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

DDR400 Qualiﬁed Vendors List

Size

Vendor Model

CL Brand

SS/DS Component

DIMM socket support

(Optional)

A* B*

256MB Kingston KVR333X64C25/256

512MB Kingston KVR333X64C25/512

512MB Kingston KVR400X64C3A/512

256MB Kingston KVR400X64C3A/256

N/A Kingston

N/A Hynix

N/A Kingston

N/A Hynix

N/A Kingston

N/A Hynix

Inﬁneon

D3208DH1T-6

Pass Pass Pass

HY5DU56822BT-J

HY5DU56822BT-D43 Pass Pass Pass

D3208DH1T-6

Pass Pass

HY5DU56822BT-J

Pass Pass Pass

HY5DU56822BT-D43 Pass Pass Pass

D3208DH1T-5 Pass Pass Pass

HY5DU56822BT-D43 Pass Pass

256MB Inﬁneon

512MB Inﬁneon

256MB Inﬁneon

512MB Inﬁneon

256MB HY

HYS64D32300GU-5-C

HYS64D64320GU-5-C

HYS64D32300GU-5-C

HYS64D64320GU-6-C

DDR400-256

HYB25D256800CE-5C Pass Pass Pass

HYB25D256800CE-6C Pass Pass Pass

HY5DU56822BT-D43 Pass Pass Pass

Inﬁneon

N/A Inﬁneon

N/A Hynix

512MB HY

DDR400-512

256MB HY

DDR333-256

HY5DU56822BT-J

VS32M8-5 2B0409

Pass Pass Pass

Pass Pass

Pass Pass Pass

512MB HY

DDR333-512

256MB Corsair

512MB Corsair

256MB Corsair

512MB Corsair

512MB Micron

256MB Micron

512MB Micron

VS256MB400

N/A Value select SS

Inﬁneon SS

N/A Value select DS

XMS3202v3.1

HYB25D256807BT-5B Pass Pass Pass

VS512MB400

VS32M8-5 2B0402

K4H5608380-TCB3

V58C2256804SAT6

W942508CH-6

Pass Pass

VS256MB333

N/A Samsung

Mosel

Pass Pass Pass

XMS2702v3.1

XMS2702v1.2

Winbond

Pass Pass

VS512MB333

N/A Value select DS

VS32M8-6 2B0412

MT46V32M8TG-6TG

MT46V32M8TG-5BG

MT46V32M8TG-5BC

K4H560838F-TCCC

K4H560838F-TCB3

MT16VDDT6464AG-335GB N/A Micron

Pass Pass Pass

MT8VDDT3264AG-335GB

MT8VDDT3264AG-40BGB

MT16VDDT6464AG-40BCB

Micron

256MB Samsung M368L3223FTN-CCC

512MB Samsung M368L6423FTN-CCC

256MB Samsung M368L3223FTN-CB3

512MB Samsung M368L6423FTN-CB3

Samsung

Pass

Pass Pass Pass

A*:Supportsone m odule inserted in anyslotasSingle-channelm em orycon guration

B*:Supportsone pairofm odulesinserted into eitherthe blue slotsorthe blackslotsasone pairofDual-

channelm em orycon guration

C *:Supports3 m odulesinserted into both the blue and blackslotsastw o pairsofDual-channelm em ory

con guration

1-10

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.7.3 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.

Follow these steps to install a DIMM.

Locate the DIMM sockets in the

motherboard.

DDR DIMM notch

Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing

the retaining clips outward.

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.

Firmly insert the DIMM into the

socket until the retaining clips snap

back in place and the DIMM is

properly seated.

Locked Retaining Clip

1.7.4 Removing a DIMM

Follow these steps to remove a DIMM.

Simultaneously press the retaining

clips outward to unlock the DIMM.

Support the DIMM lightly with your ﬁngers when pressing the retaining clips.

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

Remove the DIMM from the socket.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-11

1.8 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.

1.8.1 Installing an expansion card

To install an expansion card:

Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with

it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card.

Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a

chassis).

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

for later use.

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

completely seated on the slot.

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

Replace the system cover.

1.8.2 Conﬁguring an expansion card

After installing the expansion card, conﬁgure it by adjusting the software settings.

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

Chapter 2 for information on BIOS setup.

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

Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

1-12

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Standard interrupt assignments

IRQ

Standard Function

System Timer

Standard 101-102-key or microsoft natural keyboard

Programmable interrupt controller

ACPI IRQ hold for PCI IRQ steering

Communications Port (COM1)

C-Media AC 97 audio device

Standard ﬂoppy disk controller

ECP printer port

System CMOS/Real Time Clock

SCI IRQ used by ACPI bus

ACPI IRQ holder for PCI IRQ steering

PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard

Numeric Data Processor

Primary IDE controller

Secondary IDE Channel

IRQ assignments for this motherboard

PCI slot 1

PCI slot 2

PCI slot 3

PCI slot 4

PCI slot 5

—

shared

—

used

—

used

—

used

—

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.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-13

1.8.3 AGP slot

The motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that supports +1.5

V 8X AGP graphics card. Note the notches on the card golden ﬁngers to ensure

that they ﬁt into the AGP slot.

A7N8X-XE

Keyed for 1.5v

A7N8X-XE Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

1.8.4 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.

1-14

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.9 Jumpers

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:

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

b. Remove the onboard battery.

c. 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.

d. Reinstall the battery.

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

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

to re-enter data. Please save all data before you exist.

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

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

CLRTC

A7N8X-XE

Normal

(Default)

Clear CMOS

A7N8X-XE Clear RTC RAM

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-15

PS2/USB Device Wake-up (3-pin PS2USBPW)

This jumper allows you to enable or disable the USB/PS2 keyboard or mouse

wake-up feature. Set this jumper to +5V to wake up the computer from S1

sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power

mode) using the connected keyboard, mouse or USB devices. Set this jumper

to pins 2-3 (+5VSB) to wake up from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to

CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power supply in reduced power mode).

