E1119 A7v8x

Motherboard
A7V8X
User Guide
E1119
Checklist
Second Edition
September 2002
Copyright © 2002 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, modified or
altered, unless such repair, modification 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 identification or
explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.
ii
Contents
FCC/CDC statements ..................................................................... vi
Features
Safety information ......................................................................... vii
About this guide ............................................................................ viii
How this guide is organized ................................................ viii
Conventions used in this guide ............................................. ix
Where to find more information ............................................. ix
ASUS contact information ............................................................... x
A7V8X specifications summary ...................................................... xi
Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.1 Welcome! ........................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Package contents ............................................................... 1-1
1.3 Special features .................................................................. 1-2
1.3.1 Product highlights .................................................. 1-2
1.4 Motherboard overview ........................................................ 1-6
1.4.1 Major components ................................................. 1-6
1.4.2 Core specifications ................................................ 1-8
Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.1 Motherboard installation ..................................................... 2-1
2.1.1 Placement direction ............................................... 2-1
2.1.2 Screw holes ........................................................... 2-1
2.2 Motherboard layout ............................................................ 2-2
2.3 Before you proceed ............................................................ 2-3
2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ........................................... 2-4
2.4.1 Overview ................................................................ 2-4
2.4.2 Installing the CPU .................................................. 2-5
2.5 System memory ................................................................. 2-6
2.5.1 Overview ................................................................ 2-6
2.5.2 Memory configurations .......................................... 2-7
2.5.3 Qualified Vendor List .............................................. 2-7
2.5.4 Installing a DIMM ................................................... 2-8
2.5.5 Removing a DIMM ................................................. 2-9
2.6 Expansion slots .................................................................2-11
2.6.1 Installing an expansion card ..............................................2-11
2.6.2 Configuring an expansion card ..........................................2-11
iii
Contents
Safeguards
2.6.3 PCI slots .............................................................. 2-13

2.6.4 AGP slot ............................................................... 2-13
2.7 Switches and jumpers ...................................................... 2-14
2.8 Connectors ....................................................................... 2-17
Chapter 3: Powering up
3.1 Starting up for the first time ................................................ 3-1
3.2 Vocal POST Messages ...................................................... 3-2
3.3 Powering off the computer ................................................. 3-4
Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .................................... 4-1
4.1.1 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS ............ 4-1
4.1.2 Using AFLASH to update the BIOS ....................... 4-3
4.2 BIOS Setup program .......................................................... 4-7
4.2.1 BIOS menu bar ...................................................... 4-8
4.2.2 Legend bar ............................................................. 4-8
4.3 Main Menu ........................................................................ 4-10
4.3.1 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave ................. 4-12
4.3.2 Keyboard Features .............................................. 4-16
4.4 Advanced Menu ............................................................... 4-17
4.4.1 Chip Configuration ............................................... 4-20
4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration ...................................... 4-23
4.4.3 PCI Configuration ................................................ 4-25
4.5 Power Menu ..................................................................... 4-29
4.5.1 Power Up Control ................................................ 4-29
4.5.2 Hardware Monitor ................................................ 4-31
4.6 Boot Menu ........................................................................ 4-33
4.7 Exit Menu ......................................................................... 4-35
Chapter 5: Software support

5.1 Install an operating system ................................................. 5-1
5.2 Support CD information ...................................................... 5-1
iv
Contents
5.2.1 Running the support CD ........................................ 5-1
5.2.2 Drivers menu ......................................................... 5-2
5.2.3 Utilities menu ......................................................... 5-3
5.2.4 ASUS Contact Information ..................................... 5-6
5.2.5 Other information ................................................... 5-7
5.3 Software information .......................................................... 5-9
5.3.1 ASUS Update ........................................................ 5-9
5.3.2 ASUS MyLogo2™ ................................................ 5-10
5.3.3 ASUS PC Probe .................................................. 5-12
5.3.4 E-Color 3Deep ..................................................... 5-17
5.3.5 Winbond Voice Editor .......................................... 5-20
5.3.6 Multi-Channel Audio Feature ............................... 5-24
5.4 Using the Promise Chip for RAID 0 or 1 ........................... 5-26
5.4.1 Installing the Hard Disks ...................................... 5-27
5.4.2 Enter FastTrak376™ BIOS and FastBuild Utility ... 5-28
5.4.3 Creating a RAID 0 Array ...................................... 5-29
5.4.4 Creating a RAID 1 Array ...................................... 5-30
5.4.5 Other FastBuild Utility Commands ....................... 5-32
5.5 Manual Installation of IDE/RAID Drivers .......................... 5-34
5.5.1 Win9x-ME Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver ........... 5-34
5.5.2 Win2000 / XP Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver ..... 5-34
5.5.3 Win NT Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver ............... 5-35
5.5.4 Installing the Promise® FastTrak376™
Driver in a New Windows 2000 / XP System ....... 5-35
Index ........................................................................................ I-1
v
FCC/CDC statements
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.
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:
• Reorient 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.
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the

graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations.
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to
operate this equipment.
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.
vi
Safety information
Electrical safety
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from
the electrical outlet before relocating the system.
• When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that
the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal
cables are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the
existing system before you add a device.
• Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,
ensure that all power cables are unplugged.
• Seek professional assistance before using an adpater or extension
cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
• Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you
are using, contact your local power company.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a
qualified service technician or your retailer.
Operation safety
• Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully
read all the manuals that came with the package.
• Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected
and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage,
contact your dealer immediately.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the
product in any area where it may become wet.
• Place the product on a stable surface.
• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a
qualified service technician or your retailer.
vii
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing the
ASUS A7V8X motherboard.
How this guide is organized

This manual contains the following parts:
• Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter describes the features of the A7V8X motherboard. It
includes brief descriptions of the special attributes of the motherboard
and the new technology it supports.
• Chapter 2: Hardware information
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to
perform when installing system components. It includes description of
the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.
• Chapter 3: Powering up
This chapter describes the power up sequence and gives information
on the BIOS beep codes.
• Chapter 4: BIOS setup
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS
Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also
provided.
• Chapter 5: Software support
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with
the motherboard package.
• Index
This part contains an alphabetical list of the topics found in this
document.
viii
Conventions used in this guide
To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the
following symbols used throughout this manual.
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself

when trying to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components

when trying to complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Information that you MUST follow to complete a

task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to aid in completing a task.
Where to find more information

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product
and software updates.
1. ASUS Websites
The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated information on ASUS
hardware and software products. The ASUS websites are listed in the
ASUS Contact Information on page x.
2. Optional Documentation
Your product package may include optional documentation, such as
warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These
documents are not part of the standard package.
ix
ASUS contact information
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)
Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
General Tel: +886-2-2894-3447
General Fax: +886-2-2894-3449
General Email: info@asus.com.tw
Technical Support
MB/Others (Tel): +886-2-2890-7121 (English)
Notebook (Tel): +886-2-2890-7122 (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel): +886-2-2890-7123 (English)
Support Fax: +886-2-2890-7698
Support Email: tsd@asus.com.tw
Web Site: www.asus.com.tw
Newsgroup: cscnews.asus.com.tw
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Address: 6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center,
Building 2, Newark, CA 94560, USA
General Fax: +1-510-608-4555
General Email: tmd1@asus.com
Technical Support
Support Fax: +1-510-608-4555
General Support: +1-502-995-0883
Web Site: www.asus.com
Support Email: tsd@asus.com
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)

Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
General Fax: +49-2102-442066
General Email: sales@asuscom.de (for marketing requests only)
Technical Support
Support Hotline: MB/Others: +49-2102-9599-0
Notebook (Tel): +49-2102-9599-10
Support Fax: +49-2102-9599-11
Support (Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
Web Site: www.asuscom.de
x
A7V8X specifications summary
CPU Socket A for AMD Thoroughbred, Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron
600 MHz ~ 2.4 GHz+
Chipset Northbridge: VIA KT400

Southbridge: VIA VT8235
Front Side Bus (FSB) 333/266/200Mhz
Memory 3 x DDR DIMM Sockets

Maximum 3 GB unbuffered PC2100/1600 non-ECC SDRAM
Memory.(Note: PC2700 maximum to 2 DIMM support only.
PC3200 maximum to 1 DIMM support only.)
Visit the ASUS website for the latest qualified DDR400/DDR333 module list
Expansion slots 1 x AGP 8X

6 x PCI (one shared with ASUS BlueMagic PCI slot.)
IDE 2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66
Flexible Serial ATA Promise controller supports one ATA133 channel and two
(optional) Serial ATA connectors
RAID (optional) RAID 0 supported by two or three Parallel ATA or Serial ATA
connectors. RAID 1 supported by two Parallel or Serial ATA
connectors.
Audio (optional) Realtek 6-channel CODEC

S/PDIF in/out interface
LAN (optional) Broadcom 10/100 Mbps or 1 Gbps Ethernet controller
USB 2.0 VT8235 built-in USB 2.0

6 x USB 2.0 port
IEEE 1394 (optional) VIA 1394 controller

2 x 1394 port
Special Features ASUS POST Reporter (optional)

ASUS MyLogo2
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS Q-Fan
Multi-language BIOS
Power Loss Restart
ASUS Jumperfree
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)
support S/PDIF in/out interface (on audio model only)
ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
AGP Warning LED
(continued on the next page)
xi
A7V8X specifications summary
Back Panel I/O Ports 1 x Parallel
2 x Serial
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x Audio I/O (on audio model only)
4 x USB 2.0
1 x RJ-45 Port (on LAN model only)
Internal I/O CPU/Power/Chassis FAN connectors

Connectors 20 pin ATX power connector
IDE LED connector
Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus, SIR
Smart Card reader connector
Front panel audio connector (on audio model only)
Game port
S/PDIF in/out connector (on audio model only)
CD/AUX/Modem audio in (on audio model only)
2 x 1394 port (on 1394 model only)
1 x USB 2.0 connector supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports
2 x Serial ATA port (on serial ATA model only)
BIOS features 4Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,
SM BIOS2.3, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash, ASUS
MyLogo2
Industry standard PCI 2.2, USB 2.0
Manageability WfM 2.0. DMI 2.0, chassis intrusion, SMBus
Form Factor ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
Support CD contents Device drivers

ASUS PC Probe
Trend Microtm PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software
ASUS LiveUpdate Utility
InterVideo WinCinema [WinDVD/WinRip/WinCorder/
WinProducer] software (optional)
Accessories User’s manual

Support CD
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
IDE cable
FDD cable
I/O shield
2-port USB 2.0/ Game port module
2-port IEEE 1394 module (on 1394 model only)
2 x IEEE 1394 cable (on 1394 model only)
2 x Serial ATA cable (on Serial ATA model only)
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
xii
Chapter 1
This chapter describes the features of the

ASUS A7V8X motherboard. It includes brief
explanations of the special attributes of the
motherboard and the new technology it
supports.
Product introduction
Chapter summary
1.1 Welcome! ........................................................ 1-1
1.2 Package contents .......................................... 1-1
1.3 Special features ............................................. 1-2
1.4 Motherboard overview ................................... 1-6
ASUS A7V8X motherboard

1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS® A7V8X motherboard!
The ASUS A7V8X motherboard is loaded with the most advanced
technologies to deliver the maximum performance for socket A processors.
Based on the advanced VIA KT400 chipset with DDR 400 support, the
ASUS A7V8X also features AGP 8X, serial ATA, USB 2.0 as well as
optional 6-channel audio, Gigabit LAN and 1394. Unique ASUS features
such as ASUS C.O.P., Q-Fan and MyLogo2 and more are included to
ensure the best user experience and value in a motherboard.
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it,
check the items in your package with the list below.
1.2 Package contents

Check your ASUS A7V8X package for the following items.
ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
ASUS A7V8X series support CD
ASUS 2-port USB 2.0/ GAME port module
ASUS 2-port IEEE 1394 module (on 1394 model only)
ASUS S/PDIF in/out module (on audio model only)
2 pcs. 1394 cable (on 1394 model only)
2 pcs. Serial ATA cable (on Serial ATA model only)
2 pcs. 80-conductor ribbon cable for UltraDMA/66/100/133 IDE drives
40-conductor IDE cable
Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
I/O shield
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide
Quick Setup Guide and Reference Card (retail box only)
Jumpers and Connectors Sticker (retail box only)
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-1

1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product highlights
333MHz FSB Athlon XP CPU support
AMD’s Athlon XP 2700+ and all follow-up CPUs now support 333MHz
Front Side Bus (FSB) for increased application program productivity and
enhanced digital media experience.
AGP 8X support
AGP 8X (AGP 3.0) is the next generation VGA interface specification that
enables enhanced graphics performance with high bandwidth speeds up
to 2.12 GB/s. With a bus of 533Mhz, AGP 8X is twice as fast as AGP 4X.
Serial ATA technology (optional)

Serial ATA is the next generation ATA specification that provides scalable
performance for today and tomorrow. With up to 150MB/s data transfer
rate, Serial ATA is faster than current Parallel ATA, while providing 100%
software compatibility.
DDR400 (PC3200) support

DDR400 (PC3200), the latest and fastest DDR memory standard, supports
bandwidth up to 3.2 GB/s to provide enhanced system performance.
(Note: PC2700 maximum to 2 DIMM support only. PC3200 maximum to 1 DIMM
support only.)
Gigabit LAN (optional)

The A7V8X with BroadCom Gigabit LAN, delivers transfer speeds up to
ten times faster than conventional 10/100 Ethernet connections. Gigabit
LAN is the networking standard for the future and is ideal for handling
large amounts of data such as video, audio and voice.
USB 2.0 technology

USB 2.0 is the latest connectivity standard for next generation components
and peripherals. USB 2.0 delivers fast transfer speeds up to 40 times
faster at 480 MB/s, for easy connectivity and ultra-fast data transfers. The
higher bandwidth of USB 2.0 allows connection of devices such as high
resolution video conferencing cameras, next generation scanners, printers,
and fast storage units. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1.
1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction

IEEE 1394 support (optional)
IEEE 1394 interface provides high speed digital interface for audio / video
appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage
peripherals & other PC portable devices.
ASUS Q-Fan feature

The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to
the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation. See
details on page 4-32.
C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection):

With AMD® Athlon XP™ installed, the motherboard offers automatic CPU
Overheating Protection to prolong the life of the entire system. If the CPU
temperature exceeds the set criteria, the PC shuts down automatically.
ASUS POST Reporter™ (optional)
A7V8X offers a new exciting feature called the ASUS POST Reporter™ to
provide friendly voice messages and alerts during the Power-On Self-Tests
(POST). Through the system’s internal speaker, or an added external
speaker, you will hear the messages informing you of the system boot
status and causes of boot errors, if any. The bundled Winbond Voice
Editor software allows you to customize the voice messages, and provides
multi-language support.
ASUS MyLogo2™
This new feature present in the A7V8X motherboard allows you to

personalize and add style to your system with customizable boot logos.
ASUS Multi-language BIOS
The multi-language BIOS allows you to select the language of your choice
from the available options. The localized BIOS menus allow you to
configure easier and faster. Visit the ASUS website for information on the
supported languages. See page 4-11 on how to select your desired
language.

