DFI P2XBL/e User Manual

P2XBL/e

Rev. A+
System Board
Users Manual

36500829

Copyright

This publication contains information that is protected by copyright. No
part of it may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to
make any transformation/adaptation without the prior written permission
from the copyright holders.

This publication is provided for informational purposes only. The
manufacturer makes no representations or warranties with respect to
the contents or use of this manual and specifically disclaims any express
or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.
The user will assume the entire risk of the use or the results of the use of
this document. Further, the manufacturer reserves the right to revise this
publication and make changes to its contents at any time, without obligation
to notify any person or entity of such revisions or changes.

© 1998. All Rights Reserved.

Trademarks

Microsoft® MS-DOS®, WindowsTM and Windows® 95 are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered
trademarks of Intel Corporation. Cyrix, 6x86, 6x86L and 6x86MX are
registered trademarks of Cyrix Corporation. AMD, K5 and K6 are
registered trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. IBM is a registered
trademark of International Business Machine Corporation. Award is a
registered trademark of Award Software, Inc. Other trademarks and
registered trademarks of products appearing in this manual are the
properties of their respective holders.

Caution:

Danger of explosion if battery incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.
Dispose of used batteries according to the battery manufacturers
instructions.

FCC and DOC Statement on Class B

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 when the equipment is operated in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instruction manual, 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 the receiver.
 Connect the equipment into 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.

Notice:

1. The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority
to operate the equipment.

2. Shielded interface cables must be used in order to comply with
the emission limits.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction

1.1 Features and Specifications ......................................................................

1.2 Package Checklist .........................................................................................

Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation

2.1 System Board Layout .................................................................................

2.2 System Memory .............................................................................................

2.3 DIP Switch Settings of the Processors ............................................

2.4 Jumper Settings for Wake-On-Keyboard/Mouse........................

2.5 Jumper Settings for Clearing CMOS Data. ...................................

2.6 Jumper Settings for CPU Front Side Bus .......................................

2.7 Connecting the Ribbon Cables and Wires of the Ports

and Connectors .............................................................................................

Chapter 3 - Award BIOS Setup Utility

3.1 The Basic Input/Output System ...........................................................

3.1.1 Standard CMOS Setup.............................................................

3.1.2 BIOS Features Setup..................................................................

3.1.3 Chipset Features Setup.............................................................

3.1.4 Power Management Setup......................................................

3.1.5 PNP/PCI Configuration .............................................................

3.1.6 Load Fail-Safe Settings ...............................................................

3.1.7 Load Optimal Settings ..............................................................

3.1.8 Integrated Peripherals .................................................................

3.1.9 Supervisor Password ..................................................................

3.1.10 User Password...............................................................................

3.1.11 IDE HDD Auto Detection .....................................................

3.1.12 Save & Exit Setup ........................................................................

3.1.13 Exit Without Saving .....................................................................

6

11

12
13
13
15
16
17

17

28
28
31
34
37
42
43
44
44
48
49
49
50
50

Chapter 4 - Supported Softwares

4.1 Desktop Management Interface ..........................................................

Appendix A - System Error Messages

A.1 POST Beep ......................................................................................................

A.2 Error Messages ...............................................................................................

Appendix B - Troubleshooting

B.1 Troubleshooting Checklist. ........................................................................

51

54
54

56

Chapter 1 - Introduction

1.1 Features and Specifications

1.1.1 Features

Chipset

 Intel 440BX AGPset

Processor

The system board is equipped with a 242-pin Intel Slot 1
processor slot for installing an Intel Pentium II processor that is
packaged in an SEC (Single Edge Contact) cartridge or an Intel
CeleronTM processor.

 233/66MHz, 266/66MHz, 300/66MHz, 300/100MHz,

333/66MHz, 350/100MHz, 400/100MHz or 450/100MHz
Pentium II processor with 512KB L2 cache

 266/66MHz, 300/66MHz, 300A/66MHz or 333/66MHz

Intel CeleronTM processor

System Memory

The system board supports 8MB to 384MB memory. It is equipped
with three 168-pin DIMM sockets using x64/x72 unbuffered PC
SDRAM, 3.3V. The PC SDRAMs supported are PC-66 SDRAM for
66MHz FSB and PC-100 SDRAM for 100MHz FSB. The system
board also supports EC and ECC (uses x72 PC SDRAM).

Expansion Slots

The system board is equipped with 1 dedicated AGP slot, 3
dedicated PCI slots, 2 dedicated 16-bit ISA slots and 1 shared PCI/
ISA slot. All PCI and ISA slots are bus masters.

Desktop Management Interface (DMI)

The system board comes with a DMI 2.0 built into the BIOS. The
DMI utility in the BIOS automatically records various information
about your system configuration and stores these information in the

6

Introduction

DMI pool, which is a par t of the system board's Plug and Play
BIOS. DMI, along with the appropriately networked software, is
designed to make inventory, maintenance and troubleshooting of
computer systems easier. Refer to Chapter 4 for instructions on
using the DMI utility.

Onboard I/O

 Two NS16C550A-compatible DB-9 serial por ts
 One SPP/ECP/EPP DB-25 parallel port
 One floppy drive interface supports up to two 2.88MB floppy

drives
 One mini-DIN-6 PS/2 mouse port
 One mini-DIN-6 PS/2 keyboard port
 One WOL (Wake-On-LAN) connector

PCI Bus Master IDE Controller

 Two PCI IDE interfaces support up to four IDE devices
 Ultra DMA/33 supported (Synchronous Ultra DMA mode -

data transfer rate up to a maximum of 33MB/sec.)
 PIO Mode 3 and Mode 4 Enhanced IDE (data transfer rate up

to 16.6MB/sec.)
 Bus mastering reduces CPU utilization during disk transfer
 ATAPI CD-ROM supported
 LS-120 and ZIP supported

1

IrDA Interface

The system board is equipped with an IrDA connector for wireless
connectivity between your computer and peripheral devices. It
supports peripheral devices that meet the IrDA or ASKIR standard.

USB Ports

The system board is equipped with two USB ports. USB allows
data exchange between your computer and a wide range of
simultaneously accessible external Plug and Play peripherals.

BIOS

 Award BIOS, Windows 95 Plug and Play compatible
 Flash EPROM for easy BIOS upgrades

7

1

Introduction

Power Supply Connector

The system board is equipped with an ATX power supply connector.
Using an ATX power supply, you can either shut down your com­puter by pressing the Power button located on the front bezel of
your computer or by executing the Shut Down command under the
Windows 95 operating system. Your system will then enter the Soft
Off state.

To power-on your system automatically, enable Resume On Alarm
in the Power Management Setup of the Award BIOS. This will allow
you to set the date and time you would like your system to power­on.

1.1.2 Technology

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)

The system board is equipped with 1 AGP slot. AGP is an interface
designed to support high performance 3D graphics cards. It utilizes a
dedicated pipeline to access system memory for texturing, z-buffering
and alpha blending; delivering up to 533MB/sec. bandwidth for 3D
graphics applications. AGP in this Pentium II processor based system
board will deliver faster and better graphics with your PC.

PC SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory)

PC SDRAM uses a fast memory interface technology to meet the
memory bandwidth requirements of Intel processors and chipset.
This technology includes using the clock on the chip to synchronize
with the CPU clock so that the timing of the memory chips and the
timing of the CPU are synchronized. Please refer to Intels web site
for more information on PC SDRAM.

Creative SB-LINK

The system board is equipped with a Creative SB-LINK connector.
SB-LINK serves as a bridge between the system board and a
Creative PCI sound card to deliver Sound Blaster AWE64D
performance. Refer to SB-LINK Connector in Chapter 2 for more
information.

8

Introduction

Ultra DMA/33 Bus Master IDE

Synchronous Ultra DMA mode provides data transfer rate up to a
maximum of 33MB/sec, which is twice the data transfer rate of
Enhanced IDE or ATA-2. This enables the CPU to operate more
efficiently when handling simultaneous events.

ECC (Error Checking and Correction)

ECC is a function that allows the system to recover from memory
failure. It detects single-bit and multiple-bit errors and corrects single­bit error thus providing uninterrupted processing of data. To use this
function, you must install DIMM that supports parity.

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)

The system board is designed to meet the ACPI specification. ACPI
has energy saving features that enables PCs to implement Power
Management and Plug-and-Play with operating systems that support
OS Direct Power Management.

PC 97 Compliant

The system board is PC 97 compliant. This will optimize your PC
system to run Windows 95 and Windows NT and future versions
of these operating systems.

