Abit AT7 User Manual

Copyright and Warranty Notice

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on part of the vendor, who assumes no liability or responsibility
for any errors that may appear in this manual.

No warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, is made with respect to the
quality, accuracy or fitness for any particular part of this document. In no event shall the
manufacturer be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages
arising from any defect or error in this manual or product.

Product names appearing in this manual are for identification purpose only and
trademarks and product names or brand names appearing in this document are the
property of their respective owners.

This document contains materials protected under International Copyright Laws. All
rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted or transcribed
without the expressed written permission of the manufacturer and authors of this manual.

If you do not properly set the motherboard settings, causing the motherboard to
malfunction or fail, we cannot guarantee any responsibility.

AT7/AT7E Motherboard User’s Manual

Index

CHAPTER 1.

1-1. F
1-2. S
1-3. I
1-4. L

CHAPTER 2.

2-1. I
2-2. I
2-3. I
2-4. C

CHAPTER 3.

3-1. CPU S
3-2. S
3-3. A
3-4. A
3-5. I
3-6. P
3-7. PNP/PCI C
3-8. PC H
3-9. L
3-10. L
3-11. S
3-12. S
3-13. E

CHAPTER 4.

4-1. T
4-2. RAID SETUP
4-3. T

EATURES OF

PECIFICATION S

TEM CHECKLIS T

AYOUT DIAGRAM FOR

NSTALLATION OF THE

NSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD TO THE CHASSIS

NSTALLING SYSTEM MEMORY

ONNECTORS

TANDARD

DVANCED

DVANCED CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP MENU

NTEGRATED PERIPHERALS

OWER MANAGEMENT SETUP MENU

OAD FAIL-SAFE DEFAULTS

OAD OPTIMIZED DEFAULTS

ET PASSWORD

AVE

XIT WITHOUT SAVING

HE FEATURES OF

BIOS S

HE

INTRODUCTION OF AT7/AT7E FEATURES .................1-1

AT7/AT7E M

....................................................................................................1-2

..................................................................................................1-4

OTHERBOARD

AT7/AT7E...................................................................... 1-5

...........................................................1-1

INSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD.............................. 2-1

AMD A

THLON™

.............................................................................2-6

, H

EADERS AND SWITCHES

INTRODUCING THE BIOS ................................................3-1

[SOFT MENU

ETUP

CMOS F

BIOS F

ONFIGURATIONS SETUP MENU

EALTH STATUS

...................................................................................................3-35

& E

XIT SETUP

™

III].........................................................................3-3

EATURES SETUP MENU

EATURES SETUP MENU

.................................................................................3-22

...........................................................................................3-34

...............................................................................3-35

..............................................................................3-35

...........................................................................................3-36

......................................................................................3-36

XP, A

THLON™ AND DURON™

................................................2-5

...............................................................2-7

.........................................................3-6

.........................................................3-10

.....................................................3-14

..................................................................3-25

...........................................................3-31

CPU .........2-2

RAID SETTING GUIDE ...................................................... 4-1

RAID

AT7..................................................................................4-1

ON THE

ETTING MENU

AT7 ..................................................................4-1

ON THE

...................................................................................4-2

CHAPTER 5.

5-1. DOS®...................................................................................................................5-1

5-2. W

CHAPTER 6.

HPT 374 DRIVER INSTALLATION ..................................5-1

INDOWS®

2000.................................................................................................. 5-1

HPT 374 RAID MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR WINDOWS

®

2000 ........... 6-1

APPENDIX A. VIA 4 IN 1 DRIVERS INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS®

2000 ........................................................................................ A-1

APPENDIX B. AUDIO DRIVERS INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS® 2000

................................................................................................ B-1

4200-0283-02 Rev. 1.00

APPENDIX C. LAN DRIVERS INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS® 2000 C-1

APPENDIX D. USB 2.0 DRIVERS INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS® 2000

................................................................................................ D-1

APPENDIX E. INSTALLING THE WINBOND HARDWARE MONITOR

SOFTWARE........................................................................... E-1

APPENDIX F. BIOS UPDATE GUIDE ........................................................ F-1

APPENDIX G. TROUBLESHOOTING (NEED ASSISTANCE?) ............... G-1

APPENDIX H. HOW TO GET TECHNICAL SUPPORT ............................. H-1

AT7/AT7E

Introduction of AT7/AT7E Features

1-1

Chapter 1. Introduction of AT7/AT7E Features

1-1. Features of AT7/AT7E Motherboard

This motherboard is designed for AMD Socket A Athlon™ XP, Athlon™ and Duron™ processors. It
supports the AMD Socket-A structure, with up to 3 GB (Unbuffered) or 3.5 GB (Registered) of memory,
super I/O, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 (For AT7 Full Version Only) and Green PC functions.

The AT7/AT7E uses the VIA KT333 and VT8233A chipsets to make the evolutionary move from PC
100/PC 133 SDRAM to PC 1600/PC 2100/PC 2700 DDR SDRAM, increasing the speed of the system
and memory buses from 100 MHz to 166 MHz. Its 200/266/333 MHz memory interface supports a wide
range of PC 1600/PC 2100/PC 2700 DDR SDRAM memory devices now on the market.

