ECS K7VTA3 3.x ECS User Manual

L7VTA3 V3.1a

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 3.1a

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 disclaim 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

Corporation.
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 manu-

facturer could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

i

L7VTA3 V3.1a

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 De partment of Communications

This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference­causing 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 Mainboard

Chapter 2

Installing the Mainboard

Chapter 3

Using BIOS

Chapter 4

Using the Mainboard Software

Describes features of the mainboard,
and provides a shipping checklist.

Go to ⇒ page 1

Describes installation of mainboard
components.

Go to ⇒ page 7

Provides information on using the BIOS
Setup Utility.

Go to ⇒ page 28

Describes the mainboard software.

Go to ⇒ page 53

ii

L7VTA3 V3.1a

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Preface i
Features and Packing List Translations 錯誤! 尚未定義書籤。

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CHAPTER 1 1

Introducing the Mainboard 1

Introduction............................................................................................................1

Checklist.................................................................................................................1

Standard Items ...................................................................................................1

Features..................................................................................................................2

Choosing a Computer Case................................................................................4

Mainboard Components .......................................................................................5

CHAPTER 2 7

Installing the Mainboard 7

Safety Precautions ................................................................................................7

Quick Guide...........................................................................................................7

Installing the Mainboard in a Case .....................................................................8

Checking Jumper Settings ...................................................................................8

Setting Jumpers .................................................................................................8

Checking Jumper Settings.................................................................................9

Jumper Settings.................................................................................................9

Connecting Case Components.........................................................................10

The Panel Connectors......................................................................................12

Installing Hardware.............................................................................................13

Installing the Processor...................................................................................13

Installing Memory Modules............................................................................16

Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM ..........................................................17

Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive..................................................................19

Installing Add-on Cards..................................................................................19

Connecting Optional Devices..........................................................................21

Connecting I/O Devices.....................................................................................26

External Connector Color Coding...................................................................27

CHAPTER 3 28

Using BIOS 28

About the Setup Utility........................................................................................28

The Standard Configuration............................................................................28

Entering the Setup Utility................................................................................29

Updating the BIOS..........................................................................................29

Using BIOS..........................................................................................................30

Standard CMOS Features................................................................................31

Advanced BIOS Setup Option........................................................................33

iii

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Advanced Chipset Features Option.................................................................35

Integrated Peripherals Option..........................................................................39

Power Management Setup Option...................................................................44

PNP/PCI Configuration Option.......................................................................48

PC Health Status Option..................................................................................49

Frequency/Voltage Control..............................................................................50

Load Fail-Safe Defaults Option......................................................................51

Load Optimized Defaults Option....................................................................51

Set Password Option.......................................................................................51

Save & Exit Setup Option...............................................................................52

Exit Without Saving........................................................................................52

CHAPTER 4 53

Using the Mainboard Software 53

About the Software CD-ROM............................................................................53

Auto-installing under Windows 98....................................................................53

Running Setup.................................................................................................54

Manual Installation..............................................................................................56

Utility Software Reference.................................................................................56

Award Flash Memory Utility...........................................................................56

PC-CILLIN......................................................................................................56

MediaRing Talk – Telephony Software...........................................................57

Super Voice – Fax/Modem Software...............................................................57

WinFlash Utility..............................................................................................57

CD Ghost.........................................................................................................57

Recovery Genius.............................................................................................57

Language Genius.............................................................................................57

PageABC.........................................................................................................57

iv

1

CChhaapptteerr 11

Introducing the Mainboard

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn

Congratulations on purchasing the K7VTA3 mainboard. The K7VTA3 main­board is an ATX mainboard that uses a 4-layer printed circuit board and
measures 305 mm x 244 mm. The mainboard features a Socket 462 that
accommodates AMD Athlon processors supporting frontside bus (FSB)
speeds up to 133 MHz.

The K7VTA3 incorporates the VIA KT333 (VT8367) Northbridge and VT8233A
(or VT8233) Southbridge chipsets which combine support for the new high­bandwidth Double Data Rate (DDR) 333 SDRAM, and the AC 97 audio codec.

Note: SDRAM provides 800 MBps or 1 GBps data transfer depending on

whether the bus is 100 MHz or 133 MHz. Double Data Rate SDRAM
(DDR SDRAM) doubles the rate to 2.1 GBps or 2.7 GBps by transferring
data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock. DDR SDRAM uses
additional power and ground lines and requires 184-pin DIMM modules
rather than the 168-pin DIMMs used by SDRAM.

CChheecckklliisstt

Compare the mainboard’s package contents with the following checklists:

Standard Items

• One mainboard

• One diskette drive ribbon cable and bracket

• One IDE drive ribbon cable and bracket

• One auto-install software support CD

• This user’s manual

L7VTA3 V3.1a

FFeeaattuurreess

Processor The mainboard uses an AMD 462-pin Socket A that has the

Chipset The VIA KT333 (VT8367) Northbridge and VT8233A

following features:

• Supports 100/133 MHz frontside bus (FSB)

• Accommodates AMD Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron processors

Southbridge chipsets are based on an innovative and scale­able architecture with proven reliability and performance. A few
of the chipset’s advanced features are:

• An advanced V-Link memory controller architecture that
provides the bandwidth and performance necessary for
even the most demanding Internet and 3D graphics

• A low 2.5-volt DDR333 SDRAM power consumption
which makes it an excellent solution for notebooks and
desktops with a small footprint

• Support for a 4xAGP interface providing vivid 3D graphics
and video performance

• An ATA 133 interface on the chipset, which helps boost
system performance by providing a high-speed connec­tion to ATA 133 Hard Disk Drives, delivering maximum
sustained data transfer rates of 133 MB/sec

Additional key features include support for four USB ports, an
AC 97 link for audio and modem, hardware monitoring, and
ACPI/OnNow power management.

Note: This mainboard incorporates either VT8233A or

VT8233 Southbridge chipset.

Memory The mainboard accommodates DDR200/266/333 or

VGA The K7VTA3 includes a 4xAGP slot that provides four times

AC 97 Audio
Codec

USB USB 1.1

PC1600/PC2100/PC2700 DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate
Synchronous DRAM) up to 3 GB using three 2.5V unbuffered

DIMM modules.

the bandwidth of the original AGP specification. AGP technol­ogy provides a direct connection between the graphics sub­system and the processor so that the graphics do not have to
compete for processor time with other devices on the PCI bus.

The AC 97 Audio codec is compliant with the AC 97 2.2 speci­fication, and supports 18-bit ADC (Analog Digital Converter)
and DAC (Digital Analog Converter) resolution as well as 18-bit
stereo full-duplex codec with independent and variable sam­pling rates. Further features include support for four analog

line-level stereo inputs.

The VT8233A Southbridge chipset features the USB 1.1 speci­fication which can support for four USB ports. While, VT8233

Southbridge chipset can support for six USB ports.
However, if the mainboard comes with VIA VT6202, then the

mainboard supports the USB 2.0 specification.

USB 2.0 (optional)

The VIA VT6202 PCI USB 2.0 Controller is compliant with

2

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Promise 20265
(optional)

Onboard LAN
(optional)

Expansion
Options

Universal Serial Bus Specification Revision 2.0.
The USB 2.0 supports data transfer rates up to 480Mb/sec for

high-speed devices and specifies a microframe that will be
1/8th of a 1msec frame. This allows the USB 2.0 devices to
have small buffers even at high data rates.

The USB 1.1 connectors and other full speed cables can sup­port the higher speed of USB 2.0 without any changes.

The chipset has the following advanced USB features:

• Compliant with Enhanced Host Controller Interface
(EHCI) Specification Revision 0.95 and Universal Host
Controller Interface (UHCI) Specification Revision 1.1

• PCI multi-function device consists of two UHCI Host Control­lers for full/low-speed signaling and one EHCI Host

• Controller core for high-speed signaling

• Supports PCI-Bus Power Management Interface Specifi-

cation release 1.1

• Legacy support for all downstream facing ports

• Supports Ultra ATA100 drives and backward compatible

with Ultra ATA66/33 & EIDE drives (identical drives rec­ommended)

• Supports IDE RAID 1 (mirroring) or 0 (striping)

• Supports UDMA 5/4/3/2/1/0, DMA 2/1/0, PIO 4/3/2/1/0

modes

• Two independent IDE channels support up to four
UDMA/100/66/33 or EIDE drives

The Realtek RTL8100B LAN chip is incorporated in the chipset
providing the mainboard with integrated Ethernet PCI LAN

capabilities.
The mainboard comes with the following expansion options:

• Five 32-bit PCI slots

• An 4xAGP slot

• A Communications Network Riser (CNR) slot

• Two IDE connectors which support four IDE channels and

a floppy disk drive interface

• IDE RAID 1, 0 supported by Promise PDC20265R con­troller (optional)

The mainboard supports Ultra DMA bus mastering with trans­fer rates of 33/66/100/133 MB/sec.

Note: If the mainboard incorporates the VT8233A

Southbridge chipset, the Ultra DMA bus master­ing can support up to 133 MB/sec transfer rate.
For VT8233 Southbridge chipset, the transfer rate

can support up to 100MB/sec only.

Integrated I/O The mainboard has a full set of I/O ports and connectors:

• Two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard

• Two serial ports

• One parallel port

• One MIDI/game port

• Two USB ports

• Audio jacks for microphone, line-in and line-out

3

L7VTA3 V3.1a

BIOS
Firm ware

CChhoooossiinngg aa CCoommppuutteerr CCaassee

There are many types of computer cases on the market. The mainboard co m­plies with the specifications for the ATX system case. Some features on the
mainboard are implemented by cabling connectors on the mainboard to ind i­cators and switches on the system case. Ensure that your case supports all
the features required. The mainboard can support one or two floppy diskette
drives and four enhanced IDE drives. Ensure that yo ur case has sufficient
power and space for all the 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 mainboard.

