ECS 915P-A, 915G-A User Manual
Preface
Copyright
This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected under
international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor any of the
material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of the author.
Version 1.2a
Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The manufacturer
makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically
disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.
The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from
time to time in the content hereof without obligation of the manufacturer to notify any
person of such revision or changes.
Trademark Recognition
Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
MMX, Pentium, Pentium-II, Pentium-III, Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Cor-
poration.
Other product names used in this manual are the properties of their respective owners and
are acknowledged.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
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 the 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 the receiver
• Connect the equipment onto 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
Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with this
equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits governing this
device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system’s manufacturer
could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Preface
ii
Declaration of Conformity
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following
conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference, and
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation
Canadian Department of Communications
This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-causing
Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Réglement sur le
matériel brouilieur du Canada.
About the Manual
The manual consists of the following:
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Describes features of the motherboard.
Go to
H
page 1
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
Chapter 3
Using BIOS
Chapter 4
Using the Motherboard Software
Describes installation of motherboard
components.
Go to
Provides information on using the BIOS
Setup Utility.
Go to
Describes the motherboard software
Go to
H
H
H
page 7
page 27
page 39
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Preface i
iii
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard 1
Introduction.................................................................................................1
Feature..........................................................................................................2
Motherboard Components........................................................................4
1
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard 7
Safety Precautions......................................................................................7
Choosing a Computer Case.......................................................................7
Installing the Motherboard in a Case......................................................7
Checking Jumper Settings.........................................................................8
Setting Jumpers..............................................................................8
Checking Jumper Settings..............................................................9
Jumper Settings..............................................................................9
Connecting Case Components...............................................................10
Front Panel Connector.................................................................12
Installing Hardware...................................................................................13
Installing the Processor...............................................................13
Installing Memory Modules.........................................................15
Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM/SATA Hard Drive........16
Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive...............................................18
Installing Add-on Cards..............................................................19
Connecting Optional Devices......................................................20
Connecting I/O Devices..........................................................................23
7 7
7
7 7
Chapter 3
Using BIOS 27
About the Setup Utility............................................................................27
The Standard Configuration........................................................27
Entering the Setup Utility..............................................................27
Updating the BIOS.......................................................................29
Using BIOS................................................................................................29
Standard CMOS Features...........................................................30
Advanced Setup............................................................................31
Features.......................................................................................33
27 27
27
27 27
iv
Power Management Setup...........................................................34
PCI/Plug and Play Setup.............................................................35
BIOS Security Features................................................................36
CPU PnP Setup............................................................................37
Hardware Monitor.......................................................................38
Load Best Performance Settings..................................................39
Load Optimal Defaults................................................................39
Save Changes and Exit................................................................39
Discard Changes and Exit...........................................................39
Chapter 4
39 39
39
39 39
Using the Motherboard Software 39
About the Software CD-ROM................................................................39
Auto-installing under Windows 98/ME/2000/XP................................39
Running Setup..............................................................................40
Manual Installation..................................................................................42
Utility Software Reference.......................................................................42
Multi-Language Translation
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Introduction
Thank you for choosing the 915P-A motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard that supports LGA775 Pentium 4 processors for
high-end business or personal desktop markets.
The motherboard incorporates the 915-P Northbridge (NB) and ICH6 Southbridge (SB)
chipsets. The Northbridge supports a Front Side Bus (FSB) frequency of 800/533 MHz using
a scalable FSB Vcc_CPU. The momory controller supports DDR memory DIMM frequencies of 333MHz and 400 MHz or DDR2 memory DIMM frequencies of 400 MHz and 533
MHz. It supports four DDR Sockets with up to maximum memory of 2 GB. DDR Maximum
memory bandwidth of 3.2 GB/s in single-channel is supported, or 8.5 GB/s in dual-channel
interleaved mode assuming DDR2 533MHz. Aside from the onboard AGP Express, one 16lane PCI Express slot, intended for Graphics Interface, is fully compliant to the PCI
Express Base Specification revision 1.0a.
The ICH6 Southbridge supports two PCI slots which are PCI 2.3 compliant. In addition, two
PCI Express x1 slots are supported, fully compliant to the PCI Express Base Specification,
Revision 1.0a. It implements an EHCI compliant interface that provides 480Mb/s bandwidth for eight USB 2.0 ports, integrates Azalia codec supporting Azilia standard that
features a 8-channels High Definition Audio output. One onboard IDE connector supports
2 IDE devices in ATA-100/66 mode. The Southbridge integrates a Serial ATA host controller
that is SATA v1.0 compliant, supporting four SATA ports with maximum transfer rate up to
150 MB/s each.
The 915P-A motherboard is equipped with advanced full set of I/O ports in the rear panel,
including PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors, COM1, LPT1, four USB ports, one optional LAN port, and audio jacks for microphone, line-in and 8-ch line out.
