User Guide Motherboard A7V400-MX
E1817 Checklist Revised Edition V2 October 2004 Copyright © 2004 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”).
Contents Features Notices ............................................................................................ v Safety information .......................................................................... vi About this guide ............................................................................. vii A7V400-MX specifications summary ............................................ viii Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 Welcome! ................................................................
Contents Safeguards Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Managing and updating your BIOS .................................... 2-2 2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk ............................. 2-2 2.1.2 Using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility ......................... 2-2 2.1.3 CrashFree BIOS feature ........................................ 2-4 2.1.4 ASUS Update ........................................................ 2-4 BIOS beep codes ........................................................
Notices Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. 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.
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.
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.
A7V400-MX specifications summary CPU Socket A for AMD Athlon™XP processors Thoroughbred/Barton core Chipset VIA KM400A VIA VT8235 CE Front Side Bus (FSB) 400/333/266/200 MHz Memory 2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets support up to maximum 2GB unbuffered PC2700/2100/1600 non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory. Expansion slots 3 x PCI 1 x AGP 8X/4X (1.
A7V400-MX specifications summary BIOS features 2Mb Flash ROM, Phoenix Award BIOS, Enhanced ACPI, DMI2.0, PnP features, TCAV, CrashFree BIOS Industry standard PCI 2.2, USB 2.0/1.
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.
1.1 Welcome! Thank you for buying the ASUS® A7V400-MX motherboard! The ASUS A7V400-MX motherboard comes with the most advanced technologies to deliver maximum performance for Socket A processors. This motherboard comes with value-added features for guaranteed consumer satisfaction. The following sections provide important technical information about the motherboard for system reconfiguration or future upgrades.
Integrated 10/100 LAN Integrated in this motherboard is a 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet controller to give you a fast and reliable connection to a local area network (LAN) and the Internet. See page 1-16. 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 1-16 and page 1-19.
1.4 Before you proceed Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. • Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component. • 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. • Avoid touching the ICs on components.
1.5 Motherboard overview 1.5.1 Motherboard layout 24.5cm (9.6in) PS/2KBMS T: Mouse B: Keyboard Socket 462 CPU_FAN COM1 USB2.0 Top: M: USB3 RJ-45 B: USB4 FLOPPY 24.5cm (9.
1.5.2 Placement direction When installing the motherboard to the chassis, make sure to place it in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below. It may be more convenient to install major cables, the CPU and modular components before fixing the motherboard inside the case frame. 1.5.3 Screw holes Place eight (8) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis.
1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) 1.6.1 Overview The motherboard provides a Socket A for CPU installation. Each AMD CPU has a “marked” corner. This corner is usually indicated with a notch, and/or a golden square or triangle. Refer to this indicator while orienting the CPU. A fan and heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating. This motherboard does not support AMD processors with less than 1GHz core speed.
1.7 System memory 1.7.1 Overview 104 Pins 80 Pins The motherboard has two Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMM sockets that support up to 2GB unbuffered non-ECC PC2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAM DIMMs. Each DIMM socket is double-sided. ® A7V400-MX 184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets DIMM2 DIMM1 A7V400-MX 1.7.2 Memory configurations You may install single or double-sided 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB DDR DIMMs to the sockets.
1.7.3 Installing a DIMM 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. Follow these steps to install a DIMM. 1. Locate the DIMM sockets in the motherboard. DDR DIMM notch 2. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward. 3. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break on the socket.
1.8 Expansion slots In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sections describe the motherboard slots and the expansion cards that they support. Make sure to unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. 1.8.1 Installing an expansion card Follow these steps to install an expansion card. 1.
Standard Interrupt Assignments IRQ 0 1 2 3* 4* 5* 6 7* 8 9* 10* 11* 12* 13 14* 15* * Standard Function System Timer Keyboard Controller Programmable Interrupt Controller USB Universal Host Controller Communications Port (COM1) Onboard Audio Standard Floppy Disk Controller Printer Port (LPT1) System CMOS/Real Time Clock Onboard LAN USB Universal Host Controller Onboard VGA PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port Numeric Data Processor Ultra ATA Controller Secondary Ultra ATA Controller These IRQs are usually available
1.8.3 AGP slot The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot supports +1.5V/0.8V AGP graphics card. Note the notches on the card golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on your motherboard. Install only 1.5V AGP cards on this motherboard! This motherboard does not support 3.3V AGP cards. ® A7V400-MX Keyed for 1.5v A7V400-MX Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) 1.8.4 PCI slots Three 32-bit PCI slots are available on this motherboard.
