This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
WARNING! Any changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void any assurances of safety or performance and could result in violation of Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washington DC: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Government Printing Office.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numrique de la classe B est conforme la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

1. INTRODUCTION

This manual is divided into the following sections: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. INTRODUCTION FEATURES HARDWARE SETUP BIOS SETUP SOFTWARE SETUP SOFTWARE REFERENCE APPENDIX Manual information and checklist Production information and specifications Instructions on setting up the motherboard. Instructions on setting up the BIOS Instructions on setting up the included software Reference material for the included software Optional items and general reference

1.2 Item Checklist

Check that your package is complete. If you discover damaged or missing items, contact your retailer. Package Contents Optional Items (1) ASUS Motherboard ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared module (1) 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon cable for internal ASUS AGP-DVI/TV Card UltraDMA100/66//33 IDE drives (1) extra 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon cable (1) Ribbon cable for two 3.5 floppy disk drives (1) ASUS Support CD with drivers and utilities (1) Bag of spare jumper caps (1) ASUS 2-port USB Connector Set (1) ACR-A6CH Audio Card (1) Quick Set-up Guide and Reference Card (Retail Box only) (2) Games CD (Retail Box only) (1) Users Manual

1. INTRODUCTION Manual / Checklist
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized

2. FEATURES

2.1 ASUS A7N266-E Motherboard
The ASUS A7N266-E motherboard is a high-performance motherboard powered by AMD Athlon XP / Athlon /Duron processors. It sports the new nVidia nForce 420-D chipset and features GeForce2 MX GPU performance. The board offers users advanced features to provide superlative performance. The A7N266-E meets todays demand for a superior quality, fully integrated system.
2.1.1 Core Specifications
AMD Athlon XP / Athlon / Duron Processor support: Features the latest AMDs, 500MHz to 1.6 GHz and higher. North Bridge System Chipset: Features the brand new nVidia nForce IGP128 integrated GPU/North Bridge controller chipset. The controller supports a 64/128bit DDR memory controller integrated with a GeForce2 MX-class advanced Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with a high performance dual pixel processing pipeline, a 256-bit 3D/2D graphics accelerator that supplies per pixel shading rasterization and a full AGP 4X interface, a digital video interface to DVI transmitters /TV encoders and an interface for up to 1.5 GB of 266/200MHz DDR SDRAM memory. The 128bit memory controller provides a phenomenal 4.2 GB/second system memory bandwidth. South Bridge System Chipset: Features the brand new nVidia nForce MCP-D integrated peripheral South Bridge controller operates at 800MB/sec to communicate with the North Bridge for maximum bandwith required for PCI, USB and support for Fast Ethernet devices. The chipset has an integrated APU (Audio Processing Unit) that provides 6-Channel AC97 compliant 3D positional audio and Dolby digital encoding. The controller supports standard UltraDMA/ 100/66/33 for burst mode data transfer rates of up to 100MB/sec. Separate data paths for each IDE channel are built-in to support up to four IDE devices. The controller supports six USB ports and 5 PCI slots and is PCI rev 2.2 compliant. The MCP supplies an LPC 1.0 interface along with AT legacy functions, a clock synthesizer, and meets ACPI 1.0 and PCI Power Management 1.1 specifications. PC2100 / PC1600 DDR Support: Equipped with three Double Data Rate Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 1.5GB of DDR DRAM. DDR DRAM supplies the highest bandwidth (64/128 bit) and offers the lowest latency currently available, improving the memory systems ability to service multimedia requirements. Easy Frequency Changes: Now, easily overclock all important frequency settings - simply and quickly with the onboard BIOS firmware. Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware enables Vcore and CPU/DDR SDRAM frequency adjustments, boot-block write protection, enhanced ACPI, DMI, Green and PnP Features Plus.

