MSI 845E Max User Manual

i

Version 1.0

G52-MA00565

MS-6566E (v1.X) ATX Mainboard

MSI

MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL

845E Max

ii

Manual Rev: 1.0
Release Date: March 2002

FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class
B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equip­ment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor­dance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.

Notice 1

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

Notice 2

Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order to
comply with the emission limits.

VOIR LA NOTICE DINSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU

RESEAU.

Micro-Star International MS-6566E

Tested to comply

with FCC Standard

For Home or Office Use

iii

Edition

March 2002

Copyright Notice

The material in this document is the intellectual property of MICRO-STAR
INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document,

but no guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products
are under continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes
without notice.

Trademarks

All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Intel® and Pentium® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Windows® 98/2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.

Revision History

Revision Revision History Date

V1.0 First release March 2002

iv

Safety Instructions

1. Read the safety instructions carefully.

2. Save this Users Guide for possible use later.

3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.

4. Lay this equipment on a stable and flat surface before setting it up.

5. The openings on the enclosure are used for air convection and to prevent
the equipment from overheating. Note: Do not cover the openings.

6. Make sure that the power voltage is within its safety range and has been
adjusted properly to the value of 110/220V before connecting the equip­ment to the power inlet.

7. Place the power cord in a way that people are unlikely to step on it. Do not
place anything on the power cord.

8. Always unplug the power cord before inserting any add-on card or module.

9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.

10. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage the equipment
or cause an electrical shock.

11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a
service personnel:

l the power cord or plug is damaged
l liquid has penetrated into the equipment
l the equipment has been exposed to moisture
l the equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according

to Users Guide

l the equipment was dropped and damaged
l the equipment has obvious signs of breakage

12. Do not leave the equipment in an unconditioned environment with a stor­age temperature of 600 C (1400F) or above, which may damage the
equipment.

CAUTION: To prevent explosion caused by improper battery
replacement, use the same or equivalent type of battery recommended
by the manufacturer only.

v

CONTENTS

Chapter 1. Getting Started ........................................................................ 1-1

Mainboard Specification ...................................................................... 1-2

Mainboard Layout ............................................................................... 1-4

Quick Components Guide .................................................................... 1-5

MSI Special Features ........................................................................... 1-6

Fuzzy Logic III ........................................................................... 1-6

PC Alert III ................................................................................. 1-7

D-Bracket 2 ................................................................................ 1-8

Live BIOS/Live Driver .......................................................... 1-10

Live Monitor ............................................................................ 1-11

Chapter 2. Hardware Setup ....................................................................... 2-1

Central Processing Unit: CPU .............................................................. 2-2

CPU Installation Procedures ......................................................... 2-2

Installing the CPU Fan .................................................................. 2-3

CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure ......................................... 2-4

Memory ................................................................................................ 2-5

Introduction to DDR SDRAM ....................................................... 2-5

DDR Module Combination ............................................................ 2-6

Installing DDR Modules ............................................................... 2-6

Power Supply ....................................................................................... 2-7

ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: JW1 .............................................. 2-7

ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1 ................................................ 2-7

Back Panel ............................................................................................ 2-8

Mouse Connector: JKBMS1 ......................................................... 2-8

Keyboard Connector: JKBMS1 ..................................................... 2-9

USB Connectors ............................................................................ 2-9

Serial Port Connector: COM A & COM B ................................... 2-10

Joystick/Midi Connectors ........................................................... 2-10

vi

Audio Port Connectors ............................................................... 2-10

Parallel Port Connector: LPT1 ...................................................... 2-11

RJ-45 LAN Jack (optional) ........................................................... 2-12

Connectors ......................................................................................... 2-13

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1........................................... 2-13

IrDA Infrared Module Header: JIR1 ............................................ 2-13

Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2 ........................................... 2-14

CD-In Connector: JCD1 ............................................................... 2-15

Fan Power Connectors: CFAN1/SFAN1 ...................................... 2-16

Front Panel Connector: JFP1 & JFP2 ........................................... 2-17

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 ........................................ 2-18

D-Bracket 2 Connector: JDB1 .................................................. 2-19

Front USB Connectors: JUSB1 & JUSB2 ..................................... 2-20

Wake On Ring Connector: JWR1 ................................................ 2-22

Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-23

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1 ........................................................ 2-23

Slots ................................................................................................... 2-24

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Slot ......................................... 2-24

PCI Slots ...................................................................................... 2-25

CNR (Communication Network Riser) ......................................... 2-25

PCI Interrupt Request Routing .................................................... 2-26

Chapter 3. AMI BIOS Setup ..................................................................... 3-1

Entering Setup......................................................................................3-2

Selecting the First Boot Device ..................................................... 3-2

Control Keys ................................................................................. 3-3

Getting Help .................................................................................. 3-3

The Main Menu ................................................................................... 3-4

Standard CMOS Features .................................................................... 3-6

vii

Advanced BIOS Features .................................................................... 3-8

Advanced Chipset Features............................................................... 3-12

Power Management Setup ................................................................. 3-14

PNP/PCI Configurations..................................................................... 3-18

Integrated Peripherals ........................................................................ 3-21

PC Health Status ................................................................................ 3-24

Frequency/Voltage Control ................................................................ 3-25

Supervisor/User Password ................................................................. 3-27

Load High Performance/BIOS Setup Defaults.................................... 3-28

Glossary .................................................................................................... G-1

Getting Started

1-1

Chapter 1. Getting Started

1

Getting Started

Thank you for purchasing the MSI 845E Max (MS-6566E v1.X) ATX
mainboard. The MSI 845E Max is based on Intel® 845E & ICH4 chipsets for
optimal system efficiency. Designed to fit the advanced Intel® Pentium® 4
processors in the 478 pin package, the 845E Max delivers a high performance
and professional desktop platform solution.

TOPICS

Mainboard Specification 1-2

Mainboard Layout 1-4

Quick Components Guide 1-5

MSI Special Features 1-6

Chapter 1

1-2

CPU

Support Intel® Pentium® 4 processor in 478 pin package
Support 1.3GHz to 2.4GHz or higher speed* P4 processor

*No test has been conducted on higher speed processors.

Chipset

Intel® 845E chipset (593 FC-BGA)

- Support 400/533 MHz Intel® NetBurst micro-architecture bus

- Support AGP 4x slot (1.5V only)

- Support 100/133MHz FSB
Intel® ICH4 chipset (360BGA)

- 2 full IDE channels, up to ATA 100

- AC97 Controller Integrated

- Low pin count interface for SIO

Main Memory

Support max. of 2 double-sided DIMMs with unbuffered DDR 200/266
The largest memory capacity possible is 2GB

Slots

One AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) 4x slot (1.5V only)
Six PCI 2.2v 32-bit Master PCI bus slots
One CNR (Communication Network Riser) slot

On-Board IDE

An IDE controller on the ICH4 chipset provides IDE HDD/CD-ROM with
PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA66/100 operation modes
Can connect up to four IDE devices.

On-Board Peripherals

On-board Peripherals include:

- 1 floppy port supports 2 FDD with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88Mbytes

- 2 serial ports (COM A + COM B)

- 1 parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode

- 6 ports USB 2.0 (Rear x 2 / Front x 4)

- 1 Line-In/Line-Out/Mic-In/Game port

Mainboard Specification

Getting Started

1-3

Audio (optional)

ICH4 chip integrated
AC97 codec supports 2 channel Audio (Realtek ALC202A)

Onboard Intel LAN (optional)

ICH4 + 82562ET Integrated

BIOS

The mainboard BIOS provides Plug & Play function which detects the
peripherals devices and expansion cards of the board automatically
The mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function
which records your mainboard specifications

