VIA EPIA User Manual

User’s Manual

EPIA

Version 1.31

September 23, 2008

Copyright

Copyright © 2003-2008 VIA Technologies Incorporated. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval

system, or translated into any language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise without the prior written permission of VIA
Technologies, Incorporated.

Trademarks

All trademarks are the property of their respective holders. PS/2 is a registered trademark of
IBM Corporation. Award BIOS is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.

Disclaimer

No license is granted, implied or otherwise, under any patent or patent rights of VIA
Technologies. VIA Technologies makes no warranties, implied or otherwise, in regard to this
document and to the products described in this document. The information provided in this
document is believed to be accurate and reliable as of the publication date of this document.
However, VIA Technologies assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of the information
in this document and for any patent infringements that may arise from the use of this
document. The information and product specifications within this document are subject to
change at any time, without notice and without obligation to notify any person of such change.

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
personal 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.

Tested To Comply
With FCC Standards
FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

Safety Instructions

1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.

2. Keep this User's Manual for future reference.

3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.

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

5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the equipment from

overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.

6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V before

connecting the equipment to the power inlet.

7. Place the power cord in such a way that people cannot step on it. Do not place anything

over 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. Liquid can cause damage or electrical shock.

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

• The power cord or plug is damaged

• Liquid has penetrated into the equipment

• The equipment has been exposed to moisture

• The equipment has not work well or you cannot get it work according to User's

Manual.

• The equipment has dropped and damaged

• If the equipment has obvious sign of breakage

12. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT UNCONDITIONED,

STORAGE TEMPERATURE ABOVE 60 C (140F), IT MAY DAMAGE THE
EQUIPMENT.

Caution:
Only use the appropriate battery specified for this product.
Do not reuse, recharge, or reheat an old battery.
Do not attempt to force open the battery.
Do not discard used batteries with regular trash.
Discard used batteries according to local regulations.

B

OX CONTENTS

One VIA Mini-ITX mainboard
One Quick Installation Guide
One ATA-133/100 IDE ribbon cable
One driver and utilities CD
One IO bracket

i

T

ABLE OF CONTENTS

Box Contents ................................................................................ i

Table of Contents..........................................................................ii

Chapter 1 .................................................................................... 1

Specifications ........................................................................... 1

Mainboard Specifications ........................................................... 2

Mainboard Layout ..................................................................... 4

Back Panel Layout .................................................................... 5

Back Panel Ports....................................................................... 6

Slots ........................................................................................ 6

Onboard Connectors ................................................................. 7

Onboard Jumpers ..................................................................... 7

Chapter 2 .................................................................................... 9

Installation ............................................................................... 9

CPU ........................................................................................10

Memory Module Installation .....................................................13

Connecting the Power Supply ...................................................16

Back Panel Ports......................................................................18

Connectors..............................................................................20

Jumpers ..................................................................................28

Slots .......................................................................................31

Chapter 3 ...................................................................................33

BIOS Setup .............................................................................33

Entering Setup.........................................................................34

Control Keys............................................................................35

Navigating the BIOS Menus ......................................................36

Getting Help ............................................................................37

Main Menu ..............................................................................38

Standard CMOS Features .........................................................40

IDE Drives...............................................................................42

Advanced BIOS Features ..........................................................43

Advanced Chipset Features ......................................................48

DRAM Clock/Drive Control ........................................................50

ii

AGP and P2P Bridge Control .....................................................51

CPU and PCI Bus Control..........................................................52

Integrated Peripherals..............................................................54

VIA OnChip IDE Device ............................................................56

VIA OnChip PCI Device ............................................................58

Super IO Device ......................................................................60

Power Management Setup........................................................62

Power Management .................................................................65

Wake Up Events ......................................................................67

IRQs Activities .........................................................................69

PNP/PCI Configurations............................................................70

IRQ Resources.........................................................................73

DMA Resources .......................................................................74

PC Health Status......................................................................75

Load Defaults ..........................................................................76

Set Supervisor / User Password ................................................77

Save & Exit Setup ....................................................................79

Exit Without Saving..................................................................80

Chapter 4 ...................................................................................82

Driver Installation ....................................................................82

Driver Utilities..........................................................................83

CD Content .............................................................................85

iii

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iv

HAPTER

C

1

Specifications

The ultra-compact and highly integrated VIA EPIA uses the Mini-ITX
mainboard form-factor developed by VIA Technologies, Inc. as part
of the company’s open industry-wide Total Connectivity initiative.
The mainboard enables the creation of an exciting new generation of
small, ergonomic, innovative and affordable embedded systems.
Through a high level of integration, the Mini-ITX occupies 66% of
the size of FlexATX mainboard form factor. The mainboard comes
with an embedded VIA Processor, boasting of ultra-low power
consumption, cool and quiet operation.

