Asus A7M266 User Manual

®
A7M266  
266MHz FSB DDR RAM AGP Pro  
Socket A Motherboard  
USERS MANUAL  
ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION  
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)  
Marketing  
Address:  
Telephone:  
Fax:  
150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112  
+886-2-2894-3447  
+886-2-2894-3449  
Email:  
Technical Support  
MB/Others (Tel): +886-2-2890-7121 (English)  
Notebook (Tel):  
+886-2-2890-7122 (English)  
Desktop/Server (Tel):+886-2-2890-7123 (English)  
Fax:  
+886-2-2893-7775  
www.asus.com.tw  
Email:  
WWW:  
FTP:  
ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS  
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)  
Marketing  
Address:  
6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2  
Newark, CA 94560, USA  
Fax:  
Email:  
+1-510-608-4555  
Technical Support  
Fax:  
+1-510-608-4555  
www.asus.com  
ftp.asus.com/Pub/ASUS  
Email:  
WWW:  
FTP:  
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)  
Marketing  
Address:  
Fax:  
Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany  
+49-2102-442066  
Email:  
[email protected] (for marketing requests only)  
Technical Support  
Hotline:  
Fax:  
Support (Email):  
MB/Others: +49-2102-9599-0 Notebook: +49-2102-9599-10  
+49-2102-9599-11  
www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)  
WWW:  
FTP:  
www.asuscom.de  
ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM  
ASUS A7M266 User’s Manual  
3
CONTENTS  
1. INTRODUCTION  
7
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized ................................................... 7  
1.2 Item Checklist .............................................................................. 7  
2. FEATURES  
8
2.1 The ASUS A7M266 ..................................................................... 8  
2.1.1 Specifications ..................................................................... 8  
2.1.2 Specifications – Optional Components .............................. 9  
2.1.3 Special Features................................................................ 10  
2.1.4 Performance Features ....................................................... 10  
2.1.5 Intelligence ....................................................................... 11  
2.2 Motherboard Components.......................................................... 12  
2.2.1 Component Locations....................................................... 13  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
14  
3.1 Motherboard Layout .................................................................. 14  
3.2 Layout Contents ......................................................................... 15  
3.3 Getting Started ........................................................................... 17  
3.4 Motherboard Settings ................................................................. 18  
3.5 System Memory (DDR DIMM)................................................. 25  
3.5.1 General DIMM Notes....................................................... 26  
3.5.2 Memory Installation ......................................................... 26  
3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................. 27  
3.7 Expansion Cards ........................................................................ 28  
3.7.1 Expansion Card Installation Procedure ............................ 28  
3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards .............................. 30  
3.7.3 Accelerated Graphics Port Pro (AGP Pro) ....................... 30  
3.7.4 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot ..................................... 32  
3.8 External Connectors ................................................................... 33  
3.9 Starting Up the First Time.......................................................... 45  
4. BIOS SETUP  
47  
4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS .......................................... 47  
4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System.......................... 47  
4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures .............................................. 48  
4.2 BIOS Setup Program.................................................................. 51  
4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar ................................................................ 52  
4.2.2 Legend Bar ....................................................................... 52  
4
ASUS A7M266 User’s Manual  
CONTENTS  
4.3 Main Menu ................................................................................. 54  
4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave ................................. 55  
4.3.2 Keyboard Features............................................................ 58  
4.4 Advanced Menu ......................................................................... 60  
4.4.1 Chip Configuration ........................................................... 63  
4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration ................................................. 66  
4.4.3 PCI Configuration ............................................................ 69  
4.4.4 Shadow Configuration ...................................................... 73  
4.5 Power Menu ............................................................................... 74  
4.5.1 Power Up Control............................................................. 76  
4.5.2 Hardware Monitor ............................................................ 78  
4.6 Boot Menu ................................................................................. 79  
4.7 Exit Menu................................................................................... 81  
5. SOFTWARE SETUP  
83  
5.1 Install Operating System ............................................................ 83  
5.2 Start Windows ............................................................................ 83  
5.3 A7 Series Motherboard Support CD .......................................... 83  
5.4 Uninstalling Programs................................................................ 85  
6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
87  
6.1 ASUS PC Probe ......................................................................... 87  
6.2 ASUS Update ............................................................................. 92  
6.3 YAMAHA XGPlayer ................................................................. 93  
7. APPENDIX  
97  
7.1 Modem Riser .............................................................................. 97  
7.2 Glossary ..................................................................................... 99  
ASUS A7M266 User’s Manual  
5
FCC & DOC COMPLIANCE  
Federal Communications Commission Statement  
This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following  
two conditions:  
This device may not cause harmful interference, and  
This device must accept any interference received, including interference that  
may cause undesired operation.  
