Asus A7N266 E User Manual

®
A7N266-E  
JumperFreeDDR DRAM  
266MHz FSB  
NVIDIA® nForce 420-DChipset  
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:  
+886-2-2890-7698  
www.asus.com.tw  
Email:  
WWW:  
FTP:  
ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS  
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)  
Marketing  
Address:  
6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2  
Newark, CA 94560, USA  
Fax:  
Email:  
+1-510-608-4555  
Technical Support  
Fax:  
+1-510-608-4555  
www.asus.com  
ftp.asus.com/Pub/ASUS  
Email:  
WWW:  
FTP:  
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)  
Marketing  
Address:  
Fax:  
Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany  
+49-2102-442066  
Email:  
[email protected] (for marketing requests only)  
Technical Support  
Hotline:  
Fax:  
Support (Email):  
WWW:  
MB/Others: +49-2102-9599-0 Notebook: +49-2102-9599-10  
+49-2102-9599-11  
www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)  
www.asuscom.de  
FTP:  
ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM  
ASUS A7N266-E 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 ASUS A7N266-E Motherboard ................................................... 8  
2.1.1 Core Specifications............................................................. 8  
2.1.2 Connections ........................................................................ 9  
2.1.3 Special Features.................................................................. 9  
2.1.4 Performance and Intelligence ........................................... 10  
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 Hardware Setup Procedure......................................................... 16  
3.4 Motherboard Settings ................................................................. 17  
3.5 System Memory ......................................................................... 21  
3.5.1 DDR DIMM Support........................................................ 21  
3.5.2 Memory Installation ......................................................... 22  
3.5.4 General DIMM Memo...................................................... 23  
3.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................. 24  
3.7 Expansion Cards ........................................................................ 25  
3.7.1 Installing an Expansion Card ........................................... 25  
3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards .............................. 26  
3.7.3 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro Slot ...................... 28  
3.7.4 Advanced Communications Riser (Slot) .......................... 29  
ACR-A6CH Layout.......................................................... 29  
ACR-A6CH Hardware Installation Procedure ................. 30  
3.8 Connectors ................................................................................ 31  
3.8.1 External Connectors ......................................................... 31  
3.9 Starting Up the First Time.......................................................... 43  
4. BIOS SETUP..................................................................................... 45  
4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS .......................................... 45  
4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System.......................... 45  
4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures .............................................. 47  
4.2 BIOS Setup Program.................................................................. 49  
4
ASUS A7N266-E User’s Manual  
CONTENTS  
4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar ................................................................ 50  
4.2.2 Legend Bar ....................................................................... 50  
4.3 Main Menu ................................................................................. 52  
4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave ................................. 53  
4.3.2 Keyboard Features............................................................ 56  
4.4 Advanced Menu ......................................................................... 58  
4.4.1 Chip Configuration ........................................................... 61  
4.4.2 I/O Device Configuration ................................................. 63  
4.4.3 PCI Configuration ............................................................ 65  
4.4.4 Shadow Configuration...................................................... 67  
4.5 Power Menu ............................................................................... 68  
4.5.1 Power Up Control............................................................. 69  
4.5.2 Hardware Monitor ............................................................ 70  
4.6 Boot Menu ................................................................................. 71  
4.7 Exit Menu................................................................................... 73  
5. SOFTWARE SETUP ....................................................................... 75  
5.1 Install Operating System ............................................................ 75  
5.2 Start Windows ............................................................................ 75  
5.3 A7N266-E Series Motherboard Support CD ............................. 76  
5.3.2 Installation Procedure ....................................................... 77  
5.3.3 Manual Installation of Drivers for Windows 98............... 78  
6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE ........................................................... 80  
6.1 ASUS Live Update..................................................................... 80  
6.2 ASUS PC Probe ......................................................................... 81  
6.3 3Deep Color Tuner..................................................................... 86  
6.4 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE ....................................................... 88  
6.5 CyberLink VideoLive Mail ........................................................ 89  
7. APPENDIX....................................................................................... 91  
7.1 Glossary ..................................................................................... 91  
7.1 Modem Riser .............................................................................. 95  
7.2.1 56K Software Modem ...................................................... 95  
7.2.2 Primary/Seconday MR ..................................................... 95  
7.2.3 Hardware Installation Procedure ...................................... 95  
7.2.4 Software Setup in Windows 98 ........................................ 96  
INDEX ................................................................................................... 97  
ASUS A7N266-E 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  
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:  
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 approved  
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 A7N266-E 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  
6. SOFTWARE REFERENCE  
7. APPENDIX  
Instructions on setting up the included software  
Reference material for the included software  
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.  