2. FEATURES Specifications

2.1.2 Connections

CPU socket: Socket A (462) for Athlon XP / Athlon / Duron processors. PCI Expansion Slots: Provides five 32-bit PCI slots, (PCI 2.2 compliant) with no ISA. All PCI slots can support Bus Master PCI cards, such as SCSI or LAN cards. (PCI supports up to 133MB/s maximum throughput.) The MB supports Concurrent PCI, which allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI master bus to the memory and processor. IDE connectors: Dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support up to four Ultra DMA/100/66, PIO Modes 3 & 4 IDE devices like two HDDs, one DVD and an R/W CD. AGP Pro Slot: Comes with an Accelerated Graphics Port Pro slot that supports AGP cards for high performance, component level interconnect targeted at 3D graphical applications using a 4X mode bus. The slot is keyed to support only the latest 1.5 volt AGP cards. Floppy disk connector: Supports the floppy disk drive. USB ports: Six Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB devices such as a mouse and PDA. Serial ports: Two 9-pin COM1/COM2 ports are for all serial devices. IrDA: Supports an optional infrared port module for a wireless interface. Game/MIDI connector. This connector supports a joystick or a game pad for playing games. Parallel port: 25-pin port connects a parallel printer or other devices. PS/2 mouse port: Green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse. PS/2 keyboard port: Purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 keyboard. Onboard Power LED: Signals AC power is okay. Onboard AGP Warning LED: Signals AGP configuration problems. ATX power connector. Supplies the MB with ATX power. The power supply must have at least 1A on the +5V standby lead (+5VSB).

2.1.3 Special Features

ACR-A6CH-Audio Card: 6-Channel audio along with modem connectivity! The ACR-A6CH Audio Communications Riser card does it all! Specially designed as a super-connector, the ACR includes two onboard AC97 audio CODEC chips; together, the chips supply phenomenal fidelity, including the new S/PDIF digital audio format. The ACR-A6CH supports a modem connection and three connectors can supply three sets of speakers for full 6-channel sound. See page 29 and 30 for layout and installation.
2.1.4 Performance and Intelligence
UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE controller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two channels. Supports UltraDMA/100, UltraDMA/66, UltraDMA/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4, Bus Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives. Super Multi-I/O: The multi-I/O chipset offers complete support for a variety of I/O functions. Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities. UART2 can also be directed from COM2 to the Infrared Module for wireless connections. The Super I/O controller also supports a floppy disk drive, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse. DDR DRAM Optimized Performance: Normal Double Data Rate Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDR DRAM) executes two actions per clock cycle and sets a new standard data transfer of up to 2.1 GB/s for 133MHz DDR DRAM and 1.6GB/s for 100MHz DDR DRAM. New nVidia TwinBank technology harnesses the DDR and doubles the Double Data Rate: the chipset further multiplies the bandwith by 2 to offer a fabulously broad 4.2 GBs of memory bandwidth! (At least two of three DDR DIMM modules must be installed to activate this feature.) Onboard Audio: Bundled with the ASUS ACR-A6CH card for superlative audio support complete with two AC97 CODEC chips. Multiple audio outputs are available, including S/PDIF_OUT digital audio plus connectors for 6-Channel speaker systems. APU: The chipset has an integrated APU (Audio Processing Unit) that provides 6-Channel AC97 compliant 3D positional audio and Dolby digital encoding. C.O.P. Thermal Protection: With AMD Athlon XP installed, the motherboard offers users ASUS C.O.P. automatic CPU Overheating Protection to prolong the life of the entire system. If the CPU temperature exceeds 95 Celsius, the PC shuts down automatically. ACPI Ready: Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct Power Management (OSPM) functionality. With these features employed in the OS, PCs can be ready around the clock but comply with energy saving standards. To fully utilize the ACPI benefits, use an ACPI-supported OS such as Windows XP. PC99 Compliant: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of ASUS smart series motherboards are PC99 compliant. The new PC99 requirements for systems and components are based on the following high-level goals: Support for Plugn-Play compatibility and power management to configure and manage all system components. in all major OS systems. Color-coded connectors and descriptive icons make identification easy as required by PC99.