1

Chapter 1

M

AINBOARD SPECIFICATIONS

CPU

• VIA C3 / Eden EBGA Processor

Chipset

• VIA VT8601A North Bridge

• VIA VT8231 South Bridge

Graphics

• Integrated Trident Blade 3D graphics core

Audio

• VIA VT1612A AC'97 Codec

Memory

• 2 x PC100/133 DIMM slots

Expansion Slot

• 1 x PCI slot

IDE

• 2 x UltraDMA 33/66/100 connectors

LAN

• VIA VT6103 10/100 Base-T Ethernet PHY

2

Specifications

Back Panel I/O Ports

• 1 x PS/2 mouse port and 1 x PS/2 keyboard port

• 1 x RJ-45 LAN port

• 1 x Serial port

• 1 x Parallel port

• 2 x USB 1.1 ports

• 1 x VGA port

• 3 x Audio Jacks: Line-out, Line-in and Mic-in

Onboard I/O Connectors

• 1 x USB pin headers for 2 additional USB 1.1 ports

• 1 x Video-in pin header

• 1 x CD audio-in connector

• 1 x CIR pin header

• 1 x FIR pin header

• 2 x Fan connectors

BIOS

• Award BIOS with 2Mbit flash memory capacity

Form Factor

• Mini-ITX (4 layers)

• 17 cm X 17 cm

3

Chapter 1

M

AINBOARD LAYOUT

J7

CD-ROM

Line-in

J8

Wake on

Modem

PCI Slot

J3

Front Panel

Connector

J2

Auto Reboot

Jumper

J6

CIR

BIOS

ROM

CR2032
Battery

VT8231

South

Bridge

J5

FIR

FAN 1

FAN 2

J12

Video-in

Connector

EBGA

Processor

IDE 2

ATX Power Connector

DIMM 1

DIMM 2

J9

USB

IDE 1

J10
Clear
CMOS

VT8601A

North

Bridge

4

Specifications

B

ACK PANEL LAYOUT

PS2

Mouse

Port

PS2

Keyboard

Port

Parallel Port

VGA Port

USB Ports

LAN Port

Serial Port

Line-inLine-out Mic-in

5

Chapter 1

B

ACK PANEL PORTS

Port Description Page

Audio ports Line-out, Line-in and Mic-in 19
COM Serial port 18
LPT Parallel port 19
PS/2 Mouse PS/2 mouse port 18
PS/2 Keyboard PS/2 keyboard port 18
RJ45 RJ45 port 19
USB USB 1.1 ports 19
VGA VGA port 18

S

LOTS

Port Description Page

DDR DIMM Memory module slot 13
PCI Expansion card slot 31

6

Specifications

O

NBOARD CONNECTORS

Connector Description Page

ATXPWR Power cable connector 16
FAN1-2 CPU fan connector 12
IDE 1-2 IDE drive connectors 20
J3 Front panel connector 21
J5 FIR connector 22
J6 CIR connector 23
J7 Onboard CD audio cable connector 25
J8 Wake-on Modem 27
J9 Universal Serial Bus 1.1 connector 24
J12 VIP connector 26

O

NBOARD JUMPERS

Jumper Description Page

J2 Auto Reboot Function 30
J10 Reset CMOS settings 29

7

Chapter 1

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8

HAPTER

C

2

Installation

This chapter provides you with information about hardware
installation procedures. It is recommended to use a grounded wrist
strap before handling computer components. Electrostatic discharge
(ESD) can damage some components.

9

Chapter 2

CPU

The VIA C3 E-Series Processor

The VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard includes an embedded VIA C3 or Eden

Processor. The VIA C3 Processor provides ultra-low power consumption and

advanced thermal dissipation properties. The VIA C3 Processor requires

heatsink and a CPU fan to provide sufficient cooling. Ensure that the CPU

fan is correctly installed as shown.

10

Installation

The VIA Eden Processor

Providing ultra-low power consumption and advanced thermal dissipation

properties, the VIA Eden Processor features a fanless design. The VIA Eden

Processor requires only a heatsink as shown.

Caution:

This mainboard is not designed to support overclocking. Any attempt to
operate beyond product specifications is not recommended. We do not

guarantee against damages or risks caused by inadequate operation or
beyond product specifications.

11

Chapter 2

CPU Fan and System Fan: CPUFAN and SYSFAN

The CPUFAN (CPU fan) and SYSFAN (system fan) run on +12V and maintain

system cooling. When connecting the wire to the connectors, always be

aware that the red wire is the Positive and should be connected to the +12V.

The black wire is Ground and should always be connected to GND. The CPU

system and power fan connectors have sensors to support fan monitoring.

FAN1

FAN2

VT8601A

VT8231

South

Bridge

North

Bridge

12

EBGA

Processor

Installation

M

EMORY MODULE INSTALLATION

The VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard provides one 168-pin DIMM slot for

PC100/133 SDRAM memory modules and supports memory sizes up to

512MB per slot.

DDR SDRAM Module Installation Procedures

• Locate the DIMM sockets in the motherboard.

VT8601A

VT8231

South

Bridge

North

Bridge

13

EBGA

Processor

DIMMs

Chapter 2

• Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.

• Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM

matches the break on the socket.

• Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap

back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

14

Installation

Available DDR SDRAM Configurations

Refer to the table below for available DDR SDRAM configurations on the

mainboard.

Slot Module Size Total

DIMM 1 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB 32MB-512MB
DIMM 2 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB 32MB-512MB
Maximum supported system memory 1GB

15

Chapter 2

C

ONNECTING THE POWER SUPPLY

The VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard supports a conventional ATX power supply

for the power system. Before inserting the power supply connector, always

make sure that all components are installed correctly to ensure that no

damage will be caused.

