VIA Technologies P4XB-MA User manual

i
Version 1.0
December 5, 2001
VIA Mainboard
User’s Manual
VIA P4XB-MA
Harnessing the Power of DDR266 SDRAM
for the Intel®Pentium®4 Processor

ii
Copyright
Copyright by VIA Technologies Inc. (“VIA”). No part of this manual may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form without express written
authorization from VIA.
Trademarks
All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Data protection
All data should be backed-up prior to the installation of any drive unit or
storage peripheral. VIA will not be responsible for any loss of data resulting
from the use, disuse or misuse of this or any other VIA product.
NoWarranty
VIA has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the content of this
manual. However, it is possible that it may contain technical inaccuracies
or typographical or other errors. VIA will assume no liability for any
inaccuracy found in this publication, nor for damages, direct, indirect,
incidental, consequential or otherwise, that may result from such an
inaccuracy, including without limitation loss of data or profits.
VIA provides this manual “as is”, and does not issue a warranty of any
kind, express or implied, including without limitation implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The information provided in this manual is subject to change without
notice. VIA reserves the right to alter product designs, layouts or drivers
without notification.

iii
FCC-BRadioFrequencyInterferenceStatement
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 equip-
ment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor-
dance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.
Notice 1
The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Notice 2
Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order to
comply with the emission limits.
VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU
RESEAU.
VIAP4XB-M
Testedtocomply
withFCCStandard
ForHomeorOfficeUse

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Copyright Notice
We take every care in the preparation of this document, but no guarantee is
given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products are under continual
improvement and we reserve the right to make changes without notice.
Trademarks
All trademarks used in this manual are the property of their respective owners.
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS/2 are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation.
Windows 95/98/2000 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft.
Netware is a registered trademark of Novell.
Award is a registered trademark of Award Software Inc.

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NOTE
1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.
2. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.
3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.
4. Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.
5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the
equipmentfromoverheating. DONOTCOVERTHEOPENINGS.
6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V
before connecting the equipment to the power inlet.
7. Place the power cord in such a way that people cannot step on it. Do not
place anything over the power cord.
8. Always unplug the power cord before inserting any add-on card or module.
9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.
10. Never pour any liquid into the opening. Liquid can cause damage or elec-
trical shock.
11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a
service personnel:
The power cord or plug is damaged
Liquid has penetrated into the equipment
The equipment has been exposed to moisture
The equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according
to User’s Manual.
The equipment has dropped and damaged
If the equipment has obvious sign of breakage
12. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT
UNCONDITIONED,STORAGETEMPERATUREABOVE600C(1400F),IT
MAYDAMAGETHEEQUIPMENT.
CAUTION: Explosion or serious damage may occur if the battery is
incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer.
Safety Instructions

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Box Contents
•1 x VIA Mainboard
•1 x User’s manual
•1 x Floppy ribbon cable
•1 x ATA-66/100 Hard drive ribbon cable
•1 x 2 Port USB Module
•1 x Driver Utilities CD

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CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Specifications ......................................................................... 1-1
Mainboard Specifications .................................................................... 1-2
Mainboard Layout ...............................................................................1-4
Chapter2. Installation.............................................................................. 2-1
CPU ......................................................................................................2-2
CPU Installation Procedure ...........................................................2-2
Installing the CPU Fan ..................................................................2-3
CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure .........................................2-4
Memory Installation ............................................................................. 2-5
DDR SDRAM Module Installation Procedures.............................2-6
Power Supply .......................................................................................2-7
ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: JWR1 ............................................2-7
ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1 ................................................2-7
BackPanel ............................................................................................2-8
Mouse Connector: JKBMS1 .........................................................2-8
Keyboard Connector: JKBMS1 ..................................................... 2-8
LANJack(RJ-45) ...........................................................................2-8
USB Connectors............................................................................2-8
Serial Port Connectors: COM A & COM B....................................2-8
Joystick/Midi Connector ............................................................... 2-8
Audio Port Connectors .................................................................2-9
Parallel Port Connector: LPT1........................................................2-9
Connectors......................................................................................... 2-10
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1........................................... 2-10
Power Saving Switch Connector: JGS1........................................ 2-10
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2 ........................................... 2-11
Case Connector: JFP2.................................................................. 2-12