ASUS EZ Flash BIOS
With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even
before loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility
or boot from a floppy disk.
6-channel Audio (optional)

The A7V8X uses an onboard Realtek CODEC that lets you enjoy high-
quality 6-channel audio without having to buy advanced sound cards.
InterVideo WinCinema Software (on Gold version only)

A full array of bundled software is now available with ASUS motherboards!
Submerge yourself in ahole new multimedia experience.
WinDVD: the world’s most popular DVD software supporting 5.1-channel
audio
WinRip: MP3 Player/Encoder/Ripper featuring virtual 5.1-channel and
surround sound effects.
WinCoder: Real-time MPEG-1 & 2 software video encoder.
WinProducer: Easy-of-use MPEG-1 & 2 video editing software.

1.4 Motherboard overview
Before you install the A7V8X motherboard, familiarize yourself with its
physical configuration and available features to 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.
1.4.1 Major components

The following are the major components of the A7V8X motherboard as
pointed out in the picture on page 1-7.
1. North Bridge controller 19. Audio CODECA

2. CPU socket 20. 10/100 or 1Gbit LAN controllerL
3. DDR DIMM sockets 21. AGP slot
4. ATX power connector 22. Mouse port
5. Floppy disk connector 23. Parallel port
6. IDE connectors 24. RJ-45 portL
7. AGP warning LED 25. Line In jackA
8. South Bridge controller 26. Line Out jackA
9. ASUS ASIC 27. Microphone jackA
10. RAID IDE connector* 28. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4
11. SATA connectors* 29. Serial ports 1 and 2
12. Flash ROM 30. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2
13. SATA controller* 31. Keyboard port
14. Stand-by LED
15. Super I/O controller * - on SATA model only
16 IEEE 1394 connectorE E
- on IEEE model only
17. IEEE 1394 controllerE L
- on LAN model only
A
18. PCI slots - on Audio model only
(Note: The ASUS BlueMagic
PCI slot works as a normal
PCI slot and it is also compatible
with the ASUS proprietary
wireless card - Spacelink B&W)
See page 1-8 for the specifications of each major component. Refer to
Chapter 2 for detailed information on the components.

1 2 3 4
6
21
7
20 8
19
18 9
10
11
17
12
16
15 14 13
22 23 24
25
26
27
31 30 29 28

1.4.2 Core specifications
1 North bridge controller. The VIA® KT400 supports AGP 8X mode,
266/200MHz Front Side Bus, and the latest 400/333/266/200MHz
64-bit memory bus.
2 CPU socket. Socket 462 (Socket A) surface mount, Zero Insertion

Force (ZIF) socket for the AMD Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron
Processors, with 600 MHz ~ 2.4GHz system bus. (Note: When
using 333MHz FSB CPU, system memory supports DDR333 or
DDR400 only.)
TABLE 1.4.2
FSB DDR 266 DDR 333 DDR 400
FSB/DDR
Support Table 200/266 MHz
333 MHz
3 DDR DIMM sockets. These three 184-pin DIMM sockets support up

to 3GB system memory using unbuffered non-ECC PC2100/1600
DDR DIMMs.(Note: PC2700 maximum to 2 DIMM support only.
PC3200 maximum to 1 DIMM support only.)
Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for the latest qualified DDR400 module list.
4 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).
5 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.
6 IDE connectors. These dual-channel bus master IDE connectors

support up to four Ultra DMA133/100/66, 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.
7 AGP warning LED. Serving as a smart burn-out protection for the

motherboard, this red LED lights up if you plug in any 3.3V AGP
card into the AGP slot. When this LED is lit, there is no way you
can turn on the system power even if you press the power button.
8 South bridge controller. The VIA® VT8235 integrated peripheral

controller supports various I/O functions including, 2-channel ATA/
133 bus master IDE controller, up to six USB 2.0 ports, LPC Super
I/O interface, AC’97 interface and PCI 2.2 interface.

9 ASUS ASIC. This chip performs multiple system functions that
include hardware and system voltage monitoring among others.
10 RAID IDE connector. This one-channel connector supports Ultra

ATA133/100/66 hard disk drivers in RAID 0 or RAID 1
configurations. (on SATA model only)
11 SATA connectors. This connector accomodates the provided

Serial ATA cable. One side of the connector is slotted to prevent
incorrect insertion of the cable. The Serial ATA is an evolutionary
replacement for the Parallel ATA. (on SATA model only)
12 Flash ROM. This 4Mb firmware contains the programmable BIOS
program.
13 SATA controller. The Promise controller supports one ATA133

channel and two Serial ATA connectors. (on SATA model only)
14 Standby power LED. This 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.
15 Super I/O controller. 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), a Smart Card
Reader and a Flash ROM interface.
16 IEEE 1394 connectors. This connectors accomodate the bundled

two (2) IEEE 1394 cables. (on 1394 model only)
17 IEEE 1394 controller. This high speed serial bus provides

enhanced PC connectivity for Audio and Video, high-speed
peripheral devices for storage and other portable devices.
(on 1394 model only)
18 PCI slots. These six 32-bit PCI 2.2 expansion slots support bus
master PCI cards like SCSI or LAN cards with 133MB/s maximum
throughput. (Note: The ASUS BlueMagic PCI slot works as a
normal PCI slot and it is also compatible with the ASUS proprietary
wireless card - Spacelink B&W)
19 Audio CODEC . The Realtek ALC650 is an AC’97 compliant audio
CODEC for PC multimedia systems. (on audio models only)

20 Gigabit LAN or LAN controller. The BroadCom Gigabit LAN
delivers transfer rates up to ten times faster than conventional 10/
100 Ethernet connections. Ideal for handling large amounts of data
such as video, audio and voice. (on LAN models only)
21 AGP slot. This Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot supports 1.5V
AGP8X mode graphics cards for 3D graphical applications.
22 PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse.
23 Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a

scanner, or other devices.
24 RJ-45 port. This port allows connection to a Local Area Network

(LAN) through a network hub. (on LAN models only)
25 Line In jack. This Line In (light blue) jack connects a tape player or
other audio sources. In 6-channel mode, the function of this jack
becomes Line Out/Front Speaker Out. (on audio models only)
26 Line Out jack. This Line Out (lime) jack connects a headphone or
a speaker. In 6-channel mode, the function of this jack becomes
Front Speaker Out. (on audio models only)
27 Microphone jack. This Mic (pink) jack connects a microphone. In

6-channel mode, the function of this jack becomes Center Speaker
Out/Subwoofer. (on audio models only)
28 USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus
(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
29 Serial ports 1 and 2. This 9-pin COM1/COM2 ports are for

pointing devices or other serial devices.
30 USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus
(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
31 PS/2 keyboard port. This purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2
keyboard.

Chapter 2
This chapter describes the hardware setup

procedures that you have to perform when
installing system components. It includes
details on the switches, jumpers, and
connectors on the motherboard.
Hardware information
Chapter summary
2.1 Motherboard installation ............................... 2-1
2.2 Motherboard layout ....................................... 2-2
2.3 Before you proceed ....................................... 2-3
2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ..................... 2-4
2.5 System memory ............................................. 2-6
2.6 Expansion slots ............................................ 2-11
2.7 Switches and jumpers ................................. 2-14
2.8 Connectors ................................................... 2-18

2.1 Motherboard installation
Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis
to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The A7V8X uses the ATX form
factor that measures 12 inches x 9.6 inches (30.5 x 24.5 cm).
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 as indicated in the image below.
2.1.2 Screw holes

Place nine (9) 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

2.2 Motherboard layout
24.5cm (9.6in)
OVER_VOLT1
PS/2KBMS CPU_FAN1
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard KBPWR1
USBPWR_12
USBPWR_34
USB1.1
T: USB0
Socket 462
B: USB1
DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)

COM1
ATX Power Connector

PARALLEL PORT
COM2
VIA
USB2.0 Top:
T: USB1 RJ-45 KT400
B: USB2 Chipset
30.5cm (12.0in)
PWR_FAN1
FLOPPY1
Top:Line In
Center:Line Out AUX1
Below:Mic In 0 1 2 3 4 5
CD1
SEC_ IDE1
PRI_ IDE1
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP Pro)
AGP_WARN1
FP_AUDIO1
PCI1
GBLAN
or
LAN
Chip
VIA SMB_CON1
PCI2 VT8235
Chipset TRPWR1
Audio
Codec
PCI3 ASUS
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
ASIC
A7V8X
®
CMOS Power
with Hardware
SPDIF1 Monitor
MODEM1 CLRTC1
SPEECH
PCI4
Controller
PROMISE
PRI_RAID1
PDC20376
SerialATA
Controller
SEC_SATA1
PCI5
USBPWR_56
Super
VIA 4Mbit
I/O
1394 Firmware
Controller Hub
IDELED1
PRI_SATA1
CHASSIS1
PCI6 SB_PWR1
USB56 SMARTCARD1 CHA_FAN1
IEEE1394_1 IEEE1394_2 GAME1 WPCI_USB1 IR_CON1 AFPANEL1 PANEL1
The audio, SATA, Gigabit LAN, LAN and 1394 features are optional.
These components are grayed out in the above motherboard layout.
2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3 Before you proceed
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard
components or change any motherboard settings.
1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.
2. Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to
a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling
components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity.
3. Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded
antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.
5. Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the
ATX power supply is switched off or the power cord is
detached from the power supply. Failure to do so may cause
severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals, and/or
components.
When lit, the green LED (SB_PWR1) indicates that the system is ON,
in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode, a reminder that you should shut
down the system before removing or plugging in any motherboard
component.
The red LED (AGP_WARN1) is a smart protection from motherboard

burn out caused by an incorrect AGP card. If you plug in any 3.3V AGP
card into the 1.5V AGP slot, this LED lights up thus preventing the
system to power up. This LED remains off if you plug in a 1.5V AGP
card.
AGP_WARN1
ON OFF
Incorrect Correct
AGP Card AGP Card
SB_PWR1
A7V8X
®
ON OFF
Standby Powered
A7V8X Onboard LED Power Off

2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
2.4.1 Overview
The motherboard provides a Socket A (462) for CPU installation. AMD
processors offer gigahertz speeds to support all the latest computing platforms
and applications. The A7V8X supports AthlonTM XP/AthlonTM and DuronTM
processors.
CPU NOTCH
TO INNER
CORNER
AMD™ CPU
A7V8X
®
CPU NOTCH
LEVER LOCK
A7V8X Socket A
Each AMD CPU has a “marked” corner. This corner is indicated with a notch,
and/or a golden square or triangle. Refer to this indicator while orienting the
CPU. See the next section for installation details.
A fan and heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating.

2.4.2 Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU:
1. Locate the Socket 462 and open it by

pulling the lever gently sideways away
from the socket. Then lift the lever
upwards. The socket lever must be fully
opened (90 to 100 degrees).
2. Insert the CPU with the correct
orientation. The notched or golden
corner of the CPU must be oriented
toward the inner corner of the socket
base nearest to the lever hinge.
The CPU should drop easily into place. Do not force the CPU into the
socket to avoid bending the pins. If the CPU does not fit, check its
alignment and look for bent pins.
4. Once completely inserted, press the CPU firmly and close the socket
lever until it snaps shut.
5. Place the CPU fan and heatsink on the CPU. The heatsink should entirely
cover the CPU. Carefully attach the heatsink locking brace to the plastic
clips on the socket base. With the added weight of the CPU fan and
heatsink locking brace, no extra force is required to keep the CPU in
place
Take care not to scrape the motherboard surface when mounting a clamp-
style processor fan, or else damage may occur. When mounting a
heatsink onto your CPU, make sure that exposed CPU capacitors do not
touch the heatsink, or damage may occur!
Do not neglect to set the correct Bus Frequency and leave the CPU
Multiple setting at default to avoid start-up problems.

2.5 System memory
2.5.1 Overview
The motherboard comes with three Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual Inline
Memory Module (DIMM) sockets. These sockets support up to 3GB
system memory using 184-pin unbuffered non-ECC PC3200/PC2700/
2100/1600 DIMMs. (Note: DDR400 supports one (1) socket only. DDR333
supports two (2) sockets only.)
104 Pins
A7V8X 80 Pins
A7V8X 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets
A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction.
DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.
The DDR SDRAM technology evolved from the mainstream PC66, PC100,
PC133 memory known as Single Data Rate (SDR) SDRAM. DDR memory
however, has the ability to perform two data operations in one clock cycle,
thus providing twice the throughput of SDR memory. For example, a
200MHz DDR DIMM will support a 100MHz memory bus, and a 266MHz
DDR DIMM will support a 133MHz memory bus.
DDR Data Transfer Rate DDR Base Frequency
400MHz 200MHz
333MHz 166MHz
266MHz 133MHz
200MHz 100MHz
A DDR DIMM has the same physical dimensions as an SDR DIMM, but it
has a 184-pin footprint compared to the 168-pin of the SDR DIMM. Also, a
DDR DIMM is single notched while an SDR DIMM is double notched.
Therefore, a DDR DIMM is not backward compatible with SDR, and should
be installed only in a socket specially designed for DDR DIMMs.

