ASUS P4SP-MX User Manual

P4SP-MX

User Guide

Motherboard

Checklist

E1530
First Edition V1

January 2004

Copyright © 2004 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.

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 ............................................................................................v

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

P4SP-MX specification summary .................................................. vii

About this guide............................................................................ viii

Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

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

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

1.3.1 Product highlights .................................................. 1-2

1.3.2 ASUS unique features ........................................... 1-4

1.4 Before you proceed ............................................................ 1-5

1.5 Motherboard overview........................................................ 1-6

1.5.1 Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-6

1.5.2 Placement direction ............................................... 1-7

1.5.3 Screw holes ........................................................... 1-7

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)........................................... 1-8

1.6.1 Overview ................................................................ 1-8

1.6.2 Installing the CPU .................................................. 1-9

1.7 System memory ............................................................... 1-10

1.7.1 DIMM sockets location......................................... 1-10

1.7.2 Memory configurations ........................................ 1-10

1.7.3 Installing a DIMM ..................................................1-11

1.7.4 Removing a DIMM ................................................1-11

1.8 Expansion slots ................................................................ 1-12

1.8.1 Installing an expansion card ................................ 1-12

1.8.2 Configuring an expansion card ............................ 1-12

1.8.3 PCI slots .............................................................. 1-14

1.8.4 AGP slot............................................................... 1-14

1.9 Jumpers............................................................................ 1-15

1.10 Connectors ....................................................................... 1-17

1.10.1 Rear panel connectors......................................... 1-17

1.10.2 Internal connectors .............................................. 1-18

iii

Safeguards

Contents

Chapter 2: BIOS information

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

2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk ............................. 2-2

2.1.2 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS ............ 2-3

2.1.3 Using the AFLASH utility........................................ 2-4

2.1.4 Recovering the BIOS with CrashFree BIOS .......... 2-6

2.1.5 ASUS Update ........................................................ 2-7

2.2 BIOS Setup program .......................................................... 2-9

2.2.1 BIOS menu bar ...................................................... 2-9

2.2.2 Legend bar........................................................... 2-10

2.3 Main menu.........................................................................2-11

2.3.1 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave ................. 2-13

2.3.2 Keyboard Features .............................................. 2-15

2.4 Advanced menu ............................................................... 2-16

2.4.1 Chip Configuration ............................................... 2-18

2.4.2 I/O Device Configuration...................................... 2-20

2.4.3 PCI Configuration ................................................ 2-21

2.5 Power menu ..................................................................... 2-23

2.5.1 Power Up Control ................................................ 2-24

2.5.2 Hardware Monitor ................................................ 2-25

2.6 Boot menu ........................................................................ 2-26

2.7 Exit menu ......................................................................... 2-28

Chapter 3: Software support

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

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

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

3.2.2 Installation items .................................................... 3-3

iv

Notices

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.

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. 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.

vi

P4SP-MX specification summary*

CPU

Chipset

Front Side Bus (FSB)
Memory

Expansion slots

VGA
Storage
Audio
LAN

Special features

Socket 478 for Intel® Pentium® 4/Celeron processor
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology ready
New power design for next generation Intel® Prescott CPU

SiS651 Northbridge
SiS962L Southbridge

533/400MHz
2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 2GB memory

Supports PC2700/2100/1600 unbuffered non-ECC DDR
DIMMs.

1 x AGP 4X (1.5V only)
3 x PCI

Integrated 3D graphics controller in SiS 651 chip
2 x UltraDMA133, PIO Mode 0 ~ 4
ADI AD1888 6-channel audio CODEC
SiS962L integrated 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet with Realtek

external PHY
Power loss restart

Digital audio via an S/PDIF out inteface

Rear panel I/O

Internal I/O

BIOS features

* Specifications are subject to change without notice.

1 x Parallel port
1 x S/PDIF out port
1 x Video port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x RJ-45 port
4 x USB 2.0/USB 1.1 ports
Line In/Line Out/Microphone ports

USB 2.0 connector for two additional USB ports
CPU and chassis fan connectors
20-pin/4-pin ATX 12V power connectors
CD/AUX audio connectors
GAME/MIDI connector
Front panel audio connector
Serial (COM1) connector
Panel connector

2Mb Flash ROM, DMI 2.0, Award BIOS. TCAV PnP features,
SM BIOS 2.3, WfM 2.0, ASUS CrashFree BIOS, ASUS EZ
Flash

(Continued on the next page.)

vii

P4SP-MX specification summary

Industry standard
Manageability
Form Factor
Support CD contents

PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.1
WOL/WOR by PME, DMI 2.0, WfM 2.0
Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
Device drivers

ASUS PC Probe
ASUS LiveUpdate
ASUS Screensaver
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Trend Micro™ PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software
Microsoft

®

DirectX 8.1

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 guide.