Dimension

ATX Form Factor 30.5cm x 20cm

Mounting

6 mounting holes

Others

PC 2001 compliant
Support WOL/WOR
Support STR/STD
Vcore & Vio adjustable

Chapter 1

1-4

845E Max (MS-6566E v1.X) ATX Mainboard

Mainboard Layout

BATT

+

Intel

845E

Chipset

Intel

ICH4

Chipset

D

IM

M

1

D

IM

M

2

JUSB1 JUSB2

JFP2

JFP1

A

T

X

P

o

w

e

r S

u

p

p

ly

JWR1

JIR1

JBAT1

BIOS

PCI Slot 5

PCI Slot 6

PCI Slot 4

PCI Slot 3

PCI Slot 2

PCI Slot 1

IDE 1

IDE 2

CNR

Top: Lan Jack
Bottom: USB
ports

Top : Parallel Port

Bottom:
COM A
COM B

Top : mou se
Bottom: keyboard

JCD1

JDB1

JAUD1

Winbond

W83627HF-AW

Codec

JPW1

CFAN1

SFAN1

Top :
Game port

Bottom:
Line- Out
Line- In
Mic

FDD1

AGP Slot

Getting Started

1-5

Quick Components Guide

Component Function Reference
JW1 ATX 20-pin power connector See p. 2-7
JPW1 ATX 12V power connector See p. 2-7
JKBMS1 Mouse connector See p. 2-8
JKBMS1 Keyboard connector See p. 2-9
USB Connectors Connecting to USB devices See p. 2-9
COM A & COM B Serial port connector See p. 2-10
Audio Connectors Connecting to audio devices See p. 2-10
LPT1 Parallel port connector See p. 2-11
FDD1 Floppy disk drive connector See p. 2-13
JIR1 IrDA infrared module connector See p. 2-13
IDE1~ IDE2 Hard disk connectors See p. 2-14
JCD1 CD-in connector See p. 2-15
CFAN1/SFAN1 Fan power connectors See p. 2-16
JFP1 & JFP2 Front panel connectors See p. 2-17
JAUD1 Front panel audio connector See p. 2-18
JDB1 D-Bracket 2 connector See p. 2-19
JUSB1 & JUSB2 Front USB connectors See p. 2-20
JWR1 Wake on ring connector See p. 2-22
JBAT1 Clear CMOS jumper See p. 2-23
AGP Slot Connecting to AGP card See p. 2-24
PCI Slots Connecting to expansion cards See p. 2-25
CNR Slot Connecting to expansion card See p. 2-25

Chapter 1

1-6

MSI Special Features

Fuzzy Logic III

The Fuzzy Logic III utility allows users to overclock the CPU FSB
(Front Side Bus) frequency under the Windows operating system. Select the
CPU frequency you prefer and click Go to apply the new setup value or click
Save to allow the system running at the specified frequency each time when
you click Turbo. If you want to know the maximal CPU overclocking value,
click Auto to start testing. The CPU FSB will automatically increase the testing
value until the PC reboots. After rebooting, click Turbo to apply the test
result.

In the latest Fuzzy Logic III utility, we have added two new functions,
AGP Ratio and Adjust CPU Vcore.

To enable the new function, AGP Ratio, select the AGP ratio check box
and the utility will automatically adjust the AGP ratio and overclock to a higher
frequency.

The other function, Adjust CPU Vcore, allows you to adjust the CPU
Vcore for a more stable voltage control and better overclocking effects.

Features:

l Display Current System Status

- CPU Fan

- CPU Temp.

- Vcore/Vio

- Memory/CPU/AGP/PCI Clock

l Adjust CPU FSB Frequency
l Adjust AGP Ratio (applicable only if CPU clock generator supports

this function)

l Adjust CPU Vcore

1.850V

1.825V

1.775V

1.750V

Getting Started

1-7

PC Alert III

The PC AlertTM III is a utility you can find in the CD-ROM disk. The utility
is just like your PC doctor that can detect the following PC hardware status
during real time operation:

* monitor CPU & system temperatures

* monitor fan speed(s)

* monitor system voltage

* monitor chassis intrusion

Note: Items shown on PC Alert III vary depending on your systems

status.

If one of the items above is abnormal, the program
main screen will be immediately shown on the screen,
with the abnormal item highlighted in red. This will con­tinue to be shown until users disable the warning.

Chapter 1

1-8

D-Bracket 2 (optional)

D-Bracket 2 is an external USB bracket integrating four Diagnostic

LEDs, which use graphic signal display to help users understand their system.
The LEDs provide up to 16 combinations of signals to debug the system. The
4 LEDs can debug all problems that fail the system, such as VGA, RAM or
other failures. This special feature is very useful for the overclocking users.
These users can use the feature to detect if there are any problems or failures.

D-Bracket 2 supports both USB 1.1 & 2.0 spec.

D-Bracket 2

Red

Green

1 2

3 4

D-Bracket 2

Description

Processor Initialization

- This will show information regarding the processor
(like brand name, system bus, etc...)

Early Chipset Initialization

Memory Detection Test

- Testing onboard memory size. The D-LED will hang if the
memory module is damaged or not installed properly.

Initializing Keyboard Controller.

Decompressing BIOS image to RAM for fast booting.

Testing VGA BIOS

- This will start writing VGA sign-on message to the screen.

Getting Started

1-9

1 2

3 4

D-Bracket 2

Description

Processor Initialization

- This will show information regarding the processor
(like brand name, system bus, etc...)

Testing RTC (Real Time Clock

Initializing Hard Drive Controller

- This will initialize IDE drive and controller.

BIOS Sign On

-This will start showing information about logo, processor
brand name, etc...

Initializing Video Interface

- This will start detecting CPU clock, checking type of video
onboard. Then, detect and initialize the video adapter.

Testing Base and Extended Memory

- Testing base memory from 240K to 640K and extended
memory above 1MB using various patterns.

Assign Resources to all ISA.

Initializing Floppy Drive Controller

- This will initialize Floppy Drive and controller.

Boot Attempt

- This will set low stack and boot via INT 19h.

Operating System Booting

Chapter 1

1-10

Live BIOS/Live Driver

The Live BIOS/Live Driver is a tool used to detect

and update your BIOS/drivers online so that you dont need
to search for the correct BIOS/driver version throughout the
whole Web site. To use the function, you need to install the
MSI Live Update Series 2 application. After the installation,
the MSI Live Update Series 2 icon (as shown on the right)
will appear on the screen.

Double click the MSI Live Update Series 2 icon, and the following

screen will appear:

Five buttons are placed on the leftmost pane of the screen. Click the desired
button to start the update process.

ll

ll

l Live BIOS  Updates the BIOS online.

ll

ll

l Live Driver  Updates the drivers online.

ll

ll

l Live VGA BIOS  Updates the VGA BIOS online.

ll

ll

l Live VGA Driver  Updates the VGA driver online.
ll

ll

l Live Utility  Updates the utilities online.

If the product you purchased does not support any of the functions listed
above, a sorry message is displayed. For more information on the update
instructions, insert the companion CD and refer to the Live Update Series
Guide under the Manual Tab.

Getting Started

1-11

Live Monitor

The Live Monitor is a tool used to schedule the search
for the latest BIOS/drivers version on the MSI Web site. To use
the function, you need to install the MSI Live Update Series 2
application. After the installation, the MSI Live Monitor icon
(as shown on the right) will appear on the screen. Double click
this icon to run the application.

Double click the MSI Live Monitor icon at the lower-right corner
of the taskbar, and the following dialog box will appear. You can specify how

often the system will automatically search for the BIOS/drivers version, or
change the LAN settings right from the dialog box.

You can right-click the MSI Live Monitor icon to perform the functions
listed below:

ll

ll

l Auto Search  Searches for the BIOS/drivers version you need immediately.

ll

ll

l View Last Result  Allows you to view the last search result if there is any.

ll

ll

l Preference  Configures the Search function, including the Search schedule.

ll

ll

l Exit  Exits the Live Monitor application.

Hardware Setup

2-1

Chapter 2. Hardware Setup

TOPICS

Central Processing Unit: CPU 2-2
Memory 2-5
Power Supply 2-7
Back Panel 2-8
Connectors 2-13
Jumpers 2-23
Slots 2-24

2

Hardware Setup

This chapter provides you with the information about hardware setup
procedures. While doing the installation, be careful in holding the components
and follow the installation procedures. For some components, if you install in
the wrong orientation, the components will not work properly.

Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer components. Static
electricity may damage the components.

Chapter 2

2-2

Central Processing Unit: CPU

The mainboard supports Intel® Pentium® 4 processor in the 478 pin

package. The mainboard uses a CPU socket called PGA478 for easy CPU
installation. When you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat
sink and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not
find the heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install
them before turning on the computer.

1. Pull the lever sideways away
from the socket. Then, raise
the lever up to a 90-degree
angle.

2. Look for the gold arrow. The
gold arrow should point to­wards the lever pivot. The
CPU will only fit in the correct
orientation.

3. Hold the CPU down firmly,
and then close the lever to
complete the installation.

CPU Installation Procedures

Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system,
always make sure the cooling fan can work properly to
protect the CPU from overheating.

WARNING!

Open Lever

Gold Arrow

Sliding

Plate

Close
Lever

Dot

Hardware Setup

2-3

Installing the CPU Fan

As processor technology pushes to faster speeds and higher
performance, thermal management becomes increasingly important. To dissi­pate heat, you need to attach the CPU cooling fan and heatsink on top of the
CPU. Follow the instructions below to install the Heatsink/Fan:

2. Position the heatsink onto the re­tention mechanism.

1. Locate the CPU and its retention
mechanism on the motherboard.

3. Mount the fan on top of the
heatsink. Press down the fan until
its four clips get wedged in the
holes of the retention mechanism.

