Elitegroup Computer Systems K7AMA3 User manual

Preface
Copyright
This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected un-
der international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor any
of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of the au-
thor.
Version 1.0
Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The manufac-
turer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and
specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any par-
ticular purpose. The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and to
make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation of the manu-
facturer to notify any person of such revision or changes.
Trademark Recognition
Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
MMX, Pentium, Pentium-II, Pentium-III, Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation.
Other product names used in this manual are the properties of their respective owners
and are acknowledged.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digi-
tal 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 in-
stalled and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not oc-
cur 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 onto 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.
Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with
this equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits governing
this device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system's manu-
facturer could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Declaration of Conformity
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the follow-
ing conditions:
− This device may not cause harmful interference, and
− This device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Canadian Department of Communications
This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-
causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Réglement
sur le matériel brouilieur du Canada.
About the Manual
The manual consists of the following:
Chapter 1
Introducing the Mainboard
Describes features of the mainboard,
and provides a shipping checklist.
Go to ⇒page 1
Chapter 2
Installing the Mainboard
Describes installation of mainboard
components.
Go to ⇒page 6
Chapter 3
Using BIOS
Provides information on using the BIOS
Setup Utility.
Go to ⇒page 26
Chapter 4
Using the Mainboard Software
Describes the mainboard software.
Go to ⇒page 50
ii

T
TA
AB BL LE E O OF F C
CO
ON NT TE EN NT TS S
Preface i
CHAPTER 1 1
Introducing the Mainboard 1
Introduction.................................................................................................1
Checklist.....................................................................................................1
Standard Items................................................................................................. 1
Features .....................................................................................................2
Choosing a Computer Case .......................................................................3
Mainboard Components .............................................................................4
CHAPTER 2 6
Installing the Mainboard 6
Safety Precautions......................................................................................6
Quick Guide................................................................................................6
Installing the Mainboard in a Case..............................................................7
Checking Jumper Settings..........................................................................7
Setting Jumpers ............................................................................................... 7
Checking Jumper Settings............................................................................... 8
Jumper Settings ............................................................................................... 8
Connecting Case Components.................................................................10
Front Panel Connector................................................................................... 12
Installing Hardware...................................................................................13
Installing the Processor.................................................................................. 13
Installing Memory Modules .......................................................................... 15
Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM......................................................... 17
Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive................................................................. 19
Installing Add-on Cards................................................................................. 20
Connecting Optional Devices........................................................................ 21
Connecting I/O Devices............................................................................24
External Connector Color Coding ................................................................. 25
CHAPTER 3 26
Using BIOS 26
About the Setup Utility..............................................................................26
The Standard Configuration .......................................................................... 26
Starting Setup ................................................................................................ 27
Updating the BIOS........................................................................................ 28
Using BIOS...............................................................................................29
Standard CMOS Features.............................................................................. 29
Advanced BIOS Setup................................................................................... 31
Advanced Chipset Setup................................................................................ 33
Integrated Peripherals.................................................................................... 37
iii

Power Management Setup............................................................................. 41
PNP/PCI Configurations................................................................................ 45
PC Health Status............................................................................................ 46
Frequency Control......................................................................................... 47
Load Fail-Safe Defaults Option..................................................................... 48
Load Optimized Defaults Option................................................................... 48
Set Password Option...................................................................................... 48
Save & Exit Setup Option ............................................................................. 49
Exit Without Saving ...................................................................................... 49
CHAPTER 4 50
Using the Mainboard Software 50
About the Software CD-ROM ...................................................................50
Auto-installing under Windows 98/ME/2000/XP .......................................50
Running Setup............................................................................................... 51
Manual Installation....................................................................................52
Utility Software Reference ........................................................................53
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C
Ch ha ap pt te er r 1 1
Introducing the Mainboard
I
In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n
Thank you for choosing the K7AMA3 mainboard. The K7AMA3 is a high per-
formance and high quality mainboard which is built around the latest and
fastest VIA KT266A + VT8235 chipset providing superior performance be-
tween the CPU, DRAM, AGP bus, and V-Link bus with pipelined, burst and
concurrent operation. This mainboard supports Socket 462 that accommo-
dates AMD Athlon processors with a frontside bus (FSB) speeds up to
133MHz.
The KT266A supports four banks of SDR/DDR Synchronous DRAMs up to
2GB for unbuffered modules. It also fully supports full AGP v2.0 capability for
maximum bus utilization including 1x, 2x and 4x mode transfers, SBA (Side-
Band Addressing), Flush/Fence commands and pipelined grants.
The VT8235 Southbridge supports standard intelligent peripheral controllers
such as USB v2.0/1.1 and Universal HCI v2.0/1.1 compliant, real time clock
with 256 byte extended CMOS, integrated bus-mastering dual full-duplex di-
rect-sound AC97 link compatible sound system and full System Management
Bus (SMBus) interface.
Sufficient expansion is provided for with one AGP slot, five 32-bit PCI slot and
one CNR slot. It also comes with a built-in Enhanced PCI Bus Master PCI IDE
controller that provides high-speed connections to full range of IDE devices
such as HDD and CD-ROM. This mainboard is designed in a standard ATX
form factor using a 4-layer printed circuit board and measures 305 mm x 244
mm.
C
Ch he ec ck kl li is st t
Compare the mainboard’s package contents with the following checklist:
Standard Items
• One mainboard
• One diskette drive ribbon cable
• One IDE drive ribbon cable
• One auto-install software support CD
• This user’s manual

