IIRC the USB fixes were for legacy USB mode, i.e. support for USB mice
and keyboards in DOS mode and during boot up. I installed it anyway
just in case it might fix a problem I was having, but it didn't. Of the
upgrades that I have done so far, the most important was the one that
fixed hardware monitoring, since I am heavily overclocked and really
need to watch the temps. Can't remember what version that was, but they
changes are all listed on ASUS's web site.
> Strange! You sent your message on the 20th and it appears today on the
25th,
> along with a lot of other stale messages. Must be connected with the
odd
> behaviour of my ISP last weekend.
> Anyway to answer your question: I have the 1001.a BIOS , the original
one
> that came with the board. I have done BIOS upgrades on previous ASUS
boards
> before but the ASUS site gives particularly dire warnings about the
upgrade
> procedure from 1001. Does the latest BIOS contain any upgrades that
are of
> real benefit? For instance my Thrustmaster Ferrari FF wheel seems
awfully
> twitchy and hard to calibrate in several sims to the point where I
can't
> play the new NH addon Spirit of Heat. Would the USB fixes you mention
help
> in that case? Fortuneatly GPL, that most bulletproof of sims, remains
> unaffected.
> David
> > What BIOS version do you have? The early versions were a *** to
> > update because if you didn't do it exactly right you ended up with
no
> > video. OTOH if you did do it exactly as per instructions you were
fine.
> > I have been updating about twice a year without any problems. I
don't
> > get every update, just the ones that seem to relate to problems I am
> > having. There have been updates that fixed problems with the
hardware
> > monitor, and that fixed problems with USB, both of which I use, so I
> > updated. I think ever since the first update the GWS option has
been
> > available.
> > > Just checked the motherboard manual and that Graphics Window Size
is
> > > mentioned in the manual. However when I go to the BIOS the line is
not
> > > present in its alloted place. After some fiddleing around I
discovered
> > that
> > > the GWS line would appear if I enabled the onboard VGA. It was set
at
> > 64
> > > meg. Since I don't have an onboard (built-in) VGA on this
particular
> > model
> > > of CUSL2 I did not save the configuration. I do know that there
are
> > later
> > > BIOS at ASUS for this particular board but ,frankly, flashing BIOS
is
> > not a
> > > task that I care to do. The fear and trepidation factor, ya' know
:)
> > > David
> > > > I have a CUSL2 also. The AGP aperture setting is in there, it's
> > just
> > > > not called AGP aperture, it's called Graphics Window Size, and
it's
> > in
> > > > the Chip Configuration menu. Unfortunately on the version of
the
> > board
> > > > I have 64 meg is the max to which you can set it, but I'm not
> > convinced
> > > > that you really need more than that anyway.
> > > > > As far as I can tell my ASUS CULS-2 BIOS doesn't provide a
way to
> > > > fiddle
> > > > > with the AGP aperture setting. FWIW, on my 1 gHz P3 with
Radeon
> > 8500
> > > > (9008
> > > > > driver) the benchnark utility gives me 35.7 fps at a fillrate
of
> > 1059
> > > > > MPix/sec and polys of 2983 kTris/sec. This is at 1024 x 768
rez
> > with
> > > > all
> > > > > graphical quality settings maxed out.
> > > > > Booker
> > > > > > When running my R8500 at AGP aperature setting of 64mb I
noticed
> > 3D
> > > > > > acceleration was turned off in dxdiag. I then ran the Nascar
> > Heat
> > > > > benchmark
> > > > > > and my Polygon rate was only 696, I also noticed some
graphycal
> > > > glitches
> > > > > in
> > > > > > NH and a few other games (polygons flashing on the screen).
I
> > then
> > > > changed
> > > > > > my AGP aperature to 128mb, this fixed all the problems for
me.
> > AGP
> > > > > > acceleration was now enabled, no more graphics glitches in
any
> > games
> > > > and
> > > > > in
> > > > > > Nascar Heat the polygon rate jumped to 4681. I then upped my
AGP
> > > > from 2X
> > > > > to
> > > > > > 4X and it went up to 5263. This is strange because ATI
> > recommends
> > > > 64mb
> > > > > > aperature and on my GF2 setting aperature to 64mb or 128mb
and
> > 2x or
> > > > 4x
> > > > > made
> > > > > > no difference. This is on a FIC AD11 (AMD761) mb. Anyone
else
> > with
> > > > an
> > > > > R8500
> > > > > > notice anything similar or their system. I'm using the 3286
> > drivers
> > > > from
> > > > > > ATI. Could someone with an R8500 and Nascar Heat run the
> > benchmark
> > > > and
> > > > > tell
> > > > > > me what their reading is. My fillrate never changes from
1077,
> > just
> > > > the
> > > > > > polygon rate changes and changing the res from 1024x768 to
> > 1280x1024
> > > > makes
> > > > > > no dif either.