1
Introducing the Motherboard
2
Feature
Processor
Processor
The 915P-A uses an LGA775 type of Pentium 4 that carries the following features:
• Accommodates Intel P4 Prescott processors
• Supports a system bus (FSB) of 800/533MHz
• Supports “Hyper-Threading” technology CPU
“Hyper-Threading” technology enables the operating system into thinking it’s hooked
up to two processors, allowing two threads to be run in parallel, both on separate
“logical” processors within the same physical processor.
Chipset
Chipset
The 915-P Northbridge (NB) and ICH6 Southbridge (SB) chipset is based on an innovative and scalable architecture with proven reliability and performance.
915P (NB)
• Supports 32-bit host bus addressing, allowing the CPU to
access the entire 4 GB of the memory address space.
• Has a 12-deep In-Order Queue to support up to twelve
outstanding piplined address requests on the host bus.
• Supports one PCI Express x16 for Graphics Interface, fully
compliant to the PCI Express Base Specification revision
1.0a.
• Supports 256-Mb, 512-Mb and 1-Gb DDR technologies for
x8 and x16 devices
• Supports up to four unbuffered DIMM
915P chipset can only support 256-Mb, 512-Mb and 1-Gb DDR
technologies for x8 and x16 device, NOT support 128-Mb DDR
technology. That is, 256 MB Double Side Memory Module &
128 MB Single Side Memory Module are NOT support.
ICH6 (SB) • Enhanced DMA Controller , interrupt controller, and timer func-
Memory
Memory
• Supports DDR 400/333 MHz or DDR2 533/400 DDR SDRAM DIMMs
• Accommodates four unbuffered DIMMs
• Up to 1 GB per DIMM with maximum memory size up to 2 GB
Users please note that DDR & DDR2 can’t both be applied at the same time on
this motherboard. Users can use either DDR or DDR2 memory modules only!
tions
• Compliant with PCI Express Base Specification, Revision
1.0a
• Compliant with PCI 2.3 specificaiton
• Compliant with Serial ATA 1.0a specification
• Integrated USB 2.0 Host Controller supporting up to eight
USB 2.0 ports
• Integrated LAN controller
• Compliant with Azalia specification supporting 8 Channels
of audio outputs
• Integrated IDE controller supports Ultra ATA100/66/33
Introducing the Motherboard
Audio
Audio
• Compliant with Azalia specification, supporting 8 channel DACs with SNR >
95dB
• Compabilities: 192/96/48/44.1 KHz with 24/20/16 bits
• 8 Smart Jack I/O port support
• Extensive jack detection via RNM (resistors network method) that can be
used to monitor the plugging status of each jack
• Digital S/PDIF OUT & IN support
Expansion Options
Expansion Options
The motherboard comes with the following expansion options:
• One AGP Express slot
• One PCI Express x16 for Graphic Interface
• Two PCI Express x1
• Two 32-bit PCI v2.3 compliant slots
• One 40-pin IDE low profile header that support two IDE devices
• One floppy disk drive interface
• Four 7-pin SATA connector
The 915P-A motherboard supports UltraDMA bus mastering with transfer rates of 100/
66 MB/s.
Onboard LAN (Optional)
Onboard LAN (Optional)
The onboard LAN controller provides the following features:
• Support 10/100/1000 Mbps speed operation(10/100 Mbps optional)
• Supports PCI v2.3, 32-bit, 33/66-MHz
• Supports fully with IEEE 802.3z
3
Integrated I/O
Integrated I/O
The motherboard has a full set of I/O ports and connectors:
• Two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard
• One serial port
• One parallel port
• One LAN port (optional)
• Audio jacks for microphone in, line-in and 8-ch High Definition Audio output
BIOS Firmware
BIOS Firmware
This motherboard uses AMI BIOS that enables users to configure many system
features including the following:
• Power management
• Wake-up alarms
• CPU parameters
• CPU and memroy timing
The firmware can also be used to set parameters for different processor clock speeds.
Some hardware specifications and software items are subject to change
with out prior notice.
