P4S8X-X
User Guide
Contents
Notices ............................................................................................v
Safety information .......................................................................... vi
About this guide............................................................................. vii
ASUS contact information ............................................................ viii
P4S8X-X specifications summary .................................................. ix
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! ........................................................................... 1-2
1.2 Package contents ............................................................... 1-2
1.3 Motherboard components .................................................. 1-3
1.4 Special Features ................................................................ 1-6
1.4.1 Product highlights .................................................. 1-6
1.5 Motherboard layout ............................................................ 1-7
1.6 Before you proceed ............................................................ 1-8
1.7 Motherboard installation ..................................................... 1-9
1.7.1 Placement direction ............................................... 1-9
1.7.2 Screw holes ........................................................... 1-9
1.8 Central Processing Unit (CPU)......................................... 1-10
1.8.1 Overview .............................................................. 1-10
Notes on Hyper-Threading Technology ............... 1-10
1.8.2 Installing the CPU .................................................1-11
1.9 System memory ............................................................... 1-12
DDR Qualified Vendor List ................................... 1-13
1.10 Expansion slots ................................................................ 1-14
1.10.1 Standard interrupt assignments ........................... 1-14
1.10.1 IRQ assignments for this motherboard ................ 1-14
1.11 Switches and jumpers ...................................................... 1-15
1.12 Connectors ....................................................................... 1-17
Chapter 2: BIOS information
2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .................................... 2-2
2.1.1 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS ............ 2-2
2.1.2 Using AFLASH to update the BIOS ....................... 2-4
iii
Contents
2.1.3 CrashFree BIOS 2 (BIOS Auto-recovery Procedure) . 2-7
2.1.4 BIOS beep codes................................................... 2-7
2.2 BIOS Setup program .......................................................... 2-8
2.2.1 BIOS menu bar ...................................................... 2-8
2.2.2 Legend bar............................................................. 2-9
2.3 Main Menu........................................................................ 2-10
2.3.1 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave ................. 2-12
2.3.2 Keyboard Features .............................................. 2-14
2.4 Advanced Menu ............................................................... 2-15
2.4.1 Chip Configuration ............................................... 2-18
2.4.2 I/O Device Configuration...................................... 2-20
2.4.3 PCI Configuration ................................................ 2-21
2.5 Power Menu ..................................................................... 2-23
2.5.1 Power Up Control ................................................ 2-24
2.5.2 Hardware Monitor ................................................ 2-25
2.6 Boot Menu ........................................................................ 2-26
2.7 Exit Menu ......................................................................... 2-28
Chapter 3: Software support
3.1 Install an operating system................................................. 3-2
3.2 Support CD information ...................................................... 3-2
3.2.1 Running the support CD ........................................ 3-2
3.2.2 Drivers menu ......................................................... 3-3
27720204
3.2.3 Utilities menu ......................................................... 3-3
3.2.4 ASUS Contact Information ..................................... 3-4
iv
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference, and
• This device must accept any interference received including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
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.
v
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.
vi
About this guide
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: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to
complete a task.
CAUTION/WARNING: 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 viii.
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.
vii
ASUS contact information
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)
Address:
150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
+886-2-2894-3447
+886-2-2894-3449
General Tel:
General Fax:
General Email:
Technical Support
MB/Others (Tel):
Notebook (Tel):
+886-2-2890-7121 (English)
+886-2-2890-7122 (English)
Desktop/Server (Tel): +886-2-2890-7123 (English)
Support Fax:
Support Email:
Web Site:
+886-2-2890-7698
cscnews.asus.com.tw
Newsgroup:
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)
Address:
6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center,
Building 2, Newark, CA 94560, USA
+1-510-608-4555
General Fax:
General Email:
Technical Support
Support Fax:
General Support:
Web Site:
+1-510-608-4555
+1-502-933-8713
Support Email:
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)
Address:
General Fax:
General Email:
Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
+49-2102-442066
[email protected] (for marketing requests only)
Technical Support
Support Hotline:
MB/Others: +49-2102-9599-0
Notebook: +49-2102-9599-10
+49-2102-9599-11
Support Fax:
Support (Email):
Web Site:
viii
P4S8X-X specifications summary
CPU
Socket 478 for Intel® Pentium® 4
New power design with speed up to 3.06+ GHz
Supports Hyper-Threading Technology
Chipset
Northbridge: SiS 648
Southbridge: SiS 963
Front Side Bus (FSB)
Memory
533/400 MHz
3 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 3GB memory
Supports PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 unbuffered non-ECC
DDR DIMMs
(Note: PC2700 maximum to 2 DIMMs support only.)
