Don't know about Asus, but I have always installed latest nvidia drivers on my previous Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV6 (3D as well) without any problems. A week ago, I got a brand new MSI GT60 2OC-077US with GTX 770....removed the HDD, put in samsung pro 840, clean install of win7 x64, installed latest nvidia driver 334.89 and I am a happy camper.
Also contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as intel chipset drivers. All intel boards use generic Microsoft drivers and only thing installer does is updating inf for proper identification. You can use whichever version if intel "chipset software" as long as it has inf for your chipset. Newer versions have only support for new/upcoming chipsets. Atheros driver the newest obviously. Same for Realtek. As far as graphics card driver if asus makes custom driver for your laptop than use custom. If not use latest from NVidia PERIOD
ian82 you have an ocd disorder, its really stupid to reinstall windows as many times as you did, just install drivers for whatever is missing in device manager, and see windows work without issues. Your laptop was made before windows 8.1 release, so almost every driver with exception of the videocard or a couple of other devices should be included for it on a clean install.
I have finally reached the state which I want. and FYI, my laptop was indeed made before 8.1, way before, but still, the following devices are unkown in device manager upon a clean install so don't -prejudge: - LAN - Bluetooth - Wireless Radio Control Module (allows you to run on or off the bluetooth or WLAN) - VGA - Audio - Keyboard Device Filter (keyboard driver) - Touchpad the only thin that is recognized upon a clean install is the WLAN driver
Do you realy mean you did 51 Windows 8.1 installs in only 6 Days? Thats 8.5 installs a day. Have you noughting to do than ocd-ing about the perfect Windows install all day long? Do you get nightmares about what harm can do a not perfect Windows install to your psyche? The Windows Installer is normaly a very tought cookie and only fails when you force it with so called improvements to fail. Nowerdays a Windows can only be forced to fail by users messing up with the regestry or by malware. The only times Windows refuses to install or to run properly are when you have faulty or very unusual hardware and for unusual hardware normaly the manufacture messes up the drivers! Have you realy good reasons for these 51 isntalls and can you all tell them to us?
1) when I say in a month, I mean 30 days... not since March 1st 2) Blame it on ASUS and them delaying the Windows 8.1 Drivers for my laptop, only until last 5 days did they release them so I kept on formatting and trying drivers on my own, things start out good, so I continue to install my 100 apps (all paid and licensed which take ages ot insert the serial keys and activate, stuff like Nero Platinum 2014, FIFA 2014, Counterstrike Global, those take ages to install...sighh( so now I finally reached a perfect point I bet you I will NOT format until the spring update for Windows 8.1 is out and even then if I simply update and things go well, I wont format