Volume 2, Issue 11

Downloadable Version (.pdf format)

November, 2003
In this edition:
TECH ALERT!  Recent Drivers, Updates and Tech Issues
Known Issues / FAQ

Asus P4S533-X and Intel P4 2.4B CPU, with motherboard running BIOS 1004. 

 

Problem: Upon boot-up, POST shows this error message: "<BIOS> BIOS update data incorrect. CPUID=00000F29"

 

Solution: Disable the “BIOS Update” option in the BIOS setup.

Problem: Using CTX S510A LCD Monitor and Windows XP, cannot change resolution/color depth to higher than 800x600,  4 or 16 bit colors even after correct video drivers are installed

Solution: You must change the default monitor type from Plug and Play Monitor to a specific CTX series.  First is to right click on the desktop and Properties > Settings Tab > Advanced > Monitor Tab > "Monitor Type" click on Properties > Driver Tab > Update Driver > select the "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)". > Then select "don't search. I will choose the driver to install" > Then un-check the box that said "show compatible hardware" > On the left side of this screen under the "Manufacturer" scroll down to the "CTX- Chuntex Electronic" highlighted and on the right side of that is the model, scroll down to the model "CTX VL700" and highlight this. Then click on "Next" and finish the install then reboot the system.  After the system boot back in to the Windows the display should be showing correctly.  Just make sure to check the refresh rate has to be sets at 60Hz on a LCD.

Intel Motherboards with 865 chipsets and SATA controller on south bridge (i.e D865PERL)

Problem:  When you install Windows 98SE or ME, the OS will not recognize the standard IDE hard drives and the installation will fail, or you can finish the installation but the operating system will not shutdown or restart normally (may freeze during shutdown process).  This is caused by the use of the "Enhanced" ATA/IDE mode (Windows 98SE and Windows ME operating systems do not support Enhanced mode IDE/Serial ATA resources for more than four devices.)

Solution: The ATA/IDE configuration must be changed from Enhanced to Legacy mode. During boot, enter the BIOS setup by pressing F2 and proceed to Advanced>Drive Configuration>ATA/IDE Configuration. Change the option to "Legacy" and press F10 to save the configuration. After the system is restarted, Windows 98SE or Windows Me can be installed normally.  It is best if this can be done before installation, but it can be done afterwards.

Question:  Why do IDE drives disappear from the IDE RAID array or system after a short period of error-free operation?

Affected drives:

  • WD drives with capacities between 40GB & 120GB
  • WD drives between 120GB and 200GB capacity with manufacturing date codes earlier than 3/25/03

Answer:  WD IDE drives are dropped from an IDE RAID array or system after several days or weeks of error-free operation.  The problem is a result of a feature that reduces idle acoustic noise in desktop drives. This feature may cause a timeout likely (though not exclusively) in an IDE RAID environment. To disable the feature, you can run a simple Western Digital utility to turn off a single bit in the drive’s run-time configuration. Disabling of this feature will NOT impact normal system operations. No firmware or hardware changes are required.

  • IDE Upgrade Utility (Non-3Ware controller cards)
    For all configurations other than 3Ware controller cards, download the IDE Upgrade Utility for the Desktop PC.
  • 3Ware controller cards
    If you are using one or more 3Ware controller cards in an IDE RAID configuration, download the IDE RAID Compatibility Upgrade Utility for 3Ware 7500-X controllers cards
New Software Updates
Nvidia Nforce Chipset Drivers version 3.13 for Windows XP/2000 - nVidia Forceware Chipset Drivers - XP/2k - v.3.13 (11/03/03) Click link to start download.

Nvidia Graphics Processor Drivers, Version: 52.16, Release Date October 23, 2003 (WHQL Certified)  - http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_52.16
Application Info

ASI SKU #16709 (NTI CD Maker Gold v6.5) - FileCD Utility

On the old NTI CD Maker version 5.1 FileCD was a separate installation.  With versions 6.0 and 6.5 FileCD is part of the main NTI CD Maker Gold installation. FileCD is not on the burning main screen but it’s hidden in start programs (e.g. Start/Programs/NTI CD Maker/FileCD).  To format rewritable media you must open the program from the correct menu (Click here for picture).  After you execute FileCD, it will minimize to the sys trade.  Both NTI CD Maker v6.0 and v6.5 have FileCD and they have the same features.

