Asus A7A266 User Manual

®
A7A266  
DDR SDRAM  
266MHz FSB AGP Pro/4X  
Socket A Motherboard  
USERS MANUAL  
ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION  
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)  
Marketing  
Address:  
Telephone:  
Fax:  
150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112  
+886-2-2894-3447  
+886-2-2894-3449  
Email:  
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)  
Fax:  
+886-2-2893-7775  
www.asus.com.tw  
Email:  
WWW:  
FTP:  
ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS  
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)  
Marketing  
Address:  
6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2  
Newark, CA 94560, USA  
Fax:  
Email:  
+1-510-608-4555  
Technical Support  
Fax:  
+1-510-608-4555  
www.asus.com  
ftp.asus.com/Pub/ASUS  
Email:  
WWW:  
FTP:  
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)  
Marketing  
Address:  
Fax:  
Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany  
+49-2102-442066  
Email:  
[email protected] (for marketing requests only)  
Technical Support  
Hotline:  
Fax:  
Support (Email):  
WWW:  
MB/Others: +49-2102-9599-0 Notebook: +49-2102-9599-10  
+49-2102-9599-11  
www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)  
www.asuscom.de  
FTP:  
ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM  
ASUS A7A266 User’s Manual  
3
CONTENTS  
1. INTRODUCTION  
7
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized ................................................... 7  
1.2 Item Checklist .............................................................................. 7  
2. FEATURES  
8
2.1 The ASUS A7A266 ...................................................................... 8  
2.1.1 Specifications ..................................................................... 8  
2.1.2 Optional Components ......................................................... 9  
2.1.3 Special Features................................................................ 10  
2.1.4 Performance Features ....................................................... 10  
2.1.5 Intelligence ....................................................................... 11  
2.2 Motherboard Components.......................................................... 12  
2.2.1 Component Locations....................................................... 13  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
14  
3.1 Motherboard Layout .................................................................. 14  
3.2 Layout Contents ......................................................................... 15  
3.3 Getting Started ........................................................................... 17  
3.4 Motherboard Settings ................................................................. 18  
3.5 System Memory ......................................................................... 24  
3.5.1 DDR DIMM Support........................................................ 24  
3.5.2 SDR DIMM Support ........................................................ 25  
3.5.3 General DIMM Notes....................................................... 25  
3.5.4 Memory Installation ......................................................... 26  
3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................. 27  
3.7 Expansion Cards ........................................................................ 28  
3.7.1 Expansion Card Installation Procedure ............................ 28  
3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards .............................. 29  
3.7.3 Accelerated Graphics Port Pro (AGP Pro) ....................... 30  
3.7.4 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot ..................................... 31  
3.8 Connectors ................................................................................. 33  
3.9 Starting Up the First Time.......................................................... 45  
4. BIOS SETUP  
47  
4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS .......................................... 47  
4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System.......................... 47  
4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures .............................................. 48  
4.2 BIOS Setup Program.................................................................. 51  
4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar ................................................................ 52  
4
ASUS A7A266 User’s Manual  
CONTENTS  
4.2.2 Legend Bar ....................................................................... 52  
4.3 Main Menu ................................................................................. 54  
4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave ................................. 55  
4.3.2 Keyboard Features............................................................ 58  
4.4 Advanced Menu ......................................................................... 60  
4.4.1 Chip Configuration ........................................................... 63  
4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration ................................................. 65  
4.4.3 PCI Configuration ............................................................ 67  
4.5 Power Menu ............................................................................... 69  
4.5.1 Power Up Control............................................................. 71  
4.5.2 Hardware Monitor ............................................................ 73  
4.6 Boot Menu ................................................................................. 74  
4.7 Exit Menu................................................................................... 76  
5. SOFTWARE SETUP  
79  
5.1 Install Operating System ............................................................ 79  
5.2 Start Windows ............................................................................ 79  
5.3 A7A266 Series Motherboard Support CD................................... 80  
6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
81  
6.1 ASUS PC Probe ......................................................................... 81  
6.2 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE ....................................................... 86  
6.3 CyberLink VideoLive Mail ........................................................ 87  
6.4 ASUS Live Update..................................................................... 89  
6.5 Multi-Channel Audio Feature Setup .......................................... 90  
7. APPENDIX  
7.1 Glossary ..................................................................................... 93  
INDEX 97  
93  
ASUS A7A266 User’s Manual  
5
FCC & DOC COMPLIANCE  
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 installa-  
tion. 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 interfer-  
ence by one or more of the following measures:  
Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.  
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.  
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the  
receiver is connected.  
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.  
WARNING! Any changes or modifications to this product not expressly ap-  
proved by the manufacturer could void any assurances of safety or performance  
and could result in violation of Part 15 of the FCC Rules.  
Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washington DC: Office of the  
Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Government Printing Office.  
Canadian Department of Communications Statement  
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions  
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian  
Department of Communications.  
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.  
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.  
6
ASUS A7A266 User’s Manual  
1. INTRODUCTION  
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized  
This manual is divided into the following sections:  
1. INTRODUCTION  
2. FEATURES  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
4. BIOS SETUP  
Manual information and checklist  
Production information and specifications  
Instructions on setting up the motherboard.  
Instructions on setting up the BIOS  
5. SOFTWARE SETUP  
Instructions on setting up the included software  
6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE Reference material for the included software  
7. APPENDIX  
Optional items and general reference  
1.2 Item Checklist  
Check that your package is complete. If you discover damaged or missing items,  
contact your retailer.  
Optional Items  
ASUS CIDB chassis intrusion detec-  
Package Contents  
(1) ASUS Motherboard  
tion module  
(1) 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon  
cable for internal UltraDMA/  
100 / UltraDMA/66 (also  
compatible with UltraDMA/33  
IDE drives/devices)  
ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared  
module  
ASUS MR-I Modem Riser Card  
(1) Ribbon cable for internal  
UltraDMA/33 IDE drives  
(1) Ribbon cable for one 5.25and  
two 3.5floppy disk drives  
(1) ASUS 2-port USB Connector Set  
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps  
(1) ASUS Support CD with drivers  
and utilities  
(1) This Motherboard Users  
Manual  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
7
2. FEATURES  
2.1 The ASUS A7A266  
The ASUS A7A266 motherboard is carefully designed for the value-conscious PC  
user who wants advanced features processed by the fastest processors.  
2.1.1 Specifications  
AMD® Athlon/ DuronProcessor Support: Supports AMDs new socket-  
A Palomino/ Thunderbirdprocessor cores.  
North Bridge System Chipset: ALi M1647chipset with AGP/PCI/Memory  
controller supports a 133/100MHz Front Side Bus (FSB), supports DDR SDRAM  
DIMM, complies with AGP 2.0 specifications for 4X, 2X and 1X AGP modes  
and PCI 2.2. bus interface. It is optimized to deliver enhanced AMD Athlon™  
processor system performance.  
South Bridge System PCIset: ALi M1535D+PCIset with PCI Super-I/O In-  
tegrated Peripheral Controller (PSIPC) with support for UltraDMA/100, which  
allows burst mode data transfer rates of up to 100MB/sec; AC97 audio; USB  
controller with root hub and four function ports.  
PC2100 / PC1600 DDR and PC133 SDR SDRAM Support: Equipped with  
two Double Data Rate Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to  
support up to 2GB of DDR SDRAM and three SDR DIMM sockets to support  
up to 3GB of SDR SDRAM. DDR SDRAM is the newest memory standard with  
the highest bandwidth and lowest latency currently available and dramatically  
improves the memory systems ability to service, among others, high multimedia  
requirements. (Caution: Do not use DDR & SDRAM modules simultaneously.)  
Stepless Frequency Selection: Allows CPU external (FSB) frequency settings  
to be set in 1MHz-increments or reduction.  
JumperFreeMode: Allows processor settings and easy overclocking of fre-  
quency and Vcore voltage all through BIOS setup when JumperFreemode is  
enabled. Easy-to-use DIP switches instead of jumpers are included to allow  
manual adjustment of the processors external frequency.  
AGPPro Slot: SupportsAGP/AGP Pro cards for high performance, component  
level interconnection targeted at 3D graphical applications supporting 133MHz  
4X mode.  
UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE con-  
troller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two channels. Sup-  
ports UltraDMA/100, UltraDMA/66, UltraDMA/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4 and Bus  
Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD-ROM,  
CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.  
Wake-On-LAN Connector: Supports Wake-On-LAN activity through an  
optional PCI Fast Ethernet card.  
Wake-On-Ring Connector: Supports Wake-On-Ring activity through a PCI  
modem card that supports a Wake-On-Ring connector.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
8
2. FEATURES  
USB: Supports up to six USB ports, two on the back panel and four midboard,  
for more peripheral connectivity options.  
One Touch Management: Supports an optionalASUS iPanel, an easy to access  
box with system information LED display, front I/O ports, and space reserved  
for a hard disk drive. With an ASUS iPanel, you can monitor your computer  
systems vital components.  
PC Health Monitoring: Provides an easy way to examine and manage system  
status information, such as CPU and systerm voltages, temperatures, and fan  
status through the onboard hardware ASUS ASIC and the bundled ASUS PC  
Probe.  
SMBus: Features the System Management Bus interface, which is used to physi-  
cally transport commands and information between SMBus devices.  
PCI/AMR Expansion Slots: Provides five 32-bit PCI (Rev. 2.2) expansion  
slots, which can support Bus Master PCI cards, such as SCSI or LAN cards (PCI  
supports up to 133MB/s maximum throughput), and one Audio Modem Riser  
(AMR) slot (shared), which supports a very affordable audio and/or modem  
riser card.  
Super Multi-I/O: Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and  
one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities.  
Enhanced ACPI & Anti-Boot Virus Protection: Programmable BIOS (Flash  
EEPROM), offering enhanced ACPI for Windows 982000/Millenium  
compatibility, built-in firmware-based virus protection, and autodetection of most  
devices for virtually automatic setup.  
Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI mas-  
ter busses to the memory and processor.  
Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware provides Vcore and CPU/SDRAM frequency ad-  
justments, boot block write protection, and HD/SCSI/MO/ZIP/CD/Floppy boot  
selection.  
Integrated Infrared (IrDA) Support: Integrated IR supports an optional re-  
mote control package for wireless interfacing with external peripherals, per-  
sonal gadgets, or an optional remote controller.  
Desktop Management Interface (DMI): Supports DMI through BIOS, which  
allows hardware to communicate within a standard protocol creating a higher  
level of compatibility. (Requires DMI-enabled components.)  
Color-coded Connectors: To enhance user accessibility to system components  
and to meet PC 99 compliancy, major connectors in this motherboard are color-  
coded.  
2.1.2 Optional Components  
Onboard Audio: C-Media Audio Chip CMI8738 supporting the latest PCI 6  
channel and HRTF 3D Audio sound circuitry.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
9
2. FEATURES  
2.1.3 Special Features  
ACPI Ready: Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more  
Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct Power  
Management (OSPM) functionality. With these features implemented in the OS,  
PCs can be ready around the clock, yet satisfy all the energy saving standards.  
To fully utilize the benefits of ACPI, an ACPI-supported OS, such as Windows  
98/2000/Millenium must be used.  
Easy Installation: Incorporates BIOS that supports autodetection of hard disk  
drives, PS/2 mouse, and Plug and Play devices to make the setup of hard disk  
drives, expansion cards, and other devices virtually automatic.  
New Compliancy: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of this motherboard meet  
the stringent requirements for PC 99 certification. The new PC 99 requirements  
for systems and components are based on the following high-level goals: Sup-  
port for Plug and Play compatibility and power management for configuring  
and managing all system components, and 32-bit device drivers and installation  
procedures for Windows95/98/NT . Color-coded connectors and descriptive icons  
make identification easy as required by PC 99.  
2.1.4 Performance Features  
High-Speed Data Transfer Interface: IDE transfers using UltraDMA/33 Bus  
Master IDE can handle rates up to 33MB/s. This motherboard with its chipset  
and support for UltraDMA/100 increases the data transfer rate to 100MB/s.  
UltraDMA/100 is backward compatible with DMA/66, DMA/33, and DMA and  
with existing DMA devices and systems so there is no need to upgrade current  
EIDE/IDE drives and host systems. (UltraDMA100/66 require a 40-pin 80-con-  
ductor cable to be enabled.)  
DDR SDRAM Optimized Performance: This motherboard supports a new gen-  
eration memory, Double Data Rate (DDR) Dynamic Random Access Memory  
(SDRAM), which is compatible to the industry standard SDRAM. This new memory  
technology increases performance by executing two actions per clock cycle,  
resulting in data transfer rates of up to 2.1 GB/s for 133MHz DDR SDRAM and  
1.6GB/s for 100MHz DDR SDRAM.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
10  
2. FEATURES  
2.1.5 Intelligence  
Dual Function Power Button: Pushing the power button for less than 4 sec-  
onds when the system is in the working state places the system into one of two  
states: sleep mode or soft-off mode, depending on the BIOS or OS setting (see  
PWR Button < 4 Secs in 4.5 Power Menu). When the power button is pressed  
for more than 4 seconds, the system enters the soft-off mode regardless of the  
BIOS setting.  
Fan Status Monitoring and Alarm: To prevent system overheat and system  
damage, the CPU, power supply, and system fans can be monitored for RPM  
and failure. All fans are set for its normal RPM range and alarm thresholds.  
Message LED (requires ACPI OS support): Turbo LEDs now act as informa-  
tion providers. Through the way a particular LED illuminates, the user can de-  
termine if there are messages waiting in the mailbox. Asimple glimpse provides  
useful information to the user.  
Remote Ring On (requires modem): This allows a computer to be turned on  
remotely through an internal or external modem. With this benefit on-hand, users  
can access vital information from their computers from anywhere in the world!  