2.5.2 Memory configurations
You may install any DDR DIMMs with 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and
1GB densities into the DIMM sockets.
Use only the following combinations to install DDR DIMMs. Otherwise,

the system may not boot up.
DDR DIMM1 DDR DIMM2 DDR DIMM3

(Rows 0&1) (Rows 2&3) (Rows 4&5)
SS/DS SS/DS SS/DS
SS/DS SS/DS SS/DS
* SS - Single-sided DIMM
DS - Double-sided DIMM
2.5.3 DDR400 Qualified Vendor List

The following table lists the PC3200-DDR400 memory modules that have
been tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.
Vendor Model Size

Samsung M368L6423DTM-CC4 512MB
Samsung M368L3223DTM-CC4 256MB
Kingston KVR400X64C25/512 512MB
Currently, only one (1) DIMM slot supports DDR400 modules. Make sure
to use only the tested and qualified DDR400 DIMMs listed above. Other
DDR DIMMs manufactured by other vendors may not be suitable for this
motherboard. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for the latest
qualified vendor DDR400 module list.

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

2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches
the break on the socket.
Unlocked Retaining Clip
3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap
back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.
Locked Retaining Clip

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

2.6 Expansion slots
In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The motherboard
has six PCI slots and one Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot. The
following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that
they support.
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.
2.6.1 Installing an expansion card

Follow these steps to install an expansion card.
1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that

came with it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card.
2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed
in a chassis).
3. Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep the
screw for later use.
4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is
completely seated on the slot.
5. Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier.
6. Replace the system cover.
2.6.2 Configuring an expansion card

After installing the expansion card, configure the it by adjusting the
software settings.
1. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any.
See Chapter 4 for information on BIOS setup.
2. Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables on the next page.
3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

Standard Interrupt Assignments
IRQ Priority Standard Function
0 1 System Timer
1 2 Keyboard Controller
2 N/A Programmable Interrupt
3* 11 Communications Port (COM2)
4* 12 Communications Port (COM1)
5* 13 Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)
6 14 Floppy Disk Controller
7* 15 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 3 System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9* 4 ACPI Mode when used
10* 5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11* 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12* 7 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 8 Numeric Data Processor
14* 9 Primary IDE Channel
15* 10 Secondary IDE Channel
* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
IRQ assignments for this motherboard
A B C D E F G H
PCI slot 1 — — — shared — — — —
PCI slot 2 shared — — — — — — —
PCI slot 3 — shared — — — — — —
PCI slot 4 — — shared — — — — —
PCI slot 5 — — — shared — — — —
PCI slot 6 shared — — — — — — —
AGP slot shared — — — — — — —
USB 1.1 UHCI 1 — — — — — shared — —
USB 1.1 UHCI 2 — — — — — shared — —
USB 1.1 UHCI 3 — — — — — shared — —
USB 2.0 EHCI — — — — — shared — —
AC97 Codec — — — — — — used —
Onboard LAN — — shared — — — — —
Onboard 1394 — shared — — — — — —
Onboard SATA — shared — — — — — —
Onboard IDE — — — — 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, conflicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the
system unstable and the card inoperable.

2.6.3 PCI slots
There are six 32-bit PCI slots in this motherboard. The slots support PCI
cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that
comply with PCI specifications. The following figure shows a LAN card
installed on a PCI slot.
The ASUS BlueMagic PCI slot

works as a normal PCI slot
and it is also compatible with
the ASUS proprietary wireless
card - SpaceLink B&W.
2.6.4 AGP slot

This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that
supports +1.5V AGP cards. When you buy an AGP card, make sure that
you ask for one with +1.5V specification. Note the notches on the card
golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on your motherboard.
If you installed an incorrect AGP card, such as a SiS305-based AGP card
or any other 3.3V AGP card, the onboard red LED (AGP_WARN1) lights
up, an indication that the card is not supported on the motherboard. As
long as this LED is lighted, you cannot turn on the system power even if
you press the power button, thus preventing permanent damage to the
motherboard.
Install only 1.5V AGP cards on this motherboard!
A7V8X
®
Keyed for 1.5v
A7V8X Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

2.7 Jumpers
1. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR1)
This jumper allows you to enable or disable the keyboard wake-up
feature. Set this jumper to pins 2-3 (+5VSB) if you wish to wake up the
computer when you press a key on the keyboard (the default value is
[Disabled]). This feature requires an ATX power supply that can supply
at least 1A on the +5VSB lead, and a corresponding setting in the
BIOS (see section 4.5.1 Power Up Control).
KBPWR1
1 2 2 3
+5V +5VSB
®
A7V8X
(Default)
A7V8X Keyboard Power Setting
2. VCORE over-voltage (3-pin OVER_VOLT1)

When enabled, this jumper allows CPU VCORE ranges of 1.7V to 2.05V.
When this jumper is disabled, VCORE setting has a range of +1.5V to
+1.85V. You may adjust the CPU VCORE through the BIOS Setup.
Setting to a very high core voltage may cause permanent damage to

the CPU. It is recommended that you keep the default setting
(Disable).
OVER_VOLT1
1 2 2 3
OVERVOLT OVERVOLT
ENABLE DISABLE
(Default)
A7V8X
®
A7V8X CPU Over Voltage Setting

3. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWR_12, USBPWR_34,
USBPWR_56)
Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep
mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power
mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to wake up
from S3 sleep mode (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power
supply in reduced power mode). Both jumpers are set to pins 1-2 (+5V)
by default because not all computers have the appropriate power
supply to support this feature.
The USBPWR_12 and USBPWR_34 jumpers are for the rear USB
ports. The USBPWR_56 jumper is for the internal USB header that you
can connect to the front USB ports.
1. This feature requires a power supply that can provide at least 2A

on the +5VSB lead when these jumpers are set to +5VSB.
Otherwise, the system does not power up.
2. The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply
capability (+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep
mode.
USBPWR_12
USBPWR_34
1 2 2 3
+5V +5VSB
(Default)
®
A7V8X USBPWR_56
1 2 2 3
+5V +5VSB
A7V8X USB Device Wake Up (Default)

4. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1)
These jumpers allow 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 RAM
data in CMOS is powered by the onboard button cell battery.
To erase the RTC RAM:
1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Short the jumper by replacing the jumper cap and removing it
after 3 seconds.
4. Re-install the battery.
5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.
6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS
setup to re-enter data.
CLRTC1
1 2 2 3
A7V8X
®
Clear CMOS
Normal
(Default)
A7V8X Clear RTC RAM
5. WPCI_USB Setting (6-pin WPCI_USB1)

This jumper connects one set of USB signal to PCI slot 6 to support
ASUS wireless card. Since USB signals are used by some reserved pins
of PCI slot and to ensure the compatibility of the other PCI cards, it should
be kept at default setting except when ASUS wireless card is used.
WPCI_USB1
6 5
®
A7V8X
4 3 4 3
2 1
Wireless Original
PCI_USB PCI
reserved pin
A7V8X WPCI_USB Setting (Default)

2.8 Connectors
This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the
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 IDE_LED1)

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.
A7V8X IDELED1
TIP: If the case-mounted LED does not

A7V8X IDE Activity LED light, try reversing the 2-pin plug.
2. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY1)

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).
FLOPPY1
A7V8X
PIN 1
NOTE: Orient the red markings on
the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.
A7V8X Floppy Disk Drive Connector

3. IDE connectors (40-1 pin IDE1, IDE2)
This connector supports the provided UltraDMA/133/100/66 IDE hard
disk ribbon cable. Connect the cable’s blue connector to the primary
(recommended) or secondary IDE connector, then connect the gray
connector to the UltraDMA/133/100/66 slave device (hard disk drive)
and the black connector to the UltraDMA/133/100/66 master device. It
is recommended that you connect non-UltraDMA/133/100/66 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/133/100/66 devices, purchase another UltraDMA/133/
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/133/100/66

cable is intentional.
NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to PIN 1.
SEC_IDE1
PRI_IDE1
A7V8X
®
A7V8X IDE Connectors PIN 1
For UltraDMA/133/100/66 IDE devices, use an 80-conductor IDE

cable. The UltraDMA/66 cable included in the motherboard package
also supports UltraDMA/133/100.

4. RAID ATA/133/100/66/33 connector (40-1 pin PRI_RAID)
This connector supports either RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration through
the onboard Serial ATA controller chip. You can use the RAID feature to
set up a disk array configuration or to support additional IDE devices.
You can only install one hard disk (master mode) with this connector.
NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE
PRI_RAID1
ribbon cable to PIN 1.
A7V8X
®
PIN 1
A7V8X PRI_RAID Connectors
Important notes on the RAID feature:
1. By default, the drives that you connect to the PRI_RAID

connectors follow the ATA133/100/66/33 protocol as
independent drives, not as a disk array.
2. The connector does not support ATAPI devices such as

CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, etc.
3. For RAID 1, you may choose any two connectors of Parallel

ATA and Serial ATA connectors. For RAID 0, you may choose
any two or three connectors of Parallel ATA and Serial ATA
connectors.

5. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS1)
This lead is for a chassis designed with intrusion detection feature.
This requires an external detection mechanism such as a chassis
intrusion sensor or microswitch. When you remove any chassis
component, the sensor triggers and sends a high-level signal to this
lead to record a chassis intrusion event.
By default, the pins labeled “Chassis Signal” and “Ground” are shorted
with a jumper cap. If you wish to use the chassis intrusion detection
feature, remove the jumper cap from the pins.
CHASSIS1
Chassis Signal
+5VSB_MB
GND
A7V8X
®
A7V8X Chassis Alarm Lead
6. SMBus connector (6-1 pin SMB_CON1)

This connector allows you to connect SMBus (System Management
Bus) devices. Devices communicate with an SMBus host and/or other
SMBus devices using the SMBus interface. SMBus is a specific
implementation of an I2C bus, a multi-device bus that allows multiple
chips to connect to the same bus and enable each one to act as a
master by initiating data transfer.
SMB_CON1
A7V8X
®
1
FLOATING
SMBCLK
Ground
SMBDATA
+3V
A7V8X SMBus Connector

7. ATX power connectors (20-pin ATXPWR1)
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.
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.
ATXPWR1
+3.3VDC +3.3VDC
-12.0VDC +3.3VDC
COM COM
PS_ON# +5.0VDC
COM COM
COM +5.0VDC
COM COM
®
A7V8X -5.0VDC PWR_OK

+5.0VDC +5VSB
+5.0VDC +12.0VDC
A7V8X ATX Power Connectors
8. Smart Card Reader connector (14-1 pin SMARTCON1)

This connector accommodates an optional Smart Card Reader that
allows you to conveniently make transactions such as financial, health
care, telephony, or traveling services through a Smart Card user
interface software.
SMARTCARD1
SCRREST
SCRRES#
SCIO
NC
NC
NC
A7V8X
®
1
SCPWR#
NC
VCC
NC
SCRCLK
GND
NC2
A7V8X Smartcard Connector

9. CPU, Chassis, and Power Fan Connectors
(3-pin CPU_FAN1, PWR_FAN1, CHA_FAN1)
The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~740mA (8.88W
max.) or a total of 1A~2.22A (26.64W max.) at +12V. Connect the fan
cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the
black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector.
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!
CPU_FAN1
+12V
Rotation
GND
PWR_FAN1
GND
+12V
Rotation
A7V8X
CHA_FAN1
®
Rotation
+12V
GND
A7V8X 12-Volt Fan Connectors
10. Power supply thermal connector (2-pin TRPWR1)

If your power supply has a thermal monitoring feature, connect its
thermal sensor cable to this connector.
A7V8X
®
TRPWR1
Power Supply
Thermal Sensor
A7V8X Thermal Sensor Connector

11. USB header (10-1 pin USB_56)
If the USB ports on the rear panel are inadequate, a USB header is
available for additional USB ports. The USB header complies with USB
2.0 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed. This
speed advantage over the conventional 12 Mbps on USB 1.1.
If your package came with a USB 2.0/GAME module, connect the USB
cable to this header. The module has two USB 2.0 ports that support
the next generation USB peripherals such as high resolution cameras,
scanners, and printers.
USB+5V
LDM5
LDP5
GND
NC
A7V8X
USB_56
®
(Blue) 1
USB+5V
LDM6
LDP6
GND
A7V8X USB 2.0 Header
12. GAME/MIDI connector (16-1 pin GAME1) (on Audio model only)
This connector supports a GAME/MIDI module. If your package came
with the optional USB 2.0/GAME module, connect the GAME/MIDI
cable to this connector. The GAME/MIDI port on the module connects
a joystick or a game pad for playing games, and MIDI devices for
playing or editing audio files.
J1CY
J1CX
J1B2
J1B1
GND
GND
+5V
+5V
A7V8X
®
GAM1
+5V
MIDI_IN
J2B2
J2CY
MIDI_OUT
J2CX
J2B1
A7V8X Game Connector

13. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD1, AUX1, MODEM1)
(on audio models only)
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.
AUX1(White)
CD1(Black)
MODEM1
Modem-In
Right Audio Channel

Ground
Ground
Left Audio Channel
Ground
A7V8X
Ground
®
Modem-Out
A7V8X Internal Audio Connectors
14. ASUS iPanel connector (24-1 pin AFPANEL1)

This connector allows you to connect an optional ASUS iPanel, an
easy-to-access drive bay with front I/O ports and status LEDs. If you
are not using an ASUS iPanel, you can connect an optional wireless
transmitting and receiving infrared module to the SIR connector.
AFPANEL1
SMBDATA
SMBCLK
+3VSB
IRRX
IRTX
GND
+5 V
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
GND
NC
+5VSB
CHASSIS#
EXTSMI#
+5V
MLED-
PCIRST#
BATT
NC
Connect to AFPANEL Connector
Connect to iPanel
IRRX
IRTX
GND
+5 V
A7V8X
®
SIR
NC
NC
GND
NC
+5VSB
A7V8X iPanel Connector

