Important Information 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 the express written consent of the manufacturer. Version 1.0 Disclaimer The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The manufacturer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, the manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation of the manufacturer to notify any person of such revision or changes. Trademark Recognition Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. MMX, Pentium, Pentium-II, Pentium-III, Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Other product names used in this manual are the properties of their respective owners and are acknowledged. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 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 in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: ! Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. ! Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver. ! Connect the equipment onto an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. ! Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with this equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits governing this device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system's manufacturer could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. 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. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Réglement sur le matériel brouilieur du Canada. iii About the Manual The manual consists of the following chapters: Introduction Use the Introduction Chapter to learn about the features of the mainboard, and verify the checklist of items that are shipped with the package. Installation Use the Installation Chapter to learn how to install the mainboard and get your system up and running. Setup Use the Setup Chapter to configure the mainboard for optimum performance. Software Use the Software Chapter to learn how to install the software drivers and support programs that are provided with this mainboard. iv Contents Important Information Copyright Disclaimer Trademark Recognition Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Declaration of Conformity Canadian Department of Communications About the Manual CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Welcome Checklist Recommendations Features CHAPTER 2: INSTALLATION Quick Installation Table Quick Jumper Setting Reference Before You Begin Static Electricity Choosing a Case How to Set Jumpers Preparing the Mainboard Mainboard Guide I/O Ports Side View Check the Jumper Settings Installing the Mainboard in a Case Connecting Internal Components Installing Other Hardware Installing the Processor Install the Memory Modules Installing a Hard Disk Drive and CD-ROM Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive Using the Expansion Slots v i i i ii ii iii iii iv 1 1 2 2 3 7 7 8 11 11 12 13 14 14 16 17 19 20 22 22 24 26 29 30 Other Options Making External Connections External Connector Color Coding CHAPTER 3: SETUP About the Setup Utility Entering the Setup Utility BIOS Navigation Keys Using BIOS How to Flash a New BIOS Standard CMOS Features Option Advanced BIOS Features Setup Option Advanced Chipset Features Option Integrated Peripherals Option Power Management Setup Option PnP/PCI Configuration Option PC Health Status Option Frequency Control Option Load Fail-Safe Defaults Option Load Optimized Defaults Option Set Supervisor and User Passwords Save & Exit Setup Option Exit Without Saving Option CHAPTER 4: SOFTWARE About the Software Folders for this Mainboard Utility Folder Installation Notes Running the Support CD-ROM Utility Folder Installation Notes Mainboard (MS8127C) Installation Notes APPENDIX: JUMPER SETTING REFERENCE Jumper Setting Quick Reference 32 34 35 37 37 38 39 40 41 42 45 48 53 56 62 64 65 66 66 67 68 68 69 69 69 69 70 70 71 72 72 vi Chapter 1: Introduction Welcome Congratulations on purchasing the MS8127C mainboard. The MS8127C is a ATX mainboard that uses a 4-layer printed circuit board and measures 305 mm x 220 mm. The mainboard has a Socket 462 to accommodate AMD Athlon (K7) processors that support frontside bus (FSB) speeds up to 200 MHz. The MS8127C is installed with the VT8363 (NB)/ VT82C686A (SB) chipset and built-in 3D sound that features the AC 97 audio codec. The mainboard delivers high-level performance with a 4xAGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot and two PCI Bus Master Ultra DMA (UDMA) ports that support up to four ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface) devices. The PCI IDE also supports PIO Mode 3 and 4, UDMA33/66 IDE, and an ATAPI CD-ROM. The mainboard accommodates PC 100/133 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) or VCM (Virtual Channel Memory) up to 1.5 GB using three 3.3V unbuffered DIMM modules. The mainboard attains the highest reliability by supporting ECC (Error Checking and Correction) memory protection, enabling the mainboard to achieve superior data integrity and faulttolerance with respect to memory errors while running applications. Other features include a built-in PCI 3D sound system that supports the AC 97 audio codec. The mainboard has a full set of I/O ports, such as dual channel PCI EIDE interfaces, a floppy controller, two FIFO serial port connectors, an EPP/ECP-capable bi-directional parallel port connector, a dual USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, and PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors. One AGP slot, five PCI local bus slots and an audio modem riser (AMR) slot provide expandability for add-on peripheral cards. This chapter contains the following information: ! Checklist comprises a list of the standard and optional components