System Resources Alert: Todays operating systems such as Windows 98/  
Millenium and Windows NT/2000, require much more memory and hard drive  
space to present enormous user interfaces and run large applications. The sys-  
tem resource monitor will warn the user before the system resources are used up  
to prevent possible application crashes. Suggestions will give the user informa-  
tion on managing their limited resources more efficiently.  
Temperature Monitoring and Alert: CPU temperature is monitored by the  
ASUS ASIC to prevent system overheat and system damage.  
Voltage Monitoring and Alert: System voltage levels are monitored to ensure  
stable voltage to critical motherboard components. Voltage specifications are  
more critical for future processors, so monitoring is necessary to ensure proper  
system configuration and management.  
Chassis Intrusion Detection: Supports chassis-intrusion monitoring through  
the ASUS ASIC. A chassis intrusion event is kept in memory on battery power  
for more protection.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
11  
2. FEATURES  
2.2 Motherboard Components  
See opposite page for locations.  
Location  
Processor Support Socket A (462) for AMD Athlon/Duron CPUs ......................... 2  
(NOTE: A CPU thermal sensor is integrated on the motherboard,  
located near the center of the CPU heat source, just below the  
CPU socket)  
DIP Switches ............................................................................ 8  
Chipsets ALi M1647 system controller ................................................... 1  
ALi M1535D+ PCIset ............................................................ 15  
2Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM ................................... 12  
Main Memory Maximum 2GB support  
3 SDR DIMM Sockets (maximum 3GB) ................................. 4  
2 DDR DIMM Sockets (maximum 2GB) ................................ 3  
PC2100 / PC1600 DDR and PC133 SDR memory support  
Expansion Slots 5 PCI Slots .............................................................................. 19  
1 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro Slot ......................... 20  
1 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot ........................ (Shared) 17  
System I/O 1 Floppy Disk Drive Connector ............................................. 13  
2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA/100 Support) ........................... 7  
1 Parallel Port Connector ............................................. (Top) 24  
1 Serial COM1 Port Connector .............................. (Bottom) 25  
1 Serial COM2 Port Connector .............................. (Bottom) 23  
USB Connectors (Port 0 & Port 1) ........................................ 26  
USB Header (Port 2,3 & Port 4,5).......................................... 14  
1 PS/2 Mouse Connector .............................................. (Top) 27  
1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector ................................... (Bottom) 27  
1 ASUS IrDA/iPanel Connector ................................. (Right) 9  
1 ASUS IR Connector .................................................. (Left) 9  
1 ASUS iPanel Audio Connector............................................ 21  
Audio PCI Audio Chipset (optional) ................................................. 18  
1 Game/MIDI Connector (on audio model only) ......... (Top) 22  
1 Line Out Connector (on audio model only) ........ (Bottom) 22  
1 Line In Connector (on audio model only) ........... (Bottom) 22  
1 Microphone Connector (on audio model only) ... (Bottom) 22  
Network Features Wake-On-LAN Connector...................................................... 16  
Wake-On-Ring Connector ...................................................... 11  
Hardware Monitoring ASUS ASIC ............................................................................ 10  
3 Fan Power and Speed Monitoring Connectors  
Power ATX Power Supply Connector ................................................. 5  
Special Feature Onboard LED ........................................................................... 6  
Form Factor ATX  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
12  
2. FEATURES  
2.2.1 Component Locations  
1
2
3
4 56 7  
27  
26  
25  
24  
23  
22  
21  
20  
19  
18  
17  
16  
15 1413 9121110 9 8  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
13  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.1 Motherboard Layout  
24.5cm (9.64in)  
PS/2  
T: Mouse  
B: Keyboard  
CPU_FAN  
USB1  
USB2  
1
1
COM1  
LED  
JTPWR  
COM2  
Line  
Out  
ALi  
M1647  
Chipset  
PWR_FAN  
Line  
In  
Mic  
In  
0
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
MIC2  
AUX  
AUDIO_PANEL  
CD1  
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP Pro)  
CR2032 3V  
Lithium Cell  
CMOS Power  
MODEM  
PCI 1  
CLRTC  
A7A266  
BCS1  
BCS2  
FLOPPY  
Flash EEPROM  
PCI 2  
PCI 3  
ALi  
(Programable BIOS)  
M1535D+  
Chipset  
JEN  
WOR  
VID  
PCI 4  
WOL_CON  
IR  
CHASIS  
AFPANEL  
PANEL  
PCI 5  
SMB  
USB2  
USB1  
Audio Modem Riser  
(AMR)  
IDELED  
CHA_FAN  
Grayed components are available only on certain models at the time of purchase.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
14  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.2 Layout Contents  
Motherboard Settings  
1) JEN  
p. 19 JumperFree Mode (JumperFree/Jumper Mode)  
p. 20 Voltage Regulator Output Setting (Enable/Disable)  
p. 20 DDR / SDR Memory Selection (Off/On)  
p. 21 CPU External Frequency Setting  
p. 22 Manual CPU Ratio Setting  
2) VID  
3) DSW Switch 5  
4) DSW Switches 14  
5) DSW Switches 5-10  
6) BCS1, BCS2  
p. 23 Bass Center Setting  
Expansion Slots/Sockets  
1) System Memory  
p. 24 System Memory Support  
2) DDR1/DDR2  
3) DIMM1/2/3  
p. 24 DDR DIMM Memory Module Support  
p. 25 SDR DIMM Memory Module Support  
4) Socket 462 (Socket A) p. 27 CPU Support  
5) PCI1/2/3/4/5  
6) AGP PRO  
7) AMR  
p. 28 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots  
p. 30 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro  
p. 31 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot  
Connectors  
1) PS2KBMS  
p. 33 PS/2 Mouse Porv #onnector (6 pin female)  
p. 33 PS/2 Keyboard Port Connector (6 pin female)  
p. 34 Universal Serial Bus Connectors 0 & 1 (Two 4-pin female)  
p. 34 Serial Port Connector (9-pin male)  
2) PS2KBMS  
3) USB  
4) COM1/COM2  
5) PRINTER  
p. 34 Parallel Port Connector (25-pin female)  
p. 35 Game/MIDI Connector (15-pin female) (optional)  
p. 35 Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8) (optional)  
p. 35 Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34 pin)  
p. 36 IDE Connectors (Two 40-1 pin)  
6) GAME_AUDIO  
7) GAME_AUDIO  
8) FLOPPY  
9) PRIMARY IDE  
SECONDARY IDE  
10) IDELED  
11) CHASSIS  
12) WOL_CON  
13) WOR  
p. 37 IDE Activity LED (2 pin)  
p. 37 Chassis Intrusion Lead (4-1 pin)  
p. 38 Wake-On-LAN Connector (3 pin)  
p. 38 Wake-On-Ring Connector (2 pin)  
p. 39 Chassis, Power Supply, CPU Fan Connectors (3 pin)  
14) CHA_FAN  
PWR_FAN  
CPU_FAN  
15) USB1/USB2  
p. 40 USB Headers (Two 10-1 pin)  
continued...  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
15  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
16) SMB  
p. 40 SMBus Connector (5-1 pin)  
17) IrDA/AFPANEL  
18) AAPANEL  
p. 41 ASUS IrDA/iPanel Connector (24-1 pin)  
p. 41 ASUS iPanel Audio Connector (12-1 pin)  
19) CD1, AUX, MODEM p. 42 Internal Audio Connector (4 pin)  
20) MIC2  
p. 42 Internal Microphone Connector (3 pin)  
p. 43 System Power LED Lead (3 pin)  
21) PLED (PANEL  
)
22) KEYLOCK (PANEL) p. 43 Keyboard Lock Switch Lead (2 pin)  
23) SPEAKER (PANEL)  
24) MLED (PANEL)  
25) SMI (PANEL)  
26) PWRBTN (PANEL)  
27) RESET (PANEL)  
28) ATXPWR  
p. 43 System Warning Speaker Connector (4 pin)  
p. 43 System Message LED (2 pin)  
p. 43 System Management Interrupt Lead (2 pin)  
p. 43 ATX / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pin)  
p. 43 Reset Switch Lead (2 pin)  
p. 44 ATX Power Supply Connector (20 pin)  
p. 44 Thermal Sensor Connector (2 pin)  
29) JTPWR  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
16  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.3 Getting Started  
Before using your computer, you must complete the following steps:  
1. Check Motherboard Settings  
2. Install Memory Modules  
3. Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU)  
4. Install Expansion Cards  
5. Connect Ribbon Cables, Panel Wires, and Power Supply  
6. Setup the BIOS Software  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
17  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.4 Motherboard Settings  
This section explains in detail how to change your motherboards function settings  
through the use of switches and/or jumpers.  
WARNING! Computer motherboards and expansion cards contain very delicate  
Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To protect them against damage from static electric-  
ity, you should follow some precautions whenever you work on your computer.  
1. Unplug your computer when working on the inside.  
2. Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer components. If you do  
not have one, touch both of your hands to a safely grounded object or to a  
metal object, such as the power supply case.  
3. Hold components by the edges and try not to touch the IC chips, leads or  
connectors, or other components.  
4. Place components on a grounded antistatic pad or on the bag that came with  
the component whenever the components are separated from the system.  
5. Ensure that the ATX power supply is switched off before you plug in or  
remove the ATX power connector on the motherboard.  
WARNING! Make sure that you unplug your power supply when adding or re-  
moving system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to your  
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components. The onboard LED when lit acts as  
a reminder that the system is in suspend or soft-off mode and not powered OFF.  
ON  
OFF  
Standby  
Power  
Powered  
Off  
A7A266  
A7A266 Onboard LED  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
18  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
Motherboard Features Settings (DIP Switches - DSW)  
The motherboards onboard functions are adjusted through the DIP switches. The  
white block represents the switchs position. The example below shows all the  
switches in the OFF position.  
1-10: Frequency Multiples  
DSW  
A7A266  
OFF ON  
A7A266 DIP Switch  
1) JumperFreeMode (JEN)  
This jumper allows you to enable or disable the JumperFreemode. The  
JumperFreemode allows processor settings to be made through the BIOS  
setup (see 4.4 Advanced Menu). The default setting is for JumperFree mode: all  
DSWs come set to the OFF position and the JEN jumpers are set to [2-3].  
Setting  
JumperFree  
Jumper Mode  
JEN  
[2-3] (default)  
[1-2]  
JEN  
1 2  
2 3  
Jumper Mode  
Jumper Free (Default)  
DSW  
A7A266  
OFF (Default)  
A7A266 Jumper Mode Setting  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
19  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
2) Voltage Regulator Output Setting (VID)  
This jumper allows you to manually adjust the CPU core voltage. It is better to  
use the CPU Default for the CPU core voltage. CPU Default means the Vcore  
is generated according to the CPU VID configuration. Disabling the Voltage  
regulator output allows higher voltage settings to be made; however care must  
be exercised not to damage the CPU.  
VID  
Enable  
Disable  
2 3  
(Default)  
A7A266  
1 2  
A7A266 VID Selection  
3) DDR / SDR Memory Selection (DSW Switch 5)  
DSW switch 5 is OFF, for auto-detecting all settings using DDR RAM or  
SDRAM memory.  
DSW switch 5 is ON, for all settings using SDRAM memory.  
DSW  
A7A266  
OFF  
ON  
SDRAM  
Auto-Detect  
(Default)  
A7A266 DDR/SDR DIMM Selection  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
20  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
4) CPU External Frequency Setting (DSW Switches 14)  
This option tells the clock generator which frequency to send to the CPU,  
SDRAM, and chipset. This allows the selection of the CPUs External frequency.  
(The CPU External Frequency multiplied by the Frequency Multiple equals the  
CPUs Internal frequency (the advertised CPU speed).  
IMPORTANT:  
1. To use this feature, JEN must be set to Jumper Mode, [1-2].  
(See 1, JumperFree™ Mode (JEN) in 3, HARDWARE SETUP.)  
2. In JumperFree mode, all dip switches (DSW-1DSW-4) must be set to OFF.  
3. When JumperFree mode is enabled, use BIOS setup in place of these switches.  
(Set Operating Frequency Setting to User Define under 4.4Advanced Menu  
in BIOS Setup so you can set the CPU Frequency.)  
DSW  
CPU→  
100MHz 100MHz 120MHz 133MHz  
100MHz 133MHz 120MHz 133MHz  
SDRAM→  
A7A266  
A7A266 CPU External  
Frequency Selection  
CPU→  
90MHz 101MHz 126MHz  
90MHz 101MHz 126MHz  
SDRAM→  
WARNING! Frequencies other than recommended CPU bus frequencies are not  
guaranteed to be stable. Overclocking your processor is not advised. It may result  
in a slower speed and premature wearing of the processor.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
21  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
5) Manual CPU Ratio Settings (DSW Switches 5-10)  
Set DSW switches (5-10) to use the clock multiplier to coordinate the ratio of  
bus speeds with CPU settings. Set the DSW switches according to the internal  
speed of your processor and the bus frequency (133/100MHz).  
IMPORTANT:  
1. To use this feature, JEN must be set to Jumper Mode, [1-2].  
(See 1, JumperFreeMode (JEN) in 3, HARDWARE SETUP.)  
2. Ensure the DSW settings are correct:  
DSW switch 10 is OFF to disable the manual CPU ratio settings.  
DSW switch 10 is ON, for all manual CPU ratio settings.  
