A7N8X Series User Manual Motherboard ®
Checklist Product Name: Manual Revision: Release Date: A7N8X Revised Edition V4 E1292 April 2003 Copyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
About this guide Features This user manual contains complete information for installing the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe motherboard. How this guide is organized • • • • • • • Chapter 1: Product introduction. A summary of product features and special attributes of new technologies. Chapter 2: Hardware information. A list of hardware setup procedures and descriptions of all jumpers and connectors on the motherboard. Chapter 3: Powering up. Describes the power up sequence with information on BIOS beep codes.
Contents Safeguards About this guide .......................................................................................... iii How this guide is organized ............................................................... iii Conventions used in this guide .......................................................... iii Safety information ...................................................................................... vi FCC/CDC statements .............................................................
Contents 4.4.1 4.4.2 4.4.3 4.4.4 4.4.5 Advanced BIOS Features .................................................. 51 Advanced Chipset Features .............................................. 55 Integrated Peripherals ....................................................... 58 Power Management Setup ................................................ 61 PnP / PCI Configurations ................................................... 63 4.5 Security Menu ..............................................................
Safety information Electrical safety • To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system. • When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. Disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device. • Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all power cables are unplugged.
FCC/CDC statements Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: • • This device may not cause harmful interference, and This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
ASUS contact information ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific) Address: General Tel: General Fax: General Email: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112 +886-2-2894-3447 +886-2-2894-3449 info@asus.com.tw Technical Support MB/Others (Tel): +886-2-2890-7121 (English) Notebook (Tel): +886-2-2890-7122 (English) Desktop/Server(Tel): +886-2-2890-7123 (English) Support Fax: +886-2-2890-7698 Web Site: www.asus.com.
A7N8X specifications summary CPU Socket A for AMD Duron™/Athlon™/Athlon™XP 3000+ or higher 400*/333 MHz FSB Support (*PCB 2.0 or later versions) Chipset Northbridge: NVIDIA® nForce2 SPP (Ultra 400) Southbridge: NVIDIA® nForce2 MCP-T (Deluxe Model)/MCP Front Side Bus (FSB) 400*/333/266/200Mhz (*PCB 2.0 or later versions) Memory 3 x 184-pin DDR DIMM Sockets Max. 3 GB unbuffered PC3200/2700/2100/1600 non-ECC DDR RAM memory. Dual-Channel DDR400 support.
A7N8X specifications summary Internal I/O Connectors 1 x USB 2.0 connector supports additional 2 USB 2.
Chapter 1 Product introduction
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
Welcome! Thank you for buying the ASUS® A7N8X motherboard! The A7N8X is powered by AMD® Athlon™, Athlon™ XP and Duron™ processors and supplies advanced features to ensure long-lasting, superlative performance. The ASUS® A7N8X motherboard is the prime choice for home PCs and workstations. ~ Up to 3 GB of DDR RAM ~ New ultra-compact Serial ATA IDE connectors.
1.2 Core Specifications The A7N8X motherboard is designed and assembled according to the highest standards. This ASUS motherboard represents the latest advances and offers users the finest componentry available today... AMD® Athlon™/ Athlon™ XP and Duron™ Socket A (462) Processor North Bridge Chipset: the nVidia® nForce2™ SPP (Ultra 400) North Bridge controller chipset. The controller supports a 64/128bit DDR memory controller and up to 3 GB of 400/333/266/200MHz DDR memory.
Connections: Parallel Port, PS/2 mouse Port, PS/2 keyboard, four USB ports, two LAN ports (optional), Surround L/R audio jack(optional), CNTR/ LFE audio jack(optional), COM port, Microphone, Line In Jack, Line Out Jack, S/PDIF_OUT (optional), ATX power. Expansion: One AGP Pro 8X, a USB header, two serial ATA IDE connectors (optional), two 1394 connectors (optional), COM port header, five PCI slots, S/PDIF digital audio connector (optional), front audio panel connector, game port header. 1.
1.4 Motherboard Components Multi-I/O controller 9 Before installing the A7N8X motherboard, take time to familiarize yourself with its configuration: Location Socket A for AMD® Athlon™ and Duron™ Processors ....... 1 nVidia® nForce2™ SPP (Ultra 400) North Bridge .............. 2 4Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM (see page 6) ........ 7 nVidia® nForce2™ MCP-T/MCP South Bridge .................. 8 Multi-I/O controller ........................................................... 9 Serial ATA Controller .........
1.4.
1.4.1 Component Locations (cont’) CAUTION! • This motherboard uses the A7N8X Deluxe BIOS file for 4Mb flash ROM. Another series model A7N8X uses the BIOS file for a 2Mb flash ROM. Make sure to use the correct BIOS file on each model. • PCB 2.0 BIOS version or later are not compatible with PCB 1.06 or earlier BIOS versions. NOTE! • The A7N8X series motherboard support Front Side Bus (FSB) 400 starting from PCB version 2.0 or later.
