Albatron KX600A Series User manual

KX600A Series
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We make no warranty of any kind with regard to the content of this user’s manual. The content is
subject to change without notice and we will not be responsible for any mistakes found in this user’s
manual. All the brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
FCC Compliance Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of 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 the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential
area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation.
CE Mark
The device is in accordance with 89/336 ECC-ENC Directive.
120410104M1N

You have to know !!!
! The images and pictures in this manual are for reference only and may
vary slightly from actual product installation depending on specific
hardware models, third party components and software versions.
! Unplug your computer when installing components and configuring
switches and pins.
! This mainboard contains very delicate IC chips. Use a grounded wrist
strap when working with the system.
! Do not touch the IC chips, leads, connectors or other components.
! Unplug the AC power when you install or remove any device on the
mainboard.
Package Contents
# KX600A-GE/ KX600A PRO/ KX600A mainboard
# IDE Cable
# FDC Cable
# USB Bracket (optional)
# Game Port Bracket (optional)
# SPDIF & FRONT AUDIO Bracket (optional)
# SATA Power cord / SATA Cable (optional)
# Installation and Setup Driver CD
# KX600A Series User Manual
Symbols
Attention …
Following the procedures …
Troubleshooting …
Please refer to …

KX600A Series
VIA® KT600 & VT8237
Supports Socket 462 AMD®
Athlon XPTM/ AthlonTM/ DuronTM/ BartonTM Processors
USER Manual
Dimensions (ATX form-factor):
$ 200mm x 293mm (WxL)
Operating System:
$ Supports most popular operating systems: Windows®9X/ME/2000/XP etc.

Contents
CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED ............................................................1
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................1
SPECIFICATION..........................................................................................................2
CONFIGURATION .......................................................................................................5
Layout of KX600A-GE .....................................................................................................5
Layout of KX600A PRO ................................................................................................... 6
Layout of KX600A............................................................................................................7
HARDWARE INSTALLATION ......................................................................................8
CPU Processor Installation................................................................................................8
Memory Installation ..........................................................................................................9
Back Panel Configuration................................................................................................ 12
Front Panel Indicator: SW/LED、PWRLED、SPEAKER............................................. 14
Connectors....................................................................................................................... 15
Headers & Jumpers.......................................................................................................... 16
Audio Connectors............................................................................................................ 18
Slots................................................................................................................................. 20
Power Supply Attachments.............................................................................................. 20
CHAPTER 2. BIOS SETUP..........................................................................21
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................21
MAIN MENU............................................................................................................23
ADVANCED BIOS FEATURES..................................................................................25
INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS.....................................................................................33
POWER MANAGEMENT............................................................................................37
HARDWARE MONITOR ............................................................................................42
LOAD DEFAULTS.....................................................................................................43
EXIT MENU..............................................................................................................44
CHAPTER 3: SOFTWARE SETUP............................................................45
SOFTWARE LIST ......................................................................................................45
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION......................................................................................45
CHAPTER 4: TROUBLESHOOTING .......................................................48
APPENDIX I: SUPER 5.1 CHANNEL SETUP...............................................................51
APPENDIX II: SATA RAID 0/1 SETUP....................................................................52

KX600A Series
1
Chapter 1. Getting Started
Introduction
Congratulations on choosing the KX600A Series mainboard! The KX600A series includes the
KX600A-GE, KX600A PRO and KX600A. These are based on VIA®KT600 Northbridge chipset
and VT8237 Southbridge chipset. It also supports AMD®Athlon XPTM/ AthlonTM/ DuronTM/
BartonTM Processors with a FSB (Front Side Bus) frequency of 200/ 266/ 333/ 400 MHz.
The KX600A Series provide 3 sockets using 184 pin DDR SDRAM with a total capacity of up to
3GB. You can install DDR400/ 333/ 266 (PC3200/ 2700/ 2100) SDRAM.
The KX600A Series provide one AGP Slot for 2X/ 4X/ 8X (1.5V only) AGP cards.
The KX600A Series include built in IDE facilities that support Ultra ATA 33/ 66/ 100/ 133. The
KX600A Series also include built in SATA facilities that support Serial ATA 150 and support SATA
RAID 0 or 1.
The KX600A Series also comes with an AC’97 Sound Codec (ALC655) which supports high quality
6 channel audio (Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect). It also supports Sony/ Philips Digital Interface
(S/PDIF).
The KX600A Series also include CPU Over Temperature Protection (OTP). When CPU temperature
rises above normal values, the system will automatically shut down to protect your system from
overheating. But the OTP is only functional when using the Athlon XPTM or the BartonTM CPUs.
The KX600A Series also comes with eight USB 2.0 ports.
The KX600A-GE and KX600A PRO also comes with a LAN Chip which supports a back panel LAN
port.
The company’s 3 Year Limited Warranty for this product covers both labor costs and replacement
parts during the 1st year. Only labor costs are covered during the 2nd and 3rd years (replacement
parts will be charged during the 2nd and 3rd years).
All of the information in this manual only for reference. This specification is subject to change
without notice.

