After publishing a series of materials on overclocking computer components, we began to receive questions from readers revealing ignorance of basic things related to setting up the BIOS motherboards. We mentioned that you should approach overclocking already having initial theoretical knowledge in this area. However, apparently, many PC users are interested in getting a free performance boost (and more).

This material is intended to help beginners navigate the issues basic settings systems.

The article will discuss fairly simple concepts related to working with the configuration of motherboard firmware. To begin with, let's decipher the abbreviation BIOS - Basic Input/Output System (basic input/output system). This is a kind of software recorded in a chip with non-volatile memory, which allows you to initialize PC components and configure their operating modes. The BIOS contains the microcode needed to control the keyboard, video card, drives, ports, and other devices. For the average user, BIOS is identified with a visual shell that allows you to change computer settings if necessary.

We also note that the answers to most of the questions raised in this material can be found in the motherboard manuals. Alas, few users who want to know everything at once pay attention to the brochures supplied with these products. Sometimes the manuals are quite sparse, but nothing prevents you from familiarizing yourself with those devoted to other lines of boards from the same (or another) manufacturer - the basic BIOS options are standard, and what is applicable to one firmware is often suitable when working with another. The mastery of this material is facilitated by knowledge in English- a banal translation of terms will help you navigate the search for the necessary parameters.

What types of BIOS are there?

The differences in firmware come down not only to the abundance of settings and adjustment ranges of individual parameters. First of all, this is the microcode of a certain developer, which ultimately determines the visual shell. For example, the BIOS of ASUS motherboards is based on code from AMI (menu with blue symbols on a gray background), most manufacturers use Award/Phoenix (blue background, yellow letters). Recently, extensible firmware interfaces EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) have become widespread, distinguished by their extraordinary graphical interface. They allow navigation using not only the keyboard, but also the mouse, and menu items have become even more intuitive.

How to get into BIOS

In order to enter the BIOS, it is necessary during the initialization of PC devices (passing POST procedures) press the corresponding button on the keyboard. If the motherboard firmware is based on microcode from AMI, it will be F2, Award - Del. In order to get into the BIOS of some laptops, you will need to activate the F8 key. However, even if you don’t know what microcode the board’s firmware is based on, during the device initialization process, a hint message will definitely appear on the screen (for example, Press F2 to Enter Setup - “Press F2 to get to the settings section”). If the monitor does not light up in time, after turning on the PC, regularly and often press the required button or, if you are not sure which one, try Del, then F2.

Selecting and changing firmware settings

BIOS settings are controlled exclusively from the keyboard. To move the cursor, use the arrow block (Up, Down, Right, Left). To change the desired parameter, highlight it with the cursor, press Enter and select one of the available modes. If the board's BIOS is based on microcode from AMI, you will have to use the “+” and “-” buttons for the same purposes. Setting certain values can be done directly from the numeric keypad (for example, if you need to change the system bus frequency from 266 to 320 MHz, hover the cursor over the appropriate position, enter 3, 2, 0, then Enter). To go up one menu level, press the Esc key, exit the BIOS - perform a similar operation in the root directory. Often it also contains explanations of options for managing firmware settings. When exiting the BIOS using the Esc key (without saving the settings) or F10 (with saving the settings), a window will definitely appear asking Do you want to exit/save the settings? To confirm, press the Y (Yes) button, to cancel - N (No).

BIOS Basics in Pictures

The system is undergoing initialization procedure (POST). To get into the BIOS, at the moment you need to press the Del key (this is indicated by the inscription in the lower left part of the screen)

The main BIOS menu of one of the motherboards manufactured by Gigabyte. Below are brief tips - descriptions of the purpose of individual keys

The section devoted to fine-tuning the operating modes of the main system components (processor, RAM) can be called differently. In this case it is MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.)

Standard CMOS Features- a menu item available in the BIOS of any board. Allows you to set the date and time, as well as view a list of FDD, IDE and SATA devices connected to the system

Advanced BIOS Features, or Options, is one of the most important sections related to system configuration. In our case, it is possible to control boot priority, individual CPU technologies and the visual design of the splash screen

In chapter Integrated Peripherals implemented on motherboard function blocks (LAN card, audio codec, IEEE 1394, USB ports, IDE and SATA controllers), their operating modes are set

Power Management Setup- control computer power, turn on/off without using a button Power system unit

In subcategory PnP/PCI Configurations has nothing interesting for the average user. System addressing settings are hidden there

System monitoring section - PC Health Status. Allows you to monitor the operating temperature of PC components, main supply voltages, and control the number of revolutions of system fans

In this BIOS, control of parameters important for overclocking a PC is concentrated in one section. Things may be different with the settings of boards using firmware from AMI - similar options are sometimes located in different subcategories of the main menu

BIOS updates - is it worth doing?

By the time a certain motherboard model is announced, manufacturers do not always have time to develop optimal firmware for it. Therefore, over time they are released BIOS updates, available for downloading from the official websites of manufacturers. A list of improvements that a particular firmware version has is often given in the description. Should you constantly update your motherboard BIOS? If the PC works well, and overclocking the components is not limited to the board, then there is no need to do this. The firmware should be changed only if there are significant changes in certain parameters, expansion of functionality, and sometimes the introduction of support for new processor models.

Information on how to update the firmware is also available on the manufacturers' websites. Owners of modern products do this directly from within the OS, using specialized utilities. To update the firmware of older boards, you need to get a disk drive. When upgrading the BIOS, be extremely careful - a power failure, pressing the Reset button prematurely before the operation is completed - and the motherboard will have to be sent to a service center. There may be freezes caused by defects in utilities from manufacturers. So don’t overdo it in the pursuit of each new BIOS version, because good is not a good thing.

After changing the settings, the computer does not boot. What to do?

A typical situation that accompanies the activity of overclockers is the inability to boot a PC after setting incorrect parameters in the BIOS. Many modern motherboards implement reset technologies in such cases. However, they do not always work, and not all boards are equipped with them. But this is not a reason to get upset, panic and say that the computer is broken. Any motherboard has a special jumper to force all settings to be reset to Default mode, which is often designated as CLR_CMOS (or Clear CMOS). Its location must be indicated in the board's instruction manual. The jumper can take the form of a special button located on the rear panel (a similar solution is found on top ASUSTeK boards), or it can be soldered in the area where the battery is located. If it has three contacts, two of which are closed by a jumper (a similar circuit is used in most products), you need to move the jumper from one position to another for a few seconds while the computer is turned off (say, 1-2 → 2-3) and back. Sometimes a jumper has only two pins (common on Gigabyte boards), then they must be connected with a conductive object (for example, a screwdriver).

If after resetting the system goes through the POST initialization procedure, but does not boot into the OS, make sure that the hard drive is displayed in the BIOS and is listed as the first number among the available boot devices. When using an HDD with an IDE connector on modern motherboards, you will probably have to configure the operating mode of the external controller (Configure SATA Interface as IDE). After carrying out the described manipulations, the system should boot successfully, except in cases where the OS fails (such complications are possible, especially when playing for a long time with memory timing settings, but they occur extremely rarely).

Basic BIOS sections - where to look for what

It is absolutely not necessary for a novice user to thoroughly study every item of the firmware in order to configure the system. Therefore, we will briefly talk about the main features available in the BIOS of all boards.

From the basic sections we highlight Standard CMOS Features, Advanced BIOS Features And Integrated Peripherals. The first of them displays the current date and time, the amount of RAM, and displays a list of IDE- and SATA-compatible system devices. You can also change the clock settings through the OS, so the value of this section lies in the initial diagnostics of the PC: here it is monitored which drives and hard drives are connected and determined at the hardware level, and which are not. In Advanced BIOS Features (or the Boot menu, if the firmware is based on code from AMI) the boot sequence priority is set. There are cases when the operating system on the HDD is not initialized only because the FDD containing the floppy disk or the CD-ROM with the boot disk is selected first in the list of devices. Until you remove the media, don't expect to see the OS. Immediately install the hard drive first - you will never go wrong. The Integrated Peripherals section is interesting because it allows you to disable controllers soldered on the motherboard, thus managing the functionality of the PC. If there is no sound in your system when the speakers are connected correctly, check whether the audio codec is activated (the submenu value should be Enabled or Auto). The situation is similar with the network controller, IEEE 1394, etc. Pay attention to the paragraphs dedicated to USB. Be sure to activate the appropriate controller and enable USB keyboard and mouse support. Depending on the positioning of the motherboard and its features, the Advanced BIOS Features and Integrated Peripherals sections may contain different system settings. You should pay attention to a brief study of the settings proposed in them.

Of the sections available in the BIOS of most boards, we will also highlight the sections for system monitoring (PC Health Status), power management (Power Management Setup) and configuring data bus addresses (PnP/PCI Configurations). The last two are of no interest to most. The most valuable thing for the average user is the monitoring section, which displays the temperatures of the main PC components (CPU, chipset) and current voltages, issued by the power supply, and it is also possible to control the fan speed. However, you should not trust these sensors unconditionally - their readings can be inaccurate.

Settings that determine the performance of the PC and the operating modes of the main components are located in one or more adjacent subsections of the BIOS. It is possible that they may not be there at all - don’t expect to find them on a cheap motherboard for office computer options for seriously increasing supply voltages, setting RAM timings, and controlling CPU parameters. We talked about the relevant points in more detail in the materials devoted to overclocking a PC, so we won’t dwell on them now.

Most of the parameters that can be changed through the BIOS can be installed directly in the OS using specialized utilities. However, this method is often inconvenient - every time you boot the computer you need to launch additional software and activate certain settings. When you reinstall the system, they will be lost. Therefore, if you want to be on friendly terms with your computer, you will have to study the motherboard BIOS.

Afterword

Perhaps this material does not describe all the nuances of working with the BIOS that beginners would like to know. However, do not be upset if you have not found the answer to your question - first of all, remember where the instruction manual for the motherboard is located, and carefully study the section on firmware. If there is no brochure or the description is too sparse, you can download an extended version from the official website of the motherboard manufacturer for a specific product, or simply find a good manual from a third-party manufacturer. It is likely that the settings mentioned there will be largely similar. If you are not sure, ask again on specialized forums of thematic resources, although we do not see anything wrong with studying the BIOS on your own by trial and error. The “magic” CLR_CMOS jumper for resetting settings is available on any board, and it is almost impossible to damage any component without radically changing the power parameters (for example, increasing the voltage on the processor by 80% of the nominal value).

If, after carefully examining the BIOS of the motherboard installed in your PC, it suddenly turns out that certain settings are missing, do not be upset. On Gigabyte products, to activate the section responsible for fine-tuning the memory subsystem and CPU operating mode, after entering the BIOS you need to press the key combination Ctrl+F1. In other cases, it is quite possible that some options really are not there. A similar situation is typical for budget motherboards. In their firmware, sections on fine tuning and power management of PC components are either very scarce or completely absent. However, it is likely that the required parameters can be changed from under the operating system using specialized utilities.

A few words must be said about the new interface - EFI - which will replace the classic BIOS. Undoubtedly, a pleasant graphical shell will appeal to some users, but the convenience of its implementation should be judged only by testing the corresponding products. In the meantime, experienced overclockers are quite satisfied with the available capabilities, in which full customization The motherboard BIOS to optimize the parameters of all components and overclock the PC takes from several tens of seconds to a minute. Too fast? Not at all. Learn the basics of working with firmware configuration, expand your own knowledge, and it is possible that over time you yourself will become specialists in this field.

BIOS - DESCRIPTION, INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION, OPTIONS

In our age of computer technology, a computer has no longer become a luxury, but an ordinary household item. Someone buys a computer for games, someone for study, someone for work...It doesn’t matter for what purpose you purchased the computer! Another thing is important, if you have it, then sooner or later you will have to reinstall it! This monster is designed in such a way that no matter how you handle it (installing few programs and uninstalling them, or vice versa), when using a computer, this result is inevitable. It’s just that some people have to do this operation earlier and more often, while others have to do it less often.So imagine that the day will come when your computer will need to be reinstalled.Of course, you can call a specialist (fortunately there are no problems with this now) and pay N amount of money.Or seriously save money and do everything yourself. But to do this, you need to study the BIOS of your computer a little. This is why this article was written.

BIOS: BRIEF EDUCATION OR STARTING STUDYING THE STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE OF BIOS

BIOS (basic input/output system) is a device stored in the computer's permanent memory. software, the main task of which is to carry out the initial initialization (loading) of all computer components (POST - Power-On Self Test) and, depending on the results obtained, loading the appropriate configuration. Initially, the main task of the BIOS was to handle the I/O operations necessary to control the keyboard, video card, disks, ports and other devices, but with the advent of new operating systems these functions have become less in demand.In addition, using the interface in the BIOS, the user can override some system configuration parameters, allowing you to disable equipment, enable technologies, change the voltage and frequency of the main components, thus changing the performance of the system.Without knowing the specific purpose of the BIOS items, I do not recommend reconfiguring the BIOS as this can lead to a complete system failure and the system will not start up.

HOW TO ENTER BIOS?

In order to enter the BIOS, you need to press a certain key when you turn on the computer, but before the operating system starts loading.
Depending on the BIOS, this can be the Del, F9, F1 or F2 key (most often it is the Del key, the remaining keys are mainly used to enter the BIOS on laptops) usually the system itself gives you a hint, although sometimes it is hidden by the logo or “slips through” very quickly. (be careful when starting the computer and try to read everything that is written on the monitor at that moment). It looks something like this. We need a string. which is the penultimate one from the bottom. (the rest doesn't matter to you right now)

Once the BIOS menu opens, it may look different depending on your BIOS.

Or so

You need to decide exactly what actions and settings you want to do in the BIOS! Under no circumstances should you touch or press anything unnecessary or something that you couldn’t figure out yourself. (in other words, to put it simply, a furry animal, popularly called the Scribe, will come for your BIOS).You navigate through your BIOS menu using the arrow keys (up, down, right and left). The mouse does not work in the BIOS. You may also need the plus and minus keys, Enter, and the key to return to the top menu from the submenu is the Esc key - exit.After the end of the BIOS settings, in order to save the changed configuration, you need to exit “saving the settings” (usually the Save & Exit Setup item) or press F10 and confirm your confidence in the correctness of your actions by pressing the key and selecting the OK or Y button and then pressing Enter (this depends on the version of your BIOS).