Intel P4 Extreme Edition!!!
First Strike

In early September AMD was preparing to launch it's long awaited Athlon 64 processor. AMD fanboys had long been salivating at the idea that Intel would be left in the dust and AMD would, for the time being, have the top chip in the performance/gamer market. Was this the end to Intel's reign over this highly sought after position in today's PC marketplace? Not a chance. Intel took an aggressive stance and launched a preemptive strike on AMD by using the September IDF (Intel Developers Forum) to introduce a CPU that had, up to this point, been a complete unknown. This was one week before the official launch of the Athlon 64 processor, and by doing so, Intel effectively took the wind out of AMDs sails.

Not a Paper Tiger

The Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology Extreme Edition CPU (P4EE), also known in some web circles and the P4EEE (Pentium 4 Extremely Expensive Edition), was paper launched at the September IDF, but realistically didn't hit the streets until November 3rd. The new P4EE is based on the Gallatin core (same as the Xeon MP) for the time being, but speculation has it that as it passes 3.6GHz it will shift to the Prescott core. The P4EE has been enhanced by adding 2MB of L3 cache to supplement the normal 512kb of L2 and 8kb of L1 cache on the standard P4. This gives the P4EE the same on-die cache as the current XEON MP (Gallatin) CPU. The addition of all of this cache does not come cheap in terms of power, real estate, or price. The transistor count on the new P4EE has gone from approximately 55 million on the standard Northwood to an incredible 169 million on the new CPU. By adding all that cache to a CPU launching at 3.2GHz, with an 800MHz front side bus, you have some monster computing power at your fingertips. This has not gone unnoticed, as Alienware and Dell have both signed on to add the P4EE to their highest end gaming systems.

Specs

  • 3.2GHz at Launch
  • .13µ Process Technology
  • 2MB L3 Cache, 512kb L2 Cache, 8kb L1 Cache
  • Hyper-Threading Technology
  • 800MHz. FSB
  • Dual Channel DDR400 Support
  • Intel NetBurst Micro Architecture
  • mPGA478 Package
  • Designed for the i875p Chipset (compatible with i865G and i865PE)*

 

* Motherboard must be Prescott FMB 1.5 compliant
P4EE P4C

Requirements

Although the CPU is the same mPGA478 package as the current P4 Northwood CPU, there are certain differences in the processor which require you to have newer motherboards to support it. The motherboard must be Prescott ready with support for the VREG enhancement for FMB (Flexible Mother Board) 1.5. This will undoubtedly cause problems with many customers who are looking to upgrade their current CPU to the P4 Extreme Edition since Intel didn't really forecast this product and motherboard vendors were not anticipating Prescott support being needed on their boards until the 1st quarter of 2004. Some Intel motherboards, on the other hand, have been shipping with the FMB 1.5 upgrade since September, possibly in anticipation of this CPU, or maybe just because Intel is trying to get their Prescott ready motherboards into the field ahead of the rest of the crowd. These motherboards can only be verified by checking their AA numbers against charts on Intel's website since their model names and numbers will remain unchanged. In addition to the FMB 1.5 support, Intel is requiring a chassis that can maintain an ambient temperature below 38°, but this is standard 3G compatibility and most chassis manufacturers have already integrated this into their current designs.

Benchmarks

We will defer to the mainstream hardware testing sites for the benchmark numbers for the Intel P4EE, as they have spent much time and effort in preparing for, and running these tests. The main site for hardware reviews, Toms Hardware ( www.tomshardware.com ) has posted a review with plenty of benchmarks to keep you amused. You can see the article here.

Here is a quote from their conclusion of the review: "Thanks to its ideal configuration and use of the best components, the P4 3.2 in the Extreme Edition (actually a Xeon labeled 'P4') wins the performance crown. Its former gaming weakness against the Athlon 64 has been ironed out by the 2 MB L3 cache." - Tom's Hardware

 

Wireless Networking Overview 

     IEEE 802.11 (sometimes called "Wi-Fi") is a set of protocols that employ an unlicensed and unlimited radio ISM band for small Local Area Networks. Another protocol called Bluetooth, which employ the same radio ISM band, but it is only useful for very short ranges. 