VIA KT333 is a system bus controller, or northbridge, that houses the high-speed system elements critical
to overall system performance while also containing the system interface to the processor. The key
functions of the KT333 System Controller include the 266 MHz Athlon System Bus, the 333 MHz DDR
Memory Subsystem, the AGP 4X/2X/1X modes Graphics Interface (AGP 2.0 Compliant) and the 33
MHz/32-bit PCI Bus Interface (PCI 2.2 Compliant), including arbiter.

DDR SDRAM is the newest memory standard. It provides the maximum translation bandwith and also
greatly improves data transaction delays. This feature improves system performance and speed, especially
with multimedia environment applications.

The AT7/AT7E has a built in Ultra DMA 133 function. This means that it provides speedier HDD
throughput boosting overall system performance. Ultra DMA 133 is the newest standard for IDE devices.
It enhances existing Ultra DMA 33 technology by increasing both performance and data integrity. This
new high-speed interface almost doubles the Ultra DMA 66 burst data transfer rate to 133 Mbytes/sec.
The result is maximum disc performance using the current PCI local bus environment. Another benefit is
the ability to connect four IDE devices to your system, either through Ultra DMA 66, Ultra DMA 100 or
Ultra DMA 133. With this, you will have more flexibility to expand your computer system.

AT7‘s built-in HighPoint HPT 374 chipset gives you the capability to support Ultra DMA 133. Ultra
DMA 133 is the newest standard for IDE devices. It provides four IDE channels (IDE3, IDE4, IDE5,
IDE6) that also support Ultra DMA 133 specifications, and it allows for four additional IDE devices in
your computer system. It can give you high performance and efficiency data transfer rate through the IDE
channels. This also means that your computer, in total, can connect up to twelve IDE devices (IDE1 ~
IDE6). This allows for maximum expandability for future hardware demands. This chipset also supports
IDE RAID, inlcuding RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 0+1. This feature enables you to maximize your data
storage performance and security. (For AT7 Full Version Only)

™

AT7/AT7E provides high flexibility to users building AMD Socket A Athlon
systems. It provides the option of 133MHz/133MHz CPU and memory bus combinations. The
AT7/AT7E has built-in hardware monitoring functions (refer to Appendix E for detailed information) to
ensure a safe computing environment.

Part of the MAX Motherboard Series

The AT7/AT7E is part of the MAX Series of motherboard products, offering advanced features and
extraordinary value. With its legacy-free operation, ABIT’s MAX Series frees up system resources to
offer users a robust, high-performance computing platform. Moreover, expanded connectivity via USB
and Firewire ports gives users an easy way to connect to today’s hottest audio and video peripherals.
On-board 10/100 LAN provides high-speed networking capabililites, and built in 6-channel audio delivers
a rich multimedia experience. Highly integrated with the latest technologies, ABIT’s MAX Series looks

XP, Athlon™ and Duron™

User’s Manual

Chapter 1

1-2

to the future, giving users a new level of system longevity and flexibility.

1-2. Specifications

1. Processor

! Supports AMD Athlon™ XP 1500+ ~ 2200+ or future Socket A processors based on 200 MHz/266

MHz (100 MHz/133 MHz Double Data Rate)

! Supports AMD Athlon

MHz (100 MHz/133 MHz Double Data Rate)

! Supports AMD Duron

MHz Double Data Rate)

! Supports 200 MHz Alpha EV6 bus for the AMD Athlon

2. Chipset (VIA KT333 and VT8233A):

! Supports Ultra DMA 33, Ultra DMA 66, Ultra DMA 100 and Ultra DMA 133 IDE protocol
! Supports Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface (ACPI)
! Accelerated Graphics Port connector supports AGP 2X (3.3V) and 4X (1.5V) mode (Sideband)

device

! Supports 200 MHz/266 MHz/333 MHz (100 MHz/133 MHz/166 MHz Double Data Rate) memory

bus settings

3. Ultra DMA 133/RAID (For AT7 Full Version Only)

! HighPoint HPT 374 IDE controller
! Supports Ultra DMA 133MB/sec data transfer rate
! Supports RAID0 (Stripping mode for boosting performance) mode
! Supports RAID1 (Mirroring mode for data security) mode
! Supports RAID 0+1 (Stripping and Mirroring) mode

4. Memory (System Memory)

! Four 184-pin DIMM slots support PC 1600, PC 2100 and PC 2700 DDR SDRAM modules
! Supports 6 banks up to 3 GB DRAMs for unbuffered DDR/SDRAM modules. (64, 128, 256, 512

MB and 1 GB DDR SDRAM). For PC 2700 DDR SDRAM modules, it supports 4 banks up to 2 GB
DRAMs for unbuffered DDR/SDR modules. (64, 128, 256, 512 MB and 1 GB DDR SDRAM).

! Supports 8 banks up to 3.5 GB DRAMs for registered DDR/SDRAM modules. (64, 128, 256, 512

MB and 1 GB DDR SDRAM). For PC 2700 DDR SDRAM modules, it supports 6 banks up to 3 GB
DRAMs for registered DDR/SDRAM modules. (64, 128, 256, 512 MB and 1 GB DDR SDRAM).

