A7N8X-XE

User Guide

Motherboard

E2126 First Edition July 2005
Copyright 2005 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ( ASUS). Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT. SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT. Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the owners benet, without intent to infringe.

Contents

Notices....v Safety Information...vi About This Guide... vii A7N8X-XE Specications Summary.. viii

Chapter 1:

1.1 1.2 1.3

Product Introduction

1.4 1.5

1.9 1.10

Welcome!.... 1-2 Package Contents... 1-2 Special Features... 1-2 1.3.1 Product highlights... 1-2 1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features.. 1-4 Before You Proceed... 1-5 Motherboard Overview.. 1-6 1.5.1 Motherboard layout.. 1-6 1.5.2 Placement direction... 1-7 1.5.3 Screw holes... 1-7 Central Processing Unit (CPU).. 1-8 1.6.1 Overview... 1-8 1.6.2 Installing the CPU... 1-8 System Memory.... 1-9 1.7.1 Overview... 1-9 1.7.2 Memory congurations.. 1-9 1.7.3 Installing a DIMM...1-11 1.7.4 Removing a DIMM..1-11 Expansion Slots... 1-12 1.8.1 Installing an expansion card... 1-12 1.8.2 Conguring an expansion card.. 1-12 1.8.3 AGP slot.. 1-14 1.8.4 PCI slots.. 1-14 Jumpers.... 1-15 Connectors... 1-17 1.10.1 Rear panel connectors.. 1-17 1.10.2 Internal connectors.. 1-18

Chapter 2:

BIOS Setup

2.3 2.4

2.7 3.1 3.2
Managing and Updating Your BIOS.. 2-2 2.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy disk.. 2-2 2.1.2 Using AFUDOS to copy the current BIOS.. 2-3 2.1.3 Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS. 2-3 2.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS utility... 2-5 2.1.5 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS. 2-6 2.1.6 ASUS Update utility... 2-7 BIOS Setup Program... 2-9 2.2.1 BIOS menu bar... 2-8 2.2.2 Navigation keys... 2-10 Main Menu... 2-12 Advanced Menu... 2-15 2.4.1 JumperFree Conguration.. 2-15 2.4.2 USB CongurationMemory Conguration. 2-16 2.4.3 CPU Conguration... 2-17 2.4.4 Chipset... 2-17 2.4.5 Onboard Devices Conguration. 2-21 2.4.6 PCIPnP... 2-22 Power Menu... 2-23 2.5.1 APM Conguration... 2-24 2.5.2 Hardware Monitor.. 2-26 Boot Menu... 2-27 2.6.1 Boot Device Priority.. 2-27 2.6.2 Boot Settings Conguration.. 2-28 2.6.3 Security... 2-29 Exit Menu... 2-31

Chapter 3:

Software Support
Installing An Operating System.. 3-2 Support CD Information... 3-2 3.2.1 Running the support CD.. 3-2 3.2.2 Drivers menu.. 3-3 3.2.3 Utilities menu... 3-3 3.2.4 Contacts menu... 3-4

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause harmful interference, and This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation.

DIMMA1 DIMMA2 DIMMB1

A7N8X-XE 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets

Memory congurations

You may install single or double-sided 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, and 1 GB DDR DIMMs to the sockets.
Table 1 Recommended memory congurations
Mode Single-channel (2) (3) Dual-channel* (1) (2) (3) DIMM_A1 (1) Populated Populated Populated Sockets DIMM_A2 Populated Populated Populated DIMM_B1 Populated Populated Populated Populated
1. DIMMs with more than 8 devices on each side of the module are not supported. 2. Make sure the memory frequency and bus frequency setting in the BIOS are the same or set to [Auto] ensure system stability. 3. A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it ts in only one direction. DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM. 4. For optimum compatibility, it is recommended that you obtain memory modules from qualied vendors. See the next page for a list of qualied DDR400 DIMM vendors. 5. Visit ASUS website (www.asus.com) for latest DDR400 Qualied Vendor List.
DDR400 Qualied Vendors List
256MB 256MB 256MB 512MB 512MB 512MB 512MB 256MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 512MB 512MB 512MB 512MB 256MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 512MB 256MB 512MB