ATX 20-Pin Power Connector

To connect the ATX power supply, make sure the power plug is inserted in

the proper orientation and the pins are aligned. Then push down the plug

firmly into the connector.

VT8601A

VT8231

South

Bridge

North

Bridge

16

EBGA

Processor

ATX

Connector

Installation

ATX 20 Pin Power Connector

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 +3.3V 11 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 12 -12V
3 GND 13 GND
4 +5V 14 Power Supply On
5 GND 15 GND
6 +5V 16 GND
7 GND 17 GND
8 Power Good 18 NC
9 +5V Standby 19 +5V
10 +12V 20 +5V

17

Chapter 2

B

ACK PANEL PORTS

The back panel has the following ports:

Keyboard and Mouse

The green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse. The purple

connector is for a PS/2 keyboard.

VGA Out

The 15-pin female VGA connector can be used to

connect to any analog VGA monitor.

Serial port: COM 1

This 9-pin COM 1 port is for pointing devices or other

serial devices.

18

Installation

RJ45 10/100 LAN Connector

The mainboard provides a standard RJ-45 port. This port

allows connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a

network hub

USB 1.1 ports 1and 2

These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for

connecting USB 1.1 devices.

LPT port

The 25-pin female parallel port for connecting

printers supports Enhanced Parallel Port and

Extended Capabilities Port modes.

Audio Port:

Line Out jack

This Line Out (lime) jack connects a headphone or a speaker.

Line In jack

This Line In (light blue) jack connects a tape player or other audio devices.

Microphone jack

This Mic (pink) jack connects a microphone.

19

Chapter 2

C

ONNECTORS

Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2

The two IDE connectors support Ultra DMA 33/66/100 modes. Both IDE

connectors can connect a master and a slave drive. The IDE connectors can

support up to four IDE devices.

If two drives are connected to a single cable, the jumper on the second

drive must be set to slave mode. Refer to the drive documentation supplied

by the vendor for the jumper settings.

VT8601A

VT8231

South

Bridge

North

Bridge

20

EBGA

Processor

Primary IDE

Secondary IDE

Installation

Front Panel Connectors: J3

The J3 pin header allows you to connect the power switch, reset switch,

power LED, HDD LED and the case speaker.

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 HDD LED+ 2 Power LED+
3 HDD LED- 4 N/A
5 Power Switch 6 Power LED­7 Power Switch 8 N/A
9 Reset Switch 10 N/A
11 Reset Switch 12 N/A

VT8231

South

Bridge

Front Panel
Connectors

21

VT8601A

North
Bridge

EBGA

Processor

Chapter 2

FIR Module Connector: J5

This pin header is used to connect to a Fast IrDA module. The BIOS

settings must be configured to activate the IR function.

Pin Signal Description

1 +3V VCC
2 IRRX FIR/SIR Data Receive
3 IRRX2 SIR Data Receive
4 GND Ground
5 IRTX FIR/SIR Data Transmit

VT8601A

FIR

VT8231

South

Bridge

22

North

Bridge

EBGA

Processor

Installation

CIR Module Connector: J6

This pin header is used to connect to a Consumer IrDA module.

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 +5V 2 GND
3 KB_CLK 4 KB_DATA
5 EKBCLK 6 EKBDATA
7 MS_CLK 8 MS_DATA
9 EMCLK 10 EMDATA

CIR

VT8231

South

Bridge

VT8601A

23

North

Bridge

EBGA

Processor

Chapter 2

USB Pin Connector: J9

The mainboard provides 1 front USB pin header connectors, allowing up to 2

additional USB 1.1 ports. Connect each 2-port USB cable into each pin

headers. These ports can be used to connect USB interface peripherals such

as USB HDD, digital cameras, MP3 players, printers, modem, etc.

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 +5V 2 GND
3 USB P2- 4 USB P2+
5 USB P3- 6 USB P3+
7 -OC2 8 -OC3

USB

VT8601A

VT8231

South

Bridge

North

Bridge

24

EBGA

Processor

Installation

CD Audio Connector: J7

This connector allows you to receive stereo audio input from sound source

such as a CD-ROM.

Pin Signal

1 Left channel
2 GND
3 GND
4 Right channel

CD-in

VT8231

South

Bridge

VT8601A

25

North

Bridge

EBGA

Processor

Chapter 2

Video-in Connector (Pins 1-12): J12

The Video-in connector (pins 1-12) allows you to connect from an external

video source. The PCI riser card connector (pins 13-16) allows you to

connect a PCI riser card module.

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 GND 2 CVD0
3 CVD7 4 CVD4
5 CVD6 6 CVD5
7 CVHS 8 CVD2
9 CVD1 10 CVD3
11 CVVS 12 CVCLK
13 A_D30 14 N/A
15 -GNT2 16 -REQ2

PCI Riser Card

Connector

VT8601A

VT8231

South

Bridge

North

Bridge

26

Video-in

Connector

EBGA

Processor

Installation

Wake-on Modem: J8

The Wake-on Modem connector enables a modem with the Wake-on Modem

feature to power up the system when a ring-in signal is received through the

modem.

