MSI K7N415 Pro Instruction Manual

i

Version 1.3

G52-MA00554

4MBO

ii

Manual Rev: 1.3
Release Date: Feb. 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-6373N

Tested to comply

with FCC Standard

For Home or Office Use

iii

Edition

Feb. 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® 95/98/2000/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

V1.3 Release for 4MBO Feb. 2002

iv

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:

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

to User’s Guide

z the equipment was dropped and damaged
z 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.

Safety Instructions

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

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

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

CPU Installation Procedure ........................................................... 2-2

CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure ......................................... 2-3

Memory ................................................................................................ 2-4

Introduction to DDR ..................................................................... 2-4

DDR Module Combination ............................................................ 2-5

DDR Module Installation Procedure ............................................. 2-5

Power Supply ....................................................................................... 2-6

ATX 20-Pin Power Connector ....................................................... 2-6

Back Panel ............................................................................................ 2-7

Back Panel Shield Installation ....................................................... 2-7

Mouse Connector ......................................................................... 2-8

Keyboard Connector ..................................................................... 2-8

Serial Port Connectors: COM A & COM 2 .................................... 2-9

LAN Jack (optional) .................................................................... 2-10

USB Connectors .......................................................................... 2-10

Game Port & Audio Ports ............................................................ 2-11

Parallel Port: LPT1 ....................................................................... 2-12

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

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

USB Front Connector: USB3 & USB4 ......................................... 2-13

vi

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

CD1/AUX1/MODEM1/JSP1 ........................................................ 2-15

CPUFAN1/PSFAN1/SYSFAN1 .................................................... 2-16

IrDA Infrared Module Header: IR1 .............................................. 2-17

Case/Speaker Connectors:JFP2/MSIFP ....................................... 2-18

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUDIO2 .................................... 2-19

Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-20

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1 ........................................................ 2-20

FSB Mode Jumper: SW2 ............................................................. 2-21

Audio Contorl Jumper: JA1 ......................................................... 2-21

Keyboard Wake-up Jumper: JKBV1 ............................................ 2-22

Slots ................................................................................................... 2-23

AGP Slot ...................................................................................... 2-23

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

CNR Slot ...................................................................................... 2-24

PCI Interrupt Request Routing .................................................... 2-24

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

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

Control Keys ................................................................................. 3-2

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

Main Menu .................................................................................... 3-3

Sub-Menu ..................................................................................... 3-3

General Help <F1> ......................................................................... 3-3

Default Settings ............................................................................. 3-3

Setup Menus ........................................................................................ 3-4

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

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

vii

Advanced BIOS Features .............................................................. 3-9

Advanced Chipset Features ........................................................ 3-13

Integrated Peripherals ................................................................. 3-15

Power Management Setup .......................................................... 3-20

PnP/PCI Configurations .............................................................. 3-24

PC Health Status ......................................................................... 3-26

Frequency/Voltage Control.......................................................... 3-28

Load High Performance/BIOS Setup Defaults ............................. 3-29

Set Supervisor/User Password .................................................... 3-30

Appendix A: DDR DIMM Configuration ................................................... A-1

Appendix B: Installing nForce Core Drivers under Windows 98 ............B-1

Installing GART Drivers ............................................................... B-2

Installing the Audio Drivers ......................................................... B-3

Installing Ethernet Drivers ........................................................... B-4

Installing SMBus Drivers ............................................................. B-5

Updating Memory Controller Drivers ........................................... B-6

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

Getting Started

1-1

Chapter 1. Getting Started

1

Getting Started

Congratulations on purchasing the MSI mainboard. K7N415 Pro

(MS-6373N) ATX mainboard is an excellent computer mainboard based on

the innovative nForce 415D chipset, which supports the latest AMD

®

Athlon/Athlon XP/Duron processor series and provides you with a cost­effective solution.

TOPICS

Mainboard Specification 1-2

Mainboard Layout 1-4

Quick Components Guide 1-5

Chapter 1

1-2

Mainboard Specification

CPU

Supports Socket A (Socket 462) for AMD Athlon/Athlon XP/Duron pro­cessors up to 2000+MHz

Chipset

nForce 415D chipset

- Support 200/266MHz FSB

- Twinbank Memory Architecture/128-bit DDR memory controller

- AGP 4x support

- Hyper Transport interface to MCP (800MB/sec max.)
MCP-D(Media Communications Processor)

- Dual ATA/100 controller

- Support USB UHCI 1.0a, provide up to six USB ports

- IEEE 802.3 compatible MAC (MII)

- Integrated Audio Processor Unit, AC’97 2.1 compliant

- SPDIF output function

Main Memory

Support up to three DDR DIMMs

- Maximum memory size up to 1.5 GB

- Support 128-bit system memory

Slots

One AGP slot

- Support AGP 4x (1.5V only)

One CNR slot

Five PCI slots

- 32-bit Master PCI 2.2 compliant

- Support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface

On-board IDE

An IDE controller on the MCP chipset provides IDE HDD/CD-ROM

with PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA 100 operation modes

Support up to four IDE devices connection

Getting Started

1-3

Audio

APU (audio processing unit) integrated in MCP

- Support up to 256 hardware-processed voices or 64 hardware voice in 3D

- CNR card for 6 channel analog (optional)

- S/PDIF out through external bracket

Network (optional)

Chipset integrated10/100 Base-T Ethernet/Fast Ethernet

On-board Peripherals

One floppy port that supports two FDD with 360KB, 720KB, 1.44MB and

2.88MB
Two serial ports COM A+COM 2 (pin header)
One parallel port that supports SPP/EPP/ECP modes
Six USB ports (2 x rear connectors and 2 x USB front pin header to
support four ports)
One IrDA connector
One RJ-45 connector for Ethernet (optional)
One Audio/Game port
One D-Bracket pin header (optional)

BIOS

The mainboard BIOS provides “Plug & Play” function that can detect the
peripheral devices and expansion cards installed on the board automati
cally
Support Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function that can record
your mainboard specifications

