Asus SK8N User's Guide

MotherboardSK8NUser Guide

xSK8N specifications summary(continued on the next page)CPUChipsetSystem BusMemoryExpansion slotsStorageAudioLANOverclockingFeaturesSpecial featuresRe

5-4Chapter 5: Software support5.2.4 ASUS Contact InformationClicking the ASUS Contact Information tab displays as stated. You mayalso find this inform

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-55.2.5 Other informationThe icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional informationon the motherboard and the c

5-6Chapter 5: Software supportTechnical Support FormThe window displays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that youhave to fill up when requestin

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-71. Launch the ASUS Update utility.See section “4.1.6 ASUS Update.”2. When prompted for the BIOSupdate method, select the optio

5-8Chapter 5: Software support4. From the selection that appears,choose a logo image. Click Next.6. The next screen prompts you toflash the original B

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-95.4 Multi-channel audio featureThe RealTek ALC650 6-channel AC’97 audio driver and applications areincluded in the support CD

5-10Chapter 5: Software support5. Click the SpeakerConfiguration tab to customizeyour speaker system.6. Click on the Speaker Test tabfor the Multi-cha

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-115.5 RAID configurationsThe motherboard includes the Promise® PDC20378 controller chipset tosupport Redundant Array of Indepen

5-12Chapter 5: Software supportFollow these steps to install the hard disks for RAID configuration.1. Set the jumpers of each hard disk as Master/Slav

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-135.5.2 Enter the MBFastBuild™ utility1. Boot the system.If this is the first time you boot the system with the new hard disksi

xiSK8N specifications summary* Specifications are subject to change without notice.Internal I/OBIOS featuresIndustry standardManageabilityPower Requir

5-14Chapter 5: Software support5.5.3 Creating a RAID 0 array (Performance)1. In the FastBuild™ utility main menu, press 1 to select Auto Setup. Thefol

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-155.5.4 Creating a RAID 1 array (Security)Creating a Security Array with New Drives1. In the FastBuild™ utility main menu, pres

5-16Chapter 5: Software supportCreating a Security Array with Existing Data DriveIf you would like to use an existing drive that already contains data

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-178. Select Y to continue. Select N to return to the main menu.9. When the duplication process is completed, a message appearsc

5-18Chapter 5: Software supportFastBuild (tm) Utility 2.00 (c) 2002-2005 Promise Technology, Inc.[ Select Drive for Rebuild ][ View Array Definition M

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-195.6 Creating a floppy disk with RAID driverA floppy disk with the Promise® SATA 378 or FastTrak 378 driver isrequired when in

5-20Chapter 5: Software support

xii

Chapter 1This chapter describes the motherboardfeatures and the new technologies itsupports.Product introduction

ASUS SK8N motherboardChapter summary1.1 Welcome! ... 1-11.2 Package contents ...

ASUS SK8N motherboard1-11.1 Welcome!1.2 Package contentsCheck your motherboard package for the following items.Thank you for buying the ASUS® SK8N mot

1-2Chapter 1: Product introduction1.3 Special features1.3.1 Product HighlightsLatest processor technologyThe 940-pin ZIF socket on the motheboard supp

ASUS SK8N motherboard1-3S/PDIF outThe motherboard supports S/PDIF out function that turns your computerinto a high-end entertainment system with digit

1-4Chapter 1: Product introduction1.3.2 Unique ASUS featuresASUS Q-Fan technologyThe ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to

Chapter 2Hardware informationThis chapter lists the hardware setupprocedures that you have to perform wheninstalling system components. It includesde

iiChecklistCopyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may

ASUS SK8N motherboardChapter summary2.1 Before you proceed ... 2-12.2 Motherboard overview...

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-12.1 Before you proceedTake note of the following precautions before you install motherboardcomponents or change any motherboar

2-2Chapter 2: Hardware information2.2 Motherboard overviewBefore you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassisto ensure that th

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-32.2.3 Motherboard layoutSB_PWR1BUZZER1PCI1PANEL1SK8N®CD1 AUX1SuperI/O4MbitLPC BIOSROMAccelerated Graphics Port (AGP1)FP_AUDIO1

2-4Chapter 2: Hardware information2.2.4 Layout ContentsExpansion slots1. PCI slots p. 2-172. AGP slot p. 2-173. DDR DIMM slots p. 2-11Rear Panel Conne

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-5Internal Connectors1. Primary IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE) p. 2-212. Secondary IDE connector (40-1 pin SEC_IDE) p. 2-213.