5. System BIOS

! SOFT MENU™ III technology, can easily set the processor parameters
! Award PnP (Plug and Play) BIOS supports APM and DMI (Desktop Management Interface)
! Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration Power Interface)
! Write-Protect Anti-Virus function by AWARD BIOS

™

700 MHz ~ 1.4 GHz or future Socket A processors based on 200 MHz/266

™

600 MHz ~ 1.2 GHz or future Socket A processors based on 200 MHz (100

™

XP, Athlon™ and Duron™ processors

AT7/AT7E

Introduction of AT7/AT7E Features

1-3

6. Audio

! Realtek ALC650 (AC-Link)
! Supports 6 CH DAC for AC3 5.1 CH purpose
! Professional digital audio interface supporting 24-bit S/PDIF OUT

7. LAN

! Onboard Realtek 8100B single chip Ethernet controller interface
! 10/100 Mb Operation
! User friendly driver included

8. ABIT Media XP (Optional)

! Supports memory card (MS, SD, CF and MicroDrive) interface
! Supports LPC (Low Pin Count) bus
! Supports SONY MS (Memory Stick) interface/SD (Secure Digital) memory card interface
! Supports CF (Compact Flash) ROM interface (Both Type I & Type II)

9. Multi I/O Functions

! Two channels of bus master IDE ports supporting up to four Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 devices

(IDE1 & IDE2)

! Four channels (IDE3, IDE4, IDE5 and IDE6) of bus master IDE ports supporting up to eight Ultra

DMA 33/66/100/133 (RAID 0/1/0+1) specifications HDD devices (For AT7 full version only)

! One floppy port connector (up to 2.88MB)
! Four USB 1.1 connectors (Located at USB1 and USB2 connectors)
! One USB header (USB 3) for two extra USB channels (USB 1.1)
! Onboard VIA VT6202 chipset, provide two USB 2.0 connectors (Located at U30 connector)
! Onboard VIA VT6202 chipset, provide one USB 2.0 header (USB4) for two extra USB 2.0 channels
! Two IEEE 1394 connectors (For AT7 full version only)
! One S/PDIF-Out connector (OPT1)
! One 10/100 Mb port connector (Located on U30 connector)
! Two sets of audio connectors (included Mic-In, Line-In, Front Right+Left, Rear Right+Left and

Center+Subwoofer connectors)

10. Miscellaneous

! ATX form factor
! One AGP slot, three PCI slots
! Built-in Wake on LAN header
! Built-in Wake on Ring header
! One built-in SM-Bus header
! One built-in IEEE 1394 header (For AT7 full version only)
! One CD audio input connector
! One AUX audio input connector
! One ABIT front panel Media XP header for analog and digital signal connection to computer

chassis front panel (ABIT Media XP is optional accessory designed by ABIT)

! Hardware monitoring：Included fan speed, voltages, CPU and system environment temperature
! Board size: 305 * 245mm

User’s Manual

Chapter 1

1-4

# Supports Wake On LAN, Modem, but your ATX power supply 5V standby power must be

able to provide at least a 720mA current capacity. Otherwise, the functions may not work
normally.

# HPT 374 IDE controller is designed to support high-speed and high performance mass storage

devices. Thus we suggest that you don’t connect non-disk devices that use ATA/ATAPI
interfaces, such as CD-ROM to HPT 374 IDE connector (IDE3, IDE4, IDE5 and IDE6). (For
AT7 full version only)

# This motherboard supports the standard bus speeds of 66 MHz/100 MHz/133 MHz that are

used by specific PCI, processor and chipset specifications. Exceeding these standard bus speeds
is not guaranteed due to the specific component specifications.

# Specifications and information contained in this manual are subject to change without notice.

Note

All brand names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1-3. Item Checklist

Check that your package is complete. If you discover any damaged or missing items, please contact your
retailer or dealer.

$ One ABIT AT7 or AT7E motherboard

$ Three 80-wire/40-pin ribbon cable for master and slave Ultra DMA 133, Ultra DMA 100, Ultra DMA

66 or Ultra DMA 33 IDE devices

$ One ribbon cable for 3.5” floppy disk devices

$ One compact disc for support drivers and utilities

$ One USB cable (For USB 1.1 used)

$ One DIY bag

$ One user’s manual for the motherboard

$ One floppy disk of HPT 374 drivers (AT7 Full Version Only)

$ One I/O shield

AT7/AT7E

Introduction of AT7/AT7E Features

1-5

1-4. Layout Diagram for AT7/AT7E

Figure 1-1. AT7/AT7E motherboard component location

User’s Manual

Chapter 1

1-6

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

2-1

Chapter 2. Installing the Motherboard

This AT7/AT7E motherboard not only provides all standard equipment for classic personal computers,
but also provides great flexibility for meeting future upgrade demands. This chapter will introduce step by
step all of the standard equipment and will also present, as completely as possible, future upgrade
capabilities. This motherboard is able to supports all AMD Socket A Athlon
processors now on the market. (For details, see specifications in Chapter 1.)

This chapter is organized according the following features:

Installation of the AMD Socket A Athlon™ XP, Athlon™ and Duron™ CPU

1.

Installing the Motherboard to the Chassis

2.

Installing System Memory

3.

Connectors, Headers and Switches

4.

™

XP, Athlon™ and Duron™

%%%%

Before you install or unplug any connectors or add-on cards, please remember to turn the ATX power
supply switch off (fully turn the +5V standby power off), or take the power cord off. Otherwise, you may
cause the motherboard components or add-on cards to malfunction or be damaged.

&

Please read our instructions carefully and follow them step-by-step. Our objective is to enable the novice
computer user to perform the installation by himself. We have attempted to write this document in a very
clear, concise and descriptive manner to help overcome any obstacles you may face during installation.

