DFI AK74-SU User manual

AK74-SC
AK74-SU
Rev. A+
System Board
Users Manual
43810032

Copyright
This publication contains information that is protected by copyright.
No part of it may be reproduced in any form or by any means or
used to make any transformation/adaptation without the prior
written permission from the copyright holders.
This publication is provided for informational purposes only. The
manufacturer makes no representations or warranties with respect to
the contents or use of this manual and specifically disclaims any
express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any
particular purpose.The user will assume the entire risk of the use or
the results of the use of this document. Further, the manufacturer
reserves the right to revise this publication and make changes to its
contents at any time, without obligation to notify any person or
entity of such revisions or changes.
© 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Trademarks
Microsoft®MS-DOS®, WindowsTM, Windows®95, Windows®98,
Windows®98 SE and Windows®2000 are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. AMD, AthlonTM and DuronTM are registered
trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. VIA is a registered
trademark of VIA Technologies, Inc. Award is a registered trademark
of Award Software, Inc. Other trademarks and registered
trademarks of products appearing in this manual are the properties
of their respective holders.
Caution:
Danger of explosion if battery incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.
Dispose of used batteries according to the battery manufacturers
instructions.

FCC and DOC Statement on Class B
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 when the equipment is operated in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instruction manual, 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 the receiver.
 Connect the equipment into 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.
Notice:
1. The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority
to operate the equipment.
2. Shielded interface cables must be used in order to comply with
the emission limits.

Table of Contents
Read Me First..........................................................
Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.1 Features and Specifications..................................................................................
1.2 Package Checklist.........................................................................................................
Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation
2.1 System Board Layout .............................................................................................
2.2 System Memory.............................................................................................................
2.3 Jumper Settings for Clearing CMOS Data..........................................
2.4 Jumper Settings for the Onboard Audio Codec
(AK74-SC only)..............................................................................................................
2.5 Jumper Settings for Selecting the USB Power...................................
2.6 Jumper Settings for the Onboard PCI Audio
(AK74-SU only)..............................................................................................................
2.7 Ports and Connectors.............................................................................................
Chapter 3 - Award BIOS Setup Utility
3.1 The Basic Input/Output System.....................................................................
3.1.1 Standard CMOS Features.............................................................
3.1.2 Advanced BIOS Features..............................................................
3.1.3 Advanced Chipset Features ......................................................
3.1.4 Integrated Peripherals.........................................................................
3.1.5 Power Management Setup............................................................
3.1.6 PnP/PCI Configurations....................................................................
3.1.7 PC Health Status...................................................................................
3.1.8 Frequency/Voltage Control............................................................
3.1.9 Load Fail-Safe Defaults.....................................................................
3.1.10 Load Optimized Defaults..............................................................
3.1.11 Set Supervisor Password...............................................................
3.1.12 Set User Password..............................................................................
3.1.13 Save & Exit Setup.................................................................................
3.1.14 Exit Without Saving..............................................................................
3.2 Updating the BIOS.....................................................................................................
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71
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20
21
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23
24
6

Chapter 4 - Supported Softwares
4.1 Desktop Management Interface.....................................................................
4.2 VIA Hardware Monitor............................................................................................
4.3 VIA Service Pack..........................................................................................................
4.4 Audio Drivers and Software Application...............................................
4.5 Drivers and Utilities Installation Notes.....................................................
Appendix A - Using the Suspend to RAM
Function
A.1 Using the Suspend to RAM Function........................................................
Appendix B - System Error Messages
B.1 POST Beep.......................................................................................................................
B.2 Error Messages..............................................................................................................
Appendix C - Troubleshooting
C.1 Troubleshooting Checklist....................................................................................
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84

Introduction
1
6
Read Me First
This page contains a summary of the important notes that must be
given special attention to prior to using the system board.
CPU Fan Protection
The CPU Fan Protection function has the capability of monitoring the
CPU fan during system boot-up and will automatically power-off the
system once it has detected that the CPU fan did not rotate. This
preventive measure has been added to protect the CPU from
damage and insure a safe computing environment.
Over Voltage
The Over Voltage function allows you to manually adjust to a higher
core voltage that is supplied to the CPU. Although this function is
supported, we do not recommend that you use a higher voltage
because unstable current may be supplied to the system board
causing damage.
CPU Overclocking
The CPU Overclocking function allows you to adjust the processors
bus clock by 1MHz stepping. However, overclocking may result to
the processors or systems instability and are not guaranteed to
provide better system performance.
System Memory
The system board supports both VCM and PC SDRAM DIMMs. If
you are using more than one DIMM, make sure you insert the same
type of DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. Using different types (VCM
or PC SDRAM) of DIMMs may cause problems.