This mainboard has an ATX form factor of 305 mm x 244 mm. Choose a case
that accommodates this form factor.

This mainboard uses Award BIOS that enables users to con­figure many system features including the following:

• Power management

• Wake-up alarms

• CPU parameters

• CPU and memory timing

The firmware can also be used to set parameters for different
processor clock speeds.

4

L7VTA3 V3.1a

MMaaiinnbbooaarrdd CCoommppoonneennttss

5

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Table of Mainboard Components

Label Component

AGP1 Accelerated Graphics Port
ATX1 Power connector
AUDIO1 Front-oriented microphone/line-out port header
BAT1 Three volt realtime clock battery
CASFAN1 Auxiliary case cooling fan
CDIN1 Primary CD-in connector
CDIN2 Secondary CD-in connector
CNR1 Communications Networking Riser slot
CPUFAN1 Cooling fan for CPU
DIM1 ~ DIM3 Three 184-pin DIMM sockets
FDD1 Floppy disk drive connector
IDE 1 Primary IDE channel
IDE 2 Secondary IDE channel
IDE 3 Third IDE channel for ATA 66
IDE 4 Fourth IDE channel for ATA 66
J1 Case open alarm header
JP1 Clear CMOS jumper
JP3 BIOS protection jumper
JP4 CPU frequency selection jumper
LAUDIO1* Front-oriented microphone/line-out port header
LED11 Memory module LED
LPANEL1* Connector for case front panel switches and LED indicators
LSIR1* Serial infrared cable header 2
LSJ1* Single-color LED header
LUSB1 Front panel USB headers
PANEL1 Connector for case front panel switches and LED indicators
PCI1 ~ PCI5 Five 32-bit add-in card slots
RAIDLED1 IDE3/IDE4 array controller active LED
SIR1 Serial infrared cable header
SJ1 Single-color LED header
SOCKET 462 Socket A for AMD Athlon processor
SPEAKER1 Speaker connecter
USB2 Front panel USB headers
WOL1 Wake On LAN wakeup connector
WOM1 Wake On Modem wakeup connector

*Reserved for OEM customers only.

This concludes Chapter 1. Chapter 2 explains how to install the mainboard.

1

The red indicator LED1 turns on if your system is still powered, at which time

memory modules cannot be installed or uninstalled.

6

L7VTA3 V3.1a

CChhaapptteerr 22

Installing the Mainboard

SSaaffeettyy PPrreeccaauuttiioonnss

Follow these safety precautions when installing the mainboard:

• Wear a grounding strap attached to a grounded device to avoid
damage from static electricit y.

• Discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely
grounded object before working on the mainboard.

• Leave components in the static-proof bags they came in.

• Hold all circuit boards by the edges. Do not bend circuit boards.

QQuuiicckk GGuuiiddee

This Quick Guide suggests the steps you can take to assemble your system
with the mainboards.

The following table provides a reference for installing specific components:

Locating Mainboard Components Go to page 5
Installing the Mainboard in a Case Go to page 8
Setting Jumpers Go to page 8
Installing Case Components Go to page 10
Installing the CPU Go to page 13
Installing Memory Go to page 16
Installing an HDD and CD-ROM Drive Go to page 17
Installing an FDD Go to page 19
Installing Add-on Cards Go to page 19
Connecting Options Go to page 21
Connecting Peripheral (I/O) Devices Go to page 26

7

L7VTA3 V3.1a

2. Secure the mainboard with

IInnssttaalllliinngg tthhee MMaaiinnbbooaarrdd iinn aa CCaassee

Refer to the following illustration and instructions for installing the mainboard
in a case:

This illustration shows an ex­ample of a mainboard being
installed in a tower-type case:

Note: Do not overtighten

the screws as this
can stress the main­board.

Most system cases have
mounting brackets installed in
the case, which correspond to
the holes in the mainboard.
Place the mainboard over the
mounting brackets and secure
the mainboard 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 mainboard.

CChheecckkiinngg JJuummppeerr SSeettttiinnggss

This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the main­board.

screws where appropriate.

1. Place the mainboard
over the mounting brackets.

Setting Jumpers

Use the mainboard 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 below 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.

Short Open

This illustration shows a 3-pin
jumper. Pins 1 and 2 are SHORT.

1

2

8

3

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Checking Jumper Settings

The following illustration shows the location of the mainboard jumpers. Pin 1 is
labeled.

Jumper Settings

Jumper Type Description Setting (default)

JP1 3-pin Clear CMOS 1-2: Normal

2-3: Clear

JP3 3-pin BIOS Protect 1-2: Disable

2-3: Enable

JP4 3-pin CPU frequency

select

J1 2-pin Chassis detect Short 1-2: Case

1-2: 100 MHz

2-3: 133 MHz

Open

Open 1-2: Case
Close

9

JP1

1

JP3

1

JP4

1

J1

L7VTA3 V3.1a

JP1 – Enables you to clear the BIOS. Follow these instructions:

2. Turn the system off.

3. Short pins 2 and 3 on jumper 1.

4. Return the jumper to the normal setting.

5. Turn the system on. The BIOS is returned to the default settings.

JP3 – Enables you to prevent the BIOS from being updated (flashed). Set the
jumper to disable d if you are going to update your BIOS. After updating the
BIOS, return it to the default setting (enabled). For instructions on updating
the BIOS refer to Chapter 3.

JP4 – Use this jumper to select the CPU frequency.
J1 – This connector allows the user to detect unauthorized intrusion to the

case. It will alert the user with a warning message when the case is turned on.

CCoonnnneeccttiinngg CCaassee CCoommppoonneennttss

After you have installed the mainboard into a case, you can begin connecting
the mainboard components. Refer to the following:

1. Connect the case
power supply
connector to ATX1.

2. Connect the CPU
cooling fan cable to
CPUFAN1.

3. Connect the case
cooling fan connector
to CASFAN1.

4. Connect the case
speaker cable to
SPEAKER1.

5. Connect the case
LED cable to
SJ1/LSJ1 (OEM
customer only).

6. If your case has a
case open alarm
cable, connect it to

J1.

SPEAKER1: Speaker connector

Connect the internal speaker connector to this header.

Pin Signal Name

1

External speaker

2

NC

3

NC

4

VCC

10

L7VTA3 V3.1a

SJ1: Single color LED header

This header allows the user to install an LED indicator to indicate when the
computer is in Suspend to RAM (STR) mode or normal mode.

Pin Signal Name

1

SUSLED-G

2

SUSLED-G

3

5VSB

ACPI LED function:

SJ1

1

S0 S1 S3 S4/S5

Light Blinking Blinking Dark

LSJ1: Single color LED header

This header which is specially designed for OEM customers allows the user to
install a LED indicator to indicate when the computer is in Suspend to RAM
(STR) mode or normal mode.

Pin Signal Name

1 2 5 VSB

SUSLED-Y

ACPI LED function:

LSJ1

S0 S1 S3 S4/S5

Dark Dark Light Dark

11

L7VTA3 V3.1a

2 1

Reset Switch
(Pins 6, 8)

(Pin 10)

10 9

(Pin 9)

2 1

(Pin 13)

14 13

(Pin +9, -11)

The Panel Connectors

The panel connector (PANEL1 and LPANEL1) provides a standard set of
switch and LED connectors commonly found on ATX or micro-ATX cases.
The LPANEL1 connector is designed specially for OEM customers, which
comply with the OEM specifications. Refer to the table below for information:

PANEL1

Device Pins

N/C 10

Empty 9

Power ON/OFF 6, 8

Reset Switch 5, 7

Green LED

2, 4

Indicator

HDD LED +1, -3

Empty

Power Switch

N/C

(Pins 5, 7)

LPANEL1

Device Pins

Empty 13

Reset Switch +12, -14

Power Switch +9, -11

Speaker +4, -6, -8, 10

Power LED -3 (Y), -5 (G), +7

HDD LED +1, -2

Green LED
(Pins 2, 4)

Reset Switch
(Pins +12, -14)

Speaker
(Pins +4, -6,

HDD LED
(Pins +1, -2)

HDD LED
(Pins 1, 3)

Empty

Power Switch

Power LED
(Pin -3, -5, +7)

Note: The plus sign (+) indicates a pin which must be connected to a positive

voltage.

12

L7VTA3 V3.1a

IInnssttaalllliinngg HHaarrddwwaarree

Installing the Processor

Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make sure that
you DO NOT scratch the mainboard or any of the surface-mount resistors
with the clip of the cooling fan. If the clip of the cooling fan scrapes
across the mainboard, you may cause serious damage to the mainboard
or its components.

On most mainboards, 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 mainboard and processor socket.

Before installing the Processor

This mainboard 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 mainboard, or changing the
settings in the system Setup Uti lity. We strongly recommend that you do not
overclock processors or other components to run faster than their rated speed.

Warning: Overclocking components can adversely affect the reliability of
the system and introduce errors into your system. Overclocki ng can per­manently damage the mainboard by generating excess heat in
components that are run beyond the rated limits.

This mainboard has a Socket 462 processor 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.

13

L7VTA3 V3.1a

CPU Installation Procedure

The following illustration shows CPU installation components:

Note: The pin-1 corner is marked with an arrow

Follow these instructions to install the CPU:

1. Pull the CPU socket locking lever away from the socket to unhook it and raise
the locking lever to the upright position.

