Preface Copyright This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected under 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 author. Version 1.0 Disclaimer The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
ii Declaration of Conformity This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following 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.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface i Chapter 1 1 Introducing the Motherboard 1 Introduction.................................................................................................1 Feature..........................................................................................................2 Motherboard Components........................................................................4 Chapter 2 7 Installing the Motherboard 7 Safety Precautions.................................................
iv Advanced Chipset Features.........................................................32 Power Management Setup...........................................................33 Hardsare Health Configuration..................................................34 BIOS Security Features................................................................35 Load Best Performance Settings..................................................40 Load Optimal Defaults................................................................
1 Chapter 1 Introducing the Motherboard Introduction Thank you for choosing the 915G-M motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard that supports LGA775 Pentium 4 processors for high-end business or personal desktop markets. The motherboard incorporates the 915G Northbridge (NB) and ICH6 Southbridge (SB) chipsets. The Northbridge on this motherboard supports a Front Side Bus (FSB) frequency of 800/533 MHz using a scalable FSB Vcc_CPU.
2 Feature Processor The 915G-M uses a LGA775 type of Pentium 4 that carries the following features: • • • Accommodates Intel P4 Prescott processors Supports a system bus (FSB) of 800/533MHz Supports “Hyper-Threading” technology CPU “Hyper-Threading” technology enables the operating system into thinking it’s hooked up to two processors, allowing two threads to be run in parallel, both on separate “logical” processors within the same physical processor.
3 Graphics • • • • Supports core frequency of 333 MHz Supports 3D Setup, Render Engine, and 3D Graphics Enhancements Supports High Quality Texture Engine Video DVD/PC-VCR Audio • • • • Compliant with the AC’97 V2.
4 Motherboard Components Introducing the Motherboard
5 Table of Motherboard Components LABEL 1 CPU1 2 SYS_FAN 3 CPU_FAN 4 DIMM1~DIMM4 5 CHS1 6 FDD 7 ATX1 8 IDE1 9 SJ1 10 LSJ1 11 SPK1 12 PWR_FAN 13 SATA1~SATA4 14 F_PANEL 15 IRDA 16 CLR_CMOS 17 F_USB1-2 COMPONENT LGA775 socket for Pentium 4 CPUs System cooling fan connector CPU cooling fan connector 184-pin DDR SDRAM slots Chassis Intrusion Detect header Floppy diskette drive connector Standard 24-pin ATX power connector Primary IDE connector Single color LED header Single color LED header Speaker header Pow
6 Memo Introducing the Motherboard
7 Chapter 2 Installing the Motherboard Safety Precautions • • • • • Follow these safety precautions when installing the motherboard 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 motherboard Leave components in the static-proof bags they came in Hold all circuit boards by the edges.
8 Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard. Checking Jumper Settings This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the motherboard. Setting Jumpers Use the motherboard 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 show a 2-pin jumper. When the jumper cap is placed on both pins, the jumper is SHORT.
9 Checking Jumper Settings The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is labeled. Jumper Settings Jumper Type CLR_CMOS 3-pin Description Clear CMOS Setting (default) 1-2: CLEAR CMOS CLR_CMOS 2-3: NORMAL Before clearing the CMOS, make sure to turn off the system.
10 Connecting Case Components After you have installed the motherboard into a case, you can begin connecting the motherboard components. Refer to the following: 1 2 3 3 4 6 7 Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN. Connect the case cooling fan connector to SYS_FAN. Connect the power fan connector to PWR_FAN. Connect the case speaker cable to SPK1. Connect the case switches and indicator LEDs to the F_PANEL. If there are 3 pins in the case LED cable, connect to SJ1/LSJ1.
11 CPU_FAN/SYS_FAN: FAN Power Connectors Pin Signal Name Function 1 2 3 GND Sense System Ground Power +12V Sense 4 PWM PWM +12V PWR_FAN: FAN Power Connector Pin 1 2 3 Signal Name GND +12V Sense Function System Ground Power +12V Sense SPK1: Internal speaker Pin 1 2 3 4 Signal Name VCC Key GND Signal SJ1/LSJ1: Single color LED header Pin 1 2 3 Signal Name ACPI LED ACPI LED 5VSB ACPI LED function S0 Light S1 S3 Blinking Blinking S4/S5 Dark ATX1: ATX 24-pin Power Connector Pin Sig
12 ATX12V: ATX 12V Power Connector Pin 1 2 3 4 Signal Name Ground Ground +12V +12V Front Panel Header The front panel header (F_PANEL) provides a standard set of switch and LED headers commonly found on ATX or micro-ATX cases.
13 Reset Switch Supporting the reset function requires connecting pin 5 and 7 to a momentary-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 momentarycontact 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.
14 CPU Installation Procedure The following illustration shows CPU installation components. A. Unload the cap · Use thumb & forefinger to hold the lifting tab of the cap. · Lift the cap up and remove the cap completely from the socket. B. Open the load plate · Use thumb & forefinger to hold the hook of the lever, pushing down and pulling aside unlock it. · Lift up the lever. · Use thumb to open the load plate. Be careful not to touch the contacts. C.
