Asus A7V8X-MX User Manual

Motherboard A7V8X-MX User Manual
ii Checklist Copyright Â© 2003 ASUST eK 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 ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. (âASUSâ). Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair , modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL âAS ISâ WITHOUT W ARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANT ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A P ARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECT ORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT , SPECIAL, INCIDENT AL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DA T A, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT . SPECIFICA TIONS AND INFORMA TION CONT AINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR INFORMA TIONAL USE ONL Y , AND ARE SUBJECT T O CHANGE A T ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THA T MA Y APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTW ARE DESCRIBED IN IT . Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the ownersâ benefit, without intent to infringe. E1397 Revised Edition V3 August 2003
iii Features Contents Notices ....................................................................................................... vi Safety information ....................................................................................... v ASUS contact information .......................................................................... vi A7V8X-MX specifications summary ........................................................... vii About this manual ..................................................................................... viii Chapter 1 - Motherboard Info 1.1 W elcome! ....................................................................................... 1-2 1.2 Package contents .......................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Special features ............................................................................. 1-2 1.4 Motherboard components .............................................................. 1-4 1.5 Motherboard layout ........................................................................ 1-7 1.6 Motherboard installation ................................................................ 1-8 1.6.1 Placement direction ......................................................... 1-8 1.6.2 Screw holes ..................................................................... 1-8 1.7 Before you proceed ....................................................................... 1-9 1.8 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................... 1-10 1.8.2 Installing the CPU .......................................................... 1-10 1.9 System memory ........................................................................... 1-1 1 1.9.1 Installing a DIMM ........................................................... 1-1 1 1.10 Expansion slots ........................................................................... 1-12 1.10.1 Configuring an expansion card ...................................... 1-12 1.10.2 Standard Interrupt Assignments .................................... 1-12 1.10.3 AGP slot ......................................................................... 1-13 1.10.4 PCI slots ........................................................................ 1-13 1.1 1 Switch and jumpers ..................................................................... 1-14 1.12 Connectors .................................................................................. 1-17 Chapter 2 - BIOS Information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................... 2-2 2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk ....................................... 2-2 2.1.2 Updating BIOS using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility .......... 2-3 2.1.3 CrashFree BIOS feature .................................................. 2-4 2.2 BIOS beep codes .......................................................................... 2-5 2.3 BIOS Setup program ..................................................................... 2-5 2-2.3.1 BIOS menu bar ................................................................ 2-6 2.3.2 Legend bar ....................................................................... 2-6 2.4 Main Menu ..................................................................................... 2-8 2.4.1 IDE Primary Master/Slave IDE Secondary Master/Slave ......................................... 2-10 2.5 Advanced Menu ........................................................................... 2-12 2.5.1 Chip Configuration ......................................................... 2-13 2.5.2 I/O Device Configuration ................................................ 2-18
iv Notices Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: â¢ This device may not cause harmful interference, and â¢ 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. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer âs instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However , there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: â¢ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. â¢ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver . â¢ Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. â¢ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Safeguards Contents 2.5.3 PCI Configuration .......................................................... 2-20 2.6 Power Menu ................................................................................ 2-22 2.6.1 Power Up Control .......................................................... 2-24 2.6.2 Hardware Monitor .......................................................... 2-25 2.7 Boot Menu ................................................................................... 2-26 2.8 Exit Menu ..................................................................................... 2-27 Chapter 3 Software support 3.1 Installing an operating system ....................................................... 3-2 3.2 Support CD information ................................................................. 3-2 3.2.1 Running the support CD .................................................. 3-2 3.2.2 Drivers menu ................................................................... 3-3 3.2.3 Utilities menu ................................................................... 3-4 3.2.4 ASUS Contact Information ............................................... 3-5 The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user âs authority to operate this equipment.
v Canadian Department of Communications Statement This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Safety infor mation Electrical safety â¢ T o prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system. â¢ 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. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device. â¢ Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all power cables are unplugged. â¢ Seek professional assistance before using an adpater or extension cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit. â¢ Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using, contact your local power company . â¢ If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service technician or your retailer . Operation safety â¢ Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals that came with the package. â¢ Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately . â¢ T o avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry . â¢ A void dust, humidity , and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in any area where it may become wet. â¢ Place the product on a stable surface. â¢ If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified service technician or your retailer .
vi ASUS contact infor mation ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific) Address: 150 Li-T e Road, Peitou, T aipei, T aiwan 1 12 General T el: 886-2-2894-3447 General Fax: 886-2-2894-3449 General Email: info@asus.com.tw T echnical Support MB/Optical Drives ( T el): 886-2-2890-7121 (English) Notebook (T el): 886-2-2890-7122 (English) Desktop/Server (T el): 886-2-2890-7123 (English) Support Fax: 886-2-2890-7698 Web Site: www .asus.com.tw ASUS COMPUTER INTERNA TIONAL (America) Address: 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA General Fax: 1-502-933-8713 General Email: tmd1@asus.com Web Site: usa.asus.com T echnical Support Support Fax: 1-502-933-8713 General Support: 1-502-995-0883 Notebook Support: 1-877-918-ASUS (2787) Support Email: tsd@asus.com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria) Address: Harkort Str . 25, D-40880 Ratingen, Germany Website Address www .asuscom.de Online Contact: www .asuscom.de/sales T elephone: 49-2102-95990 General Fax: 49-2102-95991 1 T echnical Support Component Support: 49-2102-95990 Notebook Support: 49-2102-959910 Support Fax: 49-2102-95991 1 Online Support: www .asuscom.de/support
vii A7V8X -MX specif ications summar y (continued next page) Socket A for AMD Athlonâ¢XP up to 3200 processor Thoroughbred/Barton core support VIA KM400 VIA VT8235 CE 333/266/200 MHz 2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets support up to maximum 2 GB unbuffered PC2700/2100/1600 non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory . 3 x PCI 1 x AGP 8X/4X (0.8V or 1.5V only) 2 x UltraA T A133/100/66/33 Integrated VIA UniChromeâ¢ Graphics AD1980 6-channel AUDIO CODEC S/PDIF out interface VIA VT6103 10/100 Mbps Ethernet PHY Super I/O integrated monitoring of CPU/chassis fan and MB/CPU temperature 1 x Parallel 1 x Serial (COM1) 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x RJ45 port 1 x Audio I/O 1 x VGA port 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 1 x USB connector supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports CPU/chassis F AN connectors Chassis intrusion connector 20-pin A TX power connector P ANEL connector CD / AUX connectors S/PDIF out connector GAME/MIDI connector Front panel audio connector 2Mb Flash EEPROM, Award BIOS, ACPI, DMI2.0, PnP features, TCA V , CrashFree BIOS CPU Chipset Front Side Bus (FSB) Memory Expansion slots IDE Graphics Audio LAN Hardware Monitoring Back Panel I/O Ports Internal I/O Connectors BIOS features
