Asus P4S800-MX SE User manual

Motherboard
P4S800-MX SE
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 FORA 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 MANUALARE FURNISHED
FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY,AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME
WITHOUT NOTICE,AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUEDAS ACOMMITMENT 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.
E1918
First Edition
January 2005

iii
Contents
Notices ............................................................................................v
Safety information .......................................................................... vi
P4S800-MX SE specification summary........................................ viii
About this guide.............................................................................. ix
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! ........................................................................... 1-2
1.2 Package contents............................................................... 1-2
1.3 Special features.................................................................. 1-2
1.4 Before you proceed ............................................................ 1-5
1.5 Motherboard overview........................................................ 1-6
1.5.1 Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-6
1.5.2 Placement direction ............................................... 1-7
1.5.3 Screw holes ........................................................... 1-7
1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)........................................... 1-8
1.6.1 Overview ................................................................ 1-8
1.6.2 Installing the CPU .................................................. 1-9
1.7 System memory ............................................................... 1-10
1.7.1 DIMM sockets location......................................... 1-10
1.7.2 Memory configurations ........................................ 1-10
1.7.3 Installing a DIMM ..................................................1-11
1.8 Expansion slots ................................................................ 1-12
1.8.1 Installing an expansion card ................................ 1-12
1.8.2 Configuring an expansion card ............................ 1-12
1.8.3 PCI slots .............................................................. 1-14
1.8.4 AGP slot............................................................... 1-14
1.9 Jumpers............................................................................ 1-15
1.10 Connectors ....................................................................... 1-17
1.10.1 Rear panel connectors......................................... 1-17
1.10.2 Internal connectors .............................................. 1-18

iv
Safeguards
Contents
Chapter 2: BIOS Information
2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .................................... 2-2
2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk ............................. 2-2
2.1.2 Using AFUDOS to copy the current BIOS ............. 2-3
2.1.3 Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS ...................... 2-4
2.1.4 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS ............ 2-5
2.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ............................. 2-6
2.1.6 ASUS Update utility ............................................... 2-8
2.2 BIOS Setup program .........................................................2-11
2.2.1 BIOS menu screen .............................................. 2-12
2.2.2 Menu bar.............................................................. 2-12
2.2.3 Navigation keys ................................................... 2-12
2.2.4 Menu items .......................................................... 2-13
2.2.5 Sub-menu items................................................... 2-13
2.2.6 Configuration fields .............................................. 2-13
2.2.7 Pop-up window .................................................... 2-13
2.2.8 Scroll bar.............................................................. 2-13
2.2.9 General help ........................................................ 2-13
2.3 Main menu........................................................................ 2-14
2.3.1 System Time ........................................................ 2-14
2.3.2 System Date ........................................................ 2-14
2.3.3 Legacy DisketteA ................................................ 2-14
2.3.4 Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave .......... 2-15
2.3.5 OnChip SATA Controller ...................................... 2-16
2.3.6 System Information .............................................. 2-16
2.4 Advanced menu ............................................................... 2-17
2.4.1 JumperFree Configuration ................................... 2-17
2.4.2 CPU Configuration ............................................... 2-18
2.4.3 Chipset................................................................. 2-19
2.4.4 Onboard Devices Configuration........................... 2-21
2.4.5 PCI PnP ............................................................... 2-22
2.4.6 USB Configuration ............................................... 2-23
2.5 Power menu ..................................................................... 2-24
2.5.1 Suspend Mode..................................................... 2-24
2.5.2 ACPI 2.0 Support ................................................. 2-24
2.5.3 ACPI APIC Support.............................................. 2-24
2.5.4 APM Configuration............................................... 2-25
2.5.5 Hardware Monitor ................................................ 2-26

