Asus A8N E User Manual

A8N-E

Contents

Notices................................................................................................ vi

Safety information ............................................................................. vii

About this guide ............................................................................... viii

How this guide is organized .................................................. viii

Where to find more information ............................................ viii

Conventions used in this guide ............................................... ix

Typography......................................................................................... ix

A8N-E specifications summary ............................................................ x

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.1

Special features.................................................................... 1-2

1.1.1

1.1.2

Product highlights................................................... 1-2

Innovative ASUS features ....................................... 1-4

1.2

1.3

Before you proceed .............................................................. 1-5

Motherboard overview.......................................................... 1-6

1.3.1

1.3.2

1.3.3

Placement direction ................................................ 1-6

Screw holes ............................................................ 1-6

Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-7

1.4

1.5

Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 1-8

1.4.1

1.4.2

1.4.3

Overview................................................................. 1-8

Installling the CPU ................................................... 1-8

Installing the heatsink and fan..............................1-10

System memory .................................................................1-13

1.5.1

1.5.2

1.5.3

1.5.4

Overview............................................................... 1-13

Memory Configurations.........................................1-13

Installing a DIMM ...................................................1-15

Removing a DIMM .................................................1-15

1.6

Expansion slots...................................................................1-16

1.6.1

1.6.2

1.6.3

1.6.4

1.6.5

1.6.6

Installing an expansion card..................................1-16

Configuring an expansion card..............................1-16

Interrupt assignments ..........................................1-17

PCI slots................................................................1-17

PCI Express x16 slot .............................................1-18

PCI Express x1 slot ...............................................1-18

iii

Contents

1.7

1.8

Jumpers ..............................................................................1-18

Connectors .........................................................................1-20

1.8.1

1.8.2

Rear panel connectors ..........................................1-20

Internal connectors...............................................1-22

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.1

Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 2-2

2.1.1

2.1.2

2.1.3

2.1.4

Creating a bootable floppy disk.............................. 2-2

Updating the BIOS .................................................. 2-3

Saving the current BIOS file.................................... 2-5

ASUS EZ Flash utility .............................................. 2-6

2.2

BIOS setup program ............................................................. 2-7

2.2.1

2.2.2

2.2.3

2.2.4

2.2.5

2.2.6

2.2.7

2.2.8

BIOS menu screen................................................... 2-8

Menu bar................................................................. 2-8

Legend bar ............................................................. 2-9

Menu items ............................................................. 2-9

Sub-menu items ..................................................... 2-9

Configuration fields ................................................ 2-9

Pop-up window .....................................................2-10

General help..........................................................2-10

2.3

Main menu ..........................................................................2-11

2.3.1

2.3.2

2.3.3

2.3.4

2.3.5

2.3.6

2.3.7

2.3.8

System Time.........................................................2-11

System Date .........................................................2-11

Language ..............................................................2-11

Legacy Diskette A ................................................2-11

Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave.............2-12

First, Second, Third, Fourth SATA Master ............2-14

HDD SMART Monitoring ........................................2-15

Installed Memory ..................................................2-15

2.4

Advanced menu..................................................................2-16

2.4.1 CPU Configuration.................................................2-16

i v

Contents

2.4.2

2.4.3

PCIPnP...................................................................2-19

Onboard Devices Configuration ............................2-20

2.5

2.6

Power menu........................................................................2-24

2.5.1

2.5.2

2.5.3

2.5.4

ACPI Suspend Type...............................................2-24

ACPI APIC Support ................................................ 2-24

APM Configuration ................................................ 2-25

Hardware Monitor .................................................2-27

Boot menu..........................................................................2-28

2.6.1

2.6.2

2.6.3

2.6.4

2.6.5

2.6.6

Boot Device Priority.............................................. 2-28

Removable Drives .................................................2-29

Hard Disk Drives ...................................................2-29

CDROM Drives .......................................................2-29

Boot Settings Configuration .................................2-30

Security ................................................................2-31

2.7

Exit menu ...........................................................................2-33

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to

the following two conditions:

•

This device may not cause harmful interference, and

This device must accept any interference received including interference

that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a

Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are

designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio

frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with

manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not

occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful

interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by

turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct

the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected.

•

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

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

card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or

modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party

responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate

this equipment.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise

emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference

Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian

ICES-003.

v i

Safety information

Electrical safety

•

To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the

electrical outlet before relocating the system.

When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the

power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are

connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing

system before you add a device.

•

Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,

ensure that all power cables are unplugged.

Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord.

These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.

Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your

area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are

using, contact your local power company.

•

If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a

qualified service technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

•

Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read

all the manuals that came with the package.

•

Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected

and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage,

contact your dealer immediately.

•

To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from

connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.

Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the

product in any area where it may become wet.

•

Place the product on a stable surface.

If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified

service technician or your retailer.

vii

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and

configuring the motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This manual contains the following parts:

•

Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new

technology it supports. It also lists the hardware setup procedures

that you have to perform when installing system components. It

includes description of the jumpers and connectors on the

motherboard.

•

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS

Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also

provided.

Where to find more information

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product

and software updates.

1 . Websites

Visit the TARGA^®website (www.targa-online.com) to download the

latest BIOS for this motherboard. Use ONLY the TARGA^®OEM BIOS

when updating the motherboard BIOS. Other BIOS updates may

corrupt the BIOS ROM.

2 . Optional documentation

Your product package may include optional documentation, such as

warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These

documents are not part of the standard package.

viii

Conventions used in this guide

To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the

following symbols used throughout this manual.

DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself

when trying to complete a task.

CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components

when trying to complete a task.

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a

task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a

task.

Typography

Bold text

Italics

Indicates a menu or an item to select

Used to emphasize a word or a phrase

<Key>

Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign means

that you must press the enclosed key

Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or

Return key

<Key1+Key2+Key3>

If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the

key names are linked with a plus sign (+)

Example: <Ctrl+Alt+D>

Command

Means that you must type the command exactly as shown,

then supply the required item or value enclosed in

brackets

Example: At the DOS prompt, type the command line:

awdflash A8NE.ROM

i x

A8N-E specifications summary

CPU

Socket 939 for AMD Athlon™ 64FX/AMD Athlon™ 64

processor

Supports AMD 64 architecture that enables simultaneous

32-bit and 64-bit architecture

Supports AMD^®Cool ‘n’ Quiet! Technology

Chipset

Memory

NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4 standard

Dual-channel memory architecture

4 x 184-pin DIMM sockets support non-ECC

unbufferred 400/333 MHz DDR memory modules

Supports up to 4 GB system memory

Expansion slots

Storage

1 x PCI Express x16 slots

2 x PCI Express x1 slots

1 x PCI Express x4 slot

3 x PCI slots

NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4 standard chipset supports:

- 2 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33

- 4 x Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s drives

RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 1+0

Special features

ASUS Q-Fan

ASUS Multi-language BIOS

1 x Floppy disk drive connector

2 x IDE connectors

4 x Serial ATA connectors

1 x CPU fan connector

Internal

1 x Power fan connector

connectors

2 x Chassis fan connector

1 x Serial port connector (COM port)

1 x 24-pin ATX power connector

1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector

3 x USB 2.0 connectors for 6 additional USB 2.0 ports

1 x Internal audio connectors (CD\AUX)

1 x GAME/MIDI connector

1 x Chassis intrusion connector

1 x Front panel audio connector

Intel panel connector

1 x IEEE 1394a connector (Optional)

(continued on the next page)

A8N-E specifications summary

LAN

NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4 built-in Gigabit MAC with external

Marvell^®PHY supports

AI Audio

Realtek^®ALC850 8-channel CODEC

1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port

1 x Optical S/PDIF out port

USB

Supports up to 10 USB 2.0 ports

IEEE 1394

Optional T1 controller supports:

- 2 x IEEE 1394a port

Rear panel

1 x Parallel port

1 x LAN (RJ-45) port

4 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x Optical S/PDIF out port

1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port

1 x PS/2 keyboard port

1 x PS/2 mouse port

8-channel audio ports

1 x IEEE 1394a port (Optional)

BIOS features

4 Mb Flash ROM, Phoenix-Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0,

WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3

Power

ATX power supply (with 24-pin and 4-pin 12 V plugs)

ATX 12 V 2.0 compliant

Requirement

Form Factor

ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

x i

xii

This chapter describes the motherboard

features and the new technologies

it supports.