PS2USBPW

+5V

(Default)

+5VSB

A7N8X-XE

A7N8X-XE PS2/USB Device Wake-up

1. This device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can provide

500mA on the +5VSB lead for each USB, keyboard and mouse

devices, otherwise, the system will not power up.

2. The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply

capability (+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep

mode.

1-16

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.10 Connectors

1.10.1 Rear panel connectors

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

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

devices.

LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows 10/100 Mbps connection to a Local Area

Network (LAN) through a network hub.

Line In port (light blue). This port connects a tape, CD, DVD player or other

audio sources. In 4/6-channel mode, the function of this port becomes

Surround (Rear Speaker) Out.

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

4/6-channel mode, the function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out.

Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. In 6-channel mode,

the function of this port becomes Bass/Center.

The functions of the Line Out, Line In, and Microphone ports change when you

select the 4 or 6-channel audio conﬁguration as shown in the following table.

Audio 2, 4, or 6-channel conﬁguration

Port

Headset/2-channel

4-channel

6-channel

Light Blue

Lime

Line In

Line Out

Mic In

Rear Surround

Front Speaker Out

Mic In

Rear Surround

Front Speaker Out

Bass/Center

Pink

USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are

available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are

available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

Serial connector. This 9-pin COM1 port is for pointing devices or other serial

devices.

10. S/PDIF Coaxial out jack. This jack connects to external audio output devices

with coaxial cable connectors.

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

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-17

1.10.2 Internal connectors

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.

Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection when

using a FDD cable with a covered Pin 5.

FLOPPY

PIN 1

A7N8X-XE

NOTE: Orient the red markings on

the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.

A7N8X-XE Floppy disk drive connector

IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE)

This connector is for an Ultra DMA 133 signal cable. The Ultra

DMA 133 signal cable has three connectors: a blue connector for the

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.

•

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 Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE devices.

PRI_IDE

PIN 1

SEC_IDE

A7N8X-XE

NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE

ribbon cable to PIN 1.

A7N8X-XE IDE connectors

1-18

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2)

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

drives.

SATA2

GND

RSATA_RXP2

RSATA_RXN2

GND

RSATA_TXN2

RSATA_TXP2

GND

A7N8X-XE

SATA1

GND

RSATA_RXP1

RSATA_RXN1

GND

RSATA_TXN1

RSATA_TXP1

GND

A7N8X-XE SATA connectors

Important notes on Serial ATA

•

You must install Windows^®2000 SP4, Windows^®XP SP1, Windows^®2003,

or newer OS versions before using Serial ATA hard disk drives.

•

The Serial ATA interface is not supported when using Windows^®98SE/Me

operating system.

CPU and chassis fan connectors (3-pin CPU_FAN, CHA_FAN)

The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350 mA~740 mA (8.88 W max.) or

a total of 1 A~2.22 A (26.64 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. Insufﬁcient air

ﬂow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are

not jumpers! Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors!

CPU_FAN

CHA_FAN

A7N8X-XE

A7N8X-XE Fan connectors

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-19

USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78)

These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cable to

any of these connectors, then install the module to a slot opening at the back

of the system chassis.

The USB module is purchased separately.

A7N8X-XE

USB56

USB78

A7N8X-XE USB 2.0 connectors

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

motherboard!

Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD, AUX)

These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources

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

Right Audio Channel

Ground

Left Audio Channel

(black)

Right Audio Channel

Ground

Left Audio Channel

AUX

(white)

A7N8X-XE

A7N8X-XE Internal audio connectors

1-20

Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Front panel audio connectors (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO)

This connector is for the front panel audio cable. This connector supports the

front panel audio I/O ports.

FP_AUDIO

A7N8X-XE

A7N8X-XE Front panel audio connector

ATX power connector (20-pin ATXPWR)

This connector is for the 20-pin ATX power supply plug. The plug from the

power supply is designed to ﬁt this connector in only one orientation. Find the

proper orientation and push down ﬁrmly until the connector completely ﬁt.

ATXPWR

A7N8X-XE

A7N8X-XE ATX power connectors

If you will need to replace the power supply in the future, make sure that your

new ATX 12V power supply can provide 8 A on the +12 V lead and at least 1

A on the +5 V standby lead (+5VSB). The minimum recommended wattage is

230W, or 300W for a fully conﬁgured system. The system may become unstable

and may experience difﬁculty powering up if the power supply is inadequate.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

1-21

System panel connector (20-pin PANEL)

This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.

PLED

SPEAKER

PANEL

HD_LED

RESET

PWRSW

* Requires an ATX power supply.

A7N8X-XE

EXTSMI

A7N8X-XE System panel connector

•

System power LED (3-1 pin PLED)

This 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.

•

System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER)

This connector is for the chassis-mounted system warning speaker. The

speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings.

Reset button (2-pin RESET)

This connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for system reboot

without turning off the system power.

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

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.

•

System Management Interrupt (2-pin SMI)

This connector is for the chassis-mounted suspend switch that allows you to

manually place the system into a suspend mode, or “green” mode. When in

suspend mode, the system activity is instantly decreased to save power and

to expand the life of certain system components.

Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin HDLED)

This 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.

1-22

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

2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic

Input/Output System (BIOS) setup.

ASUS AFUDOS (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable ﬂoppy

disk.)

ASUS CrashFree BIOS (Updates the BIOS using a ﬂoppy disk when the BIOS ﬁle

fails or gets corrupted.)

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

ASUS Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows^®environment.)

Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.

Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS ﬁle to a ﬂoppy disk in case you

need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS

using the ASUS Update or AFUDOS utilities.