15 Table A: DDR (memory module) QVL (Qualified Vendor List) The following DDR400 memory modules have been tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.
16 Installing Memory Modules This motherboard accomodates four 184-pin 2.5V unbuffered DIMM and supports DDR 333/400. You must install at least one module in any of the four slots. Each module can be installed with 256 MB to 1 GB of memory; the total memory capacity is 4GB. DDR SDRAM memory module table Memory module DDR 333 DDR 400 Memory Bus 166MHz 200MHz Do not remove any memory module from its antistatic packaging until you are ready to install it on the motherboard.
17 Installing a Hard Dish Drive/CD-ROM/SATA Hard Drive This section describes how to install IDE devices such as a hard disk drive and a CD-ROM drive. About IDE Devices Your motherboard has one IDE channel interface (IDE1). An IDE ribbon cable supporting two IDE devices is bundled with the motherboard. You must orient the cable connector so that the pin1 (color) edge of the cable correspoinds to the pin 1 of the I/O port connector.
18 About SATA Connectors Your motherboard features four SATA connectors supporting a total of four drives. Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) is the standard interface for the IDE hard drives which are currently used in most PCs. These connectors are well designed and will only fit in one orientation. Locate the SATA connectors on the motherboard and follow the illustration below to install the SATA hard drives.
19 Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive The motherboard has a floppy diskette drive (FDD) interface and ships with a diskette drive ribbon cable that supports one or two floppy diskette drives. You can install a 5.25-inch drive and a 3.5-inch drive with various capacities. The floppy diskette drive cable has one type of connector for a 5.25-inch drive and another type of connector for a 3.5-inch drive.
20 Installing Add-on Cards The slots on this motherboard are designed to hold expansion cards and connect them to the system bus. Expansion slots are a means of adding or enhancing the motherboard’s features and capabilities. With these efficient facilities, you can increase the motherboard’s capabilities by adding hardware that performs tasks that are not part of the basic system. PCIE x16 Slot There is one PCI Express x16 slot onboard.
21 For some add-on cards, for example graphics adapters and network adapters, you have to install drivers and software before you can begin using the add-on card. Connecting Optional Devices Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional devices: F_AUDIO: Front Panel Audio header This header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and line-out ports for easier access.
22 AUXIN1: Auxiliary In connector This connector is an additional line-in audio connector. It allows you to attach a line-in cable when your rear line-in jack is set as line out port for 4-channel function.
23 F_USB1/2: Front Panel USB header The motherboard has four USB ports installed on the rear edge I/O port array. Additionally, some computer cases have USB ports at the front of the case. If you have this kind of case, use auxiliary USB connector to connect the front-mounted ports to the motherboard.
24 Connecting I/O Devices The backplane of the motherboard has the following I/O ports: PS2 Mouse Use the upper PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 pointing device. PS2 Keyboard Use the lower PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 keyboard. Parallel Port (LPT) Use LPT to connect printers or other parallel communications devices. Serial Port (COM1) Use the COM port to connect serial devices such as mice or fax/modems. COM1 is identified by the system as COM1/3.
25 Chapter 3 Using BIOS About the Setup Utility The computer uses the latest American Megatrends BIOS with support for Windows Plug and Play. The CMOS chip on the motherboard contains the ROM setup instructions for configuring the motherboard BIOS. The BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) Setup Utility displays the system’s configuration status and provides you with options to set system parameters.
26 Press DEL to enter SETUP Press the delete key to access the BIOS Setup Utility: CMOS Setup Utility -- Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
27 Updating the BIOS You can download and install updated BIOS for this motherboard from the manufacturer’s Web site. New BIOS provides support for new peripherals, improvements in performance, or fixes for known bugs. Install new BIOS as follows: 1 If your motherboard has a BIOS protection jumper, change the setting to allow BIOS flashing. 2 If your motherboard has an item called Firmware Write Protect in Advanced BIOS features, disable it. (Firmware Write Protect prevents BIOS from being overwritten.
28 Standard CMOS Features This option displays basic information about your system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. Standard CMOS Setup System Overview Help Menu AMIBIOS Version Build Date ID : 08.00.11 : 06/09/04 : M915G-M Processor Type Speed Count : Genuine Intel (R) CPU 3.20GHz : 3200MHz :1 Use [ENTER], [TAB] or [SHIFT-TAB] TO select a field. Use [+] or [-] to configure system Time.
29 Boot Configuration Features This option displays basic information about your system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. Boot Configuration Features Boot Settings Configuration Help Menu 1st Boot Device 2nd Boot Device 3rd Boot Device [1st FLOPPY DRIVE] [IC35L04AVVN07-0] [ASUS CD-S520/A] Quick Boot Quiet Boot Bootup Num-Lock [Enabled] [Enabled] [On] Specifies the boot sequence from the available devices.