Chapter 2 Hardware information
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
2.1 Motherboard installation The A7N8X uses the ATX form factor, measuring 24.5 cm (9.6 in.) x 30.5 cm (12.0 in.) - a standard fit for most large chassis. WARNING! Unplug the power cord before installing the motherboard. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. 2.1.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, take care to orient the chassis correctly: The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis. Refer to the image below.
24.5cm (9.
2.2 Layout contents CPU, Memory and Expansion Slots 1) Socket 462 p. 11 CPU Support 2) DIMM 1/2/3 p. 13 System Memory Support 3) PCI 1/2/3/4/5 p. 15 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots 4) AGP Pro 8x p. 18 Accelerated Graphics Slot Motherboard Settings (Jumpers) 1) SATA_EN1 p. 19 Serial ATA Setting (3 pin) 2) KBPWR1 p. 19 Keyboard Wake Up (3 pin) 3) USBPWR12, 34, 56 p. 20 USB Device Wake-up (2x3 pin) 4) CLRTC1 p.
2.3 Before you proceed Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. CAUTION! 1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching components. 2. Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity. 3. Hold components by the edges and do not to touch the ICs on them. 4.
2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard provides a Socket A (462) for CPU installation. AMD processors offer gigahertz speeds to support all the latest computing platforms and applications. The A7N8X supports Athlon™ XP processors with “QuantiSpeed” data processing, large data caches, 3D enhancements and 333/266Mhz bus speeds. NOTE! Do not use processors with core speeds of less than 1GHz on this motherboard.
2.4.2 Installing the CPU Follow these steps to install a CPU: 1. Locate the Socket 462 and open it by pulling the lever gently sideways away from the socket. Then lift the lever upwards. The socket lever must be fully opened (90 to 100 degrees). 2. Insert the CPU with the correct orientation. The notched or golden corner of the CPU must be oriented toward the inner corner of the socket base nearest to the lever hinge. CAUTION! The CPU should drop easily into place.
2.5 System memory 2.5.1 Overview This motherboard uses only Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs). These sockets support up to 1GB system memory using non-ECC PC400/ 333/266/200 DIMMs. Each DIMM socket/module is two-sided: each side defines one “row” of memory. DIMMs come in combinations of single or double-sided types ranging through 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB to form a total memory size of 64MB to 1GB.
2.5.2 Memory configurations Install DIMMs in any of the following combinations. DIMM Location 184-pin DIMM (DDR) Socket 1 (Rows 0&1) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1G x1 Socket 2 (Rows 2&3) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1G x1 Socket 2 (Rows 4&5) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1G x1 Total system memory (Max. 3GB) Total Memory = NOTE: To enhance system performance, utilize dual-channel feature when installing additional DIMMs.
2.6 Expansion slots The motherboard has five PCI slots and one Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot.. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. WARNING! Unplug your power supply when adding or removing expansion cards or other system components. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. 2.6.1 Installing an expansion card Follow these steps to install an expansion card. 1.
2.6.2 Configuring an expansion card Some expansion cards need an IRQ to operate. Generally, an IRQ must be exclusively assigned to one function at a time. In a standard design configuration, 16 IRQs are available but most are already in use. Normally, 6 IRQs are free for expansion cards. If the motherboard has PCI audio onboard, an additional IRQ will be used. If your motherboard also has MIDI enabled, another IRQ will be used, leaving 4 IRQs free.
Interrupt Request Table for this Motherboard PCI slot 1 PCI slot 2 PCI slot 3 PCI slot 4 PCI slot 5 Serial ATA INT-A shared — — — shared — INT-B — — used — INT-C — — shared — — shared INT-D — used — — — — 2.6.3 PCI slots Five 32-bit PCI slots are available on this motherboard. The slots support PCI cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specifications.
2.6.4 AGP slot This motherboard provides an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP 8X) slot to support AGP graphics cards. Take note of the notches on the card golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on your motherboard. Below is an example of a +1.5V AGP card.
2.7 Jumpers The jumpers on the motherboard allow you to change some feature settings to suit your customized system configuration. 1) Serial ATA Setting (3 pin SATA_EN1) This jumper permits selection of the serial ATA headers for connection of serial ATA hard disk drives and other serial IDE devices. The default setting [1-2] enables the serial headers. Disable the serial headers by changing the jumpers to [2-3].
3) USB Device Wake-up (2x3 pin USBPWR12, 34, 56) Set these jumpers to +5V to allow wake up from the S1 sleep state (CPU stopped; RAM refreshed; system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to allow wake up from S3 sleep state (no power to CPU; RAM in slow refresh; power supply in reduced power mode). The default setting for the three jumpers is 1-2 to select +5V (because not all computers have the appropriate power supply).