2. Identify the pin A-1 corner on the CPU socket and the pin A-1 corner on the
processor.

3. Swing the locking lever down and hook it under the latch on the edge of the
socket.

4. Apply thermal grease to the top of the CPU.

5. Lower the CPU cooling fan/heatsink assembly onto the CPU.

6. Secure the two retention clips
on either side of the
fan/heatsink unit onto the socket
base.

Fan/heatsink unit

secured to socket

14

L7VTA3 V3.1a

7. Connect the CPU Cooling Fan
power cable connector to the
CPUFAN connector.

Notes :

1. CPU fan and heatsink installation procedures may vary with the type of
CPUfan/heatsink supplied. The form and size of fan/heatsink may also vary.

2. After you have assembled the system, you must set the correct clock speed
and frontside bus (FSB) speed. Check the jumper section and refer to Chap-

ter 3 “Frequency Voltage Control” for more information.

15

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Installing Memory Modules

This mainboard accommodates 184-pin 2.5V unbuffered Double Data Rate
(DDR) SDRAM memory modules. The memory chips must be standard or
registered SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory). The
memory bus runs at 100/133/166 MHz.

Installation Procedure

The mainboard accommodates three
memory modules. You must install at
least one module in any of the three
slots. Each module can be installed
with 32 MB to 512 MB of memory;
total memory capacity is 1.5 GB.

Refer to the following to install the memory modules.

1. Push the latches on each side of the DIMM slot down.

2. Align the memory module with the slot. The DIMM slots are keyed with
notches and the DIMMs are keyed with cutouts so that they can only be

installed correctly.

3. Check that the cutouts on the
DIMM module edge connector
match the notches in the

DIMM slot:

4. Install the DIMM module into
the slot and press it firmly
down until it seats correctly.
The slot latches are levered
upwards and latch on to the
edges of the DIMM.

5. Install any remaining DIMM
modules.

Latch

Cutout

Notch

16

Latch

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM

This section describes how to install IDE devices such as a hard disk drive
and a CD-ROM drive.

About IDE1 and IDE2 Devices

Your mainboard has a primary and secondary IDE channel interface (IDE1 and
IDE2). An IDE ribbon cable supporting two IDE devices is bundled with the main­board.

If you want to install more than two IDE devices, get a second IDE cable and
you can add two more devices to the secondary IDE channel.

IDE devices have jumpers or switches that are used to set the IDE device as
MASTER or SLAVE. Refer to the IDE device user’s manual. When installing two
IDE devices on one cable, ensure that one device is set to MASTER and the
other device is set to SLAVE. The documentation of your IDE device explains
how to do this.

About IDE3 and IDE4 Devices

The third and fourth IDE channels are provided for IDE RAID function. These
channels are booted by hard disk drive only. Other device such as CD-ROM
and ZIP does not support this function. For installing devices on IDE3 and
IDE4, follow the same procedures for IDE1 and IDE2 “Installing a Hard Disk
Drive”.

About UltraDMA

This mainboard supports Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133. UDMA is a technology
that accelerates the performance of devices in the IDE channel. To maximize
performance, install IDE devices that support UDMA and use 80 -pin IDE ca­bles that support UDMA 33/66/100/133.

Note: If your mainboard incorporates the VT8233A Southbridge chipset, the Ul-

tra DMA bus mastering can support up to 133 MB/sec transfer rates.
Otherwise, the VT8233 Southbridge chipset can support up to 100M/sec
only.

17

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Installing a Hard Disk Drive

1. Install the hard disk drive into the drive cage in your system case.

2. Plug the IDE cable into IDE1
(A):

Note: Ribbon cable connectors
are usually keyed so that they can
only be installed correctly on the
device connector. If the connector
is not keyed, make sure that you
match the pin-1 side of the cable
connector with the pin-1 side of the
device connector. Each connector
has the pin-1 side clearly marked.
The pin-1 side of each ribbon ca­ble is always marked with a
colored stripe on the cable.

3. Plug an IDE cable connector into the hard disk drive IDE connector (B). It
doesn't matter which connector on the cable you use.

4. Plug a power cable from the case power supply into the power connector on
the hard disk drive (C).

When you first start up your system, the BIOS should automatically detect
your hard disk drive. If it doesn’t, enter the Setup Utility and use the IDE Hard
Disk Auto Detect feature to configure the hard disk drive that you have in­stalled.

Installing a CD-ROM/DVD Drive

5. Install the CD-ROM/DVD drive into the drive cage in your system case.

6. P lug the IDE cable into IDE1
(A). If you have already installed
an HDD, use the other connec­tor on the IDE cable.

Note: Ribbon cable connectors are
usually keyed so that they can only
be installed correctly on the device
connector. If the connector is not
keyed, make sure that you match the
pin-1 side of the cable connector with
the pin-1 side of the device connec­tor. Each connector has the pin-1
side clearly marked. The pin-1 side of
each ribbon cable is always marked
with a colored stripe on the cable.

7. Plug an IDE cable connector into the CD-ROM/DVD drive IDE connector (B). It
doesn't matter which connector on the cable you use.

8. Plug a power cable from the case power supply into the power connector on
the CD-ROM/DVD drive (C).

9. Use the audio cable provided with the CD-ROM/DVD drive to connect to the
mainboard CD-in connector CD1 or CD2 (D).

When you first start up your system, the BIOS should automatically detect
your CD-ROM/DVD drive. If it doesn’t, enter the Setup Utility and configure
the CD-ROM/DVD drive that you have installed.

18

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive

The mainboard has a floppy diskette drive (FDD) interface and ships with a
diskette drive ribbon cable that supports one or two floppy diskette drives. You
can install a 5.25-inch drive and a 3.5 -inch drive with various capacities. The
floppy diskette drive cable has one type of connector for a 5.25-inch drive and
another type of connector for a 3.5-inch drive.

1. Install the FDD into the drive cage in your system case.

2. Plug the FDD cable into FDD1
(A):

Note: Ribbon cable connectors are
usually keyed so that they can only
be installed correctly on the device
connector. If the connector is not
keyed, make sure that you match the
pin-1 side of the cable connector with
the pin-1 side of the device connec­tor. Each connector has the pin-1
side clearly marked. The pin-1 side of
each ribbon cable is always marked
with a colored stripe on the cable.

3. Plug the correct connector on the FDD cable for the 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch drive
into the FDD connector (B).

4. Plug a power cable from the case power supply into the power connector on
the FDD (C).

When you first start up your system, go immediately to the Setup Utility to
configure the floppy diskette drives that you have installed.

Installing Add-on Cards

This mainboard has five 32-bit PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect)
expansion slots, one 4xAGP slot, and one Communications and Networking
Riser (CNR) slot.

4xAGP
Slot

PCI Slots PCI slots are used to

CNR Slot This slot is used to

Note: Before installing an add-on card, check the documentation for the card

The 4xAGP slot is used
to install a graphics
adapter that supports
the 4xAGP specifica­tion and has a 4xAGP
edge connector.

install expansion cards
that have the 32-bit
PCI interface.

insert CNR cards with
Modem and Audio
functionality.

carefully. If the card is not Plug and Play, you may have to manually con­figure the card before installation.

19

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Follow these instructions to install an add-on card:

1. Remove a blanking plate from the system case corresponding to the slot you
are going to use.

2. Install the edge connector of the
add-on card into the expansion
slot. Ensure that the edge con­nector is correctly seated in the
slot.

3. Secure the metal bracket of the card to the system case with a screw.

Note: For some add-on cards, for example graphics adapters and network adapters,

you have to install drivers and software before you can begin using the add-on
card.

20

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Connecting Optional Devices

Refer to the following for information on connecting the mainboard’s optional
devices:

AUDIO1: Front panel MIC/Speaker Out header

This header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and
line-out ports for easier access.

Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name

1

AUD_MIC

3

AUD_MIC_BIAS

5

AUD_FP OUT_R

7

HP_ON

9

AUD_FPOUT_L

2
4
6
8

10

AUD_GND
AUD_VCC
AUD_RET_R
KEY
AUD_RET_L

21

L7VTA3 V3.1a

LAUDIO1: Front panel audio header

This header (which is specially designed for OEM customers) allows the user
to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and line-out ports that comply
with the OEM specifications.

Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name

1
3
5
7

9
11
13
15

ALOR
GROUND
GROUND
+12V
MIC
FLOR
FLOL
GROUND

2
4
6

8
10
12
14
16

ALOL
GROUND
GROUND
KEY
GROUND
LNR
LNL
EMPTY

USB2: USB panel connector

The mainboard has USB ports installed on the rear edge I/I port array. How­ever, some computer cases have a special module that mounts USB ports at
the front of the case. If you have this kind of case, use auxiliary USB connec­tor USB2 to connect front -mounted ports to the mainboard

Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name

1

VCC

3

Data0-

5

Data0+

7

Ground

9

Key

2
4
6
8

10

VCC
Data1­Data1+
Ground
OC-

LUSB1: Internal USB connector

This USB panel connector (which is specially designed for OEM customers)
connects to the front panel or case USB ports that comply with the OEM
specifications.

Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name

1

VCC

3

Data0-

5

Data0+

7

Key

9

Ground

Note: Please make sure that the USB cable has the same pin assignment as indi-

cated above. A different pin assignment may cause damage or system
hang-up.

2

4

6

8
10

Ground
Key
Data1+
Data1­VCC

22

L7VTA3 V3.1a

WOL1/WOM1: Wake On LAN/Wake On Modem

If you have installed a LAN card, use the cable provided with the card to plug
into the mainboard WOL1 connector. This enables the Wake On LAN (WOL)
feature. When your system is in a power-saving mode, any LAN signal auto­matically resumes the system. You must enable this item using the Power
Management page of the Setup Utility.

Pin Signal Name

1

5VSB

2

GROUND

3

SENSE

If you have installed a modem, use the cable provided with the modem to plug
into the mainboard WOM1 connector. This enables the Wake On Modem
(WOM1) feature. When your system is in a power-saving mode, any modem
signal automatically resumes the system. You must enable this item using the
Power Management page of the Setup Utility. See Chapter 3 for more info r­mation.