F
Fe ea at tu ur re es s
Processor The K7AMA3 mainboard uses an AMD 462-pin Socket A that
has the following features:
• Supports 100/133 MHz frontside bus (FSB)
• Accommodates AMD Athlon/Duron processors
Chipset The KT266A Northbridge and VT8235 Southbridge chipsets are
based on cost-effective and energy efficient chipset architecture
for implementing AGP/PCI desktop personal computer systems
with proven reliability and performance.
• Supports Socket-A (Socket-462) AMD Athlon processors
• 100/133 MHz DDR (Double Data Rate) transfer on Athlon
CPU address and data buses
• Provides full featured Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
controller which is v2.0 compliant and supports 66 MHz
1x, 2x and 4x modes delivering vivid 3D graphics and
high quality video performance
• Supports 66 MHz V-Link Host interface with a peak
bandwidth of 266 MB/s and an intelligent V-Link transac-
tion protocol to eliminate data wait-state/throttle transfer
latency
• Advanced high-performance SDR and DDR SDRAM
memory types
• Integrated USB 2.0 Controller with three root hubs and six
function ports
• Dual Channel Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 master mode
EIDE controller
Additional key features include support for six USB ports, an
AC 97 link for audio and modem and hardware monitoring.
Graphics The mainboard includes an AGP slot that provides four times the
bandwidth of the original AGP specification. AGP technology pro-
vides a direct connection between the graphics sub-system and
the processor so that the graphics do not have to compete for
processor time with other devices on the PCI bus.
Memory The mainboard accommodates the following memory configu-
rations:
• DDR (Double Data Rate) PC1600/PC2100 SDRAM supports
up to 2 GB using two 2.5V DIMM modules
• SDRAM PC133/ PC100 supports up to 2 GB using two
3.3V DIMM modules
Audio The audio codec is compliant with the AC 97 2.2 specification,
and supports 18-bit ADC (Analog Digital Converter) and DAC
(Digital Analog Converter) resolution as well as 18-bit stereo
full-duplex codec with independent and variable sampling
rates. This mainboard supports up to 4-channel line out.
2

Onboard LAN
(optional) The VT6103 is a Physical Layer device for Ethernet 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX using category 5 Unshielded, Type 1
Shielded cables
• Dual Speed – 100/10 Mbps
• Half And Full Duplex
• Meet All Applicable IEEE 802.3, 10Base-T and
100Base-Tx Standards
• Adaptive Equalizer
Integrated I/O The mainboard has a full set of I/O ports and connectors:
• Two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard
• Two serial port
• One parallel port
• Four USB ports
• One LAN port
• Audio jacks for microphone, line-in and line-out
BIOS
Firmware This mainboard uses Award BIOS that enables users to con- figure many system features including the following:
• Power management
• Wake-up alarms
• CPU parameters
• CPU and memory timing
The firmware can also be used to set parameters for different
processor clock speeds.
C
Ch ho oo os si in ng g a a C Co om mp pu ut te er r C Ca as se e
There are many types of computer cases on the market. The mainboard com-
plies with the specifications for the ATX system case. Some features on the
mainboard are implemented by cabling connectors on the mainboard to indi-
cators and switches on the system case. Ensure that your case supports all
the features required. The mainboard can support one or two floppy diskette
drives and four enhanced IDE drives. Ensure that your case has sufficient
power and space for all the drives that you intend to install.
Most cases have a choice of I/O templates in the rear panel. Make sure that
the I/O template in the case matches the I/O ports installed on the rear edge
of the mainboard.
This mainboard has an ATX form factor of 305 x 244 mm. Choose a case that
accommodates this form factor.
3