1

1.1.3 Intelligence

Dual Function Power Button

Depending on the setting in the BIOS setup, this switch will allow
your system to enter the Soft-Off or Suspend mode. Soft-Off By
PWR-BTTN in the Power Management Setup (Chapter 3) allows
you to select the method of powering off your system.

External Modem Wake-up/Ring-on

The Modem Wake-Up feature allows the sleeping (Suspend mode)
PC to wake-up to respond to incoming calls. The Modem Ring-on
feature allows the Soft Power Down (Soft-Off) PC to power-on to
respond to incoming calls. Enable this function in the Resume On
Ring field of the Power Management Setup (Chapter 3).

9

1

Introduction

Note:

This feature supports external modem only.

RTC Timer to Power-On the System

The RTC installed on the system board allows your system to
automatically power-on on the set date and time. Set the date and
time you would like your system to power-on in the Resume On
Alarm field of the Power Management Setup (Chapter 3).

Wake-On-LAN Ready

The Wake-On-LAN function allows the network to wake up a Soft
Power Down (Soft-Off) PC. To use the Wake-On-LAN function,
make sure your LAN card also support this function. Refer to the
Wake-On-LAN Connector section (Chapter 2) and Resume On
LAN field in the Power Management Setup (Chapter 3).

Important:

The 5VSB power source of your power supply must support

≥

720mA (minimum).

Wake-On-Keyboard/Wake-On-Mouse

This function allows you to use the keyboard or mouse to power-on
the system. Refer to Jumper Settings for Wake-On-Keyboard/Wake­On-Mouse in Chapter 2 and Keyboard/Mouse Power On in the
Integrated Peripherals setup of the Award BIOS in Chapter 3 for
more information.

Important:

The power button will not function once a keyboard password
has been set in the KB Power On Password field of the
Integrated Peripherals setup. You must type the correct
password to power-on the system.

Virus Protection

Most viruses today destroy data stored in hard drives. The system
board is designed to protect the boot sector and partition table of
your hard disk drive. If an attempt is made to write to the boot
sector or partition table of the hard disk drive, the BIOS will halt the
system and an error message will appear. Refer to the Virus
Warning field in the BIOS Features Setup (Chapter 3).

10

Introduction

1.2 Package Checklist

The system board package contains the following items:

þ The system board
þ A users manual
þ One 40-pin IDE hard disk cable
þ One 34-pin floppy disk drive cable
þ One diskette

If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your
dealer or sales representative for assistance.

1

11

Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation

2.1 System Board Layout

12

Hardware Installation

2.2 System Memory

2.3 DIP Switch Settings of the Processors

The table on the next page shows the supported processors and
their corresponding DIP switch settings (SW1). There are 4 switches
on SW1. The black rectangle in the diagram denotes the part that is
protruding, the adjustable switch. Make sure SW1 is set correctly
before applying power, otherwise you will not be able to power-on
the system.

2

In the example above:

Switch 1: On
Switch 2: Off
Switch 3: On
Switch 4: On

13

2

Hardware Installation

66MHz

Future

processor

Future

processor

Future

processor

Future

processor

Future

processor

Processor

100MHz

Future

processor

Future

processor

Future

processor

Future

processor

Future

processor

Frequency

Ratio

6x

6.5x

7x

7.5x

8x

Processor

66MHz

------

233MHz

266MHz 400MHz

300MHz 450MHz

333MHz

Future

processor

100MHz

300MHz

350MHz

Future

processor

Future

processor

Frequency

Ratio

3x

3.5x

4x

4.5x

5x

5.5x

SW1

Note:

Intel Pentium II processors or Intel CeleronTM processors support VID (Voltage
Identification). The switching voltage regulator on the system board will
automatically set the voltage regulator according to the voltage of the
processor.

SW1

14

Hardware Installation

2.4 Jumper Settings for Wake-On-Keyboard/
Mouse

Jumper JP3

Wake-on-Keyboard/Mouse

The system board supports the
Wake-On-Keyboard/Mouse function.
This function allows the keyboard/
mouse to power-on the system. By
default, JP3 is set at 1-2 On - Wake­On-Keyboard/Mouse disabled.
Keyboard/Mouse Power On in the
Integrated Peripherals setup of the
Award BIOS must be set accordingly.
Refer to Chapter 3 for details.

2

1-2 On: Disable (default)

Warning:

1. If JP3 was previously enabled with a password set in the
BIOS setup, and now you wish to disable the Wake-On­Keyboard function, make sure to disable the password in
the BIOS setup prior to setting JP3 to disabled. You will
not be able to boot up the system if you fail to do so.

2.The power button will not function once a keyboard
password has been set in the KB Power On Password
field of the Integrated Peripherals setup. You must type

the correct password to power-on the system.

3. The 5VSB power source of your power supply must
support ≥720mA (minimum).

2-3 On: Enable

15

2

Hardware Installation

2.5 Jumper Settings for Clearing CMOS Data

Jumper JP2

Clear CMOS Data

If, for some reasons, the CMOS
data becomes corrupted or you
forgot the supervisor/user/
keyboard password, the system
can be reconfigured with the
default values stored in the ROM
BIOS. To load the default values,
power-off your system and

unplug the power cord. Set JP2

pins 2 and 3 to On. Wait for a
few seconds and set JP2 back to
its default setting, pins 1 and 2
On. You may now plug the power
cord and power-on your system.

16

1-2 On:

Normal (default)

2-3 On:

Clear CMOS Data

Hardware Installation

2.6 Jumper Settings for CPU Front Side Bus

Jumper JP1

CPU Front Side Bus Select

The default is set at 1-2 On, Auto.
The system will automatically set the
bus speed according to the FSB of
the processor. If it is Off, FSB is set
to 100MHz.

Warning:

If you set JP1 to Off for 66MHz
FSB processor, it will provide better
system performance. However, we
do not guarantee that the system
will work properly.

On : Auto(default) Off : 100MHz

2.7 Connecting the Ribbon Cables and Wires of
the Ports and Connectors

2

2.7.1 Serial Ports

The built-in serial ports are RS­232C asynchronous communication
ports with 16C550A-compatible
UARTs that can be used with
modems, serial printers, remote
display terminals, and other serial
devices. You can set the serial ports
I/O address in the Integrated Periph­erals setup of the Award BIOS.

17

2

Hardware Installation

2.7.2 PS/2 Mouse and PS/2 Keyboard Ports

The PS/2 mouse port uses IRQ12. If
a mouse is not connected to this
port, the system will reserve IRQ12
for other expansion cards.

Warning:

Make sure to turn off your
computer prior to connecting
or disconnecting a mouse or
keyboard. Failure to do so may
damage the system board.

2.7.3 Parallel Port

The system board has a standard
printer port for interfacing your PC
to a parallel printer. It supports SPP,
ECP and EPP modes. You can set the
ports mode in the Integrated Periph­erals setup of the Award BIOS.

18

2.7.4 Floppy Disk Drive Controller

1. Install the 34-pin header
connector into the shrouded
floppy disk header (J7) on the
system board. The colored edge
of the ribbon should be aligned
with pin 1 of J7.

2. Install the other 34-pin header
connector(s) into the disk
drive(s). Align the colored edge
of the daisy chained ribbon cable
with pin 1 of the drive edge
connector(s). The end-most
connector should be attached to
the drive you want to designate
as Drive A.

2.7.5 IDE Hard Disk Interface

1. If you are connecting two hard
drives, install the 40-pin
connector of the IDE cable into
the primary shrouded IDE
header (connector J11). If you
are adding a third or fourth IDE
device, install the 40-pin
connector of the other IDE
cable into the secondary
shrouded IDE header
(connector J10).

Hardware Installation

2

2. Install the other 40-pin header
connector(s) into the device with
the colored edge of the ribbon cable aligned with pin 1 of the
drive edge connector(s).

Note:

Refer to your disk drive users manual for information about
selecting proper drive switch settings.

19

2

Hardware Installation

Adding a Second IDE Hard Drive

When using two IDE drives, one must be set as the master and the
other as the slave. Follow the instructions provided by the drive
manufacturer for setting the jumpers and/or switches on the drives.

We recommend that you use Enhanced IDE or ATA-2, ATA-3 and
Ultra DMA hard drives be from the same manufacturer. In a few
cases, drives from two different manufacturers will not function
properly when used together. The problem lies in the hard drives, not
the system board.

Important:

If you encountered problems while using an ATAPI CD-ROM
drive that is set in Master mode, please set the CD-ROM drive
to Slave mode. Some ATAPI CD-ROMs may not be recognized
and cannot be used if incorrectly set in Master mode.

2.7.6 Universal Serial Bus Ports

You must have the proper drivers
installed in your operating system to
use these ports. Refer to your
operating systems manual or
documentation.