DSW  
A7A266  
OFF  
ON  
CPU Ratio  
Disable  
CPU Ratio  
Enable  
A7A266 CPU Ratio Setting  
Set DSW switches 6 through 9 as follows according to the desired multiplier:  
Multiplier  
12.5x and up  
12.0x  
11.5x  
11.0x  
10.5x  
10.0x  
9.5x  
9.0x  
8.5x  
8.0x  
7.5x  
6
7
8
9
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[OFF]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
[ON]  
7.0x  
6.5x  
6.0x  
5.5x  
5.0x  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
22  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
DSW  
5.0x  
5.5x  
6.0x  
6.5x  
7.0x  
7.5x  
A7A266  
9.0x  
9.5x  
10.0x  
10.5x  
8.0x  
8.5x  
A7A266 CPU External  
Clock (BUS) Frequency  
Selection  
11.0x  
11.5x  
12.0x  
>=12.5x  
6) Bass Center Setting (BCS1, BCS2)  
(NOTE: Only available on PCB 1.10 & later versions)  
Use these jumpers in conjunction with the C-Media PCI Audio Driver to adjust  
output for 6 speaker audio. No audio standard exists for the three pick-up  
surfaces on male audio jacks, therefore it may be necessary to switch jumpers  
from the default position, type 1, to type 2, in order to reroute signals among the  
internal leads to the female Line-In, Line-Out, Mic sockets. Make sure a test is  
made using the C-Media Audio Driver software setup available on the Support  
CD. These jumpers effectively swap the audio channels for bass and center.  
NOTE: the default setting is compatible with Creative 6-Channel audio speaker  
system.  
BCS1  
BCS2  
2 3  
1 2  
A7A266  
type 1 Bass  
(BASS/CENTER)  
(Default)  
type 2 Bass  
(CENTER/BASS)  
A7A266 Jumper Mode Setting  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
23  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.5 System Memory  
This motherboard features two Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual Inline Memory Mod-  
ule sockets and three Single Data Rate (SDR) Dual Inline Memory Module sockets.  
3.5.1 DDR DIMM Support  
The two DDR DIMM sockets support 2.5Volt (power level) unbuffered/registered  
Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDR SDRAM)  
of 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB to form a memory size between 64MB  
to 2GB. One side (with memory chips) of the DIMM takes up one row on the  
motherboard.  
DDR DIMMs support non-ECC modules that are available in both registered  
(typically used in servers) and unbuffered (typically used in PCs) versions.  
NOTE: The DDR memory bus runs at the same frequency as the CPU front side bus.  
Install memory in any combination as follows:  
DIMM Location  
184-pin DDR DIMM  
Total Memory  
Socket 1 (Rows 0&1)  
Socket 2 (Rows 2&3)  
64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1  
64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1  
Total System Memory (Max 2GB)  
=
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
24  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.5.2 SDR DIMM Support  
The three SDR DIMM sockets support 3.3Volt (power level) unbuffered/registered  
Single Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDR SDRAM)  
of 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB to form a memory size between 64MB  
to 3GB. One side (with memory chips) of the DIMM takes up one row on the  
motherboard.  
SDR DIMMs supports non-ECC (used in desktops/laptops) and are available in  
both registered (typically used in servers) and unbuffered (typically used in PCs)  
versions.  
Install memory in any combination as follows:  
DIMM Location  
168-pin SDR DIMM  
Total Memory  
Socket 1 (Rows 0&1)  
Socket 2 (Rows 2&3)  
Socket 3 (Rows 4&5)  
64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1  
64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1  
64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB x1  
Total System Memory (Max 3GB)  
=
3.5.3 General DIMM Notes  
DIMMs that have more than 18 chips are not supported on this motherboard.  
ASUS motherboards support SPD (Serial Presence Detect) DIMMs. This is the  
memory of choice for best performance vs. stability.  
BIOS shows SDRAM memory on bootup screen.  
IMPORTANT! DO NOT mix DDR and SDR SDRAMs. Mixing DDR and SDR  
SDRAMs may damage the DDR modules!  
WARNING! Be sure that the DIMMs you use can handle the specified SDRAM  
MHz or else bootup will not be possible.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
25  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.5.4 Memory Installation  
WARNING! Unplug your power supply when adding or removing memory  
modules or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage  
to both your motherboard and expansion cards (see 3.3 Hardware Setup  
Procedure for more information).  
Insert the module(s) as shown. Each type of module will only fit in the orientations  
shown below:  
The 184-pin DIMM must be a 2.5V unbuffered DDR SDRAM. Each DDR DIMM  
has a single notch slightly to the right of center:  
104 Pins  
80 Pins  
A7A266  
A7A266 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets  
The 168-pin DIMM must be a 3.3V unbuffered SDR SDRAM. Look for two notches  
on each SDR DIMM:  
88 Pins  
A7A266  
60 Pins  
20 Pins  
A7A266 168-Pin SDR DIMM Sockets  
Lock  
168-Pin DIMM Notch Key Definitions (3.3V)  
Voltage Key Position  
Reserved  
DRAM Key Position  
RFU  
Unbuffered  
Buffered  
5.0V  
3.3V  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
26  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)  
The motherboard provides a Socket 462 or Socket A for CPU installation. A fan and  
heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating. Purchase and install  
a fan and heatsink before turning on the system.  
A7A266  
LEVER  
NOTCH  
LOCK  
AMDCPU  
A7A266 Socket A  
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 corner of the CPU must be oriented  
toward the inner corner of the socket base  
nearest to the lever hinge.  
CAUTION! The CPU fits in one orientation  
and 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.  
3. Once completely inserted, press the CPU firmly  
and close the socket lever until it snaps into its locked position.  
4. 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.  
CAUTION! 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 else damage may occur! Refer to heatsink/CPU documentation.  
NOTE! Do not forget to set the correct Bus Frequency and Multiple (available  
only on unlocked processors) to avoid start-up problems.  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
27  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.7 Expansion Cards  
WARNING! Unplug your power supply when adding or removing expansion  
cards or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to  
both your motherboard and expansion cards.  
3.7.1 Expansion Card Installation Procedure  
1. Read the documentation for your expansion card and make any necessary hard-  
ware or software settings for your expansion card, such as jumpers.  
2. Remove your computer systems cover and the bracket plate on the slot you  
intend to use. Keep the bracket for possible future use.  
3. Carefully align the cards connectors and press firmly.  
4. Secure the card on the slot with the screw you removed above.  
5. Replace the computer systems cover.  
6. Set up the BIOS if necessary  
(such as IRQ xx Used By ISA: Yes in 4.4.3 PCI Configuration)  
7. Install the necessary software drivers for your expansion card.  
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ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards  
Some expansion cards need an IRQ to operate. Generally, an IRQ must be exclu-  
sively assigned to one use. In a standard design, there are 16 IRQs available but  
most of them are already in use, leaving 6 IRQs free for expansion cards. If your  
motherboard has PCI audio onboard, an additional IRQ will be used. If your moth-  
erboard also has MIDI enabled, another IRQ will be used, leaving 4 IRQs free.  
IMPORTANT: If using PCI cards on shared slots, make sure that the drivers sup-  
port Share IRQor that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Conflicts will  
arise between the two PCI groups that will make the system unstable or cards inop-  
erable.  
The following table lists the default IRQ assignments for standard PC devices. Use  
this table when configuring your system and for resolving IRQ conflicts.  
Standard Interrupt Assignments  
IRQ  
0
1
Priority  
Standard Function  
System Timer  
Keyboard Controller  
1
2
2
N/A  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
3
4
5
6
7
Programmable Interrupt  
Communications Port (COM2)  
Communications Port (COM1)  
Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)  
Floppy Disk Controller  
Printer Port (LPT1)  
System CMOS/Real Time Clock  
ACPI Mode when used  
IRQ Holder for PCI Steering  
IRQ Holder for PCI Steering  
PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port  
Numeric Data Processor  
Primary IDE Channel  
3*  
4*  
5*  
6
7*  
8
9*  
10*  
11*  
12*  
13  
14*  
15*  
8
9
10  
Secondary IDE Channel  
*These IRQs are usually available for PCI devices.  
Interrupt Request Table for this Motherboard  
INT-A  
shared  
INT-B  
shared  
INT-C  
shared  
INT-D  
shared  
INT-E INT-F  
PCI slot 1  
PCI slot 2  
PCI slot 3  
PCI slot 4  
PCI slot 5  
shared  
AGP Pro slot  
Onboard PCI audio  
Onboard USB controller  
shared  
shared  
used  
shared  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
29  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.7.3 Accelerated Graphics Port Pro (AGP Pro)  
This motherboard provides an Accelerated Graphics Port Pro (AGP Pro) slot to sup-  
port AGP/AGP Pro graphics cards, such as an ASUS AGP-V6800DDR/64M.  
CAUTION! To avoid damaging yourAGP/AGPPro graphics card, your computers  
power supply should be unplugged before inserting your graphics card into the slot.  
AGP Card without Retention Notch  
A7A266  
TOP VIEW  
28-pin bay  
20-pin bay  
Rib (inside slot)  
Rib  
A7A266 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP PRO)  
CAUTION! The AGP Pro slot is shipped with a safety tab on the 20-pin bay for  
use with AGP cards without a retention notch. DO NOT remove  
this tab if you will be using such cards; removing may cause these  
cards to shift, which may cause damage to your card, slot, and  
motherboard. Remove ONLY when you will be using an AGP  
Pro card. Use a rigid tip, such as a pen tip, to dislodge and re-  
Removing the tab  
move the tab from the bay.  
30  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.7.4 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot  
This connector supports a specially designed audio and/or modem card called anAMR.  
Main processing is done through software and controlled by the motherboards sys-  
tem chipset. This provides an upgradeable audio and/or modem solution at an incred-  
ibly low cost.  
IMPORTANT: The AMR slot of this motherboard shares the same expansion slot  
as PCI Slot 5. Because of this and its location, the slot can only accept a specially  
designed AMR card (optional). The components of a standard AMR card and its  
bracket face toward the edge of the motherboard while those of the specially-  
designed card face the expansion slots. For availability, see your vendor or dealer.  
A7A266  
A7A266 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot  
ASUS MR-I Card  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
31  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
(This page was intentionally left blank.)  
32  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.8 Connectors  
WARNING! Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are  
clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper  
caps over these connector pins will cause damage to your motherboard.  
IMPORTANT: Ribbon cables should always be connected 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. Check the connectors before installation because there may be  
exceptions. IDE ribbon cables must be less than 46 cm (18 in.), with the second  
drive connector no more than 15 cm (6 in.) from the first connector.  
1) PS/2 Mouse Connector (Green 6-pin PS2KBMS)  
The system will direct IRQ12 to the PS/2 mouse if one is detected. If one is not  
detected, expansion cards can use IRQ12. See PS/2 Mouse Function Control  
in 4.4 Advanced Menu.  
PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)  
2) PS/2 Keyboard Connector (Purple 6-pin PS2KBMS)  
This connection is for a standard keyboard using an PS/2 plug (mini DIN). This  
connector will not allow standard AT size (large DIN) keyboard plugs. You  
may use a DIN to mini DIN adapter on standard AT keyboards.  
PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
33  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3) Universal Serial Bus Ports 0 & 1 (Black two 4-pin USB)  
Two USB ports are available for connecting USB devices. An optional USB  
header is available if you need more USB ports.  
USB 0  
Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1  
4) Serial Port Connectors (Teal/Turquoise 9-pin COM1 / COM2)  
Two serial ports can be used for pointing devices or other serial devices. For  
setting up these ports, see Onboard Serial Port 1 in 4.4.2 I/O Device  
Configuration for settings.  
COM1  
COM2  
Serial Ports (9-pin Male)  
5) Parallel Port Connector (Burgundy 25-pin PRINTER)  
You can enable the parallel port and choose the IRQ through Onboard Parallel  
Port (see 4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration).  
NOTE: Serial printers must be connected to the serial port.  
Parallel Port (25-pin Female)  
34  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
6) Game/MIDI Connector (Gold 15-pin GAME_AUDIO) (optional)  
You may connect game joysticks or game pads to this connector for playing  
games. Connect MIDI devices for playing or editing professional audio.  
Game/MIDI (15-pin Female)  
7) Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8GAME_AUDIO) (optional)  
Line Out (lime) can be connected to headphones or preferably powered speakers.  
Line In (light blue) allows tape players or other audio sources to be recorded by  
your computer or played through the Line Out (lime). Mic (pink) allows  
microphones to be connected for inputting voice.  
Line Out Line In Mic  
1/8" Stereo Audio Connectors  
8) Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)  
This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable.After connecting  
the single end to the board, connect the two plugs on the other end to the floppy  
drives. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when  
using ribbon cables with pin 5 plugged).  
NOTE: Orient the red markings on  
the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1  
A7A266  
PIN 1  
A7A266 Floppy Disk Drive Connector  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
35  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
9) Primary (Blue) / Secondary IDE Connectors (Two 40-1pin IDE)  
These connectors support the provided UltraDMA/100 IDE hard disk ribbon  
cable. Connect the cables blue connector to the motherboards primary  
(recommended) or secondary IDE connector, and then connect the gray connector  
to your UltraDMA/100 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to  
your UltraDMA/100 master device. It is recommended that non-UltraDMA/100  
devices be connected to the secondary IDE connector. If you install two hard  
disks, you must configure the second drive to Slave mode by setting its jumper  
accordingly. Please refer to your hard disk documentation for the jumper settings.  
BIOS now supports specific device bootup (see 4.6 Boot Menu). (Pin 20 is  
removed to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when using ribbon  
cables with pin 20 plugged).  
TIP: You may configure two hard disks to be both Masters with two ribbon  
cables one for the primary IDE connector and another for the secondary IDE  
connector. You may install one operating system on an IDE drive and another on  
a SCSI drive and select the boot disk through the BIOS.  
IMPORTANT: UltraDMA100/66 IDE devices must use a 40-pin 80-conductor  
IDE cable for 100MB/s transfer rates.  
