ASUS A7VL-VM User Manual

®

A7VL-VM

JumperFree™ PC133/VC133

200 MHz FSB

Socket A Motherboard

USER’S MANUAL

USER'S NOTICE

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”).

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EI­THER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED T O THE IMPLIED WAR­RANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANT ABILITY 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 DA TA, 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.

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.

• VIA and KT133 are trademarks of VIA Technologies, Inc.

• AMD, Athlon™ are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

• Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

• Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

• Trend and ChipAwayVirus are trademarks of Trend Micro, Inc.

• Other company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective
companies with which they are associated.

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.tw or through any of the means indicated on the following page.

SPECIFICA TIONS AND INFORMA TION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED
FOR INFORMA TIONAL USE ONL Y, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE A T 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 MA Y APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFT­WARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright © 2001 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS A7VL-VM
Manual Revision: 1.04 E726
Release Date: March 2001

2

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Marketing

Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

MB/Others (Tel): [phone] (English)
Notebook (Tel): [phone] (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel):[phone] (English)
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
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: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
WWW: www.asus.com
FTP: ftp.asus.com/Pub/ASUS

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)

Marketing

Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail] (for marketing requests only)

Technical Support

Hotline: MB/Others: [phone] Notebook: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Support (Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
WWW: www.asuscom.de
FTP: ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 3

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 7

1.1 How This Manual Is Organized................................................. 7

1.2 Item Checklist ............................................................................ 7

2. FEATURES 8

2.1 The ASUS A7VL-VM ............................................................... 8

2.1.1 Specifications.................................................................. 8

2.1.2 Special Features ............................................................ 10

2.1.3 Optional Components ................................................... 10

2.1.4 Performance Features.................................................... 10

2.1.5 Intelligence.................................................................... 11

2.2 Motherboard Components ....................................................... 12

2.2.1 Component Locations ................................................... 13

3. HARDWARE SETUP 14

3.1 Motherboard Layout ................................................................ 14

3.2 Layout Contents ....................................................................... 15

3.3 Hardware Setup Procedure ...................................................... 16

3.4 Motherboard Settings............................................................... 16

3.5 System Memory (DIMM) ........................................................ 19

3.5.1 General DIMM Notes ................................................... 19

3.5.2 Memory Installation...................................................... 20

3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)................................................ 21

3.7 Expansion Cards ...................................................................... 22

3.7.1 Expansion Card Installation Procedure......................... 22

3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards ........................... 23

3.8 External Connectors................................................................. 25

3.9 Starting Up the First Time ....................................................... 37

4. BIOS SETUP 39

4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS........................................ 39

4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System ...................... 39

4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures........................................... 40

4.2 BIOS Setup Program ............................................................... 42

4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar ............................................................ 43

4.2.2 Legend Bar.................................................................... 43

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ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

CONTENTS

4.3 Main Menu............................................................................... 45

4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave.............................. 46

4.3.2 Keyboard Features ........................................................ 49

4.4 Advanced Menu ....................................................................... 51

4.4.1 Chip Configuration ....................................................... 54

4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration ............................................. 57

4.4.3 PCI Configuration ......................................................... 60

4.4.4 Shadow Configuration .................................................... 64

4.5 Power Menu ............................................................................. 65

4.5.1 Power Up Control ......................................................... 67

4.5.2 Hardware Monitor......................................................... 69

4.6 Boot Menu ............................................................................... 70

4.7 Exit Menu ................................................................................ 72

5. SOFTWARE SETUP 75

5.1 Install Operating System.......................................................... 75

5.2 Start Windows.......................................................................... 75

5.3 A7VL-VM Series Support CD ................................................ 76

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE 77

6.1 ASUS PC Probe ....................................................................... 77

6.2 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE ..................................................... 82

6.3 CyberLink PowerDVD ............................................................ 82

6.4 CyberLink VideoLive Mail...................................................... 84

7. APPENDIX 87

7.1 PCI-L101 Fast Ethernet Card .................................................. 87

7.2 Glossary ................................................................................... 89

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 5

FCC & DOC COMPLIANCE

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:

• Re-orient 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.

WARNING! Any changes or modifications to this product not expressly ap-

proved by the manufacturer could void any assurances of safety or performance
and could result in violation of Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washington DC: Office of the
Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Government Printing Office.

