Asus A7N8X XE User Manual

A7N8X-XE

User Guide

Contents

Notices ...........................................................................................................v

Safety Information..........................................................................................vi

About This Guide..........................................................................................vii

A7N8X-XE Speciﬁcations Summary............................................................ viii

Chapter 1:

Product Introduction

1.1

1.2

1.3

Welcome! ....................................................................................... 1-2

Package Contents.......................................................................... 1-2

Special Features ............................................................................ 1-2

1.3.1

1.3.2

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

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

1.4

1.5

Before You Proceed ....................................................................... 1-5

Motherboard Overview................................................................... 1-6

1.5.1

1.5.2

1.5.3

Motherboard layout......................................................... 1-6

Placement direction ........................................................ 1-7

Screw holes .................................................................... 1-7

1.6

1.7

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

1.6.1

1.6.2

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

Installing the CPU ........................................................... 1-8

System Memory ............................................................................. 1-9

1.7.1

1.7.2

1.7.3

1.7.4

Overview......................................................................... 1-9

Memory conﬁgurations.................................................... 1-9

Installing a DIMM ...........................................................1-11

Removing a DIMM .........................................................1-11

1.8

Expansion Slots ........................................................................... 1-12

1.8.1

1.8.2

1.8.3

1.8.4

Installing an expansion card ......................................... 1-12

Conﬁguring an expansion card ..................................... 1-12

AGP slot........................................................................ 1-14

PCI slots........................................................................ 1-14

1.9

Jumpers ....................................................................................... 1-15

Connectors................................................................................... 1-17

1.10.1 Rear panel connectors.................................................. 1-17

1.10.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 1-18

1.10

iii

Contents

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

2.1.5

2.1.6

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

Using AFUDOS to copy the current BIOS....................... 2-3

Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS ............................... 2-3

ASUS CrashFree BIOS utility ......................................... 2-5

Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS ..................... 2-6

ASUS Update utility ........................................................ 2-7

2.2

BIOS Setup Program ..................................................................... 2-9

2.2.1

2.2.2

BIOS menu bar ............................................................... 2-8

Navigation keys............................................................. 2-10

2.3

2.4

Main Menu ................................................................................... 2-12

Advanced Menu ........................................................................... 2-15

2.4.1

2.4.2

2.4.3

2.4.4

2.4.5

2.4.6

JumperFree Conﬁguration ............................................ 2-15

USB ConﬁgurationMemory Conﬁguration..................... 2-16

CPU Conﬁguration........................................................ 2-17

Chipset.......................................................................... 2-17

Onboard Devices Conﬁguration.................................... 2-21

PCIPnP ......................................................................... 2-22

2.5

2.6

Power Menu................................................................................. 2-23

2.5.1

2.5.2

APM Conﬁguration........................................................ 2-24

Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 2-26

Boot Menu.................................................................................... 2-27

2.6.1

2.6.2

2.6.3

Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 2-27

Boot Settings Conﬁguration .......................................... 2-28

Security......................................................................... 2-29

2.7

Exit Menu ..................................................................................... 2-31

Chapter 3:

Software Support

3.1

3.2

Installing An Operating System...................................................... 3-2

Support CD Information ................................................................. 3-2

3.2.1

3.2.2

3.2.3

3.2.4

Running the support CD ................................................. 3-2

Drivers menu................................................................... 3-3

Utilities menu .................................................................. 3-3

Contacts menu................................................................ 3-4

Notices

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 manufacturerʼ

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 userʼs 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.

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.

About This Guide

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 Information

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup

menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

Chapter 3: Software Support

This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the

motherboard package.

Conventions used in this guide

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

symbols used throughout this guide.

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: Information that you MUST follow to complete a task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to aid in completing a task.

Where to ﬁnd more information

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and

software updates.

ASUS websites

The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated information on ASUS

hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.

