Micro-Star K7T Turbo-R Review :: Installation

The tools you need here to get started are six screws that will secure the motherboard in the case and a Phillips head screwdriver. I first installed the CPU, the cooling solution, and RAM before anything else was done in the setup procedure. Apply some silicon paste to the CPU before you attach the cooling fan, as this will help make an air free seal with the CPU resulting in better cooling performance.

I mounted the motherboard to the test station using the six forementioned screws, and then proceeded to identify where all the cables would go before connecting them to the board. I then connected all the cables to their appropriate places on the motherboard, and remember that the end color of your IDE cable goes to the matching color on the board itself.

After checking to make sure everything was connected right, I turned on the system and was greeted by the friendly beep of a POSTing computer. Upon startup I hit the 'Delete' key and went into the BIOS to alter some of the startup and system settings such as BOOT sequence and RAM CAS delay options that make for optimal system performance. To configure the system for RAID you must enter the Promise BIOS after the initial BOOT sequence by hitting the 'Control' and then 'D' key which takes you into the RAID BIOS itself.

I set the BIOS to BOOT directly to the CD player where upon BOOT completion I formatted the hard drive unconditionally by using the command 'format c:/u' at the command prompt. After the drive completed the format process, I restarted the system and then made a new directory on the 'C' drive by using the command 'c: md win9x' and then transferring the CAB files off the CD and onto my hard drive using the command from the CD player 'd:win98 copy *.* c:/ win9x' which copies over the files, allows for a faster setup time, and makes for accessing the Windows files easier after setup is complete.

The Windows installation took about twenty minutes of total time, and there were no errors during the setup process. After the primary OS was installed I continued with the system configuration by installing the VIA 4-in-1 and USB drivers off the included CD that came with the motherboard. I then installed all the additional drivers, such as the sound and video. After all the drivers were installed I continued the setup process and configured the Windows settings for their optimal performance benefits. It was then off to the testing phase of this review. To see how the K7T Turbo-R fared in the test scores, read on.