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.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

6

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 How This Manual Is Organized

This manual is divided into the following sections:

1. INTRODUCTION Manual information and checklist

2. FEATURES Production information and specifications

3. HARDWARE SETUP Intructions on setting up the motherboard.

4. BIOS SETUP Intructions on setting up the BIOS

5. SOFTWARE SETUP Intructions on setting up the included software

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE Reference material for the included software

7. APPENDIX Optional items and general reference

1.2 Item Checklist

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

Manual / Checklist

1. INTRODUCTION

Package Contents

(1) ASUS Motherboard
(1) 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon

cable for internal UltraDMA/
100, UltraDMA/66 or
UltraDMA/33 devices

(1) Ribbon cable for one 5.25” and

two 3.5” floppy disk drives

(1) ASUS 2-port USB Connector Set
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps
(1) ASUS Support CD with drivers

and utilities

(1) This Motherboard User’s

Manual

Optional Items

ASUS CIDB chassis intrusion detec­tion module

ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared
module

ASUS PCI-L101 W ake-On-LAN 10/
100 Ethernet Card

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 7

2.1 The ASUS A7VL-VM

The ASUS A7VL-VM motherboard is carefully designed for the demanding PC
user who wants advanced features processed by the fastest processors.

2.1.1 Specifications

• AMD Athlon™/Duron™ Processor Support: Supports Socket A-based AMD

2. FEATURES

Specifications

• North Bridge System Chipset: Features the VIA VT8364 (ProSavage

• “Super South” South Bridge System PCIset: VIA VT82C686B PCI chipset

• PC133 SDRAM / VC133 VCM Support: Equipped with two Dual Inline

• JumperFree™ Mode: Allows processor settings and easy overclocking of

2. FEATURES

Athlon™/Duron™ processors.

KL133)

system controller with support for 200 MHz Front Side Bus (FSB); up to 1.5GB
of PC133/PC100 / VC133 Virtual Channel Memory (VCM) SDRAM; complies
with integrated AGP 2.0 specifications for 4X, 2X, and 1X AGP modes; and
PCI 2.2. bus interface with support for 5 PCI masters. It is optimized to deliver
enhanced AMD Athlon™/Duron™ processor system performance.

with a PCI Super-I/O Integrated Peripheral Controller (PSIPC) supporting
UltraDMA/100, which allows burst mode data transfer rates of up to 100MB/
sec; AC97 audio; USB controller with root hub and four function ports.

Memory Module (DIMM) sockets to support Intel PC100-compliant (8, 16, 32,
64, 128, 256, or 512MB) or NEC’s VC100-compliant Virtual Channel (VC)
SDRAM up to 1GB. VC SDRAM is a new DRAM core architecture that dra­matically improves the memory system’s ability to service, among others, high
multimedia requirements.

frequency and Vcore voltage all through BIOS setup when JumperFree™ mode
is enabled. Easy-to-use DIP switches instead of jumpers are included to allow
manual adjustment of the processor’s external frequency.

• UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE

controller with two connectors that support four ATA100/66/33 devices on two
channels. Supports UltraDMA/100, UltraDMA/66, UltraDMA/33, PIO Modes
3 & 4 and Bus Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as
DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.

• Wake-On-LAN Connector: Supports Wake-On-LAN activity through an

optional onboard Realtek Fast Ethernet Controller or an optional ASUS PCI­L101 10/100 Fast Ethernet PCI card (see 7. Appendix).

• Wake-On-Ring Connector: Supports Wake-On-Ring activity through a PCI

modem card that supports a WOR connector.

• USB: Supports up to 4 USB ports, two on the back panel and two midboard, for

more peripheral connectivity options.

8

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

2. FEATURES

• PC Health Monitoring: Provides an easy way to examine and manage system

status information, such as CPU and systerm voltages, temperatures, and fan
status through the onboard hardware ASUS ASIC and the bundled ASUS PC
Probe.

• SMBus: Features the System Management Bus interface, which is used to

physically transport commands and information between SMBus devices.

• PCI Expansion Slots: Provides three 32-bit PCI (Rev. 2.2) expansion slots,

which can support Bus Master PCI cards, such as SCSI or LAN cards (PCI
supports up to 133MB/s maximum throughput).

• Super Multi-I/O: Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and

one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities.

• Enhanced ACPI & Anti-Boot Virus Protection: Programmable BIOS (Flash

EEPROM), offering enhanced ACPI for Windows 98 compatibility, built-in
firmware-based virus protection, and autodetection of most devices for virtually
automatic setup.

• Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI

master busses to the memory and processor.

Specifications

2. FEATURES

• Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware provides Vcore and CPU/SDRAM frequency

adjustments, boot block write protection, and HD/SCSI/MO/ZIP/CD/Floppy boot
selection. Power supply autodetects to enable/disable suspend-to-RAM.