IR_CON

15. IEEE 1394 connector (8-1 pin IEEE1394_1, IEEE1394_2)
(on 1394 model only)
This connector accommodates two IEEE 1394 ports using a bundled
IEEE 1394 port bracket. Connect the bracket cable to this connector
then install the bracket into a slot opening at the back of the system
chassis.
Make sure to connect IEEE 1394 devices needing internal power

supply to the blue IEEE 1394 connector on-board (IEEEE1394_1). For
IEEE 1394 devices that doesn’t require internal power, you may
connect to the white IEEE 1394 connector (IEEE1394_2) on-board.
blue IEEE1394 connector

Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
TPB+
TPB+
TPA+
TPA+
+12V
+12V
TPB-
TPB-
TPA-
TPA-
A7V8X
®
IEEE1394_1 IEEE1394_2
A7V8X IEEE-1394 Connectors
blue IEEE 1394 connector

16. Digital audio connector (6-1 pin SPDIF1) (on audio models only)
This connector is for the bundled S/PDIF audio module that allows
digital instead of analog sound output. Connect one end of the audio
cable to the S/PDIF In/Out connector on the motherboard, and the
other end to the S/PDIF module.
SPDIF1
SPDIF_IN GND
A7V8X
®
+5V
SPDIF_OUT GND
1
A7V8X Digital Audio Connector
17. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO1)

(on audio models only)
This is an interface for the Intel front panel audio cable that allow
convenient connection and control of audio devices.
Make sure to remove the caps from the Line out_R, BLINE_OUT_R,
Line out_L and BLINE_OUT_L jumpers if you installed the Intel front
panel audio cable.
FP_AUDIO1
MIC2 AGND
MICPWR +5VA
Line out_R BLINE_OUT_R
NC
®
A7V8X Line out_L BLINE_OUT_L
A7V8X Front Panel Audio Connector

18. Serial ATA connector (7 pin PRI_SATA1, SEC_SATA1)
(on SATA model only)
These connectors accommodate the primary serial ATA (PRI_SATA1)
and a secondary serial ATA (SEC_SATA1) cables. Connect the serial
ATA cable to this connector then install to a serial ATA ready hard disk.
RSATA_RXN1
RSATA_RXN2
RSATA_RXP1
RSATA_RXP2
RSATA_TXN1
RSATA_TXN2
RSATA_TXP1
RSATA_TXP2
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
A7V8X
®
A7V8X SATA Connectors SEC_SATA1 PRI_SATA1
19. Infrared Module connector (10-1 or 10-2 pin SIR)

These connectors support an optional wireless transmitting and
receiving infrared module. The module mounts to a small opening on
the system chassis that support this feature. You must also configure
the UART2 Use As parameter in BIOS to set UART2 for use with IR.
Use the ten 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)

IRRX
GND
IRTX
+5V
Front View Back View
SIR
IRTX
CIRRX
CIR+5V
GND
A7V8X
®
IRTX +5V
GND (NC)
IRRX
A7V8X Infrared Module Connector

20. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL1)
This connector accommodates several system front panel functions.
Keyboard Lock Speaker
Power LED Connector
Speaker
Keylock
Ground
Ground
Ground
PLED+
PLED-
+5V
Ground
ExtSMI#
Ground
Ground
PWR
Reset
®
A7V8X
Reset SW
ATX Power
SMI Lead Switch*
* Requires an ATX power supply.
A7V8X System Panel Connectors
• System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PLED)

This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED. The LED
lights up when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the
system is in sleep mode.
• Keyboard Lock Lead (2-pin KEYLOCK)
This 2-pin connector connects to a chassis-mounted switch to allow
the use of the keyboard lock feature.
• System Warning Speaker Lead (4-pin SPKR)
This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker and
allows you to hear system beeps and warnings.
• System Management Interrupt Lead (2-pin SMI)
This 2-pin connector allows you to manually place the system into a
suspend mode, or “green” mode, where system activity is instantly
decreased to save power and to expand the life of certain system
components. Attach the case-mounted suspend switch to this 2-pin
connector.
• ATX Power Switch/Soft-off Switch Lead (2-pin PWR)
This connector connects a switch that controls the system power.
Pressing the power switch turns the system between ON and SLEEP,
or ON and SOFT OFF, depending on the BIOS or OS settings.
Pressing the power switch while in the ON mode for more than 4
seconds turns the system OFF.
• Reset Switch Lead (2-pin RESET)
This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted reset switch for
rebooting the system without turning off the system power.

Chapter 3
This chapter describes the power up

sequence and gives information on the
BIOS beep codes.
Powering up
Chapter summary
3.1 Starting up for the first time .......................... 3-1
3.2 Vocal POST Messages ................................... 3-2
3.3 Powering off the computer ........................... 3-4

3.1 Starting up for the first time
1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover.
2. Be sure that all switches are off.
3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system
chassis.
4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge
protector.
5. Turn on the devices in the following order:
a. Monitor
b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain)
c. System power (if you are using an ATX power supply, you need to
switch on the power supply as well as press the ATX power switch on
the front of the chassis).
6. After applying power, the power LED on the system front panel case lights
up. For ATX power supplies, the system LED lights up when you press the
ATX power switch. If your monitor complies with “green” standards or if it
has a “power standby” feature, the monitor LED may light up or switch
between orange and green after the system LED turns on. The system
then runs the power-on tests. While the tests are running, the BIOS beeps
or additional messages appear on the screen. If you do not see anything
within 30 seconds from the time you turned on the power, the system may
have failed a power-on test. Check the jumper settings and connections or
call your retailer for assistance.
Award BIOS Beep Codes

Beep Meaning
One short beep when No error during POST
displaying logo
Long beeps in an endless loop No DRAM installed or detected
One long beep followed by Video card not found or video card
three short beeps memory bad
High frequency beeps when CPU overheated;
system is working System running at a lower frequency
You will not hear the BIOS beeps when the ASUS POST Reporter™ is
enabled. You will hear the vocal POST messages instead.
7. At power on, hold down <Delete> to enter BIOS Setup. Follow the
instructions in Chapter 4.

3.2 Vocal POST Messages
This motherboard includes the Winbond speech controller to support a
special feature called the ASUS POST Reporter™. This feature gives you
vocal POST messages and alerts to inform you of system events and boot
status. In case of a boot failure, you will hear the specific cause of the
problem.
These POST messages are customizable using the Winbond Voice Editor
software that came with your package. You can record your own
messages to replace the default messages.
Following is a list of the default POST messages and their corresponding
actions, if any.
POST Message Action
No CPU installed • Install an AMD Thoroughbred/Athlon
XP/Athlon/ Duron Processor
into the CPU socket.
System failed CPU test • Check the CPU if properly installed.
• Call ASUS technical support for
assistance. See the “ASUS contact
information” on page x.
System failed memory test • Install 184-pin unbuffered
PC3200/2700/2100/1600 DIMMs
into the DIMM sockets.
• Check if the DIMMs on the DIMM
sockets are properly installed.
• Make sure that your DIMMs are
not defective.
• Refer to section “2.5 System
memory” for instruction on installing
a DIMM.
System failed VGA test • Install a PCI VGA card into one of
the PCI slots, or an AGP card
into the AGP slot.
• Make sure that your VGA/AGP card
is not defective.
System failed due to CPU • Check your CPU settings in BIOS
over-clocking and make sure you only set to the
recommended settings. See section
“4.4 Advanced menu.”
3-2 Chapter 3: Powering up

POST Message Action
No keyboard detected • Check your keyboard if properly
connected to the purple PS/2
connector on the rear panel.
• See section “1.4.1 Major
components” for the location of the
connector.
No floppy disk detected • Make sure you have connected a
floppy disk to the floppy disk
connector on the motherboard.
• See section “2.8 Connectors.”
No IDE hard disk detected • Make sure you have connected an
IDE hard disk drive to the one of the
IDE connectors on the motherboard.
• See section “2.8 Connectors.”
CPU temperature too high • Check CPU fan if working properly.
CPU fan failed • Check the CPU fan and make sure
it turns on after you applied power
to the system.
CPU voltage out of range • Check your power supply and
make sure it is not defective.
• Call ASUS technical support for
assistance. See the “ASUS contact
information” on page x.
System completed Power-On Self Test • No action required
Computer now booting from operating • No action required
system
You may disable the ASUS POST Reporter™ in the BIOS setup. See
section “4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration”.

3.3 Powering off the computer
You must first exit the operating system and shut down the system before
switching off the power. For ATX power supplies, you can press the ATX
power switch after exiting or shutting down the operating system. If you
use Windows 95/98/2000/XP, click the Start button, click Shut Down, then
click the OK button to shut down the computer. The power supply should
turn off after Windows shuts down.
The message “You can now safely turn off your computer” does not
appear when shutting down with ATX power supplies.
3-4 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
Chapter summary
4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .............. 4-1
4.2 BIOS Setup program ...................................... 4-7
4.3 Main Menu .................................................... 4-10
4.4 Advanced Menu ........................................... 4-17
4.5 Power Menu .................................................. 4-27
4.6 Boot Menu .................................................... 4-33
4.7 Exit Menu ...................................................... 4-35

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS
It is recommended that you save a copy of the motherboard’s original
BIOS to a bootable floppy disk in case you need to reinstall the original
BIOS later.
4.1.1 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS

The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to easily update the BIOS without
having to go through the long process of booting from a diskette and using
a DOS-based utility. The EZ Flash is built-in the BIOS firmware so it is
accessible by simply pressing <Alt> + <F2> during the Power-On Self
Tests (POST).
Follow these steps to update the BIOS using ASUS EZ Flash.
1. Download the latest BIOS file from the ASUS website (see ASUS
contact information on page x). Save the file to a floppy disk.
Write down the BIOS file name on a piece of paper. You need to type
the exact BIOS file name at the EZ Flash screen.
2. Reboot the computer.

3. To use EZ Flash, press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the
following screen.
ASUS EZ Flash V1.00

Copyright (C) 2002, ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
[Onboard BIOS Information]

BIOS Version : ASUS A7V8X ACPI BIOS Revision 1001 Beta 003
BIOS Model : A7V8X
BIOS Built Date : 07/29/02
Please Enter File Name for NEW BIOS: _
*Note: EZ Flash will copy file from A:\, Press [ESC] to reboot
The BIOS information in the above screen is for reference only. What
you see on your screen may not be exactly the same as shown.
4. Insert the disk that contains the new BIOS file into the floppy drive. You
will receive the error message, “WARNING! Device not ready.” if you
proceed to step 5 without the disk in the drive.

5. At the prompt, “Please Enter File Name for NEW BIOS: _”, type in the
BIOS file name that you downloaded from the ASUS website, then
press <Enter>.
EZ Flash will automatically access drive A to look for the file name that
you typed. When found, the following message appears on screen.
[BIOS Information in File]

BIOS Version: A7V8X Boot Block
WARNING! Continue to update the BIOS (Y/N)? _
If you accidentally typed in a wrong BIOS file name, the error

message, “WARNING! File not found.” appears. Press <Enter> to
remove the message, then type in the correct file name. Press
<Enter>.
6. At the above prompt, type Y to continue with the update process.
Pressing N exits the EZ Flash screen and reboots the system without
updating the BIOS.
The following prompts appear if you typed Y.
Flash Memory: SST 49LF004

1. Update Main BIOS area (Y/N)? _
2. Update Boot Block area (Y/N)? _
7. Press Y for both items to completely update the main BIOS area and
the boot block area.
DO NOT shutdown or reset the system while updating the BIOS boot
block area! Doing so may cause system boot failure.
8. When the update process is done, the message, “Press a key to

reboot” appears. Press any key to reboot the system with the new
BIOS.
4-2 Chapter 4: BIOS Setup

4.1.2 Using AFLASH to update the BIOS
Creating a bootable disk
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>.

Updating the BIOS
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!
1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or

FTP) (see ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION on page x for details) and
save to the boot floppy disk you created earlier.
2. Boot from the floppy disk.
3. At the “A:\” prompt, type AFLASH and then press <Enter>.
4. At the Main Menu, type 2 then press <Enter>. The Update BIOS
Including Boot Block and ESCD screen appears.
5. Type the filename of your new BIOS and the path, for example,
A:\XXX-XX.XXX, then press <Enter>.
To cancel this operation, press <Enter>.
6. When prompted to confirm the BIOS update, press Y to start the

update.

7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the Flash
ROM. The boot block is updated automatically only when necessary.
This minimizes the possibility of boot problems in case of update
failures. When the programming is done, the message “Flashed
Successfully” appears.
8. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue.
If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO NOT turn
off the system because this may cause boot problems. Just repeat the
process, and if the problem persists, load the original BIOS file you
saved to the boot disk. If the Flash Memory Writer utility is not able to
successfully update a complete BIOS file, the system may not boot. If
this happens, call the ASUS service center for support.

4.2 BIOS Setup program
This motherboard supports a programmable Flash ROM that you can
update using the provided utility described in section “4.1 Managing and
updating your BIOS.”
Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard,
reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup”. This section
explains how to configure your system using this utility.
Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you may want to
change the configuration of your computer in the future. For example, you
may want to enable the security password feature or make changes to the
power management settings. This requires you to reconfigure your system
using the BIOS Setup program so that the computer can recognize these
changes and record them in the CMOS RAM of the Flash ROM.
The Flash ROM on the motherboard stores the Setup utility. When you
start up the computer, the system provides you with the opportunity to run
this program. Press <Delete> during the Power-On Self Test (POST) to
enter the Setup utility, otherwise, POST continues with its test routines.
If you wish to enter Setup after POST, restart the system by pressing
<Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system
chassis. You can also restart by turning the system off and then back on.
Do this last option only if the first two failed.
The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. It is
a menu-driven program, which means you can scroll through the various
sub-menus and make your selections among the predetermined choices.
Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following

BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purposes only,
and may not exactly match what you see on your screen.