2-6Chapter 2: Hardware information2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)2.3.1 OverviewThe motherboard comes with a surface mount 940-pin Zero InsertionForc

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-73. Position the CPU above thesocket such that the CPU cornerwith the gold triangle matches thesocket corner with a smalltriang

2-8Chapter 2: Hardware information2.3.3 Installing the heatsink and fanThe AMD Athlon™ 64 FX and AMD Opteron™ processors require aspecially designed h

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-92. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base.3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near

iiiFeaturesContentsNotices ... viSafety information ...

2-10Chapter 2: Hardware information2.3.4 Connecting the CPU fan cableWhen the fan, heatsink, and the retention mechanism are in place,connect the CPU

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-112.4 System memory2.4.1 OverviewThe motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual InlineMemory Module (DIMM) sockets

2-12Chapter 2: Hardware information2.4.3 Qualified Vendor ListDDR333 Qualified Vendor ListThe following table lists the PC2700 (DDR333) memory modules

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-132.4.4 Installing a DIMM1. Unlock a DIMM socket bypressing the retaining clipsoutward.2. Align a DIMM on the socket suchthat t

2-14Chapter 2: Hardware information2.4.5 Removing a DIMMFollow these steps to remove a DIMM.3. Firmly insert the DIMM into thesocket until the retaini

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-152.5 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The motherboardhas five PCI slots and one Accelera

2-16Chapter 2: Hardware informationStandard Interrupt AssignmentsIRQ Priority Standard Function 0 1 System Timer 1 2 Keyboard Controlle

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-172.5.4 PCI slotsThe PCI slots support PCI cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USBcard, and other cards that comply with PCI s

2-18Chapter 2: Hardware information2.6 Jumpers1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1)This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM inCMOS. You can

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-193. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWR1234)Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleepmode (CPU stopped, DRA

ivSafeguardsContents2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ... 2-162.5.4 PCI slots ...

2-20Chapter 2: Hardware information2.7 Connectors2.7.1 Rear panel connectors1. PS/2 mouse port. This green 6-pin connector is for a PS/2 mouse.2. Para

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-218. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB)ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.9. USB

2-22Chapter 2: Hardware information2. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY1)This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. Af

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-234. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA_RAID1, SATA_RAID2)These next generation connectors support the thin Serial ATA cablesfor

2-24Chapter 2: Hardware information5. CPU, Power and Chassis Fan Connectors(3-pin CPU_FAN1, PWR_FAN1, CHA_FAN1)The fan connectors support cooling fans

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-257. ATX power connectors (20-pin ATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)These connectors connect to an ATX 12V power supply. The plugsfrom the p

2-26Chapter 2: Hardware information8. USB headers (10-1 pin USB56)If the USB ports on the rear panel are inadequate, a USB header isavailable for addi

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-2710. IEEE 1394 connectors (10-1 pin IE1394_1)These connectors are for IEEE 1394 modules. Attach the 10-1 pincable plugs to the

2-28Chapter 2: Hardware information11. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO)This is an interface for the front panel audio cable that allowc

ASUS SK8N motherboard2-2913. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL)This connector accommodates several system front panel functions.The System Panel co

vContents4.4 Advanced menu ... 4-154.4.1 CPU Configuration ...

2-30Chapter 2: Hardware information

Chapter 3Powering upThis chapter describes the power upsequence, the vocal POST messages andways of shutting down the system.

ASUS SK8N motherboardChapter summary3.1 Starting up for the first time... 3-13.2 Powering off the computer ...

ASUS SK8N motherboard3-13.1 Starting up for the first time1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover.2. Be sure that all switc

3-2Chapter 3: Powering up3.2 Powering off the computer3.2.1 Using the OS shut down functionIf you are using Windows 98/98SE/ME/NT/2000, click the Star

Chapter 4BIOS setupThis chapter tells how to change the systemsettings through the BIOS Setup menus.Detailed descriptions of the BIOSparameters are a

ASUS SK8N motherboardChapter summary4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ... 4-14.2 BIOS Setup program...

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-14.1 Managing and updating your BIOSThe following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboardBasic Input/Output Sy

4-2Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4. At the DOS prompt, type the command line: afudos /i<filename>where “filename” means the latest (or original) BIOS

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-3When the BIOS update process is complete, the utility returns to theDOS prompt.A:\>afudos /iSK8N.romAMI Firmware Update Uti

viNoticesFederal Communications Commission StatementThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject tothe following two condi

4-4Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4.1.4 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOSThe ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to easily update the BIOS withouthaving to go

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-54. Insert the floppy disk that contains the BIOS file. If all the necessaryfiles are found in the floppy disk, EZ Flash perfor

4-6Chapter 4: BIOS SetupTo recover the BIOS from the support CD:1. Boot the system.2. When a corrupted BIOS is detected, the following screen messagea