• Integrated Infrared (IrDA) Support: Integrated IR supports an optional

remote control package for wireless interfacing with external peripherals,
personal gadgets, or an optional remote controller.

• Desktop Management Interface (DMI): Supports DMI through BIOS, which

allows hardware to communicate within a standard protocol creating a higher
level of compatibility. (Requires DMI-enabled components.)

• Color-coded Connectors: To enhance user accessibility to system components and

to meet PC 99 compliancy, major connectors in this motherboard are color-coded.

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 9

2. FEATURES

Performance

2. FEATURES

2.1.2 Special Features

• ACPI Ready: Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more

Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct Power
Management (OSPM) functionality . W ith these features implemented in the OS,
PCs can be ready around the clock, yet satisfy all the energy saving standards.
T o maximize functions, an ACPI-supported OS, like W indows 98 must be used.

• Easy Installation: Incorporates BIOS that supports autodetection of hard disk

drives, PS/2 mouse, and Plug and Play devices to make the setup of hard disk
drives, expansion cards, and other devices virtually automatic.

• New Compliancy: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of this motherboard meet

the stringent requirements for PC 99 certification The new PC 99 requirements
for systems and components are based on the following high-level goals:
Support for Plug and Play compatibility and power management for configuring
and managing all system components, and 32-bit device drivers and installation
procedures for W indows95/98/NT. Color-coded connectors and descriptive icons
make identification easy as required by PC 99.

2.1.3 Optional Components

• Realtek RTL8139C Ethernet: A single chip fast ethernet controller for 100/10
Mbps capacity and supports WOL (Wake-on-LAN) feature. (See 4.4.2: I/O De-
vice Configuration in BIOS setup).

• Onboard PCI Audio Controller: A single chip supports advanced automated
audio performance. (See 4.4.2: I/O Device Configuration in BIOS setup).

2.1.4 Performance Features

• Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI mas-
ter busses to the memory and processor.

• High-Speed Data Transfer Interface: IDE transfers using UltraDMA/33 Bus
Master IDE can handle rates up to 33MB/s. This motherboard with its chipset
and support for UltraDMA/100 triples the data transfer rate to 100MB/s.
UltraDMA/100 is backward compatible with both DMA/33 and DMA and with
existing DMA devices and systems so there is no need to upgrade current EIDE/
IDE drives and host systems. (UltraDMA/100 requires a 40-pin 80-conductor
cable to be enabled.)

10

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

2. FEATURES

• VCM/SDRAM Optimized Performance: This motherboard supports a new

generation memory, NEC’s 64Mb Virtual Channel Memory (VCM) Synchronous
Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), which is compatible to the industry
standard SDRAM. The VCM’s core design provides up to 50% higher SDRAM
speed at reduced power consumption of about 30%. This motherboard also supports
standard SDRAM, which increases the data transfer rate (1.064GB/s max using
PC133-compliant SDRAMs and 800MB/s max using PC100-compliant SDRAMs).

2.1.5 Intelligence

• Auto Fan Off: The system fans will power off automatically even in sleep
mode. This function reduces both energy consumption and system noise, and is

an important feature in implementing silent PC systems.

• Dual Function Power Button: Pushing the power button for less than 4
seconds when the system is in the working state places the system into one of
two states: sleep mode or soft-off mode, depending on the BIOS or OS setting
(see PWR Button < 4 Secs in 4.5 Power Menu). When the power button is
pressed for more than 4 seconds, the system enters the soft-off mode regardless
of the BIOS setting.

Intelligence

2. FEATURES

• Fan Status Monitoring and Alarm: To prevent system overheat and system
damage, the CPU, power supply, and system fans can be monitored for RPM
and failure. All fans are set for its normal RPM range and alarm thresholds.

• Remote Ring On (requires modem): This allows a computer to be turned on
remotely through an internal or external modem. With this benefit on-hand, user s
can access vital information from their computers from anywhere in the world!

• System Resources Alert: Today’s operating systems such as Windows 95/98/
NT and OS/2, require much more memory and hard drive space to present
enormous user interfaces and run large applications. The system resource
monitor will warn the user before the system resources are used up to prevent
possible application crashes. Suggestions will give the user information on
managing their limited resources more efficiently.

• Temperature Monitoring and Alert: CPU temperature is monitored by the
ASUS ASIC to prevent system overheat and system damage.

• Voltage Monitoring and Alert: System voltage levels are monitored to ensure
stable voltage to critical motherboard components. Voltage specifications are
more critical for future processors, so monitoring is necessary to ensure proper
system configuration and management.