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 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) Function Description
<F1> or <Alt + H> Displays the General Help screen from any-
where in the BIOS Setup
<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main
menu from a sub-menu
Left or Right arrow Selects the menu item to the left or right
Up or Down arrow Moves the highlight up or down between fields
- (minus key) Scrolls backward through the values for the
highlighted field
+ (plus key) or spacebar Scrolls forward through the values for the high-
lighted field
<Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted
field
<Home> or <PgUp> Moves the cursor to the first field
<End> or <PgDn> Moves the cursor to the last field
<F5> Resets the current screen to its Setup Defaults
<F10> Saves changes and exits Setup

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 and 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 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 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.

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: (up to 2099). 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 [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]

Language [English US]
This field allows you to choose the BIOS language version from the
available options.
Supervisor Password [Disabled] / User Password [Disabled]

These fields allow you to set passwords. To set a password, highlight the
appropriate field and press <Enter>. Type in a password then press
<Enter>. You can type up to eight alphanumeric characters. Symbols and
other characters are ignored. To confirm the password, type the password
again and press <Enter>. The password is now set to [Enabled]. This
password allows full access to the BIOS Setup menus. To clear the
password, highlight this field and press <Enter>. The same dialog box as
above appears. Press <Enter>. The password is set to [Disabled].
A note about passwords

The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify passwords in the Main
menu. The passwords control access to the BIOS during system
startup. Passwords are not case sensitive, meaning, passwords typed
in either uppercase or lowercase letters are accepted. The BIOS Setup
program allows you to specify two different passwords: a Supervisor
password and a User password. If you did not set a Supervisor
password, anyone can access the BIOS Setup program. If you did, the
Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program and
to gain full access to the configuration fields.
Forgot the password?
If you forget your password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS
Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM. The RAM data containing the password
information is powered by the onboard button cell battery. See section
“2.7Switches and jumpers” for information on how to erase the R TC
RAM.
Halt On [All Errors]
This field specifies the types of errors that will cause the system to halt.
Configuration options: [All Errors] [No Error] [All but Keyboard] [All but
Disk] [All but Disk/Keyboard]
Installed Memory [XXX MB]

This field automatically displays the amount of conventional memory
detected by the system during the boot process.

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.

[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.
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.
If no drive is installed or if you are removing a drive and not replacing it,
select [None].
Other options for the Type field are:
[CD-ROM] - for IDE CD-ROM drives
[LS-120] - for LS-120 compatible floppy disk drives
[ZIP] - for ZIP-compatible disk drives
[MO] - for IDE magneto optical disk drives
[Other ATAPI Device] - for IDE devices not listed here
After making your selections on this sub-menu, press the <Esc> key to
return to the Main menu. When the Main menu appears, the hard disk
drive field displays the size for the hard disk drive that you configured.

Translation Method [LBA]
Select the hard disk drive type in this field. When Logical Block Addressing
(LBA) is enabled, the 28-bit addressing of the hard drive is used without
regard for 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 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
field to [Manual].
Sector
This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to the drive
field to [Manual].
CHS Capacity
This field shows the drive’s maximum CHS capacity as calculated by the
BIOS based on the drive information you entered.
Maximum LBA Capacity

This field shows the drive’s maximum LBA capacity as calculated by the
BIOS based on the drive information you entered.

Multi-Sector Transfers [Maximum]
This option automatically sets the number of sectors per block to the
highest number that the drive supports. Note that when this field is
automatically configured, the set value may not always be the fastest
value for the drive. You may also manually configure this field. Refer to the
documentation that came with the hard drive to determine the optimum
value and set it manually. To make changes to this field, set the Type field
to [User Type HDD]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [2 Sectors] [4
Sectors] [8 Sectors] [16 Sectors] [32 Sectors] [Maximum]
SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

This field allows you to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring,
Analysis and Reporting Technology) system that utilizes internal hard disk
drive monitoring technology. This parameter is normally disabled because
the resources used in the SMART monitoring feature may decrease
system performance. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
PIO Mode [4]

This option lets you set a PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode for the
IDE device. Modes 0 through 4 provide successive increase in
performance. Configuration options: [0] [1] [2] [3] [4]
Ultra DMA Mode [Disabled]

Ultra DMA capability allows improved transfer speeds and data integrity for
compatible IDE devices. Set to [Disabled] to suppress Ultra DMA
capability. To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type
HDD]. Configuration options: [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [Disabled]

4.3.2 Keyboard Features
Boot Up NumLock Status [On]

This field enables users to activate the Number Lock function upon system
boot. Configuration options: [Off] [On]
Keyboard Auto-Repeat Rate [6/Sec]

This controls the speed at which the system registers repeated keystrokes.
Options range from 6 to 30 characters per second. Configuration options:
[6/Sec] [8/Sec] [10/Sec] [12/Sec] [15/Sec] [20/Sec] [24/Sec] [30/Sec]
Keyboard Auto-Repeat Delay [1/4 Sec]

This field sets the time interval for displaying the first and second
characters. Configuration options: [1/4 Sec] [1/2 Sec] [3/4 Sec] [1 Sec]

4.4 Advanced Menu
CPU Speed [Manual]

When the motherboard is set to JumperFree™ mode, this field allows you
to select the internal frequency of the CPU. Select [Manual] if you want to
make changes to the two subsequent fields. Note that selecting a
frequency higher than the CPU manufacturer recommends may cause the
system to hang or crash.
System memory can only operate at a frequency higher than or equal

to the CPU front side bus frequency. Refer to Table 1.4.2 “FSB/DDR
Support Table” on page 1-8 for more information.
CPU Frequency Multiple (when CPU Speed is set to [Manual])

This field sets the frequency multiple between the CPU’s internal
frequency (CPU speed) and external frequency. Set this field in
conjunction with CPU Frequency (MHz) to match the speed of the CPU.
The item CPU Frequency Multiple is accessible only if you have an

unlocked processor. If your processor frequency multiple is locked, you
cannot change the setting of this item.

CPU External Frequency (MHz) (when CPU Speed is set to [Manual])
This feature tells the clock generator what frequency to send to the system
bus and PCI bus. The bus frequency (external frequency) multiplied by the
bus multiple equals the CPU speed.
Memory Frequency (Mhz) [Auto]

This field allows you to select a higher memory frequency for better
system performance. The options that appear in the popup menu vary
according to the CPU Frequency (MHz). Configuration options: [Auto]
[200] [266] [333] [400]
CPU VCore Setting [Auto]

The [Manual] setting allows you to manually select the core voltage
supplied to the CPU (see next item). This item can only be changed in
JumperFree mode, otherwise, it is recommended that you keep the default
setting [Auto] to allow the system to automatically determine the
appropriate CPU core voltage.
CPU VCore [1.750V]
When the CPU VCore Setting parameter above is set to [Manual], the
CPU VCore item allows you to select a specific CPU core voltage. This
field is not accessible when the CPU VCore Setting is set to [Auto].
AGP Voltage [Auto]

This item controls the AGP operating voltage. This item can only be
changed at JmpreFree mode, otherwise keep [Auto]. Configuration
options: [1.8V] [1.7V] [1.6V] [1.5V] [Auto]
DRAM Voltage [Auto]

This item controls the DRAM operating voltage. This item can only be
changed at JmpreFree mode, otherwise keep [Auto]. Configuration
options: [Auto] [2.85V] [2.75V] [2.65V] [2.55V]
System Performance [Optimal]

This field allows you to adjust the DRAM SPD timing. Set to [TURBO] is
fastest, just make sure the DRAM has the ability to support it.
Configuration options: [Optimal] [Turbo]

CPU Level 1 Cache, CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled]
These fields allow you to choose from the default [Enabled] or choose
[Disabled] to turn on or off the CPU Level 1 and Level 2 built-in cache.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
PS/2 Mouse Function Control [Auto]

The default setting [Auto] allows the system to detect a PS/2 mouse at
startup. If a mouse is detected, the BIOS assigns IRQ12 to the PS/2
mouse. Otherwise, IRQ12 can be used for expansion cards. When you set
this field to [Enabled], BIOS reserves IRQ12, whether or not a PS/2 mouse
is detected at startup. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Auto]
USB Legacy Support [Auto]

This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. The
default of [Auto] allows the system to detect a USB device at startup. If
detected, the USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If not detected, the
USB controller legacy mode is disabled.
When you set this field to [Disabled], the USB controller legacy mode is
disabled whether or not you are using a USB device. Configuration
options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto]
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 2–5,
depending on the memory modules that you are using. The default setting
is [By SPD], which configures items 2–5 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]
The SDRAM parameters (items 2~5) become configurable only when

you set the SDRAM Configuration to [User Defined].
SDRAM CAS Latency (value depends on SDRAM SPD)

This item controls the latency between the SDRAM read command and
the time the data actually becomes available. Configuration options: [1.5T]
[2T] [2.5T]
SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay (value depends on SDRAM SPD)

This item controls the latency between the DDR SDRAM active command
and the read/write command. Configuration options: [2T] [3T].
SDRAM RAS Precharge Delay (value depends on SDRAM SPD)

This item controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to
the DDR SDRAM. Configuration options: [2T] [3T]

SDRAM Active Precharge Delay (value depends on SDRAM SPD)
This item controls the number of DDR SDRAM clocks used for DDR
SDRAM parameters. Configuration options: [5T] [6T] [7T] [8T]
SDRAM 1T Command Control

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto]
SDRAM Bank Interleave

Configuration options: [Disabled] [2 Bank] [4 Bank] [Auto]
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] [512MB] [1024MB]
The [1024MB] and [512MB] configuration options are available only

when you use AGP 8X graphics card.
AGP Capability [8X Mode]

This motherboard supports the AGP 8X interface that enables enhanced
graphics performance with high bandwidth speeds up to 2.12GB/s.
AGP8X is backward-compatible. When set to [1X Mode], the AGP
interface only provides a peak data throughput of 266MB/s even if you are
using an AGP 8X card.
Configuration options: [Auto] [1X Mode] [2X Mode] [4X Mode] [8X Mode]
AGP Drive Strength [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]
AGP Drive N Control [E]

Configuration options: [0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][A][B][C][D][E][F]
AGP Drive P Control [F]

AGP performance control [Disabled]

AGP Fast Write control [Disabled]


Video Memory Cache Mode [UC]
USWC (uncacheable, speculative write combining) is a new cache
technology for the video memory of the processor. It can greatly improve
the display speed by caching the display data. You must set this to UC
(uncacheable) if your display card does not support this feature, otherwise
the system may not boot. Configuration options: [UC] [USWC]
Memory Hole At 15M-16M [Disabled]

This field allows you to reserve an address space for ISA expansion cards.
Setting the address space to a particular setting makes that memory
space unavailable to other system components. Expansion cards can only
access memory up to 16MB. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Delayed Transaction [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this feature frees the PCI bus when the CPU is
accessing 8-bit ISA cards. This process normally consumes about 50-60
PCI clocks without PCI delayed transaction. Set this field to [Disabled]
when using ISA cards that are not PCI 2.1 compliant. Configuration
options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
Onboard PCI IDE [Both]

This field allows you to enable either the primary IDE channel or
secondary IDE channel, or both. You can also set both channels to
[Disabled]. Configuration options: [Both] [Primary] [Secondary] [Disabled]
DRAM Burst Length

Configuration options: [4] [Auto]
S2K Bus Driving Strength

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]
S2K Strobe P Control

S2K Strobe N Control

4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration
Onboard FDC Swap A & B

These fields set option to switch drive letter assignments. Configuration
Options: [No Swap] [Swap AB]
Floppy Disk Access Control [R/W]

When set to [Read Only], this parameter protects files from being copied to
floppy disks by allowing reads from, but not writes to, the floppy disk drive.
The default setting [R/W] allows both reads and writes. Configuration
options: [R/W] [Read Only]
Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8H/IRQ4]

Onboard Serial Port 2 [2F8H/IRQ3]
These fields allow you to set the addresses for the onboard serial
connectors. Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2 must have different addresses.
Configuration options: [3F8H/IRQ4] [2F8H/IRQ3] [3E8H/IRQ4] [2E8H/
IRQ10] [Disabled]
UART2 Use As [COM Port]

This field allows you to select the device on which to assign UART2.
Configuration options: [COM Port] [IR] [Smart Card Reader]

Onboard Parallel Port [378H/IRQ7]
This field allows you to set the address of the onboard parallel port
connector. If you disable this field, the Parallel Port Mode and ECP DMA
Select configurations are not available. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[378H/IRQ7] [278H/IRQ5]
Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP]

This field allows you to set the operation mode of the parallel port.
[Normal] allows normal-speed operation but in one direction only; [EPP]
allows bidirectional parallel port operation; [ECP] allows the parallel port to
operate in bidirectional DMA mode; [ECP+EPP] allows normal speed
operation in a two-way mode. Configuration options: [Normal] [EPP] [ECP]
[ECP+EPP]
ECP DMA Select [3]

This field allows you to configure the parallel port DMA channel for the
selected ECP mode. This selection is available only if you select [ECP] or
[ECP+EPP] in Parallel Port Mode above. Configuration options: [1] [3]
Onboard AC97 Audio Controller [Auto]

These fields allow you to enable or disable the onboard AC97 audio
controller.Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]
Onboard Game Port [200H-207H]

These fields allow you to set the addresses for the onboard game
connectors. Game ports must have different addresses.
Configuration options: [200H/207H] [208H-20FH] [Disabled]
Onboard MIDI I/O [Disabled]

These fields allow you to set the addresses for the onboard MIDI
connectors. MIDI ports must have different addresses.
Configuration options: [330H-331H] [300H-301H] [Disabled]
Speech POST Reporter [Enabled]

This field enables or disables the ASUS POST Reporter™ feature. See
section “1.3 Special Features” and “3.2 Vocal POST messages” for more
information. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
The buzzer warning sound is disabled if you enable the POST reporter.