Introducing the Motherboard
4
Motherboard Components
Introducing the Motherboard
Table of Motherboard Components
LABEL COMPONENT
1 CPU Socket LGA775 socket for Pentium 4 CPUs
2 CPU_FAN1 CPU cooling fan connector
3 DIMM1~2 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM slots
4 DIMM3~4 184-pin DDR SDRAM slots
5 PWR1 Standard 24-pin ATX power connector
6 IDE1 Primary IDE channel
7 SATA1~4 Serial ATA connectors
8 CHS_FAN1 Chasis cooling fan connector
9 PANEL1 Panel connector for case switches and LEDs
10 FDC1 Floppy diskette drive connector
11 JP1 Clear CMOS jumper
12 JP11 BIOS protect jumper
13 IR1 Internal infrared header
14 AGP-E1 AGP Express slot
15 AUDIO2 Front panel audio header
16 PCI1~2 32-bit add-on card slots
17 SPDIF-O-1 SPDIF out header
18 CD1 CD-in connector
19 PCI-E2~3 PCI Express x1 slots
20 USB3-4 Front Panel USB headers
21 PCI-E1 PCI Express x16 graphics card slot
22 AUX_FAN1 Auxliary cooling fan connector
23 NB_FAN1 Northbridge cooling fan connector
24 PWR2 Auxiliary 4-pin power connector
5
*Stands for optional components
Users please note that DDR & DDR2 can’t both be applied at the same time on
this motherboard. Users can use either DDR or DDR2 memory modules only!
This concludes Chapter 1. The next chapter explains how to install the motherboard.
Introducing the Motherboard
6
Memo
Introducing the Motherboard
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
Safety Precautions
• Follow these safety precautions when installing the motherboard
• Wear a grounding strap attached to a grounded device to avoid damage from
static electricity
• Discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely grounded
object before working on the motherboard
• Leave components in the static-proof bags they came in
• Hold all circuit boards by the edges. Do not bend circuit boards
Choosing a Computer Case
There are many types of computer cases on the market. The motherboard complies with
the specifications for the ATX system case. First, some features on the motherboard are
implemented by cabling connectors on the motherboard to indicators and switches on the
system case. Make sure that your case supports all the features required. Secondly, 915PA supports one or two floppy diskette drives and two enhanced IDE drives. Make sure that
your case has sufficient power and space for all drives that you intend to install.
Most cases have a choice of I/O templates in the rear panel. Make sure that the I/O
template in the case matches the I/O ports installed on the rear edge of the motherboard.
This motherboard carries a ATX form factor of 305 x 244 mm. Choose a case that
accommodates this form factor.
7
Installing the Motherboard in a Case
Refer to the following illustration and instructions for installing the motherboard in a case.
Most system cases have mounting brackets installed in the case, which correspond the holes
in the motherboard. Place the motherboard over the mounting brackets and secure the
motherboard onto the mounting brackets with screws.
Ensure that your case has an I/O template that supports the I/O ports and expansion slots
on your motherboard.
Installing the Motherboard
8
Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard.
Checking Jumper Settings
This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the motherboard.
Setting Jumpers
Use the motherboard jumpers to set system configuration options. Jumpers with more than
one pin are numbered. When setting the jumpers, ensure that the jumper caps are placed on
the correct pins.
The illustrations show a 2-pin jumper. When
the jumper cap is placed on both pins, the
jumper is SHORT. If you remove the jumper
cap, or place the jumper cap on just one pin,
the jumper is OPEN.
This illustration shows a 3-pin jumper. Pins
1 and 2 are SHORT
SHORT OPEN
Installing the Motherboard
Checking Jumper Settings
The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is labeled.
9
Jumper Settings
Jumper
JP1
JP11
Type
3-pin
2-pin
Description
CLEAR CMOS
BIOS WRITE
Setting (default)
1-2: NORMAL
2-3: CMOS CLEAR
Before clearing the
CMOS, make sure to
turn off the system.
OPEN: WRITW UNPROTECT
SHORT: WRITE PROTECT
Installing the Motherboard
10
Connecting Case Components
After you have installed the motherboard into a case, you can begin connecting the motherboard components. Refer to the following:
1 Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN1.
2 Connect the case cooling fan connector to CHS_FAN1.
3 Connect the Northbridge cooling fan connector to NB_FAN1.
3 Connect the power fan connector to AUX_FAN1.
4 Connect the case switches and indicator LEDs to the PANEL1.
6 Connect the standard power supply connector to PWR1.
7 Connect the auxiliary case power supply connector to PWR2.
Connecting 20/24-pin power cable
Users please note that the 20-pin and 24-pin power cables can both be connected to the ATX1 connector. With the 20-pin power cable, just align the 20pin power cable with the pin 1 of the ATX1 connector. However, using 20-pin
power cable may cause the system to become unbootable or unstable because of
insufficient electricity.
Users please note that when installing 20pin power cable, the latche of power cable
falls on the left side of the ATX1 connector
20-pin power cable
24-pin power cable
latch, just as the picture shows.
Users please note that when installing 24pin power cable, the latches of power cable
and the ATX1 match perfectly.