Vendor

Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Inneon Inneon Inneon Inneon HY HY HY HY Corsair Corsair Corsair Corsair Corsair Corsair Corsair Micron Micron Micron Micron
KVR333X64C25/256 KVR333X64C25/256 KVR333X64C25/256 KVR333X64C25/512 KVR333X64C25/512 KVR400X64C3A/512 KVR400X64C3A/512 KVR400X64C3A/256 HYS64D32300GU-5-C HYS64D64320GU-5-C HYS64D32300GU-5-C HYS64D64320GU-6-C DDR400-256 DDR400-512 DDR333-256 DDR333-512 VS256MB400 XMS3202v3.1 VS512MB400 VS256MB333 XMS2702v3.1 XMS2702v1.2 VS512MB333 MT16VDDT6464AG-335GB MT8VDDT3264AG-335GB MT8VDDT3264AG-40BGB MT16VDDT6464AG-40BCB

CL Brand

N/A Kingston N/A Hynix N/A Hynix N/A Kingston N/A Hynix N/A Hynix N/A Kingston N/A Hynix Inneon Inneon N/A Inneon N/A Inneon N/A Hynix N/A Hynix N/A Hynix N/A Hynix Inneon N/A Samsung Mosel Winbond N/A Micron Micron Micron Micron Samsung Samsung Samsung Samsung

SS/DS Component

SS SS DS DS DS DS DS SS SS DS SS DS SS DS SS DS SS SS DS DS DS SS SS DS SS DS SS DS D3208DH1T-6 HY5DU56822BT-J HY5DU56822BT-D43 D3208DH1T-6 HY5DU56822BT-J HY5DU56822BT-D43 D3208DH1T-5 HY5DU56822BT-D43
DIMM socket support (Optional) A* B* C*
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
HYB25D256800CE-5C Pass HYB25D256800CE-5C Pass HYB25D256800CE-5C Pass HYB25D256800CE-6C Pass HY5DU56822BT-D43 HY5DU56822BT-D43 HY5DU56822BT-J HY5DU56822BT-J VS32M8-5 2B0409 VS32M8-5 2B0402 K4H5608380-TCB3 V58C2256804SAT6 W942508CH-6 VS32M8-6 2B0412 MT46V32M8TG-6TG MT46V32M8TG-6TG MT46V32M8TG-5BG MT46V32M8TG-5BC K4H560838F-TCCC K4H560838F-TCCC K4H560838F-TCB3 K4H560838F-TCB3 Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass

N/A Value select SS N/A Value select DS

HYB25D256807BT-5B Pass

N/A Value select DS
Samsung M368L3223FTN-CCC Samsung M368L6423FTN-CCC Samsung M368L3223FTN-CB3 Samsung M368L6423FTN-CB3

Installing a DIMM

Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both the motherboard and the components.
Follow these steps to install a DIMM. 1. 2. 3. Locate the DIMM sockets in the motherboard. 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.

DDR DIMM notch

Unlocked Retaining Clip
A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it ts in only one direction. DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.
Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

Locked Retaining Clip

Removing a DIMM
Follow these steps to remove a DIMM. Simultaneously press the retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM.
Support the DIMM lightly with your ngers when pressing the retaining clips. The DIMM might get damaged when it ips out with extra force.
Remove the DIMM from the socket.

Expansion slots

Make sure to unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components.
In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Installing an expansion card
To install an expansion card: Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a chassis). Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screw for later use. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is completely seated on the slot. Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier. Replace the system cover.

1. 2. 3.

