Asus A7N266-VM AA User manual

Motherboard
®
A7N266-VM
User Guide

ii
Checklist
Product Name: A7N266-VM
Manual Revision: 1.00 E1014
Release Date: March 2002
Copyright © 2002 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
Nopartofthismanual,includingtheproductsandsoftwaredescribedinit,maybereproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any
form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes,
without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or
altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing byASUS; or (2)
the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered
trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification
or explanation and to the owners’benefit, without intent to infringe.
Theproductname and revision number are both printed on the product itself. Manual revisions
are released for each product design represented by the digit before and after the period of
the manual revision number. Manual updates are represented by the third digit in the manual
revision number.
For previous or updated manuals, BIOS, drivers, or product release information, contact
ASUS at: http://www.asus.com or through any of the means indicated on the following page.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS”WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALLASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM
ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN
THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

iii
Features
About this guide
This user manual contains complete information for installing the ASUS
A7N266-VM motherboard.
How this guide is organized
• Chapter 1: Product introduction. A summary of product features and
special attributes of new technologies.
• Chapter 2: Hardware information. A list of hardware setup procedures
and descriptions of all jumpers and connectors on the motherboard.
•Chapter 3: Powering up. Describes the power up sequence with
information on BIOS beep codes.
• Chapter 4: BIOS setup. How to change system settings using onboard
BIOSfirmware.DetaileddescriptionsoftheBIOSparametersaresupplied.
• Chapter 5: Software support. A summary of contents on the
motherboard support CD ROM.
• Appendix and Glossary. Optional componentsandtechnicaldefinitions.
• Index
Conventions used in this guide
Tomakesurethatyouperform set-up tasksproperly,takenoteofthefollowing
symbols used throughout this manual.
WARNING! Information to prevent injury to yourself.
CAUTION! Information to prevent damage to the components.
IMPORTANT! Information that youMUSTfollowtocomplete a task.
NOTE! Tips and helpful information.

iv
Safeguards
Contents
About this guide ..........................................................................................iii
How this guide is organized...............................................................iii
Conventions used in this guide..........................................................iii
Safety information ...................................................................................... vi
FCC/CDC statements.................................................................................vii
ASUS contact information ......................................................................... viii
Chapter 1: Product introduction ............................................. 1
Welcome! .................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Package contents.............................................................................. 1
1.2 Core Specifications ........................................................................... 2
1.3 Special Features ............................................................................... 3
1.4 Motherboard Components................................................................. 4
1.4.1 Component Locations ......................................................... 5
Chapter 2: Hardware information ............................................ 7
2.1 Motherboard installation .................................................................... 7
2.1.1 Placement direction ............................................................. 7
2.1.2 Screw holes......................................................................... 7
2.2 Layout contents................................................................................. 9
2.3 Before you proceed ......................................................................... 10
2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ........................................................ 11
2.4.1 Overview ........................................................................... 11
2.4.2 Installing the CPU.............................................................. 12
2.5 System memory .............................................................................. 13
2.5.1 Overview ........................................................................... 13
2.5.2 Memory configurations ...................................................... 14
2.5.3 Installing a DIMM............................................................... 14
2.6 Expansion slots ............................................................................... 15
2.6.1 Installing an expansion card .............................................. 15
2.6.2 Configuring an expansion card .......................................... 16
2.6.3 PCI slots............................................................................ 17
2.6.4 AGP slot ............................................................................ 18
2.7 Jumpers .......................................................................................... 19
2.8 Connectors...................................................................................... 23
Chapter 3: Powering up ......................................................... 33
3.1 Starting up for the first time.............................................................. 33
3.2 Powering off the computer............................................................... 34
Chapter 4: BIOS setup ........................................................... 35
4.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS ................................................. 35

