ASUS P4S8X User Manual

P4S8X

®

User Manual

Motherboard

P4S8X

Checklist

E1 120
Sepetember 2002

Copyright © 2002 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

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
P4S8X 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! Tips and helpful information.

iii

Safeguards

Contents

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

Chapter 1: Product introduction ............................................. 1

Welcome!........................................................................................ 1

1.1 Package contents .................................................................. 1

1.2 Core Specifications ................................................................ 2

1.3 Special Features .................................................................... 3

1.4 Motherboard Components...................................................... 4

1.4.1 Component Locations................................................ 5

1.5 Value-added Solutions ........................................................... 6

Chapter 2: Hardware information ............................................ 7

2.1 Motherboard installation ......................................................... 7

2.2 Motherboard layout ................................................................ 8

2.3 Before you proceed...............................................................10

2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ..............................................11

2.5 System memory ....................................................................17

2.6 Expansion slots.....................................................................21

2.7 Jumpers ................................................................................24

2.8 Connectors ...........................................................................27

Chapter 3: Powering up ......................................................... 41

3.1 Starting up for the first time................................................... 41

3.2 Vocal POST Messages .........................................................42

3.3 Powering off the computer.................................................... 44

Chapter 4: BIOS setup ........................................................... 45

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS....................................... 45

4.2 BIOS Setup program.............................................................50

4.3 Main menu ............................................................................53

4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave ......................... 54

iv

Contents

4.3.2 Keyboard Features .................................................. 58

4.4 Advanced Menu ....................................................................60

4.4.1 Chip Configuration ................................................... 63

4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration.......................................... 66

4.4.3 PCI Configuration .................................................... 68

4.5 Power Menu..........................................................................71

4.5.1 Power Up Control .................................................... 73

4.5.2 Hardware Monitor .................................................... 75

4.6 Boot Menu ............................................................................76

4.7 Exit Menu..............................................................................78

Chapter 5: Software support ................................................. 81

5.1 Install an operating system................................................... 81

5.2 Support CD information.........................................................81

5.3 P4S8X Motherboard Support CD ......................................... 82

5.4 Using the Promise Chip for RAID 0 or 1 ............................... 84

5.5 Manual Installation of IDE/RAID Drivers ............................... 92

5.6 ASUS PC Probe....................................................................94

5.7 ASUS Live Update ................................................................99

5.8 ASUS MyLogo™.................................................................100

5.9 3Deep Color Tuner..............................................................102

5.10 Winbond Voice Editor ..........................................................104

5.11 Winbond Smart Manager ....................................................108

5.12 Multi-Channel Audio Feature Setup ..................................... 112

Glossary ................................................................................ 115

Index ...................................................................................... 119

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.

vii

ASUS contact information

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

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

Technical Support:

MB/Others (Tel): [phone] (English)
Notebook (Tel): [phone] (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel): [phone] (English)
Support Fax: [phone]
Support Email: [e-mail]
Web Site: www.asus.com.tw
Newsgroup: cscnews.asus.com.tw

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Address: 6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center,

Building 2, Newark, CA 94560, USA
General Fax: [phone]
General Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support:

Support Fax: [phone]
General Support: [phone]
Notebook Support : +1-877-918-ASUS (2787)
Web Site: www.asus.com
Support Email: [e-mail]

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)

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

Technical Support:

Support Hotline: MB/Others: [phone]
Notebook (Tel): [phone]
Support Fax: [phone]
Support (Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
Web Site: www.asuscom.de

viii

Chapter 1

Product introduction

ASUS P4S8X motherboard

Welcome!

Thank you for buying the ASUS® P4S8X motherboard!

The ASUS
long-lasting, superlative performance. The ASUS® P4S8X motherboard is
the prime choice for home PCs and workstations.

The P4S8X incorporates the Intel
SiS 648 chipset to set a new benchmark for an effective desktop platform
solution.

Before installing the motherboard, check the items in your package:

P4S8X motherboard delivers a host of new features to ensure

®

Pentium® 4 Processor coupled with the

~ CPU Thermal Protection
~ Up to 3GB of system memory of PC 2700 / 2100 / 1600 DDR
~ High-resolution graphics via an AGP 8X slot
~ Digital Audio Interface for 3D sound (Optional)

™

~ Realtek
~ Serial A TA connection onboard for easy system upgrade (Optional)
~ Four USB ports plus a headers for two more

LAN Controller onboard (Optional)

1.1 Package contents

Check your P4S8X package for the following items.