This chapter contains many color drawings, diagrams and photos, we strongly recommend you read this
chapter use the PDF file that is stored on the CD-Title. Color improves the clarity and quality of the
diagrams. For the downloadable edition, as files larger than 3 MB are difficult to download, we will cut
the graphics and photo resolution to reduce the manual file size. In such this case, if your manual is
downloaded from our WEB site and not from a CD-ROM, enlarging graphics or photos will distort the
image.

Before Proceeding with the Installation

User Friendly Instructions

Diagram and Photos

%%%%

User’s Manual

Chapter 2

2-2

2-1. Installation of the AMD Athlon™ XP, Athlon™ and Duron™

CPU

Note

! Installing a heatsink and cooling fan is necessary for heat to dissipate from your processor. Failing

to install these items may result in overheating and processor damage.

! The AMD Socket A processor will produce a lot of heat while operating, so you need to use a large

heat sink that is especially designed for the AMD socket A processor. Otherwise, it may result in
overheating and processor damage.

! If your processor fan and its power cable are not installed properly, never plug the ATX power

cable into the motherboard. This can prevent possible processor damage.

! Please refer to your processor installation manual or other documentation with your processor for

detailed installation instructions.

The AMD Socket A Athlon™ XP, Athlon™ and Duron™ processor installation is easy, like Socket 7

®

Pentium
easily fix the processor firmly into position. Figure 2-1 shows you what the socket A looks like, and how
to open the lever. The socket A has more pins than the socket 7. Therefore, a Pentium
cannot be inserted into a socket A.

processors before. Because it uses the “Socket A” ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket, you can

®

level processor

When you raise the lever, you have to loosen the socket lock. Please raise the lever to the end, and
prepare to insert the processor. Next, you need to align the processor pin 1 to the socket pin 1. If you put
it in the wrong direction, you will not be able to insert the processor easily, and processor pins will not
fully go into the socket. If this is the case, please change the direction, until it easily and fully inserts into
the socket A. See Figure 2-2. At the same time check the processor temperature detection thermistor
height (if your motherboard has this component), then you can slowly insert the processor into the Scoket
A. Finally, you need to check that the processor edge and the Socket A edge is parallel. It should be
parallel and not tilted.

When you finish the above, push the lever down to its original position, you should feel the lever lock the
socket A. You have then finished the processor installation.

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

Heatsink Installation Hints

Because the processor will produce a lot of heat while operating, we suggest you use a heatsink approved
by AMD to be safe and to keep the processor temperature within normal operation temperatures. The
heatsink will be large and heavy, so the fixing plate has a strong tension. When you install the heatsink on
to the processor and its socket, you have to very carefully fix the fixing plate to the processor socket hook
on both sides. If you do not pay attention to this, you may make the fixing plate scratch the PCB surface
and cause circuit damage, break socket hooks or damage the die on the top of processor.

Please follow the sequence metioned below, Do Not
inverse the sequence. Otherwise, you may have a
situation like the photo on the left. Because of the
design of the CPU socket, the left side hooks are not
as strong as the right side hooks. If you follow our
suggestions you will prevent your processor and
socket from damage.

Note

Considering the chassis structure problem, please
always take off the motherboard from chassis,
before adding or removing a heatsink kit.

The proper procedure to install the heatsink kit:

First, install the processor into the processor socket.

Insert the heatsink left side fix plate into the
processor socket left side fix hooks. Make sure the fit
is very tight. Check the photo on the left.

2-3

User’s Manual

Chapter 2

2-4

Insert a flat screwdriver into the middle slot of the
right side fix plate and push down. Then you can
push the fix plate over the socket hooks on the right
side. Check the photo on the left.

Check the photo on the left. You have finished the
heatsink installation.

Now hold the whole heatsink and slightly shake it,
make sure the buttom right side of the heaksink does
not contact the right side of the Socket (see bottom
picture). Otherwise, the processor die does not have
proper contact with the heatsink. This situation may
cause processor damage.

Remember to install the heatsink fan power cable to
the CPU fan header on the motherboard.

Now you can reinstall the motherboard back into the
chassis.

When all above procedures done, you can connect
the ATX power cable to the motherboard.

If you have different types of heatsink kit, please
refer to the manual that came with the heatsink kit.
The left photo shows another type of heatsink fix
plate design. The install sequences are still the same,
from right side to left side. Just remember that.

We strongly recommand you to buy a heatsink
with three holes in the fix plate. This will provide
the best stabability and won’t cause the Socket fix
hooks to be broken or damaged.

The left photo shows the bottom right side of the
heaksink in contact with the right side of the Socket.
In this situation, the processor die does not properly
contact the heatsink. If you start the computer at this
monent, it will immediately cause the processor
damage. Always check this place when you finish the
heatsink installation.