2.1.1 Creating a bootable ﬂoppy disk

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

DOS environment

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

format A:/S

b. At the DOS prompt, type

then press <Enter>.

Windows® XP environment

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

Start

My Computer

b. Click

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

File

from the Windows desktop, then select

Format Format 3 1/2

. A

d. Click

from the menu, then select

appears.

Create an MS-DOS startup disk

Floppy Disk window

e. Select

ﬁeld, then click

from the format options

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.

Start

Run

ﬁeld, type

c. Click

d. From the

, then select

Open

D:\bootdisk\makeboot a:

assuming that D: is your optical drive.

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

Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS ﬁle to the bootable ﬂoppy disk.

2-2

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.1.2 Using AFUDOS to copy the current BIOS

The AFUDOS.EXE utility can also be used to copy the current system BIOS

settings to a ﬂoppy or hard disk. The copy can be used as a backup in case the

system BIOS fails or gets corrupted.

1. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:

afudos /o[ﬁlename]

where “ﬁlename” can be any user-provided ﬁlename of not more than eight

alphanumeric characters for the main filename and three alphanumeric

characters for the extension name.

Press <Enter>.

The BIOS information on the screen is for reference only. What you see on your

screen may not be exactly the same as shown.

Main ﬁlename Extension name

A:\>afudos /oMYBIOS03.rom

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10

Reading ﬂash ..... 0x0008CC00 (9%)

2. The utility will copy the current system BIOS by default to the ﬂoppy disk. Make

sure that the ﬂoppy disk is not write-protected and has enough space (at least

600KB) to store the ﬁle.

A:\>afudos /oMYBIOS03.rom

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10

Reading ﬂash ..... done

A:\>

When the BIOS copy process is complete, the utility returns to the DOS prompt.

2.1.3 Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS

The AFUDOS is a DOS-based application that lets you update the BIOS ﬁle using

a bootable ﬂoppy diskette. AFUDOS also allows you to copy the original BIOS ﬁle

to a ﬂoppy diskette.

To update the BIOS using the AFUDOS.EXE:

1. Download the latest BIOS ﬁle from the website provided by the system builder.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-3

Write the BIOS ﬁlename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact BIOS

ﬁle name at the prompt.

2. Copy the AFUDOS.EXE utility from the support CD to the bootable ﬂoppy disk

that contains the BIOS ﬁle.

3. Boot the system from the ﬂoppy disk.

4. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:

afudos /i [ﬁlename.rom]

where [ﬁlename.rom] means the latest (or original) BIOS ﬁle that you copied to

the bootable ﬂoppy disk.

5. Press <Enter>. The screen displays the status of the update process.

The BIOS information on the screen is for reference only. What you see on your

screen may not be exactly the same as shown.

A:\>afudos /iA7N8X-XE.rom

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10

Reading ﬁle ..... done

Erasing ﬂash .... done

Writing ﬂash .... 0x0008CC00 (9%)

DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing so can

cause system boot failure!

When the BIOS update process is complete, the utility returns to the DOS prompt.

A:\>afudos /iA7N8X-XE.rom

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10

Reading ﬁle ..... done

Erasing ﬂash .... done

Writing ﬂash .... 0x0008CC00 (9%)

Verifying ﬂash .. done

A:\>

6. Reboot the system from the hard disk.

2-4

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS utility

The ASUS CrashFree BIOS allows you to update the BIOS ﬁle when it fails or gets

corrupted. You can update a corrupted BIOS ﬁle using a ﬂoppy disk that contains

the updated BIOS ﬁle and the AFUDOS utility.

Before using this utility, prepare the ﬂoppy disk containing the updated motherboard

BIOS. The AFUDOS.EXE utility is available from the support CD.

To update the BIOS using CrashFree BIOS:

Turn on the system.

When prompted, place the ﬂoppy disk with the updated BIOS ﬁle to the ﬂoppy

disk drive.

Follow the instructions in the previous section to update the BIOS.

Before using the ASUS CrashFree BIOS feature on this motherboard, you must

install an AGP or PCI VGA card to one of the expansion slots before you turn on

the computer.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-5

2.1.5 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS

The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to easily 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 is built-in the BIOS LPC chip so

it is accessible by simply pressing <Alt> + <F2> during the Power-On Self

Tests (POST).

To update the BIOS using ASUS EZ Flash:

1. Visit the system builderʼs website to download the latest BIOS file for your

motherboard and rename it to A7N8X-XE.ROM. Save the BIOS ﬁle to a ﬂoppy disk.

2. Reboot the system.

3. To launch EZ Flash, press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.

User recovery requested. Starting BIOS recovery...

Checking for ﬂoppy...

•

If there is no ﬂoppy disk in the drive, the error message “Floppy not found!” appears.

If the correct BIOS ﬁle is not found in the ﬂoppy disk, the error message

“A7N8X-XE.ROM not found!” is displayed.

4. Insert the ﬂoppy disk that contains the BIOS ﬁle. If the A7N8X-XE.ROM ﬁle

is found in the ﬂoppy disk, EZ Flash performs the BIOS update process and

automatically reboots the system when done.

DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing so can

cause system boot failure!

User recovery requested. Starting BIOS recovery...

Checking for ﬂoppy...

Floppy found!

Reading ﬁle “a7n8x-xe.rom”. Completed.

Start ﬂashing...

Flashed successfully. Rebooting.

2-6

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.1.6 ASUS Update utility

The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage, save, and update the

motherboard BIOS in Windows^®environment. The ASUS Update utility allows you to:

•

Save the current BIOS ﬁle

Download the latest BIOS ﬁle from the Internet

Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS ﬁle

Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and

View the BIOS version information.

This utility is available in the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.

Installing ASUS Update

To install ASUS Update:

Place the support CD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears.

