Product introduction

ASUS P4B-M motherboard

Welcome!

Thank you for buying the ASUS P4B-M motherboard! The ASUS P4B-M motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technology making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards! The P4B-M incorporates the Intel Pentium 4 Processor in 478-pin package/Northwood Processor coupled with the Intel 845 (Brookdale) chipset to set a new benchmark for an effective desktop platform solution. Supporting up to 3GB of system memory with PC100/133 unbuffered SDRAM, high-resolution graphics via an AGP 4X slot, communication and networking options through a CNR slot, high-speed data transfers using the ATA100 protocol, and AC 97-compliant audio features, the P4B-M is your perfect vehicle to get ahead in the world of power computing! Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the items in your package with the list below.

Package contents

ASUS P4B-M motherboard (micro-ATX form factor: 9.6-in x 9.6-in) ASUS P4B-M support CD ASUS 2-port USB module 80-conductor ribbon cable for UltraDMA/33/66/100 IDE drives Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive Bag of extra jumper caps User Guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
Check your P4B-M package for the following items.
ASUS P4B-M motherboard user guide

Over view

Before you install the P4B-M motherboard, take some time to familiarize yourself with its physical configuration and available features. This will facilitate the motherboard installation and future upgrades. A sufficient knowledge of the motherboard specifications will also help you avoid mistakes that may damage the board and its components. This section presents the motherboard components and points out their specific locations. A brief description of each component follows. Refer to Chapter 2 for detailed information on these components.
1.3.1 Identifying the motherboard components

Figure 1-1

Motherboard Components
Proceed to the succeeding pages for a brief description of each component.
Chapter 1: Product introduction
CPU socket. A 478-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket called mPGA478 B. This socket accommodates the Intel Pentium 4 478/Northwood Processor with 400MHz system bus. North bridge controller. This controller called the Intel Memory Controller Hub (MCH) is one of the two major components of the Intel 845 (Brookdale) chipset. The MCH along with the south bridge Intel I/O Controller Hub 2 (ICH2) are interconnected through the Intel proprietary Hub interface. The MCH provides the processor interface, system memory interface, AGP interface, and Hub Interface. SDRAM DIMM sockets. These three 168-pin DIMM sockets support up to 3GB using unbuffered ECC or non-ECC PC100/133 SDRAM DIMMs. ATX power connector. This 20-pin connector connects to an ATX 12V power supply. The power supply must have at least 1A on the +5V standby lead (+5Vsb). Super I/O chipset. This Low Pin Count (LPC) interface provides the commonly used Super I/O functionality. The chipset supports a high-performance floppy disk controller for a 360K/720K/1.44M/ 2.88M floppy disk drive, a multi-mode parallel port, two standard compatible UARTs, a Standard Infrared (SIR), one MPU-401 UART mode compatible MIDI/game port, and a Flash ROM interface. IDE connectors. These dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support up to four Ultra DMA/100/66, PIO Modes 3 & 4 IDE devices. Both the primary (blue) and secondary (black) connectors are slotted to prevent incorrect insertion of the IDE ribbon cable. Floppy disk connector. This connector accommodates the provided ribbon cable for the floppy disk drive. One side of the connector is slotted to prevent incorrect insertion of the floppy disk cable. Flash EEPROM. This 2Mb firmware contains the programmable BIOS program. DIP switches. This 10-switch Dual Inline Package (DIP) allows you to set the CPU external frequency.

