Gigabyte GA-8I845G User manual

GA-8I845G(-C)
Intel®Pentium®4 Socket 478 Processor Motherboard
User's Manual
Rev. 1001
12ME-8I845G-1001

Motherboard
GA-8I845G
Jun. 24, 2005
Jun. 24, 2005
Motherboard
GA-8I845G

Copyright
©2005 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
The trademarks mentioned in the manual are legally registered to their respective companies.
Notice
The written content provided with this product is the property of Gigabyte.
No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any
means without Gigabyte's prior written permission. Specifications and features are subject to
change without prior notice.
Product Manual Classification
In order to assist in the use of this product, Gigabyte has categorized the user manual in the
following:
For quick installation, please refer to the "Hardware Installation Guide" included with the
product.
For detailed product information and specifications, please carefully read the
"Product User Manual".
For detailed information related to Gigabyte's unique features, please go to "Technology
Guide" section on Gigabyte's website to read or download the information you need.
For more product details, please click onto Gigabyte's website at www.gigabyte.com.tw

- 4 -
Table of Contents
GA-8I845G(-C ) Motherboard Layout............................................................................ 6
Block Diagram ............................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation.................................................................................... 9
1-1 Considerations Prior to Installation ................................................................. 9
1-2 Feature Summary .......................................................................................... 10
1-3 Installation of the CPU and Heatsink ............................................................ 11
1-3-1 Installation of the CPU .......................................................................................... 11
1-3-2 Installation of the Heatsink ................................................................................... 12
1-4 Installation of Memory ................................................................................... 13
1-5 Installation of Expansion Cards .................................................................... 14
1-6 I/O Back Panel Introduction .......................................................................... 15
1-7 Connectors Introduction ................................................................................ 16
Chapter 2 BIOS Setup ............................................................................................... 27
The Main Menu (Example BIOS Version: F1a)........................................................ 28
2-1 Standard CMOS Features ............................................................................. 30
2-2 Advanced BIOS Features ............................................................................. 32
2-3 Integrated Peripherals ................................................................................... 34
2-4 Power Management Setup ............................................................................ 36
2-5 PnP/PCI Configurations ................................................................................ 38
2-6 PC Health Status ........................................................................................... 39
2-7 Frequency/Voltage Control ........................................................................... 40
2-8 Top Performance ........................................................................................... 41
2-9 Load Fail-Safe Defaults ................................................................................ 42
2-10 Load Optimized Defaults ............................................................................... 42
2-11 Set Supervisor/User Password ..................................................................... 43
2-12 Save & Exit Setup ......................................................................................... 44
2-13 Exit Without Saving ....................................................................................... 44

- 5 -
Chapter 3 Drivers Installation ..................................................................................... 47
3-1 Install Chipset Drivers ................................................................................... 47
3-2 Software Application ...................................................................................... 48
3-3 Software Information ..................................................................................... 48
3-4 Hardware Information .................................................................................... 49
3-5 Contact Us ..................................................................................................... 49
Chapter 4 Appendix .................................................................................................... 51
4-1 Unique Software Utilities ............................................................................... 51
4-1-1 Xpress Recovery Introduction .............................................................................. 51
4-1-2 BIOS Flash Method Introduction .......................................................................... 54
4-1-3 2 / 4 / 6 Channel Audio Function Introduction ..................................................... 63
4-2 Troubleshooting ............................................................................................. 69

- 6 -
GA-8I845G(-C ) Motherboard Layout
(*)Only for GA-8I845G.
(#) Only for GA-8I845G-C.
-C
KB_MS
ATX_12V
CPU_FAN
Socket 478
ATX
COMA
LPT
Intel 845G
IDE1
GA-8I845G
IDE2
MOSHSINK
CI
BAT
BIOS
PCI4
PCI5
PWR_LED
F_PANEL
COMB
SPDIF_IO
PCI3
F_USB2
F_USB1
IT8712
CODEC
CD_IN
(#)
RTL
8100C (*)
F_AUDIO
USB LAN(*)
Intel
ICH4
DDR1
DDR2
DDR3
SYS_FAN
FDD
AGP
PCI1
PCI2
VGA
GAME
LINE_IN
LINE_OUT
MIC_IN
SUR_CEN
CLR_CMOS
AUX_IN

- 7 -
Block Diagram
(*)Only for GA-8I845G.
Pentium 4
Socket 478
CPU
Intel 845G
Intel
ICH4
CPUCLK+/- (100/133 MHz)
System Bus
400/533 MHz
200/266 MHz
ZCLK (66MHz)
HCLK+/- (100/133 MHz)
66 MHz
33 MHz
14.318 MHz
48 MHz
24 MHz
33 MHz
LPC BUS
AGP 4X
AGPCLK
(66MHz)
5 PCI
PCICLK
(33MHz)
AC97 Link
MIC
LINE-IN
LINE-OUT
6 USB
Ports
ATA33/66/100
IDE Channels
LPT Port
PS/2
KB/Mouse
COM
Ports
BIOS
RTL8100C (*)
RJ45 (*)
DDR
VGA Port
Game Port
IT8712 Floppy
AC97
CODEC