• Chassis Intrusion Detection: Supports chassis-intrusion monitoring through
the ASUS ASIC. A chassis intrusion event is kept in memory on battery power
for more protection.

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 11

2. FEATURES

2.2 Motherboard Components

See opposite page for locations.

Processor Support Socket A for Socket A AMD Athlon/Duron Processors ........... 3

Motherboard Parts

2. FEATURES

Expansion Slots 3PCI Slots ............................................................................... 18

Location

(NOTE: CPU thermal sensor is integrated on the motherboard,
located near the center of the CPU heat source, just below the
CPU socket)

Feature Setting DIP Switches ................................................... 7

Chipsets VIA VT8364 (VIA ProSavage KL133) system controller ........ 2

VIA VT82C686B PCIset......................................................... 13

2Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM ..................................... 9

Main Memory Maximum 1GB support

2 DIMM Sockets ...................................................................... 4

VC133/PC133 memory support

System I/O 1 Floppy Disk Driver Connector .............................................. 6

2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA/100 Support) ........................... 5

1 ModemConnector ................................................................ 16

1 Parallel Port Connector ............................................. (Top) 22

1 VGA Connector ................................................... (Bottom) 21

1 Serial COM1 Port Connector .............................. (Bottom) 23

1 Serial COM2 Port Connector ............................................. 13

USB Connectors (Port 0 & Port 1) ........................ (Bottom) 24

USB Connectors (Port 2 & Port 3) ......................................... 11

1 PS/2 Mouse Connector .............................................. (Top) 25

1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector ................................... (Bottom) 25

Audio AC’97 V2.1 Audio Codec ..................................... (optional) 17

Creative Audio Controller ..................................... (optional) 15

1 Game/MIDI Connector (on audio model only)...........(Top) 20

1 Line Out Connector (on audio model only) ........ (Bottom) 20

1 Line In Connector (on audio model only) ........... (Bottom) 20

1 Microphone Connector (on audio model only) ... (Bottom) 20

Network Features Realtek RTL 8139C Fast Ethernet Controller ....... (optional) 19

1 LAN (RJ45) Connector ............................. (optional) (top) 24

Wake-On-LAN Connector...................................................... 14

Wake-On-Ring Connector ...................................................... 10

Hardware Monitoring System Voltage Monitoring (integrated in ASUS ASIC) ......... 9

3 Fan Power and Speed Monitoring Connectors

Power ATX Power Supply Connector ................................................. 1

Others Onboard LED ........................................................................... 8

Form Factor Micro A TX

12

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

2. FEATURES

2.2.1 Component Locations

25
24

23

22

21

20
19

1 2 345

6 7

8

2. FEATURES

Motherboard Parts

18
17

16
15

-

14 13

9101112

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 13

3.1 Motherboard Layout

PS/2

T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

USB

T: USB1
B: USB2

COM1

VGA

Motherboard Layout

3. H/W SETUP

Line
Out

Line

Mic

GAME_AUDIO

In

In

Top:

RJ-45

PS_FAN

PARALLEL PORT

3. HARDWARE SETUP

24.5cm (9.6in)

CPU_FAN

Socket A

ATXPWR

VIA

VT8365

Chipset

CHASS_FAN

DIMM Socket 1 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

DIMM Socket 2 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

Realtek

CD

Fast

Enternet

JEN

01

23

CHASSIS

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

LED

CLRTC

SW1

24.5cm (9.6in)

FLOPPY

AUX

Audio

Codec

HPHONE

PCI Slot 1

VIA

VT82C686B

Chipset

PCI Slot 2

MODEM

Audio

Chip

WOLCON

PCI Slot 3

®

A7VL-VM

COM2

IR

SMB

IDELED

Grayed components are optional at the time of purchase.

PRIMARY IDE

USB2

WOR

HPANEL

SECONDARY IDE

Flash EEPROM

(Programable BIOS)

14

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.2 Layout Contents

Motherboard Settings

1) JEN p. 17 JumperFree Mode (JumperFree/Jumper Mode)

2) SW1 1–4 p. 18 CPU External Frequency Setting

Expansion Slots/Sockets

1) System Memory p.19 System Memory Support

2) DIMM1/2 p.20 DIMM Memory Module Support

3) Socket 462 (Socket A) p.21 CPU Support

4) PCI1/2/3 p.22 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots

Connectors

1) PS2KBMS p.25 PS/2 Mouse Port Connector (6 pin-female)

2) PS2KBMS p.25 PS/2 Keyboard Port Connector (6-pin female)

3) USB p.26 Universal Serial Bus Connectors 0 & 1 (T wo 4-pin female)

