ASUS A7N8X-VM-400 User Manual

A7N8X-VM 400

User Manual

Motherboard

Checklist

E1543 First Edition

February 2004

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

Contents

Contents ......................................................................................... iii

Notices ............................................................................................v

Safety information ..........................................................................vi

ASUS contact information ............................................................ viii

A7N8X-VM 400 specifications summary ........................................ix

Chapter 1 - Motherboard Info ........................................... 1-1

1.1 Welcome! ........................................................................... 1-2

1.2 Package contents............................................................... 1-2

1.3 Special features.................................................................. 1-2

1.4 Motherboard components .................................................. 1-3

1.5 Motherboard layout ............................................................ 1-6

1.6 Before you proceed ............................................................ 1-7

Features

1.7 Central Processing Unit (CPU)........................................... 1-7

1.8 System memory ................................................................. 1-8

Installing a DIMM................................................................ 1-8

1.9 Expansion slots .................................................................. 1-8

1.9.1 Configuring an expansion card .............................. 1-8

1.9.2 Standard Interrupt Assignments ............................ 1-9

1.9.3 AGP slot............................................................... 1-10

1.9.4 PCI slots .............................................................. 1-10

1.10 Jumpers.............................................................................1-11

1.11 Connectors ....................................................................... 1-13

Chapter 2 - BIOS Information ........................................... 2-1

2.1 Managing and Updating your BIOS.................................... 2-2

2.1.1 Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS ...................... 2-2

2.2 BIOS Setup program .......................................................... 2-3

2.2.1 BIOS menu bar ...................................................... 2-3

2.2.2 Legend bar............................................................. 2-4

2.3 Main Menu.......................................................................... 2-5

2.3.1 Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave ............ 2-6

2.3.2 System Information ................................................ 2-7

iii

Safeguards

Contents

2.4 Advanced Menu ................................................................. 2-8

2.4.1 Chipset................................................................... 2-8

2.4.2 Onboard Devices Configuration............................. 2-9

2.4.3 PCIPnP .................................................................2-11

2.5 Power Menu ..................................................................... 2-12

2.5.1 Power Up Control ................................................ 2-13

2.5.2 Hardware Monitor ................................................ 2-14

2.6 Boot Menu ........................................................................ 2-15

2.6.1 Boot Settings Configuration ................................. 2-15

2.6.2 Security ................................................................ 2-17

2.7 Exit Menu ......................................................................... 2-20

Chapter 3 - Software support ........................................... 3-1

3.1 Installing an operating system............................................ 3-2

3.2 Support CD information...................................................... 3-2

3.2.1 Running the support CD ........................................ 3-2

3.2.3 Utilities menu ......................................................... 3-3

3.2.2 Drivers menu ......................................................... 3-3

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. 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 tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Safety information

Electrical safety

• To 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 power cables from the existing system before you add a device.

• Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all power cables are unplugged.

• Seek professional assistance before using an adpater or extension cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.

• Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using, contact your local power company.

• If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

• Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals that came with the package.

• Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.

• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.

• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in any area where it may become wet.

• Place the product on a stable surface.

• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified service technician or your retailer.

Conventions used in this guide

To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual.

WARNING/DANGER: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task.

CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to complete a task.

IMPORTANT: Information that you MUST follow to complete a task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to aid in completing a task.

Where to find more information

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates.

1. ASUS Websites

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

Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the standard package.

vii

ASUS contact information

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Address 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112 Telephone +886-2-2894-3447 Web site www.asus.com.tw

Technical Support

Telephone(MB/Component) +886-2-2890-7121 (English) (Notebook) +886-2-2890-7122 (English) (Server/PC) +886-2-2890-7123 (English) (Networking) +886-2-2890-7902 (English) Support fax +886-2-2890-7698

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Address 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA Fax +1-510-608-4555 E-mail tmd1@asus.com Web site usa.asus.com

Technical Support

Telephone (General) +1-502-995-0883 (Notebook) +1-510-739-3777 Support fax +1-502-933-8713 Support e-mail tsd@asus.com

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)

Address Harkort Str. 25, D-40880 Ratingen, Germany Telephone +49-2102-95990 Fax +49-2102-959911 Online contact www.asuscom.de/sales

Technical Support

Telephone +49-2102-95990 Fax +49-2102-959911 Online support www.asuscom.de/support Web site www.asuscom.de/news

ASUS COMPUTER (Middle East and North Africa)

Address P.O. Box 64133, Dubai, U.A.E. Telephone +9714-283-1774 Fax +9714-283-1775 Web site www.ASUSarabia.com

viii

A7N8X-VM 400 specifications summary

CPU

Chipset

Front Side Bus (FSB) Memory

Expansion slots

IDE Graphics

Audio LAN IEEE 1394 (optional) Hardware Monitoring

Socket A Type 462 for AMD Athlon™/Athlon™ XP CPUs 400/333/266 MHz FSB Support

NVIDIA NVIDIA® nForce2 MCP2 (MCP2-T optional) South bridge

400/333/266 Mhz 2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM Sockets

Maximum 2 GB unbuffered PC2700/2100 non-ECC DDR RAM memory.