20

Hardware Installation

2.7.7 IrDA Connector

The system board is equipped with an IrDA connector for wireless
connectivity between your computer and peripheral devices. The
IRDA (Infrared Data Association) specification supports data
transfers of 115K baud at a distance of 1 meter. Connect your IrDA
cable to connector J14 on the system board. Set UART2 Mode
Select in the Integrated Peripherals setup of the Award BIOS to the
type of IrDA standard supported by your device. Refer to Chapter
3 for more information.

You must have the proper drivers installed in your operating system
to use this connector. Refer to your operating systems manual or
documentation.

2

Pin

1

2
3
4
5

Function

IRTX
Ground
IRRX
N. C .
VCC

21

2

Hardware Installation

2.7.8 CPU Fan Connector

The processor must be kept cool by using a fan with heatsink.
Connect the CPU fan to the 3-pin fan connector at location J3 on
the system board.

2.7.9 Chassis Fan Connector

The system board is equipped with
a chassis fan connector. If you are
installing a fan in the system unit,
connect the fans connector to
location J4 on the system board.
The fan will provide adequate
airflow throughout the chassis to
prevent overheating the processor.

Pin

1
2

3

Function

Ground
+12V
None

Pin

1
2

3

Function

Ground
+12V
N. C.

22

Hardware Installation

2.7.10 Wake-On-LAN (WOL) Connector

The system board supports the Wake-On-LAN function. This
function will allow the network to remotely power-on a Soft Power
Down (Soft-Off) PC. However, if your system is in the Suspend
mode, you can power-on the system only through an IRQ or DMA
interrupt.

To use the Wake-On-LAN function, you must enable the Resume
On LAN field in the Power Management Setup of the Award BIOS.
Your LAN card package should include a cable. Connect one end of
the cable to the wakeup header on the card and the other end to
location J15 on the system board. The network will detect Magic
Packet and assert a wakeup signal to power-up the system. Refer to
the add-in cards manual for details. Note: Your LAN card must
support the remote wake up function.

2

Pin

1
2
3

Important:

The 5VSB power source of your power supply must support

≥

720mA (minimum).

Function

+5VSB (720mA)
Ground
Signal

23

2

Hardware Installation

2.7.11 J9 (LEDs and Switches)

SB-LED

(ATX power LED)

HD-LED

(Primary/Secondary IDE LED)

G-LED

(Green LED)

ATX-SW

(ATX power switch)

G-SW

(Green switch)

RESET

(Reset switch)

SPEAKER

(Speaker connector)

Pin

1
2

3
4

5
6
7

8
9

10
11

12
13

14
15
16

17
18
19

20
21
22

Pin Assignment

ATX Power
Ground

Open
HDD LED Power

HDD
Open
Green LED Power

Green
Open
PWRBT

Ground
Open
SMI

Ground
Open
HW Reset

Ground
Open
Speaker Data

N. C.
Ground
Speaker Power

24

Hardware Installation

2

Pin

23

KEYLOCK

(Keylock and Power
LED connector)

Use pins 24 to 26 for
the Power LED.

SB-LED: ATX 5VSB Standby LED

This LED will light when the 5VSB power is active.

HD-LED: Primary/Secondary IDE LED

This LED will light when the hard drive is being accessed.

G-LED: Green LED

This LED will light when the system is in the Suspend mode.

ATX-SW: ATX Power Switch

Depending on the setting in the BIOS setup, this switch is a dual
function power button that will allow your system to enter the Soft­Off or Suspend mode. Refer to Soft-Off By PWR-BTTN in the
Power Management Setup (Chapter 3).

G-SW: Green Switch (For APM only)

Pressing this switch will allow your system to enter the Suspend
mode. Pressing it again or using the keyboard/mouse (that is, when
the Wake-On-Keyboard/Mouse function is enabled) will allow the
system to wake up completely from the Suspend mode.

24
25
26
27
28

Pin Assignment

Open
LED Power

N. C.
Ground
Keylock
Ground

RESET: Reset Switch

This switch allows you to reboot without having to power off the
system thus prolonging the life of the power supply or system.

SPEAKER: Speaker Connector

This connects to the speaker installed in the system chassis.

KEYLOCK - Keylock and Power LED Connector

This is used to connect to the keyboard lock (located on the front
panel of the system chassis) for locking the keyboard. Use pins 24

to 26 to connect to the Power LED.

25

2

Hardware Installation

2.7.12 SB-LINK Connector

If the system board is installed with a Creative sound card that
requires connecting the card to the SB-LINK connector, connect the
cable that came with the sound card to connector JP16. Refer to the
sound cards manual for more information.

Pin

1

2
3
4
5

6

Function

PC-PCI-GNTx
DGND
Key
PC-PCI-REQx
DGND
SERIRQ

26

Hardware Installation

2.7.13 Power Connector

The system board is equipped with an ATX power connector at
location J1 of the system board.

Pin

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

10

Function

3.3V/14A

3.3V/14A
COM
+5V
COM
+5V
COM
PW-OK
5VSB
+12V

Pin

11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Function

3.3V/14A

-12V

COM

PS-ON

COM

COM

COM

-5V

+5V

+5V

2

Important:

Your power supply must meet the ATX specification ­supporting 3.3V/14A (minimum), otherwise your system will not
boot properly.

27

Chapter 3 - Award BIOS Setup Utility

3.1 The Basic Input/Output System

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is a program that takes care
of the basic level of communication between the processor and
peripherals. In addition, the BIOS also contain codes for various
advanced features found in this system board. This chapter explains the
Setup Utility for the Award BIOS.

After you power up your system, the BIOS message appears on your
screen and the memory count begins. After the memory test, the
following message will appear on the screen:

Press DEL to enter setup

If the message disappears before you respond, restart your system or
press the Reset button. You may also restart the system by pressing
the <Ctrl> <Alt> and <Del> keys simultaneously.

When you press <Del>, the main program screen will appear.

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

CMOS SETUP UTILITY

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

STANDARD CMOS SETUP
BIOS FEA TURES SETUP
CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP
POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP
PNP/PCI CONFIGURATION
LOAD FAIL-SAFE SETTINGS
LOAD OPTIMAL SETTINGS

Esc

: Quit

F10

: Save & Exit Setup

INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS
SUPER VISOR P ASSWORD
USER PASSWORD
IDE HDD AUTO DETECTION
SAVE & EXIT SETUP
EXIT WITHOUT SAVING

: Select Item

↑↓→←

: Change Color

(Shift) F2

3.1.1 Standard CMOS Setup

Use the arrow keys to highlight Standard CMOS Setup and press
<Enter>. A screen similar to the one on the next page will appear.

28

Award BIOS Setup Utility

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS
STANDARD CMOS SETUP
AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

Date (mm:dd:yy) : Mon, Jul 27 1998
Time (hh:mm:ss) : 13: 27: 50

HARD DISKS
Primary Master
Primary Slave
Secondary Master
Secondary Slave

Drive A : 1.44M, 3.5 in.
Drive B : None

Video : EGA/VGA
Halt on : All Errors

: Quit

Esc
F10

: Save & Exit Setup

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

Date

The date format is <day>, <month>, <date>, <year>. Day displays
a day, from Sunday to Saturday. Month displays the month, from
January to December. Date displays the date, from 1 to 31. Year
displays the year, from 1994 to 2079.

Time

:
:
:
:

TYPE
Auto
Auto
Auto
Auto

SIZE

0
0
0
0

CYLS

↑↓→←

HEAD
0
0
0
0

: Select Item
: Change(Shift)F2

0
0
0
0

PRECOMP

LANDZ
0
0
0
0

SECTOR
0
0
0
0

Base Memory : 640K
Extended Memory : 64512K
Other Memory : 384K

Total Memory : 65536K

PU/PD/+/- : Modify

0
0
0
0

MODE
Auto
Auto
Auto
Auto

3

The time format is <hour>, <minute>, <second>. The time is based
on the 24-hour military-time clock. For example, 1 p.m. is 13:00:00.
Hour displays hours from 00 to 23. Minute displays minutes from 00
to 59. Second displays seconds from 00 to 59.

Primary Master, Primary Slave, Secondary Master and Secondary Slave

These categories allow you to enter the appropriate specifications for
the type of hard disk drive(s) installed in your system. Press <PgUp>
or <PgDn> to select a numbered hard disk type or type the number
and press <Enter>. The hard disk will not work properly if you enter
improper information for this category. You can use Type User to
define your own drive type manually. This information should be included
in the documentation from your hard disk vendor. If you select Type
Auto, the BIOS will auto-detect the HDD & CD-ROM drive at the
POST stage and show the IDE for the HDD & CD-ROM drive. If a
hard disk has not been installed, select None and press <Enter>.