SIR1: Serial infrared port 1

The mainboard supports a Serial Infrared (SIR) data port. Infrared ports allow
the wireless exchange of information between your computer and similarly
equipped devices such as printers, laptops, Personal Digital Assistants
(PDAs), and other computers.

Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name

1
3
5

Not assigned
VCC
IRTX

2

KEY

4

Ground

6

IRRX

LSIR1: Serial infrared port 2

The mainboard supports a Serial Infrared (SIR) data port (which is specially
designed for OEM customer) allows the wireless exchange of information b e­tween your computer and similarly equipped devices such as printers, laptops,
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and other computers.

Pin Signal Name

1

VCC

2

KEY

3

IRRX

4

GND

5

IRTX

23

L7VTA3 V3.1a

IDE3/IDE4: Third/Fourth IDE connector

These connectors are for Promise PDC20265R controller only. Co n­nect one cable to each of the IDE connectors of the mainboard (IDE3
& IDE4 connector). Please note the color orientation of the cable
before attaching it to the mainboard. If you wish to use the IDE array
controller, please refer to the optional “Promise Raid” user’s manual.

Promise PDC20265R supports striping (RAID 0) or mirroring (RAID 1),
separately.

With striping, identical drives can read and write data in parallel to in­crease performance. Mirroring increases read perfor mance through load
balancing and elevator sorting while creating a complete backup of your
files.

It offers RAID 1 mirroring (for two drives) to protect data. Should a drive
that is part of a mirrored array fail, Promise PDC20265R uses the mirrored
drive (which contains identical data) to assume all data handling. When a
new replacement drive is later installed, Promise PDC20265R rebuilds
data to the new drive from the mirrored drive to restore fault tolerance.

RAID 0 (Striping)

Configures multiple drives so that sectors of data are interleaved
within an array. When a disk member fails, it affects the entire array.
Performance is better than a single drive since the workload is bal­anced between array members. This array mode is designed for high
performance systems. Identical drives are recommended for per­formance as well as data storage efficiency. The disk array data
capacity is equal to the number of drive members times the smallest
member capacity.

RAID 1 (Mirroring)

Configures an array of 2 drives to write duplicate data and read in
parallel. It performs reads using advanced data handling techniques
that distribute the workload in a more efficient manner than using a
single drive. When a read request is made, it selects the drive posi­tioned closest to the requested data, and then looks to the idle drive
to perform the next read access.

Promise PDC20265R striped arrays can double the sustained data trans-
fer rate of Ultra ATA/100 drives. Promise PDC20265R fully supports Ultra
ATA/100 specification of up to 100 MB/sec per drive, depending on indi­vidual drive specifications.

Note: Please use an 80-wire, 40-pin cable when connecting an Ultra AT A/100

hard drive to the motherboard IDE3 & IDE4 controller.

24

L7VTA3 V3.1a

RAIDLED1: IDE3/IDE4 array controller active LED

This connector is used to show this activity of the IDE3/IDE4 HDD. The IDE
LED is located on pins 1-2 of RAIDLED. You can attach the hard drive LED
cable to pins 1-2.

25

L7VTA3 V3.1a

CCoonnnneeccttiinngg II//OO DDeevviicceess

The backplane of the mainboard has the following I/O ports:

PS/2 Mouse Use the upper PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 pointing device.
PS/2 Keyboard Use the lower PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 keyboard.
USB Ports Use the USB ports to connect USB devices.
LPT1 Use LPT1 to connect printers or other parallel communica-

COM1/2 Use the COM ports to connect serial devices such as mice

Game Port Use the game port to connect a joystick or a MIDI device.
LAN Port

(optional)
Audio Ports Use the three audio ports to connect audio devices. The left

tions devices.
or fax/modems. COM1 is identified by the system as

COM1/3. COM2 is identified by the system as 2/4.

Connect an RJ-45 jack to this port to connect your PC to the
LAN.

side jack is for a stereo line-out signal. The middle jack is for
a stereo line-in signal. The right side jack is for a micro­phone.

26

L7VTA3 V3.1a

External Connector Color Coding

Many connectors now use standard colors as shown in the table below.

Connector Color

Analog VGA Blue

Audio line in Light blue

Audio line out Lime

Digital monitor / flat panel White

IEEE 1394 Grey

Microphone Pink

MIDI/Game Gold

Parallel Burgundy

PS/2 compatible keyboard Purple

PS/2 compatible mouse Green

Serial Teal or Turquoise

Speaker out/subwoofer Orange

Right-to-left speaker Brown

USB Black

Video out Yellow

SCSI, network, telephone, modem None

This concludes Chapter 2. Chapter 3 covers the BIOS.

27

CChhaapptteerr 33

Using BIOS

AAbboouutt tthhee SSeettuupp UUttiilliittyy

The computer uses the latest Award BIOS with support for Windows Plug and
Play. The CMOS chip on the mainboard contains the ROM setup instructions
for configuring the mainboard BIOS.

The BIOS (Basic Input and Output Sy stem) Setup Utility displays the system's
configuration status and provides you with options to set system parameters.
The parameters are stored in battery-backed-up CMOS RAM that saves this
information when the power is turned off. When the system is turned back on,
the system is configured with the values you stored in CMOS.

The BIOS Setup Utility enables you to configure:

• Hard drives, diskette drives, and peripherals

• Video display type and display options

• Password protection from unauthorized use

• Power management features

The setti ngs made in the Setup Utility affect how the computer performs. Be­fore using the Setup Utility, ensure that you understand the Setup Utility
options.

This chapter provides explanations for Setup Utility options.

The Standard Configuration

A standard confi guration has already been set in the Setup Utility. However,
we recommend that you read this chapter in case you need to make any
changes in the future.

This Setup Utility should be used:

• when changing the system configuration

• when a configuration error is detected and you are prompted to

make changes to the Setup Utility

• when trying to resolve IRQ conflicts

• when making changes to the Power Management configuration

• when changing the password or making other changes to the Secu-

rity Setup

28

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Entering the Setup Utility

When you power on the system, BIOS enters the Power-On Self Test (POST)
routines. POST is a series of built -in diagnostics performed by the BIOS. After
the POST routines are completed, the following me ssage appears:

Press DEL to enter SETUP

Pressing the delete key accesses the BIOS Setup Utility:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Standard CMOS Features
Advanced BIOS Features
Advanced Chipset Features
Integrated Peripherals
Power Management Setup
PnP/PCI Configurations
PC Health Status

Esc : Quit
F10 : Save & Exit Setup

Time, Date, Hard Disk Type . . .

BIOS Navigation Keys

Frequency/Voltage Control
Load Fail-Safe Defaults
Load Optimized Defaults
Set Supervisor Password
Set User Password
Save & Exit Setup
Exit Without Saving

↑ ↓ →

← : Select Item

The BIOS navigation keys are listed below:

Key Function

Esc Exits the current menu

←↑↓→

+/–/PU/PD Modifies the selected field's values

F10 Saves the current configuration and exits setup

F1 Displays a screen that describes all key functions
F5 Loads previously saved values to CMOS
F6 Loads a minimum configuration for troubleshooting.
F7 Loads an optimum set of values for peak performance

Scrolls through the items on a menu

Updating the BIOS

You can download and install updated BIOS for this mainboard from the
manufacturer's Web site. New BIOS provides support for new peripherals,
improvements in performance, or fixes for known bugs. Install new BIOS as
follows:

1. If your mainboard has a BIOS protection jumper, change the setting to
allow BIOS flashing.

29

L7VTA3 V3.1a

2. If your mainboard has an item called Firmware Write Protect in Advanced
BIOS features, disable it. (Firmware Write Protect prevents BIOS from being
overwritten.)

3. Create a bootable system disk. (Refer to Windows online help for infor­mation on creating a bootable system disk.)

4. Download the Flash Utility and new BIOS file from the manufacturer's
Web site. Copy these files to the system diskette you created in Step 3.

5. Turn off your computer and insert the syst em diskette in your computer's
diskette drive. (You might need to run the Setup Utility and change the boot
priority items on the Advanced BIOS Features Setup page, to force your

computer to boot from the floppy diskette drive first.)

6. At the A:\ prompt, ty pe the Flash Utility program name and press <En­ter>. You see a screen similar to the following:

(C) Award Software 1999 All Rights Reserved

For (MAINBOARD NAME) DATE: 10/26/2000
Flash Type
File Name to Program :____________________

Error Message

FLASH MEMORY WRITER V7.33

7. Type the filename of the new BIOS in the “File Name to Program” text
box. Follow the onscreen directions to update the mainboard BIOS.

8. When the installation is complete, remove the floppy diskette from the
diskette drive and restart y our computer. If your mainboard has a Flash
BIOS jumper, reset the jumper to protect the newly installed BIOS from

being overwritten.

UUssiinngg BBIIOOSS

When you start the Setup Utility, the main menu appears. The main menu of
the Setup Utility displays a list of the options that are available. A highlight
indicates which option is currently selected. Use the cursor arrow keys to
move the highlight to other options. When an option is highlighted, execute
the option by pressing <Enter>.

Some options lead to pop -up dialog boxes that prompt you to verify that you
wish to execute that option. Other options lead to dialog boxes that prompt
you for information.

Some options (marked with a triangle ) lead to submenus that enable you
to change the values for the option. Use the cursor arrow keys to scroll
through the items in the submenu.

In this manual, default values are enclosed in parenthesis. Submenu items
are denoted by a triangle .

30

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Standard CMOS Features

This option displays basic information about your system.