4.4.3 PCI Configuration
Slot 1/5, Slot 2, Slot 3, Slot 4, Slot 6 IRQ [Auto]

These fields automatically assign the IRQ for each PCI slot. The default
setting for each field is [Auto], which utilizes auto-routing to determine IRQ
assignments. Configuration options: [Auto] [NA] [3] [4] [5] [7] [9] [10] [11]
[12] [14] [15]
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop [Disabled]

Some non-standard VGA cards, like 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 Latency Timer [32]

Leave this field to the default setting [32] for best performance and
stability.
USB Function [Enabled]

This field allows you to select the USB port that you wish to activate.
Primary VGA BIOS [PCI VGA Card]

This field allows you to select the primary graphics card. Configuration
options: [PCI VGA Card] [AGP VGA Card]

Onboard LAN Boot ROM
This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN Boot ROM.
Onboard ATA device First [No]

This field allows you to select the onboard ATA first.
Configuration options: [No] [Yes]
4.4.3.1 PCI IRQ Resource Exclusion
IRQ XX Reserved [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]

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.
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” item.
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]
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]

Video Off Method [DPMS OFF]
This field defines the video off features. The Display Power Management
System (DPMS) 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.
Even if installed, your screen saver does not display when you select
[Blank Screen] for the above field.
[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]
ACPI Suspend To RAM [Disabled]

This field allows you to enable or disable the ACPI Suspend-to-RAM
feature. To support this feature, the +5VSB of the power supply should
have the capacity to provide more than 720mA current. Configuration
options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Suspend Mode [Disabled]

Sets the time period before the system goes into suspend mode.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [1~2 Min] [2~3 Min] [4~5 min] [8~9 Min]
[20 Min] [30 Min]
PWR Button < 4 Secs [Soft Off]

When set to [Soft off], the ATX switch can be used as a normal system
power-off button when pressed for less than 4 seconds. [Suspend] allows
the button to have a dual function where pressing less than 4 seconds
puts the system in sleep mode. Regardless of the setting, holding the ATX
switch for more than 4 seconds powers off the system. Configuration
options: [Soft off] [Suspend]

4.5.1 Power Up Control
AC PWR Loss Restart [Disabled]

This allows you to set whether or not to reboot the system after power
interruptions. [Disabled] leaves your system off while [Enabled] reboots the
system. [Previous State] sets the system back to the state it was before
the power interruption. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
[Previous State]
Wake/Power Up On Ext. Modem [Disabled]

This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the
computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is
in Soft-off mode. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and
applications are fully running. Thus, connection cannot be made on the
first try. Turning an external modem off and then back on while the
computer is off causes an initialization string that turns the system
power on.

Wake/Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Space Bar]
This parameter allows you to use specific keys on the keyboard to turn on
the system. This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at
least 1A on the +5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Space Bar]
[Ctrl-Esc] [Power Key]
Wake/Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 mouse
to turn on the system. This feature requires an ATX power supply that
provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]
Power Up On PCI Card [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to turn on the system
through a PCI LAN or modem card. This feature requires an ATX power
supply that provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead.
Automatic Power Up [Disabled]

This allows an unattended or automatic system power up. You may
configure your system to power up at a certain time of the day by selecting
[Everyday] or at a certain time and day by selecting [By Date].
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Everyday] [By Date]

4.5.2 Hardware Monitor
MB Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]
CPU Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]
POWER Temperature [N/A]
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the
motherboard and CPU temperatures.
If your power supply comes with a two-pin thermal sensor cable, connect
this cable to the TRPWR connector on the motherboard to allow BIOS to
auto-detect the power supply temperature (see page 2-29 for the location
of the TRPWR connector). The POWER temperature item shows N/A if
you do not have the appropriate power supply. Select [Ignore] to disable
the power temperature auto-detect function.
CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]

Chassis Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]
Power Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the
CPU, chassis, and power fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If any
of the fans is not connected to the motherboard, the specific field shows
N/A.

VCORE Voltage, +3.3V Voltage, +5V Voltage, +12V Voltage
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output
through the onboard voltage regulators.
Q-Fan Control [Disabled]

This item allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature that
smartly adjusts the fan speeds for more efficient system operation. When
this field is set to [Enabled], the Fan Speed Ratio and Speed Up/Down
Response Time items appear to allow selection of the appropriate fan
speeds and the corresponding response time. Configuration options:
[Disabled] [Enabled]
Fan Speed Ratio [10/15]
This item allows you to select the appropriate fan speed ratio for the
system. The default [10/15] is the minimum fan speed ratio. Select a
higher ratio if you installed additional devices and the system requires
more ventilation. This item appears only when the Q-Fan Control item is
set to [Enabled]. Configuration options: [10/15] [11/15] [12/15] [13/15]
[14/15] [Full Speed]
Speed Up/Down Response Time [16 Sec/32Sec]

This item indicates the time period before the fan speeds adjust to the
value set in the Fan Speed Ratio field. This item appears only when the
Q-Fan Control item is set to [Enabled]. Configuration options:
[16 Sec/32 Sec] [32 Sec/64 Sec] [48 Sec/96 Sec] [64 Sec/128 Sec]
If any of the monitored items is out of range, the following error

message appears: “Hardware Monitor found an error. Enter Power
setup menu for details”. You will then be prompted to “Press F1 to
continue or DEL to enter SETUP”.

4.6 Boot Menu
Boot Sequence
The Boot menu allows you to select among the four possible types of boot
devices listed using the up and down arrow keys. By using the <+> or
<Space> key, you can promote devices and by using the <-> key, you can
demote devices. Promotion or demotion of devices alters the priority which
the system uses to search for a boot device on system power up.
Configuration fields include Removable Devices, IDE Hard Drive, ATAPI
CD-ROM, and Other Boot Device.
Removable Device [Legacy Floppy]

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Legacy Floppy] [LS-120] [ZIP]
[ATAPIMO]
IDE Hard Drive

This field allows you to select which IDE hard disk drive to use in the boot
sequence. Pressing [Enter] will show the product IDs of all connected IDE
hard disk drives.
ATAPI CD-ROM
This field allows you to select which ATAPI CD-ROM drive to use in the
boot sequence. Pressing [Enter] will show the product IDs of all your
connected ATAPI CD-ROM drives.
Other Boot Device Select [INT18 Device (Network)]

Configuration options: [Disabled] [SCSI Boot Device] [INT18 Device
(Network)]

Plug & Play O/S [No]
This field allows you to use a Plug-and-Play (PnP) operating system to
configure the PCI bus slots instead of using the BIOS. When [Yes] is
selected, interrupts may be reassigned by the OS. If you installed a non-
PnP OS or if you want to prevent reassigning of interrupt settings, keep
the default setting [No]. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]
Reset Configuration Data [No]

The Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) contain information
about non-PnP devices. It also holds the complete record of how the
system was configured the last time it was booted. Select [Yes] if you want
to clear these data during the Power-On-Self-Test (POST).
Configuration options: [No] [Yes]
Boot Virus Detection [Enabled]

This field allows you to set boot virus detection, ensuring a virus-free boot
sector. The system halts and displays a warning message when it detects
a virus. If this occurs, you can either allow the operation to continue or use
a virus-free bootable floppy disk to restart and investigate your system.
Quick Power On Self Test [Enabled]

This field speeds up the Power-On-Self Test (POST) routine by skipping
retesting a second, third, and fourth time. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]
Boot Up Floppy Seek [Enabled]

When enabled, the BIOS will seek the floppy disk drive to determine
whether the drive has 40 or 80 tracks. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]
Full Screen Logo [Enabled]

This allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature.
Make sure that the above item is set to [Enabled] if you wish to use the
ASUS MyLogo2™ feature.
Interrupt Mode [APIC]

The Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) setting allows
you to distribute interrupt routings other than the 16 IRQs. The
Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) setting allows you to use the 16
IRQs only. Configuration options: [PIC] [APIC]

4.7 Exit Menu
When you have made all of your selections from the various menus in the
Setup program, save your changes and exit Setup. Select Exit from the
menu bar to display the following menu.
Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the
options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit.
Exit Saving Changes

Once you are finished making your selections, choose this option from the
Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM.
The CMOS RAM is sustained by an onboard backup battery and stays on
even when the PC is turned off. When you select this option, a
confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to save changes and exit.
If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your changes,
the program prompts you with a message asking if you want to save
your changes before exiting. Pressing <Enter> saves the changes
while exiting.
Exit Discarding Changes

Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you
made to the Setup program. If you made changes to fields other than
system date, system time, and password, the BIOS asks for a confirmation
before exiting.

Load Setup Defaults
This option allows you to load the default values for each of the
parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you
press <F5>, a confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to load default
values. Select Exit Saving Changes or make other changes before saving
the values to the non-volatile RAM.
Discard Changes
This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the
previously saved values. After selecting this option, a confirmation
appears. Select [Yes] to discard any changes and load the previously
saved values.
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.

Chapter 5
This chapter describes the contents of the

support CD that comes with the
motherboard package.
Software support
Chapter summary
5.1 Install an operating system ........................... 5-1
5.2 Support CD information ................................ 5-1
5.3 Software information ..................................... 5-9
5.4 Using the Promise Chip for RAID 0 or 1 .... 5-26
5.5 Manual Installation of IDE/RAID drivers .... 5-34

5.1 Install an operating system
This motherboard supports Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP operating system
(OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so
you can maximize the features of your hardware.
Because motherboard settings and hardware options vary, use the

setup procedures presented in this chapter for general reference only.
Refer to your OS documentation for more information.
5.2 Support CD information

The support CD that came with the motherboard contains useful software
and several utility drivers that enhance the motherboard features.
The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time

without notice. Visit the ASUS website for updates.
5.2.1 Running the support CD

To begin using the support CD, simply insert the CD into your CD-ROM
drive. The CD automatically displays the welcome screen and the
installation menus if Autorun is enabled in your computer.
Click on a button to display Click an icon to display

the available options more information
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.

5.2.2 Drivers menu
The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects
installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.
VIA 4 in 1 drivers
This item installs the following drivers:
- VIA Registry (INF) driver
- VIA AGP VxD driver
- VIA ATAPI vendor support driver
- VIA PCI IRQ Miniport driver.
Avance AC’97 Audio Driver Applicaton
This item installs the Avance AC’97 compliant audio controller and
application.
Promise FastTrak 376 Controller Driver
This item shows the detailed information installation of the Promise
FastTrak 376 controller driver for the Serial ATA and RAID features..
BroadCom 5702 LAN Drivers or BroadCom 4401 LAN Drivers

On Gigabit models, this item installs the BroadCom® BCM5702 LAN
drivers for Gigabit LAN solution that provides up to 1000Mbps data
transfer rates.
On Fast Ethernet models, this item installs the BroadCom® BCM4401
drivers to support 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX networking.
5-2 Chapter 5: Software support

If you installed the BCM4401 controller drivers, the default setting, Wake
Up Frame, allows system wake-up from S1, S3, and S4 sleep modes. If
you wish to wake-up the system from S5 mode (shut down mode), you
must manually change the Wake-On-LAN settings to Magic Frame.
To adjust Wake-On-LAN settings:
1. Right-click My Computer icon on your desktop,

and select Properties to display the System
Properties window.
2. On the System Properties

window, click on the Hardware
tab. Click on the Device
Manager button to display the
Device Manager window.
3. On the Device Manager window,

click the plus sign (+) opposite the
Network adapters item to show
the ASUSTeK/BroadCom 440x
10/100 Integrated Controller.
Double-click the item.

4. On the window that appears, click
the item Wake Up Capabilities
under Property. The default value
is Wake Up Frame.
The Wake Up Frame setting
wakes up the system from S1,
S3, and S4 sleep modes.
5. Click the arrow under Value to set

to Magic Frame. Click OK.
The Magic Frame setting wakes
up the system from S1, S3, S4
and S5 sleep modes.
If the BCM4401 LAN controller is onboard, the Wake-On-LAN feature

does NOT work on DOS mode.
USB 2.0 Driver

This item installs the USB 2.0 driver to upgrade your USB 1.1 ports to USB
2.0.

5.2.3 Utilities menu
The software menu shows the applications and other software that the
motherboard supports. Simply click on a specific item then follow the
installation wizard to install it.
ASUS PC Probe
This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system
voltages, and alerts you on any detected problems. This utility helps you
keep your computer at a healthy operating condition.
ASUS Update
This program allows you to download the latest version of the BIOS from
the ASUS website.
Before using the ASUS Update, make sure that you have an Internet
connection so you can connect to the ASUS website.
Microsoft Direct X 8.0 Driver

This item installs the Microsoft V8.0 driver.
PC-cillin 2002
This item installs the PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software. View the PC-cillin
online help for detailed information.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
This item installs the Adobe Acrobat Reader used for reading .PDF files.

ASUS Screen Saver
This item installs the ASUS screen saver.
Promise Array Management Utility

This item installs the RAID utility for monitoring or performing maintenance
to a FastTrak Mirrored (RAID 1) or Striped/Mirrored (RAID 0/1) disk array.
Winbond Voice Editor

This program is for recording and customizing wave files for the ASUS
POST Reporter™. Use this program if you wish to change the default
vocal POST messages. See section “3.2 Vocal POST messages” for a list
of the default messages.
E-Color 3Deep
This item installs the 3Deep software. 3Deep is the first application that
gives online gamers the competitive edge in multi-player skirmishes. This
application removes dark washed-out graphics to deliver true vibrant
colors.
5.2.4 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.

5.2.5 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.
Motherboard Info
The window displays the general specifications of the A7V8X
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.
Filelist
The window displays the contents of the support CD and a brief
description of each in text format.

5.3 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 software applications that the
motherboard supports.
5.3.1 ASUS Update

The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to update the motherboard
BIOS and drivers. This utility requires an Internet connection either
through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Follow these steps to use the ASUS Update.
1. Launch the utility from your Windows
Start menu:
Programs/AsusUpdate Vx.xx.xx/
AsusUpdate
The ASUS Update initial screen
appears.
2. Select your desired update method,

then click Next.
3. If you selected updating/

downloading from the Internet,
select the ASUS FTP site nearest
you to avoid network traffic, or
choose Auto Select. Click Next.