ASUS P4S8X motherboard (ATX 30.5 cm x 21.9 cm)
ASUS P4S8X support CD
ASUS 2-port USB 2.0 / Game port module (Optional)
80 pin conductor ribbon cable for UltraDMA/33/66/100/133 IDE drives
9 pin COM2 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 P4S8X motherboard user guide

1

1.2

The P4S8X motherboard is designed and assembled according to the highest
standards. This ASUS motherboard represents the latest advances to supply
users the finest componentry available today...

Latest 533MHz P4 Processor Technology: Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478

Northwood/Willamette Processor. The Pentium 4 processor utilizes the
advanced 0.18 micron processor core in FC-PGA2 package for a

2.53+GHz frequency , while the Northwood processor uses the 0.13 micron
processor core with 512KB L2 cache for up to a speedy 2.53+ GHz
frequency and a 400/533 MHz FSB. The P4 offers optimized performance
for audio, video, and Internet applications.

North Bridge Chipset: the SiS

533/400MHz Front Side Bus, and the fastest 333 MHz memory bus.

South Bridge Chipset: the SiS

UltraDMA133/100/66/33 for burst mode data transfer rates up to 133MB/
sec, and USB controller with three root hubs for six USB ports.

PC 2700 (333MHz) / 2100 (266MHz) / 1600 (200MHz) DDR Support:

Equipped with three Double Data Rate Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR
DIMM) sockets to support up to 3GB of DDR DRAM, 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, supplying data transfer rates up to 2.7 GB/s for
166MHz DDR SDRAM and 2.1GB/s for 133MHz DDR SDRAM.

Core Specifications

®

648 supports AGP 8X/4X/2X mode,

®

963 integrated peripheral controller supports

UltraDMA133 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE

controller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two
channels. Supports UltraDMA133/100/66/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4, Bus
Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD­ROM, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.

Multi-I/O Chipset: The W83697SF chip 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. UAR T2 can switch
from COM2 to the Infrared Module for wireless connections. The Super
I/O controller supports a floppy disk drive.

Smart BIOS: 4Mb firmware enables boot block write protection, and HD/

SCSI/MO/ZIP/CD/Floppy boot selection.

Expansion: One AGP 8XSlot, four USB ports, one COM port, one COM

header , six PCI slots, SPDIF digital audio, front audio panel, 1394 header,
smart card header.

Connections: Parallel, PS/2 mouse, PS/2 keyboard, 4 USB, 1394

port(Optional), RJ45 (optional), Microphone/ Line-In / Line-Out
jacks(Optional), Standard ATX, AUX and 12V power.

2

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.3 Special Features

ASUS EZ Plug™ (See page 33.)

This patented ASUS technology uses the existing power supply
instead of having to buy a new ATX 12V power supply: ASUS EZ
Plug™ is a 4-pin +12V connector that provides additional power
required by P4 CPUs.

ASUS EZ Flash BIOS

(See page 45.)

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.

ASUS POST Reporter

™

(See page 67 and 108.)

P4S8X offers the ASUS POST Reporter™ to provide friendly voice
messages and alerts during the Power-On Self-Test (POST). Through
the system’s internal speaker, or an added external speaker, messages
inform you of system boot status and causes of boot errors. Bundled

™

Winbond

Voice Editor software helps customize voice messages, and

offers multi-language support.

™

ASUS MyLogo

(See page 100.)

This new feature present in the P4S8X motherboard helps you to
personalize and add style to your system with customizable boot logos.

ASUS Q-Fan feature

(See page 75.)

The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according
to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation.

ASUS Multi-language BIOS

(See page 59.)

The multi-language BIOS offers the language of your choice from
several options. Localized BIOS menus are easy to configure. Visit the
ASUS website for the supported languages.

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide

3

1.4

Motherboard Components

Before installing the P4S8X motherboard, take time to familiarize yourself
with its configuration.

Location

Processor Support Socket 478 for Intel® P4™ Processors.............................. 4

®

Chipsets SiS

Main Memory 3 DDR SDRAM DIMM Sockets (3GB) ............................. 7

Expansion Slots 6 PCI Slots..................................................................... 23

System I/O 2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA133 Support)...................... 8

Hardware Monitoring System Voltage Monitor ( integrated in ASUS ASIC)....... 11

Special Feature Onboard AGP Warning LED (Red) .................................. 3

Network Feature Realtek 100/10 Mbps LAN PHYs (Optional).................. 29

Audio Features (on audio models only)

Power ATX 12V Power Supply Connector .................................. 1

Form Factor ATX

648 North Bridge ..................................................... 5

®

963 South Bridge ................................................... 10

SiS

Serial A T A Controller(Optional) ...................................... 17

Audio Controller(Optional) ............................................. 24

Multi-I/O Controller......................................................... 27

4Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM ........................... 28

