Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe User manual

Motherboard
A7N8X-E
Deluxe
User Guide

ii
Checklist
Copyright © 2005 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be
reproduced, 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 by ASUS; or (2)
the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
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 ORAGENTS 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 MANUALARE FURNISHED
FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGEAT ANY TIME
WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BYASUS.
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.
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.
E1876
Revised Edition V3
January 2005

iii
Features
Contents
Notices ........................................................................................... vi
Safety information ......................................................................... vii
About this guide............................................................................ viii
How this guide is organized ................................................ viii
Conventions used in this guide .............................................ix
Where to find more information .............................................ix
A7N8X-E Deluxe specifications summary.......................................x
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! ........................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Package contents............................................................... 1-1
1.3 Special features.................................................................. 1-2
1.3.1 Product Highlights.................................................. 1-2
1.3.2 Unique ASUS features ........................................... 1-3
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.1 Before you proceed ............................................................ 2-1
2.2 Motherboard overview........................................................ 2-2
2.2.1 Placement direction ............................................... 2-2
2.2.2 Screw holes ........................................................... 2-2
2.2.3 Motherboard layout ................................................ 2-3
2.2.4 Layout Contents..................................................... 2-4
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)........................................... 2-6
2.3.1 Overview ................................................................ 2-6
2.3.2 Installing the CPU .................................................. 2-6
2.4 System memory ................................................................. 2-8
2.4.1 Overview ................................................................ 2-8
2.4.2 Memory configurations .......................................... 2-8
2.4.3 Installing a DIMM ................................................. 2-10
2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ............................................... 2-10
2.5 Expansion slots .................................................................2-11
2.5.1 Installing an expansion card .................................2-11
2.5.2 Configuring an expansion card .............................2-11
2.5.3 Interrupt assignments .......................................... 2-12
2.5.4 PCI slots .............................................................. 2-13
2.5.5 AGP slot............................................................... 2-13
2.5.6 Wi-Fi slot .............................................................. 2-14

iv
Safeguards
Contents
2.6 Jumpers............................................................................ 2-15
2.7 Connectors ....................................................................... 2-18
2.7.1 Rear panel connectors......................................... 2-18
2.7.2 Internal connectors .............................................. 2-19
Chapter 3: Powering up
3.1 Starting up for the first time ................................................ 3-1
3.2 Powering off the computer ................................................. 3-2
3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function .......................... 3-2
3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch .................... 3-2
3.3 ASUS POST Reporter™ .................................................... 3-3
3.3.1 Vocal POST messages .......................................... 3-3
3.3.2 Winbond Voice Editor ............................................ 3-5
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .................................... 4-1
4.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk ............................. 4-1
4.1.2 AwardBIOS Flash Utility......................................... 4-2
4.1.3 ASUS Update ........................................................ 4-5
4.2 BIOS Setup program .......................................................... 4-7
4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ................................................ 4-8
4.2.2 Menu bar................................................................ 4-8
4.2.3 Navigation keys ..................................................... 4-8
4.2.4 Menu items ............................................................ 4-9
4.2.5 Sub-menu items..................................................... 4-9
4.2.6 Configuration fields ................................................ 4-9
4.2.7 General help .......................................................... 4-9
4.2.8 Pop-up window ...................................................... 4-9
4.2.9 Scroll bar................................................................ 4-9
4.3 Main menu........................................................................ 4-10
4.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xxxx]..................................... 4-10
4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] ............................. 4-10
4.3.3 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] ....................... 4-10
4.3.4 Halt On [All Errors] ............................................... 4-10
4.3.5 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave ..................4-11
4.4 Advanced menu ............................................................... 4-14
4.4.1 Advanced BIOS Features .................................... 4-15
4.4.2 Advanced Chipset Features ................................ 4-18
4.4.3 Integrated Peripherals ......................................... 4-22