viii A7V8X -MX specifications summar y * Specifications are subject to change without notice. PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.1 WOL, WOR, chassis intrusion Device drivers ASUS PC Probe ASUS Screensaver A ward BIOS Flash Utility Direct X Adobe Acrobat Reader T rend Micro â¢ PC-cillin 2002 User Manual ASUS A7V8X-MX support CD UltraA T A cable FDD cable I/O shield Micro-A TX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in Conventions used in this guide T o make sure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. W ARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task. CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to complete a task. IMPORT ANT : Information that you MUST follow to complete a task. NOTE: T ips and additional information to aid in completing a task. About this manual Industry standard Manageability Support CD contents Accessories Form Factor
Chapter 1 This chapter describes the features of the A7V8X-MX motherboard. It includes brief descriptions of the motherboard components, and illustrations of the layout, jumper settings, and connectors. Product introduction
1-2 Chapter 1: Product Information 1. 1 W elcome! Thank you for buying the ASUS Â® A7V8X-MX motherboard! The ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard is loaded with the most advanced technologies to deliver maximum performance for Socket A processors. This motherboard is packed with value-added features for guaranteed consumer satisfaction. The following sections provide important technical information about the motherboard for future upgrades or system reconfiguration. Before you start installing the motherboard and hardware devices on it, check the items in your package with the list below . 1 .2 Package contents Check your ASUS A7V8X-MX package for the following items. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard.(Micro-A TX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in) ASUS A7V8X-MX support CD 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon cable for UltraA T A133/100/66/33 IDE drives Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive Bag of extra jumper caps I/O shield User Manual 1.3 Special features 333MHz FSB support for Athlonâ¢ XP processors The A7V8X-MX motherboard supports 333MHz front side bus frequency for Athlonâ¢ XP processors allowing increased application program productivity and enhanced digital media experience. See page 1-9 for details. AGP 8X support AGP 8X (AGP 3.0) is the next generation VGA interface specification that enables enhanced graphics performance with high bandwidth speeds of up to 2.12 GB/s. See details on page 1-13.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-3 Integrated Graphics The A7V8X-MX motherboard is loaded with an integrated VIA Unichromeâ¢ 2D/3D graphics core allowing efficient execution of multimedia applications and playback support for video and DVD. SoundMAX Digital Audio System The SoundMax Digital Audio System is the industryâs highest performance and most reliable audio solution for business professionals, audiophiles, musicians, and gamers. SoundMAX Digital Audio System can output 5.1 channel surround and features state-of-the-art DLS2 MIDI synthesizer with Y amaha DLSbyXG sound set, 5.1 V irtual Theaterâ¢ and supports all major game audio technologies including Microsoft DirectXâ¢8.0, Microsoft DirectSound 3Dâ¢, A3D, MacroFX, ZoomFX, MultiDrive 5.1 and EAX. See page 3-3 USB 2.0 technology The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the 12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1. ASUS C.O.P . The ASUS C.O.P . (CPU Overheating Protection) is a hardware protection circuit that automatically shuts down the system power before temperatures go high enough to permanently damage the CPU. See page 2-23. ASUS CrashFree BIOS CrashFree BIOS allows users to restore BIOS data from a floppy disk even when BIOS code and data are corrupted. Users can now enjoy this feature without the need to buy a new ROM. See page 2-4 for details. Digital audio support A Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) connector is onboard to give you convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems. The S/PDIF technology allows direct digital audio transfers keeping the best signal quality . NOTE: The S/PDIF module is purchased separately . Integrated 10/100 LAN The A7V8X-MX motherboard is equipped with an onboard 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet controller to give you a fast and reliable connection to Local Area Networks (LANs) and the Internet.
1-4 Chapter 1: Product Information 1.4 Motherboard components Before you install the motherboard, learn about its major components and available features to facilitate the installation and future upgrades. Refer to the succeeding pages for the component descriptions. 3 2 1 11 4 7 14 6 8 13 5 9 1 0 12 15 25 18 19 20 21 16 17 23 24 22
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-5 CPU Socket. Socket 462 (Socket A) Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket for AMD Athlon XPâ¢ up to 3200 processors. NorthBridge Controller . The VIA KM400 North Bridge controller chipset supports a 64-bit DDR memory controller and up to 2 GB of 333/266/ 200MHz DDR memory . It also incorporates the fast HyperTransportâ¢ link to the CPU and supports AGP 8X technology . VIA KM400 is also loaded with the VIA UniChromeâ¢ 2D/3D graphics core for efficient multimedia applications including DVD and video playback support. DDR DIMM Sockets. Equipped with two Double Data Rate Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 2GB of DDR SDRAM, the newest memory standard with the highest bandwidth and lowest latency currently available. This memory technology supplies allows data transfer rates of up to 2.7 GB/s on 333MHz DDR SDRAM. A TX power connector . This standard 20-pin connector connects to an A TX 12V power supply . The power supply must have at least 1A on the 5V standby lead ( 5VSB). DIP switches. This 5-pin Dual Inline Package (DIP) switches allows you to select the CPU frequency multiple. Floppy Disk connector . This connector connects the provided ribbon cable for the floppy disk drive. One side of the connector is slotted to prevent incorrect insertion of the floppy disk cable. IDE Connectors. These dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support up to four UltraA T A133/100/66/33, PIO Modes 0-4 IDE devices. Both the primary(blue) and secondary(black) connectors are slotted to prevent incorrect insertion of the IDE ribbon cable. AGP Slot. The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot only supports 1.5V and 0.8V AGP 8X/4X mode graphics cards for 3D graphical applications. Flash EEPROM. This 2Mb ISA chip contains the programmable BIOS program. Super I/O chipset. Winbond 83697HF I/O controller of fers support for a variety of I/O functions. Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities. The Super I/O controller supports a floppy disk drive, Game/MIDI port, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse. Onboard LED. This onboard LED lights up if there is a standby power on the motherboard. This LED acts as a reminder to turn of f the system power before plugging or unplugging devices. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1-6 Chapter 1: Product Information South bridge controller . The VIA VT8235 CE integrated peripheral South bridge controller communicates with the North bridge at rates of up to 533MB/s using the VIA 8X VLink T echnology . The Southbridge controller provides efficient bandwith requirements for PCI, USB and support for LAN devices. The controller also supports standard UltraA T A133/100/66/33 and provides separate data paths for each IDE channel for up to two IDE devices. The controller supports six USB ports, one LAN port and is PCI 2.2 compliant. Audio CODEC. The ADI AD1980 6-channel Audio CODEC is ACâ97 compliant and is designed for PC multimedia systems. PCI slots. These 32-bit PCI 2.2 expansion slots support bus master PCI cards like SCSI and LAN cards with 133MB/s maximum output. PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer , a scanner , or other devices. RJ-45 port. Using the South bridge integrated MAC and the VIA VT6103 LAN PHY Fast Ethernet controller , this port allows connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Line In jack. This Line In (light blue) jack connects a tape player or other audio sources. In a 6-channel mode, this jack functions as Bass/Center . Line Out jack. This Line Out (lime) jack connects a headphone or a speaker . In a 6-channel mode, this jack functions as Front Speaker Out. Microphone jack. This Mic (pink) jack connects a microphone. In a 6-channel mode, th is jack functions as Rear Speaker Out. USB 1 & 2 ports. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus 2.0/1.1 ports are available for connecting USB devices such as mouse and PDA. USB 3 & 4 ports. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus 2.0/1.1 ports are available for connecting USB devices such as mouse and PDA. VGA port. This 15-pin VGA port connects to a VGA monitor . Serial port (COM1). This port connects to your serial mouse and other serial devices. PS/2 keyboard port. This purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 keyboard. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 12 14 13
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-7 1 .5 Motherboar d layout 24.5cm (9.6in) PCI1 P ANEL A7V8X-MX Â® CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power CD1 AUX1 Super I/O 2Mbit ISA chip PS/2KBMS T : Mouse B: Ke yboard Below:Mic In Center:Line Out T op:Line In Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP1) CPU_F AN FP_AUDIO AD1980 CODEC USB2.0 T : USB3 B: USB4 T op: RJ-45 GAME CLRTC FLOPPY PRI_IDE SEC_IDE CHASSIS A TX Power Connector DDR DIMM1 (64 bit,184-pin module) DDR DIMM2 (64 bit,184-pin module) CHA_F AN1 USB1 USB2 USB56 SB_PWR 24.5cm (9.6in) USBPWR12 USBPWR34 USBPWR56 P ARALLEL PORT COM1 VGA1 PCI2 PCI3 VIA VT8235CE South Bridge Socket 462 VIA KM400 Chipset DSW SPDIF VIA VT6103
1-8 Chapter 1: Product Information 1.6 Motherboard installation The A7V8X-MX uses the Micro A TX form factor , measuring 24.5 cm (9.6 in.) x 24.5 cm (9.6 in.) - a standard fit for most large chassis. 1.6.1 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 . It may be more convenient to install major cables, the CPU and modular components before fixing the motherboard inside the case frame. 1.6.2 Screw holes Place eight (8) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis. Place this side towards the rear of the chassis Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard. W ARNING! Unplug the power cord before installing the motherboard. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage Motherboard components.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-9 1 .7 Before you proceed T ake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. 1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component. 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. Avoid touching the ICs on components. 4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component. 5. Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the A TX power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply . Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals, and/or components. When lit, the onboard LED indicates that the system is ON, in sleep mode or in soft-off mode, not powered OFF . See the illustration below . A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Onboard LED SB_PWR ON Standby Power OFF Powere d Off