Realtek 1394 PHY (Optional) ....................................... 31

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) 8X Slot ....................... 9

Promise ATA133 IDE Connector(Optional) .................... 12

System Panel Connector ............................................... 14

USB Headers (USB_56) ................................................ 15

Serial A T A Headers(Optional) ........................................ 16

Floppy Disk Drive Connector ......................................... 18

Serial (COM2) Header ................................................... 19

Game Port ..................................................................... 20

Smart Card Connector................................................... 21

Infrared Connector......................................................... 22

Modem Connector ......................................................... 25

IEEE 1394 Header(Optional) ......................................... 32

PS/2 Mouse Connector..................................... (green) 33

Parallel Port ................................................................... 34

USB Connectors (Port 1/2) ............................................ 39

IEEE 1394 Connector .................................................... 40

Serial Port (COM1) ........................................................ 41

USB Connectors (Port 3/4) ............................................ 42

PS/2 Keyboard Connector ............................... (purple) 43

Onboard Power-on LED (Green) ................................... 13

RJ45 Connector (Optional) ............................................ 35

Front Panel Audio Header ............................................. 30

Audio Connectors .......................................................... 26

Line In Connector ....................................... (light blue) 36

Line Out Connector..............................................(lime) 37

Microphone Connector ........................................(pink) 38

AUX12V EZ-Plug Power Supply Connector .................... 2

ATX Power Supply Connector ......................................... 6

4

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.4.1 Component Locations

32

31
30

29
28

1

2 5

3

46 7

8
9

10

27
26

25
24

23

22

21

33 34

19

11
12

13

1720

1516

35

1418

36
37

43 42 41 39

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide

40

38

5

1.5 Value-added Solutions

Software Audio

CMI-9739A supports 6-Ch output, with an SPDIF Input/Output module
for coaxial and fiber interfaces. Experience surround-sound and enhanced
3D audio.

Smart Card Reader Support

Card Reader comes onboard to support the cutting-edge technology for
increased security in authenticating online transactions, editing IC-based
information.

USB2.0: The latest connection standard for next generation components

and peripherals. Compatible with 1.1 USB, the new 2.0 USB protocol
delivers transfer speeds up to 40 times faster at 480Mb/s.

NOTICE: USB 2.0 functions are not supported under Win98 and WinME.

T emperature, Fan and V oltage Monitoring: CPU temperature is monitored

by the ASUS ASIC through the CPU’s internal thermal diode to prevent
overheating and damage. All system fans are monitored for RPM and
failure. System voltage levels are monitored to ensure stable voltage to
critical motherboard components.

(Optional)

: On audio models, a 963 digital audio CODEC,

(Optional)

: A special connector for the Smart

Auto Fan Off: The system fans powers off automatically even in sleep mode.
ACPI Ready: Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more

Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct
Power Management (OSPM).

Onboard LAN (Optional): The motherboard incorporates the RTL8201BL

PHY chip to support 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet networking.

Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI

master busses to the memory and processor.

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 soft-off mode.

6

Chapter 1: Product introduction

Chapter 2

Hardware information

ASUS P4S8X motherboard

2.1 Motherboard installation

Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis
to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The P4S8X uses the ATX form
factor that measures 30.5 cm (12.0 in.) x 21.9 cm (8.6 in.), a standard fit
for most chassis.

Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the
motherboard. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and
damage motherboard components.

2.1.1 Placement 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. Refer to the image below.

2.1.2 Screw holes

Place seven (7) 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 P4S8X motherboard user guide

7

2.2 Motherboard layout

21.9cm (8.6in)

PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

USB2.0

T: USB3

B: USB4

COM1

1394

USB2.0

T: USB1
B: USB2

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

4MB

MODEM

C-Media

6CH

Codec

IR_CON

SMARTCON

KBPWR

USBPWR_34

PARALLEL PORT

ATX12V

USBPWR_12

Top:

RJ-45

FP_AUDIO

ISA

I/O

SMART

CD

AUX

FP_LO_SWL

FP_LO_SWR

REALTEK

SPDIF

GAME

EZ_PLUG

IEEE1394_2

REALTEK

CPU_FAN

PWR_FAN1

SiS648

HOST/

Memory

Controller

AGP_WARN

Accelerated Graphics Port

AGP

PCI1

P4S8X

PCI2

PCI3

PCI4

®

PCI5

PCI6

COM2

FLOPPY

ATX Power Connector

Socket 478

Controller

PDC20376

PROMISE

USBPWR_56

DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

0 1

DDR DIMM3 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

DDR DIMM2 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

4 5

2 3

SEC_IDE

SiS963

MuTLOL

Media

I/O

CR2032 3V

SEC_SATA

PRI_SATA

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

ASUS

BUZZER

CHA_FAN

USB_56

with

ASIC

IDE_LED

Monitor

Hardware

SPEECH

SB_PWR

CLRTC

SMB

CHASSIS

PANEL

30.5cm (12.0in)

PRI_IDE

PRI_ATA133

The audio and LAN features are optional. These components are
grayed out in the above motherboard layout.