4. Press the two levers down to
fasten the fan. Each lever can be
pressed down in only ONE
direction.

retention mechanism

levers

Chapter 2

2-4

CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure

If CPU Clock = 100MHz

Core/Bus ratio = 14

then CPU core speed = Host Clock x Core/Bus ratio

= 100MHz x 14
= 1.4GHz

Overclocking

This motherboard is designed to support overclocking.
However, please make sure your components are able to
tolerate such abnormal setting, while doing overclocking.
Any attempt to operate beyond product specifications is not
recommended. We do not guarantee the damages or risks

caused by inadequate operation or beyond product
specifications.

WARNING!

5. Connect the fan power cable from the mounted fan to the 3-pin fan power
connector on the board.

fan power cable

Hardware Setup

2-5

The mainboard provides 2 slots for 184-pin, 2.5V unbuffered DDR DIMM
with 4 memory banks. You can install PC1600/PC2100 DDR SDRAM modules
on the DDR DIMM slots (DDR 1~2). To operate properly, at least one DIMM
module must be installed.

Memory

Introduction to DDR SDRAM

DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM is similar to conventional SDRAM,
but doubles the rate by transferring data twice per cycle. It uses 2.5 volts as
opposed to 3.3 volts used in SDR SDRAM, and requires 184-pin DIMM mod­ules rather than 168-pin DIMM modules used by SDR SDRAM. High memory
bandwidth makes DDR an ideal solution for high performance PC, worksta­tions and servers.

DDR DIMM Slots
(DDR 1~2)

Chapter 2

2-6

DDR Module Combination

You can install either single-sided or double-sided 184-pin DDR DIMM

modules into DDR DIMM slots to meet your needs. Different from the SDR
DIMM, the DDR DIMM has only one notch on the center of module. The
number of pins on either side of the breaks are different. The module will only
fit in the right orientation.

You can install memory modules in any combination as follows:

Installing DDR Modules

1. The DDR DIMM has only one notch on the center of module. The module
will only fit in the right orientation.

2. Insert the DIMM memory module vertically into the DIMM slot. Then
push it in.

3. The plastic clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically close.

Volt

notch

Slot Momory Module Total Memory

Slot 1 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 64MB~1GB

(Bank 0 & 1) 512MB, 1GB

Slot 2 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 64MB~1GB

(Bank 2 & 3) 512MB, 1GB

Maximum System Memory Supported 64MB~2GB

Hardware Setup

2-7

Power Supply

ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: JW1

This connector allows you to connect to an ATX power supply. To
connect to the ATX power supply, make sure the plugs of the power supply is
inserted in the proper orientation and the pins are aligned. Then push down
the power supply firmly into the connector. The power connector supports
instant power on function which means that system will boot up immediately
when the power supply connector is inserted on the board.

The mainboard supports ATX power supply for the power system. Be­fore inserting the power supply connector, always make sure that all compo­nents are installed properly to ensure that no damage will be caused.

ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1

This 12V power connector is used to provide power to the CPU.

PIN SIGNAL

1 GND
2 GND
3 12V
4 12V

JPW1 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL

11 3.3V
12 -12V
13 GND
14 PS_ON
15 GND
16 GND
17 GND
18 -5V
19 5V
20 5V

PIN SIGNAL

1 3.3V
2 3.3V
3 GND
45V
5 GND
65V
7 GND
8 PW_OK
9 5V_SB
10 12V

JW1 Pin Definition

JW1

10

1

20

11

2

4

JPW1

1

3

Chapter 2

2-8

The Back Panel provides the following connectors:

Back Panel

Mouse Connector: JKBMS1

The mainboard provides a standard PS/2® mouse mini DIN connector for

attaching a PS/2® mouse. You can plug a PS/2® mouse directly into this
connector. The connector location and pin assignments are as follows:

Mouse

Keyboard

USB

Parallel

COM A COM B

Midi/Joystick

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 Mouse DATA Mouse DATA
2 N C No connection
3 G ND Ground
4 VCC +5V
5 Mouse Clock Mouse clock
6 N C No connection

Pin Definition

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)

2

1

3

4

5

6

L-out L-in MIC

LAN

Hardware Setup

2-9

Keyboard Connector: JKBMS1

The mainboard provides a standard PS/2® keyboard mini DIN connector
for attaching a PS/2® keyboard. You can plug a PS/2® keyboard directly into
this connector.

USB Connectors

The mainboard provides a UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface)
Universal Serial Bus root for attaching USB devices such as keyboard, mouse
or other USB-compatible devices. You can plug the USB device directly into
ths connector.

USB Ports

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 Keyboard DATA Keyboard DATA
2 N C No connection
3 G ND Ground
4 VCC +5V
5 Keyboard Clock Keyboard clock
6 N C No connection

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 VCC +5V
2 -Data 0 Negative Data Channel 0
3 +Data0 Positive Data Channel 0
4 G ND Ground
5 VCC +5V
6 -Data 1 Negative Data Channel 1
7 +Data 1 Positive Data Channel 1
8 G ND Ground

USB Port Description

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

2

1

3

4

5

6

Chapter 2

2-10

Serial Port Connector: COM A & COM B

The mainboard offers two 9-pin male DIN connectors as serial ports

COM A and COM B. The ports are 16550A high speed communication ports
that send/receive 16 bytes FIFOs. You can attach a serial mouse or other serial
devices directly to them.

9-Pin Male DIN Connectors

Joystick/Midi Connectors

You can connect a joystick or game pad to this connector.

Audio Port Connectors

Line Out is a connector for Speakers or Headphones. Line In is used for

external CD player, Tape player, or other audio devices. Mic is a connector for
microphones.

1/8 Stereo Audio Connectors

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9

Line Out Line In MIC

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 DCD Data Carry Detect
2 SIN Serial In or Receive Data
3 SOUT Serial Out or Transmit Data
4 DTR Data Terminal Ready)
5 GND Ground
6 DSR Data Set Ready
7 RTS Request To Send
8 CTS Clear To Send
9 RI Ring Indicate

Pin Definition

Hardware Setup

2-11

Parallel Port Connector: LPT1

The mainboard provides a 25-pin female centronic connector for LPT. A
parallel port is a standard printer port that supports Enhanced Parallel Port
(EPP) and Extended Capabilities Parallel Port (ECP) mode.

13 1

14

25

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 STROBE Strobe
2 DATA0 Data0
3 DATA1 Data1
4 DATA2 Data2
5 DATA3 Data3
6 DATA4 Data4
7 DATA5 Data5
8 DATA6 Data6
9 DATA7 Data7
10 ACK# Acknowledge
11 BUSY Busy
12 PE Paper End
13 SELECT Select
14 AUTO FEED# Automatic Feed
15 ERR# Error
16 INIT# Initialize Printer
17 SLIN# Select In
18 GN D Ground
19 GN D Ground
20 GN D Ground
21 GN D Ground
22 GN D Ground
23 GN D Ground
24 GN D Ground
25 GN D Ground

Pin Definition

Chapter 2

2-12

RJ-45 LAN Jack (Optional)

The mainboard provides an RJ-45 connector that allows your computer

to be connected to a network environment.

LAN Jack

(RJ-45)

Activity

Indicators

Pin Signal Description

1 TDP Transmit differential pair
2 TDN Transmit differential pair
3 RDP Receive differential pair
4 N C Not used
5 N C Not used
6 RDN Receive differential pair
7 N C Not used
8 N C Not used

Hardware Setup

2-13

The mainboard provides connectors to connect to FDD, IDE HDD, case,
modem, LAN, USB Ports, IR module and CPU/System FAN.

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1

The mainboard provides a standard floppy disk drive connector that
supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy disk types.

Connectors

IrDA Infrared Module Header: JIR1

This connector allows you to connect to IrDA Infrared modules. You
must configure the setting through the BIOS setup to use the IR function. The
JIR1 is compliant to Intel Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

1

2

5

6

JIR1

FDD1

JIR1 Pin Definition

1NC
2NC
3 VCC5
4 GND
5 IRTX
6 IRRX

Pin Signal

Chapter 2

2-14

Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2

The mainboard has a 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE and Ultra DMA 33/66/100

controller that provides PIO mode 0~4, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA/33/66/100
function. You can connect up to four hard disk drives, CD-ROM, 120MB Floppy
(reserved for future BIOS) and other devices. These connectors support the
provided IDE hard disk cable.

IDE1 (Primary IDE Connector)
The first hard drive should always be connected to IDE1. IDE1 can

connect a Master and a Slave drive. You must configure second hard
drive to Slave mode by setting the jumper accordingly.