BASIC CONCEPTS AND BIOS OPTIONS

They may differ slightly in different BIOSes.
1st Boot Device- first boot device [xxx Drive] - the device specified in this line will be the first from which the BIOS will try to boot operating system.
2nd Boot Device- second boot device [xxx Drive] - the device specified in this line will be the second one from which the BIOS will try to load the operating system.
3rd Boot Device- third boot device [xxx Drive]
— the device specified in this line will be the third from which the BIOS will try to load the operating system.
3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 1 Voltage - displays the voltage on the +3.3 V, +5 +12 V power lines in the monitoring section.
C1E Support - Technology C - controls the “C1E Support” technology, which allows you to turn off (adjust) the processor unit during system inactivity in order to reduce its power consumption.
The Enablet option enables the technology.
Chasis Fan Ratio— Determination of the minimum rotation speed of case fans — In the “Chasis Fan Ratio” setting, the minimum rotation speed of case fans is determined in percentage, the value of which, when regulated by the Chasis Q-fan Control rotation speed control function, will correspond to the minimum processor temperature specified in the “Chassis” setting Target Temperature". Almost the minimum speed of case fans is determined by the value of the minimum supply voltage of the fans installed in the case and is calculated taking into account the fact that with a supply voltage of 12 V the speed reaches 100%.
Controller Mode— Selecting the operating mode of the SATA controller. In the “Controller Mode” setting you can determine the operating mode of the additional controller. The RAID option will allow you to create SATA RAID arrays, the IDE option will set the controller to emulate IDE devices. The AHCI option configures SATA ports to work using the AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) protocol, which implements hard drive optimization functions such as NCQ (Native Command Queuing), Hot Swap, Port Multiplier, Staggered Spin-Up.
CPU Host Frequency(MHz) — Processor reference frequency synonyms: CPU FSB Clock, FSB Frequency, External Clock. Manual installation reference clock frequency (or system bus frequency), with which the clock frequencies of other system components are synchronized using multipliers and dividers. During normal operation, the PC is most often in the Auto position. The CPU Host Frequency value changes only when overclocking the processor and/or other components. But it should be remembered that an increase in operating frequencies for microcircuits leads to an increase in their power consumption, and, as a result, heat generation - without good cooling overclocking is extremely dangerous.
North Bridge Voltage— Voltage on the north bridge..., The “North Bridge Voltage” setting determines the supply voltage of the north bridge. At the same time, the higher the voltage, the more the microcircuit will heat up - this circumstance should be taken into account so as not to “burn” the motherboard. Increasing the supply voltage on the North Bridge is most often required during overclocking to ensure stable operation at high frequencies, and in normal mode It's best to leave it in the Auto position. (To be honest, I don’t recommend overclocking in any case)
System Date— The system date consists of information about the year, month, day and even day of the week. It is easier to set the date, like the time, through the operating system, but it is also possible from the BIOS.
System Time[xx:xx:xx] - System time. This setting Allows you to set the hours, minutes and seconds of the system time. Although, this setting is easier to perform in the operating system itself. It must be said that the system clock operates and stores current readings using the battery supply voltage on the motherboard. (therefore, the easiest way to return the BIOS settings to a working state, that is, factory settings, if you have configured something incorrectly yourself, is to simply remove the battery on the motherboard from the socket for a while).
USB 2.0 Controller— USB 2.0 controller,
The Disabled option excludes USB bus support for the USB 2.0 protocol, leaving only the slower USB 1.1 mode active.
USB 2.0 Controller Mode— USB bus speed mode. The “USB 2.0 Controller Mode” setting switches the speed modes of USB buses. The Full-Speed mode corresponds to a speed of 0.5-12 Mbit/s, and the Hi-Speed mode corresponds to a speed of 25-480 Mbit/s.
USB Functions— USB functions. The Disabled option will disable USB buses. Disabling the USB buses will free up the hardware IRQ lines that were allocated to USB.
VGA Core Clock— embedded video frequency. Acceleration (overclocking) function of the built-in video card, which operates in the mode of manually setting the clock frequency or its relative increase by [+1%]... [+50%]. Typically, overclocking a built-in video card does not bring noticeable acceleration, but is a reason for increasing the heating of the chipset.
Wireless LAN- wireless network, Option Disabled disables the module wireless network LAN, which is installed on the motherboard (ASUS).
PnP/PCI BIOS(PnP/PCI Configurations). This area of the BIOS exists primarily to resolve compatibility issues with older hardware. Most users do not need

And finally, briefly about overclocking (although I am not a supporter of this method, one might even say I’m an opponent, since there are facts of dire consequences for the computer.

If problems still arise in the operation of the hardware, the BIOS signals them with special signals. About decoding these read here.

OVERCLOCKING OPTIONS IN ADVANCED BIOS SETTINGS

Some users, trying to increase system performance, often increase the bus and processor core frequencies. In addition, they often increase the voltage of the components, since this can achieve higher clock speeds, but also generates more heat. Overclocking no longer results in the kind of performance difference we might have seen a few years ago. In addition, overclocking voids the user's warranty, can lead to component failure, and the system may become unstable. For this reason, most frequency and voltage settings in this section of the BIOS should be left at "AUTO". If you want to adjust the settings, click on the “Advanced” tab BIOS screen, then select the “Advanced Chipset Features” section. Remember that incorrect installation BIOS settings may lead to unstable PC operation. If this does happen, then you will have to reset the BIOS settings to the factory default (that is, to non-optimized ones). This is usually done using a jumper on the motherboard (it’s easier to remove the battery from the motherboard for a while than to look for it than to find a place where the jumper is installed for a short time, of course, without turning on the computer to the network.

Material provided by A. Kulibin

For BIOS questions, please contact:

Description of Award Setup BIOS settings

This material describes almost all parameters that can be set in the Setup BIOS program from AWARD Software International Inc. A specific motherboard may not have some of the described parameters. The same parameters may have different names depending on the motherboard manufacturer, so here are several options in some cases.

BIOS FEATURES Setup

Virus Warning

Enabling this parameter disables any writing to the bootloader. hard sector disk without the user's permission. It was introduced to protect against so-called boot viruses that infect the boot sector. It is recommended to always enable this option, but please note that, for example, Windows 95 freezes during installation if Virus Warning is set to Enable (a black square appears on the screen).

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Boot Virus Detection

The meaning of this parameter is very different from Virus Warning. The idea is as follows - if this parameter is disabled, then before loading the operating system BIOS systems writes the boot sector to flash memory and stores it there. After setting the parameter to Enabled, the BIOS will not boot the system from the hard drive if the contents of the boot sector differ from those stored in memory. Further, at the user's discretion, it is possible to either boot the system from a hard drive or from a floppy disk.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

CPU Internal Cache/External Cache

Enable/disable the internal or external processor cache. You should disable any type of cache memory only if it is necessary to artificially slow down the computer, for example, when installing any old board extensions.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

CPU Level 1 Cache/CPU Level_2 Cache

The first level cache and the second level processor cache are enabled/disabled for Pentium Pro architecture processors (Pentium II, Deshutes, etc.). You should disable cache memory only if it is necessary to artificially slow down the computer, for example, when installing an old expansion card.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

CPU Level 2 Cache ECC Check (Enable ECC for processor level 2 cache)

The parameter can only be present for boards with Pentium II architecture processors. It only makes sense to allow it if installed processor The Pentium II class has a second-level cache with ECC control capability.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

BIOS Update

Enabling this parameter allows you to update the BIOS microcode. In this case, new menu items may appear, with the help of which it is possible to more precisely configure the system for individual cases (for example, cases of incompatibility).

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

CPU Fast String (Fast string operations)

Enabling this parameter allows you to use some specific features of the Pentium Pro family architecture (Pentium II, Deshutes, etc.), in particular, the ability to cache string operations. You just need to understand that the program itself must meet the conditions to enable this mechanism. These conditions are specified in the documentation for any processor of this family. It is recommended to leave the parameter in the "Allowed" state.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Deturbo Mode

When this parameter is enabled, the FLUSH# signal becomes active and no data is then cached by the processor in its internal cache (first-level cache) by Pentium Pro architecture processors (Pentium II, Deshutes, etc.). Allowing this setting should only be used when you need to deliberately slow down your computer.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Quick Power On Self Test

Enabling this parameter leads to a significant reduction in the time for initial testing of the computer by the BIOS, especially with significant amounts of RAM. You should only take into account that the memory, for example, in this case is not tested, but only its size is checked.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Boot Sequence

The parameter sets the sequence of polling devices from which the operating system can be loaded. These devices are designated either by letters for physical hard drives and regular floppy drives, or by the name of the device - CD-ROM for CD-ROM drives, LS for 120 MB a:drives, or ZIP for 100 MB ZIP IDE drives.

For modern versions, possible values might look like this:

C only
CD-ROM, C
LS/ZIP, C
etc.

Swap Floppy Drive

If enabled, then drives A and B seem to swap places. It makes sense only if there are 2 disk drives in the computer.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Boot Up Floppy Seek (Search for a boot drive after turning on the computer)

If this parameter is enabled, then the BIOS contacts each drive to recognize its format (40_or 80 tracks it supports). Since 40-track drives have not been available since 1993, you should not enable this option as the BIOS will spend a few seconds figuring out the drive format each time.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Boot Up NumLock Status (Turning on the numeric keypad when you turn on the computer)

Enabling this parameter enables the NumLock indicator and the numeric keypad generates digit and sign codes, otherwise arrow, Ins, Del, etc. codes are generated.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Typematic Rate Setting

Allows or disables setting the speed at which the keyboard repeats character input when a key is pressed.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

The parameter has an effect only if Typematic Rate Setting is enabled.

The repetition frequency has a number of fixed values, which this parameter can take:

Typematic Delay (Msec)

Sets the delay value from the moment a key is pressed until the keyboard starts repeating a character. Only takes effect if Typematic Rate Setting is enabled.

The value can be selected from the range:

PS/2 Mouse Function Control

Enabling this setting gives IRQ12 for the PS/2 mouse port only. Otherwise, if there is no PS/2 mouse connected to the computer, IRQ12 is free for other devices. It is recommended to set it to Auto.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed and IRQ12 occupied
Auto - BIOS detects the presence or absence of a PS/2 mouse

OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64MB (Select a value for OS/2 if there is more memory than 64 Mb)

Requires permission if two conditions are met: the computer has more than 64 MB of memory installed and OS/2 is used as the operating system.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop (Adjusting the palette of a VGA video card on PCI)

This option should only be enabled if the colors on the screen are not displayed correctly. As a rule, this effect can occur when using non-standard devices such as MPEG cards, 3D accelerators and other similar devices.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Video ROM BIOS Shadow (Video BIOS to memory)

Enabling this option causes the BIOS video to be transferred from the ROM (read-only memory) on the video card to the computer's main memory, which significantly speeds up working with the BIOS video (this is necessary and visible in DOS). The acceleration is explained both by the fact that accessing ROM is much slower than accessing RAM, and by the fact that accessing ROM is on an 8-bit grid, and accessing RAM is on a 32-bit or 64-bit grid.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Floppy Disk Access Control (R/W)

Enabling this option allows information to be written to the floppy disk, otherwise the floppy disk can be read. This parameter should be used to protect against unauthorized copying from your computer.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

CHIPSET FEATURES Setup

AUTO Configuration

Has 3 meanings:

60 ns - sets access parameters for DRAM with speed 60 ns
70 ns - the same for memory with a speed of 70 ns
Disabled - allows you to set any possible parameters for accessing DRAM memory

DRAM RAS# Precharge Time

This function allows you to determine the number of system bus clock cycles for generating the RAS signal. Decreasing this value increases performance, but reducing it too much for a particular memory may result in data loss.

Takes values:

DRAM R/W Leadoff Timing

Defines the number of clock cycles on the bus before any DRAM operations are performed.

8/7 - eight bars for reading and seven bars for writing
7/5 - seven bars for reading and five bars for writing

DRAM RAS to CAS Delay

During memory access, column and row accesses are performed separately from each other. This parameter determines the state of one signal from another. Decreasing the value increases performance.

The parameter can take the following values:

3 - three delay cycles
2 - two delay cycles.

DRAM Read Burst Timing

A read and write request is generated by the processor in four separate phases. In the first phase, access to a specific memory area is initiated, and in the remaining phases, the data is actually read. Reducing the total number of clock cycles increases performance.

The parameter can take the following values:

x2222 - two delay cycles
x3333 - three delay cycles
x4444 - four latency cycles.

Speculative Leadoff

Enabling this parameter allows a read signal to be issued slightly earlier than the address is decoded. This technique reduces the overall time spent on a read operation. In other words, the processor will initiate a read signal at the same time it generates the address where the required data is located. The read signal is sensed by the DRAM controller and, if Speculative Leadoff is enabled, the controller will issue a read signal before the address is decoded.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Turn-Around Insertion

If this parameter is enabled (Enabled), then one additional clock cycle is included between two consecutive memory access cycles. Resolution reduces performance, but increases reliability during read/write operations.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Data Integrity (PAR/ECC)

Enables/disables memory monitoring for errors. The type of control is set by the DRAM ECC/PARITY Select parameter. To activate this option, memory modules that support this function are required.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

DRAM ECC/PARITY Select

The parameter appears only for the 430HX set (for example, in the ASUSTeK P/I-P55T2P4 motherboard) or 440FX/LX and only if memory modules with true parity are installed. In some BIOS versions, this parameter can only set the type of check, and the permission to check is set by the Data Integrity (PAR/ECC) parameter. Such strips are often called 36-bit.

Can take values:

Parity - if an error occurs, a memory parity error message is displayed on the monitor and the computer stops working
ECC - (Error Control Correction) if a single error occurs, it is corrected and work continues. If there is more than a single error, the computer also stops working. You just have to take into account that, according to Intel, the speed of exchange with memory when this mode is enabled decreases by approximately 3%.

Fast RAS# to CAS# Delay

During memory regeneration, rows and columns are addressed separately, so this parameter sets the interval between the RAS and CAS signals.

SDRAM Configuration

The parameter determines whether the BIOS program itself should determine the timing of memory access based on information from the SPD block or allow the user to do this.

Can take values:

By SPD - access parameters are set according to SPD
7 ns (143 Mhz) - access parameters are set by the BIOS as for memory with an access time of 7 ns and a bus frequency of 143 MHz
8 ns (125 Mhz) - access parameters are set by the BIOS as for memory with an access time of 8 ns and a bus frequency of 125 MHz
Disabled - set by user

SDRAM RAS Precharge Time

The parameter allows you to determine fast or slow charge accumulation by RAS before the start of the memory regeneration cycle. Setting the value to Fast increases performance, but Slow increases the stability of the computer, so the value to Fast should be set if you are confident in the quality of the memory.

Can take values:

Fast - quickly
Slow - slowly

SDRAM (CAS Lat/RAS-to-CAS)

This parameter allows you to choose between the duration of the CAS signal and the delay between the RAS and CAS signals. The value of this parameter depends on the characteristics of the SDRAM used in the motherboard and the speed of the processor. Therefore, you should change this parameter extremely carefully.

Can take values:

SDRAM CAS to RAS Delay

The parameter determines the delay value after the RAS signal is issued until the CAS signal appears for synchronous memory. The lower this value, the faster the memory access. However, it should be changed carefully.

The parameter can take the following values:

3 - three delay cycles
2 - two delay cycles

SDRAM CAS# Latency

Sets the CAS delay value for SDRAM. A lower value improves system performance. It is recommended to set this value lower for SDRAM running at 10 ns or better.

Can take values:

SDRAM Banks Close Policy

The parameter was introduced for boards with the 440LX set due to the fact that memory with a 2-bank organization does not work correctly in these boards if the memory bank access parameters are set to default. This was not required in the 430TX set, since the access rules for different memories were the same. Change BIOS installation The default for this option is to only use if the memory is unstable.

Can take values:

Page Miss - used for dual bank memory
Arbitration - for memory from 4 banks.

DRAM Idle Timer

This parameter sets the time (in ticks) until all open pages memory. Affects both EDO and SDRAM memory.

Can take values:

Snoop Ahead (Prediction)

Enabling this parameter allows data to be streamed between PCI and memory, predicting what data will be needed next and thereby speeding up data transfer.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Host Bus Fast Data Ready

Enabling this parameter will allow data to be removed from the bus at the same time as it is sampled. Otherwise, the data will be held on the bus for one additional clock cycle.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Refresh RAS# Assertion

This parameter sets the number of ticks (i.e. RAS duration) for the regeneration cycle. The accepted values are determined by the quality of the memory and the chipset. A lower value improves performance.

MA Wait State

The parameter allows you to set or remove an additional wait cycle before starting memory reading. For EDO memory, one clock cycle is always present by default, and setting the value to Slow adds another wait clock cycle. For SDRAM there is no sleep cycle by default and setting Slow introduces one clock cycle.

Can take values:

Slow - one bar is added;
Fast - no additional wait cycle.

SDRAM Speculative Read

Enabling this parameter allows a read signal to be issued slightly earlier than the address is decoded. This technique reduces the overall time spent on a read operation. In other words, the processor will initiate a read signal at the same time it generates the address where the required data is located. The read signal is sensed by the DRAM controller and, if the SDRAM Speculative Read option is enabled, the controller will issue a read signal before the address is decoded.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

System BIOS Casheable

Enabling this parameter makes it possible to cache the memory region at system BIOS addresses F0000H through FFFFFH into cache memory. The setting will only be used if cache memory is enabled in the BIOS Features Setup section. If any program tries to write to these addresses, the system will display an error message.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Video BIOS Cacheable (Caching the BIOS area of the video card)

Enabling this parameter makes it possible to cache a memory area at video card BIOS addresses from C0000H to C7FFFH into cache memory. The setting will only be used if cache memory is enabled in the BIOS Features Setup section. If any program tries to write to these addresses, the system will display an error message.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Video Memory Cache Mode

The parameter is valid only for Pentium Pro architecture processors (Pentium II, Deshutes, etc.). The Pentium Pro processor had the ability to change the cache mode depending on a specific memory area through special internal registers called Memory Type Range Registers - MTRR. Using these registers, the UC (uncached), WC (write combining), WP (write protect), WT (write through) and WB (write protection) modes can be set for a specific memory area. write back - write back). Setting the USWC (uncached, speculative write combining) mode allows you to significantly speed up data output via the PCI bus to the video card (up to 90 MB/s instead of 8 MB/s). Please note that the video card must support access to its memory in the range from A0000 - BFFFF (128 kB) and have a linear frame buffer. Therefore, it is better to set the USWC mode, but in case of any problems (the system may not boot), set the default value to UC.