Product

introduction

ASUS A8N-E

1-1

1.1

Special features

1.1.1 Product highlights

Latest processor technology

The AMD Athlon™ 64FX and Athlon™ 64 desktop processors are based on

AMD’s 64-bit and 32-bit architecture, which represents the landmark

introduction of the industry’s first x86-64 technology. These processors

provide a dramatic leap forward in compatibility, performance, investment

protection, and reduced total cost of ownership and development. See

page 1-10.

AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology

The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology that

dynamically and automatically changes the CPU speed, voltage and amount

of power depending on the task the CPU performs. See pages 2-22, 3-31.

HyperTransport™ Technology

HyperTransport™ Technology is a high-speed, low latency, point-to-point

link designed to increase the communication speed between integrated

circuits in computers, networking and telecommunicatons equipment up to

48 times faster than other existing technologies.

Dual Channel DDR memory support

Employing the Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology, the

motherboard supports up to 4GB of system memory using DDR400/333/

266 DIMMs. The ultra-fast 400MHz memory bus delivers the required

bandwidth for the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications.

See page 1-15.

Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s technology

The motherboard supports the next-generation Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s

technology through the Serial ATA interfaces and the NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4

standard chipset. Additionally, Serial ATA allows thinner, more flexible

cables with lower pin count, and reduced voltage requirement. See pages 1-

25.

1-2

Chapter 1: Product introduction

RAID solution

The NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4 standard RAID controller onboard provides the

motherboard with RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 1+0 and JBOD configuration for

four SATA and two PATA connectors. See page 3-21 for details.

PCI Express™ interface

The motherboard fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect

technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point

serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by

carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible with

existing PCI specifications. See page 1-20 for details.

S/PDIF digital sound ready

The motherboard supports the S/PDIF Out function through the S/PDIF

interfaces on the rear panel. The S/PDIF technology turns your computer into

a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful audio

and speaker systems. See page 1-23 for details.

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the

12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is

backward compatible with USB 1.1. See page 1-23 and 1-27 for details.

Temperature, fan, and voltage monitoring

The CPU temperature is monitored by the ASIC (integrated in the Winbond

Super I/O) to prevent overheating and damage. The system fan rotations

per minute (RPM) is monitored for timely failure detection. The ASIC

monitors the voltage levels to ensure stable supply of current for critical

components. See section “2.5.4 Hardware Monitor” on page 2-35.

ASUS A8N-E

1-3

1.1.2 Innovative ASUS features

ASUS Q-Fan technology

The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to

the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation. See page

2-35 for details.

ASUS Multi-language BIOS

The multi-language BIOS allows you to select the language of your choice

from the available options. The localized BIOS menus allow you to configure

easier and faster. See page 2-16 for details.

1-4

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.2

Before you proceed

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard

components or change any motherboard settings.

•

Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any

component.

Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to

a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling

components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity

•

Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.

Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded

antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.

•

Before you install or remove any component, ensure

that the ATX power supply is switched off or the

power cord is detached from the power supply. Failure

to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals,

and/or components.

Onboard LEDs

The motherboard comes with a green standby power LED that lights

up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off

mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and

unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any

motherboard component.

A8N-E

SB_PWR

OFF

Standby

Power

Powered

Off

A8N-E Onboard LED

ASUS A8N-E

1-5

1.3

Motherboard overview

Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis

to ensure that the motherboard fits into it.

Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the

motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage

motherboard components.

1.3.1 Placement direction

When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the

chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the

rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below.

1.3.2 Screw holes

Place nine (9) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the

motherboard to the chassis.

Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.

Place this side towards

the rear of the chassis

A8N-E

1-6

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.3.3 Motherboard layout

24.5cm (9.6in)

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse

B: Keyboard

CPU_FAN

CHA2_FAN

ATX12V

SPDIF_O

SPDIF_O2

USB12

LAN1_USB34

Top:Rear Speaker Out

Center:

Side Speaker Out

Below:

AUX

Center/Subwoofer

Marvell

88E1115

Top:Line In

Center:Line Out

Bottom:Mic In

PWR_FAN

FP_AUDIO

PCIEX16_1

ACL850

PCIEX1_1

PCIEX1_2

nForce4

standard

A8N-E

PCIEX4_1

SATA2

SATA4

SATA1

PCI1

PCI2

PCI3

SATA3

CR2032 3V

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

Super

I/O

CHA1_FAN

TSB43AB22A

CLRTC

CHASSIS

GAME

F_PANEL

COM1

USB78

USB56

USB910

IE1394_1

SB_PWR

ASUS A8N-E

1-7

1.4

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

1.4.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with a surface mount 939-pin Zero Insertion Force

(ZIF) socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ 64FX, AMD Athlon 64™ or AMD

Sempron™ processor.

The 128-bit-wide data paths of these processors can run applications

faster than processors with only 32-bit or 64-bit wide data paths.

Take note of the marked corner (with

gold triangle) on the CPU. This mark

should match a specific corner on the

socket to ensure correct installation.

Gold triangle

1.4.2 Installling the CPU

To install a CPU:

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

A8N-E

A8N-E CPU Socket 939

Before installing the CPU, make sure that the socket box is facing

towards you and the load lever is on your left.

1-8

Chapter 1: Product introduction

2. Unlock the socket by pressing

the lever sideways, then lift it up

to a 90°-100° angle.

Socket Lever

Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise

the CPU does not fit in completely.

3. Position the CPU above the

socket such that the CPU corner

with the gold triangle matches

the socket corner with a small

triangle.

4. Carefully insert the CPU into the

socket until it fits in place.

Gold triangle

Small triangle

The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into

the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!

5. When the CPU is in place, push

down the socket lever to secure

the CPU. The lever clicks on the

side tab to indicate that it is

locked.

ASUS A8N-E

1-9

1.4.3 Installing the heatsink and fan

The AMD Athlon™ 64FX or AMD Athlon 64™ processor require a specially

designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition

and performance.

Make sure that you use only qualified heatsink and fan assembly.

Follow these steps to install the CPU heatsink and fan.

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure that the

heatsink fits properly on the retention module base.

•

The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard

upon purchase.

You do not have to remove the retention module base when

installing the CPU or installing other motherboard components.

If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, make

sure that a Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU

heatsink or CPU before you install the heatsink and fan assembly.

CPU Fan

CPU Heatsink

Retention Module Base

Retention bracket

Retention bracket lock

Your boxed CPU heatsink and fan assembly should come with installation

instructions for the CPU, heatsink, and the retention mechanism. If the

instructions in this section do not match the CPU documentation, follow

the latter.

1-10

Chapter 1: Product introduction

2. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module

base.

3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the retention

bracket lock) to the retention module base. A clicking sound denotes

that the retention bracket is in place.

Make sure that the fan and

heatsink assembly perfectly

fits the retention mechanism

module base, otherwise you

cannot snap the retention

bracket in place.

4. Push down the retention bracket lock on the retention mechanism to

secure the heatsink and fan to the module base.

ASUS A8N-E

1-11

3. When the fan and heatsink assembly is in place, connect the CPU fan

cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.

CPU_FAN

A8N-E

A8N-E CPU fan connector

Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring

errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector.

1-12

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.5

System memory

1.5.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with four 184-pin Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual

Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.

The following figure illustrates the location of the sockets:

A8N-E

A8N-E 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets

Channel

Sockets

Channel A

Channel B

DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2

DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2

1.5.2 Memory Configurations

You may install 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB unbuffered or non-ECC DDR

DIMMs into the DIMM sockets using the memory configurations in this

section.

•

For dual-channel configuration, the total size of memory module(s)

installed per channel must be the same for better performance

(DIMM_A1+DIMM_A2=DIMM_B1+DIMM_B2).