1
Introduction
7
5VSB Power
 If you are using the (1) Wake-On-LAN and/or (2) Wake-On-
Ring (internal modem) functions, the 5VSB power source of your
power supply must support ≥720mA.
 If you are using the Suspend to RAM function, the 5VSB power
source of your power supply must support ≥1A.
Drivers
Make sure to reboot the system after each driver installation.
Problems will occur if you reboot only after installing all the drivers.

Introduction
1
8
1.1 Features and Specifications
1.1.1 Features
Chipset
 VIA®KT133 - VT8363 and VT82C686A
Processor
The system board is equipped with Socket-A for 462-pin PGA
processor. It is also equipped with a switching voltage regulator that
automatically detects 1.100V to 1.850V.
 AMD AthlonTM/DuronTM 100MHz (200MHz DDR) FSB proces-
sor (600/650/700/750/800/850/950MHz or future processors)
System Memory
 Supports up to 1.5GB using VCM (Virtual Channel Memory) or
PC SDRAM DIMM (unbuffered or registered)
 Three 168-pin DIMM sockets
 Uses x64 or x72 PC SDRAM, 3.3V
- PC-100 SDRAM DIMM for 100MHz memory bus
- PC-133 SDRAM DIMM for 133MHz memory bus
 L2 cache memory
- DuronTM processor: built-in 64KB Level 2 pipelined burst
cache
- AthlonTM processor: built-in 256KB Level 2 pipelined burst
cache
 ECC supported (uses x72 PC SDRAM DIMM)
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Note:
If you are using more than one DIMM, make sure you insert
the same type of DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. Using
different types (VCM or PC SDRAM) of DIMMs may cause
problems.

1
Introduction
9
Expansion Slots
The system board is equipped with 1 universal AGP slot. AGP is an
interface designed to support high performance 3D graphics cards. It
utilizes a dedicated pipeline to access system memory for texturing,
z-buffering and alpha blending.The universal AGP slot supports AGP
2x with up to 533MB/sec. bandwidth and AGP 4x with up to
1066MB/sec. bandwidth for 3D graphics applications. AGP in this
system board will deliver faster and better graphics to your PC.
The system board is also equipped with 4 dedicated PCI slots, 1
shared PCI/ISA slot and 1 AMR slot. AMR (Audio/Modem Riser) is
an interface designed for installing an audio riser card, modem riser
card or audio/modem riser card that is compliant to the AMR
specification.
Onboard Audio Features (AK74-SC only)
 Supports Microsoft®DirectSound/DirectSound 3D
 AC97 supported with full duplex, independent sample rate con-
verter for audio recording and playback
Onboard PCI Audio Features - Creative ES1373 (AK74-SU only)
 Supports Microsoft®DirectSound /DirectSound 3D / DirectMusic
SW acceleration
 64 voice wavetable synthesizer
 Hardware SoundBlaster Pro for Windows DOS Box and
standard Microsoft Windows Sound 2.0
 Digital I/O compatible with consumer mode (SPDIF)
 Downloadable sound (DLS) level-1
ATX Double Deck Ports (PC 99 color-coded connectors)
 Two USB ports
 Two NS16C550A-compatible DB-9 serial ports
 One SPP/ECP/EPP DB-25 parallel port
 One mini-DIN-6 PS/2 mouse port
DIMMs
2MBx64/x72
4MBx64/x72
8MBx64/x72
Memory Size
16MB
32MB
64MB
DIMMs
16MBx64/x72
32MBx64/x72
64MBx64/x72
Memory Size
128MB
256MB
512MB

