ASUS P4C800 DELUXE (01) PDF DOCUMENT

The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE motherboard has the following specifications:

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE motherboard package should contain the following items:

• ASUS P4C800 Deluxe motherboard

• ASUS support CD

• InterVideo WinDVD Suite

• 2 x SATA cable

• 2 x 80-conductor ribbon cables for UltraDMA133/100/66 IDE drives

• 40-conductor IDE cable

• Ribbon cable for a 3.5-inch floppy drive

• I/O shield

• Bag of extra jumper caps

• User Guide

• Reference Card (last page of the User Guide)

• Quick Setup Guide (retail boxes only)

• Jumpers and Connectors Sticker (retail boxes only)

• Instant Music keyboard label (retail boxes only)

If any of these items are damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

Before installing the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits. The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE uses the ATX form factor, measuring 12 inches x 9.6 inches (30.5 x 24.5 cm).

CAUTION: Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard to prevent physical injury and component damage.

Follow these steps for installation:

1. Placement Direction: When placing the motherboard into the chassis, ensure it is in the correct orientation. The edge with the external I/O ports (like USB, audio jacks, etc.) should be positioned towards the rear of the chassis.

2. Screw Holes: Secure the motherboard to the chassis by placing nine (9) screws into the designated holes. These holes are typically indicated by circles on the motherboard illustration in the manual.

IMPORTANT: Do not overtighten the screws, as this may damage the motherboard.

Before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE, take note of the following precautions:

1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component.

2. Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object (like the power supply case) to discharge static electricity before handling components.

3. Hold components by their edges to avoid touching the integrated circuits (ICs).

4. When you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in its original bag.

5. Ensure the ATX power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached before installing or removing any component. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to the motherboard and peripherals.

The green LED labeled SB_PWR indicates standby power. When this LED is lit, the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. You must shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any component while this light is on.

When using a CPU with Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE motherboard, please note the following:

1. This motherboard supports Intel Pentium 4 CPUs with Hyper-Threading Technology.

2. Hyper-Threading Technology is supported under Windows XP and Linux 2.4.x (kernel) and later versions only. If you use any other operating system, you should disable the Hyper-Threading Technology item in the BIOS to ensure system stability and performance.

3. It is recommended that you install Windows XP Service Pack 1.

4. You must enable the Hyper-Threading Technology item in the BIOS before installing a supported operating system.

To use the Hyper-Threading Technology:

1. Install an Intel Pentium 4 CPU that supports Hyper-Threading Technology.

2. Power up the system and enter BIOS Setup. In the Advanced Menu, ensure the “Hyper-Threading Technology” item is set to Enabled. This item only appears if you have installed a compatible CPU.

3. Reboot the computer.

The Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor requires a specific heatsink and fan assembly for optimal performance. Follow these steps to install the CPU and cooling components on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE:

Installing the CPU:

1. Locate the 478-pin ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket on the motherboard.

2. Unlock the socket by pressing the metal lever sideways and lifting it up to a 90°-100° angle. Ensure the lever is fully lifted, or the CPU will not fit correctly.

3. Position the CPU above the socket. Align the gold triangular mark on one corner of the CPU with the corresponding corner of the CPU socket (near the base of the lever).

4. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it is fully seated. The CPU fits in only one orientation; do not force it, as this can bend the pins.

5. Push the lever down to secure the CPU. The lever will click into a side tab, locking it in place.

Installing the Heatsink and Fan:

1. The motherboard comes with a retention module base pre-installed. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure it fits properly on this base.

2. Position the fan and its attached retention mechanism on top of the heatsink. Align the four hooks of the retention mechanism with the holes on each corner of the module base.

3. Keep the retention locks lifted upwards and snap the four hooks into the holes on the module base.

4. Push down the locks on the retention mechanism to secure the heatsink and fan assembly. When secured, the retention locks should point in opposite directions.

Connecting the CPU Fan Cable:

1. Connect the CPU fan’s power cable to the 3-pin connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.

IMPORTANT: Failure to connect the CPU fan can lead to hardware monitoring errors and cause the CPU to overheat.

CAUTION: Always unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other components to prevent severe damage to the motherboard.

To install a DIMM:

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips on both ends outward.

2. Align the DIMM with the socket. The notch on the DIMM’s contact edge must match the key in the socket. A DDR DIMM fits in only one direction.

3. Firmly insert the DIMM straight down into the socket until the retaining clips snap back into place, securing the DIMM.

To remove a DIMM:

1. Simultaneously press both retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM.

2. The DIMM will be ejected from the socket. Gently lift it out.

For optimal performance on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE, use the following memory configurations. The motherboard has two blue sockets (DIMM_A1, DIMM_B1) and two black sockets (DIMM_A2, DIMM_B2).