4) COM1 p.26 Serial Port Connector (9-pin male)

5) VGA p.26 Monitor Output Connector (15-pin male)

6) PRINTER p.27 Parallel Port Connector (25-pin female)

7) GAME_AUDIO p.27 Game/MIDI Connector (15-pin female) (optional)

8) GAME_AUDIO p.27 Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8” female) (optional)

9) RJ45 p.28 Fast-Ethernet Port Connector (RJ45) (optional)

10) PRIMARY ID E p.28 IDE Connectors (Two 40-1 pins)
SECONDARY IDE

11) FLOPPY p.29 Floppy Disk Drive Port Connector (34 pins)

12) CHASS p.29 Chassis Intrusion Lead (4-1 pins)

13) IR p.30 Infrared Module Connector (5 pins)

14) WOL_CON p.30 Wake-On-LAN Connector (3 pins)

15) WOR p.31 Wake-On-Ring Connector (2 pins)

16) CPU_, PS_, CHASS_F AN p.31 Chassis, Power Supply, CPU Fan Connectors (3 pins)

17) CD_IN, AUX, VIDEO, p.32 Internal Audio Connectors (4 4-pin)
MODEM

18) HPHONE p.32 Headphone True-Level Out Header (3 pins)

19) USB2 p.33 USB Header (10-1 pins)

20) SMB p.33 SMBus Connector (5-1 pins)

21) ATXPWR p.34 ATX Power Supply Connector (20 pins)

3. H/W SETUP

Layout Contents

22) IDELED p.34 IDE Activity LED (2 pins)

23) SPEAKER (PANEL) p.35 System Warning Speaker Connector (4 pins)

24) PWR.LED (PANEL) p.35 System Power LED Lead (3 pins)

25) RESET (PANEL) p.35 Reset Switch Lead (2 pins)

26) PWR.SW (PANEL) p.35 ATX / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pins)

27) SMI (PANEL) p.35 System Management Interrupt Lead (2 pins)

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 15

3.3 Hardware Setup Procedure

Before using your computer, you must complete the following steps:

1. Check Motherboard Settings

2. Install Memory Modules

3. Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU)

4. Install Expansion Cards

5. Connect Ribbon Cables, Panel Wires, and Power Supply

6. Setup the BIOS Software

3.4 Motherboard Settings

This section explains in detail how to change your motherboard’s function settings
through the use of switches and/or jumpers.

W ARNING! Computer motherboards and expansion cards contain very delicate

3. H/W SETUP

Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To protect them against damage from static electric­ity, you should follow some precautions whenever you work on your computer.

3. HARDWARE SETUP

1. Unplug your computer when working on the inside.

2. Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer components. If you do
not have one, touch both of your hands to a safely grounded object or to a
metal object, such as the power supply case.

3. Hold components by the edges and try not to touch the IC chips, leads or
connectors, or other components.

4. Place components on a grounded antistatic pad or on the bag that came with
the component whenever the components are separated from the system.

5. Ensure that the ATX power supply is switched off before you plug in or
remove the ATX power connector on the motherboard.

W ARNING! Make sure that you unplug your power supply when adding or re-

moving system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to your
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components. The onboard LED when lit acts as
a reminder that the system is in suspend or soft-off mode and not powered OFF.

16

A7VL-VM

®

A7VL-VM Onboard LED

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

ON

Standby

Power

LED

OFF

Powered

Off

3. HARDWARE SETUP

Motherboard Features Settings (DIP Switches - SW1)

The motherboard’s onboard functions are adjusted through the DIP switches. The
white block represents the switch’s position. The example below shows all the

switches in the OFF position.

DSW

12

34

ON

ONOFF

ON
34

12

1. Frequency Selection

A7VL-VM

®

2. Frequency Selection

3. Frequency Selection

4. Frequency Selection

A7VL-VM DIP Switches

1) Jumper Setting (JEN)

This jumper allows you to enable or disable the JumperFree™ mode. The
JumperFree™ mode allows processor settings to be made through the BIOS
setup (see 4.4 Advanced Menu).

Jumper Setting JEN

JumperFree™ [2-3] (default)
Jumper Mode [1-2]

3. H/W SETUP

Motherboard Settings

In JumperFree™ mode, DIP switches (SW1) must be set as shown:
(ON: 1,2,4; OFF: 3)

DSW
(Default)

34
12

2

3

A7VL-VM

®

A7VL-VM JumperFree™ Mode Setting

ON

100MHz

JEN

21

Jumper Mode JumperFree

(Default)

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 17

2) CPU External Frequency Setting (SW1 Switches 1–4)

This option tells the clock generator what frequency to send to the CPU, SDRAM,
and the chipset. This allows the selection of the CPU’s External frequency. The
CPU External Frequency multiplied by the Frequency Multiple equals the CPU’s
Internal frequency (the advertised CPU speed).