29

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Drive A and Drive B

These categories identify the types of floppy disk drives installed.

None No floppy drive is installed
360K, 5.25 in. 5-1/4 in. standard drive; 360KB capacity

1.2M, 5.25 in. 5-1/4 in. AT-type high-density drive; 1.2MB capacity
720K, 3.5 in. 3-1/2 in. double-sided drive; 720KB capacity

1.44M, 3.5 in. 3-1/2 in. double-sided drive; 1.44MB capacity

2.88M, 3.5 in. 3-1/2 in. double-sided drive; 2.88MB capacity

Video

This category selects the type of video adapter used for the primary
system monitor. Although secondary monitors are supported, you do
not have to select the type in Setup. The default setting is EGA/VGA
(BIOS default, Setup default).

EGA/VGA Enhanced Graphics Adapter/Video Graphics Array. For

EGA, VGA, SVGA and PGA monitor adapters.

CGA 40 Color Graphics Adapter. Power up in 40-column mode.
CGA 80 Color Graphics Adapter. Power up in 80-column mode.
Mono Monochrome adapter. Includes high resolution

monochrome adapters.

Halt On

This category determines whether the system will stop if an error is
detected during power up. The default setting is All Errors (BIOS
default, Setup default).

No Errors The system boot will not stop for any errors detected.
All Errors The system boot will stop whenever the BIOS detects

a non-fatal error.

All, But Keyboard The system boot will not stop for a keyboard

error; it will stop for all other errors.

All, But Diskette The system boot will not stop for a disk error;

it will stop for all other errors.

All, But Disk/Key The system boot will not stop for a disk or

keyboard error; it will stop for all other errors.

30

Award BIOS Setup Utility

3.1.2 BIOS Features Setup

The BIOS Features Setup allows you to configure your system for basic
operation. Some entries are defaults required by the system board,
while others, if enabled, will improve the performance of your system
or let you set some features according to your preference.

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

BIOS FEA TURES SETUP

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

Virus Warning
CPU L1 Cache
CPU L2 Cache
CPU L2 Cache ECC Checking
Quick Power On Self Test
Boot Sequence
Swap Floppy Drive
Boot Up Floppy Seek
Boot Up NumLock Status
Typematic Rate Setting
Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)
Typematic Delay (Msec)
Security Option
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop
OS Select For DRAM > 64MB
HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

Virus Warning

: Disabled
: Enabled
: Enabled
: Enabled
: Enabled
: A, C, SCSI
: Disabled
: Disabled
:On
: Disabled
:6
: 250
: Setup
: Disabled
: Non-OS2
: Disabled

ESC

: Quit

F1

: Help

F5

: Old Values

F6

: Load Fail-Safe Settings

F7

: Load Optimal Settings

↑↓→←

PU/PD/+/­(Shift) F2

: Select Item
: Modify
: Color

3

This category protects the boot sector and partition table of your hard
disk drive. When this item is enabled, the Award BIOS will monitor the
boot sector and partition table of the hard disk drive. If an attempt
is made to write to the boot sector or partition table of the hard disk
drive, the BIOS will halt the system and an error message will appear.

After seeing the error message, if necessary, you will be able to run
an anti-virus program to locate and remove the problem before any
damage is done.

Many disk diagnostic programs which attempt to access the boot
sector table will cause the warning message to appear. If you are
running such a program, we recommend that you first disable this
category. Also, disable this category if you are installing or running
certain operating systems like Windows® 95 or the operating system
may not install nor work.

31

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

CPU L1 Cache and CPU L2 Cache

These categories speed up the memory access. The default value is
enabled. Enable the External Cache for better performance.

CPU L2 Cache ECC Checking

Intel Pentium II processor comes with built-in Level 2 cache. By default,
ECC is enabled to check the Level 2 cache. If you are not using this
function, set this field to Disabled.

Quick Power On Self Test

This category speeds up Power On Self Test (POST) after you power
on your system. When Enabled, the BIOS will shorten or skip some
check items during POST.

Boot Sequence

This category determines which drive to search first for the disk
operating system. The default is A, C, SCSI. The options are:

A, C, SCSI; C, A, SCSI; C, CDROM, A; CDROM, C, A;
D, A, SCSI; E, A, SCSI; F, A, SCSI; SCSI, A, C;
SCSI, C, A; C only; LS120/ZIP, C.

Swap Floppy Drive

When this option is enabled and the system is booting from the floppy
drive, the system will boot from drive B instead of drive A. When this
option is disabled and the system is booting from the floppy drive, the
system will boot from drive A. You must have two floppy drives to
use this function.

Boot Up Floppy Seek

When enabled, the BIOS will check whether the floppy disk drive installed
is 40 or 80 tracks. Note that the BIOS cannot distinguish between 720K,

1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M drive types as they are all 80 tracks. When
disabled, the BIOS will not search for the type of floppy disk drive by
track number. Note that there will not be any warning message if the drive
installed is 360KB.

32

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Boot Up NumLock Status

This allows you to determine the default state of the numeric keypad.
By default, the system boots up with NumLock on wherein the function
of the numeric keypad is the number keys. When set to Off, the
function of the numeric keypad is the arrow keys.

Typematic Rate Setting

When disabled, continually holding down a key on your keyboard will
cause the BIOS to report that the key is down. When the typematic
rate is enabled, the BIOS will not only report that the key is down,
but will first wait for a moment, and, if the key is still down, it will begin
to report that the key has been depressed repeatedly. For example,
you would use such a feature to accelerate cursor movements with
the arrow keys.

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

This selection allows you to select the rate at which the keys are
accelerated.

Typematic Delay (Msec)

3

This selection allows you to select the delay between when the key
was first depressed and when the acceleration begins.

Security Option

System The system will not boot and access to Setup will be

denied if the correct password is not entered at the
prompt.

Setup The system will boot, but access to Setup will be denied

if the correct password is not entered at the prompt.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

It determines whether the MPEG ISA/VESA VGA Cards can work with
PCI/VGA or not. The default value is Disabled.

Enabled PCI/VGA working with MPEG ISA/VESA VGA cards.
Disabled PCI/VGA not working with MPEG ISA/VESA VGA cards.

33

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

OS Select for DRAM > 64MB

This item allows you to access the memory that is over 64MB in
OS/2. The options are: Non-OS/2 and OS/2.

HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability

The system board supports SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and
Reporting Technology) hard drives. SMART is a reliability prediction
technology for ATA/IDE and SCSI drives. The drive will provide sufficient
notice to the system or user to backup data prior to the drives failure.
The default is Disabled. If you are using hard drives that support
S.M.A.R.T., set this field to Enabled. SMART is supported in ATA-3 or
later hard drives.

3.1.3 Chipset Features Setup

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

SDRAM RAS-to-CAS Delay
SDRAM RAS Precharge Time
SDRAM CAS Latency Time
SDRAM Precharge Control
DRAM Data Integrity Mode
System BIOS Cacheable
Video BIOS Cacheable
Video RAM Cacheable
8 Bit I/O Recovery Time
16 Bit I/O Recovery Time
Memory Hole At 15M-16M
PCI 2.1 Compliance
AGP Aperture Size (MB)
CPU Clock Frequency
Spread Spectrum

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

This section gives you functions to configure the system based on
the specific features of the chipset. The chipset manages bus speeds
and access to system memory resources. It also coordinates
communications between the conventional ISA bus and the PCI bus.

These items should not be altered unless necessary. The default

settings have been chosen because they provide the best operating
conditions for your system. The only time you might consider making
any changes would be if you discovered some incompatibility or that
data was being lost while using your system.

:3
:3
:3
: Disabled
: Non-ECC
: Disabled
: Disabled
: Disabled
:1
:1
: Disabled
: Disabled
:64
: Default
: Disabled

: Quit

F1

: Help

F5

: Old Values

F6

: Load Fail-Safe Settings

F7

: Load Optimal Settings

↑ ↓ → ←ESC
PU/PD/+/­(Shift) F2

: Select Item
: Modify
: Color

34

Award BIOS Setup Utility

SDRAM RAS-to-CAS Delay

This field allows you to inser t a timing delay between the CAS and
RAS strobe signals, used when DRAM is written to, read from, or
refreshed. This field applies only when synchronous DRAM is installed
in the system.

SDRAM RAS Precharge Time

If there is insufficient number of cycles for the RAS to accumulate its
charge before DRAM refresh, the refresh may be incomplete and the
DRAM may fail to retain data.

SDRAM CAS Latency Time

The default setting is 3 which is 3 clock cycles for the CAS latency.