that are shipped with this mainboard ! Recommendations lists some Do's and Don'ts from the manufacturer to help ensure reliability and performance from this product ! Features highlights the functions and components that make this one of the best value mainboards on the market Checklist Compare the contents of your mainboard package with the standard checklist below. If any item is missing or appears damaged, please contact the vendor of your mainboard package. Standard Items ! One mainboard ! One diskette drive ribbon cable and bracket ! One IDE drive ribbon cable and bracket ! This user's manual ! Software support CD-ROM disc Recommendations This mainboard automatically determines the CPU clock frequency and system bus frequency for the kind of processor you install. You may be able to change these automatic settings by making changes to the settings in the system Setup Utility. We strongly recommend that you do not overclock the mainboard to run processors or other components faster than their rated speed. Warning: Overclocking components can adversely affect the reliability of the system and introduce errors into your system. Overclocking can permanently damage the mainboard by generating excess heat in components that are run beyond the rated limits. 2 Components on this mainboard can be damaged by discharges of static electricity. Handle the board carefully holding it by the edges. Don't flex or stress the circuit board. Keep the board in its static-proof packing until you are ready to install it. Follow the static guidelines given at the beginning of Chapter 2. Features The key features of this mainboard are the wide range of processors that can be installed, and the high level of integration, which includes built-in audio, video, and communications. High-end Processors Functioning as a platform for a high-end PC, the MS8127C features a Socket 462 accommodating AMD Athlon processors that support 64/256 KB L2 OnChip cache, and 100/200 MHz hostbus/core speed. The MS8127C supports 200 MHz frontside bus (FSB). VIA Chipset This board features the VT8363 chipset from VIA. The VT8363 chipset is designed for high-end desktops and workstations and provides 2-way multiprocessing (SMP), ATA-66, 4xAGP and DRAM support. The VT82C686A I/O chip makes a direct connection between the graphics system, the IDE controller, and the PCI bus. It uses Accelerated Hub Architecture to effectively double the bandwidth between these components enabling more lifelike audio and video. The VT82C686A I/O chip includes an integrated audio codec controller (AC 97) that lets the processor more effectively decode sound generated by the integrated audio system or the integrated fax/modem. 3 Inexpensive Memory The board has three DIMM sockets for the installation of 168-pin, 3.3V non-buffered DIMM memory modules. The DIMM memory modules use SDRAM memory chips. The MS8127C mainboard supports a memory bus of 100/133 MHz. Each installed memory module can be populated with from 32 MB to 512 MB of memory; a maximum of 1.5 GB memory can be installed. The integrated video system uses shared memory architecture, so you must reserve some of the installed memory as video memory using the system BIOS. You must install at least one module, but it makes no difference which slot you use to install the module. 4xAGP Graphics Adapter Slot The mainboard includes an 4xAGP slot that provides four times the bandwidth of the original AGP specification. AGP technology provides a direct connection between the graphics sub-system and the processor so that the graphics do not have to compete for processor time with other devices on the PCI bus. The AGP design allows the graphics controller to use part of the main memory when it needs it, for example, to handle the very large texture maps required by virtual reality and 3D video games and applications. AC 97 Audio codec The AC 97 Audio codec is compliant with the AC 97 2.1 specification, and supports 18-bit ADC (Analog Digital Converter) and DAC (Digital Analog Converter) resolution as well as 18-bit stereo full-duplex codec with independent and variable sampling rates. Further features include support for four analog line-level stereo inputs. Expansion Options The MS8127C mainboard is pre-installed with features such as audio that normally require add-in cards. The five 32-bit PCI slots and the AMR slot provide plenty of expansion potential. The MS8127C PCI slots support UDMA 33/66 bus mastering. 4 Integrated I/O The mainboard has a full set of I/O ports and connectors. The I/O template on the backplane includes two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard, two serial ports, one parallel port, one MIDI/game port, two USB ports, and audio jacks for microphone, line-in and line-out. The mainboard includes two PCI IDE channels and a floppy disk drive interface. Programmable Firmware The mainboard includes Award BIOS that allows BIOS setting of CPU parameters. This fully programmable firmware enhances the system features and allows users to set such items as power management, CPU and memory timing, and modem wake-up alarms. The firmware can also be used to set parameters for different processor clock speeds so that you don't need to change mainboard jumpers and switches. This concludes Chapter 1. The next chapter covers installing and building a working system. 5 -- Notes -- 6 Chapter 2: Installation Quick Installation Table This chapter explains how to successfully install the mainboard into a computer case and build a working system. The installation procedure is as follows: Quick Jumper Setting Reference Before you Begin Preparing the Mainboard Provides a quick reference for the jumper settings on this mainboard. Provides advice on choosi ...