Expansion slots
1 x AGP 8X (1.5V only)
6 x PCI
IDE
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33 connectors
ADI AD1980 6-channel audio CODEC
Audio
LAN
SiS 963 integrated 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet controller
with external Realtek RTL8201BL PHY
Special features
Rear panel I/O
Power Loss Restart
Wake-on-Ring, LAN, Keyboard and Mouse
Suspend-to-RAM (STR)
Suspend-to-Disk (STD)
ASUS EZ Flash
CrashFree BIOS 2
1 x Parallel port
1 x Serial port
1 x S/PDIF out
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x RJ-45 port
Line In/Line Out/Microphone ports
Internal I/O
1 x USB 2.0 connector for 2 additional USB 2.0 ports
1 x GAME port
20-pin/4-pin ATX 12V power connectors
IDE LED/Power LED connectors
CPU/Chassis Fan connectors
CD/AUX audio connectors
20-pin panel connector
4-1 Chassis intrusion connector
Intel Front Panel Audio connector
CPU, Memory and AGP voltage adjustable
FSB frequency adjustable with 1MHz step (SFS)
AGP/PCI asynchronous mode with FSB
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
Overclock Features
ix
P4S8X-X specifications summary
BIOS features
2Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI 2.3.1,
WfM2.0, SM BIOS2.3, CrashFree BIOS 2
Industry standard
Manageability
PCI 2.2, USB 2.0, USB 1.1, WfM 2.0, DMI 2.3.1
WfM 2.0. DMI 2.3.1, WOL/WOR by PME, chassis intrusion,
SMBus
Form Factor
ATX form factor: 12.0 in x 9.6 in
Support CD contents
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe
ASUS LiveUpdate
Trend Micro™ PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software
x
Chapter 1
This chapter describes the features of the
P4S8X-X motherboard. It includes brief
descriptions of the motherboard components,
and illustrations of the layout, jumper settings,
and connectors.
Product introduction
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS® P4S8X-X motherboard!
The ASUSP4S8X-X motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest
technologies making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality
motherboards!
The motherboard incorporates the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor in 478-pin package
coupled with the SiS® 648 chipset to set a new benchmark for a cost-effective
desktop platform solution.
Supporting up to 3GB of system memory with the PC2700/2100/1600 DDR DIMMs
high-resolution graphics via an AGP 8X slot, USB 2.0, and 6-channel audio
features, the P4S8X-X is your affordable vehicle to enter the world of computing!
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 P4S8X-X package for the following items.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard
ATX form factor: 12.0 in x 9.6 in
ASUS P4S8X-X series support CD
80-conductor UltraDMA/66/100/133 IDE cable
Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
I/O shield
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1-2
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3 Motherboard components
Before you install the motherboard, learn about its major components and
available features to facilitate the installation and future upgrades. Refer to the
succeeding pages for the component descriptions.
1
2 3 4
5
6
7
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
17
18
19
20
21
22
27
26
25
24
23
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-3
ATX 12V connector. This power connector connects the 4-pin 12V plug from
the ATX 12V power supply.
1
2
CPU socket. A 478-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket for
the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor, with 533/400MHz system bus that allows
4.2GB/s and 3.2GB/s data transfer rates, respectively.
North bridge controller. This SiS648 controller integrates a high
performance host interface for the Intel Pentium 4 processor, a memory
controller, and SiS MuTIOL technology.
3
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).
DDR DIMM sockets. These three 184-pin DIMM sockets support up to 3GB
system memory using unbuffered non-ECC PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 DDR
DIMMs.
5
6
IDE connectors. These dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support
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.
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.
7
8
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.
ASUS ASIC. This chip performs multiple system functions that include
9
hardware and system voltage monitoring.
South bridge controller. Referred to as the SiS963 MuTIOL Media I/O, this
controller integrates the audio controller with AC’97 Interface, Ethernet
MAC, Dual Universal Serial Bus Host controllers, IDE Master/Slave
controllers, and the MuTIOL Connect to PCI Bridge.
10
Audio CODEC. The ADI AD1980 is an AC’97 CODEC that allows 6-channel
audio playback. The audio CODEC provides six DAC channels for 5.1
surround sound, S/PDIF interface, AUX and Line In stereo inputs,
integrated headphone amplifier, greater than 90dB dynamic range, and Mic
PREAMP support.
11
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.
12
13
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, and a Flash
ROM interface.
Flash ROM. This 2Mb firmware contains the programmable BIOS program.
14
1-4
Chapter 1: Product introduction
LAN PHY. The SiS 963 integrated 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet with Realtek
RTL8201BL external PHY supports your local area networking needs.
