How to install the AMD X2 drivers, hotfix, the correct way.

[Monkey_Nut]

lo all
i just want to make sure if i got this right

i want to do a fresh install of xp with hotfixes up to may 07 on a sata drive and dual core
do i install xp and press f6 and install sata drivers then finish install of xp, then amd optimizer reboot press f5 and select dual core.

thanks

[TEDY]

you don't need sata drivers ....

[MaTr1x]

Oke guys to clarify, I have done the installation this weekend and will tell you what you need to do now ( I copied some things from Donster's post #594 ):

1\ I've downloaded the AMD driver for windows XP from the link below.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/...1_9706,00.html
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/cont...mdcpusetup.exe
AMD Athlon™ 64/FX Processor Driver for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Version (x86 and x64 exe) 1.3.2.16

Although it says 1.3.2.16 here the installer from that link says it will install 1.3.2.0, I already had that one installed but did it anyways, after installation my device manager says the AMD driver is 1.3.2.0.

2\ Download and install the MS hotfix, WindowsXP-KB896256-v4-x86-ENU.exe.

3\ Edit my boot.ini and add the command /usepmtimer

4\ Download and install the AMD Dual core optimizer from
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/...1_9706,00.html
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/cont...ties/Setup.exe

Although WindowsXP-KB896256-v4-x86-ENU.exe adds the registry entries by itself now I still had to manually add the /usepmtimer in the boot.ini. I noticed this after I had installed the AMD Dual core optimizer so I've added this to the boot.ini manually. No problems whatsoever, haven't noticed any difference though after the patch.

[birdie800]

This optimzer only helps with certain games, right? It doesn't do anything for faster boot up with XP? It's weird cuz on my backup rig (see sig), the black screen with the scrolling bars only scrolls once or twice and then boots up, but with my new rig, it takes 7/8 scroll throughs before it boots into XP. I thought my new rig would be much faster.

[blackwinterday]

It doesn't say install windows xp hotfix in the first message. It only says download. Should we install the hotfix after the installation of AMD drivers?

It would be good if someone corrects this.

[Varsos]

Hi guys
does this guide apply to mobile processors too?I have a laptop with Turion TL56.

Thanks a lot

[TGYoung]

Hi all:

I'm kind of tagging on to this thread since it talks about the AMD Dual-Core Optimizer extensively.

Recently acquired an HP box with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ running Windows Vista.

One of the first games I installed was Quake 3 and it ran poorly, with a semi-periodic brief pause in the game every couple of seconds or so.

Looking around the Internet and this forum I became aware of the "AMD Dual-Core Optimizer" at AMD's site. The write-up said "The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer can help improve some PC gaming video performance by compensating for those applications that bypass the Windows API for timing by directly using the RDTSC (Read Time Stamp Counter) instruction."

Although I wasn't sure if that was the issue with Quake 3 I figured installing the Optimizer couldn't hurt, so I downloaded and intalled it. Only thing is, it doesn't seem like it's really installed on my machine. The "AMD Dual-Core Optimizer" shows up in the startup list and is available to be uninstalled via Control Panel\Programs and Features. But, when I run Device Manager and look at the drivers for the processors I see:

Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 6/21/2006
Driver Version: 6.0.6000.16386
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows

where I'd expect to see a driver provided by AMD. And Q3 still runs like crap!

How can I tell if the AMD driver is installed and running? And how do I get Q3 to perform properly on this machine!

TIA.

Tom Young

[Draxx]

You need to install the AMD Processor driver as well

Its found on the same download page as you got the optimiser from.

[krille]

My dad is about to take over my old Dual-Core S939 system (FX-60, ASUS A8N-Sli Premium) and he insists on getting the Swedish version of XP Pro for it. So essentially I'm wondering, is there hope for him? Is there a dual-core hotfix for non-English versions of XP Pro? Swedish in his case?

Thanks!

[krille]

Ah great, none? Is there a DC hotfix compatible with Windows XP Professional Swedish?

[JEB]

Just a quick question please - what's the best tool for using to benchmark your before and after results? Just built a new rig with an X2 6000 so want to see what difference the hotfix\patch\optimizer makes.

[GAR]

You can use Counter Strike stress test, 3dmark 01-06, aquamark3.

