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.
ii
Contents
Notices ........................................................................................... vi
Safety information ......................................................................... vii
About this guide............................................................................ viii
3.3ASUS Instant Music Lite..................................................... 3-5
v
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.
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.
Where to find more information
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and
software updates.
1.ASUS Websites
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and
software products. The ASUS websites are listed in the ASUS Contact
Information on the inside front cover.
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.
vi
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.
vii
About this guide
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: 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.
Typography
Bold textIndicates a menu or an item to select.
ItalicsUsed to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key>Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign
indicates that you must press the enclosed key.
Example: <Enter> indicates that you must press the
Enter or Return key.
<Multiple key names>If you must press two or more keys simultaneously,
the key names are linked with a plus sign (+).
Example: <Ctrl+Alt+D>
CommandMeans that you must enter the command exactly as
shown then supply the appropriate values that
appear in brackets. Example:
At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /i[filename]
viii
In this example, you must supply a filename for
[filename].
afudos /iA7V880.ROM
A7V880 specifications summary
CPU
Chipset
Front Side Bus
Memory
Expansion slots
Storage
Audio
Socket A for AMD Athlon™ XP processor
Supports AMD Thoroughbred/Barton core
4 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 4GB unbuffered
non-ECC PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 SDRAM
memory
1 x AGP 8X
5 x PCI
1 x ASUS proprietary WiFi slot for wireless LAN upgrade
2 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 connectors
2 x Serial ATA with RAID 0, RAID 1
ADI AD1888 SoundMAX
Supports S/PDIF-out interface
®
6-channel audio Codec
LAN
USB
Overclocking
Features
Special features
®
Marvell
Maximum of eight USB 2.0 ports
CPU and memory voltage adjustable
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection) at 1 MHz increment
Adjustable FSB/DDR ratio
ASUS JumperFree
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS AI NET
ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS MyLogo™
ASUS Instant Music Lite
ASUS Q-Fan
Wake on Ring, LAN, USB, Keyboad and Mouse
STR (Suspend-to-RAM)
STD (Suspend-to-Disk)
88E8001 Gigabit LAN controller with Virtual Cable
Tester™ (VCT) Net-diagnosing utility
(continued on the next page)
ix
A7V880 specifications summary
Back panel I/O
Internal I/O
BIOS features
1 x Parallel port
1 x Serial port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x S/PDIF out
1 x RJ-45 port
Line In/Line Out/Microphone ports
2 x USB 2.0 connector for 4 additional USB ports
CPU/Chassis fan connectors
20-pin/4-pin ATX 12V power connectors
CD/AUX connectors
S/PDIF out connector
GAME/MIDI connector
Audio Line In/Out/Mic connectors
Front Panel connector
Chassis intrusion connector
4Mb Flash EEPROM, Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,
SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI, ASUS EZ Flash, CrashFree BIOS 2,
C.P.R., MyLogo™
Industry standard
Manageability
Power Requirement
Form Factor
Support CD contents
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.1
WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME
ATX power supply
ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe
ASUS Live Update Utility
Anti-virus utility
x
Chapter 1
This chapter describes the features of the
motherboard. It includes brief descriptions of the
motherboard components, and illustrations of the
layout, jumper settings, and connectors.
Product introduction
1.1Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS® A7V880 motherboard!
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies making it
another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!
The motherboard combines the powers of the AMD Athlon™ XP processor and the
VIA KT880 chipset to set a new benchmark for an effective desktop platform
solution.
Supporting up to 4GB of system memory with PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600
DDR SDRAM, high-resolution graphics via an AGP 8X slot, Serial ATA RAID, USB
2.0, and 6-channel audio features, the motherboard takes you ahead in the world
of power computing!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the
items in your package with the list below.
1.2Package contents
Check your motherboard package for the following items.
ASUS motherboard
ASUS support CD
1 x Serial ATA 2-in-1 cable’
1 x Serial ATA power cable
1 x 2-port USB module with cable
1 x 80-conductor ribbon cable for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE drives
1 x 40-conductor IDE cable
1 x Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
I/O shield
Bag of extra jumper caps
User guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1-2
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3Special features
1.3.1Product Highlights
Latest processor technology
The motherboard supports the latest AMD Athlon™, Athlon™ XP and AMD
Duron™ processors via a 462-pin surface mount ZIF socket. The AMD Athlon™
and AMD Athlon™ XP processors features a 400Mhz front side bus and the
QuantiSpeed™ architecture for rapid execution of applications.