1.9 Switch and jumpers 1. CPU external frequency selection (DSW Switches 1-5) The motherboard frequency is adjusted through the DIP switches. The white block represents the switch position. The illustration below shows the ON and OFF positions of the switches. DSW ON ON OFF 1 2 3 4 5 A7V400-MX A7V400-MX DIP Switches The option to set the CPU core bus frequency multiple is available only on unlocked CPUs. If you are using a locked CPU, setting the switches does not produce any effect.
2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWR12, USBPWR34, USBPWR56) Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to wake up from S3 sleep mode (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power supply in reduced power mode). Both jumpers are set to pins 1-2 (+5V) by default because not all computers have the appropriate power supply to support this feature.
3. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC) This jumper clears the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM of date, time and system setup parameters in CMOS. The RAM data in CMOS is powered by the onboard button cell battery. To erase the RTC RAM: 1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Remove the battery. 3. Move the jumper caps from [2-3] to [1-2] momentarily. Replace the jumper cap to the original position, [2-3]. 4. Re-install the battery. 5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer. 6.
1.10 Connectors This section describes and illustrates the rear panel and internal connectors on the motherboard. 1.10.1 Rear panel connectors 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 10 9 8 7 1. PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a scanner, or other devices. 3. RJ-45 port. This port allows connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. 4. Line In port.
1.10.2 Internal panel connectors This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors 1. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) This connector supports the provided UltraATA133 IDE hard disk ribbon cable. Connect the cable’s blue connector to the primary (recommended) or secondary IDE connector, then connect the gray connector to the UltraATA133 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to the UltraATA133 master device.
3. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF) This connector is for an optional S/PDIF audio module that allows digital instead of analog sound input and output. ® SPDIFOUT GND +5V SPDIF A7V400-MX A7V400-MX Digital Audio Connector • When you input sound for S/PDIF IN, the LINE_OUT will output the sound. Mute LINE_OUT to impede sound output from S/PDIF IN. • The S/PDIF module is purchased separately. 4. ATX power connector (20-pin ATXPWR) This connects the power plug from the power supply.
5. USB header (10-1 pin USB56) USB+5V USB_P6USB_P6+ GND NC If the rear panel USB 2.0 ports are inadequate, a USB header is available at midboard to accommodate two additional USB ports. You may connect the USB cable of a two-port USB/GAME module to this connector, then mount the module to an open slot in the chassis. ® A7V400-MX 1 A7V400-MX USB 2.0 Header USB+5V USB_P5USB_P5+ GND USB56 The USB/GAME module is purchased separately. 6.
7. CPU and chassis fan connectors (3-pin CPU_FAN, CHA_FAN) The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA ~ 740mA (8.88W max). Connect the fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector. Rotation +12V GND CPU_FAN ® A7V400-MX CHA_FAN GND +12V Rotation A7V400-MX 12-Volt Fan Connectors Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors.
9. Serial connector (10-1 pin COM2) This connector accommodates a second serial port using an optional serial port module. Connect the COM2 module cable to this connector then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. COM2 PIN 1 ® A7V400-MX A7V400-MX Serial (COM2) Connector The serial port module is purchased separately. 10.
12. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL) This connector accommodates several system front panel functions. ® A7V400-MX IDELED SMI Lead A7V400-MX System Panel Connectors • Reset Ground +5V Ground Ground Speaker PLED ExtSMI# Ground PWRBIN Ground HD_LED+ HD_LED- +5 V Power LED Speaker Connector Reset SW ATX Power Switch* * Requires an ATX power supply. System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PLED) This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED.
Chapter 2 This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup Menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup. 1. AwardBIOS Flash Utility (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable floppy disk.) 2. ASUS CrashFree BIOS (Updates the BIOS using a floppy disk during POST.) 3. ASUS Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows® environment.) Refer to the corresponding sections for each utility. • The original BIOS file for this motherboard is in the support CD.
Save only the updated BIOS file in the floppy disk to avoid loading a wrong BIOS file. 3. Reboot the computer. 4. Press + during POST to display the following screen. AWDFLASH checks the new BIOS file on the floppy disk. 5. After verification, AWDFLASH flashes the new BIOS file. Do not shut down the computer during the flash process. The computer returns to POST after the new BIOS file is copied. Updating the BIOS using a bootable floppy disk 1. Boot from the floppy disk. 2.
2.1.3 CrashFree BIOS feature The CrashFree BIOS feature allows you to boot the computer from a floppy disk and update the BIOS in case the original BIOS fails or gets corrupted. • You must have a bootable floppy disk ready before updating the BIOS. • The bootable floppy disk could be the one that you created following the procedure in section 2.1.1, and should contain the AWDFLASH.EXE utility. • A message appears during POST to indicate that the BIOS fails (ROM data or codes are corrupted).