NOTE: Orient the red markings  
(usually zigzag) on the IDE  
ribbon cable to PIN 1.  
A7A266  
PIN 1  
A7A266 IDE Connectors  
36  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
10) IDE Activity LED (2-pin IDELED)  
This lead supplies power to the cabinets IDE activity LED. Read and write  
activity by devices connected to the Primary/Secondary IDE and Primary/  
Secondary ATA100 connectors will cause the LED to light up.  
A7A266  
IDELED  
TIP: If the case-mounted LED does not  
light, try reversing the 2-pin plug.  
A7A266 IDE Activity LED  
11) Chassis Intrusion Lead (4-1 pin CHASSIS)  
This requires an external detection mechanism such as a chassis intrusion monitor/  
sensor or microswitch. The sensor is triggered when a high level signal is sent to  
the Chassis Signal lead, which occurs when a panel switch or light detector is  
triggered. This function works with an optional ASUS CIDB chassis intrusion  
module (see your vendor for more details). If the chassis intrusion lead is not  
used, a jumper cap must be placed over the pins to close the circuit.  
A7A266  
1
CHASSIS  
A7A266 Chassis Open Alarm Lead  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
37  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
12) Wake-On-LAN Connector (3-pin WOL_CON)  
This connector connects to a LAN card with a Wake-On-LAN output, such as  
the ASUS PCI-L101 Ethernet card (see 7. Appendix). The connector powers up  
the system when a wakeup packet or signal is received through the LAN card.  
IMPORTANT: This feature requires that the Wake-On-LAN or PCI Modem  
feature is enabled (see 4.5.1 Power Up Control) and that your system has an  
ATX power supply with at least 720mA +5V standby power.  
IMPORTANT: Requires an ATX power  
supply with at least 720mA +5 volt  
standby power.  
WOL_CON  
A7A266  
+5 Volt Standby  
PME  
Ground  
A7A266 Wake-On-LAN Connector  
13) Wake-On-Ring Connector (2-pin WOR)  
This connector connects to internal modem cards with a Wake-On-Ring output.  
The connector powers up the system when a ringup packet or signal is received  
through the internal modem card. NOTE: For external modems, Wake-On-Ring  
is detected through the COM port.  
IMPORTANT: This feature requires that the Wake-On-LAN or PCI Modem  
feature is enabled (see 4.5.1 Power Up Control) and that your system has an  
ATX power supply with at least 720mA +5V standby power.  
WOR  
A7A266  
1
2
RI#  
Ground  
A7A266 Wake-On-Ring Connector  
38  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
14) Chassis, Power Supply, CPU, and Chipset Fan Connectors  
(3-pin CHA_FAN, PWR_FAN, CPU_FAN)  
These connectors support cooling fans of 350mA (4.2 Watts) or less. Orientate  
the fans so that the heat sink fins allow airflow to go across the onboard heat  
sink(s) instead of the expansion slots. Depending on the fan manufacturer, the  
wiring and plug may be different. The red wire should be positive, while the  
black should be ground. Connect the fans plug to the board taking into  
consideration the polarity of the connector.  
NOTE: The Rotationsignal is to be used only by a specially designed fan with  
rotation signal. The Rotations per Minute (RPM) can be monitored usingASUS PC  
Probe (see 6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE).  
WARNING! The CPU and/or motherboard will overheat if there is no airflow  
across the CPU and onboard heatsinks. Damage may occur to the motherboard  
and/or the CPU fan if these pins are incorrectly used. These are not jumpers,  
do not place jumper caps over these pins.  
CPU_FAN  
GND  
+12V  
Rotation  
PWR_FAN  
CHA_FAN  
A7A266  
A7A266 12-Volt Cooling Fan Power  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
15) USB Headers (10-1 pin USB1, 10-1 pin USB2)  
If the USB port connectors on the back panel are inadequate, two USB headers  
are available for four additional USB port connectors. Connect each USB header  
to an optional 2-port USB connector set and mount the bracket to an open slot  
on your chassis.  
USB1  
USB2  
1
5
A7A266  
6
10  
A7A266 Front Panel USB Headers  
16) SMBus Connector (5-1 pin SMB)  
This connector allows you to connect SMBus (System Management Bus) devices.  
SMBus devices communicate by means of the SMBus with an SMBus host and/  
or other SMBus devices. SMBus is a specific implementation of an I2C bus,  
which is a multi-device bus; that is, multiple chips can be connected to the same  
bus and each one can act as a master by initiating data transfer.  
SMB  
1
A7A266  
A7A266 SMBus Connector  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
17) ASUS IrDA / iPanel Connector (24-1 pin AFPANEL)  
This connector allows you to connect an optionalASUS iPanel, an easy to access  
drive bay with front I/O ports, status LEDs, and space reserved for a hard disk  
drive. If you are not using anASUS iPanel, you can connect an optional wireless  
transmitting and receiving infrared module to the SIR connector or an optional  
consumer infrared connector set to the CIR and SIR connectors for both wireless  
transmitting and remote control functions through one external infrared module.  
This module mounts to a small opening on system cases that support this feature.  
You must also configure the setting through UART2 Use Infrared (see 4.4.2 I/  
O Device Configuration) to select whether UART2 is directed for use with COM2  
or IrDA. Use the five pins as shown in Back View and connect a ribbon cable  
from the module to the motherboards SIR connector according to the pin  
definitions.  
AFPANEL  
SIR  
CIR  
Standard Infrared (SIR)  
Front View Back View  
A7A266  
IR_CON  
+5V  
(NC)  
IRTX  
GND  
IRRX  
A7A266 Front Panel Connectors  
18) ASUS iPanel Audio Connector (12-1 pin AAPANEL)  
(on audio model only)  
Connect the audio cable from the optional ASUS iPanel to this for front panel  
audio control.  
AAPANEL  
MIC2  
AGND  
MICPWR  
Line in_L  
AGND2  
Line in_R  
Line out_L  
AGND3  
Line out_R  
A7A266  
A7A266 Audio Panel Connector  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
19) Internal Audio Connectors (4-pin CD1, AUX, MODEM)  
These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from such sound sources  
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  
CD1 (White)  
Left Audio Channel  
AUX (Black)  
Ground  
Right Audio Channel  
Modem-Out  
Ground  
Ground  
A7A266  
Modem-In  
MODEM  
A7A266 Internal Audio Connectors  
20) Internal Microphone Connector (3-pin MIC2)  
This connector allows you to connect a chassis mounted microphone to the  
motherboard instead of having to connect an external microphone to the Line  
Out connector on the back panel.  
MIC2  
1
3
A7A266  
A7A266 Internal Microphone Connector  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
The following PANEL illustration is used for items 21-27  
*
Requires an ATX power supply.  
Speaker  
Connector  
Keylock  
Power LED  
A7A266  
Message LED  
SMI Lead  
Reset SW  
ATX Power Switch*  
A7A266 System Panel Connectors  
21) System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PLED)  
This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED, which lights when  
the system is powered on and blinks when it is in sleep or soft-off mode.  
22) Keyboard Lock Switch Lead (2-pin KEYLOCK)  
This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted key switch to allow  
keyboard locking.  
23) System Warning Speaker Connector (4-pin SPEAKER)  
This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker.  
24) System Message LED Lead (2-pin MLED)  
This indicates whether a message has been received from a fax/modem. The  
LED will remain lit when there is no signal and blink when there is data received.  
This function requires an ACPI OS and driver support.  
25) System Management Interrupt Lead (2-pin SMI)  
This allows the user to manually place the system into a suspend mode or Green”  
mode where system activity will be instantly decreased to save electricity and  
expand the life of certain components when the system is not in use. This 2-pin  
connector (see the preceding figure) connects to the case-mounted suspend switch.  
26) ATX Power Switch / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2-pin PWRBTN)  
The system power is controlled by a momentary switch connected to this lead.  
Pushing the button once will switch the system between ON and SLEEP or ON  
and SOFT OFF, depending on your BIOS or OS setting. Pushing the switch  
while in the ON mode for more than 4 seconds will turn the system off. The  
system power LED shows the status of the systems power.  
27) Reset Switch Lead (2-pin RESET)  
This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted reset switch for rebooting  
your computer without having to turn off your power switch. This is a preferred  
method of rebooting to prolong the life of the systems power supply.  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
28) ATX Power Supply Connector (20-pin block ATXPWR)  
This connector connects to anATX power supply. The plug from the power supply  
will only insert in one orientation because of the different hole sizes. Find the  
proper orientation and push down firmly making sure that the pins are aligned.  
IMPORTANT: Make sure that yourATX power supply can supply at least 10mA  
on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). You may experience difficulty in powering  
ON your system if your power supply cannot support the load. For Wake-On-  
LAN support, your ATX power supply must supply at least 720mA +5VSB.  
+12.0Volts  
+5V Standby  
Power Good  
Ground  
+5.0 Volts  
+5.0 Volts  
-5.0 Volts  
Ground  
Ground  
+5.0 Volts  
Ground  
Power Supply On  
Ground  
Ground  
+5.0 Volts  
Ground  
A7A266  
-12.0Volts  
+3.3 Volts  
+3.3Volts  
+3.3 Volts  
A7A266 ATX Power Connector  
29) Power Supply Thermal Sensor Connector (2-pin block JTPWR)  
If you have a power supply with thermal monitoring, connect its thermal sensor  
cable to this connector.  
JTPWR  
Power Supply  
Thermal Sensor  
A7A266  
A7A266 Thermal Sensor Connector  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
3.9 Starting Up the First Time  
1. After all connections are made, close the system case cover.  
2. Be sure that all switches are off (in some systems, marked with ), and  
the power input voltage is set to comply with the standard used in your  
country (220V-240V or 110-120V).  
3. Connect the power supply cord into the power supply located on the  
back of your system case according to your system users manual.  
4. Connect the power cord into a power outlet that is equipped with a surge  
protector.  
5. You may then turn on your devices in the following order:  
a. Your monitor  
b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain)  
c. Your system power. For ATX power supplies, you need to switch on  
the power supply as well as press the ATX power switch on the front  
of the case.  
6. The power LED on the front panel of the system case will light. For  
ATX power supplies, the system LED will light when the ATX power  
switch is pressed. The LED on the monitor may light up or switch be-  
tween orange and green after the systems if it complies with green”  
standards or if it has a power standby feature. The system will then run  
power-on tests. While the tests are running, the BIOS will alarm beeps  
or additional messages will appear on the screen. If you do not see  
anything within 30 seconds from the time you turn on the power, the  
system may have failed a power-on test. Recheck your jumper settings  
and connections or call your retailer for assistance.  
Award BIOS Beep Codes  
Beep  
Meaning  
One short beep when  
displaying logo  
No error during POST  
Long beeps in an endless loop No DRAM installed or detected  
One long beep followed by  
three short beeps  
Video card not found or video card  
memory bad  
High frequency beeps when  
system is working  
CPU overheated  
System running at a lower frequency  
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3. HARDWARE SETUP  
7. During power-on, hold down <Delete> to enter BIOS setup. Follow the  
instructions in 4. BIOS SETUP.  
* Powering Off your computer: You must first exit or shut down your  
operating system before switching off the power switch. ForATX power  
supplies, you can press the ATX power switch after exiting or shutting  
down your operating system. If you use Windows 9X, click the Start  
button, click Shut Down, and then click Shut down the computer?  
The power supply should turn off after Windows shuts down.  
NOTE: The message You can now safely turn off your computer”  
will not appear when shutting down with ATX power supplies.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS  
4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System  
It is recommended that you save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS  
along with a Flash Memory Writer utility (AFLASH.EXE) to a bootable  
floppy disk in case you need to reinstall the BIOS later. AFLASH.EXE is a  
Flash Memory Writer utility that updates the BIOS by uploading a new BIOS  
file to the programmable flash ROM on the motherboard. This file works  
only in DOS mode. To determine the BIOS version of your motherboard,  
check the last four numbers of the code displayed on the upper left-hand  
corner of your screen during bootup. Larger numbers represent a newer BIOS  
file.  
1. Type FORMAT A:/S at the DOS prompt to create a bootable system  
floppy disk. DO NOT copy AUTOEXEC.BAT & CONFIG.SYS to the  
disk.  
2. Type COPYD:\AFLASH\AFLASH.EXEA:\ (assuming D is your CD-  
ROM drive) to copy AFLASH.EXE to the just created boot disk.  
NOTE: AFLASH works only in DOS mode. It will not work with DOS  
prompt in Windows and will not work with certain memory drivers that  
may be loaded when you boot from your hard drive. It is recommended  
that you reboot using a floppy.  
3. Reboot your computer from the floppy disk. NOTE: BIOS setup must  
specify Floppyas the first item in the boot sequence.  
4. In DOS mode, type A:\AFLASH <Enter> to run AFLASH.  
IMPORTANT! If unknownis displayed 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.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
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 and then  
press <Enter>.  
4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures  
WARNING! Only update your BIOS if you have problems with your mother-  
board and you know that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems.  
Careless updating can result in your motherboard having more problems!  
1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or  
FTP) (see ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION on page 3 for details)  
and save to the disk you created earlier.  
2. Boot from the disk you created earlier.  
3. At the A:\prompt, type AFLASH and then press <Enter>.  
4. At the Main Menu, type 2 and 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, and then press <Enter>.  
NOTE: To cancel this operation, press <Enter>.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
6. When prompted to confirm the BIOS update, press Y to start the up-  
date.  
7. The utility starts to program the new BIOS information into the flash  
ROM. The boot block will be updated automatically only when neces-  
sary. This will minimize the chance that a failed update will prevent  
your system from booting up. When the programming is finished,  
Flashed Successfully will be displayed.  