Click the Utilities tab, then click ASUS Update. See page 3-3 for the Utilities

screen menu.

The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system.

•

ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or

an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Quit all Windows^®applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.

Updating the BIOS through the Internet

To update the BIOS through the Internet:

Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows^®desktop by clicking Start

> Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update main

window appears.

Select Update BIOS from the 3.

Internet option from the drop-down

menu, then click Next.

Select the ASUS FTP site nearest

you to avoid network traffic, or

click Auto Select. Click Next.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-7

From the FTP site, select the BIOS

version that you wish to download.

Click Next.

Follow the screen instructions to

complete the update process.

The ASUS Update utility is

capable of updating itself

through the Internet. Always

update the utility to avail all

its features.

Updating the BIOS through a BIOS ﬁle

To update the BIOS through a BIOS ﬁle:

Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows^®desktop by clicking Start

> Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update main

window appears.

Select Update BIOS from a file

option from the drop-down menu,

then click Next.

Locate the BIOS ﬁle from the Open

window, then click Open.

Follow the screen instructions to

complete the update process.

2-8

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.2 BIOS setup program

This motherboard supports a programmable FLASH ROM 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

FLASH ROM.

The FLASH ROM 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 ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS ﬁle for

this motherboard.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-9

2.2.1 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.

ADVANCED

POWER

BOOT

Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced

features.

Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management

features.

Use this menu to conﬁgure the default system device used to

locate and load the Operating System.

EXIT

Use this menu to exit the current menu or to exit the Setup

program.

To access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard

until the desired item is highlighted.

2.2.2 Navigation keys

At the bottom right corner of a menu screen are the navigation keys for that

particular menu. Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change

the settings.

Navigation Key(S)

Left or Right arrow

Up or Down arrow

Function Description

Selects the menu item to the left or right

Moves the highlight up or down between ﬁelds

+ (plus) and - (minus) Change the conﬁguration ﬁeld and data

<Tab>

<F1>

Select the conﬁguration ﬁeld.

Displays the General Help screen

Save changes and Exit

<F10>

<ESC>

Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from

a sub-menu

Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another.

2-10

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

General help

In addition to the Item Help window, the BIOS setup program also provides a

General Help screen. You may launch this screen from any menu by simply

pressing <F1>. The General Help screen lists the legend keys and their

corresponding functions.

Scroll bar

When a scroll bar appears to the right of a help window, it indicates that there is

more information to be displayed that will not ﬁt in the window. Use <PgUp> and

<PgDn> or the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the entire help document.

Press <Home> to display the ﬁrst page, press <End> to go to the last page. To exit

the help window, press <Enter> or <Esc>.

Sub-menu

The right pointer symbol that appears at the left

of certain parameters indicates that a sub-menu

System Time

exists for this ﬁeld. A sub-menu offers additional

System Date

Legacy Diskette A

Legacy Diskette B

parameter options. To display a sub-menu, move

the highlight to the field and press <Enter>.

Primary IDE Master

The sub-menu appears. Use the legend keys to

navigate and enter values within each sub-menu

as you would within a menu. Use the <Esc> key

to return to the main menu. Take some time to

familiarize yourself with the legend keys and their

corresponding functions. Practice navigating

through the various menus and sub-menus. While

moving around 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.

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

Third IDE Master

Fourth IDE Master

System Information

v02.58 (C)Copyrigh

Saving changes and exiting the Setup program

See “2.7 Exit menu” for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the

setup program.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-11

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.

Use [ENTER], [TAB]

System Time

[13:15:30]

or [SHIFT-TAB] to

select a ﬁeld.

System Date

[Mon 05/16/2005]

[1.44M, 3.5 in.]

[Disabled]

Legacy Diskette A

Legacy Diskette B

Use [+] or [-] to

conﬁgure system Time.

Primary IDE Master

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

Third IDE Master

: [WDC WD2500JB-00FUA]

: [Not Detected]

: [ASUS

DVD-E616P2]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Field

Select Field

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

: [Not Detected]

Fourth IDE Master

Tab

F10

ESC

System Information

System Time [hh:mm:ss]

Sets the system to the time that you specify (usually the current time). The format

is hour, minute, second. Valid values for hour, minute and second are Hour: (00 to

23), Minute: (00 to 59), Second: (00 to 59). Use the <Tab> key to move between

the hour, minute, and second ﬁelds.

System Date [day, mm dd yyyy]

Sets the system to the date that you specify (usually the current date). The format

is month, day, year. Valid values for month, day, and year are Month: (1 to 12),

Day: (1 to 31), Year: (1999 to 2099). Use the <Tab> key to move between the

month, day, and year ﬁelds.

Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Sets the type of floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [None]

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

[2.88M, 3.5 in.]

Legacy Diskette B [Disabled]

Sets the type of floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [None]

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

[2.88M, 3.5 in.]

2-12

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave; Third

and Fourth IDE Master

While entering Setup, BIOS auto-detects the presence of IDE devices. There is a

separate sub-manu for each IDE device. Select a device item then press Enter to

display the IDE device information.

Primary IDE Master

Select the type

of device connected

to the system.

Device

Vendor

Size

:Hard Disk

:WDC WD2500JB-00FUA0

:250.0GB

LBA Mode :Supported

Block Mode:16Sectors

PTO Mode :4

Async DMA :MultiWord DMA-2

Ultra DMA :Ultra DMA-5

SMART Monitoring:Supported

Select Screen

Type

[Auto]

←→

Select Item

LBA/Large Mode

↑↓

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

Block (Multi-Sector Transfer) M [Auto]

PIO Mode

DMA Mode

[Auto]

F10

ESC

[Auto]

SMART Monitoring

32Bit Data Transfer

[Auto]

[Disabled]

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Device,

Vendor, Size, LBA Mode, Block Mode, PIO Mode, Async DMA, Ultra DMA, and

SMART monitoring). These values are not user-conﬁgurable. These items show

N/A if no IDE device is installed in the system.

