Asus A7N8X Deluxe 2.0 User manual

Motherboard
®
A7N8X
User Manual
Series

ii
Checklist
Product Name: A7N8X
Manual Revision: Revised Edition V4 E1292
Release Date: April 2003
Copyright © 2003 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
A7N8X Deluxe 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.DetaileddescriptionsoftheBIOSparameters aresupplied.
• Chapter 5: Software support. A summary of contents on the
motherboard support CD ROM.
• Appendix and Glossary. Optionalcomponents andtechnicaldefinitions.
• Index
Conventions used in this guide
Tomake surethatyou performset-uptasksproperly,takenoteof thefollowing
symbols used throughout this manual.
WARNING! Information to prevent injury to yourself.
CAUTION! Information to prevent damage to the components.
IMPORTANT! Information that you MUSTfollowtocompleteatask.
NOTE! Tips and helpful information.
References
1. NVIDIA nForce Audio Panel Manual
2. Silicon Image Sil 3112 SATALink Controller Driver Installation
3. SATARAID Software User’s Manual

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
A7N8X Specifications summary ................................................................. ix
Chapter 1: Product introduction ............................................. 1
Welcome! .................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Package contents.............................................................................. 1
1.2 Core Specifications ........................................................................... 2
1.3 ASUS Special Features..................................................................... 3
1.4 Motherboard Components................................................................. 4
1.5 Special Features ............................................................................... 6
Chapter 2: Hardware information ............................................ 7
2.1 Motherboard installation .................................................................... 7
2.2 Layout contents ................................................................................. 9
2.3 Before you proceed ......................................................................... 10
2.4 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ........................................................ 11
2.5 System memory .............................................................................. 13
2.6 Expansion slots ............................................................................... 15
2.7 Jumpers .......................................................................................... 19
2.8 Connectors...................................................................................... 22
Chapter 3: Powering up ......................................................... 35
3.1 Starting up for the first time.............................................................. 35
3.2 Vocal POST Messages ................................................................... 36
3.3 Powering-off the computer .............................................................. 38
Chapter 4: BIOS ..................................................................... 39
4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.................................................. 39
4.2 BIOS Setup program ....................................................................... 42
4.3 Main Menu ...................................................................................... 46
4.4 Advanced Menu .............................................................................. 51

v
Contents
4.4.1 Advanced BIOS Features.................................................. 51
4.4.2 Advanced Chipset Features .............................................. 55
4.4.3 Integrated Peripherals ....................................................... 58
4.4.4 Power Management Setup ................................................ 61
4.4.5 PnP / PCI Configurations................................................... 63
4.5 Security Menu ................................................................................. 65
4.6 Hardware Monitor Menu .................................................................. 66
4.7 Exit Menu ....................................................................................... 68
Chapter 5: Software support ................................................. 71
5.1 Install an operating system .............................................................. 71
5.2 Support CD information ................................................................... 71
5.3 A7N8X Motherboard Support CD .................................................... 72
5.3.1 Installation Procedure........................................................ 72
5.3.2 Installation of PCI Drivers: Win98 ...................................... 73
5.4 ASUS PC Probe.............................................................................. 75
5.5 ASUS Live Update .......................................................................... 80
5.6 3Deep Color Tuner .......................................................................... 81
5.7 NVIDIA nForce Control Panel .......................................................... 83
5.8 Winbond Editor................................................................................ 88
5.9 RAID 0/1 Configurations.................................................................. 91
Chapter 6: Appendix .............................................................. 95
6.1 Glossary.......................................................................................... 95
Index ........................................................................................ 99

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.
• Beforeconnectingorremovingsignalcablesfromthemotherboard,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)
Address: 150Li-TeRoad,Peitou,Taipei,Taiwan112
GeneralTel: [phone]
GeneralFax: [phone]
GeneralEmail: [email protected]
Technical Support
MB/Others(Tel): [phone](English)
Notebook(Tel): [phone](English)
Desktop/Server(Tel): [phone](English)
SupportFax: [phone]
Web Site: www.asus.com.tw
ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)
Address: 44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA
General Fax: [phone]
GeneralEmail: [email protected]
Technical Support
SupportFax: [phone]
General Support: [phone]
Web Site: www.asus.com
SupportEmail: [email protected]
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany & Austria)
Address: Harkortstr.25,40880Ratingen,BRD,Germany
GeneralFax: [phone]
GeneralEmail: [email protected](formarketingrequestsonly)
Technical Support
SupportHotline: MB/Others:[phone]
Notebook(Tel): [phone]
SupportFax: [phone]
Support(Email): www.asuscom.de/de/support(foronlinesupport)
WebSite: www.asuscom.de