NOTE: When you see the message Boot Block is different, you  
may still press <Y> to update the BIOS. Yet if the update fails, your  
system will run a greater risk of boot failure depending on whether  
the boot block is damaged or not.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
8. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue.  
WARNING! If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO  
NOT turn off your system since this might prevent your system from booting  
up. Just repeat the process, and if the problem still persists, update the original  
BIOS file you saved to disk above. If the Flash Memory Writer utility was not  
able to successfully update a complete BIOS file, your system may not be able  
to boot up. If this happens, your system will need servicing.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.2 BIOS Setup Program  
This motherboard supports a programmable EEPROM that can be updated using  
the provided utility as described in 4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS.  
The utility is used if you are installing a motherboard, reconfiguring your system,  
or prompted to Run Setup. This section describes how to configure your system  
using this utility.  
Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, at some time in the future  
you may want to change the configuration of your computer. For example, you  
may want to enable the Security Password Feature or make changes to the power  
management settings. It will then be necessary 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 EEPROM.  
The EEPROM on the motherboard stores the Setup utility. When you start up the  
computer, the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program. This  
appears during the Power-On Self Test (POST). Press <Delete> to call up the Setup  
utility. If you are a little bit late in pressing the mentioned key, POST will continue  
with its test routines, thus preventing you from calling up Setup. If you still need to  
call Setup, restart the system by pressing <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by press-  
ing the Reset button on the system chassis. You can also restart by turning the  
system off and then back on again. But do so only if the first two methods fail.  
The Setup program has been 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.  
To access the BIOS Setup program, press the <Delete> key after  
the computer has run through its POST.  
NOTE: Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following  
BIOS screens and descriptions are for reference purposes only and may not re-  
flect your BIOS screens exactly.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
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  
BOOT  
EXIT  
Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management  
features.  
Use this menu to configure the default system device used to lo-  
cate and load the Operating System.  
Use this menu to exit the current menu or specify how to exit the  
Setup program.  
To access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard  
until the desired item is highlighted.  
4.2.2 Legend Bar  
At the bottom of the Setup screen you will notice 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 alternates and  
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  
or → (keypad arrow) Selects the menu item to the left or right  
or ↓ (keypad 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 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>  
Moves the cursor to the last field  
<F5>  
Resets the current screen to its Setup Defaults  
Saves changes and exits Setup  
<F10>  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
General Help  
In addition to the Item Specific Help window, the BIOS setup program also pro-  
vides a General Help screen. This screen can be called up from any menu by sim-  
ply pressing <F1> or the <Alt> + <H> combination. The General Help screen lists  
the legend keys with their corresponding alternates and 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 docu-  
ment. Press <Home> to display the first page, press <End> to go to the last page.  
To exit the help window, press <Enter> or <Esc>.  
Sub-Menu  
Note that a right pointer symbol (as shown in the left view) appears to the left of  
certain fields. This pointer indicates that a sub-menu can be  
launched from this field. A sub-menu contains additional op-  
tions for a field parameter. To call up a sub-menu, simply move  
the highlight to the field and press <Enter>. The sub-menu  
will then immediately appear. Use the legend keys to enter  
values and move from field to field within a sub-menu just as  
you would within a menu. Use the <Esc> key to return to the  
main menu.  
Take some time to familiarize yourself with each of the leg-  
end keys and their corresponding functions. Practice navigating through the vari-  
ous menus and sub-menus. If you accidentally make unwanted changes to any of  
the fields, use the set default hot key <F5>. 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 cur-  
rently highlighted field.  
NOTE: The item heading in square brackets represents the default setting for  
that field.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.3 Main Menu  
When the Setup program is accessed, the following screen appears:  
System Time [XX:XX:XX]  
Sets your system to the time that you specify (usually the current time).  
The format is hour, minute, second. Valid values for hour, minute and sec-  
ond 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 your system to the date that you specify (usually the current date). The  
format is month, day, year. Valid values for month, day, and year are Month:  
(1 to 12), Day: (1 to 31), Year: (100 year range). Use the <Tab> or <Shift>  
+ <Tab> keys to move between the month, day, and year fields.  
Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.], Legacy Diskette B [None]  
Sets the type of floppy drives installed. Configuration options: [None]  
[360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.]  
[2.88M, 3.5 in.]  
Floppy 3 Mode Support [Disabled]  
This is required to support older Japanese floppy drives. Floppy 3 Mode  
support will allow reading and writing of 1.2MB (as opposed to 1.44MB)  
on a 3.5-inch diskette. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Drive A]  
[Drive B] [Both]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave  
NOTE: Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you  
have the configuration information supplied by the manufacturer of the  
drive. Incorrect settings may cause your system to not recognize the in-  
stalled hard disk. To allow the BIOS to detect the drive type automati-  
cally, select [Auto].  
Type [Auto]  
Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic  
detection is successful, the correct values will be filled in for the remaining  
fields on this sub-menu. If automatic detection fails, your hard disk drive  
may be too old or too new. You can try updating your BIOS or enter the  
IDE hard disk drive parameters manually.  
NOTE: After the IDE hard disk drive information has been entered into  
BIOS, new IDE hard disk drives must be partitioned (such as with FDISK)  
and then formatted before data can be read from and write on. Primary  
IDE hard disk drives must have its partition set to active (also possible  
with FDISK).  
Other options for the Type field are:  
[None] - to disable IDE devices  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
IMPORTANT: If your hard disk was already formatted on an older previous system,  
incorrect parameters may be detected. You will need to enter the correct parameters  
manually or use low-level format if you do not need the data stored on the hard disk.  
If the parameters listed differ from the ones used when the disk was formatted, the  
disk will not be readable. If the auto-detected parameters do not match the ones that  
should be used for your disk, you should enter the correct ones manually by setting  
[User Type HDD].  
[User Type HDD]  
Manually enter the number of cylinders, heads and sectors per track for  
your drive. Refer to your drive documentation or look on the drive for this  
information. If no drive is installed or if you are removing a drive and not  
replacing it, select [None].  
Translation Method [LBA]  
Select the hard disk drive type in this field. When Logical Block Address-  
ing is enabled, 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 greater than 504MB in storage capacity. Configuration options: [LBA]  
[LARGE] [Normal] [Match Partition Table] [Manual]  
Cylinders  
This field configures the number of cylinders. Refer to your drive docu-  
mentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE: To  
make changes to this field, the Type field must be set to [User Type HDD]  
and the Translation Method field must be set to [Manual].  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Head  
This field configures the number of read/write heads. Refer to your drive  
documentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE:  
To make changes to this field, the Type field must be set to [User Type  
HDD] and the Translation Method field must be set to [Manual].  
Sector  
This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to your drive  
documentation to determine the correct value to enter into this field. NOTE:  
To make changes to this field, the Type field must be set to [User Type  
HDD] and the Translation Method field must be set to [Manual].  
CHS Capacity  
This field shows the drives maximum CHS capacity calculated automati-  
cally by the BIOS from the drive information you entered.  
Maximum LBA Capacity  
This field shows the drives maximum LBA capacity calculated automati-  
cally by the BIOS from the drive information you entered.  
Multi-Sector Transfers [Maximum]  
This option automatically sets the number of sectors per block to the high-  
est number supported by the drive. This field can also be configured manu-  
ally. Note that when this field is automatically configured, the set value  
may not always be the fastest value for the drive. Refer to the documenta-  
tion that came with your hard drive to determine the optimal value and set  
it manually. NOTE: To make changes to this field, the Type field must be  
set to [User Type HDD]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [2 Sectors] [4  
Sectors] [8 Sectors] [16 Sectors] [32 Sectors] [Maximum]  
SMART Monitoring [Disabled]  
This allows the enabling or disabling of the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring,  
Analysis and Reporting Technology) system which utilizes internal hard  
disk drive monitoring technology. This feature is normally disabled be-  
cause system resources used in this feature may decrease system perfor-  
mance. 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 successively increased 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 ca-  
pability. NOTE: To make changes to this field, the Type field must be set  
to [User Type HDD]. Configuration options: [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [Disabled]  
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57  
4. BIOS SETUP  
Other options for “Type:” are:  
[CD-ROM] - for IDE CD-ROM drives  
[LS-120] - for LS-120 compatible floppy disk drives  
[ZIP-100] - for ZIP-100 compatible disk drives  
[MO] - for IDE magneto optical disk drives  
[Other ATAPI Device] - for IDE devices not listed here  
After using the legend keys to make your selections on this sub-menu,  
press the <Esc> key to exit back to the Main menu. When the Main menu  
appears, you will notice that the drive size appear in the field for the hard  
disk drive that you just configured.  
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 [12/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 charac-  
ters. Configuration options: [1/4 Sec] [1/2 Sec] [3/4 Sec] [1 Sec]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Language [English]  
This allows selection of the BIOSdisplayed language. Currently only English is avail-  
able.  
Supervisor Password [Disabled] / User Password [Disabled]  
These fields allow you to set the passwords. To set the password, highlight the ap-  
propriate field and press <Enter>. Type in a password and press <Enter>. You can  
type up to eight alphanumeric characters. Symbols and other keys are ignored. To  
confirm the password, type the password again and press the <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 will appear. Press <Enter> and the password will be 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. The pass-  
words are not case sensitive. In other words, it makes no difference whether  
you enter a password using upper or lowercase letters. The BIOS Setup pro-  
gram allows you to specify two separate passwords: a Supervisor password  
and a User password. When disabled, anyone may access all BIOS Setup  
program functions. When enabled, the Supervisor password is required for  
entering the BIOS Setup program and having full access to all configuration  
fields.  
Forgot the Password?  
If you forgot the password, you can clear the password by erasing the CMOS Real  
Time Clock (RTC) RAM. The RAM data containing the password information is  
powered by the onboard button cell battery. To erase the RTC RAM: (1) Unplug  
your computer, (2) Short the solder points, (3) Turn ON your computer, (4) Hold  
down <Delete> during bootup and enter BIOS setup to re-enter user preferences.  
CR2032 3V  
Lithium Cell  
CMOS Power  
A7A266  
CLRTC  
Short solder points  
to Clear CMOS  
A7A266 Clear RTC RAM  
Halt On [All Errors]  
This field determines which types of errors 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 display-only field displays the amount of conventional memory detected  
by the system during bootup. You do not need to make changes to this field.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.4 Advanced Menu  
CPU Speed  
In JumperFreeMode, this field allows you to select the internal frequency  
of your CPU. Select [Manual] if you want to make changes to the subse-  
quent 2 fields. Note that selecting a frequency higher than the CPU manu-  
facturer recommends may cause the system to hang or crash. See System  
Hangup on page 60. Configuration options: [Manual] [700MHz] [933Mhz]  
System/SDRAM/PCI (MHz) (When CPU Internal Frequency is set to [Manual])  
This field determines the frequency ratio among the Front Side  
Bus, SDRAM, and PCI bus. You may set the memory clock  
frequency in synchronous or asynchronous mode with respect  
to the Front Side Bus frequency. Configuration options:  
[66:100:33] [100:100:33] [133:133:33] [133:100:33]  
Available options  
when FSB:SDRAM:PCI Freq. Ratio  
is set to [133:133:33]  
CPU Vcore  
In JumperFree mode, this field displays the core voltage sup-  
plied to the CPU. If you want to set it manually, always refer  
to the CPU documentation. The picture shown here provides only  
an example of possible Vcore ranges.  
CPU Level 1 Cache, CPU Level 2 Cache [Enabled]  
These fields allow you to choose from the default of [Enabled] or choose  
[Disabled] to turn on or off the CPUs Level 1 and Level 2 built-in cache.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
CPU Level 2 Cache ECC Check [Disabled]  
This function controls the ECC capability in the CPU level 2 cache. Con-  
figuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
BIOS Update [Enabled]  
This functions as an update loader integrated into the BIOS to supply the  
processor with the required data. In the default position of [Enabled], the  
BIOS will load the update on all processors during system bootup. Con-  
figuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
PS/2 Mouse Function Control [Auto]  
The default of [Auto] allows the system to detect a PS/2 mouse on startup.  
If detected, IRQ12 will be used for the PS/2 mouse. IRQ12 will be re-  
served for expansion cards only if a PS/2 mouse is not detected. [Enabled]  
will always reserve IRQ12, whether on startup a PS/2 mouse is detected or  
not. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Auto]  
USB Legacy Support [Auto]  
This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. The de-  
fault of [Auto] allows the system to detect a USB device on startup. If  
detected, USB controller legacy mode will be enabled. If not detected, USB  
controller legacy mode will be disabled. When this field is set to [Dis-  
abled], USB controller legacy mode is disabled no matter whether you are  
using a USB device or not. 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 this on  
[Disabled]. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Notes for JumperFree Mode  
CPU Upgrade/Reinstallation  
To ensure that your system can enter BIOS setup after the processor has  
been changed or reinstalled, your system will start up running at a bus  
speed of 66MHz and a fail-safe CPU internal frequency (4x66MHz). It  
will then automatically take you to theAdvanced menu with a popup menu  
of all the officially possible CPU internal frequencies.  
System Hangup  
If your system crashes or hangs due to improper frequency settings, power  
OFF your system and restart. The system will start up in safe mode running  
at a bus speed of 66MHz and enter BIOS setup.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.4.1 Chip Configuration  
SDRAM Configuration [By SPD]  
This sets the optimal timings for items 4-7, depending on the memory mod-  
ules that you are using. The default setting [By SPD] configures items 4-7  
by reading the contents in the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) device. The  
EEPROM on the memory module stores critical parameter information  
about the module, such as memory type, size, speed, voltage interface, and  
module banks. Configuration options: [User Define] [By SPD]  
NOTE: The following 3 fields will only be adjustable when SDRAM Con-  
figuration is set to [User Define].  