M
Ma ai in nb bo oa ar rd d C Co om mp po on ne en nt ts s
4

Table of Mainboard Components
Label Component
AGP1 Accelerated Graphics Port
ATX1 Power connector
AUDIO1 Front-oriented microphone/line-out port header
AUXIN1 Extra line-in connector
BT1 Three volt realtime clock battery
CASEFAN1 Auxiliary case cooling fan
CD1 CD-in connector
CNR1 Communications Networking Riser slot
CPUFAN1 Cooling fan for CPU
CPU Socket Socket A for AMD Athlon processor
DDR1~DDR2 Two 184 pin DDR SDRAM sockets
DIMM1 ~ DIMM2 Two 168 pin DIMM sockets
FDD1 Floppy disk drive connector
IDE 1 Primary IDE channel
IDE 2 Secondary IDE channel
J1 Case open detecting connector (optional)
JP1 Clear CMOS jumper
JP4 CPU frequency selection jumper
JP5A/B/C/D, JP6A/B/C/D DDR/SDR DRAM type selector
PANEL1 Connector for case front panel switches and LED i
cators ndi-
PCI1 ~ PCI5 Five 32-bit add-in card slots
IR1 Infrared cable header
SPEAKER1 Speaker connector
USB3 Front panel USB headers
USBCR1 USB card reader connector
This concludes Chapter 1. The next chapter explains how to install the main-
board.
5

C
Ch ha ap pt te er r 2 2
Installing the Mainboard
S
Sa af fe et ty y P Pr re ec ca au ut ti io on ns s
Follow these safety precautions when installing the mainboard:
• Wear a grounding strap attached to a grounded device to avoid
damage from static electricity.
• Discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely
grounded object before working on the mainboard.
• Leave components in the static-proof bags they came in.
• Hold all circuit boards by the edges. Do not bend circuit boards.
Q
Qu ui ic ck k G Gu ui id de e
This Quick Guide suggests the steps you can take to assemble your system
with the mainboards.
The following table provides a reference for installing specific components:
Locating Mainboard Components Go to page 4
Installing the Mainboard in a Case Go to page 7
Setting Jumpers Go to page 7
Installing Case Components Go to page 10
Installing the CPU Go to page 13
Installing Memory Go to page 15
Installing an HDD and CD-ROM Drive Go to page 17
Installing an FDD Go to page 19
Installing Add-on Cards Go to page 20
Connecting Options Go to page 21
Connecting Peripheral (I/O) Devices Go to page 24

I
In ns st ta al ll li in ng g t th he e M Ma ai in nb bo oa ar rd d i in n a a C Ca as se e
Refer to the following illustration and instructions for installing the mainboard
in a case:
This illustration shows an ex-
ample of a mainboard being
installed in a tower-type case:
Note: Do not overtighten
the screws as this
can stress the main-
board.
Most system cases have
mounting brackets installed in
the case, which correspond to
the holes in the mainboard.
Place the mainboard over the
mounting brackets and secure
the mainboard onto the mount-
ing brackets with screws.
2.
S
ecure the mainboard with
screws where appropriate.
1. Place the mainboard
over the mounting brackets.
Ensure that your case has an I/O template that supports the I/O ports and
expansion slots on your mainboard.
C
Ch he ec ck ki in ng g J Ju um mp pe er r S Se et tt ti in ng gs s
This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the main-
board.
Setting Jumpers
Use the mainboard jumpers to set system configuration options. Jumpers with
more than one pin are numbered. When setting the jumpers, ensure that the
jumper caps are placed on the correct pins.
The illustrations below show a 2-pin jumper.
When the jumper cap is placed on both pins,
the jumper is SHORT. If you remove the
jumper cap, or place the jumper cap on just
one pin, the jumper is OPEN.
This illustration shows a 3-pin
jumper. Pins 1 and 2 are SHORT.
Short Open
123
7

Checking Jumper Settings
The following illustration shows the location of the mainboard jumpers. Pin 1 is
labeled.
Jumper Settings
Jumper Type Description Setting (default)
JP1 3 pin Clear CMOS 1-2: Normal
2-3: Clear
JP1
1
JP4 3 pin CPU frequency
select 1-2: 100MHz
2-3: 133 MHz
JP4
1
JP5A
JP5B
JP5C
JP5D
80 pin DDR/SDR
DRAM Type
Selector
Short all
JP5A/B/C/D: DDR
memory
Open all
JP5A/B/C/D: SDR
memory
JP5A/B/C/D
8

