OMG! Highpoint got it right finally!

[MultimediaMan]

You all might want to check here for the version 2.0.x BIOS (For controller CARDS only) and driver updates for the HPT370 chipset.

If you have a motherboard that has the HPT370 chipset integrated, the latest BIOS upgrade from your mobo manufacturer of choice should bring your controller up to the latest spec.

The ACPI woes in Win9X/ME have been resolved! The Win2K support is even better (Although I never had any problems with them in Win2K). Finally!

I know Greebe will scarcely be able to contain his contempt, but face it, they did a GOOD thing.

Also, those of you who own Promise cards wil be happy to see new sets of drivers and BIOS upgrades for nearly all of their product lines here.

[Greebe]

Mwha?... try GURM

[monocrom]

I have Abit BE-6II Version 1.2, and I checked the latest BIOS on Abit, but the latest one will bring up the BIOS up to 0.95b. And I already have the latest BIOS from long time ago.

I haven't had any problems with Windows XP when it was in beta, but when I tried to install the final version, the setup halts after copying all those necessary files. When it tried to save the configuration files, it halts....

When I reboot it, it goes back to the first setup screen, going through the copying files again, and again...

I have HPT370, but not raid, I guess...

Is it possible to upgrade the BIOS using HPT BIOS instead of Abit's?

It's an old motherboard, but I don't want to throw it away...

[The PIT]

They've got it working Nah I don't belief it. Pity My Abit is in a box on top of my wardrobe.

[Gurm]

Hey, I'll only have contempt if this BIOS, like all others before it, turns out to wreck people's data, slow down their systems, and interfere with their sound cards.

If it WORKS, I'll be a happy man... since I'll be able to tell people with Highpoint controllers to get the latest BIOS and all will be well.

- Gurm

[MultimediaMan]

This is weird: I've flashed my BIOS 3 times for my HPT 370 RAID controller (Abit HR-100), with the SAME RAID array on them.

Never have I had problem with the BIOS corrupting the Array or the Array definition. (2x 8.4 GB HDD Striped RAID 0 partitioned into three logical drives-Games, Music and Video.)

Now, there is a Chaintech card out there that uses a non-standard BIOS that will NOT work with the BIOS that is on the Highpoint website, but Highpoint minces no words when telling the user about that particular compatibility issue.

One thing nice about the new BIOS: it automatically determines the CMOS chip type and loads the correct definition when prompted. This is, I suspect, where a good number of people were getting snookered.

[RichL]

Not worth the box its shipped in.

Well I've just un-RAIDed my system and would cheerfully consign the HPT370 controller to Silicon Hell, if it didnt happen to be embedded in my otherwise excellent Epox motherboard.

It was flaky to install.
It clashed with everything else in the system.
It used an IRQ that would otherwise be allocated to another card.
It wasnt particularly fast.
It HATES overclocking.

My tale of Raid 0 woe started two weeks ago, and the best my system ever got would let it run for about an hour before crashing. Even though I ensured nothing was IRQ sharing, it would lock my system.
SiSoft rated me a maximum of 29000 on disk at best, most of the time I didnt seem to get more than 23500. Using the disks as seperate masters on two channels or master/slave on one made bugger all difference.
Attempting to O/C my system meant the HPT froze up when the PCI bus went past 34mhz.
Previously 112fsb/37mhz PCI was stable as a rock.

So now I've junked the config, reinstalled with a dual boot Win98SE/2000 system on C and D drives respectively (with fixed swapfiles on alternate disks), and I'm now running very reliably indeed, with all my add in boards etc, and at the heady speed of 1045mhz (7*145).

My SiSoft disk benchmark?
24000.

Highpoint Raid controllers? Not worth the box they're shipped in.

[MultimediaMan]

Maybe it is a BIOS problem with the Epox board/chipset and not the HPT370 itself...

I have had ZERO problems with the HPT370 and Intel chipsets, but most of you having problems are running VIAs and Athlons...


Just a thought.

[cjolley]

I wonder about that too.
I have been running a 36mz PCI bus for a year with no problems on my Abit BE6-2 v2 's HPT controller.
I was even able to rebuild my RAID 0 and get the data off of a fried IBM GXP.
Odd.
Chuck

[GT98]

I went over to www.biosmods.com for the updated KG7-RAID BIOS (5W i think @ work now) with the updated 2.X Highpoint controllers.

I was pretty impressed by the performance gain I got from it. Before my Computer seemed a bit lathargic, but now everything hums along at a good Clip. I went back to the stock CPU speed because of issues I was having with games/video drivers and trying to troubleshoot it. I'll try OC it again to see what happens and If I can run my memory at the Turbo settings.

I think RichL comments are geared towards the external add on PCI card and not the the intergrated HP370 controllers.

Scott

[dancray]

since this is the praise highpoint forum ...I have to confess that they actually emailed me some beta XP drivers for the hpt 366 1.2 on my abit be 6-2...and guess what...they worked. XP runs fine now...just have to decide if I am goin to keep it on my dual boot...still managed to make it crash a few times LOL...it is a bit zippier than win2000...but win98se still does fine with most things I do....

[Indiana]

I also have two HighPoint 370 RAIDs, both on VIA chipsets (one integrated on the mainboard on a ABit KT7-RAID and the other as a seperate card (DawiControl) in my current rig with VIA KT266) and have had no problems whatsoever. I have to mention that there are solely IBM drives used on both, though - so maybe this also has something to do with the HDs manufacturer.

Performance is good and Win2k compatibility is great - no issues at all. And those RAIDs are quite heavily used during vidcapturing.
The HighPoint RAID had absolutely no problems at an FSB of 160MHz (PCI 40 MHz) so this is not a point against the RAID - but unfortunately my SCSI didn't like the high PCI speed at all and trashed my SCSI boot-HD....