Type [Auto]

Selects the type of IDE drive. Setting to Auto allows automatic selection of the

appropriate IDE device type. Select CDROM if you are speciﬁcally conﬁguring a

CD-ROM drive. Select ARMD (ATAPI Removable Media Device) if your device

is either a ZIP, LS-120, or MO drive. Conﬁguation options: [Not Installed] [Auto]

[CDROM] [ARMD]

LBA/Large Mode [Auto]

Enables or disables the LBA mode. Setting to Auto enables the LBA mode if the

device supports this mode, and if the device was not previously formatted with LBA

mode disabled. Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Auto]

Block (Multi-sector Transfer) M [Auto]

Enables or disables data multi-sectors transfers. When set to Auto, the data

transfer from and to the device occurs multiple sectors at a time if the device

supports multi-sector transfer feature. When set to [Disabled], the data transfer

from and to the device occurs one sector at a time. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [Auto]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-13

PIO Mode [Auto]

Selects the PIO mode. Conﬁguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4]

DMA Mode [Auto]

Selects the DMA mode. Configuration options: [Auto] [SWDMA0] [SWDMA1]

[SWDMA2] [MWDMA0] [MWDMA1] [MWDMA2] [UDMA0] [UDMA1] [UDMA2]

[UDMA3] [UDMA4] [UDMA5]

If the hard disk supports DMA6, UDMA6 will appears in the conﬁguration options.

SMART Monitoring [Auto]

Sets the Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. Configuration

options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]

32Bit Data Transfer [Disabled]

Enables or disables 32-bit data transfer. Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

System Information

This menu gives you an overview of the general system speciﬁcations. The BIOS

automatically detects the items in this menu.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

AMIBIOS

Version

: 08.00.12

Build Date: 06/02/05

Processor

Type

: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+

: 1833HAz

: 1

Speed

Count

System Memory

Size

: 256MB

Select Screen

Select Item

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

AMI BIOS

Displays the auto-detected BIOS information.

Processor

Displays the auto-detected CPU speciﬁcation.

System Memory

Displays the auto-detected system memory.

2-14

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

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 Advaced menu items.

Incorrect ﬁeld values can cause the system to malfunction.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

JumperFree Conﬁguration

USB Conﬁguration

Adjust system

frequency/voltage

CPU Conﬁguration

Chipset

Onboard Devices Conﬁguration

PCIPnP

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Field

←→

↑↓

Enter Go to Sub Screen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

2.4.1 JumperFree Conﬁguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Select the target CPU

frequency, and the

relevant parameters

will be auto-adjusted.

Frequencies higer

than CPU manufacturer

recommends are not

guaranted to be

stable. If the system

becomes unstable,

return to the default.

AI Overclock Tuner

CPU Frequency

FSB Spread Spectrum

AGP Spread Spectrum

[Auto]

[166]

[Disabled]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

AI Overclock Tuner [Auto]

Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal

frequency. Select either one of the preset overclocking options and the relevant

parameters will appear. Conﬁguration options: [Auto] [Manual]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-15

CPU Frequency [166]

Allows you to set the CPU host frequency. Range: 100MHz-300MHz.

FSB Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the FSB clock generator spread spectrum.

Conﬁguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

AGP Spread spectrum [Disabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the AGP clock generator spread spectrum.

Conﬁguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

2.4.2 USB Conﬁguration

The USB Conﬁguration menu allows you to adjust the settings for the onboard USB

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

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

USB Conﬁguration

To enable or disable

the onboard USB

controllers.

USB Devices Enabled:

None

USB Controller

USB 2.0 Support

Legacy USB Support

[Enabled]

[Auto]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

USB Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the integrated USB controller. Configuration

options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

USB 2.0 Support [Enabled]

Conﬁguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

Legacy USB Support [Auto]

Allows you to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Configuration

options: [Enabled] [Disabled] [Auto]

2-16

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.4.3 CPU Conﬁguration

This menu displays the CPU type, speed, cache RAM, and current front side bus

frequency auto-detected by the BIOS.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Processor

Type

Options

:AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+

Disabled

Write-Thru

Write-Back

Speed

:1833MHz

Count

L1 Cache Size :64KB

L2 Cache Size :512KB

CPU Conﬁguration

CPU Internal Cache

[Disabled]

Select Screen

←→

↑↓

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

F10

ESC

CPU Internal Cache [Disabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the CPU Internal Cache. Conﬁguration options:

[Disabled] [Write-Thru] [Write-Back]

2.4.4 Chipset

The Chipset menu allows you to change the advanced chipset settings. Select an

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

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

NVIDIA nForce2 Chipset Conﬁguration

Options for NB

NorthBridge Conﬁguration

SouthBridge Conﬁguration

Select Screen

Select Item

←→

↑↓

Enter Go to Sub Screen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-17

NorthBridge Chipset Conﬁguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Northbridge Chipset conﬁguration

This will switch the

PCI Bus scanning order

while searching for

video card.

This allows to select

the type of Primary

VGA in case of

multiple video

controllers.

Primary Graphices Adapter

Graphics Aperture Size

MDA Access Control

TV Mode Support

[PCI]

[ 64MB]

[PCI]

[Default]

[Auto Mode]

C1 Disconnect

System Clock Settings

Select Screen

System Performance Settings

←→

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

↑↓

F10

ESC

Primary Graphices Adapter [PCI]

Allows selection of the graphics controller to use as a primary boot device.

Conﬁguration options: [PCI] [AGP]

Graphics Aperture Size [64MB]

Allows you to select the size of mapped memory for AGP graphic data.