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HDDLED..................................................................................... 2-13
CD-In Connector: J2 .................................................................... 2-14
Aux Line-In Connector: J6........................................................... 2-14
Modem-In Connector: J5 ............................................................. 2-14
IrDA Infrared Module Connector: IR1 & IR2 .............................. 2-15
Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUDIO1 .................................... 2-16
Wake On Ring Connector: JMDM1............................................. 2-17
Wake On LAN Connector: JWOL1.............................................. 2-17
Fan Power Connectors: PFAN1/SFAN1 ...................................... 2-18
USB Front Connector: USB2 (Intel spec) .................................... 2-19
Remote Power On/Off Switch Connector: JRMS1 ....................... 2-20
Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-21
Clear CMOSJumper: JBAT1 ........................................................ 2-21
Slots ................................................................................................... 2-22
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Slot......................................... 2-22
PCI Slots ...................................................................................... 2-22
CNR(Communication NetworkRiser) ......................................... 2-22
PCI Interrupt Request Routing .................................................... 2-23
Chapter3.AwardBIOSSetup .................................................................. 3-1
Entering Setup......................................................................................3-2
Control Keys ........................................................................................ 3-2
Getting Help .........................................................................................3-3
The Main Menu ................................................................................... 3-4
Standard CMOS Features ....................................................................3-6
Advanced BIOS Features ....................................................................3-8
Advanced Chipset Features............................................................... 3-11
Integrated Peripherals ........................................................................ 3-16
Power Management Setup ................................................................. 3-22
PNP/PCI Configurations..................................................................... 3-26

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PC Health Status ................................................................................ 3-28
Frequency/Voltage Control ................................................................ 3-29
Load Fail-Safe Defaults ...................................................................... 3-31
Load Optimized Defaults .................................................................... 3-32
Supervisor/User Password................................................................. 3-33
Save & Exit Setup............................................................................... 3-35
Exit Without Saving ........................................................................... 3-36
Chapter4.DriverSetup ............................................................................ 4-1
VIA Apollo P4X266A Chipset Driver ...................................................4-2
Realtek ALC201A Audio Driver ...........................................................4-7

Introduction
1-1
1
The VIA P4XB-MA Micro ATX mainboard is a high per-
formance mainboard based on VIA Apollo P4X266A
chipset. The VIA Apollo P4X266A chipset brings sup-
port for high bandwidth DDR266 SDRAM to the Intel®
Pentium®4 processor platform, and utilizes advanced V-
Link technology for optimal system efficiency. Designed
for the latest 478-pin Pentium®4 processors, the P4XB-
MA offers the ideal platform for building powerful PCs
and workstations.
This chapter includes the following topics:
Mainboard Specifications 1-2
Mainboard Layout 1-4
Specifications

Chapter 1
1-2
CPU
Supports 478-pin Intel®Pentium®4 Processors
400MHz Front Side Bus.
Supports clock speeds from 1.5GHz to 2.0GHz.
Chipset
VIA Apollo P4X266A chipset
-64bit DDR SDRAMmemoryinterface(200/266MHz).
-32bitAGPinterface (66MHz) for 4x/2xmode.
- 8bit V-Link interface (66MHz) with peak bandwidth of 266MB/s.
- Dual IDE interface supports ATA-66 and ATA-100 modes.
Main Memory
Supports up to 2GB of DDR266 SDRAM (PC2100/PC1600).
Supports four memory banks using two 184-pin DDR266 DIMM slots.
2.5v DDR266 SDRAM.
Slots
One AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) 4x slot.
ThreePCI 2.2 32-bit PCI expansion slots (supports3.3v/5v PCIbus interface).
One CNR (Communication Network Riser) slot.
On-Board IDE
zIDE controller on the south bridge of the VIA Apollo P4X266A chipset
provides IDE HDD/CD-ROM with PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA 33/66/
100 operation modes.
zCan connect up to four IDE devices.
On-Board Peripherals
On-Board Peripherals include:
- 1 floppy port supports 2 FDDs with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and
2.88Mbytes.
- 2 serial ports (COM A + COM B).
- 1 parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode.
- Up to 4 USB connections (2 back panel ports & 2 Front pin-headers).
- 1 IrDA connector for SIR/CIR/ASKIR/HPSIR.
- 1 RJ-45 LAN port.
Mainboard Specifications

Introduction
1-3
- 1 game (MIDI) port.
- 3 Audio jacks: line-out, line-in and mic-in.
Audio
AC97 link controller integrated in VT8233.
2-channel RealTek ALC201A software audio codec .
- Compliance with AC97 v2.2 spec.
- Meets PC2001 audio performance requirement.
LAN
RealTek RTL81000L 10/100 Base-T Fast Ethernet Controller.
- Supports 10MB/s and 100MB/s auto-negotiation operation.
- Compliance with PCI v2.2.
- Compliance with PC99 standard.
- Supports Wake-On-LAN and remote wake-up.
- Supports ACPI power management.
BIOS
Plug and Play Award BIOS
Dimension
Micro-ATX Form Factor: 24.3cm x 23.1cm.
Mounting
6 standard mounting holes.