*For dual-channel configuration (3), you may:

• install identical DIMMs in all four sockets OR

• install an identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 (blue sockets) and another identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2 (black sockets).

Important Notes:

• In dual-channel configurations, install only identical (same type and size) DDR DIMM pairs for each channel.

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For best compatibility, obtain memory modules from the same vendor.

• DIMMs installed into any three sockets will function in single-channel mode.

• When all four sockets are populated with 1GB DIMMs (total 4GB), the system may detect slightly less than 4GB due to ICH5 resource allocation.

Memory Frequency/CPU FSB Synchronization:

*When using an 800MHz CPU FSB, PC2700 DDR DIMMs may run only at 320MHz (not 333MHz) due to chipset limitation.

CAUTION: Unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards to avoid physical injury and component damage.

To install an expansion card:

1. Before installation, read the card’s documentation and make any necessary hardware settings on the card itself.

2. Remove the system unit cover.

3. Remove the metal bracket opposite the slot you intend to use. Keep the screw.

4. Align the card’s connector with the expansion slot and press firmly until the card is completely seated.

5. Secure the card to the chassis using the screw you removed earlier.

6. Replace the system cover.

To configure an expansion card:

1. Turn on the system and change any necessary BIOS settings. Refer to your manual’s BIOS setup chapter for details.

2. Assign an IRQ to the card if needed. The motherboard shares IRQs across certain slots. When using PCI cards in shared slots, ensure their drivers support “Share IRQ” or that the cards do not require IRQ assignments to avoid conflicts.

3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

IRQ Assignments for the ASUS P4C800 DELUXE:

The CLRTC jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in the CMOS. This will erase CMOS data such as date, time, and system setup parameters, including passwords.

To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Locate the CLRTC jumper on the motherboard. It is a 3-pin jumper.

3. Move the jumper cap from the default position (pins 1-2) to pins 2-3.

4. Keep the cap on pins 2-3 for about 5–10 seconds.

5. Move the jumper cap back to the default position (pins 1-2).

6. Plug in the power cord and turn ON the computer.

7. Hold down the key during the boot process to enter BIOS Setup and re-enter system data.

NOTE: If your system hangs due to overclocking, you do not need to clear the RTC. The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE has a C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall) feature. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the BIOS will automatically restore default parameter settings.

CAUTION: Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap from the CLRTC jumper’s default position. Doing so will cause a system boot failure.

The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE motherboard’s Intel ICH5 chipset supports different ATA configurations depending on whether you are using a native IDE mode OS (Windows 2000/XP) or a legacy IDE compatible mode OS (MS-DOS, Windows 98/Me/NT4.0).

Device Configuration Support:

Required IDE Configuration Settings in BIOS:

To achieve the configurations above, set the following items in the BIOS (under the “IDE Configuration” menu):

Follow these steps to start your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE system for the first time:

1. After making all internal connections, replace the system case cover.

2. Ensure that all external switches are off.

3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system chassis.

4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet, preferably one with a surge protector.

5. Turn on devices in the following order:

a. Monitor

b. External SCSI devices (if any, starting with the last device on the chain)

c. System power (press the ATX power switch)

6. The power LED on the front panel will light up. The system will then run Power-On Self-Tests (POST). During these tests, you may hear BIOS beeps. If you do not see anything on the screen within 30 seconds, the system may have failed a POST. Check your jumper settings and connections.

7. At power on, you can hold down the key to enter the BIOS Setup utility.

AMI BIOS Beep Codes:

The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE features the ASUS POST Reporter™, which provides vocal messages about the system’s boot status. Here is a list of default messages and the corresponding actions:

You can update the BIOS on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE using either the AFUDOS utility in a DOS environment or the built-in ASUS EZ Flash utility.

Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS:

1. Create a bootable floppy disk.

2. Download the latest BIOS file for the motherboard and save it to the bootable floppy disk.

3. Copy the AFUDOS.EXE utility from the support CD to the same floppy disk.

4. Boot the system from the floppy disk.

5. At the DOS prompt, type the command: `afudos /i` where `` is the name of the BIOS file you downloaded.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions. The utility will show the progress of the update.

7. When the update is complete, the utility will return to the DOS prompt. Reboot the system from the hard disk.

Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS:

1. Download the latest BIOS file (e.g., p4c800.rom) and save it to a floppy disk.

2. Reboot the system.

3. During the Power-On Self Tests (POST), press + to launch EZ Flash.

4. A message will appear: “User recovery requested. Starting BIOS recovery… Checking for floppy…”

5. Insert the floppy disk containing the BIOS file. EZ Flash will detect the disk, read the file, and perform the update.