15
16
AGP slot. This Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot supports 1.5V AGP4X
or AGP8X mode graphics cards for 3D graphical applications.
17
18
PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse.
Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a scanner, or other
devices.
RJ-45 port. This port allows connection to a Local Area Network (LAN)
through a network hub.
19
20
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 Bass/
Center.
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.
21
22
Microphone jack. This Mic (pink) jack connects a microphone. In 6-channel
mode, the function of this jack becomes Rear Speaker Out.
The functions of the Line Out (lime), Line In (blue) and Microphone (pink) jacks
change when you select the 6-channel audio configuration as shown in the
following table:
Audio 2, 4 or 6-channel configuration
Headphone/
2-Speaker
4-Speaker
6-Speaker
Light Blue
Lime
Line In
Line Out
Mic In
Line In
Bass/Center
Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out
Pink
USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports
are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
23
24
25
USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports
are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
Serial port. This 9-pin COM port connects to serial devices such as serial
mouse or keyboard..
26
27
S/PDIF port. This port is for S/PDIF digital audio output devices.
PS/2 keyboard port. This purple connector is for a PS/2 keyboard.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-5
1.4 Special Features
1.4.1 Product highlights
(page 1-10)
Latest processor technology
The P4S8X-X motherboard supports the latest Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor via a 478-
pin surface mount ZIF socket. The Pentium 4 processor with 512KB L2 cache on 0.13
micron process includes a 533/400 MHz system bus and features the new Hyper-
Threading technology and FMB2 power design that allow up to 3.0+ GHz core
frequencies for up to 4.2GB/s data transfer rates. When available, CPUs
supporting the Intel® Hyper-Threading technology for up to 3.06GHz and faster
frequencies are also supported on this motherboard.
(page 2-2)
ASUS EZ Flash
With ASUS EZ Flash, you can update BIOS before entering operating
system. No more DOS-based flash utility and bootable diskette required.
C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
(page 1-16)
When the system hangs due to overclocking failure, there is no need to
open the case to clear the CMOS data. Simply restart the system and the
BIOS will automatically restore the CPU default setting for each parameter.
(page 2-7)
CrashFree BIOS 2
CrashFree BIOS 2 allows users to restore BIOS data from a floppy diskette or
recovery CD when BIOS code and data are corrupted during upgrade or when
invaded by a virus. ASUS motherboards now enable users to enjoy this protection
feature without the need to pay for an optional ROM.
(page 1-14)
AGP 8X support
AGP 8X (AGP 3.0) is the next generation VGA interface specification that enables
enhanced graphics performance with high bandwidth speed up to 2.12 GB/s. With
a bus frequency of 533Mhz, AGP 8x is twice as fast as AGP 4X.
SoundMAX Digital Audio System
The SoundMax Digital Audio System is the industry’s highest performance and
most reliable audio solution for business professionals, audiophiles, musicians,
and gamers. SoundMAX Digital Audio System can output 5.1 channel surround
and features state-of-the-art DLS2 MIDI synthesizer with Yamaha DLSbyXG sound
set, 5.1 Virtual Theater™ and supports all major game audio technologies
including Microsoft DirectX™8.0, Microsoft DirectSound 3D™, A3D, MacroFX,
ZoomFX, MultiDrive 5.1 and EAX.
1-6
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.5 Motherboard layout
24.4cm (9.6in)
KBPWR
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
ATX Power Connector
CPU_FAN
COM1
USB12
ATX12V
USBPW12
SiS648
HOST/
Memory
Controller
USBPW34
Bottom:
USB3
USB4
Top:
RJ-45
FP_AUDIO
Top:Line In
Center:Line Out
Below:Mic In
0
1
2
3
4
5
Accelerated Graphics Port
(AGP)
Realtek
RTL8201
SiS963L
MuTLOL
Media
I/0
PCI Slot 1
PCI Slot 2
PCI Slot 3
PCI Slot 4
CLRTC
CD
AUX
CHASSIS
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
Audio
Codec
PCI Slot 5
GAME
CHA_FAN
USBPW56
PCI Slot 6
SB_PWR
PANEL
USB56
®
P4S8X-X
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-7
1.6 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_PWR) indicates that the system is ON, in sleep
mode, or in soft-off mode, a reminder that you should shut down the system and
unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard
component.
SB_PWR
®
P4S8X-X
ON
OFF
Standby
Power
Powered
Off
P4S8X-X Onboard LED
Install only 1.5V AGP cards on this motherboard to prevent damage to your
AGP card or motherboard.
1-8
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.7 Motherboard installation
Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to
ensure that the motherboard fits into it. The motherboard uses the ATX form factor
that measures 12 inches x 9.6 inches (30.5 cm 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.