ix
A7N8X specifications summary
CPU
Chipset
Front Side Bus (FSB)
Memory
Expansion slots
IDE
Serial ATA (optional)
Audio (optional)
LAN (optional)
1394 (optional)
Special Features
Back Panel I/O Ports
(continued on the next page)
Socket A for AMD Duron™/Athlon™/Athlon™XP 3000+ or
higher
400*/333 MHz FSB Support (*PCB 2.0 or later versions)
Northbridge: NVIDIA
®
nForce2 SPP (Ultra 400)
Southbridge: NVIDIA
®
nForce2 MCP-T (Deluxe Model)/MCP
400*/333/266/200Mhz (*PCB 2.0 or later versions)
3 x 184-pin DDR DIMM Sockets
Max. 3 GB unbuffered PC3200/2700/2100/1600 non-ECC
DDR RAM memory. Dual-Channel DDR400 support.
(Visit ASUS website for latest qualified DDR400 module list.)
5 x PCI
1 x AGP Pro/8X (1.5V only)
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33
Silicon Image Sil 3112A Controller with 2 Ports
(Supports RAID 0/1) (Deluxe model only)
Realtek ALC650 6CH with built-in HP amplifier
Integrated APU (Audio Processor Unit) (Deluxe model only)
SoundStorm™/Dolby® Digital (AC-3) Encoder
(Deluxe model only)
2 Ports
MCP integrated NVIDIA MAC + Realtek 8201BL PHY
MCP integrated 3Com MAC + BroadComAC101L PHY
(Deluxe model only)
2 Ports MCP-T integrated IEEE 1394a + Realtek PHY
8801B (Deluxe model only)
ASUS Q-Fan Technology
ASUS POST Reporter (Deluxe model only)
ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
Power Loss Restart
CPU Throttle
Support S/PDIF in/out (optional)
1 x Parallel
1 x Serial
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x S/PDIF out + 1 x Surround L/R audio jack + 1 x CNTR/
LFE audio jack (Deluxe model only)
1 x Audio I/O
2 x RJ-45 Port (3COM RJ-45 port - Deluxe model only)
4 x USB 2.0

x
Internal I/O
Connectors
BIOS features
Industry standard
Manageability
Support CD contents
Accessories
Form Factor
A7N8X specifications summary
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
1 x USB 2.0 connector supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports
(optional)
Game connector
CPU/Power/Chassis FAN connectors
20-pin ATX Power connector
IDE LED connector, Power LED connector
2 x SATA connector (Deluxe model only)
2 x 1394 connector (Deluxe model only)
WOR, WOL, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus, SIR
Headphone (optional)
Front MIC (optional)
CD / AUX / Modem audio in
Front Panel Audio connector (optional)
4Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI2.0, DMI,
Green
PCI 2.2, USB 1.1/2.0.
DMI 2.0, WOL, WOR, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe
Trend Micro
tm
PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software
ASUS LiveUpdate Utility
InterVideo WinCinema (optional)
User’s manual
Support CD
SATA cable (Deluxe model only)
2-port 1394 Bracket (Deluxe model only)
1 x UltraDMA 33 cable
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
FDD cable
9-pin COM cable
2-port USB/Game port bracket (Deluxe model only)
I/O shield
ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in