DRAM Data Integrity Mode

The system board supports EC and ECC (Error Checking and
Correction) functions. EC or ECC is supported only in x72 (72-bit) PC
SDRAM DIMMs. If you are using x64 (64-bit) PC SDRAM DIMMs, set
this field to Non-ECC.

3

Non-ECC Uses x64 PC SDRAM DIMM.
ECC This option allows the system to recover from

memory failure. It detects single-bit and multiple-bit
errors, then automatically corrects single-bit error.

System BIOS Cacheable

When this option is enabled, accesses to the system BIOS ROM
addressed at F0000H-FFFFFH are cached, provided that the cache
controller is enabled. The larger the range of the Cache RAM, the higher
the efficiency of the system.

Video BIOS Cacheable

As with caching the system BIOS, enabling the Video BIOS cache will
allow access to video BIOS addresssed at C0000H to C7FFFH to
be cached, if the cache controller is also enabled. The larger the range
of the Cache RAM, the faster the video performance.

35

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Video RAM Cacheable

When enabled, it allows the video RAM to be cacheable thus providing
better video performance. If your graphics card does not support this
function, leave this field in its default setting - Disabled.

8 Bit I/O Recovery Time and 16 Bit I/O Recovery Time

The recovery time is the length of time, measured in SYSCLK, which
the system will delay after the completion of an input/output request.
This delay takes place because the CPU is operating so much faster
than the input/output bus that the CPU must be delayed to allow for
the completion of the I/O. This item allows you to determine the
recovery time allowed for 8-bit I/O or 16-bit I/O.

Memory Hole At 15M-16M

In order to improve system performance, certain space in memory can
be reserved for ISA cards. This memory must be mapped into the
memory space below 16MB. When enabled, the CPU assumes the 15­16MB memory range is allocated to the hidden ISA address range
instead of the actual system DRAM. When disabled, the CPU assumes
the 15-16MB address range actually contains DRAM memory. If more
than 16MB of system memory is installed, this option must be
disabled to provide contiguous system memory.

PCI 2.1 Compliance

By default, this field is Disabled. However, if you encounter problems
with your PCI card, try setting this field to Enabled. It may be that your
card is PCI 2.1 compliant.

AGP Aperture Size (MB)

This field is relevant to the memory-mapped graphics data of the
AGP card installed in your system. Leave this in its default setting, which
is 64MB.

CPU Clock Frequency

By default, the CPU Clock Frequency field is set to Default.
Under this setting, the system will run at 66MHz or 100MHz,
depending on the processors clock frequency. However, if you

36

Award BIOS Setup Utility

selected another option in this field and the system will not boot,
you may clear the data stored in the ROM BIOS by following the
instructions in section 2.5 (chapter 2). Or you may press Insert key
and Power button simultaneously to use default FSB and then enter
CMOS Setup to set CPU Clock Frequency field to Default. This will
allow the CPU Clock Frequency field to return to its default setting.

Spread Spectrum

Leave this field in its default setting - Disabled. Do not alter this setting
unless advised by an engineer or technician.

3.1.4 Power Management Setup

The Power Management Setup allows you to configure your system to
most effectively save energy. If you like to use the soft power down
feature of Windows 95, you must enable the Power Management
below. Select Min. Power, Max. Power or User Defined. Either one can
be used as long as it is NOT disabled.

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

ACPI Function
Power Management
PM Control by APM
Video Off Method
Video Off After
MODEM Use IRQ
Standby Mode
Suspend Mode
HDD Power Down
VGA Active Monitor
Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN
PWR Lost Resume State
Resume On Ring
Resume On LAN
Resume On Alarm

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

: Disabled
: User Define
:Yes
: DPMS
: Suspend
:3
: Disabled
: Disabled
: Disabled
: Disabled
: Instant-Off
: Keep Off
: Disabled
: Disabled
: Disabled

ESC

: Quit

F1

: Help

F5

: Old Values

F6

: Load Fail-Safe Settings

F7

: Load Optimal Settings

↑ ↓ → ←

PU/PD/+/­(Shift) F2

: Select Item
: Modify
: Color

3

ACPI Function

By default, the ACPI function is disabled. This function should be
enabled only in operating systems that support ACPI such as
Windows 98 and Windows NT 5.0.

37

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Power Management

This category allows you to select the type (or degree) of power saving
by changing the length of idle time that elapses before the Standby
mode and Suspend mode are activated.

User Define Allows you to set each mode individually. When

enabled, each option ranges from 1 min. to 1 hr.

Min. Saving Minimum power management. Standby Mode = 1 hr.,

and Suspend Mode = 1 hr.

Max. Saving Maximum power management. Standby Mode = 1

min., and Suspend Mode = 1 min.

PM Control by APM

Yes An Advanced Power Management device will be activated to

enhance the power saving mode and stop the CPUs inter­nal clock. Use this option in Windows® 95. (default)

No The system BIOS will ignore APM when initiating the Power

Management mode.

Video Off Method

This determines the manner in which the monitor is blanked.

Video Off After

38

V/H SYNC + Blank This selection will cause the system to turn off

the vertical and horizontal synchronization
ports and write blanks to the video buffer.

Blank Screen This option only writes blanks to the video buffer.
DPMS Initializes display power management signaling. Use

this option if your video board supports it.

N/A The system BIOS will never turn off the screen.
Suspend The screen is off when the system is in the Suspend

mode.

Standby The screen is off when the system is in the Standby

mode.

Award BIOS Setup Utility

MODEM Use IRQ

This category is used to set an IRQ channel (IRQ 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 or

11) for the external modem installed in your system. However, if the
Resume On Ring or Resume on LAN field is disabled, the BIOS
will mask the IRQ assigned for the modem. This is to prevent the
modem or LAN from waking up the system when it is in the Suspend
mode.

Standby Mode

This is user configurable only when the Power Management category
is set to User Defined. When enabled and after the set time of
system inactivity, video will be shut off while all other devices still
operate at full speed.

Suspend Mode

This is user configurable only when the Power Management category
is set to User Define. When enabled and after the set time of system
inactivity, the CPU and onboard peripherals will be shut off.

HDD Power Down

3

This is user configurable only when the Power Management category
is set to User Defined. When enabled and after the set time of system
inactivity, the hard disk drive will be powered down while all other
devices remain active.

VGA Active Monitor

Enabled When the system enters the Suspend mode, it will check

the status of the VGA. If the VGA is active, it will not turn
the screen off. If the VGA is inactive, it will turn the screen
off.

Disabled When the system enters the Suspend mode, it will

immediately turn the screen off without checking the
status of the VGA.

Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN

This category allows you to select the method of powering off your
system.

39

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Hold 4 Sec. Regardless of whether the Power Management field is

enabled or disabled, if the power button is pushed
and released in less than 4 sec, the system enters the
Suspend mode. The purpose of this function is to
prevent the system from powering off in case you
accidentally hit or pushed the power button. Push
and release again in less than 4 sec to restore.
Pushing the power button for more than 4 seconds
will power off the system.

Instant-Off Pressing and then releasing the power button at

once will immediately power off your system.

PWR Lost Resume State

Keep Off When power returns after an AC power failure, you

must press the Power button to power-on the system.

Turn On When power returns after an AC power failure, the

system will automatically power-on.

Last State When power returns after an AC power failure, the

operating session where you left off before power
failure occurs will resume.

Resume On Ring

With an external modem installed, the Modem Ring-on function will
allow your system to power-on to respond to incoming calls. By
default, the Resume On Ring field is Disabled. To use this function,
please follow the steps below.

1. Make sure the computer system is powered off.

2. Connect the external modem to the COM 1 or COM 2 serial
port.

3. Switch on the power of the external modem.

4. Power-on the computer system. After the memory test, press
<Del> to enter the Award BIOS setup utility.

5. Select Power Management Setup and press <Enter>.

6. Enable the Resume On Ring field.

7. Return to the main menu of the Award BIOS setup utility. Select
Save & Exit Setup and press <Enter>.

8. Type <Y> and press <Enter>.

40

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Resume On LAN

The Wake-On-LAN function allows the network to remotely wake up
a Soft Power Down (Soft-Off) PC. However, if your system is in the
Suspend mode, you can wake-up the system only through an IRQ or
DMA interrupt. Make sure your LAN card supports the remote
wakeup function.

To use the Wake-On-LAN function, set this field to Enabled. Refer to
the Wake-On-LAN Connector section in Chapter 2 for more
information.