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B  
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to  
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installa-  
tion. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if  
not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, may cause  
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that  
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause  
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by  
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interfer-  
ence by one or more of the following measures:  
Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.  
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.  
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the  
receiver is connected.  
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.  
WARNING! Any changes or modifications to this product not expressly ap-  
proved by the manufacturer could void any assurances of safety or performance  
and could result in violation of Part 15 of the FCC Rules.  
Reprinted from the Code of Federal Regulations #47, part 15.193, 1993. Washington DC: Office of the  
Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Government Printing Office.  
Canadian Department of Communications Statement  
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions  
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian  
Department of Communications.  
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.  
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.  
6
ASUS A7M266 User’s Manual  
1. INTRODUCTION  
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized  
This manual is divided into the following sections:  
1. INTRODUCTION  
2. FEATURES  
3. HARDWARE SETUP  
4. BIOS SETUP  
Manual information and checklist  
Production information and specifications  
Instructions on setting up the motherboard.  
Instructions on setting up the BIOS  
5. SOFTWARE SETUP  
Instructions on setting up the included software  
6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE Reference material for the included software  
7. APPENDIX  
Optional items and general reference  
1.2 Item Checklist  
Check that your package is complete. If you discover damaged or missing items,  
contact your retailer.  
Optional Items  
ASUS CIDB chassis intrusion detec-  
Package Contents  
(1) ASUS Motherboard  
tion module  
(1) 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon  
cable for internal UltraDMA/  
100 / UltraDMA/66 (also  
compatible with UltraDMA/33  
IDE drives/devices)  
ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared  
module  
ASUS MR-I Modem Riser Card  
(1) Ribbon cable for internal  
UltraDMA/33 IDE drives  
(1) Ribbon cable for one 5.25and  
two 3.5floppy disk drives  
(1) ASUS 2-port USB Connector Set  
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps  
(1) ASUS Support CD with drivers  
and utilities  
(1) This Motherboard Users  
Manual  
ASUS A7M266 Users Manual  
7
2. FEATURES  
2.1 The ASUS A7M266  
The ASUS A7M266 motherboard is carefully designed for the value-conscious PC  
user who wants advanced features processed by the fastest processors.  
2.1.1 Specifications  
AMDAthlon/DuronProcessor Support: Supports SocketA-basedAMD  
Athlon/Duronprocessors.  
North Bridge System Chipset: AMD-761chipset with AGP/PCI/Memory  
controller supports a 266MHz Front Side Bus (FSB), supports DDR SDRAM  
DIMM, complies with AGP 2.0 specifications for 4X, 2X and 1X AGP modes  
and PCI 2.2. bus interface with support for 5 PCI masters. It is optimized to  
deliver enhanced AMD Athlonprocessor system performance.  
Super SouthSouth Bridge System PCIset: VIA VT82C686B PCIset with  
PCI Super-I/O Integrated Peripheral Controller (PSIPC) with support for  
UltraDMA/100, which allows burst mode data transfer rates of up to 100MB/sec;  
AC97 audio; USB controller with root hub and four function ports.  
PC2100 / PC1600 DDR SDRAM Support: Equipped with two Double Data  
Rate Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 2GB of  
DDR SDRAM. DDR SDRAM is the newest memory standard with the highest  
bandwidth and lowest latency currently available and dramatically improves the  
memory systems ability to service, among others, high multimedia requirements.  
Stepless Frequency Selection: Allows CPU external (FSB) frequency settings  
to be set in 1MHz-increments or reduction.  
JumperFreeMode: Allows processor settings and easy overclocking of fre-  
quency and Vcore voltage all through BIOS setup when JumperFreemode is  
enabled. Easy-to-use DIP switches instead of jumpers are included to allow  
manual adjustment of the processors external frequency.  
AGPPro Slot: SupportsAGP/AGP Pro cards for high performance, component  
level interconnection targeted at 3D graphical applications supporting 133MHz  
4X mode.  
UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE con-  
troller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two channels. Sup-  
ports UltraDMA/100, UltraDMA/66, UltraDMA/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4 and Bus  
Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD-ROM,  
CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.  
Wake-On-LAN Connector: Supports Wake-On-LAN activity through an op-  
tional ASUS PCI-L101 10/100 Fast Ethernet PCI card (see 7. Appendix).  