KX600A Series
2
Specification
CPU:
$ Supports Socket 462 (Socket A)
$ Supports AMD®Athlon XPTM, AthlonTM, DuronTM, BartonTM processors
Speed:
$ 200/ 266/ 333/ 400 MHz Front Side Bus frequency
$ 33 MHz, 32 bit PCI interface (PCI 2.2 compliant)
$ 66 MHz AGP 2.0 compliant interface that supports 2X/ 4X data transfer modes
$ 66 MHz AGP 3.0 compliant interface that supports 8X data transfer modes
Chipset:
$ Northbridge Chip – VIA KT600
$ Southbridge Chip – VIA VT8237
$ I/O Controller – Winbond Super I/O W83697HF
$ AC’97 Codec – Realtek ALC655
$ LAN Controller – Realtek RTL8110S (only for KX600A-GE)
Realtek RTL8100C (only for KX600A PRO)
DRAM Memory:
$ Supports DDR400 (PC3200)/ DDR333 (PC2700)/ DDR266 (PC2100) SDRAM
$ Supports 64 MB/ 128 MB/ 256 MB/ 512 MB/ 1 GB unbuffered/non-ECC DIMM modules
$ Supports up to three memory modules with a total capacity of 3 GB
$ Supports only two DDR400 double-sided memory modules with a total capacity of 2 GB
(see memory installation section for more details)
Green Functionality:
$ Supports Phoenix-Award BIOS ™ power management functionality
$ Contains an inactivity power down timer that can be set from 1 to 15 minutes
$ Wakes from power saving sleep mode with any keyboard or mouse activity
Shadow RAM:
$ This mainboard is equipped with a memory controller providing shadow RAM and
support for ROM BIOS

KX600A Series
3
BUS Slots:
$ Provides one AGP slot (1.5V only)
$ Provides five PCI bus slots
Flash Memory:
$ Supports flash memory functionality
$ Supports ESCD functionality
Hardware Monitor Function:
$ Monitors CPU Fan/ Chassis Fan Speed
$ Monitors CPU & system Temperature
$ Monitors System Voltage
AC’97 Sound Codec Onboard:
$ AC-LINK protocol compliance
$ Compliant with AC’97 2.3 specification
$ 18-bit full duplex stereo ADC, DACs
$ SNR>95 db through mixer and DAC
$ 6-channel playback capability (Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect)
LAN Chip:
$ Supports 10/ 100/ 1000 Mbps Ethernet for KX600A-GE mainboard
$ Supports 10/ 100 Mbps Ethernet for KX600A PRO mainboard
Universal Serial Bus:
$ Supports eight USB 1.1/2.0 ports for USB interface devices
IDE Facilities:
$ Supports Ultra ATA 33, Ultra ATA 66, Ultra ATA 100, Ultra ATA 133
$ Supports IDE interface with CD-ROM
$ Supports high capacity hard disk drives
$ Supports installation of up to 4 drives, with separate IDE connections for Primary and
Secondary connectors

KX600A Series
4
Serial ATA facilities:
$ Compatible with SATA Spec 1.0
$ Supports Serial ATA specification of 150 MB/sec transfers
$ Supports SATA RAID 0 or RAID 1 mode
I/O facilities:
$ One multi-mode Parallel Port capable of supporting the following specifications:
1. Standard & Bi-direction Parallel Port
2. Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)
3. Extended Capabilities Port (ECP)
$ Supports two serial ports, 16550 UART
$ Supports PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard
$ Supports 360 KB, 720 KB, 1.2 MB, 1.44 MB, and 2.88 MB floppy disk drives
$ MIDI compatible
$ Game port compatible
BIOS:
$ Phoenix-Award™ BIOS
$ Supports APM1.2
$ Supports USB Legacy function
$ Supports ACPI power management
Sophisticated OTP (Over Temperature Protection):
$ Special design for CPU Over Temperature Protection.
$ OTP is functional when using the Athlon XPTM or the BartonTM CPUs.
Watch Dog Timer:
$ The mainboard contains a special feature called the “Watch Dog Timer” which is used to
detect when the system is unable to handle over-clocking configurations during POST
stage. Once detected the system will reset the configurations and reboot the system after
five seconds.