- 8 -

Hardware Installation- 9 -
English
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation
1-1 Considerations Prior to Installation
Preparing Your Computer
The motherboard contains numerous delicate electronic circuits and components which can
become damaged as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Thus, prior to installation, please
follow the instructions below:
1. Please turn off the computer and unplug its power cord.
2. When handling the motherboard, avoid touching any metal leads or connectors.
3. It is best to wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) cuff when handling electronic components
(CPU, RAM).
4. Prior to installing the electronic components, please have these items on top of an antistatic pad or
within a electrostatic shielding container.
5. Please verify that the power supply is switched off before unplugging the power supply connector
from the motherboard.
Installation Notices
1. Prior to installation, please do not remove the stickers on the motherboard. These stickers are required
for warranty validation.
2. Prior to the installation of the motherboard or any hardware, please first carefully read the information
in the provided manual.
3. Before using the product, please verify that all cables and power connectors are connected.
4. To prevent damage to the motherboard, please do not allow screws to come in contact with the
motherboard circuit or its components.
5. Please make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or
within the computer casing.
6. Please do not place the computer system on an uneven surface.
7. Turning on the computer power during the installation process can lead to damage to system
components as well as physical harm to the user.
8. If you are uncertain about any installation steps or have a problem related to the use of the product,
please consult a certified computer technician.
Instances of Non-Warranty
1. Damage due to natural disaster, accident or human cause.
2. Damage as a result of violating the conditions recommended in the user manual.
3. Damage due to improper installation.
4. Damage due to use of uncertified components.
5. Damage due to use exceeding the permitted parameters.
6. Product determined to be an unofficial Gigabyte product.

GA-8I845G(-C) Motherboard - 10 -
English
CPU Supports the latest Intel®Pentium®4 Socket 478 CPU
Supports 533/400MHz FSB
L2 cache varies with CPU
Chipset North Bridge: Intel®845G
South Bridge: Intel®ICH4
Memory 3 DDR DIMM memory slots (supports up to 2GB memory)
Supports 2.5V DDR DIMM
Supports DDR 266/200 DIMM
Slots 5 PCI slots
1 AGP slot
IDE Connections 2 IDE connection (UDMA 33/ATA 66/ATA 100), allows connection of 4
IDE devices
FDD Connections 1 FDD connection, allows connection of 2 FDD devices
Peripherals 1 parallel port supporting Normal/EPP/ECP mode
1 VGA port, 1 Serial port (COMA), onboard COMB connection
6 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (rear x 2, front x 4 via cable)
1 front audio connector
1 PS/2 keyboard port
1 PS/2 mouse port
Onboard LAN (*)Onboard RTL8100C Chipset (10/100 Mbit)
1 RJ 45 port
Onboard VGA Built-in Intel®845G Chipset
Onboard Audio C-Media 9761A CODEC
Supports Line In ; Line Out ; MIC In
Supports 2 / 4 / 6 channel audio
Supports SPDIF In/Out connection
CD In/AUX In/Game Port
I/O Control IT8712
Hardware Monitor System voltage detection
CPU temperature detection
CPU / System fan speed detection
CPU warning temperature
CPU / System fan failure warning
BIOS Use of licensed AWARD BIOS
Supports Q-Flash
Additional Features Supports @BIOS
Supports EasyTune
Overclocking Over Clock via BIOS (CPU/AGP/PCI/DDR)
Form Factor ATX form factor; 29.5cm x 21.0cm
1-2 Feature Summary
(*)Only for GA-8I845G.

Hardware Installation- 11 -
English
1-3 Installation of the CPU and Heatsink
Before installing the CPU, please comply with the following conditions:
1. Please make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU.
2. Please take note of the one indented corner of the CPU. If you install the CPU in the wrong
direction, the CPU will not insert properly. If this occurs, please change the insert direction
of the CPU.
3. Please add an even layer of heat sink paste between the CPU and heatsink.
4. Please make sure the heatsink is installed on the CPU prior to system use, otherwise
overheating and permanent damage of the CPU may occur.
5. Please set the CPU host frequency in accordance with the processor specifications. It is not
recommended that the system bus frequency be set beyond hardware specifications since it
does not meet the required standards for the peripherals. If you wish to set the frequency
beyond the proper specifications, please do so according to your hardware specifications
including the CPU, graphics card, memory, hard drive, etc.
HT functionality requirement content :
Enabling the functionality of Hyper-Threading Technology for your computer system requires all
of the following platform components:
- CPU: An Intel®Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology
- Chipset: An ATi Chipset that supports HT Technology
- BIOS: A BIOS that supports HT Technology and has it enabled
- OS: An operation system that has optimizations for HT Technology
1-3-1 Installation of the CPU
Pin1 indicator
Fig. 2
Pull the rod to the
90-degree directly.
Angling the
rod to 650
Fig. 1
Angling the rod to 65-
degree maybe feel a
kind of tight , and then
continue pull the rod to
90-degree when a
"click" noise is heard.
Socket
Actuation
Lever
Fig. 3
CPU Top View Pin1 indicator Fig. 4 Locate Pin 1 in the
socket and look
for a (golden) cut edge
on the CPU
upper corner. Then
insert the CPU
into the socket.

