Asus A7V8X manual

Motherboard A7V8X User Guide[...]

ii Checklist Copyright © 2002 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[...]

iii Features Contents FCC/CDC statements ..................................................................... vi Safety information ......................................................................... vii About this guide ............................................................................ viii How this guide is organized ............[...]

iv Safeguards Contents 2.6.3 PCI slots .............................................................. 2-13 2.6.4 AGP slot ............................................................... 2-13 2.7 Switches and jumpers ...................................................... 2-14 2.8 Connectors ...........................................................[...]

v Contents 5.2.1 Running the support CD ........................................ 5-1 5.2.2 Drivers menu ......................................................... 5-2 5.2.3 Utilities menu ......................................................... 5-3 5.2.4 ASUS Contact Information ..................................... 5-6 5.2.5 Other information ....[...]

vi FCC/CDC st atements 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 [...]

vii Safety information Electrical safety • T o 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. If possible, disconnect al[...]

viii About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing the ASUS A7V8X motherboard. How this guide is organized This manual contains the following parts: • Chapter 1: Product introduction This chapter describes the features of the A7V8X motherboard. It includes brief descriptions of the special attributes of the mo[...]

ix 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. Where to find more information Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates. 1. ASUS W ebsites The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated informa[...]

x 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/Others (T el): +886-2-2890-7121 (English) Notebook (T el): +886-2-2890-7122 (English) Desktop/Server (T el): +886[...]

xi A7V8X specifications summar y CPU Chipset Front Side Bus (FSB) Memory Expansion slots IDE Flexible Serial A T A (optional) RAID (optional) Audio (optional) LAN (optional) USB 2.0 IEEE 1394 (optional) Special Features (continued on the next page) Socket A for AMD Thoroughbred, Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron 600 MHz ~ 2.4 GHz+ Northbridge: VIA KT400 South[...]

xii Back Panel I/O Ports Internal I/O Connectors BIOS features Industry standard Manageability Form Factor Support CD contents Accessories A7V8X specifications summar y * Specifications are subject to change without notice. 1 x Parallel 2 x Serial 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Audio I/O (on audio model only) 4 x USB 2.0 1 x RJ-45 Port (on LA[...]

Chapter 1 This chapter describes the features of the ASUS A7V8X motherboard. It includes brief explanations of the special attributes of the motherboard and the new technology it supports. Product introduction[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard Chapter summar y 1.1 W elcome! ........................................................ 1-1 1.2 Package contents .......................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................. 1-2 1.4 Motherboard overview ................................... 1-6[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-1 1 . 1 Welcome! Thank you for buying the ASUS ® A7V8X motherboard! The ASUS A7V8X motherboard is loaded with the most advanced technologies to deliver the maximum performance for socket A processors. Based on the advanced VIA KT400 chipset with DDR 400 support, the ASUS A7V8X also features AGP 8X, serial A T A,[...]

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1 .3 Special features 1.3.1 Product highlights 333MHz FSB Athlon XP CPU support AMD’s Athlon XP 2700+ and all follow-up CPUs now support 333MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) for increased application program productivity and enhanced digital media experience. AGP 8X support AGP 8X (AGP 3.0) is the next generation VGA in[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-3 The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation. See details on page 4-32. C.O.P . (CPU Overheating Protection) : With AMD ® Athlon XP ™ installed, the motherboard offers automatic CPU Overheating Protection to prolong th[...]

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction ASUS EZ Flash BIOS With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even before loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or boot from a floppy disk. 6-channel Audio (optional) The A7V8X uses an onboard Realtek CODEC that lets you enjoy high- quality 6-channel audio without hav[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-5[...]

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1 .4 Motherboard over view Before you install the A7V8X motherboard, familiarize yourself with its physical configuration and available features to facilitate the motherboard installation and future upgrades. A sufficient knowledge of the motherboard specifications will also help you avoid mistakes that may damag[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-7 24 3 15 17 1 7 6 18 8 12 20 21 16 5 10 9 14 13 11 19 22 31 30 29 25 26 27 28 23 24[...]