Chapter 1
1-4
VIA P4XB-MA MicroATX Mainboard
Mainboard Layout

Hardware Setup
2-1
Installation
This chapter provides you with the information about
hardware setup procedures. While installating, be
careful in holding the components and follow the
installation procedures. Some components can be
damaged if they are installed incorrectly.
If possible, use a grounded wrist strap before han-
dling computer components. Static electricity can
damage the components.
This chapter contains the following topics:
Central Processing Unit (CPU) 2-2
Memory Installation 2-5
Power Supply 2-7
BackPanel 2-8
Connectors 2-10
Jumpers 2-21
Slots 2-22
2

Chapter 2
2-2
The VIA P4XB-MA mainboard supports the Intel®Pentium®4 processor in the
478 pin package. When installing the CPU, makesure theCPU hasaheat sink
and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If the heat sink
and cooling fan are not included with the CPU, contact your dealer to purchase
and install them before turning on the computer.
1. Pull the lever sideways away
fromthe socket. Then raise the
lever up to a 90-degree
angle.
2. Look for the dot/cut edge. The
dot/cut edge should point to-
wards the lever pivot. The
CPU will only fit in the correct
orientation.
3. Hold the CPU down firmly,
and then close the lever shut
to complete the installation.
CPU Installation Procedures
Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system.
Always make sure the cooling fan can work properly to
protect the CPU from overheating.
WARNING!
Central Processing Unit: CPU

Hardware Setup
2-3
Installing the CPU Fan
To effectively dissipate heat generated by the CPU, you need to attach the
CPU cooling fan and heatsink on top of the CPU. Follow the instructions below
to install the Heatsink/Fan:
2. Position the heatsink onto the reten-
tion mechanism.
1. Locate the CPU and its retention
mechanism on the motherboard.
3. Mount the fan on top of the heatsink.
Press down the fan until its four clips
get wedged in the holes of the reten-
tion mechanism.
4. Press the two levers down to fasten the
fan. Each lever can be pressed down in
only ONE direction.
retention mechanism
levers

Chapter 2
2-4
CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure
If CPUClock = 100MHz
Core/Bus ratio = 14
then CPU core speed = Host Clock x Core/Bus ratio
= 100MHzx14
= 1.4GHz
Overclocking
This motherboard is designed to support overclocking.
However, please make sure your components are able to
tolerate the abnormal settings required for overclocking.
Any attempt to operate beyond product specifications is not
recommended. We do not guarantee the damages or risks
caused by operation beyond product specifications.
WARNING!
5. Connect the fan power cable from the mounted fan to the 3-pin fan power connector
on the board.
fan power cable

Hardware Setup
2-5
Themainboard provides two 184-pin DDRDIMM (2.5V) with 4 memorybanks.
To operate properly, at least one DIMM module must be installed.
Youcaninstalltwo PC1600/PC2100 DDRSDRAMmodulesonthe DDRDIMM
slots (DDR 1~2).
DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM is similar to conventional SDRAM, but
doubles the rate by transfering data twice per cycle. It transfers data on both
the rising and falling edges of the clock. Conventional SDRAM only uses the
rising edge of the clock to transfer data.
DDR SDRAM uses 2.5 volts as opposed to 3.3 volts used in SDR SDRAM, and
requires 184-pin DIMM modules rather than 168-pin DIMM modules used by
SDRSDRAM.
Two types of DDR are available at the time of writing: PC1600 & PC2100.
PC1600DDRSDRAMrunning at 100MHz will produceabout1.6GB/smemory
bandwidth.PC2100runningat133MHzwillproduce2.1GB/smemorybandwidth.
Memory Installation

Chapter 2
2-6
DDR Module Installation Procedures
You can install either single sided or double sided 184-pin DDR DIMM
modules into DDR DIMM slots, depending on your requirements. As op-
posed to SDR DIMMs, DDR DIMMs have only one notch in the center of
module. The modules will only fit if placed in the correct position.
You can install memory modules in any of the following combinations:
Socket Memory Module Total Memory
Slot 1
(Bank 0 & Bank 1) 32MB, 64MB, 128MB,
256MB, 512MB, 1GB 32MB~1GB
Slot 2
(Bank 2 & Bank 3) 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB 32MB~1GB
Maximum System Memory Supported 32MB~2GB
1. The DDR DIMM module has only one notch in the center.
2. Insert the DDR module vertically into the DDR DIMM slot. Make sure the
notch is in the right position.
3. The plastic clips at sides of the DIMM slot will automatically close.
Volt
Front View Rear View

Hardware Setup
2-7
ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: JWR1
This connector is for the ATX power supply. To connect the ATX power
supply, make sure the plugs of the power supply is inserted in the proper
orientation and the pins are correctly aligned. Then, push down the power
supply firmly into the connector. The power connector supports an instant
power on function, which means the system will boot up immediately when the
power supply connector is inserted on the board.
The P4XB-MA mainboard requires an ATX power supply for powering the
system. Before inserting the power supply connector, always make sure that
all components are installed correctly to ensure that no damage will be caused.
ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1
This 12V power connector is used to provide power to the CPU.
PIN SIGNAL
1 GND
2 GND
3 12V
4 12V
JPW1 Pin Definition
PIN SIGNAL
11 3.3V
12 -12V
13 GND
14 PS_ON
15 GND
16 GND
17 GND
18 -5V
19 5V
20 5V
PIN SIGNAL
1 3.3V
2 3.3V
3 GND
45V
5 GND
65V
7 GND
8 PW_OK
9 5V_SB
10 12V
JWR1 Pin Definition
JWR1
10
1
20
11
JPW1
1
3
2
4
Power Supply