1-10 Chapter 1: Product Information 1.8 Central Pr ocessing Unit (CPU) The motherboard provides a Socket A (462) for CPU installation. The A7V8X-MX supports Athlonâ¢ XP processors with âQuantiSpeedâ data processing, large data caches, 3D enhancements and 333/266/200MHz bus speeds. AMD Athlonâ¢ XP processors offer gigahertz speeds to support all the latest computing platforms and applications Each AMD CPU has a âmarkedâ corner . This corner is usually indicated with a notch, and/or a golden square or triangle. Refer to this indicator while orienting the CPU. A fan and heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating. 1.8.2 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. The CPU should drop easily into place. Do not force the CPU into the socket to avoid bending the pins. If the CPU does not fit, check its alignment and look for bent pins. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Socket 462 AMDâ¢ CPU CPU NOTCH LOCK CPU NOTCH TO INNER CORNER LEVER
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-11 1 .9 Sy stem memory The motherboard has two Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMM sockets that supports up to 2GB non-ECC PC2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAM DIMMs. Each DIMM socket/module is two-sided. DIMMs come in combinations of single or double- sided types ranging through 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1 GB. 1.9.1 Installing a DIMM 1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket. Make sure the notches on the DIMM exactly match the notches in the socket. 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips lock into place. Unlocked Retaining Clip DDR DIMM notch A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction. DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets 80 Pins 104 Pins DIMM1 DIMM2
1-12 Chapter 1: Product Information IRQ assignments for this motherboard AB CDE F ` G PCI slot 1 shared ââ ââââ PCI slot 2 â shared âââââ PCI slot 3 ââ shared â âââ AGP slot shared ââââ ââ 1. 10 Expansion slots The A7V8X-MX motherboard has three (3) PCI and one (1) Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP). The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 1.10.1 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. Sometimes IRQs are âsharedâ by more than one function; in this case, IRQ assignments are swapped automatically or adjusted through the BIOS firmware. 1.10.2 Standard Interrupt Assignments IRQ Standard Function 0 System T imer 1 Keyboard Controller 2 Programmable Interrupt Controller 3* USB Universal Host Controller 4* Communications Port (COM1) 5* Onboard Audio 6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller 7* Printer Port (LPT1) 8 System CMOS/Real T ime Clock 9* Onboard LAN 10* USB Universal Host Controller 1 1* Onboard VGA 12* PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port 13 Numeric Data Processor 14* Ultra A T A Controller 15* Secondary Ultra A T A Controller *These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-13 1.10.4 PCI slots Three 32-bit PCI slots are available on this motherboard. The slots support PCI cards such as LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. This figure shows a typical PCI card installed into a slot: 1.10.3 AGP slot This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that supports 0.8V and 1.5V AGP 8X cards. Note the notches on the card golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on your motherboard. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Keyed for 1.5v
1-14 Chapter 1: Product Information A7V8X-MX Â® ON 12345 A7V8X-MX DIP Switches DSW ON OFF 1.Frequency Selectio n 2.Frequency Selectio n 3.Frequency Selectio n 4.Frequency Selectio n 5.Frequency Selectio n 1 . 1 1 Switch and jumpers The motherboard frequency is adjusted through the DIP switches. The white block represents the switch position. The illustration below shows the ON and OFF positions of the switches. The option to set the CPU core bus frequency multiple is available only on unlocked CPUs. If you are using a locked CPU, setting the switches does not produce any effect. 1. CPU external frequency selection (SW1 Switches 1-5) This option tells the clock generator what frequency to send the CPU. This allows the selection of the CPUâs external frequency (or Bus Clock). The BUS Clock multiplied by the Frequency Multiple equals the CPUâs internal frequency (the advertised CPU speed). Set the CPU frequency only to the recommended settings. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU bus frequencies are not guaranteed to be stable. The default CPU external frequency is 100MHz. If your CPU supports 133/166MHz external frequency , adjust the DSW settings before installing the motherboard. A7V8X-MX Â® ON 12345 ON 12345 ON 12345 (DEF AUL T) A7V8X-MX CPU External Frequency Selection DSW CPU AGP PCI 166.67MH z 66.67MH z 33.33MH z 133.33MHz 66.67MHz 33.33MHz 100MHz 66.67MHz 33.33MHz
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-15 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56) Set these jumpers to 5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to 5VSB to wake up from S3 sleep mode (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power supply in reduced power mode). Both jumpers are set to pins 1-2 ( 5V) by default because not all computers have the appropriate power supply to support this feature. The USBPW12 and USBPW34 jumpers are for rear USB ports. USBPW56 is for the internal USB header that you can connect to front USB ports. The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can provide 500mA on the 5VSB lead for each USB port. Otherwise, the system does not power up. The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability ( 5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode. A7V8X-MX Â® 23 2 1 A7V8X-MX USB Device W ake Up USBPWR12 USBPWR34 5V (Default ) 5VSB USBPWR56 5V (Default ) 5VSB 2 1 3 2
1-16 Chapter 1: Product Information 3. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1) This jumper clears the Real T ime 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 . T o erase the RTC RAM: 1. T urn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Remove the battery . 3. Move the jumper caps from [2-3] to [1-2] momentarily . Replace the jumper cap to the original position, [2-3]. 4. Re-install the battery . 5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer . 6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter data. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Clear RTC RAM CLRTC Norma l Clear CMOS (Defaul t) 12 23
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-17 1 . 12 Connector s This section describes and illustrates the connectors on the motherboard. 1. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) This connector supports the provided UltraA T A133/100/66/33 IDE hard disk ribbon cable. Connect the cableâs blue connector to the primary (recommended) or secondary IDE connector , then connect the gray connector to the UltraA T A133/100/66/33 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to the UltraA T A133/100/66/33 master device. It is recommended that you connect non-UltraA T A133/100/66/33 devices to the secondary IDE connector . If you install two hard disks, you must configure the second drive as a slave device by setting its jumper accordingly . Refer to the hard disk documentation for the jumper settings. BIOS supports specific device bootup. If you have more than two UltraA T A133/100/66/33 devices, purchase another UltraA T A133/100/66/33 cable. Y ou may configure two hard disks to be both master devices with two ribbon cables â one for the primary IDE connector and another for the secondary IDE connector . Pin 20 on each IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the UltraDMA cable connector . This prevents incorrect orientation when you connect the cables. For UltraA T A133/100/66/33 IDE devices, use 40-pin 80- conductor cable. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX IDE Connectors NOTE: Orient the red marking s (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1. SEC_IDE PRI_IDE PIN 1
1-18 Chapter 1: Product Information 3. A TX power connectors (20-pin A TXPWR1) These connectors connect to an A TX 12V power supply . The plugs from the power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit. If you will need to replace the power supply in the future, make sure that your new A TX 12V power supply can provide 8A on the 12V lead and 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. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX A TX Power Connector A TXPWR 3.3VDC -12.0VDC COM PS_ON# COM COM COM -5.0VDC 5.0VDC 5.0VDC PWR_OK 12.0VDC 3.3VDC 3.3VDC COM 5.0VDC COM 5.0VDC COM 5VSB 2. Digital Audio Connector (6-1 pin SPDIF1) This connector is for optional S/PDIF audio module that allows digital instead of analog sound input and output. When you input sound for S/PDIF IN, the LINE_OUT will output the sound. Mute LINE_OUT to impede sound output from S/PDIF IN. The S/PDIF module is not included in this motherboard package. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Digital Audio Connector 5V SPDIFOUT GND SPDIF
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-19 3. USB header (10-1 pin USB56) If the USB 2.0 port connectors on the back panel are inadequate, a USB header is available for two additional USB port connectors. Connect a 2-port USB connector set to a USB header and mount the USB bracket to an open slot in the chassis. 4. GAME/MIDI connector (16-1 pin GAME1) This connector supports a GAME/MIDI module. If your package came with the optional USB 2.0/GAME module, connect the GAME/MIDI cable to this connector . The GAME/MIDI port on the module connects a joystick or a game pad for playing games, and MIDI devices for playing or editing audio files. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX USB 2.0 Header USB56 USB 5V USB_P6- USB_P6 GND NC USB 5V USB_P5- USB_P5 GND 1 A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Game Connector GAME 5V 5V J2B1 J2CX MIDI_OUT J2CY J2B2 MIDI_IN J1B1 J1CX GND GND J1CY J1B2 5V The USB connector module is not included in this motherboard package. The GAME port module is not included in this motherboard package.