JP6A
JP6B
JP6C
JP6D
80 pin DDR/SDR
DRAM Type
Selector
Short all
JP6A/B/C/D: DDR
memory
Open all
JP6A/B/C/D: SDR
memory
JP6A/B/C/D
Jumper 1 – enables you to clear the BIOS. Follow these instructions:
1. Turn the system off.
2. Short pins 2 and 3 on JP1.
3. Return the jumper to the normal setting.
4. Turn the system on. The BIOS is returned to the de-
fault settings.
Jumper 4 – set the CPU frequency (100MHz or 133MHz) according to the
CPU.
Jumper 5A/B/C/D -this jumper enables the DDR terminator for DDR memory.
If you installed DDR memory in DDR1/DDR2, short all the jumpers. Otherwise,
if you installed SDR memory in DIMM1/DIMM2, open all the jumpers.
Jumper 6A/B/C/D -this jumper enables the DDR terminator for DDR memory.
If you installed DDR memory in DDR1/DDR2, short all the jumpers. Otherwise,
if you installed SDR memory in DIMM1/DIMM2, open all the jumpers.
9

C
Co on nn ne ec ct ti in ng g C Ca as se e C Co om mp po on ne en nt ts s
After you have installed the mainboard into a case, you can begin connecting
the mainboard components. Refer to the following:
1. Connect the case
power supply
connector to ATX1.
2. Connect the CPU
cooling fan cable to
CPUFAN1.
3. Connect the case
cooling fan connector
to CASEFAN1.
4. Connect the case
speaker cable to
SPEAKER1.
5. Connect the case
LED cable to SJ1.
6. If your case has a
case open alarm
cable, connect it to
J1.
7. Connect the case
switches and indicator
to PANEL1.
CPUFAN1/CASEFAN1: FAN Power Connectors
Pin Signal Name Function
1 GND System Ground
2 +12V Power +12V
3 Sense Sensor
ATX1: ATX 20-pin Power Connector
Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name
1 +3.3V 11 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 12 -12V
3 Ground 13 Ground
4 +5V 14 PS ON#
5 Ground 15 Ground
6 +5V 16 Ground
7 Ground 17 Ground
8 PWRGD 18 -5V
9 +5VSB 19 +5V
10 +12V 20 +5V
10

SPEAKER1: Internal speaker
Pin Signal Name
1 Signal
2 NC
3 Ground
4 VCC
J1: Case open detecting connector (optional)
This connector allows the user to detect unauthorized intrusion to the case. It
will alert the user with a warning message when the case is turned on.
Pin Signal Name Function
1 Intruder Case open detecting signal
2 GND Ground
SJ1: Single color LED header
Pin Signal Name Function
1 ACPI LED MSG LED (-) green
2 ACPI LED MSG LED (-) green
3 SB5V Power LED (+)
LED function:
S0 S1 S3 S4/S5
SJ1
1Light Blinking Blinking Dark
11

Front Panel Connector
The front panel connector (PANEL1) provides a standard set of switch and
LED connectors commonly found on ATX or micro-ATX cases. Refer to the
table below for information:
PANEL1
Pin Function Pin Function
1 Hard disk LED
(positive) 2 MSG LED [dual color or single color (+)]
3 Hard disk active LED
(negative) 4 MSG LED [dual color or single color (-)]
5 Reset Switch 6 Power Switch
7 Reset Switch 8 Power Switch
9 Reserved 10 No pin
Hard Drive Activity LED
Connecting pins 1 and 3 to a front panel mounted LED provides visual indica-
tion that data is being read from or written to the hard drive. For the LED to
function properly, an IDE drive should be connected to the onboard IDE inter-
face.
Power / Sleep LED
Connecting pins 2 and 4 to a single- or dual-color, front panel mounted LED
provides power on/off, sleep, and message waiting indication.
S0 S1 S3 S4/S5
Green Green blinking Yellow blinking Dark
Reset Switch
Supporting the reset function requires connecting pins 5 and 7 to a momen-
tary-contact switch that is normally open. When the switch is closed, the board
resets and runs POST.
Power Switch
Supporting the power on/off function requires connecting pins 6 and 8 to a
momentary-contact switch that is normally open. The switch should maintain
contact for at least 50 ms to signal the power supply to switch on or off. The
time requirement is due to internal debounce circuitry. After receiving a power
on/off signal, at least two seconds elapses before the power supply recog-
nizes another on/off signal.
12