Can take values:

UC (uncached) - not cached
USWC (uncached, speculative write combining) - do not cache, combined write mode

Graphics Aperture Size

This parameter specifies the maximum size of the memory area for use by a video card with an AGP interface. The default value set at power-up or reset is 4 MB. After initialization, the BIOS takes the value selected by the motherboard manufacturer (usually 64 MB).

Allowed range of graphic aperture values:

16 MB
32 MB
64 MB
128 MB
256 MB

PCI 2.1 Support

When enabled, PCI bus specification 2.1 capabilities are supported. Specification 2.1 has two main differences from 2.0 - maximum clock frequency The bus is increased to 66 MHz and a PCI-PCI bridge mechanism is introduced, which makes it possible to remove the limitation of specification 2.0, according to which no more than 4 devices can be installed on the bus. It makes sense to disable this parameter only if problems arise after installing a PCI card (as a rule, they arise only with fairly old cards).

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

8 Bit I/O Recovery Time (Recovery time for 8-bit devices)

The parameter is measured in processor cycles and determines what delay the system will set after issuing a request to read/write a device (or, as is customary with Intel, a port) I/O. This delay is necessary because the read/write cycle for I/O devices is significantly longer than for memory. In addition, 8-bit I/O devices themselves are generally slower than 16-bit I/O devices. The default value of this parameter is 1 and should be increased only if any slow 8-bit device is installed in the computer.

Can take values from 1 to 8 cycles.

16 Bit I/O Recovery Time (Recovery time for 16-bit devices)

The parameter is measured in processor cycles and determines what delay the system will set after issuing a request to read/write a device (or, as is customary with Intel, a port) I/O. This delay is necessary because the read/write cycle for I/O devices is significantly longer than for memory. The default value of this parameter is 1 and should be increased only if any slow 16-bit device is installed in the computer.

Can take values from 1 to 4 clock cycles.

Memory Hole At 15M-16M ("Hole" in memory inside the 15th megabyte of memory)

Enabling this parameter allows you to treat I/O devices as memory and thereby increase the speed of access to such devices. For this mechanism to function, it is necessary to exclude for all regular programs the ability to use a specific memory area (15 megabytes), which is what the BIOS does when this parameter is enabled. This parameter should be allowed if it is required in the documentation for the installed system. this computer fee.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Peer Concurrency

This parameter allows or disables the simultaneous operation of multiple devices on the PCI bus.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Chipset Special Features

This parameter enables/disables all new functions added to the HX, VX or TX sets compared to FX.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Passive Release

This parameter enables/disables the mechanism for parallel operation of the ISA and PCI buses. If this option is enabled, then processor access to the PCI bus is allowed during passive partitioning. The need to disable this parameter may arise when using ISA cards that actively use DMA channels.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

PCI Delayed Transaction

The presence of this parameter means that the motherboard has a built-in 32-bit buffer to support the extended PCI transfer cycle. If this parameter is enabled, then access to the PCI bus is allowed while accessing 8-bit devices on the ISA bus. This significantly increases performance, since a cycle of such access on ISA takes 50-60 PCI bus cycles. When installing a card into a computer that does not support the PCI 2.1 specification, this option should be disabled.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Parallel Port Mode (ECP+EPP)

The parameter allows you to set the operating modes of the parallel port. Please note that the transfer speed for some devices can be significantly increased by correct installation operating mode of the printer port, for example, for external storage devices such as Iomega ZIP Drive LPT.

Can take values:

Normal - normal printer interface, also called SPP
ECP - Extended Capability Port
EPP - Extended Printer Port
ECP+EPP - both modes can be used

ECP DMA Select

The parameter appears only when ECP or ECP+EPP mode is enabled in Parallel Port Mode (ECP+EPP). To properly support ECP mode, a DMA channel must be enabled, which can be selected from channels 1 or 3.

Can take values:

1 - channel 1
3 - channel 3
Disabled - DMA is prohibited

There is also an item for selecting the EPP operating mode.

Can take values:

EPP 1.9
EPP 1.7

Onboard PCI IDE Enable

This parameter controls whether each of the two channels of the IDE controller installed on the motherboard is enabled or disabled.

Can take values:

Primary - only the first channel is allowed to operate
Secondary - only the second channel is allowed to work
Both - both channels are allowed to operate
Disable - operation of both channels is prohibited

IDE PIO Mode (Select the operating mode of each drive)

Four options allow you to set the operating modes of each drive individually or allow the BIOS to automatically set the fastest mode for the drive. The valid parameters are the same for each disk. For example, for IDE 0 Master Mode, valid values are: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and AUTO.

The UDMA setting can be set to Auto or Disable.

PnP/PCI Configuration Setup

PNP OS Installed (Is an operating system installed that supports Plug&Play mode?)

Set to Yes if the operating system supports Plug&Play (for example, Windows 95), and No otherwise. If you selected No, the BIOS must configure the Plug&Play devices.

Resources Controlled By

If AUTO is selected, the BIOS itself will automatically assign interrupts and DMA channels to all devices connected to the PCI bus and these parameters will not appear on the screen. Otherwise, all these parameters must be set manually. In some BIOS versions, this parameter can be set individually for each PCI slot and look like this:

Slot 1 IRQ
Slot 2 IRQ
etc.

Reset Configuration Data

It is recommended to set it to Disabled. When installing Enabled BIOS will clear the Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) area, which stores data about the system BIOS configuration, so hardware conflicts are possible for devices “thrown” in this way to the mercy of fate.

IRQ n Assigned to (Interrupt number n is assigned to...)

Each system interrupt can be assigned one of the following device types: Legacy ISA (classic ISA cards) - Regular ISA cards, such as modems or sound cards without Plug&Play support. These cards require interrupt assignments in accordance with their documentation PCI/ISA PnP (PCI bus devices or ISA bus devices with Plug&Play support) - this parameter is set only for devices on the PCI bus or ISA cards with Plug&Play support.

DMA n Assigned to (DMA channel number n is assigned to...)

Each DMA channel of the system can be assigned one of the following device types: Legacy ISA (classic ISA cards) - Regular ISA cards, such as modems or sound cards without Plug&Play support. These cards require DMA channel assignments in accordance with their PCI/ISA PnP documentation (PCI bus devices or Plug&Play ISA bus devices) - this parameter is set only for PCI bus devices or ISA Plug&Play cards.

PCI IRQ Activated by

The parameter can take the following values: Level (level) - the interrupt controller responds only to the signal level Edge (edge) - the interrupt controller responds only to the signal level difference.

PCI IDE IRQ Map to (IDE controller interrupts on PCI are mapped to...)

Allows you to release interrupts occupied by the IDE controller on the PCI bus if it is absent (or disabled) on the motherboard and give them to devices on the ISA bus. The standard interrupts for ISA are IRQ 14 for the first channel and IRQ 15 for the second channel.

Can take values:

PCI IDE IRQ mapping (used for PCI IDE)
PC AT (ISA) (used for ISA)

IRQ n Used By ISA

The parameter coincides with IRQ n Assigned to and can take the following values:

No/ICU (no/configuration utility for ISA) - if set to this value, the BIOS can manage this interrupt at its discretion. For DOS, setting parameters in this case can also be done using the ISA Configuration Utility program from Intel
Yes (yes) - means forced release of the interrupt for any card on the ISA bus that does not support Plug&Play mode. It is recommended to always specify Yes for such cards and the interrupts they require, since otherwise the BIOS may assign an interrupt that is hard-coded by some card on the ISA to another card, which may even cause the computer to stop working normally.

DMA n Used By ISA

The parameter is the same as DMA n Assigned to and can take the following values:

No/ICU (No/ISA Configuration Utility) - If set to this value, the BIOS can manage this DMA channel as it sees fit. For DOS, setting parameters in this case can also be done using the ISA Configuration Utility program from Intel
Yes - Forces the release of a DMA channel for any card on the ISA bus that does not support Plug&Play. It is recommended to always specify Yes for such cards and the DMA channels they require, since otherwise the BIOS may assign a channel that is hardcoded to one card in the ISA to another card, which may even cause the computer to stop working normally.

ISA MEM Block BASE

Some ISA bus cards require access to memory located on the card via certain addresses. Therefore, there was a need for this BIOS parameter.

Can take values:

No/ICU - leaves control of this parameter to the discretion of the BIOS or ICU program
C800, CC00, D000, D400, D800 and DC00 - the address of the memory block is indicated.

In addition, it appears additional parameter ISA MEM Block Size (memory block size), which is needed if there are several such ISA cards and this parameter can take values 8K, 16K, 32K, 64K

Onboard AHA BIOS (Adaptec SCSI controller BIOS)

The parameter allows/prohibits the execution of the built-in BIOS SCSI controller and thereby enables/disables the operation of the built-in SCSI controller.

Can take values:

AUTO (automatically) - Allowed to search for the Adaptec SCSI controller and launch the BIOS for it
Disabled — Set to this value when there is no SCSI card.

ONB AHA BIOS First (Launch Adaptec controller BIOS first)

The parameter allows/prohibits starting the BIOS of the built-in Adaptec controller before starting any other SCSI controller.

Can take values:

Yes - allowed
No - prohibited

ONB SCSI SE Term. (Embedded SCSI Controller Terminators)

The parameter allows/prohibits the connection of load resistors (terminators) on the built-in SCSI controller.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

ONB SCSI LVD Term. (Embedded SCSI LVD Controller Terminators)

The parameter allows/prohibits the connection of load resistors (terminators) on the built-in SCSI LVD controller. Controlling this parameter allows you to increase the length of the SCSI connecting cable up to 25 meters.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

SYMBIOS SCSI BIOS or NCR SCSI BIOS

Permission to search for a SCSI controller based on the NCR 810 chip, used, for example, in the ASUS SC-200 card.

Can take values:

AUTO (automatically) - Allowed to search for a SCSI controller and launch the BIOS for it
Disabled - Set to this value when there is no SCSI card

PCI Latency Timer

Sets the maximum time (in bus clock cycles) that a device on the PCI bus can hold the bus if another device requires access to the bus. The permissible range for changing this parameter is from 0 to 255 in steps of multiples of 8. The value of the parameter should be changed carefully, since it depends on the specific implementation of the motherboard.

USB IRQ (USB Interrupt)

The parameter enables or disables interrupt assignment for the USB bus controller. Because computers often lack interrupts, you should only enable this option if there is a USB device on the system.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Power Management Setup

Power Management

Allows you to either allow the BIOS to reduce the computer's power consumption if it is not being used, or prohibit it.

Can take values:

User Define - when you set this parameter, you can independently set the time for switching to low power mode
Min Saving - when selected, the computer will enter a low power mode after a period of 40 minutes to 2 hours (depending on the specific BIOS of the motherboard)
Max Saving (maximum energy saving) - the computer will go into low power mode 10-30 s after the user stops working with it
Disable - disables power saving mode

Video Off Option (In what mode to turn off the monitor)

Allows you to set at what stage the computer is “falling asleep” to switch the monitor to low power consumption mode.

Can take values:

Susp, Stby -> Off (turns off in Suspend and Standby modes) - the monitor will go into low power mode when either Suspend or Standby mode occurs
All modes -> Off (turn off in all modes) - the monitor will be switched to low power mode in any mode
Always On - The monitor will never go into low power mode
Suspend -> Off (turn off in Suspend mode) - the monitor will go into low power mode when Suspend mode occurs.

Video Off Method

Sets how the monitor enters low power mode.

Can take values:

DPMS OFF - reduces monitor power consumption to a minimum
DPMS Reduce ON - monitor is turned on and can be used
DPMS Standby - monitor in low power mode
DPMS Suspend - monitor in ultra-low power mode
Blank Screen - the screen is blank, but the monitor consumes full power
V/H SYNC + Blank - scan signals are removed - the monitor goes into the lowest power consumption mode.

Suspend Switch

The parameter allows or prohibits switching to suspend mode using the button on system unit. To do this, you need to connect the SMI jumper on the motherboard to the button on the front panel. As a rule, either a special Sleep button or a Turbo button is used for this. Suspend mode is a mode for maximum reduction of computer power consumption.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Doze Speed (CPU frequency in Doze mode)

Determines the clock division factor in Doze mode.

Stby Speed (CPU frequency in Standby mode)

Determines the clock frequency division factor in Standby mode.

HDD Power Down

Sets either the time after which, if unused, the hard drive will be turned off, or prohibits such shutdown at all. The setting has no effect on SCSI drives.

Can take values:

From 1 to 15 minutes
Disabled - prohibited

Doze Mode

Sets the transition time or disables the transition to the first stage of power reduction.

Can take values:

30 Sec, 1 Min, 2 Min, 4 Min, 8 Min, 20 Min, 30 Min, 40 Min, 1 Hour - transition time (Sec - seconds, Min - minutes, Hour - hour)
Disabled - prohibited

Standby Mode

Sets the transition time or prohibits the transition to the second stage of power reduction.

Can take values:

Disabled - prohibited

Suspend Mode

Sets the transition time or prohibits the transition to the third stage of power reduction.

Can take values:

30 Sec, 1 Min, 2 Min, 4 Min, 8 Min, 20 Min, 30 Min, 40 Min, 1 Hour - transition time (Sec - seconds, Min - minutes, Hour - hour)
Disabled - prohibited

PM Events

This section specifies those interrupts from which the computer should “wake up” if accessed to devices that use these interrupts.

IRQ 3 (Wake-up)

Enabling this setting will cause the computer to "wake up" from the modem or mouse connected to COM2.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 4 (Wake-up)

Enabling this setting will cause the computer to "wake up" from the modem or mouse connected to COM1.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 8 (Wake-up)

Enabling this setting will cause the computer to "wake up" from the real time clock. It is recommended to leave it disabled, as some programs may use the alarm function of the computer clock for their own purposes.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 12 (Wake-up)

Enabling this option will cause the computer to "wake up" from a mouse connected to the PS/2 port.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

The next section indicates those devices whose activity should not make the computer go to sleep.

IRQ 3 (COM2)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if a device connected to the COM2 port is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 4 (COM1)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if a device connected to the COM1 port is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 5 (LPT2)

When this parameter is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if a device (usually a printer) connected to the LPT2 port is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 6 (Floppy Disk)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep when the floppy drive is accessed.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 7 (LPT1)

When this parameter is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if a device (usually a printer) connected to the LPT1 port is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 8 (RTC Alarm)

By enabling this setting, the computer does not go to sleep when the RTC (real time clock) is used as a timer. It is recommended to leave it disabled, as some programs may use the alarm function of the computer clock for their own purposes.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 9 (IRQ2 Redir)

When this parameter is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if the device occupying the 9th (2) interrupt is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 10 (Reserved)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if the device occupying interrupt 10 is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 11 (Reserved)

When this parameter is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if the device occupying interrupt 11 is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 12 (PS/2 Mouse)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if the device occupying interrupt 12 (a mouse connected to the PS/2 port) is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 13 (Coprocessor)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep when the coprocessor is in use.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 14 (Hard Disk)

When this parameter is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if the hard drive on the first IDE channel is accessed.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

IRQ 15 (Reserved)

When this setting is enabled, the computer does not go to sleep if the hard drive or CD-ROM on the second IDE channel is being accessed.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Power Up Control

The parameters in this section define the types of power supply control and apply to ATX power supplies and motherboards that can be connected to such a source.