Resume On Alarm

Enabled When Enabled, you can set the date and time you would

like the Soft Power Down (Soft-Off) PC to wake up.
However, if the system is being accessed by incoming calls
or the network (Resume On Ring / Resume On LAN)
prior to the date and time set in this field, the system will
give priority to the incoming calls or network. Date (of
Month) and Timer (hh:mm:ss) will appear right below
this field.

Disabled Disables the automatic wake up function. (default)

3

Date (of Month)

0 The system will power-on everyday according to the time

set in the Timer (hh:mm:ss) field.

1-31 Select a date you would like the system to power-on. The

system will power-on on the set date, and time set in the
Timer (hh:mm:ss) field.

Timer (hh:mm:ss)

This is used to set the time you would like the system to power-on.
If you want the system to power-on ever yday as set in the Date (of
Month) field, the time set in this field must be later than the time of
the RTC in the Standard CMOS Setup.

41

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

3.1.5 PNP/PCI Configuration

This section describes configuring the PCI bus system. It covers some
very technical items and it is strongly recommended that only
experienced users should make any changes to the default settings.

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

PNP/PCI CONFIGURATION

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

Resources Controlled By
Reset Configuration Data

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

Resources Controlled By

: Auto
: Disabled

Assign IRQ for VGA
Assign IRQ for USB
PCI Slot 1 Use IRQ
PCI Slot 2 Use IRQ
PCI Slot 3 Use IRQ
PCI Slot 4 Use IRQ

ESC

: Quit

F1

: Help

F5

: Old Values

F6

: Load Fail-Safe Settings

F7

: Load Optimal Settings

: Enabled
: Enabled
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto

↑ ↓ → ←

PU/PD/+/­(Shift) F2

: Select Item
: Modify
: Color

The Award Plug and Play BIOS has the capability to automatically
configure all of the boot and Plug and Play compatible devices.

Auto The system will automatically detect the settings for you.

The categories that follow will not be shown on the
screen.

Manual This will allow you to set the IRQ/DMA (you have

assigned your add-in card) to Legacy ISA or PCI/ISA PnP.
For non-PnP ISA cards, select Legacy ISA. For PnP ISA
or PCI cards, select PCI/ISA PnP.

Reset Configuration Data

Enabled The BIOS will reset the configuration data once

automatically. It will then recreate a new set of
configuration data.

Disabled The BIOS will not reset the configuration data.

42

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Assign IRQ for VGA

When Enabled, the system automatically assigns an IRQ for the VGA
card installed. Your VGA card will need an IRQ only when using the
video capture function of the card. If you are not using this function
and a new device requires an IRQ, you can set this function to
Disabled. The IRQ (previously occupied by the VGA card) will be
available for your new device.

Note:

When Disabled, a Yellow mark will appear in Windows 95s
Device Manager.

Assign IRQ for USB

When Enabled, the system automatically assigns an IRQ for the USB
device connected to your system. However, if you are not using USB
devices and an ISA slot requires an IRQ, set this function to Disabled.
The IRQ previously occupied by the USB device will be available for
the ISA slot.

Note:

When Disabled, a Yellow mark will appear in Windows 95s
Device Manager.

3

PCI Slot 1 Use IRQ to PCI Slot 4 Use IRQ

By default, an IRQ is automatically assigned to each PCI slot. You may
also specify an IRQ to these slots. The options are: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10,
11, 12, 14 and 15.

3.1.6 Load Fail-Safe Settings

The Load Fail-Safe Settings option loads the troubleshooting default
values permanently stored in the ROM chips. These settings are not
optimal and turn off all high performance features. You should use these
values only if you have hardware problems. Highlight this option on the
main menu and press <Enter>. The message below will appear.

Load Fail-Safe Settings (Y/N)? N

If you want to proceed, type <Y> and press <Enter>. The default
settings will be loaded.

43

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

3.1.7 Load Optimal Settings

The Load Optimal Settings option loads optimized settings from the
BIOS ROM. Use the Setup default values as standard values for your
system. Highlight this option on the main menu and press <Enter>. The
message below will appear.

Load Optimal Settings (Y/N)? N

Type <Y> and press <Enter> to load the Setup default values.

3.1.8 Integrated Peripherals

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

IDE HDD Block Mode
IDE Primary Master PIO
IDE Primary Slave PIO
IDE Secondary Master PIO
IDE Secondary Slave PIO
IDE Primary Master UDMA
IDE Primary Slave UDMA
IDE Secondary Master UDMA
IDE Secondary Slave UDMA
On-chip Primary PCI IDE
On-chip Secondary PCI IDE
USB Keyboard Support
Init Display First

: Enabled
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Auto
: Enabled
: Enabled
: Disabled
: AGP

KBC Input clock
Onboard FDC Controller
Onboard Serial Port 1
Onboard Serial Port 2
UART2 Mode Select

Onboard Parallel Port
Parallel Port Mode
ECP Mode Use DMA
EPP Mode Select
Keyboard/Mouse Power On

ESC

: Quit

F1

: Help

F5

: Old Values

F6

: Load Fail-Safe Settings

F7

: Load Optimal Settings

↑ ↓ → ←

PU/PD/+/­(Shift) F2

: 8MHz
: Enabled
: 3F8/IRQ4
: 2F8/IRQ3
: Normal

: 378/IRQ7
: ECP+EPP
:3
: EPP1.7
: Disabled

: Select Item
: Modify
: Color

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

IDE HDD Block Mode

Enabled The IDE HDD uses the block mode. The system BIOS

will check the hard disk drive for the maximum block size
the system can transfer. The block size will depend on the
type of hard disk drive.

Disabled The IDE HDD uses the standard mode.

IDE Primary Master/Slave PIO and IDE Secondary Master/Slave PIO

PIO means Programmed Input/Output. Rather than have the BIOS
issue a series of commands to effect a transfer to or from the disk
drive, PIO allows the BIOS to tell the controller what it wants and
then let the controller and the CPU perform the complete task by

44

Award BIOS Setup Utility

themselves. Your system suppor ts five modes, 0 (default) to 4, which
primarily differ in timing. When Auto is selected, the BIOS will select the
best available mode after checking your drive.

Auto The BIOS will automatically set the system according to your

hard disk drives timing.

0-4 You can select a mode that matches your hard disk drives

timing. Caution: Do not use the wrong setting or you will
have drive errors.

IDE Primary Master/Slave UDMA and IDE Secondary Master/Slave
UDMA

These categories allow you to set the Ultra DMA in use. When Auto
is selected, the BIOS will select the best available option after checking
your hard drive or CD-ROM.

Auto The BIOS will automatically detect the settings for you.
Disabled The BIOS will not detect these categories.

On-Chip Primary PCI IDE and On-Chip Secondary PCI IDE

These categories allow you to enable or disable the primary and
secondary IDE controller. The default is Enabled. Select Disabled if you
want to add a different hard drive controller.

3

USB Keyboard Support

By default, USB Keyboard Support is Disabled. However, if you are
using a USB keyboard under DOS, make sure to enable this function.

Init Display First

This field applies only to systems installed with both PCI and AGP
cards. It allows you to select which one to initialize first when the
system boots.

AGP When the system boots, it will first initialize AGP.
PCI Slot When the system boots, it will first initialize PCI.

45

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

KBC Input Clock

This is used to select the input clock of your keyboard. The options
are: 6MHz, 8MHz, 12MHz and 16MHz. The default is 8MHz.

Onboard FDC Controller

Enabled Enables the onboard floppy disk controller.
Disabled Disables the onboard floppy disk controller.

Onboard Serial Port 1 and Onboard Serial Port 2

Auto The system will automatically select an I/O address for the

onboard serial port 1 and serial port 2.

3F8/IRQ4, 2F8/IRQ3, 3E8/IRQ4, 2E8/IRQ3 Allows you to manually

select an I/O address for the onboard serial port 1 and
serial port 2.

Disabled Disables the onboard serial port 1 and/or serial por t 2.

UART2 Mode Select

The system board supports IrDA function for wireless connectivity
between your computer and peripheral devices. You may not use IrDA
(J14) and the COM 2 serial port (J12) at the same time. If you are
using the COM 2 serial port, make sure UART2 Mode Select is set
to Normal.

To use the IrDA function, follow the steps below.

1. Connect your IrDA cable to connector J14 on the system
board.

2. Set UART2 Mode Select to the type of IrDA standard
supported by your IrDA peripheral/device (IrDA or ASKIR).

3. The following will appear right after UART2 Mode Select.

IR Transmission Delay

If this option is Enabled, transmission of data will be slower. This is
recommended when you encounter transmission problem with your
device. The options are: Enabled and Disabled.

46

Award BIOS Setup Utility

Onboard Parallel Port

378/IRQ7, 3BC/IRQ7, 278/IRQ5 Selects the I/O address and IRQ

for the onboard parallel port.

