ECS P5GX-M User Manual

1

Overview

The P5GX-M mainboard complies with the specifications for a microATX
motherboard. MicroATX boards are no larger than 9.6” x 9.6” (244mm x 244mm).
This mainboard measures 9.6” x 7.75” (244mm x 197mm).The MicroATX
specification reduces system cost by utilizing a reduced chassis with a smaller power
supply. Increased motherboard integration reduces the demand for expansion slots.
The microATX form factor permits reduced case sizes and smaller power supply units.
However, the board can also be used in standard ATX cases if required.

The P5GX-M mainboard is designed around the Cyrix GXm processor. The Cyrix
GXm CPU is an Pentium-MMX compatible processor which reduces system cost by
integrating audio and video functions into the CPU and chipset. The system also
supports a PCI IDE interface, up to 256 MB of SDRAM, and a full set of I/O ports.

The P5GX-M is an excellent low-cost platform for inexpensive multimedia
workstations or an entry-level stand-alone computer. It requires just a processor and
memory module to be fully functional.

Features

Pentium-MMX Performance

The key feature of the P5GX-M mainboard is the support for the Cyrix GXm
processor. This board can run Cyrix GXm CPUs with clock speeds of 200, 233, and
266 MHz. The processor includes a 16K block of level-1 cache memory for enhanced
performance.

Highly Integrated Support Chipset

The Cyrix GXm processor is supported by the CX5530 companion chip. This chip
provides the system logic for a Pentium MMX-compatible mainboard. It supports PCI
IDE channels with bus mastering, power management, PCI to ISA bridge, and USB
ports. In addition, the CX5530 includes an integrated graphics sub-system with MPEG
acceleration, and an integrated 16-bit audio sub-system compatible with the Sound
Blaster standard.

SDRAM Memory Support

The mainboard includes two sockets for the installation of 168-pin, 3.3V SDRAM
memory modules. Each socket can be installed with a memory module with a
maximum capacity of 128 MB, so the maximum memory of the mainboard is 256 MB.

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Integrated Audio & Video Sub-systems

This mainboard features fully integrated audio and video subsystems, so that after the
installation of the processor and a memory module, the system is fully functional and
ready for use. The graphics system supports the MMX multimedia instruction set and
2D graphics. The graphics system uses the Unified Memory Architecture which
eliminates the need for expensive video memory, without loss of performance, by
utilizing blocks of main memory for display memory. The audio system is 16-bit
stereo and fully compatible with the Sound Blaster standard. The audio system
includes a built-in Game/MIDI port and sound jacks for microphone, stereo-in and
stereo-out.

Four Usable Expansion Slots

The P5GX-M mainboard has four expansion slots. Two slots are 8/16-bit ISA slots
and two slots are 32-bit PCI slots. Since the mainboard has integrated video and audio
sub-systems, four expansion slots are adequate for most environments.

Full Set of I/O Ports

The mainboard is installed with the NS PC97317 Super I/O chip. This chip provides a
complete solution for the board’s I/O. The board is installed with a parallel port (Bi­directional, ECP, EPP), two serial ports (UART 16550-compatible), a PS/2 keyboard
port and PS/2 mouse port. Optionally, one serial port can be configured as a serial port
(SIR or FIR). The I/O ports are arranged in a standard ATX two-tier array that is
supported by most ATX case I/O templates.

Programmable Firmware

The mainboard includes Award BIOS which allows BIOS setting of CPU parameters.
The fully programmable firmware enhances the system features and allows users to set
power management, hardware monitoring (optional), LAN and Modem wake up
alarms, and so on.

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Mainboard Illustration

JP2J4J1

JP1

DIMM1

DIMM2

J2

CON1

CON2

FLOPPY

J17

J18

J19

ISA2

ISA1

PCI2

PCI1

J15

J11

J10

J8

SOCKET7

COM2

Key to Mainboard Components

Component Description Component Description

SOCKET7 CPU Socket

(Cyrix GXm CPU only)

J4 Cooling fan power 2

DIMM1,2 Memory module sockets JP1 CPU voltage selector
ISA1,2 8/16-bit ISA expansion slots J2 PCI Bus speed selector
PCI1,2 32-bit PCI expansion slots J17 SIR infrared connector
JP2 ATX power connector J18 Clear CMOS memory jumper
COM2 Serial port COM2/4

connector

J19 Panel connector

CON1 Primary IDE connector J15 CD-ROM audio connector
CON2 Secondary IDE connector J10 LAN wake up connector
FLOPPY Floppy disk drive connector J11 Modem wake up connector
J1 Cooling fan power 1 J8 CPU clock speed selector

4

I/O Port Array Illustration

J3

USB1

JCOM1

J9

J12

J7

J12

Key to I/O Port Components

Component Description

J3 (Upper) PS/2 port for PS/2 mouse or pointing device
J3 (Lower) PS/2 port for PS/2 keyboard
J7 Parallel Port (Bi-directional, EPP, ECP)
J12 (Upper) Game/MIDI port for joystick or MIDI device
J12 (Lower) Audio Jacks for Stereo Out, Stereo In, Microphone
J9 Port for display monitor
JCOM1 Serial port for COM1 or COM3
USB1 Two Universal Serial Bus ports