Dimension

30.5cm x 22.5cm

Mounting

Six mounting holes

Chapter 1

1-4

Mainboard Layout

K7N415 Pro (MS-6373N v1.X) ATX Mainboard

AGP Slot

nVIDIA
MCP-D

nVIDIA

nForce 415D

D

I

M

M

1

D

I

M

M

2

D

I

M

M

3

JFP2

JA1

JAUDIO2

ATX

Power Supply

SYSFAN1

JBAT1

W

i

n

b

o

n

d

W

8

3

6

2

7

F

H

-

A

W

IR1

MSIFP

SW2

JSP1

PCI Sl ot 5

PCI Sl ot 4

PCI Sl ot 3

PCI Sl ot 2

PCI Sl ot 1

IDE2 IDE1

CNR

Top : Parallel Port

Bottom :
COM A

JKBV1

PSFAN1

CPUFAN1

Top : mou se
Bottom: keyboard

Top: LAN Jack
Bottom : USB
ports

CD1

MODEM1

AUX1

Top :
Game port

Bottom :
Line-Out
Line-In
Mic

COM 2

FDD 1

BATT

+

USB3

USB4

SOCKET 462

BIOS

Getting Started

1-5

Quick Components Guide

Component Function Reference

Power Connector ATX 20-pin power connector See p. 2-6

Mouse Connector Connecting to Mouse See p. 2-8

Keyboard Connector Connecting to Keyboard See p. 2-8

COM A & COM 2 Serial port connectors See p. 2-9

USB Connectors Connecting to USB devices See p. 2-10

LPT1 Parallel port connector See p. 2-12

FDD1 Floppy disk drive connector See p. 2-13

USB3/USB4 Front USB connectors See p. 2-13

IDE1~ IDE2 Hard disk connectors See p. 2-14

CD1 CD-in connector See p. 2-15

AUX1 Aux line-in connector See p. 2-15

MODEM1 Modem-in connector See p. 2-15

JSP1 SPDIF-Out connector See p. 2-15

CPUFAN1/PSFAN1/SYSFAN1 Fan power connectors See p. 2-16

IR1 IrDA infrared module connector See p. 2-17

JFP2/MSIFP Case/speaker connectors See p. 2-18

JAUDIO2 Front panel audio connector See p. 2-19

JBAT1 Clear CMOS jumper See p. 2-20

SW2 FSB Mode jumper See p. 2-21

JA1 Audio Control jumper See p. 2-21

JKBV1 Keyboard wake-up jumper See p. 2-22

AGP Slot Connecting to AGP card See p. 2-23

PCI Slots Connecting to expansion cards See p. 2-24

CNR Slot Connecting to expansion card See p. 2-24

Hardware Setup

2-1

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.

TOPICS

Central Processing Unit: CPU 2-2
Memory 2-4
Power Supply 2-6
Back Panel 2-7
Connectors 2-13
Jumpers 2-20
Slots 2-23

Chapter 2. Hardware Setup

2

Hardware Setup

Chapter 2

2-2

Central Processing Unit: CPU

The mainboard provides a Socket A (Socket 462) to support the latest

AMD Athlon/Athlon XP processor series. To avoid the thermal issue* of

the CPU, please make sure that the CPU has a heatsink and a cooling fan
attached on its top.

CPU Installation Procedure

T o install the CPU, please follow the steps below:

1. Pull the lever sideways away

from the socket; then, raise it
up to a 90-degree angle.

2. Locate the cut edge on the CPU,

and point it towards the lever
pivot. Insert the pins of the CPU
directly into the holes on the socket.

3. Press the lever down to complete

the installation.

Note: The CPU is designed with the “corner pin” on the

two of the four corners; thus, it should only fit in one correctly
orientation as installing. In addition, with the weight of the
heatsink and cooling fan attached, you can insert the CPU into
the socket easily. DO NOT press the CPU down by force when
installing in wrong orientation, this would bend and damage

Open Lever

Cut edge

Sliding

Plate

Close
Lever

Hardware Setup

2-3

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

* Thermal issue for CPU

As processor technology pushes to faster speeds and higher performance,
thermal management becomes increasingly crucial when building computer
system. Maintaining the proper thermal environment is key to reliable
operation. As such, the processor must be maintained in the specified
thermal requirements. AMD recommends the use of high performance
thermal interface material.

AMD Athlon/Athlon XP processors with a speed of 600MHz and above
require the LARGER heatsink and cooling fan. You also need to add thermal
grease between the CPU and heatsink to improve heat dissipation; then,
make sure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened and in good
contact with each other. These are needed to prevent damaging the proces­sor and ensuring reliable operation.

Please visit AMD’s website for more information.

Chapter 2

2-4

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. T wo types of
DDR are available at the time of writing: PC1600 & PC2100. PC1600 DDR SDRAM
running at 100MHz will produce about 1.6GB/s memory bandwidth. PC2100
running at 133MHz will produce 2.1GB/s memory bandwidth. High memory
bandwidth makes DDR an ideal solution for high performance PC, worksta­tions and servers.

DDR DIMM Slots
(DDR 1~3)

D

D

R

1

D

D

R

2

D

D

R

3

The mainboard provides three 184-pin DDR DIMM slots and sup-

ports a total memory size up to 1.5 GB.

Hardware Setup

2-5

DDR Module Combination

You can install PC1600/PC2100 DDR SDRAM modules into the DDR

DIMM slots (DDR 1~3) in any combination as follows:

DDR Module Installation Procedure

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.

Socket Memory Module Total Memory

DIMM 1 64MB, 128MB,

64MB ~ 512MB

256MB, 512MB

DIMM 2 64MB, 128MB,

64MB ~ 512MB

256MB, 512MB

DIMM 3 64MB, 128MB,

64MB ~ 512MB

256MB, 512MB

Maximum System Memory Supported 64MB ~ 1.5GB

Volt

notch

Chapter 2

2-6

Power Supply

A TX 20-Pin Power Connector

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.

PIN SIGNAL

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

PIN SIGNAL

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

Pin Definition

10

1

20

11

Hardware Setup

2-7

The Back Panel provides the following connectors:

Back Panel

Mouse

Keyboard

LAN Jack

USB Ports

Parallel Port

Serial Port

Game Port

Audio Ports

The following back panel shield is included with your purchase. Please
align the shield with the back panel and clip the shield onto the back panel.

Back Panel Shield Installation

Chapter 2

2-8

Keyboard Connector

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.

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 Keyboard DATA Keyboard DATA
2 NC No connection
3 GND Ground
4 VCC +5V
5 Keyboard Clock Keyboard clock
6 NC No connection

Pin Definition

2

1

3

4

56

Mouse Connector

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:

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 Mouse DATA Mouse DATA
2 NC No connection
3 GND Ground
4 VCC +5V
5 Mouse Clock Mouse clock
6 NC No connection

Pin Definition

2

1

3

4

56

Hardware Setup

2-9

Serial Port Connectors: COM 2 (optional) & COM A

The mainboard offers two 9-pin DIN connectors as serial ports COM A
and COM 2. 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.

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 T erminal Ready
5 GND Ground
6 DSR Data Set Ready
7 RTS Request T o Send
8 CTS Clear T o Send

COM A Pin Definition

COM A

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9
COM 2
(optional)

2 4 6 8 9

1 3 5 7

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 NDCDB Data carry detect
2 NDSRB Data set ready
3 NSINB Serial or receive data
4 NRTSB Request to send
5 NSOUT Serial out or transmit data
6 NCTSB Clear to send
7 NDTRB Data terminal ready
8 NRIB Ring Indicate
9 GND Ground

COM 2 Pin Definition

Chapter 2

2-10

RJ-45 LAN Jack (Optional)

The mainboard provides a 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 NC Not used
5 NC Not used
6 RDN Receive differential pair
7 NC Not used
8 NC Not used

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
the connector.