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Standard CMOS Features

Date (mm:dd:yy) Tue, July 11 2001
Time (hh:mm:ss) 12 : 8 : 59

IDE Primary Master
IDE Primary Slave
IDE Secondary Master

IDE Secondary Slave

Drive A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]
Drive B [None]
Video
[EGA/VGA]

Halt On [All Errors]
Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 31744K
Total Memory 32768K

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Menu Level
Change the day, month,

year and century.

Date and Time

The Date and Time items show the current date and time on the computer. If
you are running a Windows OS, these items are automatically updated when­ever you make changes to the Windows Date and Time Properties utility.

IDE Devices (None)

Your computer has two IDE channels (Primary and Secondary) and each
channel can be installed with one or two devices (Master and Slave). Use
these items to configure each device on the IDE channel.

Press <Ent er> to display the IDE submenu:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright © 1984 – 2001 Award Software

IDE Primary Master

IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter ]
IDE Primary Master [Auto]

Access Mode [Auto]

Capacity 0 MB
Cylinder 0

Head 0
Precomp 0
Landing Zone 0
Sector 0

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Menu Level
To auto-detect the

HDD’s size, head . . . on
this channel

31

L7VTA3 V3.1a

IDE HDD Auto-Detection

Press <Enter> while this item is highlighted to prompt the Setup Utility to
automatically detect and configure an IDE device on the IDE channel.

Note: If you are setting up a new hard disk drive that supports LBA mode, more

than one line will appear in the parameter box. Choose the line that lists
LBA for an LBA drive.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave (Auto)

Leave this item at Auto to enable the system to automatically detect and c onfigure
IDE devices on the channel. If it fails to find a device, change the value to Manual
and then manually configure the drive by entering the characteristics of the drive in
the items described below.

Refer to your drive's documentation or look on the drive casing if you need to ob­tain this information. If no device is installed, change the value to None.

Note: Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, ensure that you have the

configuration information supplied by the manufacturer of your hard drive.
Incorrect settings can result in your system not recognizing the installed

hard disk.

Access Mode

This item defines ways that can be used to access IDE hard disks such as
LBA (Large Block Addressing). Leave this value at Auto and the system will
automatically decide the fastest way to access the hard disk drive.

Press <Esc> to return to the Standard CMOS Features page.

Drive A/Drive B (1.44M, 3.5 in./None)

These items define the characteristics of any diskette drive attached to the
system. You can connect one or two diskette drives.

Video (EGA/VGA)

This item defines the video mode of the system. This mainboard has a built -in
VGA graphics system; you must leave this item at the default value.

Halt On (All Errors)

This item defines the operation of the system POST (Power On Self Test)
routine. You can use this item to select which types of errors in the POST are
sufficient to halt the system.

Base Memory, Extended Memory, and Total Memory

These items are automatically detected by the system at start up time. These
are display -only fields. You cannot make changes to these fields.

32

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Advanced BIOS Setup Option

This option defines advanced information about your system.

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Advanced BIOS Features

CPU Internal Cache [Enabled ]
External Cache [Enabled]
CPU L2 Cache ECC Checking [Enabled]
Processor Number Feature [Enabled]
Quick Power On Self Test [Enabled]
First Boot Device [Floppy]
Second Boot Device [HDD-0]
Third Boot Device [CD-ROM]
Boot Other Device [Enabled]
Swap Floppy Drive [Disabled]
Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled]
Boot Up NumLock Status [On]
Gate A20 Option [Fast]

ATA 66/100 IDE Cable Msg [Disabled]

Typematic Rate Setting [Disabled]

x Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) 6
x Typematic Delay (Msec) 250

Security Option [Setup]

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Menu Level
Allows you to choose

the VIRUS warning
feature for IDE Hard
Disk boot sector
protection. If this
function is enabled
and someone attempts
to write data into this
area, BIOS will show a
warning message on
screen and alarm beep

CPU Internal Cache (Enabled)

All processors that can be installed in this mainboard use internal level 1 (L1)
cache memory to improve performance. Leave this item at the default value
for better performance.

External Cache (Enabled)

Most processors that can be installed in this system use external level 2 (L2)
cache memory to improve performance. Leave this item at the default value
for better performance.

CPU L2 Cache ECC Checking (E nabled)

This item enables or disables ECC (Error Correction Code) error checking on
the CPU cache memory. We recommend that you leave this item at the de­fault value.

Processor Number Feature (Enabled)

Some new processors are installed with a unique processor number. This
number may be used for verification in Internet transaction s and e-commerce.
If you prefer not to use or distribute the unique processor number, disable this
item to suppress the processor number.

Quick Power On Self Test (Enabled)

Enable this item to shorten the power on testing (POST) and have your sys­tem start up faster. You might like to enable this item after you are confident
that your system hardware is operating smoothly.

33

L7VTA3 V3.1a

First/Second/Third Boot Device (Floppy/HDD-0/CD-ROM)

Use these three items to select the priority and order of the devices that your
system searches for an operating system at start-up time.

Boot Other Device (Enabled)

When enabled, the system searches all other possible locations for an operat­ing system if it fails to find one in the devices specified under the First, Second,
and Third boot devices.

Swap Floppy Drive (Disabled)

If you have two floppy diskette drives in your system, this item allows you to
swap the assigned drive letters so that drive A becomes drive B, and drive B
becomes drive A.

Boot Up Floppy Seek (Disabled)

If this item is enabled, it checks the size of the floppy disk drives at start-up
time. You don't need to enable this item unless you have a legacy diskette
drive with 360K capacity.

Boot Up NumLock Status (On)

This item defines if the keyboard Num Lock key is activ e when your system is
started.

Gate A20 Option (Fast)

This item defines how the system handles legacy software that was written for
an earlier generation of processors. Leave this item at the default value.

ATA 66/100 IDE Cable Msg (Disabled)

Enables or di sables the ATA 66/100 IDE Cable Msg. This message will appear
during reboot when you use 40-pin cable on your 66/100 hard disks.

Typematic Rate Setting (Disabled)

If this item is enabled, you can use the following two items to set the typematic
rate and the typematic delay settings for your keyboard.

• Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec): Use this item to define how many

characters per second are generated by a held-down key.

• Typematic Delay (Msec): Use this item to define how many milli-

seconds must elapse before a held-down key begins generating
repeat characters.

Security Option (Setup)

If you have installed password protection, this item defines if the password is
required at system start up, or if it is only required when a user tries to enter
the Setup Utility.

OS Select For DRAM > 64 MB (Non-OS2)

This item is only required if you have installed more than 64 MB of memory
and you are running the OS/2 operating system. Otherwise, leave this item at
the default.

34

L7VTA3 V3.1a

HDD S.M.A.R.T Capability (Disabled)

The S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) system
is a diagnostics technology that monitors and predicts device performance.
S.M.A.R.T. software resides on both the disk drive and the host computer.

The disk drive software monitors the internal p erformance of the motors, me­dia, heads, and electronics of the drive. The host software monitors the overall
reliability status of the drive. If a device failure is predicted, the host software,
through the Client WORKS S.M.A.R.T applet, warns the user of the impending
condition and advises appropriate action to protect the data.

Report No FDD For WIN95 (Yes)

If you are running a system with no floppy drive and using Windows 95, select
Yes for this item to ensure compatibility with the Windows 95 logo certification.
Otherwise, select No.

Video BIOS Shadow (Enabled)

This function, when enabled allows VGA BIOS to be copied to the system
DRAM for enhanced performance.

Small Logo (EPA) Show (Disabled)

Determines whether or not the EPA logo appears during boot up.

Advanced Chipset Features Option

These items define critical timing parameters of the mai nboard. You should
leave the items on this page at their default values unless you are very famil­iar with the technical specifications of your system hardware. If yo u change
the values incorrectly, you may introduce fatal errors or recurring instability
into your system.

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

DRAM Clock/Drive Control [Press Enter]
AGP & P2P Bridge Control [Press Enter]

CPU & PCI Bus Control [Press Enter]
Memory Hole [Disabled]
System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled]
Video RAM Cacheable [Disabled]

Advanced Chipset Features

Menu Level

Item Help

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

35

L7VTA3 V3.1a

DRAM Clock/Drive Control

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Current FSB Frequency
Current DRAM Frequency

DRAM Clock [By SPD]
DRAM Timing [Manual]
DRAM CAS Latency [2.5]
Bank Interleave [4 Bank]
Precharge to Active (Trp) [3T]
Active to Precharge (Tras) [6T]
Active to CMD (Trcd) [3T]
DRAM Burst Length [4]
DRAM Queue Depth [4 level]
DRAM Command Rate [2T Command]

DRAM Clock/Drive Control

Menu Level

Item Help

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Current FSB Frequency

This item displays the frontside bus (FSB) frequency. This is a display-only
item. You cannot make changes to this field.

Current DRAM Frequency

This item displays the memory (DRAM) frequency. This is a display -only item.
You cannot make changes to this field.

DRAM Clock (By SPD)

This item enables you to manually set the DRAM Clock. We recommend that
you leave this item at the default value.

DRAM Timing (Manual)

Set this By SPD to enable the system to automatically set the SDRAM timing
by SPD (Serial Presence Detect). SPD is an EEPROM chip on the DIMM
module that stores information about the memory chips it contains, including
size, speed, voltage, row and column addresses, and manufacturer. If you
disable this item, you can use the following three items to manually set the
timing parameters for the system memo ry

DRAM CAS Latency (2.5)

Enables you to select the CAS latency time in HCLKs of 2/2 or 3/3. The value
is set at the factory depending on the DRAM installed. Do not change the val­ues in this field unless you change specifications of the installed DRAM or t he
installed CPU. The options are "2" and "2.5" default.

Bank Interleave (4 Bank)

Enable this item to increase memory speed. When enabled, separate memory
banks are set for odd and even addresses and the next byte of memory can
be accessed while the current byte is being refreshed.

36

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Precharge to Active (3T)

This item is used to designate the minimum Row Precharge time of the
SDRAM devices on the module.