IDE2 (Secondary IDE Connector)
IDE2 can also connect a Master and a Slave drive.

TIP:

If you install two hard disks on cable, you must configure the
second drive to Slave mode by setting its jumper. Refer to the
hard disk documentation supplied by hard disk vendors for jumper
setting instructions.

IDE 1

IDE 2

Hardware Setup

2-15

CD-In Connector: JCD1

The connector is for CD-ROM audio connector.

JCD1

GND

R

L

Chapter 2

2-16

Fan Power Connectors: CFAN1/SFAN1

The CFAN1 (processor fan) and SFAN1 (system fan) support system

cooling fan with +12V. It supports three-pin head connector. When connect­ing the wire to the connectors, always take note that the red wire is the positive
and should be connected to the +12V, the black wire is Ground and should be
connected to GND. If the mainboard has a System Hardware Monitor chipset
on-board, you must use a specially designed fan with speed sensor to take
advantage of the CPU fan control.

Note:

1. Always consult the vendor for proper CPU cooling fan.

2. CPU Fan supports the fan control. You can install the PC Alert
utility that will automatically control the CPU Fan speed accord­ing to the actual CPU temperature.

CFAN1

SENSOR

+12V

GND

SENSOR

+12V

GND

SFAN1

Hardware Setup

2-17

Front Panel Connector: JFP1 & JFP2

The mainboard provides two front panel connectors for establishing
electrical connection to the front panel switches and LEDs. Users can choose
either JFP1 or JFP2. Both JFP1 and JFP2 are compliant with Intel® Front Panel
I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

Pin Signal

1 GND
2 SPK­3 SLED
4 BUZ+

Pin Signal

5 PLED
6 BUZ­7NC
8 SPK+

JFP2 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 HD_LED_P Hard disk LED pull-up to +5V
2 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up to +5V
3 HD_LED_N Hard disk active LED
4 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up to +5V
5 RST_SW_N Reset Switch low reference pull-down to GND
6 PWR_SW_P Power Switch high reference pull-up to +5V
7 RST_SW_P Reset Switch high reference pull-up to +5V
8 PWR_SW_N Power Switch low reference pull-down to GND
9 RSVD_DNU Reserved. Do not use.

JFP1 Switch/LED Front Panel Electrical Connection

JFP2

1

2

7

8

P

GND

+

+

-

-

LED

SPK

S

BUZ

JFP1

10

1

9

2

HDD

S

PWSW

RST

-

LED

P

+

+

-

-

+

Chapter 2

2-18

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 (optional)

You can connect an audio connector to the JAUD1 front panel audio

connector. The JAUD1 is compliant to Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity
Design Guide.

JAUD1

1

2

10

9

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 AUD_MIC Front panel microphone input signal
2 AUD_GND Ground used by analog audio circuits
3 AUD_MIC_BIAS Microphone power
4 AUD_VCC Filtered +5V used by analog audio circuits
5 AUD_FPOUT_R Right channel audio signal to front panel
6 AUD_RET_R Right channel audio signal return from front panel
7 HP_ON Reserved for future use to control headphone amplifier
8 KEY No pin
9 AUD_FPOUT_L Left channel audio signal to front panel
10 AUD_RET_L Left channel audio signal return from front panel

Pin Definition

Note:

If you dont want to connect to the front audio
header, pins 5 and 6, 9 and 10 have to be shorted
by jumper caps in order to have signal output
directed to the rear audio ports.

5

6

10

9

Hardware Setup

2-19

D-Bracket 2 Connector: JDB1

The D-Bracket 2 connector supports both USB 1.1 & 2.0 spec. D­Bracket 2 is a USB Bracket integrating four LEDs and allows users to identify
system problem through 16 various combinations of LED signals. For defini­tions of 16 signal combinations, please refer to Chapter 1. D-Bracket 2.

D-Bracket 2

Connected to JDB1

Connected to JUSB1

JDB1

1

9

2

10

Chapter 2

2-20

Pin Description Pin Description

1 USBPWR 2 USBPWR

3 USBP0- 4 USBP1-

5 USBP0+ 6 USBP1+

7 GND 8 GND

9 N C 10 USBOC

JUSB1/JUSB2 Pin Definition

JUSB1/JUSB2

1

9

2 10

Front USB Connector: JUSB1 & JUSB2

The mainboard comes with two USB 2.0 compliant connectors, USB1 &

USB2 (optional USB 2.0 Bracket available). USB 2.0 technology increases the
data transfer rate up to a maximum throughput of 480Mbps, which is 40 times
faster than USB 1.1, and is ideal for connecting high-speed USB interface
peripherals, such as USB HDD, digital cameras, MP3 players, printers, mo-
dems and the like. Both JUSB1 & JUSB2 are compliant with Intel® Front Panel
I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

Hardware Setup

2-21

To Attach the Optional USB 2.0 Ports:

1. Take out the USB 2.0 bracket

2. Locate the blue USB connector (JUSB2) on the motherboard.

3. Connect the USB cable from the USB 2.0 bracket to the JUSB2 connector.

4. Place the USB 2.0 bracket into the appropriate slot of the system case.

Connecting to JUSB2 (the
USB connector in blue color)

USB 2.0 Bracket

If no Bluetooth function is applied, remove the
sticker to utilize this port.

Note: The USB 2.0 controller supports both USB 2.0 &

1.1 spec. To use the USB 2.0 ports, you still need to install
USB 2.0 drivers, which is supplied by Microsoft for Windows

®

2000 and XP. If you have questions regarding USB 2.0
drivers, please visit the Microsoft Web site for more
information.

Chapter 2

2-22

Wake On Ring Connector: JWR1

This connector allows you to connect to a modem card with Wake On

Ring function. The connector will power up the system when a signal is re­ceived through the modem card.

Pin Signal

1NC
2 GND
3 MDM_WAKEUP
4NC
5 5VSB

JWR1

1

5

Hardware Setup

2-23

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1

There is a CMOS RAM on board that has a power supply from external
battery to keep the data of system configuration. With the CMOS RAM, the
system can automatically boot OS every time it is turned on. That battery has
long life time for at least 5 years. If you want to clear the system configuration,
use the JBAT1 (Clear CMOS Jumper ) to clear data. Follow the instructions
below to clear the data:

Jumpers

The motherboard provides one jumper for you to set the computers
function. This section will explain how to change your motherboards function
through the use of the jumper.

You can clear CMOS by shorting 2-3 pin while the
system is off. Then return to 1-2 pin position. Avoid
clearing the CMOS while the system is on; it will
damage the mainboard.

WARNING!

JBAT1

Clear CMOS

Keep CMOS

3

1

1

3

3

1

Chapter 2

2-24

Slots

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Slot

The AGP slot allows you to insert the AGP graphics card. AGP is an

interface specification designed for the throughput demands of 3D graphics.
It introduces a 66MHz, 32-bit channel for the graphics controller to directly
access main memory and provides three levels of throughputs: 1x (266Mbps),
2x (533Mbps) and 4x (1.07Gbps).

Please note that the AGP slot does not support 3.3V AGP card. Use of 3.

3V AGP card may cause damages to the mainboard. To avoid the risk of
causing permanent damages to the mainboard, the AGP slot is protected with
MSI electrical routing device. If users have inserted a 3.3V AGP card into the
slot, the MSI routing device will disable the computers boot-up system. Re­move the 3.3V AGP card and the boot-up system will return to normal.

The motherboard provides six 32-bit Master PCI bus slots, one AGP slot

and one CNR slot.

PCI Slots

AGP Slot

CNR Slot

Hardware Setup

2-25

PCI Slots

Six PCI slots allow you to insert the expansion cards to meet your needs.
When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the
power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for the expansion card
to make any necessary hardware or software settings for the expansion card,
such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration.

CNR (Communication Network Riser)

The CNR slot allows you to insert the CNR expansion cards. CNR is a
specially designed network, audio, or modem riser card for ATX family
motherboards. Its main processing is done through software and controlled by
the motherboards chipset.

DO NOT use the following AGP cards which would result in failure to restart
the system. The following list is subject to change without prior notice.

Model AGP Chip

ATI Xpert2000 3D RAGE 128VR

ATI Rage Furry Maxx 3D RAGE 128 Pro

Diamond Monster Fusion 3DFX VooDoo Banshee

Hercules KYRO II 4500

Leadtek Winfast VR300 SiS300

Matrox Millennium G400 G4+MDHA32G

STB 3Dfx VooDoo3 3500TV 3Dfx VooDoo 3500TV

Attention!