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

2-5

2-2. Installing the Motherboard to the Chassis

After you install the processor to the motherboard, you can start to fix the motherboard into the chassis.
Most computer chassis will have a base on which there will be many mounting holes that allows the
motherboard to be securely attached and at the same time, prevents short circuits. There are two ways to
attach the motherboard to the base of chassis:

! With studs
! With spacers

Please refer to figure 2-3, which shows the studs and spacers. There may be several types, but all look
like the figures below:

In principle, the best way to attach the
motherboard is with studs. Only if you
are unable to do this should you attach the
board with spacers. Take a careful look at
the motherboard and you will see many
mounting holes on it. Line these holes up
with the mounting holes on the base. If
the holes line up and there are screw
holes this means you can attach the
motherboard with studs. If the holes line
up and there are only slots, this means
you can only attach the motherboard with
spacers. Take the tip of the spacers and
insert them into the slots. After doing this
to all the slots, you can slide the
motherboard into position aligned with
the slots. After the motherboard has been
positioned, check to make sure everything
is OK before putting the casing back on.

motherboard using studs or spacers.

Figure 2-4 shows you the way to affix the

Note

If the motherboard has mounting holes, but they don’t line up with the holes on the base and there are
no slots to attach the spacers, don’t worry, you can still attach the spacers to the mounting holes. Just
cut the bottom portion of spacers (the spacer they may be a little hard to cut, so be careful with your
hands). In this way you can still attach the motherboard to the base without worrying about short
circuits. Sometimes you may need to use the plastic springs to isolate the screw from the motherboard
PCB surface, because the circuit wire may be near by the hole. Be careful, don’t let the screw contact
any the printed circuit wire or parts on the PCB that are near the fixing hole, otherwise it may damage
the board or cause board malfunctioning.

User’s Manual

Chapter 2

2-6

2-3. Installing System Memory

This motherboard provides four 184-pin DDR DIMM sites for memory expansion. The DDR SDRAM
DIMM sockets support 8 M x 64 (64 MB), 16M x 64 (128 MB), 32 M x 64 (256 MB), 64 M x 64 (512
MB) and 128 M x 64 (1024 MB) or double density DDR SDRAM DIMM modules. Minimum memory is
64 MB and the maximum memory is 3 GB (Unbuffered, PC 1600 and PC 2100) / 2GB (Unbuffered,
PC 2700) or 3.5 GB (Registered, PC 1600 and PC 2100) / 3 GB (Registered, PC 2700) DDR SDRAM.
There are four memory module sockets on the system board (for a total of eight banks). In order to create
a memory array, following rules must be followed.

! Supports single and double density DDR DIMMs.

Table 2-1. Valid Memory Configurations

Bank Memory Module Total Memory

Bank 0, 1

(DDR DIMM1)

Bank 2, 3

(DDR DIMM2)

Bank 4, 5

(DDR DIMM3)

Bank 6, 7

(DDR DIMM4)

Total System Memory for Unbuffered DDR DIMM

(PC 1600/PC 2100)

Total System Memory for Registered DDR DIMM

(PC 1600/PC 2100)

Total System Memory for Unbuffered DDR DIMM

Total System Memory for Registered DDR DIMM

DDR DIMM sockets have minor physical differences. If your module doesn't seem to fit, please do not
force it into the socket as you may damaged your memory module or DDR DIMM socket.

The following procedure will show you how to install a DDR DIMM module into a DDR DIMM socket.

Step 1. Before you install the memory module, please place the computer power switch in the off

position and disconnect the AC power cord from your computer.

Step 2. Remove the computer’s chassis cover.

64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB,

512 MB, 1024 MB

64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB,

512 MB, 1024 MB

64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB,

512 MB, 1024 MB

64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB,

512 MB, 1024 MB

(PC 2700)

(PC 2700)

64 MB ~ 1 GB

64 MB ~ 1 GB

64 MB ~ 1 GB

64 MB ~ 1 GB

64 MB ~ 3 GB

64 MB ~ 3.5 GB

64 MB ~ 2 GB

64 MB ~ 3 GB

Generally, installing DDR SDRAM modules to your
motherboard is an easy thing to do. You can refer to
Figure 2-5 to see what a 184-pin PC 1600, PC 2100
and PC 2700 DDR SDRAM module looks like.

Unlike installing SIMMs, DIMMs may be
“snapped” directly into the socket. Note: Certain

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

Step 3. Before touching any electronic components, make

sure you first touch an unpainted, grounded metal
object to discharge any static electricity stored on
your clothing or body.

Step 4. Locate your computer’s 184-pin memory

expansion DDR DIMM socket.

Step 5. Insert the DDR DIMM module into the expansion

socket as shown in the illustration. Note how the
module is keyed to the socket. You can refer to
Figure 2-6 for the details. This insures the DDR

DIMM module will be plugged into the socket in
one way only. Firmly press the DDR DIMM

module into DDR DIMM socket, making certain
the module is completely seated in the DDR
DIMM socket.

Step 6. Once the DDR DIMM module has been installed,

the installation is complete and the computer’s
cover can be replaced. Or you can continue to install other devices and add-on cards that are
mentioned in the following section.

Note

When you install a DDR DIMM module fully into the DDR DIMM socket, the eject tab should be
locked into the DDR DIMM module very firmly and fit into its indention on the both sides.

It is difficult to differentiate between the PC 1600, PC 2100 and PC 2700 DDR SDRAM modules from
the exterior. The only way you can identify them is to look at the sticker on the DDR SDRAM module.
The sticker will tell you which kind of structure module the DDR SDRAM is.

2-7

2-4. Connectors, Headers and Switches

Inside the case of any computer several cables and plugs have to be connected. These cables and plugs are
usually connected one-by-one to connectors located on the motherboard. You need to carefully pay
attention to any connection orientation the cables may have and, if any, notice the position of the first pin
of the connector. In the explanations that follow, we will describe the significance of the first pin.