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction North bridge controller . The VIA ® KT400 supports AGP 8X mode, 266/200MHz Front Side Bus, and the latest 400/333/266/200MHz 64-bit memory bus. CPU socket. Socket 462 (Socket A) surface mount, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket for the AMD Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron Processors, with 600 MHz ~ 2.4GHz system bus. ( Not[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-9 ASUS ASIC. This chip performs multiple system functions that include hardware and system voltage monitoring among others. RAID IDE connector . This one-channel connector supports Ultra A T A133/100/66 hard disk drivers in RAID 0 or RAID 1 configurations. (on SA T A model only) SA T A connectors. This connector [...]

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction Gigabit LAN or LAN controller . The BroadCom Gigabit LAN delivers transfer rates up to ten times faster than conventional 10/ 100 Ethernet connections. Ideal for handling large amounts of data such as video, audio and voice. (on LAN models only) AGP slot. This Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot supports 1.5V A[...]

Chapter 2 Hardware information This chapter describes the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It includes details on the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard Chapter summar y 2.1 Motherboard installation ............................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard layout ....................................... 2-2 2.3 Before you proceed ....................................... 2-3 2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ..................... 2-4 2.5 System memory .................................[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-1 2. 1 Motherboard ins tallation Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The A7V8X uses the A TX form factor that measures 12 inches x 9.6 inches (30.5 x 24.5 cm). 2.1.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sure [...]

2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard layout The audio, SA T A, Gigabit LAN, LAN and 1394 features are optional. These components are grayed out in the above motherboard layout. 24.5cm (9.6in) 30.5cm (12.0in) PCI1 P ANEL1 FLOPPY1 SEC_ IDE1 PRI_ IDE1 A7V8X ® CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power COM1 P ARALLEL PORT COM2 CD1 AUX1 MODEM1 AF[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-3 2.3 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 [...]

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.4 Central Pr ocessing 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 A7V8X supports Athlon TM XP/Athlon TM and Duron TM processors. Each AMD CPU has a “ marked ?[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-5 4. Once completely inserted, press the CPU firmly and close the socket lever until it snaps shut. 5. Place the CPU fan and heatsink on the CPU. The heatsink should entirely cover the CPU. Carefully attach the heatsink locking brace to the plastic clips on the socket base. With the added weight of the CPU fan an[...]

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5 System memor y 2.5.1 Overview The motherboard comes with three Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets. These sockets support up to 3GB system memory using 184-pin unbuffered non-ECC PC3200/PC2700/ 2100/1600 DIMMs. (Note: DDR400 supports one (1) socket only . DDR333 supports two (2) so[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-7 2.5.2 Memory configurations DDR DIMM1 DDR DIMM2 DDR DIMM3 (Rows 0&1) (Rows 2&3) (Rows 4&5) SS/DS SS/DS SS/DS SS/DS SS/DS SS/DS * SS - Single-sided DIMM DS - Double-sided DIMM Use only the following combinations to install DDR DIMMs. Otherwise, the system may not boot up. 2.5.3 DDR400 Qualified V end[...]

2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated. Locked Retaining Clip 2.5.3 Installing a DIMM Follow these steps to install a DIMM. 1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the n[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-9 2.5.4 Removing a DIMM Follow these steps to remove a DIMM. 1. Simultaneously press the retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM. 2. Remove the DIMM from the socket. Support the DIMM lightly with your fingers when pressing the retaining clips. The DIMM might get damaged when it flips out with extra force.[...]

2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-11 2.6 Expansion slots In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The motherboard has six PCI slots and one Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 2.6.1 Installing an expansion card Follow these steps to install a[...]

