Asus A7V8X-X manual

Motherboard A7V8X-X User Guide[...]

ii Checklist Copyright © 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[...]

iii Features Contents Notices ............................................................................................ v Safety information .......................................................................... vi About this guide ............................................................................. vii ASUS contact information ....[...]

iv Safeguards Contents 2.3 Main Menu ........................................................................ 2-10 2.3.1 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave ................. 2-12 2.3.2 Keyboard Features .............................................. 2-14 2.4 Advanced Menu ............................................................... 2-15 2.4.1 Ch[...]

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

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. If possible, disconnect all[...]

vii 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 information on ASUS hardware and software products. The ASUS websites are listed in the ASUS Contact Information on page viii. 2. Optional Documentation Y ou[...]

viii 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): +[...]

ix A7V8X -X specif ications summar y CPU Chipset Front Side Bus (FSB) Memory Expansion slots IDE Audio (optional) LAN (optional) USB 2.0 Special Features Back Panel I/O Ports Internal I/O Connectors (continued on the next page) Socket A for AMD Barton/Thoroughbred/Athlon XP/Athlon/ Duron 2.25+ GHz CPU Northbridge: VIA KT400 Southbridge: VIA VT8235 [...]

x BIOS features Industry standard Manageability Form Factor Support CD contents Accessories A7V8X -X specifications summar y (Cont’) * Specifications are subject to change without notice. 2Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, DMI2.0, PnP , WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, TCA V , EZ Flash, ASUS MyLogo, ASUS CrashFree BIOS, ASUS JumperFree, ASUS C.P .R. PCI 2.2, USB 2.0[...]

1-1 ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard This chapter gives information about the ASUS A7V8X-X motherboard that came with the system.This chapter includes the motherboard layout, jumper settings, and connector locations. Motherboard Info Chapter 1[...]

1-2 1 . 1 W elcome! Thank you for buying the ASUS ® A7V8X-X motherboard! The ASUS A7V8X-X motherboard is loaded with the most advanced technologies to deliver the maximum performance for socket A processors. This motherboard is loaded with value-added features for guaranteed consumer satisfaction. Unique ASUS features such as ASUS C.O.P ., ASUS C.[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-3 1 .3 Motherboard com ponents 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 7 9 12 1 2 8 14 10 11 4 5 6 13 15 25 22 1 8 1 9 2 0 21 16 17 23 24[...]

1-4 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information North bridge controller . The VIA ® KT400 supports AGP 8X mode, 333/ 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 Barton/Thoroughbred/Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron Processors, with 600 MH[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-5 Audio CODEC . The ADI AD1980 is an AC’97 CODEC that allows 6-channel audio playback. The audio CODEC provides six DAC channels for 5.1 surround sound, S/PDIF interface, AUX and Line In stereo inputs, integrated headphone amplifier , greater than 90dB dynamic range. (on audio models only) LAN PHY . This Realtek RTL8201[...]

1-6 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 1.4.1 Product highlights 333MHz FSB Athlon XP CPU support AMD’s Athlon XP 2800+ 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 interface specificati[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-7 1 .5 Motherboard layout FLOPPY P ANEL CD AUX A7V8X-X GAME FP_AUDIO Super I/O Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) CPU_F AN SB_PWR A TX Power Connector DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module) 01 Audio Codec CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power PS/2KBMS T : Mouse B: Keyboard USB20_12 RJ-45 T op: USB3 USB4 Bottom: Below:Mic In Cente[...]

1-8 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 1 .6 Before you pr oceed 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 [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-9 1 .7 Motherboard ins tallation Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The motherboard uses the A TX form factor that measures 12 inches x 9.6 inches (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm). 1.7.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sure [...]

1-10 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 1 .8 Centr al Processing Unit (CPU) 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-X supports Athlon TM XP , Athlon TM , Barton™ and Duron TM processors. 4. Once completely insert[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-11 1 . 10 Expansion slots The A7V8X-X motherboard has six (6) expansion PCI slots and one (1) AGP 8X slot. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 1.10.1 Configuring an expansion card After physically installing the expansion card, configure the card by adjusting the softwa[...]