3) CPU:DRAM Frequency Setting (BSEL0, BSEL1) This jumper sets the external CPU:DRAM frequency ratio for normal operation. The default operates at 100:100 Mhz. Note: To make any changes to jumper speed settings, the JEN jumper must be set to [1-2]. CPU DRAM BSEL0 [1-2] [2-3] [2-3] [1-2] (Default)
BSEL1 [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [2-3] (Default)
3 JEN BSEL0 BSEL1 CPU 133MHz DRAM 133MHz 3 JEN BSEL0 BSEL1 CPU 100MHz DRAM 133MHz JEN BSEL0 BSEL1
JEN [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [1-2]
3 JEN BSEL0 BSEL1 CPU 133MHz DRAM 100MHz 3
CPU 100MHz DRAM 100MHz (Default)
4) Voltage Regulator Output Setting (VID1, VID2, VID3, VID4) This jumpers allow you to manually adjust the CPU core voltage. It is recommended to use CPU Default as the CPU core voltage. CPU Default means the Vcore is generated according to the CPU VID configuration. For each jumper setting, there are two voltage options, depending on the CPU used.
VID1 VID2 VID3 VID4 VID1 VID2 VID3 VID4

VID1 VID2 VID3 VID4

A7N266-E CPU Core Voltage Selection
5) DDR Voltage Setting (VDDR) This jumper controls the voltage output to the DDR memory DRAMS. Less strain is placed on components at lower voltage settings. Setting 2.7V 2.6V 2.5V
VDDR [1-2] [2-3] (default) [3-4]

2.6V (Default)

A7N266-E VDDR Setting

(CPU Default)

1.85/1.825Volts

1.80/1.775Volts

VID1 VID2 VID3 VID4 1.75/1.725Volts VID1 VID2 VID3 VID4

1.70/1.675Volts

6) USB Device Wake-up (USB01PWR / USB23PWR / USB45PWR) Set these jumpers to +5V to allow wake up from the S1 sleep state (CPU stopped; RAM refreshed; system running in low power mode). The default setting for the three jumpers is [1-2] to select +5V, since not all computers have the appropriate power supply. NOTE: This feature requires an ATX power supply that can supply at least 2A on the +5VSB lead when these jumpers are set to +5VSB. Otherwise, the system does not power up. The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability (+5VSB) for normal working conditions or in sleep mode.

+5V (Default) +5VSB

A7N266-E USB Device Wake Up
7) Clear RTC RAM (2-pin CLR_RTC) This jumper allows you to reset the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. The RAM data in CMOS, that include system setup information such as system passwords, is powered by the onboard button cell battery. Erase the RTC RAM: 1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Remove the battery. 3. Change the jumper from normal to clear CMOS for a few seconds then replace the jumper cap to the normal position. 4. Re-install the battery. 5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer. 6. Hold down the <Del> key during boot-up to enter BIOS setup.

A7N266-E Clear RTC RAM

USBPWR45 USBPWR23

+5V (Default)

Secondary IDE Connector

Primary IDE Connector

A7N266-E IDE Connectors

NOTE: Orient the red markings (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1.
12) CPU Fan, North Bridge Fan, and Chassis Fan Connectors (CPU, NB, CHA_FAN) The three fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA (4.2 Watts) or less. Orient the fans so that the heat sink fins allow airflow to go across the onboard heat sinks instead of the expansion slots. The fan wiring and plug may vary. Connect the fan cable to the connector making sure that the black wire matches the ground pin. NOTE: Use the Rotation signal only with a specially designed fan with a rotation signal. Monitor Rotations Per Minute (RPM) using ASUS PC Probe (see section 6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE). WARNING! Make sure to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of sufficient airflow within the system could cause damage to the motherboard. These are not jumpers, do not place jumper caps over these connectors!

GND +12V Rotation

A7N266-E 12-Volt Cooling Fan Power
13) Infrared Connector (10-1 pin IrDA) This connector supports an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared module to the CIR and SIR connectors for both wireless transmitting and remote control functions through an external infrared module. This connector supports an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared module. This module mounts to a small opening on system cases that support this feature. You must also configure the setting through UART2 Use Infrared (see 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration) to select whether UART2 is directed for use with COM2 or IrDA. Use the five pins as shown in Back View and connect a ribbon cable from the module to the motherboard SIR connector according to the pin definitions. (NOTE: The SIR module does not come with the motherboard package.)