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.

viii

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

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying the ASUS® P4SP-MX motherboard!

The ASUS
technologies making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality
motherboards!

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

P4SP-MX motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest

1.2 Package contents

Check your P4SP-MX package for the following items.

ASUS P4SP-MX motherboard

Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
ASUS P4SP-MX series support CD
9-pin COM cable
80-conductor UltraDMA cable
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.

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Intel® Prescott CPU support

The motherboard comes with a 478-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF)
socket for the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor and 512/256KB L2 cache on 0.13
micron process. This motherboard supports 533/400 MHz system front side bus
that allows 4.3GB/s and 3.2GB/s data transfer rates, respectively. The P4SP-MX
also supports the next-generation Intel® Prescott CPU and the Intel
Hyper-Threading Technology. See page 1-8.

®

SiS651/962L chipset

Embedded in this motherboard is the SiS651/962L chipset that integrates various
SiS-developed technologies to ensure an efficient and reliable computing
performance.

1-2

Chapter 1: Product introduction

The SiS651 Northbridge chip is a high performance Host Memory Controller for the

®

Pentium® 4 processor, and supports a 2D/3D graphic engine, memory

Intel
controller, AGP 4X, and 533MHz front side bus. The SiS651 interconnects with the
SiS962L Southbridge chip at speeds of up to 1GB/s using the proprietary SiS
MuTIOL

Providing I/O and peripheral support is the SiS962L MuTIOL

®

technology.

®

Media I/O. The
Southbridge is a subsystem that integrates various I/O functions including
dual-channel DMA133 bus master IDE, USB 2.0/1.1, Ethernet, and audio
controllers. The SiS962L provides the necessary interfaces for the LPC, AC’97
audio/modem devices, and complies with the Advanced Power Management
(APM) 1.2 and ACPI 1.0b specification.

Integrated 2D/3D graphic engine

Embedded in the Northbridge is an integrated graphic engine with a 256-bit 3D and
2D graphics accelerator with maximum 64MB shared display memory.

See page 2-19.

Integrated 10/100 Mbps LAN controller

The SiS651 Northbridge provides an integrated Fast Ethernet solution that fully
supports 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX networking. The integrated controller works with
the onboard Realtek LAN PHY to give you faster Internet and LAN connections.

See page 1-17.

SoundMAX digital audio system

The SoundMax Digital Audio System is the industry’s highest performance and
most reliable audio solution for business professionals, audiophiles, musicians,
and gamers. SoundMAX Digital Audio System can output 5.1 channel surround
and features state-of-the-art DLS2 MIDI synthesizer with Yamaha DLSbyXG sound
set, 5.1 Virtual Theater™ and supports all major game audio technologies
including Microsoft DirectX™8.0, Microsoft DirectSound 3D™, A3D, MacroFX,
ZoomFX, MultiDrive 5.1 and EAX. See page 1-17.

USB 2.0 connectivity

The motherboard rear panel is equipped with four (4) Universal Serial Bus (USB)
ports to connect USB 2.0 devices. A USB header is also available at mid-board to
accommodate a USB module for two (2) additional USB ports. The USB ports and
header comply with USB 2.0 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps connection
speed. This speed advantage over the conventional USB 1.1 (12 Mbps) allows
faster Internet connection, interactive gaming, and simultaneous running of
high-speed peripherals. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1.

See pages 1-17 and 1-20.

ASUS P4SP-MX motherboard user guide

1-3

1.3.2 ASUS unique features

ASUS CrashFree BIOS

CrashFree BIOS allows users to restore BIOS data from a floppy diskette even
when BIOS code and data are corrupted during upgrade or invaded by a virus.
Unlike other competing vendors’ products, ASUS motherboards now enable users
to enjoy this protection feature without the need to pay for an optional ROM.

See page 2-6.

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 2-3.

1-4

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.4 Before you proceed

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

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

• 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.