4) Clear RTC RAM/CMOS (CLRTC1) This jumper clears the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM of date, time, and system setup parameters in CMOS. The RAM data in CMOS is powered by the onboard button cell battery. To erase the RTC RAM: 1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Remove the battery. 3. Move the jumper caps from [1-2] to [2-3] momentarily. Replace the jumper cap to the original position, [1-2]. 4. Re-install the battery. 5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer. 6.
2.8 Connectors This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the motherboard. WARNING! Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper caps over these connector pins will cause damage to your motherboard. IMPORTANT! Ribbon cables should always be connected with the red stripe to Pin 1 in the connector scoket.
3) Universal Serial Bus Ports 0 and 1 (Black four x 4-pin USB) Four USB ports are available for connecting USB devices. USB 4 USB3 USB 2 Universal Serial Bus USB1 4) Serial Port and Header (Teal/Turquoise, One 9-pin COM1, One 10-1 pin COM2) One serial port can be used for pointing devices or other serial devices. The other is available as an onboard header. To enable these ports, see Onboard Serial Port 1 / Onboard Serial Port 2 in 4.4.3 Integrated Peripherals for the settings.
5) Fast-Ethernet Port Connector (Two x RJ45) (Optional) These RJ45 connectors are located on top of the USB Ports 1/2 and 3/ 4. The RJ45 supports connectivity for local area networks. 3COM LAN RJ-45 NVIDIA LAN RJ-45 6) Parallel Port (Burgundy 25-pin PRINTER) You can enable the parallel port and choose the IRQ through Onboard Parallel Port (see 4.4.3 Integrated Peripherals). NOTE! Serial printers must be connected to the serial port.
7) Audio Connectors (Three 1/8” AUDIO) (Optional) For a 2-speaker audio output, the Line Out (lime) connects a headphone or speakers. The Line In (light blue) connects a tape players or other audio sources. The Mic (pink) connects a microphone. In Out Mic For a 4 or 6 speaker audio output, the Line In (light blue) connects to other audio sources. The Line Out (lime) connects to the Left/Right Front Speakers. The Mic (pink) connects to a microphone.
9) Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After connecting the single end to the board, connect the two plugs on the other end to the floppy drives. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when using ribbon cables with pin 5 plugged).
11) SATA Serial ATA Connectors (2 x 7-pin PRI_SATA1, SEC_SATA1) (Optional) Two headers support serial ATA133 devices including hard-drives and cdroms. A7N8X PRI_SATA1 GND RSATA_TXP1 RSATA_TXN1 GND RSATA_RXP1 RSATA_RXN1 GND ® GND RSATA_TXP2 RSATA_TXN2 GND RSATA_RXP2 RSATA_RXN2 GND SEC_SATA1 A7N8X SATA Connectors 12) Infrared Module connector (10-1 or 10-2 pin IR_CON1) These connectors support an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared module.
13) CPU/Power/Chassis Fan Connectors (3-pin CPU_FAN1, PWR_FAN1, CHA_FAN1) Three fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA (4.2 Watts) or less. Orient the fans so that airflow flows across the onboard heat sinks instead of expansion slots. The fan wiring and plug vary depending on the type employed. Connect the fan cable to the connector, ensuring that the black wire matches the ground pin. (Use the “Rotation” signal only with a specially designed fan with a rotation signal.
15) Power Supply Connectors (20 pin block ATXPWR1) This connector supports an ATX 12V power supply. The plug from the power supply fits in only one orientation. Push down firmly ensuring that the pins are aligned. IMPORTANT! Make sure that the ATX 12V power supply offers at least 1A on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). The minimum recommended wattage is 230W or 300W for a fully configured system. The system may become unstable and may experience difficulty powering up if the power supply is inadequate.
17) Internal Audio Connectors (Two x 4 pin CD1, AUX1, MODEM1) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, Modems, or MPEG card.
USB+5V USB_P6USB_P6+ GND NC 19) USB Headers (10-1 pin USB_56) (Optional) If the USB 2.0 port connectors on the back panel are inadequate, one USB header is available for four additional USB port connectors. Connect a 2port USB connector set to a USB header and mount the USB bracket to an open slot in the chassis. (The USB connector set is optional and does not come with the motherboard package.) ® A7N8X 1 A7N8X USB 2.
21) Game Connector (16-1 pin GAME) +5V J1B2 J1CY GND GND J1CX J1B1 +5V This connector supports an external game port. An example of a PCI game port is illustrated. ® A7N8X MIDI_IN J2B2 J2CY MIDI_OUT J2CX J2B1 +5V GAME1 A7N8X Game Connector 22) Chassis Open Alarm Lead (4-1 pin CHASSIS1) This lead is intended for a chassis designed to support intrusion detection. The lead requires an external detection mechanism such as a chassis intrusion monitor/sensor or microswitch.
23) Front Panel Audio connector (10-1 pin FPAUDIO1) This is an interface for the Intel front panel audio cable that allow convenient connection and control of audio devices. ® A7N8X BLINE_OUT_L MIC2 MICPWR Line out_R NC Line out_L AGND +5VA BLINE_OUT_R FPAUDIO1 A7N8X Front Panel Audio Connector The following 20-pin PANEL illustration is for items 24-29.