USB Ports

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

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

USB Port Description

Hardware Setup

2-11

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

Line Out Line In MI C

Chapter 2

2-12

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 GND Ground
19 GND Ground
20 GND Ground
21 GND Ground
22 GND Ground
23 GND Ground
24 GND Ground
25 GND Ground

Pin Definition

Hardware Setup

2-13

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

234

133

FDD1

USB Front Connector: USB3 & USB4

The mainboard provides the Front USB (Universal Serial Bus) pin

headers that allow you to connect optional USB ports for front panel.

Pin Description Pin Description

1 VREG_FP_USBPWR0 2 VREG_FP_USBPWR0
3 USB_FP_P0- 4 USB_FP_P1­5 USB_FP_P0+ 6 USB_FP_P1+
7 Ground 8 Ground
9 Key 10 USB_FP_OC0

9 1

10 2

USB3/USB4

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. Y ou 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.

I

D

E

2

I

D

E

1

Hardware Setup

2-15

CD-In Connector: CD1

The connector is for CD-ROM audio connector.

Aux Line-In Connector: AUX1

The connector is for DVD add-on card with Line-in connector.

Modem-In Connector: MODEM1

The connector is for modem with internal audio connector.

SPDIF-Out Connector:JSP1

This connector is used to connect to the audio device with digital signal
input.

JSP1

VCC

SPDIF

GND

AUX1

CD1

MODEM1

GND

Phone_In

Mono_Out

GND

LR

GND LR

Chapter 2

2-16

Fan Power Connectors: CPUF AN1/PSF AN1/SYSF AN1

The CPUF AN1 (processor fan), SYSFAN1 (system fan) & PSF AN1 (power
supply 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.

CPUFAN1

SENSOR

+12V

GND

PSFAN1

SENSOR

+12V

GND

Note: Always consult the vendor for proper CPU cooling fan.

SYSFAN1

SENSOR

+12V

GND

Hardware Setup

2-17

IrDA Infrared Module Header: IR1

You may use IR1 as the pin header to connect to an IrDA Infrared module.
You must configure the setting through the BIOS setup to use the IR function.

PIN SIGNAL

1 VCC
2NC
3 IRRX
4 GND
5 IRTX

IR1 Pin Definition

IR1

1

Chapter 2

2-18

Case Connector: JFP2/Speaker Connector: MSIFP

The connector JFP2 is used to connect to the front panel switches and
LEDs whereas MSIFP is for speaker connection.

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 HD_LED_P Hard disk LED pull-up

2 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up

3 HD_LED_N Hard disk active LED

4 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up

5 RST_SW_N Reset Switch low reference pull-down

6 PWR_SW_P Power Switch high reference pull-up

7 RST_SW_P Reset Switch high reference pull-up

8 PWR_SW_N Power Switch low reference pull-down to GND

9 RSVD_DNU Reserved. Do not use.

10 NC No connection

JFP2 Pin Definition

JFP2

MSIFP

If on-board Buzzer is available:
Short pin (14, 15) : On-board Buzzer Enabled
Open pin (14, 15) : On-board Buzzer Disabled

MSIFP

1316

Speaker

PW LED

4

7

-

+

1

HDD

+

LED

PS

2

RST

-

-

+

+

-

PW SW

9

10

Hardware Setup

2-19

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUDIO2

You can connect an optional audio connector to the JAUDIO2 front
panel audio connector. The JAUDIO2 is compliant with the Intel Front Panel I/
O Connectivity Design Guide.

Note:

1. 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.

2. Disconnect the rear speakers before using
the front earphone jack.

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
1 0 AUD_RET_L Left channel audio signal return from front panel

Pin Definition

JAUDIO2

1

2

10

9

5

6

10

9

Chapter 2

2-20

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBA T1

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.

W ARNING!

JBAT1

1

Clear CMOS

Keep CMOS

3

1

3

1

Hardware Setup

2-21

FSB Mode Jumper: SW2

This jumper allows you to set the CPU FSB mode.

SW2

Audio Control Jumper: JA1

This jumper is used to control the audio interface. The factory default
is set to short connected. Please do not change the default setting to ensure
proper audio outputs.

Short
(Default Setting)

Auto Mode
(user Mode)
133MHz

Safe Mode
100MHz

3

1

3

1

1

3

JA1

1

2

3

4

Chapter 2

2-22

Keyboard W ake-up Jumper: JKBV1

The JKBV1 jumper is used to set the PS/2 keyboard/mouse and Rear
USB wake-up function. To use the function, you should also go to BIOS to
enable the PS/2 keyboard/mouse & USB wake-up (power on) function.

Please note that once the ATX Power Supply cord was unplugged, the
keyboard wake-up password will be cleared. Reset the keyboard password to
restart the keyboard wake-up function.

JKBV1

1

Note: To enable this function, you need a power supply
that provides enough power for this feature. (Power Sup­ply with 750mA 5V Standby)

5V Standby

Enable Keyboard Power On function

VCC 5V (Default)

Disable Keyboard Power On Function

1

1

Hardware Setup

2-23

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 five 32-bit Master PCI bus slots, one AGP
slot and one CNR slot.

The AGP slot DOES NOT support 3.3V AGP card. Use of

3.3V AGP card may cause damages to the mainboard. T o identify
the spec of your AGP card, refer to the documentation supplied
with the AGP card or check the view of its contact pins (golden
fingers) before you install it.

WARNING!

PCI Slots

AGP Slot

CNR Slot

Chapter 2

2-24

PCI Slots

Five 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
expansioncard 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.

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:

Model AGP Chip (3.3V)

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!

DO NOT use the following 3.3V AGP cards which would cause damages
to the mainboard. The following list is subject to change without prior
notice.

Hardware Setup

2-25

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 A# INT B# INT C# INT D#

3-1

AWARD 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.

3

AWARD BIOS Setup

TOPICS

Entering Setup 3-2
The Main Menu 3-4
Standard CMOS Features 3-6
Advanced BIOS Features 3-9
Advanced Chipset Features 3-13
Integrated Peripherals 3-15
Power Management Setup 3-20
PnP/PCI Configurations 3-24
PC Health Status 3-26
Frequency/Voltage Control 3-28
HighPerformance/BIOS Setup Defaults 3-29
Set Supervisor/User Password 3-30

3-2

Chapter 3

Entering Setup

Turn on the computer. When the below message appears briefly at
the bottom of the screen during the POST (Power On Self T est), press <Delete>
key or simultaneously press <Ctrl>, <Alt> and <Esc> to enter the SETUP
program.