2. Select your desired update method, then click Next. 3. If you selected updating/downloading from the Internet, select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network traffic, or choose Auto Select. Click Next. 4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download. Click Next. 5. Follow screen instructions to complete the update process. If you selected the option to update the BIOS from a file, an Open window appears prompting you to locate the BIOS file.
2.2 BIOS beep codes When you turn the power on and the system runs POST (Power On Self Tests), you will hear BIOS beeps. Refer to the following table for the meaning of the beeps.
Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purposes only, and may not exactly match what you see on your screen. 2.3.1 BIOS menu bar The top of the screen has a menu bar with the following selections: MAIN ADVANCED POWER BOOT EXIT Use this menu to make changes to the basic system configuration. Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced features. Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management features.
General help In addition to the Item Help window, the BIOS setup program also provides a General Help screen. You may launch this screen from any menu by simply pressing . The General Help screen lists the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Saving changes and exiting the Setup program See “2.8 Exit menu” for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the setup program.
2.4 Main menu System Date System Time Wed, Dec 03 2003 15 : 30 : 30 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] IDE Primary Master IDE Primary Slave IDE Secondary Master IDE Secondary Slave Case Open Warning Supervisor Password User Password Security Option [ST321122A] [ASUS CDS520/A] [None] [None] [Enabled] Clear Clear [Setup] Installed Memory Halt On 256MB [All Errors] Select Menu Item Specific Help F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← : Select Item : Select Menu Change the day, month, year and century.
A note about passwords The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify passwords in the Main menu. The passwords control access to the BIOS during system startup. Passwords are not case sensitive, meaning, passwords typed in either uppercase or lowercase letters are accepted. The BIOS Setup program allows you to specify two different passwords: a Supervisor password and a User password. If you did not set a Supervisor password, anyone can access the BIOS Setup program.
IDE Primary Master/Slave IDE Secondary Master/Slave IDE Primary Master Select Menu IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] Item Specific Help IDE Primary Master Access Mode [Auto] [Auto] To auto-detect the HDD’s size, head...on this channel.
[Manual] & [CHS] Settings IDE Primary Master Select Menu IDE HDD Auto-Detection [Press Enter] Item Specific Help IDE Primary Master Access Mode [Manual] [CHS] Press [Enter] to select sector addressing method.
Sector This field configures the number of sectors per track. Refer to the drive documentation to determine the correct value. To make changes to this field, set the Type field to [User Type HDD] and the Translation Method field to [Manual]. Transfer Mode This field selects the UDMA transfer mode. Configuration options: [Auto] [UDMA0] [UDMA1] [UDMA2] [UDMA3] [UDMA4] [UDMA5] 2.
Init Display First [PCI Slot] This option allows you to select the primary VGA type if your system has multiple video controllers. Configuration options: [PCI Slot] [AGP] AGP Display switch [Auto] This option allows you to set the AGP display control to [Auto] or through the onboard AGP controller. Configuration options: [Auto] [Onchip AGP] DDR voltage adjustment [Auto] This option allows you to adjust the DDR voltage. Configuration options: [2.6V] [2.5V] [Auto] 2.5.
AGP & P2P Bridge Control AGP & P2P Bridge Control AGP AGP AGP AGP AGP AGP AGP Aperture Size Driving Control Driving Value Fast Write Master 1 WS Write Master 1 WS Read 3.
DRAM Clock/Drive Control DRAM Clock/Drive Control DRAM Timing DRAM CAS Latency Bank Interleave Pre-charge to Active (Trp) Active to Precharge (Tras) Active to CMD (Trcd) DRAM Burst Length DRAM Command Rate Write Recovery Time tWTR F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← [Auto by SPD] [2.
DRAM Command Rate [2T Command] Configuration options: [2T Command] [1T Command] Write Recovery Time [3T] Configuration options: [2T] [3T] tWTR [2T] Configuration options: [1T] [2T] CPU & PCI Bus Control CPU & PCI Bus Control PCI1 Master 0 WS Write PCI2 Master 0 WS Write PCI1 Post Write PCI2 Post Write VLink 8X Support PCI Delay Transaction F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] : Select Item : Select Menu Select Menu Item Specific Help -/+ : Change Va
VIA OnChip IDE Device VIA OnChip IDE Devices IDE DMA transfer access Onboard Pri IDE Controller Onboard Sec IDE Controller Primary Master PIO Primary Slave PIO Secondary Master PIO Secondary Slave PIO Primary Master UDMA Primary Slave UDMA Secondary Master UDMA Secondary Slave UDMA F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] : Select Item : Select Menu Select Menu Item Specific Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable IDE DMA transfer
2.5.2 I/O Device Configuration I/O Device Configuration Onboard Serial Port 1 Onboard Serial Port 2 Onboard Parallel Port Parallel Port Mode ECP Mode Use DMA EPP Mode Select AC97 Audio Onboard LAN Onboard LAN Boot ROM Game Port Address MIDI Port Address MIDI Port IRQ F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← [3F8/IRQ4] [2F8/IRQ3] [378/IRQ7] [ECP+EPP] [3] [EPP1.7] [Auto] [Enabled] [Disabled] [201] [Disabled] 10 : Select Item : Select Menu Select Menu Item Specific Help Set Base I/O address for serial port 1.