KX600A Series
5
Configuration
Layout of KX600A-GE

KX600A Series
6
Layout of KX600A PRO

KX600A Series
7
Layout of KX600A

KX600A Series
8
Hardware Installation
This section will assist you in quickly installing your system hardware. Wear a wrist ground strap
before handling components. Electrostatic discharge may damage your system components.
CPU Processor Installation
This mainboard supports AMD®Athlon XPTM/ AthlonTM/ DuronTM/ BartonTM processors using a
Socket A (Socket 462 Pin package). Before building your system, we suggest you visit the AMD
website and review the processor installation procedures. http://www.amd.com
CPU Socket A Configuration Steps:
1. Locate the CPU socket on your mainboard and nudge the lever away from the socket. Then lift
the lever to a 90-degree angle.
2. On the socket, locate the corner that has the pin-1 receptor. This corner will have a cut-corner on
the rectangular shaped pattern of pin holes on the socket.
Match the corner on the CPU with the pin-1 receptor on the socket and lower the CPU onto the
socket. The bottom of the CPU should be flush with the face of the socket.
3. Lower the lever until it snaps back into position. This will lock down the CPU.
4. Smear thermal grease on top of the CPU. Lower the CPU fan onto the CPU and use the clasps on
the fan to attach it to the socket. Finally, extend the power cable from the fan and insert it onto
the CPUFAN adapter.
Pin-1
Receptor
Corner
Attention
Overheating may damage the CPU and other sensitive components.
Please check the installation completely before starting the system.
Make sure the heatsink and the CPU fan are properly installed.

KX600A Series
9
FAN Headers
Three power headers are available for cooling fans, which play an important role in maintaining the
ambient temperature in your system.
Memory Installation
The KX600A Series contain 3 sockets, which use 184- pin DDR SDRAM with a total memory
capacity of up to 3 GB. You can install unbuffered & non-ECC DDR400/ 333/ 266 (PC3200/ 2700/
2100) SDRAM. It supports only DDR266 when installed with CPUs that have clock speeds of 100
MHz.
Attention
This system has a BIOS configuration feature that issues a warning
(during POST) when the CPU fan is not plugged in or is not functioning.
In order to make use of this feature. You must make sure that the CP
U
p
ower cable is attached specifically to the “CPUFAN” header. The BIOS
configuration option is described in the “Hardware Monitor” section o
f
the BIOS Setup Utility Chapter.

KX600A Series
10
*If you are planning to use all three DIMM sockets, you must take into consideration the address bus
configuration which is not equally distributed amongst the three sockets. DIMM3 has its own
address bus, but DIMM1 and DIMM2 share a single address bus. It is recommended that you install
memory modules that balance the load between the two address busses, both physically (chips on
each module) and in terms of total memory.
For example, an ideal configuration would be to install a double-sided, 16-chip module into DIMM3
containing a total of 1.0 GB of memory. Then you can install single-sided, 8-chip, 512 MB modules
into DIMM1 and DIMM2. Or you want to use only DDR400 double-sided DIMMs, we suggest that
you use only two of the DIMM sockets. We also suggest that you use either DIMM1 and DIMM3
together or DIMM2 and DIMM3 together.
RAM Module Installation:
1. Pull the white plastic tabs on each side of the slot away from the slot.
2. Match the notch on the button of the RAM module with the corresponding pattern in the DIMM
slot. This ensures that the module is inserted properly.
3. Lower the RAM module into the DIMM Slot and press firmly using both thumbs until the
module snaps into place.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 for the remaining RAM modules.
Frequency / Voltage Control
This mainboard automatically detects and recognizes the DDR Speed and the CPU Voltage. You can
otherwise override these values using the BIOS Setup Utility.
Configuring using the BIOS Setup Utility
To access the BIOS Setup Utility, reboot your system. During the reboot process you will be given an
opportunity to press the “DEL” key to enter the BIOS Setup Utility.
From the BIOS Setup Utility access the “Advanced” section and then scroll down to the “Frequency /
Voltage Control” field. Adjust the “CPU Host Frequency”, “DDR:CPU Ratio” and “CPU Clock
Ratio” according to the formulas below.
* The pictures above are for reference only and may vary slightly for your mainboard.