27) System Management Interrupt Lead (2 pin SMI) This 2-pin connector permits switching to suspend mode, or “Green” mode, in which system activity is instantly decreased to save power and to expand the life of certain system components. Attach the case-mounted suspend switch this 2-pin connector. 28) ATX Power Switch / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pin PWR) The system power is controlled by a momentary switch attached to this connector.
Chapter 3 Powering up
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
3.1 Starting up for the first time 1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover. 2. Be sure that all switches are off. 3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system chassis. 4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge protector. 5. Turn on the devices in the following order: a. Monitor b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain) c.
3.2 Vocal POST Messages This motherboard includes the Winbond speech controller to support a special feature called the ASUS POST Reporter™. This feature gives you vocal POST messages and alerts to inform you of system events and boot status. In case of a boot failure, you will hear the specific cause of the problem. These POST messages are customizable using the Winbond Voice Editor software that came with your package. You can record your own messages to replace the default messages.
POST Message Action No keyboard detected • Check your keyboard if properly connected to the purple PS/2 connector on the rear panel. • See section “1.4.1 Major components” for the location of the connector. No floppy disk detected • Make sure you have connected a floppy disk to the floppy disk connector on the motherboard. • See section “2.8 Connectors.” No IDE hard disk detected • Make sure you have connected an IDE hard disk drive to the one of the IDE connectors on the motherboard.
3.3 Powering off the computer You must first exit the operating system and shut down the system before switching off the power. For ATX power supplies, you can press the ATX power switch after exiting or shutting down the operating system. If you use Windows 95/98/2000/XP, click the Start button, click Shut Down, then click the OK button to shut down the computer. The power supply should turn off after Windows shuts down.
Chapter 4 BIOS
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS 4.1.1 Using the computer system for the first time It is recommended that you save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS along with a Flash Memory Writer utility (AWDFLASH.EXE) to a bootable floppy disk in case you need to reinstall the BIOS later. AWDFLASH.EXE is a Flash Memory Writer utility that updates the BIOS by uploading a new BIOS file to the programmable flash ROM on the motherboard. This file works only in DOS mode.
4.1.2 Updating BIOS procedures CAUTION! Update the BIOS only if you have problems with the motherboard and you are sure that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems. Careless updating may create more problems ! The Binary Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the built-in Flash Memory Writer utility or using a bootable floppy disk with the executable Flash Memory Writer Utility (AWDFLASH.EXE). The following sub-sections explain the steps in flashing your BIOS. 4.1.2.
5. Type the name of the new BIOS file, for example: “AW0702.BIN” then press . The program asks if you want to save the previous BIOS. Select since it is advisable to back-up the original BIOS in case you need to reprogram it. 6. The program asks to save the previous BIOS to a separate file. Type a file name for the old bios and then press . The AWDFLASH program backs-up the file. 7.
8. Type and Press to flash the new Bios file. NOTE: Do not shut off system power or unplug the supply during the flash process. 9. The BIOS flashes and displays the results. Press to restart. 4.1.2.2 Updating BIOS via Bootable Floppy Disk 1. Boot from the floppy disk. 2. At the “A:\” prompt, type “C:\” and then press . 3. At the “C:\” prompt, type “AWDFLASH /qi BIOSFILE” and then . For example: “AWDFLASH /qi aw0702.
4.2 BIOS Setup program This motherboard supports a programmable FLASH ROM that you can update using the provided utility described in section “4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.” Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup”. This section explains how to configure your system using this utility. Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you may want to change the configuration of your computer in the future.
4.2.1 BIOS menu bar The top of the screen has a menu bar with the following selections: MAIN Use this menu to make changes to the basic system configuration. ADVANCED Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced features, including BIOS, Chipset, Peripheral, Power and PnP/ PCI configurations. SECURITY Use this menu to set the Supervisor and User passwords. HARDWARE Monitor the status of vital components, including voltages and fan speeds.
General help In addition to the Item Specific Help window, the BIOS setup program also provides a General Help screen. You may launch this screen from any menu by simply pressing or the + combination. The General Help screen lists the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Saving changes and exiting the Setup program See “4.7 Exit Menu” for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the setup program.
4.3 Main Menu When you enter the Setup program, the following screen appears. System Date [mm/dd/yy] Sets the system to the date that you specify (usually the current date). The format is month, day, year. Valid values for month, day, and year are Month: (1 to 12), Day: (1 to 31), Year: (up to 2084). Use the or + keys to move between the month, day, and year fields. System Time [hh:mm:ss] Sets the system to the time that you specify (usually the current time).
4.3.1 Primary Master/Slave IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] Press enter to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive, if the hard drive is not already detected. In cases of undetected HDDs, pressing enter will detect the HDD and then open access to both the IDE Primary Master and Access Mode fields. IDE Primary Master/Slave [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive.