Wake-on

Modem

VT8231

South

Bridge

VT8601A

North

Bridge

EBGA

Processor

27

Chapter 2

J

UMPERS

The mainboard provides jumpers for setting some mainboard functions.

This section will explain how to change the settings of the mainboard

functions using the jumpers.

Clear CMOS

Auto Reboot

VT8231

South

Bridge

VT8601A

North

Bridge

EBGA

Processor

28

Installation

Clear CMOS: J10

This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS.

You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time and system setup parameters

by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard

1 1

button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS

that include system setup information such as

system passwords.

1-2: Normal (Default)
2-3: Clear CMOS

To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Remove the onboard battery

3. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep cap

on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to pins

1-2.

4. Replace the battery.

5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.

6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS

setup to re-enter data.

Caution:

Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on
CLEAR_CMOS jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause
system boot failure. Avoid clearing the CMOS while the system is on; it
will damage the mainboard.

29

Chapter 2

Auto Reboot Function Setting: J2

This jumper enables or disables the Auto Reboot function. When enabled,

the system will automatically reboot in the event of a sudden power

interruption.

30

Installation

S

LOTS

Peripheral Component Interconnect: PCI

The PCI slot allows you to insert PCI expansion card. When adding or

removing expansion card, first unplug the power supply. Read the

documentation for the expansion card if any changes to the system are

necessary.

PCI Slot

VT8231

South

Bridge

31

VT8601A

North

Bridge

EBGA

Processor

Chapter 2

PCI Interrupt Request Routing

The IRQ (interrupt request line) are hardware lines over which devices can

send interrupt signals to the microprocessor. The “PCI & LAN” IRQ pins are

typically connected to the PCI bus INT A# ~ INT D# pins as follows:

Order 1 Order 2 Order 3 Order 4

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

32

HAPTER

C

3

BIOS Setup

This chapter gives a detailed explanation of the BIOS setup functions.

33

Chapter 3

E

NTERING SETUP

Power on the computer and press <Delete> during the beginning of the

boot sequence to enter the BIOS setup menu. If you missed the BIOS setup

entry point, you may restart the system and try again.

34

BIOS Setup

C

ONTROL KEYS

Keys Description

Up Arrow Move to the previous item
Down Arrow Move to the next item
Left Arrow Move to the item in the left side
Right Arrow Move to the item in the right side
Enter Select the item
Escape Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu

Page Up / + Increase the numeric value or make changes
Page Down / - Decrease the numeric value or make changes
F1 General help, only for Status Page Setup Menu and

F5 Restore the previous CMOS value from CMOS, only for

F6 Load the default CMOS value from Fail-Safe default table,

F7 Load Optimized defaults
F9 Jumps to the Main Menu
F10 Save all the CMOS changes and exit

from a submenu

Option Page Setup Menu

Option Page Setup Menu

only for Option Page Setup Menu

35

Chapter 3

N

AVIGATING THE

The main menu displays all the BIOS setup categories. Use the control keys

Up/Down arrow keys to select any item/sub-menu. Description of the

selected/highlighted category is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

An arrow symbol next to a field indicates that a sub-menu is available (see

figure below). Press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. To exit the sub-

menu, press <Esc>.

BIOS M

ENUS

36

BIOS Setup

G

ETTING HELP

The BIOS setup program provides a “General Help” screen. You can display

this screen from any menu/sub-menu by pressing <F1>. The help screen

displays the keys for using and navigating the BIOS setup. Press <Esc> to

exit the help screen.

37

Chapter 3

M

AIN MENU

Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu to set basic system configurations.

Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to set the advanced features available on your system.

Advanced Chipset Features

Use this menu to set chipset specific features and optimize system

performance.

Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to set onboard peripherals features.

Power Management Setup

Use this menu to set onboard power management functions.

PnP/PCI Configurations

Use this menu to set the PnP and PCI configurations.

38

BIOS Setup

PC Health Status

This menu shows the PC health status.

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

Use this menu option to load the BIOS default settings for minimal and

stable system operations.

Load Optimized Defaults

Use this menu option to load BIOS default settings for optimal and high

performance system operations.

Set Supervisor Password

Use this menu option to set the BIOS supervisor password.

Set User Password

Use this menu option to set the BIOS user password.

Save & Exit Setup

Save BIOS setting changes and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Discard all BIOS setting changes and exit setup.

39

Chapter 3

S

TANDARD

CMOS F

EATURES

Date

The date format is [Day, Month Date Year]

Time

The time format is [Hour : Minute : Second]

Video

Set the video mode.

Settings: [EVGA/VGA, CGA 40, CGA 80, Mono]

40

BIOS Setup

Halt On

Sets the system’s response to specific boot errors. Below is a table that

details the possible settings.

Setting Description

All Errors System halts when any error is detected
No Errors System does not halt for any error
All but Keyboard System halts for all non-key errors
All but Diskette System halts for all non-diskette errors
All but Disk/Key System halts for all errors (except diskette or keyboard

errors)

41

Chapter 3

IDE D

RIVES

The specifications of your drive must match with the drive table. The hard

disk will not work properly if you enter incorrect information in this category.