Disabled Disables the onboard parallel port.

Parallel Port Mode, ECP Mode Use DMA and EPP Mode Select

Parallel Port Mode will appear only if you selected an I/O address and
IRQ in the Onboard Parallel Port field. This option applies to a
standard specification and will depend on the type and speed of your
device. Refer to your peripherals manual for the best option. Select the
parallel port mode according to the type of printer device connected
to your onboard parallel port.

The parallel modes are SPP, EPP, ECP and ECP+EPP. The default is
ECP+EPP. Both ECP Mode Use DMA and EPP Mode Select will
appear on the screen. If you selected EPP, EPP Mode Select will
appear. This field applies to standard specification. The options are
EPP1.9 and EPP1.7. Default setting: EPP1.7. If you selected ECP, ECP
Mode Use DMA will appear. This is used to select a DMA channel
for the parallel port. The options are 1 and 3. Default setting: 3.

Keyboard/Mouse Power On

3

This field allows you to use the keyboard or mouse to power-on the
system. To use this function, make sure JP3 is set to 2-3 On - the
Wake-On-Keyboard/Mouse function enabled. Refer to Jumper Settings
for Wake-On-Keyboard/Wake-On-Mouse in Chapter 2 of this manual
for more information.

Disabled Default setting.

Warning:

If JP3 was previously enabled with a password
set in this field, and now you wish to disable the
password function, make sure to set this field
to Disabled prior to setting JP3 to 1-2 On ­Disabled, otherwise you will not be able to boot
up the system.

Password When this option is selected, the KB Power On

Password field will appear. Move the cursor to this
field and press <Enter>. Enter your password. You can

47

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

enter up to 5 characters. Type in exactly the same
password to confirm, then press <Enter>.

Important:

The power button will not function once a
keyboard password has been set in the KB
Power On Password field. You must type the

correct password to power-on the system.

Hot Key When this option is selected, the KB Power On Hot

Key field will appear. Move the cursor to this field to
select a function key you would like to use to power­on the system. The options are Ctrl-F1 to Ctrl-F12.

Mouse Left When this option is selected, double-click the left but-

ton of the mouse to power-on the system.

Mouse RightWhen this option is selected, double-click the right

button of the mouse to power-on the system.

Any Key You can press any key to power-on the system.

3.1.9 Supervisor Password

If you want to protect your system and setup from unauthorized entry,
set a supervisors password with the System option selected in the
BIOS Features Setup. If you want to protect access to setup only, but
not your system, set a supervisors password with the Setup option
selected in the BIOS Features Setup. You will not be prompted for a
password when you cold boot the system.

Use the arrow keys to highlight the Supervisor Password option and
press <Enter>. The message below will appear.

Enter Password:

Type in the password. You are limited to eight characters. When done,
the message below will appear:

Confirm Password:

You are asked to verify the password. Type in exactly the same
password. If you type in a wrong password, you will be prompted to
enter the correct password again. To delete or disable the password
function, highlight Supervisor Password and press <Enter>, instead of
typing in a new password. Press the <Esc> key to return to the main
menu.

48

Award BIOS Setup Utility

3.1.10 User Password

If you want another user to have access only to your system but not
to setup, set a users password with the System option selected in
the BIOS Features Setup. If you want a user to enter a password when
trying to access setup, set a users password with the Setup option
selected in the BIOS Features Setup.

Using users password to enter Setup allows a user to access only the
User Password option that appears on the main screen. Access to
all other options is denied.

To set, confirm, verify, disable or delete a users password, follow the
procedures described in the section Supervisor Password. If you
forget your password, refer to the procedure described in the same
section.

3.1.11 IDE HDD Auto Detection

Use this option to detect the parameters for the hard disk drives
installed in your system. These parameters will then be automatically
entered into the "Standard CMOS Setup". The IDE HDD Auto
Detection screen displays the following categories of information: Size,
Cylinders, Heads, Precomp, LandZone, Sectors and Mode.

ROM PCI/ISA BIOS

CMOS SETUP UTILITY

AWARD SOFTWARE, INC.

HARD DISKS TYPE SIZE CYLS HEAD RECOMP LANDZ SECTOR MODE

Primary Master:

3

Select Primary Master Option (N=Skip): N
OPTIONS SIZE CYLS HEAD RECOMP LANDZ SECTOR MODE
2 (Y) 853 827 32 0 1653 63 LBA

1 853 1654 16 65535 1653 63 Normal
3 853 827 32 65536 1653 63 Large

Note: Some OS (like SCO-UNIX) must be “NORMAL” for installation

The settings on the screen are for reference only. Your version may not be
identical to this one.

ESC: Skip

49

3

Award BIOS Setup Utility

For hard drives larger than 528MB, you would typically select the LBA
type. Certain operating systems require that you select Normal or
Large. Please check your operating systems manual or Help desk on
which one to select.

3.1.12 Save & Exit Setup

When all the changes have been made, highlight Save & Exit Setup
and press <Enter>. The message below will appear:

Save to CMOS and Exit (Y/N)? N

Type Y and press <Enter>. The modifications you have made will be
written into the CMOS memory, and the system will reboot. You will
once again see the initial diagnostics on the screen. If you wish to make
additional changes to the setup, press <Ctrl> <Alt> <Esc>
simultaneously or <Del> after memory testing is done.

3.1.13 Exit Without Saving

When you do not want to save the changes you have made, highlight
Exit Without Saving and press <Enter>. The message below will
appear:

Quit Without Saving (Y/N)? N

Type Y and press <Enter>. The system will reboot and you will once
again see the initial diagnostics on the screen. If you wish to make any
changes to the setup, press <Ctrl> <Alt> <Esc> simultaneously or
<Del> after memory testing is done.

50

Chapter 4 - Supported Softwares

4.1 Desktop Management Interface (DMI)

The system board comes with a DMI built into the BIOS. DMI, along
with the appropriately networked software, is designed to make
inventory, maintenance and troubleshooting of computer systems easier.
With DMI, a network administrator or MIS engineer can remotely
access some information about a particular computer system without
physically going to it. Quite often a service call may be unnecessary as
the problem can be solved remotely.

The DMI utility in the BIOS automatically records various information
about your system configuration. Information about the type and speed
of CPU, type and amount of memor y for each memory slot, BIOS
revision level, types of add-in PCI boards and components, certain
revision numbers of hardware installed, etc. are automatically detected
and stored in the DMI pool, which is a par t of the system board's
Plug and Play BIOS. Additional information, such as ISA based
peripherals, which may not be automatically detected, can be manually
recorded in the DMI pool by using the Add DMI menu. The DMI pool
data is then verified or updated whenever the system hardware or
setup is altered.

4.1.1 Running the DMI Utility

To run the DMI utility, type: DMICFG.EXE. You can download this utility
from http://www.dfiweb.com - BIOS & DRIVERS section or
ftp.dfiusa.com - /pub/DMI directory.

The DMI utility must run in real mode with at least 180K of base
memory. Memory managers like HIMEM.SYS (required by Windows)
must not be installed. You may do this by using one of the 3 methods
listed below.

1. Boot up from a system diskette without the AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS files,

2. REM HIMEM.SYS in the CONFIG.SYS, or

3. Press <F5> during bootup to bypass your AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS files.

51

4

Supported Softwares

4.1.2 Using the DMI Utility

[Edit DMI] [Add DMI] [Load DMI File] [Save DMI File]

▲▲

▲

▲▲

■■

■

■■

▲▲

▲

▲▲

↑ ↓ ↑ ↓

↑ ↓

↑ ↓ ↑ ↓
→→

→

→→

Award DMI Configuration Utility Copyright Award Software Inc, 1996

BIOS

System

Enclosure/Chassis

Processor

Memory Controller

Memory Module
Memory Module
Memory Module
Memory Module

Cache

Cache
Port Connector
Port Connector
Port Connector
Port Connector
Port Connector
Port Connector
Port Connector

System Slots

←←

←

←←

Move cursor ENTER-Accept DEL-Delete ESC-Abort&Exit

Type : BIOS Information
Handle : 0000

Vendor Name :
BIOS Version :
BIOS Starting Address Segment : F000
BIOS Build Date :
BIOS Characteristics :
Size of BIOS ROM : 0128K

*** BIOS Auto Detect ***

The four menus located on top of the DMI Configuration Utility screen
are Edit DMI, Add DMI, Load DMI File and Save DMI File. Use the
← or → (left or right) arrow keys to select a menu from the Menu
bar.

On the left side of the screen is a list of the system configuration items.
Use the ↑ or ↓ (up or down) arrow keys to select an item.