PWR Button< 4 Secs (Кнопка питания нажата менее 4 секунд)

Controls the functions of the Power button on the computer system unit.

Can take values:

Soft Off (software shutdown) - the button works like a regular computer power on/off button, but it allows software shutdown of the computer (for example, when exiting Windows95)
Suspend - When you press the power button for less than 4 seconds, the computer enters the Suspend stage to reduce power consumption
No Function—The Power button becomes a regular power on/off button.

PWR Up On Modem Act

Enabling this option allows you to turn on the computer when making a call to the modem.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Wake On LAN

When this parameter is enabled, the computer turns on based on a signal from local network. This activation is only possible if a network card that supports this mode is installed in the computer.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

AC PWR Loss Restart (Turn on the computer after a power failure)

Enabling this setting allows you to turn on the computer after a power loss. Otherwise, when power is restored, the computer will not turn on and you will need to press the Power button again.

Can take values:

Enabled - allowed
Disabled - prohibited

Automatic Power Up

Using this setting, you can turn on the computer at a specified time every day, or turn on the computer at a specified day and time.

Can take values:

Everyday—When you enter a time, the computer will turn on at the designated time every day. The time is entered in the Time (hh: mm: ss) Alarm field in the order hours: minutes: seconds either by using the PgUp, PgDn keys, or by directly entering numbers.
By Date—the computer will turn on on the specified day and at the specified time. When you select this option, a field appears for entering the time (the same as for Everyday) and a field for entering the day of the month Date of Month Alarm - day of the month - in this field you enter the day in the month. This automatically means that you can program the computer to turn on only within one month.
Disabled - prohibited

In the following sections, the BIOS only reports the characteristics of some computer devices. Enabling parameters in these sections allows the BIOS to monitor these parameters and report if they are out of bounds.

Fan Monitor Section

Chassis Fan Speed (xxxxRPM) (Control the rotation speed of an additional fan in the computer case)

If Ignore is selected, the rotation speed of this fan will not be monitored. This parameter will be displayed only when using a special fan with an additional output connected to a special connector on the motherboard. Otherwise, when the rotation speed stops or critically decreases, the BIOS will display a message on the screen before loading the operating system.

CPU Fan Speed (xxxxRPM)

Power Fan Speed (xxxxRPM)

If Ignore is selected, the rotation speed of this fan will not be monitored. Otherwise, when the rotation speed stops or critically decreases, the BIOS will display a message on the screen before loading the operating system. Using this option is possible if you have an appropriate power supply.

Thermal Monitor Section

CPU Temperature

Shows the processor temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit. If you select Ignore, the temperature will not be monitored. Otherwise, if the temperature rises critically, the BIOS will display a message on the screen before loading the operating system.

MB Temperature (Motherboard Temperature)

Voltage Monitor section (monitoring supply voltages)

This section displays both the supply voltages supplied to the motherboard by the power supply and those generated on the motherboard. These parameters do not require explanation, except VCORE is the supply voltage of the processor core. This voltage is usually generated on the motherboard.

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BIOS Setup Utility screens and descriptions are for reference only and may not correspond to what you see on your computer screen - they are based on a motherboard based on Intel chipset i915PL for Intel processors (Socket 775) 2005.

Main Menu - Main menu.

To allow the user to change basic settings for system and hardware parameters, the BIOS ROM has a built-in BIOS Setup program. The information is stored in battery-backed CMOS memory, and is thus retained when the main power is removed. In general, the information stored in CMOS RAM will not change unless something changes to the system, such as replacing a hard drive or adding a new device.
In some cases, the CMOS battery may fail, causing all CMOS information to be reset. If this happens, you will need to replace the CMOS battery and reconfigure the BIOS.

To enter the setup programs (SetupPprogram):
After turning on the computer, hold down the ~~during self-test (POST). The BIOS setup utility CMOS SETUP UTILITY will open (Figure 1).~~

Figure 1. CMOS setup utility.

The main menu contains all the main settings sections. Select the section of the settings you want to configure. The selection is made by moving the cursor (using the cursor control arrows) and then pressing the key . When the cursor is on a certain settings item, help information on this item is displayed at the bottom of the screen, which serves to better understand the purpose of this item. When you select a menu item, a submenu appears to change the corresponding configuration parameters.

1. Standard CMOS Setup - Standard CMOS settings

Select STANDARD CMOS FEATURES from the main menu (Figure 2). This section allows the user to configure basic system parameters, such as the current time and date, type of installed hard drive, type of floppy drive, and type of video adapter. The amount of RAM is automatically detected by the BIOS and displayed on the screen for information. When an item is highlighted (using the cursor arrows), the contents of the item can be changed by pressing keys Or

Figure 2. Standard CMOS settings.

Note:

If the Primary Master/Slave and Secondary Master/Slave hard drives are set to Auto, the size and model of the hard drive are detected automatically.
The “Halt On:” parameter determines when BIOS errors will stop the system boot process.

2. Advanced BIOS Features - Additional BIOS settings.

Selecting this section allows the user to change the settings of the parameters listed in this section. It shows the default settings set by the manufacturer. Keystroke allows you to display help information on a specific menu item.

Figure 3. Advanced BIOS settings.

CPU Feature

This option is only available for Pentium processors with Prescott core.

Hard Disk Boot Priority.

Here you set the sequence of enumerating the hard drives from which the system will boot.

Figure 3-1.

CPU L1&L2 Cache (Internal and external processor cache memory (L1 and L2)).
This setting controls the state of the processor's internal and external cache memory.

CPU L3 Cache (Processor Level 3 Cache).
This setting controls the state of the processor's Level 3 cache.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.
Note:
It is recommended to enable Hyper-Threading technology for systems running Windows control XP and Linux 2.4, and disable it for earlier OSes.

Hyper-Threading Technology.
Includes processor Hyper-Threading technology.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

First/Second/Third/Other Boot Device ( P first/ IN second/ T retier/ D other device to download).
The BIOS attempts to load the operating system from devices in the sequence defined in this paragraph.
Options: Floppy, LS120, Hard Disk, CDROM, ZIP100, USB-FDD, USB-CDROM, LAN, Disabled (device not used for booting).

When this option is enabled, the system tries to load the operating system from other devices not specified as the first/second/third device to boot.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Boot Up Floppy Seek (Search for floppy drive during boot).
When this option is enabled, the capacity of floppy drives is determined when the system boots. This feature may be useful if you are using an older 360KB floppy drive.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Boot Up NumLock Status ( WITH NumLock state during boot).
Determines the state of NumLock when the system boots.
Options:
On: The numeric keypad operates in numeric mode.
Off: The numeric keypad operates in cursor control mode.

Security Option (Access restriction).
This item allows you to restrict access to the system and the BIOS setup program, or only to the BIOS setup program.
System: The system will not boot and access to the BIOS setup utility will be denied until the correct password is entered.
Setup: The system will boot, but access to the BIOS setup utility will be denied until the correct password is entered.

APIC Mode - R APIC mode.
This item allows you to enable APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) functionality. APIC is Intel chip, which performs symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) computing on Pentium systems.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability ( P S.M.A.R.T technology support).
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Alert Technology) is a diagnostic technology that allows you to monitor and predict the performance of devices. The software to support this technology is located both on the drive and on the computer itself. If a device failure is predicted, the software installed on the computer, using the Client WORKS S.M.A.R.T. client application, warns the user of the impending condition and suggests actions to save the information.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Full Screen LOGO Show - Displays the logo on full screen.
Displays a full-screen logo image during loading.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

3. Advanced Chipset Features - Advanced chipset settings.

When you select this section, the following menu will be shown (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Advanced chipset settings.

DRAM Timing Selectable - IN Selecting timing parameters of DRAM memory.
When you select the “By SPD” value, the memory timing parameters will be set in accordance with the Intel Serial Presence Detection specification.
Options: Manual, By SPD.

CAS# Latency Time - Z delaysignalCAS.
This parameter allows you to set the number of clock cycles required after the CAS (Column Access Strobe) signal before the data read operation begins.
Options: 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, Auto.

DRAM RAS# to CAS# delay - Z delay between RAS and CAS signals
This parameter defines temporary system memory parameters such as CAS (Column Address Strobe) and RAS (Row Address Strobe).
Options: 2, 3, 4, 5, Auto.

DRAM RAS# Precharge - recharging time using the row selection signal.
This parameter determines the number of clock cycles required to return the data to its previous position to close a memory bank, or the number of clock cycles required for a memory page to execute a command to activate the next memory bank.
Options: 2, 3, 4, 5, Auto.

Precharge Delay (tRAS) - M minimum duration of the RAS signal.
This parameter determines the number of clock cycles required after the memory bank activation signal before recharging occurs (sets the minimum width of the RAS signal).
Options: Auto, 4~15.

SystemBIOSCacheable - TO cachingBIOS'A.
This option allows the BIOS to be cached in RAM for faster command execution.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Video BIOS Cacheable - TO BIOS video ashing.
This option allows BIOS video to be cached in RAM for faster command execution.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

4. Integrated Peripherals - Built-in peripherals.

Figure 5. Embedded peripherals.

Realtek Lan BOOT ROM.
Enables/disables Boot ROM of the integrated Realtek network card for booting from the local network.

PCI Express Function - Operation tires PCI Express.

Move the cursor to the PCI Express Function section and press the key . You will see the following menu:

Figure 5-1.

PCI- Ex1 Func 1 (PCI- Exp2)/ PCI- Ex1 Func 2 (PCI- Exp3).
This option allows you to select the mode Enabled, Disabled.
PCI-E Compliancy Mode.
This option allows you to select PCI-E Compliancy mode.
Options: V1.0a, V1.0

Chipset IDE Devices - Integrated IDE devices.

Move the cursor to the IDE Function Setup section and press the key . You will see the following menu:

Figure 5-2.

Delay For HDD (Secs).
This item allows you to set a longer delay time before scanning the hard drive begins during system boot. Some hard drives may require a longer latency to be detected correctly.
Options: 0 ~ 15sec.

IDE HDD Block Mode.
IDE HDD Block Mode allows the controller to access blocks of sectors rather than one sector at a time.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

IDE DMA transfer access.
Automatic data transfer between system memory and IDE device with minimal CPU usage. Allows you to increase throughput and free up the processor for other tasks.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Chipset Primary (Secondary) PCI IDE.
The motherboard supports two channels of the regular IDE interface and one channel of the Serial ATA interface. Select "Enabled" to configure each channel.
If you are not using the onboard IDE connector, set the Onboard Primary (Secondary) PCI IDE settings to Disabled.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO.
The four IDE PIO (Programmable Input/Output) fields allow you to set the PIO mode (0-4) for each of the four IDE devices supported by the integrated IDE controller. Modes 0 to 4 provide progressively higher performance. In Auto mode, the system automatically determines the best mode for each device.
Options: Auto, Mode 0~4.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave UDMA.
Selecting the operating mode of the IDE device. Using Ultra DMA-33/66/100 technology is only possible if your hard drive IDE drive it is supported and the DMA driver is installed in the operating system. If both your hard drive and operating system support Ultra DMA-33/66/100, set this option to Auto to enable UDMA mode in the BIOS.
Options: Auto, Disabled.

*** On-Chip Serial ATA Setting ***
Setting up the integrated Serial ATA interface.

Chipset Serial ATA.
This item sets the operating mode of the SATA interface. In Combined mode, the SATA port will replace one of the traditional IDE Primary or Secondary ports. Enhanced mode will allow SATA to work simultaneously with Parallel-ATA ports.
Options: Disabled, Auto, Combined Mode, Enhanced Mode, SATA Only.

PATA IDE Mode.
This item is only available when the integrated SATA controller is in Combined mode. The value "Primary" will make the PATA IDE port the Primary port, and the remaining SATA ports will become Secondary. Likewise, the value "Secondary" will make the PATA IDE port a Secondary port and the SATA ports a Primary port.
Options: Primary, Secondary.

Onboard Device Setup - Configuring built-in devices.

Move the cursor to the Onboard Device section and press the key . You will see the following menu:

Figure 5-3.

USB Controller.
Includes USB controller.

USB 2.0 Controller.
Includes EHCI controller (USB 2.0).
Options: Disabled, Enabled.

USB Keyboard Support.
Enable/disable USB keyboard support when working in the DOS operating system.

USB Mouse Support.
Enable/disable USB mouse support when working in the DOS operating system.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.
AC97 Audio.
This option allows you to disable the integrated audio controller.
Options: Auto, Disabled.

Realtek Lan Device.
Includes an integrated LAN network interface.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Legacy Devices - Setting up legacy devices.

Move the cursor to the Legacy Devices section and press the key . You will see the following menu:

Figure 5-4.

Onboard FDC Controller - AND integrated floppy drive controller.
Select "Enabled" if you intend to use the integrated floppy drive controller. If you want to install an external controller or the system does not have a floppy drive, select the “Disabled” value.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Onboard Serial Port 1 - AND integrated P serial port 1.
Select the base address and interrupt number for integrated serial port No. 1.

Onboard IrDA Port - AND integrated infrared port.
Select the base address and interrupt number for the integrated infrared port.
Options: 3F8/IRQ4, 2E8/IRQ3, 3E8/IRQ4, 2F8/IRQ3, Disabled, Auto.

Onboard Parallel Port - AND integrated parallel port.
Integrated parallel LPT port configuration
Options: 378/IRQ7, 278/IRQ5, 3BC/IRQ7, Disabled.

Parallel Port Mode - R Parallel port operating mode.
Allows you to select the operating mode of the parallel port.
Options: SPP, EPP, ECP, ECP+EPP.

EPP Mode Select - IN choiceregimeEPP.
Allows you to select the EPP mode of the parallel port.
Options: EPP1.9, EPP1.7.

ECP Mode USE DMA - AND Using DMA in ECP mode.
Allows you to select DMA1 or DMA3 to use in ECP mode.
Options: 1, 3.

5. Power Management Setup - Power management settings.

Select “Power Management Setup” from the main menu (Figure 6). This section allows the user to change power management settings and IRQ signals. In general, these parameters should not be changed unless absolutely necessary.

Figure 6. Power management settings.

POWER ON Function.
Allows you to turn on the computer's power based on a signal from the keyboard, mouse, or by pressing a specified key combination.
Options: Disabled, Any Key, Mouse, Both (Any Key + Mouse).

PwrOn After Pwr-Fail - IN switching on after a power failure.
This parameter allows you to determine how the system behaves when power is restored.

Off: The system remains off.
Former- S ts: The system returns to the state it was in when the power was lost.

Power Management - U nutrition management.
This option allows you to select the power management mode. The default value is User Mode.

Max. S aving: Maximum energy saving. The inactivity period for all modes is 1 minute.

Min. S aving: Minimal energy saving. The period of inactivity for all modes is 1 hour.
User Define: Allows you to manually set time periods for energy saving modes.
Video Off Method - WITH way to turn off the screen.
This item allows you to select how to turn off the screen in energy-saving modes. The default value is “V/H Sync+Blank”.
V/H Sync+Blank: The system disables the vertical and horizontal scan circuits and writes a blank frame to the video buffer.

DPMSSupport: Select this option if your monitor supports the VESA (Display Power Management Signaling) DPMS standard. Use the software that came with your video devices to configure power management settings.
Blank: The system only writes an empty frame to the video buffer.
Suspend Mode - R suspend mode.
The system automatically turns off all devices except the processor after a specified period of system inactivity.
Options: Off, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40 minutes and 1 hour.

HDD Power Down - Disabling hard drives.
Turns off power to hard drives after a specified period of system inactivity.
Options: Disabled, 1~15min.

Soft-Off by PBTN - P Programmed shutdown with the power button.
Selecting the operating mode of the power button. Default value is "Instant Off"
Instant O ff: Immediately turns off the system.
Delay 4 S end: Turns off the system after a 4-second press delay. When you briefly press the power button, the system will enter Suspend mode. Press the power button again to return the system to normal operation.