1.7.1 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.
1.7.2 Screw holes
Place ten (10) 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
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-9
1.8 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
1.8.1 Overview
The motherboard comes with a surface mount 478-pin Zero Insertion Force (ZIF)
socket. The socket is designed for the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor in the 478-pin
package with 512/256KB L2 cache on 0.13 micron process. This processor
supports 533/400MHz front side bus (FSB), and allows data transfer rates of
4.2GB/s and 3.2GB/s.
Gold Mark
Note in the illustration that the CPU has a
gold triangular mark on one corner. This
mark indicates the processor Pin 1 that
should match a specific corner of the
CPU socket.
Incorrect installation of the CPU into the socket may bend the pins and
severely damage the CPU!
Notes on Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
1. This motherboard supports Intel Pentium 4 CPUs with Hyper-Threading
Technology.
2. Hyper-Threading Technology is supported under Windows XP and Linux
2.4.x (kernel) and later versions only. Under Linux, use the Hyper-Threading
compliler to compile the code. If you are using any other operating systems,
disable the Hyper-Threading Techonology item in BIOS to ensure system
stability and performance.
3. It is recommended that you install WinXP Service Pack 1.
4. Make sure to enable the Hyper-Threading Technology item in BIOS before
installing a supported operating system.
info/hyperthreading.
To use the Hyper-Threading Technology on this motherboard:
1. Buy an Intel Pentium 4 CPU that supports Hyper-Threading Technology. Install
the CPU.
2. Power up the system and enter BIOS Setup (see Chapter 2). Under the Boot
Menu, make sure that the item Hyper-Threading Technology is set to
Enabled. The item appears only if you installed a CPU that supports Hyper-
Threading Techonology.
3. Reboot the computer.
1-10
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.8.2 Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU.
1. Locate the 478-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard.
2. Unlock the socket by pressing the
lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90°-
100° angle.
Socket Lever
90 - 100
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted
up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise the
CPU does not fit in completely.
3. Position the CPU above the socket
such that its marked corner matches
the base of the socket lever.
Gold Mark
4. Carefully insert the CPU into the
socket until it fits in place.
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the
socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!
5. When the CPU is in place, push
down the socket lever to secure the
CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab
to indicate that it is locked.
6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan
following the instructions that came
with the heatsink package.
7. Connect the CPU fan cable to the
CPU_FAN connector on the
motherboard.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-11
1.9 System memory
The motherboard has three Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMM sockets that supports
up to 3GB non-ECC PC2700/2100/1600 DDR.
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.
According to SiS® specifications, PC2700 maximum to 2 DIMMs
support only.
104 Pins
80 Pins
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets
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
the motherboard and other system components.
DDR DIMM notch
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.
3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket
until the retaining clips snap back in
place and the DIMM is properly
seated.
Unlocked Retaining Clip
1-12
Chapter 1: Product introduction
DDR333 DIMM Qualified Vendor List
The following table lists the DDR333 memory modules that have been
tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.
Vendor
Hynix
Model
Type/Size
HY5DU28822BT-J
KDL648T4AA
PC2700/256MB
PC2700/256MB
PC2700/512MB
PC2700/128MB
PC2700/256MB
PC2700/256MB
PC2700/512MB
PC2700/256MB
PC2700/512MB
PC2700/512MB
PC2700/512MB
PC2100/1GB
Kingmax
Kingmax
Micron
KDL648T4AA
MT46V16M8
Micron
MT46V16M8
Nanya
NT5DS32M8AT-6
NT5DS32M8AT-6
W942508BH-6
W942508BH-6
K4H560838C-TCB3
K4H560838D-TCB3
M2S12D30TP
Nanya
Winbond
Winbond
Samsung
Samsung
Mitsubishi
Use only the tested and qualified DDR333 DIMMs listed above. Other
DDR DIMMs manufactured by other vendors may not be suitable for
this motherboard. Visit the ASUS website for the latest qualified DDR
module list.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-13
1.10 Expansion slots
The motherboard has six PCI slots and one Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot.
To install and configure an expansion card:
1. Install an expansion card following the instructions that came with the chassis.
2. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any. See
Chapter 2 for BIOS information.
3. Install the drivers and/or software applications for the expansion card
according to the card documentation.