Conguring an expansion card
After installing the expansion card, congure it by adjusting the software settings. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any. See Chapter 2 for information on BIOS setup. Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables on the next page. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.
Standard interrupt assignments
IRQ Standard Function System Timer Standard 101-102-key or microsoft natural keyboard Programmable interrupt controller ACPI IRQ hold for PCI IRQ steering Communications Port (COM1) C-Media AC 97 audio device Standard oppy disk controller ECP printer port System CMOS/Real Time Clock SCI IRQ used by ACPI bus ACPI IRQ holder for PCI IRQ steering ACPI IRQ holder for PCI IRQ steering PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard Numeric Data Processor Primary IDE controller Secondary IDE Channel
IRQ assignments for this motherboard
A PCI slot 1 PCI slot 2 PCI slot 3 PCI slot 4 PCI slot 5 used B used C shared shared D used
When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support Share IRQ or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments; otherwise, conicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system unstable and the card inoperable.

AGP slot

The motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that supports +1.5 V 8X AGP graphics card. Note the notches on the card golden ngers to ensure that they t into the AGP slot.

Keyed for 1.5v

A7N8X-XE Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

PCI slots

The PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specications. The gure shows a LAN card installed on a PCI slot.

Jumpers

Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC) 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 button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS, which include system setup information such as system passwords.

Creating a bootable oppy disk
Do either one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk. DOS environment a. Insert a 1.44MB oppy disk into the drive. b. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/S then press <Enter>. Windows XP environment a. Insert a 1.44 MB oppy disk to the oppy disk drive. b. Click Start from the Windows desktop, then select My Computer. c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon. d. Click File from the menu, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2 Floppy Disk window appears. e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options eld, then click Start. Windows 2000 environment To create a set of boot disks for Windows 2000: a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB oppy disk into the drive. b. Insert the Windows 2000 CD to the optical drive. c. Click Start, then select Run. d. From the Open eld, type D:\bootdisk\makeboot a: assuming that D: is your optical drive. e. Press <Enter>, then follow screen instructions to continue.
Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS le to the bootable oppy disk.

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

Using AFUDOS to copy the current BIOS
The AFUDOS.EXE utility can also be used to copy the current system BIOS settings to a oppy or hard disk. The copy can be used as a backup in case the system BIOS fails or gets corrupted. 1. At the DOS prompt, type the command line: afudos /o[lename] where lename can be any user-provided lename of not more than eight alphanumeric characters for the main filename and three alphanumeric characters for the extension name. Press <Enter>.
The BIOS information on the screen is for reference only. What you see on your screen may not be exactly the same as shown. Main lename Extension name
A:\>afudos /oMYBIOS03.rom AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10 Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading ash.. 0x0008CC00 (9%)
2. The utility will copy the current system BIOS by default to the oppy disk. Make sure that the oppy disk is not write-protected and has enough space (at least 600KB) to store the le.
A:\>afudos /oMYBIOS03.rom AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10 Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading ash.. done A:\>

To update the BIOS using ASUS EZ Flash:
1. Visit the system builders website to download the latest BIOS file for your motherboard and rename it to A7N8X-XE.ROM. Save the BIOS le to a oppy disk. 2. Reboot the system. 3. To launch EZ Flash, press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.
User recovery requested. Starting BIOS recovery. Checking for oppy.
If there is no oppy disk in the drive, the error message Floppy not found! appears. If the correct BIOS le is not found in the oppy disk, the error message A7N8X-XE.ROM not found! is displayed.
4. Insert the oppy disk that contains the BIOS le. If the A7N8X-XE.ROM le is found in the oppy disk, EZ Flash performs the BIOS update process and automatically reboots the system when done.
User recovery requested. Starting BIOS recovery. Checking for oppy. Floppy found! Reading le a7n8x-xe.rom. Completed. Start ashing. Flashed successfully. Rebooting.

ASUS Update utility

Save the current BIOS le Download the latest BIOS le from the Internet Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS le Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and View the BIOS version information.
The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage, save, and update the motherboard BIOS in Windows environment. The ASUS Update utility allows you to:
This utility is available in the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.