[scott14]

Deleted.

Gar's subsequent post explains away what was here, so it is removed to prevent confusion.

[GAR]

Note You can type 1 in the Value data box to enable the new performance state policy behavior.
8. Quit Registry Editor.

As you can see, 1 enables it, 0 disables it, my instructions clearly say 1, to enable it.

[scott14]

GAR

AAaaahhhhh


Thanks for clarifying that!

[twiggy]

Thanks GAR! Fixed my CSS prob.

I guess I'm kinda late to the dual core party lol.

[Matas]

At first, I set "0" in registry and installed optimizer. But I noticed that I should set "1" in the registry and after that I changed value to 1. It seems that I have broken the order... Should I do the new install step by step, or it doesn't matter that I changed "0" to "1" after optimizer installation?

[yichen382]

The X2 machine I am gonna build is not for gaming. It's for financial data analysis only. In my case:

1. Does the MS Hotfix help?
2. Does the AMD X2 Driver help?
3. Does the Dual-Core Optimizer help?

Thanks.

[Pedrovsk]

Hey everyone how's it going? Been a long time. :P

I've noticed there is an AMD X2 Driver version 1.3.2.0053, released September 2007. It's 14MB. 1.3.2.16 was from 2006 and 2,82MB.

I'm puzzled since 1.3.2.0053 should actually be lower than 1.3.2.16? But it's bigger and released more recently as well.

Also the Amd Dual Core Optimizer says it's been released in August 2007. New optimizer? Old optimizer has 4,42MB but this new Aug 07 one has 4,67MB.

I made the same question more than 1 year ago (wow time passes by fast ), but didn't really get an answer so:

To update AMD CPU Drivers and/or AMD Dual Core Optimize which one of these methods should I use?:

I. Uninstall both of them regardless of order and install the new ones

II. Uninstall both of them in order (AMD Driver then Dual Core Optimize) and then install the new ones in order.

III.Install new ones over the old ones

IV. Install the new ones in order after following the following steps?:

1 - Uninstall the Hotfix, go into ad/remove programs, click on show updates and remove update numbered KB896256

2 - Reverse the registry entry.

3 - Uninstall the AMD drivers.

4 - Uninstall the AMD Dual Core Optimizer.

5 - Done.

So can I get an answer this time? Please? Thanks a bunch!

[KoHaN69]

Ah great, none? Is there a DC hotfix compatible with Windows XP Professional Swedish?

Install English XP, then install the Swedish MUI (a retail product)

[rahzel]

i just reformatted my machine and installed windows xp with all the updates to feb 2008.
my question is, do i still need do do all these patches and updates for my 3800+ X2 S939?

also, the original post is quite dated so its hard to find the right files needed.

help please?

[vcp-cur]

i think that all you need is the dual core optimizer from www.amd.com
they have 2 things that u need there
i dont know what else is needed, i have an x2 4200+ myself S939 and I installed 2 files from amd.com .. i dunno what else i need

[rahzel]

ok, so i went ahead and installed both anyway.

but i accidentally installed them in the wrong order. i installed the AMD drivers first (which is correct), then i modified my registry, installed the NEW optimizer, then i installed the old (which was all wrong). reason being, the OP didn't say to download and install the patch (i know... i should have figured that). but is it ok that i installed the new one first, then the old? and that i modified my registry before i installed the old optimizer?

[Nikolasz]

I just replace, my dads s939's single core cpu 3500+ to 3800+x2 no updates, simply windows ask to restart pc!
Task maneger says 2 cpus and windows working with two at time.

He got all sp2/sp3 updates!
Plz install microsoft updates via net and you will be all fine.
Now relax guys

[dwire]

Greetings everyone! First post here, as I had some sort of issue for about a year not allowing me the ability to post, just read; not pointing fingers here at moderator(s)/webmaster either! They probably have already seen or read some of my posts elsewhere and thought it better to keep me quiet!