KX600A Series
11
Formulas
CPU Speed = CPU Clock Ratio *CPU Host Frequency
DDR Speed = DDR: CPU Ratio *CPU Host Frequency
(The CPU Clock Ratio is usually locked by the CPU manufacturer which means it will not be
displayed. You can adjust the CPU Host Frequency to change the CPU speed. For more details,
please refer to the Frequency / Voltage Control section in BIOS.)
Note: The AGP and PCI frequencies are both calculated from the CPU Host frequency according to
the table below. To determine your frequencies, first locate the row that corresponds to the “Default
CPU Host Frequency” frequency that is set for your system. Then, calculate the AGP and PCI
frequencies according to the formulas in the adjacent cells.
Default CPU Host Frequency PCI frequency AGP frequency
100 MHz CPU Host frequency ÷3 CPU Host frequency * (2/3)
133 MHz CPU Host frequency ÷4 CPU Host frequency * (2/4)
166 MHz CPU Host frequency ÷5 CPU Host frequency * (2/5)
200 MHz CPU Host frequency ÷6 CPU Host frequency * (2/6)
(You can adjust the “CPU Host Frequency” in the BIOS Setup Utility. If you do not adjust the option,
then the default CPU Host Frequency will be equal of default CPU Host Frequency.)
eg. If your “Default CPU Host Frequency” is set to 133, and you make no adjustments to the “CPU
Host Frequency”. Then the “CPU Host Frequency” will be 133, the AGP frequency will be 66 MHz
and the PCI frequency will be 33 MHz.
Watch Dog Timer
This mainboard comes with a special feature called “Watch Dog Timer” which is used to detect when
the system is unable to boot using the manual over-clocking configurations. After you power on the
system, BIOS will check the last system POST status. If it was successful, BIOS will set the user
configured values stored in the CMOS. If unsuccessful, the “Watch Dog Timer” will restore system
defaults in the CMOS and reset the system.
On most systems you would need to remove the cover of your system and re-jumper the clear CMOS
switches on the mainboard when your system encounters over-clocking problems. With the “Watch
Dog Timer”, overclocking settings will be automatically cleared and reset.
Before Overclocking
Please make sure your system components are capable o
f
overclocking. If you are not familiar with the overclocking, we
strongly recommend that you to set the clock to the defaul
t
settings. We do not guarantee that damage will or will not occu
r
when overclocking.

KX600A Series
12
Back Panel Configuration
PS/2 Mouse & PS/2 Keyboard Connectors: KB/MS
This mainboard provides a standard PS/2 mouse connector and PS/2 Keyboard connector. The pin
assignments are described below:
USB & LAN Connectors: USB & USB/ (LAN is optional)
There are four USB connectors on the back panel. These USB connectors are used to attach to USB
devices such as: keyboards, mice and other USB devices. You can plug the USB devices directly into
this connector. The KX600A PRO and KX600A-GE also provide a LAN port. You can plug LAN
devices directly into this connector.
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
1 Data 4 +5 V (fused)
2 No connect 5 Clock
3 Ground 6 No connect
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
1 TX+ 5 NC
2 TX- 6 RX-
3 RX+ 7 NC
4 NC 8 NC
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
1/5 +5 V (fused) 3/7 USBP0+/P1+
2/6 USBP0-/P1- 4/8 Ground

KX600A Series
13
Serial and Parallel Interface Ports
The KX600A Series come equipped with two serial ports and one parallel port.
Parallel Interface Port: PRT
The parallel port on your system has a 25-pin, DB25 connector and is used to interface with parallel
printers and other devices using a parallel interface.
The Serial Interface: COM1/ COM2
The serial interface port is sometimes referred to as a RS-232 port or an asynchronous
communication port. Mice, modems and other peripheral devices can be connected to a serial port.
Audio Port Connectors
Speaker-Out Connects to standard audio speakers or headphones. This port becomes the front
speakers when 5.1 Channel Audio Effects driver is installed and enabled.
Line InConnects to an external audio device such as a CD player, tape player or other audio devices
that provide audio input. This port becomes the rear speakers when 5.1 Channel Audio Effects driver
is installed and enabled.
Mic In Connects to a microphone. This port becomes the subwoofer/center out when 5.1 Channel
Audio Effects driver is installed and enabled.
This mainboard supports Super 5.1 Channel Audio effects which turns
your standard Speaker Out, Lin In, Mic In audio connectors into a 6
channel audio system. See Appendix Ifor more information.