GA-8I845G(-C) Motherboard - 12 -
English
1-3-2 Installation of the Heatsink
1. Please use Intel approved cooling fan.
2. We recommend you to apply the thermal tape to provide better heat conduction
between your CPU and cooling fan.
(The CPU cooling fan might stick to the CPU due to the hardening of the
thermal paste. During this condition if you try to remove the cooling fan, you
might pull the processor out of the CPU socket alone with the cooling fan, and
might damage the processor. To avoid this from happening, we suggest you to
either use thermal tape instead of thermal paste, or remove the cooling fan with
extreme caution.)
3. Make sure the CPU fan power cable is plugged in to the CPU fan connector, this
completes the installation. Please refer to CPU cooling fan user's manual for
more detail installation procedure.
Fig. 2
Make sure the CPU fan
is plugged to the CPU
fan connector, than
install complete.
Fig.1
Fasten the cooling fan
supporting-base onto
the CPU socket on the
motherboard.
Before installing the CPU cool fan , adhere to the following warning:

Hardware Installation- 13 -
English
Fig.1
The DIMM socket has a notch, so the DIMM memory module
can only fit in one direction. Insert the DIMM memory module
vertically into the DIMM socket. Then push it down.
Fig.2
Close the plastic clip at both edges of the DIMM sockets to
lock the DIMM module.
Reverse the installation steps when you wish to remove the
DIMM module.
The motherboard supports DDR memory modules, whereby BIOS will automatically detect memory
capacity and specifications. Memory modules are designed so that they can be inserted only in one direction.
The memory capacity used can differ with each slot.
Before installing the memory modules, please comply with the following conditions:
1. Please make sure that the memory used is supported by the motherboard. It is recommended that
memory of similar capacity, specifications and brand be used.
2. Before installing or removing memory modules, please make sure that the computer power is switched
off to prevent hardware damage.
3. Memory modules have a foolproof insertion design. A memory module can be installed in only one
direction. If you are unable to insert the module, please switch the direction.
1-4 Installation of Memory
Notch
DDR

GA-8I845G(-C) Motherboard - 14 -
English
1-5 Installation of Expansion Cards
You can install your expansion card by following the steps outlined below:
1. Read the related expansion card's instruction document before install the expansion card into the
computer.
2. Remove your computer's chassis cover, screws and slot bracket from the computer.
3. Press the expansion card firmly into expansion slot in motherboard.
4. Be sure the metal contacts on the card are indeed seated in the slot.
5. Replace the screw to secure the slot bracket of the expansion card.
6. Replace your computer's chassis cover.
7. Power on the computer, if necessary, setup BIOS utility of expansion card from BIOS.
8. Install related driver from the operating system.
Installing a AGP expansion card:
Please carefully pull out the small white-
drawable bar at the end of the AGP slot
when you try to install/uninstall the VGA
card. Please align the VGA card to the
onboard AGP slot and press firmly down on
the slot. Make sure your VGA card is locked
by the small white-drawable bar.

Hardware Installation- 15 -
English
PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 Mouse Connector
To install a PS/2 port keyboard and mouse, plug the mouse to the upper port (green) and the keyboard to the
lower port (purple).
Parallel Port
The parallel port allows connection of a printer, scanner and other peripheral devices.
COM A (Serial Port)
Connects to serial-based mouse or data processing devices.
VGA Port
Monitor can be connected to VGA port.
Game/MIDI port
This connector supports joystick, MIDI keyboard and other related audio devices.
Line Out (Front Speaker Out)
Connect the stereo speakers, earphone or front surround channels to this connector.
Line In
Devices like CD-ROM, walkman etc. can be connected to Line In jack.
MIC In
Microphone can be connected to MIC In jack.
LAN Port (*)
The provided Internet connection is fast Ethernet, providing data transfer speeds of 10/100Mbps.
USB Port
Before you connect your device(s) into USB connector(s), please make sure your device(s) such
as USB keyboard, mouse, scanner, zip, speaker...etc. have a standard USB interface.
Also make sure your OS supports USB controller. If your OS does not support USB controller,
please contact OS vendor for possible patch or driver upgrade. For more information please
contact your OS or device(s) vendors.
1-6 I/O Back Panel Introduction
You can use audio software to configure 2-/4-/6-channel audio functioning.
(*)Only for GA-8I845G.
(*)