v
2.6 Boot menu ........................................................................ 2-27
2.6.1 Boot Device Priority ............................................. 2-27
2.6.2 Removable Drives ............................................... 2-27
2.6.3 Boot Settings Configuration ................................. 2-28
2.6.4 Security ................................................................ 2-29
2.7 Exit menu ......................................................................... 2-31
Chapter 3: Software support
3.1 Install an operating system................................................. 3-2
3.2 Support CD information...................................................... 3-2
3.2.1 Running the support CD ........................................ 3-2
3.2.2 Drivers menu ......................................................... 3-3
3.2.3 Utilities menu ......................................................... 3-3
3.2.4 ASUS contact information...................................... 3-4
3.3 RAID configurations ........................................................... 3-5
3.3.1 Installing hard disks ............................................... 3-5
3.3.2 SIS RAID configurations ........................................ 3-6
3.4 Creating a RAID driver disk.............................................. 3-15

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
P4S800-MX SE specification summary
CPU
Chipset
Front Side Bus (FSB)
Memory
Expansion slots
VGA
Storage
Audio
LAN
Special features
Overclock Features
Rear panel I/O
Internal I/O
(Continued on the next page.)
Socket 478 for Intel
®
Pentium
®
4/Celeron processors
Intel
®
Hyper-Threading technology ready
Supports Intel
®
Prescott CPU
SiS661 FX
SiS964
800/533 MHz
2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 2GB memory
Supports DDR400/333/266 unbuffered non-ECC DDR
DIMMs
1 x AGP 8X/4X (1.5V only)
3 x PCI
SiS Real256E integrated graphics
2 x UltraATA133/100/66/33
2 x Serial ATA with RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD support
Realtek
®
ALC655 6-channel audio CODEC
Integrated 10/100 Mbps LAN controller + Realtek
®
LAN PHY
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS MyLogo2
Digital audio via S/PDIF out inteface
FSB frequency adjustable with 1MHz step (SFS)
AGP/PCI Asynchronous mode with FSB
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
1 x Parallel port
1 x Serial port
1 x Video port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x RJ-45 port
4 x USB 2.0/USB 1.1 ports
Line In/Line Out/Microphone ports
2 x USB 2.0 connector for additional four USB ports
CPU and chassis fan connectors
20-pin/4-pin ATX 12V power connectors
CD/AUX audio connectors
S/PDIF out connector
Front panel audio connector
System panel connector
GAME/MIDI connector
Floppy disk drive connector
2 x IDE connectors

ix
P4S800-MX SE specification summary
4Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP features, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,
SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI 2.0, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2, ASUS
MyLogo2, ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall),
ASUS EZ Flash
PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.1
WOL/WOR by PME, WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0
Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe
ASUS LiveUpdate
ASUS Screensaver
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Anti-virus utility
BIOS features
Industry standard
Manageability
Form Factor
Support CD contents
About this guide
Conventions used in this guide
To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the
following symbols used throughout this guide.
WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying
to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components
when trying to complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Information that you MUST follow to complete a
task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to aid in completing a task.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.

x

Chapter 1
This chapter describes the features of the
motherboard. It includes brief descriptions of the
motherboard components, and illustrations of the
layout, jumper settings, and connectors.
Product introduction

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS
®
P4S800-MX SE motherboard!
The ASUS
P4S800-MX SE motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest
technologies making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality
motherboards!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the
items in your package with the list below.
1.2Package contents
Check your P4S800-MX SE package for the following items.
ASUS P4S800-MX SE motherboard
ASUS P4S800-MX SE series support CD
Serial ATA cable
Serial ATA power cable
80-conductor UltraATA IDE cable
Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive
I/O shield
Bag of extra jumper caps
User Guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.3 Special features
Intel
®
800MHz FSB CPU support
The motherboard comes with a 478-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF)
socket for the Intel
®
Pentium
®
4 processor. This motherboard supports 800/533/400
MHz system front side bus that allows 6.4GB/s, 4.3GB/s and 3.2GB/s data transfer
rates, respectively. The P4S800-MX SE also supports the Intel
®
Hyper-Threading
Technology and Intel
®
Prescott CPU. See page 1-8 for details.
SiS661FX/964 chipset
Embedded in this motherboard is the SiS661FX/964 chipset that integrates various
SiS-developed technologies to ensure an efficient and reliable computing
performance.