8

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.1 Layout contents

CPU, Memory and Expansion Slots

1) Socket 478 p. 12 Installing the CPU

2) Heatsink p. 14 Installing the Heatsink and Fan

3) Memory p. 17 System Memory Support

4) PCI 1/2/3/4/5/6 p. 21 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots

5) AGP 8x p. 23 Accelerated Graphics Slot

Motherboard Settings (Switches and Jumpers)

1) USBPWR_12, _34, _56 p. 24 USB Device Wake-up (+5V / +5VSB)

2) FP_LO_SWR,_SWL p. 25 Line out selector (2 x 2 pin)

3) KBPWR p. 25 Keyboard Wake Up (3 pin)

4) CLRTC p. 26 Clear RTC RAM (3 pin)

Connectors

1) PS2KBMS p. 27 PS/2 Mouse Port (6 pin female)

2) PS2KBMS p. 27 PS/2 Keyboard Port (6 pin female)

3) USB p. 28 Universal Serial Bus Ports 1 & 2 (2 x 4 pin female)

4) PRINTER p. 28 Parallel Port (25 pin female)

5) RJ45 p. 28 Fast-Ethernet Port Connector

6) COM1/2 p. 29 Serial Port and Header (9 pin male, 10-1 pin male)

7) AUDIO p. 29 Audio Connectors (Six 1/8” jacks)

8) 1394 p. 30 IEEE-1394 Port (female jack)

9) IDELED p. 30 IDE Activity LED (2 pin)

10) PRI_IDE1 / SEC_IDE1, p. 31 IDE Connectors (Three 40-1 pin)
PRI_ATA133

11) FLOPPY p. 32 Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1 pin)

12) CPU_, CPA_, PWR_FAN p. 32 Chassis and CPU Fan Connectors (Two 3 pin)

13) ATXPWR p. 33 ATX Power Supply Connector (20 pin)

14) USB56 p. 34 USB Headers (Two 10-1 pin)

15) CD, AUX, MODEM p. 34 Internal Audio Connectors (Three 4-1 pin) (optional)

16) SPDIF p. 35 Digital Audio Connector (6 pin)

17) IR_CON p. 35 Infrared module connector (5-1 pin)

18) IEEE13394_2 p. 36 IEEE-1394 Header (8-pin) (Optional)

19) CHASSIS p. 36 Chassis Open Alarm Lead (4-1 pin)

20) SMB p. 37 SMBus Connector (6-1 pin)

21) PRI_SATA, SEC_SATA p. 37 SATA Serial Connectors (2 x 7 pin)

22) SMARTCON p. 38 Smart Card Reader con. (14-1 pin) (optional)

23) GAME p. 38 Game Connector (16-1 pin)

24) FP_AUDIO p. 39 Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin)

25) PLED p. 40 System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin)

26) SPEAKER p. 40 System Warning Speaker Lead (4 pin)

27) SMI p. 40 System Management Interrupt Lead (2 pin)

28) PWRSW p. 40 ATX Power Switch / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pin)

29) RESET p. 40 Reset Switch Lead (2-pin)

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide

9

2.3 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 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

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 System Indicators (LED - Light Emitting Diodes)

The GREEN onboard LED indicates that the system power is okay. This
light also lights when the PC is in suspend or soft-off mode. The RED
onboard warning LED lights up only if the wrong type of AGP card is
connected to the board: (See AGP 8X, p. 23)

AGP_WARN

P4S8X

®

P4S8X Onboard LED

ON

Incorrect

AGP Card

SB_PWR

ON

Standby

Power

OFF

Correct

AGP Card

OFF

Powered

Off

10

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

2.4.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with a surface mount 478-pin Zero Insertion
Force (ZIF) socket. This socket is specifically designed for the Intel
Pentium® 4 478/Northwood Processor.

The Intel Pentium 4 Processor in the 478-pin package uses the Flip-Chip
Pin Grid Array 2 (FC-PGA2) package technology, and includes the Intel
NetBurst™ micro-architecture. The Intel NetBurst micro-architecture
features the hyper-pipelined technology, rapid execution engine, 400 /
533MHz system bus, and execution trace cache. Together, these attributes
improve system performance by allowing higher processor frequencies,
faster execution of integer instructions, and a data transfer rates of 3.2 and

4.2GB/s.