IMPORTANT:

1. To use this feature, JEN must be set to Jumper Mode: [1-2]; (See #1 on the

previous page).

2. Otherwise, if JumperFree Mode is enabled, SW1 Switches 1,2 and 4 must

be set to ON and SW1 Switch 3 to OFF (See #1 on the previous page) and
then use BIOS setup in place of these switches (set Operating Frequency

Setting to User Define under 4.4 Advanced Menu in BIOS Setup to set the
CPU Frequency).

Motherboard Settings

3. H/W SETUP

3. HARDWARE SETUP

ON

12

34

CPU 100MHz

ON

12

103MHz

34

A7VL-VM

®

A7VL-VM CPU
External Frequency Selection

CPU

CPU

ON

12

105MHz

ON

12

133MHz

34

34

ON

12

110MHz

34

External Frequency Table

CPU PCI Frequency Selection Switches

(MHz) (MHz) 1 2 3 4

100.00 33.33 [ON] [ON] [OFF] [ON]

103.00 34.33 [OFF] [ON] [OFF] [ON]

105.00 35.00 [ON] [OFF] [OFF] [ON]

110.00 36.67 [ON] [OFF] [ON] [O FF]

133.00 33.33 [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF]

WARNING! Frequencies other than the recommended CPU bus frequencies are

not guaranteed to be stable. Overclocking your processor is not recommended. It
may result in a slower speed and premature wearing of the processor.

NOTE: For updated processor settings, visit the ASUS web site: www .asus.com
(see ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION).

18

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.5 System Memory (DIMM)

This motherboard uses only Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs). Two sockets
are available for 3.3Volt (power level) unbuffered Synchronous Dynamic Random
Access Memory (SDRAM) of 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, or 512MB to form a memory
size between 8MB to 1GB. One side (with memory chips) of the DIMM takes up one
row on the motherboard. This motherboard also supports NEC’s Virtual Channel
(VC) SDRAMs.

Memory speed setup is recommended through SDRAM Configuration under “Chipset
Features Setup”.

IMPORTANT (see General DIMM Notes below for more):

• SDRAMs used must be compatible with the current Intel PC133
SDRAM specification.

• DO NOT attempt to mix PC133 SDRAMs with VCM SDRAMs.

• The motherboard only supports PC100 / PC133 DIMMs or VC

SDRAMs for system memory. Registered DIMMs are not supported.

Install memory in any combination as follows:

DIMM Location 168-pin DIMM Total Memory

Socket 1 (Rows 0&1) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512MB x1
Socket 2 (Rows 2&3) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512MB x1

Total System Memory (Max 1024MB) =

3.5.1 General DIMM Notes

• DIMMs that have more than 18 chips are not supported on this motherboard.

• For the system CPU bus to operate at 100MHz/133MHz, use only PC100-/PC133-

compliant DIMMs.

• ASUS motherboards support SPD (Serial Presence Detect) DIMMs. This is the
memory of choice for best performance vs. stability.

• BIOS shows SDRAM memory on bootup screen.

• Single-sided DIMMs come in 16, 32, 64,128, 256MB; double-sided come in 32, 64,

128, 256, 512MB.

3. H/W SETUP

System Memory

WARNING! Be sure that the DIMM you use can handle the specified SDRAM

MHz or else bootup will not be possible.

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 19

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.5.2 Memory Installation

WARNING! Make sure that you unplug your power supply when adding or

removing memory modules or other system components. Failure to do so may
cause severe damage to both your motherboard and expansion cards (see 3.3
Hardware Setup Procedure for more information).

Insert the module(s) as shown. Because the number of pins are different on either
side of the breaks, the module will only fit in the orientation shown. DRAM SIMM
modules have the same pin contacts on both sides. SDRAM DIMMs have different
pin contacts on each side and therefore have a higher pin density.

20 Pins

System Memory

3. H/W SETUP

A7VL-VM 168-Pin DIMM Sockets

The DIMMs must be 3.3Volt unbuffered SDRAMs. To determine the DIMM type,
check the notches on the DIMMs (see figure below).

168-Pin DIMM Notch Key Definitions (3.3V)

60 Pins

88 Pins

A7VL-VM

®

DRAM Key Position

RFU

Buffered

Unbuffered

Voltage Key Position

5.0V

Reserved

3.3V

The notches on the DIMM will shift between left, center, or right to identify the type
and also to prevent the wrong type from being inserted into the DIMM slot on the
motherboard. You must tell your retailer the correct DIMM type before purchasing.
This motherboard supports four clock signals per DIMM.