v
Contents
4.1.1 Upon First Use of the Computer System ........................... 35
4.1.2 Updating BIOS Procedures ............................................... 37
4.2 BIOS Setup Program ...................................................................... 39
4.2.1 BIOS Menu Bar ................................................................. 40
4.2.2 Legend Bar........................................................................ 40
4.3 Main Menu ...................................................................................... 42
4.3.1 Primary & Secondary Master/Slave ................................... 43
4.3.2 Keyboard Features ............................................................ 47
4.4 Advanced Menu .............................................................................. 49
4.4.1 Summary of Warning Messages ......................................... 51
4.4.2 Chip Configuration............................................................. 52
4.4.3 I/O Device Configuration ................................................... 54
4.4.4 PCI Configuration .............................................................. 56
4.4.5 Shadow Configuration ....................................................... 58
4.5 Power Menu .................................................................................... 59
4.5.1 Power Up Control .............................................................. 61
4.5.2 Hardware Monitor.............................................................. 62
4.6 Boot Menu....................................................................................... 63
4.7 Exit Menu ........................................................................................ 65
Chapter 5: Software support ................................................. 67
5.1 Install an operating system .............................................................. 67
5.2 Support CD information ................................................................... 67
5.3 A7N266-VM Motherboard Support CD ............................................ 68
5.3.1 Installation Menu ............................................................... 68
5.3.2 Installation Procedure........................................................ 69
5.3.3 Installation of PCI Drivers: Win98 ...................................... 70
5.3.4 Installation of Audio Codec Drivers: Win98 ........................ 71
5.3.5 Installation of NVIDIA MCP MAC Driver: Win98................. 72
5.3.6 Installation of NVIDIA GeForce2 GPU Driver: Win98 ......... 72
5.4 ASUS PC Probe.............................................................................. 73
5.5 ASUS Live Update .......................................................................... 78
5.6 3Deep Color Tuner .......................................................................... 79
5.7 CyberLink PowerPlayer SE ............................................................. 81
5.8 CyberLink VideoLive Mail ................................................................ 83
Chapter 6: Appendix ............................................................... 85
6.1 Glossary.......................................................................................... 85
6.2 Troubleshooting............................................................................... 89
Index ........................................................................................ 91

vi
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. Disconnect all power cables from the existing system before
you add a device.
•Beforeconnectingor removingsignalcablesfromthemotherboard,ensure
that all power cables are unplugged.
•Seek professional assistance before using an adpater or extension cord.
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
•Make sure that your power supply is set to the voltage available in your
area.
•If the power supply is broken, contact a qualified service technician or your
retailer.
Operational safety
•Before installing the motherboard and adding new devices, carefully read
all the manuals that came with the package.
•Before use ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables
arenotdamaged.Ifyoudetectanydamage,contactthedealerimmediately.
•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.
•Mount the motherboard inside a standard PC enclosure.
•If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified
service technician or the dealer.

vii
FCC/CDC statements
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference, and
•This device must accept any interference received including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
•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 user’s 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.

viii
ASUS contact information
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)
Marketing
Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Technical Support
Tel (English): [phone]
Tel (Chinese): [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Newsgroup: cscnews.asus.com.tw
WWW: www.asus.com.tw
FTP: ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)
Marketing
Address: 6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2
Newark, CA 94560, USA
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Technical Support
Fax: [phone]
BBS: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
WWW: www.asus.com
FTP: ftp.asus.com/pub/ASUS
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)
Marketing
Address: Harkortstr. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected] (for marketing requests only)
Technical Support
Hotline: MB/Others: [phone]
Notebook: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Support (Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support (for online support)
WWW: www.asuscom.de
FTP: ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM

Chapter 1
Product introduction

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard user guide 1
Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS
®
A7N266-VM motherboard!
The A7N266-VM is powered by AMD
®
Athlon
™
, Athlon
™
XP and Duron
™
processorsandsuppliesadvanced featurestoensurelong-lasting,superlative
performance. The ASUS
®
A7N266-VM motherboard is the prime choice for
home PCs and workstations.
~ Up to 1GB of system memory of the latest DDR RAM
~ High-resolution graphics via an AGP 4X slot
~ Digital Audio Interface for 3D sound
~ Onboard LAN PHY for instant networking (Optional)
~ Four USB ports plus one header for two more
~ UltraDMA100 data rates
The A7N266-VM is the perfect vehicle to get ahead in the world of power
computing!
1.1 Package contents
Check your A7N266-VM package for the following items.
ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard (MicroATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in)
ASUS A7N266-VM support CD
ASUS 2-port USB module
40-conductor IDE cable
Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
COM 2 bracket
I/O shield (LAN model only)
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.2 Core Specifications
The A7N266-VM motherboard is designed and assembled according to the
highest standards. ThisASUS motherboard represents the latest advances
and offers users the finest componentry available today...
AMD
®
Athlon
™
/ Athlon
™
XP and Duron
™
Socket A (462) Processor
North Bridge Chipset: the nVidia
®
220D GeForce MX Integrated GPU/
North Bridge controller chipset. The controller supports a 64bit DDR
memorycontrollerandupto1 GB of 266/200MHz DDR SDRAM memory.
The64bitmemorycontrollerprovidesa exceptional2.1GB/secondsystem
memory bandwidth.
South Bridge Chipset: Features the brand new nVidia
®
nForce
™
MCP-D integratedperipheralSouth Bridge controller operates at800MB/
secto communicatewiththeNorthBridge formaximumbandwithrequired
for PCI, USB and support for Fast Ethernet devices. The chipset has an
integratedAPU (Audio Processing Unit) for Dolby
™
digital encoding. The
controller supports standard UltraDMA/100/66/33 for burst mode data
transfer rates of up to 100MB/sec. Separate data paths for each IDE
channel are built-in for up to four IDE devices. The controller supports
six USB ports and is PCI rev 2.2 compliant. The MCP supplies an LPC
1.0interfacealongwithATlegacyfunctions,aclocksynthesizerandmeets
ACPI 1.0 and PCI Power Management 1.1 specifications.
PC2100 / PC1600 DDR Support: Equippedwith two Double DataRateDual
Inline MemoryModule (DDR DIMM)sockets to support upto 1GB of DDR
DRAM, the newest memory standard with the highest bandwidth and
lowestlatencycurrentlyavailable. This newmemorytechnologyincreases
performance by executing two actions per clock cycle, resulting in data
transfer rates of up to 2.1 GB/s for 133MHz DDR SDRAM and 1.6GB/s
for 100MHz DDR SDRAM.
UltraDMA/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE
controller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two
channels. Supports UltraDMA100/66/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4, Bus Master
IDE DMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD-ROM, CD-
ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.
Multi-I/O Chipset: Offers complete support for a variety of I/O functions.
Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and one parallel
port with EPP and ECP capabilities. UART2 can also be directed from
COM2 to the Infrared Module for wireless connections. The Super I/O
controller supports a floppy disk drive, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse.
Connections: ParallelPort, PS/2 mouse Port,PS/2keyboard, 2 USB ports,
Microphone, Line In Jack, Line Out Jack, Standard ATX power.

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard user guide 3
1.3 Special Features
Temperature, Fan and Voltage Monitoring:CPU temperature is monitored
by ASUS ASIC through a thermal sensor mounted under the CPU. The
sensor signals the computer to prevent overheating and damage. The
CPU and system fans can be monitored for RPM and failure. System
voltage levels are monitored to ensure stable current to critical
motherboard components.
ACPI Ready: AdvancedConfigurationPowerInterface(ACPI) providesmore
Energy Saving Features for operating systems that support OS Direct
Power Management (OSPM).
Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI
master busses to the memory and processor.
Auto Fan Off: Thesystemfanspowersoffautomaticallyeveninsleepmode.
DualFunction Power Button:Pushthepowerbutton forlessthan4 seconds
when the system is operating places the system into sleep or soft-off
modes; press the power button for more than 4 seconds, and the system
enters the soft-off mode regardless of the BIOS setting.
Dolby
™
Integrated Audio
nVidia
®
GeForce2 MX
™
Integrated VGA technology
Expansion: One AGP 4X, four USB ports, three PCI slots, S/PDIF digital
audio connector, front audio panel connector, infrared port.