Chapter 1
Product introduction

ASUS A7N8X motherboard

ASUS A7N8X motherboard user guide 1
Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS
®
A7N8X motherboard!
TheA7N8X ispoweredbyAMD
®
Athlon
™
,Athlon
™
XPandDuron
™
processors
and supplies advanced features to ensure long-lasting, superlative
performance. TheASUS
®
A7N8X motherboard is the prime choice for home
PCs and workstations.
~ Up to 3 GB of DDR RAM
~ New ultra-compact Serial ATA IDE connectors. (optional)
~ High-resolution graphics via an AGP 8X slot
~ Digital Audio Interface for 3D sound
~ Onboard LAN PHY for instant networking (optional)
~ Four USB ports plus one header for two more
~ UltraDMA133 data rates
TheA7N8Xistheperfect vehicleto getaheadintheworldofpowercomputing!
1.1 Package contents
Check your A7N8X package for the following items.
ASUS A7N8X motherboard (ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in)
ASUS A7N8X support CD
ASUS 2-port USB / Game port module (optional)
40-pin 80 conductor UltraDMA133/100/66/33 IDE ribbon cable
Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
COM 2 bracket
I/O shield
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide
2 pcs. Serial ATA Cable (optional)
2 pcs. ASUS IEEE 1394 2-port bracket (optional)
2 pcs. ASUS IEEE 1394 cable (optional)
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.2 Core Specifications
TheA7N8X motherboardisdesigned andassembledaccording tothehighest
standards. This ASUS 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
®
nForce2
™
SPP (Ultra 400)North Bridge
controller chipset. The controller supports a 64/128bit DDR memory
controller and up to 3 GB of 400/333/266/200MHz DDR memory. The
128bit memory controller provides a exceptional 6.4 GB/second system
memory bandwidth.
South Bridge Chipset: Features the brand new nVidia
®
nForce2
™
MCP-T/
MCP integrated peripheral South Bridge controller operates at 800MB/
secto communicatewiththe NorthBridgefor maximumbandwithrequired
for PCI, USB and support for Fast Ethernet devices. The chipset has an
integrated APU (Audio Processing Unit) for Dolby
™
digital
encoding(optional). ThecontrollersupportsstandardUltraDMA133/100/
66/33 for burst mode data transfer rates of up to 133MB/sec. Separate
data paths for each IDE channel are built-in for up to two IDE devices.
The controller supports 2 IEEE 1394 ports (optional), six USB ports, two
LAN ports (optional), and is PCI rev2.2 compliant. The MCP-T/MCP
supplies an LPC 1.0 interface along with AT legacy functions, a clock
synthesizer and meets ACPI 1.0 and PCI Power Management 1.1
specifications.
PC3200 / PC2700 DDR Support: Equipped with three Double Data Rate
Dual Inline MemoryModule (DDR DIMM) sockets to support up to 3GB of
DDR DRAM, the newest memory standard with the highest bandwidth
and lowest latency currently available. This new memory technology
supplies data transfer rates up to 6.4 GB/s for 400MHz DDR SDRAM
and 5.4GB/s for 333MHz DDR SDRAM.
UltraDMA133/100 Support: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE
controller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two
channels. Supports UltraDMA133/100/66/33, 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: ITE IT8708 offers 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.

ASUS A7N8X motherboard user guide 3
Connections: Parallel Port, PS/2 mouse Port, PS/2 keyboard, four USB
ports,two LAN ports(optional),SurroundL/R audio jack(optional),CNTR/
LFE audio jack(optional), COM port, Microphone, Line In Jack, Line Out
Jack, S/PDIF_OUT (optional),ATX power.
Expansion: OneAGPPro 8X, a USB header, two serialATAIDE connectors
(optional), two 1394 connectors (optional), COM port header, five PCI
slots, S/PDIF digital audio connector (optional), front audio panel
connector, game port header.
1.3 ASUS Special Features
ASUS POST Reporter™ (optional)
A7N8X offers the ASUS POST Reporter™ to provide friendly voice
messages and alerts during the Power-On Self-Test (POST). Through
an added external speaker, messages inform you of system boot
status and causes of boot errors. Bundled Winbond
™
Voice Editor
software helpsa you customize voice messages, and offers multi-
language support.
ASUS Q-Fan Technology
The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according
to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation.
C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection):
With AMD
®
Athlon XP
™
installed, the motherboard offers automatic CPU
Overheating Protection to prolong the life of the entire system. If the CPU
temperature exceeds the set criteria, the PC shuts down automatically.