1-20 Chapter 1: Product Information 5. CPU and Chassis Fan Connectors (3-pin CPU_F AN1, CHA_F AN) The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~740mA (8.88W max). Connect the fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector . 6. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS1) This lead is for a chassis designed with intrusion detection feature. This requires an external detection mechanism such as a chassis intrusion sensor or microswitch. When you remove any chassis component, the sensor triggers and sends a high-level signal to this lead to record a chassis intrusion event. By default, the pins labeled âChassis Signalâ and âGroundâ are shorted with a jumper cap. If you wish to use the chassis intrusion detection feature, remove the jumper cap from the pins. Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of sufficient air flow within the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors! A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX 12-V olt Fan Connectors CPU_F A N CHA_F A N GND Rotation 12V GND Rotation 12V A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Chassis Alarm Lead CHASSIS 5VSB_MB Chassis Signal GND (Defaul t)
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-21 9. Internal audio connectors (4 pin CD1, AUX1) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner , MPEG card or modem. 8. Front panel audio connectors (10-1 pin FP AUDIO) This is an interface for front panel audio cable that allows convenient connection and control of audio devices. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Front Panel Audio Connector FP_AUDIO BLINE_OUT_L MIC2 Line out_R Line out_L BLINE_OUT_R NC MICPWR 5V A AGND A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX Internal Audio Connectors CD(Black ) AUX(White) Right Audio Channel Left Audio Channel Ground Right Audio Channel Left Audio Channel Ground 7. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY1) This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After connecting one end to the motherboard, connect the other end to the floppy drive. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent incorrect insertion when using ribbon cables with pin 5 plug.) A7V8X-MX Â® NOTE: Orient the red markings o n the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1. A7V8X-MX Floppy Disk Drive Connector PIN 1 FLOPPY
1-22 Chapter 1: Product Information 10. System panel connector (20-pin P ANEL1) This connector accommodates several system front panel functions. â¢ System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PLED) This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED. The LED lights up when you turn on the system power , and blinks when the system is in sleep mode. â¢ System W arning Speaker Lead (4-pin SPEAKER) This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker and allows you to hear system beeps and warnings. â¢ System Management Interrupt Lead (2-pin SMI) This 2-pin connector allows you to manually place the system into a suspend mode, or âgreenâ mode, where system activity is instantly decreased to save power and to expand the life of certain system components. Attach the case-mounted suspend switch to this 2-pin connector . â¢ Reset Switch (2-pin RESET) This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted reset switch for rebooting the system without turning off the power switch. â¢ A TX Power Switch/Soft-Off Switch Lead (2-pin PWR) This connector connects a switch that controls the system power . Pressing the power switch turns the system between ON and SLEEP , or ON and SOFT OFF , depending on the BIOS or OS settings. Pressing the power switch while in the ON mode for more than 4 seconds turns the system OFF . â¢ Hard Disk Activity Lead (2-pin IDE LED) This connector supplies power to the hard disk activity LED. The read or write activities of any device connected to the primary or secondary IDE connector cause this LED to light up. A7V8X-MX Â® A7V8X-MX System Panel Connectors * Requires an A TX power supply . PLED Ground PWRBIN 5 V 5V Speaker Speaker Connector Power LED Ground Reset SW SMI Lead ExtSMI# Ground Reset Ground Ground A TX Power Switch* HD_LED- HD_LED IDELED
Chapter 2 This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup Menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided. BIOS information
2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2. 1 Managing and updating your BIOS â¢ The original BIOS file for this motherboard is in the support CD. â¢ Copy the original BIOS to a bootable floppy disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. 2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk 1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable floppy disk. DOS environment Insert a 1.44 MB floppy disk into the drive. At the DOS prompt, type: format a: /s , then press the <Enter> key Windows Â® 98SE environment a. From your Windows desktop, click Start, point to Settings, then click Control Panel . b. Double-click Add/Remove Programs icon from the Control Panel window . c. Click on the Startup Disk tab, then on Create Disk... button. d. Insert a 1.44 MB floppy disk when prompted. Follow the suceeding screen instructions to complete the process. Windows Â® XP environment a. Insert a new 1.44 MB floppy disk in the floppy disk drive. b. From the Windows desktop, click Start > My Computer . c. In the My Computer window , click the 3 1/2 Floppy icon. d. From the Menu bar , click File > Format. e. Select â Create an MS-DOS Startup Disk â in the Format Options field, then click Start . 2. Copy the original (or the latest) motherboard BIOS to the bootable floppy disk.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-3 2.1.2 Updating BIOS using the A wardBIOS Flash Utility The Basic 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 (A WDFLASH.EXE). Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using this utility . 1. Download the latest BIOS file from the ASUS website (see ASUS contact info on page vi). Rename the file to *.BIN and save it to a floppy disk. 5. A WDFLASH checks the new BIOS file from the floppy disk. 6. After verification, A WDFLASH flashes the new BIOS file. Do not shut down the computer during the flash process. 7. After the new BIOS file is copied, the computer returns to POST . Save only the updated BIOS file in the floppy disk to avoid loading a wrong BIOS file. 2. Insert the disk that contains the new BIOS file into the floppy drive. 3. Reboot the computer . 4. Press <Alt> <F2> during POST to display the following screen.
2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.1.2.1 Updating BIOS via Bootable Floppy Disk 1. Boot from the floppy disk. 2. At the âA:\â prompt, type âC:\â and then press <Enter>. 3. At the âC:\â prompt, type âA WDFLASH/ BIOSFILENAMEâ and then <Enter>. For example: âA WDFLASH/ aw0702.binâ The A WDFLASH screen appears. 4. Follow steps 5 to 7 in â2.1.2 Updating BIOS using the Built-in Award BIOS Flash Utility .â 2.1.3 CrashFree BIOS feature The CrashFree BIOS feature allows you to boot the computer from a floppy disk and update the BIOS in case the original BIOS fails or gets corrupted. 1. Y ou must have a bootable floppy disk ready before updating the BIOS. 2. The bootable floppy disk could be the one that you created following the procedure in section 2.1.1, and should contain the A WDFLASH.EXE utility . 3. If the BIOS fails (ROM data or codes are corrupted), a message appears during POST indicating the failure. T o update the BIOS: 1. T urn on the computer , and when prompted, place the bootable floppy disk into the floppy drive, so that the computer boots from the floppy disk. 2. Follow the BIOS update procedure in section â2.1.2 Updating BIOS using the A wardBIOS Flash Utility .â T o use the CrashFree BIOS feature on this motherboard, install a VGA card into one of the expansion slots before rebooting the computer . On motherboards with onboard VGA, such as the A7V8X-MX, you will not see the screen display when the BIOS crashes even if you reboot the computer .