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [32MB] [64MB] [128MB] [256MB] [512MB]

MDA Access Control [PCI]

Allows you to control MDA Access. Conﬁguration options: [PCI] [AGP]

TV Mode Support [Default]

Conﬁguration options: [NTSC-M] [NTSC-J] [PAL-M] [PAL-BDGHI] [PAL-N] [PAL-

NC] [Default]

C1 Discounnect [Auto Mode]

Conﬁguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] [Auto Mode]

2-18

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

System Performance Settings

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

System Clock Settings

Memory Clock can be

set by the code using

AUTO, or you can set

one of the standard

values.

Memory Clock

DRAM Timing

TRAS

TRCD

TRP

CAS# Latency

[Auto]

[7]

[4]

[2]

[Auto]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

Memory Clock [Auto]

Allows you to set the Memory Clock. Configuration options: [Auto] [133MHz

(DDR266)] [166MHz (DDR333)] [200MHz (DDR400)]

DRAM Timing [Auto]

Allows you to set the DRAM Timing. Conﬁguration options: [Auto] [Manual]

TRAS [7]

Allows you to set the TRAS. Range: 2-15

TRCD [4]

Allows you to set the TRCD. Range: 2-7

TRP [2]

Allows you to set the TRP. Range: 2-7

CAS# Latency [Auto]

Conﬁguration options: [Auto] [2.0] [2.5] [3.0]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-19

South Bridge Chipset Conﬁguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

South Bridge Chipset conﬁguration

Enable or Disable

Onboard LAN device

Onboard LAN

[Enabled]

[Auto]

MAC Bridge Mode

AC97 Audio

Modem CODEC Interface

[Auto]

OnBoard SATA Controller

SATA Operation Mode

SMBus Interface

IOAPIC

[Enabled]

[non-RAID]

[Enabled]

Select Screen

←→

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

↑↓

F10

ESC

Onboard LAN [Enabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the Onboard LAN. Configuration options:

[Enabled] [Disabled]

MAC Bridge Mode [Auto]

Allows you to enable and disable the MAC Bridge Mode. Conﬁguration options:

[Enabled] [Disabled]

AC97 Audio [Auto]

Allows you to enable and disable the AC97 Audio. Conﬁguration options: [Enabled]

[Disabled] [Auto]

Modem CODEC Interface [Auto]

Allows you to enable and disable the Modem CODEC Interface. Configuration

options: [Enabled] [Disabled] [Auto]

OnBoard SATA Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the OnBoard SATA Controller. Configuration

options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

SATA Operation Mode [non-RAID]

Allows you to set the SATA Operation Mode. Configuration options: [non-RAID]

[RAID]

SMBus Interface [Enabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the SMBus Interface. Configuration options:

[Enabled] [Disabled]

IOAPIC [Enabled]

Allows you to enable and disable the IOAPIC. Configuration options: [Enabled]

[Disabled]

2-20

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.4.5 Onboard Devices Conﬁguration

The Onboard Devices Conﬁguration menu allows you to adjust the settings for onboard

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

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Conﬁgure Win627 Super IO Chipset

Allows BIOS to Enable

or Disable Floppy

Controller.

Onboard Floppy Controller [Enabled]

Serial Port1 Address

Parallel Port Address

Parallel Port Mode

EPP Version

[3F8/IRQ4]

[378]

[ECP+EPP]

[1.9]

ECP Mode DMA Channe1 [DMA3]

Parallel Port IRQ [IRQ7]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

Onboard Floppy Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard Floppy controller. Configuration

options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4]

Allows you to select the Serial Port 1 base address. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [3F8/IRQ4] [2F8/IRQ3] [3E8/IRQ4] [2E8/IRQ3]

Parallel Port Address [378]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [378] [278]

Parallel Port Mode [ECP+EPP]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode. Conﬁguration options: [Normal] [Bi-

Directional] [ECP+EPP]

EPP Version [1,9]

Allows selection of the Parallel Port EPP version. This item appears

only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [EPP] or [EPP+ECP.

Conﬁguration options: [1.9] [1.7]

ECP Mode DMA Channel [DMA3]

Allows you to set the Parallel Port ECP DMA. This item appears

only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [ECP] or [EPP+ECP].

Conﬁguration options: [DMA0] [DMA1] [DMA3]

Parallel Port IRQ [IRQ7]

Allows selection of the Parallel Port IRQ. Conﬁguration options: [IRQ5] [IRQ7]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-21

2.4.6 PCIPnP

The PCIPnP menu allows you to change the settings for installed PCI devices.

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

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced PCI/PnP Settings

NO: lets the BIOS

conﬁgure all the

devices in the system.

YES: lets the

WARNING: Setting wrong values in below sections

may cause system to malfunction.

operating system

conﬁgure Plug and

Play (PnP) devices not

required for boot if

your system has a Plug

and Play operating

system

Plug and Play OS

[No]

PCI Latency Timer

Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA

Palette Snooping

[64]

[Yes]

[Disabled]

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-14 assigned to

IRQ-15 assigned to

[PCI Device]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

Plug and Play OS [No]

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

and if you installed a Plug and Play operating system, the operating system

conﬁgures the Plug and Play devices not required for boot. Conﬁguration options:

[No] [Yes]

PCI Latency Timer [64]

Allows you to select the value in units of PCI clocks for the PCI device latency timer

[32] [64] [96] [128] [160] [192] [224] [248]

Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA [Yes]

When set to [Yes], BIOS assigns an IRQ to PCI VGA card if the card requests for

an IRQ. When set to [No], BIOS does not assign an IRQ to the PCI VGA card even

if requested. Conﬁguration options: [No] [Yes]

Palette Snooping [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. Setting to [Disabled] deactivates this feature. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [Enabled]

IRQ xx [PCI Device]

Allows you to set the PCI slot IRQ preference. Configuration options:

Device] [Reserved]

[PCI

2-22

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.5 Power menu

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

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

conﬁguration options.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Select the ACPI state

used for System

Suspend.