20

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard provides a Socket 462 or Socket A for CPU installation. The CPU
that came with the motherboard should have a fan and heatsink attached to it to
prevent overheating. If this is not the case, then purchase and install a set before you
turn on your system.

W ARNING! Make sure that the heatsink is mounted tightly against the processor.

Make sure also that there is sufficient air circulation across the processor’s heat­sink by regularly checking that your CPU fan is working. Without sufficient cir­culation, the processor could overheat and damage both the processor and the
motherboard. You may install an auxiliary fan, if necessary. A CPU thermal sen­sor is integrated on the motherboard, located near the center of the CPU heat
source, just below the CPU socket, to help in monitoring the CPU temperature.

To install a CPU, first turn off your system and remove its cover. Locate the Socket
462 and open it by first pulling the lever sideways away from the socket, then up­wards. The socket lever must be fully opened (90 to 100 degrees) when installing or
removing the CPU. Insert the CPU with the correct orientation. The notched corner
should be oriented toward the blank space on the socket nearest the lever . The CPU
has a corner pin for two of the four corners, and will only fit in the orientation as
shown. Ensure that the CPU is exactly parallel to the socket base so the pins make
good contact and are not bent. Take care not to exert too much force, but press the
CPU down gently into the slot. Once completely inserted, close the socket lever
while holding down the CPU. With the added weight of the CPU fan and heatsink
locking brace, no extra force is required to keep the CPU in place. The CPU fan and
heatsink should cover the entire face of the CPU.

CPU

3. H/W SETUP

NOTE: If necessary , do not forget to set the correct Bus Frequency and Multiple for
your processor or else boot-up may not be possible. Frequency multiple settings are
available only on unlocked processors.

CAUTION! Be careful 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 the CPU capacitors do not touch the heatsink;
otherwise, your CPU will be damaged! See your heatsink/CPU documentation
for details.

BLANK

LEVER

LOCK

AMD™ Athlon

A7VL-VM

®

A7VL-VM Socket A

NOTCH

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 21

3.7 Expansion Cards

WARNING! Unplug your power supply when adding or removing expansion

cards or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to
both your motherboard and expansion cards.

3.7.1 Expansion Card Installation Procedure

1. Read the documentation for your expansion card and make any necessary hard-

2. Remove your computer system’s cover and the bracket plate on the slot you

3. Carefully align the card’s connectors and press firmly.

4. Secure the card on the slot with the screw you removed above.

Expansion Cards

3. H/W SETUP

5. Replace the computer system’s cover.

6. Set up the BIOS if necessary

7. Install the necessary software drivers for your expansion card.

3. HARDWARE SETUP

ware or software settings for your expansion card, such as jumpers.

intend to use. Keep the bracket for possible future use.

(such as IRQ XX Reserved for Legacy Device: Yes in 4.4.3 PCI Configuration)

22 ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards

Some expansion cards need an IRQ to operate. Generally, an IRQ must be exclu­sively assigned to one use. In a standard design, there are 16 IRQs available but
most of them are already in use, leaving 6 IRQs free for expansion cards. If your
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.

The following table lists the default IRQ assignments for standard PC devices. Use
this table when configuring your system and for resolving IRQ conflicts.

Standard Interrupt Assignments

IRQ Priority Standard Function

0 1 System Timer
1 2 Keyboard Controller
2 N/A Programmable Interrupt
3* 11 Communications Port (COM2)
4* 12 Communications Port (COM1)
5* 13 Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)
6 14 Floppy Disk Controller
7* 15 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 3 System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9* 4 ACPI Mode when used
10* 5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11* 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12* 7 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 8 Numeric Data Processor
14* 9 Primary IDE Channel
15* 10 Secondary IDE Channel

3. H/W SETUP

Expansion Cards

*These IRQs are usually available for PCI devices.

Interrupt Request Table for this Motherboard

INT-A INT-B INT-C INT-D

PCI slot 1 used —— —
PCI slot 2 — shared ——
PCI slot 3 ——used —
Onboard USB controller ———shared
Onboard Audio/SMBus ———shared
Onboard LAN (optional) — shared ——

IMPORTANT: If using PCI cards on shared slots, make sure that the drivers
support “Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Conflicts
will arise between the two PCI groups that will make the system unstable or cards
inoperable.

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 23

3. HARDWARE SETUP

(This page intentionally left blank.)