ASUS P4S800-MX SE motherboard 1-3
The SiS661FX chipset provides a high performance host interface for the Intel
®
Pentium
®
4 processor, and supports AGP 8X, 800MHz front side bus, and
DDR400. The SiS661FX features the SiS HyperStreaming™ Engine that smartly
manages data streams between peripherals, core logic chipsets, front side bus,
memory and graphic interfaces. This technology dramatically optimizes and
improves the entire computer system performance.
Providing I/O and peripheral support is the SiS964 southbridge. The southbridge is
a subsystem that integrates various I/O functions including dual-channel ATA133
bus master IDE, USB 2.0/1.1, Ethernet, and audio controllers. The SiS964
provides LPC and AC’97 interfaces, and complies with the Advanced Power
Management (APM) 1.2 specification. The SiS964 interconnects with the
northbridge at up to 1GB/s using the SiS proprietary MuTIOL
®
bus interface.
DDR400 support
The motherboard supports up to 2GB of system memory using DDR400/333/266
non-ECC DDR DIMMs to deliver up to 3.2GB/s data transfer rate for the latest 3D
graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. See page 1-10.
Real256E integrated graphics
Embedded in the northbridge is the SiS Real256E integrated graphics with a
256-bit 3D engine and 2D graphics accelerator with a maximum 64MB shared
display memory. The Real256E integrated graphics engine incorporates the
UltraAGPII™ technology to provide a faster link between the built-in graphic engine
and the northbridge memory controller. This technology boosts VGAthroughput to
up to 3.2GB/s to bring clearer and sharper images for your multimedia and
graphic-intensive applications. The Real256E integrated graphics achieves a
maximum resolution of 2048x1536 at 32bpp. See page 1-17.
Integrated 10/100 Mbps LAN controller
Onboard is the Realtek
®
LAN PHY that interconnects with the SiS964 southbridge
LAN controller to fully support 10BASE-T/ 100BASE-TX Ethernet networking. See
page 1-17.
6-Channel Audio solution
The motherboard uses an onboard audio CODEC that lets you enjoy high-quality
6-channel audio without having to buy advanced sound cards. See page 1-17.
Serial ATA technology
The motherboard supports the Serial ATA technology through the Serial ATA
interfaces and the SIS 964 chipset. The SATA specification allows for thinner, more
flexible cables with lower pin count, reduced voltage requirement, and up to 150
MB/s data transfer rate. See page 1-19 for details.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
USB 2.0 technology
The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 specification,
dramatically increasing the connection speed from the 12Mbps bandwidth on USB
1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1.
See page 1-17 and 1-22 for details.
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support CD in
case when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection eliminates the
need to buy a replacement ROM chip. See details on page 2-6.
ASUS EZ Flash BIOS
With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even before
loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or boot from a
floppy disk. See page 2-5.
ASUS MyLogo2™
This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add
style to your system with customizable boot logos.
C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
The C.P.R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automatic re-setting to the
BIOS default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking. When the
system hangs due to overclocking, C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system
chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the
BIOS automatically restores the CPU default setting for each parameter.

ASUS P4S800-MX SE motherboard 1-5
1.4 Before you proceed
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.
1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.
2. Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to a metal
object, such as the power supply case, before handling components to
avoid damaging them due to static electricity.
3. Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic
pad or in the bag that came with the component.
5. Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the ATX
power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the
power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.
Onboard LED
The P4S800-MX SE comes with a stand-by power LED. When lit, the green LED
indicates that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode, a reminder that
you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or
plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration below shows the location
of the onboard LED.
P4S800-MX SE
P4S800-MX SE Onboard LED
SB_PWR
ON
Standby
Power
OFF
Powered
Off

