Asus P4S8X manual

Motherboard ® P4S8X User Manual[...]

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 About this guide This user manual contains complete information for installing the ASUS P4S8X motherboard. How this guide is organized • Chapter 1: Product introduction. A summary of product features and special attributes of new technologies. • Chapter 2: Hardware information. A list of hardware setup procedures and descriptions o[...]

iv Safeguards Contents About this guide .............................................................................. ii i How this guide is organized .................................................... ii i Conventions used in this guide ............................................... ii i Safety information .....................................[...]

v Contents 4.3.2 Keyboard Features .................................................. 58 4.4 Advanced Menu .................................................................... 60 4.4.1 Chip Configuration ................................................... 6 3 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration .......................................... 66 4.4.3 PCI Con[...]

vi 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. Disconnect all power cables[...]

vii FCC/CDC statements Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference, and • This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment [...]

viii ASUS contact information 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): +[...]

Chapter 1 Product introduction[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 1 W elcome! Thank you for buying the ASUS ® P4S8X motherboard! The ASUS P4S8X motherboard delivers a host of new features to ensure long-lasting, superlative performance. The ASUS ® P4S8X motherboard is the prime choice for home PCs and workstations. The P4S8X incorporates the Intel ® Pentium ® 4 Processor coup[...]

2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.2 Core Specifications The P4S8X motherboard is designed and assembled according to the highest standards. This ASUS motherboard represents the latest advances to supply users the finest componentry available today ... Latest 533MHz P4 Processor T echnology : Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 Northwood/Willamette Process[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 3 1.3 Special Features ASUS EZ Plug ™ ( See page 33. ) This patented ASUS technology uses the existing power supply instead of having to buy a new A TX 12V power supply: ASUS EZ Plug ™ is a 4-pin +12V connector that provides additional power required by P4 CPUs. ASUS EZ Flash BIOS ( See page 45. ) With the ASUS[...]

4 Chapter 1: Product introduction Location Processor Support Socket 478 for Intel ® P4 ™ Processors .............................. 4 Chipsets SiS ® 648 North Bridge ..................................................... 5 SiS ® 963 South Bridge ................................................... 10 Serial A T A Controller( Optional ) ..........[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 5 1.4.1 Component Locations 46 7 21 1 15 16 8 14 18 26 23 32 11 13 12 24 27 28 2 5 19 10 17 20 31 3 29 9 22 25 30 33 34 43 42 41 39 36 37 38 35 40[...]

6 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.5 V alue-added Solutions Software Audio ( Optional ) : On audio models, a 963 digital audio CODEC, CMI-9739A supports 6-Ch output, with an SPDIF Input/Output module for coaxial and fiber interfaces. Experience surround-sound and enhanced 3D audio. Smart Card Reader Support ( Optional ) : A special connector for t[...]

Chapter 2 Hardware information[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 7 2.1 Motherboard installation Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The P4S8X uses the A TX form factor that measures 30.5 cm (12.0 in.) x 21.9 cm (8.6 in.), a standard fit for most chassis. Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so m[...]

8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard layout The audio and LAN features are optional. These components are grayed out in the above motherboard layout. 21.9cm (8.6in) 30.5cm (12.0in) PWR_F AN1 PRI_IDE P4S8X ® CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power IDE_ LED Accelerated Graphics Port AGP P ANEL SMARTCON SMART I/O 4MB ISA Socket 478 KBPWR DDR D[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 9 2.2.1 Layout contents CPU, Memory and Expansion Slots 1) Socket 478 p. 12 Installing the CP U 2) Heatsink p. 14 Installing the Heatsink and Fan 3) Memory p. 17 System Memory Support 4) PCI 1/2/3/4/5/6 p . 21 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion S lots 5) AGP 8x p. 23 Accelerated Graphics Slot Motherboard Settings (Switches a[...]