     There are several different protocols of IEEE 802.11 that could be choose from. The trailing letters (i.e. 802.11a) indicate different speeds and frequency bands used. The most commonly uses are listed below:

Wireless Networking Standards

Courtesy of: www.mocomsystems.com
 
Protocols 802.11a 802.11b Dual Band 802.11g
Frequency 5 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 & 5 GHz 2.4 GHz
Raw Speed 54 Mpbs 11 Mbps 11 & 54 Mbps 54 Mbps
Average Actual Throughput 27 Mbps 4.5 Mbps 27 Mbps 20-25 Mbps
Available Spread Spectrum 300 MHz 83.5 MHz 300 MHz 83.5 MHz
Modulation Encoding OFDM DSSS/CCK DSSS/CCK & OFDM DSSS/PBCC
# of Channels/ non-overlapping 12/8 11/3 11/3 + 12/8 11/3
Compatibility None 802.11g 802.11a, 802.11b, & 802.11g 802.11b
Standard Ratified Sept 1999 Sept 1999 Sept 1999 May 2003

Wireless Networking Equipments

Wireless Router Access Point
ASI SKU# 16873

Wireless router access point provides all of the features of Broadband Router, but it can connects network computers wirelessly thorough the use of wireless card. Very similar to a switch, but it performs a number of useful networking functions:

  • It can separates networks and share Internet or files without being dependent on one computer's connection.
  • Network printer can be plugged in and share among workstation.
  • It provides built-in firewall capabilities that do not delay network performance.
  • It can share broadband connection without purchasing additional IP addresses.
    •
Wireless Access Point
ASI SKU# 20737
An Access Point increases the distance between computers without losing the connection. It ranges from less than 100 feet to 1,000 feet, depending on technology and configuration. It can plug into broadband-connected computer, share files, and share high-speed Internet connection with all of the other computers. An access point controls encryption on the network and may bridge or route the wireless traffic to a wired Ethernet network (or the Internet). Access points that act as routers can also assign an IP address to PC's using DHCP services.
Wireless PCI Adaptor
ASI SKU# 22986
Only used for desktops. Like a Ethernet PCI card but instead of employing with RJ45 port it has an antenna, which transmit data packets wirelessly.  It come in two shapes, as an adaptor (to carry a PCMCIA card) or as a native WiFi PCI card.
Wireless PCMCIA Card
ASI SKU# 8767
Commonly used with laptops and PDA's. Most laptop has at least two PCMCIA slot, which occupy this card.  Sometimes it is used in combination with a PCI adaptor or as an addon for some routers.
Intel PRO/Wireless Pro2100 MiniPCI Adaptor 

(currently in 802.11b only)
Only used with laptops that support Intel Centrino chipset (i855GM or i855PM) motherboard.
Wireless USB Adaptor
ASI SKU# 23264, 21833
Commonly available as a dongle.  It can directly inserted into the USB port or as a separate device connected with a cable to the USB port. USB devices are commonly used with desktops, laptops, and some PDA's can handle them as well
Wireless Compact Flash Card
These are commonly used with PDA's. PDA's that can hold CF's usually have a slot on the PDA for such a card.

Wireless Networking Topology

Ad-hoc

 Ad-Hoc mode is also called peer-to-peer mode or an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS).  It requires a minimum of two PCs equipped with wireless adapter cards to form a simple peer-to-peer network, enabling the PCs to share resources.  This basic topology is useful in order to quickly and easily set up a wireless network anywhere where a wireless infrastructure does not exist.  This type of network requires no access point and administration or pre-configuration.

Equipments required: Wireless PCMCIA Card, Wireless PCI Adaptor, Wireless USB Adaptor, and Wireless Compact Flash Card.

  Infrastructure

In infrastructure mode, the wireless network consists of at least one access point (AP) connected to the wired network infrastructure and a set of wireless end stations. 
This configuration is called a Basic Service Set (BSS). An Extended Service Set (ESS) consists of two or more BSSs forming a single subnetwork. Traffic is forwarded from one BSS to another to smooth the progress of movement.

Equipments required:  Wireless PCMCIA Card, Wireless PCI Adaptor, & Wireless Access Point or Router Access Point.

First Generation Wireless Networking Security

     The 802.11b security standard was not meant for enterprise level security. Still, there are some basic security that can be employed to help make a network more secure. With each security feature, the potential for making the network either more secure or more open to attack exists.