Wake-Up by PCI Card - P Wake up on a signal from PCI.
Determines whether the system can return from S3/S4 mode based on a signal from a USB device.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Resume by Alarm - P Wake up by timer.
Allows you to set the day of the month and time (hh:mm:ss) when the turned off system will be turned on.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

6. PNP/ PCI Configuration- ConfigurationPNP/ PCI.

This section allows you to modify PCI IRQ signals when installing various PCI expansion cards.
IN attention: TO IRQ conflicts may prevent the system from detecting some devices.

Figure 7. PNP/PCI configuration.

Init Display First - Determining the main video adapter.
Allows you to select the order in which video adapters are initialized when the system boots.
Options: PCI Slot, PCIEx.

Resources Controlled By - TO controlresources.
Determines how PNP/PCI resources are controlled. Default value is Auto (ESCD)
Manual: PNP card resources are controlled manually. The “IRQ Resources” field becomes available and you can see what IRQ-X and DMA-X values are assigned to integrated and PCI devices.
Auto: The BIOS automatically assigns interrupt resources.
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop - TO VGA palette adjustment for PCI video cards.
This item is intended to solve problems with some non-standard VGA cards.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

*** P PCI Express related items***
Maximum Payload Size.
Sets the maximum packet size (in bytes) for PCI Express devices.
Options: 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096.
Interrupt requests are used in accordance with the table:

Table 7-1.

When using PCI cards in slots with shared IRQs, make sure their drivers support Shared IRQ mode or that the cards do not require an IRQ assignment. IRQ conflicts between two PCI groups will lead to unstable system operation or inoperability of these cards.

7. PC Health Status - Setting up hardware monitoring.

Figure 8. Setting up hardware monitoring.

Show PC Health in POST - P provide summary during loading.
When this feature is enabled, hardware monitoring system information is displayed on the screen during bootup.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Current System/CPU Temperature.
Shows the current chipset/processor temperature.

Current Power/CPU/System FAN Speed.
Shows the current rotation speed of the power supply/processor/case fans in revolutions per minute.

VDIMM
DIMM memory voltage level.

VChip
Chipset voltage level.

VCore
Processor core voltage level (Vcore).

Vbatt(V)
Battery voltage level.

+12V, VCC, 5VSB (V)
Switching power supply voltage levels.

ACPI Shutdown Temperature - T system shutdown temperature.
The temperature at which the computer will shut down to prevent damage from overheating (requires ACPI mode to be enabled in the Power Management section, and ACPI mode to be supported by the operating system). Default value: Disabled.
Available options: 60°C/140°F to 75°C/167°F in 5°C increments.

SmartFan Function - AND Intelligent fan control.

Move the cursor to the SmartFan Function section and press the key . You will see the following menu:

Figure 8-1.

Smart CPU FAN Function.
This item allows you to set the method for controlling the fan rotation speed. The "Full Speed" method sets the fan duty cycle to 100%. When you select the “By Duty Cycle” method, you can directly set the fan duty cycle. The “By Temperature” method allows you to calculate the fan rotation speed depending on the temperature range.
Below is an example of using the "By Tempeature" method.

Current CPU Temperature/Fan Speed.
Displays the current CPU temperature/fan speed.

Example of how the function works S martFan:

Table 8-2.

You only need to set the parameters marked in gray in the figure. The system will automatically calculate the intermediate temperatures Temp LM and Temp MH and the corresponding duty cycle values Duty LM and Duty MH.
. The performance of the Smart CPU FAN function depends on the fan design. Most fans have built-in thermistors and can independently regulate the rotation speed. Some fans only allow duty cycle control over a very limited range of values.
. For best results, use the USDM utility to configure the fan.

8. Power BIOS Features - System overclocking settings.

This section allows you to configure various system overclocking options to achieve better performance.

Attention:
Overclocking a system requires in-depth understanding and can damage system components. We recommend not changing the values of these parameters for stable system operation.

Figure 9. Frequency/voltage setting.

Auto Detect PCI Clk - A Automatic detection of PCI bus frequency.
When enabled, automatically disables clocking on unused (empty) PCI slots, thereby reducing EMI.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

Spread Spectrum Modulated - M modulated extended spectrum.
Enabling this option can significantly reduce electromagnetic interference generated by the system.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

WatchDogFunction- Control function.
When this feature is enabled and the system overclocking fails before the POST code 26h, the system parameters will be automatically set to default values.
Options: Enabled, Disabled.

CPU CLOCK/SPEED - H CPU frequency/speed.
Allows you to increase the processor clock frequency in 1 MHz increments. Together with the processor frequency multiplication factor (“CPU Clock Ratio”), this parameter determines the operating frequency of the processor.

Clock frequency x TO multiplication factor = R operating frequency of the processor.
For example, if the processor runs at 2.4 GHz and the clock frequency is 200 MHz, then 200 MHz x 12 = 2.4 GHz.
Options: from 200 to 400 in 1 MHz steps.

Figure 9-1. The FSB frequency is 800 MHz.

Figure 9-2. The FSB frequency is 533 MHz.

Enter the processor frequency in decimal format.
The result of unsuccessful overclocking will be the absence of an image on the monitor screen. To resolve this issue, turn off the system power and turn it on again. While rebooting the system, keep the "Insert" key pressed. This will reset the BIOS settings to default values.

PCI Express Freq Control - U governing bodyfrequencytiresPCI Express.
Allows you to control the operating frequency of the PCI Express bus.
The “Enabled” value allows you to change its frequency in 1 MHz steps using the following item. Selecting the “Disabled” value will fix the PCI‑E bus frequency at 100 MHz. The "Auto" value will set the frequency according to the FSB bus.
Options: Auto, Enabled, Disabled.

PCI Express Freq - N Setting the PCI Express bus frequency.
Allows you to adjust the operating frequency of the PCIE bus in 1 MHz steps.

Figure 9-3. Enter the PCI Express frequency value in decimal format.

PCI FrequencySel- Setting the PCI bus frequency.
Allows you to select the PCI bus frequency.
Options: 33.3 MHz, 33.80 MHz, 34.28 MHz, 34.78 MHz, 35.29 MHz, 35.82 MHz, 36.36 MHz, 36.92 MHz, 37.50 MHz.

System Memory Frequency - N Adjusting the system memory frequency.
Allows you to set the DDR SDRAM clock multiplier to match the installed DIMMs. The available options depend on the FSB bus frequency.

Figure 9-4.

CPU Clock Ratio - N Setting the processor frequency multiplier.
Allows you to set the processor frequency multiplication factor. See CPU CLOCK/SPEED. If your processor's frequency multiplier is locked, this option is not available.

Voltage Adjust Menu - AND Changing voltage levels.
Move the cursor to the Voltage Adjust Menu section and press the key . You will see the following menu:

Figure 9-5.

In the following paragraphs, "DefaultVoltage(Default Voltage)" means the manufacturer's settings, and "NewVoltage(New Voltage Value)” means the user-specified voltage.

CPU Vcore
This item allows you to change the processor core voltage Vcore.
It is recommended to leave the default value.

Chipset Voltage
This item allows you to change the chipset voltage.
It is recommended to leave the default value.

VDIMM Voltage
This item allows you to change the voltage of DIMM memory modules.
It is recommended to leave the default value.

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BIOS Setup FAQ and BIOS setup guide

BIOS Setup FAQ: how to set up the BIOS

Introduction

Basic Input Output System BIOS) is stored in a small flash memory chip on the motherboard. Most often, this memory is used for reading, but with the help of special utilities and BIOS technologies it can also be rewritten. When the PC starts, the processor on the motherboard runs the BIOS program to initially check and initialize the hardware, and then transfers control to the OS.

If the PC does not go through the boot process, if the system is too slow, Windows crashes, or the hardware fails, then the cause may be an incorrectly configured BIOS. In our article we will show how, with the help of proper BIOS Setup settings, you can solve this or that problem.

The Basics section covers basic BIOS information. In it you will learn what BIOS is, how to go to the BIOS settings and deal with them. The "Key Settings" section contains information about the main BIOS options that every user should know about. Experienced users can be recommended to go straight to the "Tweaking the BIOS" section, where you can learn about using hidden settings, activating new functions, bypassing bottlenecks, etc.

BIOS: Basics and Principles

When the computer starts, the BIOS "introduces" the processor to the main components of the motherboard and tells the processor what program to run next after the BIOS completes. Typically, the BIOS transfers control to the boot sector of the drive, which can be a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD, or HDD. The boot sector launches the bootloader, which activates the main operating system, the same Windows or Linux.

The BIOS is responsible for more than just the boot process. Many operating systems use the BIOS as an intermediary to access various hardware.

1. BIOS versions

Each motherboard uses its own BIOS version, specially designed for its hardware filling. The most common BIOS is from Phoenix Award, and in two varieties. Additionally, some computers use American Megatrends (AMI) BIOS.

The BIOS menu structure and symbols used vary from one manufacturer to another. Even the BIOS menus for two consecutive motherboard models may differ to some extent. This is why we cannot give an accurate description of the BIOS options of every computer known to mankind. But don't despair. You can easily find a match between the sections discussed below (based on Phoenix Award BIOS) and BIOS items of your PC. Don't be upset if you don't find some settings: this means that your PC's BIOS does not allow you to control these settings directly.

2. Exit to BIOS

During boot, when the BIOS checks the system hardware components, considers the available memory and finds hard disks and other drives or devices, using a special key you can exit to the BIOS Setup program. Often it is enough to press the key, but other options are also used, for example. Look carefully at the screen during boot: in most BIOSes, it displays a line like “F10 = Setup” closer to the bottom of the monitor. If all else fails, open the manual for the motherboard, where the magic combination should be indicated. Press the indicated key (or combination) and hold it for a second or two while your PC boots.

If it works, the BIOS will calculate the amount of available memory, after which the BIOS main menu will appear. If it doesn’t work, restart your computer and try using a different key combination. For example, many laptops enter the BIOS by pressing the or key. Sometimes the keys work, or a combination like .

3. Change BIOS settings

BIOS setup: use the cursor to select the desired line and press "Enter".

To select a menu in the BIOS, use the cursor and use the arrows to move it to the desired item. By pressing the "Enter" key, you will go to the section or receive a settings selection window (as in the illustration below). To change the specified setting, press the plus [+] or minus [-] keys, or another combination like and . From the main BIOS setup menu you will be taken to various setup sections, which can also be divided into their own subsections.

Open the subsection. Many options can be changed using the plus [+] and minus [-] keys, while others can be set using a drop-down menu.

Let me briefly go through the sections of the main BIOS setup menu.

In the "Main" or "Standard CMOS Setup" section you can set the date and time, as well as parameters hard drives.
The BIOS Features Setup section provides various general settings.
The "Integrated Peripherals" section is responsible for interfaces and additional system functions.
The "Power Management Setup" section allows you to configure all power consumption and power options.
In the "PnP/PCI Configurations" section you can bind interrupts (IRQs) to expansion cards of your PC. If such functions are not available in the section, they can be found in the "Advanced" subsection.
Chapter " Hardware Monitor" allows you to find out the values of system sensors: processor temperature or fan speed (rpm). Usually the rotation speeds of the processor and case fans are shown, but parameters of the power supply fan or others may also be present here.
The "Load Setup Defaults" item restores the BIOS settings to default and eliminates any changes you may have made. This item will be useful if your actions led to any problems in the system.

4. Exit BIOS Setup

To complete the BIOS setup, press the key or select the main menu item "Save & Exit Setup". Sometimes you first need to select the "Exit" item, and then select the "Exit & Save Changes" option. Then you are usually offered the choice of saving the changes made: “Yes” [Y] or “No” [N]. Select the required option and your computer will restart.

Key BIOS settings

Below we will show how to change the sequence of selecting boot disks for a computer in the BIOS, turn on the PC by pressing a key or “clicking” the mouse, activate USB support 2.0, as well as solve problems with fans or hardware configuration changes.

5. Set the priority of boot devices in the BIOS

In BIOS it is better not to set the disk drive as the first boot device. Instead of a disk drive, specify a hard drive.

Most PCs set the disk drive as the priority boot device by default. This option will slow down the PC boot for a couple of seconds as it will check to see if there is a boot floppy in the drive. There is also no need to do this because there is a danger of becoming infected with a boot virus from a “dirty” floppy disk. And how often do you boot from a floppy disk? And why do you need this disgusting sound of accessing an empty drive? It is better to set the hard drive as the first boot device.

In BIOS Setup, it is possible to specify the devices from which booting is possible, as well as the order in which they are checked. Let's look at how to remove the disk drive from the first boot device. To do this, select "Advanced BIOS Features, Boot Sequence", then select "1st Boot Device" and change its value from "Floppy" to "Hard Disk", as shown in the illustration above. In principle, the hard drive can be called “HDD-0”. As a result, the computer will boot immediately from hard drive, bypassing the floppy disk. Of course, if necessary, the boot order can always be restored by returning to BIOS Setup.

But now, even if the computer does not try to boot from the floppy disk, it will still check the disk drive when booting, wasting time. To avoid checking the drive, set the "Boot Up Floppy Seek" option to "Disabled".

6. Speed up PC boot using BIOS

As you understand, to speed up loading it is important that the PC didn't check extra devices, but booted immediately from the hard drive. In addition, it is better to disable the search for new hard drives and other devices. If you do not often change the set of hard drives in the system, then set the search time to zero. To do this, in the "Main" menu, set the "Timeout" value to "0".

7. How to enable USB 2.0 support in the BIOS

USB: If you installed Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you should enable the "USB 2.0 Controller" option.

On many motherboards, the "USB Controllers" option is set to USB 1.1 mode by default. This is due to the fact that Windows XP without Service Packs (and special patches) does not support USB 2.0. This is why USB 2.0 support usually has to be enabled manually.

For turning on USB 2.0 in BIOS Setup, set the option to "Enabled" (as shown in the illustration above) or to "V1.1+V2.0". But remember that to use the USB 2.0 interface you need to install at least Service Pack 1 for Windows XP.

8. How to solve problems with USB devices using BIOS

Some flash drives, MP3 players, and USB flash drives are powered by a USB port. If there is not enough power, the device will not work. This is why you should make sure that USB port provides sufficient power for such devices.

Check if your BIOS has an option called "USB 2.0 HS Reference Voltage". If there is, then change the value from "Low" or "Medium" to "High" or "Maximum".

9. How can I change the PC's response to a power outage in the BIOS?

In the "Power Management" section of BIOS Setup, you can specify how the computer will react when the power is turned off. The "AC Power Loss Restart" or "Restore on AC Power Loss" options in the BIOS are responsible for the behavior of the computer after emergency shutdown electricity and subsequent restoration of power. Set this option to "On" or "Enabled" if you want the computer to boot automatically. Either "Off" or "Disabled" otherwise.

10. How to check PC temperature and status via BIOS

BIOS provides information about the operating parameters of your PC. You can monitor the real-time status of vital system components, including the CPU, fans, power supply and hard drives. For example, you can enable an alarm in the BIOS if the processor exceeds a certain temperature, or even implement an emergency shutdown. As a result, your system will not overheat.

Various items in the "Health" or "H/W Control" sections allow you to monitor changes in voltages, as well as temperature sensors. Most BIOS display values for the temperature of the processor and case, and in some versions other temperatures, say, of the hard drive or motherboard chipset. In addition, in the BIOS you can find out the fan rotation speed (in rpm).

11. How to fix problems with coolers using the BIOS

If your PC won't boot, it could be because the cooler is spinning too low or stopping altogether. This situation is especially common with high-end coolers, whose rotation speed depends on temperature. They may spin very slowly (or stop altogether) at low temperatures, causing the BIOS to think the fan has failed. In such cases, correct BIOS settings help.

Set the BIOS option "CPU Fan Failure Warning" to "Disabled". When you disable this option, the computer will boot even if the fan is spinning at low speed. Of course, there is another problem: you may not be able to enter the BIOS at all, since the computer may refuse to boot for the reason mentioned above (in many BIOSes this option is set to "Enabled" by default). In this case, you will have to temporarily connect any cheap cooler to the motherboard, which always rotates at maximum speed. And after disabling the setting, you can connect a high-end model.

