Latest M2A-VM Chipset download contain 11-month-old display drivers!

Why does the 2008/01/18 driver update download for the M2A-VM
motherboard (which links to
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mis..._Driver_xp.zip)
contain a positively ancient display driver version 8.342.0.0 from
02/02/2007? Doesn't that go against the whole idea of "updates"?
You'd think that by downloading a 180.76 MB package -- which again, is
dated 01/18/2008 -- that you'd have the absolute most up-to-date
drivers for your motherboard. But no, that's not the case -- we're
given eleven-month-old.drivers! Thanks Asus!

wrote:
> Why does the 2008/01/18 driver update download for the M2A-VM
> motherboard (which links to

Don't rely on automatic update tools.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.14
^ ^ 19:23:01 up 7 days 22:12 0 users load average: 0.01 0.01 0.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_...ub_addressesa/

This wasn't automatic. I manually searched the asus site for the
latest chipset driver package and came up with this.

On Jan 23, 6:24 am, Man-wai Chang ToDie <toylet.toy...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> chuck.k...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Why does the 2008/01/18 driver update download for the M2A-VM
> > motherboard (which links to
>
> Don't rely on automatic update tools.
>

wrote:
> This wasn't automatic. I manually searched the asus site for the
> latest chipset driver package and came up with this.

The best packages come straight from the chip maker. They write
the drivers. In your case, Asus "added value" by messing with it,
and making the overall download way too big. More focused
driver packages (still bloated but smaller) can be found
on ati.amd.com .

In some cases, I've had to go to multiple other computer sites, to
get updated drivers. I've even used a Dell driver for AC'97 sound
on my current motherboard. You have to be creative, if you expect
to get the best for your system.

Paul

> The best packages come straight from the chip maker. They write
> the drivers. In your case, Asus "added value" by messing with it,
> and making the overall download way too big. More focused
> driver packages (still bloated but smaller) can be found
> on ati.amd.com .

SoundMax doesn't have a generic OEM driver. I wish there is one...

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.14
^ ^ 12:39:01 up 8 days 15:28 0 users load average: 1.00 1.00 1.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_...ub_addressesa/

> This wasn't automatic. I manually searched the asus site for the
> latest chipset driver package and came up with this.

Other than the Soundmax driver and BIOS, I basically use generic drivers
from the chipset manufacturers.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.14
^ ^ 12:40:01 up 8 days 15:29 0 users load average: 1.00 1.00 1.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_...ub_addressesa/

On Jan 23, 11:41 pm, Man-wai Chang ToDie <toylet.toy...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Other than the Soundmax driver and BIOS, I basically use generic drivers
> from the chipset manufacturers.

Which driver/BIOS versions enable BD/HD playback on the M2A-VM?

The Cyberlink (makers of PowerDVD BD/HD playback software) list of
supported graphics cards does not list the X1250 (or is it X1200?)
IGP:

http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/suppo...=175&nCateId=5

Yet the Asus page for this motherboard boldly proclaims "Enjoy DVI
Supported Playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs"

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...68&modelmenu=1

> Yet the Asus page for this motherboard boldly proclaims "Enjoy DVI
> Supported Playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs"
> http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...68&modelmenu=1

Are you talking about hardware acceleration on the Radeon chip?
Not a DVD fan myself, so I never care about that....


--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.24
^ ^ 20:27:01 up 2:01 0 users load average: 0.01 0.04 0.33
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_...ub_addressesa/

wrote:
> On Jan 23, 11:41 pm, Man-wai Chang ToDie <toylet.toy...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Other than the Soundmax driver and BIOS, I basically use generic drivers
>> from the chipset manufacturers.
>
> Which driver/BIOS versions enable BD/HD playback on the M2A-VM?
>
> The Cyberlink (makers of PowerDVD BD/HD playback software) list of
> supported graphics cards does not list the X1250 (or is it X1200?)
> IGP:
>
> http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/suppo...=175&nCateId=5
>
> Yet the Asus page for this motherboard boldly proclaims "Enjoy DVI
> Supported Playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs"
>
> http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...68&modelmenu=1
>

The Chin-glish here is referring to the HDCP aspect of playback. It means
by using a monitor that supports HDCP on its end, an encrypted link is
used, and consequently full movie resolution is possible. "Supports playback"
is not implying the chipset has some special understanding of movies
or movie playback. You still need application software to do that.
I understand the presence of the HDMI connector is supposed to imply
HDCP support, but I still like to verify that for either end of the
link. HDCP may not be mentioned in monitor advertising (because I tried
looking recently for that kind of info).

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...85&modelmenu=1

"The first integrated VGA MB supports Playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray
Discs with HDCP compliant"

What is kinda funny, is if you go to the Specification page off of the product
page, it says:

"Supports HDMI Technology with HDCP compliant with max. resolution 1920 x 1080p
(It may not display 1080p smoothly when playing HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc
due to current version player limit)

If you go to the ATI chipset pages, they're more hardware oriented.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/..._14763,00.html

"Protected content can also be played through on-chip HDCP support..."

Some of the acceleration features are listed here:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/..._14764,00.html

" Motion Video Acceleration Features
* Enhanced MPEG-2 hardware decode acceleration
* MPEG-4 decode support
* Hardware acceleration for WMV9 playback
* Supports top quality DVD and time-shifted SDTV/HDTV television playback with low CPU usage"

Picture quality on 690G (X1250 core) is compared here.
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2942&p=10

"For video acceleration features, the X1250 is capable of hardware acceleration
of MPEG2 and WMV playback. MPEG4 playback decode is not hardware accelerated,
but it is supported in software via the driver. DVD and TV (both SD and HD
resolution) playback can be offloaded from the CPU, but we have seen some
severe choppiness or blank screen issues with HD media formats at 1080p -
although 720p worked fine. AMD has indicated that this issue will be addressed
in a future driver and the chipset is fully capable of 1080p output with an
upper end CPU and proper software support."

While this article is for X1250 core on an Intel motherboard, you can see the
processor utilization during playback.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3072&p=17

"With the release of the Catalyst 7.8 driver, the X1250 graphics core has been
touted as having the capability to playback high definition content in 1080p
with an appropriate CPU and CyberLink's PowerDVD player."

It is the usual "dribbling development" issue. When it comes to video playback
(movies), the software isn't ready for about a year after the hardware has
shipped. It takes that long, before it gets close to the initial design intent.
It takes so long, in fact, that reviews sites seldom follow up to see if
the stuff (finally) works right.

HTH,
Paul