1.10.1 Standard interrupt assignments
IRQ
0
Priority
Standard Function
System Timer
1
1
2
Keyboard Controller
2
3*
4*
5*
6
7*
8
9*
10*
11*
12*
13
14*
15*
N/A
11
12
13
14
15
3
4
5
6
7
Programmable Interrupt
Communications Port (COM2)
Communications Port (COM1)
IRQ holder for PCI steering
Floppy Disk Controller
Printer Port (LPT)
System CMOS/Real Time Clock
IRQ holder for PCI steering
Advance AC’97 CODEC
Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA)
PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
Numeric Data Processor
Primary IDE Channel
8
9
10
Secondary IDE Channel
*
These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
1.10.2 IRQ assignments for this motherboard
A
—
—
—
—
B
—
shared
—
—
—
shared
shared
—
C
—
—
D
shared
—
—
shared
—
E
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
used
—
F
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
G
H
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
PCI slot 1
PCI slot 2
PCI slot 3
PCI slot 4
PCI slot 5
PCI slot 6
AGP slot
Onboard USB controller 1
Onboard USB controller 2
Onboard USB 2.0 controller
Onboard audio
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
shared
—
shared
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
used
—
—
—
used
—
—
—
—
shared
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.
1-14
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.11 Jumpers
1. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWR12, USBPWR34, USBPWR56)
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 USBPWR12 and USBPWR34 jumpers are for the rear USB ports. The
USBPWR56 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 1A on the
+5VSB lead when these jumpers are set to +5VSB. Otherwise, the system
would not power up.
2. The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability
(+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode.
USBPW12
USBPW34
3
2
1
2
+5V
(Default)
+5VSB
USBPW56
1 2
2 3
®
P4S8X-X
+5VSB
+5V
(Default)
P4S8X-X USB Device Wake Up
2. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR)
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 is the Space Bar). 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 2.5.1 Power Up Control).
KBPWR
1 2
+5V
2 3
+5VSB
(Default)
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Keyboard Power Setting
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-15
3. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)
This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS.
You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters
by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The RAM data in CMOS, that include
system setup information such as system passwords, 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 onboard battery.
3. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep the cap on
pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to pins 1-2.
4. Replace the battery.
5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.
6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup
to re-enter data.
Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on CLRTC1 jumper
default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure!
CLRTC
1 2
2 3
Normal
(Default)
Clear CMOS
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Clear RTC RAM Setting
You do not need to clear the RTC when the system hangs due to overclocking.
For system failure due to overclocking, use the C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
feature. Shut down and reboot the system so BIOS can automatically reset
parameter settings to default values.
1-16
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.12 Connectors
This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the motherboard.
1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)
This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After
connecting one end to the motherboard, connect the other end to the floppy
drive. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent incorrect insertion when using ribbon cables
with pin 5 plug).
FLOPPY
PIN 1
NOTE: Orient the red markings on
the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Floppy Disk Drive Connector
2. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE)
This connector supports the provided UltraDMA133/100/66 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
UltraDMA133/100/66 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to
the UltraDMA133/100/66 master device. It is recommended that you connect
non-UltraDMA133/100/66 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
UltraDMA133/100/66 devices, purchase another UltraDMA133/100/66 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.
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.
NOTE: Orient the red markings
on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1
®
P4S8X-X
PIN 1
PIN 1
P4S8X-X IDE Connectors
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-17
3. ATX power connectors (20-pin ATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)
These connectors connect to an ATX 12V power supply. The plugs from the
power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find
the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit.
In addition to the 20-pin ATXPWR connector, this motherboard requires that
you connect the 4-pin ATX +12V power plug to provide sufficient power to the
CPU.
Make sure that your ATX 12V power supply can provide 8A on the +12V lead
and at least 1A on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). The minimum
recommended wattage is 230W, or 300W for a fully configured system. The
system may become unstable and may experience difficulty powering up if the
power supply is inadequate.
ATXPWR
+12V DC COM
ATX12V
®
P4S8X-X
+12V DC COM
P4S8X-X ATX Power Connectors
4. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)
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.
CHASSIS
GND
Chassis Signal
+5VSB_MB
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Chassis Alarm Lead
1-18
Chapter 1: Product introduction
5. CPU and Chassis Fan Connectors (3-pin CPU_FAN, CHA_FAN)
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_FAN
CHA_FAN
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X 12-Volt Cooling Fan Power
6. GAME/MIDI connector (16-1 pin GAME1)
This connector supports a GAME/MIDI module. Connect an optional
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.
The USB/GAME module is purchased separately.
GAME
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Game Connector
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-19
7. USB header (10-1 pin USB56)
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 allows faster Internet connection,
interactive gaming, and simultaneous running of high-speed peripherals.
You may connect an optional 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.
The USB/GAME module is purchased separately.
USB56
(Blue)
®
1
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X USB 2.0 Header
8. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO)
This is an interface for the Intel front panel audio cable that allow convenient
connection and control of audio devices.