4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
Location
Processor Support Socket A for AMD
®
Athlon
™
and Duron
™
Processors.......1
Chipsets nVidia
®
220D North Bridge ..............................................2
Realtek 8201L PHY controller ........................................ 3
2Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM .......................... 13
Multi-I/O controller .........................................................15
Main Memory Maximum 1GB support
2 DDR DIMM Sockets .....................................................4
Expansion Slots 3 PCI Slots ....................................................................16
1 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) 4X Slot .................. 20
System I/O 2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA100/66 Support) ................7
1 Floppy Disk Drive Connector .......................................8
1 System Panel Connector .............................................9
USB Headers (Ports 2/3, 4/5) ....................................... 11
1 COM2 Header ............................................................14
1 PS/2 Mouse Connector .................................(green) 21
1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector .......................... (purple) 31
1 Parallel Port................................................................23
1 Serial Ports (COM1) ...................................................29
USB Connectors (Ports 0/1).......................................... 30
Hardware Monitoring System Voltage Monitor (integrated in ASUS ASIC) ..... 10
Special Feature Onboard LED ..................................................................6
Audio Features (on audio models only)
Audio Connectors..........................................................19
2-CH Audio Controller .................................................. 18
1 ASUS Front Audio Panel Connector ..........................17
1 Line Out Connector ......................................... (lime) 27
1 Line In Connector ................................... (light blue) 26
1 Microphone Connector .................................... (pink) 25
Power ATX Power Supply Connector.........................................5
Form Factor Micro-ATX
1.4 Motherboard Components
BeforeinstallingtheA7N266-VMmotherboard,taketimetofamiliarizeyourself
withits configuration: understanding the motherboard makesupgradingeasy.
Sufficient knowledge of specifications prevents accidental damage.
NOTE: Software driver support for the 6-CH audio system is available
for downloading at the ASUS website: www.asus.com

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard user guide 5
1.4.1 Component Locations
2461
11
7
16
20
5
81013 12 91415
17
19
18
3
21 23 24
31 30
22
29 28 252627

Chapter 2
Hardware information

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard user guide 7
2.1 Motherboard installation
The A7N266-VM uses the Micro-ATX form factor, measuring 24.5 cm
(9.6 in.) x 24.5 cm (9.6 in.) - a standard fit for most large chassis.
2.1.1 Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, take care to orient the chassis correctly:
Theedge with externalports goes to the rear part of the chassis. Refer to the
image below. It may be more convenient to install major cables, the CPU
andmodularcomponentsbeforefixingthe motherboardinsidethecaseframe.
2.1.2 Screw holes
Place eight (8) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the
motherboard to the chassis.
Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis
CAUTION! Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so may damage the
motherboard.
WARNING! Unplug the power cord before installing the motherboard.
Failureto do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard
components.

8 Chapter 2: Hardware information
24.5cm (9.64in)
30.5cm (12.0in)
Primary IDE
Secondary IDE
FLOPPY
A7N266-VM
nVidia
MCP-D
Chipset
ASUS
ASIC
with Hardware
Monitor
Accelerated Graphics Port
(AGP)
nVidia
220D
Chipset
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
AUDIO_COM1
PLED
DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
0 1
ATX Power Connector
Super
I/O 2Mb
BIOS
®
Socket 462
PCI 1
PS/2
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
RJ-45
Top:
USB1
USB2
Bottom:
COM1
PARALLEL PORT
VGA
GAME_AUDIO
Mic
In
Line
Out
Line
In
COM2 PANEL
USB23
USBPWR01
SMB IR
BUZZER
IDELED
USBPWR23
USBPWR45
BSEL0
CPU_FAN
BSEL1
CD_IN1
DDR DIMM2 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
2 3
KBPWR1
AAPANEL1
SPDIF1
PCI 2
PCI 3
Audio
Codec
CLRTC
USB45
Optional components are grayed in the above motherboard layout.