3 x PCI 1 x AGP 8X (1.5V only)

2 x UltraATA 133/100/66/33 Integrated nForce 2 with TV-out

Supports UMA Mode Realtek ALC650 6CH Audio CODEC linked w/ South Bridge Realtek 8201BL PHY 10/100 Mbps Agere FW802C PHY supports up to 400Mbps data transfers Super I/O integrated monitoring of CPU/chassis fan rotation

and MB/CPU temperature

nForce2 IGP North bridge controller

Special Features Back Panel I/O Ports

Internal I/O Connectors

S/PDIF in/out support 1 x Parallel

1 x Serial 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x RJ45 port 1 x Audio I/O 1 x VGA port 2 x USB 2.0/1.1

2 x USB connectors support additional 4 USB 2.0/1.1 ports CPU/chassis FAN connectors Chassis intrusion connector 20-pin ATX power connector PANEL connector CD / AUX connectors S/PDIF in/out connector GAME/MIDI connector TV out connector Serial connector Front panel audio connector

(continued on the next page)

A7N8X-VM 400 specifications summary

BIOS features

Industry standard Manageability Support CD contents

Accessories

Form Factor

* Specifications are subject to change without notice.

4Mb Flash EEPROM, AMI BIOS, ACPI 2.0, DMI, Green, PnP, TCAV, SMBIOS 2.3

PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.1 DMI 2.0, WOL, WOR, WO_USB, WO_KB/MS, SM Bus Device drivers

ASUS PC Probe ASUS Update ASUS Screen Saver Adobe Acrobat Reader Trend Microtm PC-cillin anti-virus software

User Guide ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 series support CD 40-pin ribbon cable for UltraATA 133/100/66/33 IDE drives FDD cable I/O shield

Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in

Chapter 1

This chapter describes the features of the A7N8X-VM 400 motherboard. It includes brief descriptions of the motherboard components, and illustrations of the layout, jumper settings, and connectors.

Product introduction

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying the ASUS® A7N8X-VM 400 motherboard!

The ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 motherboard is loaded with the most advanced technologies to deliver maximum performance for socket A processors. This motherboard is packed with value-added features for guaranteed consumer satisfaction. The following sections provide technical information about the motherboard important for future upgrades or system reconfiguration.

Before you start installing the motherboard and hardware devices on it, check the items in your package with the list below.

1.2 Package contents

Check your ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 package for the following items.

ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 motherboard Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in

ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 series support CD 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon cable for UltraATA 133/100/66/33 IDE drives Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive Bag of extra jumper caps I/O shield User’s Manual

1.3 Special features

Latest processor technology

The motherboard supports the latest AMD Athlon™/AMD Athlon™ XP processors via a surface mounted 462-pin socket. With up to 400Mhz front side bus frequency, you can be assured of an efficient and reliable computing performance.

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard supports the new Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 specification, extending the connection speed from 12 Mbps on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. The higher bandwidth of USB 2.0 allows connection of devices such as high resolution video conferencing cameras, next generation scanners and printers, and fast storage units. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1.

6-channel digital audio

The Realtek ALC650 Audio CODEC provides 6-channel audio playback for 5.1 surround sound, over 90dB dynamic range.

1-2

Chapter 1: Product Information

1.4 Motherboard components

1918

34 72 6

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.

16 15

9 811

20 21

ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 Motherboard

25 24

1-3

Onboard LED. This onboard LED lights up if there is a standby power on

the motherboard. This LED acts as a reminder to turn off the system power before plugging or unplugging devices.

ATX power connector. This standard 20-pin connector connects to an

ATX 12V power supply. The power supply must have at least 1A on the +5V standby lead (+5VSB).

CPU Socket. Socket 462 (Socket A) Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket for

the AMD Athlon™/AMD Athlon XP™ processors.

NorthBridge Controller. The NVIDIA

nForce2™ IGP North Bridge controller chipset. The controller supports a 64/128bit DDR memory controller and up to 2 GB of 333/266/200MHz DDR memory.

DDR DIMM Sockets. Equipped with two Double Data Rate Dual Inline

Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 2GB of DDR DRAM, the newest memory standard with the highest bandwidth and lowest latency currently available. This memory technology supplies data transfer rates up to 5.4GB/s for 333MHz DDR SDRAM.

IDE Connectors. These dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support

up to four Ultra ATA133/100/66/33, PIO Modes 0-4 IDE devices. Both the primary(blue) and secondary(black) connectors are slotted to prevent incorrect insertion of the IDE ribbon cable.

Floppy Disk connector. This connector connects the provided ribbon

cable for the floppy disk drive. One side of the connector is slotted to prevent incorrect insertion of the floppy disk cable.

Flash EEPROM. This 4Mb ISA chip contains the programmable BIOS program.

