Ultimate G73JH reformat and clean install geared for high performance

I have a feeling that users that have updated the vbios on the G73JH without reformating may have problems since there was incompatible software (Catalyst 10.1) that came preinstalled with the system, even if the newest Catalyst drivers are installed. Also this removes bloatware from the sytem. I think a proper reformat will fix issues. Also if you are going to install the OD2 vbios to overclock your GPU and use ATI Overdrive install Vbios before reformat. You can also overclock your CPU with SetFSB.

This is a post with every possible solution to enable a high performance notebook with a clean install reformat.

1.) If you don't need to use the battery, while the notebook is powered down, remove the battery and run on ac only. This will improve performance.

2.) Insert Windows 7 DVD and boot from it. Delete old partitions. Create new. Format the partition. Then install.

3.) After Windows 7 is done installing, type in UAC in search, turn it all the way down, click ok. Install the INF update utility 9.2.0.1030 from Intel. Reboot is required after install.

4.) After reboot then Install SP1 standalone from Microsoft. Reboot after it is installed.

5.) Right click where the clock is, then go to properties, then turn the action center icon off.

6.) Go to Action Center in Control Panel, go to Change Action Center settings on left hand side, uncheck everything, click ok, then go back. Click the arrow on the maintenance tab and go to settings and check never check for solutions.

7.) Install Internet Explorer 9 from within Windows Update and only that update or standalone install. You will be asked to reboot.

8.) Use Windows Update and install Recommended updates. Reboot

9.) Use Windows Update again and install rest of recommened updates. Reboot.

10.) Use Windows update once again and install optional updates except the atk drivers, network driver, and Intel management engine components and MS AHCI driver unless you choose to use the MS AHCI driver. Reboot

11.) Install Intel Management engine components driver from Windows Update. Reboot.

12.) Now that the Windows Updates have finished if there are none left, you can choose to install either the MS AHCI driver (the one that's in windows update) or the Intel Rapid Storage Technology 10.6.0.1022 driver from Intel, or the older Intel Rapid Storage Technology 10.​1.​0.​1008 from Intel. Reboot after install. If you install 10.6.0.1022 or 10.1.0.1008, there will be a required second reboot, wait a bit until a pop up screen comes up.

13.) Using your Asus Driver and Application Disc for G73JH, run the setup application. Uncheck the box at the top of the setup program which will uncheck all boxes. Check the box at Intel Turboboost Technology Monitor. You will be required to reboot after.

14.) Install Intel Turbo Boost technology monitor 2.0. Restart.

15.) Install Catalyst 11.8 for Windows 7 X64 from Amd.

16.) Install Keyboard Filter 1.003 Reboot will be required.

17.) Install ATK package 1.0.00010 Reboot will be required.

18.) Install Realtek High Definition audio driver 2.64 for Windows 7 X64 at Realtek. Reboot will be required.

19.) Install Realtek HDMI driver 2.64 for Windows 7 X64 from Realtek. Reboot will be required.

20.) I don't use the Creative packages so that there is not an extra process running in the backround draining system resources. I find that using just the Realtek drivers the sound is just fine.

21.) If you are using the touchpad for a mouse (I have mine disabled in Bios since I use a mouse) then install the Synaptics 15.2.20 driver for Windows 7 X64 from Synaptics. Reboot will be required.

22.) For the network card use the Atheros 1.0.2.51 driver from wikidrivers.com since Atheros took their driver webpage down.

23.) You may have an Intel 6250 or an Atheros Wifi. Install proper drivers according to which wifi card you have, before reformat look in device manager and determine which wireless card you have.

For the Intel 6250 card Install Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows 7 64-Bit 14.1.1.0. Reboot after. After that install Intel PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility for Windows 7 64-bit 6.5. Reboot after.

If you have the Atheros AR5B95/AR9285 card then install the 9.2.0.310 driver. Reboot after.

24.) Install Power4Gear Hybrid v1.1.37. Reboot will be required. After install you can set which power option you want. I use Power4Gear High Performance.