SIR CIR

NC GND NC CIRRX +5VSB

IRRX GND IRTX

A7N266-E Infrared Connector
Standard Infrared (SIR) Front View Back View

IR_CON

IRTX GND IRRX

+5V (NC)

14) Power Supply Connectors (20-pin block ATXPWR) This connector supplies to an ATX 12V power supply. The plug from the power supply fits in only one orientation because of the different hole sizes. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly making sure that the pins are aligned. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the ATX 12V power supply (minimum recommended wattage: 230W) can supply at least 10mA on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). The system may become unstable and may experience difficulty powering up if the power supply is inadequate. For Wake-On-LAN support, the ATX power supply must supply at least 720mA +5VSB.

ATXPWR

+3.3VDC -12.0VDC COM PS_ON# COM COM COM -5.0VDC +5.0VDC +5.0VDC +3.3VDC +3.3VDC COM +5.0VDC COM +5.0VDC COM PWR_OK +5VSB +12.0VDC

Reset Ground

3.9 Starting Up the First Time
1. After all connections are made, close the system case cover. 2. Be sure that all switches are off (in some systems, marked with ). 3. Connect the power supply cord into the power supply located on the back of your system case according to your system users manual. 4. Connect the power cord into a power outlet that is equipped with a surge protector. 5. You may then turn on your devices in the following order: a. Your monitor b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain) c. Your system power. For ATX power supplies, you need to switch on the power supply as well as press the ATX power switch on the front of the case. 6. The power LED on the front panel of the system case will light. For ATX power supplies, the system LED will light when the ATX power switch is pressed. The LED on the monitor may light up or switch between orange and green after the systems if it complies with green standards or if it has a power standby feature. The system will then run power-on tests. While the tests are running, the BIOS will alarm beeps or additional messages will appear on the screen. If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you turn on the power, the system may have failed a power-on test. Recheck your jumper settings and connections or call your retailer for assistance.

Award BIOS Beep Codes

Beep One short beep when displaying logo Long beeps in an endless loop One long beep followed by three short beeps High frequency beeps when system is working Meaning No error during POST No DRAM installed or detected Video card not found or video card memory bad CPU overheated System running at a lower frequency

3. H/W SETUP Powering Up

7. During power-on, hold down <Delete> to enter BIOS setup. Follow the instructions in 4. BIOS SETUP. * Powering Off your computer: You must first exit or shut down your operating system before switching off the power switch. For ATX power supplies, you can press the ATX power switch after exiting or shutting down your operating system. If you use Windows 9X, click the Start button, click Shut Down, and then click Shut down the computer? The power supply should turn off after Windows shuts down. NOTE: The message You can now safely turn off your computer will not appear when shutting down with ATX power supplies.

4. BIOS SETUP Program Information

4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar

The top of the screen has a menu bar with the following selections: MAIN Use this menu to make changes to the basic system configuration. ADVANCED Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced features. POWER Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management features. BOOT Use this menu to configure the default system device used to locate and load the Operating System. EXIT Use this menu to exit the current menu or specify how to exit the Setup program. To access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard until the desired item is highlighted.

4.2.2 Legend Bar

At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar. The keys in the legend bar allow you to navigate through the various setup menus. The following table lists the keys found in the legend bar with their corresponding functions. Navigation Key(s)
<F1> or <Alt + H> <Esc> or (keypad arrow) or (keypad arrow) - (minus key) + (plus key) or spacebar <Enter> <Home> or <PgUp> <End> or <PgDn> <F5> <F10>

Function Description

Displays the General Help screen from anywhere in the BIOS Setup Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a sub-menu Selects the menu item to the left or right Moves the highlight up or down between fields Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted field Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted field Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted field Moves the cursor to the first field Moves the cursor to the last field Resets the current screen to its Setup Defaults Saves changes and exits Setup
4. BIOS SETUP Menu Introduction

General Help

In addition to the Item Specific Help window, the BIOS setup program also provides a General Help screen. You may launch this screen from any menu by simply pressing <F1> or the <Alt> + <H> combination. The General Help screen lists the legend keys with their corresponding functions.
Saving Changes and Exiting the Setup Program
See 4.7 Exit Menu for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the setup program.