If the message disappears before you respond and you still want to
enter SETUP, restart the system by turning off then on the power or pressing
the Reset button to try again. You may also restart by simultaneously press­ing <Ctrl>, <Alt>, and <Delete> keys.

TO ENTER SETUP BEFORE BOOT, PRESS <CTRL-ALT­ESC>

Control Keys

After entering the BIOS setup program, you can use the keyboard to
navigate through the setup menus and change the settings. A brief descrip­tion of keyboard usage is listed below:

Page
Down

Page
Up

+

Move to the previous/next item

Move to the item in the left/right hand

Select the item

Increase/decrease the numeric value or make changes

Jump to the Exit menu or return to the Main menu from a sub-menu
General help

or

F10

F7

Esc

F5

F1

Enter

Restore the previous CMOS value from CMOS
Load BIOS Setup defaults
Save all the CMOS changes and exit

Key(s) Function

3-3

AWARD BIOS Setup

Getting Help

Main Menu

The Main menu lists the setup functions you can make changes to.

You can use the control keys (↑, ↓) to select the item. The on-line description
of the highlighted setup function is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Sub-Menu

If you find a right pointer symbol (as shown as below) appears to the
left of certain fields, which means a sub-menu can be launched from this field.
A sub-menu contains additional options for a field parameter. You can use
control keys (↑, ↓) to highlight the field and press <Enter> to call up the sub­menu. Then you can use the control keys to enter values and move from
field to field within a sub-menu. If you want to return to the main menu, press
the <Esc >.

General Help <F1>

The BIOS setup program provides a General Help screen. You can
call up this screen from any menu by simply pressing <F1>. The Help screen
lists the appropriate keys to use and the possible selections for the high­lighted item. Press <Esc> to exit the Help screen.

Default Settings

The BIOS setup program contains two kinds of default settings: the
High Performance and BIOS Setup defaults. The High Performance defaults
provide the best system performance but may affect the system stability.

3-4

Chapter 3

Setup Menus

Main Menu

Once you enter Award® BIOS CMOS Setup Utility, the Main Menu
will appear on the screen. The Main Menu allows you to select from twelve
setup functions and two exit choices. Use arrow keys to select among the
items and press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu.

Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu for basic system configurations.

Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to set the items of Award special enhanced features.

Advanced Chipset Features

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

Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to specify your settings of integrated peripherals.

Power Management Setup

Use this menu to specify your settings of power management.

3-5

AWARD BIOS Setup

PnP/PCI Configurations

This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.

PC Health Status

This entry shows your PC health status.

Frequency/V oltage Control

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

Load BIOS SetupDefaults

Use this menu to load the BIOS default values for the most stable system
performance.

Load High Performance Defaults

Use this menu to load the BIOS default values that are factory settings for
optimal system performance.

Set Supervisor Password

Use this menu to set Supervisor Password.

Set User Password

Use this menu to set User Password.

3-6

Chapter 3

The items in Standard CMOS Features menu are divided into 13
categories. Each category includes none, one or more than one setup items.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the item and then use the <PgUp> or <PgDn>
keys to select the value you want in each item.

Date (mm:dd:yy)

This item allows you to set the system to the date that you specify (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, depends on the year of the BIOS.

Time (hh:mm:ss)

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

Standard CMOS Features

3-7

AWARD BIOS Setup

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave

Press PgUp/<+> or PgDn/<-> to select the hard disk drive category. The
specification of hard disk drive will show on the right hand according to your
selection. You can press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu. The sub-menu will
appear as the following example:

Access Mode The settings are CHS,LBA, Large, and Auto

Capacity The formatted size of the storage device

Cylinder Number of cylinders

Head Number of heads

Precomp Write precompensation

Landing Zone Cylinder location of the landing zone

Sector Number of sectors

Drive A/B

The two items allow you to set the type of floppy drivers installed. A vailable
options are [None], [360K, 5.25 in], [1.2M, 5.25 in], [720k, 3.5 in], [1.44M, 3.
5in], and [2.88M, 3.5in].

Video

This item allows you to set the type of video card. Available options are
[EGA/VGA], [CGA40], [CGA80], and [MONO].

3-8

Chapter 3

Halt on

This item allows you to set the type of errors that will cause system halt on.
A vailable options are [All Errors], [No Errors], [All, But Keyboard], [All, But
Diskette], and [All, But Disk/Key].

All Errors The system will halt on and display the error

message if any error happens.

No Errors The system will not halt on no matter any

error happens.

All, But Keyboard The system will halt on if any error happens.

But the system will not halt on if the keyboard
function is not normal.

All, But Diskette The system will halt on if any error happens.

But the system will not halt on if the disk drive
function is not normal.

All, But Disk/Key The system will halt on if any error happens.

But the system will not halt on if the disk drive
and keyboard function is not normal.

Base/Extended/Total Memory

The three items show the memory status of your system (read only).

3-9

AWARD BIOS Setup

Advanced BIOS Features

Quick Boot

The option speeds up Power On Self Test (POST) after you power on the
computer. When setting the item to Enabled, BIOS will shorten or skip some
check items during POST. Settings: Enabled and Disabled.

Full Screen Logo Show

This item allows you to enable or disable the full screen Logo show capability.
Available options are [Disabled] and [Enabled].

CPU Internal Cache

Cache memory is additional memory that is much faster than the system
memory. This item allows you to enable or disable the level 1 (L1) cache. The
internal cache is built in the processor. Available options are [Disabled] and
[Enabled].

External Cache

This item allows you to enable or disable the level 2 (L2) cache. Available
options are [Disabled] and [Enabled].

3-10

Chapter 3

Quick Power On Self Test

This item allows you to speed up Power On Self T est (POST) after you power
on the computer. If this is set to [Enabled], BIOS will shorten or skip some
check items during POST. Available options are [Disabled] and [Enabled].

First/Second/Third Boot Device

These three items allow you to set the sequence of boot device from that the
BIOS attempts to load the operating system. A vailable options are [Floppy],
[LS120], [HDD-0], [SCSI], [CDROM], [HDD-1], [HDD-2], [HDD-3], [ZIP100],
[LAN], and [Disabled].

Boot Other Device

This item allows the system to try to boot from other device if the system fails
to boot from the 1st/2nd/3rd boot device. Available options are [Disabled]
and [Enabled].

HDD S.M.A.R.T.

This allows you to activate the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis & Re­porting T echnology) capability for the hard disks. S.M.A.R.T is a utility that
monitors your disk status to predict hard disk failure. This gives you an op­portunity to move data from a hard disk that is going to fail to a safe place
before the hard disk becomes offline. Settings: Enabled and Disabled.