We will show you all of the connectors, headers and switches here, and tell you how to connect them.
Please pay attention and read the entire section for necessary information before attempting to finish all of
the hardware installation inside the computer chassis.

Figure 2-7 shows you all of the connectors and headers that we’ll discuss in the next section, you can use
this diagram to visually locate each connector and header we describe.

User’s Manual

Chapter 2

2-8

Note

This components diagram will be slightly different because there are a number of models. We’ll use
the AT7 full version motherboard as standard; all descriptions of connector and header will be based
on the AT7 full version motherboard.

All connectors, headers and switches mentioned here, will depend on your system configuration. Some
features you may (or may not) have and need to connect or configure depending on the peripheral. If your
system doesn't have such add-on cards or switches you can ignore some special feature connectors.

Figure 2-7. All connectors and headers for the AT7

First, Let’s see the headers that AT7 uses, and what their functions are. We will show you all the
connectors and headers.

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

(1). ATX1: ATX Power Input Connector

Attach the connector from the power supply to the
ATX1 connector here. Remember you have to push
the connector from the ATX power supply firmly to
the end with the ATX1 connector, insuring that you
have a good connection.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation.

2-9

Caution

If the power supply connectors are not properly attached to the ATX power supply, the power supply
or add-on cards may be damaged.

One end of AC power core connects to ATX power supply, and the other end (AC plug) will plug into
the wall outlet. Be aware that when facing the wall outlet, the round hole is in the middle. The right
side slot is called ground wire slot. It has a longer slot length than the left side slot. The left side slot is
called the live wire slot. You can use an electroscope to detect its polarity or you can use a voltage
meter to measure the voltage of both slot sides. If you insert an electroscope into the live wire slot, the
electroscope will light up. Using a voltage meter, you will find that the live wire slot will register a
higher voltage.

If you reverse the polarity of AC plug, it may affect the life of computer equipment, or cause an
electric shock when you touch the computer chassis. We suggest that you plug the computer AC plug
to a three-hole wall outlet for better safety and to avoid electric shock.

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(2). FAN1, FAN2, FAN3, FAN4 and FAN5 Headers

Attach the connector from the processor fan to the
header named FAN1 or FAN2 and connector from
the front chassis fan to the header FAN4. Attach the
connector from the power fan or back chassis fan to
FAN3 header and attache the connector from
northbridge fan to the header named FAN5. You
must attach the processor fan to the processor, or
your processor will work abnormally or may be
damaged by overheating. To prevent the computer
chassis internal temperature from getting too high,
also connect the chassis fan.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

(3). SMB1: System Management Bus (SM-Bus) Header

This header is reserved for the system management
bus (SM-Bus). The SM-Bus is a specific

implementation of an I
bus, this means that multiple chips can be connected
to the same bus and each one can act as a master by
initiating a data transfer. If more than one master
simultaneously tries to control the bus, an arbitration
procedure decides which master gets priority. You
can connect the devices which utilizes the SM-Bus.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

AT7/AT7E

2

C bus. I2C is a multi-master

Installing the Motherboard

(4). TCPU1 & TSYS1: Temperature Thermistor

The TCPU1 is used to detect the CPU temperature.
The TSYS1 is used to detect the system
environment temperature. You can see the readings
in the BIOS or in the hardware monitoring
application main screen.

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(5). USB3 and USB4 Headers: Additional USB Plugs Header

Thess headers are for connecting the additional USB
port plugs. Each connector can provides two
additional USB plugs. Which means, total you can
get two additional USB plugs from each connector.
You can use the special USB port expansion cable
to connect it (the cable come with the metal plate
can fixed on the back panel of computer chassis).

The USB3 is for USB 1.1 devices connection, and
USB4 is for USB 2.0 devices connection.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

Note

The USB4 header supports USB 2.0 specification function, please use the special USB cable design
for USB 2.0 specifications. Otherwise, it may cause not stable or signal error situation.

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(6). IEEE1 Header: IEEE 1394 Header (For AT7 Full Version Only)

This header is reserved for connection to the ABIT
Media XP product (Optional). The Media XP can

provide the total solution for the front panel
connections. It provided a various function, like a:
SD/MS/CF card reader, USB 2.0/IEEE 1394
connectors, S/PDIF-Out connector and
MIC/Earphone connectors. They all designed on one

5.25” diskette size panel, can fit on the chasses front
panel 5.25” diskette slot.

For detailed information of ABIT Media XP, please
see its user’s manual.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

Note

You don’t need to install any additional drivers for IEEE 1394 devices. The newest operation system
will fully support this feature. For example: Windows® 2000, Windows® XP, etc.

(7). CCMOS1 Header: CMOS Discharge Jumper

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

AT7/AT7E

Jumper CCMOS1 used to discharge CMOS memory.
When you install the motherboard, make sure this
jumper is set for normal operation (pin 1 and 2
shorted). See figure below.

Installing the Motherboard

Note

Before you clear the CMOS, you have to first turn the power off (including the +5V standby power).
Otherwise, your system may work abnormally.

After updating your BIOS and before boot up, please clear the CMOS first. Then put the jumper to its
default position. After that, you can reboot your system and ensure that your system is working fine.