30 Advanced Setup This page sets up more advanced information about your system. Handle this page with caution. Any changes can affect the operation of your computer. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
31 Ratio Status/Ratio Actual Value These items show the Locked ratio status and the actual ratio of the CPU installed in your system. Ratio CMOS Setting (14) This item sets the ratio between CPU Core Clock and the FSB Frequency. Users please not that if a invalid ratio has been entered to this field, BIOS will restore it to previous state. Hyper Threading Technology (Enabled) This item is only available when the chipset supports Hyper-Threading and you are using a Hyper-Threading CPU.
32 IDE Configuration (Press Enter) Scroll to this item and press to view the following screen: CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
33 CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. Secondary IDE Master Secondary IDE Master Help Menu Device : Hard Disk Vendor : IC35L040AUVN07-0 Size : 41.1GB LBA Mode : Supported Block Mode : 16 Sectors PIO Mode :4 Async DMA : MultiWord DMA-2 Ultra DMA : Ultra DMA-2 S.M.A.R.T. : Supported Select the type of device conneted to the system. Type [Auto] LBA/Large Mode [Auto] Block (Multi-Sector Transfer[Auto] PIO Mode [Auto] DMA Mode [Auto] S.M.A.R.T.
34 Super IO Configuration (Press Enter) Scroll to this item and press to view the following screen: CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. SuperIO Configuration OnBoard Floppy Controller Serial Port1 Address Serial Port2 Address Serial Port2 Mode Parallel Port Address Parallel Port Mode Parallel Port IRQ [Enabled] [3FB/IRQ4] [2FB/IRQ3] [Normal] [378] [Normal] [IRQ7] Help Menu Allows BIOS to Enable or Disable Floppy Controller.
35 Advanced Chipset Features This page sets up more advanced chipset information about your system. Handle this page with caution. Any changes can affect the operation of your computer. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
36 USB Function (Enabled) This item allows you to enable or disable USB function. Legacy USB Support (Enabled) This item allows you to enable or disable Legacy USB support. USB 2.0 Controller (Enabled) This item allows you to enable or disable USB 2.0 Controller. AUDIO Device (Enabled) Enables and disables the Audio device. LAN Device (Enabled) Enables and disables the onboard LAN. LAN Boot ROM Support (Disabled) This item allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN Boot ROM function.
37 Suspend Time Out (Disabled) This sets the timeout for Suspend mode in minutes. If the time selected passes without any system activity, the computer will enter power-saving Suspend mode. Power Button Mode (On/Off) This item lets you install a software power down controlled by the normal power button on your system. Restore on AC Power Loss (Power Off) This item defines how the system will act after AC power loss during system operation.
38 Hardware Health Configuration This page helps you set up some parameters for the hardware monitoring function of this motherboard. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. Hardware Health Configuration Case Open Warning Shutdown Temperature [Disabled] [Disabled] Help Menu Options Hardware Health Configuration Current SYSTEM Temperature Current CPU Temperature SYS FAN Speed CPU FAN Speed PWR FAN Speed CPU Vcore 1.5V 3.3V 5.
39 BIOS Secuity Features This page helps you set up some parameters for the hardware monitoring function of this motherboard. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS Security Features Help Menu Security Settings Supervisor Password User Password Install or Change the password.
40 Load Optimal Defaults This option opens a dialog box that lets you install optimized defaults for all appropriate items in the Setup Utility. Press and then to install the defaults. Press and then to not install the defaults. The optimized defaults place demands on the system that may be greater than the performance level of the components, such as the CPU and the memory.
41 Chapter 4 Using the Motherboard Software About the Software CD-ROM The support software CD-ROM that is included in the motherboard package contains all the drivers and utility programs needed to properly run the bundled products. Below you can find a brief description of each software program, and the location for your motherboard version. More information on some programs is available in a README file, located in the same directory as the software.
42 Setup Tab Setup Click the Setup button to run the software installation program. Select from the menu which software you want to install. Browse CD The Browse CD button is the standard Windows command that allows you to open Windows Explorer and show the contents of the support CD. Before installing the software from Windows Explorer, look for a file named README.TXT, INSTALL.TXT or something similar. This file may contain important information to help you install the software correctly.
43 2. Click Next. The following screen appears: 3. Check the box next to the items you want to install. The default options are recommended. 4. Click Next run the Installation Wizard. An item installation screen appears: 5. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the items. Drivers and software are automatically installed in sequence. Follow the onscreen instructions, confirm commands and allow the computer to restart a few times to complete the installation.
44 Manual Installation Insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive and locate the PATH.DOC file in the root directory. This file contains the information needed to locate the drivers for your motherboard. Look for the chipset and motherboard model; then browse to the directory and path to begin installing the drivers. Most drivers have a setup program (SETUP.EXE) that automatically detects your operating system before installation. Other drivers have the setup program located in the operating system subfolder.