-Raid to with the modified bios flashed in, and i recommend sticking with the Bios and drivers at Abit.

I'm about to roll back myself because the newest 2.0.0919 haven't shown me squat in a performance gain.

Your's is lower then mine though so i do recommend reflashing your mainboads bios and getting the matching hpt driver at abit:

http://www.abit-usa.com/ <<<< sorry, can't read!:rolleyes:
 
ZipTrix,

Some drive cable combonations are needed for UDMA 4+ operation. This may include any or all of the following:

All Hard drives set to cable select.

A 80 wire cable with either a pin missing or a small hole in one of the ribbon wires.

A jumper that can used used to tell the system the UDMA mode.

A BIOS setting for UDMA mode.

OS driver support.

BIOS - firmware support.

Just trying to cover all the bases.
 
Lonman,

I am using the Abit Kt764 BIOS and have gone back to the Original 5.1.2600.0 HPT-MS driver support. This has not made any difference in the amount of CPU time that is used during a HD Tach benchmark. We have had a couple of conversations about this before. I am beginning to think there is something wrong with my MB. When I had the Maxtor Ultra 133 hooked to the VIA, XP would start the HD out @ UDMA3. After using it a while XP would lower it down to IPO. It is unlikely that I have two bad controllers. What is it that they both have in common? Power source?
 
Well, DO get the latest hpt driver for your hpt bios v1.11.0512 from Abit. That should help some.

THEN, go back to highpoint and get a copy of the "Raid Administrator v1.11.0402" at the bottom of the driver's page i gave you a link to earlier. With that you can verify that the drives on your raid are set to mode 5, it doesn't matter if they're in an array or not. I have a single drive on my raid and i can still see that it is set in mode 5 using this program.

As far as your 133 is concerned, that "may" be part of the problem. It's actually a generation ahead of your board BUT it should still be kiking at ata100 (mode 5).

Here's my performance using the very newest hpt bios and drivers available at highpoint (better then yours, but still really low - I think it's a VIA/HPT issue, but not sure):
 
The reason the Raid adminstrator won't work is because it has to be used in conjunction with it's matching bios/driver pack. Just get the driver from highpoint.
 
I am using the 1.11.0402 HPT BIOS and the 2.0.1019 drivers from Abit. I am also using the RAID Admin program created for the 0402's. When I DL the earlier drivers from Abit, the hpt111.exe, there is no WinXP folder in the archive. Makes me wonder.

There has been an improvement with this driver combo. I have included my latest HD Tach results.
 
Wow, HUGE improvement. My work here is done - the student has surpassed the teacher, lol. Good job man. Someday I hope i can strike the right combo.

You might want to consider getting the modified bios for those newer drivers, you may (or may not), improve you performance even more. Then the newest Raid Administrator program will work too.

Go check them out, any questions which to pick, let me know:

http://www.biosmods.com/bios.php?class=abitkt7_rel&version=3c201019

Just pick one of the Pictures down below - the picture is what will show up in place of the "Energy Star" logo. You'll need to modify the "Runme.bat" file to call the .bin file you download.
 
ZipTrix, if you have HardDrive tach installed. give us an example of your performance with those.
 
The KT73c series are older Award bios combonations. I haven't tried those myself. I'd like to stick with the newest Award Bios I can get (64) with the best hpt bios/driver combo. So far the best combination i've been able to come up with for myself is with the 0919 bios (KT764 + hpt20a), and the 1019 driver.

I've tried the very newest bios and driver combo v2.0.1203 and it knocks my performance back in the dirt.

I think i'll stay with this combonation until Abit (hopefully) produces a combination that unleashes the ATA100 potential of these drives.

My (best) performance so far:
 

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