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Asus A7V8X-MX User Manual

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  • Page 1 A7V8X-MX User Manual...
  • Page 2 Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Notices ....................... vi Safety information ..................v ASUS contact information ................vi A7V8X-MX specifications summary ............vii About this manual ..................viii Chapter 1 - Motherboard Info Welcome! ..................1-2 Package contents ................1-2 Special features ................1-2 Motherboard components .............. 1-4 Motherboard layout ................

  • Page 4: Notices

    Running the support CD ..........3-2 3.2.2 Drivers menu ..............3-3 3.2.3 Utilities menu ..............3-4 3.2.4 ASUS Contact Information ..........3-5 Notices Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: •...

  • Page 5: Canadian Department Of Communications Statement

    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. Safety information Electrical safety •...

  • Page 6: Asus Contact Information

    Technical Support Support Fax: +1-502-933-8713 General Support: +1-502-995-0883 Notebook Support: +1-877-918-ASUS (2787) Support Email: tsd@asus.com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria) Address: Harkort Str. 25, D-40880 Ratingen, Germany Website Address www.asuscom.de Online Contact: www.asuscom.de/sales Telephone: +49-2102-95990 General Fax: +49-2102-959911...

  • Page 7: A7V8X-Mx Specifications Summary

    A7V8X-MX specifications summary Socket A for AMD Athlon™XP up to 3200+ processor Thoroughbred/Barton core support Chipset VIA KM400 VIA VT8235 CE Front Side Bus (FSB) 333/266/200 MHz Memory 2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets support up to maximum 2 GB unbuffered PC2700/2100/1600 non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory.

  • Page 8: About This Manual

    Direct X Adobe Acrobat Reader ™ Trend Micro PC-cillin 2002 Accessories User Manual ASUS A7V8X-MX support CD UltraATA cable FDD cable I/O shield Form Factor Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in * Specifications are subject to change without notice.

  • Page 9: Product Introduction

    Chapter 1 This chapter describes the features of the A7V8X-MX motherboard. It includes brief descriptions of the motherboard components, and illustrations of the layout, jumper settings, and connectors. Product introduction...

  • Page 10: Welcome

    Thank you for buying the ASUS ® A7V8X-MX motherboard! The ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard is loaded with the most advanced technologies to deliver maximum performance for Socket A processors. This motherboard is packed with value-added features for guaranteed consumer satisfaction. The following sections provide important technical information about the motherboard for future upgrades or system reconfiguration.

  • Page 11: Integrated Graphics

    Integrated Graphics The A7V8X-MX motherboard is loaded with an integrated VIA Unichrome™ 2D/3D graphics core allowing efficient execution of multimedia applications and playback support for video and DVD. SoundMAX Digital Audio System The SoundMax Digital Audio System is the industry’s highest performance and most reliable audio solution for business professionals, audiophiles, musicians, and gamers.

  • Page 12: Motherboard Components

    Motherboard components Before you install the motherboard, learn about its major components and available features to facilitate the installation and future upgrades. Refer to the succeeding pages for the component descriptions. Chapter 1: Product Information...
  • Page 13 PS/2 mouse. Onboard LED. This onboard LED lights up if there is a standby power on the motherboard. This LED acts as a reminder to turn off the system power before plugging or unplugging devices. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...
  • Page 14 South bridge controller. The VIA VT8235 CE integrated peripheral South bridge controller communicates with the North bridge at rates of up to 533MB/s using the VIA 8X VLink Technology. The Southbridge controller provides efficient bandwith requirements for PCI, USB and support for LAN devices.

  • Page 15: Motherboard Layout

    Below:Mic In Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP1) ® PCI1 VT6103 VT8235CE A7V8X-MX South Bridge PCI2 CHA_FAN1 CR2032 3V Super Lithium Cell CMOS Power SPDIF PCI3 AD1980 CLRTC CODEC CHASSIS USBPWR56 USB56 FP_AUDIO AUX1 GAME PANEL SB_PWR ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...