2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information Standard Interrupt Assignments IRQ Priority Standard Function 0 1 System T imer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 N/A Programmable Interrupt 3* 1 1 Communications Port (COM2) 4* 12 Communications Port (COM1) 5* 13 Sound Card (sometimes LPT2) 6 14 Floppy Disk Controller 7* 15 Printer Port (LPT1) 8 3 System CMOS/Real T im[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-13 2.6.3 PCI slots There are six 32-bit PCI slots in this motherboard. The slots support PCI cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. The following figure shows a LAN card installed on a PCI slot. 2.6.4 AGP slot This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphic[...]

2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7 Jumpers 1. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR1) This jumper allows you to enable or disable the keyboard wake-up feature. Set this jumper to pins 2-3 (+5VSB) if you wish to wake up the computer when you press a key on the keyboard (the default value is [Disabled]). This feature requires an A TX power supply that ca[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-15 3. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWR_12, USBPWR_34, USBPWR_56) 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, p[...]

2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. WPCI_USB Setting (6-pin WPCI_USB1) This jumper connects one set of USB signal to PCI slot 6 to support ASUS wireless card. Since USB signals are used by some reserved pins of PCI slot and to ensure the compatibility of the other PCI cards, it should be kept at default setting except when ASUS wireless card is[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-17 2.8 Connectors This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the motherboard. 1. Hard disk activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED1) 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[...]

2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 3. IDE connectors (40-1 pin IDE1, IDE2) This connector supports the provided UltraDMA/133/100/66 IDE hard disk ribbon cable. Connect the cable ’ s blue connector to the primary (recommended) or secondary IDE connector , then connect the gray connector to the UltraDMA/133/100/66 slave device (hard disk drive) a[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-19 4. RAID A T A/133/100/66/33 connector (40-1 pin PRI_RAID) This connector supports either RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration through the onboard Serial A T A controller chip. Y ou can use the RAID feature to set up a disk array configuration or to support additional IDE devices. Y ou can only install one hard disk [...]

2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. 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[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-21 7. 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. Make sure that your A TX 12V powe[...]

2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information 10. Power supply thermal connector (2-pin TRPWR1) If your power supply has a thermal monitoring feature, connect its thermal sensor cable to this connector . 9. CPU, Chassis, and Power Fan Connectors (3-pin CPU_F AN1, PWR_F AN1, CHA_F AN1) The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~740mA (8.88W max.) or a [...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-23 1 1. USB header (10-1 pin USB_56) If the USB ports on the rear panel are inadequate, a USB header is available for additional USB ports. The USB header complies with USB 2.0 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed. This speed advantage over the conventional 12 Mbps on USB 1.1. If your packa[...]

2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 14. ASUS iPanel connector (24-1 pin AFP ANEL1) This connector allows you to connect an optional ASUS iPanel, an easy-to-access drive bay with front I/O ports and status LEDs. If you are not using an ASUS iPanel, you can connect an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared module to the SIR connector [...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-25 15. IEEE 1394 connector (8-1 pin IEEE1394_1, IEEE1394_2) (on 1394 model only) This connector accommodates two IEEE 1394 ports using a bundled IEEE 1394 port bracket. Connect the bracket cable to this connector then install the bracket into a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. A7V8X ® Ground Groun[...]

2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information 16. Digital audio connector (6-1 pin SPDIF1) (on audio models only) This connector is for the bundled S/PDIF audio module that allows digital instead of analog sound output. Connect one end of the audio cable to the S/PDIF In/Out connector on the motherboard, and the other end to the S/PDIF module. 17. Front pan[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 2-27 19. Infrared Module connector (10-1 or 10-2 pin SIR) These connectors support an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared module. The module mounts to a small opening on the system chassis that support this feature. Y ou must also configure the UART2 Use As parameter in BIOS to set UAR T2 for use [...]

2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 20. System panel connector (20-pin P ANEL1) This connector accommodates several system front panel functions. • 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. • Ke[...]

Chapter 3 Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence and gives information on the BIOS beep codes.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard Chapter summar y 3.1 Starting up for the first time .......................... 3-1 3.2 V ocal POST Messages ................................... 3-2 3.3 Powering off the computer ........................... 3-4[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 3-1 3. 1 St ar ting up for t he firs t 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 protect[...]