Chapter 2

2-26

Order 1 Order 2 Order 3 Order 4

PCI Slot 1 INT A# INT B# INT C# INT D#

PCI Slot 2 INT B# INT C# INT D# INT A#

PCI Slot 3 INT C# INT D# INT A# INT B#

PCI Slot 4 INT D# INT A# INT B# INT C#

PCI Slot 5 INT B# INT C# INT D# INT A#

PCI Slot 6 INT A# INT B# INT C# INT D#

PCI Interrupt Request Routing

The IRQ, abbreviation of interrupt request line and pronounced I-R-Q,

are hardware lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the
microprocessor. The PCI IRQ pins are typically connected to the PCI bus INT
A# ~ INT D# pins as follows:

AMI BIOS Setup

3-1

Chapter 3. BIOS Setup

TOPICS

Entering Setup 3-2
The Main Menu 3-4
Standard CMOS Features 3-6
Advanced BIOS Features 3-8
Advanced Chipset Features 3-12
Power Management Setup 3-14
PNP/PCI Configurations 3-18
Integrated Peripherals 3-21
PC Health Status 3-24
Frequency/Voltage Control 3-25
Supervisor/User Password 3-27
Load High Performance/BIOS Setup Defaults 3-28

3

AMI BIOS Setup

This chapter provides information on the BIOS Setup program and allows
you to configure the system for optimum use.

You may need to run the Setup program when:

An error message appears on the screen during the system booting up,

and requests you to run SETUP.

You want to change the default settings for customized features.

Chapter 3

3-2

Entering Setup

Power on the computer and the system will start POST (Power On Self
Test) process. When the message below appears on the screen, press <DEL>
key to enter Setup.

DEL:Setup F11:Boot Menu F12:Network boot TAB:Logo

If the message disappears before you respond and you still wish to enter
Setup, restart the system by turning it OFF and On or pressing the RESET
button. You may also restart the system by simultaneously pressing <Ctrl>,
<Alt>, and <Delete> keys.

Selecting the First Boot Device

You are allowed to select the 1st boot device without entering the BIOS
setup utility by pressing <F11>. When the same message as listed above
appears on the screen, press <F11> to trigger the boot menu.

The POST messages might pass by too quickly for you to respond in
time. If so, restart the system and press <F11> after around 2 or 3 seconds to
activate the boot menu similar to the following.

The boot menu will list all the bootable devices. Select the one you want
to boot from by using arrow keys and then pressing <Enter>. The system will
boot from the selected device. The selection will not make changes to the
settings in the BIOS setup utility, so next time when you power on the system,
it will still use the original first boot device to boot up.

Select First Boot Device

Floppy : 1st Floppy
IDE-0 : IBM-DTLA-307038
CDROM : ATAPI CD-ROM DRIVE 40X M

[Up/Dn] Select [RETURN] Boot [ESC] cancel

AMI BIOS Setup

3-3

Control Keys

<->

Move to the previous item

<¯>

Move to the next item

<¬>

Move to the item in the left hand

<®>

Move to the item in the right hand

<Enter> Select the item

<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a submenu

<+/PU> Increase the numeric value or make changes

<-/PD> Decrease the numeric value or make changes

<F5> Restore the previous CMOS value from CMOS, only for Option Page

Setup Menu

<F6> Load High Performance Defaults

<F7> Load BIOS Setup Defaults

<F10> Save all the CMOS changes and exit

Getting Help

After entering the Setup utility, the first screen you see is the Main Menu.

Main Menu

The main menu displays the setup categories the BIOS supplies. You can use

the arrow keys ( ↑↓ ) to select the item. The on-line description for the selected

setup category is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Default Settings

The BIOS setup program contains two kinds of default settings: the BIOS
Setup and High Performance defaults. Bios Setup defaults provide stable but
minimal performance settings for all devices and the system, while High Perfor­mance defaults provide the best system performance but may affect the sys­tem stability.

Chapter 3

3-4

The Main Menu

Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.

Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to setup the items of AMI® special enhanced features.

Advanced Chipset Features

Use this menu to change the values in the chipset registers and optimize your
systems performance.

Power Management Setup

Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.

PNP/PCI Configurations

This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.

Once you enter AMIBIOS SIMPLE SETUP UTILITY, the Main Menu will ap­pear on the screen. The Main Menu displays twelve configurable functions
and two exit choices. Use arrow keys to move among the items and press
<Enter> to enter the sub-menu.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-5

Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.

PC Health Status

This entry shows your PC health status.

Frequency/Voltage Control

Use this menu to specify your settings of frequency/voltage control.

Set Supervisor Password

Use this menu to set Supervisor Password.

Set User Password

Use this menu to set User Password.

Load High Performance Defaults

Use this menu to load the BIOS values for the best system performance, but
the system stability may be affected.

Load BIOS Setup Defaults

Use this menu to load factory default settings into the BIOS for stable system
performance operations.

Save & Exit Setup

Save changes to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Abandon all changes and exit setup.

Chapter 3

3-6

Standard CMOS Features

The items inside STANDARD CMOS SETUP menu are divided into 9 catego­ries. Each category includes none, one or more setup items. Use the arrow keys
to highlight the item you want to modify and use the <PgUp> or <PgDn> keys
to switch to the value you prefer.

Date

This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current
date). The format is <day><month> <date> <year>.

day Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by

BIOS. Read-only.

month The month from Jan. through Dec.
date The date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric

function keys.

year The year can be adjusted by users.

Time

This allows you to set the system time that you want (usually the current time).
The time format is <hour> <minute> <second>.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-7

Pri Master/Pri Slave/Sec Master/Sec Slave

Press PgUp/<+> or PgDn/<-> to select the hard disk drive type. The specifica­tion of hard disk drive will show up on the right hand according to your selection.

Type Select how to define the HDD parameters
Cylinders Enter cylinder number
Heads Enter head number
Write Precompensation Enter write precomp cylinder
Sectors Enter sector number
Maximum Capacity Read the maximal HDD capacity
LBA Mode Select Auto for a hard disk > 512 MB under

Windows and DOS, or Disabled under
Nerware and UNIX

Block Mode Select Auto to enhance the hard disk

performance
Fast Programmed I/O Select Auto to enhance hard disk perfor­Modes mance by optimizing the hard disk timing
32 Bit Transfer Mode Enable 32 bit to maximize the IDE had disk

data transfer rate

Floppy Drive A:/B:

This item allows you to set the type of floppy drives installed. Available options:
Not Installed, 1.2 MB 5¼, 720 KB 3½, 1.44 MB 3½ and 2.88 MB 3½.

Boot Sector Virus Protection

The item is to set the Virus Warning feature for IDE Hard Disk boot sector
protection. When Enabled, BIOS will issue a virus warning message and beep
if a write to the boot sector or the partition table of the HDD is attempted.
Setting options: Disabled and Enabled.

Note: This feature only protects the boot sector, not the whole hard

disk.

Chapter 3

3-8

Advanced BIOS Features

Quick Boot

Setting the item to Enabled allows the system to boot within 5 seconds since
it will skip some check items. Available options: Enabled and Disabled.

Full Screen Logo Show

This item enables you to show the company logo on the bootup screen. Set­tings are:

BIOS Shows the POST messages at boot.
Silent Shows a still image (logo) on the full screen at boot.

Boot Device Select

1st/2nd/3rd Boot

The items allow you to set the sequence of boot devices where
AMIBIOS attempts to load the operating system. The settings are:

Disabled Disable this sequence.
IDE-0 The system will boot from the first HDD.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-9

IDE-1 The system will boot from the second HDD.
IDE-2 The system will boot from the third HDD.
IDE-3 The system will boot from the fourth HDD.
Floppy The system will boot from floppy drive.
ARMD-FDD The system will boot from any ARMD device, such

as LS-120 or ZIP drive, that functions as a floppy
drive.

ARMD-HDD The system will boot from ARMD device, such as

MO or ZIP drive, that functions as hard disk drive.

CDROM The system will boot from the CD-ROM.
Legacy SCSI The system will boot from the SCSI.
Legacy Network The system will boot from the Network drive.
BBS-0 The system will boot from the first BBS (BIOS Boot

Specification) compliant device.

BBS-1 The system will boot from the second BBS (BIOS

Boot Specification) compliant device.

BBS-2 The system will boot from the third BBS (BIOS Boot

Specification) compliant device.

BBS-3 The system will boot from the fourth BBS (BIOS Boot

Specification) compliant device.

Try Other Boot Devices

Setting the option to Yes allows the system to try to boot from other
devices if the system fails to boot from the 1st/2nd/3rd boot device.

BootUp Num-Lock

This item is to set the Num Lock status when the system is powered on.
Setting to On will turn on the Num Lock key when the system is powered on.
Setting to Off will allow end users to use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad.
Setting options: On and Off.