1-12 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 1.10.3 AGP slot This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that supports +1.5V AGP cards only . When you buy an AGP card, make sure that you ask for one with +1.5V specification. Note the notches on the card golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on your motherboard. A7V8X-X ® [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-13 1. 11 J u m p e r s This section describes and illustrates the jumpers on the motherboard. 1. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWR12,USBPWR34,USBPWR56) 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 [...]

1-14 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 4. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR) 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 can supply a[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-15 1 . 1 2 Connectors This section describes and illustrates the connectors on the motherboard. 1. A TX power connectors (20-pin A TXPWR) These connectors connect to a n 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 pus[...]

1-16 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information A7V8X-X ® A7V8X-X IDE Connectors NOTE: Orient the red marking s (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1. SEC_IDE PIN 1 PRI_IDE 3. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) This connector supports the provided UltraDMA/133/100/66 IDE hard disk ribbon cable. Connect the cable’s blue connector to t[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-17 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! 6. CPU and Chassis Fan Connectors (3-pin CPU_F AN, CHA_F AN) The two fan connectors support cooling f[...]

1-18 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 7. Internal audio connectors (4-pin AUX, CD) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner , or MPEG card. A7V8X-X ® A7V8X-X Internal Audio Connectors CD (Black) AUX (White ) Right Audio Channel Left Audio Channel Ground Ground 8. Front panel audio con[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 1-19 10. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) 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 t[...]

1-20 Chapter 1: Motherboard Information 12. System panel connector (20-pin P ANEL) 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. • [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-1 This chapter gives information about the ASUS A7V8X-X Binary Input/Output System (BIOS).This chapter includes updating the BIOS using the ASUS AFLASH BIOS that is bundled with the support CD. BIOS Information Chapter 2[...]

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.1.1 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 by simply pressing <Alt> + <F2>[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-3 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 ty[...]

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS Information The BIOS information in the above screen is for reference only . What you see on your screen may not be exactly the same as shown. 2.1.2 Using AFLASH to update the BIOS Creating a bootable disk AFLASH.EXE is a Flash Memory Writer utility that updates the BIOS by uploading a new BIOS file to the programmable flash ROM[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-5 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 then press <[...]

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 6. When prompted to confirm the BIOS update, press Y to start the update. 7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the Flash ROM. The boot block is updated automatically only when necessary . When the programming is done, the message “Flashed Successfully” appears. 8. Follow the onscreen ins[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-7 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. 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 b[...]

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.2 BIOS Setup progr am Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup”. This section explains how to configure your system using this utility . Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you may want to change the configuration o[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-9 2.2.2 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> or <Alt + H> Displa[...]

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.3 Main Menu When you enter the Setup program, the following screen appears. Sub-menu Note that a right pointer symbol (as shown on the left) appears to the left of certain fields. This pointer indicates that you can display a sub-menu from this field. A sub-menu contains additional options for a field parameter . [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-11 System Date [XX/XX/XXXX] 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: (up to 2099). Use the <T ab> or <Shift> + <T ab> keys to move between the month, day [...]

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.3.1 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, select [User T ype HDD] to manually enter [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-13 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 API Device[...]

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 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 decreas[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-15 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. Configuration options: [6/Sec] [8/Sec] [10/Sec] [12/Sec] [15/Sec] [20/Sec] [24/Sec] [30/Sec] Keyboard Auto-Repeat Delay [1/4 Sec] This field sets the time inter[...]

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.4.1 Chip Configuration CPU VCore 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 Level 1 Cache, CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled] These fields allow you to cho[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-17 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 EEPROM on the memory module stores [...]