3-2 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.2 V ocal 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.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 3-3 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 conn[...]

3-4 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.3 Powering of f the com puter Y ou must first exit the operating system and shut down the system before switching off the power . For A TX power supplies, you can press the A TX 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, t[...]

Chapter 4 BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard Chapter summar y 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .............. 4-1 4.2 BIOS Setup program ...................................... 4-7 4.3 Main Menu .................................................... 4-10 4.4 Advanced Menu ........................................... 4-17 4.5 Power Menu ...................................[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-1 4. 1 Managing and updating your BIOS 4.1.1 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to easily update the BIOS without having to go through the long process of booting from a diskette and using a DOS-based utility . The EZ Flash is built-in the BIOS firmware so it is accessible[...]

4-2 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 5. At the prompt, “ Please Enter File Name for NEW BIOS: _ ” , type in the BIOS file name that you downloaded from the ASUS website, then press <Enter>. EZ Flash will automatically access drive A to look for the file name that you typed. When found, the following message appears on screen. If you accidentally typ[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-3 4.1.2 Using AFLASH to update the BIOS Creating a bootable disk AFLASH.EXE is a Flash Memory W riter 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. T o determine the BIOS version of your motherboard, check the last fo[...]

4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 5. Select 1. Save Current BIOS to File from the Main menu and press <Enter>. The Save Current BIOS T o File screen appears. 6. T ype a filename and the path, for example, A:XXX-XX.XXX, then press <Enter>.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-5 1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or FTP) (see ASUS CONT ACT INFORMA TION on page x for details) and save to the boot floppy disk you created earlier . 2. Boot from the floppy disk. 3. At the “ A: ” prompt, type AFLASH and then press <Enter>. 4. At the Main Menu, type 2 the[...]

4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the Flash ROM. The boot block is updated automatically only when necessary . This minimizes the possibility of boot problems in case of update failures. When the programming is done, the message “Flashed Successfully” appears. 8. Follow the onscreen instruc[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-7 4.2 BIOS Setup progr am 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 ?[...]

4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 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. 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[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-9 General help In addition to the Item Specific 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> or the <Alt> + <H> combination. The General Help screen lists the legend keys and their corresponding functi[...]

4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup System Time [XX:XX:XX] 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> or <Shift> + <T ab> keys to move between the hour , [...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-11 Language [English US] This field allows you to choose the BIOS language version from the available options. Supervisor Password [Disabled] / User Password [Disabled] 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 pr[...]

4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.3.1 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave T ype [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection is successful, Setup 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 o[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-13 If no drive is installed or if you are removing a drive and not replacing it, select [None]. Other options for the T ype field are: [CD-ROM] - for IDE CD-ROM drives [LS-120] - for LS-120 compatible floppy disk drives [ZIP] - for ZIP-compatible disk drives [MO] - for IDE magneto optical disk drives [Other A T A[...]

4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup T ranslation Method [LBA] 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 . Configuration options:[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-15 Multi-Sector T ransfers [Maximum] This option automatically sets the number of sectors per block to the highest number that the drive supports. Note that when this field is automatically configured, the set value may not always be the fastest value for the drive. Y ou may also manually configure this field. Re[...]

4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.3.2 Keyboard Features Boot Up NumLock Status [On] This field enables users to activate the Number Lock function upon system boot. Configuration options: [Off] [On] Keyboard Auto-Repeat Rate [6/Sec] This controls the speed at which the system registers repeated keystrokes. Options range from 6 to 30 characters per second[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-17 4.4 Advanced Menu CPU Speed [Manual] When the motherboard is set to JumperFree ™ mode, this field allows you to select the internal frequency of the CPU. Select [Manual] if you want to make changes to the two subsequent fields. Note that selecting a frequency higher than the CPU manufacturer recommends may c[...]