25.) Install DirectX Redist Package June 2010 from Microsoft. Reboot afterwards.

26.) After reboot go to Programs and Features in Control Panel. Click Turn Windows Features on or off on the left hand side. Uncheck Windows Search, Tablet PC Components, and Windows Gadget Platform if you do not need to use Windows Search or gadgets. Your performance will improve. Reboot will be required.

27.) Open Catalyst Control Center go to preferences, uncheck Enable System Tray menu also check advanced view. Go to Power on the left hand side, click Powerplay and uncheck Enable Powerplay.

28.) Go to Control Panel, then Administrative tools, then System Configuration and uncheck everything except the ATK drivers, click ok, then go to exit without restart.

29.) In Control Panel go to Windows Defender, uncheck everything and uncheck use this program to turn it off. It is recommended by games such as World of Warcraft to turn this off to improve performance, so it can only improve performance in all games or programs.

30.) Go to blackviper.com, go to Guides, Service Configurations, click Continue Reading on the Black Viper’s Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Service Configurations post. Your going to want to disable the selected settings under the Tweaked setting which is in Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. Also disable Windows Defender. Disable Scrybe updater if you are using the Synaptics touchpad driver. If you are using the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver disable Intel Rapid Storage Technology if you are not using RAID. I personally am not using WIFI so I turn off WLAN Autoconfig as well as all of the Intel ProSet Services and only turn them on again by chance I happen to use Wifi sometime.

31.) Disable Windows 7 Core Parking by going to Accessories, Command Prompt, type in regedit then press enter. Go to Edit, Find then past this key 0cc5b647-c1df-4637-891a-dec35c318583 Go to Valuemax, right click on it, go to modify, then change value to 0 then click ok. Go to Edit, Find Next, then again go to Valuemax and change the value to 0, repeat this process with Find Next until there are no more to change.

32.) Disabling Atierecord step is now removed since performance logs were fixed in the Official 11.7 Catalyst drivers.

33.) Right Click Computer, go to Properties, go to Advanced System Settings, go to the System Protection tab, click your on your hard drive, go to configure, slide the disk space usage all the way down to 0, click turn off system protection. Click Ok, then go to the Remote tab, uncheck Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this computer. Click ok.

34.)Activate Windows 7 by right clicking on computer, go to properties, and scroll down to the Activate Windows 7 highlighted link.

35.) Power off machine. Power on. Done.

I also run no antivirus as I will not open an exe file that is not trusted, and because I want as much performance as I can get from the G73JH.

 

Great post. +1

One critique though, I've heard that disabling Core Parking actually diminishes performance is some games. In particular I have heard the Witcher 2 framerate suffers a bit if this feature is switched off. Don't quote me on that... just seem to recall seeing it.

 

Outstanding Bladezero , will bookmark it and use it soon, I am on 15 + months using the original install of win 7.
Only question the unnumbered line at the end.. would be interesting to see benchmarks with no AV ... MSE installed and running and MSE installed but disabled.

 

I find this post rather redundant.

We're running quadcore i7s with 8 gigs of ram and 7200rpm drives. Some with SSDs. No longer is it the era of solo/dual cores and 1GB systems where you have to scrimp with limited system resources.

I get max performance* from every game I play at 1080p with MSN, Steam, Skype, Creative bass/sound EQs, Avast AV and even Rainmeter (15 widgets) running in the background and I don't have any performance issues.

* As much as can be expected from the HD5870m

In fact the only useful point I entirely agree with is point 5. Did that from day one. Annoying little bugger that silly white flag.

 

Legoheads that post on core parking about Witcher 2 was by Disgustipated and he said that he also changed the power plan from Gaming to High Performance and gained 5-6 more fps. There is no way to tell if he tried turning core parking on and off independently. So turning core parking off by itself could have different performance whether tried on Gaming or High Performance. This was also before the 1.2 patch which improved Witcher 2 performance greatly, which Witcher 2 is now also under 1.3 patch. Also new Catalyst drivers improved Witcher 2 performance. I don't know if Disgustipated had anything else running in the backround to which the disabled core parking could have allocated more cpu usage towards.