Serial ATA solution
The motherboard supports four interfaces compliant to the Serial ATA (SATA)
specification, an evolutionary replacement of the Parallel ATA storage interface.
The Serial ATA specification allows for thinner, more flexible cables with lower pin
count, reduced voltage requirement, up to 150 MB/s data transfer rate.
Serial A TA RAID
The motherboard provides a high-performance Serial ATA RAID controller that
enhance hard disk performance and data backup protection without the cost of
additional RAID cards. The onboard VIA VT8237 RAID controller provides an
additional two Serial ATA connectors for RAID 0 and RAID 1 functions.
AGP 8X support
AGP 8X (AGP 3.0) is the VGA interface specification that enables enhanced
graphics performance with maximum bandwidth speed of up to 2.12 GB/s.
S/PDIF out
The motherboard’s S/PDIF out function turns your computer into a high-end
entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful speaker systems.
USB 2.0 technology
The motherboard implements 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 - supporting up to eight USB 2.0 ports. 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 Audio solution
The motherboard uses an onboard audio Codec that lets you enjoy high-quality
6-channel audio without having to buy advanced sound cards.
ASUS A7V880 motherboard
1-3
1.3.2Unique ASUS features
ASUS Wi-Fi slot
The ASUS Wi-Fi slot is designed for the ASUS WiFi-b™ add-on card to set up an
environment for wireless LAN. The ASUS WiFi-b™ add-on card bundles the
exclusive software Access Point (AP) to save the extra cost of a stand-alone AP. In
addition, the card comes with user-friendly utilities and applications that allow quick
connection to notebooks, PDAs and other wireless LAN peripherals. See page
1-16.
AI NET solution
The Marvell® Gigabit LAN controller chipset is onboard to provide a single-chip
solution for LAN on Motherboard (LOM) applications. The controller integrates 32bit 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet Media Access Control (IEEE 802.3
compliant) and Physical Layer Transceiver solution to support high performance
network applications. The controller is equipped with the Virtual Cable Tester™
(VCT) net-diagnosing utility that intelligently diagnoses and reports cable faults
from a remote location up to 100 meters. This feature helps maintain a more stable
network connection.
ASUS Q-Fan technology
The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to the
system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation. See page 2-26.
CrashFree BIOS 2
This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the ASUS support
CD in case when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection
eliminates the need to buy a replacement ROM chip. See page 2-6.
ASUS MyLogo™
This feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add style to
your system with customizable boot logos. See pages 2-28.
C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
The C.P.R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automatic re-setting to the
BIOS default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking. When the
system hangs due to overclocking, C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system
chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply reboot the system and the BIOS shows
the previous setting so users can amend the CPU setting again.
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.
1-4
Chapter 1: Product introduction
ASUS EZ Flash BIOS
With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even before
loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or boot from a
floppy disk. See page 2-5.
ASUS Instant Music Lite
This unique feature allows you to playback audio files even without booting the
system to Windows™. Just press the ASUS Instant Music special function keys
and enjoy the music! See pages 2-14, 3-5
1.4Before 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.
Onboard LED
The motherboard comes with a stand-by power LED. When lit, this green LED
indicates that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode, a reminder that
you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or
plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration below shows the location
of the onboard LED.
A7V880
®
A7V880 Onboard LED
ON
Standby
Power
SB_PWR
OFF
Powered
Off
ASUS A7V880 motherboard
1-5
1.5Motherboard overview
1.5.1Motherboard layout
24.5cm (9.6in)
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
SPDIF_O
COM1
USB1
USB2
USB2.0
T: USB4
B: USB3
Top:Line In
Center:Line Out
Below:Mic In
PARALLEL PORT
Top:
RJ-45
KBPWR
USBPW12
USBPW34
OVER_VOLT1
Socket 462
VIA
KT880
Chipset
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
CPU_FAN
ATX Power Connector
DDR DIMM_A1 (64/72 bit,184-pin module)
DDR DIMM_A2 (64/72 bit,184-pin module)
DDR DIMM_B1 (64/72 bit,184-pin module)
DDR DIMM_B1 (64/72 bit,184-pin module)
PRI_IDE
SEC_IDE
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
30.5cm (12.0in)
LAN
Gigabit
Marvell
FP_AUDIO
CD
AD1888
CODEC
AUX
SPDIF_OUT
A7V880
PCI1
PCI2
VIA
VT8237
South
Bridge
SATA2
SATA1
CLRTC
PCI3
PCI4
®
PCI5
WIFI
Super
I/O
USBPW56
USBPW78
USB56
GAME
USB78
SB_PWR
CHA_FAN
2Mbit
Low Pin
Count
FLOPPY
CHASSIS
PANEL
1-6
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.5.2Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in
the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the
chassis as indicated in the image below.
