• Registered: 2007-05-04
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Fireface800 and Lacie firewire 800 pci card

I have a fireface800 and was using it with Lacie firewire 800 pci card with windows xp and Nuendo. I just built a new Windows 7 i7 950 PC with Gigabyte x58A-ud5 v2.0 motherboard with Texas Instruments firewire chipset.
My new PC has firewire 400, but no firewire 800. It does have a PCI slot for the Lacie firewire 800 PCI card.
Should I still use the Lacie card or should I get a Firewire 400 cable and plug the Fireface to the Firewire 400 port on the back of the PC?
Does the Fireface work as well with firewire 400 as it does with firewire 800?
Does the Lacie PCI card have Windows 7 drivers?
Does the Lacie PCI card even need Windows 7 drivers?


Thank you.

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Fireface800 and Lacie firewire 800 pci card

With a single FF800, FW400 is plenty.  Seeing that your new MoBo already has a TI FW400 chip - I'd go that route and keep the Lacie as a spare "just in case".  Backup/redundant gear is nice when you run into inevitable issues wink

Maybe test the new system with the PCI card just to make sure it works in the event of a "real" disaster of some type (and to make sure you have drivers on hand) - or keep it in your old system and have an entire backup DAW PC ready to go in a pinch!

AFAIK, Windows doesn't contain drivers for any FW800 chips - but I could be mistaken.  You'll likely need to goto the Lacie website and download the correct drivers for W7 (it's generaly preferred to DL current manufacturer's drivers opposed to using Windows' built-in drivers for specific hardware like this).

cool

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  • Registered: 2007-05-04
  • Posts: 3

Re: Fireface800 and Lacie firewire 800 pci card

Thank you.