Gold Mark

®

®

Note in the illustration that the CPU has a gold triangular mark on one
corner. This mark indicates the processor Pin 1 that should match a
specific corner of the CPU socket.

Incorrect installation of the CPU into the socket may bend the pins and
severely damage the CPU!

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2.4.2 Installing the CPU

Follow these steps to install a CPU.

1. Locate the 478-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard.

2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a
90°-100° angle.

Socket Lever

90 -100

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Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle,
otherwise the CPU does not fit in completely.

Chapter 2: Hardware information

3. Position the CPU above the socket such that its marked corner
matches the base of the socket lever.

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!

Gold Mark

5. When the CPU is in place, press it firmly on the socket while you push
down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side
tab to indicate that it is locked.

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2.4.3 Installing the heatsink and fan

The Intel® Pentium® 4 478/Northwood Processor requires a specially
designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition
and performance.

When you buy a boxed Intel Pentium 4 478/Northwood Processor, the
package includes the heatsink, fan, and retention mechanism.

In case you buy a CPU separately, make sure that you use only Intel
certified heatsink and fan.

Follow these steps to install the CPU heatsink and fan.

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure that the
heatsink fits properly on the retention module base.

The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard
upon purchase.

You do not have to remove the retention module base when installing
the CPU or installing other motherboard components.

CPU Heatsink

Retention Module Base

Your boxed Intel Pentium 4 478/Northwood Processor package should
come with installation instructions for the CPU, heatsink, and the
retention mechanism. If the instructions in this section do not match the
CPU documentation, follow the latter.

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Chapter 2: Hardware information

2. Position the fan with the retention mechanism on top of the heatsink.
Align and snap the four hooks of the retention mechanism to the holes
on each corner of the module base.

Make sure that the fan and retention mechanism assembly perfectly
fits the heatsink and module base, otherwise you cannot snap the
hooks into the holes.

Retention Hole

Retention Lock

Keep the retention locks lifted upward while fitting the retention
mechanism to the module base.

ASUS P4S8X motherboard user guide

Retention Hook Snapped
to the Retention Hole

15

3. Push down the locks on the retention mechanism to secure the
heatsink and fan to the module base.

When secure, the retention locks should point to opposite directions.

2.4.4 Connecting the CPU fan cable

When the fan, heatsink, and the retention mechanism are in place,
connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled
CPUFAN.

CPU Fan Connector (CPUFAN)

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Don’t forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring
errors may occur if you fail to plug this connector.

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.5 System memory

2.5.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with three Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual Inline
Memory Module (DIMM) sockets. These sockets support up to 3GB
system memory using 184-pin unbuffered non-ECC PC2700/2100/1600
DIMMs.

104 Pins

P4S8X

®

P4S8X 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.

80 Pins

The DDR SDRAM technology evolved from the mainstream PC66, PC100,
PC133 memory known as Single Data Rate (SDR) SDRAM. DDR memory
however, has the ability to perform two data operations in one clock cycle,
thus providing twice the throughput of SDR memory.

DDR Data Transfer Rate DDR Base Frequency

2.7 GB/s 166MHz

2.1 GB/s 133MHz

1.6 GB/s 100MHz

A DDR DIMM has the same physical dimensions as an SDR DIMM, but it
has a 184-pin footprint compared to the 168-pin of the SDR DIMM. Also, a
DDR DIMM is single notched while an SDR DIMM is double notched.
Therefore, a DDR DIMM is not backward compatible with SDR, and should
be installed only in a socket specially designed for DDR DIMMs.

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2.5.2 Memory configurations

You may install any DDR DIMMs with 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and
1GB densities into the three DIMM sockets.

DDR DIMMs may be installed in the following sizes:

DIMM Location 184-pin DDR DIMM Total Memory

Socket 1 (Rows 0&1) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1 =
Socket 2 (Rows 2&3) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1 =
Socket 3 (Rows 4&5) 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1 =

Total system memory (Max. 3GB) =

DDR333 DIMM Qualified Vendor List

The following table lists the DDR333 memory modules that have been
tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.

Vendor Model Type/Size

Nanya NT5DS16M8AT-6 PC2700/256MB
Samsung K4H280838D-TCB3 PC2700/128MB
Samsung K4H280838D-TCB3 PC2700/256MB
Micron MT8VDDT1664AG-335B1 PC2700/128MB

Micron MT16VDDT3264AG-335B1 PC2700/256MB

Use only the tested and qualified 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.

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Chapter 2: Hardware information