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.
5.3.2 ASUS MyLogo2™

The ASUS MyLogo2™ is automatically installed when you install the
ASUS Update utility from the software menu. See section “5.2.3 Software
menu”.
Before using ASUS MyLogo2 feature, use the AFLASH utility to make
a copy of your original BIOS file, or obtain the latest BIOS version from
the ASUS website.
Make sure that the BIOS item Full Screen Logo is set to [Enabled] is
you wish to use ASUS MyLogo2. See page 4-35.
Follow these steps to use ASUS MyLogo2.

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility.
See section “5.3.1 ASUS Update.”
2. When prompted for the BIOS
update method, select the option
“Update BIOS from a file.”
3. Specify the location of the BIOS
file, such as from a floppy disk.
Click Next.

4. From the selection that appears,
choose a logo image. Click Next.
If you wish, you may create

your own boot logo image in
GIF, JPG, or BMP file
formats.
5. When you click on an image, it

displays larger on the MyLogo2
screen.
MyLogo2 may not support

too complex images. Try
using a simpler image if you
encounter any problems.
6. The next screen prompts you to

flash the original BIOS to update
it with the new boot logo. Click
Flash to update the BIOS.
7. When finished, click Exit, then
reboot your computer.
Your system boots with the new
boot logo.
Instead of starting from ASUS Update, you may also launch ASUS
MyLogo2 directly from the Windows Start menu to change your BIOS
boot logo. After you have modified the BIOS file with the new logo, use
the ASUS Update utility to upload the new BIOS into the EEPROM.

5.3.3 ASUS PC Probe
The ASUS PC Probe is a convenient utility to continuously monitor your
computer system’s 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.
Starting ASUS PC Probe

When ASUS PC Probe starts, a splash screen appears allowing you to
select whether to show the screen again when you open PC Probe or not.
To bypass this startup screen, clear the Show up in next execution check
box.
To launch ASUS PC Probe, click the Windows Start button, point to

Programs, and then ASUS Utility, and then click Probe Vx.xx.
The PC Probe icon appears on the taskbar system tray indicating

that ASUS PC Probe is running. Clicking the icon allows you to see the
status of your PC.

Using ASUS PC Probe
Monitoring
Monitor Summary
Shows a summary of the items
being monitored.
Temperature Monitor
Shows the PC temperature (for
supported processors only).
Temperature Warning
threshold adjustment
(Move the slider up to increase the
threshold level or down to decrease
the threshold level)
Fan Monitor
Shows the PC 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 PC voltages.

Settings
Lets you set threshold levels and
polling intervals or refresh times of
the PC’s temperature, fan rotation,
and voltages.
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 monitoring
activity of a certain component of
your PC for future reference.
Fan Control
Lets you enable/disable Smart Fan
Control. Smart Fan Control adjusts
the fan speed automatically based
on the current CPU temperature
and predefined threshold.
Hard Drives
Shows the used and free space of
the PC’s hard disk drives and the
file allocation table or file system
used.

Information
Memory
Shows the PC memory load,
memory usage, and paging file
usage.
Device Summary
Shows a summary of devices
present in your PC.
DMI Explorer
Shows information pertinent to the
PC, such as CPU type, CPU
speed, and internal/external
frequencies, and memory size.
Utility
Lets you run programs outside of
the ASUS Probe modules. To run a
program, click Execute Program.
NOTE: This feature is currently
unavailable.

ASUS PC Probe Task Bar Icon
Right clicking the PC Probe
icon brings up a menu to
open or exit ASUS PC Probe
and pause or resume all
system monitoring.
When the ASUS PC Probe

senses a problem with your PC,
portions of the ASUS PC Probe
icon change to red, the PC
speaker beeps, and the ASUS
PC Probe monitor appears.

5.3.4 E-Color 3Deep
The 3Deep color tuner is designed to match your CRT or LCD color
monitor and maximize the color quality of all graphical applications. You
may also tune your internet applications to match “true” internet source
colors with the color displayed on the monitor.
3Deep Control Panel

Using the Windows Start button,
activate the 3Deep Control Panel
program from the 3Deep Applications
group on the Main Program menu.
The control panel offers access to the Color Wizard tuning program, a
Game Gamma setting and a Tweak slider for brightness adjustment.

3Deep Color Tuning
1. Select the type of monitor
connected to the computer, either
CRT or LCD.
2. Follow the instructions to manually

adjust the brightness level of the
monitor.
3. Select the faintest of the three

colors: blue, red, and green.
4. Select the color squares that most

closely blend and match with the
background.

5. The next step repeats the color
matching process to achieve full
color quality.
6. When a message appears

indicating that the tuning process
is complete, click Finish.
7. Click on the Set Up Now button to

connect to the Internet. Follow the
screen instructions to set up True
Internet Color.

5.3.5 Winbond Voice Editor
The Winbond Voice Editor software allows you to customize the vocal
POST messages. Install the software from the software menu in the
support CD. See section “5.2.3 Software menu”.
To avoid conflicts, do not run the Winbond Voice Editor while running
the ASUS PC Probe.
Follow these steps to use the Winbond Voice Editor.
Launching the program

Launch the program either from the Winbond Voice Editor icon on your
desktop, or from the Windows Start menu, Programs/Winbond Voice Editor/
Voice Editor.
The Winbond Voice Editor screen appears.
Default Messages
POST Events
Playing the default wave files

To play the default wave files, simply click on a POST event on the left
side of the screen, then click the Play button.
The default language setting is English.

Changing the default language
1. Click on the Load button. a
window showing the available
languages appears.
2. Select your desired language then
click Open. The event messages
for the language you selected
appear on the Voice Editor screen.
For some languages, not all events have a corresponding message

due to file size constraints.
3. Click on the Write button to update

the EEPROM.
4. Click Yes on the confirmation
window that appears.
The next time you boot your computer, the POST messages are
announced in the language that you selected .

Customizing your POST messages
If your language is not in the selection or if you wish to record your own
POST messages to replace the pre-installed wave files, you may easily do
so.
Follow these steps to customize your POST messages.
1. Launch the Voice Editor and take note of the list of POST events on
the leftmost column of the screen.
2. Prepare your message for each event.
The total compressed size for all the wave files must not exceed 1Mbit,
so make your messages as short as possible.
3. Use a recording software, such as Windows Recorder, to record your

messages.
4. Save the messages as wave files (.WAV). It is recommended that you
save your files in low quality to keep them small. For example, use
8-bit, mono quality at 22Khz sampling rate.
You may want to create a separate folder for your wave files so you
can locate them easily in one place.
5. From the Voice Editor screen,

click on the Add button to display
the Add Wave File window.
6. Copy the wave files that you
recorded to the database. Close
the window when done.

7. Click a POST event on the Voice
Editor screen, then on the Edit
button. The Event Sound Editor
window appears.
8. Locate and select your wave file
for the event then click on the
arrow opposite Voice1. The file
you selected appears on the
space next to it.
9. Click OK to return to the Voice
Editor screen.
10. Do steps 7 to 9 for the other
events.
11. When done, click the Save
button. A window appears
prompting you to save your
configuration.
12. Type a file name with a .flh
extension, then click Save.
13. Click on the Write button to
compress the file and copy into
the EEPROM.
14. Click Yes on the confirmation
window that appears.
If you receive an error message telling you that the files exceed the total
allowable size, do one or all of the following.
• Try to modify your messages to make them shorter
• Save the wave files at a lower quality
• Skip lesser used events like FDD Detection, IDE HDD Detection, etc.

5.3.6 Multi-Channel Audio Feature
The RealTek ALC650 6-channel AC’97 Audio Driver and Applications are
included in the support CD that came with your motherboard package.
Install these programs to enable the multi-channel audio feature.
You must use 4 or 6 channel speakers for this setup.
Setting the RealTek ALC650 AC’97 Audio Configuration

1. Install the RealTek ALC650 AC’97 audio driver from the support CD.
2. After installation, the RealTek
“Sound Effect” icon appears on the
bottom right of the screen. Sound Effect Icon
3. Click on the Sound Effect icon to

display the RealTek ALC650 AC97
Audio Configuration dialogue box.
Transform the sound environment,
set to Karaoke or load the
Equalizer from the Sound Effect
tab.
You may also launch the ALC650

AC97 Audio Application by
clicking on the Start button on
your Windows desktop, then
select Programs > Audio Sound
Manager > SoundMan
4. Click on the Equalizer tab to

display panel to individually control
frequency bands and adjust sound
output.
You may also display the
Equalizer panel by clicking on the
Equalizer command button on the
Sound Effect tab.

5. Click on the
Speaker Configuration tab to
customize your speaker system.
Make sure to select the correct
speaker channel mode based on
your actual speaker setup.
6. Click on the Speaker Test tab for

the Multi-channel audio test.
When you use the 6-channel

function and your speaker
Center/Subwoofer channel is
incorrect, select Swap Center/
Subwoofer Output.
7. Click on the SPDIF-In tab for the

configuration.The ALC650 by
default enable the SPDIF Out
function.If you use the SPDIF-In
function, the SPDIF frequency will
be locked by the ALC650 chip.
The AC-3 SPDIF-In function is not
supported by ALC650, it only
supports stereo SPDIF-In.
8. Click on the General tab for

version information and multi-
language settings.
English is the default setting when
you first install the audio
programs package.
Connector Settings and Functions

Connector Headphone/2 Speaker 4-Speaker 6-Speaker
Lime Line Out/ Line Out/ Line Out/
Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Light Blue Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out
Pink Mic In Mic In Center Speaker Out, Sub-woofer

5.4 RAID 0/RAID 1 configurations
The motherboard includes the Promise® PDC20376 controller chipset, two
Serial ATA interfaces, and a Parallel ATA133 interface to support
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) configuration. This feature
supports Ultra ATA/133 drives, and is backward compatible with Ultra ATA/
100/66/33 drives. Use the MBFastTrak376™ BIOS and the FastBuild™
utility to configure a disk array.
RAID 0 (called data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to
read and write data in parallel, interleaved stacks. Two hard disks perform
the same work as a single drive but at a sustained data transfer rate,
double that of a single disk alone, thus improving data access and
storage.
RAID 1 (called data mirroring) copies and maintains an identical image of
data from one drive to a second drive. If one drive fails, the disk array
management software directs all applications to the surviving drive as it
contains a complete copy of the data in the other drive. This RAID
configuration provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the
entire system.
5.4.1 Install the hard disks

The PDC20376 chipset supports Ultra ATA/133/100/66 hard disk drives.
For optimal performance, install identical drives of the same model and
capacity when creating a disk array.
• If you are creating a RAID 0 (striping) array for perfomance, use two
new drives.
• If you are creating a RAID 1 (mirroring) array for protection, you can use
two new drives or use an existing drive and a new drive (the new drive
must be of the same size or larger than the existing drive).
The chipset supports RAID 0 (striping) or RAID 1 (mirroring) for master

drives only.
The Promise PDC20376 chipset only supports one Master HDD on

the PRI_RAID1 connector. HDDs set to Slave mode and ATAPI
devices such as CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, etc. are not supported.

Follow these steps to install the hard disks for RAID configuration.
1. Set the jumpers of each hard disk as Master.

2. Install the hard disks into the drive bays.
3. Connect the HDD cables. Three connection options are available for
creating a RAID 0 or RAID 1 array:
a) Connect one Parallel ATA HDD to PRI_RAID1 connector and one
Serial ATA HDD to either one of the two Serial ATA connectors,
using separate parallel ATA or serial ATA cables.
b) Connect one Serial ATA HDD to each Serial ATA connector, using
separate serial ATA cables.
c) Connect one Serial ATA HDD to the PRI_RAID1 connector, and
one Serial ATA HDD to either one of the two serial ATA
connectors, using separate parallel/serial ATA cables.
4. Connect the power cable to the power connector on each drive.
5. Boot the system and enter the BIOS Setup Utility.
6. Go to the Advanced menu and select PCI Configuration. Make sure that
the Onboard SATA/IDE RAID Controller field is set to Enabled, and the
Onboard ATA Device First field set to Yes.
7. Save your changes and Exit Setup.
8. Proceed to section 5.4.2 for the next procedure.

5.4.2 Enter the MBFastBuild™ utility
1. Boot the system.
If this is the first time you boot the system with the new hard disks
installed and connected to the ATAIDE connectors on the
motherboard, the MBFastTrak376™ BIOS displays the following:
MBFastTrak376 (tm) BIOS version 1.00

(c)2000-2005 Promise Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No Array defined...
Press <Ctrl-F> to enter FastBuild (tm) Utility

Or press <ESC> key to continue booting.
2. Press <Ctrl-F> simultaneously to display the FastBuild™ utility main

menu.
MBFastBuild (tm) Utility 1.21 (c) 1996-2001 Promise Technology, Inc.

[ Main Menu ]
Auto Setup . . . . . . . . . . [ 1 ]
View Drive Assignments . . . . [ 2 ]
View Array . . . . . . . . . . [ 3 ]
Delete Array . . . . . . . . . [ 4 ]
Rebuild Array. . . . . . . . . [ 5 ]
Controller Configuration . . . [ 6 ]
[ Keys Available ]
Press 1..6 to select Option [ESC] Exit

5.4.3 Creating a RAID 0 array (Performance)
1. In the FastBuild™ utility main menu, press “1” to select Auto Setup.
The following screen appears.
2. Use the arrow keys to go to the field Optimize Array for and select
“Performance” with the space bar. The Mode field displays “Stripe”.
3. After making a selection, press <Ctrl-Y> to save and create a RAID 0
array.
4. Press any key to reboot the system. During the boot process, the
MBFastTrak376 BIOS checks and displays the disk array information.
5. Once the array is created, use the FDISK utility to format the array as a
single hard drive.
6. After you have formatted the arrayed drives, install an operating
system (OS). The OS will treat the RAID 0 array as a single drive unit.
7. Install the RAID driver from the support CD that came with the
Depending on the operating system you are installing, you may need
to install the RAID driver during or after the OS installation.