AC97 Audio [Auto] This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard AC97 audio controller. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] Onboard LAN [Enabled] This field allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN controller. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] This field allows you to turn on or off the onboard LAN boot ROM.This item appears only when onboard LAN is enabled.
PCI/VGA Snoop Palette [Disabled] Some non-standard VGA cards, like graphics accelerators or MPEG video cards, may not show colors properly. Setting this field to [Enabled] corrects this problem. If you are using a standard VGA card, leave this field to the default setting [Disabled]. Configuration options: Assign IRQ for VGA [Enabled] Setting this option to [Enabled] allows the BIOS to automatically assign an IRQ address for the VGA controller.
2.6 Power menu ACPI Suspend Type Power Management HDD Power Down Suspend Mode Video-off Option Ac Loss Auto Restart Video Off Method C.O.P. Control PWR Button < 4 Sec Power Up Control Hardware Monitor F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← [S1&S3] [User Define] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Suspend -> Off] [Auto] [V/H SYNC+Blank] [85 degree] [Instant-off] : Select Item : Select Menu Select Menu Item Specific Help Select the ACPI state used for System Suspend.
Video Off Method [V/H SYNC+Blank] This field defines the video off features. The Display Power Management System (DPMS) feature allows the BIOS to control the video display card if it supports the DPMS feature. [Blank Screen] only blanks the screen. Use this for monitors without power management or “green” features. Configuration options: [Blank Screen] [V/H SYNC+Blank] [DPMS support] C.O.P. Control [85 degree] Sets the threshold value for the CPU temperature. The ASUS CPU Overheating Protection (C.O.P.
PS2KB Wakeup Select [Hot Key] This parameter allows you to use specific keys on the keyboard to turn on the system. This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Hot key] [Password] PS2KB Wakeup Password [Clear] This item appears when you select password as the wakeup method for the PS/2 keyboard. Highlight this item then press to enter an 8-digit password.
2.6.2 Hardware Monitor Select Menu Hardware Monitor Shutdown Temperature [Disabled] Item Specific Help System Temperature CPU Temperature 33ºC / 91ºF 33ºC / 91ºF Chassis Fan Speed CPU Fan Speed 0 RPM 8881 RPM System will shutdown when CPU temperature is too high. Vcore + 3.3 V + 5 V +12 V 1.56 3.34 4.91 11.
2.7 Boot menu First Boot Device Second Boot Device Third Boot Device Fourth Boot Device Plug & Play OS Reset Configuration Data Quick Power On Self Test Boot Up Floppy Seek Boot Up NumLock Status APIC Mode F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← : Select Item : Select Menu [HDD-0] [CDROM] [Floppy] [Disabled] [Yes] [Disabled] [Enabled] [Disabled] [On] [Enabled] Select Menu Item Specific Help Select your boot device priority.
APIC Mode [Enabled] When enabled, this option allows you to distribute interrupt routings other than the 16 IRQs. The Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) setting allows you to use the 16 IRQs only.
2.8 Exit menu Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving Load Optimized Defaults Discard Changes Save Changes F1 : Help ESC : Exit ↑↓ →← : Select Item : Select Menu Select Menu Item Specific Help This option saves data to CMOS and exits the BIOS setup. -/+ : Change Value Enter : Select Sub-menu F5 : Setup Defaults F10 : Save and Exit Save & Exit Setup Once you are finished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM.
Chapter 3 This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.
3.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows® 98SE/Me/2000/XP operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates so you can maximize the features of your hardware. Because motherboard settings and hardware options vary, use the setup procedures presented in this chapter for general reference only. Refer to your OS documentation for more information. 3.
3.2.2 Drivers menu The drivers menu displays the available device drivers for this motherboard. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices. VIA 4 in 1 Drivers This item installs the VIA 4-in-1 drivers. KM400A Display Driver Click this item to install the KM400A display driver for the onboard VGA. ADI SoundMAX Audio Driver This item installs the ADI SoundMAX audio driver and applications.
Install ASUS Update The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to update the motherboard BIOS and drivers. This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). PC-CILLIN This item installs the PC-cillin anti-virus program. View the PC-cillin online help for detailed information. ADOBE Acrobat Reader This item installs the Adobe® Acrobat Reader®. The Acrobat Reader® software is for viewing files saved in Portable Document Format (PDF).