Suspend Mode

[Auto]

[No]

Repost Vidow on S3 Resume

ACPI 2.0 Support

ACPI APIC support

[No]

[Enabled]

APM Conﬁguration

Hardware Monitor

Select Screen

←→

↑↓

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

F10

ESC

Suspend Mode [Auto]

Allows you to select the (ACPI) state to be used for system suspend. Conﬁguration

options: [S1 (POS) only] [S3 only] [Auto]

Repost Video on S3 Resume [No]

Determines whether to invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3/STR resume. Conﬁguration

options: [No] [Yes]

ACPI 2.0 Support [Yes]

Allows you to add more tables for Advanced Conﬁguration and Power interface

(ACPI) 2.0 speciﬁcations. Conﬁguration options: [No] [Yes]

ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced conﬁguration and Power interface

(ACPI) support in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). When

set to Enabled, The ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list.

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-23

2.5.1 APM Conﬁguration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Enable or disable

APM

Power Management/APM

Suspend Power Saving Type

Power Button Mode

Video Power Down Mode

Hard disk Power Down Mode

Manual Throttle Ratio

THRM throttle Ratio

[Enabled]

[S1]

[On/Off]

[Suspend]

[50%]

PME Resume

[Disabled]

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

[Power Off]

Ring-In Power On

RTC Resume

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

Resume On PS/2 Keyboard

Resume On PS/2 Mouse

Restore on AC Power Loss

F10

ESC

Power Management/APM [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced Power Management (APM) feature.

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Suspend Power Saving Type [S1]

Conﬁguration options: [C2] [S1]

Power Button Mode [On/Off]

Conﬁguration options:

[On/Off] [Suspend]

Video Power Down Mode [Suspend]

Allows you to select the video power down mode. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [Suspend]

Hard Disk Power Down Mode [Suspend]

Allows you to select the hard disk power down mode. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [Suspend]

Manual Throttle Ratio [50%]

Conﬁguration options:

[87.5%] [75.0%] [62.5%] [50%] [37.5%] [25%] [12.5%]

THRM throttle Ratio [50%]

Conﬁguration options:

[87.5%] [75.0%] [62.5%] [50%] [37.5%] [25%] [12.5%]

2-24

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

PME Resume [Disabled]

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Ring-In Power On [Disabled]

This field allows you to enable or disable the Ring-In Power on function.

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

RTC Resume [Disabled]

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

is enabled, the Date and Resume Time fields are activated for manual setup.

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Resume On PS/2 Keyboard [Enabled]

Allows you to use any key on the 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] [Enabled]

Disabled

Resume On PS/2 Mouse [

]

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

the system. This feature requires an ATX pwer supply that provides at least 1A on

the +5VSB lead. Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Restore on AC Power Loss [Power Off]

When set to Power Off, the system goes into off state after an AC power loss. When

set to Power On, the system goes on after an AC power loss. When set to Last State,

then system goes into either off or on state whatever the system state was before the

AC power loss. Conﬁguration options: [Power Off] [Power On] [Last State]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-25

2.5.2 Hardware Monitor

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Hardware Health Event Monitoring

CPU Temperature

M/B Temperature

: 45ºC/113ºF

: 32ºC/89ºF

CPU Fan Speed

Chassis Fan Speed

: 3863 RPM

: N/A

Vcore

: 1.661 V

: 3.403 V

: 5.094 V

: 11.461 V

+ 3.30V

+ 5.00V

+ 12.00V

Select Screen

Select Item

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

MB Temperature [xxx°C/xxx°F]

CPU Temperature [xxx°C/xxx°F]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard

and CPU temperatures. Seclect Disabled if you do not wish to display the detected

temperatures.

CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]

Chassis Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU

and chassis fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If any of the fans is not

connected to the motherboard, that ﬁeld shows N/A.

Vcore Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 12V Voltage

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through

the onboard voltage regulators.

2-26

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.6 Boot menu

The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot settings. Select a sub-

menu, then press <Enter> to display the conﬁguration options.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot Settings

Spedciﬁes the Boot

Device Proiority

sequence.

Boot Device Priority

Boot Settings Conﬁguration

Security

A virtual ﬂoppy disk

drive (Floppy Drive B:

) may appear when you

set the CD-ROM drive

as the ﬁrst boot

device.

Select Screen

Select Item

←→

↑↓

Enter Go to Sub Screen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

2.6.1 Boot Device Priority

This menu allows you to arrange the boot device priority.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot Device Priority

Speciﬁes the boot

sequence from the

available devices.

1st Boot Device

2nd Boot Device

3rd Boot Device

[1st FLOPPY DRIVE]

[CDROM:SM-ASUS DVD-]

[HDD:PM-WDC WD2500J]

A device enclosed in

parenthesis has been

disabled in the

correspinding type

menu.

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

1st ~ xxth Boot Device [Removable]

Allows you to specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices.

The number of device items that apear on the screen depends on the number of

devices installed in the system. Conﬁguration options: [xxxxx Drive] [Disabled]

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-27

2.6.2 Boot Settings Conﬁguration

This menu allows you to adjust the system boot settings.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot Settings Conﬁguration

Allows BIOS to skip

certain tests while

booting. This will

decrease the time

needed to boot the

system.

Quick Boot

[Enabled]

[Force BIOS]

[Disabled]

[On]

Full Screen Logo

AddOn ROM Display Mode

Boot From Network

Bootup Num-Lock

PS/2 Mouse Support

Wait For ‘F1’ If Error

Hit ‘DEL’ Message Display [Enabled]

[Auto]

[Enabled]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

←→

↑↓

F10

ESC

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]

Full Screen Logo [Enabled]

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

Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Set this item to [Enable] to use the ASUS MyLogo™ feature.