v
Contents
4.4.4 Power Management Setup .................................. 4-24
4.4.5 PnP/PCI Configurations ....................................... 4-26
4.5 Security Menu .................................................................. 4-27
4.6 Hardware Monitor Menu................................................... 4-29
4.7 Exit Menu ......................................................................... 4-30
Chapter 5: Software support
5.1 Install an operating system................................................. 5-1
5.2 Support CD information...................................................... 5-1
5.2.1 Running the support CD ........................................ 5-1
5.2.2 Drivers menu ......................................................... 5-2
5.2.3 Utilities menu ......................................................... 5-3
5.2.4 ASUS Contact Information..................................... 5-4
5.2.5 Other information ................................................... 5-5
5.3 NVIDIA
®
nForce control panel ............................................ 5-7
5.3.1 Launching the NVIDIA
®
control panel .................... 5-7
5.3.2 Main ....................................................................... 5-7
5.3.3 Speaker Setup ....................................................... 5-7
5.3.4 MIDI ....................................................................... 5-9
5.3.5 Environment........................................................... 5-9
5.3.6 Applications ........................................................... 5-9
5.3.7 Information ........................................................... 5-10
5.4 NVIDIA
®
NVSwap 1.0 Utility ..............................................5-11
5.5 RAID 0/RAID 1 Configurations ......................................... 5-13
5.5.1 Install the hard disks ............................................ 5-13
5.5.2 Creating and deleting RAID sets ......................... 5-14
5.6 Onboard Marvell Gigabit LAN drivers for ................................
Windows 98SE/ME........................................................... 5-16
5.7 Marvell
®
Virtual Cable Tester™ (VCT) Technology........... 5-17
Quick Reference Card

vi
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. 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.
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.
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.

vii
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 adpater 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.

viii
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and
configuring the motherboard.
How this guide is organized
This manual contains the following parts:
•Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter describes the motherboard features of the and the new
technologies it supports.
•Chapter 2: Hardware information
This chapter 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 3: Powering up
This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST
messages, and ways of shutting down the system.
•Chapter 4: BIOS setup
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS
Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also
provided.
•Chapter 5: Software support
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with
the motherboard package.

ix
Conventions used in this guide
To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the
following symbols used throughout this manual.
Where to find more information
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product
and software updates.
1. ASUS websites
The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated information onASUS
hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact
information.
2. 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.
DANGER/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.

x
A7N8X-E Deluxe specifications summary
(continued on the next page)
CPU
Front Side Bus (FSB)
Chipset
Memory
Expansion slots
Storage
Audio
LAN
1394
Special Features
Rear Panel I/O
Socket A for AMD Duron™/AMD Athlon™/AMDAthlon™ XP
3200+ processors
400/333/266/200Mhz
Northbridge: NVIDIA
®
nForce2 Ultra 400
Southbridge: NVIDIA
®
nForce2 MCP-T
Dual-channel memory architecture
3 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 3GB memory
Supports PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 unbuffered
non-ECC DDR DIMMs
5 x PCI
1 x AGP Pro/8X (1.5V only)
1 x ASUS proprietary Wi-Fi slot
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33
2 x Serial ATA with RAID 0, 1 support
MCP-T southbridge integrated Audio Processor Unit (APU) +
Realtek ALC650 6-channel audio CODEC
Marvell
®
88E8001 Gigabit LAN
MCP-T southbridge integrated controller MAC + Realtek
8201BL LAN PHY
MCP-T southbridge integrated IEEE1394a controller +
Realtek 8801B PHY
ASUS Q-Fan Technology
ASUS POST Reporter
ASUS C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
Power Loss Restart
CPU Throttle
1 x parallel port
1 x serial port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x S/PDIF in/out port
1 x surround L/R audio jack
1 x CNTR/LFE audio jack
1 x audio I/O port
1 x Gigabit RJ-45 Port
1 x Fast Ethernet RJ-45 port
4 x USB 2.0 ports

xi
A7N8X-E Deluxe specifications summary
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Internal I/O
Connectors
BIOS features
Industry standard
Manageability
Form Factor
Support CD contents
USB 2.0 connector supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports
Game/MIDI connector
CPU/Power/Chassis fan connectors
2 x IDE connectors
20-pin ATX power connector
2 x SATA connectors
2 x 1394 connectors
Chassis intrusion connector
Infrared module connector
CD / AUX / Modem connector
Front panel audio connector
Serial port 2 connector
S/PDIF connector
4Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, Green
PCI 2.2, USB 1.1/2.0.
DMI 2.0, WOL, WOR, Chassis Intrusion
ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe
Anti-virus utility
ASUS LiveUpdate Utility

xii

Chapter 1
This chapter describes the motherboard
features and the new technologies it
supports.
Product introduction

ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard
Chapter summary
1.1 Welcome! ........................................................ 1-1
1.2 Package contents .......................................... 1-1
1.3 Special features ............................................. 1-2

ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard 1-1
1.1Welcome!
1.2Package contents
Check your motherboard package for the following items.
Thank you for buying the ASUS
®
A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard!
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies
making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!
The motherboard supports the AMD Athlon™, AMD Athlon™ XP or AMD
Duron™ processors in a Socket A(462-pin) package with the NVIDIA
®
nForce2™ Ultra 400 chipset to set a new benchmark for an effective
desktop platform solution.
Supporting up to 3GB of system memory with PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/
PC1600 DDR SDRAM, high-resolution graphics via an AGP 8X slot, SATA,
RAID, IEEE 1394, USB 2.0, and 6-channel audio features, the
motherboard takes you ahead in the world of power computing!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it,
check the items in your package with the list below.
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
ASUS motherboard
ASUS support CD
2 x SATA cables
1 x SATA power cable
1 x 2-port USB module w/ cable
1 x 2-port IEEE1394 module
1 x 80-conductor ribbon cable for UltraDMA/66/100/133 IDE drives
1 x 40-conductor IDE cable
1 x Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
WinDVD Suite
I/O shield
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide (includes Quick Reference Card)
Quick Setup Guide
Jumper/Connector sticker

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product Highlights
Latest processor technology
The motherboard supports the latest AMD Athlon™, Athlon™ XP andAMD
Duron™ processors via a 462-pin surface mount ZIF socket. TheAMD
Athlon™ and AMD Athlon™ XP processors features a 400Mhz front side
bus and the QuantiSpeed™ architecture for rapid execution of
applications.
NVIDIA
®
nForce™ Platform Processing Architecture
The motherboard combines the power of NVIDIA’s nForce2™ Ultra 400
and nForce2™ MCP-T chipsets that improves processing efficiency and
overall system performance.
Serial ATA solution
The motherboard supports two interfaces compliant to the Serial ATA
(SATA) specification, an evolutionary replacement of the Parallel ATA
storage interface. The SerialATA specification allows for thinner, more
flexible cables with lower pin count, reduced voltage requirement, up to
150 MB/s data transfer rate. See page 2-21.
AGP 8X support
The motherboard support AGP 8X (AGP 3.0) specification offering 2.12
GB/s bandwidth. See page 2-13.
Dual LAN (Fast-Ethernet and Gigabit) solution
The onboard Marvell
®
Gigabit LAN controller and Fast-Ethernet LAN
controller integrated in the southbridge supply two separate ports for LAN
on Motherboard (LOM) applications. The Marvell
®
Gigabit LAN controller is
equipped with the net-diagnosing utility, VCT (Virtual Cable Tester), that
intelligently diagnoses and reports cable faults from a remote location up
to 100 meters. This feature helps maintain a more stable network
connection. See pages 2-18, 5-17.
S/PDIF in/out function
The motherboard’s S/PDIF out function turns your computer into a high-
end entertainment system with digital connectivity.

ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard 1-3
IEEE 1394 support
The IEEE 1394 interface provides high-speed and flexible PC connectivity
to a wide range of peripherals and devices compliant to IEEE 1394a
standards. The IEEE 1394 interface allows up to 400Mbps transfer rates
through simple, low-cost, high-bandwidth asynchronous (real-time) data
interfacing between computers, peripherals, and consumer electronic
devices such as camcorders, VCRs, printers,TVs, and digital cameras.
See page 2-25.
6-channel digital audio
The Realtek ALC650AC’97 audio 6-channel CODEC works with the Audio
Processing Unit (APU) integrated in the NVIDIA
®
NForce2™ MCP-T
southbridge to provide 3D surround audio effects and Dolby
®
Digital
cinematic-quality audio.
6 USB 2.0 ports
The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
specification to provide up to 480Mbps connection speed. See page 2-24.
1.3.2 Unique ASUS features
ASUS Wi-Fi slot
The ASUS Wi-Fi slot is based on the 802.11b/g wireless standard that is
specifically designed for the ASUS WiFi-b™ add-on card to set up a
wireless LAN environment. The ASUS WiFi-b™ add-on card bundles the
Software AP (Access Point) to save the extra cost of a stand-alone AP.
The card comes with user-friendly utilities and applications that allow quick
connection to notebooks, PDAs, and other wireless LAN peripherals. See
page 2-14.
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. See
pages 4-29.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
ASUS POST Reporter™
The motherboard offers a new exciting feature called theASUS POST
Reporter™ to provide friendly voice messages and alerts during the
Power-On Self-Tests (POST). Through an added external speaker, you will
hear the messages informing you of the system boot status and causes of
boot errors, if any. The bundled Winbond Voice Editor software allows you
to customize the voice messages, and provides multi-language support.
See page 3-3.

Chapter 2
Hardware information
This chapter 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.

ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard
Chapter summary
2.1 Before you proceed ....................................... 2-1
2.2 Motherboard overview................................... 2-2
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ..................... 2-6
2.4 System memory ............................................. 2-8
2.5 Expansion slots ............................................2-11
2.6 Jumpers ........................................................ 2-15
2.7 Connectors ................................................... 2-18