The EVGA Z77 Stinger motherboard, a compact yet powerful solution, brought enthusiast-level features to the Mini-ITX (mITX) form factor. Designed for users seeking high performance in a small footprint, the EVGA Z77 Stinger offered a compelling blend of overclocking capabilities, advanced connectivity, and robust power delivery. This article provides information regarding the eSATA driver version 1.2.0.770 specifically designed for the EVGA Z77 Stinger running the Windows XP 64-bit operating system.
The Mini-ITX form factor has gained popularity among PC builders looking to create small, efficient, and often portable systems. These systems are ideal for home theater PCs (HTPCs), gaming rigs where space is limited, or simply for users who appreciate a clean and minimalist desktop setup. The EVGA Z77 Stinger addressed this market by packing a significant amount of functionality into its small size.
Key Features of the EVGA Z77 Stinger Motherboard
The EVGA Z77 Stinger was built around the Intel Z77 chipset, which supported Intel’s 2nd and 3rd generation Core processors (Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge). This chipset provided a solid foundation for performance and offered a range of features that were typically found on larger ATX motherboards.
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PCI-E 3.0 Support: The inclusion of native PCI-Express 3.0 support allowed users to take full advantage of the latest graphics cards and other expansion cards that utilized the PCIe 3.0 standard. This provided increased bandwidth and improved performance for demanding applications and games.
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SATA 6G Connectivity: The Z77 chipset offered native SATA 6Gb/s ports, enabling maximum performance for solid-state drives (SSDs) and mechanical hard drives. This ensured fast data transfer speeds and reduced loading times for applications and games.
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USB 3.0 Support: Native USB 3.0 ports provided super-speed data transfer capabilities for next-generation storage devices and peripherals. USB 3.0 offered significantly faster transfer speeds compared to USB 2.0, making it ideal for transferring large files quickly.
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Networking and Display Options: The EVGA Z77 Stinger featured an Intel Gigabit Network controller, providing reliable and high-speed network connectivity. In terms of display outputs, the board included a Mini DisplayPort and an HDMI port, allowing users to connect to a variety of monitors and displays.
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Overclocking Capabilities: Despite its small size, the EVGA Z77 Stinger was designed with overclocking in mind. It featured a robust 7+1 power phase design, complete with POSCAP (Polymer Organic Semiconductor Capacitor) and solid-state capacitors. This ensured clean and stable power delivery to the CPU, allowing users to push their processors to higher clock speeds and achieve improved performance.
Importance of eSATA Drivers
The eSATA (External SATA) port is a specialized connector that allows users to connect external storage devices, such as hard drives and SSDs, to their computer with SATA-like speeds. This is a significant advantage over USB connections, which typically offer slower transfer rates. To ensure proper communication and optimal performance between the computer and the external eSATA device, a compatible eSATA driver is required.
EVGA Z77 Stinger eSATA Driver 1.2.0.770 for Windows XP 64-bit
This particular driver, version 1.2.0.770, was specifically designed for the EVGA Z77 Stinger motherboard running the Windows XP 64-bit operating system. While Windows XP is an older operating system, some users may still have systems running this OS for specific applications or legacy hardware compatibility.
The eSATA driver is essential for enabling the eSATA port on the motherboard and ensuring that external storage devices connected to the port are recognized and function correctly. Without the correct driver, the eSATA port may not work at all, or the performance of connected devices may be significantly reduced.
Downloading and Installing the Driver
The original driver is available through the following link:
They say big things come in small packages. They are right. The EVGA Z77 Stinger has arrived and this board brings enthusiast features, overclocking and performance, to a mITX form factor. Features like native PCI-E 3.0, SATA 6G and USB 3.0 are included here, along with an Intel Gigabit Network controller, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI and more!
EVGA knows that power is critical for a performance board, no compromises were made because of the size. The EVGA Z77 mITX features 7+1 power phases, complete with POSCAP and Solid State capacitors delivering clean, stable power to your CPU for maximum over clocking support.
Don’t let the small size fool you, the EVGA Z77 Stinger has plenty of storage options. Native USB 3.0 support delivers super speed performance for next generation storage devices, and native SATA 6G enables maximum performance on the latest solid-state and mechanical storage drives.
What’s New:
Features:
Due to the age of the motherboard and the operating system, finding the original driver download directly from EVGA might be challenging. You might need to navigate through their archived driver sections.
As an alternative download source, you can check DriverGuide: (Please search "EVGA Z77 Stinger eSATA Driver Windows XP 64-bit DriverGuide" on Google, as directly providing the link might lead to broken links over time). DriverGuide is a database of drivers, and you might find the driver version 1.2.0.770 or a compatible alternative there.
Installation Instructions (General Guidance – Refer to Specific Driver Instructions)
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Download the Driver: Download the driver file from the provided link or an alternative source.
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Extract the Driver: If the downloaded file is a compressed archive (e.g., .zip or .rar), extract the contents to a folder on your computer.
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Locate the Driver Installation File: Look for a setup.exe or install.exe file within the extracted folder. Alternatively, there might be a .inf file, which is used for manual driver installation.
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Run the Installation File: If you found a setup.exe or install.exe file, double-click it to launch the driver installation wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
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Manual Installation (If No Executable): If you only have a .inf file, you will need to manually install the driver through the Device Manager.
- Open Device Manager (Right-click "My Computer" -> "Properties" -> "Hardware" -> "Device Manager").
- Locate the device for which you want to install the driver (it might be listed as an unknown device or under storage controllers).
- Right-click the device and select "Update Driver."
- Choose "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)."
- Select "Search for the best driver in these locations."
- Browse to the folder where you extracted the driver files and select the .inf file.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
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Restart Your Computer: After the driver installation is complete, restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter any issues during the driver installation process, consider the following troubleshooting steps:
- Compatibility: Double-check that the driver is specifically designed for the EVGA Z77 Stinger motherboard and the Windows XP 64-bit operating system.
- Driver Signature: Windows XP might display a warning about unsigned drivers. You may need to temporarily disable driver signature enforcement to install the driver. However, be aware of the security implications of doing so.
- Conflicting Drivers: If you have previously installed eSATA drivers, try uninstalling them before installing the new driver.
- Hardware Issues: Ensure that the eSATA port on the motherboard is functioning correctly and that the external storage device is properly connected.
Conclusion
The EVGA Z77 Stinger motherboard was a remarkable achievement in packing high-end features into a small Mini-ITX form factor. While designed for an older platform, ensuring the correct drivers, like the eSATA driver 1.2.0.770 for Windows XP 64-bit, are installed remains crucial for optimal performance and functionality. By following the provided information and installation instructions, users can ensure that their eSATA ports are working correctly and that they can take full advantage of the storage capabilities of their EVGA Z77 Stinger-based systems.