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

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 11 2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with a surface mount 478-pin Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket. This socket is specifically designed for the Intel ® Pentium ® 4 478/Northwood Processor . The Intel Pentium 4 Processor in the 478-pin package uses the Flip-Chip Pin Grid Arra[...]

12 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.4.2 Installing the CPU Follow these steps to install a CPU. 1. Locate the 478-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard. 2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90 ° -100 ° angle. Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90 ° -100 ° angle, otherwise the CPU does not fit in co[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 13 3. Position the CPU above the socket such that its marked corner matches the base of the socket lever . 4. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it fits in place. The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU! 5. When [...]

14 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.4.3 Installing the heatsink and fan The Intel ® Pentium ® 4 478/Northwood Processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard upon purchase. Y ou do not have to remove the retent[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 15 2. Position the fan with the retention mechanism on top of the heatsink. Align and snap the four hooks of the retention mechanism to the holes on each corner of the module base. Keep the retention locks lifted upward while fitting the retention mechanism to the module base. Make sure that the fan and retention m[...]

16 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.4.4 Connecting the CPU fan cable When the fan, heatsink, and the retention mechanism are in place, connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPUF AN. 3. Push down the locks on the retention mechanism to secure the heatsink and fan to the module base. When secure, the retention locks s[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 17 2.5 System memory 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 unbuf fered non-ECC PC2700/2100/1600 DIMMs. A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction. DO NOT[...]

18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.2 Memory configurations Y ou may install any DDR DIMMs with 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB densities into the three DIMM sockets. DDR DIMMs may be installed in the following sizes: DIMM Location 184-pin DDR DIMM T otal Memory Socket 1 (Rows 0&1) 6 4MB, 1 28 MB, 25 6MB, 512MB, 1G B x 1 = Socket 2 (Rows 2[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 19 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 Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both t[...]

20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.4 Removing a DIMM Follow these steps to remove a DIMM. 1. Simultaneously press the retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM. 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. Remove the DIMM from the socket.[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 21 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 an [...]

22 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 ime [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 23 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 Graphics [...]

24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 1. USB Device W ake-Up (3 x 3 pin USBPWR_12, _34, _56) The default setting, [1-2] (+5V) disables the USB wake-up feature. Reset these jumpers to pins [2-3] (+5VSB) to wake up the computer using USB devices. The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can provide at least 1A on the +5VSB lead. If th[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 25 P4S8X ® P4S8X Internal Line Out Selector FP_LO_SWL BLOL FLOL BLOR FLOR FP_LO_SWR 2. Line out selector (2 x 2 pin FP_LO_SWR, FP_LO_SWL) (on audio models only) By default, these jumpers are shorted (jumper caps on) to route the signal from the audio controller to the rear panel Line Out jack to make it available [...]

26 Chapter 2: Hardware information P4S8X ® P4S8X Clear RTC RAM CLRTC Normal Clear CMOS (Default) 12 3 2 4. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC) Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The RAM data in CMOS, that include system setup information such as system passwords, is powered by the onboard [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 27 2.8 Connectors This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the motherboard. IMPORT ANT! Ribbon cables should always be connected with the red stripe to Pin 1 in the connector scoket. 1. PS/2 Mouse Port (Green, 6-pin PS2KBMS) The system automatically directs IRQ12 to the PS/2 mouse if one is[...]

28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 3. Universal Serial Bus Ports 1 and 2 (Black, T wo x 4-pin USB) Four USB ports are available for connecting USB devices. 4. Parallel Port (Burgundy 25-pin PRINTER) Y ou can enable the parallel port and choose the IRQ through Onboard Parallel Port (see 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration) . Universal Serial Bus USB 0 US[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 29 6. Serial Port and Header (T eal/T urquoise 9-pin COM1, 10-1 pin COM2) One serial port can be used for pointing devices, printers or other serial devices. An onboard header supports a serial bracket. T o enable these ports, see Onboard Serial Port 1 in 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration for the settings. COM1 Serial[...]