FP_AUDIO
BLINE_OUT_L
Line out_L
NC
BLINE_OUT_R
+5VA
Line out_R
MICPWR
AGND
MIC2
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Front Panel Audio Connector
1-20
Chapter 1: Product introduction
9. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD, AUX)
These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources
such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card.
CD (Black) AUX (White)
Left Audio Channel
Ground
Ground
Right Audio Channel
®
P4S8X-X
P4S8X-X Internal Audio Connectors
10. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL)
This connector accommodates several system front panel functions.
Speaker
Connector
Power LED
Reset SW
IDE LED
ATX Power
Switch*
SMI Lead
®
P4S8X-X
*
Requires an ATX power supply.
P4S8X-X 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.
System Warning Speaker Lead (4-pin SPEAKER)
This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker and allows you to
hear system beeps and warnings.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
1-21
•
•
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 PWRBTN)
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.
Hard Disk Activity Lead (2-pin IDELED)
This connector supplies power to the hard disk activity LED. The read or write
activities of any device connected to the primaryor secondary IDE connector
cause this LED to light up.
1-22
Chapter 1: Product introduction
Chapter 2
This chapter tells how to change system settings
through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed
descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also
provided.
BIOS information
2.1 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.
2.1.1 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 viii). 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
BIOS Model
: ASUS P4S8X-X ACPI BIOS Revision 1002
: P4S8X-X
BIOS Built Date : 12/16/02
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.
2-2
Chapter 2: BIOS information
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.
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.
[BIOS Information in File]
BIOS Version: P4S8X-X Boot Block
WARNING! Continue to update the BIOS (Y/N)? _
7. Press Y to update the main BIOS area.
Flash Memory: SST 49LF004
Update Main BIOS area
(Y/N)? _
DO NOT shutdown or reset the system while updating the BIOS 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.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
2-3
2.1.2 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.
2-4
Chapter 2: BIOS information
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 viii 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>.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
2-5
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.
2-6
Chapter 2: BIOS information
2.1.3 CrashFree BIOS 2 (BIOS Auto-recovery Procedure)
The CrashFree BIOS 2 feature allows users to boot the computer from a
floppy disk and update the BIOS using AFLASH.EXE or EZ Flash Utility in
case the original BIOS fails or gets corrupted. If the user doesn’t have a
bootable floppy disk with the original BIOS, an auto-recovery procedure
can be performed using the support CD.
It is strongly recommended to save a copy of the motherboard’s original
BIOS along with the AFLASH.EXE utility to a bootable disk.(See section
2.1.2 to create a bootable floppy disk)
Using the support CD
1. Boot using the support CD. The support CD will automatically detect whether
the BIOS is corrupted.
2. If the BIOS data or codes are corrupted, the message “The BIOS was
corrupted! Do you want to recover?”, appears.
3. Press “Y”, to start auto-recovery procedure. If there is no keyboard input from
user, the system will perform BIOS auto recovery after 30 seconds.
The recovered BIOS may not have the same version as original BIOS. Visit
motherboard and update BIOS using ASUS AFLASH.EXE, ASUS EZ Flash
Utility or ASUS Live Update.
Using the created bootable floppy disk
1. Boot using the bootable floppy disk.
2. Execute AFLASH.EXE utility (Refer to section 2.1.2 “Using AFLASH to update
BIOS” for detailed procedures)
3. If the BIOS image is newer than the current BIOS or if the BIOS is corrupted,
the confirmation message “Are you sure? (Y/N)”, appears.
4. Press “Y” to update the BIOS.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
2-7
2.2 BIOS Setup program
This motherboard supports a programmable Flash ROM that you can update using
the provided utility described in section “2.1 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.
2.2.1 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
POWER
BOOT
Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced
features.
Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management
features.
Use this menu to configure the default system device used to
locate and load the Operating System.
Use this menu to exit the current menu or to exit the Setup
program.
EXIT
To access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard
until the desired item is highlighted.
2-8
Chapter 2: BIOS information
2.2.2 Legend bar
At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar. The keys in the legend bar allow
you to navigate through the various setup menus. The following table lists the keys
found in the legend bar with their corresponding functions.
Navigation Key(s)
<F1> or <Alt + H>
Function Description
Displays the General Help screen from anywhere
in the BIOS Setup
<Esc>
Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu
from a sub-menu
Left or Right arrow
Up or Down arrow
- (minus key)
Selects the menu item to the left or right
Moves the highlight up or down between fields
Scrolls backward through the values for the high-
lighted field
+ (plus key) or spacebar
Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted
field
<Enter>
Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted field
Moves the cursor to the first field
<Home> or <PgUp>
<End> or <PgDn>
<F5>
Moves the cursor to the last field
Resets the current screen to its Setup Defaults
Saves changes and exits Setup
<F10>
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 “2.7 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>.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
2-9
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.