Swap Floppy Drive

This item allows you to choose from the default of [Disabled] or choose
[Enabled] to switch the floppy disk drives between being designated as A
and B. Available options are [Disabled] and [Enabled].

Boot Up Floppy Seek

This function allows the system to check if floppy installed or uninstalled
when booting up the computer. Available options are [Disabled] and
[Enabled].

Boot Up Num-Lock LED

This item allows you to set the NumLock status when you boot up your
computer. When you choose from the default of [On], the keypad is numeric

3-11

AWARD BIOS Setup

keys; when you choose [Off], the keypad is arrow keys. Available options
are [On] and [Off].

Gate A20 Option

This allows you to set the Gate A20 status. When set to [Fast], Gate A20 is
controlled by chipset. When set to [Normal], Gate A20 is controlled by a
specific pin from the keyboard controller. Available options are [Fast] and
[Normal].

T ypematic Rate Setting

This item allows you to set the keystrokes repeat rate determined by key­board controller . When set to [Enabled], the following two items Typematic
Rate and T ypematic Delay can be selected. Available options are [Disabled]
and [Enabled].

T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

This item allows you to set the number of times a second to repeat a key­stroke when you hold the key down. A vailable options are [6], [8], [10], [12],
[15], [20], [24], and [30]. Default value is [6].

T ypematic Delay (Msec)

This item allows you to set the delay time before the key begins to repeat the
keystroke while holding down the key. Available options are [250], [500],
[750], and [1000]. Default value is [250].

Security Option

This item allows you to limit access to the system and Setup program, or just
to Setup program. When set to [Setup], the system will boot, but access to
Setup program will be denied if the correct password is not entered at the
prompt. When you choose [System], the system will not boot and access to
Setup program will be denied if the correct password is not entered at the
prompt. Available options are [Setup] and [System].

APIC Mode

This item is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable
Interrupt Controller). Due to compliance to PC2001 design guide, the system
is able to run in APIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQs
resources for the system. Available options are [Enabled] and [Disabled].

3-12

Chapter 3

MPS V ersion Contr ol For OS

This item 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. Available options are [1.
4] and [1.1].

OS Select For DRAM > 64MB

This item is set for the users running OS/2® operating system. When set to
[Non-OS2], you can not run the OS/2® operating system when DRAM in­stalled is larger than 64 MB. When set to [OS2], it is possible. Available
options are [Non-OS2] and [OS2].

Video BIOS Shadow

This item allows you to increase the video performance by caching the data
from video ROM to Shadow RAM. When set to [Enabled], the system ob­tains better video performance but, at this time, any program attempts to
write to this memory area will cause a system error. Available options are
[Disabled] and [Enabled].

C8000-CBFFF/CC000-CFFFF/D0000-D3FFF/D4000-D7FFF/D8000­DBFFF/DC000-DFFFF Shadow

These items specify whether the contents of the adapter ROM named in the
items will be copied into RAM to improve the performance of ROM firmware
for adapters. You need to know the address of each adapter ROM occupies
to shadow (copy) it into the correct area of RAM. Available options are
[Disabled] and [Enabled].

Small Logo (EP A) Show

This item enables you to show the EPA logo (brand specific graphics) on the
bootup screen. Settings are:

Disabled Shows the normal POST screen at boot.

Enabled Shows a still image (EPA logo) on the screen at boot.

3-13

AWARD BIOS Setup

Advanced Chipset Features

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

System BIOS Cacheable

Selecting [Enabled] allows caching of the system BIOS ROM at F0000h­FFFFFh, resulting in better system performance. However, if any program
writes to this memory area, a system error may result. A vailable options are
[Enabled] and [Disabled].

Video RAM Cacheable

Selecting [Enabled] allows caching of the video RAM , resulting in better
system performance. However, if any program writes to this memory area, a
system error may result. Available options are [Enabled] and [Disabled].

DDRAM Auto Precharge (W/R)

Auto Precharge is a SDRAM feature that allows the memory to close a page
(bits along one row) automatically at the end of the burst. Y ou can enable the
Auto Precharge function of the installed DDR SDRAM to provide a selftimed
row precharge for each burst access. Available options are [Enabled] and
[Disabled].

CAS Latency Override

This allows you to set the function of CAS Latency Override . Available
options are [2 clocks] , [2.5 clocks], [3 clocks] and [Auto].

3-14

Chapter 3

AGP Aperture Size (MB)

This setting controls just how much system RAM can be allocated to AGP for
video purposes. The aperture is a portion of the PCI memory address range
dedicated to graphics memory address space. Host cycles that hit the aper­ture range are forwarded to the AGP without any translation. The option
allows the selection of an aperture size of 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB and
512MB.

Monochrome Access

This allows you to control when MDA (Monochrome Display Adapter) ac­cesses are sent to the AGP device or to PCI bus. A vailable options are [AGP]
and [PCI].

AGP Bus Driving Control

This filed is used to adjust the AGP driving force. Selecting [Manual] allows
you to select an AGP driving force in AGP Bus Driving V alue . It is strongly
suggested to select [Auto] to avoid causing any system error.

AGP Bus Driving V alue

This item specifies an AGP bus driving value. A vailable options are [W eakest],
[Medium], and [Strongest].

3-15

AWARD BIOS Setup

Integrated Peripherals

MCP OnChip IDE Device

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, which contains the following items for
advanced control:

OnChip IDE Channel0/1

The integrated peripheral controller contains an IDE interface with

support for two IDE channels. Choose [Enabled] to activate each

channel separately.

IDE Prefetch Mode

The onboard IDE drive interfaces supports prefetching, for faster

drive accesses. Set to [Disabled] if your primary and/or secondary

add-in IDE interface does not support prefetching.

3-16

Chapter 3

Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO

The four fields allow you to set a PIO (Programmed Input/Output)
mode for each of the four IDE devices that the onboard IDE interface
supports. Modes 0~4 provide increased performance. In Auto mode,
BIOS automatically determines the best mode for each IDE device.

Primary/Secondary Master/Slave UDMA

Ultra DMA implementation is possible only if your IDE device sup­ports it and your operating environment contains a DMA driver. If
both your hard drive and software support Ultra DMA, select [Auto]
to enable BIOS support.

MCP AC97 Audio

This item allows you to enable/disable the MCP chipset’s feature to
support AC97 Audio.

MCP MC97 Modem

This item allows you to enable/disable the MCP chipset’s feature to
support MC97 Modem.

MCP OnChip Lan

This item allows you to enable/disable the onboard LAN function.