30 Chapter 2: Hardware information Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper caps over these connector pins will cause damage to your motherboard. 9. IDE Activity LED (2-pin IDELED) This connector supplies power to the hard disk activity LED. The read o[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 31 10. IDE Connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE / SEC_IDE, PRI_A T A133) Three connectorS support the UltraDMA133/100/66 IDE hard disk ribbon cable provided with the motherboard. Connect the cable ’ s blue connector to the PRI_IDE (recommended) or to the SEC_IDE connector; then connect the gray connector to the UltraDMA1[...]

32 Chapter 2: Hardware information 1 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 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). P4S8X ® NOTE: Orien[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 33 13. A TX power connectors and ASUS EZ Plug ™ (20-pin A TXPWR, 4-pin A TX+12V , 4-pin AUX+12V) 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 connector[...]

34 Chapter 2: Hardware information 15. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD, AUX, MODEM) (optional) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner , or MPEG card. The MODEM connector allows the onboard audio to interface with a voice modem card with a similar connector . It also allows the shar[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 35 16. Digital audio connector (6 pin SPDIF) (optional) This connector connects an S/PDIF audio module that allows digital instead of analog sound output. Connect one end of the audio cable to the S/PDIF Out connector on the motherboard, and the other end to the S/PDIF module. P4S8X ® P4S8X Digital Audio Connector[...]

36 Chapter 2: Hardware information P4S8X ® P4S8X 1394 Headers IEEE1394_2 Ground Ground TP A2+ TP A2- TPB2- TPB2+ Ground +12V P4S8X ® P4S8X Chassis Alarm Lead CHASSIS +5VSB_MB Chassis Signal GND 19. Chassis Open Alarm Lead (4-1 pin CHASSIS) This lead is intended for a chassis designed to support intrusion detection. The lead requires an external d[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 37 P4S8X ® P4S8X SMBus Connector SMB 1 SMBCLK Ground SMBDA T A +3V FLOA TING P4S8X ® P4S8X SA T A Connectors PRI_SA T A SEC_SA T A GND RSA TA_TXP1 RSA TA_TXN1 GND RSA TA_RXP1 RSA TA_RXN1 GND GND RSA TA_TXP2 RSA TA_TXN2 GND RSA TA_RXP2 RSA TA_RXN2 GND 20. SMBus Connector (6-1 pin SMB) This connector supports SMBus[...]

38 Chapter 2: Hardware information 22. Smart Card Reader connector (14-1 pin SMARTCON) (optional) This connector accommodates a Smart Card Reader that allows you to conveniently make transactions such as financial, health care, telephony , or traveling services through a Smart Card user interface software. When using this connector , configure the [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 39 P4S8X ® P4S8X Audio Panel Connector FP_AUDIO LineOut_RL MIC LineOut_FR LineOut_FL NC MICPWR NC AGND LineOut_RR 24. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO) (on audio models only) This is an interface for the Intel ® front panel audio cable that supplies convenient connection and control of audio devices[...]

40 Chapter 2: Hardware information Panel Connector (20 pin P ANEL) The following diagram illustrates items 25-29: P4S8X ® P4S8X System Panel Connectors * Requires an A TX power supply . PLED Ground MLED PWR +5 V +5V Speaker Speaker Connector Power LED Ground +5 V Reset SW SMI Lead Message LED ExtSMI# Ground Reset Ground Ground A TX Power Switch* K[...]

Chapter 3 Powering up[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 41 3.1 Starting up for the first time 1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover . 2. Be sure that all switches are of f. 3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system chassis. 4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge protector . [...]

42 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 P4S8X motherboard user guide 43 No keyboard detected • Check your keyboard if properly connected to the purple PS/2 connector on the rear panel. • See section “ 1.4.1 Component Locations ” for the location of the connector . No floppy disk detected • Make sure you have connected a floppy disk to the floppy disk connector on the mothe[...]

44 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.3 Powering off the computer 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, then[...]