Wake-On-Ring Connector: Supports Wake-On-Ring activity through a PCI  
modem card that supports a Wake-On-Ring connector.  
USB: Supports up to 4 USB ports, two on the back panel and two midboard, for  
more peripheral connectivity options.  
ASUS A7M266 Users Manual  
8
2. FEATURES  
One Touch Management: Supports an optionalASUS iPanel, an easy to access  
box with system information LED display, front I/O ports, and space reserved  
for a hard disk drive. With an ASUS iPanel, you can monitor your computer  
systems vital components.  
PC Health Monitoring: Provides an easy way to examine and manage system  
status information, such as CPU and systerm voltages, temperatures, and fan  
status through the onboard hardware ASUS ASIC and the bundled ASUS PC  
Probe.  
SMBus: Features the System Management Bus interface, which is used to physi-  
cally transport commands and information between SMBus devices.  
PCI/AMR Expansion Slots: Provides five 32-bit PCI (Rev. 2.2) expansion  
slots, which can support Bus Master PCI cards, such as SCSI or LAN cards (PCI  
supports up to 133MB/s maximum throughput), and one Audio Modem Riser  
(AMR) slot (shared), which supports a very affordable audio and/or modem  
riser card.  
Super Multi-I/O: Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and  
one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities.  
Enhanced ACPI & Anti-Boot Virus Protection: Programmable BIOS (Flash  
EEPROM), offering enhanced ACPI for Windows 982000/Millenium  
compatibility, built-in firmware-based virus protection, and autodetection of most  
devices for virtually automatic setup.  
Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI mas-  
ter busses to the memory and processor.  
Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware provides Vcore and CPU/SDRAM frequency ad-  
justments, boot block write protection, and HD/SCSI/MO/ZIP/CD/Floppy boot  
selection.  
Integrated Infrared (IrDA) Support: Integrated IR supports an optional re-  
mote control package for wireless interfacing with external peripherals, per-  
sonal gadgets, or an optional remote controller.  
Desktop Management Interface (DMI): Supports DMI through BIOS, which  
allows hardware to communicate within a standard protocol creating a higher  
level of compatibility. (Requires DMI-enabled components.)  
Color-coded Connectors: To enhance user accessibility to system components  
and to meet PC 99 compliancy, major connectors in this motherboard are color-  
coded.  
2.1.2 Specifications Optional Components  
Smart Networking (optional): Features the 3Com 3C920 Fast Ethernet  
controller, which supports Wired for Management, remote wake-up, and OnNow  
initiatives to reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).  
PCIAudio (optional): Features Cmedia CMI8738 3D positional audio controller  
with high speed PCI v2.1 bus controller and legacy SB® DSP audio emulator.  
ASUS A7M266 Users Manual  
9
2. FEATURES  
2.1.3 Special Features  
ACPI Ready: Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) provides more  
Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct Power  
Management (OSPM) functionality. With these features implemented in the OS,  
PCs can be ready around the clock, yet satisfy all the energy saving standards.  
To fully utilize the benefits of ACPI, an ACPI-supported OS, such as Windows  
98/2000/Millenium must be used.  
Easy Installation: Incorporates BIOS that supports autodetection of hard disk  
drives, PS/2 mouse, and Plug and Play devices to make the setup of hard disk  
drives, expansion cards, and other devices virtually automatic.  
New Compliancy: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of this motherboard meet  
the stringent requirements for PC 99 certification. The new PC 99 requirements  
for systems and components are based on the following high-level goals: Sup-  
port for Plug and Play compatibility and power management for configuring  
and managing all system components, and 32-bit device drivers and installation  
procedures for Windows95/98/NT . Color-coded connectors and descriptive icons  
make identification easy as required by PC 99.  
2.1.4 Performance Features  
Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI mas-  
ter busses to the memory and processor.  
High-Speed Data Transfer Interface: IDE transfers using UltraDMA/33 Bus  
Master IDE can handle rates up to 33MB/s. This motherboard with its chipset  
and support for UltraDMA/100 increases the data transfer rate to 100MB/s.  
UltraDMA/100 is backward compatible with DMA/66, DMA/33, and DMA and  
with existing DMA devices and systems so there is no need to upgrade current  
EIDE/IDE drives and host systems. (UltraDMA100/66 require a 40-pin 80-con-  
ductor cable to be enabled.)  