Scroll Bar

When a scroll bar appears to the right of a help window, it indicates that there is more information to be displayed that will not fit in the window. Use <PgUp> and <PgDn> or the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the entire help document. Press <Home> to display the first page, press <End> to go to the last page. To exit the help window, press <Enter> or <Esc>.

Sub-Menu

Note that a right pointer symbol (as shown in the left view) appears to the left of certain fields. This pointer indicates that you can display a sub-menu from this field. A sub-menu contains additional options for a field parameter. To display a sub-menu, move the highlight to the field and press <Enter>. The sub-menu appears. Use the legend keys to enter values and move from field to field within a sub-menu as you would within a menu. Use the <Esc> key to return to the main menu. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Practice navigating through the various menus and sub-menus. If you accidentally make unwanted changes to any of the fields, use the set default hot key <F5> to load the Setup default values. While moving around through the Setup program, note that explanations appear in the Item Specific Help window located to the right of each menu. This window displays the help text for the currently highlighted field. NOTE: The item heading in square brackets represents the default setting for that field.

4.3 Main Menu

When you enter the Setup program, the following screen appears:
System Time [XX:XX:XX] Sets the system to the time that you specify (usually the current time). The format is hour, minute, second. Valid values for hour, minute and second are Hour: (00 to 23), Minute: (00 to 59), Second: (00 to 59). Use the <Tab> or <Shift> + <Tab> keys to move between the hour, minute, and second fields. System Date [XX/XX/XXXX] Sets the system to the date that you specify (usually the current date). The format is month, day, year. Valid values for month, day, and year are Month: (1 to 12), Day: (1 to 31), Year: (100 year range). Use the <Tab> or <Shift> + <Tab> keys to move between the month, day, and year fields. Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.], Legacy Diskette B [None] Sets the type of floppy drives installed. Configuration options: [None] [360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] [2.88M, 3.5 in.] Floppy 3 Mode Support [Disabled] This is required to support older Japanese floppy drives. The Floppy 3 Mode feature allows reading and writing of 1.2MB (as opposed to 1.44MB) on a 3.5-inch diskette. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4. BIOS SETUP Main Menu

4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave
NOTE: After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk drives to active. CAUTION! Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the configuration information supplied by the drive manufacturer. Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk.
4. BIOS SETUP Master/Slave Drives
Type [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection is successful, Setup automatically fills in the correct values for the remaining fields on this sub-menu. If automatic detection fails, this may be because the hard disk drive is too old or too new. If the hard disk was already formatted on an older system, Setup may detect incorrect parameters. In these cases, select [User Type HDD] to manually enter the IDE hard disk drive parameters. Refer to the next section for details.

[User Type HDD]

Manually enter the number of cylinders, heads and sectors per track for the drive. Refer to the drive documentation or on the drive label for this information. If no drive is installed or if you are removing a drive and not replacing it, select [None]. Translation Method [LBA] Select the hard disk drive type in this field. When Logical Block Addressing (LBA) is enabled, 28-bit addressing of the hard drive disregarding cylinders, heads, or sectors. Note that LBA Mode is necessary for drives with more than 504MB storage capacity. Configuration options: [LBA] [LARGE] [Normal] [Match Partition Table] [Manual] Cylinders This field configures the number of cylinders. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method field to [Manual]. Head This field configures the number of read/write heads. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method field to [Manual]. Sector This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method field to [Manual]. 54 ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual

4. BIOS SETUP PCI Configuration
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop [Disabled] Some non-standard VGA cards, such as graphics accelerators or MPEG video cards, may not show colors properly. Setting this field to [Enabled] corrects this problem. If you are using standard VGA cards, leave this field to the default setting [Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
PCI DMA Resource Exclusion
DMA x Reserved for Legacy Drive [No/ICU] These fields indicate whether or not the DMA channel displayed for each field is being used by a legacy (non-PnP) ISA card. The default setting indicates either that the DMA channel displayed is not used or an ICU is being used to determine if an ISA device is using the channel instead. Configuration options: [No/ICU] [Yes]
PCI UMB Resource Exclusion
TSM MEM Block BASE [No/ICU] This field allows yout to set the base address and block size of an onboard legacy ISA device that uses any memory segment within the C800 and DFFF address range. With such a device, select a base address from the options. If an ICU is already in use, then leave the TSM MEM Block BASE to its default setting of [No/ICU]. Configuration options: [No/ICU] [C800] [CC00] [D000] [D400] [D800] [DC00] 66 ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual
4.4.4 Shadow Configuration
Video ROM BIOS Shadow [Enabled] This field allows you to change the video BIOS location from ROM to RAM. Relocating to RAM enhances system performance, as information access is faster than the ROM. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4. BIOS SETUP Shadow Configuration
C8000-DFFFF Shadow [Disabled] These fields are used for shadowing other expansion card ROMs. If you install other expansion cards with ROMs on them, you will need to know which addresses the ROMs use to shadow them specifically. Shadowing a ROM reduces the memory available between 640K and 1024K by the amount used for this purpose. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4.5 Power Menu

The Power menu allows you to reduce power consumption. This feature turns off the video display and shuts down the hard disk after a period of inactivity.
Video Off Option [Suspend -> Off ] This field determines when to activate the video off feature for monitor power management. Configuration options: [Always On] [Suspend -> Off]

4. BIOS SETUP Power Menu

Video Off Method [DPMS OFF] This field defines the video off features. The DPMS (Display Power Management System) feature allows the BIOS to control the video display card if it supports the DPMS feature. [Blank Screen] only blanks the screen (use this for monitors without power management or green features. If set up in your system, your screen saver will not display with [Blank Screen] selected). [V/H SYNC+Blank] blanks the screen and turns off vertical and horizontal scanning. Configuration options: [Blank Screen] [V/H SYNC+Blank] [DPMS Standby] [DPMS Suspend] [DPMS OFF] [DPMS Reduce ON] HDD Power Down [Disabled] Shuts down any IDE hard disk drives in the system after a period of inactivity as set in this user-configurable field. This feature does not affect SCSI hard drives. Configuration options: [Disabled] [1 Min] [2 Min] [3 Min].[15 Min]

Save Changes

This option saves your selections without exiting the Setup program. You can then return to other menus and make further changes. After you select this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to save any changes to the non-volatile RAM.
74 ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual

5. SOFTWARE SETUP

5.1 Install Operating System
You should always use the latest operating system and updates when using new hardware to ensure full compliancy. You may use any version of Windows 98/2000/ Millenium, but for Windows 95, you must use OSR 2.0 or later. For Windows NT 4.0, you must use Service Pack 3.0 or later.

5.2 Start Windows

When you start Windows for the first time after installing your motherboard, Windows will detect all plug-and play devices. Follow the Add New Hardware Wizard to install all necessary device drivers. When prompted to restart, select No and then follow the setup procedures in this section. NOTE: Because there are various motherboard settings, options, and expansion cards, the following can only be used as a general reference and may not reflect exactly the screen contents displayed on your screen.

5. S/W SETUP OS

5.3 A7N266-E Series Motherboard Support CD
NOTE: The support CD contents are subject to change at any time without notice. To begin using your support CD disc, just insert it into your CD-ROM drive and the support CD installation menu should appear. If the menu does not appear, doubleclick or run D:\ASSETUP.EXE (assuming that your CD-ROM drive is drive D:). NOTE: If using the Windows 98 OS, the nVidia nForce system drivers and the audio driver for the ACR-A6CH audio card must be manually installed: see 5.3.3 on page 78 and 79 for more information.