Chapter 4 BIOS setup[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 45 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS It is recommended that you save a copy of the motherboard ’ s original BIOS to a bootable floppy disk in case you need to reinstall the original BIOS later . 4.1.1 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to easily update the BIOS without h[...]

46 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 type[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 47 6. Select 1. Save Current BIOS to File from the Main menu and press <Enter>. The Save Current BIOS T o File screen appears. 7. T ype a filename and the path, for example, A:XXX-XX.XXX, then press <Enter>. 5. In DOS mode, type A:AFLASH <Enter> to run AFLASH. IMPORT ANT! If the word “ unknown[...]

48 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (see the ASUS website: www .asus.com ) 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 then press <Enter>. The Update BIOS Inc[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 49 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 ons[...]

50 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.2 BIOS Setup program This motherboard supports a programmable EEPROM that you can update using the provided utility described in section “ 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS. ” Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “ Run Setup ” . This section [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 51 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 Us[...]

52 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 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 functions. Saving c[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 53 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 t[...]

54 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.3.1 Primary & 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 P4S8X motherboard user guide 55 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 API[...]

56 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 P4S8X motherboard user guide 57 SMART Monitoring [Disabled] This field allows you to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T . (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting T echnology) system that utilizes internal hard disk drive monitoring technology . This parameter is normally disabled because the resources used in the SMART monitoring feature may dec[...]

58 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 [12/Sec] This controls the speed at which the system registers repeated keystrokes. Options range from 6 to 30 characters per second.[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 59 Language [English] This field displays the BIOS language version. 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 press <Enter>. Y ou can type up to eight[...]

60 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.4 Advanced Menu CPU Frequency Multiple (when CPU Speed is set to [Manual]) This field displays the frequency multiple between the CPU ’ s internal frequency (CPU speed) and external frequency . CPU External Frequency (MHz) (when CPU Speed is set to [Manual]) The setting displayed in this field depends on the CPU Frequen[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 61 CPU VCore [1.750V] (for Willamette) , [1.500V] (for Northwood) When the CPU VCore Setting parameter above is set to [Manual], the CPU VCore item allows you to select a specific CPU core voltage. This field is not accessible when the CPU VCore Setting is set to [Auto]. CPU core voltage options vary for both Willa[...]

62 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup USB Legacy Support [Auto] This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. The default of [Auto] permits 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 U[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 63 4.4.1 Chip Configuration SDRAM Configuration [By SPD] This parameter allows you to set the optimal timings for items 2 – 5, depending on the memory modules that you are using. The default setting is [By SPD], which configures items 2 – 5 by reading the contents in the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) device. The[...]

64 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Chipset Clock Mode [Synchronous] When set to [Synchronous], AGP/PCI frequency is coordinated with the CPU frequency . When set to [Asynchronous], AGP/PCI frequency is not adjusted according to the CPU frequency . When set to [Performance] the AGP/PCI frequency is set to a higher value. Configuration options: [Synchronous] [[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 65 Memory Hole At 15M-16M [Disabled] This field allows you to reserve an address space for ISA expansion cards. Setting the address space to a particular setting makes that memory space unavailable to other system components. Expansion cards can only access memory up to 16MB. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enab[...]

66 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration 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 not writes to, the floppy disk drive. The default setting [R/W] allows both reads and writes. Configuration options: [R/W] [Read Only] Onboard S[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 67 Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP] This field allows you to set the operation mode of the parallel port. [Normal] 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 spe[...]

68 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Slot 1/4, 2/6, 3, 5 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 Palette Snoop [Disabled] Some non-standa[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 69 4.4.3.1 Onboard PCI Devices Control USB 2.0 Function [Enabled] This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) devices. Keep the default setting [Enabled] if you connect USB 2.0 devices. Select the setting [Disabled] if you do not wish to use the USB 2.0 feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabl[...]

70 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 f[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 71 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], [...]

72 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup V ideo Off Option [Suspend -> Off ] This field determines when to activate the video off feature for monitor power management. Configuration options: [Always On] [Suspend -> Off] V ideo Off Method [DPMS OFF] This field defines the video of f features. The Display Power Management System (DPMS) feature allows the BIOS [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 73 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. Configuration [...]