MCP OnChip PCI Device

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, which contains the following items for
advanced control:

3-17

AWARD BIOS Setup

Onboard FDC Controller

Select Enabled if your system has a floppy disk controller (FDD) in­stalled on the system board and you wish to use it. If you install add­on FDC or the system has no floppy drive, select Disabled in this field.
Available options are [Enabled] and [Disabled].

Onboard Serial Port 1/Onboard Serial Port 2

Select an address and corresponding interrupt for the first and second
serial ports. A vailable options are [3F8/IRQ4], [2E8/IRQ3], [3E8/IRQ4],
[2F8/IRQ3], [Disabled], and [Auto].

UART Mode Select

This item allows you to determine which InfraRed(IR) function of the
onboard I/O chip, this functions uses.

RxD, TxD Active

This item allows you to determine the active of RxD, TxD. Available
options are [Hi,Hi], [Lo,Lo], [Lo,Hi], and [Hi,Lo].

IR T ransmission Delay

This item allows you to enable/disable the IR transmission delay.
Available options are [Enabled] and [Disabled].

Onboard SuperIO Device

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, which contains the following items for
advanced control:

3-18

Chapter 3

UR2 Duplex Mode

This item allows you to select the IR half/full duplex function. Avail­able options are [Half] and [Full].

Use IR Pins

Consult your IR peripheral documentation to select the correct setting
of the TxD and RxD signals.

Onboard Parallel Port

Select a logical LPT port address and corresponding interrupt for the
physical parallel port.

Parallel Port Mode

The item allows you to select the operating mode for the parallel port.
A vailable options are [SPP], [EPP], [ECP], and [ECP+EPP].

EPP Mode Select

The item allows you to select the EPP version by the parallel port when
the port is set to [EPP] or [ECP+EPP] mode. Available options are
[EPP1.7] and [EPP1.9].

ECP Mode Use DMA

The item automatically specifies an DMA channel 1 or 3 for the parallel
port when it is set to [EPP] or [ECP+EPP] mode.

Game Port Address

The items disable or assign the address of the Game port.

Midi Port Address

The items disable or assign the address of the Midi port.

Midi Port IRQ

The item specifies an IRQ for the Midi port.

Init Display First

Initialize the AGP video display before initializing any other display
device on the system. Thus the AGP display becomes the primary
display. Available options are [PCI slot] and [AGP].

3-19

AWARD BIOS Setup

OnChip USB

Select [Enabled] if your system contains a Universal Serial Bus (USB) con­troller and you have USB peripherals. Available options are [Enabled] and
[Disabled].

USB Keyboard Support

Select [Enabled] if your system contains a Universal Serial Bus (USB) con­troller and you have a USB keyboard. Available options are [Enabled] and
[Disabled].

BIOS Protect

This function protects the BIOS from accidental corruption by unauthorized
users or computer viruses. When set to [Enabled], the BIOS data cannot be
changed when attempting to update the BIOS with a Flash utility. To suc­cessfully update the BIOS, you’ll need to disable this BIOS protection
function.

IDE HDD Block Mode

Block mode is also called block transfer, multiple commands, or multiple sec­tor read/write. If your IDE hard drive supports block mode (most new drives
do), select Enabled for automatic detection of the optimal number of block
read/writes per sector the drive can support. A vailable options are [Enabled]
and [Disabled].

POWER ON Function

This controls how the PS/2 mouse or keyboard can power on the system.
Available settings are [Password], [Hot KEY], [BUTTON ONLY] and
[Keyboard 98].

KB Power ON Password

If POWER ON Function is set to [Password], then you can set a password in
the field for the PS/2 keyboard to power on the system.

Hot Key Power ON

If POWER ON Function is set to [Hot KEY], you can assign a hot key combi­nation in the field for the PS/2 keyboard to power on the system. Settings:
[Ctrl-F1] through [Ctrl-F12].

3-20

Chapter 3

The Power Management Setup allows you to configure you system to
most effectively save energy while operating in a manner consistent with
your own style of computer use.

IPCA Function

This item allows you to set ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power
Management) function. Available options are [Enabled] and [Disabled].

Sleep State

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

S1(POS) The S1 state is low power state. In this state, no system

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

S3(STR) The S3 state is a lower power state where the

information
of system configuration and open applications/files is
saved to main memory that remains power 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.

Power Management Setup

3-21

AWARD BIOS Setup

Power Management Option

This category allows you to select the type (or degree) of power saving and
is directly related to the following items: Standby Mode and HDD Power
Down. There are three selections for Power Management, two of which have
fixed mode settings:

Min Power Saving Minimum power management.

Standby Mode = 1 Hour; HDD Power
Down = 15 min.

Max Power Saving Maximum power management.

Standby Mode = 30 Sec; HDD Power
Down = 1 min.

User Defined Allows you to set the values of each mode

individually.

Video Off Method

This determines the manner in which the monitor is blanked.

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

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

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

Modem Use IRQ

Name the interrupt request (IRQ) line assigned to the modem (if any) on your
system. Activity of the selected IRQ always awakens the system. Settings are
3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 and NA.

Soft-Off by RBTN

This item allows you to configure the power button as a normal power ON/
OFF button or a soft-off button. Settings are:

Instant-Off The power button functions as a normal power

ON/OFF button.

Delay 4 Sec. Pressing the power button for more than 4

seconds will place the system in a very low
power usage state (Soft-Off state), with only

3-22

Chapter 3

Wake Up by PCI CArd (PME)

These items specify whether the system will be awakened from power
saving modes (S1, S3, S4) when activity or input signal of the speci-

fied hardware peripheral or component is detected.

IRQs Activity Monitoring

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu. A similar screen to the
following appears:

USB Resume from S3/S4

Allows the activity of USB device to wake up the system from S3 or
S4 power saving modes. Settings are Enabled and Disabled.

enough circuitry receiving power to detect
power button activity or Wake Up On LAN/
Ring activity.

IRQ/Event Activity Detect

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

3-23

AWARD BIOS Setup

IRQ3 ~ IRQ15 enable or disable the monitoring of the specified
IRQ line. If set to [Enabled], the activity of the specified IRQ line
will prevent the system from entering power saving modes or
awaken it from power saving modes.

Note: IRQ (Interrupt Request) lines are system re-

sources allocated to I/O devices. When an I/O device needs
to gain attention of the operating system, it signals this by
causing an IRQ to occur. After receiving the signal, when the
operating system is ready, the system will interrupt itself and
perform the service required by the I/O device.

Power Status LED

This item configures how the system uses power LED on the case to indicate
the sleep/suspend state. Available options are:

Single The Power LED turns off during the sleep/sus

pend mode.

Dual The Power LED changes its color to indicate the

suspend state.

3-24

Chapter 3

This section describes the PCI bus system configuration. PCI (Personal
Computer Interconnect) is a system which allows I/O devices to operate at
speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses when communicating with its
own 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.