This guide was to get max FPS and performance from games. From the extra cpu cycles being dedicated towards programs that are not idle I bet there is a FPS drop. Even if the processes were idle I can bet that there would be an FPS drop. I don't know how many frames because I am not switching back and forth from that environment. So if you have 39 processes instead of like 50-60 I bet your going to get more FPS and performance even though it is an i7 processor with 6 or 8 gigs of ram or even 16 gigs of ram.

We could do a 3d mark test, or various tests to determine that also.

 

i always format and tweak windows in my way but this post is long and took you some time and effort to do it and deserves some reputation
good job

 

I never did number 14, mainly because it's useless. I also didn't do number 24, almost as useless. You excluded the SSD tweaks for those users that have it. This post is mostly just the clean install guide and the core parking guide in one abridged post, kind of useless to be honest.

 

how can the 10.1 catalyst be incompatbile?
It is the only catalyst alongside with 10.4 that makes BO running decent on my machine, and the average FPS lost compared to the lastest catalyst in DX11 is of 1 FPS...
While I gained 9 FPS in DX9 games...

 

I was basing my Core Parking comment on a post I came across over at NeoGAF.
Here is the link:
NeoGAF - View Single Post - The Witcher 2: Performance Thread [Patch 1.3 - Aspect Ratios & Item Storage]
Looks like that ThrottleStop program is worthwhile as well... may want to check that out if you need to squeeze some more CPU power out of you rig.

 

Sorry the Vbios works with that driver set.

 

By the time those patches were released for Witcher 2 I was definately getting more than 30-35 fps, I was also using Dallers' user.ini

 

... Well, realistically? A good antivirus program (or even just a lightweight one like MSE) doesn't detract in any meaningful manner from performance. It's like the difference between getting 30mpg and 30.005mpg in your car because you removed the airbag.

Yes, it's a real difference, and no one intends to do anything wonky ... but you're not actually gaining any meaningful performance, and you're just removing one more protection between you and an accident.

Because, let's face it, no one plans on getting a virus. And not all virii come from running unknown .exe files.

 

It's his machine DCx. If he enjoys the placebo of not using an AV for performance, let him.

 

Even if I get 1 fps from not having an antivirus and having a collection of tweaks to get that I would find that useful. Although I'm sure it's more than that from the addition of all of them.

I've never had a problem with antivirus and I don't visit websites that are going to attack me. It may be a risk many are not taking but it's one that I know I shouldn't have a problem with.

 

Check out the article at Extremetech. Gaming Performance Versus Antivirus Software

Compared to the baseline test there was usually a 1-2fps drop with using Antivirus software.

There was also a test done at Raymond.cc for an Antivirus Performance Test on games and different antivirus software showed a FPS drop. AntiVirus Performance Test 18: Game Score


Kaspersky had the lowest score with a drop of 4.8 FPS

MSE didn't show a FPS drop, alot of other ones did though

 

And I find it amusing that ESET NOD32 or Security Suite isn't mentioned in either. In fact, the upcoming v5 includes a Game Mode that uses less CPU resources for those fearing FPS loss. Even tho it's never been an issue.

 

Or Avast. One of the few AVs who score above the 98th percentile in detection rates.

 

Updated Step 32, there is no need to disable Atierecord anymore. Added an extra step to make it 35 steps. I did not include an SSD tweak guide because I am not using an SSD at the moment so I have not experienced that with the G73JH. Also this guide is I believe adds extra steps to get even more performance such as tweaking the services, and having the most updated drivers, also shows what can be done with a G73JH out of the box. One thing I just found out today is if you reformat, and install all the windows updates in the recommended section, THEN install Internet Explorer 9, the Internet Explorer 9 install does not ask to close Windows Explorer while it installs.

 

VERY GOOD POST! +1!

im going to do this on my g73 right now and ill post later how did it go.

 

PERFECT! my instalation is complete and went very well..my asus us running so much smother now..thanks man!