74 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] 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] Automatic Power Up [Disabled] This allows an [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 75 4.5.2 Hardware Monitor Q-F AN Function [Disabled] The default enables automatic F AN control. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] MB T emperature [xxxC/xxxF] CPU T emperature [xxxC/xxxF] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the MB (motherboard) and CPU temperatures. CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] [...]

76 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 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 priority which the[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 77 Other Boot Device Select [INT18 Device (Network)] The default enables INT18 Devices. Select [SCSI/Onboard A T A Boot Device] to activate the Promise A T A/RAID controller at boot-up. Configuration options: [Disabled] [SCSI / Onboard A T A Boot Device] [INT18 Device (Network)] Plug & Play O/S [No] This field [...]

78 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup 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 the values you [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 79 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 valu[...]

80 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup[...]

Chapter 5 Software support[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 81 5.1 Install an operating system This motherboard supports Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP and OS/2 operating system (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. 5.1.1 Windows the first time installation When you start Windows for the first time [...]

82 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3 P4S8X Motherboard Support CD NOTE: The support CD contents are subject to change without notice. T o begin using your support CD disc, just insert it into your CD-ROM drive and the support CD installation menu should appear . If the menu does not appear , double-click or run D:ASSETUP .EXE (assuming that your CD-[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 83 Utilities: • Winbond V oice Editor: Installs a convenient utility to customize vocal POST messages. • Winbond Smart Manager Application: Installs the Winbond Smart Card management application program. • ASUS PC Probe Vx.xx: Installs a smart utility to monitor your computer ’ s fan, temperature, and volta[...]

84 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 Using the Promise Chip for RAID 0 or 1 The Promise ® chip, PDC20376, onboard the P4S8X, offers a high performance Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) configuration that supports only UltraDMA-133/100/66/33, IDE, FastA T A-2, or Serial A T A hard disks. After connecting two hard disks to the motherboard, a[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 85 5.4.1 Installing the Hard Disks The RAID 0 setting allows users to reformat two hard disks with the same new OS simultaneously . RAID 1 arrays can use a pre-existing hard disk along with a blank hard disk, or two new hard disks. The Promise PDC 20376 chipset supports two Serial A T A ports (PRI_SA T A, SEC_SA T [...]

86 Chapter 5: Software support 2 . Press <Ctrl-F> keys to display the FastBuild ™ Utility Main Menu: 1. Boot-up your computer once more. If this is the first time you have booted with two hard disks correctly installed, then FastT rak376 ™ BIOS scans the IDE drives and displays this screen: 5.4.2 Enter FastT rak376 ™ BIOS and FastBuild [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 87 5.4.3 Creating a RAID 0 Array 1. In the FastBuild ™ Utility Main Menu, select Auto Setup [1]. The screen below is displayed. The Auto Setup Options Menu configures hard disks for RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays. These selections assign all available drives that are appropriate for the new array and configures data fo[...]

88 Chapter 5: Software support RAID Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another?(Yes/No) Y -Create and Duplicate N -Create Only 1. In the FastBuild ™ Utility Main Menu , select Auto Setup [1] . 2. Go to the field Optimize Array for : and select Security . The Mode field displays Mirror . 3. After making the selection, use <Ctrl-Y>[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 89 NOTES for T roubleshooting Array Set Ups : Always use two separate UltraDMA/100 cables for linking each of two hard disks to the Primary A T A-100 and the Secondary A T A-100 connectors. Usually , a two disk array will set up properly if both sets of hard disk jumpers are set to Master . However , it may be nece[...]

90 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4.5 Other FastBuild Utility Commands Command options 3-6 on the FastBuild ™ Utility Main Menu are not required for setting up an array , but they are useful for reconfiguring an array: View Array (3): V iew the drive assignments of hard disks in an array . Delete Array (4): Deletes an array to reconfigure the syst[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 91 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 is complete, the user is prompted to reboot the system. Controller Configuration (6): Default for Controller Config[...]