Installing ASUS Update

To install ASUS Update: 1. 2. 3. Place the support CD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. Click the Utilities tab, then click ASUS Update. See page 3-3 for the Utilities screen menu. The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system.
ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Quit all Windows applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.
Updating the BIOS through the Internet
To update the BIOS through the Internet: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update main window appears. Select Update BIOS from the Internet option from the drop-down menu, then click Next. 3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network traffic, or click Auto Select. Click Next.
From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download. Click Next. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process.
The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet. Always update the utility to avail all its features.
Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le
To update the BIOS through a BIOS le: 1. 2. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update main window appears. Select Update BIOS from a file option from the drop-down menu, then click Next.

AMI BIOS Displays the auto-detected BIOS information. Processor Displays the auto-detected CPU specication. System Memory Displays the auto-detected system memory.

Advanced menu

The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. Take caution when changing the settings of the Advaced menu items. Incorrect eld values can cause the system to malfunction.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY JumperFree Conguration USB Conguration CPU Conguration Chipset Onboard Devices Conguration PCIPnP Adjust system frequency/voltage

+Enter F1 F10 ESC

Select Screen Select Item Change Field Go to Sub Screen General Help Save and Exit Exit

JumperFree Conguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY Select the target CPU frequency, and the relevant parameters will be auto-adjusted. Frequencies higer than CPU manufacturer recommends are not guaranted to be stable. If the system becomes unstable, return to the default. +F1 F10 ESC Select Screen Select Item Change Option General Help Save and Exit Exit [Auto] [166] [Disabled] [Disabled]
AI Overclock Tuner CPU Frequency FSB Spread Spectrum AGP Spread Spectrum
AI Overclock Tuner [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency. Select either one of the preset overclocking options and the relevant parameters will appear. Conguration options: [Auto] [Manual]
CPU Frequency [166] Allows you to set the CPU host frequency. Range: 100MHz-300MHz. FSB Spread Spectrum [Disabled] Allows you to enable and disable the FSB clock generator spread spectrum. Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled] AGP Spread spectrum [Disabled] Allows you to enable and disable the AGP clock generator spread spectrum. Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

USB Conguration

The USB Conguration menu allows you to adjust the settings for the onboard USB controllers. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY USB Conguration USB Devices Enabled: None USB Controller USB 2.0 Support Legacy USB Support [Enabled] [Enabled] [Auto] To enable or disable the onboard USB controllers.

USB Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the integrated USB controller. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
USB 2.0 Support [Enabled]
Legacy USB Support [Auto]
Allows you to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] [Auto]

CPU Conguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
This menu displays the CPU type, speed, cache RAM, and current front side bus frequency auto-detected by the BIOS.
Processor Type :AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+ Speed :1833MHz Count :1 L1 Cache Size :64KB L2 Cache Size :512KB
Options Disabled Write-Thru Write-Back
CPU Conguration CPU Internal Cache [Disabled] +F1 F10 ESC Select Screen Select Item Change Option General Help Save and Exit Exit
CPU Internal Cache [Disabled]
Allows you to enable and disable the CPU Internal Cache. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Write-Thru] [Write-Back]

Chipset

The Chipset menu allows you to change the advanced chipset settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY NVIDIA nForce2 Chipset Conguration NorthBridge Conguration SouthBridge Conguration Options for NB

Enter F1 F10 ESC

Select Screen Select Item Go to Sub Screen General Help Save and Exit Exit
NorthBridge Chipset Conguration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY Northbridge Chipset conguration Primary Graphices Adapter Graphics Aperture Size MDA Access Control TV Mode Support C1 Disconnect System Clock Settings System Performance Settings [PCI] [ 64MB] [PCI] [Default] [Auto Mode] This will switch the PCI Bus scanning order while searching for video card. This allows to select the type of Primary VGA in case of multiple video controllers. +F1 F10 ESC Select Screen Select Item Change Option General Help Save and Exit Exit
Primary Graphices Adapter [PCI]
Allows selection of the graphics controller to use as a primary boot device. Conguration options: [PCI] [AGP]
Graphics Aperture Size [64MB]
Allows you to select the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic data. Conguration options: [Disabled] [32MB] [64MB] [128MB] [256MB] [512MB]

