New Build HELP

[MajorBrass]

Building/updating to a new system and would love some help.

i7 2600k CPU
ASUS Sabertooth Z77
RipJaws DDR3 1866 4x4GB RAM
EVGA GTX 670 x2/Sli
HyperX 120GB's SSD
ASUS Xonar Essense Sound Card
Windows 7 64bit


Link to ASUS MB drivers annd utilities download page :
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/SABERTOOTH_Z77/#download

Here is what I'm wondering and asking for help with:

- Should I have the "Clear CMOS" jumper in the clear position with the MB battery out while putting the hardware into the MB or should I just clear it once and then put everything in?

- What order should I install the drivers in?

- Should I leave the soundcard out and install it at the end after everything else is and its drivers are installed, system is updated?

- Do you know if any of the ASUS utilities are absolutely needed? I prefer to periodically update things on my own manually and I do not like "bloatware" that uses system resources.


Here is the order of installation/system building I was thinking of following:

1. Connect power supply to MB
2. Clear CMOS
3. Update Bios through USB prior to installing CPU, RAM, etc.
4. Clear CMOS again
5. Put in hardware - CPU, RAM, Video cards, SSD, connect power supply and fans, etc.
6. Install Windows 7
7. Install Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, Install Intel Chipset Driver & Intel Management Engine Interface (not sure which of these to install first & if the 1st two are the same thing? [both are listed on the download page under chipset], any ideas?)
8. Install Intel Graphics Accelerator Driver
9. Install Intel Management Engine Firmware (I have Win7 and I am not sure if I should install this as it is listed as: "For better Windows® 8 compatibility, this tool will update the Intel® Management Engine(ME) firmware to 8.1." and
10. Install USB drivers - Intel and AsMedia are both listed, I assume I should install both?
11. Install LAN driver
12. Update Windows
13. Install EVGA 670 drivers
14. Install the soundcard and drivers.

I have built 3 sytems over the last 7 years (Win XP, Vista, & 7) but have had a lot of issues with the last one that I hope to avoid in this one by making sure I do things in the proper way and in the right order. I did read the MB manual but it only says "Istall the drivers from the support CD." and does not clarify much else.

I know I am asking a lot of detailed questions but if you can help clarify even a part of what I am asking, I would greatly appriciate it! Thank you!

 

[Steltek]

I've got that same motherboard, and it is actually a genuine pleasure to work with. You don't have to mess with the CMOS jumper - the motherboard has a marked button near the rear USB ports you can push to do it without opening the case.

What you have posted regarding your installation will work - just make sure you install the SSD in AHCI mode and that it is the only data drive in the system when you install Win7 to avoid problems. If you have any other hard drives, hold off on installing them until after Windows is installed and running.

You don't have to update the BIOS before you install the CPU and DRAM, you can do it at any time and it is very easy to do it through the UEFI BIOS interface (just make sure to reset to defaults after you flash). One thing I do recommend is going in to the BIOS and increasing the amount of time the splash screen remains up (where you can enter the BIOS) during the install process -- otherwise, you'll have a tendency to miss the opportunity to enter the BIOS after a restart where you don't shut all the way off. You'll be better off downloading the most recent BIOS yourself as the ASUS software will not find the most recent version available. The CPU is old enough that it should be supported by the motherboard straight out of the box without a BIOS update, though.

You do need the Intel drivers (chipset and LAN) installed. You only need the Intel Graphics driver if you want the option of using the onboard video (it doesn't hurt to install it) -- just make sure you turn on the onboard graphics option in the UEFI BIOS or it won't let you install the driver. You also do need both the Intel and AsMedia USB drivers, otherwise all of your USB 3.0 ports will not work (the motherboard has both chipsets).

The ASUS AISuite II software does make it easy to overclock your system. I did have problems with it installing Windows services that are difficult (if not impossible) to remove though, so beware. Don't install the Disk Unlocker software unless you need it (which should be rare) as it also installs a service that you really can't get rid of (short of disabling it and leaving it disabled).

 

[MajorBrass]

Thank you for the tips and info! I did not know about not having another hdd connected. I had planned to install a secondary hdd as storage. I'll follow your advice and leave it disconnected until the install is complete.

I don't think the saberthooth z77 has a clear CMOS button on the back from what I read. It has a BIOS flash one. It should get here on Fri. and I'll see. It would be nice if it did.

Does anyone know if I should be clearing the CMOS after installing new hardware? For example, once I install Win7 and all the drivers and updates and connect the storage HDD and or install the sound card, should I clear CMOS?

A few years ago, I was told that it is best to have the CMOS jumper in the "clear" setting while adding new hardware but I'm wondering if that is still "best practice"?

 

[Steltek]

Thank you for the tips and info! I did not know about not having another hdd connected. I had planned to install a secondary hdd as storage. I'll follow your advice and leave it disconnected until the install is complete.

I don't think the saberthooth z77 has a clear CMOS button on the back from what I read. It has a BIOS flash one. It should get here on Fri. and I'll see. It would be nice if it did.

Does anyone know if I should be clearing the CMOS after installing new hardware? For example, once I install Win7 and all the drivers and updates and connect the storage HDD and or install the sound card, should I clear CMOS?

A few years ago, I was told that it is best to have the CMOS jumper in the "clear" setting while adding new hardware but I'm wondering if that is still "best practice"?

You know, you are right about the BIOS flash button - I hadn't had the opportunity to need a CMOS reset, so I hadn't really looked at the button itself until now. It is definitely for use in triggering the USB BIOS flashback function, though. Learn something new every day....

Make sure your SSD's firmware is up to date before installing Windows, as flashing a new firmware will erase the drive. Just leave the secondary drive off until Windows is installed - it will save you from a world of problems in the long run as Windows can have issues installing on systems with multiple data drives. I've personally never set the CMOS jumper when adding hardware and have never had a problem, so I don't think that is necessary. Just resetting it after flashing the BIOS is sufficient. If you have to use the MemOK button on the motherboard to get your memory working, you need to do this after resetting CMOS or you'll loose the memory settings.

You'll like the UEFI BIOS - it is a lot more comprehensive and easier to navigate than the old style BIOSes were. I dimly recall by default that the motherboard only initialized USB2.0 ports, so make sure to plug your mouse and keyboard into the USB2.0 ports and not the USB3.0 ports when you start up for the first time.