92 Chapter 5: Software support The P4S8X 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 pre[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 93 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 RAID [...]

94 Chapter 5: Software support 5.6 ASUS PC Probe ASUS PC Probe is a convenient utility to continuously monitor your computer system ’ s vital components, such as fan rotations, V oltages, and temperatures. It also has a utility that lets you review useful information about your computer , such as hard disk space, memory usage, and CPU type, CPU s[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 95 5.6.2 Using ASUS PC Probe Monitoring Monitor Summary Shows a summary of the items being monitored. T emperature Monitor Shows the PC ’ s temperature. T emperature Warning threshold adjustment (Move the slider up to increase the threshold level or down to decrease the threshold level) Fan Monitor Shows the PC ?[...]

96 Chapter 5: Software reference Information 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 current monitoring activity of a certain component of your PC for future reference. Hard Drives Shows the used and free space of the PC ’ s [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 97 Device Summary Shows a summary of devices in your PC. DMI Explorer Shows information pertinent to the PC, such as CPU type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies, and memory size. Utility Lets you run programs outside of the ASUS Probe modules. T o run a program, click Execute Program . Memory Shows the P[...]

98 Chapter 5: Software reference 5.6.3 ASUS PC Probe T ask Bar Icon When the ASUS PC Probe senses a problem with your PC, portions of the ASUS PC Probe icon changes to red, the PC speaker beeps, and the ASUS PC Probe monitor is displayed. Right-clicking the PC Probe icon will bring up a menu to open or exit ASUS PC Probe and pause or resume all sys[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 99 5.7 ASUS Live Update ASUS LiveUpdate is a utility that allows you to update your motherboard ’ s BIOS and drivers. The use of this utility requires that you are properly connected to the Internet through an I nternet S ervice P rovider (ISP). 1. Start ASUS Update. Launch the utility from your Windows Start men[...]

100 Chapter 5: Software reference 4. From the selection that appears, choose a logo image. Click Next. 5. When you click on an image, it displays larger on the MyLogo ™ screen. 5.8 ASUS MyLogo ™ The ASUS MyLogo ™ is automatically installed when you install the ASUS Update utility from the software menu. See section “ 5.3.1 Installation menu[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 101 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. MyLogo ™ may not support overly complex images. If you encounter any problems usi[...]

102 Chapter 5: Software reference 5.9 3Deep Color T uner The 3-Deep color tuner is designed to match your CRT or LCD color monitor to maximize the color quality of all graphical applications. Users may also tune their internet applications to match “ true ” internet source colors with the color displayed on the monitor . Simply run the setup pr[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 103 4. Select the color squares which most closely blend and match with the background. 5. The next step repeats the color matching process to achieve full color quality . 6. The tuning process is complete. Click on the bottom left button to connect to the internet and follow the instructions. 5.9.2 The 3Deep Contr[...]

104 Chapter 5: Software reference 5.10 W inbond 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 eith[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 105 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. For some languages, not all events have a corresponding message due t[...]

106 Chapter 5: Software reference Y ou may want to create a separate folder for your wave files so you can locate them easily in one place. 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 custo[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 107 If you receive an error message telling you that the files exceed the total allowable size, do one or all of the following. • T ry 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[...]

108 Chapter 5: Software reference 5.1 1 W inbond Smart Manager The Winbond Smart Manager is a clever utility that helps secure the PC with a smart card containing a mini-chip insert, like a GSM cell phone SIM card . Once a smart card reader is configured, set up the Smart Manager software utility for “ boot up ” or “ always on ” system secu[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 109 The auto-installer implements all of the drivers, base components and displays the Winbond Smart Manager program groups. Restart . Windows should auto-detect the smart card reader and install its system drivers. NOTE : Do not install system components or Winbond applications unless you install a smart card read[...]