PNP OS Installed

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. When set to [No], BIOS will initialize all the PnP
cards. So, select [Yes] if your operating system is Plug & Play aware.

Reset Configuration Data

Normally, you leave this field [Disabled]. Select [Enabled] to reset Extended
System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you exit Setup if you have installed
a new add-on and the system reconfiguration has caused such a serious
conflict that the operating system can not boot. A vailable options are [Enabled]
and [Disabled].

Resources Controlled By

The Award Plug and Play BIOS has the capacity to automatically configure
all of the boot and Plug and Play compatible devices. However, this capabil­ity means absolutely nothing unless you are using a Plug and Play operating

PnP/PCI Configurations

3-25

AWARD BIOS Setup

system such as Windows 98. When set to [manual], you can choose specific
resources by going into each of the sub menu that follows this field (a sub­menu is preceded by a “8”). A vailable options are [Auto(ESCD)] and [Manual].
(If you choose Auto, the IRQ Resources will not have function.)

IRQ Resources

This item is adjustable only when Resources Controlled By is set to [Manual].
Press [Enter] and you will enter the sub-menu of the items. This item lists IRQ
3/4/5/7/9/10/11/12/14/15 for users to set each IRQ a type depending on the
type of device using the IRQ/DMA.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

When set to [Enabled], multiple VGA devices operating on different buses
can handle data from the CPU on each set of palette registers on every video
device. Bit 5 of the command register in the PCI device configuration space
is the VGA Palette Snoop bit (0 is disabled). A vailable options are [Enabled]
and [Disabled].

3-26

Chapter 3

This section helps you to get more information about your system
including CPU temperature, FAN speed and voltages. It is recommended
that you contact with your mainboard supplier to get proper value about
your setting of the CPU temperature.

CPU W arning Temperatur e

Select the combination of lower and upper limits for the CPU temperature. If
the CPU temperature extends beyond either limit, any warning mechanism
programmed into your system will be activated. Available options are
[50°C/122°F], [53°C/127°F], [56°C/133°F], [60°C/140°F], [63°C/145°F], [66°C/
151°F], [70°C/158°F], and [Disabled].

Current SystemT emp. /Current CPU T emperatur e/System fan/Power fan/
CPU fan/Vcore(V)/+3.3V/+ 5V/+ 12V/- 12V/- 5V/VBA T(V)/5VSB(V)

These items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware de­vices and components such as CPU voltages, temperatures and all fans’s
speed.

CPU F AN Detection

Select [Yes] to detect the CPU FAN status. If the CPU FAN stops running,
the system will beep and shows a warning message on the screen. Select
[No] and the OS the will bypass the detection.

PC Health Status

3-27

AWARD BIOS Setup

W arning _Beep

This allows you to use the function of warning beep. Available options:
[Disabled], [Enabled].

Shutdown Temperature

This item allows you to set the shutdown temperature level for the processor.
When the processor reach the temperature you set, this will shutdown the
system. This function only works in ACPI-aware OS (such as Windows 98/
ME/2000). A vailable options are [80°C/176°F], [85°C/185°F], [90°C/194°F] and
[Disabled].

3-28

Chapter 3

This section is for setting CPU Frequency/Voltage Control.

Clock Spread Spectrum

This item is used to enable or disable the clock generator’s Spread Spectrum
feature. When overclocking the processor, always set it to Disabled.
Setting options: [0.5%], [1.00%], [2.00%] and[Disabled]

CPU/MEM/AGP’s Freq

This item specifies the clock frequency of CPU host bus, DDR RAM bus, and
AGP bus.

Frequency/Voltage Control

3-29

AWARD BIOS Setup

The two options on the main menu allow users to restore all of the
BIOS settings to the default High Performance or BIOS Setup values. The
High Performance Defaults are the default values set by the mainboard manu­facturer specifically for the optimal performance of the mainboard. The BIOS
Setup Defaults are the default values set by the BIOS vendor for the stable
system performance.

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

Pressing Y loads the BIOS default values for the optimal system
performance.

Load High Performance/BIOS Setup Defaults

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 high­quality VGA adapter, RAM and so on. W e 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 DA TA to resolve
the problem. For more information, refer to “Clear CMOS
Jumper:JBAT1” on page 2-19.

WARNING!

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

Pressing Y loads the default factory settings for the most stable system
performance.

3-30

Chapter 3

When you select this function, a message as below will appear on the
screen.

T ype the password (up to eight characters in length) and press <Enter>.
The password typed now will clear any previously entered password from
CMOS memory . You will be asked to confirm the password. Type the pass­word again and press <Enter>. You may also press <Esc> to abort the selec­tion and not enter a password.

To disable a password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to
enter the password. A message will confirm the password will be disabled.
Once the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can enter Setup
freely.

When a password has been enabled, 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 require the
BIOS to request a password every time your system is rebooted. This would
prevent unauthorized use of your computer.

You determine when the password is required within the BIOS Fea­tures Setup Menu and its Security option. If the Security option is set to
“System”, the password will be required both at boot and at entry to Setup.
If set to “Setup”, prompting only occurs when trying to enter Setup.

Set Supervisor/User Password

About Supervisor Password & User Password
Supervisor Password

Can enter and change the options of the setup menus.

User Password

Can only enter but do not have the right to change the options of the
setup menus. When you select this function, the following message
will appear at the center of the screen to assist you in creating a
password.

A-1

Appendix A

Appendix A: DDR DIMM Configuration

Configuration Rules

Observe the following rules when configuring DDR DIMMs:

1. Follow correct DIMM installation order. DIMMs must be populated
consecutively, in order, starting with the DIMM1 socket.

2. Do not populate DIMM3 socket with any dual load (dual bank) modules (for BIOS
ver. 210 or later).
*Do not populate DIMM2 socket with any dual load (dual bank) modules (for BIOS
ver. 200).

Note: Dual load refers to physical device beds on the data bus
Note: For best performance on 128bit system, we recommend you to use the same

DDR DIMM for both slots.

Population Rules

T able 1. Memory Loads

Capacity DIMM1 DIMM2 DIMM3

128MB 64MB - 1B or 2B 64MB - 1B or 2B X
192MB 128MB - 1B or 2B 64MB - 1B or 2B X
256MB 128MB - 1B or 2B 128MB - 1B or 2B X
128MB - 1B or 2B 64MB - 1B or 2B 64MB - 1B 64MB – 1B
384MB 256MB - 1B or 2B 128MB - 1B or 2B X
128MB - 1B or 2B 128MB - 1B or 2B 128MB - 1B 128MB – 1B
512MB 256MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B or 2B X
256MB - 1B or 2B 128MB - 1B or 2B 128MB - 1B 128MB – 1B
768MB 512MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B or 2B X
256MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B 256MB – 1B

1GB 512MB - 1B or 2B 512MB - 1B or 2B X
512MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B 256MB – 1B

1.25GB 512MB - 1B or 2B 512MB - 1B or 2B 256MB - 1B

1.5GB 512MB - 1B or 2B 512MB - 1B or 2B 512MB - 1B

A-2

Appendix A

Note:

Memory loads must be distributed as provided in the T able 1. Not all possible combi­nations are listed in the table. Populate designs only with DIMMs that follow JEDEC
standard 184-pin unbuffered non-ECC DDR DIMMs. DDR DIMMS with CAS LA­TENCY of 2.0 (PC2100A) or 2.5 (PC2100B) are supported.