SDRAM CAS Latency  
This controls the latency between the SDRAM read command and the  
time that the data actually becomes available.  
SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay  
This controls the latency between the SDRAM active command and  
the read/write command.  
SDRAM RAS Precharge Time  
This controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to the  
SDRAM.  
SDRAM Cycle Time (Tras, Trc) [6T, 8T]  
This feature controls the number of SDRAM clocks used for SDRAM pa-  
rameters Tras and Trc. Tras specifies the minimum clocks required be-  
tween active command and precharge command. Trc specifies the mini-  
mum clocks required between active command and re-active command.  
Configuration options: [5T, 7T] [6T, 8T]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Graphics Aperture Size [64MB]  
This feature allows you to select the size of mapped memory for AGP  
graphic data. Configuration options: [64MB] [32MB]  
Video Memory Cache Mode [UC]  
USWC (uncacheable, speculative write combining) is a new cache tech-  
nology 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 cannot support this feature; otherwise  
your 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 devices that re-  
quire it. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
PCI 2.1 Latency Compliant [Enabled]  
This function allows you to enable or disable PCI 2.1 features including  
passive release and delayed transaction. Configuration options: [Disabled]  
[Enabled]  
Delay Transaction [Disabled]  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Onboard PCI IDE [Both]  
You can select to enable the primary IDE channel, secondary IDE channel,  
both, or disable both channels. Configuration options: [Both] [Disabled]  
Onboard PCI Audio [Enabled]  
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration  
Onboard FDC Swap A & B [No Swap]  
This field allows you to reverse the hardware drive letter assignments of  
your floppy disk drives. Configuration options: [No Swap] [Swap AB]  
Floppy Disk Access Control [R/W]  
When set to [Read Only], this field protects files from being copied to  
floppy disks by allowing reads from the floppy disk drive but not writes.  
The setup default [R/W] allows both reads and writes. Configuration op-  
tions: [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 connec-  
tors. Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2 must have different addresses. Con-  
figuration options: [3F8H/IRQ4] [2F8H/IRQ3] [3E8H/IRQ4] [2E8H/  
IRQ10] [Disabled]  
Onboard IR Port [Disabled]  
When enabled, this field activates the onboard standard infrared feature  
and sets the second serial UART to support the infrared module connector  
on the motherboard. If your system already has a second serial port con-  
nected to the onboard COM2 connector, it will no longer work if you en-  
able the infrared feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Onboard Parallel Port [378H/IRQ7]  
This field sets the address of the onboard parallel port connector. If you  
disable this feature, Parallel Port Mode and ECP DMA Select configura-  
tions will not be 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. [Nor-  
mal] allows normal-speed operation but in one direction only; [EPP] al-  
lows bidirectional parallel port operation; [ECP] allows the parallel port to  
operate in bidirectional DMA mode; [ECP+EPP] allows normal speed op-  
eration 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]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.4.3 PCI Configuration  
Slot 1/5, Slot 2, Slot 3, Slot 4, Slot 5 IRQ [Auto]  
These fields set how IRQ use is determined for each PCI slot. The default  
setting for each field is [Auto], which utilizes auto-routing to determine  
IRQ use. Configuration options: [Auto] [NA] [3] [4] [5] [7] [9] [10] [11]  
[12] [14] [15]  
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop [Disabled]  
Some nonstandard VGAcards, such as graphics accelerators or MPEG video  
cards, may not show colors properly. The setting [Enabled] should correct  
this problem. Otherwise, leave this on the default setting of [Disabled].  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
PCI Latency Timer [32]  
Leave on default setting for best performance vs. stability.  
SYMBIOS SCSI BIOS [Auto]  
[Auto] allows the motherboards BIOS to detect whether you have a Symbios  
SCSI controller. If the Symbios SCSI controller is detected, the  
motherboards Symbios BIOS will be enabled; if no Symbios SCSI control-  
ler is detected, the onboard Symbios SCSI BIOS will be disabled.  
[Disabled] will disable the motherboards Symbios SCSI BIOS so that the  
BIOS on an add-on Symbios SCSI card can be used. If your Symbios SCSI  
card does not have a BIOS, the Symbios SCSI card will not function. Con-  
figuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
USB Function [Enabled]  
This motherboard supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. Set to [En-  
abled] if you want to use USB devices. Configuration options: [Disabled]  
[Enabled]  
Primary VGA BIOS Sequence [PCI VGA Card]  
If your computer has both PCI and AGP VGA controllers, this field allows  
you to select which of the controllers will act as your primary graphics  
controller. The default, [PCI/AGP], allows your PCI controller to take pre-  
cedent when detected. [AGP/PCI] uses the AGP controller as your primary  
controller. Configuration options: [PCI VGA Card] [AGP VGA Card]  
PCI/PNP IRQ Resource Exclusion  
IRQ XX Reserved [No]  
These fields indicate whether or not the displayed IRQ for each field is  
being used by a specified device. The default value indicates that the dis-  
played IRQ is not used. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
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 Define]  
This option must be enabled to use any of the automatic power saving features. If  
this menu item is set to [Disabled], power management features will not function  
regardless of other field settings on this menu. The [User Define] option allows  
you to make your own selections in the Power menu. When set to [Max Saving],  
system power will be conserved to its greatest amount. The Suspend Mode  
field will then be set to predefined value that ensures maximum power  
savings.  
This field acts as the master control for the power management modes. [Max Sav-  
ing] puts the system into power saving mode after a brief period of system inactiv-  
ity; [Min Saving] is almost the same as [Max Saving] except that the system inac-  
tivity period is longer; [Disabled] disables the power saving features; [User De-  
fine] allows you to set power saving options according to your preference. Con-  
figuration options: [User Define] [Disabled] [Min Saving] [Max Saving]  
IMPORTANT:Advanced Power Management (APM) should be installed to keep  
the system time updated when the computer enters suspend mode activated by  
the BIOS Power Management. For DOS environments, you need to add the  
statement, DEVICE=C:\DOS\POWER.EXE, to your CONFIG.SYS file. For  
Windows 3.x and Windows 95, you need to install Windows with the APM  
feature. For Windows 98 and later, APM is automatically installed. A battery  
and power cord icon labeled Power Managementwill appear in the Control  
Panel.Choose Advancedin the Power Management Properties dialog box.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
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 DPMS (Display Power Man-  
agement System) feature allows the BIOS to control the video display card if  
it supports the DPMS feature. [Blank Screen] only blanks the screen (use  
this for monitors without power management or greenfeatures. If set up in  
your system, your screen saver will not display with [Blank Screen] selected).  
[V/H SYNC+Blank] blanks the screen and turns off vertical and horizontal  
scanning. Configuration options: [Blank Screen] [V/H SYNC+Blank] [DPMS  
Standby] [DPMS Suspend] [DPMS OFF] [DPMS Reduce ON]  
HDD Power Down [Disabled]  
This feature 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]  
Suspend Mode [Disabled]  
Sets the time period before the system goes into suspend mode. NOTE:  
This field is effective for DOS, Windows 9x, and Windows NT 4.0 envi-  
ronments. Configuration options: [Disabled] [1~2 Min] [2~3 Min]...[1  
Hour]  
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 will  
place the system in sleep mode. Regardless of the setting, holding the ATX  
switch for more than 4 seconds will power off the system. Configuration  
options: [Soft off] [Suspend]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.5.1 Power Up Control  
AC PWR Loss Restart [Previous State]  
This allows you to set whether you want your system to reboot after the  
power has been interrupted. [Disabled] leaves your system off and [En-  
abled] reboots your system. [Previous State] sets your system back to the  
state it is 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. NOTE: The computer cannot receive or transmit data  
until the computer and applications are fully running. Thus connection can-  
not 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 will also  
cause the system to power on. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Power Up On PCI Card [Disabled]  
Wake-On-LAN/PCI Modem allows your computer to be booted from an-  
other computer via a network by sending a wake-up frame or signal. Con-  
figuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
IMPORTANT:This feature requires an optional network interface card with Wake-  
On-LAN and an ATX power supply with at least 720mA +5V standby power.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Power Up On PCI Card On PS2 KB/Mouse [Disabled]  
Set this field to [Enabled] if you wish to use your PS2 keyboard, PS2 mouse,  
or consumer IR device to power up your computer. This feature requires an  
ATX power supply that can supply at least 300mAon the +5VSB lead. The  
default is set to [Disabled] because not all computers have the appropriate  
ATX power supply. Your computer will not power ON if you set this to  
[Enabled] and do not have the appropriate ATX power supply. Configura-  
tion options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Automatic Power Up [Disabled]  
This allows an unattended or automatic system power up. You may config-  
ure your system to power up at a certain time of the day by selecting [Ev-  
eryday] or at a certain time and day by selecting [By Date]. NOTE: Auto-  
matic Power Up will not work if the system is powered down by operating  
systems, such as Windows 98, which have ACPI support enabled. Con-  
figuration options: [Disabled] [Everyday] [By Date]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.5.2 Hardware Monitor  
MB Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]  
CPU Temperature [xxxC/xxxF]  
The onboard hardware monitor is able to detect the MB (motherboard) and  
CPU temperatures. Set to [Ignore] only if necessary.  
CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM]  
Power Fan Speed [xxxxRPM]  
Chassis Fan Speed [xxxxRPM]  
The onboard hardware monitor is able to detect the CPU, power supply,  
and chassis fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). The presence of the  
fans is automatically detected. Set to [Ignore] only if necessary.  
VCORE1 Voltage, +3.3V Voltage, +5V Voltage, +12V Voltage, -12V  
Voltage, -5V Voltage [xx.xV]  
The onboard hardware monitor is able to detect the voltage output by the  
onboard voltage regulators. Set to [Ignore] only if necessary.  
NOTE: If any of the monitored items is out of range, an error message will  
appear: Hardware Monitor found an error. Enter Power setup menu for  
details. You will then be prompted to Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter  
SETUP.  
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4. BIOS 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 sys-  
tem 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] [LS120] [ZIP-100]  
[ATAPI MO]  
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 con-  
nected ATAPI CD-ROM drives.  
Other Boot Device Select [INT18 Device (Network)]  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [SCSI Boot Device] [INT18 Device (Net-  
work)] [LANDesk (R) Service Agent]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
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 se-  
lected, interrupts may be reassigned by the OS. When a non-PnP OS is  
installed or you want to prevent reassigning of interrupt settings, select the  
default setting of [No]. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]  
Reset Configuration Data [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. Con-  
figuration 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]  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
4.7 Exit Menu  
Once you have made all of your selections from the various menus in the Setup pro-  
gram, you should save your changes and exit Setup. Select Exit from the menu bar to  
display the following menu:  
NOTE: Pressing <Esc> does not exit this menu. You must select one of the  
options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit this menu.  
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. Once this option is selected, a confirma-  
tion is asked. Select [Yes] to save changes and exit.  
NOTE: If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your  
changes, the program will prompt you with a message asking if you want  
to save your changes before exiting. Pressing <Enter> will then save changes  
while exiting.  
Exit Discarding Changes  
This option should only be used if you do not want to save the changes you  
have made to the Setup program. If you have made changes to fields other  
than system date, system time, and password, the system will ask for con-  
firmation before exiting.  
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4. BIOS SETUP  
Load Setup Defaults  
This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters  
on the Setup menus. When this option is selected or if <F5> is pressed, a  
confirmation is requested. Select [Yes] to load default values. You can now  
select Exit Saving Changes or make other changes before saving the val-  
ues to the non-volatile RAM.  
Discard Changes  
This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the  
values you previously saved. After selecting this option, a confirmation is  
requested. 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 changes. After selecting this op-  
tion, all selections are saved and a confirmation is requested. Select [Yes]  
to save any changes to the non-volatile RAM.  
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5. SOFTWARE SETUP  
5.1 Install Operating System  
You should always use the latest operating system and updates when using new  
hardware to ensure full compliancy. You may use any version of Windows 98/2000/  
Millenium, but for Windows 95, you must use OSR 2.0 or later. For Windows NT  
4.0, you must use Service Pack 3.0 or later.  
5.2 Start Windows  
When you start Windows 98 for the first time after installing your motherboard,  
Windows will detect all plug-and play devices. Follow theAdd New Hardware Wiz-  
ard to install all necessary device drivers. When prompted to restart, select No and  
then follow the setup procedures in this section.  
NOTE: Because there are various motherboard settings, options, and expansion  
cards, the following can only be used as a general reference and may not reflect  
exactly the screen contents displayed on your screen.  
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5. SOFTWARE SETUP  
5.3 A7A266 Series Motherboard Support CD  
NOTE: The support CD contents are subject to change at any time without notice.  
To begin using your support CD disc, just insert it into your CD-ROM drive and the  
support CD installation menu should appear. If the menu does not appear, double-  
click or run D:\ASSETUP.EXE (assuming that your CD-ROM drive is drive D:).  
5.3.1 Installation Menu  
ALi AGP Driver: Installs ALi chipset AGP Driver.  
ALi IDE Cache and Utility: Installs the ALi IDE cache and Utility V1.05.  
C-Media PCI Audio Driver Application: Installs C-Media Audio drivers.  
ASUS PC Probe Vx.xx: Installs a smart utility to monitor your computers fan,  
temperature, and voltages.  
ASUS Update Vx.xx: Installs ASUS\Update to help you update your BIOS or  
download BIOS image file from the Internet. Install Network Card and TCP/IP  
network driver first, or the ASUS Update cannot function.  
Microsoft Direct X 8.0 Driver: Installs Microsoft .  
PC-Cillin 2000 Vx.xx: Installs the PC-cillin virus protection software. View the  
online help for more information.  
ADOBE Acrobat Reader Vx.xx: Installs the Adobe Acrobat Reader software neces-  
sary to view users manuals saved in PDF format. Updated or other language versions of  
this motherboard's manual is available in PDF format at any of our web sites.  