110 Chapter 5: Software reference 6. Insert the SIM card into the card reader . Click the telephone icon to open SIM / GSM Phonebooks button. 5. Right click the Smart Manager icon and select Smart Manager GSM Explorer . 4. Insert the Smart Card into the card reader . Click the Register button. The card reader auto- detects and displays the Owner Na[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 111 5.1 1.3 Smart Manager Modes Return to the Windbond Smart Manager icon on the bottom right hand corner of the Windows screen. Select the Smart Manager Logon to choose the security mode. Three basic modes are available: 1. Disable Check renders the Smart Manager security system inoperative. 2. Boot Check enables [...]

112 Chapter 5: Software reference 5.12.2 The C-Media Applications 1. Activate the Multi-Channel Audio Demo program from the PCI Audio Applications group on the Main Program menu. Access various applications: the AudioRack, CD Player , MIDI Player , Mixer , and MP3 Player . 2. The T ools button activates the S/PDIF , Speaker , V olume, Sound Effects[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 113 2. The PCI Multi-Channel Audio Demo has several Demos to help fine tune your PC speaker system. The Help menu features several pages of instructions and hardware diagrams to help configure and test the system. T o activate the Speaker Channel Configuration Menu , point your mouse arrow and click on the TV box .[...]

114 Chapter 5: Software reference[...]

Glossary[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 115 1394 1394 is the IEEE designation for a high performance serial bus tht offers data transfers at 100/200/400 Mbps. This serial bus defines both a back plane physical layer and a point-to-point cable-connected virtual bus. The primary application of the cable version is the integration of I/O connectivity at the[...]

116 Appendix: Glossary Bus Master IDE PIO (Programmable I/O) IDE requires that the CPU be involved in IDE access and waiting for mechanical events. Bus master IDE transfers data to/from the memory without interrupting the CPU. Bus master IDE driver and bus master IDE hard disk drives are required to support bus master IDE mode. Byte (Binary T erm) [...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 117 I/O (Input/Output) The data transfers from the input devices like a keyboard, mouse, or scanner , to the output devices like a printer or the monitor screen. I/O Address The specific memory location for a particular device. T wo devices cannot share the same I/O address space. IrDA (Infrared Data Association) A[...]

118 Appendix: Glossary RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) Developed by Rambus, Inc., this type of memory can deliver up to 1.6GB of data per second. RDRAM is the first interface standard that can be directly implemented on high performance VLSI components such as, CMOS DRAMs, memory controllers, and graphics/video ICs. RAM (Random Access Memory). The computer ’[...]

Index[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 119 Index Symbols 3Deep Color T uner Using 99 A Accelerated Graphics Port 23 ASUS MyLogo ™ 9 7 ASUS PC Probe Using 91 ASUS Update Using 96 A T API CD-ROM 74 Automatic Power Up 73 B BIOS Advanced Menu 58 Beep Codes 41 Boot Menu 74 Boot Sequence 74 Exit Menu 76 Language 57 Legend Bar 49 Main Menu 51 Menu Bar 49 Pow[...]

120 Index IRQ assigments 22 Expansion slots 21 F Floppy 3 Mode 51 H Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) CHS Capacity 54 Cylinders 54 Heads 54 LBA Capacity 54 Primary/Secondary Master 52 Primary/Secondary Slave 52 Sectors 54 T ypes 52 Hardware Monitor 73 Heatsink installation 14 I Interrupt Assignments 22 IRQ assignments 22 J Jumpers Clear RTC RAM 26 USB device[...]

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide 121 R RAID 1 or 0 82 S SDRAM Active to Precharge T ime 61 CAS Latency 61 Configuration 61 RAS to CAS Delay 61 Serial Ports 64 Connectors 29 Slots AGP 23 PCI 23 Smart Card Reader 38 Smart Manager 105 Modes 108 Using 107 SMAR T Monitoring 55 SMBus Connector 37 Support CD 79 W elcome screen 79 Winbond V oice Editor 10[...]

122 Index[...]