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

• Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic

pad or in the bag that came with the component.

• 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, the 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.

SB_PWR1

®

P4SP-MX

ON OFF

P4SP-MX Onboard LED

Standby

Power

Powered

Off

ASUS P4SP-MX motherboard user guide

1-5

1.5 Motherboard overview

*

Requires an ATX power supply.

PLED-

Ground

PWR

PLED+

+5V

Speaker

Speaker
Connector

Power LED

Ground

Reset SW

SMI Lead

ExtSMI#

Ground

Reset

Ground

Ground

ATX Power
Switch*

IDELED

IDE LED

+5 V

1.5.1 Motherboard layout

24.4cm (9.6in)

PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

SPDIF1

VGA1

USB20_12

Bottom:

USB3
USB4

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

CD1

AD1888

CHA_FAN1

FP_AUDIO1

PARALLEL PORT

Top:

RJ-45

USBPWR_34
USBPWR_12

CPU_FAN1

AUX1

SB_PWR1

ATX12V1

SiS651

Memory

Controller

Accelerated Graphics Port

(AGP)

PCI Slot 1

®

PCI Slot 2

P4SP-MX

PCI Slot 3

FLOPPY1

ATX Power Connector

Host

USBPWR_56

USB_56

Socket 478

SiS962L

MuTIOL

Media

I/0

SEC_IDE1

PRI_IDE1

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

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

2 3

01

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

CLRTC1

I/O

Super

2Mbit
Flash
BIOS

GAME1

COM1

PANEL1

24.4cm (9.6in)

1-6

USBPWR_34
USBPWR_12

1

2

+5V

(Default)

+5VSB

USBPWR_56

2

32

1

+5V

(Default)

32

+5VSB

2

1

Normal

(Default)

CLRTC1

32

Clear CMOS

PANEL1

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.5.2 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 as indicated in the image below.

1.5.3 Screw holes

Place eight (8) 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 P4SP-MX motherboard user guide

1-7

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

1.6.1 Overview

The Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 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.

®

P4SP-MX

P4SP-MX Socket 478

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

Notes on Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology

• Hyper-Threading Technology is supported under W indows XP and Linux

2.4.x (kernel) and later versions only. Under Linux, use the Hyper-Threading

compliler to compile the code. If you are using any other operating systems,
disable the Hyper-Threading Techonology item in BIOS to ensure system
stability and performance.

• It is recommended that you install WinXP Service Pack 1.

• Make sure to enable the Hyper-Threading Technology item in BIOS before

installing a supported operating system.

Gold Arrow

1-8

• For more information on Hyper-Threading Technology, visit www .intel.com/
info/hyperthreading.

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.6.2 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

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 its marked corner matches
the base of the socket lever.

90 -100

Gold Mark

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.

6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan
following the instructions that came
with the heatsink package.

7. Connect the CPU fan cable to the
CPU_FAN1 connector on the
motherboard.

ASUS P4SP-MX motherboard user guide

1-9

1.7 System memory

1.7.1 DIMM sockets location

The following figure illustrates the location of the DDR DIMM sockets.

104 Pins

®

P4SP-MX

P4SP-MX 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets

• 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.

80 Pins

1.7.2 Memory configurations

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

1-10

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.7.3 Installing a DIMM

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.

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.

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.

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket
until the retaining clips snap back in
place and the DIMM is properly
seated.

DDR DIMM notch

Unlocked

retaining clip

Locked Retaining Clip

1.7.4 Removing a DIMM

Follow these steps to remove a DIMM.

1. Simultaneously press the retaining
clips outward to unlock the DIMM.

Support the DIMM lightly with your
fingers when pressing the
retaining clips. The DIMM might
get damaged when it flips out with
extra force.

2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.

ASUS P4SP-MX motherboard user guide

1-11

1.8 Expansion slots

In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections
describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support.

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

1.8.1 Installing an expansion card

Follow these steps to install an expansion card.

1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with it
and make the necessary hardware settings for the card.

2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a
chassis).

3. Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screw
for later use.

4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is
completely seated on the slot.

5. Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier.

6. Replace the system cover.

1.8.2 Configuring an expansion card

After installing the expansion card, configure the it by adjusting the software settings.

1. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any. See
Chapter 2 for information on BIOS setup.

2. Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables on the next page.

3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

1-12

Chapter 1: Product introduction