South bridge controller. Referred to as the Intel I/O Controller Hub 2 (ICH2) of the Intel 845 chipset, this controller provides the I/O subsystem that allows access to the rest of the system. The ICH2 integrates I/O functions such as system bus interface, Ultra ATA/100, Low Pin Count (LPC) interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1 interface, PCI interface, and CNR interface. ASUS ASIC. This chip performs multiple system functions that include hardware and system voltage monitoring, power management routing, among others. Onboard LED. This onboard LED lights up if there is a standby power on the motherboard. This LED acts as a reminder to turn off the system power before plugging or unplugging devices. CNR slot. This slot is specifically designed for the Communications and Networking Riser (CNR) card. The CNR supports V.90 analog modem, six-channel audio, HPNA, USB Hub, and the 10BASE-T/ 100BASE-T Ethernet networking. Audio controller. This C-Media 6-channel PCI audio chip supports legacy audio and HRTF 3D positional audio functions. The chip also supports 24-bit SPDIF In (0.5V~5V) and SPDIF Out (44.1K and 48K formats) professional digital audio interface. PCI slots. These three 32-bit PCI 2.2 expansion slots support bus master PCI cards like SCSI or LAN cards with 133MB/s maximum throughput. AGP slot. This Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot supports 1.5V AGP4X mode graphics cards for 3D graphical applications. LAN controller. This RealTek 8100 PCI LAN controller fully supports 10BASE-T/100BASE-T Ethernet networking. Microphone jack. This Mic (pink) jack connects a microphone. In 6-channel mode, the function of this jack becomes Bass/Center. Line In jack. This Line In (light blue) jack connects a tape player or other audio sources. Line Out jack. This Line Out (lime) jack connects a headphone or a speaker. Game/MIDI connector. This connector supports a joystick or a game pad for playing games, and MIDI devices for playing or editing audio files.
ATX 12V connector. This power connector connects the 4-pin 12V plug from the ATX 12V power supply. Serial ports. These two 9-pin COM1/COM2 ports are for pointing devices or other serial devices. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a scanner, or other devices. USB ports. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB devices such as a mouse and PDA. RJ-45 port. This port allows connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. PS/2 keyboard port. This purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 keyboard. PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse.

Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The P4B-M uses the micro-ATX form factor that measures 9.6 inches x 9.6 inches, a standard fit for most chassis.
Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components.
2.1.1 Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis. Refer to the image below.

2.1.2 Screw holes

Place eight (8) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis.
Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.
Place this side towards the rear of the chassis

Figure 2-1

Motherboard placement and screw holes

Motherboard layout

24.4cm (9.60in)

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse B: Keyboard

USBPWR01 CPU_FAN

Bottom:
DIMM Socket 1 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)
DIMM Socket 2 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)
DIMM Socket 3 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

USB1 RJ-45 USB2

Socket 478

Super I/O

IR_CON

ATX Power Connector

PARALLEL PORT

SMARTCON

ATX12V

Intel 845

Memory Controller Hub (MCH)

GAME_AUDIO

Line Out Line In

SECONDARY IDE

Realtek RTL8100

Mic In

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

SERIRQ_CON

2Mbit Firmware Hub
LAN_EN BCS1 BCS2 AUX MIC HPHONE

INT_LINEIN CD SPDIF_C

PCI1 PCI2
CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power
Intel I/O Controller Hub (ICH2)

CLEAR CMOS

DIP_SW

BUZZER

C-Media
CMI8738 6CH Audio Controller

CNR_SLOT

CLRCMOS

Short the pads to clear CMOS

P4B-M Clear RTC RAM

Figure 2-28

Clear RTC RAM

Connectors
This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the motherboard.
Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper caps over these connector pins may damage your motherboard. Always connect ribbon cables with the red stripe to Pin 1 on the connectors. Pin 1 is usually on the side closest to the power connector on hard drives and CD-ROM drives, but may be on the opposite side on floppy disk drives.
1. Hard disk activity LED (2-pin HDLED) This connector supplies power to the hard disk activity LED. The read or write activities of any device connected to the primary or secondary IDE connector cause this LED to light up.
TIP: If the case-mounted LED does not light, try reversing the 2-pin plug.

HDDLED

P4B-M HDD Activity LED

Figure 2-29

Hard Disk LED Connector
2. Primary/Secondary IDE connectors (40-1 pin IDE1/IDE2) This connector supports the provided UltraDMA/100/66 IDE hard disk ribbon cable. Connect the cables blue connector to the primary (recommended) or secondary IDE connector, then connect the gray connector to the UltraDMA/100/66 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to the UltraDMA/100/66 master device. It is recommended that you connect non-UltraDMA/100/66 devices to the secondary IDE connector. If you install two hard disks, you must configure the second drive as a slave device by setting its jumper accordingly. Refer to the hard disk documentation for the jumper settings. BIOS supports specific device bootup. If you have more than two UltraDMA/100/66 devices, purchase another UltraDMA/100/66 cable. You may configure two hard disks to be both master devices with two ribbon cables one for the primary IDE connector and another for the secondary IDE connector.
1. Pin 20 on each IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the UltraDMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect orientation when you connect the cables. 2. The hole near the blue connector on the UltraDMA/100/66 cable is intentional.