[Manual] & [CHS] Settings Manually enter the number of cylinders, heads and sectors per track for the drive. Refer to the drive documentation or on the drive label for this information. NOTE! After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk drives to active.
Head This field configures the number of read/write heads. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value. To make changes to this field, set the IDE Primary Master field to [Manual] and the Access Mode to [CHS]. Precomp This field displays the precompressed volumes on the hard disk, if any, in MB. Landing Zone This field displays the drive’s maximum useable capacity as calculated by the BIOS based on the drive information you entered.
4.3.2 Secondary Master/Slave IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] Press enter to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive, if the hard drive is not already detected. In cases of undetected HDDs, pressing enter will detect the HDD and then open access to both the IDE Primary Master and Access Mode fields. IDE Secondary Master/Slave [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive.
4.4 Advanced Menu Advanced menu items The Advanced menu accesses five important sub-menus: Advanced BIOS Features These fields set the functional properties of CPU caches, as well as boot devices, security and operational modes. Advanced Chipset Features These fields set chipset and CPU functions, including system and AGP caches, boot devices, memory settings, voltages and frequencies.
4.4.1 Advanced BIOS Features (Scroll down to view all items on the menu.) Boot Virus Detection [Disabled] This field enables boot virus protection by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] CPU Level 1 Cache [Enabled] This field enables the CPU level 1 cache by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled] This field enables the level 2 cache by default.
Second Boot Device [HDD] This field sets the priority of the second boot device; by default, the system boots up on the hard disk driver if the floppy drive is not present. Configuration options: [Floppy] [LS120] [HDD] [SCSI] [CDROM] [ZIP100] [LAN] [Disabled] Third Boot Device [LS120] This field sets the priority of the third boot device; by default, the system boots up on the LS120 if the flopyy and hard disk drive are not present.
OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64MB [Disabled] This field enables or disables the 64MB onboard memory set for OS/2. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Full Screen LOGO Show [Enabled] This field enables or disables display of the full screen logo for environmental protection, which is disabled by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] POST Complete Report [Enabled] This field enables or disables display of the Power On Self Test (POST) complete report, which is [Enabled] by default.
4.4.2 Advanced Chipset Features (Scroll down to view all items on the menu.) CPU External Frequency (MHz) [100MHz] This field sets the external frequency ratio of the CPU. The system normally auto-detects the frequency capability based on the type of CPU installed.The Front Side Bus (FSB) is equal to 2 times this field value. Frequency ranges are adjustable in increments of 1, 2, 3 and/or 5 MHz. Configuration options: [100 MHz]...
System Performance [Optimal] This field permits change of mode for system performance. When set to [Optimal], the system uses the most stable settings. When you want to use overclocked settings for higher performance but with higher risk of instability, set to [Aggressive] and to allow full customization of performance options set to [Expert]. Configuration options: [Optimal] [Aggressive] [User Defined] CPU Interface [Optimal] This field sets the mode for CPU/FSB parameters usage.
CPU Vcore Setting [Auto] This field determines if the CPU Vcore is automatically scaled or set manually by the user. The default for this field is [Auto], therefore, the CPU vcore voltage is set for maximum performance without stressing the CPU. Configuration options: [Auto] [Menu] CPU Vcore [1.850V] When the CPU VCore Setting parameter is set to [Manual], this field permits selection of specific CPU core voltages. This field is not accessible if the above CPU VCore Setting parameter is set to [Auto].
4.4.3 Integrated Peripherals (Scroll down to view all items on the menu.) Primary VGA BIOS [PCI VGA Card] This field sets the priority for the display of VGA signals. Change from the PCI VGA Cardt default to AGP VGA Card if using an AGP card. Configuration options: [PCI VGA Card] [AGP VGA Card] USB Controllers [V1.1+V2.0] This field sets the protocols for OnChip processing of USB outputs. The default accomodates USB protocols 1.0 and 2.0. Configuration options: [Disabled] [V1.1 +V2.0] [V1.
Onboard AC97 Audio Controller [Auto] This field permits auto selection of AC97 audio codec processing by default. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] Onboard AC97 Modem Controller [Auto] This field permits auto selection of AC97 modem support by default. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] Onboard Lan (nVIDIA) [Auto] This field permits auto selection of MAC Lan (nVidia) support by default.
Parallel Port Mode [SPP] This field sets the operation mode of the parallel port. The default, SPP, enables normal-speed operation but in one direction only; EPP enables bidirectional parallel port operation; ECP enables the parallel port to operate in bidirectional DMA mode; ECP+EPP enables normal speed operation in a both ECP and EPP modes. Select [ECP] to access the next field, “ECP Mode Use DMA”.