DRAM must continually be refreshed or it will lose its data. No rmally, DRAM is
refreshed entirely as the result of a single request. This option allows you to de­termine the number of CPU clocks allocated for the Row Address Strobe (RAS) to
accumulate its charge before the DRAM is refreshed. If insufficient time is allowed,
refresh may be incomplete and data lost.

Active to Precharge (6T)

This item specifies the number of clock cycles needed after a bank active
command before a precharge can occur.

Active to CMD (3T)

This item specifies the minimum required delay between activation of different
rows.

DRAM Burst Len (4)

This item describes which burst lengths are supported by the devices on the
mainboard. 1 level can provide faster performance but may result in instability
whereas 8 level gives the most stable but slowest performance.

DRAM Queue Depth (4 level)

This item sets the depth of the DRAM queue used for CPU’s cache.

DRAM Command Rate (2T command)

This item enables you to specify the waiting time for the CPU to issue the next
command after issuing the command to the DDR memory. We recommend
that you leave this item at the default value.

Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Chipset Features page.

AGP & P2P Bridge Control

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

AGP Aperture Size [125 MB]
AGP Mode [4X]
AGP Driving Control [Auto]

x AGP Driving Value DA

AGP Fast Write [Disabled]
AGP Master 1 WS Write [Disabled]
AGP Master WS Read [Disabled]

↑ ↓ →

← : MoveEnter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

AGP & P2P Bridge Control

37

Menu Level

Item Help

L7VTA3 V3.1a

AGP Aperture Size (128 MB)

This item defines the size of the aperture if you use an AGP graphics adapter.
The AGP aperture refers to a section of the PCI memory address range used
for graphics memory. We recommend that you leave this item at the default
value.

AGP Mode (4X)

This item allows you to enable or disable the caching of display data for the
processor video memory. Enabling AGP-4X Mode can greatly improve the
display speed. Di sable this item if your graphics display card does not support
this feature.

AGP Driving Control (Auto)

This item is used to signal driving current on AGP cards to auto or manual.
Some AGP cards need stronger than normal driving current in order to oper­ate. We recommend that you set this item to the default.

• AGP Driving Value: When AGP Driving Control is set to Manual,
use this item to set the AGP current driving value.

AGP Fast Write (Disabled)

This item lets you enable or disable the caching of display data for the video
memory of the processor. Enabling this item can greatly improve the display
speed. Disable this item if your graphics display card does not support this
feature.

AGP Master 1 WS Write (Disabled)

This implements a single delay when writing to the AGP Bus. By default, two­wait states are used by the system, providing greater stability.

AGP Master 1 WS Read (Disabled)

This implements a single delay when reading to the AGP Bus. By default, two­wait states are used by the system, allowing for greater stability.

Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Chipset Features page.

CPU & PCI Bus Control

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

PCI1 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled ]
PCI2 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled]
PCI1 Post Write [Enabled]
PCI2 Post Write [Enabled]
PCI Delay Transaction [Disabled]

↑ ↓ →

← : MoveEnter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

CPU & PCI Bridge Control

Menu Level

Item Help

38

L7VTA3 V3.1a

PCI 1/2 Master 0 WS Write (Enabled)

When enabled, writes to the PCI bus are executed with zero wait states, pro­viding faster data transfer.

PCI 1/2 Post Write (Enabled)

When enabled, writes from the CPU to PCU bus are buffered, to compensate
for the speed differences between the CPU and PCI bus. When disabled, the
writes are not buffered and the CPU must wait until the write is complete b e­fore starting another write cycle.

PCI Delay Transaction (Disabled)

The mainboard’s chipset has an embedded 32-bit post write buffer to support
delay transactions cycles. Select Enabled to support compliance with PCI
specification version 2.1.

Press <Esc> to return to the previous screen.

Memory Hole (Disabled)

This item is used to reserve memory space for ISA expansion cards that re­quire it.

System BIOS/Video RAM Cacheable (Disabled)

These items allow the video and system to be cached in memory for faster
execution. Leave these items at the default value for better performance.

Integrated Peripherals Option

These options display items that define the operation of peripheral compo­nents on the system's input/output ports.

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

VIA OnChip IDE Device [Press Enter]
VIA OnChip PCI Device [Press Enter]

VIA Super I/O Device [Press Enter]
Init Display First [PCI Slot]
OnChip USB Controller [All Enabled]
USB keyboard Support [Disabled]
IDE HDD Block Mode [Enabled]

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Integrated Peripherals

Menu Level

Item Help

39

L7VTA3 V3.1a

VIA OnChip IDE Device

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled ]
OnChip IDE Channel1 [Enabled]
IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]
Primary Master PIO [Auto]
Primary Slave PIO [Auto]
Secondary Master PIO [Auto]
Secondary Slave PIO [Auto]
Primary Master UDMA [Auto]
Primary Slave UDMA [Auto]
Secondary Master UDMA [Auto]
Secondary Slave UDMA [Auto]

VIA OnChip IDE Device

Menu Level

Item Help

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

On-Chip IDE Channel 0/1 (Enabled)

Use these items to enable or disable the PCI IDE channels that are integrated
on the mainboard.

IDE Prefetch Mode (Enabled)

The onboard IDE drive interface supports IDE prefetching, for faster drive
access. If you install a primary and secondary add-in IDE interface, set this
field to Disabled if the interface does not su pport prefetching.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO (Auto)

Each IDE channel supports a master device and a slave device. These four
items let you assign which kind of PIO (Programmed Input/Output) is used by
IDE devices. Choose Auto to let the system auto detect which PIO mode is
best, or select a PIO mode from 0-4.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave UDMA (Auto)

Each IDE channel supports a master device and a slave device. This mai n­board supports UltraDMA technology, which provides faster access to IDE
devices.

If you install a device that supports UltraDMA, change the appropriate item on
this list to Auto. You may have to install the UltraDMA driver supplied with this
mainboard in order to use an UltraDMA device.

Press <Esc> to return to the Integrated Peripherals screen.

40

L7VTA3 V3.1a

VIA OnChip PCI Device

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

OnChip AC97 Audio [Auto]
VIA-3068 MC97 Modem [Auto]

VIA OnChip PCI Device

Menu Level

Item Help

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

OnChip AC97 Audio (Auto)

Enables and disables the onboard audio chip. Disable this item if you are g o­ing to install a PCI audio add-in card.

VIA-3068 MC97 Modem (Auto)

Enables and disables the onboard m odem. Disable this item if you are going
to install an external modem.

Press <Esc> to return to the Integrated Peripherals screen.

VIA SuperIO Device

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled]
Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4]
Onboard Serial Port 2 [2F8/IRQ3]
UART Mode Select [Normal]
UR2 Duplex Mode [Half]
Onboard Parallel Port [378/IRQ7]
Parallel Port Mode [ECP]
ECP Mode Use DMA [3]
Game Port Address [201]
Midi Port Address [330]
Midi Port IRQ [10]

VIA SuperIO Device

Menu Level

Item Help

↑ ↓ →

← : MoveEnter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

41

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Onboard FDC Controller (Enabled)

This option enables the onboard floppy disk drive controller.

Onboard Serial Port 1 (3F8/IRQ4)

This option is used to assign the I/O address and interrupt request (IRQ) for
the onboard serial port 1 (COM1).

Onboard Serial Port 2 (2F8/IRQ3)

This option is used to assign the I/O address and interrupt request (IRQ) for
the onboard serial port 2 (COM2).

UART Mode Select (Normal)

This field is available if the Onboard Serial Port 2 field is set to any option but
Disabled. UART Mode Select enables you to select the infrared communica­tion protocol: Normal (default), IrDA, or ASKIR. IrDA is an infrared
communication protocol with a maximum baud rate up to 115.2K bps. ASKIR
is Sharp's infrared communication protocol with a maximum baud rate up to

57.6K bps.

UR2 Duplex Mode (Half)

This field is available when UART 2 Mode is set to either ASKIR or IrDA. This
item enables you to determine the infrared function of the onboard infrared
chip. The options are Full and Half (default).

Full-duplex means that you can transmit and send information simultaneously.
Half-duplex is the transmission of data in both directions, but only one direc­tion at a time.

Onboard Parallel Port (378/IRQ7)

This option is used to assign the I/O address and interrupt request (IRQ) for
the onboard parallel port.

Parallel Port Mode (ECP)

Enables you to set the data transfer protocol for your parallel port. There are
four options: SPP (Standard Parallel Port), EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port),
ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) and ECP+EPP.

SPP allows data output only. Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) an d Enhanced
Parallel Port (EPP) are bi-directional modes, allowing both data input and output.
ECP and EPP modes are only supported with EPP- and ECP-aware peripherals.

ECP Mode Use DMA (3)

When the onboard parallel port is set to ECP mode, the parallel port can use
DMA 3 or DMA 1.

Game Port Address (201)

This item sets the I/O address for the game port.

Midi Port Address (330)

This item sets the I/O address for the Midi function.

Midi Port IRQ (10)

This item sets the interrupt request for the Midi function.

42

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Press <Esc> to return to the Integrated Peripherals screen.

Init Display First (PCI Slot)

Use this item to specify whether your graphics adapter is installed in one of
the PCI slots or is integrated on the mainboard.

OnChip USB Controller (All Enabled)

Enable this item if you plan to use the Universal Serial Bus ports on this main­board.

USB Keyboard Support (Disabled)

Enable this item if you plan to use a keyboard connected through the USB
port in a legacy operating system (such as DOS) that does not suppo rt Plug
and Play.

IDE HDD Block Mode (Enabled)

Enable this field if your IDE hard drive supports block mode. Block mode e n­ables BIOS to automatically detect the optimal number of block read and
writes per sector that the drive can support and improves the speed of access
to IDE devices.