5.3.1 Installation Menu

NVIDIA nForce Drivers: Installs video drivers along with the nVidia Codec interface and the nForce MCP Audio Processing unit, necessary for driving the ACR-A6CH-Audio card. NOTE: The Windows ME OS must be used with these drivers. The nVidia drivers do not support Windows NT OS. (Remember to uninstall all other INF drivers before installing nVidia drivers on a previously used system.) If using Win98, it is necessary to install three system drivers and the audio driver manually: see page 78 and 79. NVIDIA Display Driver: Installs the drivers for nVidias integrated VGA displays. Turn off all anti-virus software before installation. The nVidia drivers do not support Windows NT OS. (Remember to uninstall all other INF drivers before installing nVidia drivers on a previously used system.) Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC Driver: Installs a fast ethernet driver for the onboard Realtek NIC. ASUS PC Probe: Installs a smart utility to monitor your computers fan, temperature, and voltages. Install ASUS Update: Instals a program that can help you update BIOS or download a BIOS image file. Microsoft DirectX Driver: Installs basic drivers to enable compatibility with audio and other special functions.

ITEM 3: PCI Standard Ram Controller Go to the Device Manager Select PCI standard RAM Controller in System Devices Click on Properties. Click on Driver. Select update driver Select Search for a better driver than the one your device is using now option. Click on Specify the location and then type or browse for the path on the CDROM Drive:\Drivers\Chipset\Nvidia\win9x\MemoryController. This installs the driver. 8. Click Next. 9. You should see two NVIDIA nForce 220/420 Memory Controller and one NVIDIA nForce 420 Memory Controller (DDR) detected. 10. There is no need to restart if you need to install more drivers. ITEM 4: ACR-A6CH-Audio Card drivers: nVidia Codec Interface and nForce MCP-D Audio Processing Unit After installing the OS, turn off the system and plug-in the ACR-A6CH-Audio card into PCI slot 6. Power on the system. Normally, the hardware wizard auto-detects new devices and prompts the user to browse for new drivers on the CD ROM; look for the audio INFs in these folders: \ Drivers \ Chipset \ Nvidia \ win9x \installer\ English \ ~ If the hardware wizard does not auto-detect, try clicking on Refresh in the Device Manager. If it still does not auto-detect, use the Add New Hardware Wizard to intall the audio drivers: 1. Go to the Add Hardware Wizard and search for devices. 2. Select: No, the device is not in the list. 3. Do you want Windows to search for your new hardware? Select, No, I want to select the hardware from a list. 4. Select: Sound, video and game controllers. 5. Then select the first generic item in the list, like Generic USB device. 6. Click Have Disk and browse to the CD-ROM drive: \ Drivers \ Chipset \ Nvidia \ win9x \ installer\ English. 7. The Open box should display 6 INF files: Select the NVAUtils.inf. 8. Click OK and select either the NVIDIA Codec Interface or the nForce MCP-D Audio Processing unit (Dolby Digital). Repeat the process above for the second driver. 9. After all drivers are installed, restart the PC. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE

6.1 ASUS Live Update
ASUS LiveUpdate is a utility that allows you to update your motherboards BIOS and drivers. The use of this utility requires that you are properly connected to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). 1. Start ASUS Update Launch the utility from your Windows Start menu:Programs/AsusUpdate 2. Select an update method.
6. S/W REFERENCE ASUS Update
3. If you selected updating/downloading from the Internet, you will need to select an Internet site. Choose the site that is closest to you or click Auto Select.
4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download. Click Next.
5. Follow the instructions on the succeeding screens to complete the update process. If you selected the option to update the BIOS from a file, a window pops up prompting you to locate the file. Select the file, click Save, then follow the screen instructions to complete the update process.

ASUS PC Probe is a convenient utility to continuously monitor your computer systems vital components, such as fan rotations, Voltages, and temperatures. It also has a utility that lets you review useful information about your computer, such as hard disk space, memory usage, and CPU type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies through the DMI Explorer.

6. S/W REFERENCE

6.2 ASUS PC Probe

PC Probe

6.2.1 Starting ASUS PC Probe
When ASUS PC Probe starts, a splash screen appears allowing you to select whether or not to show the screen the next time you open PC Probe. To bypass this startup screen, clear the Show up in next execution check box.
To start ASUS PC Probe, click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, and then ASUS Utility, and then click Probe Vx.xx.
will appear on the taskbars system tray indicating The PC Probe icon that ASUS PC Probe is running. Clicking the icon will allow you to see the status of your PC.
6.2.2 Using ASUS PC Probe
Monitor Summary Shows a summary of the items being monitored.
Temperature Monitor Shows the PCs temperature.
Temperature Warning threshold adjustment (Move the slider up to increase the threshold level or down to decrease the threshold level)
Fan Monitor Shows the PCs fan rotation.
Fan Warning threshold adjustment (Move the slider up to increase the threshold level or down to decrease the threshold level)
Voltage Monitor Shows the PCs voltages.