Install Cyberlink Video and Audio Applications: (optional) Installs Cyberlink  
PowerPlayer SE, PowerDVD Trial, and Cyberlink VideoLive Mail.  
ASUS Screen Saver: Installs the ASUS Screen Saver.  
(TO SEE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, CLICK RIGHT ARROW ON THE LOWER-RIGHT CORNER OF THE  
MAIN MENU)  
Show Motherboard Information: Allows you to view information about your  
motherboard, such as product name, BIOS version, and CPU.  
Browse Support CD: Allows you to view the contents of the CD.  
ReadMe: Allows you to view the support CD file list and contact information.  
Exit: Exits the CD installation menu.  
(TO RETURN TO THE MAIN MENU, CLICK LEFTARROW ON THE LOWER-RIGHT CORNER OF THE  
SECONDARY MENU)  
Additonal CD Content: Flash BIOS writer can be found in the AFLASH folder.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.1 ASUS PC Probe  
ASUS PC Probe is a convenient utility to continuously monitor your com-  
puter systems vital components, such as fan rotations, voltages, and tem-  
peratures. It also has a utility that lets you review useful information about  
your computer, such as hard disk space, memory usage, and CPU type, CPU  
speed, and internal/external frequencies through the DMI Explorer.  
6.1.1 Starting ASUS PC Probe  
WhenASUS 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 by-  
pass this startup screen, clear the Show up in next execution check box.  
To open ASUS PC Probe, click the Windows Start button, point to Pro-  
grams, and then ASUS Utility, and then click Probe Vx.xx.  
The PC Probe icon  
will appear on the taskbars system tray indicating  
that ASUS PC Probe is running. Clicking the icon will allow you to see the  
status of your PC.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.1.2 Using ASUS PC Probe  
Monitoring  
Monitor Summary  
Shows a summary of the items being  
monitored.  
Temperature Monitor  
Shows the PCs 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 PCs fan rotation.  
Fan Warning  
threshold adjustment  
(Move the slider up to increase the  
threshold level or down to decrease  
the threshold level)  
Voltage Monitor  
Shows the PCs voltages.  
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Settings  
Lets you set threshold levels and poll-  
ing intervals or refresh times of the PCs  
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 activ-  
ity 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 pre-  
defined threshold.  
NOTE: This feature is not available on  
ASUS Probe version 2.12.01/2.12.02  
Information  
Hard Drives  
Shows the used and free space of the  
PCs hard disk drives and the file allo-  
cation table or file system used.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
Memory  
Shows the PCs memory load, memory  
usage, and paging file usage.  
Device Summary  
Shows a summary of devices in your PC.  
DMI Explorer  
Shows information pertinent to the PC,  
such as CPU type, CPU speed, and in-  
ternal/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.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.1.3 ASUS PC Probe Task Bar Icon  
Right clicking the PC Probe  
icon will bring up a menu to  
open or exit ASUS PC Probe  
and pause or resume all sys-  
tem monitoring.  
When the ASUS PC Probe  
senses a problem with your  
PC, portions of the ASUS PC  
Probe icon changes to red, the  
PC speaker beeps, and the  
ASUS PC Probe monitor is dis-  
played.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.2 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE  
CyberLink PowerPlayer SE is an intelligent software player that can automatically  
detect and playback all kinds of video/audio files, CD and MP3 files as well. This is  
the only software you need for all types of video and audio files. No need to waste  
time identifying your file types.  
6.2.1 Starting CyberLink PowerPlayer SE  
To start CyberLink Power Player, click the Windows Start button, point  
to Programs, and then CyberLink PowerPlayer SE, and then click  
PowerPlayer.  
6.2.2 CyberLink PowerPlayer Control Panel  
Minimize  
Zoom  
Eject  
Help  
About  
Power Off  
Stop  
Backward Scan  
Forward Scan  
Step Frame  
Backstep Frame  
Previous  
Next  
Play  
Stop  
Configuration  
i-Power!  
Increase Volume  
CD Mode  
Shuffle  
Mute  
Decrease Volume  
Karaoke  
Next angle Next audio stream Next subtitle  
Add bookmark  
Capture frame  
Go-Up  
Repeat  
Menu  
Go to bookmark  
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6.3 CyberLink VideoLive Mail  
CyberLinks VideoLive Mail Plus Ver 3.0 (a.k.a. VLM 3) is a convenient and excel-  
lent way to create professional quality video mails from PC video/audio input de-  
vices and to send the mails to any recipients via VLM 3s built-in e-mail system  
through the Internet. VLM 3s mails comprise video, sound, or snapshot informa-  
tion; and thus may convey the most profound information to target audiences. It is  
very convenient for mail recipients who do not need to install additional software  
component in order to view VLM 3 mails.  
VLM 3 works as a very applicant sales tool. It efficiently delivers profound and live  
product information to your target customers without costing a fortune. VLM 3 also  
helps corporate managers easily give vivid speeches and broadcast through corpo-  
rate E-mail system. For personal or home users, VLM 3 easily records live video  
clips allowing users to send them to friends or family members across the Internet.  
VLM 3 loads video messages from PC cameras, digital camcorders, analog camcorder  
via video capture cards, or from an existing AVI video clips, and captures audio  
messages from PC microphones. Video and audio messages are encoded at a very  
high compressed rate in a real-time mode. From data input, data conversion, to  
sending video mails via Internet, or saving data to disks, the whole procedure is  
done in an easy and continuous process.  
VLM 3s video clip compression rate is up to 1:900, and its playback rate is up to 30  
frame per second. VLM 3 provides CIF (352 x 288 pixel) display resolution, and  
support true color configuration. A one-minute video mail with QCIF (176 x 144)  
resolution takes up less than 500KB of memory, making it easy to transmit and save  
mail. Users may always adjust resolution and recording parameters for different  
purpose.  
VLM 3 supports all the hardware devices that are compliant with Video for Win-  
dows standard. Video for Windows is a well-accepted and well-tested standard. Thus,  
users do not have to worry about compatibility issues.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.3.1 Starting VideoLive Mail  
To start VideoLive Mail, click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, and  
then CyberLink VideoLive Mail, and then click VideoLive Mail x.x. VLM 3s  
Setup Wizard will start and guide you through configuring the video and audio input  
peripherals and to setup the e-mail environment.  
1. Setup Wizard first will prompt a dialog to confirm that you want to configure  
the hardware and E-mail setting. Click Yes to continue the system parameter  
configuration.  
2. The e-mail configuration screen appears. You will need to enter your name and  
the e-mail address. Click Next to continue.  
3. The Internet e-mail configuration screen appears. You may choose to use the  
VLM 3 built-in E-mail functionality (SMTP mail), or use MAPI compliant e-  
mail system. Consult your ISP or MIS staff for the E-mail server IP address if  
you are not sure. Click Next to continue.  
4. Then the Video Configuration screen shows up. You may have to specify the  
video driver for VLM 3, if there are several video-input devices installed. Then  
configure the number of video frames to be captured per second. Note that the  
more frames you choose, the bigger the file size will be. Click Next to continue.  
5. Then the Setup Wizard will then search for the GSM CODECS module for au-  
dio compression, and prompt you with the result. Click Next to continue.  
6. Setup Wizard then tests the audio volume during playing and recording. Click  
Next when ready.  
7. Configuration done. Click Finish to complete the environmental setting proce-  
dure.  
6.3.2 CyberLink VideoLive Mail User Interface  
Exit  
Minimize  
Help  
Video Mail Wizard  
Start Playback  
Save Video File  
Snapshot to File  
Stop Recording / Playback  
Start Recording  
Pause  
Send Mail  
Video Configuration  
Load Video File  
Send Mail  
Increase MIC volume  
Decrease MIC volume  
Increase speaker volume  
Decrease speaker volume  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.4 ASUS Update  
ASUS LiveUpdate is a utility that allows you to update your motherboards  
BIOS and drivers. The use of this utility requires that you are properly con-  
nected to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  
1. Start ASUS Update  
Launch the utility from Start | Programs | ASUS  
Utility | ASUS Update Vx.xx.  
2. Select an update method.  
3. If you selected updating/downloading from the  
Internet, you will need to select an Internet site.  
Choose the site that is closest to you or click  
Auto Select.  
If you selected Update from a file, you will  
be prompted to locate the file.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
6.5 Multi-Channel Audio Feature Setup  
The C-Media PCI Audio Driver and Applications are located on the  
Support CD. Installing the programs enables the multi-channel audio  
feature. Note: You must use 4 or 6 channel speakers for this setup.  
6.5.1 The C-Media Audio Mixer  
1. The C-Media Mixer  
Icon appears on the  
bottom right of the screen, or the Mixer  
may be turned on from the PCI Audio  
Applications & Audio Rack groups on the  
Main Program menu using the Windows Start button:  
Click on the icon to display the C-Media Audio Mixer:  
2. The Advanced button activates the  
Speaker, Volume, Sound Effects and  
Options menus. The Speaker menu  
offers various configurations for your  
speaker system. This menu enables the  
Line-In and Mic-In audio jacks on the  
back panel to setup additional speakers  
for 4 and 6-Channel Audio.  
6.5.2 The C-Media Audio Demo Program  
1. The Audio Demo program offers an easy way to test and tune your new  
speaker system. Activate the  
Multi-Channel Audio Demo  
program from the PCI Audio  
Applications group on the  
Main Program menu using the  
Windows Start button:  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
2. The PCI Multi-Channel Audio Demo has several Demos to help fine  
tune your PC speaker system. The Help menu features several pages of  
instructions and hardware diagrams  
to help configure and test the  
system. To activate the Speaker  
Channel Configuration Menu,  
point your mouse arrow and click on  
the TV box.  
3. The Speaker Channel Configuration  
Menu displays all the options  
available to help tune the multi-  
channel audio system even more  
precisely.  
6.5.3 Connector Configuration  
The chart below displays the configurations for  
the line connectors on the yellow MIDI/Game/  
Audio connector port located on the  
back panel. The three female connectors are  
available for use in the 6-Channel audio  
system.  
Line Out Line In Mic  
Connector Settings and Functions  
Headphone/  
2-Speaker  
4-Speaker  
6-Speaker  
Lime  
Line Out/  
Front Spkr Out Front Spkr Out  
Line Out/  
Line Out/  
Front Spkr Out  
Light Blue  
Pink  
Line In  
Mic In  
Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out  
Mic In  
Center Speaker Out,  
Sub-woofer  
Note: See 6 in Section 3, Motherboard settings for the Bass/Center Jumper  
settings to fine tune the output signals.  
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6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
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7. APPENDIX  
7.1 Glossary  
1394  
1394 is the IEEE designation for the high performance serial bus at 12.5, 25 or  
50MBytes/sec speeds. This serial bus defines both a back plane physical layer and a  
point-to-point cable-connected virtual bus. The primary application of the cable ver-  
sion is the integration of I/O connectivity at the back panel of personal computers  
using a low-cost, scalable, high-speed serial interface. The 1394 standard also pro-  
vides new services such as live connect/disconnect capability for external devices  
including disk drives, printers and hand-held peripherals such as scanners and cam-  
eras. This is a new standard to complement the slower USB interface and to compete  
with the more expensive SCSI interface.  
AC97 (Audio Codec '97)  
AC '97 is the next step in enabling PCs with audio quality comparable to consumer  
electronics devices. The specification defines new cost-effective options to help in-  
tegrate the components necessary to support next-generation auto-intensive PC ap-  
plications such as DVD, 3-D multiplayer gaming and interactive music. The speci-  
fication also defines new extensions supporting modem and docking to help both  
desktop and mobile manufacturers adopt these new technologies more quickly and  
cost-effectively. This specification uses software emulation to compete with the PCI  
SoundBlaster specification.  
ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)  
TheACPI specification defines a cross-platform interface designed to support many  
operating systems. ACPI defines a flexible and abstract hardware interface that pro-  
vides a standard way to integrate power management features throughout a PC sys-  
tem, including hardware, operating system and application software. This enables  
the system to automatically turn ON and OFF peripherals such as CD-ROMs, net-  
work cards, hard disk drives, and printers, as well as consumer devices connected to  
the PC such as VCRs, TVs, phones, and stereos. With this technology, peripherals  
will also be able to activate the PC. For example, inserting a tape into a VCR can  
turn on the PC, which could then activate a large-screen TV and high-fidelity sound  
system.  
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)  
An interface specification that enables high-performance 3D graphics on mainstream  
PCs. AGP was designed to offer the necessary bandwidth and latency to perform  
texture mapping directly from system memory.  
Bus  
Bus Frequency  
Bandwidth  
Data Transfer Rate  
PCI  
AGP 1X  
AGP 2X  
33MHz  
66MHz  
66MHz  
33MHz  
66MHz  
133MHz  
133MByte/sec  
266MByte/sec  
512MByte/sec  
AGP 4X  
66MHz  
266MHz  
1024MByte/sec  
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)  
BIOS is a set of routines that affect how the computer transfers data between com-  
puter components, such as memory, disks, and the display adapter. The BIOS in-  
structions are built into the computers read-only memory. BIOS parameters can be  
configured by the user through the BIOS Setup program. The BIOS can be updated  
using the provided utility to copy a new BIOS file into the EEPROM.  
Bit (Binary Digit)  
Represents the smallest unit of data used by the computer. A bit can have one of two  
values: 0 or 1.  
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7. APPENDIX  
Boot  
Boot means to start the computer operating system by loading it into system memory.  
When the manual instructs you to bootyour system (or computer), it means to  
turn ON your computer. Rebootmeans to restart your computer. When using Win-  
dows 95 or later, selecting Restartfrom Start | Shut Down...will reboot your  
computer.  