Service Set Identifier ( SSID)

The Service Set Identifier (SSID) is meant to differentiate networks from one another. By default the Access Point broadcasts the SSID every few seconds in what are known as 'Beacon Frames'. This makes it easy for authorized users to find the correct network, but also makes it easy for unauthorized users to find the network name.  Changing the SSID settings should be considered the first level security. In it's standard state, it may not offer any protection to who gains access but configuring make it harder for intruders to know what exactly they are looking at.

Shared Key Authentication or Open authentication

Before wireless network can talk to each other there is a layer of keyed security. This feature can be set to either shared key authentication or open authentication.  The simplest and default setting is open authentication. It allows anyone to begin a conversation with the access point, and provides no security. Shared key mode provide WEP authentication security before the client is allowed to communicate with the AP, and move on to the next layer of security. However, attacker can obtain two of the three variable in the authentication equation and used RC4 code to hack it. Ironically, the most secure is 'open authentication', which allow anyone to associate with the access points, and relying on other methods to handle security.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

WEP, a security protocol for wireless local area networks defined in the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN. WLANs, which are over radio waves, do not have the same physical structure and therefore are more vulnerable to tampering. WEP encrypt data over radio waves as it is transmitted from one end point to another. However, it has been found that WEP is not as secure as once believed. WEP is used at the two lowest layers of the OSI mode - the data link and physical layers; it therefore does not offer end-to-end security.

Media Access Control (MAC)

MAC address filtering is another way to secure networks over and above the 802.11b standards but still it's not 100% proof. The MAC address of a network card is a 12 digit hexadecimal number that is unique to each and every network card. Each card has its own individual address, which can be assign to authorize user on the AP.  This can easily shut out everyone who should not be on the network. However, there are several problem to this security.  The biggest problem is management.  Wireless LAN administrator must keep a database of every device allowed to access the network. This database must be kept either on each AP individually, or on a special RADIUS server that each AP looks at. Any time a device is added, lost, stolen, or changed in any way the WLAN administrator must update the database(s) of allowed devices. Despite the management nightmare, attacker with the right tools can pick MAC addresses of valid users through the airwaves and break the encryption and modify the MAC address.  WLAN administrator still have to deal with the management nightmare even though security is broken.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

VPN is the most secure for handling wireless network. All wireless network traffic is segmented behind a firewall. Each client is then configured with a VPN client and tunneled over the wireless network to a VPN concentrator on the wired network. This security setup uses a secure, proven technology to prevent outsiders from gaining access to wired network.

ASI Wireless Networking Line Card

   
Current High End Video Cards

Nvidia
FX5700 Ultra

Nvidia 
FX5950 Ultra

ATI
 Radeon 9600 SE

ATI
 Radeon 9800 XT

The GeForce FX 5700 Ultra is clocked at 475 MHz core and 900 MHz DDR2 memory speeds, which offers a significant upgrade over previous GeForce FX 5600-based cards. The inclusion of a 128-bit DDR2 memory interface is another nice improvement, and coupled with a high-end 900 MHz clock speed and 14.4 GB/sec. of bandwidth, should increase memory performance quite significantly.
The GeForce FX 5700 Ultra is a full-length, AGP 8X card, and features a smaller heatsink-fan unit than is commonly found on the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra cards. The NVIDIA-branded cooling unit on our reference card included a top-mounted heatsink-fan, along with a back-mounted heatsink for the card memory. The overall look is similar to some high-end, slim line GeForce FX 5900 Ultra boards. The overall design of the GeForce FX 5700 Ultra reference board makes it thin enough to allow access to the primary PCI slot. The card also features 128-MB of DDR2 memory, along with the usual VGA, DVI-I and S-Video outputs. The GeForce FX 5700 Ultra follows the higher-end NVIDIA models, and requires an external power connector.
NVIDIA and the GeForce 5600-based video cards had a tough time competing against ATI and their Radeon 9600 Pro and XT cards, but after releasing the GeForce FX 5700 Ultra, the balance of power has evened out quite significantly. The Radeon 9600 XT release made sure that NVIDIA and their GeForce FX 5700 Ultra wouldn't hog all the glory, but this is still one of NVIDIA's better price-performance options and may really stir up the mainstream market.