1.5.3Screw holes
Place nine (9) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard
to the chassis.
Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.
Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis
ASUS A7V880 motherboard
1-7
1.6Central Processing Unit (CPU)
1.6.1Overview
The motherboard comes with a surface mount 462-pin Zero Insertion Force (ZIF)
socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ XP, AMD Athlon™ XP, AMD Duron™
processors
Take note of the marked corner (with gold
triangle) on the CPU. This mark should
match a specific corner on the socket to
ensure correct installation.
Do not use processors with core speeds of less than 1GHz on this
motherboard.
1.6.2Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU.
1.Locate the 462-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard.
Gold triangle
1-8
Chapter 1: Product introduction
2.Unlock the socket by pressing the
lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90°100° angle.
Socket lever
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise the
CPU does not fit in completely.
3.Position the CPU above the socket
such that the CPU corner with the
gold triangle matches the base of the
socket lever.
90°-100° angle
4.Carefully insert the CPU into the
socket until it fits in place.
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the
socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!
5.When the CPU is in place, push
down the socket lever to secure the
CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab
to indicate that it is locked.
Gold triangle
ASUS A7V880 motherboard
1-9
1.7System memory
1.7.1DIMM sockets location
The following figure illustrates the location of the DDR DIMM sockets.
DIMM_A1
A7V880
®
A7V880 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets
•It is recommended to use the blue DIMM slots first.
•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.
•When installing long AGP cards, it is recommended to install the memory
modules first. Long AGP cards, when installed, may interfere with the
memory sockets.
DIMM_A2
DIMM_B1
DIMM_B2
80 Pins104 Pins
1.7.2Memory configurations
You may install 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB DDR DIMMs into the
DIMM sockets using the memory configurations in this section.
Important notes
•Installing DDR DIMMs other than the recommended configurations may
cause memory sizing error or system boot failure. Use any of the
recommended DIMM configurations in Table 1.
•In Dual-channel configurations, install only identical (the same type and
size) DDR DIMM pairs for each channel.
•Use the blue DIMM slots first.
•Stacked RAM and DDR DIMM modules with more than 18 chips are not
supported.
•Always install DIMMs with the same CAS Latency. For optimum
compatibility, obtain memory modules from the same vendors. See
Qualified Vendors List on page 1-11.
1-10
Chapter 1: Product introduction
DDR Qualified Vendor List
The following table lists the PC3200 (DDR400) memory modules that have been
tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.
Table 1DDR400 Qualified Vendors List
Size Vendor Model Brand SS/DS Component DIMM config
Legend:
A* - Supports one module inserted in any slot as a Single-channel memory configuration.
B* - Supports any two modules.
C* - Supports four modules inserted into both the blue and black slots as two pairs of
•Use a maximum of two DDR DIMM slots when using Dual-channel
DDR400 (PC3200) DIMMs for stable performance.
•Obtain DDR DIMMs only from ASUS qualified vendors for better system
performance.
Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for the latest DDR 400 Qualified
Vendor List for this motherboard.
1-12
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.7.3Installing a DIMM
Follow these steps to install a DIMM.
1.Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the
retaining clips outward.
2.Align a DIMM on the socket such that the
notch on the DIMM matches the break on
the socket.
3.Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket
until the retaining clips snap back in place
and the DIMM is properly seated.
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.
1.8Expansion slots
To install and configure an expansion card:
DDR DIMM
Unlocked
1.Install an expansion card following the instructions that came with the chassis.
2.Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any. See
Chapter 2 for BIOS information.
3.Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables next page.
4.Install the drivers and/or software applications for the expansion card
according to the card documentation.
1.8.1Interrupt assignments
Standard Interrupt Assignments
IRQ Priority Standard 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*6 IRQ 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.
ASUS A7V880 motherboard
1-13
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