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS Information AGP Drive Strength [Auto] Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual] AGP Drive N Control [E] Configuration options: [0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][A][B][C][D][E][F] AGP Drive P Control [F] Configuration options: [0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][A][B][C][D][E][F] AGP performance control [Disabled] Configuration options: [D[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-19 2.4.2 I/O Device Configuration Onboard FDC Swap A & B [No Swap] 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[...]

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.4.3 PCI Configuration Onboard AC97 Audio Controller [Auto] These fields allow you to enable or disable the onboard AC97 audio controller . Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] Onboard LAN [Enabled] This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN Boot ROM. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-21 Primary VGA BIOS [PCI VGA Card] This field allows you to select the primary graphics card. Configuration options: [PCI VGA Card] [AGP VGA Card] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN Boot ROM. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 2.4.3.1 PCI IRQ Resource Exclus[...]

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS Information Even if installed, your screen saver does not display when you select [Blank Screen] for the above field. [V/H SYNC+Blank] blanks the screen and turns off vertical and horizontal scanning. Configuration options: [Blank Screen] [V/H SYNC+Blank] [DPMS Standby] [DPMS Suspend] [DPMS OFF] [DPMS Reduce ON] HDD Power Down [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-23 Suspend Mode [Disabled] Sets the time period before the system goes into suspend mode. Configuration options: [Disabled] [1~2 Min] [2~3 Min] [4~5 min] [8~9 Min] [20 Min] [30 Min] PWR Button < 4 Secs [Soft Off] When set to [Soft of f], the A TX switch can be used as a normal system power-of f button when pressed for [...]

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS Information 2.5.2 Hardware Monitor MB T emperature [xxxC/xxxF] CPU T emperature [xxxC/xxxF] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU temperatures. CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A] Chassis Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays t[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-25 2.6 Boot Menu Boot Sequence The Boot menu allows you to select four types of boot devices 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 system[...]

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS Information Reset Configuration Data [No] The Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) contain information about non- PnP devices. It also holds the complete record of how the system was configured the last time it was booted. Select [Y es] if you want to clear these data during the Power-On-Self-T est (POST). Configuration op[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 2-27 Exit Saving Changes 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 appe[...]

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS Information[...]

3-1 ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard This chapter helps you power up your system and install drivers and utilities that came with the support CD. Starting Up Chapter 3[...]

3-2 Chapter 3: Starting-Up 3. 1 Ins t all an operating system The A7V8X-X motherboard supports Windows ME/NT/2000/XP operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. Because motherboard settings and hardware options vary , use the setup procedures presented in [...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 3-3 3.2.2 Drivers menu VIA 4 in 1 Driver The item installs the following drivers: - VIA Registry (INF) driver - VIA AGP VxD driver - VIA A T API vendor support driver - VIA PCI IRQ Miniport driver AD1980 SoundMAX Audio Driver This item installs the AD1980 SoundMAX audio driver and applications. Install VIA LAN Driver Click [...]

3-4 Chapter 3: Starting-Up PC-cillin 2002 This item installs the PC-cillin 2002 V9.02 anti-virus software. ADOBE Acrobat Reader V5.0 This installs software for viewing files in Portable Document Format (PDF). ASUS Screen Saver This item installs the ASUS screen saver . E-Color 3Deep This item installs application to optimize 3D graphics output. 3.2[...]

ASUS A7V8X-X Motherboard 3-5 1. From the taskbar , double-click on the SoundMAX Digital Integrated Audio icon to display the SoundMAX Control Panel . 2. The Listening Environment screen allows you to set to multi-channel speakers, enable or disable the V irtual Theater Surround , and select Acoustic Environments and Virtual Ear . 3. The default set[...]

3-6 Chapter 3: Starting-Up 1 1. Click the arrow under Synthesizer Default Set to display a list of options. Choose your desired setting. 12. Click Apply , then click OK when done. Adjusting the volume settings 1. After rebooting the system, click on the volume control icon on the taskbar (lower right corner of your desktop) to display the V olume C[...]