Package Contents  
Optional Items  
(1) ASUS Motherboard  
ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared  
module  
(1) 40-pin 80-conductor ribbon  
cable for internal  
ASUS AGP-DVI/TV Card  
UltraDMA100/66//33 IDE  
drives  
(1) extra 40-pin 80-conductor  
ribbon cable  
(1) Ribbon cable for two 3.5”  
floppy disk drives  
(1) ASUS Support CD with drivers  
and utilities  
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps  
(1) ASUS 2-port USB Connector  
Set  
(1) ACR-A6CH Audio Card  
(1) Quick Set-up Guide and  
Reference Card (Retail Box  
only)  
(2) Games CD (Retail Box only)  
(1) Users Manual  
ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual  
7
2. FEATURES  
2.1 ASUS A7N266-E Motherboard  
TheASUSA7N266-E motherboard is a high-performance motherboard powered by  
AMD® AthlonXP /Athlon/Duronprocessors. It sports the new nVidia® nForce  
420-Dchipset and features GeForce2MXGPU performance. The board offers  
users advanced features to provide superlative performance. The A7N266-E meets  
todays demand for a superior quality, fully integrated system.  
2.1.1 Core Specifications  
AMD® AthlonXP/Athlon/ DuronProcessor support: Features the latest  
AMDs, 500MHz to 1.6 GHz and higher.  
North Bridge System Chipset: Features the brand new nVidia® nForceIGP-  
128 integrated GPU/North Bridge controller chipset. The controller supports a  
64/128bit DDR memory controller integrated with a GeForce2 MX-class  
advanced Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with a high performance dual pixel  
processing pipeline, a 256-bit 3D/2D graphics accelerator that supplies per pixel  
shading rasterization and a full AGP 4X interface, a digital video interface to  
DVI transmitters /TV encoders and an interface for up to 1.5 GB of 266/200MHz  
DDR SDRAM memory. The 128bit memory controller provides a phenomenal  
4.2 GB/second system memory bandwidth.  
South Bridge System Chipset: Features the brand new nVidia® nForce™  
MCP-D integrated peripheral South Bridge controller operates at 800MB/sec to  
communicate with the North Bridge for maximum bandwith required for PCI,  
USB and support for Fast Ethernet devices. The chipset has an integrated APU  
(Audio Processing Unit) that provides 6-ChannelAC97 compliant 3D positional  
audio and Dolbydigital encoding. The controller supports standard UltraDMA/  
100/66/33 for burst mode data transfer rates of up to 100MB/sec. Separate data  
paths for each IDE channel are built-in to support up to four IDE devices. The  
controller supports six USB ports and 5 PCI slots and is PCI rev 2.2 compliant.  
The MCP supplies an LPC 1.0 interface along with AT legacy functions, a clock  
synthesizer, and meetsACPI 1.0 and PCI Power Management 1.1 specifications.  
PC2100 / PC1600 DDR Support: Equipped with three Double Data Rate Dual  
Inline Memory Module (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 1.5GB of DDR  
DRAM. DDR DRAM supplies the highest bandwidth (64/128 bit) and offers  
the lowest latency currently available, improving the memory systems ability to  
service multimedia requirements.  
Easy Frequency Changes: Now, easily overclock all important frequency  
settings - simply and quickly with the onboard BIOS firmware.  
Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware enables Vcore and CPU/DDR SDRAM frequency  
adjustments, boot-block write protection, enhancedACPI, DMI, Green and PnP  
Features Plus.  
ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual  
8
2. FEATURES  
2.1.2 Connections  
CPU socket: Socket A (462) for AthlonXP / Athlon/ Duronprocessors.  
PCI Expansion Slots: Provides five 32-bit PCI slots, (PCI 2.2 compliant) with  
no ISA. All PCI slots can support Bus Master PCI cards, such as SCSI or LAN  
cards. (PCI supports up to 133MB/s maximum throughput.) The MB supports  
Concurrent PCI, which allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI master bus to the  
memory and processor.  
IDE connectors: Dual-channel bus master IDE connectors support up to four  
Ultra DMA/100/66, PIO Modes 3 & 4 IDE devices like two HDDs, one DVD  
and an R/W CD.  
AGP Pro Slot: Comes with an Accelerated Graphics Port Pro slot that  
supports AGP cards for high performance, component level interconnect  
targeted at 3D graphical applications using a 4X mode bus. The slot is keyed to  
support only the latest 1.5 volt AGP cards.  
Floppy disk connector: Supports the floppy disk drive.  
USB ports: Six Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting  
USB devices such as a mouse and PDA.  
Serial ports: Two 9-pin COM1/COM2 ports are for all serial devices.  
IrDA: Supports an optional infrared port module for a wireless interface.  
Game/MIDI connector. This connector supports a joystick or a game pad for  
playing games.  
Parallel port: 25-pin port connects a parallel printer or other devices.  
PS/2 mouse port: Green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse.  
PS/2 keyboard port: Purple 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 keyboard.  
Onboard Power LED: Signals AC power is okay.  
Onboard AGP Warning LED: Signals AGP configuration problems.  
ATX power connector. Supplies the MB with ATX power. The power supply  
must have at least 1A on the +5V standby lead (+5VSB).  
2.1.3 Special Features  
ACR-A6CH-Audio Card: 6-Channel audio along with modem connectivity!  
The ACR-A6CH Audio Communications Riser card does it all! Specially  
designed as a super-connector,the ACR includes two onboard AC97 audio  
CODEC chips; together, the chips supply phenomenal fidelity, including the  
new S/PDIF digital audio format. TheACR-A6CH supports a modem connection  
and three connectors can supply three sets of speakers for full 6-channel sound.  
See page 29 and 30 for layout and installation.  
ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual  
9
2. FEATURES  
2.1.4 Performance and Intelligence  
UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE controller  
with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two channels. Supports  
UltraDMA/100, UltraDMA/66, UltraDMA/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4, 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.  
Super Multi-I/O: The multi-I/O chipset offers complete support for a variety of  
I/O functions. Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and one  
parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities. UART2 can also be directed from  
COM2 to the Infrared Module for wireless connections. The Super I/O controller  
also supports a floppy disk drive, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse.  
DDR DRAM Optimized Performance: Normal Double Data Rate Dynamic  
Random Access Memory (DDR DRAM) executes two actions per clock cycle  
and sets a new standard data transfer of up to 2.1 GB/s for 133MHz DDR  
DRAM and 1.6GB/s for 100MHz DDR DRAM. New nVidia® TwinBank™  
technology harnesses the DDR and doubles the Double Data Rate:the chipset  
further multiplies the bandwith by 2 to offer a fabulously broad 4.2 GBs of  
memory bandwidth! (At least two of three DDR DIMM modules must be  
installed to activate this feature.)  
OnboardAudio: Bundled with theASUSACR-A6CH card for superlative audio  
support complete with two AC97 CODEC chips. Multiple audio outputs are  
available, including S/PDIF_OUT digital audio plus connectors for 6-Channel  
speaker systems.  
APU: The chipset has an integrated APU (Audio Processing Unit) that provides  
6-Channel AC97 compliant 3D positional audio and Dolbydigital encoding.  