(8). FPIO1 Headers: The Headers for Chassis’s Front Panel Indicators and Switches

FPIO1 are for switches and indicators for the
chassis’s front panel, there are several functions that
come from this header. You have to watch the pin
position and the orientation, or you may cause LED
do not light up. Figure below shows you the FPIO1
functions of the pins.

2-13

FPIO1 (Pin 1 & 3): HDD LED Header

Attach the cable from the case’s front panel HDD LED to this header. If you install it in the wrong
direction, the LED light will not illuminate correctly.

Note: Watch the HDD LED pin position and the orientation.

FPIO1 (Pin 5 & 7): Hardware Reset Switch Header

Attach the cable from the case’s front panel Reset switch to this header. Press and hold the reset button
for at least one second to reset the system.

FPIO1 (Pin 15-17-19-21): Speaker Header

Attach the cable from the system speaker to this header.

FPIO1 (Pin 2 & 4): Suspend LED Header

Insert the two-threaded suspend LED cable into this header. If you install it in the wrong direction, the
LED light will not illuminate correctly.

Note: Watch the Suspend LED pin position and the orientation.

FPIO1 (Pin 6 & 8): Power On Switch Header

Attach the cable from the case’s front panel power on switch to this header.

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FPIO1 (Pin 16-18-20): Power On LED Headers

There is a specific orientation for pins 1 through 3. Insert the three-threaded power on LED cable to this
header. Check to make sure the correct pins go to the correct connectors on the motherboard. If you
install them in the wrong direction, the power LED light will not illuminate correctly.

Note: Watch the power LED pin position and orientation.

For the PN1 and PN2 pin’s count-name list, please refer to table 2-2.

Table 2-2. FPIO1 pin count name list

PIN Name Significance of signal PIN Name Significance of signal

PIN 1 HDD LED (+) PIN 2 SP-LED (+)

PIN 3 HDD LED (-) PIN 4 SP-LED (-)
PIN 5 Reset SW (-) PIN 6 PWR-ON (+)
PIN 7 Reset SW (+) PIN 8 PWR-ON (-)
PIN 9 No Connection PIN 10

PIN 11 No Pin PIN 12 No Pin

FPIO1

PIN 13 No Pin PIN 14 No Pin
PIN 15 Speaker (+5V) PIN 16 PWR LED (+)
PIN 17 Speaker (GND) PIN 18 No Pin
PIN 19 Speaker (GND) PIN 20 PWR LED (-)
PIN 21 Speaker (Driver) PIN 22 No Connection

PIN 23 No Pin

(9). FPIO2 Header: Front Panel Input/Output Signals Header

FPIO1

PIN 24 No Connection

You’ll see this header on AT7/AT7E motherboard.
This header is designed to connect the ABIT Media
XP product. This header can provide the analog
audio output signals for front right and front left
channel. It also provides one digital S/PDIF output
connector.

Note: Watching the pin position and the orientation

No Pin

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

(10). WOR1: Wake On Ring Header

If you have an internal modem adapter that supports
this feature, then you can connect the specific cable
from the internal modem adapter to this header. This
feature lets you wake up your computer via remote
control through the modem.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

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(11). WOL1: Wake on LAN Header

If you have a network adapter that supports this
feature, then you can connect the specific cable from
the network adapter to this header. This feature lets
you wake up your computer via remote control
through a local area network. You may need a
specific utility to control the wake up event, like
using the PCnet Magic Packet utility or other similar
utilities.

There are three types of WOL, “Remote Wake-Up

high (RWU-high)”, “Remote Wake-Up low
(RWU-low)”, and “Power Management Event
(PME)”. This motherboard supports the type of
“Remote Wake-Up low (RWU-low)” only.

Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

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(12). CD1 and AUX1 Headers: CD Audio and Auxiliary audio signal input headers

These connectors connect to the audio output of
internal CD-ROM drive or add-on card.

(13). FDC1 Connector

A red mark on a wire typically designates the location of pin 1. You need to align the wire pin 1 to the
FDC1 connector pin 1, then insert the wire connector into the FDC1 connector.

(14). IDE1, IDE2, IDE3, IDE4, IDE5 and IDE6 Connectors

This motherboard provides two IDE ports (IDE1 & IDE2) to connect up to four IDE devices in Ultra
DMA 133 mode by Ultra DMA 66 ribbon cables. Each cable has 40-pin 80-conductor and three
connectors, providing two hard drive connections with the motherboard. Connect the single end (blue
connector) at the longer length of ribbon cable to the IDE port on motherboard, and the other two ends
(gray and black connector) at the shorter length of the ribbon cable to the connectors on hard drives.

AT7’s built-in HighPoint HPT 374 chipset gives you the capability to support Ultra DMA 133. It
provides four IDE channels (IDE3, IDE4, IDE5 & IDE6) that also support Ultra DMA 133 specifications,
and it allows for eight additional IDE devices in your computer system. Especially, if you want to connect

This 34-pin connector is called the “floppy disk
drive connector”. You can connect a 360K, 5.25”,

1.2M, 5.25”, 720K, 3.5’’, 1.44M, 3.5” or 2.88M,

3.5” floppy disk drive.

A floppy disk drive ribbon cable has 34 wires and
two connectors to provide the connection of two
floppy disk drives. After connecting the single end
to the FDD1, connect the two connectors on the
other end to the floppy disk drives. In general,
people only install one floppy disk drive on their
computer system.