  • Page 16: Motherboard Installation

    Motherboard installation The A7V8X-MX uses the Micro ATX form factor, measuring 24.5 cm (9.6 in.) x 24.5 cm (9.6 in.) - a standard fit for most large chassis. WARNING! Unplug the power cord before installing the motherboard. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage Motherboard components.

  • Page 17: Before You Proceed

    When lit, the onboard LED indicates that the system is ON, in sleep mode or in soft-off mode, not powered OFF. See the illustration below. SB_PWR ® A7V8X-MX Standby Powered A7V8X-MX Onboard LED Power ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...

  • Page 18: Central Processing Unit (Cpu)

    Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard provides a Socket A (462) for CPU installation. The A7V8X-MX supports Athlon™ XP processors with “QuantiSpeed” data processing, large data caches, 3D enhancements and 333/266/200MHz bus speeds. AMD Athlon™ XP processors offer gigahertz speeds to support all the latest computing platforms and...

  • Page 19: System Memory

    DIMMs come in combinations of single or double- sided types ranging through 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1 GB. ® A7V8X-MX A7V8X-MX 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets 1.9.1 Installing a DIMM DDR DIMM notch 1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.

  • Page 20: Expansion Slots

    1.10 Expansion slots The A7V8X-MX motherboard has three (3) PCI and one (1) Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP). The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 1.10.1 Configuring an expansion card Some expansion cards need an IRQ to operate. Generally, an IRQ must be exclusively assigned to one function at a time.

  • Page 21: Agp Slot

    ® A7V8X-MX Keyed for 1.5v A7V8X-MX Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) 1.10.4 PCI slots Three 32-bit PCI slots are available on this motherboard. The slots support PCI cards such as LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specifications.

  • Page 22: Switch And Jumpers

    3.Frequency Selection A7V8X-MX 4.Frequency Selection 5.Frequency Selection A7V8X-MX DIP Switches The option to set the CPU core bus frequency multiple is available only on unlocked CPUs. If you are using a locked CPU, setting the switches does not produce any effect.
  • Page 23 The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability (+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode. USBPWR12 USBPWR34 +5VSB (Default) USBPWR56 ® A7V8X-MX +5VSB (Default) A7V8X-MX USB Device Wake Up ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-15...
  • Page 24 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. CLRTC ® A7V8X-MX Clear CMOS Normal (Default) A7V8X-MX Clear RTC RAM 1-16 Chapter 1: Product Information...

  • Page 25: Connectors

    UltraDMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect orientation when you connect the cables. For UltraATA133/100/66/33 IDE devices, use 40-pin 80-conductor cable. NOTE: Orient the red markings (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1. ® A7V8X-MX PIN 1 A7V8X-MX IDE Connectors ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-17...
  • Page 26 SPDIF ® A7V8X-MX A7V8X-MX Digital Audio Connector When you input sound for S/PDIF IN, the LINE_OUT will output the sound. Mute LINE_OUT to impede sound output from S/PDIF IN. The S/PDIF module is not included in this motherboard package.
  • Page 27 The GAME/MIDI port on the module connects a joystick or a game pad for playing games, and MIDI devices for playing or editing audio files. ® A7V8X-MX GAME A7V8X-MX Game Connector The GAME port module is not included in this motherboard package. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 1-19...
  • Page 28 A7V8X-MX +12V Rotation A7V8X-MX 12-Volt Fan Connectors Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of sufficient air flow within the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors! 6.
  • Page 29 PIN 1. ® PIN 1 A7V8X-MX A7V8X-MX Floppy Disk Drive Connector 8. Front panel audio connectors (10-1 pin FPAUDIO) This is an interface for front panel audio cable that allows convenient connection and control of audio devices.

  • Page 30: System Panel Connector

    ATX Power SMI Lead Switch* Requires an ATX power supply. A7V8X-MX System Panel Connectors • System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PLED) This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED. The LED lights up when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the system is in sleep mode.
  • Page 31 Chapter 2 This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup Menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided. BIOS information...

  • Page 32: Managing And Updating Your Bios

    Managing and updating your BIOS • The original BIOS file for this motherboard is in the support CD. • Copy the original BIOS to a bootable floppy disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. 2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk 1.