6. When the process is complete, the system will automatically reboot.

CAUTION: DO NOT shut down or reset the system while the BIOS is being updated. Doing so may cause a system boot failure.

The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE features CrashFree BIOS 2, an auto-recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS from the motherboard support CD or a floppy disk if it becomes corrupted.

To recover the BIOS from a floppy disk:

1. Boot the system. When a corrupted BIOS is detected, a message “Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery… Checking for floppy…” will appear.

2. Insert a floppy disk that contains the original or latest BIOS file for the motherboard.

3. The system will detect the floppy, read the file (e.g., “p4c800.rom”), and begin the flashing process.

4. When the update process is complete, reboot the system.

To recover the BIOS from the support CD:

1. Boot the system. The same “Bad BIOS checksum” message will appear.

2. If no floppy disk is found in the drive, the system will automatically check the CD-ROM drive.

3. Place the motherboard support CD into the CD-ROM drive. This CD contains the original BIOS for the motherboard.

4. The system will find the CD-ROM, read the BIOS file, and begin the flashing process.

5. When the update process is complete, reboot the system.

CAUTION: Do not shut down or reset the system during the BIOS recovery process, as this may cause a permanent boot failure.

Note: The recovered BIOS may not be the latest version. After recovery, it is recommended to update to the latest BIOS version.

You can set a password in the BIOS to restrict access to the system or the BIOS setup utility. To do this, enter the BIOS Setup by pressing during POST, then navigate to the Security menu.

To set a Supervisor Password:

1. Select the Change Supervisor Password item and press Enter.

2. In the password box that appears, type a password (at least six characters) and press Enter.

3. Re-type the password to confirm it when prompted.

4. A message “Password Installed” will appear. The Supervisor Password status on the menu will now show “Installed”.

To set a User Password:

1. A Supervisor Password must be set first for the User Password options to appear.

2. Select the Change User Password item and press Enter.

3. Follow the same steps as setting a Supervisor Password.

To clear a password:

1. Select the respective “Change… Password” item and press Enter.

2. When prompted for a new password, leave the field blank and press Enter.

3. A “Password Uninstalled” message will appear.

After setting a password, you can configure the Password Check option to [Setup] (checks password only for entering BIOS) or [Always] (checks password for both booting and entering BIOS).

ASUS PC Probe is a utility for monitoring vital system information on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE. To use it, you must first install it from the support CD.

Launching ASUS PC Probe:

To launch the utility, click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, then ASUS Utility, and click Probe Vx.xx. When running, the PC Probe icon will appear in the taskbar system tray.

PC Probe Functions:

• Monitor Summary: Shows a summary of all monitored items (voltages, temperatures, fan speeds).

• Temperature Monitor: Displays the PC temperature. You can adjust the warning threshold using a slider.

• Fan Monitor: Shows the rotation speed of connected fans. You can adjust the warning threshold using a slider.

• Voltage Monitor: Displays the PC’s key voltage levels (+12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore).

• Settings: Allows you to set specific threshold levels and polling intervals for monitoring.

• History: Lets you record monitoring activity for future reference.

• Fan Control: Enables or disables Smart Fan Control, which automatically adjusts fan speed based on CPU temperature.

• Hard Drives: Shows the used and free space of your hard disk drives.

• Memory: Displays PC memory load, usage, and paging file usage.

• Device Summary: Shows a summary of devices present in your PC.

• DMI Explorer: Shows detailed PC information such as CPU type, speed, and memory size.

When PC Probe detects a problem (e.g., a value exceeds a threshold), the taskbar icon will change to red, the PC speaker will beep, and the main PC Probe monitor screen will appear.

You can customize the ASUS POST Reporter™ messages using the Winbond Voice Editor software included on the support CD.

CAUTION: Do not run the Winbond Voice Editor while ASUS PC Probe is running to avoid conflicts.

Follow these steps to customize your POST messages:

1. Launch the Voice Editor and take note of the POST events listed in the left column.

2. Use a recording software (like Windows Recorder) to record your custom messages for each event.

3. Save the messages as .WAV files. It is recommended to save them in low quality (e.g., 8-bit, mono, 22KHz sampling rate) to keep the file size small. The total compressed size for all files must not exceed 1Mbit.

4. From the Voice Editor screen, click the Add button to display the Add Wave File window. Copy your recorded wave files to the database.

5. Click a POST event in the Voice Editor, then click the Edit button. The Event Sound Editor window will appear.

6. Locate and select your custom wave file for that event and assign it to a voice slot (e.g., Voice1).

7. Click OK to return to the main screen. Repeat for other events.

8. When finished, click the Save button. Type a file name with a .flh extension and click Save.

9. Click the Write button to compress the file and copy it into the EEPROM.

10. Click Yes on the confirmation window. The next time you boot your computer, your custom POST messages will be announced.

