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.
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.
The product name and revision number are both printed on the product itself. Manual revisions
are released for each product design represented by the digit before and after the period of
the manual revision number. Manual updates are represented by the third digit in the manual
revision number.
For previous or updated manuals, BIOS, drivers, or product release information, contact
ASUS at: http://www.asus.com or through any of the means indicated on the following page.
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.
ii
About this guide
This user manual contains complete information for installing the ASUS
A7S333 motherboard.
How this guide is organized
•Chapter 1: Product introduction. A summary of product features and
special attributes of new technologies.
•Chapter 2: Hardware information. A list of hardware setup procedures
and descriptions of all jumpers and connectors on the motherboard.
•Chapter 3: Powering up. Describes the power up sequence with
information on BIOS beep codes.
•Chapter 4: BIOS setup. How to change system settings using onboard
BIOS firmware. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are supplied.
•Chapter 5: Software support. A summary of contents on the
motherboard support CD ROM.
•Appendix and Glossary . Optional components and technical definitions.
•Index
Conventions used in this guide
Features
T o make sure that you perform set-up tasks properly , take note of the following
symbols used throughout this manual.
WARNING!Information to prevent injury to yourself.
CAUTION! Information to prevent damage to the components.
IMPORTANT!Information that you MUST follow to complete a task.
NOTE!T ips and helpful information.
iii
Contents
Safeguards
About this guide .............................................................................. iii
How this guide is organized.................................................... iii
Conventions used in this guide............................................... iii
Safety information ...........................................................................vi
FCC/CDC statements .................................................................... vii
ASUS contact information ............................................................. viii
Index ...................................................................................... 101
v
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. 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 voltage available in your
area.
•If the power supply is broken, contact a qualified service technician or your
retailer.
Operational safety
•Before installing the motherboard and adding new devices, carefully read
all the manuals that came with the package.
•Before use ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables
are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact the 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.
•Mount the motherboard inside a standard PC enclosure.
•If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified
service technician or the dealer.
vi
FCC/CDC statements
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference, and
•This device must accept any interference received including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment 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.
Tel (English):+886-2-2890-7123
Tel (Chinese):+886-2-2890-7113
Fax:+886-2-2890-7698
Email:tsd@asus.com.tw
Newsgroup:cscnews.asus.com.tw
WWW:www.asus.com.tw
FTP:ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)
Marketing
Address:6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2
Newark, CA 94560, USA
Fax:+1-510-608-4555
Email:info-usa@asus.com.tw
Notebook: +49-2102-9599-10
Fax:+49-2102-9599-11
Support (Email):www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
WWW:www.asuscom.de
FTP:ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM
viii
Chapter 1
Product introduction
ASUS A7S333 motherboard
Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS® A7S333 motherboard!
The A7S333 is powered by AMD
and supplies advanced features to ensure long-lasting, superlative
®
performance. The ASUS
PCs and workstations.
~ ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
~ Up to 3GB of system memory of the latest DDR SDRAM
~ High-resolution graphics via an AGP 4X slot
~ Digital Audio Interface for 3D sound
~ 6 USB ports
~ UltraDMA 100 data rates
The A7S333 is the perfect vehicle to get ahead in the world of power
computing!
A7S333 motherboard is the prime choice for home
®
Athlon™, Athlon™ XP and Duron™ processors
1.1Package contents
Check your A7S333 package for the following items.
ASUS A7S333 motherboard (ATX form factor: 12 in x 8.6 in)
ASUS A7S333 support CD
ASUS 2-port USB module
80-conductor ribbon cable for UltraDMA66/100 IDE drives
40-conductor IDE cable
Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
1
1.2
Core Specifications
The A7S333 motherboard is designed and assembled according to the highest
standards. This ASUS motherboard represents the latest advances and
offers users the finest componentry available today...
®
AMD
SiS
Athlon™ XP, Athlon™ and Duron Socket A (462) Processor
®
745 Chipset: supports AGP 4X/2X mode, 133/100MHz Front Side Bus,
®
and the fastest 333/266/200MHz memory bus. The SiS
745 integrated
peripheral controller supports UltraDMA/100/66/33 for burst mode data
transfer rates of up to 100MB/sec, and USB controller with three root
hubs for six USB ports.
PC 2700 / 2100 / PC1600 DDR Support: Equipped with three Double Data
Rate Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to
3GB of DDR SDRAM, the newest memory standard with the highest
bandwidth and lowest latency currently available. This new memory
technology increases performance by executing two actions per clock
cycle, resulting in data transfer rates of up to 2.7 GB/s for 166MHz DDR,
2.1 GB/s for 133MHz DDR and 1.6GB/s for 100MHz DDR SDRAM.
UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE
controller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two
channels. Supports UltraDMA100/66/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4, Bus Master
IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD-ROM, CDROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.
Multi-I/O Chipset: Offers complete 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.
Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware enables CPU/DDR SDRAM frequency
adjustments, boot block write protection, and HD/SCSI/MO/ZIP/CD/Floppy
boot selection.
Expansion: One AGP 4X, six USB ports, five PCI slots, AMR slot (Optional),
SPDIF digital audio connector , 1394 header (Optional), game connector,
iPanel connector, front audio panel connector, smart card connector,
infrared port.
Microphone, Line In Jack, Line Out Jack, Standard ATX power.
2
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3Special Features
Easy Overclocking
™
•Quickly adjust CPU frequency multiples with BIOS in JumperFree
•Adjustable FSB/MEM/PCI frequency ratio
•Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS) for fine-tuning system bus frequency
from at 1MHz increments
•Alternatively, easy-to-use DIP switches permit manual adjustment of the
processor external/internal frequency settings.
Mode
ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection): With AMD
®
Athlon XP
™
installed, the motherboard offers automatic CPU Overheating Protection
to prolong the life of the entire system. If the CPU temperature exceeds
the set criteria, the PC shuts down automatically.
T emperature, Fan and V oltage Monitoring: CPU temperature is monitored
by the ASIC through the CPU’s internal thermal diode to prevent
overheating and damage. The CPU and system fans can be monitored
for RPM and failure. System voltage levels are monitored to ensure
stable voltage to critical motherboard components.
ACPI Ready:Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more
Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct
Power Management (OSPM).
Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI
master busses to the memory and processor.
Auto Fan Off: The system fans powers off automatically even in sleep mode.
Dual Function Power Button: Push the power button for less than 4 seconds
when the system is operating places the system into sleep or soft-off
modes, depending on the BIOS or OS setting. If the power button is
pressed for more than 4 seconds, the system enters the soft-off mode
regardless of the BIOS setting.
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
3
1.4
Motherboard Components
Before installing the A7S333 motherboard, take time to familiarize yourself
with its configuration: understanding the motherboard makes upgrading easy .
Sufficient knowledge of specifications prevents accidental damage.
The A7S333 uses the A TX form factor , measuring 21.9 cm (8.6 in.) x 30.5 cm
(12 in.) - a standard fit for most large chassis.
WARNING! Unplug the power cord before installing the motherboard.
Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard
components.
2.1.1Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, take care to orient the chassis correctly:
The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis. Refer to the
image below. It may be more convenient to install major cables, the CPU
and modular components before fixing the motherboard inside the case frame.
2.1.2Screw holes
Place six (6) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the
motherboard to the chassis.
CAUTION! Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so may damage the
motherboard.
Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
7
24cm (9.4in)
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
USB
T: USB1
B: USB2
COM1
COM2
GAME_AUDIO
FP_LINE_IN
FP_AUDIO
KBPWR
USBPWR_12
PARALLEL PORT
Line
Out
Line
In
Mic
In
BCS1
BCS2
FP_LO_SWR
FP_LO_SWL
C-Media
CMI8738 6CH
AUDIO_EN
SPDIF
Super
I/O
CDAUX
MODEM
A7S333
Audio Controller
CPU_FAN
SiS
745
Chipset
Accelerated Graphics Port
PCI1
PCI2
PCI3
SMARTCON
PCI4
AGP
®
Socket 462
DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
0 1
PRI_IDE
SEC_IDE
LED
FLOPPY
PWR_FAN
DDR DIMM3 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
DDR DIMM2 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
4 5
2 3
SMB
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
ATX Power Connector
DSW
CHA_FAN
CLRTC
30.5cm (12.0in)
JEN
2Mbit
Firmware
Hub
AMR
PCI5
USBPWR_56
USB_56
RTL8801
USBPWR_34
USB_34
IEEE1394_3
IEEE1394_2
IEEE1394_1
PANEL
IDELED
AFPANEL
Optional components are grayed in the above motherboard layout.
8
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.2.1Layout contents
CPU, Memory and Expansion Slots
1)Socket 462p. 12 CPU Support
2)DIMM 1/2/3p. 14 System Memory Support
3)PCI 1/2/3/4/5p. 19 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard
components or change any motherboard settings.
CAUTION!
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 and do not to touch 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
A TX 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.
NOTE! When lit, the onboard LED indicates that the system is ON, in
sleep mode or in soft-off mode, not powered OFF. See the illustration
below.
SB_PWR
®
A7S333
ON
Standby
Power
A7S333 Onboard LED
OFF
Powered
Off
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
11
2.4Central Processing Unit (CPU)
2.4.1Overview
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 A7S333 supports Athlon
“QuantiSpeed” data processing, large data caches, 3D enhancements and
266Mhz bus speeds.
AMD™ CPU
®
A7S333
XP processors with
CPU NOTCH
TO INNER
CORNER
CPU NOTCH
A7S333 Socket A
LEVER
LOCK
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. See the next section for installation details.
A fan and heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating.
12
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.4.2Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU:
1.Locate the Socket 462 and open it by
pulling the lever gently sideways away
from the socket. Then lift the lever
upwards. The socket lever must be fully
opened (90 to 100 degrees).