Legend:

1B: A one bank (single load) module
2B: A two bank (dual load) module
64MB - 1B: 64MB DDR DIMM using 4 8Mx16 (128Mb) devices - ONE BANK
64MB - 2B: 64MB DDR DIMM using 8 4Mx16 (64Mb) devices - TWO BANKS 1
128MB - 1B: 128MB DDR DIMM using 8 16Mx8 (128Mb) devices - ONE BANK
128MB - 2B: 128MB DDR DIMM using 8 8Mx16 (128Mb)devices - TWO BANKS
256MB - 1B: 256MB DDR DIMM using 8 32Mx8 (256Mb) devices or 16 32Mx4

(128Mb) devices - ONE BANK 2
256MB - 2B: 256MB DDR DIMM using 16 16Mx8 (128Mb) devices – TWO BANKS
512MB - 1B: 512MB DDR DIMM using 16 64Mx4 (256Mb) devices – ONE BANK
512MB - 2B: 512MB DDR DIMM using 16 32Mx8 (256Mb) devices – TWO BANKS

X: DO NOT POPULA TE

Notes:

1 64MB - 2B is an uncommon configuration and is included in the population
matrix for completeness
2 256MB - 1B using 16 32Mx4 devices is an uncommon configuration and is
included in the population matrix for completeness
3 512MB - 1B using 16 64Mx4 devices is an uncommon configuration and is
included in the population matrix for completeness

A-3

Appendix A

SEC K4H280838B-TCBO 128MB PC2100
Hyundai HY5DU28822T-H 128MB PC2100
Winbond W942516AH-7 128MB PC2100
Micron MT46V16M8TG-75 128MB PC2100
T oshiba TC59WM807BFT-70 256MB PC2100
Winbond W942508AH-7 256MB PC2100
Micron MT46V16M8TG-75A 256MB PC2100

Recommended DDR Devices

Appendix B

B-1

Appendix B: Installing nForce Core Drivers

under Windows 98

This application note provides instructions to install the NVIDIA nForce
core drivers (GART, Ethernet, Audio, Audio Utilities, SMBUS, and Memory
Controller) under Windows 98. Currently, the NVIDIA installer supports
Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows ME. Use the following proce­dure to manually install all NVIDIA devices under Windows 98 until the
release of windows 98 installer support.

TOPICS

Installing GART Drivers B-2

Installing the Audio Drivers B-3

Installing Ethernet Drivers B-4

Installing SMBus Drivers B-5

Updating Memory Controller Drivers B-6

Appendix B

B-2

Installing GART Drivers

When a Windows 98 operating system is installed, there are a series of un­known devices in Windows 98 Device Manager. To install the nForce GART
drivers, use the following procedure:

1. Extract the GART driver package to a temporary location.
GART Manager is present in Device Manager under: PCI Standard
Host CPU Bridge. Microsoft Generic Drivers are used until you up­grade with the proper GART drivers.

2. Go to the Device Manager

(START-->CONTROL PANEL-->SYSTEM-->DEVICE MANAGER)

3. Look for the following devices:

- NVIDIA nForce GART Manager

- PCI Standard Host CPU Bridge

- PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge device

4. Update the drivers using the ones saved into the temporary location in
step 1.

5. Restart your system.

Appendix B

B-3

Installing the Audio Drivers

Use the following procedure to install nForce Audio drivers:

1. Extract the Audio driver package to a temporary location.
Use the drivers from Audio Driver package to enumerate all unknown
media class devices.

2. Go to the Device Manager

(START-->CONTROL PANEL-->SYSTEM-->DEVICE MANAGER)

3. Look for the following devices:

Unknown Drivers

- NVIDIA Audio Codec Interface

- NVIDIA Media Controller Processor

Sound, Video, and Game Controllers

- NVIDIA nForce Audio Codec Interface

- NVIDIA nForce MCP Audio Processing Unit

Note: Various nForce Audio items under Sound, Video and Game Con­trollers will be replaced when the System Devices are updated.

4. Update the drivers using the ones saved into the temporary location in
step 1.

5. Restart your system.

Appendix B

B-4

Installing Ethernet Drivers

Use the following procedure to install Ethernet drivers:

1. Extract the Ethernet driver package to a temporary location.
Use the drivers from the Ethernet Driver package to enumerate the un­known Ethernet Devices.

2. Go to the Device Manager

(START-->CONTROL PANEL-->SYSTEM-->DEVICE MANAGER)

3. Look for the following devices:

Unknown Drivers

- NVIDIA Ethernet Device

Network Adapters

- NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Adapter

4. Update the drivers using the ones saved into the temporary location in
step 1.

5. Restart your system.

Appendix B

B-5

Installing SMBus Drivers

Use the following procedure to install SMBus drivers:

1. Extract the SMBus driver package to a temporary location.
SMBus needs to be enabled for DDC to function correctly and system
management functions to be enabled.

2. Go to the Device Manager

(START-->CONTROL PANEL-->SYSTEM-->DEVICE MANAGER)

3. Go to Unknown Devices / PCI System Management Bus.

4. Update the drivers using the ones saved into the temporary location in
step 1.

5. Restart your system.

Appendix B

B-6

Updating Memory Controller Drivers

1. Extract the files from the (os) \ memory directory of the driver package
to a temporary location.
Microsoft Generic Drivers will be used. To replace the Microsoft driv­ers with NVIDIA drivers, continue with Step 2.

Note: Several instances of Memory Controller may be present in De­vice Manager under:

- Windows 9x/ME or Windows 2000/XP

- PCI Standard RAM Controller

2. Go to the Device Manager

(START-->CONTROL PANEL-->SYSTEM-->DEVICE MANAGER)

3. Look for the following devices:

System Devices

- PCI Standard RAM Controller

- NVIDIA nForce 415 Memory Controller

- NVIDIA nForce 415 Memory Controller

4. Update all instances of these drivers using the ones saved into the

temporary location in step 1.

5. Restart your system.

Note: It is important to restart your computer after all drivers are
installed.

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

2.5v

2.5v

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.