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.5 Motherboard overview
1.5.1 Motherboard layout
12 23
CLRTC1
NormalClear CMOS (Default)
USBPW34
USBPW12
+5V
(Default) +5VSB
2321
USBPW56
USBPW78
+5V
(Default) +5VSB
2321
(Default)
+5V +5VSB
KBPWR
2312
PANEL
* Requires an ATX power supply.
PLED-
PWR +5V
Speaker
PLED
Ground
RESET
Ground
Reset Ground
Ground
PLED+
IDE_LED-
IDE_LED+
IDE_LED
SPEAKER
PWRSW
24.5cm (9.6in)
PCI1
P4S800-MX SE
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
CDAUX
Super
I/O
4Mb
BIOS
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
Below:Mic In
Center:Line Out
Top:Line In
AGP
CPU_FAN1
FP_AUDIO
RTL8201CL
GAME
CLRTC1
FLOPPY
PRI_IDE SEC_IDE
ATXPWR
DDR DIMM1 (64 bit,184-pin module) DDR DIMM2 (64 bit,184-pin module)
USB12
USB56
24.5cm (9.6in)
USBPW12
USBPW34
USBPW56
PARALLEL PORT
COM1
VGA
PCI2
PCI3
SPDIF
SiS
661FX
North Bridge
SiS
964
Chipset
SB_PWR
KBPWR
Socket 478
ATX12V
USB34
USBPW78
ALC655
USB78 PANEL
SATA2
SATA1
TOP
RJ-45

ASUS P4S800-MX SE motherboard 1-7
Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.
1.5.2 Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in
the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the
chassis as indicated in the image below.
1.5.3 Screw holes
Place 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
P4S800-MX SE

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
1.6.1 Overview
The Intel
®
Pentium
®
4 processor has a gold triangular mark on one corner. This
mark indicates the processor Pin 1 that should match a specific corner of the CPU
socket.
Incorrect installation of the CPU into the socket may bend the pins and
severely damage the CPU!
Notes on Intel
®
Hyper-Threading Technology
1. Hyper-Threading Technology is supported under Windows XP,Windows
2003 Server and Linux 2.4.x (kernel) and later versions only. Under Linux,
use the Hyper-Threading compliler to compile the code. If you are using any
other operating systems, disable the Hyper-Threading Techonology item in
BIOS to ensure system stability and performance.
2. We recommended that you install Windows XP Service Pack 1 and later
versions.
3. Make sure to enable the Hyper-Threading Technology item in BIOS before
installing a supported operating system. See section “2.4.2 CPU
Configuration” for details.
4. For more information on Hyper-Threading Technology, visit www.intel.com/
info/hyperthreading.
P4S800-MX SE
P4S800-MX SE CPU Socket 478
Gold Arrow

ASUS P4S800-MX SE motherboard 1-9
1.6.2 Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU.
1. Locate the 478-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard.
2. Unlock the socket by pressing the
lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90°-
100° angle.
Make sure that the socket lever is
lifted up to 90°-100° angle,
otherwise the CPU does not fit in
completely.
3. Position the CPU above the socket
such that its marked corner matches
the base of the socket lever.
4. Carefully insert the CPU into the
socket until it fits in place.
The CPU fits only in one correct
orientation. DO NOT force the
CPU into the socket to prevent
bending the pins and damaging
the CPU!
5. When the CPU is in place, push down
the socket lever to secure the CPU.
The lever clicks on the side tab to
indicate that it is locked.
6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan
following the instructions that came
with the heatsink package.
7. Connect the CPU fan cable to the
CPU_FAN1 connector on the
motherboard.
Socket Lever
90 -100
Gold Mark

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.7System memory
1.7.1 DIMM sockets location
The following figure illustrates the location of the DDR DIMM sockets.
Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or
other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both
the motherboard and the components.
When installing long AGP cards, it is recommended to install the memory
modules first. Long AGP cards, when installed, may interfere with the memory
sockets.
1.7.2 Memory configurations
You may install 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB DDR DIMMs into the
DIMM sockets.
Obtain DDR DIMMs only from ASUS qualified vendors. Refer to the Qualified
DDR400 vendors list next page. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for the
latest DDR Qualified Vendors List.
P4S800-MX SE
P4S800-MX SE 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets
80 Pins 104 Pins
DIMM1 DIMM2