4.4.4 Power Management Setup ACPI Suspend to RAM [Disabled] This field enables or disables suspension to RAM. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Video Off Method [DPMS Support] This field defines “video off” features. The DPMS support option (Display Power Management System) permits the BIOS to control the video display card if it supports the DPMS feature. Blank Screen option blanks the screen; use blank screen for monitors without power management or “green” features.
Wake-Power Up On Ext. Modem [Disabled] This field allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the computer when the external modem receives a call while teh computer is in Soft-off mode. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Automatic Power Up [Disabled] This field sets to enable or disable the automatic power up.When [Enabled] the Time (hh:mm:ss) of Alarm field is enabled for input.
4.4.5 PnP / PCI Configurations Reset Configuration Data [Disabled] The Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) contains information about non-PnP devices. It also holds the complete record of how the system was configured the last time is was booted. Enable this feature if you want to clear data during the Power-On-Self-Test (POST). The default disables this feature.
4.5 Security Menu The BIOS Setup program permits two different passwords to control access to the BIOS during system startup: a Supervisor password and a User password. Passwords are not case sensitive, meaning, passwords can be typed in either uppercase or lowercase letters. The table below describes the authority level when setting Supervisor or User Password. TABLE 4.6.
Security Option [Setup] This field sets the security options. The default enables the setup option for security. Configuration options: [Setup] [System] Set Supervisor Password / Set User Password To set a password, highlight the appropriate field and press . Type in a password then press . You can type up to eight alphanumeric characters; symbols and other characters are not useable. To confirm the password, type the password again and press . The password is now set to [Enabled].
4.6 Hardware Monitor Menu The Harware Monitor menu displays all vital system statistics. MB, CPU Temperature [xx C / xx F] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the MB (motherboard) and CPU temperatures. VCORE Voltage, +3.3V Voltage, +5V Voltage, +12V Voltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the voltage regulators.
Fan Speed Ratio [10/15] This item allows you to select the appropriate fan speed ratio for the system. The default [10/15] is the minimum fan speed ratio. Select a higher ratio if you installed additional devices and the system requires more ventilation. This item is required to be set when the Q-Fan Control field is [Enabled]. Configuration options: [10/15] [11/15] [12/15] [13/15] [14/ 15] [Full Speed].
4.7 Exit Menu After making all selections from the various menus in the Setup program, save the changes and exit Setup. NOTE! Pressing does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the options from this menu or from the legend bar to exit. Exit & Save Changes Choose this option from the Exit menu to ensure the selected values are saved to the CMOS RAM. When selecting this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to save changes and exit.
Load Setup Defaults This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to load default values. Select Exit Saving Changes or make other changes before saving the values to the non-volatile RAM. Discard Changes This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the previously saved values. After selecting this option, a confirmation appears.
70 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup
Chapter 5 Software support
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
5.1 Install an operating system This motherboard supports Windows 98/98SE/ME/ and 2000/XP operating system (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. 5.1.1 Windows first time installation When you start Windows for the first time after installing the motherboard, Windows 98 detects all Plug-n-Play devices devices. Follow the Add New Hardware wizard to install the necessary device drivers. When prompted to restart, select No.
5.3 A7N8X Motherboard Support CD NOTE: The support CD contents are subject to change without notice. To begin using your support CD disc, just insert it into your CD-ROM drive and the support CD installation menu should appear. If the menu does not appear, double-click or run D:\ASSETUP.EXE. 5.3.1 Installation Procedure Click on the name of the driver or program group to begin installation. Follow the instructions that appear on the setup screens. All drivers and programs install automatically. Refer to 6.
IMPORTANT! A. For Windows 98 users, perform the following steps before installing NVIDIA nForce Drivers from support CD. 1. Create a new directory in your disc drive C: and name it “Win98SRC”. 2. Copy all the files (excluding sub-directories) from “\Win98” folder of the Windows 98 CD to “C:\Win98SRC” folder. 3. When you install NVIDIA nForce Drivers, the system will ask for the “Windows 98 CD”, set the directory to “C:\Win98SRC”. B.
• • • • ADOBE Acrobat Reader: Installs the Adobe Acrobat Reader software necessary to view user’s manuals saved in PDF format. Updated or other language versions of this motherboard's manual is available in PDF format at any of our web sites. Winbond Voice Editor: Installs a convenient utility to customize vocal POST messages. (optional) ASUS Screen Saver: Installs a nifty ASUS screen saver. E-Color 3Deep: Installs the 3Deep software.
5.4 ASUS PC Probe ASUS PC Probe is a convenient utility to continuously monitor your computer system’s vital components, such as fan rotations, Voltages, and temperatures. It also has a utility that lets you review useful information about your computer, such as hard disk space, memory usage, and CPU type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies through the DMI Explorer. 5.4.