12. How to avoid system crash?

Modern hard drives can detect symptoms or problems that precede drive failure and alert the BIOS. This feature is called "Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology" (SMART). Enabling the "HDD SMART Capability" feature allows the BIOS to send warnings to programs like Norton System Works or the well-known freeware SpeedFan utility. As a result, the user receives information about the status of the drives. This opportunity allows you to take the necessary measures as soon as the first symptoms of an impending failure begin to appear.

13. Connecting old printers and scanners (LPT)

Parallel port: The fastest mode is "ECP+EPP".

A computer's parallel port (LPT) typically only works in one direction. This setting is suitable for almost all devices, although the transfer speed is limited to 100 kbps. You can switch the LPT port to a more modern mode, which gives speeds of up to 1 Mbit/s.

To do this, you need to enable the "ECP" (Extended Capability Port) or "EPP" (Enhanced Parallel Port) mode. In fact, you can enable both modes at once by selecting the "ECP/EPP" or "ECP + EPP" option.

Warning: If you have several devices connected to one port, then problems may arise with speed modes. In such situations, we can recommend purchasing an additional PCI expansion card, which will allow you to add a second LPT port. Or buy a USB-LPT adapter. Or, of course, upgrade to a more modern scanner or printer.

Tweaking the BIOS

This part of the article is addressed to demanding users who want to speed up boot times as much as possible, optimize system parameters, and fully utilize the computing resources of the PC, the capabilities of the motherboard chipset and memory.

14. How to enable BIOS to display POST test results during boot

When booting a PC, many computers display multi-colored manufacturer logos instead of POST (Power-on Self-Test) lines. But, it seems to us, it will be much more useful to see which element of the computer is being tested, and with what results.

In the "Advanced BIOS Features" section, find the "Full Screen LOGO Display" item and set it to "Disabled". After this, you will be able to observe the results of all PC tests during boot.

15. How to configure the BIOS so that the PC boots even faster

Using BIOS, you can further reduce the boot time of your PC, reducing the time of the first test. Of course, we recommend doing this only if all PC components are working stably. For example, you can enable the BIOS to check available memory once instead of three times. To do this, go to the "Advanced" or "Advanced BIOS Features" section, find the "Quick Power On Self Test" or "Quick Boot" option and set it to "Enabled".

Warning: If you experience any problems with the hardware, we recommend returning to the BIOS and turning off the quick test by setting it to "Disabled". In this case, the BIOS is more likely to find an error.

16. How to enable another video card in the BIOS

If your computer has several interfaces into which a graphics card can be installed (integrated graphics, AGP, PCI Express, PCI), then the BIOS will try to determine which of them has a working card when booting. But this is not necessary, because you know all the necessary information!

Select an option in BIOS Setup called "Init Display First", which may also be called "Primary VGA BIOS" or "VGA Boot From" depending on the BIOS version. Specify "AGP" if you are using an AGP graphics card. On newer systems with PCI Express, this option is usually called "PEG Port/Graphic Adapter Priority". In this case, set it to "PEG" if you are using a PCI Express card.

17. How to disable unnecessary video card functions in the BIOS

BIOS Cacheable: This option will improve performance on MS-DOS only.

The "Video RAM Cacheable" and "Video BIOS Cacheable" options improve graphics performance on older DOS machines. But they are useless for Windows. There is no need to include them.

Set both the "Video RAM Cacheable" and "Video BIOS Cacheable" options in the BIOS to "Disabled". At the same time, disable the "VGA Palette Snoop" option, if available. Finally, you can disable the "System BIOS Cacheable" option: it no longer improves performance, and in some cases can even negatively affect system stability.

18. How to correctly configure memory for a video card in BIOS

The "Graphics Aperture Size" option (which may also be called "AGP Aperture Size") was originally intended to help AGP graphics cards use RAM PC while rendering textures. This feature is already outdated, since many graphics cards are equipped with 128, 256 or even 512 MB of built-in memory. In addition, the video memory built into the card is faster than the PC's RAM. If previously it was recommended to set the value of texture memory to half the amount of RAM in your system, today it is better to choose the optimal size. That is, 128 or 64 MB.

19. How to correctly set the AGP clock frequency in the BIOS

This "trick" allows you to avoid problems with graphics card AGP during Front Side Bus (FSB) overclocking.

On motherboards equipped with an overclocking function, you can find the "AGPCLK/CPUCLK" menu item (it can also be called "AGP Clock"). If it is, then set the value to "Fix". It prevents FSB overclocking from affecting AGP frequencies. A value of "1/1" forces AGP to operate at the same frequency as the FSB. A value of "2/3" sets the AGP to 2/3 of the FSB frequency, so that, say, a 100 MHz FSB becomes 66 MHz for the AGP graphics card.

20. How to increase the AGP clock speed in the BIOS

Increasing the AGP frequency increases performance, but it can also cause problems.

Some motherboards allow you to increase the AGP frequency. In principle, you can try to increase this frequency (“AGP Frequency” item) in small steps, and restart the PC after each change. Test every setting on a 3D shooter like Doom 3 or Quake 4 to check system stability. If any problems start to occur, change to the previous AGP frequency value.

21. How to increase the AGP voltage in the BIOS

Higher clock speeds also require more power. The "AGP Voltage" option allows you to increase the AGP voltage, most often in 0.1 V steps. The voltage can be increased if increasing the AGP frequency leads to instability, and the need for increased performance is urgent.

Warning: In some situations, increasing the voltage too much may burn out the graphics card. If increasing the voltage does not produce the desired effect, return the value to a lower level and reduce the AGP frequency to ensure stable system operation.

22. How to enable or disable the processor cache in the BIOS

Enabling any level of processor cache (1, 2 or 3) provides a significant performance boost.

The CPU runs significantly faster than other components on the motherboard and often has to wait for data to arrive. The processor cache, which is a high-speed memory located between the CPU and the computer's RAM, allows you to speed up data exchange.

The first level cache (L1) is very small, but it is located on the processor core, close to the compute units, providing very fast storage for temporary data. The second level cache (L2) is significantly larger in size and can store some entire program elements or pieces of data. When the processor requests data, it first checks its presence in the cache. If the required data is there, then the computer's performance increases significantly, because memory cannot respond at the same speed as the cache. Some processors, usually professional grade, also have an L3 cache. As you understand, the cache should always be enabled.

23. How to enable APIC in BIOS

The motherboard chipset most often consists of two chips, called the north and south bridges. They are responsible for transferring data between the processor, RAM, expansion cards and peripheral devices. Enabling the APIC (advanced programmable interrupt controller) mode in the BIOS allows for improved operation of devices. The number of interrupts increases from 16 to 24, and managing them using APIC is much simpler and more convenient.

All you need to do is go to the "Advanced BIOS Features" menu and set the "APIC Mode" option to "Enabled".

24. How to enable Burst Mode in the BIOS

Burst Mode allows you to speed up many things: working with hard drives, PCI cards and RAM. Batch mode allows you to transfer multiple pieces of data in one transmission instead of processing all the pieces individually.

If during BIOS setup you come across the “Burst Mode” option anywhere, then set it to “Enabled” mode. Of course, after this we recommend checking the stability of the system.

Warning: Many PCI cards may not function properly if the PCI Dynamic Bursting option is set to Enabled.

25. Turn on Bus Mastering

Enable Bus Mastering: this option speeds up work with the hard drive.

This BIOS setting allows Windows to use the faster Direct Memory Access (DMA) mode when reading or writing to the hard drive. DMA mode allows the hard disk controller to directly access memory, bypassing the CPU. As a result, access to the hard drive is accelerated and precious CPU resources are saved.

If the "PCI IDE BusMaster" option is present in the "Integrated Peripherals" menu, set its value to "Enabled", as shown in the illustration above. When you do this, go to Windows "Start, Settings, Control Panel, System" and click the "Device Manager" button on the "Hardware" tab. There, find the item “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers/IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller” (it depends on the chipset, so it may be slightly different in your case). Find the entry "Primary IDE Channel" and go to the "Advanced Settings" tab. There, find the item "Current Transfer Mode". Its value should be set to "Ultra DMA Mode". Hard drives are usually set to mode 5, and CD/DVD drives are usually set to mode 2.

26. How to change memory timings in the BIOS

Reducing memory latency. This operation only makes sense for high quality memory modules. But if it works, you'll get a performance boost.

Each SDRAM and DDR/DDR-2 memory module carries a special Serial Presence Detect (SPD) chip, which stores default memory latency (timing) values. Memory manufacturers usually specify SPD values to ensure stable and reliable operation. Therefore, it often makes sense to speed up latency a little, since this step allows you to squeeze out a few more percent of performance.

The corresponding options may have names like "System Performance", "Memory Timings" or "Configure DRAM Timing". Typically, the default value for these options is "By SPD". It forces the computer to read the recommended values from the SPD chip of the memory module and automatically use them. In addition, the value "Enabled" is also unlikely to cause problems with the PC.

If you want to try to configure systems for better performance, then set the option value to “Disabled” or “User Defined” (if there are any, see the illustration above). Then set the parameters manually as indicated in the following paragraphs.

27. How to reduce RAS-to-CAS latency in BIOS

Memory is better represented as a two-dimensional array. To obtain data, specify a column using the Row Address Strobe (RAS) signal, and then a row using the Column Address Strobe (CAS) signal. A certain time interval is required between the RAS and CAS signals so that the addressing does not go astray. Typically the RAS-to-CAS latency is two or more clock cycles.

The "SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay" value allows you to precisely set how many clock cycles will pass between the RAS and CAS signals. Possible settings range from 2 to 5, with 2 being the fastest. Try to reduce latency and test the stability of your system. The higher quality your memory modules are, the lower the latency you can get.

28. Reducing CAS latency in BIOS

When receiving data from memory, you should wait a certain time interval between setting the address and transmitting the data. It is also indicated in measures: 2T for two measures, 3T for three, etc. A lower "SDRAM CAS Latency" value provides higher performance.

The correct (and safe) "SDRAM CAS Latency" value is usually printed on the module label or even burned into the chips themselves. For cheap modules, values of 3T or 2.5T are usually found. Set the value to 2.5T or even 2T, then check the stability of the system. Some memory manufacturers claim that memory that supports 2T mode is capable of operating at higher frequencies. If you can reduce the CAS latency, you can try to increase the memory frequency using the "Memory Frequency" option.

Warning: Perform only one parameter change per test run. Then you can immediately determine the cause of unstable operation and return to the tested value.

29. Reduce RAS Precharge Delay in BIOS

For memory cells to work quickly, they need to be charged correctly. The "SDRAM RAS Precharge Delay" option specifies the interval (in clock cycles) between charging the cells and sending the RAS signal. With a lower value, say "2", the memory works faster, but is often unstable. Try to reduce the charging delay and check the stability of the system each time.

30. Reduce SDRAM Precharge in BIOS

The delay "SDRAM Active Precharge Delay" is also set in clock cycles. It indicates the latency between successive memory accesses, so reducing it can speed up memory access.

Typically, the delay is calculated as follows: Active Precharge Delay = CAS-Latency + RAS Precharge Delay + 2 (for stability). As with other delays, try reducing its value by one cycle and check the stability of the system. If problems arise, return the value back.

31. Reducing memory timings: general tips

RAM Latencies: Reducing latency allows for faster performance of the memory subsystem.

Recommended values for council delays 27-30 depend on the modules themselves. If the module says “2.5-4-4-8”, then the CAS Latency is 2.5 clock cycles, the RAS to CAS Delay is 4 clock cycles, the RAS Precharge Delay is 4 clock cycles, and the Active Precharge Delay is 8 clock cycles. These are the values recommended by the manufacturer for memory modules. Of course, smaller delays can be achieved, but this poses the risk of system failures. If you want optimal performance, we recommend decreasing the latency by one value at a time and testing system stability each time.

32. Increase the memory voltage in the BIOS

If the memory works faster, then it will need more energy. That is why, as the frequency increases, the supply voltage should also be increased.

The "DDR Reference Voltage" option allows you to increase the memory voltage, usually in 0.1 V increments. Increasing the voltage makes sense if you have reduced latency or increased the memory frequency. Or if problems with stable operation began to arise.

Warning: Excessive voltage may burn out memory modules!

33. How to turn off the built-in sound in the BIOS

Often the motherboard's built-in sound controller is not used. For example, if you have installed a powerful PCI sound card or generally use a computer without speakers. Then it makes sense to turn off the sound on the motherboard. In some cases, this can improve overall system performance and stability.

In the "Integrated Peripherals" menu, set the "AC97 Audio Select" item to "Disabled" (as shown in the illustration above).

34. How to disable the game port in the BIOS

The game port is useful only to owners of old joysticks or those users who use it as a MIDI interface. Then it makes sense to allocate two I/O ports and an interrupt to the game port. (By the way, if you have a joystick, it most likely uses USB connection). For all other users, it is better to disable the game port.

In the "Integrated Peripherals" menu, set the "Game Port" item to "Disabled".

35. How to turn off in BIOS network port

Some motherboards have two network interfaces, but generally most users only need one. It is better to disable interfaces that are not working. In some cases, this improves system performance and stability.

In the "Integrated Peripherals" menu, set the "Onboard Intel LAN" item to "Disabled".

36. How to disable unnecessary ports in the BIOS

Today, only older PDAs and modems need serial ports COM1 and COM2. Disabling ports saves two IRQs, reducing the number of interrupts the processor must check. And hardly anyone needs a parallel LPT interface today. Moreover, modern printers and scanners are connected to a USB port.

From the "Integrated Peripherals" menu, disable the COM1 and COM2 interfaces (the "IO Devices, Com-Port" option, but it can also be called "Serial Port 1/2"). Disable the LPT port by setting the "Parallel Port" item to "Disabled".

37. How to disable FireWire (IEEE1394) in the BIOS

The FireWire interface is only needed if you need to download video from a video camera or connect FireWire peripherals. In all other situations, it is better to turn off the interface.

In the "Integrated Peripherals" menu, set the value of the "Onboard 1394 device" item to "Disabled".

BIOS update

From time to time, motherboard manufacturers release new BIOS versions. BIOS updates usually contain various optimizations as well as new features. Let's say the same overclocking functions. We recommend updating the BIOS only when a new final version is available (it is better to skip beta and alpha versions).

The BIOS is written to a special flash memory chip. When flashing a new version of firmware, it is written in place of the old one. To update the BIOS, special utilities are required, which motherboard manufacturers include in the package. In addition, some BIOS versions support firmware flashing independently using a key combination.

When it comes to updating the BIOS, there are usually two alternatives. You can use a Windows utility, which can usually be found on the motherboard CD or downloaded from the manufacturer's website. You can also install a utility that will periodically check for a new BIOS version and, if necessary, download it. This method is simple, but the verification utility takes up memory space and consumes some resources.

Updating the BIOS for Windows is an easy and simple method, as long as your system is stable. For greater reliability, we can recommend updating via DOS.

To do this, you need to download the firmware utility from the manufacturer’s website. Then create a DOS boot floppy disk and write the utility along with the new BIOS version onto it. Then you should boot from the floppy disk and run the utility through the command line (if you downloaded the utility and BIOS in a ZIP archive, then they should be copied unpacked to the floppy disk). This approach is considered by many to be more reliable, since DOS does not have any third-party drivers.

Warning: if you update Laptop BIOS, you should not do this while running on battery power. The laptop should be flashed while running on mains power.

Choose your motherboard: Only use BIOS versions that are designed specifically for your model.

Visit the motherboard (or computer) manufacturer's website and search for the desired model. Most often, motherboard models are named like "GA-686BX", "A7N8X-E" or "K8T Neo2". Sometimes motherboards have two names: retail (say, "K8T-Neo") and technical (for example, "MS-6702 Version 1.0"). The latter is usually indicated on the PCB of the board. When you find the page with your model, follow the "Downloads" or "Support" link.

39. Keep the old BIOS version

We recommend keeping the old BIOS version in case the new one is unstable or causes any problems. You can always flash the old BIOS instead of the new version. In addition, we recommend that you carefully read the Readme file that is included in the BIOS archive. It indicates the changes and additions made to the new version.

40. Think twice before updating your BIOS

The notes provided in each BIOS version help you decide whether you need to update your BIOS or not.