The functions of the Line Out (lime), Line In (light blue), and Mic (pink) ports on the rear panel of the ASUS P4C800 DELUXE change depending on the speaker configuration you select in the SoundMAX software.

Note: Windows 98SE only supports 4.1 channel speaker settings.

The ASUS P4C800 DELUXE supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 0+1 configurations using the onboard Promise PDC20378 controller. For optimal performance, use identical drives of the same model and capacity.

• For RAID 0 (striping), use two new drives.

• For RAID 1 (mirroring), you can use two new drives, or an existing drive and a new drive (the new drive must be the same size or larger).

Follow these steps to install the hard disks:

1. Set the jumpers on each hard disk as Master/Slave as required.

2. Install the hard disks into your computer’s drive bays.

3. Connect the HDD cables. You can connect two Parallel ATA HDDs to the PRI_RAID1 connector or connect Serial ATA HDDs to the SATA_RAID connectors.

4. Connect a power cable to each drive.

5. Boot the system and enter the BIOS Setup Utility.

6. Go to the Advanced menu, then Onboard Devices Configuration, and ensure the OnBoard Promise Controller is set to [Enabled] and the Operating Mode is set to [RAID].

7. Save your changes and exit the BIOS.

8. You are now ready to enter the FastBuild™ utility to configure the array.

To create a RAID 0 (striping) array for increased performance on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE, follow these steps after installing the hard drives and enabling the RAID controller in the BIOS:

1. During the boot process, press <Ctrl-F> when prompted to enter the MBFastBuild™ utility.

2. In the FastBuild™ utility main menu, press “1” to select Auto Setup.

3. In the Auto Setup Configuration screen, use the arrow keys to navigate to the Optimize Array for field.

4. Press the space bar to select “Performance”. The Mode field will display “Stripe”.

5. Press <Ctrl-Y> to save the configuration and create the RAID 0 array.

6. Press any key to reboot the system. During the next boot, the BIOS will display the new disk array information.

7. After the array is created, you must use a utility like FDISK to format the array as a single hard drive.

8. Once formatted, you can install an operating system. The OS will see the RAID 0 array as a single drive unit.

9. Install the RAID driver from the motherboard support CD. Depending on your OS, you may need to install this during or after the OS installation.

To create a RAID 1 (mirroring) array for data protection on your ASUS P4C800 DELUXE, follow these steps after installing the drives and enabling the RAID controller in the BIOS.

Creating a RAID 1 Array with New Drives:

1. During boot, press <Ctrl-F> to enter the MBFastBuild™ utility.

2. Press “1” to select Auto Setup.

3. Use the arrow keys to highlight the Optimize Array for field and press the space bar to select “Security”. The Mode field will display “Mirror”.

4. Press <Ctrl-Y> to save your selection. A message will appear: “Do you want the disk image to be duplicated to another? (Yes/No)”.

5. Press N for the Create Only option (since the drives are new and empty). A confirmation message will appear.

6. Press any key to reboot. The array is now created and ready for OS installation.

Creating a RAID 1 Array with an Existing Data Drive:

WARNING: This process will copy all data from the source drive to the target drive, erasing any data on the target drive. Back up all important data before proceeding.

1. Follow steps 1-4 above.

2. At the “Do you want the disk image to be duplicated?” prompt, press Y for the Create and Duplicate option.

3. A new window will prompt you to select the source drive (the one with your data). Use the arrow keys to select it.

4. Press <Ctrl-Y> to save the selection and start the duplication process. A confirmation message will appear.

5. Press Y to continue. The utility will copy all data from the source drive to the target drive.

6. When the duplication is complete, a message will confirm the array creation. Press any key to reboot.

If one of the hard disks in your RAID 1 array fails, you can restore the array and system data by rebuilding it. Follow these steps:

1. On boot-up, an error message will notify you of a system failure. The array status will show as “Critical”.

2. Press <Ctrl-F> to enter the FastBuild™ Main Menu.

3. Select option <3> for View Array to verify the ID of the defunct hard disk.

4. Power off the system and replace the failed hard disk with a new, identical model.

5. Reboot the system and enter the FastBuild™ Main Menu again.

6. Select option <5> for Rebuild Array. The malfunctioning array will be highlighted.

7. Press Enter to select it. A screen will prompt you to select the replacement drive.

8. Select the new drive and press <Enter>.

9. Confirm the command to copy data from the intact source hard disk to the new replacement hard disk. A progress gauge will display the status of the rebuild.

10. After the rebuild process is complete, you will be prompted to reboot the system. The RAID 1 array is now restored.