  • Page 33: Updating Bios Using The Awardbios Flash Utility

    Memory Writer Utility (AWDFLASH.EXE). Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using this utility. 1. Download the latest BIOS file from the ASUS website (see ASUS contact info on page vi). Rename the file to *.BIN and save it to a floppy disk.

  • Page 34: Crashfree Bios Feature

    To use the CrashFree BIOS feature on this motherboard, install a VGA card into one of the expansion slots before rebooting the computer. On motherboards with onboard VGA, such as the A7V8X-MX, you will not see the screen display when the BIOS crashes even if you reboot the computer.

  • Page 35: Bios Beep Codes

    The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. It is a menu- driven program, which means you can scroll through the various sub-menus and make your selections among the predetermined choices. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...

  • Page 36: 2-2.3.1 Bios Menu Bar

    Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purposes only, and may not exactly match what you see on your screen. 2.3.1 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.
  • Page 37 While moving around Installed Memory Halt On through the Setup program, note that explanations appear in the Item Help window located to the right of each menu. This window displays the help text for the highlighted field. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...

  • Page 38: Main Menu

    Drive A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Change the day, month, Drive B [None] year and century. IDE Primary Master [ST321122A] IDE Primary Slave [ASUS CDS520/] IDE Secondary Master [None] IDE Secondary Slave [None] Chassis intrude detection [Enabled] Set Supervisor Password Clear...
  • Page 39 Halt On [All, But Keyboard] This field sets the system to halt on errors according to the system functions specified in each option. Configuration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But Keyboard] [All , But Diskette] [All, But Disk/Key] ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...

  • Page 40: Ide Primary Master/Slave Ide Secondary Master/Slave

    2.4.1 IDE Primary Master/Slave IDE Secondary Master/Slave IDE Primary Master IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] To auto-detect the IDE Primary Master [Auto] HDD’s size, head...on Access Mode [Auto] this channel. Capacity 40020 MB Cylinder 19158 Head Precomp Landing Zone 19157 Sector Transfer Mode UDMA 2...
  • Page 41 To make changes to this field, set the IDE Primary Master field to [Manual] and the Access Mode to [CHS]. Precomp This field displays the precompressed volumes on the hard disk, if any, in MB. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-11...

  • Page 42: Advanced Menu

    Landing Zone This field displays the drive’s maximum useable capacity as calculated by the BIOS based on the drive information you entered. Sector This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value. To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method field to [Manual].

  • Page 43: Chip Configuration

    This field establishes whether or not the BIOS is cacheable. Disabled by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Video RAM Cacheable [Disabled] This field establishes whether or not the video RAM is cacheable. Disabled by default. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-13...
  • Page 44 2.5.1.1 AGP & P2P Bridge Control AGP & P2P Bridge Control AGP Aperture Size [128MB] AGP Mode [4X] Press [Enter] to AGP Fast Write [Disabled] select. AGP Master 1 WS Write [Disabled] AGP Master 1 WS Read [Disabled] AGP 3.0 Calibration Cycle [Enabled] AGP Aperture Size [XXXMB] This field sets the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic data.
  • Page 45 Active to CMD (Trcd) [2T] Configuration options: [2T] [3T] DRAM Burst Lenght [4] Configuration options: [4] [8] DRAM Command Rate [2T Command] Configuration options: [2T Command] [1T Command] Write Recovery Time [3T] Configuration options: [3T] [2T] ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-15...
  • Page 46 2.5.1.3 CPU & PCI Bus Control CPU & PCI Bus Control PCI1 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled] PCI2 Master 0 WS Write [Enabled] Press [Enter] to PCI1 Post Write [Enabled] select [Enabled] or PCI2 Post Write [Enabled] [Disabled]. VLink 8X Support [Enabled] PCI Delay Transaction [Enabled]...
  • Page 47 [Mode 4] Primary Master/Slave UDMA [Auto] Secondary Master/Slave UDMA [Auto] UltraDMA capability allows improved transfer speeds and data integrity for compatible IDE devices. Set to Auto to for automatic configuration. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-17...