5.4.4 Creating a RAID 1 array (Security)
Creating a Security Array with New Drives
“Security” with the space bar. The Mode field displays “Mirror”.
3. Press <Ctrl-Y> to save your selection.
4. The following message appears:
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another? (Yes/No)
Y - Create and Duplicate

N - Create Only
5. Press N for the Create Only option. A message appears confirming that
your Security array has been created.
Array has been created.
<Press any key to reboot>
6. Press any key to reboot the system. During the boot process, the
MBFastTrak376 BIOS checks and displays the disk array information.

7. Use the FDISK utility and follow the format procedure for installing a
new hard drive. After you have formatted the arrayed drives, install an
operating system (OS).
Depending on the operating system you are installing, you may need
to install the RAID driver during or after the OS installation.
Creating a Security Array with Existing Data Drive

If you would like to use an existing drive that already contains data and/or
is the bootable drive in your system, make sure that the new hard drive
you will use in the array has the same or larger capacity as the existing
drive.
Backup all important data before creating an array. Failure to do so

may cause data loss.
“Security” with the space bar. The Mode field displays “Mirror”.
3. Press <Ctrl-Y> to save your selection. The following message
appears:
Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another? (Yes/No)
Y - Create and Duplicate

N - Create Only
5. Press Y for the Create and Duplicate option. The next window prompts
you to select the source drive to use.
6. Use the arrow keys to select the source drive. The FastBuild utility will
copy all the data from the source drive to the target drive.
7. Press <Ctrl-Y> to save the selection and start the duplication. The
following message appears:
Start to duplicate the image...

Do you want to continue? (Yes/No)
Y - Continue N - Abort

8. Select Y to continue. Select N to return to the main menu.
9. When the duplication process is completed, a message appears
confirming that your Security array has been created.
10. Press any key to reboot the system.
Depending on the operating system you are installing (or that is

already installed), the RAID driver installation sequence may vary.
5.4.5 Other FastBuild Utility Commands

Command options 3-6 on the FastBuild™ Utility main menu are not
required for setting up an array, but they are useful for reconfiguring an
array.
View Array (3): This command allows you to view the drive assignments
of hard disks in an array.
Delete Array (4): This command deletes an array to reconfigure the
system. Deleting an array does not remove information on the hard disks.
If an array is deleted by mistake, recover it immediately by redefining it as
the deleted array.
Rebuild Array (5): This command restores the array and system data
after faults on RAID 1 arrays.
Follow these steps to rebuild and restore data in the array:
1. On boot-up, an error message notifies of a system failure.

2. Press <Ctrl-F> to enter the FastBuild™Main Menu.
3. Select <3> for View Array to verify the ID of the defunct hard disk.
4. Power off the system and replace the hard disk with an identical model.
5. Reboot and enter the FastBuild™ Main Menu again.
6. Select <5> for Rebuild Array. The malfunctioning array is highlighted.
Press Enter to select.

7. Select the replacement drive. Press <Enter>.
8. Confirm the command to copy data from the intact source hard disk
onto a new replacement hard disk. A progress gauge displays the
copy progress for the duration of the task.
9. After the rebuild processis complete, the user is prompted to reboot the
system.
Controller Configuration (6): This command shows the default for
Controller Configuration. The default value is [Enabled].

5.5 Manual Installation of IDE/RAID Drivers
The A7V8X support CD contains several IDE and RAID 0 or 1 drivers in the
Promise folder, including Windows, NetWare and NT4. Below follow two
popular OS installations. The others are available on the support CD.
5.5.1 Win9x-ME Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver

1. Ensure the Support CD-ROM is in the CD Drive and press “Start”
button.
2. Move highlight bar to “Settings” and select “Control Panel”.
3. Double click on “System” icon.
4. Select “Device Manager” page.
5. View device by type and find “Other devices” node.
4. Select the “PCI Mass Storage Controller” node and then click
“Properties.”
6. Please select [General] page to reinstall driver or select [Driver] page
to update the driver.
7. Follow the instruction to insert your Windows CD or ASUS support CD
to install the driver.
(Driver Location: {CD-ROM driver}:\Promise\Raid0or1\Win9x-ME)
5.5.2 Win2000 / XP Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver

1. Right click “My Computer” icon on the desktop. Select “Properties”
when the menu appears. Or you can Press “Start” button. Move
highlight bar to “Settings” and select: “Control Panel”. Double click
on “System” icon.
2. Select “Hardware” page and then click [Device Manager] button.
3. View device by type and find “Other devices” node.
4. Right Click the “Mass Storage Controller” node.
5. When the menu appears, click the “Properties” item.
6. Please select select [Driver] page to update driver.
7. Press Next while “Upgrade Device Driver Wizard” window appears.
8. Choose “Select for a suitable driver for my device(recommended)”
option and then press Next.
9. Select “Specify a location” check box.
10. Type or browse the path {CD-ROM Drive}: \Promise \Raid0or1
\Win2000 to the driver and click OK.
11. Press Next.
12. Press Yes.
13. Finally, press Finish to complete the installation.
14. Please restart you computer for these changes to take effect.
(Driver Location: {CD-ROM driver}:\Promise\Raid0or1\Win2000)
5.5.3 Win NT Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver
1. Press “Start” button.
2. Move highlight bar to “Settings” and select “Control Panel”.
3. Double click on “SCSI Adapters” icon.
4. Select “Driver” page.
5. Press “Add...” button.
6. Select item “Unlisted or Updated Driver” in “List of Drivers” list box.
7. Specify path {CD-ROM Drive}:\Drivers\Promise\NT4 to the driver.
8. When dialog appears, select “WinNT Promise FastTrak376 (tm) Lite
Controller” item from the list and press “OK” button.
9. Please restart Windows NT system.
5.5.4 Installing the Promise® FastTrak376™ Driver in

a New Windows 2000 / XP System
1. Read ASUS support CD in another PC and click Browse Support CD.
2. Click Driver folder.
3. Click Promise folder.
4. Select the Promise chip used on your motherboard and click on it.
5. For example, we want to use RAID 0 function on A7V8X motherboard
under Windows XP. The Promise RAID chip on A7V8X is PDC20276.
Accordingly, look for the files in the appropriate Promise Chip folder:
WinXP, FASTTRAK, README, and TXTSETUP.OEM. Copy these three
files to a floppy diskette.
6. Go back to your new RAID motherboard.
7. If available, make sure the RAID_SW jumper on the motherboard is
enabled and enable the appropriate fields in the BIOS.
8. Insert a Windows 2000 or XP installation CD.
9. Boot from CD-ROM.
10. Start to install Windows 2000 or XP.
11. The operation system installation program will ask you “Press F6 if you
want to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.”
12. Quickly press F6 when you see “Press F6 if you want to install a third
party SCSI or RAID driver.”
13. Press S to set up RAID controller.
14. Insert the floppy diskette with the files you copied earlier.
15. Choose WinXP Promise FastTrak376™ Controller.
16. The RAID system is now setup to work with the XP or 2000 platform.
Complete the Windows OS installation process.

Index
This part contains an alphabetical list of the

topics found in this document.
A
installation 2-5
Accelerated Graphics Port 1-2, 2-13 Level 1/Level 2 Cache 4-18
Acrobat Reader 5-5 Speed 4-17
ASUS ASIC 1-8 CPU socket 1-8, 2-4
ASUS EZ Flash 4-1 Chip Configuration 4-20
ASUS iPanel 2-25 Clear RTC RAM 2-16
ASUS Multi-Language BIOS 1-3 Connectors
ASUS MyLogo2™ 1-3, 5-9 ASUS iPanel 2-24
ASUS PC Probe 5-12 ATX power 1-6, 2-22
ASUS POST Reporter 1-3, 3-2, 5-22 chassis alarm 2-20
ASUS Q-Fan 1-3, 4-32 fan 2-22
ASUS Update 5-9 floppy disk 1-6, 2-17
ATAPI CD-ROM 4-33 front panel audio 2-26
Automatic Power Up 4-30 game/MIDI 2-23
IDE 1-8 2-18
B IDE LED 2-17
BIOS IEEE 1394 1-9, 2-25
Advanced Menu 4-17 Infrared module 2-27
Boot Menu 4-33 internal audio 2-24
Boot Sequence 4-33 panel 2-28
Exit Menu 4-35 power supply thermal 2-22
Legend Bar 4-8 S/PDIF 2-26
Main Menu 4-10 Serial ATA 1-9, 2-27
Menu Bar 4-8 Smart Card Reader 2-21
Power Menu 4-27 SMBus 2-20
Setup Defaults, loading 4-36 USB header 2-23
Setup Program 4-7 C.O.P. 1-3
Sub-menu, launching 4-9
D
Updating 4-1
BIOS Beep Codes 3-1 DDR 400 1-2
BIOS AFLASH utility 4-3 DDR SDRAM technology 2-6
Boot Device DIMM
selection 4-33 installing 2-8
Boot Up NumLock Status 4-16 removing 2-9
Boot Virus Detection 4-34 DIMM sockets 1-8
Double Data Rate (DDR)
C memory 1-2, 2-6
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
fan connector 2-22
ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide I-1

E keyboard power 2-14
USB device wake-up 2-15
Expansion card VCORE over-voltage 2-14
installation 2-11
configuration 2-11 K
Expansion slots 1-9, 2-11
Keyboard
AGP 1-9, 2-13
Auto-Repeat Delay 4-16
PCI 1-9, 2-13
Auto-Repeat Rate 4-16
F Boot-up NumLock Status 2-16
Flash ROM 1-9 L

Floppy 3 Mode 4-10
LEDs
Floppy disk access control 4-23
AGP warning 1-8, 2-3
G standby power 1-9, 2-3
Legacy Diskette 4-10
GigaBit LAN 1-10
M
H
Motherboard
Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) major components 1-6
CHS Capacity 4-14 IRQ Table 2-12
Cylinders 4-14 layout 2-2
Heads 4-14 placement 2-1
Maximum LBA Capacity 4-14 screws 2-1
Primary/Secondary Master 4-12 Multi-channel Audio 5-24
Primary/Secondary Slave 4-12 Multi-sector transfers 4-15
Sector 4-14
Types 4-12 O
Hardware Monitor 4-31
Operating system
Heatsink
installation 5-1
installation 2-5
P
I
Parallel Port 1-10, 4-24
InterVideo WinCinema 1-4
Modes 4-24
IEEE 1394 1-9, 2-25
Password
IRQ assignments 2-12
Supervisor 4-11
J User 4-11
PCI Configuration 4-25
Jumpers PCI Latency Timer 4-25
Clear RTC 2-16 PCI/VGA Palette Snoop 4-25
I-2 Index
PIO Mode 4-15 System Controller
Power Management 4-27 North Bridge 1-8
Power On Self Test 3-2 South Bridge 1-8
PS/2 Keyboard Port 1-10 System Date 4-10
PS/2 Mouse Port 1-10 System memory
PS/2 Mouse configurations 2-11
Function Control 4-19 System Time 4-10
R U
RAID IDE 1-9 UART2 4-23
RTC RAM Ultra DMA Mode 4-15
clearing 2-16 USB Legacy Support 4-19
USB ports 1-10
S
V
SDRAM
1T Command Control 4-21 Video memory cache
Bank Interleave 4-21 USWC 4-22
Active Precharge Delay 4-21 UC 4-22
CAS Latency 4-20
Configuration 4-20 Z
RAS Precharge Delay 4-21 ZIF socket 2-5
RAS to CAS Delay 4-20
Serial ATA 1-9, 2-27
Serial Ports 1-10, 4-23
SMART Monitoring 4-15
Sony/Philips Digital Interface
(S/PDIF) 2-26
Super I/O controller 1-9
Support CD 5-1
ASUS Update 5-9
Drivers menu 5-2
E-Color 3Deep 5-17
Main menu 5-1
motherboard information 5-7
multi-channel audio 5-24
Utilities menu 5-5
Technical Support Form 5-8
Welcome screen 5-1
Suspend Mode 4-28
ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide I-3

I-4 Index

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Motherboard

Copyright © 2002 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 1: Product introduction

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.6.3 PCI slots .............................................................. 2-13

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Chapter 5: Software support

Index ........................................................................................ I-1

The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

How this guide is organized

DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself

CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components

IMPORTANT: Information that you MUST follow to complete a

NOTE: Tips and additional information to aid in completing a task.

Where to find more information

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)

Chipset Northbridge: VIA KT400

Front Side Bus (FSB) 333/266/200Mhz

Memory 3 x DDR DIMM Sockets

Expansion slots 1 x AGP 8X

IDE 2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66

Audio (optional) Realtek 6-channel CODEC

LAN (optional) Broadcom 10/100 Mbps or 1 Gbps Ethernet controller

USB 2.0 VT8235 built-in USB 2.0

IEEE 1394 (optional) VIA 1394 controller

Special Features ASUS POST Reporter (optional)

(continued on the next page)

Internal I/O CPU/Power/Chassis FAN connectors

Industry standard PCI 2.2, USB 2.0

Manageability WfM 2.0. DMI 2.0, chassis intrusion, SMBus

Form Factor ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)

Support CD contents Device drivers

Accessories User’s manual

* Specifications are subject to change without notice.

This chapter describes the features of the

ASUS A7V8X motherboard

1.2 Package contents

If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-1

Serial ATA technology (optional)

DDR400 (PC3200) support

Gigabit LAN (optional)

USB 2.0 technology

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction

ASUS Q-Fan feature

C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection):

ASUS POST Reporter™ (optional)

This new feature present in the A7V8X motherboard allows you to

ASUS Multi-language BIOS

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-3

6-channel Audio (optional)

InterVideo WinCinema Software (on Gold version only)

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.4.1 Major components

1. North Bridge controller 19. Audio CODECA

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction

ASUS A7V8X motherboard user guide 1-7