Note: Available settings for 1st/2nd/3rd Boot Device vary depend­ing on the bootable devices you have installed. For example, if you
did not install a floppy drive, the setting Floppy does not show up.

Chapter 3

3-10

Option Description

Setup The password prompt appears only when end users try to

run Setup.

Always A password prompt appears every time when the com-

puter is powered on or when end users try to run Setup.

Floppy Drive Swap

Setting to Enabled will swap floppy drives A: and B:.

Floppy Drive Seek

This setting causes the BIOS to search for floppy disk drives at boot time.
When enabled, the BIOS will activate the floppy disk drives during the boot
process: the drive activity light will come on and the head will move back and
forth once. First A: will be done and then B: if it exists. Setting options: Disabled,
Enabled.

Password Check

This specifies the type of AMIBIOS password protection that is implemented.
Setting options are described below.

Boot to OS/2

This allows you to run the OS/2® operating system with DRAM larger than
64MB. When you choose No, you cannot run the OS/2® operating system
with DRAM larger than 64MB. But it is possible if you choose Yes .

CPU L1 & L2 Cache

Cache memory is additional memory that is much faster than conventional
DRAM (system memory). When the CPU requests data, the system transfers
the requested data from the main DRAM into cache memory, for even faster
access by the CPU. The settings enable/disable the internal cache (also known
as L1 or level 1 cache) and external cache (also known as L2 or level 2 cache).
Setting options: WriteBack, WriteThru. WriteBack & WriteThru refer to the
caches write policy, which determines how it handles writes to memory loca­tions that are currently being held in cache. The WriteBack cache policy will

produce the best performance.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-11

Flash Protection

This function protects the BIOS from accidental corruption by unauthorized
users or computer viruses. When enabled, the BIOS data connot be changed
when attempting to update the BIOS with a Flash utility. To successfully
update the BIOS, you will need to disable this Flash Protection function.
Settings: Disabled, Enabled.

System BIOS Cacheable

Selecting Enabled allows caching of the system BIOS ROM at F0000h-FFFFFh,
resulting in better system performance. However, if any program writes to this
memory area, a system error may result. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.

APIC Interrupt Mode

This field is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable
Interrupt Controller). Due to compliance with PC2001 design guide, the system
is able to run in APIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQ
resources for the system. Settings: Enabled and Disabled.

MPS Revision

This field allows you to select which MPS (Multi-Processor Specification)
version to be used for the operating system. You need to select the MPS
version supported by your operating system. To find out which version to use,
consult the vendor of your operating system. Settings: 1.4 and 1.1.

Chapter 3

3-12

Advanced Chipset Features

DRAM Timing Setting

Configure SDRAM Timing by SPD

This feature allows you to select if the SDRAM timing is controlled by
the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) EEPROM on the DRAM module. Select
Enabled and SDRAM CAS# Latency, SDRAM RAS# Precharge,
SDRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay, and SDRAM Precharge Delay will be
automatically determined by BIOS based on the configurations on the
SPD. Selecting Disabled allows users to configure the options manually.

SDRAM CAS# Latency

The field controls the CAS latency, which determines the timing delay
before SDRAM starts a read command after receiving it. Setting options:

2.5 Clocks, 2 Clocks. 2 Clocks increases system performance while

2.5 Clocks provides more stable system performance.

Note: Change these settings only if you are familiar with the chipset.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-13

SDRAM RAS# Precharge

This setting controls the number of cycles for Row Address Strobe
(RAS) to be allowed to precharge. If insufficient time is allowed for the
RAS to accumulate its charge before DRAM refresh, refresh may be
incomplete and DRAM may fail to retain data. This item applies only
when synchronous DRAM is installed in the system. Setting options:
3 Clocks, 2 Clocks.

SDRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay

When DRAM is refreshed, both rows and columns are addressed
separately. This setup item allows you to determine the timing of the
transition from RAS (row address strobe) to CAS (colume address
strobe). The less the clock cycles, the faster the DRAM performance.
Settings: 3 Clocks, 2 Clocks.

SDRAM Precharge Delay

This setting controls the precharge delay, which determines the timing
delay for DRAM precharge. Setting options: 7 Clocks, 6 Clocks, 5
Clocks.

SDRAM Idle Timer

This field determines the number of clocks the DRAM controller will remain in
the idle state before it begins precharging all pages. Settings: Infinite, 0 Clock,
8 Clocks, 16 Clocks, 64 Clocks.

Memory Hole

In order to improve performance, certain space in memory can be reserved for
ISA peripherals. This memory must be mapped into the memory space below
16MB. When this area is reserved, it cannot be cached. Settings: Disabled,
15MB-16MB.

Chapter 3

3-14

Power Management Setup

IPCA Aware O/S

This item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Man­agement Interface) function. If your operating system is ACPI-aware, such as
Windows 98SE/2000/ME, select Yes . Available options: Ye s and No.

ACPI Standby State

This item specifies the power saving modes for ACPI function. Options are:

S1/POS The S1 sleep mode is a low power state. In this state, no

system context is lost (CPU or chipset) and hardware
maintains all system context.

S3/STR The S3 sleep mode is a lower power state where the infor-

mation of system cofiguration and open applications/
files is saved to main memory that remains powered while
most other hardware components turn off to save energy.
The information stored in memory will be used to restore
the system when an wake up event occurs.

Auto The operating system will determine when to enter S1 or

S3 mode.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-15

Re-Call VGA BIOS At S3 Resuming

This setting allows the system to initialize the VGA BIOS when system resumes
from S3 (Suspend to RAM). Settings: Enabled and Disabled.

Power Management/APM

Setting to Enabled will activate an Advanced Power Management (APM)
device to enhance Max Saving mode and stop CPU internal clock. Settings are
Disabled and Enabled.

Power Button Function

This feature sets the function of the power button. Settings are:

On/ Off The power button is a normal power on/off function key.
Suspend When you press the power button, the computer enters

the suspend/sleep mode, but if the button if pressed for
more than four seconds, the computer is turned off.

Restore on AC/Power Loss

This setting specifies whether your system will reboot after a power failure or
interrupts occurs. Available settings are:

Power Off Leaves the computer in the power off state.
Power On Reboots the computer.
Last State Restores the system to the status before power failure or

interrupt occurs.

Set Monitor Events

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

MIDI Ports, Primary/Secondary Master/Slave IDE

These items specify if the BIOS will monitor the activity of the specified
hardware peripheral or component. If set to Monitor, any activity
detected on the specified hardware peripheral or component will wake
up the system or prevent the system from entering the power saving
modes. Settings: Monitor and Ignore.

Chapter 3

3-16

Set Wake Up Events

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

Resume On Ring

When setting to Enabled, the feature allow your system to be
awakened from the power saving mode through an incoming call from
the modem. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Resume On PME#

When setting to Enabled, the features allow your system to be awakened
from the power saving modes through any event on PME (Power
Management Event). Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Resume On RTC Alarm

If Resume On RTC Alarm is set to Enabled, the system will automatically
resume (boot up) on a specific date/hour/minute/second specified in
these fields. Available settings for each item are:

RTC Alarm Date 01~31, Every Day
RTC Alarm Hour 00~23
RTC Alarm Minute 00~59
RTC Alarm Second 00~59

Note: You need to install a modem supporting power on function for
Wake Up On Ring function.

Note: If you change these settings, you must reboot the system until it
enters the operating system and then power off the system. By doing so,
the changed settings will come into effect next time when you power on
the system.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-17

USB Device Wakeup From S3

These fields specify whether the system will be awakened from power
saving modes when activity or input signal of the specified hardware
peripheral or component is detected. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Keyboard Wakeup From S3

The item specify whether the system will be awakened from power
saving mode when input signal of the keyboard is detected. Options
are: Disabled, Enabled.

Specific Key for Wakeup

This feature allows you to enter the specific key (password) to
initialize the system from S3 state.

Mouse Wakeup From S3

The item activate the mouse to wake up the system from S3 sleep state.
Settings: Disabled, Enabled.

Note 1: As for the Specific key for Wakeup function, once you have
selected a specific key (password) for wakeup, you must enter the
specific key (password) to init the system from power saving state.

Note 2: For the Mouse Wakeup From S3 function, you need to
double-click the mouse to power on the system if the function is enabled.

Chapter 3

3-18

PNP/PCI Configurations

This section describes configuring the PCI bus system and PnP (Plug & Play)
feature. PCI, or Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a system which allows
I/O devices to operate at speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses when
communicating with its special components. This section covers some very
technical items and it is strongly recommended that only experienced users
should make any changes to the default settings.