2.3 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.
2-10
Chapter 2: BIOS information
Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]
Sets the type of floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [None] [360K, 5.25
in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] [2.88M, 3.5 in.]
Floppy 3 Mode Support [Disabled]
This is required to support older Japanese floppy drives. The Floppy 3 Mode
feature allows reading and writing of 1.2MB (as opposed to 1.44MB) on a 3.5-inch
diskette. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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. If you need to erase the CMOS
RAM, unplug the all the power cables and remove the button cell battery. Re-
install the battery after about 2 seconds, then power up the system. Refer to
section “1.11.2 Clear RTC RAM” on how to clear the RTC 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.
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2.3.1 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.
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Chapter 2: BIOS 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
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].
Sector
This field configures the number of sectors per track. 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].
CHS Capacity
This field shows the drive’s maximum CHS capacity as calculated by the BIOS
based on the drive information you entered.
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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] [6] [Disabled]
2.3.2 Keyboard Features
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
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]
2.4 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.
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.
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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 [Auto]
This field determines whether the memory clock frequency is set to be in
synchronous or asynchronous mode with respect to the system frequency. The
options that appear in the popup menu vary according to the CPU Frequency
(MHz). Configuration options: [Auto] [100MHz] [133MHz] [166MHz] [200MHz]
CPU VCore Set [Auto]
This field determines if the CPU Vcore is automatically scaled or set manually by the
user. The default for this field is [Auto], so the CPU vcore voltage is set for maximum
performance without stressing the CPU. Configuration options: [Manual] [Auto]
CPU VCore [1.750V]
(
for Willamette
), [1.xxxV]
(for Northwood defined by
CPU
)
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]. CPU core voltage options vary for both
Willamette and Northwood processors. See the following table:
P4 Processor
Voltage Range
Willamette
Northwood
1.750V, 1.775V, 1.800V, 1.825V, 1.850V,
1.500V, 1.525V, 1.550V, 1.575V, 1.600V,
1.625V, 1.650V, 1.675V, 1.700V
Adjust Vcore [Offset 100mV]
This field is allows you to adjust the Vcore offset voltage.
Configuration options: [Offset 100mV] [Offset 200mV]
AGP Voltage Adjustment [Auto]
This field is defaulted to [Auto]. Select the voltages to increase the power output to
the AGP. Configuration options: [Auto] [1.5] [1.6] [1.7]
DDR Voltage Adjustment [Auto]
This field is defaulted to [Auto]. Select the voltages to increase the power output to
the DDR memory. Configuration options: [Auto] [2.5] [2.6] [2.7]
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled]
This field allows you to choose from the default [Enabled] or choose [Disabled] to
turn on or off the CPU Level 2 built-in cache.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
BIOS Update [Enabled]
This field functions as an update loader integrated into the BIOS to supply the
processor with the required data. When set to [Enabled], the BIOS loads the
update on all processors during system bootup. 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]
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2.4.1 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: [2.5T] [2T] [1.5T] [3T]
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: [3T] [2T] [4T]
SDRAM RAS Precharge Time (value depends on SDRAM SPD)
This item controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to the DDR
SDRAM. Configuration options: [3T] [2T] [4T]
SDRAM Active Time (value depends on SDRAM SPD)
This item controls the number of DDR SDRAM clocks used for DDR SDRAM
parameters. Configuration options: [6T] [7T] [5T] [4T]
Chipset Clock Mode [Synchronous]
When set to [Synchronous], AGP/PCI frequency is coordinated with the CPU
frequency. When set to [Asynchronous], AGP/PCI frequency is not adjusted
according to the CPU frequency. When set to [Performance], the AGP/PCI
frequency is set to a higher value. Configuration options: [Synchronous]
[Asynchronous] [Performance]
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
SDRAM Command Lead-off Time [Auto]
When set to [2T], memory read/write commands are issued 1 clock cycle behind
the memory address (MA). When set to [1T], read/write commands and MA are
issued simultaneously. Configuration options: [Auto] [2T] [1T]
Graphics Aperture Size [64MB]
This feature allows you to select the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic data.
Configuration options: [4MB] [8MB] [16MB] [32MB] [64MB] [128MB] [256MB]
AGP Capability [4X Mode]
This motherboard supports the AGP 4X interface that transfers video data at
1066MB/s. AGP 4X is backward-compatible, so you may keep the default [4X
Mode] even if you are using an AGP 1X video card. When set to [1X Mode], the
AGP interface only provides a peak data throughput of 266MB/s even if you are
using an AGP 4X card.