MDA Access Control [PCI]

Allows you to control MDA Access. Conguration options: [PCI] [AGP]
TV Mode Support [Default]
Conguration options: [NTSC-M] [NTSC-J] [PAL-M] [PAL-BDGHI] [PAL-N] [PALNC] [Default]
C1 Discounnect [Auto Mode]
Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] [Auto Mode]
System Performance Settings
BIOS SETUP UTILITY System Clock Settings Memory Clock DRAM Timing TRAS TRCD TRP CAS# Latency [Auto] [Auto] [7] [4] [2] [Auto] Memory Clock can be set by the code using AUTO, or you can set one of the standard values.

Memory Clock [Auto]

Allows you to set the Memory Clock. Configuration options: [Auto] [133MHz (DDR266)] [166MHz (DDR333)] [200MHz (DDR400)]

Palette Snooping [Disabled]
When set to [Enabled], the pallete snooping feature informs the PCI devices that an ISA graphics device is installed in the system so that the latter can function correctly. Setting to [Disabled] deactivates this feature. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [Enabled]

IRQ xx [PCI Device]
Allows you to set the PCI slot IRQ preference. Configuration options: [PCI

Device] [Reserved]

Power menu
The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item, then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY Select the ACPI state used for System Suspend.
Suspend Mode Repost Vidow on S3 Resume ACPI 2.0 Support ACPI APIC support APM Conguration Hardware Monitor
[Auto] [No] [No] [Enabled]

Suspend Mode [Auto]

Allows you to select the (ACPI) state to be used for system suspend. Conguration options: [S1 (POS) only] [S3 only] [Auto]
Repost Video on S3 Resume [No]
Determines whether to invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3/STR resume. Conguration options: [No] [Yes]

ACPI 2.0 Support [Yes]

Allows you to add more tables for Advanced Conguration and Power interface (ACPI) 2.0 specications. Conguration options: [No] [Yes]
ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced conguration and Power interface (ACPI) support in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). When set to Enabled, The ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

APM Conguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY Enable or disable APM [Enabled] [S1] [On/Off] [Suspend] [Suspend] [50%] [50%] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Enabled] [Disabled] [Power Off]
Power Management/APM Suspend Power Saving Type Power Button Mode Video Power Down Mode Hard disk Power Down Mode Manual Throttle Ratio THRM throttle Ratio PME Resume Ring-In Power On RTC Resume Resume On PS/2 Keyboard Resume On PS/2 Mouse Restore on AC Power Loss

Vcore Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 12V Voltage
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators.

Boot menu

BIOS SETUP UTILITY Boot Settings Boot Device Priority Boot Settings Conguration Security Spedcies the Boot Device Proiority sequence. A virtual oppy disk drive (Floppy Drive B: ) may appear when you set the CD-ROM drive as the rst boot device. Enter F1 F10 ESC Select Screen Select Item Go to Sub Screen General Help Save and Exit Exit
The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot settings. Select a submenu, then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.

Boot Device Priority

BIOS SETUP UTILITY Boot Device Priority 1st Boot Device 2nd Boot Device 3rd Boot Device [1st FLOPPY DRIVE] [CDROM:SM-ASUS DVD-] [HDD:PM-WDC WD2500J] Species the boot sequence from the available devices. A device enclosed in parenthesis has been disabled in the correspinding type menu. +F1 F10 ESC Select Screen Select Item Change Option General Help Save and Exit Exit
This menu allows you to arrange the boot device priority.
1st ~ xxth Boot Device [Removable]
Allows you to specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices. The number of device items that apear on the screen depends on the number of devices installed in the system. Conguration options: [xxxxx Drive] [Disabled]
Boot Settings Conguration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY Boot Settings Conguration Quick Boot Full Screen Logo AddOn ROM Display Mode Boot From Network Bootup Num-Lock PS/2 Mouse Support Wait For F1 If Error Hit DEL Message Display [Enabled] [Enabled] [Force BIOS] [Disabled] [On] [Auto] [Enabled] [Enabled] Allows BIOS to skip certain tests while booting. This will decrease the time needed to boot the system.
This menu allows you to adjust the system boot settings.