Select “Auto” whenever possible. If you select “Manual”, make sure the

information is from your hard disk vendor or system manufacturer. Below is

a table that details required hard drive information when using the “Manual”

mode.

Setting Description

IDE Channel The name of this item will match the name of the menu

Access Mode Settings: [CHS, LBA, Large, Auto]
Capacity 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
PIO Mode Settings: [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]

(e.g. IDE Primary Master).
Settings: [None, Auto, Manual]

42

BIOS Setup

A

DVANCED

BIOS F

EATURES

Virus Warning

Setting Description

Enabled Turns on hard disk boot sector virus protection
Disabled Turns off hard disk boot sector virus protection

CPU Internal Cache

Setting Description

Enabled Turns on CPU internal cache
Disabled Turns off CPU internal cache

External Cache

Setting Description

Enabled Enables the CPU L2 cache
Disabled Disables the CPU L2 cache

43

Chapter 3

CPU L2 Cachw ECC Checking

Setting Description

Enabled Enables ECC for L2 cache
Disabled Disables ECC for L2 cache

Quick Power On Self-Test

Shortens Power On Self-Test (POST) cycle to enable shorter boot up time.

Setting Description

Enabled Shorten Power On Self Test (POST) cycle and bootup time
Disabled Standard Power On Self Test (POST)

First/Second/Third Boot Device

Set the boot device sequence as BIOS attempts to load the disk operating

system.

Setting Description

LS120 Boot from LS-120 drive
HDD-0 Boot from the first HDD
SCSI Boot from SCSI
CD-ROM Boot from CD-ROM
HDD-1 Boot from the second HDD
HDD-2 Boot from the third HDD
HDD-3 Boot from the fourth HDD
ZIP100 Boot from ATAPI ZIP drive
USB-FDD Boot from USB floppy drive
USB-ZIP Boot from USB ZIP drive
USB-CDROM Boot from USB CDROM
LAN Boot from network drive
Disabled Disable the boot device sequence

44

BIOS Setup

Boot Other Device

Enables the system to boot from alternate devices if the system fails to boot

from the “First/Second/Third Boot Device” list.

Setting Description

Enabled Enable alternate boot device
Disabled No alternate boot device allowed

Boot Up NumLock Status

Set the NumLock status when the system is powered on.

Setting Description

On Forces keypad to behave as 10-key
Off Forces keypad to behave as arrow keys

Gate A20 Option

Sets the Gate A20 option.

Settings: [Normal, Fast]

Typematic Rate Setting

Enables “Typematic Rate” and “Typematic Delay” functions.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

This item sets the rate (characters/second) at which the system retrieves a

signal from a depressed key.

Settings: [6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 24, 30]

Typematic Delay (Msec)

This item sets the delay between when the key was first pressed and when

the system begins to repeat the signal from the depressed key.

Settings: [250, 500, 750, 1000]

45

Chapter 3

Security Option

Selects whether the password is required every time the System boots, or

only when you enter Setup.

Setting Description

Setup Password prompt appears only when end users try to run

System Password prompt appears every time when the computer is

BIOS Setup

powered on and when end users try to run BIOS Setup

OS Select for DRAM > 64MB

Select the OS type used.

Settings: [Non-OS2, OS2]

Video BIOS Shadow

Enable shadow for the Video BIOS.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

C8000-CBFFF Shadow

Enable shadow in the C8000-CBFFF region.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

CC000-CFFFF Shadow

Enable shadow in the C8000-CFFFF region.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

D0000-D3FFF Shadow

Enable shadow in the D0000-D3FFF region.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

D4000-D7FFF Shadow

Enable shadow in the D4000-D7FFF region.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

46

BIOS Setup

D8000-DBFFF Shadow

Enable shadow in the D8000-DBFFF region.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

DC000-DFFFF Shadow

Enable shadow in the DC000-DFFFF region.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

47

Chapter 3

A

DVANCED CHIPSET FEATURES

Caution:

The Advanced Chipset Features menu is used for optimizing the chipset
functions. Do not change these settings unless you are familiar with the
chipset.

Memory Hole

Select whether to have a memory hole at 15M to 16M area.

Settings: [Disabled, 15M-16M]

System BIOS Cacheable

Cache the System BIOS.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

Video RAM Cacheable

Cache the Video RAM.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

48

BIOS Setup

TV Standard

Set the TV Standard of the TV output.

Settings: [NTSC, PAL]

TV Display Type

Set the TV display type.

Settings: [Underscan, Overscan]

TV Dot Crawl Type

Set the TV Dot Crawl Type.

Settings: [DeDot, Dot]

49

Chapter 3

DRAM C

LOCK/DRIVE CONTROL

DRAM Clock

Set the DRAM Clock.

Settings: [Host CLK, HCLK-33M, By Auto]

DRAM Timing By SPD

Set the DRAM Timing by SPD.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

SDRAM Cycle Length

Set the DRAM Cycle Length.

Settings: [3, 2]

Bank Interleave

Set the Bank Interleave mode.

Settings: [Disabled, 2 Bank, 4 Bank]

50

BIOS Setup

AGP

AND

P2P B

RIDGE CONTROL

AGP Aperture Size

Set the AGP Aperture Size.