OK, good going GAR! Now I am getting ready to build up another new custom OS for the server (H8DCE with a pair of 940 Pin Opteron 285's now, Monday they will be 290's) Anyhow, I have a major daunting task ahead of me. I would like a bit of advise here. This neato deal GAR posted is not needed for XP SP-3, would that be the correct assumption? As well, since I am going to be playing the driver game again with this MB chipset, hardware, OS, and CPU all over again, can anyone help me out with exactly what I should be downloading and installing from AMD? I will not be using C&Q; I am water-cooled and running fine. I can also tell you that I had to do a lot of work pissing around with drivers from Nvidia, combining pieces of old and new drivers to get the best performance, which is a hard thing to do, especially when you can end up totally crapping out the OS install in the process. I hope I documented what stuff worked last time, and what order I did them in, and besides, I'll bet there are new drivers in the mix to have to experiment with already by now!

Anyhow, the Nvidia crap is my own burden, and of course I would not ever have to start all over again if MS had not decided to THIS TIME not disclose to me when they sent me the emails with links to the RC's of SP-3 (mainly SP-3 RC) that this time they would not be sending me updates as they had in the past when testing for them, but that I would have to uninstall and reinstall the next RC; RC1, RC2, RC3 et al! So dumb me did the usual, and prudent thing and slipstreamed/integrated the RC. Ah OH! While SP-3 RC was a beautiful thing, it has/had MAJOR problems, and here I had spent several months installing enough apps even all in folders and such in the start menu to fill one entire 19" flat panel of my desktop! Needless to say, my "friends" at MS got a profane earful about this.

So any advise here? I am going to be throwing many questions at many areas/forum threads here, as well as many other forums, to minimize the F^UP rate on this deal. Main two questions appropriate here are:

1) Totally cool GAR update deal not needed with final release of SP-3 - TRUE/FALSE.
2) What exactly should I be getting from AMD for my install, any ideas here? As well, does MS make anything worth a crud as far as drivers, patches, hot-fixes, updates and what not that would benefit my AMD Opty's? As well, I suppose chipsets too, but I am pretty darn sure Nvidia can do a good job of throwing out the best of what they can offer there, and I have found that to ALWAYS BE JUNK!) I usually stay as far away from MS's patches and updates unless it applies to their OS, otherwise, best bet is to contact the vendor of the hardware.

I will give you "some of my machine specs, as If I put everything here, it would take an entire thread page length! Literally after I switch OS's from XP-32, SP3 (I hope there is an SP-4 next, but am not holding my breath!) and skip the worst OS since ME, in fact VISTA might even beat ME in the totally junk arena, and push this thin into Windows 7, when that is done, and I am ready to retire this machine, I will be contacting the Smithsonian Institute, as I am pretty certain (while it surely is a mess and no effort has gone into beauty here) this may be one of the most complex, integrated server systems ever built by an individual. Perhaps there are a few other geeks suck as myself that have me beat here, but if they do, I really pity them! And NO I AM NOT BRAGGING, as this is the reason this machine has been down more than up throughout its lifetime, and is now basically "obsolete" technology most folks would say...

Thanks for any help anyone can provide for me here, and I'll put some of the important data of the server below.
dwire
MB: H8DCE (Supermicro) It will OC, but only though software with the correct antique version of clockgen, which all the experts tell me is not the way to go, and normally I would agree, but for this thing, actually is BETTER than the BIOS; sounds crazy I know...
Chipsets: Nvidia Pro 2200, and 2050
Memory: 8GB (8*1GB infineon (Quimonda) Single Rank PC3200 DDR400 ECC REG BUFF 184-Pin RAM)
Drives: (ON MOTHERBOARD) 7 SATAII (All some sort of RAID), 1 SATA BlueRay Drive, (PCIe Controller) 8 SATAII on a PCIe BUS; 4 Internal, 4 In External PCI Expansion Bay (All some sort of RAID) ALL HD's Seagates.
Every PCI type Slot full, and a Magma 7-Slot PCI expansion Bay currently "Only" holding 5 cards...
Everything is water-cooled, drives (except the four outboard and DVD's, Tape, Floppy; the obvious...)
CPU's, Chipsets, both Video cards are water-cooled as well.
Every single jumper, plug, port, etc used up, or turned off in BIOS to remove the IRQ in XP (you can do that, it just won't let you put something else in its place!)

Ask if this is not enough insane info to answer the above two questions. Thank you again, and take it easy on me, as this is post #1 here, so I guess I am a newbie...

Best regards,
dwire