5.4.2 Using ASUS PC Probe Monitoring Monitor Summary Shows a summary of the items being monitored. Temperature Monitor Shows the PC’s temperature. Temperature Warning threshold adjustment (Move the slider up to increase the threshold level or down to decrease the threshold level) Fan Monitor Shows the PC’s fan rotation. Fan Warning threshold adjustment (Move the slider up to increase the threshold level or down to decrease the threshold level) Voltage Monitor Shows the PC’s voltages.
Settings Lets you set threshold levels and polling intervals or refresh times of the PC’s temperature, fan rotation, and voltages. CPU Cooling System Setup Lets you select when to enable software CPU cooling. When When CPU Overheated is selected, the CPU cooling system is enabled whenever the CPU temperature reaches the threshold value. History Lets you record the current monitoring activity of a certain component of your PC for future reference.
Memory Shows the PC’s memory load, memory usage, and paging file usage. Device Summary Shows a summary of devices in your PC. DMI Explorer Shows information pertinent to the PC, such as CPU type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies, and memory size. Utility Lets you run programs outside of the ASUS Probe modules. To run a program, click Execute Program.
5.4.3 ASUS PC Probe Task Bar Icon Right-clicking the PC Probe icon will bring up a menu to open or exit ASUS PC Probe and pause or resume all system monitoring. When the ASUS PC Probe senses a problem with your PC, portions of the ASUS PC Probe icon changes to red, the PC speaker beeps, and the ASUS PC Probe monitor is displayed.
5.5 ASUS Live Update ASUS LiveUpdate is a utility that allows you to update your motherboard’s BIOS and drivers. The use of this utility requires that you are properly connected to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). 1. Start ASUS Update. Launch the utility from your Windows Start menu:Programs/AsusUpdate. 2. Select an update method. 3. If you selected “downloading from the Internet,” you will need to select an Internet site.
5.6 3Deep Color Tuner The 3-Deep color tuner is designed to match your CRT or LCD color monitor to maximize the color quality of all graphical applications. Users may also tune their internet applications to match “true” internet source colors with the color displayed on the monitor. Simply run the setup program from the start menu and follow the instructions on the various setup/test screens. 5.6.1 3Deep Color Tuning 1. Select the type of monitor connected to the computer, either CRT or LCD. 2.
4. Select the color squares which most closely blend and match with the background. 5. The next step repeats the color matching process to achieve full color quality. 6. The tuning process is complete. Click on the bottom left button to connect to the internet and follow the instructions. 5.6.2 The 3Deep Control Panel Using the Windows Start button, activate the 3Deep Control Panel program from the 3Deep Applications group on the Main Program menu.
5.7 NVIDIA nForce Control Panel The nVidia nForce Control Panel is a suite of five convenient applications to help you get the most from all your computer controlled audio systems. After installing the nVIDIA® nForce Driver, look for an nVIDIA® nForce APU icon on the taskbar status area. Double-clicking the icon opens the NV nForce Control Panel, a set of tools for you to set audio-related configuration. 5.7.
Connector Settings and Functions (audio jack switching for motherboards with 3 audio jacks only) Connector Headphone/2 Speaker 4-Speaker 6-Speaker Lime Line Out/ Front Speaker Out Line Out/ Front Speaker Out Line Out/ Front Speaker Out Light Blue Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Center Speaker Out, Sub-woofer Here are some of the features on the Speaker Setup: • Dolby® Surround Encoding - enables audio to be encoded for playback on home theater receivers (using an
5.7.3 MIDI This tab allows you to change settings to MIDI playback. A MIDI song can be tested at the Audition section using all available effects or just the highted effect. The Download Sounds section allows the loading and unloading of DLS or SoundFont sample banks from system memory. These banks provide the instrument sounds for any MIDI files played on the system. Finally, at the bottom we have the effects panel. Since this panel is very similar to the Environment tab. 5.7.
5.7.6 Information The Information page shows the details of the APU (optional), hardware and software revisions, driver revisions, currect DirectX version, and in “Advanced” mode the DSP and voice utilization. This is the first place to look when you are verifying what drivers you are running and the last place to look when you want to know what is going on at the lower levels of the APU.
5.7.7 Troubleshooting Q & A : 1. How can I get 5.1 channels audio? • You must have a 5.1 speaker system. • The audio source must be 5.1 channel soundtracks. • Click Speaker Setup Wizard in the Speaker Setup tab of NVIDIA nForce Control Panel to setup your 5.1 audio channel. 2. Why I can’t hear 5.1 channels audio when playing a CD or MP3 file? Because the audio source is a two channel audio. 3.
5.7.8 Audio Glossary Dolby® Surround is an audio encoding process. When a Dolby® Surround soundtrack is produced, four channels of audio information — left, center, right, and surround — are matrix-encoded onto two audio tracks. These two tracks are then recorded onto stereo program sources, like videotapes and TV broadcasts. Dolby® Digital 5:1 (AC-3) is an audio encoding process that simulates the illusion of total surround sound. The system consists of five speakers and one bass unit, hence the name 5:1.