Installing the Motherboard
CPUFAN1: F AN Power Connectors
Pin Signal Name Function
1 GND System Ground
2
+12V Power +12V
3 Sense Sensor
4 PWM CPU FAN control
CHS_FAN1/NB_F AN1/AUX_FAN1: F AN Power Connectors
Pin Signal Name Function
1 GND System Ground
2 +12V Power +12V
3 Sense Sensor
PWR2: ATX 12V Power Connector
Pin Signal Name
1 Ground
2 Ground
3 +12V
4 +12V
PWR1: A TX 24-pin Power Connector
Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name
1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 14 -12V
3 Ground 15 COM
4 +5V 16 PS_ON
5 Ground 17 COM
6 +5V 18 COM
7 Ground 19 COM
8 PWRGD 20 -5V
9 +5VSB 21 +5V
10 +12V 22 +5V
11 +12V 23 +5V
12 +3.3V 24 COM
11
Installing the Motherboard
12
Front Panel Connector
The front panel connector (PANEL1) provides a standard set of switch and LED connectors commonly found on ATX or micro-ATX cases. Refer to the table below for information:
Pin Signal Function Pin Signal Function
1 HD_LED_P Hard disk LED+ 2 FP PWR/SLP *MSG LED+
3 HD_LED_N Hard disk LED-
5 RST_SW_N Reset Switch
7 RST_SW_P Reset Switch
9 RSVD Reserved
* MSG LED (dual color or single color)
Hard Drive Activity LED
Connecting pins 1 and 3 to a front panel mounted LED provides visual indication that data
is being read from or written to the hard drive. For the LED to function properly, an IDE
drive should be connected to the onboard IDE interface. The LED will also show activity
for devices connected to the SCSI (hard drive activity LED) connector.
4 FP PWR/SLP *MSG LED-
6 PWR_SW_P Power Switch
8 PWR_SW_N Power Switch
10 Key No pin
Power/Sleep/Message waiting LED
Connecting pins 2 and 4 to a single or dual-color, front panel mounted LED provides power
on/off, sleep, and message waiting indication.
Reset Switch
Supporting the reset function requires connecting pin 5 and 7 to a momentary-contact
switch that is normally open. When the switch is closed, the board resets and runs POST.
Power Switch
Supporting the power on/off function requires connecting pins 6 and 8 to a momentarycontact switch that is normally open. The switch should maintain contact for at least 50 ms
to signal the power supply to switch on or off. The time requirement is due to internal debounce circuitry. After receiving a power on/off signal, at least two seconds elapses before
the power supply recognizes another on/off signal.
Installing the Motherboard
Installing Hardware
Installing the Processor
Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make sure that
you DO NOT scratch the motherboard or any of the surface-mount
resistors with the clip of the cooling fan. If the clip of the cooling fan
scrapes across the motherboard, you may cause serious damage to the
motherboard or its components.
On most motherboards, there are small surface-mount resistors near the
processor socket, which may be damaged if the cooling fan is carelessly
installed.
Avoid using cooling fans with sharp edges on the fan casing and the clips.
Also, install the cooling fan in a well-lit work area so that you can clearly
see the motherboard and processor socket.
Before installing the Processor
This motherboard automatically determines the CPU clock frequency and system bus
frequency for the processor. You may be able to change these settings by making changes
to jumpers on the motherboard, or changing the settings in the system Setup Utility. We
strongly recommend that you do not over-clock processors or other components to run
faster than their rated speed.
Warning: Over-clocking components can adversely affect the reliability
of the system and introduce errors into your system. Over-clocking can
permanently damage the motherboard by generating excess heat in
components that are run beyond the rated limits.
13
This motherboard has a LGA 775 socket. When choosing a processor, consider the performance requirements of the system. Performance is based on the processor design, the clock
speed and system bus frequency of the processor, and the quantity of internal cache memory
and external cache memory.
Installing the Motherboard
14
CPU Installation Procedure
The following illustration shows CPU installation components.
A. Unload the cap
· Use thumb & forefinger to hold the
lifting tab of the cap.
· Lift the cap up and remove the cap
completely from the socket.
B. Open the load plate
· Use thumb & forefinger to hold the
hook of the lever, pushing down and pulling
aside unlock it.
· Lift up the lever.
· Use thumb to open the load plate. Be
careful not to touch the contacts.
C. Install the CPU on the socket
· Orientate CPU package to the socket.
Make sure you match triangle marker
to pin 1 location.
D. Close the load plate
· Slightly push down the load plate onto the
tongue side, and hook the lever.
· CPU is locked completely.
E. Apply thermal grease on top of the CPU.
F. Fasten the cooling fan supporting base onto
the CPU socket on the motherboard.
G. Make sure the CPU fan is plugged to the
CPU fan connector. Please refer to the CPU
cooling fan user’s manual for more detail
installation procedure.
To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest that you use
a high quality fan with 3800 rpm at least. CPU fan and heatsink installation procedures may vary with the type of CPU fan/heatsink supplied. The
form and size of fan/heatsink may also vary.
Installing the Motherboard
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