# Can i use stock BIOS of Evga 680i SE SLI for Vista?



## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

I was just wondering if i can use the out-of-the-box BIOS of my 680i SE SLI motherboard to upgrade to Windows Vista? If so, then how would i upgrade to it? I reformat my HDD(or does the Vista CD do it?) and then i put the Vista CD in when its in BIOS or booted into Windows?


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## hat (Feb 9, 2008)

Probably, I don't see why not.

But *please* dude, flash it to the latest version... and for god's sake overclock something! You won't be dissapointed!


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## Namslas90 (Feb 9, 2008)

Check the EVGA website for details and its a good Idea to upgrade the BIOS to latest version anyways.


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 9, 2008)

Just because you are using a new OS does not mean you need a BIOS flash. BIOS flashes are for hardware not soft.


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## asb2106 (Feb 9, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> I was just wondering if i can use the out-of-the-box BIOS of my 680i SE SLI motherboard to upgrade to Windows Vista? If so, then how would i upgrade to it? I reformat my HDD(or does the Vista CD do it?) and then i put the Vista CD in when its in BIOS or booted into Windows?



Yah, backup anything you need, then pop the vista disk, restart, and it will format for you if you want.  When you select the disk just click format.  

And no worries on the motherboard, it doesnt have to be vista certified to get it to work.  The worse you may have to do is hop on the manu. website and get the drivers, but 9 times out of 10 vista has it.  

I have put Vista on just about every chipset outthere and vista has been great to me.  I even put it on my PC chips mobo from 2001 and it had the drivers!  Loaded fine.  

No worries, have fun, and let us know how its goes!


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## asb2106 (Feb 9, 2008)

Namslas90 said:


> Check the EVGA website for details and its a good Idea to upgrade the BIOS to latest version anyways.



I do bios upgrades often as they come out, but if your machine runs fine I wouldnt do it.  I have messed up mobos with bios flashes, and anyone who tells you flashing your bios is 100% safe is lying to you.  Stuff can go wrong, just do your research and take your time, be patient and you should be fine


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

hat said:


> Probably, I don't see why not.
> 
> But *please* dude, flash it to the latest version... and for god's sake overclock something! You won't be dissapointed!



Everyone always tells me to OC. But i am too scared that something might go wrong. So i am just going to get a Q6600. My Motherboard is good at OCing C2D's(the SE version was made to do it) and i have a Freezer 7 Pro, i just don't have the nerves.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks everyone! And how do i download a new BIOS with out a Floppy? Can i just download straight from the internet and on to my HDD?


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## francis511 (Feb 9, 2008)

Namslas90 said:


> Check the EVGA website for details and its a good Idea to upgrade the BIOS to latest version anyways.



Ditto


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

So you don't need BIOS updates to support OS's?


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## vega22 (Feb 9, 2008)

no, a new bios is only to support new hardware not new software.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks, you guys really helped me out.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

Do i need a chipset driver update?


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## BigD6997 (Feb 9, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> Everyone always tells me to OC. But i am too scared that something might go wrong. So i am just going to get a Q6600. My Motherboard is good at OCing C2D's(the SE version was made to do it) and i have a Freezer 7 Pro, i just don't have the nerves.



if your scared, just see how far you can take it on stock volts, you wont mess it up 
takes a lot to fry something.

and if you get that q6600, most easily oc to 3ghz +


http://www.nvidia.com/docs/CP/45121/nforce_680i_sli_overclocking.pdf
might help ease your nerves


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

BigD6997 said:


> if your scared, just see how far you can take it on stock volts, you wont mess it up
> takes a lot to fry something.
> 
> and if you get that q6600, most easily oc to 3ghz +
> ...



Cool thanks, I will try when i get my room back. My Motherboard can't OC Quad cores tho it's the SE version, which is engineered for Core 2 Duo overclocking.


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## BigD6997 (Feb 9, 2008)

ah, then crank that e4400 to its max


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

BTW when to upgrade to Vista from XP should i put in the disk while XP is booted up or when in BIOS?(Im am going from XP Home OEM(32-bit) to Vista Home premium(64-bit))

And does the CD format the HDD?(I don't need anything on my HDD) And which should i get?(OEM,Retail,System Builders or Upgrade)


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## BigD6997 (Feb 9, 2008)

you will need to put it in before your in windows, and it will format your HDD.
id get OEM, wich is pritty much the same as system builders

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116204


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

This includes the 680i SE motherboard right?(*In order to view it you need Internet Explorer or above)* You can't use Firefox

https://winqual.microsoft.com/HCL/ProductDetails.aspx?m=v&g=s&cid=105&sv=&f=64p&pn=NVIDIA%20nForce%20680i%20Motherboard&oid=63


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## Conti027 (Feb 9, 2008)

look at my specs.
<<<

i never did anything to my board when i got my Q6600


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## CDdude55 (Feb 9, 2008)

Conti027 said:


> look at my specs.
> <<<
> 
> i never did anything to my board when i got my Q6600



Thanks a whole lot. Did you update your BIOS or anything to get Vista to run?


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## Conti027 (Feb 9, 2008)

nope i didnt do one thing
i think i read somewhere that you have to do a bio update if you want to oc a quad-core


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## hat (Feb 10, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> Everyone always tells me to OC. But i am too scared that something might go wrong. So i am just going to get a Q6600. My Motherboard is good at OCing C2D's(the SE version was made to do it) and i have a Freezer 7 Pro, i just don't have the nerves.



Take it in slow steps. It was kind of scary for me at first, but (lol) when I booted at 202FSB 2626MHz for the first time, OCing was much easier.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 10, 2008)

Conti027 said:


> nope i didnt do one thing
> i think i read somewhere that you have to do a bio update if you want to oc a quad-core



Ya, i have heard that to, but i don't want to OC.