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-5 2.3 BIOS Setup progr am This motherboard supports a programmable FLASH EEPROM that you can update using the provided utility described in section â2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.â Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system, or prompted to âRun Setupâ. 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. For example, you may want to enable the security password feature or make changes to the power management settings. This requires you to reconfigure your system using the BIOS Setup program so that the computer can recognize these changes and record them in the CMOS RAM of the FLASH EEPROM. The FLASH EEPROM on the motherboard stores the Setup utility . When you start up the computer , the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program. Press <Delete> during the Power-On Self T est (POST) to enter the Setup utility , otherwise, POST continues with its test routines. If you wish to enter Setup after POST , restart the system by pressing <Ctrl> <Alt> <Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis. Y ou can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this last option only if the first two failed. The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. It is a menu- driven program, which means you can scroll through the various sub-menus and make your selections among the predetermined choices. 2.2 BIOS beep codes When you turn the power on and the system runs POST (Power On Self T ests), you will hear BIOS beeps. Refer to the following table for the meaning of the beeps. A ward BIOS Beep Codes Beep Meaning One short beep when No error during POST displaying logo Long beeps in an endless loop No DRAM installed or detected One long beep followed by V ideo card not found or video card three short beeps memory bad High frequency beeps when CPU overheated; system is working System running at a lower frequency
2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.3.1 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. ADV ANCED Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced features. POWER Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management features. BOOT Use this menu to configure the default system device used to locate and load the Operating System. EXIT Use this menu to exit the current menu or to exit the Setup program. T o access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard until the desired item is highlighted. 2.3.2 Legend bar At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar . The keys in the legend bar allow you to navigate through the various setup menus. The following table lists the keys found in the legend bar with their corresponding functions. Navigation Key(s) Function Description <F1> Displays the General Help screen <F2> Navigates the Item Help screen <F5> Loads previous values <F6> Loads fail-safe default values <F7> Loads optimized values <Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a sub-menu Left or Right arrow Selects the menu item to the left or right Up or Down arrow Moves the highlight up or down between fields Page Down or â (minus) Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted field Page Up or (plus) Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted field <Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted field <F10> Saves changes and exit Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purposes only , and may not exactly match what you see on your screen.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-7 General help In addition to the Item Help window , the BIOS setup program also provides a General Help screen. Y ou may launch this screen from any menu by simply pressing <F1>. The General Help screen lists the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Saving changes and exiting the Setup program See â2.8 Exit Menuâ for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the setup program. Scroll bar When a scroll bar appears to the right of a help window , it indicates that there is more information to be displayed that will not fit in the window . Use <PgUp> and <PgDn> or the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the entire help document. Press <Home> to display the first page, press <End> to go to the last page. T o exit the help window , press <Enter> or <Esc>. Sub-menu The right pointer symbol that appears at the left of certain parameters indicates that a sub-menu exists for this field. A sub-menu offers additional parameter options. T o display a sub-menu, move the highlight to the field and press <Enter>. The sub-menu appears. Use the legend keys to navigate and enter values within each sub-menu as you would within a menu. Use the <Esc> key to return to the main menu. T ake some time to familiarize yourself with the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Practice navigating through the various menus and sub-menus. While moving around through the Setup program, note that explanations appear in the Item Help window located to the right of each menu. This window displays the help text for the highlighted field. Date (mm:dd:yy) Time (hh:mm:ss) Drive A Drive B IDE Primary Master IDE Primary Slave IDE Secondary Master IDE Secondary Slave Chassis intrude detection Set Supervisor Password Set User Password Security Option Installed Memory Halt On
2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS Information Date [mm/dd/yy] Sets the system to the date that you specify (usually the current date). The format is month, day , year . V alid values for month, day , and year are Month: (1 to 12), Day: (1 to 31), Y ear: (1999 to 2099). Use the <T ab> key to move between the month, day , and year fields. Time [hh:mm:ss] Sets the system to the time that you specify (usually the current time). The format is hour , minute, second. V alid values for hour , minute and second are Hour: (00 to 23), Minute: (00 to 59), Second: (00 to 59). Use the <T ab> key to move between the hour , minute, and second fields. Drive A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Sets the type of floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [None] [360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] [2.88M, 3.5 in.] Drive B [None] Sets the type of floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [None] [360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] [2.88M, 3.5 in.] Chassis intrude detection [Enabled] Enable this option to activate the chassis intrusion feature of the motherboard. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Set Supervisor Password [Clear] / Set User Password [Clear] These fields allow you to set passwords. T o set a password, highlight the appropriate field and press <Enter>. T ype in a password then press <Enter>. Y ou can type up to eight alphanumeric characters. Symbols and other characters are ignored. T o confirm the password, type the password again and press <Enter>. The password is now set to [Set]. This password allows full access to the BIOS Setup menus. T o clear the password, highlight this field and press <Enter>. When the same dialog box appear , press <Enter>. The password is set to [Clear]. 2.4 Main Menu Change the day, month, year and century. Date (mm:dd:yy) Wed, May 28 2003 Time (hh:mm:ss) 15 : 30 : 30 Drive A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Drive B [None] IDE Primary Master [ST321122A] IDE Primary Slave [ASUS CDS520/] IDE Secondary Master [None] IDE Secondary Slave [None] Chassis intrude detection [Enabled] Set Supervisor Password Clear Set User Password Clear Security Option [Setup] Installed Memory [256MB] Halt On [All, But Keyboard]
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-9 A note about passwords The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify passwords in the Main menu. The passwords control access to the BIOS during system startup. Passwords are not case sensitive, meaning, passwords typed in either uppercase or lowercase letters are accepted. The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify two dif ferent passwords: a Supervisor password and a User password. If you did not set a Supervisor password, anyone can access the BIOS Setup program. If you did, the Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program and to gain full access to the configuration fields. Forgot the password? If you forget your password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM. The RAM data containing the password information is powered by the onboard button cell battery . If you need to erase the CMOS RAM, unplug the all the power cables and remove the button cell battery . Re- install the battery after about 2 seconds, then power up the system. Refer to section â1.1 1 Switch and Jumpers-Clear RTC RAMâ on how to erase CMOS RTC RAM. Security Option [Setup] This field requires users to enter the password before entering the BIOS setup or the system. Select [Setup] to require the password before entering the BIOS Setup. Select [System] to require the password before entering the system. Configuration options: [Setup] [System] Installed Memory [XXX MB] This field automatically displays the amount of conventional memory detected by the system during the boot process. Halt On [All, But Keyboard] This field sets the system to halt on errors according to the system functions specified in each option. Configuration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But Keyboard] [All , But Diskette] [All, But Disk/Key]
2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.4.1 IDE Primary Master/Slave IDE 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 Primary Master/Slave [Auto] IDE Secondary Master/Slave [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection is successful, the setup BIOS automatically fills in the correct values for the remaining fields on this sub-menu. If automatic detection fails, this may be because the hard disk drive is too old or too new . If the hard disk was already formatted on a previous system, the setup BIOS may detect incorrect parameters. In these cases, select [Manual] to manually enter the IDE hard disk drive parameters. If no drive is installed or if you are removing a drive and not replacing it, select [None]. Configuration options: [None] [Auto [Manual] Access Mode [Auto] The default [Auto] automatically detects an IDE hard disk drive. Select [CHS] in coordination with the [Manual] setting of the IDE Primary Master in order to enter the Hard Disk Drive values manually . To auto-detect the HDDâs size, head...on this channel. IDE Primary Master IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] IDE Primary Master [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 40020 MB Cylinder 19158 Head 16 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 19157 Sector 255 Transfer Mode UDMA 2 Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the correct configuration information supplied by the drive manufacturer . Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-11 [Manual] & [CHS] Settings Manually enter the number of cylinders, heads and sectors per track for the drive. Refer to the drive documentation or the drive label for this information. 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. After making your selections on this sub-menu, press the <Esc> key to return to the Main menu. The Main menu displays the hard disk drive field with your configuration. Access Mode [Auto] Select the hard disk drive type in this field. When Logical Block Addressing (LBA) is enabled, the 28-bit addressing of the hard drive is used without regard for cylinders, heads, or sectors. Note that LBA Mode is necessary for drives with more than 504MB storage capacity . Select [CHS] to make manual entries for configuring the fields below . Configuration options: [CHS] [LBA] [Large] [Auto] Cylinders This field configures the number of cylinders. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value. T o make changes to this field, set the IDE Primary Master field to [Manual] and the Access Mode to [CHS]. Head This field configures the number of read/write heads. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value. T o 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. IDE Primary Master IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] IDE Primary Master [Manual] Access Mode [CHS] Capacity 40020 MB Cylinder [19158] Head [ 16] Precomp [ 0] Landing Zone [19157] Sector [ 255] Transfer Mode UDMA 2 Press [Enter] to select sector addressing method.