Introduction
1
10
 One mini-DIN-6 PS/2 keyboard port
 One game/MIDI port
 Three audio jacks: line-out, line-in and mic-in
Connectors
 One connector for 2 additional external USB ports
 One connector for IrDA interface
 Two IDE connectors
 One floppy drive interface supports up to two 2.88MB floppy
drives
 One 20-pin ATX power supply connector
 One Wake-On-LAN connector
 One Wake-On-Ring connector
 CPU, chassis and second fan connectors
 Three internal audio connectors (AUX-in, CD-in and TAD)
PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
 Two PCI IDE interfaces support up to four IDE devices
 Supports ATA/33 or ATA/66 hard drives
 PIO Mode 3 and Mode 4 Enhanced IDE (data transfer rate up
to 16.6MB/sec.)
 Bus mastering reduces CPU utilization during disk transfer
 Supports ATAPI CD-ROM, LS-120 and ZIP
IrDA Interface
The system board is equipped with an IrDA connector for wireless
connectivity between your computer and peripheral devices. It
supports peripheral devices that meet the HPSIR and ASKIR
standard.
USB Ports
The system board supports 4 USB ports. Two onboard USB ports
are located at the ATX double deck ports of the board. The J19
connector on the system board allows you to connect the optional
3rd and 4th USB ports. These optional USB ports, which are
mounted on a card-edge bracket, will be provided as an option.
USB allows data exchange between your computer and a wide
range of simultaneously accessible external Plug and Play peripherals.

1
Introduction
11
BIOS
 Award BIOS, Windows®95/98/2000 Plug and Play compatible
 Supports SCSI sequential boot-up
 Flash EPROM for easy BIOS upgrades
 Supports DMI 2.0 function
 2Mbit flash memory
 Vcore selectable in the BIOS
Desktop Management Interface (DMI)
The system board comes with a DMI 2.0 built into the BIOS. The
DMI utility in the BIOS automatically records various information
about your system configuration and stores these information in the
DMI pool, which is a part of the system board's Plug and Play
BIOS. DMI, along with the appropriately networked software, is
designed to make inventory, maintenance and troubleshooting of
computer systems easier. Refer to chapter 4 for instructions on using
the DMI utility.
1.1.2 System Health Monitor Functions
The system board is capable of monitoring the following system
health conditions.
 Monitors CPU/system temperature and overheat alarm
 Monitors 12V/5V/3.3V/VCORE voltages and failure alarm
 Monitors CPU/chassis fan speed and failure alarm
 Automatic chassis fan on/off control
 Read back capability that displays temperature, voltage and fan
speed
Refer to the PC Health Status section in chapter 3 and the VIA
Hardware Monitor section in chapter 4 for more information.

Introduction
1
12
1.1.3 Intelligence
CPU Fan Protection
The CPU Fan Protection function has the capability of monitoring the
CPU fan during system boot-up and will automatically power-off the
system once it has detected that the CPU fan did not rotate. This
preventive measure has been added to protect the CPU from
damage and insure a safe computing environment. Refer to CPU
Fan Connector with CPU Fan Protection Function in chapter 2 and
CPU Fan Protection in the PC Health Status section in chapter 3
for more information.
Over Voltage
The Over Voltage function allows you to manually adjust to a higher
core voltage that is supplied to the CPU. Although this function is
supported, we do not recommend that you use a higher voltage
because unstable current may be supplied to the system board
causing damage. Refer to CPU Vcore Select in the Frequency/
Voltage Control section in chapter 3 for more information.
CPU Overclocking
The CPU Overclocking function allows you to adjust the processors
bus clock by 1MHz stepping. However, overclocking may result to
the processors or systems instability and are not guaranteed to
provide better system performance. Refer to Clock By Slight Adjust
in the Frequency/Voltage Control section in chapter 3 for more
information.

1
Introduction
13
Automatic Chassis Fan Off
The chassis fan will automatically turn off once the system enters the
Suspend mode.
Dual Function Power Button
Depending on the setting in the Soft-Off By PWRBTN field of the
Power Management Setup, this switch will allow the system to enter
the Soft-Off or Suspend mode.
Wake-On-Ring
This feature allows the system that is in the Suspend mode or Soft
Power Off mode to wake-up/power-on to respond to calls coming
through an internal or external modem. Refer to Wake-On-Ring
Connector in chapter 2 and Resume On LAN/Ring (Wake Up
Events field) in the Power Management Setup section in chapter 3
for more information.
Important:
If you are using a modem add-in card, the 5VSB power source
of your power supply must support a minimum of ≥ 720mA.
RTC Timer to Power-on the System
The RTC installed on the system board allows your system to
automatically power-on on the set date and time. Refer to Resume
By Alarm (Wake Up Events field) in the Power Management
Setup section in chapter 3 for more information.
Wake-On-LAN
The Wake-On-LAN function allows the network to remotely wake
up a Soft Power Down (Soft-Off) PC.Your LAN card must support
the remote wakeup function. Refer to Wake-On-LAN Connector in
chapter 2 and Resume On LAN/Ring (Wake Up Events field) in
the Power Management Setup section in chapter 3 for more
information.
Important:
The 5VSB power source of your power supply must support a
minimum of ≥ 720mA.