If updating the BIOS solves a specific problem (see illustration above), then you must decide how relevant it is for your system. If the problem does not concern you, then you can skip the BIOS update. Of course, if it does not provide any other improvements. Note that a new version BIOS often allows you to install more modern processors.

If you did not buy the motherboard separately, or bought a branded PC outright, then in such cases it is better to contact the PC manufacturer’s website. Of course, it is quite possible that you will find the same BIOS update there as on the motherboard manufacturer's website. However, some PC manufacturers release their own versions of the BIOS. If you don't know where to download the BIOS update from (from the motherboard or PC manufacturer's website), find out the answer to this question from the manufacturer. If you don't get a clear answer, then it may not be worth updating the BIOS.

41. How to prepare a boot disk with BIOS

When you download a BIOS from the manufacturer's website, you will usually receive a ZIP archive containing several files. One of the files contains the new BIOS version itself, and this file is often called very mysteriously: “W7176IMS.110” or “AN8D1007.BIN”. In addition, in the archive you can find Text Document with installation instructions.

As a rule, the archive also contains an executable file.EXE - a utility for BIOS firmware. For BIOS Award it is called "awdflash.exe". In addition, the archive usually contains a batch file that simplifies the firmware process. Most often it is called "start.cmd", "flash.bat" or "autoexec.bat". Unzip these files to any folder. For example, in "C:\BIOS\". If the BIOS archive is self-extracting, then copy it to this folder and run it.

Important: Before you begin the firmware procedure, print the Readme file, as it may contain important information. Keep the printout with other documentation. By the way, if you don’t have the documentation saved, you can almost always download it from the manufacturer’s website in the form of PDF files.

42. How to write the BIOS to a bootable floppy disk

To flash the BIOS, you will need a DOS boot diskette. To create it, click on the “My Computer” icon. Right-click on the drive icon and select "Format.../Format...". In the window that appears, check the box "Create boot disk MS-DOS/Create an MS-DOS startup disk". Then click "Start" to start formatting. Copy the BIOS file and the firmware utility to the floppy disk (for example, the files "awdflash.exe" and "w6330vms.360" for the latest version Award BIOS).

Then you need to restart the computer and boot from the floppy disk. To do this, make sure that the drive in the BIOS is set to the first boot device. After rebooting, enter the BIOS setup menu by pressing the appropriate key. Select "Advanced BIOS Features, Boot Sequence", which may also be called "Advanced, Advanced BIOS Features" on some PCs. Make sure the "1st Boot Device" option is set to "Floppy". Exit to the main BIOS setup menu using the key, then use the key to exit the BIOS setup menu. If you want to save the changes you have made, press the [Y] ("Yes") key.

43. How to flash BIOS under DOS

Make sure there is stable power supply to the computer. As we mentioned earlier, do not flash the BIOS on a laptop while it is running on battery power. Connect your laptop to a power outlet.

Boot the PC from the floppy disk on which you recorded the firmware utility and BIOS file. IN command line Enter the name of the firmware utility, separated by a space - the name of the BIOS file. In our example for Award BIOS this will be a line like:

A:\>awdflash.exe w6330vms.360

The firmware utility will launch and guide you through all the other processes.

Keep the old BIOS. Before flashing a new BIOS version, we recommend saving the old version by entering the file name.

Although the name of the firmware utility and the BIOS file in your case may differ (for example, "awdfl789.exe" and "w6330vms.250"), the approach does not change. Follow the utility's instructions and answer correctly. Whenever you update your BIOS, keep the old version just in case. It will allow you to go back if any problems appear in the new BIOS version.

Finally, the firmware utility will overwrite the BIOS image in the flash memory with the new version. After successful completion, you should restart your PC. During the firmware installation, you need to ensure that the computer does not lose power. Otherwise you will have to contact service center(or to craftsmen) and flash the BIOS through the programmer.

44. Setting up a new BIOS

When the BIOS update is completed, reboot the computer, preferably in a cold way (by turning off and on the power). In some cases, a CMOS reset may be necessary (see below). After switching on, the lines will be displayed on the screen BIOS boot, where the new version should appear. Enter the BIOS setup using the required keys. Select the "Load Optimized Defaults" option (this may be called "Exit, Load Setup Defaults" on some PCs), which will load the default settings. Make any required changes to the BIOS settings. Exit the setting with the key, then press [Y] to save the setting. Then enjoy the products of your labor!

Golden rules of BIOS firmware

In principle, by changing BIOS settings, you are unlikely to cause irreparable harm to the computer, unless you increase the supply voltage too much. In any case, it is better to remember a few golden rules.

Create backup copy current version BIOS. Before you flash a new BIOS version, save the old one. Each BIOS firmware utility has the ability to save the old version, for example, "Save current BIOS as". If the new version turns out to be problematic, you can always go back to the old one.
Change only one setting at a time. If you go into BIOS setup, make changes carefully, one at a time and in small steps if possible. After each process, reboot your computer and test under Windows to identify any instabilities. This is the only way to determine how a particular setting will affect the performance and stability of your PC.
Use stress tests. To check the stability of your PC, it is best to load your computer to the maximum. You can run games, a video editing application, 3D tests like 3DMark 2005, etc.
If all else fails, try a cold boot. If the computer refuses to boot after pressing the Reset key, then turn off the computer from the network and wait a couple of minutes. Use the power cable disconnect switch or the toggle switch on the power supply rather than the power key on the front of the PC.
Reset CMOS. If the PC refuses to boot after changes made to the BIOS, then you will not be able to return the settings back. In such cases, resetting CMOS settings helps. Follow the instructions to reset the CMOS for your motherboard. In some cases, to reset the CMOS, you must close (or open) the jumper, giving the "Clear CMOS" signal. Or you need to use a DIP switch. Don't forget that after resetting CMOS you need to return the jumper to its original position. Alternatively, you can remove the motherboard battery and disconnect the computer from the network. But sometimes you need to wait several hours.

BIOS Setup: Guide

Introduction to BIOS Setup

The Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) is an important part of the procedures of any PC, which is stored in a separate chip on the motherboard. At its core, BIOS is an intermediary between computer hardware and the operating system. Without a BIOS, the operating system would not be able to communicate with and control the hardware.

In other words, the BIOS is the most important component of any computer. If the BIOS settings are set incorrectly, your PC's performance can be reduced by up to 40%. Unfortunately, as new processors and motherboards come out, BIOS options continue to become more confusing. As a result, many users simply do not understand the meaning of many modern BIOS options.

But don't despair - THG is here to help! Each motherboard and/or computer uses a different BIOS, so we will look at an example of BIOS optimization based on the Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard. We chose this particular motherboard because after it a large number of other ASUS motherboards with similar BIOS were released. In addition, the A7N8X-E is one of the most popular ASUS models: it has been on the market for almost two years and is still sold for AMD systems. It is likely that your motherboard will have certain differences from this model, but you can get an idea of the possible adjustments.

Remember that incorrectly setting BIOS settings can lead to unstable PC operation. In this case, you will have to reset the BIOS settings to the factory default (that is, to non-optimized ones). This is usually done using a motherboard jumper, but how do you reset the BIOS on a laptop? None of the options discussed here should negatively impact your PC's performance, but follow each step carefully.

Many major computer manufacturers like Dell, HP, Gateway and Micron limit the available options in the BIOS to reduce the number of support calls due to incorrect settings. Therefore, on computers from some manufacturers, you will not be able to enable certain advanced options mentioned in our article.

During boot, most PCs will briefly display a message telling you how to enter the BIOS setup. You will have a few seconds to press the required key; if you don’t have time, the operating system will begin to load. To enter the BIOS after turning on the PC, hold or continuously press the desired key. On most PCs this is "DEL", "F1" or "F2". If your PC does not enter the BIOS setup using these keys or does not display a message on how to do this, you will have to contact your PC manufacturer's documentation or support service.

We recommend that you reboot your computer after changing each BIOS option to ensure the system is stable. Think about it: if you make several changes to the BIOS options and your system stops booting, how will you find the cause of the error?

Let's start with the BIOS main options menu (Main Options), which can be called up by clicking on the "Main" tab in the upper left corner.

Below you can set the time and date, as well as the parameters of your hard drives and other installed drives. Every time you boot, your PC will most likely automatically detect the drives installed on the system. This takes a second or two on most computers, but if you manually enter the settings you need, you'll speed up the boot time somewhat.

To do this, select the drive by moving the cursor to it and press "Enter". Then write down the values for the Cylinders, Heads, Sectors, and LBA parameters. Some BIOSes have options for "Block Mode" and "32-Bit Transfer Mode". Change the drive type from "AUTO" to "USER". Then enter the same numbers that were displayed. On most modern computers The "LBA Mode", "Block Mode" and "32-bit Transfer Mode" modes should be turned ON, even if they were turned off earlier.

If no drives are connected to this controller channel, select NONE. For example, if your hard drive is configured as Primary Master and your CD-RW drive is configured as Secondary Master, make sure that the Primary/Secondary Slave on each channel is set to NONE. If you leave the AUTO option without the presence of a device, the computer will check for the presence of a drive every time. Setting it to NONE where there are no drives will speed up loading a bit.

Then select the "Advanced" tab, which will be divided into several submenus. The first branch is called "Advanced BIOS Features."

Is it necessary to thoroughly test your memory and disk drive every time you turn on your computer? Unless you suspect there is a problem with one of these components, it probably doesn't make sense to run a BIOS diagnostic every time. In this part of the BIOS, you can reduce the system startup time by enabling or disabling certain functions. For example, those that we indicated above. Below are the recommended settings.

Boot Virus Detection(boot virus detection): "Enabled" Sometimes this item is located in the main section of the BIOS (“Standard” or “Main”). Today, boot viruses are not as common as they once were, but this feature will protect your data when booting from an infected floppy disk or CD-ROM.

CPU Level 1 Cache(processor L1 cache): "Enabled"

CPU Level 2 Cache(processor L2 cache): "Enabled".

Quick Power On Self Test(quick test): "Enabled" This item allows you to avoid repeating memory testing several times when you turn on the PC. If you have faulty memory, this test still won’t detect it.

First, Second, or Third Boot Device(first, second, or third boot devices): Set your boot order and disable any devices you don't plan to boot from.

Boot Other Device(boot from another device): "Disabled" unless you plan to boot from a network card or SCSI device.

Boot Up Floppy Seek(drive check at boot): "Disabled" Extra waste of time, and extra noise.

Boot Up NumLock Status(state of the "NumLock" key when loading): choose here yourself. Some people like that the NumLock key is activated when booting Windows, others - no.

Gate A20 Option(Gate A20 option): FAST. Although this feature has lost its significance under Windows XP, we still recommend leaving it enabled. Old Windows versions and OS/2 work better if the parameter is set to FAST. The only reason to set this parameter to "Normal" is when loading DOS.

Typematic Rate Setting(dial speed): "Disabled" Here you can choose for yourself. This setting determines how often keyboard characters will be pressed when holding a specific key.

APIC Mode(APIC mode): "Enabled" Behind the APIC lies an Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller, which is responsible for supporting multiple processors, additional IRQs and faster interrupt processing.

OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64M(OS/2 memory > 64 MB): "Disabled". This setting only applies to users who will be running the now legacy OS/2 operating system from IBM.

Full Screen LOGO Show(display full screen logo): your choice. When the option is enabled, the memory counter and the Power-On Self-Test (POST) are hidden behind the graphic image. If this option is disabled, you will see the normal loading screen. Actually, it is present on most computers. Some users like to hide the POST screen, while others like to watch the process.

POST Complete Report(full POST report): Take your pick. When you enable this option, you will receive a full POST report.

Overclockers and enthusiasts trying to increase system performance often increase the bus and core frequencies of the processor. In addition, they often increase the voltage of the components, since this can achieve higher clock speeds, but also generates more heat.

Overclocking no longer results in the kind of performance difference we were accustomed to a few years ago. In addition, overclocking voids the user's warranty, can lead to component failure, and the system may become unstable. For this reason, most frequency and voltage settings in this section of the BIOS should be left at "AUTO". If you want to adjust the settings, click on the "Advanced" tab of the BIOS screen, and then select the "Advanced Chipset Features" branch.

CPU External Freq. (MHz)(external processor frequency, MHz): Make sure it is set according to the specifications of your processor.

CPU Frequency Multiple Setting(set the processor multiplier): AUTO.

CPU Frequency Multiple(CPU Multiplier): Make sure the multiplier is set according to the CPU specifications.

In other BIOSes, the multiplier item may be called "CPU Multiplier". To understand the meaning of the multiplier, remember that the processor frequency is different from the rest of your system. Our example uses a processor AMD Athlon 2600+, whose frequency is 2133 MHz. The processor FSB frequency is 133.33 MHz. The processor operating frequency of 2133 MHz (2.133 GHz) is set by multiplying the FSB frequency by a multiplier. In this case, we just get 16 x 133.33 = 2133.

Through testing, AMD has determined that the 2133 MHz processor is as fast (or even faster) than Intel processor at a frequency of 2.6 GHz. Since consumers typically use clock speeds to judge performance, AMD had to find a way to convince consumers that lower clock speeds AMD processors does not mean less productivity. For this purpose, model numbers were introduced. So it should come as no surprise that the AMD Athlon 2600+ (in our example) is actually clocked at 2.133 GHz rather than 2.6 GHz.

System Performance(system performance): "Optimal"

CPU Interface(CPU interface): "Optimal"

Memory Frequency(memory interface): "By SPD" (via SPD). Most memory module manufacturers add a special chip (Serial Presence Detect, SPD), which tells the computer's BIOS the module size, frequency, voltage and other memory parameters. These settings are determined by the manufacturer to ensure maximum performance and reliability. This is why we recommend leaving the "By SPD" option. If you adjust the memory settings manually, you can squeeze out a little more performance. But be careful: the system may start to crash at random times, not boot properly, or refuse to boot at all.

Overclocking options in advanced BIOS settings, continued

Memory Timings(memory delays): "Optimal" (optimal).

FSB Spread Spectrum: "Disabled" This feature allows systems to pass European electromagnetic interference (EMI) tests. It constantly changes, albeit slightly, the Front Side Bus (FSB) frequency. Please be aware that enabling this feature may result in interruptions to your Internet connection and may also cause stability issues when overclocking your system.

AGP Spread Spectrum: "Disabled" The same thing is true here as stated in the previous paragraph. Except that the frequency of the Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) interface is modulated.

CPU VCore Setting(processor core voltage setting): "AUTO".

CPU VCore(CPU Core Voltage): Make sure this setting is set according to the CPU specifications.

There are so many on the market today different processors that it is unlikely that one example will be able to outline them. Below we have provided a partial table showing the name of the CPU, the actual operating frequency, the rated core voltage and the maximum permissible temperature.

Athlon processors	Frequency (GHz)	Core Voltage (V)	Max. temperature (°C)
XP 1700	1,467	1,50	90
XP 1900	1,60	1,50	90
XP 2000	1,667	1,60	90
XP 2100	1,733	1,60	90
XP 2200	1,80	1,60	90
XP 2400	2,0	1,60	85
XP 2600	2,133	1,65	85
XP 2700	2,171	1,65	85
XP 2800	2,250	1,65	85

Graphics Aperture Size(AGP aperture size): 64 MB or 128 MB. This function controls the Graphics Address Relocation Table (GART) and the amount of memory that the AGP bus can address. Regardless of the memory size of your graphics card, we recommend specifying 64 or 128 MB. As a result, the video card will provide optimized performance even if the application requires additional memory for textures - at the same time, GART will not go beyond reasonable limits.

AGP Frequency(AGP frequency): "AUTO".

System BIOS Cacheable(system BIOS caching): "Disabled" You might think that caching is a good thing. Yes, but not always. Enabling this feature may cause the system to crash if a program attempts to write data to the cached area of the BIOS. If you are using DOS, then it is better to enable the function.

Video RAM Cacheable(video memory caching): "Disabled" This option allows you to copy the video memory directly to the L2 cache, which is faster than the video card ROM. However, Windows today has advanced much further than DOS, so it uses the video card ROM very rarely. Since the L2 cache is limited in size, we recommend using it to improve the efficiency of other tasks.