Settings: [256M, 128M, 64M, 32M, 16M, 8M, 4M]

AGP Master 1 WS Write

Set the AGP Master 1 WS Write.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

AGP Master 1 WS Read

Set the AGP Master 1 WS Read.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

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Chapter 3

CPU

AND

PCI B

US CONTROL

P2C/C2P Concurrency

Set the P2C/C2P Concurrency.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

Fast R-W Turn Around

Set the Fast R-W Turn Around.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

CPU to PCI Write Buffer

Set the CPU to PCI Write Buffer.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

PCI Dynamic Bursting

Set the PCI Dynamic Bursting.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

52

BIOS Setup

PCI Master 0 WS Write

Set the PCI Master 0 WS Write.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

PCI Delay Transaction

Set the PCI Delay Transaction.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

PCI #2 Access #1 Retry

Set the PCI #2 Access #1 Retry.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

53

Chapter 3

I

NTEGRATED PERIPHERALS

Init Display First

This setting specifies which VGA card is you primary graphics adapter.

Settings: [PCI Slot, AGP]

Frame Buffer Size

This setting specifies the frame buffer size.

Settings: [2M, 4M, 8M]

OnChip USB

Set the state of the OnChip USB.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

USB Keyboard Support

This setting specifies whether the BIOS will support USB keyboards.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

54

BIOS Setup

IDE HDD Block Mode

This setting specifies if the IDE hard drive supports block mode.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

55

Chapter 3

VIA ONC

HIP

IDE D

EVICE

Onboard IDE Channel 0 and 1

The integrated peripheral controller contains an IDE interface with support

for two IDE channels.

Setting Description

Enabled Activates each channel separately
Disabled Deactivates IDE channels

IDE Prefetch Mode

This allows the hard disk controller to use the fast block mode to transfer

data to and from the hard disk drive. Block mode is also called block

transfer, multiple commands or multiple sector read / write.

Setting Description

Enabled Block mode
Disabled Standard mode

56

BIOS Setup

Primary Master/Slave PIO

These settings specify the PIO mode for the Primary Master/Slave IDE

devices.

Settings: [Auto, Mode 0, Mode 1, Mode 2, Mode 3, Mode 4]

Secondary Master/Slave PIO

These settings specify the PIO mode for the Secondary Master/Slave IDE

devices.

Settings: [Auto, Mode 0, Mode 1, Mode 2, Mode 3, Mode 4]

Primary Master/Slave UDMA

These settings specify the UDMA mode for the Primary Master/Slave IDE

devices.

Settings: [Disabled, Auto]

Secondary Master/Slave UDMA

These settings specify the UDMA mode for the Secondary Master/Slave IDE

devices.

Settings: [Disabled, Auto]

57

Chapter 3

VIA ONC

HIP

PCI D

EVICE

AC’97 Audio

Auto allows the mainboard to detect whether an audio device is used. If the

device is detected, the onboard VIA AC'97 (Audio Codec'97) controller will

be enabled; otherwise, it is disabled. Disable the controller if another

controller card is being used to connect to an audio device.

Setting Description

Auto Enables onboard controller if audio device is detected
Disabled Turn off onboard controller to allow external controller

VIA OnChip LAN

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

OnBoard Legacy Audio

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

58

BIOS Setup

Sound Blaster

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

SB I/O Base Address

Set the Sound Blaster I/O base address.

Settings: [220H, 240H, 260H, 280H]

SB IRQ Select

Set the Sound Blaster IRQ.

Settings: [IRQ5, IRQ7, IRQ9, IRQ10]

SB DMA Select

Set the Sound Blaster DMA channel.

Settings: [DMA 0, DMA 1, DMA 2, DMA 3]

MPU-401

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

MPU-401 I/O Address

Set the MPU-401 I/O address

Settings: [300-303H, 310-313H, 320-33H, 330-333H]

Game Port (200-207H)

Set the game port at address (200-207H).

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

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Chapter 3

S

UPER IO DEVICE

Onboard FDD Controller

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

Onboard Serial Port 1

Sets the base I/O port address and IRQ for the onboard serial ports A and B.

Selecting “Auto” allows the BIOS to automatically determine the correct base

I/O port address.

Port Settings

1 Disabled 3F8

IRQ4

2F8
IRQ3

3E8
IRQ4

2E8
IRQ3

Auto

Onboard Parallel Port

This specifies the I/O port address and IRQ of the onboard parallel port.
Settings: [Disabled, 378/IRQ7, 278/IRQ5, 3BC/IRQ7]

60

BIOS Setup

Onboard Parallel Mode

Set the parallel port mode. To operate the onboard parallel port as

Standard Parallel Port, choose

in the EPP mode, choose

will operate in ECP mode. Choosing

Normal

EPP

. By choosing

. To operate the onboard parallel port

ECP

, the onboard parallel port

ECP + EPP

will allow the onboard

parallel port to support both the ECP and EPP modes simultaneously.

Settings: [Normal, EPP, ECP, ECP + EPP]

ECP Mode Use DMA

ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) has two DMA channels that it can use. The

default channel is 3. However, some expansion cards may use channel 3 as

well. To solve this conflict, change the ECP channel to 1. Select a DMA

channel for the port.