Introduction
1
14
AC Power Failure Recovery
When power returns after an AC power failure, you may choose to
either power-on the system manually, let the system power-on
automatically or return to the state where you left off before power
failure occurs. Refer to PWR Lost Resume State in the Power
Management Setup section in chapter 3 for more information.
ACPI STR
The system board is designed to meet the ACPI (Advanced
Configuration and Power Interface) specification. ACPI has energy
saving features that enables PCs to implement Power Management
and Plug-and-Play with operating systems that support OS Direct
Power Management. Currently, only Windows®98/2000 supports
the ACPI function allowing you to use the Suspend to RAM function.
With the Suspend to RAM function enabled, you can power-off
the system at once by pressing the power button or selecting
Standby when you shut down Windows®98/2000 without having
to go through the sometimes tiresome process of closing files,
applications and operating system. This is because the system is
capable of storing all programs and data files during the entire
operating session into RAM (Random Access Memory) when it
powers-off. The operating session will resume exactly where you left
off the next time you power-on the system. Refer to Using the
Suspend to RAM Function in appendix A for more information.
Important:
The 5VSB power source of your power supply must support
≥ 1A.
Virus Protection
Most viruses today destroy data stored in hard drives. The system
board is designed to protect the boot sector and partition table of
your hard disk drive.

1
Introduction
15
1.2 Package Checklist
The system board package contains the following items:
þThe system board
þA users manual
þOne IDE cable for ATA/33 or ATA/66 IDE drives
þOne 34-pin floppy disk drive cable
þOne Main Board Utility CD
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your
dealer or sales representative for assistance.

2
16
Hardware Installation
2.1 System Board Layout
Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation
AK74-SC

2
Hardware Installation
17
AK74-SU

2
18
Hardware Installation
2.2 System Memory
The system board is equipped with
three 168-pin DIMM (Dual In-line
Memory Module) sockets that support
VCM or PC SDRAM DIMM. PC
SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic
Random Access Memory) uses a fast
memory interface technology that
includes using the clock on the chip to
synchronize with the CPU clock so that
the timing of the memory chips and the
timing of the CPU are synchronized.This
saves time during transmission of data,
subsequently increasing system performance.
The system board also supports the ECC (Error Checking and
Correction) function.To use this function, you must install DIMM that
supports parity. Refer to chapter 1 (System Memory section) for
detailed specification of the memory supported by the system
board.
Warning:
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your system board,
processor, disk drives, add-in boards, and other components. Perform
the upgrade instruction procedures described at an ESD workstation
only. If such a station is not available, you can provide some ESD
protection by wearing an antistatic wrist strap and attaching it to a
metal part of the system chassis. If a wrist strap is unavailable,
establish and maintain contact with the system chassis throughout
any procedures requiring ESD protection.

2
Hardware Installation
19
1. Pull the tabs which are at the ends of the socket to the side.
2. Position the DIMM above the socket with the notches in the
module aligned with the keys on the socket.
3. Seat the module vertically into the socket. Make sure it is
completely seated.The tabs will hold the DIMM in place.
Pin 1
Notch
Key
Tab
Tab
2.2.1 Installing the DIM Module
A DIM module simply snaps into a DIMM socket on the system
board. Pin 1 of the DIM module must correspond with Pin 1 of the
socket.

2
20
Hardware Installation
2.3 Jumper Settings for Clearing CMOS Data
Clear CMOS Data - Jumper JP8
If you encounter the following,
a) CMOS data becomes corrupted.
b) You forgot the supervisor or user
password.
c) You are unable to boot-up the
computer system because the
processors bus clock was incorrectly
set in the BIOS.
you can reconfigure the system with the
default values stored in the ROM BIOS.
To load the default values stored in the
ROM BIOS, please follow the steps below.
1. Power-off the system and unplug the power cord.
2. Set JP8 pins 2 and 3 to On. Wait for a few seconds and set JP8
back to its default setting, pins 1 and 2 On.
3. Plug the power cord and power-on the system.
If your reason for clearing the CMOS data is due to incorrect
setting of the processors bus clock in the BIOS, please proceed
to step 4.
4. After powering-on the system, press <Del> to enter the main
menu of the BIOS.
5. Select the Frequency/Voltage Control submenu and press
<Enter>.
6. Set the Clock By Slight Adjust field to its default setting or an
appropriate bus clock. Refer to Clock By Slight Adjust in the
Frequency/Voltage Control section in chapter 3 for more
information.