Quick Boot [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the system quick boot feature. When enabled, the system skips certain tests while booting. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Full Screen Logo [Enabled]
This allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Set this item to [Enable] to use the ASUS MyLogo feature.
AddOn ROM Display Mode [Force BIOS]
Sets the display mode for option ROM. Conguration options: [Force BIOS] [Keep Current]

The message Password Installed appears after you successfully set your password. To change the user password, follow the same steps as in setting a user password.

Exit menu

BIOS SETUP UTILITY Exit Options Exit & Save Changes Exit & Discard Changes Discard Changes Load Setup Default Exit system setup after saving the changes. F10 key can be used for this operation.
The Exit menu items allow you to save or discard your changes to, and/or load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items.
Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the options from this menu, or press <F10> to exit.

Exit & Save Changes

Once you are nished making your selections, choose this option to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM. An onboard backup battery sustains the CMOS RAM so it stays on even when the system is turned off. When you select this option, a conrmation window appears. Select Yes to save changes and exit the BIOS Setup.
Exit & Discard Changes
Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the BIOS Setup. If you made changes to elds other than the system date, system time, and password, the BIOS asks for a conrmation before exiting.

Discard Changes

This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the previously saved values. After selecting this option, a conrmation appears. Select Yes to discard any changes and load the previously saved values.

Load Setup Defaults

This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the BIOS Setup menus. When you select this option, or if you press <F5>, a conrmation window appears. Select Yes to load the default values. Select Exit & Save Changes or make other changes before saving the values to the non-volatile RAM.
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.
Installing an operating system
Motherboard settings and hardware options vary. Use the setup procedures presented in this chapter for reference only. Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information.
This motherboard supports Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the features of your hardware.

Support CD information

The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website(www.asus.com) for updates.

The support CD that came with the motherboard package contains the drivers, software applications, and utilities that you can install to avail all motherboard features.

Running the support CD

Place the support CD to the optical drive. The CD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer.
Click an icon to display support CD/motherboard information

Click an item to install

If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support CD to locate the file ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder. Double-click the ASSETUP.EXE to run the CD.
Chapter 3: Software Support

Drivers menu

The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.

NVIDIA ALL in 1 Driver

Install NVIDIA ALL in 1 Driver.
Make NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Disk
Make NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Disk. *Note: you can browse the path\Drivers\NVIDIA\winxp_2kIDE Driver to refer the uncompressed les.

C-Medias Xear 3D Driver

Install C-Medias Xear 3D Driver.

USB 2.0 Driver

Install USB 2.0 driver.
The screen display and drivers option may not be the same for different operating system versions.

Utilities menu

The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports.

ASUS PC Probe

This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system voltages, and alerts you of any detected problems. This utility helps you keep your computer in healthy operating condition.

ASUS Update

The ASUS Update utility allows you to update the motherboard BIOS in a Windows environment. This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). See pages 2-7 to 2-8 for details.

ASUS Screen Saver

Bring life to your idle screen by installing the ASUS screen saver.
ADOBE Acrobat Reader V5.0
The Adobe Acrobat Reader V5.0 is for opening, viewing, and printing documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). The Microsoft DirectX 9.0c is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sounds. DirectX improves the multimedia features of your computer so you can enjoy watching TV and movies, capturing videos, or playing games in your computer.

Microsoft DirectX 9.0c

Anti-Virus Utility
The anti-virus application scans, identies, and removes computer viruses. View the online help for detailed information.

Contacts menu

Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. You can also nd this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.