Secondary IDE Connector

Primary IDE Connector
NOTE: Orient the red markings (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1.

P4B-M IDE Connectors

Figure 2-30

IDE Connectors

For UltraDMA/100/66 IDE devices, use an 80-conductor IDE cable. The UltraDMA/66 cable included in the motherboard package also supports UltraDMA/100.
3. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After connecting one end to the motherboard, connect the other end to the floppy drive. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent incorrect insertion when using ribbon cables with pin 5 plug).
NOTE: Orient the red markings on the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.
P4B-M Floppy Disk Drive Connector

Figure 2-31

Floppy Disk Drive Connector
4. CPU and system fan connectors (3-pin CPUFAN, SYSTEMFAN) The fan connectors support a CPU fan (750mA) and a system fan (500mA) at +12V. Orient the fans so that the heat sink fins allow air flow to go across the onboard heat sinks instead of the expansion slots. The fan wiring and plug may vary depending on the fan manufacturer. Connect the fan cable to the connector matching the black wire to the ground pin.
Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of sufficient air flow within the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors!

CPUFAN

Rotation +12V GND

SYSTEMFAN

GND +12V Rotation

P4B-M 12V Fan Connectors

Figure 2-32
CPU and System Fan Connectors
5. USB header (10-1 pin USB23) If the USB port connectors on the rear panel are inadequate, a USB header is available for two additional USB port connectors. Connect a 2-port USB connector set to the USB header and mount the USB bracket to an open slot in the chassis.
6: USB Power 7: USBP3 8: USBP3+ 9: GND
1: USB Power 2: USBP2 3: USBP2+ 4: GND 5: NC

P4B-M USB Header

Figure 2-33

USB Header

6. Infrared module connector (two 5-1 pin IR_CON) This connector supports an optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared module. This module mounts to a small opening on system chassis that support this feature. You must also configure the UART2 Use As parameter in BIOS to set UART2 for use with IR. See section 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration for details. 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.

Standard Infrared (SIR) Front View Back View
IRTX GND IRRX KBPWR KBPWR CIRRX GND CIRTX

SIR CIR

IRTX GND IRRX

+5V (NC)

P4B-M Infrared Module Connector

Figure 2-34

Infrared Module Connector
7. Power supply connectors (20-pin ATXPWR, 4-pin ATX+12V) These connectors connect to an ATX 12V power supply. The plugs from the power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit. In addition to the 20-pin ATXPWR connector, this motherboard requires that you connect the 4-pin ATX +12V power plug to provide sufficient power to the CPU.
Make sure that your ATX 12V power supply can provide 8A on the +12V lead and at least 1A on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). The minimum recommended wattage is 230W, or 300W for a fully configured system. The system may become unstable and may experience difficulty powering up if the power supply is inadequate.
+12.0VDC +5VSB PWR_OK COM +5.0VDC COM +5.0VDC COM +3.3VDC +3.3VDC +5.0VDC +5.0VDC -5.0VDC COM COM COM PS_ON# COM -12.0VDC +3.3VDC

ATXPWR

+12V DC
P4B-M ATX Power Connectors

Figure 2-35

Power Supply Connectors
8. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD1, AUX, MODEM) (optional) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card. The MODEM connector allows the onboard audio to interface with a voice modem card with a similar connector. It also allows the sharing of mono_in (such as a phone) and a mono_out (such as a speaker) between the audio and a voice modem card.

AUX (White) CD (Black)

Left Audio Channel Ground Ground Right Audio Channel
Modem-Out Ground Ground Modem-In
P4B-M Internal Audio Connectors

Figure 2-36

Internal Audio Connectors
9. Headphone true-level line out connector (3-pin HPHONE) (optional) This connector connects to an optional front panel audio module using a 3-pin audio cable. If your chassis has this audio module, you can connect a headphone/speaker on the front panel.

HPHONE

P4B-M True-Level Line Out Connector

Figure 2-37

Headphone True-level Line Out Connector
Left Headphone GND Right Headphone
10. Internal microphone connector (3-pin INT_MIC) (optional) This connector connects to an optional front panel audio module using a 3-pin audio cable. If your chassis has this audio module, you can connect a headphone/speaker on the front panel.
The front panel microphone may not work properly if there is another microphone connected to the Microphone (pink) jack on the rear panel. You may only use one microphone at a time.