43

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Power Management Setup Option

This option lets you control system power management. The system has vari­ous power-saving modes inclu ding powering down the hard disk, turning off
the video, suspending to RAM, and software power down that allows the sys­tem to be aut omatically resumed by certain events.

Power Management Timeouts

The power-saving modes can be controlled by timeouts. If the system is inac­tive for a time, the timeouts begin counting. If the inactivi ty continues so that
the timeout period elapses, the system enters a power-saving mode. If any
item in the list of Reload Global Timer Events is Enabled, then any activity on
that item will reset the timeout counters to zero.

Wake Up Calls

If the system is suspended, or has been powered down by software, it can be
resumed by a wake up call that is generated by incoming traffic to a modem, a
LAN card, a PCI card, or a fixed alarm on the system realtime clock.

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Power Management Setup

ACPI function [Enabled ]
ACPI Suspend Type [S1(POS)]
Power Management Option [User Define]
HDD Power Down [Disable]
Suspend Mode [Disable]
Video Off Option [Suspend --> Off]
Video Off Method [DPMS Support]
MODEM Use IRQ [3]
Soft-Off by PWRBTN [Instant-Off]
AC Resume Function [Always Off]

IRQ/Event Activity Detect [Press Enter]

↑ ↓ → ←

Help F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: MoveEnter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General

Item Help

Menu Level

ACPI Function (Enabled)

This mainboard supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power man­agement Interface). Use this item to enable or disable the ACPI feature.

Note: ACPI is a power management specification that makes hardware status in-

formation available to the operating system. ACPI enables a PC to turn its
peripherals on and off for improved power management. It also allows the
PC to be turned on and off by external devices, so that mouse or keyboard
activity wakes up the computer.

ACPI Suspend Type (S1(POS))

Use this item to define how your system suspends. In the default, S1(POS),

44

L7VTA3 V3.1a

the suspend mode is equivalent to a software power down. If you select S3
(STR), the suspend mode is a suspend to RAM - the system shuts down with
the exception of a refresh current to the system memory.

Power Management Option (User Define)

This item acts like a master switch for the power-saving modes and hard disk
timeouts. If this item is set to Max Saving, power-saving modes occur after a
short timeout. If this item is set to Min Saving, power-saving modes occur after
a longer timeout. If the item is set to User Define, you can insert your own
timeouts for the power-saving modes.

HDD Power Down (Disable)

The IDE hard drive will spin down if it is not accessed within a specified length
of time. Options are from 1 Min to 15 Min and Disable.

Suspend Mode (Disable)

The CPU clock will be stopped and the video signal wil l be suspended if no
Power Management events occur for a specified length of time. Full power
function will return when a Power Management event is detected. Options are
from 1 Min to 1 Hour and Disable.

Video Off Option (Suspend --> Off)

This option defines if the video is powered down when the system is put into
suspend mode.

Video Off Method (DPMS Support)

This item defines how the video is powered down to save power. This item is
set to DPMS (Display Power Management Software) by default.

MODEM Use IRQ (3)

If you want an incoming call on a modem to automatically resume the system
from a power-saving mode, use this item to specify the interrupt request line
(IRQ) that is used by the modem. You might have to connect the fax/modem
to the mainboard Wake On M odem connector for this feature to work.

Soft-Off by PWRBTN (Instant-Off)

Under ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power management Interface) you
can create a software power down. In a sof tware power down, the system can
be resumed by Wake Up Alarms. This item lets you install a software power
down that is controlled by the power button on your system. If the item is set
to Instant-Off, then the power button causes a software power down. If the
item is set to Delay 4 Sec. then you have to hold the power button down for
four seconds to cause a software power down.

AC Resume Function (Always Off)

This sets the power state after a shutdown due to an unexpected interrupt of
AC power.

45

L7VTA3 V3.1a

IRQ/Event Activity Detect

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2000 Award Software

IRQ/Event Activity Detect

PS/2 KB /WakeUp from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled ]
USB Resume from S3 [Disabled]
VGA [OFF]
LPT & COM [LPT/COM]
HDD & FDD [ON]
PCI Master [OFF]
PowerOn by PCI Card [Enabled]
WOL/WOM Resume [Disabled]
RTC Alarm Resume [Disabled]

x Date (of Month) 0
x Resume Time (hh:mm:ss) 0 0 0

IRQs Activity Monitoring [Press Enter]

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Menu Level

This item opens a submenu that enables you to set events that will resume
the system from a power saving mode.

PS/2 KB WakeUp from S3/S4/S5 (Disabled)

This option allows you to set hot key combination to turn on the system.

USB Resume from S3 (Disabled)

When set to Enabled, the system power will resume the system from a power
saving mode if there is any USB port activity.

VGA (Off)

When set to On, the system power will resume the system from a power sav­ing mode if there is any VGA activity.

LPT & COM (LPT/COM )

When this item is enabled, the system will restart the power-saving timeout
counters when any activity is detected on the serial ports, or the parallel port.

HDD & FDD (ON)

When this item is enabled, the system will restart the power-saving timeout
counters when any activity is detected on the hard disk drive or the floppy
diskette drive.

PCI Master (OFF)

When set to Off, any PCI device set as the Master will not power on the sys­tem.

PowerOn by PCI Card (Enabled)

Use this item to enable PCI activity to wakeup the system from a power sav­ing mode.

46

L7VTA3 V3.1a

WOL/WOM Resume (Disabled)

Use this item to enable LAN or modem activity to wakeup the system from a
power saving mode.

RTC Alarm Resume (Disabled)

When set to Enabled, additional fields become available and you can set the
date (day of the month), hour, minute and second to turn on your system.
When set to 0 (zero) for the day of the month, the alarm will power on your
system every day at the specified time.

IRQs Activity Monitoring

Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

IRQs Activity Monitoring

Primary INTR [ON]
IRQ 3 (COM2) [Enabled]
IRQ 4 (COM1) [Enabled]
IRQ 5 (LPT2) [Enabled]
IRQ 6 (Floppy Disk) [Enabled]
IRQ 7 (LPT1) [Enabled]
IRQ 8 (RTC Alarm) [Disabled]
IRQ 9 (IRQ2 Redir) [Disabled]
IRQ 10 (Reserved) [Disabled]
IRQ 11 (Reserved) [Disabled]
IRQ 12 (PS/2 Mouse) [Enabled]
IRQ 13 (Coprocessor) [Enabled]
IRQ 14 (Hard Disk) [Enabled]
IRQ 15 (Reserved) [Disabled]

↑ ↓ →

← : MoveEnter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

This screen enables you to set IRQs that will resume the system from a power
saving mode.

Set any IRQ to Enabled to allow activity at the IRQ to wake up the system
from a power saving mode.

Press <Esc> to return to the previous screen.

Item Help

Menu Level

47

L7VTA3 V3.1a

PNP/PCI Configuration Option

These options configure how PnP (Plug and Play) and PCI expansion cards ope r­ate in your system. Both the ISA and PCI buses on the Mainboard use system
IRQs (Interrupt ReQuests) and DMAs (Direct Memory Access). You must set up
the IRQ and DMA assignments correctly through the PnP/PCI Configurations
Setup utility for the mainboard to work properly. Selecting PnP/PCI Configurations
on the main program screen displays this menu:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

PNP OS Installed [No]
Reset Configuration Data [Disabled]

Resources Controlled by [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources Press Enter

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop [Disabled]
Assign IRQ For VGA [Enabled]
Assign IRQ For USB [Enabled]

PnP/PCI Configurations

Item Help

Menu Level
Default is Disabled.

Select Enabled to reset
Extended System Con­figuration Data (ESCD)
when you exit Setup if you
have installed a new add­on and the system reco n­figuration has caused
such a serious conflict

that the OS cannot boot

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

PNP OS Installed (No)

Setting this option to Yes allows the PnP OS (instead of BIOS) to assign the
system resources such as IRQ and I/O address to the ISA PnP device. The
default setting is No.

Reset Configuration Data (Disabled)

If you enable this item and restart the system, any Plug and Play configuration
data stored in the BIOS setup is cleared from memory. New updated data is
created.

Resources Controlled By (Auto(ESCD))

You should leave this item at the default Auto (ESCD). Under this setting, the
system dynamically allocates resources to plug and play devices as they are
required.

If you cannot get a legacy ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) expansion
card to work properly, you might be able to solve the problem by changing this
item to Manual, and then opening up the IRQ Resources and Memory Re­sources sub-menus.

In the IRQ Resources sub-menu, if you change any of the IRQ assignations to
Legacy ISA, then that Interrupt Request Line is reserved for a legacy ISA e x­pansion card. Press <Esc> to close the IRQ Resources sub-menu.

In the Memory Resources sub menu, use the first item Reserved Memory
Base to set the start address of the memory you want to reserve for the ISA

48

L7VTA3 V3.1a

expansion card. Use the second item Reserved Memory Length to set the
amount of reserved memory. Press <Esc> to close the Memory Resources
sub-menu.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop (Disabled)

This item is designed to overcome some problems that can be caused by
some non-standard VGA cards. This board includes a built-in VGA system
that does not require palette snooping so you must leave this item disabled.

Assign IRQ for VGA/USB (Enabled)

Names the interrupt request (IRQ) line assigned to the USB/VGA (if any) on
your system. Activity of the selected IRQ always awakens the system.

PC Health Status Option

On mainboards that support hardware monitoring, this item lets you monitor
the parameters for critical voltages, critical temperatures, and fan speeds. You
cannot make any changes to these fields. They are display only:

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

PC Health Status

Shutdown Temperature [Disabled ]

CPU V-CORE
+ 2.5V
+ 3.3V
+ 5V
+ 12V
Voltage Battery
Current System Temp
Current CPU Temp
CPUFAN1
CASFAN1

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

: MoveEnter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Menu Level

Shutdown Temperature (Disabled)

Enables you to set the maxim um temperature the system can reach before
powering down.