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.

vii

A7N8X-XE Speciﬁcations Summary

CPU

SocketAforAMDAthlon™ XP/Sempron™/Duron™ processors

Chipset

NVIDIA^®nForce 2 Ultra 400

NVIDIA^®nForce 2 MCP-RAID

FrontSideBus(FSB)

Memory

400/333/266 MHz

3 x 184-pin DDR DIMM Dockets for up to 3GB memory

Support DDR 400/333/266, non-ECC, un-buffered memory

Support Dual Channel Architecture

1 x AGP 8X

5 x PCI

Expansion Slots

Storage

2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33

2 x Serial ATA, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 + 1 support

C-Media CMI9761A 6-channel CODEC

S/PDIF out interface

Audio

Realtek RTL8201BL 10/100Mbps LAN PHY

Supports up to eight USB 2.0 ports

LAN

USB

ASUS C.P.R.

ASUS Special features

ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)

ASUS MyLogo2

SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection) from 200MHz up to

400MHz at 1MHz increment

1 x Parallel port

Rear panel I/O ports

1 x Serial (COM1) port

1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (purple)

1 x PS/2 Mouse port (green)

1 x Audio I/O port

1 x LAN (RJ-45) port

1 x S/PDIF Out (Coaxial) port

4 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x Floppy disk drive connector

2 x IDE connectors

Internal I/O connectors

2 x Serial ATA connectors

2 x USB connectors supports additional 4 USB ports

20-pin ATX power connector

CD/AUX audio in connectors

CPU/Chassis FAN connectors

Front panel audio connector

4 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM

BIOS 2.3, ASUS EZ Flash, ASUS CrashFree BIOS

BIOS features

PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.1

Industry standard

Manageability

WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME

(continued next page)

viii

A7N8X-XE Speciﬁcations Summary

Support CD

Drivers

ASUS PC Probe

Anti-Virus Software

ASUS LiveUpdate

Accessary

Userʼs Manual

UltraDMA cable

FDD cable

I/O shield

SATA cable

Form factor

ATX, 12” x 7.8” (30.5cm x 19.8cm)

* Speciﬁcations are subject to change without notice.

This chapter describes the motherboard

features and the new technologies it

supports.

Product

Introduction

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS^®A7N8X-XE motherboard!

The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it

another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!

Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the

items in your package with the list below.

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard

Cables

ASUS A7N8X-XE motherboard

Serial ATA signal cable and Serial ATA power cable

Ultra DMA cable

Floppy Disk Drive cable

Accessories

I/O shield

Application CDs

Documentation

ASUS motherboard support CD

User guide

If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

400 MHz FSB Athlon XP CPU Support

The motherboard supports 400MHz front side bus frequency for AMDʼs Athlon

XP and Sempron processors allowing increased ofﬁce productivity and enhanced

digital media experience. See page 1-8.

Dual-Channel DDR 400

The 128-bit TwinBank DDR Memory architecture doubles the DDR 400 (PC3200)

bandwidth. System bottlenecks are eliminated with balanced architecture and peak

bandwidths up to 6.4 GB/s. See page 1-9 for details.

1-2

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Serial ATA technology

Serial ATA is the next generation ATA specification that provides scalable

performance for today and tomorrow. With up to 150MB/s data transfer rate, Serial

ATA is faster than current Parallel ATA, while providing 100% software compatibility.

A7N8X-XE supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 0 + 1. See page 1-19 for details.

Integrated 10/100 LAN controller

A 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet controller is embedded in this motherboard to give

you a fast and reliable connection to a local area network (LAN) and the Internet.

See page 1-20

Coaxial S/PDIF out

This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio

systems via an coaxial S/PDIF-out (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) jack. it allows

to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best

signal quality. See page 1-17 for details.

USB 2.0 technology

USB 2.0 is the latest connectivity standard for next generation components and

peripherals. Backwards compatible with current USB 1.1 peripherals, USB 2.0

delivers transfer speeds up to 40 times faster at 480 MB/s, for easy connectivity

and ultra-fast data transfer rate. See pages1-17 & 1-20 for details.

AGP8X

AGP8X (AGP 3.0) is the mainstream VGA interface specification that enables

enhanced graphices performance with high bandwidth up to 2.13 GB/s. See page

1-14 for details.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-3

1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features

CrashFree BIOS

CrashFree BIOS allows users to restore BIOS data from a ﬂoppy diskette even

when BIOS code and data are corrupted during upgrade or invaded by virus.