The FX5950 is an ultra high end card, plain and simple and utilizes the fastest GPU and memory that NVIDIA has produced their production lines at current time.  ATi's direct match-up to the GeForce FX 5950, is the Radeon 9800XT, which is the fastest thing in 3D that ATi can punch out at the moment.  Combined with a 256-bit memory bus and with support for up to 256 MB, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra GPU delivers more memory bandwidth and efficiency to power today’s most advanced games—like Doom III  at blistering frame rates. In addition to performance enhancements, Intellisample HCT also delivers the highest-quality antialiasing for ultra-realistic visuals with no jagged edges. Intellisample HCT includes an advanced anisotropic engine designed to deliver true anisotropic filtering for incredible image quality without performance degradation. Their 0.13micron process allows them to push higher speeds, and their research into cooling technologies has at least rendered their cooling solution a very quiet, if still large device. The FX5950 is definitely a performance demon that can put as much as a 15% performance increase over the FX5900, though for the most part it only beats out its older counterpart by around 5%.

The ATI Radeon 9600 SE is a new product which is based on the same core architecture, but which has slightly lower performance than the RADEON 9600.
The Radeon 9600 SE comes equipped with 128 MB of memory, a 64-bit memory interface, full Microsoft DirectX 9.0 support, and 4 rendering pipelines, The 9600 SE's core clock runs at 325-MHz, while the DDR memory interface runs at 200-MHz, or an effective rate of 400-MHz.

The RADEON 9800 XT, has the most powerful visual processor available, takes the award-winning RADEON 9800 architecture, the first and only to feature eight full pixel pipes, and makes it even faster. These graphics cards will feature 256MB of graphics memory and a wide, 256-bit memory interface. In addition to the brute-force capabilities of the visual processor, the architecture is efficiently designed to process instructions in parallel, maximizing performance.
The PCB design of the new solution is pretty different from what ATI RADEON 9800 PRO used to have. The graphics chip and memory voltage regulator circuitry seems to have undergone the biggest changes. The front side of the PCB is equipped with a new copper heat sink with a huge fan. On the reverse side of the card PCB the memory chips are covered with a copper heat sink plate for better heat take off. Just like ATI RADEON 9800 PRO, the new card features DVI-I, D-Sub and TV-Out, and requires additional power supply. However, unlike NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra, the ATI graphics card still occupies only one slot on the mainboard. The cooling solution on ATI RADEON 9800 XT is a very quiet one, not any louder than a standard cooler of a RADEON 9800 PRO based graphics card. The card is built on ATI RADEON 9800 XT graphics processor working at 412MHz core frequency. The card feature 256MB of onboard DDR SDRAM graphics memory in Hynix chip with 2.5ns cycle time. The graphics memory works at 730MHz (365MHz DDR). The graphics card based on ATI RADEON 9800 XT boasts about 8.4% faster graphics core than the predecessor, and about 7.3% faster graphics memory
Memory (MB) 128 256 128 256
Memory Interface (bits) 128 256 64 256
Memory Type DDR-II DDR-I DDR-I DDR-I
Memory Band width (GB/S) 14.4 30.4 3.20 23.3
Manufacturing Process (microns) 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.15
Core Clock (MHz) 475 475 325 412
Memory Clock (MHz) 450 475 400 730

Features and Benefits of Microsoft's

Small Business Server 2003 

Product Overview

Microsoft’s new Windows Small Business Server 2003 is an advanced Server Platform that incorporates Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition (based on .NET technologies) plus additional Microsoft products and services (see chart below) that increase the functionality of a small business network.  It is designed for businesses with 50 or less users/devices but can support up to 75 users/devices.  The simplicity of installation, management, and use of Windows Small Business Server 2003 will help technology providers efficiently provide small-business customers with the connectivity they need to work together on projects and stay in touch with each other and their data.

Window Small Business Server 2003 Editions

Windows Small Business Server 2003 is available in two versions, Standard and Premium.  ASI CORP sells both versions.  Premium version has more advanced integrated applications.

 Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition Features
ASI SKU # 24413 ASI SKU # 24412
Windows Server 2003 technologies Windows Server 2003 technologies Tools and technologies to help share, manage, secure, and back up files on an internal network
Microsoft Windows SharePoint™ Services Microsoft Windows SharePoint™ Services SharePoint Services allow an organization to much more easily organize and share documents, contacts, calendars, tasks, and other information for team collaboration.
Exchange Server 2003 technology Exchange Server 2003 technology Exchange is a full email and messaging solution that also incorporates a new version of Microsoft Outlook Web Access.  
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 A unified place to manage e-mail, calendars, contacts, and other personal and team information
- ISA Server 2000 technology Technology to help secure Internet connections
- SQL Server 2000 SQL is a powerful relational database for running business applications.
- Microsoft Office FrontPage® 2003 Helps you to create sophisticated websites or create customer solutions for Windows SharePoint Services.