•

When using one DDR DIMM module, install into DIMM_B1 slot only.

When using two DDR DIMM modules, install into DIMM_A1 and

DIMM_B1 slots only.

•

Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum

compatibility, it is recommended that you obtain memory modules

from the same vendor. Refer to the DDR400 Qualified Vendors List

on the next page for details.

•

Due to chipset resource allocation, the system may detect less than

4 GB of system memory when you installed four 1 GB DDR memory

modules.

Due to CPU limitation, DIMM modules with 128 Mb memory chips or

double-sided x16 memory chips are not supported in this

motherboard.

ASUS A8N-E

1-13

DDR400 Qualified Vendors List

D I M M s u p p o r t

S i z e

V e n d o r

M o d e l

B r a n d

S i d e ( s )

C o m p o n e n t

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

1024MB

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

256MB

512MB

1024MB

256MB

512MB

KINGSTON

SAMSUNG

MICRON

Infineon

CORSAIR

Hynix

KVR400X64C3A/256

KVR400X64C3A/512

KVR400X72C3A/256

KVR400X72C3A/512

KVR400X64C3A/256

KVR400X64C3A/512

KVR400X64C3A/256

KVR400X64C3A/512

HYB25D512800BE-5B

M381L3223ETM-CCC

M381L6423ETM-CCC

M368L3223ETM-CCC

M368L3223FTN-CCC

M368L6423FTN-CCC

M368L6523BTM-CCC

MT8VDDT3264AG-40BCB

MT16VDDT6464AG-40BCB

HYS64D32300HU-5-C

HYS64D64320HU-5-C

CMX256A-3200C2PT

VS512MB400

Hynix

Mosel

Infineon

KINGSTON

N/A

SAMSUNG

MICRON

Infineon

Winbond

VALUE seLecT

N/A

HY5DU56822BT-D43

V58C2256804SAT5(ECC)

HYB25D256800BT-5B

HYB25D256809BT-5B

D3208DL2T-5

•

D328DIB-50

KVR400X64C3A/1G

K4H560838E-TCCC(ECC)

K4H560838E-TCCC

K4H560838F-TCCC

K4H510838B-TCCC

MT46V32M8TG-5BC

HYB25D256800CE-5C

W942508BH-5

•

VS32M8-5

N/A

HY5DU56822DT-D43

TWINX2048-3200C2

HYMD232645D8J-D43

HYMD264646D8J-D43

•

Hynix

•

Hynix

Side(s): SS - Single-Sided

DIMM Support:

DS - Double-Sided

A - supports one module inserted into either the blue slots, in a Single-channel

memory configuration.

B - supports on pair of modules inserted into either the blue slots or the black slots

as one pair of Dual-channel memory configuration.

C - support for 4 modules inserted into the blue and black slots as two pairs of

Dual-channel memory configuration.

1-14

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.5.3 Installing a DIMM

Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs

or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage

to both the motherboard and the components.

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by

DDR DIMM notch

pressing the retaining clips

outward.

2. Align a DIMM on the socket such

that the notch on the DIMM

matches the break on the

socket.

Unlocked retaining clip

A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction.

DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the

socket until the retaining clips

snap back in place and the DIMM

is properly seated.

Locked Retaining Clip

1.5.4 Removing a DIMM

Follow these steps to remove a DIMM.

1. Simultaneously press the

retaining clips outward to unlock

the DIMM.

DDR DIMM notch

Support the DIMM lightly with your fingers when pressing the retaining

clips. The DIMM might get damaged when it flips out with extra force.

2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.

ASUS A8N-E

1-15

1.6

Expansion slots

In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following

sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support.

Make sure to unplug the power cord before adding or removing

expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and

damage motherboard components.

We recommended to install the memory modules first before installing a

PCI Express x16 card.

1.6.1 Installing an expansion card

To install an expansion card:

1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that

came with it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card.

2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already

installed in a chassis).

3. Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep

the screw for later use.

4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is

completely seated on the slot.

5. Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier.

6. Replace the system cover.

1.6.2 Configuring an expansion card

After installing the expansion card, configure the it by adjusting the

software settings.

1. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any.

See Chapter 2 for information on BIOS setup.

2. Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables on the next page.

3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

1-16

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.6.3 Interrupt assignments

Standard interrupt assignments

I R Q

Priority

Standard Function

System Timer

Keyboard Controller

–

Re-direct to IRQ#9

Communications Port (COM1)*

IRQ holder for PCI steering*

Floppy Disk Controller

Printer Port (LPT1)*

System CMOS/Real Time Clock

IRQ holder for PCI steering*

PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port*

Numeric Data Processor

Primary IDE Channel

Secondary IDE Channel

* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.

IRQ assignments for this motherboard

PCI slot 1

shared

—

shared

—

PCI slot 2

PCI slot 3

—

shared

—

Onboard USB 1.0 controller

Onboard USB 2.0 controller

Onboard LAN1

shared

—

When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support

“Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Otherwise,

conflicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system

unstable and the card inoperable.

1.6.4 PCI slots

The PCI slots support cards such as a

LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and

other cards that comply with PCI

specifications. The figure shows a

LAN card installed on a PCI slot.

ASUS A8N-E

1-17

1.6.5 PCI Express x16 slot

This motherboard supports PCI

Express x16 graphic cards that

comply with the PCI Express

specifications. The following figure

shows a graphics card installed on

the PCI Express x16 slot.

In Normal mode, only the PCI Express blue slot can be used for PCI

Express x16 graphics cards. The PCI Express black slot functions as a PCI

Express x1 slot.

1.6.6 PCI Express x1 slot

This motherboard supports PCI

Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards

and other cards that comply with the

PCI Express specifications. The figure

shows a network card installed on the

PCI Express x1 slot.

1.6.7 Universal PCIe slot (PCI Express x4 slot)

This motherboard provides a PCI

Express x4 slot that can support PCI

Express x1, x4, x8, or x16 cards. This

ASUS proprietary slot allows you to

use additional PCI Express cards

(e.g. graphics card) for twice the

speed of a PCI Express x1 slot.

The Universal PCIe slot

supports a total bandwidth of

1GB/s.

1-18

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.7

Jumpers

1 . Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)

This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in

CMOS. You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system

setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard

button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS, which include

system setup information such as system passwords.

To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Remove the onboard battery.

3. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep the

cap on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to

pins 1-2.

4. Re-install the battery.

5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.

6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS

setup to re-enter data.

Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on CLRTC

jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure!

CLRTC

A8N-E

Normal

Clear CMOS

(Default)

A8N-E Clear RTC RAM

ASUS A8N-E

1-19

1.8

Connectors

1.8.1 Rear panel connectors

1 . PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse.

2 . Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a scanner,

or other devices.

3 . LAN (RJ-45) port. Supported by the NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4 Gigabit

MAC with external Marvell^®PHY, this port allows Gigabit connection to

a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table

below for the LAN port LED indications.

LAN port LED indications

ACT/LINK SPEED

ACT/LINK LED

Status Description

SPEED LED

LED

Status

OFF

Description

OFF

No link

10 Mbps connection

100 Mbps connection

1 Gbps connection

GREEN

BLINKING

Linked

Data activity

ORANGE

GREEN

LAN port

4 . Rear Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the rear

speakers on a 4-channel, 6-channel, or 8-channel audio configuration.

5 . Side Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the side

speakers in an 8-channel audio configuration.

6 . Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD

player, or other audio sources.

7 . Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a

speaker. In 4-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel configuration, the

function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out.

8 . Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone.

9 . Center/Subwoofer port (yellow orange). This port connects

the center/subwoofer speakers.

1-20

Chapter 1: Product introduction

Refer to the audio configuration table below for the function of the

audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration.

Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration

Port

Headset

4-channel

6-channel

8-channel

2-channel

Light Blue

Lime

Pink

Line In

Line Out

Mic In

Line In

Front Speaker Out

Line In

Front Speaker Out

Mic In

Line In

Front Speaker Out

Mic In

Gray

Black

Yellow Orange

•

Rear Speaker Out

•

Center/Subwoofer

Rear Speaker Out

Side Speaker Out

Center/Subwoofer

•

10.