The commands at the bottom of the screen will allow you to navigate
through the various setup menus.

Edit DMI

1. Use the ← or → arrow keys to select the Edit DMI menu.

2. Highlight the item on the left screen that you would like to edit

by using the ↑ or ↓ arrow keys, then press <Enter>.

3. The cursor will move to the screen you select allowing you to edit
information. The screen will also display the auto-detected
information.

4. Press <F10> to update the edited information into the flash ROM.

52

Supported Softwares

Add DMI

1. Use the ← or → arrow keys to select the Add DMI menu.

2. Highlight the item on the left screen that you would like to add

by using the ↑ or ↓ arrow keys, then press <Enter>.

3. The cursor will move to the screen you select allowing you to enter
information about the added item.

4. Press <F10> to save information into the flash ROM.

To view information about the added items, go to the Edit DMI menu.

Load DMI File

1. Use the ← or → arrow keys to select the Load DMI File menu.

2. The following message will appear.

Press [Enter] to select DMI file for load

Press <Enter>.

3. The DMI files will appear on the screen. Select the file you would
like to load and press <Enter>.

4

4. The following message will appear.

Do you want to execute? (Y/N)

Type <Y>. All previous DMI structures will be destroyed and the
new file will be saved into the flash ROM.

Save DMI File

1. Use the ← or → arrow keys to select the Save DMI File menu.

2. The following message will appear.

Press [Enter] to select DMI file for save

Press <Enter>.

3. Enter the directory and filename under which you would like the
DMI file saved.

53

Appendix A - System Error Message

When the BIOS encounters an error that requires the user to
correct something, either a beep code will sound or a message will
be displayed in a box in the middle of the screen and the message,
PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE, CTRL-ALT-ESC or DEL TO ENTER
SETUP, will be shown in the information box at the bottom. Enter
Setup to correct the error.

A.1 POST Beep

There are two kinds of beep codes in the BIOS. One code
indicates that a video error has occured and the BIOS cannot
initialize the video screen to display any additional information. This
beep code consists of a single long beep followed by three short
beeps. The other code indicates that a DRAM error has occured.
This beep code consists of a single long beep.

A.2 Error Messages

One or more of the following messages may be displayed if the
BIOS detects an error during the POST. This list indicates the error
messages for all Awards BIOSes:

CMOS BATTERY HAS FAILED

The CMOS battery is no longer functional. It should be replaced.

Caution:

Danger of explosion if battery incorrectly replaced. Replace only
with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the
battery manufacturers instructions.

CMOS CHECKSUM ERROR

Checksum of CMOS is incorrect. This can indicate that CMOS has
become corrupt. This error may have been caused by a weak
battery. Check the battery and replace if necessary.

DISPLAY SWITCH IS SET INCORRECTLY

The display switch on the motherboard can be set to either
monochrome or color. This indicates the switch is set to a different

54

System Error Message

setting than indicated in Setup. Determine which setting is correct,
either turn off the system and change the jumper or enter Setup
and change the VIDEO selection.

FLOPPY DISK(S) fail (80)

Unable to reset floppy subsystem.

FLOPPY DISK(S) fail (40)

Floppy type mismatch.

Hard Disk(s) fail (80)

HDD reset failed.

Hard Disk(s) fail (40)

HDD controller diagnostics failed.

Hard Disk(s) fail (20)

HDD initialization error.

Hard Disk(s) fail (10)

Unable to recalibrate fixed disk.

Hard Disk(s) fail (08)

Sector Verify failed.

A

Keyboard is locked out - Unlock the key

The BIOS detects that the keyboard is locked. Keyboard controller
is pulled low.

Keyboard error or no keyboard present

Cannot initialize the keyboard. Make sure the keyboard is attached
correctly and no keys are being pressed during the boot.

Manufacturing POST loop

System will repeat POST procedure infinitely while the keyboard
controller is pull low. This is also used for the M/B burn in test at
the factory.

BIOS ROM checksum error - System halted

The checksum of ROM address F0000H-FFFFFH is bad.

Memory test fail

The BIOS reports memory test fail if the memory has error(s).

55

Appendix B - Troubleshooting

B.1 Troubleshooting Checklist

This chapter of the manual is designed to help you with problems
that you may encounter with your personal computer. To efficiently
troubleshoot your system, treat each problem individually. This is to
ensure an accurate diagnosis of the problem in case a problem has
multiple causes.

Some of the most common things to check when you encounter
problems while using your system are listed below.

1. The power switch of each peripheral device is turned on.

2. All cables and power cords are tightly connected.

3. The electrical outlet to which your peripheral devices are
connected is working. Test the outlet by plugging in a lamp or
other electrical device.

4. The monitor is turned on.

5. The displays brightness and contrast controls are adjusted
properly.

6. All add-in boards in the expansion slots are seated securely.

7. Any add-in board you have installed is designed for your system
and is set up correctly.

Monitor/Display

If the display screen remains dark after the system is turned on:

1. Make sure that the monitors power switch is on.

2. Check that one end of the monitors power cord is properly
attached to the monitor and the other end is plugged into a
working AC outlet. If necessary, try another outlet.

3. Check that the video input cable is properly attached to the
monitor and the systems display adapter.

4. Adjust the brightness of the display by turning the monitors
brightness control knob.

56

Troubleshooting

The picture seems to be constantly moving.

1. The monitor has lost its vertical sync. Adjust the monitors vertical
sync.

2. Move away any objects, such as another monitor or fan, that
may be creating a magnetic field around the display.

3. Make sure your video cards output frequencies are supported
by this monitor.

The screen seems to be constantly wavering.

1. If the monitor is close to another monitor, the adjacent monitor
may need to be turned off. Fluorescent lights adjacent to the
monitor may also cause screen wavering.

Power Supply

When the computer is turned on, nothing happens.

1. Check that one end of the AC power cord is plugged into a live
outlet and the other end properly plugged into the back of the
system.

2. Make sure that the voltage selection switch on the back panel is
set for the correct type of voltage you are using.

3. The power cord may have a shor t or open. Inspect the cord
and install a new one if necessary.

B

Floppy Drive

The computer cannot access the floppy drive.

1. The floppy diskette may not be formatted. Format the diskette
and try again.

2. The diskette may be write-protected. Use a diskette that is not
write-protected.

3. You may be writing to the wrong drive. Check the path
statement to make sure you are writing to the targeted drive.

4. There is not enough space left on the diskette. Use another
diskette with adequate storage space.

57

B

Troubleshooting

Hard Drive

Hard disk failure.

1. Make sure the correct drive type for the hard disk drive has
been entered in the BIOS.

2. If the system is configured with two hard drives, make sure the
bootable (first) hard drive is configured as Master and the
second hard drive is configured as Slave. The master hard drive
must have an active/bootable partition.

Excessively long formatting period.

1. If your hard drive takes an excessively long period of time to
format, it is likely a cable connection problem. However, if your
hard drive has a large capacity, it will take a longer time to
format.

Parallel Port

The parallel printer doesnt respond when you try to print.

1. Make sure that your printer is turned on and that the printer is
on-line.

2. Make sure your software is configured for the right type of
printer attached.

3. Verify that the onboard LPT ports I/O address and IRQ settings
are configured correctly.

4. Verify that the attached device works by attaching it to a parallel
port that is working and configured correctly. If it works, the
printer can be assumed to be in good condition. If the printer
remains inoperative, replace the printer cable and try again.

58

Troubleshooting

Serial Port

The serial device (modem, printer) doesnt output anything or is
outputting garbled characters.

1. Make sure that the serial devices power is turned on and that
the device is on-line.

2. Verify that the device is plugged into the correct serial port on
the rear of the computer.

3. Verify that the attached serial device works by attaching it to a
serial port that is working and configured correctly. If the serial
device does not work, either the cable or the serial device has a
problem. If the serial device works, the problem may be due to
the onboard I/O or the address setting.

4. Make sure the COM settings and I/O address are configured
correctly.

Keyboard

Nothing happens when a key on the keyboard was pressed.

1. Make sure the keyboard is properly connected.

2. Make sure there are no objects resting on the keyboard and
that no keys are pressed during the booting process.

B

System Board

1. Make sure the add-in card is seated securely in the expansion
slot. If the add-in card is loose, power off the system, re-install
the card and power up the system.

2. Check the jumper settings to ensure that the jumpers are
properly set.

3. Verify that all memory modules are seated securely into the
memory sockets.

4. Make sure the SIMMs are in the correct locations.

5. If the board fails to function, place the board on a flat surface
and seat all socketed components. Gently press each component
into the socket.

6. If you made changes to the BIOS settings, re-enter setup and
load the BIOS defaults.

59