In addition to the above features, Windows 2003 SBS Standard Edition is also limited to 50 concurrent users for Web Applications, but Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition, includes Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000. Businesses running the premium edition can now establish an interactive Web presence with an unlimited number of visitors and can run as many business applications as they need.

Key Product Advantages

Microsoft has developed Windows Small Business Server 2003 with the key concept “Do more with less” in mind.  With this package customers can build and run a successful small business network geared towards increased reliability, functionality, communication and project collaboration, leading to better productivity for the whole organization.

Microsoft has specifically designed this platform to be more dependable, more secure, easier to deploy and manage, and a better overall value than any previous software platform.  Such advantages also lead to a lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) and prevent costly downtimes while providing the customer with a competitive edge.

In addition SBS 2003 is a real great business value, even compared to Linux.  Recent 3rd party studies show that Microsoft Products provide a lower cost of ownership than Linux products.  For more info see: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/facts/default.asp

Server Roles

Windows SBS 2003 is a multipurpose operating system capable of handling a diverse set of server roles, depending on your needs, in either a centralized or distributed fashion.

  • File and print server
  • Web server and Web application services
  • Mail server
  • Terminal server
  • Database Server
  • Remote access and virtual private network (VPN) server
  • Directory services, Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, and Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS)
  • Streaming media servers

Minimum System Requirements for Running Small Business Server 2003

Processor: 300 MHz Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor (Windows Small Business Server 2003 supports up to two CPUs on one server - hyperthreading is also supported. Quad processors are not supported.)

Memory: 256 MB

Hard Disk Space: 4 GB + 420MB to Install SQL Server 2000

These are minimum requirements only and much better hardware is recommended for good system performance.  We recommend DUAL XEON processor configuration using Intel or Supermicro server platform, using RAID 1 or RAID 5 SCSI disk subsystem, plus 1-4 GB of physical RAM.

Installation note: Small Business Server 2003 must be at the root of an Active Directory domain (it must be the first Domain Controller in the domain.) 

Market Segment / Potential

Right now is a fantastic time to sell Microsoft SBS 2003 because of the great value it delivers and the need for many small businesses to upgrade their IT infrastructure.  The opportunities arise from:

  1. Small businesses needing a full Server Platform Solution (lower cost and easier setup than purchasing software components separately).
  2. Business that need to upgrade from NT 4.0 server to more advanced systems that will save them time and money (lower TCO / ability to consolidate physical server systems)
  3. Business that are still running peer to peer networks and need to upgrade to add additional levels of security, communication, and centralized IT management.

For those customers upgrading from previous server versions (such as NT 4.0) Microsoft offers many free migration tools.