AddOn ROM Display Mode [Force BIOS]

Sets the display mode for option ROM. Conﬁguration options: [Force BIOS] [Keep Current]

Boot From Network [Disabled]

Allows you to boot from network. Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Bootup Num-Lock [On]

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

[Off] [On]

PS/2 Mouse Support [Auto]

Allows you to enable or disable support for PS/2 mouse. Conﬁguration options:

[Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto]

2-28

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

Wait for ʻF1ʼ If Error [Enabled]

When set to Enabled, the system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error

occurs. conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Hit ʻDELʼ Message Display [Enabled]

When set to Enabled, the system displays the message “Press DEL to run Setup”

during POST. Conﬁguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2.6.3 Security

This menu allows you to adjust the system security settings.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Security Settings

<Enter> to change

password.

<Enter> again to

disable password.

Supervisor Password :Not Installed

User Password

:Not Installed

Change Supervisor Password

Change User Password

Select Screen

Select Item

←→

↑↓

Enter change

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

Change Supervisor Password

Select this item to set or change the supervisor password. The Supervisor

Password item on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed. After you set a

password, this item shows Installed.

To set a password:

Select the Change Supervisor Password item and press <Enter>.

From the password box, type a password composed of at least six letters

and/or numbers, then press <Enter>.

Conﬁrm the password when prompted.

The message “Password Installed” appears after you successfully set your

password.

To change the supervisor password, follow the same steps as in setting a user

password.

To clear the supervisor passowrd, select the Change Supervisor Password then

press <Enter>. The message “Password Uninistalled” appears.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-29

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

Clock (RTC) RAM. See section “1.6 Jumpers” for information on how to erase the

RTC RAM.

Change User Password

Select this item to set or change the user password. The Supervisor Password item

on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed. After you set a password, this

item shows Installed.

To set a password:

Select the Change User Password item and press <Enter>.

On the password box that appears, type a password composed of at least six

letters and/or numbers, then press <Enter>.

Conﬁrm the password when prompted.

The message “Password Installed” appears after you successfully set your password.

To change the user password, follow the same steps as in setting a user password.

2-30

Chapter 2: BIOS Setup

2.7 Exit menu

The Exit menu items allow you to save or discard your changes to, and/or load the

optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Exit Options

Exit system setup

after saving the

changes.

Exit & Save Changes

Exit & Discard Changes

Discard Changes

F10 key can be used

for this operation.

Load Setup Default

Select Screen

Select Item

←→

↑↓

Enter Go to Sub Screen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

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

from this menu, or press <F10> to exit.

Exit & Save Changes

Once you are ﬁnished making your selections, choose this option 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 system is turned off. When

you select this option, a conﬁrmation window appears. Select Yes to save changes

and exit the BIOS Setup.

Exit & Discard Changes

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

the BIOS Setup. If you made changes to ﬁelds other than the system date, system

time, and password, the BIOS asks for a conﬁrmation before exiting.

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.

Load Setup Defaults

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

the BIOS Setup menus. When you select this option, or if you press <F5>, a

conﬁrmation window appears. Select Yes to load the default values. Select Exit &

Save Changes or make other changes before saving the values to the non-volatile

RAM.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

2-31

This chapter describes the contents

of the support CD that comes with the

motherboard package.

Software Support

3.1 Installing an operating system

This motherboard supports Windows^®98SE/ME/2000/XP operating systems (OS).

Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the

features of your hardware.

Motherboard settings and hardware options vary. Use the setup procedures

presented in this chapter for reference only. Refer to your OS documentation for

detailed information.

3.2 Support CD information

The support CD that came with the motherboard package contains the drivers, software

applications, and utilities that you can install to avail all motherboard features.

The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice.

Visit the ASUS website(www.asus.com) for updates.

3.2.1 Running the support CD

Place the support CD to the optical drive. The CD automatically displays the

Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer.

Click an icon to

display support

CD/motherboard

information

Click an item to install

If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support

CD to locate the file ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder. Double-click the

ASSETUP.EXE to run the CD.

3-2

Chapter 3: Software Support

3.2.2 Drivers menu

The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed

devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.

NVIDIA ALL in 1 Driver

Install NVIDIA ALL in 1 Driver.

Make NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Disk

Make NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Disk.

*Note: you can browse the path\Drivers\NVIDIA\winxp_2kIDE Driver to refer the

uncompressed ﬁles.

C-Mediaʼs Xear 3D Driver

Install C-Mediaʼs Xear 3D Driver.

USB 2.0 Driver

Install USB 2.0 driver.

The screen display and drivers option may not be the same for different

operating system versions.

3.2.3 Utilities menu

The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports.

ASUS PC Probe

This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system voltages,

and alerts you of any detected problems. This utility helps you keep your computer

in healthy operating condition.

ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard

3-3

ASUS Update

The ASUS Update utility allows you to update the motherboard BIOS in a Windows

environment. This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network

or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). See pages 2-7 to 2-8 for details.

ASUS Screen Saver

Bring life to your idle screen by installing the ASUS screen saver.

ADOBE Acrobat Reader V5.0

The Adobe Acrobat^®Reader V5.0 is for opening, viewing, and printing documents

in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Microsoft DirectX 9.0c

The Microsoft DirectX^®9.0c is a multimedia technology that enhances computer

graphics and sounds. DirectX^®improves the multimedia features of your computer

so you can enjoy watching TV and movies, capturing videos, or playing games in

your computer.

Anti-Virus Utility

The anti-virus application scans, identiﬁes, and removes computer viruses. View

the online help for detailed information.

3.2.4 Contacts menu

Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. You can also ﬁnd

this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.

3-4

Chapter 3: Software Support

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