2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.5 Advanced Menu The Advanced menu displays the CPU type, speed, cache RAM, front side bus frequency and DRAM frequency information. It also contains the following BIOS parameters. DRAM Clock [By SPD] The DRAM clock are set according to the DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect). Y ou can manually set the DRAM clock parameters. Configuration options: [By SPD] [133] [166] CPU Internal/External Cache [Enabled]/[Enabled] These fields allow you to choose from the default of [Enabled] or choose [Disabled] to turn on or off the CPU internal and external built-in cache. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] CPU Type AMD Athlon(tm) CPU Speed 1050MHz/280MHz CPU Cache RAM 256K Current FSB Frequency 133MHz Current DRAM Frequency 166MHz DRAM Clock [ By SPD ] CPU Internal Cache [Enabled] External Cache [Enabled] PS/2 Mouse Function Control [Enabled] USB Legacy Mode Support [Auto] Chip Configuration I/O Device Configuration PCI Configuration Landing Zone This field displays the driveâs maximum useable capacity as calculated by the BIOS based on the drive information you entered. Sector This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value. T o make changes to this field, set the T ype field to [User T ype HDD] and the T ranslation Method field to [Manual]. T ransfer Mode This field selects the UDMA transfer mode. Configuration options [Auto] [UDMA0] [UDMA1] [UDMA2] [UDMA3] [UDMA4] [UDMA5] Press [Enter] to select the DRAM clock.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-13 PS/2 Mouse Function Control [Enabled] Setting this option to Enabled allows the operating system to determine whether to enable or disable the mouse. Set to Disabled prevents any installed PS/2 mouse from functioning and frees up IRQ 12. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] USB Legacy Support [Auto] This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. The default of [Auto] allows the system to detect a USB device at startup. If detected, the USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If not detected, the USB controller legacy mode is disabled. When you set this field to [Disabled], the USB controller legacy mode is disabled whether or not you are using a USB device. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto] VGA Share Memory Size [64M] This field displays the share memory size for the onboard VGA. Configuration options: [16] [32] [64] [Disabled] System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled] This field establishes whether or not the BIOS is cacheable. Disabled by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] V ideo RAM Cacheable [Disabled] This field establishes whether or not the video RAM is cacheable. Disabled by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] 2.5.1 Chip Configuration AGP & P2P Bridge Control DRAM Clock/Drive Control CPU & PCI Bus Control VIA OnChip IDE Device VGA Share Memory Size [32MB] System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled] Video RAM Cacheable [Disabled] Chip Configuration Press [Enter] to go to sub menu.
2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS Information AGP Aperture Size [XXXMB] This field sets the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic data. Configuration options: [4M] [8M] [16M] [32M] [64M] [128M] [256M] [512M] [1G] AGP Mode [4X] AGP 4X transfers video data at 1066MB/s and is backward-compatible to AGP 1X video card. When set to [1X], the AGP interface only provides a peak data throughput of 266MB/s even if you are using an AGP 4x card. This motherboard also supports the AGP 8X interface. If you install an AGP 8X card, an [8X] option appears in the configuration options. Configuration options: [1X] [2X] [4X] [8X] AGP Fast W rite [Disabled] This field enables or disables the AGP Fastwrite function. Configuration options: [Disable] [Enable] AGP Master 1 WS W rite [Disabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] AGP Master 1 WS Read [Disabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] AGP 3.0 Calibration Cycle [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] 2.5.1.1 AGP & P2P Bridge Control AGP Aperture Size [128MB] AGP Mode [4X] AGP Fast Write [Disabled] AGP Master 1 WS Write [Disabled] AGP Master 1 WS Read [Disabled] AGP 3.0 Calibration Cycle [Enabled] AGP & P2P Bridge Control Press [Enter] to select.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-15 DRAM Timing [Safe] It is recommended that you set this parameter to [Safe]. Setting to [Auto by SPD] synchronizes the DRAM timing with the DRAM Clock. Setting to [Manual] allows you to set the values for DRAM CAS Latency , Bank Interleave, Pre-charge to Active (TRP) and Active to CMD (T rcd) prameters. Configuration options: [Auto By SPD] [Manual] [Safe] DRAM CAS Latency [2.5] This field sets the override clock cycle for the latency time between the DRAM read command and the moment that the data actually becomes available. Normally , the system determines the rate automatically by default. Configuration options: [1.5] [2] [2.5] [3] Bank Interleave [Disabled] Configuration options: [Disabled] [2 Bank] [4 Bank] Precharge to Active (T rp) [2T] Configuration options: [2T] [3T] Active to CMD (T rcd) [2T] Configuration options: [2T] [3T] DRAM Burst Lenght [4] Configuration options: [4] [8] DRAM Command Rate [2T Command] Configuration options: [2T Command] [1T Command] Write Recovery T ime [3T] Configuration options: [3T] [2T] 2.5.1.2 DRAM Clock/Drive Control DRAM Timing [Safe] DRAM CAS Latency [2.5] Bank Interleave [Disabled] Pre-charge to Active (Trp) [2T] Active to CMD (Trcd) [2T] DRAM Burst Lenght [4] DRAM Command Rate [2T Command] Write Recovery Time [3T] DRAM Clock/Drive Control Press [Enter] to select DRAM Timing Mode. [Safe] is recommended. [Manual] allows you to set each configuration on your own.
2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.5.1.3 CPU & PCI Bus Control PCI1 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled] PCI2 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] PCI1 Post Write [Enabled] PCI2 Post Write [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] VLink 8X Support [Enabled] This option enables or disables the VLink 8X feature of the motherboard. The VLink 8X technology allows high bandwidth connection between the North bridge and South bridge chipsets. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] PCI Delay T ransaction [Enabled] When set to [Enabled], this feature frees the PCI bus when the CPU is accessing 8-bit ISA cards. This process consumes 50-60 PCI clocks without PCI delayed transaction. Set this field to [Disabled] when using ISA cards that are not PCI 2.2 compliant. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] PCI1 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled] PCI2 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled] PCI1 Post Write [Enabled] PCI2 Post Write [Enabled] VLink 8X Support [Enabled] PCI Delay Transaction [Enabled] CPU & PCI Bus Control Press [Enter] to select [Enabled] or [Disabled].