Settings: [1, 3]

Parallel Port EPP Type

EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) comes in two modes: 1.9 and 1.7. EPP 1.9 is

the newer version of the protocol and is backwards compatible with most

EPP devices. If your EPP device does not work with the EPP 1.9 setting, try

changing the setting to EPP 1.7.

Settings: [EPP 1.9, EPP 1.7]

Onboard FIR Select

Enables the onboard FIR.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

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Chapter 3

P

OWER MANAGEMENT SETUP

ACPI Function

Activate the Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface

function.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

ACPI Suspend Type

Setting Description

S1(POS) S1/Power On Suspend (POS) is a low power state. In this

S3(STR) S3/Suspend To RAM (STR) is a power-down state. In this

S1 & S3 Depends on the OS to select S1 or S3.

state, no system context (CPU or chipset) is lost and
hardware maintains all system contexts.

state, power is supplied only to essential components such as
main memory and wakeup-capable devices. The system
context is saved to main memory, and context is restored
from the memory when a "wakeup" event occurs.

62

BIOS Setup

PM Control by APM

Specify whether the Power Management function is controlled by APM.

Settings: [No, Yes]

Video Off Option

Select whether or not to turn off the screen when system enters power

saving mode, ACPI OS such as Windows XP will override this option.

Setting Description

Always On Screen is always on even when system enters power

Suspend -> Off Screen is turned off when system enters power saving

saving mode

mode

Video Off Method

Select the method of turning video off.

Settings: [Blank Screen, V/H SYNC + Blank, DPMS Support]

Modem Use IRQ

Select the IRQ used by the modem.

Settings: [N/A, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11]

Soft-Off by PWRBTN

This field configures the power button on the chassis.

Setting Description

Delay 4 Sec System is turned off if power button is pressed for more than

Instant-Off Power button functions as a normal power-on/-off button

four seconds

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Chapter 3

AC Loss Auto restart

The field defines how the system will respond after an AC power loss during

system operation.

Setting Description

Off Keeps the system in an off state until the power button is

On Restarts the system when the power is back

pressed

64

BIOS Setup

P

OWER MANAGEMENT

Power Management

Set the power management function to preset options or user defined

parameters. Min Saving – minimal power saving, provides the optimal

performance. Max Saving – minimal power consumption.

Settings: [User Define, Min Saving, Max Saving]

HDD Power Down

Sets the length of time for a period of inactivity before powering down the

hard disk.

Settings: [Disabled, 1~15(minutes)]

Doze Mode

Only available if Power Management function is set to User Define.

Settings: [Disable, 1 Min, 2 Min, 4 Min, 6 Min, 8 Min, 10 Min, 20 Min, 30

Min, 40 Min, 1 Hour]

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Chapter 3

Suspend Mode

Only available if Power Management function is set to User Define.

Settings: [Disable, 1 Min, 2 Min, 4 Min, 6 Min, 8 Min, 10 Min, 20 Min, 30

Min, 40 Min, 1 Hour]

66

BIOS Setup

W

AKE UP EVENTS

PS2 KB Wakeup from S3

Enables any keyboard activity to restore the system from the power saving

mode to an active state.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

PS2 Mouse Wakeup from S3

Enables any mouse activity to restore the system from the power saving

mode to an active state.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

USB Resume from S3

Enables activity detected from USB devices to restore the system from a

suspended state to an active state.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

VGA

Enables the power management unit to monitor VGA activities.

Settings: [Off, On]

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Chapter 3

LPT & COM

Decide whether or not the power management unit should monitor parallel

port (LPT) and serial port (COM) activities.

Settings: [None, LPT, COM and LPT / COM]

HDD & FDD

Enables the power management unit to monitor hard disk and floppy disk

activities.

Settings: [Off, On]

PCI Master

Enables the power management unit to monitor PCI master activities.

Settings: [Off, On]

PowerOn by PCI Card

Enables activity detected from any PCI card to power up the system or

resume from a suspended state. Such PCI cards include LAN, onboard USB

ports, etc.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

Modem Ring Resume

Enables a modem Ring-in event to wake up the system from suspend state.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

RTC Alarm Resume

Sets a scheduled time and/or date to automatically power on the system.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

Date (of Month)

The field specifies the date for “RTC Alarm Resume”.

Resume Time (hh:mm:ss)

The field specifies the time for “RTC Alarm Resume”.

68

BIOS Setup

IRQS A

CTIVITIES

Primary INTR

Restores the system to an active state if IRQ activity is detected from any of

the enabled channels

Settings: [Off, On]

IRQ3~IRQ15

Enables or disables the monitoring of the specified IRQ line. These fields

are only available if “Primary INTR” is on.

Settings: [Enabled, Disabled]

Note:

IRQ (Interrupt Request) lines are system resources 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 IO device.

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Chapter 3

PNP/PCI C

ONFIGURATIONS

Note:

This section covers some very technical items and it is strongly
recommended to leave the default settings as is unless you are an
experienced user.

PNP OS Installed

Setting Description

Yes BIOS will only initialize the PnP cards used for booting

No BIOS will initialize all the PnP cards

(VGA, IDE, SCSI). The rest of the cards will be initialized
by the PnP operating system

Reset Configuration Data

This field should usually be left “Disabled”.