Plug and Play Aware O/S

When set to YES, BIOS will only initialize the PnP cards used for booting
(VGA, IDE, SCSI). The rest of the cards will be initialized by the PnP operating
system like Windows 98, 2000 or ME. When set to NO, BIOS will initialize all
the PnP cards. Select Ye s if the operating system is Plug & Play aware. Settings:
Yes, No.

Clear NVRAM

The ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data) NVRAM (Non-volatile
Random Access Memory) is where the BIOS stores resource information for
both PNP and non-PNP devices in a bit string format. When the item is set to
Yes , the system will reset ESCD NVRAM right after the system is booted up
and then set the setting of the item back to No automatically. Settings: Yes, No.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-19

PCI Latency Timer (clock)

This item controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another
takes over. When set to higher values, every PCI device can conduct
transactions for a longer time and thus improve the effective PCI bandwidth.
For better PCI performance, you should set the item to higher values. Settings
range from 32 to 248 at a 32 increment.

Primary Graphics Adapter

This item specifies which VGA card is your primary graphics adapter. Settings:
AGP and PCI.

PCI Slot 1/6 IRQ, PCI Slot 2/5 IRQ, PCI Slot 3 & 4 IRQ Priority

These items specify the IRQ line for each PCI slot. Settings: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
and Auto. Selecting Auto allows BIOS to automatically determine the IR line
for each PCI slot.

Set IRQs to PCI or ISA

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

IRQ 3/4/5/7/9/10/11/14/15

These items specify the bus where the specified IRQ line is used.
The settings determine if AMIBIOS should remove an IRQ from the
pool of available IRQs passed to devices that are configurable by the
system BIOS. The available IRQ pool is determined by reading the
ESCD NVRAM. If more IRQs must be removed from the IRQ pool, the
end user can use these settings to reserve the IRQ by assigning an
ISA/EISA setting to it. Onboard I/O is configured by AMIBIOS. All
IRQs used by onboard I/O are configured as PCI/PnP. If all IRQs are
set to ISA/EISA, and IRQ 14/15 are allocated to the onboard PCI IDE,
IRQ 9 will still be available for PCI and PnP devices. Available settings:
ISA/EISA and PCI/PnP.

Chapter 3

3-20

Set DMAs to PnP or ISA

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

DMA Channel 0/1/3/5/6/7

These items specify the bus that the system DMA (Direct Memory
Access) channel is used.
The settings determine if AMIBIOS should remove a DMA from the
available DMAs passed to devices that are configurable by the system
BIOS. The available DMA pool is determined by reading the ESCD
NVRAM. If more DMAs must be removed from the pool, the end user
can reserve the DMA by assigning an ISA/DISA setting to it. Options:
PnP, ISA/EISA.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-21

Integrated Peripherals

USB Controller

This setting is used to enable/disable the onboard USB ports. Settings:
Disabled, 2 USB ports, 4 USB port, 6 USB ports.

USB 1.1 Device Legacy Support

Set to All Devices if you need to use any USB 1.1 device in the operating
system that does not have any USB 1.1 driver installed, such as DOS and SCO
Unix. Set to No Mice only if you want to use any USB 1.1 device other than the
USB mouse. Setting options: All Device, No Mice, Disabled.

Onboard IDE

This allows you to enable or disable on-chip IDE controller. Settings: Disabled,
Primary, Secondary, both.

Onboard AC97 Audio

Enabled allows the mainboard to detect whether an audio device is used. If the
device is detected, the onboard AC97 (Audio Codec97) controller will be
enabled; if not, it is disabled. Disable the controller if you want to use other
controller cards to connect an audio device. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Chapter 3

3-22

Onboard MC97 Modem

Enabled allows the mainboard to detect whether a modem is used. If a modem
is used, the onboard MC97 (Modem Codec97) controller will be enabled; if
not, it is disabled. Disable the controller if you want to use other controller
cards to connect to a modem. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Onboard LAN

This allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN controller. Settings:
Disabled, Enabled.

Set Super I/O

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

OnBoard FDC

This is used to enable or disable the onboard Floppy controller.

OnBoard Serial Port A/B

These items specify the base I/O port addresses of the onboard Serial Port 1
(COM A)/Serial Port 2 (COM B). Selecting Auto allows AMIBIOS to automati­cally determine the correct base I/O port address. Settings: Auto, 3F8/COM1,
2F8/COM2, 3E8/COM3, 2E8/COM4 and Disabled.

Serial Port B Mode

This item sets the operation mode for Serial Port B. Settings: Normal,

1.6uS, 3/16 Baud and ASKIR (the last three operation modes are setting

Option Description

Auto BIOS will automatically determine whether to enable the

onboard Floppy controller or not.

Enabled Enables the onboard Floppy controller.

Disabled Disables the onboard Floppy controller.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-23

options for IR function).

IR Pin Select

Set to IRRX/IRTX when using an internal IR module connected to the IR
connector. Set to SINB/SOUTB when connecting an IR adapter to COM

2.

OnBoard Parallel Port

These items specify the base I/O port addresses of the onboard parallel port.
Selecting Auto allows AMIBIOS to automatically determine the correct base I/
O port address. Settings: Auto, 378, 278, 3BC and Disabled.

Parallel Port Mode

This item selects the operation mode for the onboard parallel port: ECP,
Normal, Bi-Dir or EPP.

EPP Version

The item selects the EPP version used by the parallel port if the port is set
to EPP mode. Settings: 1.7 and 1.9.

Parallel Port IRQ

When Parallel Port is set to Auto, the item shows Auto indicating that
BIOS determines the IRQ for the parallel port automatically. Settings: 5, 7,
Auto.

Parallel Port DMA Channel

This feature needs to be configured only when Parallel Port Mode is set
to the ECP mode. When Parallel Port is set to Auto, the field will show
Auto indicating that BIOS automatically determines the DMA channel for
the parallel port. Available options: 0, 1, 3, Auto.

OnBoard Midi Port

The field specifies the base I/O port address for the onboard Midi Port. The
settings are: Disabled, 330, 300, 310 and 320.

Midi IRQ Select

The item is used to select the IRQ line for onboard Midi port. Options:
3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11.

OnBoard Game Port

This item is used to specify the address for the onboard game port. The
settings are: Disabled, 200, and 208.

Chapter 3

3-24

PC Health Status

This section shows the status of your CPU, fan, warning for overall system
status.

CPU / System Fan Speed, CPU / System Temperature, Vcore, 3.3 V, + 5.0 V,
+ 12.0 V, -12.0 V, -5.0 V, Battery

These items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware de­vices/components such as system voltages, temperatures and fan speeds.

Note: Changing CPU Vcore could result in unstable system;
therefore, it is not recommended to change the default setting for
long-term purpose.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-25

Frequency/Voltage Control

This section describes how to set the Chassis Intrusion feature, CPU FSB
frequency, monitor the current hardwae status including CPU/system
temperatures, CPU/System Fan speeds, Vcore etc. Monitor function is available
only if there is hardware monitoring mechanism onboard.

SDRAM Frequency

This item allows you to select the clock frequency of DDR DRAM. Settings:
Auto, 200MHz, 266MHz.

Spread Spectrum

When the motherboard clock generator pulses, the extreme values (spikes) of
the pulses creates EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). The Spread Spectrum
function reduces the EMI generated by modulating the pulses so that the
spikes of the pulses are reduced to flatter curves. If you do not have any EMI
problem, leave the setting at Disabled for optimal system stability and
performance. But if you are plagued by EMI, setting to Enabled for EMI
reduction. Remember to disable Spread Spectrum if you are overclocking be
cause even a slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clockspeed which
may just cause your overclocked processor to lock up. Available options:

Enabled, Disabled.

Chapter 3

3-26

CPU Ratio Selection

This setting controls the multiplier that is used to determine the internal clock
speed of the processor relative to the external or motherboard clock speed.

CPU FSB Clock (Mhz)

This setting allows you to select the CPU Front Side Bus clock frequency.
Setting options:

100MHz~200MHz at 1MHz increment for CPU FSB at 100MHz
133MHz~233MHz at 1MHz increment for CPU FSB at 133MHz

CPU Vcore Adjust

This setting allows you to adjust the CPU core voltage. Settings: Yes, No.
Please note that it may be dangerous to adjust the Vcore over 10%.

CPU Vcore

Use this item to select a CPU Vcore option from 1.500V to 1.650V.