These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus

(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

11. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus

(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

12. IE1394_2 port. This 6-pin IEEE 1394a port provides high-speed

connectivity for audio/video devices, storage peripherals, PCs, or

portable devices.

13. Optical S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio

output device via an optical S/PDIF cable.

14. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio

output device via a coaxial S/PDIF cable.

15. PS/2 keyboard port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard.

ASUS A8N-E

1-21

1.8.2 Internal connectors

1 . Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)

This connector is for the provided floppy disk drive (FDD) signal cable.

Insert one end of the cable to this connector, then connect the other

end to the signal connector at the back of the floppy disk drive.

The Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable

connection when using an FDD cable with a covered Pin 5.

FLOPPY

NOTE: Orient the red markings on

the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.

A8N-E

PIN 1

A8N-E Floppy disk drive connector

2 .

(

)

These connectors are for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cables. The

Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable has three connectors: a blue

connector for the primary IDE connector on the motherboard, a black

connector for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE slave device (optical

drive/hard disk drive), and a gray connector for an Ultra DMA 133/

100/66 IDE master device (hard disk drive). If you install two hard disk

drives, you must configure the second drive as a slave device by setting

its jumper accordingly. Refer to the hard disk documentation for the

jumper settings.

•

The Pin 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole

on the Ultra DMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect insertion

when you connect the IDE cable.

•

Use the 80-conductor IDE cable for UltraDMA133/100/66 IDE devices.

A8N-E

NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE

ribbon cable to PIN 1.

PIN 1

A8N-E IDE connectors

1-22

Chapter 1: Product introduction

3 .

(7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4)

Supported by the NVIDIA^®nForce™ 4 standard chipset, these

connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA hard

disk drives that allows up to 1.5Gb/s of data transfer rate.

If you installed Serial ATA hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0,

RAID 1, RAID 1+0, or JBOD configuration that span across the Parallel

ATA drives. Refer to Chapter 5 for details on how to set up RAID

configurations.

These connectors are set to SATA by default. In SATA mode, you can

connect Serial ATA boot or data hard disk drives to these connectors. If

you intent to create a Serial ATA RAID set using these connectors,

enable the RAID function of each port from the NVRAID

Configuration sub-menu item in the BIOS. See section “2.4.3 Onboard

Devices Configuration” on pages 2-24 and 2-25 for details.

SATA2

SATA4

SATA1

SATA3

A8N-E

A8N-E SATA connectors

Important notes on Serial ATA

•

The actual data transfer rate depends on the speed of Serial ATA

hard disks installed.

•

See Appendix for instructions on how to install the Serial ATA

extension module.

ASUS A8N-E

1-23

4 .

(3-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA2_FAN, 3-pin PWR_FAN,

3-pin CHA1_FAN)

The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~2000mA (24 W

max.) or a total of 1A~3.48A (41.76 W max.) at +12V. Connect the

fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that

the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector.

•

Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack

of sufficient air flow inside the system may damage the

motherboard components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place

jumper caps on the fan connectors!

•

The ASUS Q-Fan function is supported using the CPU Fan (CPU_FAN)

and Chassis Fan 1 (CHA1_FAN) connectors only.

CPU_FAN

CHA2_FAN

PWR_FAN

CHA2_FAN

A8N-E

GND

PWR_FAN

+12V

Rotation

CHA1_FAN

GND

CHA1_FAN

+12V

A8N-E Fan connectors

Rotation

1-24

Chapter 1: Product introduction

5 .

(

)

This connector is for a serial (COM) port. Connect the serial port

module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot

opening at the back of the system chassis.

COM1

PIN 1

A8N-E

A8N-E COM port connector

6 . USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78, USB910)

These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB/GAME

module cable to any of these connectors, then install the module to a

slot opening at the back of the system chassis. These USB connectors

comply with USB 2.0 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps

connection speed.

A8N-E

USB78

USB56

USB910

A8N-E USB 2.0 connectors

Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will

damage the motherboard!

ASUS A8N-E

1-25

8 .

7 .

(

[

]

)

This connector is for an additional IEEE 1394a port. Connect the IEEE

1394a module cable (orange) to this connector, then install the

module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis.

A8N-E

IE1394_1

A8N-E IEEE 1394 connector

Never connect a USB port module cable to the IEEE 1394a

connector. Doing so will damage the motherboard!

(24-pin EATXPWR1, 4-pin ATX12V1)

These connectors are for an ATX power supply plugs. The power

supply plugs are designed to fit these connectors in only one

orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the

connectors completely fit.

•

Use of a power supply unit (PSU) with a higher power output is

recommended when configuring a system with more power-

consuming devices. The system may become unstable or may not

boot up if the power is inadequate.

•

Make sure that your PSU can provide at least the minimum power

required by your system.

EATXPWR

ATX12V

+12V DC GND

+3 Volts

-12 Volts

Ground

PSON#

Ground

-5 Volts

+5 Volts

Ground

+3 Volts

Ground

+5 Volts

Ground

+12V DC GND

A8N-E

+5 Volts

Ground

Power OK

+5V Standby

+12 Volts

+3 Volts

A8N-E ATX power connectors

1-26

Chapter 1: Product introduction

9 .

(

)

These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound

sources such as a CD-ROM, TV-tuner, or MPEG card.

(black)

AUX

(white)

Right Audio Channel

Ground

Left Audio Channel

A8N-E

A8N-E Internal audio connectors

The function of these connectors are disabled under 8-channel mode.

10. GAME/MIDI port connector (16-1 pin GAME)

This connector is for a GAME/MIDI port. Connect the USB/GAME

module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot

opening at the back of the system chassis. The GAME/MIDI port

connects a joystick or game pad for playing games, and MIDI devices

for playing or editing audio files.

A8N-E

GAME

A8N-E Game connector

ASUS A8N-E

1-27

12.

(

)

11.

(

)

This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection sensor or

switch. Connect one end of the chassis intrusion sensor or switch

cable to this connector. The chassis intrusion sensor or switch sends a

high-level signal to this connector when a chassis component is

removed or replaced. The signal is then generated as a chassis

intrusion event.

By default, the pins labeled “Chassis Signal” and “Ground” are shorted

with a jumper cap. Remove the jumper caps only when you intend to

use the chassis intrusion detection feature. See related BIOS item in

page 2-42.

A8N-E

CHASSIS

(Default)

A8N-E Chassis intrusion connector

This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module

that supports legacy AC ‘97 audio standard. Connect one end of the

front panel audio I/O module cable to this connector.

FP_AUDIO

BLINE_OUT_L

Line out_L

BLINE_OUT_R

+5VA

Line out_R

MICPWR

MIC2

A8N-E

AGND

A8N-E Front panel audio connector

1-28

Chapter 1: Product introduction

13.

(

)

This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.

PLED PWRSW

F_PANEL

A8N-E

IDE_LED RESET

Requires an ATX power supply.

A8N-E System panel connector

•

System power LED (2-pin PLED)

This 3-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the

chassis power LED cable to this connector. The system power LED

lights up when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the

system is in sleep mode.

ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWRSW)

This connector is for the system power button. Pressing the power

button turns the system on or puts the system in sleep or soft-off

mode depending on the BIOS settings. Pressing the power switch for

more than four seconds while the system is ON turns the system OFF.

•

Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDELED)

This 2-pin connector is for the HDD Activity LED. Connect the HDD

Activity LED cable to this connector. The IDE LED lights up or flashes

when data is read from or written to the HDD.

Reset button (2-pin RESET)

This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for

system reboot without turning off the system power.

ASUS A8N-E

1-29

1-30

Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter tells how to change

the system settings through the BIOS

Setup menus. Detailed descriptions

of the BIOS parameters are also

provided.

BIOS setup

ASUS A8N-E

2-1

2.1

Managing and updating your BIOS

The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup.

1. Award BIOS Flash Utility (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a

bootable floppy disk.)

2. ASUS EZ Flash (Updates the BIOS in DOS using a floppy disk.)

Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.

Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS file to a bootable floppy

disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original

motherboard BIOS using the AwardBIOS Flash utilities.

2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk

1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable floppy disk.

DOS environment

a. Insert a 1.44MB floppy disk into the drive.

b. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/S then press <Enter>.

Windows^®XP environment

a. Insert a 1.44 MB floppy disk to the floppy disk drive.

b. Click Start from the Windows^®desktop, then select M y

Computer.

c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.

d. Click File from the menu, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2

Floppy Disk window appears.

e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format

options field, then click Start.

Windows^®2000 environment

To create a set of boot disks for Windows^®2000:

a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB floppy disk into the drive.

b. Insert the Windows^®2000 CD to the optical drive.

2-2

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

c. Click

d. From the Open field, type

D:\bootdisk\makeboot a:

t, then select

assuming that D: is your optical drive.

e. Press <Enter>, then follow screen instructions to continue.

2. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS file to the bootable

floppy disk.

2.1.2 Updating the BIOS

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the

AwardBIOS Flash Utility. Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using

this utility.

1. Download the latest BIOS file from the Targa web site. Rename the file

to A8N-E.BIN and save it to a floppy disk.

Save only the updated BIOS file in the floppy disk to avoid loading the

wrong BIOS file.

2. Copy the AwardBIOS Flash Utility (awdflash.exe) to the floppy disk

with the latest BIOS file.

3. Boot the system in DOS mode using the bootable floppy disk you

created earlier.

4. When the A:> appears, replace the bootable floppy disk with the

floppy disk containing the new BIOS file and the Award BIOS Flash

Utility.

5. At the prompt, type

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

awdflash then press

<Enter>. The Award

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

BIOS Flash Utility screen

appears.

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program:

Message: Please input File Name!

ASUS A8N-E

2-3

6. Type the BIOS file name

in the File Name to

Program field, then

press <Enter>.

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program: 1001.bin

Message: Do You Want To Save Bios (Y/N)

7. Press <N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS file.

The following screen appears.

8. The utility verifies the

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

BIOS file in the floppy

disk and starts flashing

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program: 1001.bin

Program Flashing Memory - OFE00 OK

the BIOS file.

Write OK

No Update

Write Fail

Warning: Don’t Turn Off Power Or Reset System!

Do not turn off or reset the system during the flashing process!

9. The utility displays a

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

Flashing Complete

message indicating that

you have successfully

flashed the BIOS file.

Remove the floppy disk

then press <F1> to

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program: 1001.bin

Flashing Complete

Press <F1> to Continue

restart the system.

Write OK

F1 Reset

No Update

Write Fail

2-4

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.1.3 Saving the current BIOS file

You can use the AwardBIOS Flash Utility to save the current BIOS file. You

can load the current BIOS file when the BIOS file gets corrupted during the

flashing process.

Make sure that the floppy disk has enough disk space to save the file.

To save the current BIOS file using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility:

1. Follow steps 1 to 6 of

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

the previous section.

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

2. Press <Y> when the

utility prompts you to

save the current BIOS

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program: 1001.bin

file. The following screen Save current BIOS as:

appears.

Message:

3. Type a filename for the

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

current BIOS file in the

Save current BIOS

as field, then press

<Enter>.

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program: 1001.bin

Checksum: DAD6H

Save current BIOS as: old.bin

Message: Please Wait!

4. The utility saves the

current BIOS file to the

floppy disk, then returns

to the BIOS flashing

process.

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

File Name to Program: 1001.bin

Now Backup System BIOS to

File!

Message: Please Wait!

ASUS A8N-E

2-5

2.1.4 ASUS EZ Flash utility

The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to update the BIOS without having to

go through the long process of booting from a floppy disk and using a

DOS-based utility. The EZ Flash utility is built-in the BIOS chip so it is

accessible by pressing <Alt> + <F2> during the Power-On Self Tests

(POST).

To update the BIOS using EZ Flash:

1. Visit the Targa website (www.targa-online.com) to download the

latest BIOS file for the motherboard.

2. Save the BIOS file to a floppy disk, then restart the system.

3. Press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.

Insert Disk then press Enter or ESC to continue POST

4. Insert the floppy disk

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.01

that contains the BIOS

file to the floppy disk

For NF-KC804-A8N-E-00

DATE: 11/18/2004

Flash Type - SST 49LF004A/B /3.3V

drive then press

<Enter>. The following

screen appears.

File Name to Program:

Message: Please wait...

5. When the correct BIOS file is found, EZ Flash performs the BIOS

update process and automatically reboots the system when done.

Do not shutdown or reset the system while updating the BIOS to

prevent system boot failure!

2-6

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.2

BIOS setup program

This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) chip that

you can update using the provided utility described in section “2.1

Managing and updating your BIOS.”

Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard,

reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup”. This section

explains how to configure your system using this utility.

Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you can change

the configuration of your computer in the future. For example, you can

enable the security password feature or change the power management

settings. This requires you to reconfigure your system using the BIOS

Setup program so that the computer can recognize these changes and

record them in the CMOS RAM of the LPC chip.

The LPC chip on the motherboard stores the Setup utility. When you start

up the computer, the system provides you with the opportunity to run this

program. Press <Del> during the Power-On Self-Test (POST) to enter the

Setup utility; otherwise, POST continues with its test routines.

If you wish to enter Setup after POST, restart the system by pressing

<Ctrl+Alt+Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis.

You can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this

last option only if the first two failed.

The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. Being

a menu-driven program, it lets you scroll through the various sub-menus

and make your selections from the available options using the navigation

keys.

•

The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most

conditions to ensure optimum performance. If the system becomes

unstable after changing any BIOS settings, load the default settings

to ensure system compatibility and stability. Select the Load

Default Settings item under the Exit Menu. See section “2.7 Exit

Menu.”

•

The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference

purposes only, and may not exactly match what you see on your

screen.

Visit the Targa website (www.targa-online.com) to download the

latest BIOS file for this motherboard and .

ASUS A8N-E

2-7

2.2.1 BIOS menu screen

Menu items

Menu bar

Configuration fields

General help

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

System Time

System Date

15 : 30 : 36

Select Menu

Wed, Nov 5 2005

Item Specific Help

Legacy Diskette A:

[1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Change the internal

time.

Primary IDE Master

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

First SATA Master

Second SATA Master

Third SATA Master

Fourth SATA Master

HDD SMART Monitoring

[ST321122A]

[ASUS CD-S520/]

[None]

[Disabled]

Installed Memory

Usable Memory

512MB

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑

↓

: Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

Sub-menu items

Legend bar

2.2.2 Menu bar

The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:

Main For changing the basic system configuration

Advanced For changing the advanced system settings

Power

For changing the advanced power management (APM)

configuration

Boot

Exit

For changing the system boot configuration

For selecting the exit options and loading default settings

To select an item on the menu bar, press the right or left arrow key on the

keyboard until the desired item is highlighted.

•

The BIOS setup screens shown in this chapter are for reference

purposes only, and may not exactly match what you see on your

screen.

Visit the Targa website (www.targa-online.com) to download the

latest BIOS.

2-8

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.2.3 Legend bar

At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar. The keys in the legend

bar allow you to navigate through the various setup menus. The following

table lists the keys found in the legend bar with their corresponding

functions.

Navigation Key

<F1>

<F5>

Function

Displays the General Help screen

Loads setup default values

<Esc>

Exits the BIOS setup or returns to the main menu

from a sub-menu

Left or Right arrow

Up or Down arrow

Selects the menu item to the left or right

Moves the highlight up or down between fields

Page Down or – (minus) Scrolls backward through the values for the

highlighted field

Page Up or + (plus)

Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted

field

<Enter>

<F10>

Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted field

Saves changes and exit

2.2.4 Menu items

The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specific items for that

menu. For example, selecting Main shows the Main menu items.

The other items (Advanced, Power, Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have

their respective menu items.

2.2.5 Sub-menu items

A solid triangle before each item on any menu screen means that the iteam

has a sub-menu. To display the sub-menu, select the item and press

<Enter>.