INT_MIC

MIC Power MIC Input Ground
P4B-M Internal Microphone Connector

Figure 2-38

Internal Microphone Connector

Chapter 3: Powering up

Chapter 4
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

BIOS setup

Managing and updating your BIOS
4.1.1 Using the computer system for the first time
It is recommended that you save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS along with a Flash Memory Writer utility (AFLASH.EXE) to a bootable floppy disk in case you need to reinstall the BIOS later. AFLASH.EXE is a Flash Memory Writer utility that updates the BIOS by uploading a new BIOS file to the programmable flash ROM on the motherboard. This file works only in DOS mode. To determine the BIOS version of your motherboard, check the last four numbers of the code displayed on the upper left-hand corner of your screen during bootup. Larger numbers represent a newer BIOS file. 1. Type FORMAT A:/S at the DOS prompt to create a bootable system disk. DO NOT copy AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS to the disk. 2. Type COPY D:\AFLASH\AFLASH.EXE A:\ (assuming D is your CD-ROM drive) to copy AFLASH.EXE to the boot disk you created.
AFLASH works only in DOS mode. It does not work in the DOS prompt within Windows, and does not work with certain memory drivers that may be loaded when you boot from the hard drive. It is recommended that you reboot using a floppy disk.
3. Reboot the computer from the floppy disk.
BIOS setup must specify Floppy as the first item in the boot sequence.
4. In DOS mode, type A:\AFLASH <Enter> to run AFLASH.
If the word unknown appears after Flash Memory:, the memory chip is either not programmable or is not supported by the ACPI BIOS and therefore, cannot be programmed by the Flash Memory Writer utility.
5. Select 1. Save Current BIOS to File from the Main menu and press <Enter>. The Save Current BIOS To File screen appears.
6. Type a filename and the path, for example, A:\XXX-XX.XXX, then press <Enter>.

Chapter 4: BIOS Setup

4.1.2 Updating BIOS procedures
Update the BIOS only if you have problems with the motherboard and you are sure that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems. Careless updating may result to more problems with the motherboard!

Sub-menu

Note that a right pointer symbol (as shown on the left) 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 submenu 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.

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: (up to 2084). Use the <Tab> or <Shift> + <Tab> keys to move between the month, day, and year fields.
Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]
Sets the type of floppy drive 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]
4.3.1 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave

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.
Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the correct configuration information supplied by the drive manufacturer. Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk.

OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64M [Disabled]
When using OS/2 operating systems with installed DRAM of greater than 64MB, you need to set this option to [Enabled]. Otherwise, leave to the default setting [Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4.4.1 Chip Configuration

SDRAM Configuration [By SPD]
This parameter allows you to set the optimal timings for items 25, depending on the memory modules that you are using. The default setting is [By SPD], which configures items 25 by reading the contents in the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) device. The EEPROM on the memory module stores critical information about the module, such as memory type, size, speed, voltage interface, and module banks. Configuration options: [User Defined] [By SPD]

SDRAM CAS Latency [3T]

This item controls the latency between the SDRAM read command and the time the data actually becomes available.
The SDRAM CAS Latency parameter appears only when you set the SDRAM Configuration to [User Defined].
SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay [3T]
This item controls the latency between the SDRAM active command and the read/write command.
The SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay parameter appears only when you set the SDRAM Configuration to [User Defined].
SDRAM RAS Precharge Delay [3T]
This item controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to the SDRAM.
The SDRAM RAS Precharge Delay parameter appears only when you set the SDRAM Configuration to [User Defined].
SDRAM Active Precharge Delay [6T]
This item controls the number os SDRAM clocks used for SDRAM parameters.
The SDRAM Active Precharge Delay parameter appears only when you set the SDRAM Configuration to [User Defined].
SDRAM Idle Timer [Infinite]
Configuration options: [Infinite] [0T] [8T] [16T] [64T]
Graphics Aperture Size [64MB]
This feature allows you to select the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic data. Configuration options: [4MB] [8MB] [16MB] [32MB] [64MB] [128MB] [256MB]

AGP Capability [4X Mode]

Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]
This field allows you to enable or disable the option ROM on the onboard LAN chipset. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4.4.3.1 Onboard PCI Devices Control
Onboard PCI Audio [Enabled]
This field allows you to enable or disable the option ROM on the onboard PCI audio feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4.4.3.2 PCI IRQ Resource Exclusion
IRQ XX Used By ISA [No/ICU]
These fields indicate whether or not the displayed IRQ for each field is being used by a legacy (non-PnP) ISA card. The setting [No/ICU] for an IRQ field indicates that you are using the ISA Configuration Utility (ICU), and that this particular IRQ is NOT required by a legacy ISA card. Set the IRQ field to [Yes] if you install a legacy ISA card that requires a unique IRQ and you are NOT using ICU. Configuration options: [No/ICU] [Yes]

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.
Power Management [User Defined]
This field allows you to activate or deactivate the automatic power saving features. When set to [Disabled], the power management features do not function regardless of the other settings on this menu. The [User Defined] option allows you to set the period of inactivity before the system enters suspend mode. Refer to Suspend Mode later in this section. When set to [Max Saving], system power is conserved to its greatest amount. This setting automatically puts the system into suspend mode after a brief period of system inactivity. [Min Saving] allows the least power saving as the system enters suspend mode only after a long period of inactivity. Configuration options: [User Defined] [Disabled] [Min Saving] [Max Saving]
You should install the Advanced Power Management (APM) utility to keep the system time updated even when the computer enters suspend mode. In Windows 3.x and Windows 95, you need to install Windows with the APM feature. In Windows 98 or later, APM is automatically installed as indicated by a battery and power cord icon labeled Power Management in the Control Panel. Select the item Advanced in the Power Management Properties dialog box.
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]

INF Driver

This item installs the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility that enables Plug-n-Play INF support for Intel chipset components. This utility installs to the target system the Windows INF files that outline to the operating system how the chipset components will be configured. You may install this utility in three modes: interactive, silent, and unattended preload. The interactive mode requires user input during installation. This is not required in the silent and unattended preload modes. Refer to the online help or readme file that came with the utility.
Intel Application Accelerator
This item installs the Intel Application Accelerator for Microsoft Windows 98/98SE/ME/NT4.0/2000. This program is designed to improve performance of the storage sub-system and overall system performace.
Install the INF Driver before installing the Intel Application Accelerator.
This item installs the RealTek PCI Fast Ethernet driver.
This item installs the C-Media 6-channel PCI audio driver.

Smart Card Reader

This item installs the Smart Card Reader device driver. ASUS P4B-M motherboard user guide 5-5

5.2.5 DOS Utilities menu

The DOS utilities menu includes items that you can run in DOS mode. These items are also present in the software menu.
5.2.6 ASUS Contact Information
Clicking the ASUS Contact Information button displays as stated. You may also find this information on page x of this user guide.

5.2.7 Other information

The icons on the left side of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support CD. This section shows the pop-up windows that appear when you click the icons.
The pictures in this section are for reference only and may not exactly reflect the details you see on your screen.

Motherboard Info

The window displays the general specifications of the P4B motherboard.

Browse this CD

The window displays the support CD contents in graphical format.

Technical Support Form

The window displays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to fill up when requesting technical support.

Readme

The window displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in text format.

Software information

Most of the applications in the support CD have wizards that will conveniently guide you through the installation. View the online help or readme file that came with the software for more information. This section provides details on the new software applications that the motherboard supports.