Setting Description

Enabled Resets the ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data)

Disabled Default setting

70

after exiting BIOS Setup if a newly installed PCI card or
the system configuration prevents the operating system
from loading

BIOS Setup

71

Chapter 3

Resource Controlled By

Enables the BIOS to automatically configure all the Plug-and-Play compatible

devices.

Setting Description

Auto(ESCD) BIOS will automatically assign IRQ, DMA and memory

Manual Unlocks “IRQ Resources” for manual configuration

base address fields

Assign IRQ For VGA/USB

Assign IRQ for VGA and USB devices.

Settings: [Disabled, Enabled]

72

BIOS Setup

IRQ R

ESOURCES

Note:

The items are adjustable only when “Resources Controlled By” is set to
“Manual.”

IRQ Resources list 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.

Setting Description

PCI Device For Plug-and-Play compatible devices designed for PCI bus

Reserved The IRQ will be reserved for other requests

architecture

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Chapter 3

DMA R

Resources list DMA 0/1/3/5/6/7 for users to set each DMA channel type.

Setting Description

PCI/ISA PnP For Plug & Play compatible devices designed for PCI bus

Legacy ISA For Legacy ISA devices.

ESOURCES

architecture.

74

BIOS Setup

PC H

EALTH STATUS

The PC Health Status displays the current status of all of the monitored

hardware devices/components such as CPU voltages, temperatures and fan

speeds.

75

Chapter 3

L

OAD DEFAULTS

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

This option is for restoring all the default fail-safe BIOS settings. These

values are set by the mainboard manufacturer to provide a stable system

with basic performance.

Entering “Y” loads the default fail-safe BIOS values.

Load Optimized Defaults

This option is for restoring all the default optimized BIOS settings. The

default optimized values are set by the mainboard manufacturer to provide a

stable system with optimized performance.

Entering “Y” loads the default optimized BIOS values.

76

BIOS Setup

S

ET SUPERVISOR / USER PASSWORD

This option is for setting a password for entering BIOS Setup. When a

password has been set, a password prompt will be displayed whenever BIOS

Setup is run. This prevents an unauthorized person from changing any part

of your system configuration.

There are two types of passwords you can set. A supervisor password and a

user password. When a supervisor password is used, the BIOS Setup

program can be accessed and the BIOS settings can be changed. When a

user password is used, the BIOS Setup program can be accessed but the

BIOS settings cannot be changed.

To set the password, type the password (up to eight characters in length)

and press <Enter>. The password typed now will clear any previously set

password from CMOS memory. The new password will need to be reentered

to be confirmed. To cancel the process press <Esc>.

To disable the password, press <Enter> when prompted to enter a new

password. A message will show up to confirm disabling the password. To

cancel the process press <Esc>.

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Chapter 3

Additionally, when a password is enabled, the BIOS can be set to request

the password each time the system is booted. This would prevent

unauthorized use of the system. See “Security Option” in the “Advanced

BIOS Features” section for more details.

78

BIOS Setup

S

AVE & EXIT SETUP

Entering “Y” saves any changes made and exits the program.

Entering “N” will cancel the exit request.

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Chapter 3

E

XIT WITHOUT SAVING

Entering “Y” discards any changes made and exits the program.

Entering “N” will cancel the exit request.

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BIOS Setup

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81

HAPTER

C

4

Driver Installation

This chapter gives you brief descriptions of each mainboard driver
and application. You must install the VIA chipset drivers first before
installing other drivers such as audio or VGA drivers. The
applications will only function correctly if the necessary drivers are
already installed.

82

Driver Installation

D

RIVER UTILITIES

Getting Started

The mainboard includes a Driver Utilities CD that contains the driver utilities

and software for enhancing the performance of the mainboard. If the CD is

missing from the retail box, please contact the local dealer for the CD.

Note:

The driver utilities and software are updated from time to time. The
latest updated versions are available at http://www.viaembedded.com./

83

Chapter 4

Running the Driver Utilities CD

To start using the CD, insert the CD into the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.

The CD should run automatically after closing the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM

drive. The driver utilities and software menu screen should then appear on

the screen. If the CD does not run automatically, click on the “Start” button

and select “Run…” Then type: "D:\Setup.exe".

Note:

D: might not be the drive letter of the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM in your
system.

84

Driver Installation

CD C

ONTENT

VIA 4in1 Drivers: Contains VIA ATAPI Vendor Support

Driver (enables the performance enhancing bus mastering
functions on ATA-capable Hard Disk Drives and ensures IDE
device compatibility), AGP VxD Driver (provides service
routines to your VGA driver and interface directly to
hardware, providing fast graphical access), IRQ Routing
Miniport Driver (sets the system's PCI IRQ routing sequence)
and VIA INF Driver (enables the VIA Power Management
function).

VIA Graphics Driver: Enhances the onboard VIA graphic

chip.

VIA Audio Driver: Enhances the onboard VIA audio chip.
VIA USB 1.1 Driver: Enhances VIA USB 1.1 ports.
VIA LAN Driver: Enhances the onboard VIA LAN chip.
VIA FIR Driver: Support for FIR.

85