Configuration options: [1X Mode] [2X] [4X] (AGP 4X card installed)
[4X Mode] [8X] (AGP 8X card installed)
AGP Fast Write Capability [Enabled]
This field enables or disables the AGP 4x Fast Write Capability feature.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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]
PCI 2.1 Support [Enabled]
This field enables or disables the motherboard feature to support PCI 2.1 cards.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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]
IDE Bus Master Support [Enabled]
This item controls the IDE Bus Master support for non-Windows operating
systems. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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2.4.2 I/O Device Configuration
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]
This field allows you to set the addresses for the onboard serial connector.
Configuration options: [3F8H/IRQ4] [2F8H/IRQ3] [3E8H/IRQ4] [2E8H/IRQ10]
[Disabled]
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 Game Port [200H-207H]
This field sets the I/O address for the game port. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[200H-207H] [208H-20FH]
Onboard MIDI I/O [Disabled]
This field sets the I/O address for the MIDI I/O port. Configuration options:
[Disabled] [330H-331H] [300H-301H]
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
2.4.3 PCI Configuration
Slot 1/4, Slot 2/6, Slot 3, Slot 5 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.
Primary VGA BIOS [PCI VGA Card]
This field allows you to select the primary graphics card. Configuration options:
[PCI VGA Card] [AGP VGA Card]
USB Function [Enabled]
This field allows you to enable or disable the USB function.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
USB Function 2.0 [Enabled]
This field allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 function.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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2.4.3.1 Onboard PCI Devices Control
Onboard LAN [Enabled]
This field allows you enable or disable the onboard LAN.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]
This field allows you enable or disable the onboard LAN Boot ROM feature.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Onboard AC97 Audio Controller [Auto]
This field allows you to disable the onboard AC97 audio controller or set to the
default [Auto] for optimum performance. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto]
2.4.3.2 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 device. The setting [No/ICU] for an IRQ field indicates that this
particular IRQ is NOT required by a legacy device. Set the IRQ field to [Yes] if you
install a legacy device that requires a unique IRQ. Configuration options: [No/ICU]
[Yes]
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
2.5 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]
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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]
2.5.1 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]
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
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.
Power Up On PCI Device [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. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]
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]
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]
2.5.2 Hardware Monitor
MB, CPU Temperature
This item allows you to select whether to monitor or ignore the motherboard and/or
CPU temperature.
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CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]
Chassis 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.
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”.
2.6 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] [USB
FDD] [USB ZIP]
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.
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
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]
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. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]
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 field enables the display of the full screen logo that appears as the PC boots
up. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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]
Hyper-Threading Technology [Enabled]
This item allows you to enable or disable the processor Hyper-Threading
Technology. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
The item Hyper-Threading Technology appears only if you installed an Intel
Pentium 4 CPU that supports this feature.
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2.7 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 & Save 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 & Discard 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 changes to the non-volatile RAM.
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Chapter 2: BIOS information
Chapter 3
This chapter describes the contents of the
support CD that comes with the motherboard
package.
Software support
3.1 Install an operating system
This motherboard supports Windows 98SE/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.
3.2 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.
3.2.1 Running the support CD
To begin using the support CD, simply insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The
CD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your
computer.
Click an item to install
Click an icon to display
more information
1. 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.
2. Items in the Drivers and Utility menus may vary in other operating system
versions.
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Chapter 3: Software support
3.2.2 Drivers menu
The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed
devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.
(Windows 2000 and XP only)
IDE Driver
This item installs the IDE driver.
SiS AGP Driver
This item installs the SiS AGP driver.
SoundMAX Audio Driver and Application
This item installs the SoundMAX Audio driver and software applications.
SiS PCI LAN Driver
This item installs the SiS Fast Ethernet network driver.
(Windows 2000 and XP only)
USB 2.0 Driver
This item installs the USB 2.0 driver.
3.2.3 Utilities menu
The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard
supports.
ASUS PC Probe
This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system voltages,
and alerts you on any detected problems. This utility helps you keep your computer
at a healthy operating condition.
Install 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.
ASUS P4S8X-X motherboard user guide
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Microsoft DirectX Driver
This item installs the Microsoft DirectX driver.
PC-CILLIN 2002
This item installs the PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus program. View the PC-cillin online
help for detailed information.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
This item installs the Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Acrobat Reader software is for
viewing files saved in Portable Document Format (PDF).
ASUS Screen Saver
This item installs the ASUS screen saver.
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.
3.2.4 ASUS Contact Information
Clicking the ASUS Contact Information tab displays as stated. You may also find
this information on page viii of this user guide.
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Chapter 3: Software support
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