4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup CPU External Frequency (MHz) (when CPU Speed is set to [Manual]) This feature tells the clock generator what frequency to send to the system bus and PCI bus. The bus frequency (external frequency) multiplied by the bus multiple equals the CPU speed. Memory Frequency (Mhz) [Auto] This field allows you to select a higher me[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-19 CPU Level 1 Cache, CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled] These fields allow you to choose from the default [Enabled] or choose [Disabled] to turn on or of f the CPU Level 1 and Level 2 built-in cache. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] PS/2 Mouse Function Control [Auto] The default setting [Auto] allows the sys[...]

4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.4.1 Chip Configuration SDRAM CAS Latency (value depends on SDRAM SPD) This item controls the latency between the SDRAM read command and the time the data actually becomes available. Configuration options: [1.5T] [2T] [2.5T] SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay (value depends on SDRAM SPD) This item controls the latency between the DD[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-21 SDRAM Active Precharge Delay (value depends on SDRAM SPD) This item controls the number of DDR SDRAM clocks used for DDR SDRAM parameters. Configuration options: [5T] [6T] [7T] [8T] SDRAM 1T Command Control Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto] SDRAM Bank Interleave Configuration options: [Disable[...]

4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup V ideo Memory Cache Mode [UC] USWC (uncacheable, speculative write combining) is a new cache technology for the video memory of the processor . It can greatly improve the display speed by caching the display data. Y ou must set this to UC (uncacheable) if your display card does not support this feature, otherwise the syst[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-23 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration Onboard FDC Swap A & B These fields set option to switch drive letter assignments. Configuration Options: [No Swap] [Swap AB] Floppy Disk Access Control [R/W] When set to [Read Only], this parameter protects files from being copied to floppy disks by allowing reads from, but [...]

4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Onboard Parallel Port [378H/IRQ7] This field allows you to set the address of the onboard parallel port connector . If you disable this field, the Parallel Port Mode and ECP DMA Select configurations are not available. Configuration options: [Disabled] [378H/IRQ7] [278H/IRQ5] Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP] This field allows[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-25 Slot 1/5, Slot 2, Slot 3, Slot 4, Slot 6 IRQ [Auto] These fields automatically assign the IRQ for each PCI slot. The default setting for each field is [Auto], which utilizes auto-routing to determine IRQ assignments. Configuration options: [Auto] [NA] [3] [4] [5] [7] [9] [10] [1 1] [12] [14] [15] PCI/VGA Palet[...]

4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup IRQ XX Reserved [No/ICU] These fields indicate whether or not the displayed IRQ for each field is being used by a legacy (non-PnP) ISA card. The setting [No/ICU] for an IRQ field indicates that you are using the ISA Configuration Utility (ICU), and that this particular IRQ is NOT required by a legacy ISA card. Set the IRQ[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-27 4.5 Power Menu The Power menu allows you to reduce power consumption. This feature turns of f the video display and shuts down the hard disk after a period of inactivity . Power Management [User Defined] This field allows you to activate or deactivate the automatic power saving features. When set to [Disabled][...]

4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup V ideo Off Method [DPMS OFF] This field defines the video of f 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 “ green ” features. [V/[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-29 4.5.1 Power Up Control AC PWR Loss Restart [Disabled] This allows you to set whether or not to reboot the system after power interruptions. [Disabled] leaves your system off while [Enabled] reboots the system. [Previous State] sets the system back to the state it was before the power interruption. Configuratio[...]

4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup W ake/Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Space Bar] 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] [Space Bar] [Ctrl-Esc] [Power Key] W ake/Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabl[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-31 4.5.2 Hardware Monitor MB T emperature [xxxC/xxxF] CPU T emperature [xxxC/xxxF] POWER T emperature [N/A] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU temperatures. If your power supply comes with a two-pin thermal sensor cable, connect this cable to the TRPWR connecto[...]