5.8 Winbond Voice Editor (optional) The Winbond Voice Editor software allows you to customize the vocal POST messages. Install the software from the software menu in the support CD. IMPORTANT! To avoid conflicts, do not run the Winbond Voice Editor while running the ASUS PC Probe. Follow these steps to use the Winbond Voice Editor.
Changing the default language 1. Click on the Load button. a window showing the available languages appears. 2. Select your desired language then click Open. The event messages for the language you selected appear on the Voice Editor screen. NOTE: For some languages, not all events have a corresponding message due to file size constraints. 3. Click on the Write button to update the EEPROM. 4. Click Yes on the confirmation window that appears.
5.9 RAID 0/RAID 1 configurations The motherboard includes the Silicon Image Sil 3112A controller chipset and two Serial ATA interfaces to support Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) configuration. This feature supports Serial ATA hard disks. Use the SATARaid™ utility to configure the RAID sets. RAID 0 (called data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data in parallel, interleaved stacks.
Follow these steps to install the hard disks for RAID configuration. 1. Install the Serial ATA hard disks into the drive bays. 2. Connect one Serial ATA HDD to each Serial ATA connector, using separate serial ATA cables. 4. Connect the power cable to the power connector on each drive. 5. Make sure that the Serial ATA jumpers are set to enabled. See “2.7 Jumpers, Serial ATA Setting (3-pin SATA_EN1)” for more detailed information on jumper settings. 6. Proceed to 5.9.2 for the next procedure. 5.9.
5.9.2.2 Creating RAID Sets 1. Select “Create RAID Set” 2. Choose either a “Striped” or “Mirrored” RAID Set. 3. Select if you want the utility to Auto Configure the RAID Set or if you want to manually configure the RAID set. For Striped Sets, you can change the chunk size. For Mirrored Sets, you assign which is the Source and Target drives, as well as if you want a Disk Copy. • What is a chunk? The chunk size is the “stripe” on each disk. It is the unit of storage equivalent to one stripe on a RAID 0 set.
94 Chapter 5: Software reference
Chapter 6 Appendix
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
6.1 Glossary 1394 1394 is the IEEE designation for a high performance serial bus tht offers data transfers at 100/200/400 Mbps. This serial bus defines both a back plane physical layer and a point-to-point cable-connected virtual bus. The primary application of the cable version is the integration of I/O connectivity at the back panel of personal computers using a low-cost, scalable, high-speed serial interface.
Boot Boot means to start the computer operating system by loading it into system memory. When the manual instructs you to “boot” your system (or computer), it means to turn ON your computer. “Reboot” means to restart your computer. When using Windows 95 or later, selecting “Restart” from “Start | Shut Down...” will reboot your computer. Bus Master IDE PIO (Programmable I/O) IDE requires that the CPU be involved in IDE access and waiting for mechanical events.
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) IDE devices integrate the drive control circuitry directly on the drive itself, eliminating the need for a separate adapter card (in the case for SCSI devices). UltraDMA/33 IDE devices can achieve up to 33MB/Sec transfer. I/O (Input/Output) The data transfers from the input devices like a keyboard, mouse, or scanner, to the output devices like a printer or the monitor screen. I/O Address The specific memory location for a particular device.
RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) Developed by Rambus, Inc., this type of memory can deliver up to 1.6GB of data per second. RDRAM is the first interface standard that can be directly implemented on high performance VLSI components such as, CMOS DRAMs, memory controllers, and graphics/video ICs. RAM (Random Access Memory). The computer’s primary storage area used to write, store, and retrieve information and program instructions which are passed to the CPU for processing.
Index
ASUS A7N8X motherboard
Index Internal Audio 9, 30 Panel 33 Parallel Port 24 PS/2 Keyboard 22 PS/2 Mouse 22 Serial Port 23 SMBus 29 USB 31 Symbols 3Deep Color Tuner Using 81 A ASUS PC Probe Using 75 ASUS Update Using 80 D B E BIOS Advanced Menu 51 Beep Codes 35 Exit Menu 68 Legend Bar 44 Main Menu 46 Menu Bar 44 Power Menu 61 Setup Program 43 Sub-menu launching 45 Updating 40 BIOS Beep Codes 35 expansion card installation 15 Expansion slots 15 C Central Processing Unit (CPU) 11 installation 12 Chip Configuration 55 Clear
Serial ATA Setting 19 USB device wake-up 20 R Keyboard Connector 22 Keyboard Wake Up jumper 19 S K L LiveUpdate 80 Using 80 M Motherboard IRQ Table 17 layout 8 placement 7 screws 7 Mouse Connector 22 N NVIDIA nForce Control Panel 83 O Onboard LED 10 Operating system installation 71 P RTC RAM Clearing 21 Serial Ports Connectors 23 slots AGP 18 PCI 17 SMBus Connector 29 Support CD 71 System Date 46 System memory configurations 14 System Time 46 T Troubleshooting 87 U UART2 59 Universal Serial Bus