Bus Master IDE  
PIO (Programmable I/O) IDE requires that the CPU be involved in IDE access and  
waiting for mechanical events. Bus master IDE transfers data to/from the memory  
without interrupting the CPU. Bus master IDE driver and bus master IDE hard disk  
drives are required to support bus master IDE mode.  
Byte (Binary Term)  
One byte is a group of eight contiguous bits. A byte is used to represent a single  
alphanumeric character, punctuation mark, or other symbol.  
COM Port  
COM is a logical device name used by to designate the computer serial ports. Point-  
ing devices, modems, and infrared modules can be connected to COM ports. Each  
COM port is configured to use a different IRQ and address assignment.  
Concurrent PCI  
Concurrent PCI maximizes system performance with simultaneous CPU, PCI and  
ISA bus activities. It includes multi-transaction timing, enhanced write performance,  
a passive release mechanism and support for PCI 2.1 compliant delayed transac-  
tions. Concurrent PCI provides increased bandwidth, reduced system latencies, im-  
proves video and audio performance, and improves processing of host based appli-  
cations.  
CPU (Central Processing Unit)  
The CPU, sometimes called Processor,actually functions as the brainof the  
computer. It interprets and executes program commands and processes data stored  
in memory. Currently, there are socket 370 (for Pentium III FC-PGA and Celeron-  
PPGA), socket 7 (for Pentium, AMD, Cyrix, IBM), slot 1 (for Pentium II and III),  
slot 2 (for Xeon), and slot A (for AMD) processors.  
Device Driver  
A device driver is a special set of instructions that allows the computers operating  
system to communicate with devices such as VGA, audio, printer, or modem.  
DOS (Disk Operating System)  
DOS is the foundation on which all other programs and software applications oper-  
ate, including Windows. DOS is responsible for allocating system resources such as  
memory, CPU time, disk space, and access to peripheral devices. For this reason,  
DOS constitutes the basic interface between you and your computer.  
DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)  
There are several different types of DRAM such as, EDO DRAM (Extended Data  
Output DRAM), SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), and RDRAM (Rambus DRAM).  
Flash ROM  
The flash ROM is designed to be a resident program and can be updated by a spe-  
cific programming method. Normally, the flash ROM is used for system BIOS which  
initiates hardware devices and sets up necessary parameters for the OS. Since the  
contents of flash ROM can be modified, users are able to update the BIOS by them-  
selves.  
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)  
IDE devices integrate the drive control circuitry directly on the drive itself, elimi-  
nating the need for a separate adapter card (in the case for SCSI devices). UltraDMA/  
33 IDE devices can achieve up to 33MB/Sec transfer.  
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LPT Port (Line Printer Port)  
Logical device name reserved by DOS for the computer parallel ports. Each LPT  
port is configured to use a different IRQ and address assignment.  
MMX  
A set of 57 new instructions based on a technique called Single Instruction, Multiple  
Data (SIMD), which is built into the new Intel Pentium PP/MT (P55C) and Pentium  
II (Klamath) CPU as well as other x86-compatible microprocessors. The MMX in-  
structions are designed to accelerate multimedia and communications applications,  
such as 3D video, 3D sound, video conference.  
OnNow  
The OnNow design initiative is a comprehensive, system-wide approach to system  
and device power control. OnNow is a term for PC that is always ON but appears  
OFF and responds immediately to user or other requests. The OnNow design initia-  
tive involves changes that will occur in the Microsoft Windows operating system,  
device drivers, hardware, and applications, and also relies on the changes defined in  
the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification.  
PC100  
SDRAM is Intel's goal is to ensure that memory subsystems continue to support  
evolving platform requirements and to assure that memory does not become a bottle-  
neck to system performance. It is especially important to ensure that the PC memory  
roadmap evolves together with the performance roadmaps for the processors, I/O  
and graphics.  
PCI Bus (Peripheral Component Interconnect Local Bus)  
PCI bus is a specification that defines a 32-bit data bus interface. PCI is a standard  
widely used by expansion card manufacturers.  
PCI Bus Master  
The PCI Bus Master can perform data transfer without local CPU help and further-  
more, the CPU can be treated as one of the Bus Masters. PCI 2.1 supports concur-  
rent PCI operation to allow the local CPU and bus master to work simultaneously.  
Plug and Play BIOS  
The ISA bus architecture requires the allocation of memory and I/O address, DMA  
channels and interrupt levels among multiple ISA cards. However, configuration of  
ISA cards is typically done with jumpers that change the decode maps for memory  
and I/O space and steer the DMA and interrupt signals to different pins on the bus.  
Further, system configuration files may need to be updated to reflect these changes.  
Users typically resolve sharing conflicts by referring to documentation provided by  
each manufacturer. For the average user, this configuration process can be unreli-  
able and frustrating. Plug and play (PnP) BIOS eliminates the ISA add-on card hard-  
ware conflict problem. The PnP BIOS uses a memory block to define and remember  
each card's configuration, which allows the user to change the card's IRQs and DMA  
in BIOS either automatically or manually.  
POST (Power On Self Test)  
When you turn ON the computer, it will first run through the POST, a series of  
software-controlled diagnostic tests. The POST checks system memory, the mother-  
board circuitry, the display, the keyboard, the diskette drive, and other I/O devices.  
PS/2 Port  
PS/2 ports are based on IBM Micro Channel Architecture. This type of architecture  
transfers data through a 16-bit or 32-bit bus. A PS/2 mouse and/or keyboard may be  
used on ATX motherboards.  
RDRAM (Rambus DRAM)  
Developed by Rambus, Inc., this type of memory can deliver up to 1.6GB of data  
per second. RDRAM is the first interface standard that can be directly implemented  
on high performance VLSI components such as, CMOS DRAMs, memory control-  
lers, and graphics/video ICs.  
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7. APPENDIX  
ROM (Read Only Memory)  
ROM is nonvolatile memory used to store permanent programs (called firmware)  
used in certain computer components. Flash ROM (or EEPROM) can be repro-  
grammed with new programs (or BIOS).  
SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)  
High speed multi-threaded I/O interface defined by the X3T9.2 committee of the  
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for connecting many peripheral de-  
vices. The standard started from 10MBytes/sec to 160MBytes/sec available today.  
SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)  
The SDRAM features a fully synchronous operation referenced to a positive edge  
clock whereby all operations are synchronized at a clock input which enables the  
coexistence of high performance and a simple user interface. SDRAM takes memory  
access away from the CPU's control; internal registers in the chips accept the re-  
quest, and let the CPU do something else while the data requested is assembled for  
the next time the CPU talks to the memory. As they work on their own clock cycle,  
the rest of the system can be clocked faster. There is a version optimized for video  
cards, and main memory for motherboards.  
SPD for SDRAM module  
Serial Presence Detect (SPD) is most like an ID detect for SDRAM module, it using  
a EEPROM component on DIMM module for storing module configuration infor-  
mation inside. The Serial Presence Detect function is implemented using a 2048 bit  
EEPROM component. This nonvolatile storage device contains data programmed  
by the DIMM manufacturer that identifies the module type and various SDRAM  
organization and timing parameters.  
SSE (Streaming SIMD Extensions)  
A set of new instructions added to existing architectures that enables a better visual  
experience with an accelerated 3D geometry pipeline and support for new applica-  
tions, such as real-time video encoding and speech recognition.  
System Disk  
A system disk contains the core file of an operating system and is used to boot up the  
operating system.  
UltraDMA  
Ultra DMA/33 is a "synchronous DMA" protocol designed by Intel. This function is  
included into Intel's PIIX4 chipset. The traditional IDE transfer only uses one edge  
of the data stroke as the data transfer. Ultra DMA/33 uses both edges of data strobe  
when the data is transferred. Hence, the data transfer rate is double of the PIO mode  
4 or DMA mode 2 (16.6MB/s x2 = 33MB/s) on ATA-2 devices.  
Ultra ATA/66, also known as Ultra DMA/66, is an extension of current Ultra ATA/  
33 interface. This new high-speed interface has doubled the Ultra ATA/33 burst data  
transfer rate to 66.6 Mbytes/sec and maximized disk performance under current PCI  
local bus environment  
USB (Universal Serial Bus)  
A 4-pin serial cable bus that allows up to 127 plug and play computer peripherals  
such as keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, printer, modem, and monitor to share a  
bandwidth through a host scheduled token based protocol. This allows attaching or  
detaching while the host and other peripherals are in operation. Supports synchro-  
nous and asynchronous transfer types over the same set of wires up to 12Mbit/sec.  
USB 2.0 provides twice the transfer rate compared to USB 1.0 and competes with  
the 1394 standard.  
Wake-On-LAN  
Computer will automatically wake-up upon receiving a wake-up packet through a  
Network interface when it is under power soft-off, suspend or sleep mode.  
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INDEX  
USB 34  
Wake-On-LAN 39  
Wake-On-Ring 39  
A
AC PWR Loss Restart 71  
ASUS PC Probe  
Using 81  
ASUS Update  
Using 89  
CyberLink  
PowerPlayer SE 87  
VideoLive Mail 87  
CyberLink PowerPlayer SE  
Using 87  
ATAPI CD-ROM 74  
ATX Power Supply Connector 44  
Audio Port Connectors 35  
Automatic Power Up 72  
CyberLink VideoLive Mail  
Using 87  
Cylinders 56  
D
B
Discard Changes 77  
BIOS  
Beep Code 45  
BIOS Beep Codes 45  
Boot Sequence 74  
E
ECP DMA Select 66  
Boot Up Floppy Seek 75  
Boot Up NumLock Status 58  
Boot Virus Detection 75  
Exit Discarding Changes 76  
Exit Saving Changes 76  
Expansion Cards  
Assigning IRQs 29  
C
F
C-Media Audio Setup 90  
Central Processing Unit 27  
Chassis Intrusion Lead 37  
CHS Capacity 57  
Floppy 3 Mode Support 54  
Floppy Disk Access Control 65  
Floppy Disk Drive Connector 35  
Connectors  
G
ATX Power Supply 44  
Audio Port 35  
External 33  
Graphics Window Size 64  
Floppy Disk Drive 35  
Joystick 35  
Keyboard 33  
H
Halt On 59  
Hardware Setup  
CPU Installation 27  
Memory Installation 26  
HDD Power Down 70  
Head 57  
MIDI 35  
Parallel Port 34  
Power Supply Thermal Sensor 44  
PS/2 Keyboard 33  
PS/2 Mouse 33  
Serial Port 34  
Headers  
USB 40  
SMBus 40  
Thermal Sensor 44  
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INDEX  
I
O
IDE Activity LED Lead 42  
IDE Hard Drive 74  
Installation  
CPU 27  
Onboard AC97 Modem Controlle 66  
Onboard FDC Swap A & B 65  
Onboard Serial Port 1 65  
Onboard Serial Port 2 65  
Installed Memory 59  
Interrupts  
OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64M 61  
Other Boot Device Select 74  
Standard Assignments 29  
P
J
Parallel Port Connector 34  
Parallel Port Mode 66  
PCI 2.1 Support 64  
PCI Latency Timer 67  
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop 67  
PIO Mode 57  
Plug & Play O/S 75  
Ports. See Connectors  
Power Fan Speed 73  
Power Management 69  
Joystick Connector 35  
K
Keyboard  
Connector 33  
Keyboard Connector 33  
L
Language 59  
Leads  
PowerPlayer SE  
Using 87  
Chassis Intrusion 37  
IDE Activity LED 42  
Reset Switch 43  
System Message LED 43  
System Power LED 43  
Procedure  
CPU Installation 27  
Procedure  
Updating BIOS 48  
PS/2 Keyboard 33  
PS/2 Keyboard Connector 33  
PS/2 Mouse 33  
Legacy Diskette A 54  
Legacy Diskette B 54  
Load Setup Defaults 77  
M
PS/2 Mouse Connector 33  
PWR Button < 4 Secs 70  
PWR Up On Modem Act 71  
Maximum LBA Capacity 57  
MB Temperature 73  
Q
Memory Installation 26  
MIDI Connector 35  
Quick Power On Self Test 75  
Mouse  
Connector 33  
R
Mouse Connector 33  
Removable Device 74  
Reset Switch Lead 43  
Multi-Channel Audio 90  
Using 90  
Multi-Sector Transfers 57  
98  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
INDEX  
VGA BIOS Sequence 68  
Video Off Method 70  
Video Off Option 70  
VideoLive Mail 87  
Using 87  
S
Save Changes 77  
SDRAM  
RAS Precharge Time 63  
SDRAM CAS Latency 63  
SDRAM Configuration 63  
Sector 57  
Serial Port Connectors 34  
SMART Monitoring 57  
SMBus Connector 40  
Starting Up 45  
Voltage  
+12 73  
+3.3 73  
+5 73  
-12 73  
-5 73  
VCORE 73  
Supervisor Password 59  
Suspend Mode 70  
Suspend-to-RAM Capability 70  
SYMBIOS SCSI BIOS 67  
System Date 54  
System Message LED Lead 43  
System Power LED Lead 43  
System Time 54  
W
Wake On LAN 71  
Wake On PS2 KB/PS2 Mouse/CIR 72  
Wake-On-LAN Connector 39  
Wake-On-Ring Connector 39  
T
Thermal Sensor Connector 44  
Translation Method 56  
Type 55  
U
UART2 Use Standard Infrared 65  
Ultra DMA Mode 57  
Updating Your BIOS 47  
USB Function 68  
USB Headers 40  
USB Legacy Support 61  
USB Ports 34  
Using  
ASUS PC Probe 81  
ASUS Update 89  
PowerPlayer SE 87  
V
VCORE Voltage 73  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  
99  
NOTES  
100  
ASUS A7A266 Users Manual  

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