DDR SDRAM Optimized Performance: This motherboard supports a new gen-  
eration memory, Double Data Rate (DDR) Dynamic Random Access Memory  
(SDRAM), which is compatible to the industry standard SDRAM. This new memory  
technology increases performance by executing two actions per clock cycle,  
resulting in data transfer rates of up to 2.1 GB/s for 133MHz DDR SDRAM and  
1.6GB/s for 100MHz DDR SDRAM.  
ASUS A7M266 Users Manual  
10  
2. FEATURES  
2.1.5 Intelligence  
Dual Function Power Button: Pushing the power button for less than 4 sec-  
onds when the system is in the working state places the system into one of two  
states: sleep mode or soft-off mode, depending on the BIOS or OS setting (see  
PWR Button < 4 Secs in 4.5 Power Menu). When the power button is pressed  
for more than 4 seconds, the system enters the soft-off mode regardless of the  
BIOS setting.  
Fan Status Monitoring and Alarm: To prevent system overheat and system  
damage, the CPU, power supply, and system fans can be monitored for RPM  
and failure. All fans are set for its normal RPM range and alarm thresholds.  
Message LED (requiresACPI OS support): Turbo LEDs now act as informa-  
tion providers. Through the way a particular LED illuminates, the user can de-  
termine if there are messages waiting in the mailbox. Asimple glimpse provides  
useful information to the user.  
Remote Ring On (requires modem): This allows a computer to be turned on  
remotely through an internal or external modem. With this benefit on-hand, users  
can access vital information from their computers from anywhere in the world!  
System Resources Alert: Todays operating systems such as Windows 98/  
Millenium and Windows NT/2000, require much more memory and hard drive  
space to present enormous user interfaces and run large applications. The sys-  
tem resource monitor will warn the user before the system resources are used up  
to prevent possible application crashes. Suggestions will give the user informa-  
tion on managing their limited resources more efficiently.  
Temperature Monitoring and Alert: CPU temperature is monitored by the  
ASUS ASIC to prevent system overheat and system damage.  
Voltage Monitoring and Alert: System voltage levels are monitored to ensure  
stable voltage to critical motherboard components. Voltage specifications are  
more critical for future processors, so monitoring is necessary to ensure proper  
system configuration and management.  
Chassis Intrusion Detection: Supports chassis-intrusion monitoring through  
the ASUS ASIC. A chassis intrusion event is kept in memory on battery power  
for more protection.  
ASUS A7M266 Users Manual  
11  
2. FEATURES  
2.2 Motherboard Components  
See opposite page for locations.  
Location  
Processor Support Socket 462 for AMD Athlon/Duron Processors ....................... 2  
(NOTE: A CPU thermal sensor is integrated on the motherboard,  
located near the center of the CPU heat source, just below the  
CPU socket)  
Chipsets AMD 761 system controller ...................................................... 1  
VIA VT82C686B PCIset........................................................... 8  
2Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM ..................................... 6  
Main Memory Maximum 2GB support  
2 DIMM Sockets ...................................................................... 3  
PC2100 / PC1600 DDR memory support  
Expansion Slots 5 PCI Slots .............................................................................. 16  
1 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro Slot ......................... 17  
1 Audio Modem Riser (AMR) Slot ........................ (Shared) 13  
System I/O 1 Floppy Disk Driver Connector .............................................. 5  
2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA/100 Support) ........................... 4  
1 Parallel Port Connector ............................................. (Top) 21  
1 Serial COM1 Port Connector .............................. (Bottom) 22  
1 Serial COM2 Port Connector .............................. (Bottom) 20  
USB Connectors (Port 0 & Port 1) ........................................ 23  
USB Header (Port 2 & Port 3).................................................. 7  
1 PS/2 Mouse Connector .............................................. (Top) 24  
1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector ................................... (Bottom) 24  
Audio PCI Audio Chipset (optional) ................................................. 15  
1 Game/MIDI Connector (on audio model only) ......... (Top) 19  
1 Line Out Connector (on audio model only) ........ (Bottom) 19  
1 Line In Connector (on audio model only) ........... (Bottom) 19  
1 Microphone Connector (on audio model only) ... (Bottom) 19  
Network Features 3Com 3C920 Fast Ethernet Controller ................................... 14  
1 LAN (RJ45) Connector ............................................. (Top) 23  
Wake-On-LAN Connector...................................................... 12  
Wake-On-Ring Connector ...................................................... 10  
Hardware Monitoring ASUS ASIC .............................................................................. 9  
3 Fan Power and Speed Monitoring Connectors  
Power ATX Power Supply Connector ............................................... 18  
Special Feature Onboard LED ......................................................................... 11  
Form Factor ATX  
ASUS A7M266 Users Manual  
12