Super I/O chipset. ITE IT8712F-A offers support for a variety of I/O functions. Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities. UART2 can also be directed from COM2 to the Infrared Module for wireless connections. The Super I/O controller supports a floppy disk drive, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse.

South bridge controller. Features the brand new NVIDIA

MCP2

(MCP2-T optional) integrated peripheral South Bridge controller operates at 800MB/sec to communicate with the North Bridge for maximum bandwith required for PCI, USB and support for Fast Ethernet devices. The controller supports standard UltraATA 133/100/66/33 and separate data paths for each IDE channel are built-in for up to two IDE devices. The controller supports six USB ports, one LAN port and is PCI rev2.2 compliant.

1-4

AGP Slot. This Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot only supports 1.5V

AGP 8X/4X mode graphics cards for 3D graphical applications.

Chapter 1: Product Information

System Buzzer. The system buzzer allows you to hear system warning

beeps when a PC speaker is not available.

17 18

Audio CODEC. The Realtek ALC650 6-channel Audio CODEC is an

AC’97 compliant audio CODEC designed for PC multimedia systems. PCI slots. These 32-bit PCI 2.2 expansion slots support bus master PCI

cards like SCSI or LAN cards with 133MB/s maximum output. LAN chip. The Realtek 8201BL PHY Fast Ethernet controller allows

connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. TV-out connector. This 6-1 pin connector is for a TV-out module

connector for an additional TV-out port.

PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a scanner, or

other devices.

RJ-45 port. Using the NVMAC

in the Southbridge controller and Realtek 8201BL PHY Fast Ethernet controller, this port allows connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub.

Line In jack. This Line In (light blue) jack connects a tape player or other audio sources.

22 23

24 25

Line Out jack. This Line Out (lime) jack connects a headphone or a

speaker.

Microphone jack. This Mic (pink) jack connects a microphone. USB 2.0/1.1 ports. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus 2.0/1.1 ports are

available for connecting USB devices such as a mouse and PDA.

VGA port. This 15-pin VGA port connects to a VGA monitor. Serial port. This port connects to your serial mouse and other serial

devices.

PS/2 keyboard port. This purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 keyboard.

ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 Motherboard

1-5

1.5 Motherboard layout

24.5cm (9.6in)

PS/2

T: Mouse B: Keyboard

Socket 462

CPU_FAN1

COM1

VGA

Bottom:

USB1

RJ-45

USB2

Top:Line In Center:Line Out Below:Mic In

FPAUDIO

Audio

Codec

PARALLEL PORT

USBPW12

Top:

AUX1

PWR_LED1

USBPW34

USB34

ATX Power Connector

Realtek

RTL8201

CD1

SPDIF1

U46

nVidia

nForce2

IGP

CHA_FAN

A7N8X-VM

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP8X1)

PCI 1

PCI 2

PCI 3

BUZZER1

nVidia

MCP

FLOPPY1

DDR DIMM2 (64/128 bit, 184-pin module)

DDR DIMM3 (64/128 bit, 184-pin module)

PRI_IDE

COM2

GAME1

SEC_IDE

CR2032 3V Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

4Mb

BIOS

PANEL1

Super

CHASSIS1

USBPW56

USB56

I/O

CLRTC1

24.5cm (9.6in)

1-6

Chapter 1: Product Information

1.6 Before you proceed

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.

1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component.

2. Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity.

3. Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.

4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.

5. Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the

ATX power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply. Failure to do so may cause

severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

1.7 Central 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 A7N8X-VM 400 supports AMD Athlon™/AMD Athlon™ XP processors with “QuantiSpeed” data processing, large data caches, 3D enhancements and 400/333/ 266Mhz bus speeds.

CPU NOTCH TO INNER CORNER

LOCK

A7N8X-VM 400

AMD™ CPU

A7N8X-VM 400 Socket 462

Each AMD CPU has a “marked” corner. This corner is usually indicated with a notch, and/or a golden square or triangle. Refer to this indicator while orienting the CPU. A fan and heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating.

LEVER

CPU NOTCH

ASUS A7N8X-VM 400 Motherboard

1-7

1.8 System memory

The motherboard has two Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMM sockets that supports up to 2GB non-ECC PC2700/2100 DDR DIMMs.

104 Pin

A7N8X-VM 400

80 Pins

A7N8X-VM 400 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets

A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction. DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.

Installing a DIMM

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.

2. Align a DIMM on the socket. Make sure the notches on the DIMM exactly match the notches in the socket.

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips lock into place.

1.9 Expansion slots

The A7N8X-VM 400 motherboard has three (3) PCI and one (1) Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) expansion slots. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support.

1.9.1 Configuring an expansion card

Some expansion cards need an IRQ to operate. Generally, an IRQ must be exclusively assigned to one function at a time. In a standard design configuration, 16 IRQs are available but most are already in use.

Normally, 6 IRQs are free for expansion cards. Sometimes IRQs are “shared” by more than one function; in this case, IRQ assignments are swapped automatically or adjusted through the BIOS firmware.

1-8

Chapter 1: Product Information

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