GA-8I845G(-C) Motherboard - 16 -
English
1-7 Connectors Introduction
1) ATX_12V
2) ATX (Power Connector)
3) CPU_FAN
4) SYS_FAN
5) FDD
6) IDE1/IDE2
7) PWR_LED
8) F_PANEL
9) F_AUDIO
10) CD_IN
11) AUX_IN
12) SUR_CEN
13) SPDIF_IO
14) F_USB1 / F_USB2
15) COMB
16) CI
17) CLR_CMOS
18) BAT
1
3
2
15
10
8
13
16
18
14
4
17
95
12
11
7
6

Hardware Installation- 17 -
English
1/2) ATX_12V/ATX (Power Connector)
With the use of the power connector, the power supply can supply enough stable power to all the
components on the motherboard. Before connecting the power connector, please make sure that all
components and devices are properly installed. Align the power connector with its proper location on
the motherboard and connect tightly.
The ATX_12V power connector mainly supplies power to the CPU. If the ATX_12V power
connector is not connected, the system will not start.
Caution!
Please use a power supply that is able to handle the system voltage requirements. It is
recommended that a power supply that can withstand high power consumption be used (300W or
greater). If a power supply is used that does not provide the required power, the result can lead to an
unstable system or a system that is unable to start.
Pin No. Definition
1 GND
2 GND
3 +12V
4 +12V
20 10
11 1
31
42
Pin No. Definition
1 3.3V
2 3.3V
3 GND
4 +5V
5 GND
6 +5V
7 GND
8 Power Good
9 5V SB (stand by +5V)
10 +12V
11 3.3V
12 -12V
13 GND
14 PS_ON(soft on/off)
15 GND
16 GND
17 GND
18 -5V
19 +5V
20 +5V

GA-8I845G(-C) Motherboard - 18 -
English
3/4) CPU_FAN / SYS_FAN (Cooler Fan Power Connector)
The cooler fan power connector supplies a +12V power voltage via a 3-pin power connector and
possesses a foolproof connection design.
Most coolers are designed with color-coded power connector wires. A red power connector wire
indicates a positive connection and requires a +12V power voltage. The black connector wire is
the ground wire (GND).
Please remember to connect the power to the cooler to prevent system overheating and failure.
Caution!
Please remember to connect the power to the CPU fan to prevent CPU overheating and failure.
1
CPU_FAN
SYS_FAN
5) FDD (Floppy Connector)
The FDD connector is used to connect the FDD cable while the other end of the cable connects to the
FDD drive. The types of FDD drives supported are: 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB and 2.88MB.
Please connect the red power connector wire to the pin1 position.
1
2
33
34
Pin No. Definition
1 GND
2 +12V
3 Sense
1

Hardware Installation- 19 -
English
6) IDE1/IDE2 (IDE Connector)
An IDE device connects to the computer via an IDE connector. One IDE connector can connect to one
IDE cable, and the single IDE cable can then connect to two IDE devices (hard drive or optical drive).
If you wish to connect two IDE devices, please set the jumper on one IDE device as Master and the
other as Slave (for information on settings, please refer to the instructions located on the IDE device).
1
2
39
40
IDE2
IDE1
7) PWR_LED
PWR_LED is connect with the system power indicator to indicate whether the system is on/off. It will
blink when the system enters suspend mode.
1
Pin No. Definition
1 MPD+
2 MPD-
3 MPD-

GA-8I845G(-C) Motherboard - 20 -
English
8) F_PANEL (Front Panel Jumper)
Please connect the power LED, PC peaker, reset switch and power switch etc of your chassis front
panel to the F_PANEL connector according to the pin assignment below.
1
2
19
20
HD-
HD+
RES+
RES-
NC
IDE Hard Disk Active LED
Reset Switch
SPEAK-
MSG-
MSG+
PW-
PW+
Message LED/
Power/
Sleep LED
Speaker Connector
SPEAK+
Power
Switch
HD (IDE Hard Disk Active LED) Pin 1: LED anode(+)
Pin 2: LED cathode(-)
SPEAK (Speaker Connector) Pin 1: Power
Pin 2- Pin 3: NC
Pin 4: Data(-)
RES (Reset Switch) Open: Normal
Close: Reset Hardware System
PW (Power Switch) Open: Normal
Close: Power On/Off
MSG(Message LED/Power/Sleep LED) Pin 1: LED anode(+)
Pin 2: LED cathode(-)
NC NC