System Component Characteristics

These fields provide you with information about the systems current operating
status. You cannot make changes to these fields.

49

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Frequency/Voltage Control

This item enables you to set the clock speed and system bus for your system.
The clock speed and system bus are determined by the kind of processor you
have installed in your system.

CMOS Setup Utility – Copyright (C) 1984 – 2001 Award Software

Frequency/Voltage Control

Auto Detect DIMM/PCI Clk [Enabled ]
Spread Spectrum [Enabled]
CPU Host/PCI Clock [Default]

↑ ↓ → ←

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

Auto Detect DIMM/PCI Clk (Enabled)

When this item is enabled, BIOS will disable the clock signal of free DIMM and
PCI slots.

Spread Spectrum (Enabled)

If you enable spread spectrum, it can significantly reduce the EMI (Electro­Magnetic Interference) generated by the system.

CPU Host Clock (CPU/PCI) (Default)

This item is used for overclocking only.

: Move Enter : Select +/-/PU/PD:Value: F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Menu Level

50

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Load Fail-Safe Defaults Option

This option opens a dialog box that lets you install fail-safe defau lts for all ap­propriate items in the Setup Utility:

Press <Y> and then <Enter> to install the defaults. Press <N> and then <En­ter> to not install the defaults. The fail-safe defaults place no great demands
on the system and are generally stable. If your system is not functioning cor­rectly, try installing the fail -safe defaults as a first step in getting your system
working properly again. If you only want to install fail-safe defaults for a spe­cific option, select and display that option, and then press <F6>.

Load Optimized Defaults Option

This option opens a dialog box that lets you install optimized defaults for all
appropriate items in the Setup Utility. Press <Y> and then <Enter> to install
the defaults. Press <N> and then <Enter> to not install the defa ults. The opti­mized defaults place demands on the system that may be greater than the
performance level of the components, such as the CPU and the memory. You
can cause fatal errors or instability if you install the optimized defaults when
your hardware do es not support them. If you only want to install setup defaults
for a specific option, select and display that option, and then press <F7>.

Set Password Option

This item can be used to install a password. To install a password, follow
these steps:

1. Highlight the item Set Password on the main menu and press <Enter>.

2. The password dialog box appears.

Enter Password:

3. If you are installing a new password, type in the password. You cannot
use more than eight characters or numbers. The Set Password item dif­ferentiates between upper and lower case characters. Press <Enter>
after you have typed in the password. If you are deleting a password that
is already installed press <Enter> when the password dialog box ap­pears. You see a me ssage that indicates that the password has been
disabled.

PASSWORD DISABLED !!!
Press any key to continue . . .

4. Press any key. You are prompted to confirm the password:

Confirm Password:

5. Type the password again and press <Enter>, or press <Enter> if you are
deleting a password that is already installed.

6. If you typed the password correctly, the password will be installed.

51

L7VTA3 V3.1a

Save & Exit Setup Option

Highlight this item and press <Enter> to save the changes that you have
made in the Setup Utility and exit the Setup Utility. When the Save and Exit
dialog box appears, press <Y> to save and exit, or press <N> to return to the
main menu:

Exit Without Saving

Highlight this item and press <Enter> to discard any changes that you have
made in the Setup Utility and exit the Setup Utility. When the Exit Without
Saving dialog box appears, press <Y> to discard changes and exit, or press
<N> to return to the main menu.

Note: If you have made settings that you do not want to save, use the "Exit

Without Saving" item and press <Y> to discard any changes you have
made.

This concludes Chapter 3. Refer to the next chapter for information on the
software supplied with the mainboard.

52

CChhaapptteerr 44

Using the Mainboard Software

AAbboouutt tthhee SSooffttwwaarree CCDD--RROOMM

The support software CD-ROM that is included in the mainboard package
contains all the drivers and utility programs needed to properly run the bun­dled products. Below you can find a brief description of each software
program, and the location for your mainboard version. More information on
some programs is available in a README file, located in the same directory
as the software.

Note: Never try to install software from a folder that is not specified for use with

your mainboard.

Before installing any software, always inspect the folder for files named RE­ADME.TXT, INSTALL.TXT, or something similar. These files may contain
important information that is not included in this manual

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The Auto -install CD-ROM makes it easy for you to install the drivers and soft­ware for your mainboard.

Note: If the Auto-install CD-ROM does not work on your system, you can still in-

stall drivers through the file manager for your OS (for example, Windows
Explorer). Refer to Utility Folder Installation Notes later in this chapter.

The support software CD -ROM disc loads automatically under Windows 98.
When you insert the CD -ROM disc in the CD-ROM drive, the autorun feature
will automatically bring up the install screen. The screen has three buttons on
it, Setup, Browse CD and Exit.

Note: If the opening screen doesn't appear, double-click the file "setup.exe" in

the root directory.

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Setup Tab

Setup Click the Setup button to run the software installation program.

Select from the menu which software you want to install.

Browse
CD

Exit The Exit button closes the Auto Setup window.

The Browse CD button is the standard Windows command that
allows you to open Windows Explorer and show the contents of
the support CD.

Before installing the software from Windows Explorer, look for a
file named README.TXT, INSTALL.TXT or something similar.
This file may contain important information to help you install the
software correctly.

Some software is installed in separate folders for different oper­ating systems, such as DOS, WIN NT, or WIN98/95. Always go
to the correct folder for the kind of OS you are using.

To install the software, execute a file named SETUP.EXE or
INSTALL.EXE by double-clicking the file and then following the
instructions on the screen.

Application Tab

Lists the software utilities that are available on this CD.

Read Me Tab

Displays the path for all software and drivers available on the CD.

Running Setup

Follow these instructions to install device drivers and software for the mai n­board:

1. Click Setup. The installation program begins:

Mainboard ID

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Note: The following screens are examples only. The screens and driver lists will

be different according to the mainboard you are installing.

The mainboard identification is located in the upper left-hand corner.

2. Click Next. The following screen appears:

3. Check the items you want to install. The default options are recom­mended.

4. Click Next to run the Installation Wizard. An item installation screen ap­pears:

5. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the items.

Drivers and software are automatically installed in sequence. Follow the on­screen instructions, confirm commands and allow the computer to restart after
each installation.

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Insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive and locate the PATH.DOC file in the root
directory. This file contains the info rmation needed to locate the drivers for
your mainboard.

Look for the chipset and mainboard model; then browse to the directory and
path to begin installing the drivers. Most drivers have a setup program
(SETUP.EXE) that automatically detects your operating system before insta l­lation. Other drivers have the setup program located in the operating system
subfolder.

If the driver you want to install does not have a setup program, browse to the
operating system subfolder and locate the readme text file (README.TXT or
README.DOC) for information on installing the driver or software for your
operating system.

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All the utility software available on the CD-ROM is Windows compliant. It is
provided only for the convenience of customers. The following software is
furnished under license and may only be used or copied in accordance with
the terms of the license.

Note: The software in these folders is subject to change at anytime without prior

notice. Please refer to the support CD for available software.

Award Flash Memory Utility

This utility enables you to erase the system BIOS stored on a Flash Memory
chip on the mainboard, and lets you copy an updated version of the BIOS to
the chip. Proceed with caution when using this program. If you erase the cur­rent BIOS and fail to write a new BIOS, or write a new BIOS that is incorrect,
your system will malfunction. Refer to Chapter 3, Using BIOS for more info r­mation.

PC-CILLIN

The PC-CILLIN software program provides anti -virus protection for your sys­tem. This program is available for Windows 2000/ME/98SE and Windows NT.
Be sure to check the readme.txt and install the appropriate anti-virus software
for your operating system.

We strongly recommend users to install this free anti -virus software to help
protect your system against viruses.

Note: Update your virus software regularly to protect against new viruses.

56

MediaRing Talk – Telephony Software

To install the MediaRing Talk voice modem software for the built-in modem,
run MRTALK-SETUP72.EXE from the following directory:

\UTILITY\MEDIARING TALK

Super Voice – Fax/Modem Software

To install the Super Voice voice, fax, data communication application for use
with the built -in fax/modem, run PICSHELL.EXE from the following directory:

\UTILITY\SUPER VOICE

WinFlash Utility

The Award WinFlash utility is a Windows version of the DOS Award BIOS
flash writer utility. The utility enables you to flash the system BIOS stored on a
Flash Memory chip on the mainboard while in a Windows environment. This
utility is curre ntly available for WINXP \ME\2000\98SE. To install the WinFlash
utility, run WINFLASH.EXE from the following directory:

\UTILITY\WINFLASH 1.51

CD Ghost

The CD Ghost software enables you to create a virtual cabinet of CD-ROM
drives on your system to help you categorize and organize your CD collection.
A user-friendly interface assists you in quickly creating images of both CDs
and DVDs onto your system. To install the software, run SETUP.EXE from the
following directory:

\UTILITY\CDGHOST\ENG\CDGHOST

Recovery Genius

The Recovery Genius software program is an innovative windows application
system that protects your Hard Disk Drive from virus intrusion, accidental d e­letions, and system corruption. To install the Recovery Genius software
program run SETUP.EXE from the following directory

\UTILITY\RECOVERY GENIUS\ENG\RECOVERYGENIUS

Language Genius

The Language Genius is a software-based product that helps you to learn
new languages. To install the Language Genius software program run
SETUP.EXE from the following directory

\UTILITY\LANGUAGE GENIUS\ENG\LANGUAGEGENIUS

PageABC

The PageABC application software enables you to create your own home
page. To install the PageABC, run SETUP.EXE from the following directory:

\UTILITY\PageABC
This concludes Chapter 4.

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