4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup VCORE V oltage, +3.3V V oltage, +5V V oltage, +12V V oltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. Q-Fan Control [Disabled] This item allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature that smartly adjusts the fan speeds for more efficient system o[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-33 Boot Sequence The Boot menu allows you to select among the four possible types of boot devices listed using the up and down arrow keys. By using the <+> or <Space> key , you can promote devices and by using the <-> key , you can demote devices. Promotion or demotion of devices alters the prio[...]

4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Plug & Play O/S [No] 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 defaul[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 4-35 4.7 Exit Menu When you have made all of your selections from the various menus in the Setup program, save your changes and exit Setup. Select Exit from the menu bar to display the following menu. Exit Saving Changes Once you are finished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit menu to ensure t[...]

4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 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 or if you press <F5>, a confirmation window appears. Select [Y es] to load default values. Select Exit Saving Changes or make other changes before saving the values to the [...]

Chapter 5 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard Chapter summar y 5.1 Install an operating system ........................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information ................................ 5-1 5.3 Software information ..................................... 5-9 5.4 Using the Promise Chip for RAID 0 or 1 .... 5-26 5.5 Manual Installation of IDE/RAID drivers .... 5-34[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-1 5. 1 Inst all an operating system This motherboard supports Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP operating system (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. 5.2 Suppor t CD information The support CD that came with the motherboard contains useful [...]

5-2 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.2 Drivers menu The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices. VIA 4 in 1 drivers This item installs the following drivers: - VIA Registry (INF) driver - VIA AGP VxD driver - VIA A T API vendor support driver - VIA[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-3 If you installed the BCM4401 controller drivers, the default setting, W ake Up Frame , allows system wake-up from S1, S3, and S4 sleep modes. If you wish to wake-up the system from S5 mode (shut down mode), you must manually change the W ake-On-LAN settings to Magic Frame . T o adjust W ake-On-LAN settings: 1. [...]

5-4 Chapter 5: Software support USB 2.0 Driver This item installs the USB 2.0 driver to upgrade your USB 1.1 ports to USB 2.0. 4. On the window that appears, click the item W ake Up Capabilities under Property . The default value is W ake Up Frame . The W ake Up Frame setting wakes up the system from S1, S3, and S4 sleep modes. 5. Click the arrow u[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-5 5.2.3 Utilities menu The software menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. Simply click on a specific item then follow the installation wizard to install it. ASUS PC Probe This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system voltages, and alerts you on any [...]

5-6 Chapter 5: Software support ASUS Screen Saver This item installs the ASUS screen saver . Promise Array Management Utility This item installs the RAID utility for monitoring or performing maintenance to a FastT rak Mirrored (RAID 1) or Striped/Mirrored (RAID 0/1) disk array . Winbond V oice Editor This program is for recording and customizing wa[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-7 5.2.5 Other information The icons on the left side of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support CD. This section shows the pop-up windows that appear when you click the icons. Motherboard Info The window displays the general specifications of the A7V8X motherboard[...]

5-8 Chapter 5: Software support T echnical Support Form The window displays the ASUS T echnical Support Request Form that you have to fill up when requesting technical support. Filelist The window displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in text format.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-9 5.3 Softwar e information Most of the applications in the support CD have wizards that will conveniently guide you through the installation. View the online help or readme file that came with the software for more information. This section provides details on the software applications that the motherboard suppo[...]

5-10 Chapter 5: Software support 4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download. Click Next. 5. Follow the instructions on the succeeding screens to complete the update process. If you selected the option to update the BIOS from a file, a window pops up prompting you to locate the file. Select the file, click Save, then fol[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-11 6. The next screen prompts you to flash the original BIOS to update it with the new boot logo. Click Flash to update the BIOS. 7. When finished, click Exit, then reboot your computer . Y our system boots with the new boot logo. 4. From the selection that appears, choose a logo image. Click Next. 5. When you cl[...]

5-12 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.3 ASUS PC Probe The 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[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-13 Using ASUS PC Probe Monitoring Monitor Summary Shows a summary of the items being monitored. T emperature Monitor Shows the PC temperature (for supported processors only). T emperature Warning threshold adjustment (Move the slider up to increase the threshold level or down to decrease the threshold level) Fan [...]