Additional Resources

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/evaluation/top.mspx

ATI CHIPSET Motherboards
 

ASUS
P4R800-VM

 Sapphire
RS300-MA26-9100IGP Series		 Sapphire
AXION A3-M275
IGP 320 A3 Series		 Sapphire
AXION A4MS4-292
IGP 340 A4 Series
SKU# 23501 24355 N/A N/A
CPU Socket 478 for Intel Pentium 4/ Celeron
On-die 512KB/256KB L2 Cache with full speed
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology ready
New power design supports Intel next generation CPU		 Pentium 4 / 5 Prescott
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology ready		 AMD AthlonXP, Duron(K7)
Socket A		 Pentium 4 Socket 478
Hyper-Threading
Chipset ATI RADEON 9100 IGP
ATI IXP200		 ATI RS300
 IXP150 / IXP200		 ATI IGP320 (A3) ATI IGP340(A4)
Front Side Bus 800/533/400 MHz 400/533/800 MHz 200/266MHz DDR 400/533Mhz
Memory 4 x 184-pin DIMM Sockets support max. 4GB
PC3200/2700/PC2100/1600 non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory
( PC3200 up to 2GB with 1 DIMM module each channel)
Dual Channel Memory Architecture		 1GB Max. 2DDR slots
Supports Dual Channel DDR400- 64/128-bit Memory Bandwidth		 Two DDR Socket Support up to 1GB (DDR200/266). Two DDR Socket Support up to 1GB (DDR200/266)
Expansion Slots 1 x AGP8X (1.5V only)
3 x PCI		 1 x AGP8X
3 x PCI		 3 PCI Bus Slots
1 AGP Slot		 3 PCI Bus Slots.
1 AGP Slot
VGA - Integrated ATI RADEON 9200-based 2D/3D graphics engine
- Max. 128 MB of main memory configurable as display memory
- Integrated TV encoder and supports separately purchase TV out (AV/S) card		 RADEON 9200 Graphic Core 
RV-280 , 128MB Max.
Hardware MPEG2 Decode 		 Integrated 128-bit 3D/2D Graphics Engines.
AGP Graphic On Chip (R7000 Core)
MPEG2 Decode (DVD).		 Integrated 128-bit 3D/2D Graphics Engines.
AGP Graphic On Chip (R7000 Core)
MPEG2 Decode (DVD).
Storage 2 x UltraDMA 100/66 2 x UltraDMA 100/66 2 x Ultra DMA 33/ 66/100 2 x Ultra DMA 33/ 66/100
Audio ADI AD1888 SoundMAX 6-channel CODEC
S/PDIF out interface		 AC97 , optional 6-channel AC97 Codec AC97 Codec
LAN Integrated 3COM 10/100 Mbps LAN controller + Realtek PHY Realtek, Optional 3com Lan.  Optional  Optional
USB 2.0 Integrated 6 USB2.0 ports 6 (two USB 2.0 port via 4 USB Ports (Two USB Ports by Optional Adapter Cable) 6 USB 2.0 Ports (Two USB Ports by Optional Adapter Cable)
Special Features Power Loss Restart
Support S/PDIF out interface
ASUS MyLogo2
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS Q-Fan technology
ASUS EZ Flash		 HYPER Z™ memory optimization technology
Dual display and TV-out Support
Integrated 24-bit 300MHz RAMDAC		 Support Dual Display - CRT/TV
Integrated TV Encoder, Macrovision for Support Composite, S-Video Out (Via Cable Adapter), Pal & NTSC Support.
Integrated 24-bit 300MHz RAMDAC		 Support Dual Display - CRT/TV.
Integrated TV Encoder, Macrovision for Support Composite, S-Video Out (Via Cable Adapter), Pal & NTSC Support. (Radeon IGP 340 only)
Integrated 24-bit 300MHz RAMDAC
Back Panel I/O Ports 1 x Parallel
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x VGA
1 x Audio I/O
1 x S/PDIF output
1 x RJ45
4 x USB 2.0/1.1		 1 x Parallel
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x VGA
1 x Audio I/O
1 x S/PDIF output "Optional"
1 x RJ45
4 x USB 2.0/1.1		 1 x Parallel
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x VGA
1 x Audio I/O
1 x S/PDIF output "Optional"
2 x USB 2.0/1.1		 1 x Parallel
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x VGA
1 x Audio I/O
1 x S/PDIF output "Optional"
4 x USB 2.0/1.
Internal I/O Connectors - 1 x USB 2.0 connector supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports
- CPU / Chassis FAN connectors
- 20-pin ATX Power connector
- CD / AUX audio in
- TV-out connector
- COM connector
- Front panel audio connector		 Chassis FAN connectors
2 USB 2.0 ports
TV-OUT "Optional"		 Chassis FAN connectors
2 USB 2.0 ports
TV-OUT "Optional"		 Chassis FAN connectors
2 USB 2.0 ports
Line-in, Line-out, Mic-in and MIDI/Game Port
BIOS Feature 4 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI, ASUS EZ Flash, ASUS MyLogo2 Flash EPROM (Support PnP, APM, ACPI, ATAPI, DMI Flash EPROM (Support PnP, APM, ACPI, ATAPI, DMI Flash EPROM (Support PnP, APM, ACPI, ATAPI, DMI)
Industry Standard PCI 2.2, USB 2.0 PCI 2.2, USB 2.0 PCI 2.2.
AGP 2.0 / 1.0.		 PCI 2.2.
AGP 2.0 / 1.0.
Form Factor microATX Form Factor, 9.6"x 9.6"(24.5cm x 24.5cm) micro-ATX , 230 x 244mm 244mm x 225mm, Micro ATX Form Factor 244mm x 225mm, Micro ATX Form Factor
 

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