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## pepsi71ocean (Feb 10, 2008)

Conti027 said:


> nope i didnt do one thing
> i think i read somewhere that you have to do a bio update if you want to oc a quad-core



Yes you do! It really depends on what type of processor your using. a Q6600 runs very stable on the P30 BIOS, compared to the P06 that ships with the 680i LT, and visa versa for other boards. the EVGA forums are the best place for answers.



CDdude55 said:


> Ya, i have heard that to, but i don't want to OC.



you'll be sorry you didn't, even with a stock cooler that ships with the 6600 you can overclock to 3.0GHz on stock. but at 2.8 GHz you'll find out that everything runs allot better.


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> Thanks a whole lot. Did you update your BIOS or anything to get Vista to run?



Again, you dont need to update the bios to support an OS.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 10, 2008)

Should upgrade my PC first then install Vista or Vice Versa?


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## pepsi71ocean (Feb 10, 2008)

PC first. IMO


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## CDdude55 (Feb 10, 2008)

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:


> Again, you dont need to update the bios to support an OS.



Hope your right, But what about Chipset Drivers?


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> Hope you right, But what about Chipset Drivers?



I am right. Someone even backed me up on it. I have never ever seen a BIOS upgrade to support an OS or any other software and you probably never will. Shit, you can throw a Mac OS on that motherboard if you wanted to. 

Chipset drivers are just that. Drivers. BIOS doesnt really have any say in it (other than being able to supply more volts to the NB and SB). Once you get the OS installed, get on nVIDIA's website and download the latest drivers for the board.


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## Conti027 (Feb 10, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> Ya, i have heard that to, but i don't want to OC.



same, i didnt want to oc so i didnt care that it couldnt oc


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

Conti027 said:


> nope i didnt do one thing
> i think i read somewhere that you have to do a bio update if you want to oc a quad-core


The EVGA boards suck for overclocking quad cores. Thats one reason why I bought a new board. I could not post past 3Ghz. Others have had other luck. The last few BIOS releases (except for the current P32 I think it is) help improve overclocking of quad cores. Yet it didnt help me in the slightest.


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## pepsi71ocean (Feb 10, 2008)

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:


> The EVGA boards suck for overclocking quad cores. Thats one reason why I bought a new board. I could not post past 3Ghz. Others have had other luck. The last few BIOS releases (except for the current P32 I think it is) help improve overclocking of quad cores. Yet it didnt help me in the slightest.



Did you try the P30 BIOS? I have gotten to 3.6GHz for benching, and im at 3.4 GHz stable on a evga 680i LT board. But i couldn't get past 3GHz with the P06 or P07 BIOS, odd i know.


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

pepsi71ocean said:


> Did you try the P30 BIOS? I have gotten to 3.6GHz for benching, and im at 3.4 GHz stable on a evga 680i LT board. But i couldn't get past 3GHz with the P06 or P07 BIOS, odd i know.



I have the second latest. The version right before they implemented Wolfdale support.


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## pepsi71ocean (Feb 10, 2008)

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:


> I have the second latest. The version right before they implemented Wolfdale support.



you might have better luck with the P30, Its the BIOS for the actually 680i Se board if i remember correctly. The early versions that ended with AR/TR were not good with quads, and if you wrote evga they would sent you a new board that ends with either A1/T1. I had issues with getting past 3GHz but that might be my "ability".  Ive found the P30 to be allot more useful and more open with the ability to over clock voltages that are otherwise locked on the P0 and 07.


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

pepsi71ocean said:


> you might have better luck with the P30, Its the BIOS for the actually 680i Se board if i remember correctly. The early versions that ended with AR/TR were not good with quads, and if you wrote evga they would sent you a new board that ends with either A1/T1. I had issues with getting past 3GHz but that might be my "ability".  Ive found the P30 to be allot more useful and more open with the ability to over clock voltages that are otherwise locked on the P0 and 07.



My board came shipped with P30. Ive tried them and they dont work. My board was an A1.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 10, 2008)

So im going to upgrade to a Q6600 and a better video card first, then i will try it out on XP and then insert Vista CD and hopefully all goes well.


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## vega22 (Feb 10, 2008)

you will need drivers for vista for your hardware (such as soundcards, video cards, chipset and such) and you may be able to upgrade you xp to vista where the install will just overwrite the os files and leave your other data intact, tyhe only way to find out is put the disk in while xp is on and see if it will let you upgrade. if not you will need to boot from cd in your bios and lose all the data on your xp drive.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 10, 2008)

marsey99 said:


> you will need drivers for vista for your hardware (such as soundcards, video cards, chipset and such) and you may be able to upgrade you xp to vista where the install will just overwrite the os files and leave your other data intact, tyhe only way to find out is put the disk in while xp is on and see if it will let you upgrade. if not you will need to boot from cd in your bios and lose all the data on your xp drive.



Will all my files run fine if i do that?(Like my games)


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

I have games installed from two and three installs ago. All I did was backup the save files and plop them back in their place and ran the game. Games runs as though I never reinstalled.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 10, 2008)

I don't need anything on my HDD tho. But should i just put the disk in when booted into XP anyway? Or do it in the BIOS? I dont mind formatting the HDD.


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Feb 10, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> I don't need anything on my HDD tho. But should i just put the disk in when booted into XP anyway? Or do it in the BIOS? I dont mind formatting the HDD.



Just put the disc in as you are booting the computer. You dont need to be in the BIOS. That is just unnecessary.


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## CDdude55 (Feb 17, 2008)

Sorry for old thread bump, but i just found on my Motherboard box the ''Certified for Vista'' and the ''Vista Essential'' printed stick things. So i guess that means it supports it out of the box.


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