DDR Reference Voltage(DDR module voltage): 2.6V. The setting controls the voltage of your system's Double Data Rate (DDR) memory modules.

AGP VDDQ Voltage(AGP VDDQ voltage): 1.5V. VDDQ is a technical abbreviation (Voltage between Drain and common for Data Quad-band). But we won't go into details. All you need to understand is that the voltage of the AGP port of the video card is set here.

AGP 8X Support(AGP 8X support): Enable this option if your video card supports the 8X AGP interface. In addition, motherboards with VIA chipset should have "VIA 4-in-1" drivers installed.

AGP Fast Write Capability(AGP Fast Write Support): We recommend enabling this option. This feature allows you to bypass main RAM when writing from the chipset to an AGP device, improving performance by up to 10%. However, some cards and games may have problems enabling this feature. We recommend experimenting to determine which setting works best for your PC.

This section of the BIOS contains settings for the built-in peripherals installed on the motherboard. This includes serial and parallel ports, audio, LAN, USB ports etc. If some ports are not used, but they are enabled in the BIOS, then the ports consume unnecessary system resources. It's still better to turn them off.

Primary VGA BIOS(main BIOS VGA): This feature is only used if your PC has two graphics cards installed: one AGP (accelerated graphics port) and one PCI (peripheral component interconnect). The system must know which card to initialize first and consider as the primary one. If you have one video card, then most likely it supports the AGP interface. For most cases the default setting is not correct and should be changed to AGP VGA Card. If you really have two video cards, then choose the main one. It will display information about the POST test and OS loading.

USB Controllers(USB controllers): This feature allows you to limit the functionality of your PC's Universal Serial Bus (USB) controllers. You can select "USB 1.1 only", "USB 1.1 and 2.0" and turn off USB altogether. For most users, the best option will be to configure USB 1.1 and 2.0

USB Legacy Support(support for hereditary USB devices): This feature should be enabled if your PC is equipped with a USB keyboard and you want to use it in a DOS environment or before loading the OS (in the boot menu, for example). If the setting is disabled, the keyboard will not work after booting from a floppy disk or CD-ROM. And you won't be able to enter the BIOS either. If your PC uses a USB keyboard (rectangular connector), then set the setting to "Enabled". If you have a PS/2 keyboard (round connector), set "Disabled". Please note that enabling this feature may result in problems waking up from Standby or Hibernate modes, or may cause your PC to shut down incorrectly. In other words, activate the feature only when necessary.

USB Mouse Support(USB mouse support): The same is true as for the previous point. It is best to disable this option.

Onboard AC97 Audio Controller(built-in AC97 sound controller): If your PC is equipped with an additional sound card, such as the Sound Blaster Audigy, or your system does not have speakers, then disable the built-in sound card ("Disabled"). Then you will free up precious resources and prevent potential conflicts. However, many computers use integrated sound solutions, so you should leave the option enabled ( "Enabled").

Onboard AC97 Modem Controller(AC97 built-in modem controller): Some motherboards use a built-in dial-up modem. If there is no modem socket, a modem is not needed at all, or a separate modem card is used, then the option should be disabled (“Disabled”). Otherwise - enable ("Enabled").

Onboard LAN (nVidia)(built-in LAN controller): this option allows you to enable or disable the built-in network card. The options are "Auto" or "Disabled". The ASUS motherboard used for our review has two built-in network cards, which are especially useful in cases where the PC is used as a router for distributing an Internet connection: one network card connects to a cable/DSL modem, and the second to a switch on your network . If you only use one network port or the network is not needed at all, then turn off the controller to free up valuable resources.

Onboard LAN (3Com)(Built-in LAN Controller): This option applies to the second built-in LAN controller. The same thing is true here as stated above.

Peripheral settings in BIOS (Integrated Peripherals), continued

Onboard 1394 Device (FireWire)(Built-in 1394 Controller): This feature enables or disables your PC's built-in IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port. If you are not using any FireWire devices, then disable the option to free up valuable resources.

Floppy Disk Access Controller(disk drive controller): Most modern boards do not have disk drives. If this is true for your PC, or you don’t need the drive, then disable it and free up resources. Note: If you have a floppy drive installed and you turn it off in the BIOS, you will not be able to use it until you turn the feature back on in the BIOS.

Onboard Serial Port 1(built-in serial port): Most users no longer use serial ports to connect peripherals, since this interface has now been almost completely replaced by USB. If you are not using serial ports, disable them to free up resources. On the other hand, if the serial port is used, then set the option "3F8/IRQ4".

Onboard Serial Port 2(built-in serial port): The same as above is true. If the port is in use, set the value to "2F8/IRQ3".

UART2 Use As(UART2 usage type): UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is a chip that receives and transmits data serially. Each serial port uses this chip, although it is possible to integrate multiple UARTs into a single chip. Many motherboards offer IR pins instead of COM2, so take your pick. But remember that for the IR port you must install an IR adapter, usually sold separately.

Onboard Parallel Port(built-in parallel port): This feature allows you to select the parallel port mode or disable it altogether. If you do not use the parallel port, then disabling the option will free up valuable system resources. If the port is used, we recommend setting the value "378/IRQ7".

Parallel Port Mode(parallel port mode): If you have disabled the parallel port, then this setting has no effect. However, when enabling the parallel port, you can set the modes to "EPP" (enhanced parallel port) or "ECP" (enhanced capabilities port). "EPP" mode is recommended if your system has only one device that uses the parallel port (for example, a printer). Select "ECP" if you have multiple devices connected to the port: say, an external zip drive, scanner, printer, or tape drive. Make sure you use parallel cables that are IEEE 1284 certified.

ECP DMA Select(ECP DMA Channel Selection): If you have selected "ECP" or "EPP plus ECP" modes for the parallel port, this option will also appear. With its help, you can set the direct memory access channel (DMA, Direct Memory Access) that you plan to use. We recommend the default value of "3".

Onboard Game Port(built-in game port): if your system has a separate sound card, or you don't use MIDI devices or older joysticks, then this feature should be disabled in order to free up valuable resources. If you are using the built-in game port, then set the default value to “201”.

Onboard MIDI I/O(built-in MIDI interface): MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) allows you to connect musical instruments with PC hardware and software. If the computer is not used to connect external MIDI devices, then feel free to disable the option. Otherwise, we recommend the default value of "330".

Onboard MIDI IRQ: same as above. If you are using MIDI devices, then set the default setting to "10".

This area of the BIOS is where most users get confused. If the settings here are not correct, the system will not shut down properly and will not exit Standby or Hibernate states correctly. Since Windows already has built-in power management, all relevant options in the BIOS can be turned off. Otherwise they will conflict with each other and neither will work correctly. Motherboard manufacturers understand that not everyone uses Windows, so most settings are intended for users of other OSes.

ACPI Suspend to RAM: ACPI stands for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface - do not confuse it with APIC or IPCA, which are also options in some BIOSes. The "Suspend to RAM" feature, also called S3/STR, allows the computer to save more power during standby mode, but all devices connected to the computer must be ACPI compatible. Some BIOS have an "S1/POS" option for this scenario. If you enable this feature and have problems with standby mode, go back to the BIOS and turn it off.

Video Off Method(video off method): DPMS stands for Display Power Management System. This option allows the BIOS to manage a graphics card that supports the "DPMS" feature. The Blank Screen option simply produces a blank black screen - it should be used for those monitors that do not support green options or power saving mode. The "V/H SYNC Blank" option not only produces a black screen, but also turns off vertical and horizontal scanning. If your computer and monitor were released in the last five years, then we recommend the "DPMS" option.

HDD Down In Suspend(HDD shutdown in Suspend mode): The function determines whether the hard disk will be automatically turned off in Suspend mode. Most of these settings are controlled by Windows, but if your hard drive does not turn off when the computer enters Suspend mode, then enable this option. Otherwise, it is better to leave it turned off (“Disabled”).

PWR Button< 4 Secs (Power key): By default, all ATX computers turn off if you hold down the power key for more than four seconds. This setting tells the computer what to do if the power key is held down for less than four seconds. You can either turn off the system or switch it to “Suspend” mode. So decide for yourself.

Power Up On PCI Device(PCI Device Wake): If you are using Wake-On-LAN - an option often used in large office environments to turn on computers remotely - then leave the option "Enabled". Otherwise, we recommend turning off this option (“Disabled”).

Wake/Power Up on Ext. Modem(Wake on via external modem): This feature allows the computer to automatically turn on when the modem telephone line is activated. Yet again, convenient function For remote control. In other environments, that is, for most users, it is better to turn it off (“Disabled”).

Automatic Power Up(auto-on): This feature allows you to set a time when your computer will automatically turn on. If you need such a function, then turn it on ("Enabled"). Otherwise, turn it off ("Disabled").

Time (hh:mm:ss) of Alarm(on time): here you can set the time for automatic switching on. Don't forget to turn on the "Automatic Power Up" feature.

AC Power Loss Restart(Power on after power loss): This option tells the computer what it should do after an unexpected power loss and restoration. If the option is disabled ("Disabled"), the system will not start. If enabled ("Enabled"), the system will reboot. We recommend turning this option off ("Disabled").

Power On By PS/2 Mouse(switch on via PS/2 mouse): if the option is enabled, a PS/2 mouse (not USB) can be used to turn on the PC. Turn off ("Disabled") this option to avoid turning on the computer by accidentally touching the mouse.

Power On By PS/2 Keyboard(PS/2 Keyboard Wake): When this function is activated, you can turn on the system using special keys. It is better to turn off the function (“Disabled”) so as not to accidentally make the wrong key.

This area of the BIOS exists primarily to resolve compatibility issues with older hardware. Most users do not need to change the default settings here.

Reset Configuration Data(reset configuration data): ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data) contains information about all non-PnP devices (plug and play). It also stores system information from the previous boot. Enable this option to clear data during the Power-On-Self-Test (POST). Typically, cleaning is done when diagnosing any component that is not working correctly. After enabling the option ("Enabled") and exiting the BIOS, the configuration data will be cleared and the option will automatically turn off ("Disabled").

Resources Controlled By(resource management): This setting allows the computer to either set IRQs automatically or manually assign IRQs to all devices. Please note that manually specifying an IRQ may cause problems. This option is only necessary when working with older, non-PnP peripherals. It is recommended to set to "AUTO"(ESCD).

IRQ Resources(IRQ resources): This option will allow you to manually configure IRQ. It is activated only if you selected manual indication ("MANUAL") in the previous paragraph.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop: This feature usually applies to add-on graphics cards like MPEG encoders. They do not have their own color palette, so they must snoop the palette from the system video card. If, like most users, you do not have an additional video device connected to your video card, then disable this setting ("Disabled").

BIOS security options allow you to restrict outsiders from accessing the BIOS or computer to prevent them from making any changes. Since BIOS settings are critical for the correct operation of the PC, many administrators in companies lock the BIOS with a password.

Security Option(security option): This option allows you to protect changes to the BIOS with a password ("Setup" option). In addition, here you can specify that a password is requested every time the PC boots (the "System" option).

Set Supervisor Password(install administrative password): If you specify an administrative password, it will be requested when entering the BIOS (when you select the "Setup" option above). If in the paragraph above you specified the “System” option, then a password is also required for “cold” boot.

Set User Password(set user password): Here you can specify a password that will be requested from users when they boot the PC. If the Supervisor Password is also specified, then in the BIOS the user will only be able to change the time and date.

Note: If you forget or lose your passwords, you will have to reset the BIOS to factory settings by temporarily changing the jumper on the motherboard.

In this part of the BIOS you can monitor voltages, fan speeds and temperatures. On the ASUS motherboard used in our article, you can also change the fan speed depending on temperature parameters. In addition, you can set the CPU temperature alarm, which will be activated when it overheats. Another possibility is to turn off the computer after exceeding the threshold temperature. Then your processor will not burn out from overheating or in any extreme situations.

If the BIOS has similar capabilities, then they are all included in a section and clearly labeled. Because modern processors run very hot, we recommend enabling monitoring features to prevent potential hazards.

Each CPU has its own temperature limits. For example, for AMD Athlon they are given at the beginning of this article. In general, if the BIOS contains the options “issue a warning beep” or “shut down the computer if a specific temperature is reached or exceeded”, then they usually indicate several temperature values from which you can choose any. We recommend setting the second temperature after the hottest one.

Conclusion on BIOS setup

Since the BIOS of modern computers differs in many ways, your computer's BIOS may have some functions not discussed in this article. For getting additional information To answer your questions, we recommend visiting the following websites: Wim's BIOS And Adrian's RojakPot .

Good luck with setting up and optimizing the BIOS!

Installing Windows with Award BIOS

What types of BIOS are there?

How to get into BIOS

Selecting and changing firmware settings

BIOS Basics in Pictures

BIOS updates - is it worth doing?

After changing the settings, the computer does not boot. What to do?

Basic BIOS sections - where to look for what

Afterword

Description of Award Setup BIOS settings

BIOS FEATURES Setup

Virus Warning

Boot Virus Detection

CPU Internal Cache/External Cache

CPU Level 1 Cache/CPU Level_2 Cache

CPU Level 2 Cache ECC Check (Enable ECC for processor level 2 cache)

BIOS Update

CPU Fast String (Fast string operations)

Deturbo Mode

Quick Power On Self Test

Boot Sequence

Swap Floppy Drive

Boot Up Floppy Seek (Search for a boot drive after turning on the computer)

Boot Up NumLock Status (Turning on the numeric keypad when you turn on the computer)

Typematic Rate Setting

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

Typematic Delay (Msec)

PS/2 Mouse Function Control

OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64MB (Select a value for OS/2 if there is more memory than 64 Mb)

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop (Adjusting the palette of a VGA video card on PCI)

Video ROM BIOS Shadow (Video BIOS to memory)

Floppy Disk Access Control (R/W)

CHIPSET FEATURES Setup

AUTO Configuration

DRAM RAS# Precharge Time

DRAM R/W Leadoff Timing

DRAM RAS to CAS Delay

DRAM Read Burst Timing

Speculative Leadoff

Turn-Around Insertion

Data Integrity (PAR/ECC)

DRAM ECC/PARITY Select

Fast RAS# to CAS# Delay

SDRAM Configuration

SDRAM RAS Precharge Time

SDRAM (CAS Lat/RAS-to-CAS)

SDRAM CAS to RAS Delay

SDRAM CAS# Latency

SDRAM Banks Close Policy

DRAM Idle Timer

Snoop Ahead (Prediction)

Host Bus Fast Data Ready

Refresh RAS# Assertion

MA Wait State

SDRAM Speculative Read

System BIOS Casheable

Video BIOS Cacheable (Caching the BIOS area of ​​the video card)

Video Memory Cache Mode

Graphics Aperture Size

PCI 2.1 Support

8 Bit I/O Recovery Time (Recovery time for 8-bit devices)

16 Bit I/O Recovery Time (Recovery time for 16-bit devices)

Memory Hole At 15M-16M ("Hole" in memory inside the 15th megabyte of memory)

Peer Concurrency

Chipset Special Features

Passive Release

PCI Delayed Transaction

Parallel Port Mode (ECP+EPP)

ECP DMA Select

Onboard PCI IDE Enable

IDE PIO Mode (Select the operating mode of each drive)

PnP/PCI Configuration Setup

PNP OS Installed (Is an operating system installed that supports Plug&Play mode?)

Resources Controlled By

Reset Configuration Data

IRQ n Assigned to (Interrupt number n is assigned to...)

DMA n Assigned to (DMA channel number n is assigned to...)

PCI IRQ Activated by

PCI IDE IRQ Map to (IDE controller interrupts on PCI are mapped to...)

IRQ n Used By ISA

Video BIOS Cacheable (Caching the BIOS area of the video card)

Doze Speed (CPU frequency in Doze mode)

Stby Speed (CPU frequency in Standby mode)

Chassis Fan Speed (xxxxRPM) (Control the rotation speed of an additional fan in the computer case)

CPU Fan Speed (xxxxRPM)

Power Fan Speed (xxxxRPM)