Appendix C: Glossary

Device Driver. A software routine that links a peripheral device to the operating system. It acts as a translator between the device and the applications that use it. Each device has its own set of specialized commands known only to its driver while the applications access devices using high-level generic commands. The driver translates these commands into the commands required by the devices. DOS (Disk Operating System). A software that organizes how a computer reads, writes, and communicate to the disks and various input/ output devices (such as keyboards, screens, serial and parallel ports, printers, modems, etc.) connected to it. DOS was the most popular PC operating system until the introduction of Windows. DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). A type of RAM that requires refresh cycles to prevent the loss of the data stored in it. See also RAM and SDRAM. Expansion Card. A printed circuit card suchas an audio card, a video card, or a LAN card that plugs into an expansion slot on the motherboard. An expansion card add functions that are not present in the motherboard. Flash ROM. A non-volatile memory device that retains its data even when power is removed. This device is similar to EPROM, but unlike EPROM which can be erased only using an ultra-violet light, flash ROM can be electrically erased. Flash ROM is normally used for system BIOS, which initiates hardware devices and sets up necessary parameters for the OS. Since the flash ROM contents can be modified, you can update the BIOS by yourself. IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics). IDE devices integrate the drive control circuitry directly on the drive itself, eliminating the need for a separate adapter card (in the case for SCSI devices). UltraDMA/100/6633 IDE devices can achieve up to 100MB/sec transfers. Internet. The global computer network composed of WANs and LANs that uses TCP/IP to provide worldwide communications to homes, schools, businesses, and the government. I/O (Input/Output). The data transfers from the input devices like a keyboard, mouse, or scanner, to the output devices like a printer or the monitor screen. I/O Address. The specific memory location for a particular device. Two devices cannot share the same I/O address space.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association). An internaltional organization that creates and promotes inter-operable, low cost, infrared data interconnection standards that support a walk-up, point-to-point model. The IrDA protocol is designed to support transmission of data between two devices over short-range point-to-point infrared at speeds between 9.6Kbps and 4Mbps. ISP (Internet Service Provider). A company that provides customer access to the Internet and the World Wide Web for a fee. The ISP also provides Internet utilities and services like e-mail, newsgroup, weather reports, and a host of others. The user can connect to the ISP using a modem installed in the computer and connected to a phone line. LAN (Local Area Network). A network technology designed to connect computers that are separated by a short distance. The local group of linked computers are normally connected to a single server. See also WAN (Wide Area Network) Modem. A device that allows a computer to talk to another computer through the phone system. Network. An interconnected computer system linked by telephone wires, or other means. OS (Operating System). The software that controls the overall operation of a computer system. The OS tasks include memory allocation, input and output distribution, interrupt processing, job scheduling, and various other duties. PC100/PC133. This is an industry-standard designation for memory capacity as a measure of the speed of the memory bus. New platform requirements ensure that memory does not become a bottleneck to system performance. PCI Bus (Peripheral Component Interconnect Local Bus). PCI bus is a specification that defines a 32-bit data bus interface. PCI is a standard widely used by expansion card manufacturers. PCI Bus Master. The PCI Bus Master can perform data transfer without local CPU help and furthermore, the CPU can be treated as one of the Bus Masters. PCI 2.1 supports concurrent PCI operation to allow the local CPU and bus master to work simultaneously.
POST (Power On Self Test). When you turn ON the computer, it will first run through the POST, a series of software-controlled diagnostic tests. The POST checks system memory, the motherboard circuitry, the display, the keyboard, the diskette drive, and other I/O devices. PS/2 Port. PS/2 ports are based on IBM Micro Channel Architecture. This type of architecture transfers data through a 16-bit or 32-bit bus. A PS/2 mouse and/or keyboard may be used on ATX motherboards. RAM (Random Access Memory). The computers primary storage area used to write, store, and retrieve information and program instructions which are passed to the CPU for processing. The information in RAM can be repeatedly re-written with new data. Compared to other storage media like magnetic tape, floppy disk, and hard disk, RAM has an extraordinarily fast access rate. RAM, however, is volatile, which means that the data stored in it are lost when the system power is turned off, or if power glitches occur. See also DRAM and SDRAM. ROM (Read Only Memory). An integrated circuit chip containing program and data that can be accessed and read but not modified. SCSI (Small Computer System Interface). High speed multi-threaded I/ O interface defined by the X3T9.2 committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for connecting many peripheral devices. The standard covers 10MBytes/sec to 160MBytes/sec data rates. SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM). A type of DRAM with access signals that are synchronized with the CPU clock, eliminating the delay associated with data transfers between the CPU and memory. SDRAM takes memory access away from the CPU control; internal registers in the memory accept the request, and lets the CPU do something else while the data requested is assembled for the next time the CPU talks to the memory. SIR (Serial IrDA). A SIR specification defines a short-range infrared asynchronous serial transmission mode with one stat bit, eight data bits and one stop bit. The maximum data rate is 115.2Kbps. SPD for SDRAM module. Serial Presence Detect (SPD) is most like an ID detect for SDRAM module, it uses an EEPROM component on a DIMM for storing module configuration information inside. The Serial Presence Detect function is implemented using a 2048 bit EEPROM component. This nonvolatile storage device contains data programmed by the DIMM manufacturer that identifies the module type and various SDRAM organization and timing parameters.