KX600A Series
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Front Panel Indicator: SW/LED 、 PWRLED 、 SPEAKER
HD LED (Hard Drive LED Connector/ red)
This connector can be attached to an LED on the front panel of a computer case. The LED will
flicker during disk activity. This disk activity only applies to those IDE drives directly attached to the
system board.
RST SW (Reset Switch/ blue)
This connector can be attached to a momentary SPST switch. This switch is normally left open.
When closed it will cause the mainboard to reset and run the POST (Power On Self Test).
PWR-LED (2-pin Power LED Connector/ green)
The mainboard provides two power LED connector.If there is a 2-pin power LED cable on the front
panel of a computer case. You can attach it to the 2-pin power LED connector. The LED will
illuminate while the computer is powered on.
PWR SW (Power on Switch/ orange)
This connector can be attached to a front panel power switch. The switch must pull the Power Button
pin to ground for at least 50 ms to signal the power supply to switch on or off (the time required is
due to internal debounce circuitry on the system board). At least two seconds must pass before the
power supply will recognize another on/off signal.
PWR-LED (3-Pin Power LED Connector/ green)
The mainboard provides two power LED connector. If there is a 3-pin power LED cable on the front
panel of a computer case. You can attach it to the 3-pin power LED connector.
SPEAKER (Speaker Header/ violet)
A front panel speaker can be connected to this connector. When you boot your computer, the speaker
sounds a short “beep”. If there is something wrong during the Power On Self-Test, the speaker
sounds “irregular beep” to warning you.

KX600A Series
15
Connectors
Floppy Disk Connector: FDC
The mainboard provides a standard floppy disk connector (FDC) that supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M,
1.44M and 2.88M floppy diskettes. This connector supports the floppy drive ribbon cables provided
in the packaging.
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/ IDE2、SATA1/ SATA2
The mainboard has a 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE Controller that supports Ultra ATA 33, Ultra ATA 66,
Ultra ATA 100 and Ultra ATA 133. It has two HDD connectors, IDE1 and IDE2. The mainboard
also has two Serial ATA connectors that support SATA RAID 0 or 1.
IDE1 (Primary IDE Connector)
You can connect up to two hard drives to IDE1. If you attach two drives, you must use a ribbon cable
with three connectors. You must also configure one drive as the master and one drive as the slave,
using the jumpers located on each drive.
IDE2 (Secondary IDE Connector)
The IDE2 controller can also support a Master and a Slave drive. The configuration is similar to
IDE1.
SATA1/ SATA2
The SATA connectors support transfer rate to 150 MB/s and SATA RAID 0 or 1 mode. The
connectors only can connect one serial ATA hard disk device each.
This mainboard supports SATA RAID 0 or 1. See appendix Il
for more information.

KX600A Series
16
Headers & Jumpers
Game Port Header: GAME PORT
There is a game port header on these mainboards. To use this header, you must attach a game port
bracket-cable so that you can interface to gaming devices (game port bracket is optional).
Case Open Warning Header: CASE OPEN
This connector is used to warn the user that the computer case has been previously opened. To use
this functionality, you have to enable the CASE OPEN warning function in the BIOS Setup Utility.
When your computer case is opened, your system will show alert messages during boot up. To use
this function, your computer case must be equipped with a “case open” cable.
OTP (Over Temperature Protection) Jumper: JP4
The mainboard supports a special design for CPU Over Temperature Protection. If this function is
“Enabled” and the CPU temperature rises above the normal range, the system will automatically shut
down and you have to unplug the ATX_PWR connector. Remove and reinstall the CPU heat sink
also check to make sure the CPU fan is working properly.
*OTP is only functional when using the Athlon XPTM or the BartonTM CPUs.