4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
Location
Processor Support Socket A for AMD®Athlon™and Duron™Processors ....... 1
Chipsets nVidia®nForce2™SPP (Ultra 400) North Bridge.............. 2
4Mbit Programmable Flash EEPROM (see page 6)........ 7
nVidia®nForce2™MCP-T/MCP South Bridge .................. 8
Multi-I/O controller ........................................................... 9
Serial ATA Controller ...................................................... 18
1394 PHY Realtek 8801B .............................................. 22
Main Memory Maximum 3GB support
3 DDR DIMM Sockets...................................................... 3
Expansion Slots 5 PCI Slots..................................................................... 20
1 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Pro Slot ................. 31
System I/O 1 Floppy Disk Drive Connector ........................................ 5
2 IDE Connectors (UltraDMA133/100/66 Support).......... 6
1 COM2 Header............................................................. 10
1 Gameport Connector ...................................................11
1 Infrared Connector...................................................... 12
1 Panel Connector ......................................................... 13
1 SM Bus Connector...................................................... 14
USB Headers (Ports 5/6) ............................................... 15
Serial ATA Headers ........................................................ 17
Modem Connector ......................................................... 21
IEEE 1394 Headers ....................................................... 23
S/PDIF Connector.......................................................... 24
1 PS/2 Mouse Connector.................................. (green) 32
1 PS/2 Keyboard Connector ............................ (purple) 45
RJ45 Connector (3COM LAN Controller) ...................... 33
RJ45 Connector (NVIDIA LAN Controller) ..................... 35
1 Parallel Port ................................................................ 34
USB Connectors (Ports 3/4) .......................................... 44
USB Connectors (Ports 1/2) .......................................... 39
1 Serial Ports (COM1) ................................................... 43
Hardware Monitoring System Voltage Monitor (integrated in ASUS ASIC)...... 16
Special Feature Onboard LED (Green) ................................................... 19
Onboard AGP Warning LED (Red) ................................ 29
Network Feature Realtek 8201BL PHY .................................................... 28
BroadCom PHY ............................................................ 30
3Com LAN ..................................................................... 33
NVIDIA LAN ................................................................... 35
Audio Features Audio Codec .................................................................. 25
CD / AUX Audio Connectors .......................................... 26
Front Panel Audio Connectors....................................... 27
1 Line In Connector .................................... (light blue) 36
1 Line Out Connector...........................................(lime) 37
1 Microphone Connector .....................................(pink) 38
1 S/PDIF out Connector................................... (yellow) 40
1 Surround L/R audio Connector .......................(violet) 41
1 CNTR / LFE Connector................................ (orange) 42
Power ATX Power Supply Connector ......................................... 4
Form Factor ATX
1.4 Motherboard Components
Before installing the A7N8X motherboard, take time to familiarize yourself
with its configuration:
Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9Multi-I/O controller 9

ASUS A7N8X motherboard user guide 5
1.4.1 Component Locations
2351
20
18
4
9
7
6
8
16
1
0
31
29
19
22
25
28
30
1
1
1
2
141517
23
21
27
24
1
3
26
32 34
45 43
36
37
38
44
33
39
35
42 41 40

1.5 Special Features
Serial ATA: Silicon Image supplies the Sil-3112A chipset, supporting the
ultra-compact 7-pin Serial-ATA IDE device support.
Dual LAN/DualNet: Two south bridge integrated 3COM and Nvidia LAN
controllers supply two separate outputs for the network. (optional)
IEEE 1394: Two header support a multiplicity of connections for IEEE 1394
compatible devices. (optional)
Temperature, Fan and Voltage Monitoring: CPU temperature is monitored
byASUS 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: AdvancedConfigurationPower Interface(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: Thesystemfanspowersoff automatically even insleepmode.
Dual Function Power Button: Pushthe powerbuttonforlessthan 4seconds
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
™
IntegratedAudio: MCP-TSouth bridge integratedAudioProcessing
Unit (APU) for Dolby
™
Digital Encoding. (optional)
Dual Channel DDR 400: The 128-bit TwinBank DDR Memory architecture
doubles the DDR400 (PC3200) bandwidth. System bottlenecks are
eliminated and traffic improved with peak bandwidths of up to 6.4 GB/s.
CAUTION!
• This motherboard uses the A7N8X Deluxe BIOS file for 4Mb flash
ROM. Another series model A7N8X uses the BIOS file for a 2Mb
flash ROM. Make sure to use the correct BIOS file on each model.
• PCB 2.0 BIOS version or later are not compatible with PCB 1.06 or
earlier BIOS versions.
1.4.1 Component Locations (cont’)
NOTE!
• The A7N8X series motherboard support Front Side Bus (FSB) 400
starting from PCB version 2.0 or later.
• The PCB (Printed Circuit Board) version is located beside the
motherboard name printed on the motherboard.

Chapter 2
Hardware information

ASUS A7N8X motherboard