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-74. When the BIOS update process is complete, reboot the system.DO NOT shutdown or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Do

4-8Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4. From the FTP site, select theBIOS version that you wish todownload. Click Next.5. Follow the instructions on thesucceeding

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-94.2 BIOS Setup programThis motherboard supports a programmable firmware that you can updateusing the provided utility describe

4-10Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4.2.2 Menu barThe menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:Main For changing the basic system configuration

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-114.2.4 Menu itemsThe highlighted item on the menu bardisplays the specific items for that menu.For example, selecting Main sho

4-12Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4.3 Main menuWhen you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appearsgiving you an overview of the basic system in

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-134.3.4 Primary and Secondary IDE Master/SlaveWhile entering Setup, BIOS auto-detects the presence of IDE devices.There is a se

viiSafety informationElectrical safety• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable fromthe electrical outlet before relocating the

4-14Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitAMI BIOSVersion : 08.00.09

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-154.4 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPUand other system devices. CPU Configur

4-16Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4.4.2 ChipsetThe Chipset menu items allow you to change the advanced chipsetsettings. Select an item then press Enter to disp

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-17CAS Latency [2.5]This item displays the CAS Latency setting.TRCD [ 3 CLK]This item displays the TRCD clock setting.TRAS [ 7 C

4-18Chapter 4: BIOS SetupCAS Latency (CL) [Auto]This item sets the CAS Latency.Configuration options: [Auto] [2.0] [3.0] [2.5]TRCD [Auto]This item set

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-19DRAM 2.5V Voltage [ 2.5V]This item enables you to set the DRAM Voltage. Configuration options:[2.5V] [2.6V] [2.7V]South Bridg

4-20Chapter 4: BIOS SetupUSB ConfigurationThe items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features.Select an item then press Enter to disp

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-21 Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitUSB Mass Storage Reset Delay

4-22Chapter 4: BIOS SetupAGP ConfigurationThe Chipset menu item allow you to change the AGP settings. Select anitem then press Enter to display the su

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-23HyperTransport ConfigurationThe Chipset menu item allow you to change the HyperTransport settings.Select an item then press E

viiiAbout this guideThis user guide contains the information you need when installing themotherboard.How this guide is organizedThis manual contains t

4-24Chapter 4: BIOS SetupOnBoard Floppy Controller [Enabled]Allows you to enable or disable the floppy disk controller. Configurationoptions: [Disable

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-254.4.4 PCI PnPThe PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings forPCI/PnP devices. The menu includes setting I

4-26Chapter 4: BIOS SetupPCI Latency Timer [64]Allows you to select the value in units of PCI clocks for the PCI devicelatency timer register. Configu

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-274.5 Power menuThe Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the AdvancedPower Management (APM). Select an item th

4-28Chapter 4: BIOS Setup Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitPME Resume [Disab

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-29 Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitCPU Temperature

4-30Chapter 4: BIOS SetupCPU Q-FAN Function [Disabled]This item allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature thatsmartly adjusts the fan spe

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-314.6 Boot menuThe Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Selectan item then press Enter to display the s

4-32Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4.6.2 Boot Settings ConfigurationQuick Boot [Enabled]Full Screen Logo [Enabled]Add On ROM Displa

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-33Typematic Rate [Fast]Allows you to select the keyboard typematic rate. Configuration options:[Slow] [Fast]Boot to OS/2 [No]Al

ixConventions used in this guideTo make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of thefollowing symbols used throughout this manual.Wh

4-34Chapter 4: BIOS Setup4.6.3 SecurityThe Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings.Select an item then press Enter to dis

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-35User Access Level (Full Access]This item allows you to select the access restriction to the Setup items.Configuration options

4-36Chapter 4: BIOS SetupExit & Save ChangesOnce you are finished making your selections, choose this option from theExit menu to ensure the value

ASUS SK8N motherboard4-37Exit & Discard ChangesSelect this option only if you do not want to save the changes that youmade to the Setup program. I

4-38Chapter 4: BIOS Setup

Chapter 5Software supportThis chapter describes the contents of thesupport CD that comes with themotherboard package.

ASUS SK8N motherboardChapter summary5.1 Install an operating system... 5-15.2 Support CD information ...

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-15.1 Install an operating systemThis motherboard supports Windows 2000/Windows 2003 Server/XPoperating system (OS). Always inst

5-2Chapter 5: Software support5.2.2 Drivers menuThe drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detectsinstalled devices. Install th

ASUS SK8N motherboard5-35.2.3 Utilities menuThe Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that themotherboard supports.ASUS PC ProbeThi