Note

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

two or four HDDs to get RAID functions, it is very convenient for you to install the HDDs to IDE3, IDE4,
IDE5 or IDE6. See the Chapter 4 for detailed information about RAID settings. (For AT7 Full Version
Only)

If you want to connect two hard drives together
through one IDE channel, you must configure the
second drive to Slave mode after the first Master
drive. Please refer to the HDD documentation for
jumper settings. The first drive connected to IDE1 is
usually referred to as “Primary Master”, and the
second drive as “Primary Slave”. The first drive
connected to IDE2 is referred to as “Secondary

Master” and the second drive as “Secondary
Slave”.

Keep away from connecting one legacy slow speed
device, like CD-ROM, together with another hard
drive on the same IDE channel, this will decrease
your integral system performance.

Figure 2-8. Ultra DMA 66
Ribbon Cable Outline

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Note

! The Master or Slave status of the hard disk drive is set on the hard disk itself. Please refer to the

hard disk drive user’s manual.

! To connect Ultra DMA 100 & Ultra DMA 133 devices on IDE1 to IDE6, an Ultra DMA 66 cable

is required.

! A red mark on a wire typically designates the location of pin 1. You need to align the wire pin 1 to

the IDE connector pin 1, before inserting the wire connector into the IDE connector.

! HPT 374 IDE controller is designed to support high-speed and high performance mass storage

devices. Thus, we suggest that you don’t connect non-disk devices that use ATA/ATAPI
interfaces, such as a CD-ROM, to HPT 374 IDE connector (IDE3 ~ IDE6). (AT7 Full Version

Only)

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Figure 2-9. AT7 back panel connectors

Figure 2-9 shows the AT7 back panel connectors, these connectors are for connection to outside devices
to the motherboard. We will describe which devices will attach to these connectors below.

(15). USB Ports Connectors

This motherboard provides six USB ports (on back panel of motherboard). Four are complient with USB

1.1 specifications, and two are complient with USB 2.0 specification. Attach the USB cable connector
from the individual device to these connectors.

You can attach USB devices such as a, keyboard, mouse, printer, portable HDD, scanner, digital speakers,
monitor, hub, digital camera, joystick etc. to one of each USB connector. You must make sure your
operating system supports this feature and you may need to install an additional driver for individual
devices. Please refer to your device user’s manual for detailed information.

Note

Please use the special USB cable designed for USB 2.0 specifications. Otherwise, it may cause not
stable or signal error situation.

(16). IEEE 1394 Ports (For AT7 Full Version Only)

These two ports supports IEEE 1394 specifications. Attach the IEEE 1394 cable connector from the
individual device to these connectors.

The IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus provides enhanced PC connectivity for consumer electronics
audio/video (A/V) appliances, storage peripherals, other PCs, and portable devices. Such as DV recoder,
DVD recording, etc.

IEEE 1394 provides a Plug and Play-compatible expansion interface for the PC. The 100 Mbps, 200
Mbps and 400 Mbps transfer rates currently specified in IEEE 1394.a and the enhancements in
IEEE 1394.b are well suited to multi-streaming I/O requirements. The Microsoft

®

Windows® operating

system offers strong built-in support for IEEE 1394.

(17). OPT2：S/PDIF-Out Connector

This connector can let you using the optical cable to connection the device, and transfer the digital data
through it. You can connect this signal to the digital decoder to decode and transfer the digital signal to
the analog signal.

AT7/AT7E

Installing the Motherboard

(18). Audio1 and Audio2 Connectors

Audio1 and Audio2 connectors are audio connectors for analog audio signal in or out.

Mic In Connector: You can connect the plug from the microphone to this connector. Do not connect
other audio (or signal) sources to this connector.

Line In Connector: You can connect the TV adapter audio output signal, or external audio sources, like
a CD walkman, video camcorder, VHS recorder audio output signal plug to this connector. Your audio
software can control the input level for the line-in signal.

Front Right + Left Channel Connector: You can connect the plug from the front channel speakers or
front channel amplifier to this connector. Please make sure you are connect to the front channel speakers
or front channel amplifier correctly, otherwise you may get the wrong sound positioning.

Rear Right + Left Channel Connector: You can connect the plug from the rear channel speakers or rear
channel amplifier to this connector. Please make sure you are connect to the rear channel speakers or rear
channel amplifier correctly, otherwise you may get the wrong sound positioning.

Center + Subwoofer Channel Connector: You can connect the plug from the center/subwoofer channel
speakers or center/subwoofer channel amplifier to this connector. Please make sure you are connect to the
center/subwoofer channel speakers or center/subwoofer channel amplifier correctly, otherwise you may
get the wrong sound positioning.

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(19). 10/100 Mb LAN Port Connector

This motherboard provides one built-in 10/100 Mb LAN port, this jack is for connecting the RJ-45 cable
from the local area network hub to your computer. We suggest you use the category 5 UPT (Unshielded
Twisted Pair) or STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cable to make this connection. The connection length from
the hub to the computer is best to be kept under 100 meter.

The green LED shows the connection situation. If the network active well, this LED will light on. The
yellow LED shows if the data is active or not. If the computer is translating or receiving data from the
network, this LED will flicker.

This chapter contains many color drawing diagram and photos, we strongly recommend you to read
this chapter use the PDF file we gave you that store in the CD-Title. It will provide you the better look
and clearly color identify.

Note

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AT7/AT7E