Unlike other competing vendorsʼ products, ASUS motherboards now enable users

to enjoy this protection feature without the need to pay for an extra ROM. See page

2-5 for details.

ASUS EZ Flash BIOS

With ASUS EZ Flash, you can update BIOS before entering operating system. No

more DOS-based flash utility and bootable diskette required. See page 2-6 for

details.

ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)

The ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection) is a hardware protection circuit

that automatically shuts down the system power before temperatures go high

enough to permanently damage the CPU. See page 2-26 for details.

C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

When the system hangs due to overclocking failure, there is no need to open the

case to clear CMOS data. Just simply restrart the system, the BIOS would show

the previous setting and then users can amend the CPU setting again.

ASUS MyLogo 2

You can convert your favorite photo into a 256-color boot logo for a more colorful

and vivid image on your screen.

1-4

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.4 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

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.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-5

1.5 Motherboard overview

1.5.1 Motherboard layout

19.9cm (7.8in)

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse

B: Keyboard

PS2USBPW

CPU_FAN

Socket 462

SPDIF_O

COM1

USB34

nVidia nForce 2

Ultra 400

LAN_USB12

FSB_SEL0

FSB_SEL1

Top:Line In

Center:Line Out

Bottom:Mic In

ATXPWR

CLRTC

AUX

CR2032 3V

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

AGP

REALTEK

RTL8201BL

PCI1

PCI2

SATA2

SATA1

MCP-RAID

A7N8X-XE

PCI3

IDE1

IDE2

4Mb

BIOS

PCI4

USB56

CM19761A

PCI5

CHA_FAN

USB78

FP_AUDIO

JR1JL1

PANEL

FLOPPY

1-6

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.5.2 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.

1.5.3 Screw holes

Place seven 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

A7N8X-XE

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-7

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

1.6.1 Overview

The motherboard has a Socket A for installation. The AMD Athlon™/Sempron™

/Duron™ CPU has a “marked” corner. This corner is usually indicated with a notch,

and/or a golden square or triangle. Refer to this indicator when orienting the CPU.

A fan and heatsink should be installed on top of the CPU to prevent overheating.

Do not use processors with core speeds of less than 1GHz.

CPU NOTCH

TO INNER

CORNER

LOCK

LEVER

A7N8X-XE

CPU NOTCH

AMD™ CPU

A7N8X-XE CPU Socket 462

Golden corner

1.6.2 Installing the CPU

Follow these steps to install a CPU:

Locate the CPU socket. Open the

socket by pulling the lever gently

sideways away from the socket,

then lift the lever upwards to a 90

to 100-degree angle.

Insert the CPU with the correct

orientation. The notched or

golden corner of the CPU must be

oriented toward the inner corner

of the socket base nearest to the

lever hinge.

The CPU should drop easily into place. Do not force the CPU into the socket to

avoid bending the pins. If the CPU does not ﬁt, check its alignment and look for

bent pins.

1-8

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.7 System memory

1.7.1 Overview

The motherboard has three Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMM sockets that support

up to 3 GB unbuffered non-ECC DDR400/333/266 DDR SDRAM DIMMs. Each

DIMM socket is double-sided.

A7N8X-XE

A7N8X-XE 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets

1.7.2 Memory conﬁgurations

You may install single or double-sided 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, and 1 GB

DDR DIMMs to the sockets.

Table 1 Recommended memory conﬁgurations

Sockets

Mode

DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B1

Single-channel

(1) Populated

—

Populated

—

(2)

(3)

—

Populated

Dual-channel*

(1) Populated

(2)

(3) Populated

—

Populated Populated

1. DIMMs with more than 8 devices on each side of the module are not supported.

2. Make sure the memory frequency and bus frequency setting in the BIOS are

the same or set to [Auto] ensure system stability.

3. 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.

4. For optimum compatibility, it is recommended that you obtain memory

modules from qualiﬁed vendors. See the next page for a list of qualiﬁed

DDR400 DIMM vendors.

5. Visit ASUS website (www.asus.com) for latest DDR400 Qualiﬁed Vendor List.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-9