5-14 Chapter 5: Software support Settings Lets you set threshold levels and polling intervals or refresh times of the PC’s temperature, fan rotation, and voltages. History Lets you record the monitoring activity of a certain component of your PC for future reference. Hard Drives Shows the used and free space of the PC’s hard disk drives and the[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-15 Device Summary Shows a summary of devices present 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. T o run a program, click Execute Program . NOTE: Th[...]

5-16 Chapter 5: Software support ASUS PC Probe T ask Bar Icon Right clicking the PC Probe icon brings 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 change to red, the PC speaker beeps, and the ASUS PC Probe monitor appears.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-17 5.3.4 E-Color 3Deep The 3Deep color tuner is designed to match your CR T or LCD color monitor and maximize the color quality of all graphical applications. Y ou may also tune your internet applications to match “true” internet source colors with the color displayed on the monitor . 3Deep Control Panel Usin[...]

5-18 Chapter 5: Software support 4. Select the color squares that most closely blend and match with the background. 2. Follow the instructions to manually adjust the brightness level of the monitor . 3. Select the faintest of the three colors: blue , red , and green . 3Deep Color T uning 1. Select the type of monitor connected to the computer , eit[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-19 6. When a message appears indicating that the tuning process is complete, click Finish . 5. The next step repeats the color matching process to achieve full color quality . 7. Click on the Set Up Now button to connect to the Internet. Follow the screen instructions to set up T rue Internet Color .[...]

5-20 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.5 Winbond V oice Editor The Winbond V oice Editor software allows you to customize the vocal POST messages. Install the software from the software menu in the support CD. See section “ 5.2.3 Software menu ” . Follow these steps to use the Winbond V oice Editor . Launching the program Launch the program eithe[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-21 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 V oice Editor screen. 3. Click on the Write button to update the EEPROM. 4. Click Y es on [...]

5-22 Chapter 5: Software support Customizing your POST messages If your language is not in the selection or if you wish to record your own POST messages to replace the pre-installed wave files, you may easily do so. Follow these steps to customize your POST messages. 1. Launch the V oice Editor and take note of the list of POST events on the leftmo[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-23 If you receive an error message telling you that the files exceed the total allowable size, do one or all of the following. • Try to modify your messages to make them shorter • Save the wave files at a lower quality • Skip lesser used events like FDD Detection, IDE HDD Detection, etc. 7. Click a POST eve[...]

5-24 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.6 Multi-Channel Audio Feature The RealT ek ALC650 6-channel AC ’ 97 Audio Driver and Applications are included in the support CD that came with your motherboard package. Install these programs to enable the multi-channel audio feature. 3. Click on the Sound Effect icon to display the RealT ek ALC650 AC97 Audio[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-25 5. Click on the Speaker Configuration tab to customize your speaker system. 6. Click on the Speaker T est tab for the Multi-channel audio test. When you use the 6-channel function and your speaker Center/Subwoofer channel is incorrect, select Swap Center/ Subwoofer Output. Connector Settings and Functions Conn[...]

5-26 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 RAID 0/RAID 1 configurations The motherboard includes the Promise ® PDC20376 controller chipset, two Serial A T A interfaces, and a Parallel A T A133 interface to support Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) configuration. This feature supports Ultra A T A/133 drives, and is backward compatible with Ultr[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-27 Follow these steps to install the hard disks for RAID configuration. 1. Set the jumpers of each hard disk as Master . 2. Install the hard disks into the drive bays. 3. Connect the HDD cables. Three connection options are available for creating a RAID 0 or RAID 1 array: a) Connect one Parallel A T A HDD to PRI_[...]