2.2.6 Configuration fields

These fields show the values for the menu items. If an item is

user-configurable, you can change the value of the field opposite the item.

You cannot select an item that is not user-configurable.

A configurable field is enclosed in brackets, and is highlighted when

selected. To change the value of a field, select it then press <Enter> to

display a list of options. Refer to “2.2.7 Pop-up window.”

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2.2.7 Pop-up window

Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with

the configuration options for that item.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

System Time

System Date

15 : 30 : 36

Select Menu

Wed, Nov 5 2005

Item Specific Help

Legacy Diskette A:

[1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Specifies the capacity

and physical size of

diskette drive A.

Legacy Diskette A:

[ST321122A]

Primary IDE Master

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

First SATA Master

Second SATA Master

Third SATA Master

Fourth SATA Master

HDD SMART Monitoring

[ASUS CDS520/A]

Disabled

..... [ ]

[None]

720K , 3.5 in.

[None]

1.44M, 3.5 in.

[None]

[Disabled]

↑↓ :Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Installed Memory

Usable Memory

256MB

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

→←: Select Menu

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

Pop-up menu

2.2.8 General help

At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the

selected item.

2-10

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.3

Main menu

When you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears,

giving you an overview of the basic system information.

Refer to section “2.2.1 BIOS menu screen” for information on the menu

screen items and how to navigate through them.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

System Time

System Date

15 : 30 : 36

Select Menu

Wed, Nov 5 2004

Item Specific Help

Legacy Diskette A:

[1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Change the internal

time.

Primary IDE Master

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

First SATA Master

Second SATA Master

Third SATA Master

Fourth SATA Master

HDD SMART Monitoring

[ST321122A]

[ASUS CD-S520/]

[None]

[Disabled]

Installed Memory

Usable Memory

512MB

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑

↓

: Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

2.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xxxx]

Allows you to set the system time.

2.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx]

Allows you to set the system date.

2.3.3 Language [English]

Allows you to choose the BIOS language version from the options.

Configuration options: [Français] [German] [English]

2.3.4 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Sets the type of floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [Disabled]

[360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

[2.88M, 3.5 in.]

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2.3.5 Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave

While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE

devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each IDE device. Select a device

item then press <Enter> to display the IDE device information.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Primary IDE Master

Select Menu

Primary IDE Master

[Auto]

Item Specific Help

Access Mode

Press [Enter] to

select

Capacity

82 GB

Cylinder

Head

Sector

39420

255

PIO Mode

UDMA Mode

Transfer Mode

[Auto]

UDMA 6

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items

(Capacity, Cylinder, Head, Sector and Transfer Mode). These values are not

user-configurable. These items show N/A if no IDE device is installed in the

system.

PIO Mode

Sets the PIO mode for the IDE device.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode 2] [Mode 3]

[Mode 4]

UDMA Mode

Disables or sets the UDMA mode. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto]

IDE Primary Master/Slave [Auto]; IDE Secondary Master/

Slave [Auto]

Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic

detection is successful, the BIOS automatically fills in the correct values for

the remaining fields on this sub-menu. If the hard disk was already

formatted on a previous system, the setup BIOS may detect incorrect

parameters. Select [Manual] to manually enter the IDE hard disk drive

parameters. If no drive is installed select [None].

Configuration options: [None] [Auto] [Manual]

2-12

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Access Mode [Auto]

The default [Auto] allows automatic detection of an IDE hard disk drive.

Select [CHS] for this item if you set the IDE Primary Master/Slave to

[Manual]. Configuration options: [CHS] [LBA] [Large] [Auto]

Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you have

the correct configuration information supplied by the drive

manufacturer. Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to

recognize the installed hard disk.

Capacity

Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity. This item is not

configurable.

Cylinder

Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not configurable.

Head

Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not

configurable.

Sector

Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not configurable.

Transfer Mode

Shows the Transfer mode. This item is not configurable.

After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk

utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives.

This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the hard disk.

Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk drives to

active.

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2.3.6 First, Second, Third, Fourth SATA Master

While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial

ATA devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each SATA device. Select a

device item then press <Enter> to display the SATA device information.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Primary IDE Master

Select Menu

Extended IDE Drive

Access Mode

[Auto]

Item Specific Help

Selects the type of

fixed disk connected

to the system.

Capacity

0 MB

Cylinder

Head

Precomp

Landing Zone

Sector

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items

(Capacity, Cylinder, Head, Precomp, Landing Zone and Sector). These

values are not user-configurable. These items show 0 if no SATA device is

installed in the system.

Extended Drive

Selects the type of fixed disk connected to the system.

Configuration options: [None] [Auto]

Access Mode

Sets the sector addressing mode. Configuration options: [Large] [Auto]

Before attempting to configure a hard disk drive, make sure you have

the correct configuration information supplied by the drive

manufacturer. Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to

recognize the installed hard disk.

Capacity

Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity. This item is not

configurable.

Cylinder

Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not configurable.

2-14

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Head

Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not

configurable.

Precomp

Shows the number of precomp per track. This item is not configurable.

Landing Zone

Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not configurable.

Sector

Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not configurable.

After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk

utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives.

This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the hard disk.

Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk drives to

active.

2.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring

Allows you to enable or disable the HDD Self-Monitoring Analysis and

Reporting Technology (SMART) feature.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2.3.8 Installed Memory

Shows the size of installed memory.

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2.4

Advanced menu

The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU

and other system devices.

Take caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items.

Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

CPU Configuration

PCIPnP

Onboard Device Configuration

Select Menu

Item Specific Help

Press Enter to Set

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

2.4.1 CPU Configuration

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

CPU Configuration

Select Menu

Item Specific Help

CPU Type

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+

CPU Speed

Cache RAM

2000MHz

512K

DRAM timing and

control

DRAM Configuration

Hyper Transport Frequency

AMD K8 Cool’n’Quiet control

[Auto]

[Disabled]

2-16

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

DRAM Configuration

The items in this sub-menu show the DRAM-related information

auto-detected by the BIOS.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

DRAM Configuration

Select Menu

Timing Mode

[Auto]

166Mhz

2.5

Item Specific Help

x Memclock index value (Mhz)

x CAS# latency (Tcl)

<Enter> to select DRAM

configuration by

Auto] is recommended.

[Manual] allows you to

set each

x Min RAS# active time (Tras)

x RAS# to CAS# delay (Trcd)

x Row precharge Time (Trp)

x Row cycle Time (Trc)

10T

x Row refresh cyc Time (Trfc)

x Read-to Write Time (Trwt)

x Write Recovery Time (Twr)

x 1T/2T Memory Timing

12T

configuration on your

own.

S/W DRAM Over 4C Remapping

[Enabled]

Timing Mode [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]

The following items are user-configurable only when Timing Mode item is

set to [Manual].

Memclock index value (Mhz) [200Mhz]

Set DRAM Frequency. Configuration options: [100Mhz] [133Mhz]

[166Mhz][200Mhz]

CAS# latency (Tcl) [3]

Set the latency between the DRAM command and the time the data

actually becomes available. Configuration options: [2.0] [2.5] [3.0]

Min RAS# active time (Tras) [8T]

Controls the number of DRAM clocks used for DRAM parameters.

Configuration options: [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

[15]

RAS# to CAS# delay (Trcd) [3T]

Controls the latency between the DRAM active command and the R/W

command. Configuration options: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

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2-17

Row precharge Time (Trp) [3T]

Controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to the

DRAM. Configuration options: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6][7]

Row cycle Time (Trc) [11T]

Set Row cycle timing. Configuration options: [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

[12] [13] [14] [15] [16][17][18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

Row refresh cyc Time (Trfc) [14T]

Set Row refresh cycle timing. Configuration options: [9] [10] [11]

[12] [13] [14] [15] [16][17][18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Read-to-Write Time (Trwt) [5T]

Set Write to Read delay timing. Configuration options: [1] [2] [3] [4]

[5] [6]

Write Recovery time (Twr) [3T]

Set Write Recovery timing. Configuration options: [2] [3]

1T/2T Memory Timing [2T]

Select DRAM commands and adress will be driven for 1 clock or 2

clock cycles. 2 clock cycles should only be set with unbuffered DIMMs.