DDR/AGP Voltage Adjust

This setting allows you to set the appropriate DDR/AGP voltage.
DDR Voltage settings: 2.5V~2.8V at 0.1V increment
AGP Voltage settings: 1.5V~1.8V at 0.1V increment

Note 1: Changing CPU Vcore could result in an unstable system;
therefore, it is not recommended to change the default setting for long­term purpose.
Note 2: Adjusting the DDR voltage can increase the DDR speed. Any
changes made to this setting may cause a stability issue. Therefore, it is
not recommended to change the DDR voltage for long-term purpose.

AMI BIOS Setup

3-27

Supervisor/User Password

When you select Supervisor Password, a message as below will appear on the
screen:

Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press <Enter>. The
password typed now will replace any previously set password from CMOS
memory. You will be prompted to confirm the password. Retype the password
and press <Enter>. You may also press <Esc> to abort the selection and not
enter a password.

To clear a set password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to enter the
password. A message will show up confirming the password will be disabled.
Once the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can enter Setup
without entering any password.

When a password has been set, you will be prompted to enter it every time you
try to enter Setup. This prevents an unauthorized person from changing any
part of your system configuration.

Additionally, when a password is enabled, you can also have AMIBIOS to
request a password each time the system is booted. This would prevent unau­thorized use of your computer. The setting to determine when the password
prompt is required is the PASSWORD CHECK option of the ADVANCED BIOS
FEATURES menu. If the PASSWORD CHECK option is set to Always, the
password is required both at boot and at entry to Setup. If set to Setup, pass­word prompt only occurs when you try to enter Setup.

About Supervisor Password & User Password:

Supervisor password: Can enter and change the settings of

the setup menu.

User password: Can only enter but do not have the right

to change the settings of the setup menu.

Chapter 3

3-28

Load High Performance/BIOS Setup Defaults

The two options on the main menu allow users to restore all of the BIOS
settings to High Performance defaults or BIOS Setup defaults. The High Per­formance Defaults are the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer
for the best system performance but probably will cause a stability issue. The
BIOS Setup Defaults are the default values also set by the mainboard manufac­turer for stable performance of the mainboard.

When you select Load High Performance Defaults, a message as below appears:

Pressing Y loads the default BIOS values that enable the best system
performance but may lead to a stability issue.

The option is for power or overclocking users only. Use of high
performance defaults will tighten most timings to increase the sys­tem performance. Therefore, a high-end system configuration is a
must, which means you need high-quality VGA adapter, RAM and
so on. We dont recommend that users should apply the high
performance defaults in their regular systems. Otherwise, the sys­tem may become unstable or even crash. If the system crashes or
hangs after enabling the feature, please CLEAR CMOS DATA to
resolve the problem. For more information, refer to Clear CMOS
Jumper:JBAT1 in Chapter 2.

WARNING!

When you select Load BIOS Setup Defaults, a message as below appears:

Pressing Y loads the default values that are factory settings for stable system
performance.

G-1

Glossary

ACPI (Advanced Configuration & Power Interface)
This power management specification enables the OS (operating system) to control the
amount of power given to each device attached to the computer. Windows 98/98SE,
Windows 2000 and Windows ME can fully support ACPI to allow users managing the
system power flexibly.

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
A new, high-speed graphics interface that based on PCI construction and designed
especially for the throughput demands of 3-D graphics. AGP provides a direct channel
(32-bit wide bus) between the display controller and main memory for high graphics
quality and performance.

ATX

A modern shape and layout of mainboard that supersedes the widely-used Baby AT
form factor. It improves many placement of components and makes a more efficient
design.

BIOS (basic input/output system)
On PCs, an essential software that contains all the control code of input/output inter­face (such as keyboard, disk drives, etc.). It executes hardware test on booting the
system, starts the OS, and provides an interface between the OS and the components.
The BIOS is stored in a ROM chip.

Bus

A set of hardware lines within the computer system, through which the data is trans­ferred among different components. In a PC, the term bus usually refers to a local bus
that connects the internal components to the CPU and main memory.

Cache

A special memory subsystem that is used to speed up the data transfer. It stores the
contents of frequently accessed RAM locations and the addresses where these data
items are stored.

Chipset

A collection of integrated chips designed to perform one or more related functions. For

Glossary

Glossary

G-2

Glossary

Dynamic RAM (DRAM) Memory Technologies

Type

FPM (60,70ns)

EDO (50,60,70ns)

SDRAM (66MHz)

SDRAM (100MHz)

SDRAM (133MHz)

RDRAM (Direct Rambus)

DDR SDRAM (100MHz)

DDR SDRAM (133MHz)

First Used

1990

1994

1996

1998

1999

1999

2000

2000

Clock Rate

25MHz

40MHz

66MHz

100MHz

133MHz

400MHz

100MHz

133MHz

Bus* Width

64 bits

64 bits

64 bits

64 bits

64 bits

16 bits

64 bits

64 bits

Bandwidth

200 MBps

320 MBps

528 MBps

800 MBps

1.1 GBps

1.6 GBps

1.6 GBps

2.1 GBps

Volts

5v

5v

3.3v

3.3v

3.3v

2.5v

3.3v

3.3v

Peak

* Memory channel width (64 bits started with 75MHz Pentium)

Source: Computer Desktop Encyclopedia

example, a modem chipset contains all the primary circuits for transmitting and receiv­ing data; a PC chipset provides the electronic interfaces between all subsystems.

CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
CMOS is a widely used type of semiconductor, which features high speed and low
power consumption. PCs usually contain a small amount of battery-powered CMOS
memory to retain the date, time, and system setup parameters.

COM

In MS-DOS system, the name of a serial communications port. DOS supports four
serial ports. For example, if a modem is connected to one serial port and a serial mouse
to another, they are identified as COM1 and COM2.

DIMM (dual in-line memory module)
A small circuit board that holds memory chips. A SIMM (single in-line memory
module) has a 32-bit path to the memory chips whereas a DIMM has 64-bit path.

DRAM (Dynamic RAM)
A most common type of computer memory. It usually uses one transistor and a
capacitor to represent a bit. As the development of technology, the memory type and
specification used in computer becomes variety, such as SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, and
RDRAM. For further instruction, please see the table below:

G-3

Glossary

ECC Memory (error correcting code memory)
A type of memory that contains special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data and
correcting the errors on the fly.

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
A type of disk-drive interface widely used to connect hard disks, CD-ROMs and tape
drives to a PC, in which the controller electronics is integrated into the drive itself,
eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. The IDE interface is known as the
ATA (AT Attachment) specification.

IEEE 1394

A new, high speed external bus standard, also known as FireWire or iLink, which
supports data transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps for connecting up to 63 external
devices.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
A group of device vendors, including computer, component and telecommunications,
who have developed a standard for transmitting data via infrared light waves. This
enables you to transfer data from one device to another without any cables.

LAN (local area network)
A computer network that covers a relatively smaller area, such as in a building or an
enterprise. It is made up of servers, workstations, shared resources, a network oper­ating system and a communications link. These individual PCs and devices on a LAN
are known as nodes, and are connected by cables to access data and devices any­where on the LAN, so that many users can share expensive devices and data.

LED (light emitting diode)
A semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. Since it lights up
(usually red) when electricity is passed through it, it is usually used for the activity
lights on computers component, such as disk drivers.

LPT (line printer terminal)
Logical device name for a line printer; a name reserved by the MS-DOS for up to three
parallel printer ports: LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. It is frequently used by the OS to
identify a printer.

G-4

Glossary

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
A local bus standard developed by Intel that first appeared on PCs in late 1993. PCI
provides plug and play capability and allows IRQs to be shared. The PCI controller
can exchange data with the system's CPU either 32 bits or 64 bits at a time.

PnP (Plug and Play)
A set of specifications that allows a PC to configure itself automatically to work with
peripherals. The user can "plug" in a peripheral device and "play" it without configur­ing the system manually. To implement this useful feature, both the BIOS that sup­ports PnP and a PnP expansion card are required.

POST (Power On Self Test)
During booting up your system, the BIOS executes a series of diagnostic tests, include
checking the RAM, the keyboard, the disk drives, etc., to see if they are properly
connected and operating.

PS/2 Port

A type of port developed by IBM for connecting a mouse or keyboard to a PC. The
PS/2 port supports a mini DIN plug containing just 6 pins. Most modern PCs equipped
with PS/2 ports so that the special port can be used by another device, such as a
modem.

USB (universal serial bus)
A hardware interface for low-speed peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick,
etc. USB provides a maximum bandwidth of 12 Mbit/sec (Mbps) for connecting up to
127 peripheral devices to PC. USB features hot swap capability and multiple data
streams, allows external devices to be plugged in and unplugged without turning the
system off.

Virus

A program or a piece of code that infects computer files by inserting in those files
copies of itself. The virus code is buried within an existing program, and is activated
when that program is executed. All the viruses are man-made, and often have damaging
side effects.