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-17 IDE DMA T ransfer Access [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] OnChip IDE Channel 0 [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel 1 [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Primary Master PIO [Auto] Primary Slave PIO [Auto] This option lets you set a PIO (Programmable Input/Output) mode for Primary IDE devices. Configuration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode 2] [Mode 3] [Mode4] Secondary Master PIO [Auto] Secondary Slave PIO [Auto] This option lets you set a PIO (Programmable Input/Output) mode for Secondary IDE devices. Configuration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode 2] [Mode 3] [Mode 4] Primary Master/Slave UDMA [Auto] Secondary Master/Slave UDMA [Auto] UltraDMA capability allows improved transfer speeds and data integrity for compatible IDE devices. Set to Auto to for automatic configuration. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] 2.5.1.4 VIA OnChip IDE Device IDE DMA Transfer Access [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel 0 [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel 1 [Enabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Primary Master PIO [Auto] Primary Slave PIO [Auto] Secondary Master PIO [Auto] Secondary Slave PIO [Auto] Primary Master UDMA [Auto] Primary Slave UDMA [Auto] Secondary Master UDMA [Auto] Secondary Slave UDMA [Auto] VIA OnChip IDE Devices Press [Enter] to select [Enabled] or [Disabled].
2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS Information Swap Floppy Drive [Disabled] Set the option to [Enabled] to assign physical drive B to logical drive A, and vice- versa. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled] This field allow you to enable the onboard FDC controller . Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4] These fields allow you to set the address for the onboard serial connector . Configuration options: [3F8/IRQ4] [2F8/1RQ3] [3E8/IRQ4] [2E8/IRQ3] [Auto] [Disabled] Onboard Parallel Port [378/IRQ7] This field allows you to set the address of the onboard parallel port connector . Configuration options: [378/IRQ7] [278/IRQ5] [3BC/1RQ7] Parallel Port Mode [ECP EPP] This field allows you to set the operation mode of the parallel port. [SPP] allows normal-speed operation but in one direction only; [EPP] allows bidirectional parallel port operation; [ECP] allows the parallel port to operate in bidirectional DMA mode; [ECP EPP] allows normal speed operation in a two-way mode. Configuration options: [EPP] [ECP] [SPP] [ECP EPP] ECP Mode USE DMA [3] This field sets the parallel port DMA channel for the selected ECP mode. The default setting is 3. This selection is available only if you select [ECP] or [ECP EPP] in the Parallel Port Mode item. Configuration options: [1] [3] 2.5.2 I/O Device Configuration Swap Floppy Drive [Disabled] Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled] Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4] Onboard Parallel Port [378/IRQ7] Parallel Port Mode [ECP EPP] ECP Mode USE DMA [3] EPP Mode Select [EPP1.7] VIA-3058 AC97 Audio [Auto] VIA-3043 OnChip LAN [Auto] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Game Port Address [201] MIDI Port Address [330] MIDI Port IRQ [10] I/O Device Configuration If the system has two floppy drives, choose [Enable] to assign physical drive B to logical drive A and vice-versa.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-19 EPP Mode Select [EPP1.7] This field sets the EPP mode. The default setting is EPP1.7. This selection is available only if you select [EPP] or [ECP EPP] in the Parallel Port Mode item.0 Configuration options: [EPP1.7] [EPP1.9] VIA-3058 AC97 Audio [Auto] This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard AC97 audio controller . Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] VIA-3043 OnChip LAN [Auto] This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN controller . Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] This field allows you to turn on or off the onboard LAN boot ROM.This item appears only when onboard LAN is enabled. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Game Port Address [201] This field allows you to select the onboard Game port address. Configuration options: [201] [209] [Disabled] MIDI Port Address [330] This field allows you to select the onboard MIDI port address. Configuration options: [330] [300] [290] [Disabled] MIDI Port IRQ [10] This field allows you to set the IRQ assignment of the onboard MIDI port. Configuration options: [330] [300] [290] [Disabled]
2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.5.3 PCI Configuration Resources Controlled by [Auto (ESCD)] When set to [Auto (ESCD)], BIOS automatically configures all boot Plug and Play devices. Setting to [Manual] enables the IRQ Resources sub-menu for manual assignment of IRQ addresses. Configuration options: [Auto (ESCD)] [Manual] PCI/VGA Snoop Palette [Disabled] Some non-standard VGA cards, like graphics accelerators or MPEG video cards, may not show colors properly . Setting this field to [Enabled] corrects this problem. If you are using a standard VGA card, leave this field to the default setting [Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Assign IRQ for VGA [Enabled] Setting this option to [Enabled] allows the BIOS to automatically assign an IRQ address for the VGA controller . Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Assign IRQ for USB [Enabled] Setting this option to [Enabled] allows the BIOS to automatically assign an IRQ address for the USB controller . Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Resources controlled by [Auto (ESCD)] IRQ Resources PCI/CGA Palette Snoop [Disabled] Assign IRQ for VGA [Enabled] Assign IRQ for USB [Enabled] PCI Configuration BIOS automatically configure all boot Plug and Play compatible devices. If you choose [Auto], you cannot select IRQ DMA and memory base address fields, since BIOS automatically assigns them.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-21 IRQ 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 14, 15 assigned to [PCI Device] The IRQ Resources sub-menu is activated when the Resources Controlled by parameter is set to [Manual]. Select [PCI Device] to assign an IRQ address to a Plug and Play device. Setting to [Reserved] reserves the IRQ address. Configuration options: [PCI Devices] [Reserved] 2.5.3.1 IRQ Resources IRQ 3 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 4 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 5 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 7 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 9 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 10 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 11 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 12 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 14 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ 15 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ Resources Select [PCI Device] to assign the IRQ to a PCI/PnP device. Select [Reserved] to allocate the IRQ to a legacy ISA device.
2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.6 Power Menu ACPI Function [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the ACPI 2.0 support. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] ACPI Suspend Mode [S1 (POS)] Allows you to select the ACPI state to used for system suspend. Configuration options: [S1 (POS)] [S3 (STR)] [S1 & S3] Power Management Option [User Define] Configuration options: [Min Saving] [Max Saving] HDD Power Down [Disabled] Shuts down any IDE hard disk drives in the system after a period of inactivity as set in this user-configurable field. This feature does not af fect SCSI hard drives. Configuration options: [1Min]...[15Min] Auto Suspend Timeout [Disabled] Sets the time period before the system goes into suspend mode. Configuration options: [1Min] [2Min] [4Min] [6Min] [8Min] [10Min] [20Min] [30Min] [40Min] [1Hour] Video Off Option [Suspend -> Off ] This field determines when to activate the video off feature for monitor power management. Configuration options: [Always On] [Suspend -> Off] Video Off Method [DPMS support] This field defines the video off features. The Display Power Management System (DPMS) feature allows the BIOS to control the video display card if it supports the DPMS feature. [Blank Screen] only blanks the screen. Use this for monitors without power management or âgreenâ features. Configuration options: [V/H Sync Blank] [Blank Screen] [DPMS support] ACPI Function [ Enabled] ACPI Suspend Mode [S1 (POS)] Power Management Option [User Define] HDD Power Down [Disabled] Auto Suspend Timeout [Disabled] Video-off Option [Suspend -> Off] Video Off Method [V/H Sync Blank] PWR Button < 4 Sec [Instant-off] Run VGA BIOS if S3 Resume [Auto] AC Loss Auto Restart [Previous State] Shutdown Temperature [Disabled] C.O.P. Control [85 degree] Power Up Control Hardware Monitor Press [Enter] to select [Enabled] or [Disabled].