2. Insert the CPU with the correct
orientation. The notched or goldencorner of the CPU must be oriented
toward the inner corner of the socket
base nearest to the lever hinge.
CAUTION! The CPU should drop easily into place. Do not force the
CPU into the socket to avoid bending the pins. If the CPU does not fit,
check its alignment and look for bent pins.
4.Once completely inserted, press the CPU firmly and close the socket
lever until it snaps shut.
5.Place the CPU fan and heatsink on the CPU. The heatsink should entirely
cover the CPU. Carefully attach the heatsink locking brace to the plastic
clips on the socket base. With the added weight of the CPU fan and
heatsink locking brace, no extra force is required to keep the CPU in
place
CAUTION! Take care not to scrape the motherboard surface when
mounting a clamp-style processor fan, or else damage may occur . When
mounting a heatsink onto your CPU, make sure that exposed CPU
capacitors do not touch the heatsink, or damage may occur!
NOTE! Do not neglect to set the correct Bus Frequency and leave the
CPU Multiple setting at default to avoid start-up problems.
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
13
2.5System memory
2.5.1Overview
This motherboard uses only Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous Dynamic
Random Access Memory (SDRAM) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs).
These sockets support up to 3GB system memory using non-ECC , unbuffered
PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 DIMMs.
Each DIMM socket/module is two-sided: each side defines one “row” of
memory. DIMMs come in combinations of single or double-sided types
ranging through 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB to form a total
memory size of 64MB to 3GB.
~ Three (3) sockets are available for both 266MHz-PC2100 or 200MHzPC1600 DDR DIMMs to form a memory size of 64MB to 3GB. Only two (2)
DIMMs will support 333MHz-PC2700; if more than two 333MHz DIMMs are
installed, the system automatically reverts to a maximum speed of 266MHz.
®
A7S333
A7S333 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets
CAUTION! DIMMs are keyed to fit into notches with only one direction.
DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.
•DIMMs with more than 18 chips are not supported.
•ASUS motherboards support SPD (Serial Presence Detect)DIMMs.
This is the memory of choice for best performance vs. stability
•BIOS shows DDR SDRAM memory on bootup screen.
•This motherboard supports three pairs of differential clock signals
per DIMM.
80 Pins
104 Pins
14
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.5.2Memory configurations
Install DIMMs in any of the following combinations.
Use only the tested and qualified PC2700 - DDR333 DIMMs listed
above. Other DDR DIMMs manufactured by other vendors may not be
suitable for this motherboard. Visit the ASUS website for the latest
qualified DDR module list.
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
15
2.5.4Installing a DIMM
CAUTION! Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or
removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so may cause
severe damage to both the motherboard and the components.
Installing a DIMM:
1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.
2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notches on the DIMM exactly
match the notches in the socket.
3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back
in place.
16
Unlocked Retaining ClipLocked Retaining Clip
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.6Expansion slots
The motherboard has five PCI slots and one Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
slot and oen AMR slot. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the
expansion cards that they support.
WARNING! Unplug your power supply when adding or removing
expansion cards or other system components. Failure to do so may cause
you physical injury and damage motherboard components.
2.6.1Installing an expansion card
Follow these steps to install an expansion
card.
1. Before installing the expansion card, read
the documentation that came with it and
make the necessary hardware settings.
2. Remove the system unit cover (if your
motherboard is already installed in a
chassis).
3. Remove the bracket opposite the PCI slot.
Keep the screw for later use.
4. Align the card connector with the slot and
press firmly until the card is completely
seated on the slot.
5. Secure the card to the chassis with the
screw you removed earlier.
6. Replace the system cover.
7. Set up the BIOS if necessary.
8. Install the necessary software drivers for your expansion card.
2.6.2Configuring 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. If the motherboard has PCI audio
onboard, an additional IRQ will be used. If your motherboard also has MIDI
enabled, another IRQ will be used, leaving 4 IRQs free. Sometimes IRQs
are “shared” by more than one function; in this case, IRQ assignments are
swapped automatically or adjusted through the BIOS firmware.
ASUS A7S333 motherboard user guide
17
IMPORTANT! When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the
drivers support “Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ
assignments. Otherwise, conflicts will arise between the two PCI groups,
making the system unstable and the card inoperative.
Standard Interrupt Assignments
IRQPriorityStandard Function
01System Timer
12Keyboard Controller
2N/AProgrammable Interrupt
3*11Communications Port (COM2)
4*12Communications Port (COM1)
5*13Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)
614Floppy Disk Controller
7*15Printer Port (LPT1)
83System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9*4ACPI Mode when used
10*5IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11*6IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12*7PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
138Numeric Data Processor
14*9Primary IDE Channel
15*10Secondary IDE Channel
*These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
Interrupt Request Table for this Motherboard
This table lists the default IRQ assignments fo rthis motherboard.