Monitoring

CPU Cooling System Setup Lets you select when to enable software CPU cooling. When When CPU Overheated is selected, the CPU cooling system is enabled whenever the CPU temperature reaches the threshold value.
History Lets you record the current monitoring activity of a certain component of your PC for future reference.

Information

Hard Drives Shows the used and free space of the PCs hard disk drives and the file allocation table or file system used.
Settings Lets you set threshold levels and polling intervals or refresh times of the PCs temperature, fan rotation, and voltages.
84 Memory Shows the PCs memory load, memory usage, and paging file usage.
Device Summary Shows a summary of devices in your PC.
DMI Explorer Shows information pertinent to the PC, such as CPU type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies, and memory size.

7.1 Modem Riser

7.2.1 56K Software Modem
The Modem Riser (MR) is a high-speed PC communication peripheral which works with AMC97/MC97 compliant codecs. With this software modem, you can connect your computer to a remote location, receiving data at up to 56 Kbps in V.90 or K56flex modes.

Layout of Primary

7. APPENDIX Modem Riser
7.2.2 Primary/Seconday MR
There are two types of modem risers: primary MR and secondary MR. In appearance, the primary MR has a crystal onboard but the secondary does not. If your motherboard has an audio codec and no PCI audio chipset onboard, you may use the secondary MR; otherwise, you should use the primary MR.

Bottom:

Crystal
7.2.3 Hardware Installation Procedure
1. Power OFF your computer. 2. Open the computer chassis and remove the metal plate on the AMR expansion slot. 3. Carefully align the MR cards connector to the AMR slot and press firmly. 4. Secure the MR card onto the chassis with the screw removed in step 2. 5. Connect the MR cards LINE connector to a telephone wall jack. Connect the PHONE connector to a telephone (optional). 6. Replace the computer chassis.
7.2.4 Software Setup in Windows 98
The Modem Riser supports the Plug and Play feature. It allows your computer to automatically set the optimal configurations for the MR and communication software. Follow the procedure below to install the modem driver. 1. Power ON the computer after the hardware installation is completed. 2. Windows 98 will automatically detect the modem and display a PCI Card message under Add New Hardware Found. 3. Select Search for the best driver for your device and click Next. 4. Insert the Support CD that came with your motherboard into your CD-ROM drive. Enter the path E:\Modem\Win98 (assuming that your CD-ROM drive is drive E:) for the MR driver. 5. After the driver is located, click Next and then click Finish. 6. Restart your computer. Double click the modem icon at the bottom-right corner of the window. 7. Click the Settings tab. Select your country and language. Click OK. 8. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double click Modems, click the General tab, and click Motorala SM56 AC-L Modem. 9. Click Diagnostic and then click the designated COM port as shown. 10. Click More Info. If the computer system successfully communicates with the modem, responses will be displayed as shown.
Accelerated Graphics Port AGP Capability 62 AGP Pro Slot 28 Accessories Modem Riser 95 ACR-A6CH-Audio Card 29 ASUS PC Probe 81 ASUS Update 80 ATAPI CD-ROM 71 Clear RTC RAM Jumper 20 Connectors 41 Chassis Fan 37 CPU Fan 37 External 31 Floppy Disk Drive 35 Game/MIDI 34 IDE 36 IDE Activity LED 35 Infrared 38 Panel 42 Parallel Port 32 Power Supply Thermal Sensor 42 PS/2 Keyboard 31 PS/2 Mouse 31 Serial Port 33 SMBus 41 Thermal Sensor 41 USB 32 CPU. See Central Processing Unit CPU : DRAM Freq. Jumper 18 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE 88 VideoLive Mail 89 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE 88 CyberLink VideoLive Mail 89