5-28 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4.2 Enter the MBFastBuild™ utility 1. Boot the system. If this is the first time you boot the system with the new hard disks installed and connected to the A T AIDE connectors on the motherboard, the MBFastT rak376™ BIOS displays the following: 2. Press <Ctrl-F> simultaneously to display the FastBuild™[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-29 5.4.3 Creating a RAID 0 array (Performance) 1. In the FastBuild ™ utility main menu, press “ 1 ” to select Auto Setup. The following screen appears. 2. Use the arrow keys to go to the field Optimize Array for and select “ Performance ” with the space bar . The Mode field displays “ Stripe ” . 3. [...]

5-30 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4.4 Creating a RAID 1 array (Security) Creating a Security Array with New Drives 1. In the FastBuild ™ utility main menu, press “ 1 ” to select Auto Setup. 5. Press N for the Create Only option. A message appears confirming that your Security array has been created. 6. Press any key to reboot the system. Dur[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-31 Creating a Security Array with Existing Data Drive If you would like to use an existing drive that already contains data and/or is the bootable drive in your system, make sure that the new hard drive you will use in the array has the same or larger capacity as the existing drive. 1. In the FastBuild ™ utilit[...]

5-32 Chapter 5: Software support 8. Select Y to continue. Select N to return to the main menu. 9. When the duplication process is completed, a message appears confirming that your Security array has been created. 10. Press any key to reboot the system. 1 1. Install the RAID driver from the support CD that came with the motherboard package. 5.4.5 Ot[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-33 7. Select the replacement drive. Press <Enter>. 8. Confirm the command to copy data from the intact source hard disk onto a new replacement hard disk. A progress gauge displays the copy progress for the duration of the task. 9. After the rebuild processis complete, the user is prompted to reboot the syst[...]

5-34 Chapter 5: Software support The A7V8X support CD contains several IDE and RAID 0 or 1 drivers in the Promise folder , including Windows, NetW are and NT4. Below follow two popular OS installations. The others are available on the support CD. 5.5.1 Win9x-ME Promise ® FastT rak376 ™ Driver 1. Ensure the Support CD-ROM is in the CD Drive and p[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 5-35 5.5.4 Installing the Promise ® FastT rak376 ™ Driver in a New Windows 2000 / XP System 1. Read ASUS support CD in another PC and click Browse Support CD. 2. Click Driver folder . 3. Click Promise folder . 4. Select the Promise chip used on your motherboard and click on it. 5. For example, we want to use RAI[...]

5-36 Chapter 5: Software support[...]

Index This part contains an alphabetical list of the topics found in this document.[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide I-1 A Accelerated Graphics Port 1-2, 2-13 Acrobat Reader 5-5 ASUS ASIC 1-8 ASUS EZ Flash 4-1 ASUS iPanel 2-25 ASUS Multi-Language BIOS 1-3 ASUS MyLogo2™ 1-3, 5-9 ASUS PC Probe 5-12 ASUS POST Reporter 1-3, 3-2, 5-22 ASUS Q-Fan 1-3, 4-32 ASUS Update 5-9 A T API CD-ROM 4-33 Automatic Power Up 4-30 B BIOS Advanced Me[...]

I-2 Index E Expansion card installation 2-1 1 configuration 2-1 1 Expansion slots 1-9, 2-1 1 AGP 1-9, 2-13 PCI 1-9, 2-13 F Flash ROM 1-9 Floppy 3 Mode 4-10 Floppy disk access control 4-23 G GigaBit LAN 1-10 H Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) CHS Capacity 4-14 Cylinders 4-14 Heads 4-14 Maximum LBA Capacity 4-14 Primary/Secondary Master 4-12 Primary/Secondary[...]

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide I-3 PIO Mode 4-15 Power Management 4-27 Power On Self T est 3-2 PS/2 Keyboard Port 1-10 PS/2 Mouse Port 1-10 PS/2 Mouse Function Control 4-19 R RAID IDE 1-9 R TC RAM clearing 2-16 S SDRAM 1T Command Control 4-21 Bank Interleave 4-21 Active Precharge Delay 4-21 CAS Latency 4-20 Configuration 4-20 RAS Precharge Delay[...]

I-4 Index[...]