Configuration options: [Auto] [1T] [2T]

S/W DRAM Over 4G Remapping [Enabled]

When 4G or More DRAM is installed. Memory block just below 4GB and

move it to above 4GB. Thus All 4GB can be used for OS supporting

PAE. Otherwise, some memory range are reserved for PCI.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Hyper Transport Frequency [Auto]

Sets the Hyper Transport frequency.

Configuration options: [Auto] [1x] [2x] [3x] [4x] [5x] [Auto]

AMD K8 Cool’n’Quiet control [Auto]

Enables or disables the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! technology.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-18

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.4.2 PCIPnP

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

PCIPnp

Advanced

Select Menu

Plug & Play O/S

Primary Display Adapter

[No]

[PCI]

Item Specific Help

Select Yes if you are

using a Plug and Play

capable operating

Resources Controlled By

x IRQ Resources

[Auto]

system Select No if

Plug & Play O/S [No]

When set to [No], the BIOS configures all the devices in the system. When

set to [Yes] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the

operating system configures the Plug and Play devices not required for

boot. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]

Resources Controlled By [Auto]

When set to [Auto], the BIOS automatically configures all the boot and

Plug and Play compatible devices. Set to [Manual] if you want to assign the

IRQ DMA and memory base address fields.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]

When the item Resources Controlled By is set to [Auto], the item IRQ

Resources is grayed out and not user-configurable. Refer to the section

“IRQ Resources” for information on how to enable this item.

IRQ Resources

This sub-menu is activated only when the Resources Controlled By

item is set to Manual.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

IRQ Resources

Select Menu

IRQ-3 assigned to

IRQ-4 assigned to

IRQ-5 assigned to

IRQ-7 assigned to

IRQ-9 assigned to

IRQ-10 assigned to

IRQ-11 assigned to

IRQ-12 assigned to

IRQ-14 assigned to

IRQ-15 assigned to

[PCI Device]

Item Specific Help

Legacy ISA for devices

compliant with the

original PC AT bus

specification, PCI/ISA

PnP for devices

compliant with the

IRQ-xx assigned to

When set to [PCI Device], the specific IRQ is free for use of PCI/PnP

devices. When set to [Reserved], the IRQ is reserved for legacy ISA

devices. Configuration options: [PCI Device] [Reserved]

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2-19

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], the pallete snooping feature informs the PCI

devices that an ISA graphics device is installed in the system so that the

latter can function correctly. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2.4.3 Onboard Devices Configuration

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

Onboard Device Configuration

Select Menu

Item Specific Help

Press [Enter] to set.

IDE Function Setup

NVRAID Configuration

USB Configuration

Onboard NV LAN

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

[Enabled]

[3F8/IRQ4]

[378/IRQ7]

[ECP+EPP]

[3]

Onboard LAN Boot ROM

AC97 Audio

PCI IEEE 1394a

Serial Port1 Address

Parallel Port Address

Parallel Port Mode

ECP MOde Use DMA

Game Port Address

[201]

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

→←: Select Menu

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

IDE Function Setup

This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then

press <Enter> to edit.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

Onboard Device Configuration

Select Menu

OnChip IDE Channel0

[Enabled]

Item Specific Help

OnChip IDE Channel1

IDE DMA transfer access

SATA Port 1, 2

SATA DMA transfer

SATA Port 3, 4

Disable/Enable OnChip

IDE Channel0

SATA2 DMA transfer

IDE Prefetch Mode

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onchip IDE channel 0 controller .

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

OnChip IDE Channel1 [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onchip IDE channel 1 controller .

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-20

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the IDE DMA transfer access.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

SATA Port 1, 2 [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the SATA 1 and 2 ports.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

SATA DMA access [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the SATA DMA transfer access.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

SATA Port 3, 4 [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the SATA 3 and 4 ports.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

SATA2 DMA transfer [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the SATA2 DMA transfer access.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the IDE prefetch mode.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

NVRAID Configuration

This sub-menu contains NVRAID function-related items. Select an item then

press <Enter> to edit.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

NVRAID Configuration

[Disabled]

Select Menu

RAID Enabled

Item Specific Help

x IDE Primary Master

x IDE Primary Slave

x IDE Secondary Master RAID

x IDE Secondary Slave RAID

x First SATA Master

x Second SATA Master

x Third SATA Master

x Fourth SATA Master

RAID

Disabled

Disable/Enable nVIDIA

RAID feature.

RAID

RAID Enabled [Disabled]

Enables or disables the onboard RAID controller. When Enabled, the

succeeding items becomes user-configurable.

Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

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2-21

IDE Primary, Secondary Master/Slave RAID [Disabled]

Enables or disables the RAID function of the primary or secondary master

or slave IDE. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

First, Second, Third, Fourth SATA Master RAID [Disabled]

Enables or disables the RAID function of the first, second, third or fourth

SATA master drive. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

USB Configuration

The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features.

Select an item then press <Enter> to display the configuration options.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

USB Configuration

Select Menu

USB Controller

USB2.0 Controller

USB Legacy support

[Enabled]

Item Specific Help

USB Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onchip USB controller.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

USB Legacy Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy

operating systems (OS). Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Onboard NV LAN [Enabled]

Enables or disables the onboard NVIDIA^®Gigabit LAN controller.

Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN boot ROM.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

AC97 Audio [Enabled]

Allows you to disable or enabled the onboard AC97 audio controller.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-22

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4]

Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [3F8/IRQ4] [3E8/IRQ4] [2E8/IRQ3]

Parallel Port Address [378/IRQ7]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [378/IRQ7] [278/IRQ5] [3BC/IRQ7]

Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode.

Configuration options: [Normal] [Bi-directional] [EPP] [ECP]

ECP Mode Use DMA [3]

Allows selection of ECP Mode. Configuration options: [1] [3]

Game Port Address [201]

Allows you to select the Game Port address or to disable the port.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [201] [209]

Midi Port Address [Disabled]

Allows you to select the Game Port address or to disable the port.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [330] [300]

Midi Port IRQ [10]

Allows you to set the Midi port IRQ address. Configuration options: [5] [10]

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2.5

Power menu

The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced

Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) and the Advanced Power

Management (APM). Select an item then press <Enter> to display the

configuration options.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

Select Menu

ACPI Suspend Type

ACPI APIC support

APM Configuration

Hardware Monitor

[S1&S3]

[Enabled]

Item Specific Help

Select the ACPI state

used for System

Suspend.

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

2.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

Allows you to select the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface

(ACPI) state to be used for system suspend.

Configuration options: [S1 (POS)] [S3(STR)] [S1&S3]

2.5.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced Configuration and Power

Interface (ACPI) support in the Application-Specific Integrated Circuit

(ASIC). When set to Enabled, the ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the

RSDT pointer list. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-24

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.5.3 APM Configuration

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Power

APM Configuration

Select Menu

Restore on AC Power Loss

[Disabled]

[Instant Off]

[Disabled]

Item Specific Help

PWR Button < 4 secs

Power On By PCI Devices

Power On By External Modems

Power-On by RTC Alarm

x Date (of Month)

Press [ENTER] to

select whether or not

to restart the system

after AC power loss.

x Time (hh:mm:ss)

0 :

0 : 0

Power Up By PS/2 Mouse

[Disabled]

Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

Restore on AC Power Loss [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Restore on AC Power Loss function.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off]

Allows you to set the event after the power button is pressed for more

than 4 seconds. Configuration options: [Suspend] [Instant-Off]

Power On By PCI Devices [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to turn on the system

through a PCI LAN or modem card. This feature requires an ATX power

supply that provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Power On By External Modems [Disabled]

This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the

computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in

Soft-off mode. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and

applications are fully running. Thus, connection cannot be made on the

first try. Turning an external modem off and then back on while the

computer is off causes an initialization string that turns the system

power on.