C.O.P. Thermal Protection: WithAMD® Athlon XPinstalled, the motherboard  
offers users ASUS C.O.P. automatic CPU Overheating Protection to prolong the  
life of the entire system. If the CPU temperature exceeds 95º Celsius, the PC  
shuts down automatically.  
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 employed in the OS,  
PCs can be ready around the clock but comply with energy saving standards. To  
fully utilize theACPI benefits, use anACPI-supported OS such as Windows XP.  
PC99 Compliant: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of ASUS smart series  
motherboards are PC99 compliant. The new PC99 requirements for systems  
and components are based on the following high-level goals: Support for Plug-  
n-Play compatibility and power management to configure and manage all system  
components. in all major OS systems. Color-coded connectors and descriptive  
icons make identification easy as required by PC99.  
ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual  
10  
2. FEATURES  
Two Onboard LEDs: 1)Agreen LED lights up to indicate that power is available  
onboard. It reminds users that standby power is available. The LED also serves  
as a reminder to disconnect the power supply when making any change to the  
configuration. 2) A red onboard warning LED lights up only if the wrong type  
of AGP card is connected to the board.  
Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI master  
busses to the memory and processor.  
SMBus: Features the System Management Bus interface used to physically  
transport commands and information between SMBus devices.  
Desktop Management Interface (DMI): Supports DMI through BIOS that  
allows hardware to communicate within a standard protocol and create a higher  
level of compatibility. (Requires DMI-enabled components.)  
EnhancedACPI andAnti-Boot Virus Protection: Programmable BIOS (Flash  
EEPROM) that offers enhancedACPI for Windows XP/2000/ME compatibility,  
built-in firmware-based virus protection, and autodetection of most devices for  
a virtual automatic setup.  
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.  
PC Health Monitoring: Provides an easy way to test and manage system status  
information, such as CPU and system voltages, temperatures, and fan status  
through the onboard hardware ASUS ASIC and the bundled ASUS PC Probe.  
Dual Function Power Button: Pushing the power button for less than 4 seconds  
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.  
ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual  
11  
2. FEATURES  
2.2 Motherboard Components  
Location  
See opposite page for locations.  
Processor Support Socket A for AMD® AthlonXP, Athlonand DuronCPUs 1  
Chipsets nVidia® nForceIGP-128 North Bridge .................................. 2  
nVidia® nForceMCP-D South Bridge ................................. 12  
Multi-I/O controller .................................................................. 8  
2Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM ..................................... 9  
Main Memory Maximum 1.5GB support  
3 DDR DIMM Sockets ............................................................. 3  
Expansion Slots 5 PCI Slots .............................................................................. 17  
1 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro/4X Slot ................... 19  
1 Advanced Communication Riser (ACR) Slot ..................... 15  
System I/O 1 Floppy Disk Drive Connector ............................................... 7  
2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA/100 Support) ........................... 6  
1 Parallel Port ............................................................... (Top) 22  
1 VGA Port ............................................................. (Bottom) 21  
1 Serial Port (COM1) ............................................. (Bottom) 23  
1 Serial Header (COM2) ....................................................... 10  
USB Connectors (Port 0 & Port 1) ........................ (Bottom) 24  
USB Headers (Ports 2/3/4/5) .................................................. 13  
Infrared Header (IrDA) .......................................................... 11  
1 PS/2 Mouse Connector .............................................. (Top) 25  
1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector ................................... (Bottom) 25  
Hardware Monitoring ASUS System Voltage Monitor (with ASUS ASIC) .............. 14  
Network Feature (Network Models only)  
Realtek LAN Chip controller ................................................ 16  
LAN (RJ-45) Connector ............................................... (Top) 24  
Audio Features  
1 Game/MIDI Port........................................................ (Top) 20  
ACR-A6CH Audio card: See p. 29 and 30 for more info.  
Power ATX Power Supply Connector ................................................. 4  
Onboard Power LED .................................................. (Green) 5  
Onboard AGP Warning LED ........................................ (Red) 18  
Form Factor ATX  
ASUS A7N266-E Users Manual  
12