  • Page 48: I/O Device Configuration

    2.5.2 I/O Device Configuration I/O Device Configuration Swap Floppy Drive [Disabled] Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled] If the system has two Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4] floppy drives, choose Onboard Parallel Port [378/IRQ7] [Enable] to assign Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP] physical drive B to ECP Mode USE DMA logical drive A and EPP Mode Select...
  • Page 49 This field allows you to select the onboard MIDI port address. Configuration options: [330] [300] [290] [Disabled] MIDI Port IRQ [10] This field allows you to set the IRQ assignment of the onboard MIDI port. Configuration options: [330] [300] [290] [Disabled] ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-19...

  • Page 50: Pci Configuration

    2.5.3 PCI Configuration PCI Configuration Resources controlled by [Auto (ESCD)] IRQ Resources BIOS automatically configure all boot PCI/CGA Palette Snoop [Disabled] Plug and Play Assign IRQ for VGA [Enabled] compatible devices. If Assign IRQ for USB [Enabled] you choose [Auto], you cannot select IRQ DMA and memory base address fields, since...

  • Page 51: Irq Resources

    The IRQ Resources sub-menu is activated when the Resources Controlled by parameter is set to [Manual]. Select [PCI Device] to assign an IRQ address to a Plug and Play device. Setting to [Reserved] reserves the IRQ address. Configuration options: [PCI Devices] [Reserved] ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-21...

  • Page 52: Power Menu

    Power Menu ACPI Function [Enabled] ACPI Suspend Mode [S1 (POS)] Power Management Option [User Define] Press [Enter] to HDD Power Down [Disabled] select [Enabled] or Auto Suspend Timeout [Disabled] [Disabled]. Video-off Option [Suspend -> Off] Video Off Method [V/H Sync+Blank] PWR Button <...
  • Page 53 Configuration options: [Disabled] [60°/140°F] [65°/149°F] [70°/158°F] [75°/167°F] C.O.P. Control [85 degree] Sets the threshold value for the CPU temperature. The ASUS CPU Overheating Protection (C.O.P.) feature of this motherboard automatically shuts down the system when the CPU temperature reaches or exceeds the threshold value.

  • Page 54: Power Up Control

    2.6.1 Power Up Control Power Up Control PS2KB Wakeup Select [Hot Key] PS2KB Wakeup from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled] Allows keyboard keys PS2MS Wakeup from S3/S4/S5 [Disabled] to turn on the system. USB Resume from S3 [Disabled] Power On by PCI Card [Disabled] Modem Ring Resume [Disabled]...

  • Page 55: Hardware Monitor

    (RPM). If any of the fans is not connected to the motherboard, that field shows 0RPM. Vcore, +3.3V, +5V, +12V The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-25...

  • Page 56: Boot Menu

    Boot Menu First Boot Device [HDD-0] Second Boot Device [CDROM] Third Boot Device [Floppy] Select your boot Fourth Boot Device [Disabled] device priority. PNP OS Installed [Yes] Reset Configuration Data [Disabled] Quick Power On Self Test [Disabled] Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled] APIC Mode [Enabled]...

  • Page 57: Exit Menu

    This option saves your selections without exiting the Setup program. You can then return to other menus and make further changes. After you select this option, a confirmation window appears. Select [Yes] to save changes to the non-volatile RAM. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual 2-27...
  • Page 58 2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS Information...
  • Page 59 Chapter 3 This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package. Software support...

  • Page 60: Installing An Operating System

    The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website for updates. 3.2.1 Running the support CD To begin using the support CD, simply insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer.

  • Page 61: Drivers Menu

    Click this item to install the VIA 10/100Mb Fast Ethernet Adapter driver for your local area network (LAN). USB 2.0 Driver This item installs the USB 2.0 driver. Some menu items appear only to specific operating system versions. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...

  • Page 62: Utilities Menu

    This utility helps you keep your computer at a healthy operating condition. ASUS Update The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to update the motherboard BIOS and drivers. This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

  • Page 63: Asus Contact Information

    3.2.4 ASUS Contact Information Click the Contct tab to display ASUS contact information. ASUS A7V8X-MX motherboard user manual...
  • Page 64 Chapter 3: Software support...

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