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Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event. When this

item is set to Enabled, the items Date of Month Alarm and Time (hh:mm:ss)

Alarm items become user-configurable with set values.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Day of Month Alarm [Disabled]

To set the date of alarm, highlight this item and press <Enter> to display

the Day of Month Alarm pop-up menu. Key-in a value within the specified

range then press <Enter>. Configuration options: [Min=0] [Max=31]

Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm [Disabled]

To set the time of alarm:

1. Highlight this item and press <Enter> to display a pop-up menu for the

hour field.

2. Key-in a value (Min=0, Max=23), then press <Enter>.

3. Press <TAB> to move to the minutes field then press <Enter>.

4. Key-in a minute value (Min=0, Max=59), then press <Enter>.

5. Press <TAB> to move to the seconds field then press <Enter>.

6. Key-in a value (Min=0, Max=59), then press <Enter>.

Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 mouse

to turn on the system. This feature requires an ATX power supply that

provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]

Allows you to disable the Power On by PS/2 keyboard function or set

specific keys on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. This feature

requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Space Bar] [Ctrl-ESC] [Power Key]

2-26

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.5.4 Hardware Monitor

The items in this sub-menu displays the hardware monitor values

automatically detected by the BIOS. It also allows you to change CPU Q-Fan

feature-related parameters. Select an item then press <Enter> to display

the configuration options.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Power

Hardware Monitor

Select Menu

Q-Fan Controller

Vcore Voltage

3.3V Voltage

5V Voltage

[Disabled]

Item Specific Help

1.40V

3.23V

Press [Enter] to

enable or disable

5.05V

11.71V

12V Voltage

CPU Temperature

M/B Temperature

35ºC

34ºC

CPU FAN Speed

2960 RPM

0 RPM

CHA1 FAN Speed

x CPU Target Temperature

CPU FAN Speed warning

72ºC

[1200 RPM]

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

→←: Select Menu

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

Q-Fan Controller [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Q-Fan controller.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

VCORE Voltage, +12V Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5VCC

Voltage

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output

through the onboard voltage regulators. These items are not

user-configurable.

CPU Temperature, M/B Temperature

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the

motherboard and CPU temperatures. These items are not user-configurable.

ASUS A8N-E

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CPU Target Temperature

Allows you to set the temperature threshold before the CPU fan rotates at

full speed. Configuration options: [51ºC] [54ºC] [57ºC] [60ºC] [63ºC]

[66ºC] [69ºC] [72ºC] [75ºC] [78ºC] [81ºC]

2.6

Boot menu

The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select

an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

Boot Device Priority

Removable Drives

Hard Disk Drives

CDROM Drives

Boot Settings Configuration

Security

Select Menu

Item Specific Help

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

2.6.1 Boot Device Priority

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Power

Boot Device Priority

Select Menu

Item Specific Help

1st Boot Device

2nd Boot Device

3rd Boot Device

4th Boot Device

[Removable]

[Hard Disk]

[CDROM]

Select your boot

device priority

[Disabled]

1st ~ xxth Boot Device [Removable]

These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available

devices. The number of device items that appears on the screen depends

on the number of devices installed in the system.

Configuration options: [Removable] [Hard Disk] [CDROM] [Legacy LAN]

[Disabled]

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Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.6.2 Removable Drives

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Boot

Removable Drives

Select Menu

1. Floppy Disks

Item Specific Help

1. Floppy Disks

Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system.

2.6.3 Hard Disk Drives

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Boot

Hard Disk Drives

Select Menu

1. 1st Master: XXXXXXXXX

2. Bootable Add-in Cards

Item Specific Help

1. 1st Master: XXXXXXXXX

Allows you to assign hard disk drives attached to the system.

2.6.4 CDROM Drives

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Boot

CDROM Drives

1. 1st Slave: XXXXXXXXX

Select Menu

Item Specific Help

1. 1st Slave: XXXXXXXXX

Allows you to assign optical drives attached to the system.

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2-29

2.6.5 Boot Settings Configuration

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Boot

Boot Settings Configuration

Select Menu

Case Open Warning

Quick Boot

[Enabled]

[On]

Item Specific Help

Boot Up Floppy Seek

Bootup Num-Lock

Press [Enter] to

enable or disable.

Typematic Rate Setting

x Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

x Typematic Delay (Msec)

OS Select For DRAM > 64MB

Full Screen LOGO

[Disabled]

250

[Non-OS2]

[Enabled]

[All Errors]

Halt On

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

Case Open Warning [Enabled]

Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to Enabled,

clears the chassis open status. Refer to section “2.7 Internal connectors”

for setting details. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Quick Boot [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the system quick boot feature. When

Enabled, the system skips certain tests while booting.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Boot Up Floppy Seek [Enabled]

Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to Enabled,

clears the chassis open status. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Bootup Num-Lock [On]

Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock.

Configuration options: [Off] [On]

Typematic Rate Setting [Disabled]

Allows you to set the keystroke rate. Enable this item to configure the

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and the Typematic Delay (Msec).

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The items Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and Typematic Delay

(Msec) becomes user-configurable only when the item Typematic Rate

Setting is enabled.

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Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6]

Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a

key. Configuration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30]

Typematic Delay (Msec) [250]

Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat.

Configuration options: [250] [500] [750] [1000]

OS Select for DRAM > 64MB [Non-OS2]

Set this item to OS2 only when you are running on an OS/2 operating

system with an installed RAM of greater than 64 KB.

Configuration options: [Non-OS2] [OS2]

Full Screen LOGO [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Halt On [All Errors]

Allows you to error report type.

Configuration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But Keyboard]

[All, But Diskette] [All, But Disk/Key]

2.6.6 Security

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Boot

Boot Settings Configuration

Select Menu

Supervisor Password

User Password

Password Check

Clear

Item Specific Help

Clear

[Setup]

Supervisor Password

User Password

These fields allow you to set passwords:

To set a password:

1. Select an item then press <Enter>.

2. Type in a password using a combination of a maximum of eight (8)

alpha-numeric characters, then press <Enter>.

ASUS A8N-E

2-31

3. When prompted, confirm the password by typing the exact characters

again, then press <Enter>. The password field setting is changed to

Set.

To clear the password:

1. Select the password field and press <Enter> twice. The following

message appears:

PASSWORD DISABLED !!!

Press any key to continue...

2. Press any key to continue. The password field setting is changed to

Clear.

A note about passwords

The Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program

preventing unauthorized access. The User password is required to

boot the system preventing unauthorized use.

Forgot your password?

If you forget your password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real

Time Clock (RTC) RAM. The RAM data containing the password

information is powered by the onboard button cell battery. If you need

to erase the CMOS RAM, refer to section “2.6 Jumpers” for

instructions.

Password Check

This field requires you to enter the password before entering the BIOS

setup or the system. Select [Setup] to require the password before

entering the BIOS Setup. Select [System] to require the password before

entering the system. Configuration options: [Setup] [System]

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Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.7

Exit menu

The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values

for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Advanced

Power

Boot

Exit

Select Menu

Exit & Save Changes

Exit & Discard Changes

Load Setup Default

Discard Changes

Item Specific Help

This option save data

to CMOS and exiting

the setup menu.

F1:Help

ESC: Exit

↑↓ : Select Item

-/+: Change Value

Enter: Select Sub-menu

F5: Setup Defaults

F10: Save and Exit

→←: Select Menu

Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the

options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit.

Exit & Save Changes

Once you are finished making your selections, choose this option from the

Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM.

An onboard backup battery sustains the CMOS RAM so it stays on even

when the PC is turned off. When you select this option, a confirmation

window appears. Select Yes to save changes and exit.

If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your changes,

the program prompts you with a message asking if you want to save

your changes before exiting. Press <Enter> to save the changes while

exiting.

Exit & Discard Changes

Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you

made to the Setup program. If you made changes to fields other than

System Date, System Time, and Password, the BIOS asks for a confirmation

before exiting.

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Load Setup Defaults

This option allows you to load the default values for each of the

parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you

press <F5>, a confirmation window appears. Select Yes to load default

values. Select Exit & Save Changes or make other changes before

saving the values to the non-volatile RAM.

Discard Changes

This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the

previously saved values. After selecting this option, a confirmation appears.

Select Yes to discard any changes and load the previously saved values.

2-34

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

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