I
In ns st ta al ll li in ng g H Ha ar rd dw wa ar re e
Installing the Processor
Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make sure that
you DO NOT scratch the mainboard or any of the surface-mount resistors
with the clip of the cooling fan. If the clip of the cooling fan scrapes
across the mainboard, you may cause serious damage to the mainboard
or its components.
On most mainboards, there are small surface-mount resistors near the
processor socket, which may be damaged if the cooling fan is carelessly
installed.
Avoid using cooling fans with sharp edges on the fan casing and the
clips. Also, install the cooling fan in a well-lit work area so that you can
clearly see the mainboard and processor socket.
Before installing the Processor
This mainboard automatically determines the CPU clock frequency and sys-
tem bus frequency for the processor. You may be able to change these
settings by making changes to jumpers on the mainboard, or changing the
settings in the system Setup Utility. We strongly recommend that you do not
overclock processors or other components to run faster than their rated speed.
Warning: Overclocking components can adversely affect the reliability of
the system and introduce errors into your system. Overclocking can per-
manently damage the mainboard by generating excess heat in
components that are run beyond the rated limits.
This mainboard has a Socket 462 processor socket. When choosing a proc-
essor, consider the performance requirements of the system. Performance is
based on the processor design, the clock speed and system bus frequency of
the processor, and the quantity of internal cache memory and external cache
memory.
13

CPU Installation Procedure
The following illustration shows CPU installation components:
Note: The pin-1 corner is marked with an arrow
Follow these instructions to install the CPU:
1. Pull the CPU socket locking lever away from the socket to unhook it and raise the
locking lever to the upright position.
2. Match the corner on the CPU marked with an arrow with pin A-1 on the CPU
socket (the corner with the pinhole noticeably missing). Insert the processor into
the socket. Do not use force.
3. Swing the locking lever down and hook it under the latch on the edge of the
socket.
4. Apply thermal grease to the top of the CPU.
5. Lower the CPU cooling fan/heatsink assembly onto the CPU
6. Secure the two retention clips
on either side of the
fan/heatsink unit onto the
Socket 462 base.
Fan/heatsink unit
secured to socket
14

7. Connect the CPU Cooling Fan
power cable connector to the
CPUFAN connector.
Notes: • To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest that
you use a high quality fan with 4800 rpm at least.
• CPU fan and heatsink installation procedures may vary with the type of
CPU fan/heatsink supplied. The form and size of fan/heatsink may also
vary.
Installing Memory Modules
This mainboard accommodates 184-pin 2.5V Double Data Rate (DDR)
SDRAM and 168-pin 3.3V SDRAM memory modules. The memory chips must
be standard SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory).
The CPU supports 100MHz system bus. The SDRAM DIMMs and DDRs can
synchronously work with 100 MHz or operates over a 133 MHz system bus.
Do not remove any memory module from its antistatic packaging until
you are ready to install it on the mainboard. Handle the modules only by
their edges. Do not touch the components or metal parts. Always wear
a grounding strap when you handle the modules.
Installation Procedure
You must install at least one memory
module in order to use the main-
board. Each module cab be installed
with up to 1 GB of memory; total
memory capacity is 2GB.
Note: You cannot use DDR
SDRAM and SDRAM
simultaneously.
SDRAM provides 800 MBps or 1 GBps data transfer depending on whether
the bus is 100 MHz or 133 MHz. Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM)
doubles the rate to 1.6 GBps or 2.1 GBps by transferring data on both the
rising and falling edges of the clock. DDR SDRAM uses additional power and
ground lines and requires 184-pin DIMM modules rather than the 168-pin
DIMMs used by SDRAM.
15

Refer to the following to install the memory modules.
1. Push the latches on each side of the DIMM slot down.
2. Align the memory module with the slot. The DIMM slots are keyed with
notches and the DIMMs are keyed with cutouts so that they can only be
installed correctly.
3. Check that the cutouts on the DIMM module edge connector match the
notches in the DIMM slot:
Cutout
Notch
Latch
Latch
Cutouts
Notches
Latch
Latch
DDR SDRAM Module SDRAM Module
4. Install the DIMM module into the slot and press it firmly down until it
seats correctly. The slot latches are levered upwards and latch on to the
edges of the DIMM.
5. Install any remaining DIMM modules.
16