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-23 PWR Button < 4 Sec [Instant-off] When set to [Instant-off], the A TX switch can be used as a normal system power-off button when pressed for less than 4 seconds. [Suspend] allows the button to have a dual function where pressing less than 4 seconds puts the system in sleep mode. Regardless of the setting, holding the A TX switch for more than 4 seconds powers off the system. Configuration options: [Instant-of f] [Suspend] Run VGA BIOS if S3 Resume [Auto] Configuration options: [Auto] [Y es] [No] AC Loss Auto Restart [Previous State] This allows you to set whether or not to reboot the system after AC power loss. [Of f] leaves your system off while [On] reboots the system. [Previous State] sets the system back to the state it was before the power interruption. Configuration options: [Previous State] [On] [Off] Shutdown T emperature [Disabled] Configuration options: [Disabled] [60Â°/140Â°F] [65Â°/149Â°F] [70Â°/158Â°F] [75Â°/167Â°F] C.O.P . Control [85 degree] Sets the threshold value for the CPU temperature. The ASUS CPU Overheating Protection (C.O.P .) feature of this motherboard automatically shuts down the system when the CPU temperature reaches or exceeds the threshold value. Configuration options: [85 degree] [95 degree]
2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.6.1 Power Up Control PS2KB W akeup Select [Hot Key] This parameter allows you to use specific keys on the keyboard to turn on the system. This feature requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Ctrl F1]...[Ctrl F12] [Power] [W ake] [Any Key] PS2KB W akeup from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled] When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] PS2MS W akeup from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled] When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 mouse to turn on the system. This requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] USB Resume from S3 [Disabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Power On by PCI Card [Disabled] When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows tyou to turn on the system through the PCI LAN or modem card. This feature requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Modem Ring Resume [Disabled] This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in Soft-off mode. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] RTC Alarm Resume [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event. When this item is enabled, the Date and Resume T ime fields are activated for manual setup. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] PS2KB Wakeup Select [Hot Key] PS2KB Wakeup from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled] PS2MS Wakeup from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled] USB Resume from S3 [Disabled] Power On by PCI Card [Disabled] Modem Ring Resume [Disabled] RTC Alarm Resume [Disabled] Date (of Month) 0 Resume Time 0 : 0 : 0 Power Up Control Allows keyboard keys to turn on the system.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-25 CPU Fan Check [Enabled] Setting this option to Enabled allows the onboard hardware monitor to check the CPU fan speed. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] System Fan Check [Enabled] This option allows the onboard hardware monitor to check the system fan rotation. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] CPU W arning T emp [Disabled] This option allows BIOS to set a threshold value for the CPU temperature. The system shuts down when the CPU temperature reaches the threshold value. Configuration options: [Disabled] [50Â°C/122Â°F] [53Â°C/127Â°F] [56Â°C/133Â°F] [60Â°C/140Â°F] [63Â°C/145Â°F] [66Â°C/151Â°F] [70Â°C/158Â°F] M/B T emp [xxxÂ°C/xxxÂ°F] CPU T emp [xxxÂ°C/xxxÂ°F] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU temperatures. Chassis Fan [xxxxRPM] or [0RPM] CPU Fan [xxxxRPM] or [0RPM] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU and chassis fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If any of the fans is not connected to the motherboard, that field shows 0RPM. Vcore, 3.3V , 5V , 12V The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. 2.6.2 Hardware Monitor CPU Fan Check [Enabled] System Fan Check [Disabled] CPU Temperature Warning [Disabled] M/B Temp 34Â°C/ 93Â°F CPU Temp 47Â°C/116Â°F Chassis Fan 0RPM CPU Fan 5443RPM Vcore 1.79V 3.3V 3.37V 5V 4.94V 12V 11.36V Hardware Monitor Press [Enter] to select.
2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.7 Boot Menu First, Second, Third, Fourth Boot Device The Boot Menu allows you to select 13 types of boot devices. Promotion or demotion of devices alters the priority which the system uses to boot device on system power up. Configuration options include [Floppy] [LS120] [HDD-0] [SCSI] [CDROM] [HDD-1] [HDD-2] [HDD-3] [ZIP100] [USB-FDD] [USB-ZIP] [USB-CDROM] [USB-HDD] [LAN] [Disabled] PNP OS Installed [Y es] This field allows you to use a Plug and Play (PnP) operating system to configure the PCI bus slots instead of using the BIOS. When [Y es] is selected, interrupts may be reassigned by the OS. If you installed a non-PnP OS or if you want to prevent reassigning of interrupt settings, keep the default setting [No]. Configuration options: [No] [Y es] Reset Configuration Data [Disabled] Select [Enabled], if you want to clear the Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD).Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Quick Power-On-Self-T est [Disabled] This field speeds up the Power-On-Self T est (POST) routine by skipping retesting several times. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Boot up Floppy Seek [Disabled] When enabled, the BIOS will seek the floppy disk drive to determine whether the drive has 40 or 80 tracks. Configuration options: [Enabled] APIC Mode [Enabled] When enabled, this option allows you to distribute interrupt routings other than the 16 IRQs. The Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) setting allows you to use the 16 IRQs only . Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] First Boot Device [ HDD-0] Second Boot Device [CDROM] Third Boot Device [Floppy] Fourth Boot Device [Disabled] PNP OS Installed [Yes] Reset Configuration Data [Disabled] Quick Power On Self Test [Disabled] Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled] APIC Mode [Enabled] Select your boot device priority.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-27 Save & Exit Setup Once you are finished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM. The CMOS RAM is sustained by an onboard backup battery and stays on even when the PC is turned off. When you select this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Y es] to save changes and exit. Exit Without Saving Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program. If you made changes to fields other than system date, system time, and password, the BIOS asks for a confirmation before exiting. Load Optimized Defaults This option allows you to load the optimized values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you press <F7>, a confirmation window appears. Select [Y es] to load optimized values. Select Save & Exit 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. Select [Y es] to discard any changes and load the previously saved values. Save Changes This option saves your selections without exiting the Setup program. Y ou can then return to other menus and make further changes. After you select this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Y es] to save changes to the non-volatile RAM. 2.8 Exit Menu Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving Load Optimized Defaults Discard Changes Save Changes Save data to CMOS.
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Chapter 3 This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package. Software support
3-2 Chapter 3: Software support 3. 1 Installing an oper ating system This motherboard supports Windows Â® 98SE/ME/2000/XP as well as Linux Red Hat, SuSE, T urboLinux and Caldera operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. 3.2 Suppor t CD information The support CD that came with the motherboard contains useful software and several utility drivers that enhance the motherboard features. 3.2.1 Running the support CD T o begin using the support CD, simply insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer . If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support CD to locate the file ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder . Double-click the ASSETUP .EXE to run the CD. Click an icon to display more information Click an item to install Because motherboard settings and hardware options vary , use the setup procedures presented in this chapter for general reference only . Refer to your OS documentation for more information. The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website for updates.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 3-3 3.2.2 Drivers menu The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices. Screen display and driver options may not be the same for other operating system versions. VIA 4 in 1 Driver The item installs the following drivers: â¢ VIA Registry (INF) driver â¢ VIA AGP VxD driver â¢ VIA A T API vendor support driver â¢ VIA PCI IRQ Miniport driver KM400 Display Driver Click this item to install the KM400 display driver for the onboard VGA. AD1980 SoundMAX Audio Driver This item installs the AD1980 SoundMAX audio driver and applications. Install VIA LAN Driver Click this item to install the VIA 10/100Mb Fast Ethernet Adapter driver for your local area network (LAN). USB 2.0 Driver This item installs the USB 2.0 driver . Some menu items appear only to specific operating system versions.
3-4 Chapter 3: Software support ASUS PC Probe This convenient utility continuously monitors your computer systems vital components such as fan rotations, CPU temperature, and system voltages, and alerts you on any detected problems. This utility helps you keep your computer at a healthy operating condition. ASUS Update The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to update the motherboard BIOS and drivers. This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Microsoft DirectX 8.1 This item installs the Microsoft DirectX 8.1 drivers. PC-CILLIN 2002 This item installs the PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus program. View the PC-cillin online help for detailed information. Adobe Acrobat Reader This item installs the Adobe Acrobat Reader . The Acrobat Reader software is for viewing files saved in Portable Document Format (PDF). ASUS Screensaver This item installs the ASUS screensaver . 3.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports.
ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 3-5 3.2.4 ASUS Contact Information Click the Contct tab to display ASUS contact information.
3-6 Chapter 3: Software support