24 ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3.8 External Connectors

WARNING! Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are

clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper
caps over these connector pins will cause damage to your motherboard.

IMPORTANT: Ribbon cables should always be connected with the red stripe to

Pin 1 on the connectors. Pin 1 is usually on the side closest to the power connec­tor on hard drives and CD-ROM drives, but may be on the opposite side on
floppy disk drives. Check the connectors before installation because there may
be exceptions. IDE ribbon cable must be less than 46 cm (18 in.), with the sec­ond drive connector no more than 15 cm (6 in.) from the first connector.

1) PS/2 Mouse Connector (Green 6-pin PS2KBMS)

The system will direct IRQ12 to the PS/2 mouse if one is detected. If one is not
detected, expansion cards can use IRQ12. See PS/2 Mouse Function Control
in 4.4 Advanced Menu.

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin female)

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

2) PS/2 Keyboard Connector (Purple 6-pin PS2KBMS)
This connection is for a standard keyboard using an PS/2 plug (mini DIN). This
connector will not allow standard AT size (large DIN) keyboard plugs. You
may use a DIN to mini DIN adapter on standard AT keyboards.

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin female)

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 25

3. HARDWARE SETUP

3) Universal Serial BUS Ports 0 & 1 (Black two 4-pin USB)

T wo USB ports are available for connecting USB devices. If these are not enough,
a USB header is available for two additional USB port connectors. See USB
Headers later in this section.

USB 1

Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

4) Serial Port Connectors (Teal/Turquoise 9-pin COM1)

One serial port can be used for pointing devices or other serial devices. For
setting up these ports, see Onboard Serial Port 1 in 4.4.2 I/O Device Configu-
ration for settings.

COM 1

Serial Port (9-pin male)

5) Monitor Output Connector (Blue 15-pin VGA)

This connector is for output to a VGA-compatible device.

VGA Monitor (15-pin female)

26 ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual

3. HARDWARE SETUP

6) Parallel Port Connector (Burgundy 25-pin PRINTER)
You can enable the parallel port and choose the IRQ through Onboard Parallel
Port (see 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration).

NOTE: Serial printers must be connected to the serial port.

Parallel (Printer) Port (25-pin female)

7) Game/MIDI Connector (Gold 15-pin GAME_AUDIO) (optional)

You may connect game joysticks or game pads to this connector for playing
games. Connect MIDI devices for playing or editing professional audio.

Joystick/MIDI (15-pin female)

8) Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8” GAME_AUDIO) (optional)
Line Out (lime) can be connected to headphones or preferably powered speak-

ers. Line In (light blue) allows tape players or other audio sources to be re-
corded by your computer or played through the Line Out (lime). Mic (pink)
allows microphones to be connected for inputting voice.

Connectors

3. H/W SETUP

MicLine InLine Out

1/8" Stereo Audio Connectors

ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual 27

3. HARDWARE SETUP

9) Fast-Ethernet Port Connector (RJ45) (optional)

The RJ45 connector is located on top of the USB Ports 0 & 1. The connector
allows the motherboard to conect to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a
network hub.

RJ-45

3. H/W SETUP

Connectors

10) Primary (Blue) / Secondary IDE Connectors (40-1 pin IDE1/IDE2)

These connectors support the provided UltraDMA/66 IDE hard disk ribbon cable.
Connect the cable’s blue connector to the motherboard’s primary (recommended)
or secondary IDE connector, and then connect the gray connector to your
UltraDMA/66 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to your
UltraDMA/66 master device. It is recommended that non-UltraDMA/66 devices
be connected to the secondary IDE connector . If you install two hard disks, you
must configure the second drive to Slave mode by setting its jumper accord­ingly . Refer to your hard disk documentation for the jumper settings. BIOS now
supports specific device bootup (see 4.4.1 Advanced CMOS Setup). (Pin 20 is

removed to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when using ribbon
cables with pin 20 plugged). If you have more than two UltraDMA/66 devices,

you will need to purchase another UltraDMA/66 cable.

NOTE: The hole near the blue connector on the UltraDMA/66 cable is intentional.
TIP: You may configure two hard disks to be both Masters with two ribbon

cables – one for the primary IDE connector and another for the secondary IDE
connector . You may install one operating system on an IDE drive and another on
a SCSI drive and select the boot disk through 4.4.1 Advanced CMOS Setup.

NOTE: Orient the red markings
(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to PIN 1.

A7VL-VM

®

A7VL-VM IDE Connectors

Secondary IDE Connector

Primary IDE Connector

PIN 1

28 ASUS A7VL-VM User’s Manual